Saturday, December 31, 2016

Aston Martin DBR1


We have featured number of Aston Martin's great cars in our blogs this past year, but it really will not be complete without the iconic DBR1.
The DBR1 was designed and built as a race car. The production started in 1956 and it was purely intended for the World Sportscar Championship as well as non-championship sportscar races at the time.
One of most famous moments was the win at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. This was Aston Martin’s only outright victory at the endurance classic.
Following changes to the rules for sportscar racing, entrants no longer had to use cars which were road legal, or based on road legal cars, such as the Aston Martin DB3S. Therefore, with the ability to create a sportscar from a clean slate for 1956, Aston Martin created the DBR1, with Ted Cutting as chief designer.
The body evolved from the DB3S’s shape, featuring a much lower profile. Most notable was that the back of the front wheel well was no longer left open. Instead, the DBR1 featured full bodywork with a large triangular vent on the side, a design trait which would become standard on all future Aston Martins.
Initially fitted with a smaller 2.5L (2493 cc) new all alloy racing engine (RB6.250) very loosely derived from the racing version of the Lagonda Straight-6 engine, even though the DBR1′s predecessor, the DB3S, was at the time racing with a larger 2.9L (2922 cc) engine. Later DBR1s would feature the RB6.300 Straight-6 (2992 cc), rated at 250 hp (186 kW).
here we have some detailed history on DBR1 racing career;
Debuting at the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, David Brown’s Aston Martin racing team set out with the 2.5L DBR1/1 alongside two older 2.9L DB3Ss. Although performing well through most of the race, the DBR1 suffered gearbox failure after 246 laps, forcing drivers Reg Parnell and Tony Brooks to retire.
Making a full début in the 1957 World Sportscar Championship season as well as various non-championship races, DBR1/1 recorded its first finish, with a 2nd place for Roy Salvadori at the British Empire Trophy, followed by another 2nd place at the Goodwood Circuit’s Sussex Trophy. It was then upgraded with the newer 3.0L engine, and joined by the identical DBR1/2.
Together at the Spa Sportscar Race, Aston Martin took the top two spots, with Tony Brooks winning over Roy Salvadori. At the fourth round of the World Sportscar Championship, the 1000km Nürburgring, DBR1/2 took an overall victory at the hands of Tony Brooks and Noël Cunningham-Reid, earning Aston Martin its own championship points that season. Roy Salvadori and Les Leston would finish 6th in the same race.
Unfortunately, at the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans, both DBR1s failed to finish. DBR1/2 would take the only other victory of the season at the non-championship Spa Grand Prix.
For 1958, DBR1/3 was completed and began to compete. David Brown chose to concentrate on the World Sportscar Championship exclusively, leaving the DBR2 for non-championship races. The team did not enter the opening round in Buenos Aires, choosing instead to race at the following round, the 12 Hours of Sebring. Neither DBR1 managed to finish, both suffering gearbox failure. This was followed at the Targa Florio, with the new DBR1/3 also suffering a gearbox failure and not finishing.
At the 1000km Nürburgring, where the DBR1 had won the previous year, Aston Martin managed to repeat, with Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham’s DBR1/3 beating a large contingent of Ferraris and Porsches. Unfortunately the bad luck returned at Le Mans, with all three DBR1s failing to finish again. However, at the season ending Tourist Trophy, Aston Martin managed a 1-2-3 finish for all cars, with Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks driving the winning car.
This dominating victory allowed Aston Martin to finish 2nd in the constructor’s championship behind Ferrari.
Returning again for 1959, Aston Martin had completed two more chassis, DBR1/4 and DBR1/5. The first car was actually a conversion from a DBR3, while DBR1/5 was a spare chassis sold to privateer Graham Whitehead, the only car to do so. With four chassis, Aston Martin would again concentrate on the World Sportscar Championship.
The season started slowly, with a sole DBR1 failing to finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring, then followed by the team not appearing at the Targa Florio. Luck returned again for Aston Martin, as the sole factory entry again won the 1000km Nürburgring, with Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman driving. However, Aston Martin’s success would continue with what is considered their finest motorsports triumph. DBR1/2, driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, took victory at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. DBR1/4, driven by Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frére, managed second. The next closest competitor was a distant 25 laps behind the duo!
With the constructors championship now closely contested by Ferrari and Aston Martin, the team appeared at the final round at Goodwood. Aston Martin entered three DBR1s, as well as privateer Graham Whitehead’s DBR1/5. During the race, DBR1/3 caught fire in the pits, destroying the car and leaving Aston Martin without room to refuel their other cars. To salvage Aston Martin’s hopes of a championship, Graham Whitehead withdrew his entry from the race in order to allow Aston Martin to use his pits stall and finish the race. Able to continue, Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby and Jack Fairman in DBR1/2 were able to secure victory and the championship over Ferrari, the only World Championship won by Aston Martin.
Following Aston Martin’s success in 1959, David Brown decided to make an unsuccessful move to Formula One with the DBR4 and DBR5. Thus the factory’s David Brown Racing Department would no longer compete in sportscars.
The four DBR1s retained by the factory, including the rebuilt DBR1/3, were sold off to customers for use in various championships. DBR1/2 would be the only car to score a win in privateer hands, winning the 1960 Rouen Grand Prix. Following the 1962 season, all DBR1s would retire from racing and eventually end up in museums or private collections.
DBR1/4 is notable for having appeared in the 1960 film adaptation of The Sound and the Fury.
It is also important to note that Aston Martin used a chassis initially meant for the DBR1 to construct a car known as DBR3, and given the chassis number DBR3/1. The car was different in that it used Aston Martin’s newly designed 3.7L (3670cc) Straight-6 from the Aston Martin DB4, destroked to 3.0L (2990cc). The car was used in only a single race in 1958 before it was deemed uncompetitive. DBR3/1 was thus given a normal Lagonda Straight-6 and rechristened as DBR1/4.

Closer look at the DBR1 here.

With Sir Stirling Moss here.

Aston Martin owners club.

Motorsport is our passion






Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Cooper T45


Today being Friday and a Grand Prix weekend, we thought we feature something relevant. The Cooper Climax Type 45 is of course very relevant as this was amongst the first cars that started the rear engined revolution in Grand Prix racing.
The first water-cooled rear-engined Coopers were the center-seated ‘Bobtail’ sports-racing design of 1955. But by the end of that year it was very clear that the FIA, intended to launch a new ‘stepping-stone’ class of single-seater road racing in 1957. At the time the Formula 1 cars catered for normally aspirated engines up to 2½-liters.
This would continue until the end of 1960, but meanwhile the new Formula 2 class for 1957 was to use a ceiling engine capacity limit of only 1½-liters.
Cooper race cars liked this idea and started work on such a car very quickly. There was great interest amongst race promoters and through 1956 a number of ‘dress rehearsal’ road races were organised in England to sort of launch the new class before the official introduction.
Cooper immediately asserted its primacy by developing a center-seat, slipper-bodied open-wheeled racing version of the ‘Bobtail’ sports car using the same 4-cylinder Coventry Climax overhead cam water-cooled engine proven in the sports model through 1955. The new prototype Cooper Type 41 Formula 2 cars immediately showed astonishing pace driven by the works stars Roy Salvadori and Jack Brabham, while customer models were also driven by stars of their day, Tony Brooks and Ken Wharton.
In 1957 a further improved Cooper-Climax Type 43 model was introduced for the official introduction of international Formula 2, and the cars dominated the field. By 1958 it seemed that if you did not have a Cooper-Climax with that very lightweight aluminium-block engine behind the driver’s shoulders, you wouldn’t have a chance of Formula 2 success. The cars won the opening F2 Championship and into 1958 a further refined version of the theme emerged as the Type 45 model.
The T45 Mark III was introduced for the 1958 season. The biggest change was the front coil springs and wishbone set-up which replaced the transverse leaf unit. Another improvement was with the engines positioning, which was lowered a couple of inches in the engine bay. This allowed better access to the overall gear ratios which now could be changed in a matter of minutes.
One of the major highlight for the T45′s racing career came at the 1958 Monaco race where it was driven by Maurice Trintignant to a victory, capturing a victory for the Rob Walker Racing Team and for Cooper, and becoming the first rear-engined car to win a major European race. This victory, coupled with Moss’s accomplishment at Buenos Aires, introduced new potential for the ‘engine in the wrong place/cart before the horse’ set-up.
There were advantages to the mid engine layout. With the engine in the rear there was no need for a drive shaft to run under the drivers seat. This allowed the driver to sit lower to the ground, increasing the centre of gravity, and improving the handling. The frontal area was reduced, since it did not have to be as large. Cornering was improved, aerodynamics were better, and performance was optimal. This, plus a smaller car with fewer components meant a lighter car.
In 1959, Brabham, along with the Cooper factory team, would become the first to win the Formula One World Championship in a rear-engined car. By 1960, many Formula 1 teams would follow Coopers lead by switching to mid-engined layout. One of the first to do so was BRM.
Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, and Bruce McLaren each scored victories in 1959 with their Cooper cars. Brabham won at Monaco and the British GP. Moss had qualified on the pole at Monaco, but was forced to retire due to gearbox problems, leaving the spot open for Brabham. Gearbox issues would plague the cars throughout the season. Stirling Moss won the Portuguese and Italian GP. Bruce McLaren won the United States Grand Prix at Sebring. He gained another record that day, crowned as the youngest Grand Prix winner to ever win a race. At the tender age of twenty-two, that record still persists to this day. Brabham would be crowned with the seasons Drivers’ Title, partly due to better reliability, and Cooper with the Constructors’ Title.
In 1960, Brabham brought one of the Championship-winning Cooper T53 ‘Lowline’ cars to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for testing. The car was mocked by the other teams, but it ran as high as third, though it finished in ninth place. Within a few years, the Indy cars were being powered by engines that sat behind the driver. 1965 was the first year a rear-engined car took the Indy 500 checkered flag. It was a Lotus driven by Jim Clark. Since that time every car that has achieved victory at Indy has been powered by a rear-engined vehicle.
Cooper and Lotus convinced Coventry Climax to create a 2.5-liter engine which could be used to contest the 1959 season. The engines had humble beginnings, being derived from a fire-pump engine. In a short four months, the engine had been created and made its inaugural racing début in the back of a Walker Cooper car. The Climax engine was lightweight, yet powerful.
By now, the latest Cooper cars were being introduced, the T51 Mark IV cars which were to run in Formula 1 and Formula 2 competition. Power was from the 2.5-liter Climax FWA engine and the nestled comfortably in the curved tube frame. The frame was created by curved tubes; nearly every tue making up the frame had a curve. This was another interesting part of the car, as curved tubes generally has less rigidity as a straight one. However, the ingenuity and talents of Owen Maddock had allowed for the design to be possible, with each tube positioned to increase the strength of the frame.
Coopers impressive season for 1959, with eight victories out of the 13 F1 races, had them excited for the 1960 season.
The next iteration was the T53, which had coil springs instead of the leaf springs of the T51. The bodywork was improved which gave the car better aerodynamics. The T53 was a solid performer, providing Brabham with five consecutive wins by mid-season.
The mid-engined layout revolutionized F1, with most marque’s adapting the style for the 1960 and 1961 season. Ferrari was one of the last to change.
1960 was the final year for the 2.5-liter regulations. Cooper and Brabham claimed their second World Championship. Except for a victory by Stirling Moss in a Lotus at Monaco, and a Phil Hill victory at Monza in a Ferrari, all races were won by Cooper. The British had boycotted the Italian race at Monza since the circuit was using banked turns.
These delightful rear-engined Cooper-Climax cars were recognised in period as being ‘more fun than should be legal’. They were, and are, immensely forgiving and ‘chuckable’ single-seater racing cars and they are also renowned for being strong and, by the standards of contemporary racing cars, very protective and safe. They are still many Coopers racing at historic events all over the world.

Sir Stirling Moss driving the Cooper here.

Motorsport is our passion





ur passion

Monday, December 26, 2016

Mercedes 190


The 190SL is one of the prettiest cars Mercedes has produced. This was originally available as a two-door grand touring convertible with an optional removable hardtop.
The car was produced from May 1955 to February 1963. A prototype was first shown at the 1954 New York Auto Show.
The 190SL was sold alongside the faster, more expensive Mercedes-Benz 300SL, which it closely resembled both in its styling, engineering, detailing and fully independent suspension, both cars having double wishbone suspensions at the front and swing axles at the rear. However, the 190SL did not use the 300SL’s purpose-built tubular spaceframe W198 platform, but was built on a shortened and monocoque R121 platform that modified from the W121 small saloon.
The 190SL was powered by a new, slightly oversquare 1.9 L straight-four SOHC engine, that developed 105 PS (77 kW; 104 hp) that earned itself a reputation for not running that smoothly mostly due to the difficulty in properly synchronising the twin-choke dual Solex carburettors, and that, in detuned form, was later also used in the W120 180 and W121 190 models.
The four-cylinder engine block of the 190SL was based on the six-cylinder engine of the 300 SL. The 85 mm bore was transferred unchanged from the larger engine to the smaller, although the stroke was reduced.
The car was available either as a soft-top convertible or with removable hardtop. There was an optional third-passenger transverse seat that could even fit an adult.
During its first years the 190SL was available as a sports-racing model with small perspex windscreen and spartan one-piece leather covered bucket seats and aluminium doors, although any competition aspirations were modest.
In 1959, the hardtop’s rear window was enlarged.
The 4-cylinder 190SL was more widely produced with 25,881 units. Cars of the open SL-Class were available as a coupe with a removable hardtop or as a roadster with convertible soft top or with both tops.
Both the 190SL and the 300SL were replaced by the Mercedes-Benz 230SL in 1963.
The cars were priced at DM 16,500/US$ 3,998 for the soft top to DM 17,650/$ 4,295 for the hard top later cars.

A more detailed look at the 190SL here.

Mercedes owners club.

More images here.

Motorsport is our passion 






Friday, December 23, 2016

MG Magnette


If you were born in 60′s you will remember this car well, running around the streets of UK as well as US and elsewhere. It was used widely as police cars and it was a well proportioned, nimble and fast little number. Today we are writing mainly about the ZA and ZB models.
The Magnette name was used by MG before the 50′s. 1930′s to be exact and as you will see from the story, it has been resurrected again recently.
Things were not always easy though as the use of the Magnette name on an MG saloon car with a lowered Wolseley body and an Austin engine brought protest from motor magazine letter writers.
There were two distinct series of these Magnettes: The ZA and ZB of 1953 through to 1958 and the Mark III and Mark IV of 1959 through to 1968.
The Magnette ZA was launched in 1953 at the London Motor Show and deliveries started in March 1954. Production continued until 1956. It was the first monocoque car to bear the MG badge.
The Magnette was designed by Gerald Palmer who made his name with the Jowett Javelin, and featured modern Italian inspired styling. Power came from the then new four cylinder 1.5 L (1489 cc) B-Series I4 engine with twin SU carburettors delivering 60 bhp (45 kW), driving the rear wheels through a four speed manual gearbox with synchromesh on the top three gears.
Suspension was independent at the front using coil springs and had a live axle with half elliptic leaf springs at the rear. The steering was by rack and pinion. Hydraulically operated Lockheed 10 in (254 mm) drum brakes were fitted to front and rear wheels.
The car had leather trimmed individual front seats and rear bench seat. The dashboard and door cappings were in polished wood. Although the heater was standard, the radio was still an optional extra. Standard body colours were black, maroon, green, and grey.
The similar Wolseley 4/44, first sold one year earlier, used the 1250 cc engine from the MG TF. Although visually similar, the MG has lower suspension and only the front doors, boot lid and roof panels are shared. The 4/44 was replaced in 1956 by the 15/50.
In 1955 The Motor magazine tested a Magnette and recorded a top speed of 79.7 mph (128.3 km/h) acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 23.1 seconds and a fuel consumption of 24.9 miles per imperial gallon (11.3 L/100 km; 20.7 mpg-US) was recorded. The test car cost £914 including taxes.
The ZA was replaced by the Magnette ZB in 1956. Power was increased to 64 hp (48 kW) by fitting larger carburettors, increasing the compression ratio, and modifying the manifold. The extra power increased the top speed to 86 mph (138 km/h) and reduced the 0-60 mph time to 18.5 seconds. The similar Wolseley 15/50 now shared the ZB’s B-Series engine.
Manumatic semi-automatic transmission was an option from January 1957 but only 496 Magnettes were fitted with it and it was withdrawn in 1958
The interior was improved and there was also a Varitone model with a larger rear window and optional two tone paintwork. This used a standard Pressed Steel body shell, the rear window opening being enlarged in the Morris Motors body shop, Cowley, before painting.
There was a MKIII which was produced from 1959 to 1968 which we may cover another day.
On June 20, 2011, MG Motor confirmed that the saloon version of the MG 6 will carry the Magnette name for the UK and Europe.
At the media launch held at the historic Goodwood Circuit, MG Motor displayed the new 2011 MG 6 Magnette alongside examples of the earlier ZA and ZB Magnettes to reinforce the continuity of the brand.

A closer look video here.

MG owners club.

Motorsport is our passion





Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Edsel Model 40


Today we have a real special treat. This is the car that was hand built for Ford’s company president Edsel Ford in 1934. There really is only one of this model and it is truely unique. It does however get out to shows, but as much we love to see more of them, there has been no plans to re introduce or manufacture this special car. Here is the story of the car.
Grace, style and a 77-year history shrouded in mystery. For decades, Edsel Ford’s 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster has intrigued automotive collectors, enthusiasts and writers worldwide. After a year-long restoration taking it back to its timeless elegance, the Speedster was unveiled at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey County, California in August 2011 and is travelling to museums and car shows throughout the country.
Part of the permanent collection of Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, the 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster is an example of the elegance and artistry of Edsel Ford’s impact on design and the style revolution of the 1930s.
Its rich history began in 1932 after Edsel returned from a trip to Europe. He asked Ford’s chief designer, E.T. “Bob” Gregorie to design and supervise the construction of a personal sports car similar to those he’d see “on the continent.”
The first design reportedly disappointed Edsel because it wasn’t lower and racier. But Gregorie, who was adept at turning Edsel’s visions into tangible designs, went to work on a more dramatic, streamlined design. This “continental” roadster may have started with a stock 1934 Ford (aka Model 40) frame, but its subsequent chassis was radically altered. The Model 40 Special Speedster was unlike anything Ford Motor Company had built up to that time.
At 113 inches, the Speedster’s wheelbase is approximately the same as the standard 112-inch wheelbase of a 1934 Ford roadster. Yet, it appears longer and lower. This illusion was achieved by modifying and lowering the car’s chassis, positioning the cockpit toward the rear of the car and extending the tail section.
Gregorie, Robbie Robinson, supervisor of the Lincoln plant, and Ford Aircraft Division personnel, fabricated a topless, taper-tailed aluminium body with cut-down door openings and mounted it over a custom welded tubular aluminium structural framework.
It was believed that the Speedster’s wings were modified Trimotor Aircraft “wheel pants,” but Ford’s aircraft fabricators undoubtedly fashioned them from scratch. The custom-designed front cycle wings were mounted so they turned with the car’s Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. The all-aluminium bodywork followed the best aircraft practice – light and very strong.
The Speedster was painted Pearl Essence Gunmetal Dark; the interior upholstered in complementary grey leather. The flat, engine-tuned instrument panel incorporated period Lincoln instruments. The 2,100-pound Speedster was powered by a stock 75-bhp, Ford Model 40 flathead, with straight exhausts that were enclosed by the bodywork with only the tips protruding.
The Speedster had low-mounted faired-in headlights; an enclosed radiator with a concealed cap, a starter button on the instrument panel; minimal chrome trim and no running boards – features that didn’t appear on production Fords for years.
The Speedster’s shapely hood had louvered side panels that subtly matched the angle of the radiator grille and the windscreen. A pair of narrow vee-ed grilles with a single row of louvers (vents) running the length of each side of the hood limited the flow of cooling air. The Speedster had a tendency to overheat.
Reportedly, a winter freeze in 1939-40 cracked the engine block; a new 239-cid, 100-bhp 09A Mercury V-8 was installed. This would have been the most powerful version of the Ford flathead V-8 available at the time.
By 1939, Gregorie had designed wider twin grilles for the Lincoln-Zephyr, so it followed that he would take the same approach for the Speedster. He redesigned the Speedster’s front end by shortening the upper grilles and fabricating a wide, horizontal grille for improved cooling. The new design, which required extensive modifications to the bonnet, was likely completed in 1940. The instrument panel may have been updated at the same time with a 160-mph racing type speedometer and matching Stewart-Warner accessory instruments.
“The Model 40 Special Speedster was only enjoyed by Edsel for a few short years before his death in 1943, but its journey was just beginning,” said Ford House President Kathleen Mullins. “Ford House is proud to give life to Edsel’s original vision for a unique, continental roadster.”
The Model 40 Special Speedster has moved through almost eight decades of owners and modifications and has returned to its early design elegance.
Source; Fordhouse

Motorsport is our passion







Saturday, December 17, 2016

AMC AMX


One of the most popular little Muscle cars in the US with a good following all over the world in the AMC AMX. This good looking 2 door coupe has won the hearts of many, be it as a road going car or as a race car. Nice lines and its two doors GT coupé look, made the car have a real sports car feel, not mentioning the V8 under the bonnet.
It was only produced for a few years with a lot of variation in models as well as a fair few concepts. Even more surprising to see that it has fans all over the world for the short time it was produced and relatively small numbers.
Here is a bit of history on these cars;
The AMX (“American Motors eXperimental”) was classified as a muscle car, but “unique among other American cars at the time due its short wheelbase”. It was also the only American-built steel-bodied two-seater of its time, the first since the 1955-1957 Ford Thunderbird. To a degree, the AMX was a competitor with America’s only other two-seater of the era, the Chevrolet Corvette for substantially less money. With a one-inch (2.5 cm) shorter wheelbase than the Chevrolet’s 2-seater, “the AMX was often seen by the press as a Corvette competitor.”
Fitted with the optional high-compression medium block 390 cu in (6.4 L) AMC V8 engine, the AMX offered top-notch performance at an affordable price. In spite of this value and enthusiastic initial reception by automotive media and enthusiasts, sales never thrived. However, the automaker’s larger objectives to refocus AMC’s image on performance and to bring younger customers into its dealer showrooms was achieved. After three model years, the two-seat version was discontinued, and the AMX’s now signature badging was transferred to a high-performance version of its 4-seat sibling, the Javelin, from 1971-1974.
American Motors capitalized the respected reputation of the original AMXs by reviving the model designation for performance-equipped coupé versions of the compact Hornet in 1977, Concord in 1978, and subcompact Spirit in 1979 and 1980.
In January 1968, two specially-prepared AMXs set 106 world speed and endurance records at Goodyear’s track in Texas driven by World Land Speed Record holder Craig Breedlove, his wife Lee, and Ron Dykes. As a way to promote the new car, AMC’s Performance activities manager, Carl Chakmakian, asked Breedlove to put the AMX through its paces before it was even available for sale. Breedlove’s “Spirit of America” crew and Traco Engineering had six weeks to prepare the cars before they were to be displayed at the Chicago Auto Show in February.
The AMC V8 engines, such as the 290 cu in (4.8 L) engine in one car was bored out to 304 cu in (5.0 L) and the 390 cu in (6.4 L) in the other to 397 cu in (6.5 L). They installed exhaust headers, eight-quart oil pans, oil coolers, hi-rise intake manifolds, racing camshafts with solid lifters and stronger springs, and larger carburettors. The cars had engine and rear-end oil coolers, and 37 US gal (140 L; 31 imp gal) cell-type safety fuel tanks. Engine components were X-rayed and Magnafluxed to check for cracks, as were chassis components.
Chassis preparation included heavy-duty front and rear springs (part of the factory’s optional handling package), rear spring traction control arms, heavy-duty shock absorbers and a “panhard” type track bar in the rear to eliminate side sway. Stock wheels and tires were replaced by wide magnesium racing wheels and Goodyear racing tires. The cars were aerodynamically modified: the front ends were lowered, the bonnet was slanted down and spoilers were installed below the front bumpers. The car interiors had structure-stiffening roll cages for driver protection, a stock bucket seat modified for additional support, and supplementary engine-monitoring instruments.
Breedlove also took the AMX to Bonneville reaching 189 mph (304 km/h) in a United States Auto Club (USAC) sanctioned run, as well as an unofficial run of over 200 mph (322 km/h).
The AMC AMX, while not a Corvette, was a high-performance car with few equals. The cars were regular performers on dragstrips around the country. Drivers included Shirley Shahan, better known as the “Drag-On Lady”, and Lou Downy. National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) champion Wally Booth raced AMXs in the both the Super Stock and the Pro Stock classes. Herman Lewis, often described “as ‘the Godfather of AMC Racing’ … won 200 events in his hellacious red, white, and blue AMX.”
The 1968 and 1969 AMXs with AMC’s 390 cu in (6.4 L) engines compete in contemporary Nostalgia Super Stock drag racing. Owners have also modified AMXs to compete in modern Pro Touring car racing.
The AMX was campaigned in amateur Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) competition. An AMX was in second place in the 1969 SCCA national championship. Dwight Knupp drove his AMX just 1 minute and 14 seconds behind a Corvette’s winning average of 102.385 mph (165 km/h) on 30 November 1969, at the Daytona International Speedway with 16 cars in the B production class, and placed sixth overall out of the total of 28 A and B class cars competing in the race.
A 1969 AMX was entered in the 1971 and 1972 Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an unofficial automobile race from New York City and Darien, CT, on the US Atlantic (east) coast, to Redondo Beach, a Los Angeles suburb on the Pacific (west) coast. This was during the time of the newly imposed 55 mph (89 km/h) speed limit set by the National Maximum Speed Law. A team of enthusiastic brothers, Tom and Ed Bruerton, finished the 1971 competition in fifth place. They drove 2,897 miles (4,662 km) in 37 hours and 48 minutes at an average of 77.3 mph (124 km/h), with no speeding tickets. Their AMX already had 90,000 miles (144,841 km) on the odometer and the brothers had previously taken it on numerous endurance rides, including “a rocky ride the entire length of the Baja California peninsula.” They again entered “their battlescarred AMX one more time” in the 1972 run. The brothers finished in eighth place, making the coast-to-coast outlaw race in 39 hours and 42 minutes at an average of 72.3 mph (116 km/h).
In the late-1960s, The Hertz Corporation offered “rent-a-racer” program in selected locations that included cars such as Corvettes, Jaguar E types, Shelby Mustangs, and AMXs.
Original road test of a 390 AMX by Car and Driver (1968)
0 to 60 mph = 6.6 seconds
0-100 mph = 16.3 seconds
Dragstrip quarter-mile acceleration = 14.8 seconds @ 95 mph (153 km/h)
Top speed = 122 mph (196 km/h)
Original road test of a 390 AMX by Motor Trend (December 1969)
0 to 60 mph = 6.56 seconds
Dragstrip quarter-mile acceleration = 14.68 seconds @ 92 mph (148 km/h)
In 1969, the TV show Car and Track posted the following times with an AMX 390 cu in (6.4 L) running a standard 4-barrel carburettor and 10.2:1 compression ratio:
0 to 60 mph acceleration = 6.5 seconds
Dragstrip quarter-mile acceleration = 14.1 seconds

We can go on and on about this great car, but we think you have the idea already.

One of the original commercials for the AMX here.

AMC AMX owners club.

Motorsport is our passion







Thursday, December 15, 2016

Renault Fuego


A really different and obviously a more sporty number appeared from Renault in the early 1980′s, which in our opinion was the most exciting car they had designed and produced since the Alpine. First car that was designed using the wind-tunnel as well as being the first for Renault for key-less entry and much more. Here is how it all came about.
The Renault Fuego (“Fire” in Spanish) was produced by Renault from 1980 to 1995, replacing the Renault 15 and 17 coupés of the 1970s. It was marketed in the United States by American Motors Corporation (AMC), as well as assembled in Argentina
The Fuego’s exterior was designed by Michel Jardin, working under Robert Opron (who had previously designed the Citroën SM, Citroën GS, Citroën CX, and later followed with the Renault 25 in 1984).
The Renault Fuego was heavily based on the Renault 18, sharing its floorpan and drivetrain, but featuring a new front suspension design developed from the larger Renault 20/30. The design kept the familiar double wishbone layout common with the Renault 18 but no parts were interchangeable and the design incorporated negative scrub radius geometry. The new suspension design would later be introduced in the facelifted Renault 18, and with minor refinements, it was used in the Renault 25. In 1984, the Fuego dashboard was added to the facelifted R18. European production continued into 1986, while Renault Argentina produced the Fuego from 1982 until finally ending production in 1995 with the 2.2 litre “GTA Max” (the final phase III facelift introduced in 1990).
It was the first mass produced four-seat sports model to be designed in a wind tunnel (with a resulting drag coefficient (Cd) factor of 0.32-0.35 depending on model and year). In October 1982, the Turbo Diesel model was classified as the then-fastest diesel car in the world with a top speed of 180 km/h.
The Fuego was the first car to have a remote keyless system with central locking that was available from the 1983 model year. The system was invented by Frenchman Paul Lipschutz, and later introduced on other Renault models. The Fuego was also the first car to have steering wheel mounted satellite controls for the audio system. This feature became popularised on the new 1984 model Renault 25.
A convertible version was unveiled by the French coachbuilder Heuliez in 1982, but never made it to production due to cost, the R11/Alliance convertible taking its place.
Here is brief time line of the Fuego production;
February 1980 – Introduction of the Fuego three-door coupé. Available as TL and GTL with 1,397 cc engine (rated at 64 PS (47 kW; 63 hp), with manual choke), and GTS with 1,647 cc engine (rated at 96 PS (71 kW; 95 hp), with automatic choke), with 4-speed manual gearbox on TL and GTL, 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic gearbox on GTS. TL has basic equipment level with 155 SR 13 tires, heated rear window, rear fog light, split/fold rear seat, and cloth upholstery. The GTL adds 175/70 13 tires, electric front windows, tachometer, height-adjustable steering wheel, front head restraints, analogue clock, wheel covers, remote-adjustable drivers door mirror, laminated windscreen, opening rear quarter windows, H4 headlights, pre-installed radio kit, and velour upholstery. The GTS adds engine oil level gauge, power-assisted steering, and optional 3-speed automatic transmission.
1981 – Fuel reserve warning light standard on all models. GTS obtained modified gearbox.
1981 – Introduction of the TX and GTX with 1,995 cc engine (rated at 110 PS or 81 kW; 108 hp) and five-speed manual gearbox. TX has same specification as GTS. GTX as GTS and TX, plus rear wash/wipe, front fog lights, headlamp wash/wipe, 14-inch alloy wheels (185/65 HR14), leather on the steering wheel rim, gear-lever gaiter, and handbrake lever gaiter, as well as digital clock, passenger side door mirror, bronze tinted windows, luggage cover, air-horn, and much more. The optional three-speed automatic transmission now available on the 2 litre TX rather than in the 1.6 litre, beginning in September 1981.
1982 – The GTL is upgraded to a 5-speed gearbox. GTS gains electronic ignition. GTS, TX (depending on country), and GTX gain remote central locking. The 2.1 L Turbo Diesel is introduced to certain LHD European markets. The 1.6 L fuel-injected and turbo versions are introduced in the United States through Renault/American Motors dealers.
1983 – The GTL gains economy tune 73 PS (54 kW; 72 hp) 1,647 cc engine, 5-speed gearbox.
1984 – the new model year features a facelift with new grille, bumpers, wheel design, and interior trim (as well as a new dashboard on LHD vehicles). A limited production run of Turbos fitted with EFi produced for the Swiss market to meet their emission controls. Models sold in United States are equipped with 2.2 L engines and an updated interior.
1985 – Production of the Fuego ends in France, with the introduction of the Renault 21.
1986 – Production ends in Spain. Production lines transferred to Argentina and Venezuela.
1987 – Production continues in Argentina (where it now features the 2,165 cc engine as the only available powerplant with 116 PS or 85 kW; 114 hp) and Venezuela.
1990 – The final phase III GTA is introduced with new bumpers, white front indicators, and charcoal tail-lights. The higher performance GTA Max, an improved version of the GTA, is introduced in Argentina with a 2.2 engine and 123 PS (90 kW; 121 hp) by Berta Motorsport.
1995 – South American production ends.

The original 80s Fuego commercial here.

Video on designing the Fuego here.

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Sunday, December 11, 2016

Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder


One of the most beautiful Maserati cars ever created is the A6G by Frua in our opinion. If the looks weren’t enough to convince you the tone from the 150 bhp, 1,985 cc double overhead-cam engine may have just done the trick.
Maserati A6 range were various cars made between 1947 and 1956 with the 6 pointing to the fact that they all had a six cylinder engine.
There were 1.5 litre cars as well as the more powerful 2.0 litres ones which were raced in various events by various drivers and one even won the 1948 Italian Championship driven by Giovanni Bracco.
The A6G were a series of two-door coupé and spyders by Zagato, Pininfarina, Pietro Frua, Ghia, Bertone, Carrozzeria Allemano and Vignale. These had alloy engine blocks.
Today’s feature concentrates on the A6G 2000 by Pietro Frua.
If art is long and life is short, as the Greek philosophers told us, then it is fitting that the vast majority of Pietro Frua’s creations have outlasted his four-decade career as one of Italy’s most renowned coachbuilders. Delightfully diverse in a way that few designers ever are, Frua laid out automobile bodies that were both calm and outrageous, curved and crisp, and stately and sensual. He dressed everything from Ferraris to Rolls-Royces, with the only common cue between his designs being an eye for proportion and a flair for the dramatic, which, ranging from car to car, could be pronounced or delicate.
The spyder bodies Frua designed for the Maserati A6G chassis rank among his loveliest creations. Depending upon the angle from which they are viewed, they appear either crisply tailored or boldly muscular, with subtle creases through the flanks setting off slightly kicked up rear fenders and rounded body sides that seem to flow down and tuck under the chassis. Small bumperettes in the front and rear give the impression of sporty lightness, opening up the deeply scooped grille and cupping the famed Maserati trident. In many ways, the design resembles the famed AC Ace and Shelby Cobra, which it happened to pre-date it. One has to wonder who inspired whom.
It is believed that three of these Spyders were built, of which one was fitted to A6GCS chassis 2054 and delivered to dealer Guglielmo Dei, of Rome, who delivered it to an American client in early 1954.
Reminiscent of earlier Maserati racing cars, it added an additional element of drama to the design, the sort of touch that made Frua bodies stand out from the crowd, and it continues to do so today. As a testament to its beauty, chassis 2054 was pictured in Richard Crump and Rob Box’s Maserati Road Cars, with a note stating that “these spyders were most attractive.”
The car recalls the best of the coachbuilt classics and the bare, elemental fury of the 1950s sporting barchetta at the same glorious time.
French philosopher Simone Weil wrote that “art is the symbol of the two noblest human efforts: to construct and to refrain from destruction.” The coachwork that Pietro Frua created, as one of the masters of the Italian carrozzeria, stood as artful as anything else on wheels during the golden age of the European sports car.
Photos of the Grand Sport version of the car are also on display in the gallery.
Technical information;
Engine; 1985 cc double overhead cam. Twin plug in line six cylinder with three Weber 40 DC03 Carburettors.
Gearbox; Five speed manual
Power; 150bhp.
Suspension; Double wishbone front suspension with coil springs and anti-roll bar, live axle rear suspension with quarter-elliptic leaf springs and anti-roll bar.
Brakes; Four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
Wheelbase: 100.4 in.

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Thursday, December 08, 2016

Aston Martin Virage


The Virage was Aston Martin’s replacement for the V8 models that were now over 10 years old. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, and the name of the standard car was changed to V8 in 1996.
This V8-powered car was intended as the company’s top model, with the 6-cylinder 1994 DB7 slotted below it. Although the DB7 switched to a V12 engine and claimed the performance crown, this V8 model (by then in Vantage form) remained the exclusive, expensive, and hand-built king of Astons. It was replaced in 2000 with the Vanquish. The V8 Vantage name reappeared on a new entry-level model in 2005. By the end of the 2000 model year, 1,050 of all Virage related models had been produced.
When compared to the preceding V8, the design was fresh and more modern. It looked more like a Lagonda than the V8 it replaced. Indeed, the chassis was an evolution of the Lagonda’s, with a de Dion tube rear suspension, located by triangulated radius rods and a Watts linkage, and a double wishbone unit at the front. To cut costs, many of the less-important pieces came from other companies, as had been the case for many an Aston past. The sleek headlights and taillights were Audi 200 and Volkswagen Scirocco units, respectively, while General Motors, Jaguar, and Ford provided the steering column, climate control panel, and dash switches. In fact, Ford had purchased Aston Martin and Jaguar shortly before the Virage debuted.
The Virage was a large, heavy car in spite of its all-aluminium body, but the 32-valve 5.3 L (5,340 cc) V8 engine’s 494 N·m (364 lb·ft) torque elevated its performance to near super car levels. “Acceleration just never seems to run out”, claimed Sports Car International on a first test. They also praised the “eager and quicker revving” nature of the 335 PS (246 kW; 330 hp) engine with its Callaway-designed heads and Weber-Marelli fuel injection. “Nothing sounds quite like an Aston V8,” they concluded. The 1,790 kg (3,946 lb) car could reach 158 mph (254 km/h). The automatic could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) from standing in about 6.5 seconds. An upgrade to 354 PS (260 kW; 349 hp) was announced at the 1996 Geneva Show.
The five-speed ZF manual was a fairly rare option, only fitted to about fifty Virages. The more popular automatic option was Chrysler’s three-speed Torqueflite transmission. For 1993 the three-speed was replaced by a four-speed automatic unit. The six-speed manual from the Vantage also became optional late in the Virage’s production run.
In January, 1992, Aston Martin introduced a conversion service, transforming the car into a Virage 6.3. As the name implies, the centerpiece of the conversion was a 6.3 L (6,347 cc) V8 derived from the AMR1 racing car. This engine produced 500 hp (373 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 480 lb·ft (651 N·m) at 5,800 rpm, allowing the car to reach 175 mph (282 km/h).
Other changes included 362 mm (14 in) ventilated disc brakes, the largest used in a passenger car until the Bentley Continental GT, and 18 in (457 mm) wheels. Visually, the 6.3 had wide flared bumpers, low sills and air dams, and side air vents.
In true British tradition, a shooting brake (estate) version of the Virage was offered in extremely limited numbers. A three-door four-seater, it debuted at the March 1992 Geneva Motor Show. Unlike prior Aston Shooting Brakes, however, the Virage was produced in-house by the company’s Works Service, with a total of only four constructed. The price new was £165,000. Two of the cars retained Virage chassis numbers, while two received the standalone “DP/2099″ chassis number.
Another rare Works Service car is the Lagonda Saloon. Only a handful of these long-wheelbase four-door Virages were built as a special customer order, reviving Aston Martin’s long-dormant second marque. Introduced in 1994, it was made by the Aston Martin Works Service with a 12-inch (30 cm) chassis extension, although two were ordered with an 18-inch (460 mm) extension. The name refers to the four-door Aston Martin Lagonda. The Lagonda Virage cost about GB£250,000 and only eight or nine were made, with some being conversions of regular Virages.
The five-door Lagonda Virage Shooting Brake debuted at the same time as the Lagonda Virage. It was made by the Aston Martin Works Service in only one or two examples, and has been spotted bearing “Vacances” badging at the rear.
The Virage Volante convertible debuted at the 1990 Birmingham Motor Show as a strict two-seater, but a 2+2 version was shown at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show. Production examples, beginning in 1992, were all to feature 2+2 seating. Sources claim that between 224 and 233 examples had been produced when the series ended in 1996. The last 11 example (hence the difference between 224 to 233) already had the naturally aspirated 1995 version motor of the later V8 and V8 LWB Volante with the improved four-speed and overdrive Torqueflite automatic and 354 hp (264 kW). A new V8 Volante, with styling based on the V8 Coupé and supercharged Vantage was built from 1997 to 2000 on a lengthened chassis. 63 long chassis V8 Volante’s were built.
The final Virage variant to be built was the ultra-limited V8 Vantage Volante of 2000. Nine of these high-performance convertibles were produced, one of them on the long wheelbase chassis.
A new generation Virage was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, to fit into the middle of Aston Martin’s current lineup.

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Monday, December 05, 2016

Triumph GT6


Based on the popular Triumph Spitfire, the GT6 was produced, but this time it was a coupe with a healthy in line 6 cylinder engine. Production ran from 1966 to 1973.
It was originally designed by Giovanni Michelotti as he was commissioned in early 1963 by Standard-Triumph to design a GT version of their recently introduced Spitfire 4 which was also designed by him. An unmodified Spitfire 4 was delivered to Michelotti’s design studios in Italy and late in 1963 the prototype Spitfire GT4 was returned to England for evaluation. The styling of the vehicle was a success but the extra weight of the GT bodyshell resulted in extremely poor performance, with the 1147 cc (70 cu in) Spitfire power unit, and plans for producing the Spitfire GT4 were shelved.
Michelotti’s fastback design for the Spitfire GT4 prototype was (for the 1964 season) adopted by the Triumph racing programme as it was deemed to provide an aerodynamic benefit over the standard Spitfire body shape. Fibreglass copies of the Spitfire GT4′s fastback were grafted on to the race-modified Spitfires destined for competition. The Spitfire racing programme was successful,  and in 1965 resulted in 13th overall and a 1st in class at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans (beating their main rivals, the MG Midgets). The Spitfire’s competitive success and the continuing commercial success of the production vehicle led Triumph to re-evaluate its shelved plans for a GT version of the Spitfire.
To overcome the lack of performance inherent in the heavier body-style the Spitfire’s 4-cylinder engine was replaced with the more powerful 2-litre (1998 cc) 6-cylinder engine from the Triumph Vitesse. The car was further developed and refined and eventually launched as the Triumph GT6  to emphasise its GT styling and its 6-cylinder engine.
Contemporary Triumph marketing advertised the GT6 as being developed from the “race winning Le Mans Spitfires” to capitalize on their aesthetic similarities, whereas the Le Mans Spitfires and the GT6 were actually two entirely separate development programmes (the GT programme pre-dating the racing programme). However, the marketing spin was so successful that many people erroneously believed the Le Mans Spitfires to actually be GT6s.
The new GT6 car was introduced in 1966. The new body was a sleek fastback design with an opening rear hatch (This gave the GT6 the nickname “Poor man’s E-Type”.) It was really a 2-seater, but a small extra rear seat could be ordered if required and was large enough for small children. The family resemblance to the Spitfire Mk II was strong, the longer 6-cylinder engine necessitated a new bonnet top with a power bulge and the doors were provided with opening quarter light windows and squared-off glass in the top rear corner. The 6-cylinder engine was tuned to develop 95 bhp (71 kW) at 5000 rpm, and produced 117 lb·ft (159 N·m) of torque at 3000 rpm. The increased power necessitated certain changes to the Spitfire mechanics. The radiator was new and mounted further forward in the car and the gearbox was the stronger unit from the Vitesse, with optional overdrive. Front springs were uprated to cope with the extra weight from the new engine. The overall vehicle weight unladen was 1904 lb (864 kg). The interior of the GT6 was well equipped with a wooden dashboard that housed a full complement of instruments, with carpets and heater included as standard.
The new car had some very strong selling points. The new engine provided a 106 mph (171 km/h) top speed and 0–60 mph in 12 seconds, a little better than the MGB GT. Moreover, the unit was comparatively smooth and tractable, in marked contrast to the MG’s rather harsh 4-cylinder engine. Fuel economy was very reasonable for the period at 20mpg, and the interior well up to the competition. The only major criticism was of its rear suspension as the GT6 inherited the swing-axle system from the Spitfire, which in turn was copied from the Herald small saloon. In the saloon it was tolerated, in the little Spitfire it was not liked and in the powerful GT6 it was heavily criticised. Triumph had done nothing to improve the system for the GT6 and the tendency to break away if the driver lifted off the power mid-corner was not helped at all by the increased weight at the front of the car. The handling was most bitterly criticised in the USA, an important export market for Triumph, where they were traditionally very strong. Similar criticism was being levelled at the Vitesse saloon, which shared the GT6′s engine and its handling problems.
Triumph realized that they needed to find an answer to the problem, if only to keep their reputation in the USA. Their response came with the 1969 model year, with the introduction of the GT6 Mk II, known in the States as the GT6+. The rear suspension was significantly re-engineered using reversed lower wishbones and rotoflex driveshaft couplings, taming the handling and turning the Triumph into an MGB-beater. The Vitesse was also modified, but the Spitfire had to wait until 1970 for any improvements to be made.
There were other changes for the MK2: the front bumper was raised to conform to new crash regulations, necessitating a revised front end, and side vents were added to the front wings and rear pillars. Under the bonnet, the engine was uprated to develop 104 bhp (78 kW) with a new cylinder head, camshaft, and manifolds. Performance improved to 107 mph (172 km/h), but perhaps more noteworthy the 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time dropped to 10 seconds. The fuel economy was also improved to 25 mpg-imp average.
The interior was also updated with a new dashboard and better ventilation, a 2-speed heater fan and a black headlining. Overdrive remained a popular option for the manual transmission.
The final major facelift for the GT6 came in 1970, to make the MK3. This time the whole bodyshell was revised to match the changes made to the Spitfire Mk IV. These included a cut-off rear end, recessed door handles and a smoother front end. Only detail changes were made to the mechanics, but in 1973,  close to the end of the car’s production life, the rear suspension was changed again, this time for the cheaper “swing-spring” layout also fitted to the Spitfire Mk IV. This was a modification of the swing axle rear suspension used on the lesser Herald-derived models, with the transverse leaf spring mounted on a pivot, eliminating roll stiffness at the rear, and thus greatly reducing the jacking effect under cornering loads. To compensate for this loss of roll stiffness, a larger front anti-roll bar was fitted. A brake servo was also added in 1973, and seats were changed from vinyl to cloth. There was still a fairly comprehensive options list, but the “knock-on” wire wheels were no longer available. The unladen weight increased slightly to 2030 lb (920 kg).
Engine power and torque for the Mk III was similar to the Mk II, but better aerodynamics led to a new top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h) and a 0–60 mph time of 10.1 seconds. This was now comfortably ahead of the MGB GT, which topped out at about 105 mph (169 km/h) and reached 60 mph in approximately 13 seconds. Fuel economy was also improved to 28 mpg-imp. The last USA models performed comparatively poorly however, as compression ratios were lowered to accommodate lower octane unleaded gasoline.
The Mk III never sold in the numbers hoped for by Triumph, and was comprehensively beaten in the marketplace by the MGB. Triumph refused to release an official convertible version of the GT6 and, after poor sales, it was dropped from the Triumph range at the end of 1973, although a few cars were sold the following year.
The GT6 remains a favourite amongst the collectors as well as racers and Triumph fans in general.

Video here.

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