Monday, February 26, 2018

Tyrrell P34


By the way the result of the experiment was that everyone agreed less was more. Cars, specially race cars do not require any more than 4 wheels as it was eventually decided by the Formula One rule book.
Great names such as Ronnie Peterson and Jody Scheckter have driven this car in anger to name a few. So, here is the story;
The Tyrrell P34 (Project 34), otherwise known as the "six-wheeler", was designed by Derek Gardner, Tyrrell's chief designer.
The car used four specially manufactured 10-inch-diameter (250 mm) wheels and tyres at the front, with two ordinary-sized wheels at the back. Contrary to popular belief, the idea of the smaller front tyres was not to have a smaller "frontal area" to reduce drag, as the frontal area was still determined by the width of the standard-sized rear slicks. In fact, the six-wheel design reduced the lift caused by two larger front wheels, improving frontal downforce, increased the total contact patch of the front tyres and created a greater swept area for the brake discs.
When unveiled, the cover was peeled away from the back forward and the collective gasps from the world's press said it all. Along with the Brabham BT46B "Fancar" developed in 1978, the six-wheeled Tyrrell was one of the two most radical entries ever to succeed in Formula One competition, and has specifically been called the most recognizable design in the history of world motorsports.
It first ran in the Spanish GP in 1976, and proved to be very competitive. Both Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler were able to produce solid results with the car, but while Depailler praised the car continually, Scheckter realised it would only be temporarily competitive. The special Goodyear tyres were not being developed enough by the end of the season.
The P34's golden moment came in the Swedish Grand Prix. Scheckter and Depailler finished first and second, and to date Scheckter is the only driver ever to win a race in a six-wheeled car. He left the team at the end of the season, insisting that the six-wheeler was "a piece of junk!"
For 1977, Scheckter was replaced by the Swede Ronnie Peterson, and the P34 was redesigned around cleaner aerodynamics. The P34B was wider and heavier than before, and, although Peterson was able to string some promising results from the P34B, as was Depailler, it was clear the car was not as good as before, mostly due to the tyre manufacturer's failure to properly develop the small front tyres. The added weight of the front suspension system is also cited as a reason for ending the project. Thus, the P34 was abandoned for 1978, and a truly remarkable chapter in F1 history was over.
More recently the P34 has been a popular sight at historic racing events, proving competitive once more. This was made possible when the Avon tyre company agreed to manufacture bespoke 10-inch tyres for Simon Bull, the owner of chassis No. 6. In 1999 and 2000 the resurrected P34 competed at a number of British and European circuits as an entrant in the FIA Thoroughbred Grand Prix series. Driven by Martin Stretton, the car won the TGP series outright in 2000, the sister car repeating that success in 2008 in the hands of Mauro Pane; this example is today part of a private collection in Italy. Stretton also achieved numerous Pole Positions and class wins at the Grand Prix Historique de Monaco. The P34 has also been seen a number of times at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Other six-wheeled Formula One cars
Whilst the Tyrrell P34 is the most widely known six-wheeled F1 car, it was not the only example of this design ever constructed. Both March Engineering and the Williams team built experimental six-wheeled F1 chassis. However, despite extensive testing, neither the March 2-4-0 nor Williams FW08B ever raced in a grand prix. The Scuderia Ferrari also built an experimental six-wheeled Formula 1 car, the Ferrari 312T6, which, unlike the March and Williams, featured the four rear wheels on a single axle. This was similar to how tractor trailers, some trucks, and most notably in the Grand Prix sport, the Auto Unions from the 1930s, arrange their tyres. However, like the Williams and March cars, the Ferrari was never raced. The reason for none of these cars actually racing and for the disappearance of six-wheeled cars in general, is largely as a result of a re-amended rule in 1983, which prohibited four-wheel-drive cars from competing. Later, the Formula 1 regulations stated that four was the maximum number of wheels allowed.

Interesting video of Depailler driving the car at Monaco here.

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Monday, February 19, 2018

Maserati Bora


To a lot of people the Bora meant one thing. A very serious 171 miles per hour supercar by Maserati in 1971! Also, this was an interesting, and technologically up to date car that was refined enough to actually be comfortable to use. Another interesting point about the car is to show that Ital Design had other ideas except the Morris Ital!
Here is a little more about the car and how it came about.
Shortly after Citroën took a controlling interest in Maserati in 1968, the concept of a mid-engined two-seat sports car was proposed. Lamborghini and De Tomaso already had the Miura and Mangusta whilst Ferrari were known to be developing their own mid-engined contender. Initially known as Tipo 117 and later the Bora, the Maserati project got underway in October 1968 and a prototype was on the road by mid-1969. Shown in its final form at the Geneva Salon in March 1971, deliveries began before the end of the year. Maserati struggled after being bought by De Tomaso in 1975, and the Bora was discontinued after the 1978 model year.
Maserati had developed a reputation for producing technologically out of date cars, but that changed with the Bora. A number of innovative features were introduced that distinguished the car from their previous offerings. Compared to other supercars it was civilized and practical, featuring a hydraulically powered pedal cluster that could be moved forward and backwards at the touch of a button and a steering wheel that could be tilted and telescoped, addressing the common problem of entering and exiting the vehicle common to all supercars.
Most supercars offer little foot room and little to no provision for luggage, but the Bora has a full-size boot in the front of the vehicle, and was otherwise known as being much more civilized in comforts from its competitors, while still being rated at 171 mph by the Maserati factory. Unlike its competitors, the Bora used dual-pane glass separating its cabin from the engine compartment, greatly decreasing the engine noise in the cabin and increasing the comfort level for the driver.
Two engines were offered initially, including a high-revving 4.7-litre (290 cu in) V8 and a higher torque 4.9-litre (300 cu in) V8; a US smog-qualified 4.9-litre engine was used, starting with 1973 deliveries. Eventually, production switched to using only a more powerful version of the 4.9-litre engine producing 320 hp at 6000 rpm. All these engines had lineage back to the fantastic 450S race car, were aluminium alloy, had hemispheric combustion chambers with 16 valves total operated by four cams (chain-driven) and fed by four double Weber carburettors, fired by electronic ignition. The extraordinarily competent and strong ZF-1 5-speed trans-axel was used--as it was with the GT-40, Pantera, BMW M1, and other Supercars in this era. Regardless of engine size or modification level, the Bora was considered an extraordinarily powerful car in its time.
A combined steel monocoque chassis and body featured a tubular steel subframe at the back for the engine and transmission. Suspension was independent all round (a first for a Maserati road car) with coil springs, telescopic shocks and anti-roll bars. The development prototype and the broadly similar show car first seen at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show featured MacPherson strut based front suspension, but this was abandoned for production because, installed in combination with very wide front tires and rack-and-pinion steering, the strut-based solution produced severe kickback. For the production cars Maserati reverted to a more conservative wishbone front-suspension arrangement.
Citroën's advanced high-pressure LHM hydraulics were adopted to operate the ventilated disc brakes on the main circuit, and on an auxiliary circuit the pedal box [clutch, brake, foot-throttle], the driver's seat, and the retractable headlights. Wheels were 7.5 x 15 inch Campagnolo light alloy rims with distinctive removable polished stainless steel hubcaps in the earlier auto-mobiles, and tyres were Michelin XWX 225x70.
Maserati decided to install a subtly uprated version of their familiar DOHC 90° V8, displacement having been 4719 cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 93.9 x 85 mm. Mounted longitudinally, compression was set at 8.5:1 and with four Weber 42 DCNF downdraught carburettors and electronic Bosch ignition, the Bora could boast 310 bhp (230 kW) at 6000 rpm. Great attention was paid to reducing noise and vibration, the engine and five-speed ZF transaxle being mounted on a subframe attached to the monocoque via four flexible mounts. The body was created by Giorgetto Giugiaro for Ital Design, fabrication of the all-steel panels being contracted to Officine Padane of Modena.
Standing 1138 mm high, perhaps the most distinctive details were the brushed stainless steel roof and windscreen pillars. Inside, the bucket seats, dash, door trim, centre console and rear bulkhead were trimmed in leather, electric windows having been standard, most cars also getting air conditioning. The steering column was manually adjustable for rake and reach, whereas the LHM aux' circuit controls adjusted the driver's seat vertically, the pedal box horizontally forwards and backwards by around three inches (76 mm), a first such application in the world for a production car, and also to raise and lower the concealed headlights in front wings.
Weighing in at 1520 kg (around 180 kg heavier than the Ghibli), top speed was 165 mph (266 km/h) whilst 0–60 and 0–100 took 6.5 and 14.6 seconds respectively. The first Boras were delivered to customers in late 1971, and only minor production changes were gradually phased in thereafter. About early 1974, front bonnet became hinged at front instead of rear, pop-up headlights showed rounded inside corners, and a rectangular black air-exit grille was added. From 1973, as the 4.7-litre engine had not been homologated in North America, US Bora models had air-pump emissions-equipped 4930cc Super-Ghibli engines similar to those found in US-bound Ghiblis. Output was 310 bhp (231 kW) at 6000 rpm, only 30 bhp (22 kW) or less than the Euro-spec' derivative.
Production ran from 1971 to 1978, 524 Boras eventually being built, 289 of which were 4.7s and the remaining 235, 4.9s. How many of each were LHD and how many were RHD is unclear. As time has passed, many US states including California have allowed smog exceptions for older cars, and it is not uncommon for US 4.9 Bora owners to have 'adjusted' matters for optimum supercar-spirited performance.
Thepenier, the noted French Maserati dealer, created two Group4 racing Boras that were very competitive but which were never produced in great enough numbers nor in time to meet rapidly changing Group4 racing specification deadlines.
The Bora later was the basis for the Merak, which was covered on another one of our blogs earlier this year. You can read the feature here.

A closer look video here.

Maserati club.

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Thursday, February 15, 2018

OSCA 1600 GT ZAGATO



In 1937 the Maserati brothers sold their company to industrialist Adolfo Orsi. Not long after the war was over, they decided their real interests lay in racing, and together they formed OSCA--short for the rather more cumbersome Officina Specializzata Costruzione Automobili Maserati wich was found on 1. December 1947.
A variety of racing endeavors followed--including an ambitious V12 Formula One project--but OSCAs shone in the smaller displacement classes. Frequent competitors in important races throughout Europe and America, they were driven by such notable pilots as Stirling Moss, Luigi Villoresi, and Prince Behra.
While producing a wide variety of two-seat racing cars--all clothed by local coachbuilders--OSCA was approached by Fiat to develop a larger version of OSCA's existing twin-cam engine for use in the 1500S sports car. Shortly afterward, OSCA decided to offer a street car and the natural engine choice was a 1,600-cc version of the engine developed for Fiat.
The job of designing the coachwork fell to Zagato. Two versions were built: a normal roof design, as well as one of the prettiest cars of the era, the so-called double bubble coupes. While certainly a dramatic styling element, the roof-top bubbles were also practical, adding inches of headroom and incorporating vents at the rear to keep cabin temperatures down during races.
These cars, with their thoroughbred racing engines and nimble chassis, were among the best-looking road/race cars of their time. Even if they hadn't been created by some of the better-known and most talented automotive engineers who ever lived, OSCA sports racers would rank high in the lists of the best post-war sports cars.
Building small-bore sports racers in the 750-cc, 1,100-cc, 1,500-cc, and two-liter classes, OSCAs began winning almost immediately. The high point is without a doubt the MT4 roadster, which achieved an overall victory in the 1954 12 Hours of Sebring race driven by Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd.
Many well-known drivers did extremely well with the light, fast cars, which became the most successful 1,500-cc racers ever built. Today they easily bring nearly $500,000 as gilt-edged vintage racers and guaranteed event rides. OSCAs were clothed by the leading Italian carrozzerie and most looked as good as they went.
No one ever accused the Maserati brothers of not knowing how to build great cars--they just never figured out how to make it a business. It seemed quite logical to use the money from the Fiat engine deal to make a proper road car to sell in some numbers.
But as so often happens with small manufacturers, the timing wasn't quite right. Since OSCA was best at racing, it made sense that the new 1600 GT would also take to the track to enhance its reputation in the showroom. The 1600 GT was bodied by five different coachbuilders, with the most attractive and numerous being that of Zagato.
With four-wheel disc brakes, fully independent suspension, strong and light ladder tube frame, a smooth, flexible engine, and clothed in the iconic "double bubble" body, it should have been everything needed for success in racing and on the road.
Unfortunately, problems with homologation for both the track and street meant that deliveries were delayed almost two years. Although over a hundred examples were built, it never achieved the competition results expected and drove the company to the brink of closure.
The remaining brothers finally gave up in 1966, selling all their assets to MV-Agusta and retiring from the auto business.
Although the 1600 GT has no real competition reputation, it is nevertheless a genuine product from the hands of the Maserati brothers, dressed in this case in attractive Zagato alloy coachwork, rare by road car standards and far more usable than the earlier sports racers.
Source; osca-zagato.com

A video of the car here.

OSCA owners club.

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Tuesday, February 06, 2018

Ashley Sportiva


Ashley Laminates was founded by Keith Waddington and Peter Pellandine in 1955. The name “Ashley” was chosen as it was the name of Peter Pellandine’s house in Woodford Green. Their first premises were a small garage adjacent to the Robin Hood Public House, Epping New Road, Loughton. Despite the Loughton address, the premises were actually located about a mile from the town within Epping Forest.
The building was located on the north side of the pub. It was demolished in the late 1960s so the “Robin Hood” car park could be enlarged. In late 1956 Peter Pellandine split from the partnership by amicable agreement and set up Falcon Shells, another specials company. Peter had wanted to own and grow his own company which he could eventually sell to emigrate.
Falcon Shells was originally based at 23 Highbridge Street, Waltham Abbey, adjacent to the Town Hall, premises which still remain. The company also had a showroom at 52 High Street, Epping, a building which has subsequently been demolished. It later moved to 150 Great North Road Hatfield. Peter Pellandine took with him the rights and tooling to manufacture the short wheelbase bodyshell for the Ashley 750 which he continued its production as the Falcon Mark 1 and the Sports Racer which became the Falcon Mark II. The company subsequently produced other bodies until it ceased production in 1964.
After approximately two years, Ashley Laminates moved their body manufacture to the Potteries, Woodgreen Road, Upshire, retaining the “Robin Hood” premises as a showroom. Bert Miller who worked for Ashley Laminates whilst they occupied the premises adjacent to the “Robin Hood” says that, when they were based there, the first task of each day was to move completed shells outside to the front so they had room to do other work. The bodies then had to be returned at the end of the day.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the company moved to the larger premises in Upshire! According to Bert, when the company was first based in Upshire it had around nine employees. Towards the end of its time there, according to another worker Vic McDonald, it had grown to about 20 employees including the two or three normally based in the showroom.
There were three parts to the Upshire premises, the large mould shop where bodies were made, the small mould shop where smaller parts were produced and an assembly shop. In addition there was also a freestanding toilet similar to a portaloo which on one occasion was knocked over by a reversing BRS lorry which had called to collect some finished bodies to deliver to customers. Fortunately there was nobody in it at the time! There was also an open area where bodies could be stored. Sometimes, if there were no customer orders to fulfil, staff would produce models on spec and these would be left here. If a body had been left outside for a while, it required a lot of cleaning before it could be delivered.
On 1 January 1961 the company opened new premises at Bush Fair, Harlow, but the following year production of bodies ceased. The company, however, continued to manufacture fibreglass hardtops and bonnets for sports cars. Keith Waddington died a premature death in the mid-60’s and around 1972 the company was wound up.
The “Sportiva” name might suggest that Ashley must have been way ahead of its time in adopting a name equivalent to the likes of the present-day Mondeo and Vectra, but in fact “Sportiva” is Italian for sports or sporting. The Sportiva was available as a bodyshell or with an “Ashley” chassis.
Like the 1172 it was available in open or closed form and with two or four seats. The Sportiva was an upgrade of the 1172 with a restyled front end. The rear end of the Sportiva was later restyled so it could take Ashley’s longer 8ft wheelbase chassis. Unlike the 1172 hardtop where the roof was a separate component, the Sportiva hardtop body incorporated a roof. The Sportiva was introduced in 1961, interestingly first being shown at a do-it-yourself exhibition! It, however, was a victim of the collapse of the specials market as it ceased manufacture the following year.
The bodies comprised two main components plus a third if a hardtop was specified. The bonnet unit included the front wings and it hinged forward from the front of the car like on the E-Type Jaguar. The other component comprised the remainder, from the bulkhead to the rear of the car. Because of difficulties at the time with pigments and resins, sometimes the two parts would be a slightly different colour!
The cars had a conventional boot. The Sportiva featured a boot lid copied from an Alfa Romeo saloon that Keith Waddington then owned. The bodies had wheel arches fitted inside the boot area to cover the rear wheels to protect the boot contents from damage by revolving wheels. Sometimes customers who took delivery of their cars were surprised that the body came with no floor – part of the construction process involved fitting a plywood one.
The moulds had to be constructed in a number of parts so they could be dismantled to release the body when it had cured. The main join was half way up the car bodywork and to achieve as smooth a finish as possible the gap between the lower and upper parts of the mould was always filled with plasticine, this being found the most suitable material for the job.
Production figures for the bodies give an indication of the scale of the Ashley Laminate enterprise. According to the Austin Sevens Club Association, a combined total of 500 to 600 Ashley 750 and Falcon Mark I bodies were produced. We have no information or production numbers for the Sports Racer. Clearly few would have been produced as it was available for a short period and it was a specialist racer rather than a road car, though more would have been manufactured under its Falcon Mark 2 guise.
Production of the 1172 was “several hundred” according to the “Classic Kit Cars” book and the same book states “a few” Sportivas were produced. The Ashley and Falcon Registers have details of 60 Ashleys which survive, but probably more exist.
Source; Robert Daniels and John Harrison


Ashley owners club.

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