There were several high points in Studebaker design in the 1930s and the 1950s. Some say the Avanti was the prettiest Studebaker ever built, and it was unique and stunning, but, in my humble opinion, no other Studebaker, in fact no other American car nor most European cars, can hold a candle to the 1955 President Speedster.

“Wheelbarrow Johnny” and the Beginning of a Company

The Studebaker family came from Germany and settled in Philadelphia in 1736. They were builders and blacksmiths and earned a reputation for building quality wagons. In 1835, John Studebaker moved his family west to Ashland, Ohio, for a new start on the frontier. He built a Conestoga-type wagon drawn by four horses for the move. Fifteen years later, the family moved again to South Bend, Indiana, where they would stay – or at least most of them would.

Two of John Studebaker’s five sons, Henry and Clement, created H & C Studebaker in 1852 with a total investment of $68.00. The business specialized in blacksmithing, woodworking and custom wagons. Their first wagon, built for a local farmer, took seven days to complete and cost the new owner $175. The wagon was painted red and green with “Studebaker” on the side in yellow letters. The next year, younger brother, John Mahler, decided to follow so many others to California to make his fortune mining for gold.

When John Mahler arrived in California, after the long trek from Indiana, a fellow named Joe Hinds called out to the new arrivals and asked if anyone knew how to build wagons. John Mahler answered that he did, and Hinds immediately offered him a job building wheelbarrows. Initially, John Mahler refused, believing he had a better opportunity in the search for gold. Another in the crowd, though, convinced John Mahler that he could search for gold any time, but having a job with regular pay was a real benefit in what eventually became known as Placerville. Studebaker caught up with Hinds and accepted.

H & C Studebaker was doing very well building wagons, and, in 1856, received an order to build 100 wagons for the Army. Clem wanted to expand the business, but he needed cash. John Mahler learned of their interest in expanding in the letters frequently exchanged with his family in Indiana and decided to return home. “Wheelbarrow Johnny,” as he had become known, had saved $8,000 and wanted to invest it in the business. He returned to Indiana, in June 1858, but Henry was reluctant to expand, so Wheelbarrow Johnny bought his share in the business.

By 1860, H & C Studebaker was building a wide range of wagons of all types, from simple farm wagons, to fancy buggies, to children’s wagons to be pulled by a dog or goat. Another brother, Peter, had a general store in Goshen, Indiana, and he became the first dealer in Studebaker wagons. Then came the Civil War. The Studebakers built thousands of wagons for the Union Army during the war, and many soldiers became very familiar with the company name and the quality wagons they built. That set the company for their next rush of orders.

After the Civil War, many former soldiers and as many regular citizens were looking for opportunities in the west and needed wagons for the move. The result was the creation of more sales outlets and the use of the railroads to ship finished wagons all over the country. By 1867, 6000 Studebaker wagons were being built every year, and it was time to take the next step. Sadly, the Barouche that Abraham Lincoln drove himself and his wife, Mary, to Ford’s Theater was a Studebaker making it the most infamous vehicle in the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend.

Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company was incorporated on March 26, 1868. Peter became the head of sales and marketing, which resulted in one of the shortest and clearest agreements ever signed in corporate America:

“I, Peter Studebaker, agree to sell all the wagons my brother Clem can make.”
Peter Studebaker

“I agree to make all he can sell.”
Clem Studebaker

It was an agreement that could actually be read and understood.

There were setbacks. Fires in 1872 and 1874 damaged facilities. Brother Jacob joined the company but died young, in 1885, and Peter died in 1897. Frederick Fish, John Mahler’s son-in-law and a lawyer, became president after Peter Studebaker’s death. Unlike the brothers, Fish was interested in new technology and created a budget to look into horseless carriages. Around that same time, the company had been building bodies for the Electric Vehicle Company for their electric taxicabs. Neither Clem nor “Wheelbarrow Johnny” were convinced that horseless carriages were a good business idea, but they did not oppose Fish’s efforts. When Clem died in 1901, John Mahler was the last of the brothers involved in the company.

Fish determined that automobile manufacture was a good idea for the company, and in 1902, Studebaker introduced a line of modest electric cars. The Studebaker electrics were hardly innovative, other companies were building more advanced cars, including Oldsmobile, Rambler, and Ford. But the Studebakers had a reputation for being well built and reliable, so sales were good. Top speed was 13 mph and a charge was good for about 40 miles.

It was soon obvious that automobiles with internal combustion engines could go farther and faster than the electrics of the time. John Mahler preferred electrics because they were quieter and easier to start. But he did not object when Fish acted on what he believed was a need for change. Fish joined with Garford Company in Cleveland, Ohio, to build the Studebaker-Garford automobile. Garford would build the chassis and engine, and Studebaker would produce the bodies. The Studebaker-Garford was expensive, especially when compared to the cost of a Model T.

Fish saw the need for Studebaker to produce a lower-priced car, so they joined with E.M.F., a company that needed access to a dealer network like Studebaker’s. Unfortunately, E.M.F. quality was poor, so Fish made a decision to merge with them to form a new company through which Studebaker had more control over production and quality. The new company was the Studebaker Corporation. “Wheelbarrow Johnny” was the Chairman, and Fish was the President.

Changes came quick for the new company. Electric cars and the Studebaker-Garford were gone by 1913, and Studebaker ranked fourth in sales with 24,255 cars sold. Compared to Ford, which sold about 189,000 cars, Studebaker was still a small company. Wagons were still selling well, but the automobile business needed a boost. The company restructured and decided to produce two models.

A new President, Albert Russell Erskine, joined the company in 1915. Two years later, John Mahler Studebaker died; there were no longer any members of the Studebaker family in the company. As the war in Europe dragged on, there was a drop in sales, but the buildup for the war easily offset that slump. Wagons and trucks were needed, especially after the U.S. entered the war.

Studebaker Without a Studebaker

After WWI, Studebaker had to get back to civilian production. As a result of mergers, most Studebaker production was in Detroit with wagon production in South Bend. Before his death, John Mahler had gotten an agreement that any new plant for auto manufacturing would be in South Bend. He anticipated that wagon production would end, and he wanted the workers in South Bend to be able to continue to work for the company. In May 1920, Wheelbarrow Johnny was proven right; the wagon business was sold. It would be automobiles only for Studebaker, and they would be built primarily in South Bend.

Business was very good for Studebaker in the early 1920s, but it could have been much better. Erskine had a policy of giving large dividends to investors no matter how good or bad sales were. He believed it would encourage investors even in times of poor sales. This policy was continued throughout the company’s history, and it was damaging. Had lower dividends been given, more money would have been available for expansion and emergencies. With more production capacity, Studebaker could have sold more cars.

The latter part of the 1920s was a mix. Some of the new models were among the best looking cars in the country. Plants in Detroit were closed and the South Bend facilities were expanded. There was a new small car called the “Erskine,” but it was a flop. The new President Straight Eight, though, was a success – it was a beautiful automobile. Together with changes to the Dictator and Commander models, 1928 was a very good year.

Then came 1929. Early that year, the company invested in the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company. It looked like a good business decision, and Pierce Arrow was reorganized. With the beginning of the Depression, sales tanked. Studebaker increased truck production and added a new model, the Rockne Six, named after famous Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne. It was a good car – what the Erskine should have been. Studebaker and Pierce Arrow were building good cars, but the market was terrible.

In 1931, Studebaker lost $8 million, but Erskine still gave a dividend of $500,000. That left the company with no capital. A merger with White Motor Company could save Studebaker. White would get access to Studebaker’s excellent dealer network, and Studebaker would get cash from White. A sale, though, was blocked by White investors, who believed it was a raid on White’s finances. That put Studebaker into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

March 1933 saw Erskine and Fish out of Studebaker, with Erskine ultimately committing suicide. The bankruptcy court appointed receivers for the company – Paul G. Hoffman and Harold S. Vance, both from Studebaker, would be President and Chairman, respectively. Ashton Bean, from White, was the third receiver. Pierce Arrow was sold at a loss to eliminate the drain on funds and provide a little cash, and the White stock was sold – White was back on its own again. The court approved the reorganization, and there was a new Studebaker Corporation established in January 1935.

As the economy slowly improved, the company made a profit in 1936. It produced new models on only two wheelbases instead of three and priced them competitively. Studebaker actually did better than the rest of the industry. A couple things happened in 1938. First, Raymond Loewy’s design firm drew the ’38 car, and it was beautiful. And Studebaker dropped one of its odder model names – the “Dictator.” The meaning of that word took on an uncomfortable reminder of what was going on in Germany and Italy at the time. Instead, there were to be three series: Commander, State Commander, and State President. They had great styling but names that did not stand the test of time.

Studebaker needed to increase its sales volume, so Hoffman and Vance decided to get into the low-price market, then controlled by Ford, Chevy, and Plymouth. The Studebaker Champion was their entry – it was much lighter than other sedans, giving better fuel economy and tire life. The Champion was a success and helped produce a nice profit for the company in 1939.

The potential for another incredible year in 1940 was interrupted by a need to provide war materials to the Allies fighting a very difficult war in Europe and Asia. There were materials shortages for civilian vehicles, but losses in sales of automobiles were offset by the military contracts Studebaker won. New civilian models were planned for 1942, but then Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. On January 1, 1942, automobile production was suspended.

During WWII, Studebaker produced more than 63,000 engines for the Flying Fortress bomber, 197,678 trucks, and a number of the amphibious truck called the “Weasel” that had been developed secretly. Studebaker management refused, though, to capitalize on war production, seeing it as their duty to support the American war effort. Sales during the war were up dramatically, but profits were modest.

All automobile companies faced the challenge of converting back from war production to civilian products. Like most, Studebaker simply updated its 1942 design and offered the Skyway Champion in 1946. It’s possible that Studebaker could have sold many more cars (demand was intense for new cars) had they produced new Commander and President models, but they chose to focus on tooling up for a dramatically new model for 1947.

Developing the design for the new cars is a story of intrigue within the company. Vice President of Engineering, Roy Cole, did not care for the company’s design consultant, Raymond Loewy, so he secretly got Virgil Exner, a Loewy employee, to work on a separate design. Misleading information about what Studebaker wanted in their 1947 model took Loewy’s designers in a wrong direction, while Exner worked with better information. Exner’s design was selected, and Loewy, understanding the game belatedly, fired Exner. Exner, though, landed softly in a position with Studebaker.

The 1947 Studebaker line was shown to the public in mid-1946, well before any of the company’s competitors had anything new to offer. And the ’47s were stunning. They were wide and had envelope bodies, their roofline was flatter and sleeker, and they had a low, integrated grille. There was also a very pretty convertible and a five-passenger coupe that had a multi-pane rear window that wrapped around giving better rear vision than ever before. It was a very different approach than that of the other auto makers, who wanted to continue to produce modified pre-war models as long as possible. Ford, for example, didn’t have a new model until 1949.

Studebaker’s approach worked and sales were strong. There was also a huge demand for trucks of all sizes, and Studebaker was in a good position to take advantage of that. The company gained 90% of the truck market.

Hoffman was appointed head of the Economic Cooperation Administration by President Harry Truman in 1948, leaving Vance as Chairman and President. Vance agreed to moderate restyling for 1949 in anticipation of another dramatic, and controversial, change for 1950. Bob Bourke, a stylist for Loewy’s company, was told by Loewy to make the new car look like an airplane. The result was the Bullet Nose Studebaker. It was a surprise design, and it turned out to be quite popular. But there were problems on the horizon for the company, unfortunately.

Studebaker had a history of believing that its workers were people who would do their best for the company, so the company seldom engaged in hard discussion with the union. But the company had established some policies, like payment for piecework, that were proving to be harmful to the company’s productivity.

The result was that the company suffered a lower rate of growth, with labor issues, higher taxes and a decision to lower prices all contributing. Profits fell by $5 million, but the company approved increasing dividends by $2 million! There were also plant improvements and new tooling to add a V8 to the lineup. It was a 232.6-cu.in. engine producing 120 hp. Ford and Oldsmobile had V8 engines, but most other companies did not. Then came Korea.

Once again materials shortages affected civilian production, although military contracts partially offset the lost sales. Studebaker continued to have labor problems, and the company decided to accept the demands of the strikers, resulting in increased labor costs that impacted profits. On Studebaker’s 100^th anniversary in 1952, facelifts to the current models gave an indication as to the shape of the next models. The Studebakers of 1952 were sleek with a bit of a European look, but they were still American-sized cars.

For the year, sales were up, so profits were up, although less than previous years, meaning the profit margin was lower than it had been. Still, the company approved dividends that were 50% of earnings. The problems Studebaker was suffering were certainly imposed by the government control of automobile production because of the war, but they were also self-inflicted – labor costs were high, productivity was low, and dividends were unreasonably high.

The next few years included highs and lows for Studebaker. A high was Bourke’s design for a new coupe. It was low and very European looking. With the post-war demand for automobiles over, Studebaker needed something special, and this coupe was it. It was based on the 120-inch wheelbase of the Land Cruiser, and it was to be produced alongside the existing line of sedans. Then management made a decision that caused the company considerable problems. They wanted the sedans restyled like the coupe with little time available for a serious styling effort.

The sedan was on a shorter wheelbase, and the front and rear styling of the coupe did not work on the two and four-door sedans. Where the coupe was low and sleek, the sedans were tall and stubby. Panels and trim were not interchangeable, so tooling was a major cost increase. There were two different body styles with different wheelbases and a total of five body types. Then, in early production, front sheet metal would not mate with the body. Whether because of poor planning or the shortcuts taken, production had to be stopped and the dies remade. Production didn’t resume until January 1953.

When the cars reached the dealers, another problem became apparent – sales predictions were way off. The Starlight and Starliner coupes were selling much better than expected — as much as twice anticipated — so too few were produced. Sedans were selling poorly, 50% less than anticipated, so too many were produced. Poor build quality was also showing up, affecting the company’s reputation.

That was when Ford decided it wanted to take over Chevrolet’s place as the top seller in the U.S. and began the “Ford Blitz.” Ford overproduced, forcing dealers to slash prices on the cars they sold. Chevrolet, having been challenged, joined the sales war.

The independent manufacturers all suffered. In 1953, Studebaker’s profits fell 80%, assets were 25% down, more than $3 million was lost in working capital, and the company’s net worth dropped $4.3 million from 1952. Dividends were higher than in 1952. It appears that Vance and Hoffman, who had returned to the company, were making the same mistake Erskine had – paying outrageous dividends to keep investors happy when the company was not well.

Studebaker finally produced a station wagon, appropriately named the “Conestoga.” Station wagons were selling well, but Studebaker’s entry was late and it was a two-door wagon when four-door wagons were more popular. Even with decent sales of the Conestoga, the fiscal situation was still poor. Hoffman entered into negotiations with the union, and the union compromised, but not enough to fully address the issue of expensive labor costs.

Studebaker’s management had to start a serious search for a merger partner, but the company had to overcome some of its own history when it came to merger proposals. During the 1940s, George Mason approached Studebaker about a merger of Studebaker, Nash, Hudson, and Packard. Vance said no. In 1953, Studebaker was again approached by Packard, and Vance again said no. It was a different story in 1954.

Both Studebaker and Packard were in trouble in 1954. Studebaker was broke but still had an excellent dealer network; Packard was losing money, but it still had some cash. The two companies were not competitors, so the merger was completed on October 1, 1954, with Hoffman as the Chairman and James Nance, of Packard, the President of the new Studebaker-Packard Corporation. In order to complete the merger quickly, both companies agreed to forgo any in-depth review of the other’s books.

Nance eventually became concerned about Studebaker’s financial situation and sent his Vice President of Finance to review the company’s accounts. That revealed that Packard should have looked more closely at their potential partner before the merger. Worse, Studebaker had claimed that the break-even point was production of 165,000 cars; in fact, it would likely take a production of 282,000 cars for Studebaker to just break even, primarily because of poor productivity in Studebaker’s facilities. Yet, there was more bad news to come.

Under George Mason, there had been a reciprocity agreement between the new American Motors Corporation and Studebaker-Packard. When Mason died suddenly, George Romney took over as Chairman of AMC and learned that Studebaker-Packard was not upholding their part of the agreement.

He approached Nance, and Nance denied there was any agreement of reciprocity, so Romney decided to stop buying engines from Studebaker-Packard and have AMC build their own. Ultimately, the blame for the mess Studebaker-Packard found itself in could be laid on the managers of both Studebaker and Packard. Their lack of due diligence as they considered the merger put the new company in a precarious position.

There was a mild facelift of Studebakers in 1955 and the Conestoga was doing well. Sedans, though, were not selling well and sales of the coupe were down. The company did produce an up-market President line with two sedans, a coupe, and a hardtop. This line was attractive, based on a longer wheelbase, and had an attractive interior. Dealers were having trouble selling the 1955 models and started pushing for something that would attract people to their showrooms. What they got was the President Speedster.

1955 Studebaker President Speedster

The company heard their dealers, but they were reluctant to move a new car into production. The decision was to produce only 14 cars and put them on the car show circuit. They would respond with production if there was enough interest – there was. The Speedster, a name the company had not used in 30 years, was based on the President hardtop coupe, already an attractive automobile, but maybe just a bit plain, especially when compared to the Speedster.

When production began, the model would be offered in six, two-tone and two, three-tone color schemes, with a late addition in black. The paint schemes were produced in series. The first models were Sun Valley yellow and Hialeah green and were produced for three or four months, then that scheme was replaced by pink and gray, then pearl and gray, black and white, and gray and white. The three tone cars were pink, gray, and white and green, black, and white.

Exterior enhancements included a lot more bright work than the standard President. The Speedster had new bumpers with fog lights built in, a stainless roof band, specific trim that included a hood-length hood ornament (gold on the green/yellow cars), Speedster nameplates and checkered emblems, and chrome-plated ashtrays, rear-view mirror, tinted windows, and tailpipe extensions on the dual exhausts.

The Speedster would have considerable more chrome than the standard President models and almost as much as other competitors’ 1955 models. Inside the car, the changes were even more luxurious. The seats were diamond-quilted, genuine top-grain leather, there was carpeting front and rear, a map pocket on the passenger side kickpanel (there was no glovebox), an eight-tube pushbutton AM radio with an interior remote controlled antenna, a Stewart-Warner 160 mph speedometer and 8,000 rpm tachometer in a striking engine-turned facing, turn signals, electric clock and a cigarette lighter.

The special climate control system was called a “climatizer.” Power was by Studebakers 259.2-cu.in. Passmaster V8 producing 185 horsepower at 4500 rpm. Compression ratio was 7.5:1, with an option for 8:1 available. There was a choice of a standard three-speed, a three-speed overdrive, or two-speed automatic transmission. Standard equipment also included an oil filter and oil bath air cleaner, power steering and brakes, four barrel carburetor, dual backup lamps, triple horns, two-speed electric wipers, tubeless whitewall tires and wire wheel covers.

The car cost $3253, or about $800 more than the standard President hardtop coupe. It was the only Studebaker to top $3000 in 1955. Only 2,215 Speedsters were produced, making them a very desirable collector car. It was a one-year model, so many of the special trim pieces are as rare as the Speedsters themselves. A search of the Studebaker register shows that only around 310 Speedsters survive in all conditions, and few of them are show quality.

Studebaker Speedster Engine No. P-6223, Model 6H K7

One surviving Studebaker President Speedster in show condition is a numbers matching car that belong to Ray Petros. Petros is a long time Studebaker enthusiast (see “Driven: 1963 Studebaker Avanti R1,” https://sportscardigest.com//1963-studebaker-avanti-r1/ ). That he developed a passion for Studebakers is no surprise. His grandfather immigrated from an island off Croatia and initially went into the grocery business.

In 1922, he decided to get into the automobile business with a partner and created Black and Petros to sell Willis, Whippets, and other brands in Pueblo, Colorado. After he bought out his partner, he took on Stearns Knights in the late ’20s then Graham in the ’30s. The family became a Studebaker-Packard dealer in 1954 and kept the dealership until Studebaker ended domestic production in 1964, almost 42 years.

Petros mused about seeing his first Speedster: “One just like this one was the first car I remember seeing as a four-year-old in my Dad’s showroom. We drove by, and it was right in the front windows, and I just thought it was the most gorgeous car possible.” His father sold it to a local doctor who lived a couple blocks from the Petros home. Petros would see it when he walked to and from school. “Every time I’d go by it, I’d say ‘I’m going to have one, one of these days.’”

Petros lost track of the car, so he started looking for one like it. He found his locally. It had been bought by a Studebaker club chapter member in the late ’80s. He was an automotive painter, and he did a very nice job in restoring the car. Nearly everything was correct on the car. The previous owner had even bought a special sewing machine so he could restore the leather interior correctly.

Petros bought the car in 1998. There were some authenticity issues that he corrected – he installed the proper carpet, rear speaker, exhaust extensions, and a few other items that weren’t correct. One problem that took some investigation to fix was the tachometer; it did not operate correctly. He finally visited Clive Cussler’s museum, where there was a similar Speedster. He was allowed to crawl around in the car, and he saw that Cussler’s car had a ground wire to the tach. Petros added a wire, and the tach worked fine. One other addition Petros made was an electric fuel pump. He uses it to help start the car on hot days. The rest of the time, the car runs on its mechanical fuel pump.

Petros obviously loves his Studebakers, but he seems to have a special love for the Speedster. His memories from a child are a big part of that, but the Speedster is also a very special car to drive.

Driving Impressions

Just being seen in this car is enough to make you smile – everyone turns to watch you drive by. But driving it is also a pleasure; it is a very nice car to drive. There were several pleasant surprises. The first was how comfortable the seats are, and visibility from the driver’s seat is great. Then the dash – it is certainly not something you would see in most other American cars of 1955—speedo, 8000 rpm tach, oil pressure, water temperature, fuel, and ammeter. All the information you need – well, oil temperature would be nice, but I’m spoiled. It is important to remember, though, that this is a 1955 American car.

Starting the car, even on a hot spring day at an elevation somewhere near 8,000 feet, was a breeze. The electric fuel pump did what it was supposed to do, and the car started immediately with a turn of the key. The two-speed Borg Warner automatic consists of low and high gear. Smooth start with the shifter in high, then onto the mountain roads around Petros’ place. On the level, the car is smooth. It has a low center of gravity, especially compared to Chevies or Fords of the time, so it actually corners better than expected for a 3,300-pound car.

I remember smiling and saying “sweet” when taking the car through some sweeping curves on a nearby U.S. highway. With power steering and a large diameter steering wheel, steering effort is very reasonable. The steering was a little loose, so it took a bit of concentration to keep the car where I wanted it. Brakes are important in the mountains, and the assisted drum brakes on the Speedster do a more than acceptable job.

For an early stop, I pressed a bit too hard on the brakes and was quite surprised at how quickly we stopped. Acceleration produced smiles – the car is quick from a stop, and when the transmission drops into low, it really takes off. Low is important when going up the Colorado hills. All it takes is to keep pressure on the gas pedal to keep the car in low gear.

The Speedster is a very nice driving car. Plus it is beautiful. I enjoy every car I get to profile and drive, but the Speedster is one of the ones I’d love to own.

Specifications 

• Construction                                    Steel, body on frame
• Chassis                                                Two-piece frame, an inverted U-channel with a spot-welded plate
• Engine                                                 Passmaster overhead valve V8
• Displacement                                   259.2 cid (4248 cc)
• Bore/Stroke                                      3.6 in (90 mm)/ 3.3 in (83 mm)
• Power                                                  185 BHP (136.16 KW) @ 4500 RPM
• Torque                                                250 Ft-Lbs (339 NM) @ 3000 RPM
• Compression Ratio                       7.5:1
• Induction                                           Single four-barrel Carter WCFB carburetor
• Wheelbase                                         120.5 in | 3061 mm
• Length                                                 206.2 in | 5238 mm
• Width                                                  71.3 in | 1811 mm
• Front Track                                      56.7 in | 1440 mm
• Rear Track                                        55.7 in | 1415 mm
• Weight                                                 3300 lbs/1496.9 kg
• Front Suspension                          Independent suspension, unequal-length A-arms & coil springs
• Rear Suspension                            Live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs
• Brakes                                                 Four-wheel drum
• Wheels                                                15-inch steel
• Tires                                                     7.10×15 Tubeless

The Rest of the (Studebaker) Story

There were ups and down for the company through the latter 1950s and into the ’60s, but there were more downs than ups. One “up” was the Hawk in 1956; another was the Lark in 1958, but they were more than offset by the “downs.” One hit Studebaker experienced was the loss of much of its military money. The Department of Defense decided to consolidate its contracts with fewer companies, and Studebaker-Packard lost most of their contracts.

As for the consolidation of the two components of Studebaker-Packard, there was none, so there were still two of everything required to run the corporation. Styling was mostly face-lifts because of the lack of funds to put into new cars. Sales were down, and it appeared that both car buyers and investors seemed to sense that Studebaker-Packard was a dying company.

Roy Hurley of Curtis-Wright was interested in getting what remained of Studebaker-Packard’s defense business, so he orchestrated a “merger” in which he could control Studebaker-Packard without any financial investment. Nance left and was replaced by Harold Churchill, a man who nearly saved the company.

To get some cash, plants were sold or shutdown, and the value of the company’s stock was devalued. That provided some funds for 1957, but the old models were simply continued. There were some good developments, including the strength of the Hawk line. Packards were now being produced on Studebaker chassis, and Studebaker became the distributor for Mercedes-Benz in the U.S.

Hurley, before dumping Studebaker-Packard, pressured Churchill to produce a distinctive Packard, a move that eventually killed Packard. Churchill, though, proposed that the company produce the small car that became the Lark. It was a compact car with a spacious interior, and, in 1958, it predated the small cars from the Big Three. In 1959, all the bigger models, except for the Hawk, were eliminated. The Lark was a hit, and, together with trucks and money made from Mercedes-Benz, Studebaker-Packard looked financially fit again. Dealers were even added to sell the Lark.

That’s when the Board of Directors decided that diversification was the solution for the company. They bought a variety of non-automotive companies at a time when the Big Three discovered compact cars. Many of the new dealers jumped ship to sell Chevies and Fords and Plymouths. Churchill continued to support the auto business while the Board was putting more money into acquisitions.

By 1960, the Board of Directors wanted out of the automobile business. Churchill resisted, and the company was reorganized with Churchill replaced by Sherwood H. Egbert. Egbert’s plan for Studebaker-Packard was for more acquisitions, a stronger auto business, more military contracts, and a new focus on foreign sales. There were more acquisitions and some previous companies were sold at a profit. Thanks to the efforts of Brook Stevens on the Lark and Raymond Loewy on the Avanti, the cars continued to look good with little money expended on the designs.

1962 saw “Packard” removed from the company’s name. It also saw a major strike—the plants were down for 38 days. In 1963, sales were horrible. The Studebaker Corporation was losing money primarily because of the automotive division. The decline continued, the South Bend plant was closed, and all production moved to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Without the capability of producing engines itself, Studebaker had to buy its engine from Chevrolet.

Egbert, who was fighting cancer, was put on indefinite leave and was replaced by Byers Burlingame. Styling improvements continued to be made on the Lark, but when funds were requested for styling the 1967 models, the Board of Directors refused. On March 4, 1966, the corporation announced that automobile production would end the next day. After the end of auto production, there were more acquisitions, mergers, and sales of assets until the company was hardly recognizable for what it had been.

The Studebaker name was dropped in 1978. Studebaker had once been one of the largest American automobile manufacturers. It had been innovative and had produced quality cars and trucks. Sadly, poor management and bad decisions killed the once proud company. Even though the company is gone, many of its fine automobiles and trucks remain for us to enjoy and think about what might have been.

For additional reading about the history of Studebaker, the following are recommended:

• Treasury of Early American Automobiles 1877-1925, by Floyd Clymer
• “Studebaker’s Final Days” by Patrick Foster, Automobile Quarterly, Volume 48 #1, First Quarter 2008
• Studebaker – The Complete History, by Patrick Foster

The post Just Gorgeous!—1955 Studebaker President Speedster appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

An artist will look at an object and see the art in its design that some may not, whether it be a building, a piece of furniture or in this case, an automobile. This Citroën DS19 has fascinated one artist for over 40 years, appreciating it like a work of art and coveting it like the Goddess it is.

The French have a reputation for creating unusual and sometimes avant-garde designs, producing interesting and unusual automotive shapes. The coachwork of Saoutchik, Figoni et Falaschi, Franay and of course, Chapron come to mind, just to name a few. These coachbuilt bodies were expensive and flamboyant, created for the chosen few on the chassis of high-end luxury cars like Delahaye, Delage, Bentley and Tabo Lago. They were designed to attract attention and create a sensation when seen for the first time.

Citroën was not a luxury car brand, but what they debuted at the 1955 Paris Salon, in October of 1955, certainly created a sensation with both the public and the automotive press. Enough so that Citroën had 749 firm orders for the new car by 9:45 am, and 12,000 orders by the end of the day. The new car was called the DS19, or Desiree Speciale 19. The word for goddess in French is Déesse, and sounds like DS when spoken in that language. A goddess had been shown to the automotive world, and there were many ready and willing to worship it then, and they still do today.

The artist that owns this 1964 DS19 is Arthur Stern. Stern specializes in architectural glass art, as well as sculpture and paintings, and his award winning work can be seen in public buildings and residential projects all across the country. His first encounter with a Citroën was while he was studying Architecture at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, in 1972. A fellow student had inherited a 1969 Citroën DS21 from his father, but he was leaving to study in Europe for a year, so he offered the car for sale.

Being three hours away from the closest Citroën dealer, an ad for the strange looking French car in the local newspaper yielded no calls except from Stern. “I had seen a few Citroëns on the road while visiting California and thought that they were cool.” Stern recalls, “I bought the car for a great price and drove it across the country.

I was headed to the San Francisco Bay Area to continue my studies at CCAC in Environmental design. It was a wonderful car and I got it for a price I just couldn’t pass up. I soon realized what a fabulous car it really was, very comfortable, the suspension was like floating on air. The steering and brakes were exceptional. While it was a bit eccentric looking, it suited my sense of design.”

The design of the DS19 is largely due to the efforts of Citroën’s chief stylist, Italian born Flaminio Bertoni, (not to be confused with Giovanni Bertone of Carrozzeria Bertone, to whom he was not related), and Citroën engineer André Lefébvre. Both men also worked on designing the legendary front-wheel drive Traction Avant, the first volume-produced monocoque (unitized) body car, introduced in 1934. The Traction Avant was discontinued in 1957. Although the DS19 was a completely new design, it carried over the now perfected and proven reliable front-wheel drive and 1.9-liter engine from its predecessor. The 19 in DS19 refers to the 1.9-liter engine displacement.

Compared to many of the chrome laden cars of the era, the design of the DS19 was sleek and clean, devoid of any unnecessary and non-functional styling embellishments. With its shark-nose front, sans grill, long swept-back plunging hood and smooth sides tapering back to the rear, it not only looks futuristically sleek, but it is significantly more aerodynamically efficient than most cars produced for 20 years after its debut.

The front to back inward taper of the body is accentuated by the rear track being almost eight inches narrower than the front. The rear wheels are located very far back on the chassis, giving it long a 123-inch wheelbase and allowing for a generous amount of interior space. Only available as a four door sedan initially, a station wagon was added to the D Series lineup in 1958. A convertible would come later.

Stern had driven across the country in his 1969 DS12 when he first laid eyes on a DS convertible. While getting the oil changed in his DS station wagon for the first time at Executive Motors, the premier Citroën dealership in San Francisco, he walked into the waiting room. “There was Jack Casady, bass player for the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, reading a Zap magazine, waiting for his car,” explains Stern. “ When his car came down the ramp it was a Citroën DS convertible, the first one I had ever seen….I didn’t even know they made convertibles.” It was love at first sight. He knew he had to have one.

The world first laid eyes on Citroën DS19 convertible or decapotable, in 1958, when Henri Chapron, an independent coachbuilder located in Paris, debuted his La Croisette Cabrioet at the Paris Auto Show. The modified convertible was not authorized by Citroën, instead Chapron purchased a new DS19 and made the modifications at his shop. Chapron continued to build DS19 convertibles for his well-heeled clientele, and public demand was great.

Chapron’s success with these custom-made convertibles did not go unnoticed by Citroën, and in 1960 a deal was struck between Chapon and Citroën to produce a factory, or Usine, convertible. Knowing that cutting the roof off a sedan would compromise the structural integrity of the body, a station wagon was used to start with, as it was already structurally beefier than a sedan and additionally reinforced by Chapron. From the cowl back, the entire body was unique to the convertible.

The rear seat was narrowed to allow for the convertible top to be lowered down into the body, flush with the beltline. There was no quarter glass, making the top wrap around to the door glass instead. The car looks quite elegant with the top up, but visibility is compromised considerably.

Chapron sold a few handmade convertibles before a production model was ready to be shown to the public in October of 1960. Citroën began selling the production convertible modified by Chapron the following year. Sales of the convertibles were limited by the time it took Chapron’s shop to create one. The process was very labor intensive and costly.

The price of a new Chapron convertible was double the cost of a comparable DS sedan, priced around the same as a new Cadillac convertible in America, at about $5600. The cost and production time kept sales low, but the company gained prestige when open air versions of DS Citroëns started showing up in movies and at night clubs, sometimes with celebrities behind the wheel.

The Goddess Appears

For Arthur Stern, the search was on for a DS convertible. There were only a handful of convertibles in the Bay Area, and Stern approached the owners whenever he saw one in for service at the dealership or elsewhere. The Chapron convertible is rare, especially in the U.S., but Stern kept looking. After two years of searching, a 1964 DS19 convertible was traded in at Executive Motors by its original owner on a Citroën-Maserati SM and offered for sale.

This was at last Stern’s chance to acquire his dream car. He had traded his DS21 sedan for the 1972 DS station wagon and now he traded in his clean, low mileage wagon in on the convertible. “I traded my nice low mileage wagon and all the money I had, to buy the Chapron-bodied DS cabriolet with over 150,000 miles on it. I just had to have it,” tells Stern. “I was in graduate school at the time and working part-time for architects and interior designers as a draftsman.

I had just enough money left to buy a bottle of French champagne as a gift to the owner of Executive Motors as a token of my appreciation, as I had finally bought the car I had dreamed about. The Citroën DS Decapotableas the French call it, is in my opinion one of the most beautiful four-seat convertibles ever made. An eccentric and beautiful car, perfect for an artist!”

Stern was just about to open Arthur Stern Studios when his dream car became his. He used it everyday for transportation for several years before the Goddess became tired and started showing her age. No longer useable as an everyday car, Stern parked it in his studio. The car sat for several years until he could afford to undertake a restoration. “Starting out as an artist means there were going to be many financial ups and downs”, says Stern.

“A commission would come in, and I would have some money, then it would slow down again, and I thought I would go broke. I must admit I was tempted to sell the car during a few of the slow times. People always wanted to buy it from me. In fact, they still do today. But then a nice commission would come in and I would decide to keep it.”

After sitting for seven years, Stern brought the car to Jacque Abot‘s shop in Santa Cruz, CA. Abot and his mechanic Lon Price have a reputation for restoring convertibles and took it on as their back room project. Stern paid them whatever he could afford on a monthly basis for several years until the mechanical restoration was complete. Now with the car back in fine running order, it was time to tackle the cosmetics.

Over the next few years, Stern spent money on the restoration when he could afford it. A new top one year, a new interior the next, and so on. When it was time for paint, Stern brought the car to Henry Hanzel. He was considered a marque expert, and ran a third generation body shop in Oakland, CA. Hanzel’s father was one of the first Citroën dealers in the Bay Area.

The restoration was completed there and Hanzel became Stern’s Citroën mechanic for decades, sometimes joining Stern on Citroën club tours with his own DS. Before Hanzel retired, the Goddess was treated to one last beauty treatment that included a fresh paint job to remove the chips and scratches acquired over a few decades of driving for pleasure. The car is currently maintained by Lon Prince once again.

Driving a Citroën DS is truly a pleasure indeed. So much so that comedian, noted car collector and Citroën DS owner Jay Leno recently stated: “When you get behind the wheel of a DS you literally fall into a big easy chair that wraps itself around you.” Leno gives this advice: “If someone offers you a ride in a DS, take it. It’s the most comfortable motoring experience you can have.” This journalist decided to heed the advice of Mr. Leno and take up Mr. Stern’s offer to ride in his beautiful 1964 DS19 convertible.

Sitting in the DS19 is indeed very comfortable. The position of the seat is much like a chair, meaning your seating posture is more upright, with your legs hanging down with feet flat on the ground, as opposed to stretched straight out like most modern cars. The flat floor also provides plenty of legroom and the interior feels spacious overall. The steering wheel is most interesting, having just one spoke affording an unobstructed view of the gauges, and looks futuristically cool.

The column mounted, gear shift lever for the 4-speed manual, front-wheel drive transmission is very smooth. Shifts are made effortlessly but compulsorily leisurely with no jerking or lurching, enough so that a passenger blindfolded could be fooled into thinking the car has a fully automatic transmission. Braking is excellent, with inboard discs in the front and drums in the rear. Steering is a rack and pinion design, and is smooth and effortless as well.

The clutch, brakes and steering are all aided by the DS19’s amazing central high-pressure hydraulic system. (A semi-automatic, hydraulically assisted “Citro-Matic” transmission was also offered on the DS19 as an option). The 4-cylinder, 83 horsepower, 1.9-liter engine feels adequate, but brisk acceleration is not this car’s forte. Once the car achieves freeway speed, its aerodynamic shape helps the car cruise effortlessly. The most noticeable feature while riding or driving in the DS19 is the ride itself.

The four-wheel, fully-independent suspension is supported by hydropneumatic spheres filled with pressurized nitrogen gas above a supply of mineral oil and divided by a flexible diaphragm. There is a belt driven pump that feeds the spheres, regulated by various valves and sensors. All this creates an incredibly smooth, yet not mushy, ride. The DS19 glides over potholes and railroad tracks smoother than any modern car that comes to mind. In April of 1958, Motorsport magazine tested a DS19 sedan and had this to report: “In spite of the softness of the suspension, the Citroën rolls only slightly in normal fast cornering, although rally-type tests cause it to heel over rather a lot.

Not only on account of its all-independent suspension but because, as a glance at the car reveals, Citroën have adhered to their policy of ‘a wheel at each corner,’ the DS19 is a commendably stable, safe car, which can be cornered exceedingly fast once the driver is accustomed to the light, high-geared steering action. On wet or icy roads the car shows up to advantage, nor is the driver conscious of the front-wheel-drive affecting control, either on drive or over-run. “

The testers were impressed, further stating, “Naturally most people, when invited to ride in the DS19, pay close attention to the suspension. Although it is not perfect, quick negotiation of hump-back bridges having the same effect as on a vehicle with ordinary springing, except that the car lands squarely and without subsequent pitching, and bad road irregularities causing shock to be transmitted, the sheer merit of the hydro-pneumatic system is revealed by driving at, say, 80 m.p.h. over roads which shake up the occupants of normal cars, even those considered to be well sprung, at anything over 35 m.p.h.

Moreover, in spite of this ability to absorb bad surfaces the Citroën does not suffer from undue sponginess, dipping its bonnet but slightly under emergency braking, wallowing very little when driven rapidly over inhuman pot-holes, and refusing completely to pitch.” Parking the DS19 is easy as well, despite its long wheelbase, it can be turned around in less than 37 feet, with just under three turns, lock to lock.

After parking a DS19, the suspension will slowly drop all the way down, making it look even more exotic when parked. When restarted, it will automatically return to driving height. The suspension may also be raised or lowered manually via a lever on the dash. To change a tire, just raise the car all the way up, place the factory provided jack stands on one side and lower down, leaving both wheels on the one side in the air.

Now with close to a quarter of a million miles on the car, it still feels solid and rattle-free, a testament to the car’s engineering and design, plus the loving care bestowed upon it by its owner for over 40 years. In recent years, Stern’s Goddess is showcased with his art at his studio in Benicia, California. In the last decade, Stern has enjoyed displaying the car at Citroën club events and Bay Area Concours shows, winning many awards as a result.

Most recently, it was awarded the Michael Furman Artist’s Choice Award at the 2017 Carmel by the Sea Concours on the Avenue. “Mr. Furman and I agree that it is a car that exudes design and aesthetic excellence that satisfy an artist’s eye.” Says Stern, “I’ve had the Chapron-bodied Citroën for 41 years now, it proudly sits in my studio like a sculpture waiting to be driven on special occasions.”

SPECIFICATIONS

1964 Citroën DS19

• Engine: 4-cylinder inline
• Valvetrain: Overhead valve
• Displacement: 1.9 liter
• Bore/Stroke: 78×100 mm (3.07 x 3.94)
• Horsepower: 83 bhp @4500 rpm
• Torque: 105 lb-ft @3500 rpm
• Carburetion: 1 Weber carb
• Transmission: 4-speed manual
• Drive: Front engine, front-wheel drive
• Wheelbase: 123 inches
• Length: 189 inches
• Width: 70.5 inches
• Height: 57.8 inches
• Curb weight: 2,822 lbs
• Brakes: Four-wheel disc / power assisted via central hydraulic system
• Top Speed: 103 mph
• 0-60 mph: 17.7 seconds (sedan)
• Factory Production: 184 in 1964, 1365 total 1960-1971

Club affiliation: http://citroencarclub.us/

The post The Artist and The Goddess—1964 Citroën DS19 Chapron appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

That car was a red Lotus Elan +2. I had never heard of, or seen, a +2, and I wondered if it was too late to exchange our Europa for one of those sleek beauties – it was. For nearly 50 years, the thought of that car remained lurking in my brain. As I aged, I wondered if I could get in and out of one. In April 2017, I found out, thanks to the excellent forums on the Lotus Ltd. Club website. I posted that I wanted to do an article on a +2 and found two nice ones in Colorado – one original and the other upgraded to a Zetec engine and Spyder chassis.

The Type 50, or Lotus +2 as it was called in factory brochures, had a run from 1967 to late 1974. Nearly 5,200 were produced during that time. It was the first pure Lotus to have more than two seats, and it was the first Lotus without a kit version being offered. It was predated by the Lotus Cortina, but that was a Ford saloon modified by Lotus. The +2 was to be a “family” car, with seats for two children in the back, or in our case, one 5’6” woman sitting cross-wise. The +2 had a chassis that was 1-foot longer, track 7-inches wider, and overall length 23-inches more than the Elan.

It had the same engine, comparable suspension and a similar, albeit longer, steel backbone chassis as the Elan. It was also 315 pounds heavier, but the effect on performance wasn’t nearly as bad as it might have been because the car was much more aerodynamic (Cd=0.30) than its smaller sister. Carburetion was initially by twin Webers and then by twin Dellortos at the end of production, although the U.S. federalized versions used Strombergs.

As their “family” car gained in sales, the factory began emphasizing comfort and luxury over performance when the +2S came out in 1969. Still, they didn’t forget performance, because later that year they began putting the Lotus Big Valve engine in the cars. By 1971, all the +2S 130 models had the big valve engines with a 25% increase in power over the original engine. These cars are usually recognized by their metallic silver roofs, although a solid color car could be special ordered. A late addition was a 5-speed, overdrive transmission introduced in October 1972.

1969 Lotus Elan +2

I had plans to profile several cars in New Mexico and Colorado, so I added the +2s to my trip. First stop was to meet Jeff Krueger in Sedalia, Colorado, and experience his original Elan +2. It seems that most Lotus owners, have owned a series of cars of the marque. Krueger had an Esprit and Seven clones until he found the +2. He has two kids—seven and eight-years old—so the +2 was a perfect Lotus for his family. His car is a stock 1969 with all original Lotus components. It is a very nice car, but Krueger is in the process of building an improved version of the +2, much like the car I was able to experience a day later.

Thanks to Krueger, I was able to determine that I can enter and exit a +2 with relative ease….and what a joy to drive. The car started easily and we were off. It has excellent gauges, and the seats are very comfortable. Steering wheel and shifter fall right to hand. Big feet can be a problem in any Lotus, so even with a larger car one must be careful not to cover the gas and brake pedals at the same time.

Krueger lives in a valley, with mountains only a couple miles away, so the test drive included an excellent mountain road with curves of all sorts and steep climbs and descents – a great road to try out a Lotus. A friend, David Allin, who has driven my “camera car” for me on a number of occasions, was with me for the ride. We chatted as I drove the car up grades and through corners. At one point, while talking about the car’s incredibly flat cornering, I tried to sum up its handling with, “What can I say? It’s a Lotus!”

It was that good! The only downside was that there are a lot of revs lost when shifting between 2^ndand 3^rd. This combined with a lack of torque from the engine at lower revs meant a lot of stirring of the shifter on some of the uphill stretches. I’ve long had “Lotus Lust” deep in my heart, and this drive brought it to the surface.

1972 Lotus Elan +2 Zetec

Next stop was Colorado Springs, where Ross Robbins has what may be a very unique +2 for the U.S. Robbins has had 13 Lotus cars of various types. He was bitten by Lotus Lust when he sold several cars, including his Sprite racecar and his big Healey to buy an Elan racecar. Robbins drives his cars. He has bought a number of Lotus cars online, flown to get them and driven them home. He drove his first +2 from New York, a Europa from Wisconsin, and an M100 from Washington, for example. He’s even written a book about his road trips, available as a trade paperback on Amazon. His desire to drive his Lotus everywhere led him to call a fellow he met at a Lotus Owners Gathering in Orlando.

The car was a modified +2 with a chassis built by Spyder in England, a fuel-injected Zetec engine and a 5-speed transmission. The owner had decided to sell the +2 only two days before Robbins called. The deal they reached was more than Robbins had expected—he got the +2, but he also had to take a rolling chassis, a stripped chassis, a Spyder chassis, and boxes and boxes of parts. The car he wanted without all the extras would cost $5000 more than if he took it all. Getting all that back to Colorado is an adventure story best heard in person.

When asked why the Zetec car, Robbins replies that “Ann (his wife) and I love to travel, almost all summer, so we wanted a car with air conditioning. This car has the a/c ducts nicely integrated into the dash, has an XM radio, and five-speed transmission that allows us to cruise at 75 at 3100 rpm – and you can hear the radio! It’s nice to be able to cruise when crossing the country.” He added that it, “drives like a Lotus, but it’s a version for a mature driver.”

The Zetec gives 160 hp and has a lot more torque, which comes in early, where the stock Lotus doesn’t get on its torque curve until about 3500 rpm. All Robbins’ comments became real when I got the chance to drive the car. We took it on the highway and on wonderfully curving roads. The extra power was great on the hills and for merging with traffic on the highway. The gears were very comfortably spaced, and few revs were lost when shifting, while going uphill. Together with the torque of the Zetec, this car is a much better driver than the original. It does everything an original +2 does, only better. It truly is an improved car.

So, after driving both these cars, which do I prefer? I have to say that I loved them both, and they have really gotten my Lotus Lust beating hard in my breast. The Zetec +2 is the better car, but if Krueger decides to sell his original when he gets his Zetec done, I am very interested. Oh my, yes I am.

Many thanks to Krueger and Robbins for allowing me to drive their cars. They are two fine guys who have a couple of wonderful cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKapn0s7UDg

Original Specifications

The post Lotus Lust—A Tale of Two Plus 2s appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Throughout history, French manufacturers have created some of the most unusual automotive designs ever made. Most will agree that many of them had brilliant engineering, however the French approach to styling, especially in the mid-century era, is interesting to say the least. Weird, beautiful, ugly, strange, fantastic, modern, and eclectic are words than could be used to describe the Matra M530, depending on who you ask. One thing is for certain, this car is unique and to many, obscure.

Early History of Matra

In 1945, Matra (Mécanique Aviation Traction) was founded. The new French company’s first project was participating in the development of an advanced twin-engine aircraft, constructed to be the fastest prop-driven plane in the world. In 1951, a plane using a Matra-built engine succeeded in breaking the sound barrier in Europe for the first time.

Later on, Matra was selected to be the first prime contractor for satellites in France and became involved in the early European space program in 1961. French businessman Jean-Luc Lagardere became the CEO of Matra in 1961.  At the time of Lagardere’s appointment, Matra had about 1,450 employees.

In 1964, Matra acquired car manufacturer Automobiles René Bonnet, who produced light-weight, front-wheel drive and mid-engine sports cars with very aerodynamic fiberglass bodies mainly powered by upgraded Renault engines.

Back in 1962, René Bonnet debuted its Djet (pronounced jet) model, (generally considered by today’s collectors as a Matra). 198 Bonnet Djets were sold between 1962 and 1964 the majority of which were the 65-hp base-model “Djet I”. The company maintained a racing team, entering in the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1962, 1963, and 1964. Focusing on the racing team was expensive and may have contributed to the company’s cash flow problems, resulting in poor retail sales during this period, as their cash was running out.

Matra Gets in the Car Business

Rene Bonnet worked increasingly close with its principal investor Matra.  Although Matra was busy with defense contracts, they were also very interested in the future of fiberglass technology, in which Bonnet was a pioneer. A former fighter pilot and national politician named André Moynet had an important role in bringing Bonnet’s business and Matra together. Matra’s swiftly developed partnership with René Bonnet’s automobile manufacturing firm was the beginning of what would become the Matra Automobile Division in October 1964. For a time, Matra was largely centered around its vehicle division, Matra Automobiles.

The first road car marketed as Matra was the Renault-powered Matra Djet, which was a revised version of the Bonnet Jet.  An additional 1,491 cars would be sold as “Matra Djets” between 1965 and 1968. The earlier Rene Bonnet-based cars (Missile and Le Mans) were discontinued after Matra assumed ownership.

In 1965, Matra began development on a successor to the Matra Djet. A fresh and modern road car design was needed that could be marketed to the non-racing public – or voiture des copains (car for chums). This would be the first sports car engineered and designed by Matra and not by Djet designer René Bonnet.  Designed by former Simca designer Philippe Guédon, the new sports car was named after Matra’s R.530 missile and officially called the Matra M530.

The M530 was constructed on a steel frame with polyester body and a mid-engine layout similar its Djet predecessor. In order to accommodate 2+2 seating, a mid-mounted engine and a reasonable amount of trunk space, several different engine options were considered by Matra engineers. The drivetrain that was eventually chosen was sourced from Ford in Germany, which was the “high compression” 1699-cc Ford Taunus V4 engine, as well as a gearbox from the Taunus 15M TS. This combination would make the production car capable of a top speed of 109 mph. This combination was also close-packaged enough to fit between the rear seats and the trunk.

The first 530 (badged Matra Sports M530A) was debuted to the public on March 7, 1967 at the Geneva Motor Show. Production commenced a month later, incorporating modifications which included the addition of a chrome bumper bar to provide much-needed protection from parking hazards for the front grill, a modification of the dashboard to give the passenger slightly more knee room, and the repositioning of the ignition key for more accessibility.

For the first two production years, the chassis was constructed by Carrier in Alençon, with the assembly work being done by French coachbuilder Brissonneau et Lotz at Creil. An interesting quirk of the early 530 model was that accessing the engine bay could only be done by removing the acrylic glass rear window.

Other unique features of the M530 are the mechanically pedal operated pop-up headlights and the two-piece removeable targa top. The styling was unusual to say the least and considered avant-garde for the time.

French artist Sonia Delaunay painted a 530A at the special request of Matra’s CEO Jean-Luc Lagardère in 1968. That same year, Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale presented a custom-bodied 530 coupé at the Geneva show (the car would appear again in Turin with some modifications and a different paint scheme).

Matra Motorsports

Matra’s CEO Jean-Luc Lagardére, recognizing the promotion value of the motorsport sector for garnering sales, decided that the company ought to be involved, leading to the creation of Equipe Matra Sports, which entered the French Formula 3 during 1965. Throughout the mid-1960s, Matra enjoyed considerable success in Formula 3 and Formula 2 racing with its MS5 monocoque-based car, winning both the French and European championships. Matra competed as a constructor in Formula One from 1967 to 1972 and as an engine supplier between 1975 to 1982, winning the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 1969.

Those familiar with Formula 1 history may know that Lotus adopted aviation engineering principles to build racecars. Not to take away from Colin Chapman’s winning ingenuity… but Matra was about to do in a few short years, what took everyone else decades to accomplish. As soon as Matra began building formula cars they immediately started to dominate in the lower F2 and F3 series with their fantastic monocoque chassis designs.

In 1968, they took the big step up to Formula 1 and secured Jackie Stewart behind the wheel. After nearly winning the Formula 1 championship in their rookie year, they dominated and took victory the following year—rather remarkable after just two years in F1. It was the first time a French-built car had ever won a modern Grand Prix much less the championship, and gave Jackie Stewart his first drivers’ championship.

The next year, 1970 saw the introduction of the glorious Matra V12 engine. While that beast of an engine didn’t suit the Grand Prix sprint-style racing, it happened to pack very nicely into Matra’s sports prototype race cars. Having been victorious all over the world in sports car racing, it was time to make a serious effort at Le Mans: enter the mighty Matra MS670.

With its aggressive open top design, that fabulously engineered V12 in the back, and Matra’s now world famous monocoque designs, the MS670 was unstoppable, ending Porsche’s winning streak and defeating Ferrari, not once, not twice, but three years in row (1972-1974). Matra also took the World Championship for Makes in 1973 and 1974.

France and Matra in just 6 short years had beaten everyone at their own game, won the Formula 1 championship, dominated Le Mans, and racked up countless victories along the way. French national pride had been restored. Interestingly, at the end of the 1974 season, Matra announced that it had decided to withdraw from all participation in motorsports.

This Car

This 1969 Matra M530 was part of well-known Southern California collector Bruce Milner’s collection, who acquired the car about 25 years ago from a broker in Texas. It sat in disrepair as part of his collection for over a decade before it was restored about 10 years ago. It’s current owner, Rodney Grabinski, purchased it in the summer of 2018.

“It needed a lot of sorting to get it running well,” Grabinski recalls.  “Electrical faults, carburetion and ignition issues, exhaust header repairs, clutch hydraulics replaced, it needed tires (that sounds easy… it is not!) water pump, etc..  Mostly all the sorting from a freshly assembled car that was never done because he never really drove it other than around the block occasionally.”

“I had been looking for a vintage car for some time and nearly bought a range of cars, Elan, Elite, Montreal, Junior Z.  – nothing really came together. When I came across the Matra that Bruce listed on BaT, I just connected with it. I knew about Matra, the M530 vaguely, and while doing more research learned more and more about Matra and the M530. I become more and more entranced with the history, innovation and their racing successes.

I just had to have it and I was high bidder but at RNM.  Bruce and I stayed in touch for about year until we finally struck a deal and trailered the car home to San Diego and went about getting it ready to take up to Monterey. I was supposed to be there in 2018 but there was just too much to get the car suitable for the 500-mile drive and there was no way I was going to trailer queen it up and back, I wanted to drive it the whole way.

So, 2019 is when the car and I made it. That drive up and down the coast – Big Sur, Carmel on the Avenue – is the big trip. I take it to our local “cars and coffee” in Rancho Santa Fe and we have various weekend drives to the canyon and mountains and will take it to local wineries. I’m not all that much into the car show scene – I like to drive and enjoy it.”

To own a car like a Matra, it helps to have a sense of humor, which Grabinski does. When asked what sort of reaction he’d get when people saw it for the first time, he said “People see the car and say ‘What IS that?… that is just… umm wow, ok… it’s so ugly!… amazing!… honey hide the children!’. After the spectrum of wild comments work their way out of bystanders pointed fingers, gapping mouths, and bugged out eyeballs the inevitable question is always “Why?”. Why did you buy that …thing?”

When asked to explain why he wanted to own such a car, his explanation was passionate and enthusiastic.  “‘Why Buy a Matra?’ the better question is why doesn’t every sports car and racing enthusiast want a Matra? So, when a car built by one of the world’s greatest racing marques appeared on the auction website Bring a Trailer, I had to have it.  This was my chance to scratch that vintage car itch and have a part of history too. This particular car was also a 1969, the same year and factory that built Jackie Stewart’s championship car.

I like to imagine Jackie Stewart, walking past the parts of my very car on some disorganized French assembly line on his way to see the updates for his next racecar in the race factory. I own and race vintage formula cars, spent years working in engineering, I love old cars, and come from a family of artists. This Matra M530 is everything I could want. Style? Excessive. Brand History? Epic. Engineering? Cutting edge. Affordable? Check and take my money please.”

“I enjoy displaying the car, talking with everyone about it and being a sort of self-proclaimed Matra spokesperson. I’ve noticed that if someone hangs around long enough, even those with initial negative opinions about the car, they start to develop more of an acquired taste about it. They notice the clever door handles, curious about how you get to the engine, or even where the darn engine is? What’s under the hood then? What are those holes for? That oval steering wheel, what does that 4^th pedal do?

It is like a mystery novel and each chapter is another twist and turn of the story towards the surprise ending of ‘very cool car’. The car is an event, not a dramatic rock concert type event, more like a stroll through a museum with a quartet playing event. Satisfyingly challenging and memorable. I wanted the car because Matra fulfilled history with the greatest racing championships in the world. What I didn’t realize is that they knew more about life than just racing, and built a car to fulfill that too.”

Driving Impressions

Gabinski is an accomplished Formula Ford and Formula B racer. In 2013, he placed overall 2^nd place Club Ford with “Formula Ford the Series”, and won the Bill Breach Memorial trophy in 2014, the Vintage Auto Racing Association Champion Modern Formula Ford and the Formula Ford Drivers Club Champion Modern Formula Ford in 2019. He recently acquired an historic Brabham BT29 to race in as well.

“If anyone survives the visual onslaught of my car, and the subsequent history lessons, the conversation turns from what is wrong with you dear sir? To what is it like to drive? The answer should surprise no one – it is Matra – the handling is sublime. The seating position and large windows gives a commanding view of the road all around, and the race winning pedigree is evident.

Fast sweeper? Don’t lift, just delicately turn the (weird, of course) oval steering wheel in and the chassis gently loads up the wheels that need the grip the corner apex, settling back down on exit. When you need to clamp on the brakes, the car rewards a finessed aggression. Brake late, the car transfers weight onto the front wheels to turn in with more speed than you first judge.

“The Matra engineers, 50 years later are still trying to teach you how to drive smoother and faster. Jump on the throttle and you hear everything from that funky Ford V4 engine that is literally in the cabin with you, covered up by what is essentially half a briefcase. Everyman’s sports cars of this era were never meant to be powerful – they were meant to be pleasurable, capable, affordable, usable.

Nothing could be better than the M530 with its lift back rear ‘glass’ (its polycarbonate, again because Matra!), giving access to the engine and back seats. Perfect for a weekend getaway in the countryside, The Matra M530 has a strange magical way of making you like your destination more because of the experience getting there.”

 Matra Epilog

The Bagheera was released as a 1974 model-year car, with production continuing until 1980. The Matra Murena was another mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports car that was produced from 1980 through 1983. During the early 1970s, Matra sold its car division to Chrysler Europe.  Matra Automobiles was subsequently sold by Chrysler Europe to Peugeot.  In 1983, Lagardere arranged to buy the division back. Shortly thereafter, a partnership was formed between Matra and Renault, resulting in the development of the Espace minivan.

During 2001, production of the Renault Avantime, which was co-designed and built by Matra Automobiles begain, however it was not a sales success and was widely regarded as a failure. By the early 2000s, Matra was reportedly preparing to end its involvement with the automotive industry. Following the discontinuation of the Avantime, on 27 February 2003, Matra Automobiles announced it was closing its Romorantin car factory just one month later.

The dismantling of the division was necessitated by Matra Automobiles having been declared bankrupt.During September 2003, Pininfarina SpA acquired Matra Automobile’s engineering, testing and prototype businesses and the company was renamed Matra Automobile Engineering. In January of 2009, Pininfarina sold its share in Matra Automobile Engineering to Segula Technologies.

The post Strange Wonder—1969 Matra M530   appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

In the Beginning

Many parents are sure that they know what is best for their children, but their plans don’t always work out the way they hoped. Giuseppe Lancia had a very successful business canning soups near his family home in Fobello, in the Italian mountains. In his son, Vincenzo, he detected a talent for numbers, so he planned for his son to go to school in Turin to become the accountant for the family business.

The Lancia family had a second home in Turin, so Vincenzo had a place to live while in school. Two rooms in the courtyard were rented in order to insure the house remained safe and to provide some income for house expenses. The renter was Giovanni Ceirano, who operated his business, Fabbrica di Velocipedi e Vetture Automobili Giovanni Ceirano, in those rooms.

Ceirano’s business seduced the young Lancia. He was good at numbers, but he was also very interested in things mechanical. Ceirano had many things mechanical in those rooms. Ceirano was a bicycle importer and repaired bicycles. In his two rooms were a lathe, welding equipment, a forge, and lots of tools. Lancia was fascinated, especially when Ceirano began building bicycles and then light cars he called Welleyes.

Designed by Ceirano’s engineer, Aristide Faccioli, the Welleyes became quite popular, and the business grew. Lancia dropped out of school and join Ceirano’s Fabbrica as the company’s bookkeeper. Keeping the books, though, was less interesting than being involved with the construction of bicycles and light cars, so Faccioli took Lancia under his wing and trained him about design and the reading of plans. Lancia soon displayed an ability to analyze problems and find innovative ways to repair faults.

The success of Ceirano’s Fabbrica did not go unnoticed. Fiat noticed it, and, looking for new talent and equipment, bought the company and took on its people. Lancia must have built up a pretty good reputation during his two years in Turin, because Fiat made him the chief inspector at their new plant. He was responsible for planning, design, manufacturing, testing, and developing ways to fix design faults that became apparent during testing. Lancia was in his element.

On July 1, 1900, Lancia decided to try racing and entered a 6 HP Fiat in a race in Padua. He won and was hooked. The publicity about that race helped convince Gianni Agnelli to get Fiat officially involved. Lancia was tapped to drive in many of the races the company entered, and he had some very good results, including a second-place finish in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cub race.

He had nine overall or class victories during the ten years that he raced, but he was also a hard driver and failed to finish a number of races. By 1910, Lancia appears to have lost interest in racing and quit to concentrate on his engineering. Lancia met Claudio Fogolin when he joined Fiat as a test driver in Lancia’s department in 1902. They became friends and, more importantly, began to discuss establishing their own company. Fabbrica Automobili Lancia and Cia. was formed in 1906 with funds from Lancia, Fogolin, and several friends, including Count Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, one of the original founders of Fiat.

Lancia would be responsible for the design and development of the new cars, and Fogolin handled sales and the commercial side. They had enough funds to buy a facility no longer in use by Itala, hire 20 employees, and begin the development of a fairly conventional automobile simply called the 12 HP. Two months later, a fire swept through the factory, destroying plans and damaging tools, machinery, and parts. Lancia was not deterred, his next product was a further development of the 12 HP but with a few innovations.

The 18/24 HP Lancia had a four-cylinder engine producing 24 bhp at the amazing engine speed of 1450 rpm. It was light and low and used a shaft drive instead of chain drive. When the prototype was completed, a detail that had been overlooked was discovered – the car was too wide to get through the door of the factory. Lancia had his workers cut away the stone doorposts with picks so the car would fit.

Two more prototypes were built, the third having an engine that produced 28 bhp at 1800 rpm. Lancia continued the development of his cars, and, in 1908, took three to the Turin automobile show. There were two models – one with a four-cylinder engine of 2544-cc and a using a four-speed transmission, and a six-cylinder on a longer wheelbase. The four-cylinder was called a Lancia Alfa, using the phonetic spelling of the Greek letter “alpha” and no relation to A.L.F.A., which was formed two years later.

The larger car was named a DiAlfa. Like their predecessors, the cars were light, high revving, and very good performers. Reviews were mixed, with some saying the cars were unsafe, but enthusiasts were excited by the cars and 108 Alfas were sold in the next year and a half. Distributors for Lancia opened in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Because of their performance, Lancias were often seen successfully competing in races. At the International Light Car Race in Savannah, Georgia, William Hilliard won with an average speed of 52.29 mph for 196 miles. The slogan used by the U.S. distributor became “Built by the Man Who Knows.”

As their successes mounted, the demand for Lancia automobiles also grew and the company expanded into more of the old Itala factory. New models came quickly. In 1909, the first Beta was produced with a 3120-cc, four-cylinder engine. 1910 saw the first Gamma. It was the last car that Vincenzo Lancia would race – his focus was now needed on design and production rather than testing. More sales successes resulted in a need for more room, and in 1911, Lancia moved his works to a larger facility. There the company produced the Delta (4080-cc) and the racing version, the DiDelta, but these cars were still based on the earlier Alfa.

Engine capacity continued to be increased, and the Eta (Tipo 20/30) of 1913 had a displacement of 5030-cc. With its shorter, lighter body, it had a top speed of 75 mph! That same year, the first truly new Lancia, the Theta (Tipo 25/35) was a limousine. Lancia had been building a 1Z truck for the Italian military, and it provided the chassis for the limo. The Theta was the first Lancia with a standardized wiring harness.

Even then, Lancia was thinking of how a V-shaped engine could save space in the engine compartment, but his plans had to be delayed. A series of convoluted pacts between countries tumbled down when a Bosnian Serb named Gavrilo Princip assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, and the world found itself in the “War to End All Wars.” During the war, which was much longer for the Europeans than the Americans, Lancia concentrated on making trucks for the Italian military.

On the positive side, production during the war resulted in additional expansion of the company’s facilities and capabilities. After the war, the next car developed was the Kappa with an open touring body and a top speed in excess of 75 mph. It also had a single dry-plate clutch, electric start, floor-mounted gearshift, and a variable rake steering column.

Lancia, though, wanted light bodies, and he gave the following advice to his coachbuilders: “Our experience has proved beyond doubt that it is possible to considerably reduce the weight of bodies hitherto built without affecting their strength and durability. We, therefore, urge body builders to carefully consider every part to be fitted to the chassis so as to produce the finished car as light as possible, which is advantageous for the reputation of the body builder and for us in the satisfaction derived by the owner.”

In the background during the war, Vincenzo continued to expand the concept of the V-engines. By 1919, he had patents on a 45° V8 and a 30° V12. For the Paris show in 1919, he designed a 20° single-overhead cam V12 of 7837-cc and 150 hp at 2200 rpm. It had a new chassis and suspension, but it was not economical to build. A design change to a 20° V8 installed in a Kappa chassis resulted in the TriKappa, [Photo 9] a car with a 4595-cc engine with 98 hp at 2500 rpm. It was to be the last of the traditional Lancias.

Two things happened to cause Lancia to change his design focus. First, he experienced a near accident when a spring broke on a rough mountain road. Second, he had observed how strong a ship hull was in rough seas. His emphasis changed from lightness and speed to strength and safety. The Lambda would be a very different car than the Lancias that preceded it. By September 1921, the prototype was complete, and a test drive convinced Lancia that the car would be very successful. The Lambda had a very compact, 2121-cc, 13° V4 single-overhead cam engine producing 49 hp. The engine used an aluminum cylinder block and was a very clean design – easy to service.

The chassis used an independent front suspension – the first large car to have IFS – with sliding pillars, coil springs, and hydraulic shock absorbers. IFS results in more stress on the chassis, so Lancia strengthened the chassis to manage the additional loads. The Lambda was possibly the first monocoque-bodied car. It was a car well ahead of its time, but it proved to be reliable and practical. It was shown at the Paris and London shows in the fall of 1922. Autocar praised the Lambda, and the buyers lined up to order their car.

The Lambda was hardly a sports car, although a 4-seat version came close to winning the Mille Miglia. It was big, but nimble; light, but not speedy; and it had good roadholding and performance. During its ten-year production run, 13,000 were built. As with other Lancia models, a DiLambda was produced with a V8 and 100 hp at 3800 rpm, but it was a much heavier car.

The decade of the 1930s saw a number of changes. The first and most noticeable was a change from Greek letters to Latin place names for model names. Some new cars were also needed, and the first was the Artena, which used a smaller Lambda engine of 1925-cc and producing 55 hp at 4000 rpm. The emphasis for the Artena was comfort, but it had excellent handling and steering and could reach 75 mph.

Next was the Astura, which used the same body/chassis combination as the Artena and a 19° version of the DiLambda V8. Later, the engine would be modified to be a 17 1/2° V8. The car was a popular racer, even beating the Scuderia Ferrari Alfas at the Coppo d’Oro in 1934.

Another change Lancia foresaw, before many of his competitors, was a small, light, efficient car that would survive the Depression. The result was the Augusta. It was a quick, reliable car using a 18 1/4° V4 of 1196-cc, producing 35 hp and a top speed of 65 mph. It was built in only one body style – a four-door, four-seat sedan. To allow ease of access, it had suicide rear doors and no B-pillar.

In 1936, Augustas took the first four places in the Targa Florio. It was a very popular car. According to David Owen, in his article, “Lancia Part I – The Vincenzo Years” in Automobile Quarterly Volume 12 #4, Rene Dreyfus related that the Alfa Romeo team drivers used Augustas as their daily drivers instead of the Alfas offered to them at a special price.

Lancia’s next design was one he started on in 1934. The Aprilia would have a light, thin steel body, stiff chassis, and independent rear suspension with inboard rear brakes. The engine was an 18° V4 of 1352-cc and 47.8 hp at 4300 rpm. Sadly, Vincenzo would never see a production Aprilia. He died of a heart attack in February 1937, at 56 years of age, before the production began.

Gianni Lancia took over the company after his father’s death. He was aided by a technical staff that his father had carefully chosen. The team, and the Aprilia, set the direction for the future of Lancia. Then came the Second World War, the interruption of civilian production, German occupation, and Allied bombing and invasion.

During the war, the technical staff evacuated to Padua. They returned, in 1945, to put the pieces of the factory back together and resume production. The pre-war models were still competitive in the market, so that gave them time to develop a new model.

Vittorio Jano had by now been released from Alfa Romeo, deemed too old to be productive, and together with Technical Director Giuseppe Vaccarino, they decided to focus on a V6 project started by Vincenzo. Model development sped up after WWII, so a manufacturer had to up response time to market changes.

The Aurelia proved to be a timely model for the new market. With a 1754-cc 60° V6 producing 56 hp at 4000 rpm, the car had good performance and handling. It took the 2-liter trophy at the 1950 Mille Miglia. Gianni saw the possibilities in competition and took the company back with a vengeance.

In 1951, four works cars were entered in the Mille Miglia and took second overall from four works Ferrari V12s. An Aurelia won its class at that year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. Development of an Aurelia coupé resulted in more good results both in racing and rallying. The D20 came next with a 217 hp dual overhead cam V6 displacing 2962-cc.

The D20 was followed by the D23 and D24 and culminated with the development of the D50 Grand Prix cars. Lancia’s greatest success in competition, though would be in 1956, when the Formula 1 team was turned over to Ferrari, and Juan Manuel Fangio won the championship.

The Formula 1 effort, together with a very expensive development of the new small car, the Appia, put the company in financial distress. The company was rescued by Carlo Pesenti, a cement company millionaire who took control of Lancia in 1955, resulting in Gianni’s resignation in 1956. The new management maintained the company’s philosophy of building reliable, quality cars.

The first new model was the Flaminia, a V6, which continued the approach that had been successful for the previous models. A major change in design approach came with the new Technical Director, Professor Antonio Fessia, designer of the Fiat Topolino. After updating the Appia, Fessia designed a new, very different mid-range Lancia, the Flavia, named after the Via Flavia, a Roman road from Trieste to Dalmatia.

Lancia Flavia

The Flavia was an expansion of a design that Fessia had done before. It was a front-wheel-drive, with an aluminum, flat-four of 1500-cc, a four-speed transmission, and disc brakes on all four wheels. Front suspension used unequal length wishbones. Production started in June 1961, after the prototype was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1960. First came a boxy sedan. A Pinin Farina coupé quickly followed, and Zagato made a typically crazy version.

Engine size was increased over time to 1800-cc in 1963, then to 1991-cc in 1970, the last year of the model name, although the model continued as the Lancia 2000 after Fiat bought the company. A total of 108,175 Flavias were produced, including 19,293 coupes by Pinin Farina, and a few coupes and convertibles by Carozzeria Zagato and Vignale.

Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato

Someone once commented that their car was a sensuous design, unlike those that Zagato designed with a chainsaw. Well, the cars designed with that chainsaw have become very desirable, in part because of their rarity, but also because Zagato’s designers had the courage to be different. Lancia introduced the Flavia Sport with twin carburetors to provide additional power to what the company hoped would attract people to the coupe. A relatively small number of the coupes were bodied by Zagato, and their look was exotic compared to those built by Pinin Farina.

Hardly a panel wasn’t modified. Zagato took an attractive, familiar-looking Italian coupe and turned it into an odd beast, with a two-plane grille that looks as though it could bite, a truly unusual concave rear window, and rear side windows that curve up into the roof in Zagato’s signature panaromica style. With its lightweight aluminum body and low center of gravity, the Sport Zagato was a popular car for rallying and racing. There is little doubt that few other coupes of the period looked anything like the Sport Zagato.

The first Sport Zagatos were produced in 1962, the year after the Flavia was introduced. Production of Lancias by outside coachbuilders ended in 1969 when a new model was introduced. Even though the Sport used the relatively inexpensive Flavia chassis, the original cost of the Sport Zagato was more than a Jaguar E-Type, influencing sales of the cars. Of the 626 outlandishly-styled Zagato coupes eventually built, 98 had the 1500-cc engine, and the rest used the 1800.

SN 815532001413

A young Joseph Kenneth Ballengee lived in southern Italy while his father was stationed there from 1967 to 1969. He saw all kinds of Italian cars and became familiar with Lancias. Ballengee was and still is a collector of 1/43-scale die cast model cars. When he saw a model of a Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato, he bought it for his collection because it was “an interesting, weird, ugly car.” After he joined the Air Force in 1975, his interest was rekindled in Lancias when he bought a Lancia Beta HPE. He was familiar with the marque, and the Beta was a fun car to drive.

In 2009, he retired to Albuquerque, where, “Every once in a while, I’d go on eBay and type in Lancia just to see what came up. And then this Zagato Sport showed up.” He knew it was rare, but he didn’t know how rare. Doing his research, he found an article about this car when it was in England. He fell for it! The owner had a number of cars and was “thinning the herd.” Ballengee did a “Buy it Now” without even having anyone look at it – he really wanted this car.

It was number 413 of the 626 Sport Zagatos built. He had bought a Sport Zagato, so he rented a car dolly and drove to California. When he got it home, his new house was still being built, so the Lancia went into storage. The car needed brake work, so Ballengee did the brakes in the storage unit. The house was completed in 2010, and the Lancia has been there ever since.

Ballengee has done a lot of the work the car needed himself, sometimes because what needed to be repaired was so unusual, there was no one else to do it. Repairs such as flushing and cleaning the radiator; repairing the gas tank, fuel pump, and lines; rewiring the rear lights; and rebuilding the carburetors were pretty standard. Restoring the gauges was a challenge. The ribbon speedometer “runs by strings and pulleys – like reel-to-reel tape recorder.” He had to do that himself.

Head gaskets were a problem for the Flavias, since Lancia used copper gaskets on the aluminum engine resulting in corrosion. There were some things he dare not do. While he was able to do most of the work on the car’s brakes, he recognized that stopping would be particularly important while living on the side of a mountain. To insure that the calipers were in the best condition possible, he sent them to White Post Restorations in White Post, Virginia, a firm well known for rebuilding all kinds of calipers.

When you own a rare automobile, according to Ballengee, you get invited to upscale car shows, although the car might be put in an odd class with other weird vehicles. “The Lancia was the only non-truck in one show!” One of the upscale shows was the Santa Fe Concorso a year when Janet Guthrie and Stirling Moss were honored. “We did the entire weekend – it was the most fantastic weekend of my life.”

On Saturday, he did the mountain tour from Santa Fe to Los Cerrillos – 80 miles. “It was the longest trip with the car to date.”“While passing through the Santa Fe arts district, as I turned a corner, a woman shouted ‘What on Earth?’ Yes! That’s exactly what I’m going for! Then, Guthrie, driving the photo car, a white BMW convertible, speeds past, and pulls in ahead of the Lancia. We got lots of photos of the car.” He smiled remembering, and said, “The car ran great, stopped great, 70+ mph.”

His class in the concours was Import Closed 1964-1967, and it included an Aston Martin DB4, a perfect E-Type, an Austin Healey 3000 rally car, a Ferrari, and a Porsche 911. Ballengee and the Lancia received the Director’s Award, an award given by the Directors of the concours for cars that are particularly interesting. He commented that, “real car people find this car interesting.”

Driving Impressions

When I asked Ballengee what it was like to drive the Sport Zagato, his immediate reply was, “It’s a real hoot.” And so it is! With the aluminum body, and a flat-four engine sitting low in the chassis, the center of gravity is somewhere around your ankles when you’re driving the car. It just handles amazingly well. But that’s getting ahead of the story. First you have to get into the car and be comfortable with your surroundings.

This is not a car for exceptionally tall people. Entering the cockpit requires some contortions – not terrible, but there is some bending required. Once inside, headroom is tight, but the seats are quite comfortable. If you are familiar with Italian cars of the era, the interior will look very familiar – black leather seats with red piping – and red carpets. Nice. And there’s a back seat for a couple kids, although vigorous driving might cause them to slide around a bit back there.

The steering wheel is nicely placed for arms out driving, and the hanging pedals are reasonably placed, although the gas pedal is hinged at the bottom. The gauge cluster does take a little getting used to. The ribbon speedometer is unusual for a performance car, and this certainly is a performance car. It’s something more often seen in sedans – right, the first Flavias were sedans. There is a normal array of gauges below the speedometer, although they are in rectangular bezels instead of the more usual round bezels.

From the left side, there is Benzina (fuel), Aqua (water temperature), Olio (oil pressure), and Ampere (battery charge). On the right of the speedometer is a large round tachometer. The one control that was a bit difficult to adjust to was the shifter. When you look at its position, it looks normal, but the gates for first and second gear are far to the left and quite low, a positioning that caused me some grief once I got going.

It has a four-speed box with reverse to the right and down. To start the car, give it a couple pumps on the gas pedal, turn the key, push it in to engage the starter, then give it a bit of gas. Once I found first, I discovered that the clutch engages quite high; those are the things you try to remember when you’re driving someone else’s rare automobile for the first time.

The location of the photo shoot was perfect for driving the Lancia. We were on the side of a mountain with smooth, curvy, two-lane roads running down toward the valley. As I pulled out and headed down the mountain, I had to smile at the amount of power the 1800-cc flat four had and the great noise it produced when accelerating. The first curve was a long right-hander, and the car was magnificent. It cornered flat, and I was able to apply throttle through the entire curve.

Steering was a little loose, but the car is more than 50-years old, and it was plenty good enough not to be an issue. And the suspension is stiff – you feel the bumps, but you are never out of control. The power to weight ratio of this car is nice, and with the center of gravity so low, it’s a dream to drive through sweeping curves. My only problem came when I came to a stop sign and thought I had it in first. I was initially baffled until I realized that I was trying to start the car in third and fourth.

When I got the shifter far enough toward my knee, I found second and got going again. A couple minutes later, I had my second embarrassment. I noticed that Ballengee, driving his Citroén SM (Vintage Roadcar, November 2017) was flicking his turn signals back and forth to remind me that the Lancia’s turn signals do not automatically cancel. I was so focused on the shifter, I completely forgot the turn signal.

The Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato, despite its few eccentricities, is a fun car to drive. The all synchro gearbox is a pleasure once you figure out where the gates are. The car handles curves as you would expect from a streetable racecar, and its power surprises you, thanks to its dual carbs and light weight. Steering is good, the sound of the engine makes you smile, and the brakes work very well. Even though the car has no side mirrors, visibility is good because of all the glass area. After I profile a car, I sometimes ask myself if this is one I’d like to own. The answer for the Sport Zagato is… Oh yes!

Specifications

The post “What on Earth?”—1965 Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

We let it warm and it settles into a rhythmic slow ticking-over characteristic of the long stroke, low compression motors of the era.  He clutches and pulls the tall floor-shift lever into first gear and we are off. Chris uses low just to get the car rolling, and then double-clutches into second.

Chris Kidd, owner of Tired Iron— one of a handful of top quality restoration shops in California, located in Monrovia near old highway 66— is taking us for a spin in the first car he ever restored, some 30 years ago. It is a 1925 Brunn-bodied Lincoln phaeton, and it claimed Best Lincoln at Pebble Beach in 2007.

In Chris’ shop you are likely to see priceless classic American iron, as well as vintage Alfa Romeos and Maseratis on any given day. And he is truly a nice, regular guy type who seems almost unaware of his legendary reputation in the restoration field.

The front seat area is narrow and the cowl tapers toward the front end of the car, which is typical design thinking for the time. Chris and I are large guys, and are pushed shoulder to shoulder, even though this is a big car. By contrast, the back seat will easily accommodate three, has acres of legroom, and has a handsome dash of its own.

Chauffeurs usually piloted the luxury cars of the day, so the driver’s compartment is as compact as the rear is commodious, and the back seat— with its own windshield and cowl— protects the passengers from the wind, as well as having to associate socially with the chauffeur. That’s because if you had money it the roaring ’20s, you flaunted it.

The big Lincoln accelerates nicely thanks to its unique 60-degree V8 motor. Its configuration is interesting in that it has fork-and-blade connecting rods paired on each crank journal, thus allowing its pistons to be positioned directly opposite each other. That means one connecting rod has two journals, with a space between allowing for the big end from the adjacent piston and connecting rod, which has only one narrower journal in the center of the other rod. And even though the crankshaft is not counter-balanced, the engine is smooth and has abundant torque at lower rpms.

In comparison, Packard’s contemporary top-of-the-line, inline flathead-eight was an almost identical 357.66 cubic inches of displacement, but its crankshaft was counter balanced, and because of its inline configuration it had nine main bearings in order to keep the long heavy crank from whipping around and fracturing. This configuration resulted in a tall, heavy, long, but velvety smooth running engine.

In the mid-’20s Pierce stayed with their huge 414.7-cubic-inch T-head six for their top of the line model 33 that had four valves per cylinder and twin spark plugs at each cylinder for ignition. This unique engine was long-lived and sturdy, and produced immense torque in order to pull around the big Pierce limos that weighed in excess of 5,000 pounds.

Pierce’s big six (they did not offer an eight until much later) was low compression (4.5:1) with a 4” bore and 5.5” stroke. It was also monumentally sturdy and very dependable but only made 74 horsepower to Packard’s 85 and Lincoln’s 90 ponies. Even so, Pierce’s quality could not be faulted. The company’s later V-12 engines from the 1930s were so powerful and dependable that they were used in Seagraves fire engines all the way into the 1950s.

This grand old Lincoln’s ride is serene and quiet, with bumps offering little to no resistance on our idyllic cruise through the tree-lined hills behind town. I attribute the ride to the fact that the car is heavy at 4,840 pounds, which is heavier than the equivalent 1925 Packard phaeton. That weight is due partly to the car’s massive chassis, in addition to the fact that much of its body structure is made of ash with metal panels tacked onto it.

Actually, the 1925 Lincoln’s chassis would be sturdy enough for a modern fire engine. That’s because everything had to be heavy duty due to the fact that, in 1925, the pavement usually ended at the edge of town— and even Highway 66, John Steinbeck’s Mother Road— was not completely paved until 1938, 13 years later. And having restored a couple of cars from this era, I can tell you that it is typical to find rocks and dirt up in the chassis and front suspension.

We loaf along at about 25 miles per hour on a nice sunny day, basking in the elegance of another age. The handsome dash has a full array of big, easy to read analog gauges reminiscent of the expensive watches of the era, and the upholstery is top quality leather, though this material was used in open cars of the day of our Lincoln for durability, not luxury. The closed sedans and limousines were done in English wool broadcloth and fancy brocades back then.

The sporty, optional Rudge-Whitworth center-lock wire wheels and side-mounted spare tires look magnificent, though they too were there for practical reasons. Wire wheels were sturdy, but much lighter than the more common, creaky wood spoke wheels of the time. And if you were going touring, a couple of spares were a must, especially when you consider that the tires of the time were made of cotton and natural rubber, and that most of the roads, especially out west, were not much more than dusty, rocky washboard trails.

While the features of Chris Kidd’s Lincoln model L— like those of other early classics— are there for practical purposes, the combination adds up to a gorgeous classic of the era. This is a truly beautiful automobile from any angle. Of course, that is also partly because when Ford bought out Lincoln, in 1922, and Edsel who had taken over the Ford Motor Company, introduced styling changes to the somewhat conservative looking Lincoln line that made it seem sleeker and sportier.

After that, in 1924, the L series Lincoln was spruced up again with the addition of an extra cost, nickel-plated radiator shell among other stylistic touches. Many police departments purchased Lincolns due to their speed and reliability. Those models were called Police Flyers. And then, in 1925, Lincoln deleted the standard cowl lights, and added front and rear bumpers. A vacuum-powered windshield wiper was also included for the driver.

The design of the mid-’20s Lincoln L models was such a hit that when Ford came up with their new Model A, in 1928, many styling cues were taken from the elegant Lincolns. This tied the company’s offerings together stylistically, to the point that the Model A looked a lot like a smaller, stubbier Lincoln. General Motors soon did the same with Chevrolet and Cadillac in the early ’30s.

The Lincoln automobile had originally been the brainchild of Henry Leland, who had previously founded Cadillac, in 1902, after buying out Ford’s first car company, which was in financial trouble, and using its facilities to develop his own car.  His insistence on precision machining meant that he was able to build cars that could be mass-produced and assembled without custom fitting every component. And because of his insistence on excellence, Cadillac soon developed its great reputation.

And then William Crapo Durant bought Cadillac, in 1909, to add to his new General Motors conglomerate. Leland stayed on until 1917, at which time he could no longer tolerate Durant’s frenetic financial management style. He then went into his own business building the big 400 horsepower Liberty V12 aircraft engines that were a derivative of Packard’s Twin Six, in 1917. After the war ended, his company began building Lincoln automobiles, the first being delivered in 1920.

Leland, who was 74-years old at that time, named his car after Abraham Lincoln because Lincoln was the first president for which Leland had voted, and he admired him greatly. The Lincoln motor car’s conservative, but handsome styling originally came courtesy of Leland’s son-in-law Angus Woodbridge, who had been a women’s hat designer. In addition to looking majestic, the car was well engineered and painstakingly constructed to the highest standards. However, Leyland’s timing couldn’t have been worse.

After World War I ended, a sharp recession set in as the demand for food and materiel for our European allies waned, and the Spanish flu ravaged the world, killing over 20 million people. As a result, though the new Lincoln was outstanding, the company foundered and Henry Ford bought it in 1920 for a mere $8 million, even though Leland established that the company was worth twice that. The whole affair may have been a bit of tit for tat, because Leland had bought out the bankrupt first Ford Motor Company some years before, to found Cadillac.

By 1920, Henry was smug and complacent, however his son Edsel figured out that the company’s only real vulnerability was that its fortunes depended on just one product, and though the Model T had been a dazzling success, it was beginning to be eclipsed by more current technology and design – especially since Henry was extremely reluctant to change anything on his beloved black spidery machine.

Under the terms of purchase, Leland and his son Wilford assumed they would have full authority to run the company as they saw fit, but it was not to be. On June 10th of 1922, Ford executive Ernest Liebold came to the Lincoln facilities to request the resignation of Leland’s son Wilford. It then became obvious that Liebold was in charge, so Leland resigned as well, and both of them were escorted from the big factory they had created.

In fact, it was only a matter of months after the sale of Lincoln that Leland and his son left the company and Edsel became its president, with Ernest C. Kanzler as general manager. Edsel then commissioned a cleaner body for the model L, and hydraulic shock absorbers were added, which were quite advanced for the day. Kanzler also implemented cost saving strategies amounting to a thousand dollars per car.

Edsel realized that General Motors’ strategy of offering a car for every pocketbook was a successful approach, despite Henry’s extreme reluctance to change anything. Adding the Lincoln brand brought prestige to Ford’s otherwise plebian offerings, even though by buying Lincoln, Ford was dipping its toes into a very crowded, and intensely competitive market as the ’20s went on.

There were literally hundreds of automakers in the country in the ’20s, and in the luxury market alone there was Packard, Pierce, Peerless, Stutz, Duesenberg, Marmon, Kissel and Du Pont among others. All of these halcyon brands were lovingly custom built exclusively for the wealthy, who could afford the best.

Driving Chris’ 1925 Lincoln is pleasant but participatory. You know you are in charge of a substantial machine. And as with other cars of the era, its transmission does not have synchromesh, which wasn’t invented until 1929, so you need to double-clutch and play the throttle to get the gears in the transmission to match the engine revs. Otherwise you will end up grinding them unmercifully. It takes a little practice to get it right and I am a bit rusty, but not dangerously so.

Steering is firm and direct, and once the car is rolling it is fairly light for a car of such aristocratic proportions. Braking, though mechanical, is quite good thanks to the fact that Chris added front drum brakes from a two-year later model to augment the system. This is allowable by the Classic Car Club of America for safety reasons. Otherwise one would have to take it very easy and plan ahead by today’s standards, though two wheel, rear drum brakes were typical of cars of the time.

To put it into perspective, Ford’s Model T only had one drum brake in 1925, and that was around the driveshaft. There was also a puny parking brake system with small drums at the rear wheels, but it was not designed to be used for routine stops.

Henry Leland had every reason to be proud of the cars he had spawned, even though the companies no longer belonged to him. He got his start in the automotive business by designing, building and supplying engines for Olds Motor Works in the 1890s, and then when the first Ford Motor Company went bankrupt in 1902, Leland and his partners purchased it and came out with a new car called the Cadillac, powered by an updated engine originally designed for the Oldsmobile.

It is surprising that the same man founded two (Cadillac and Lincoln) of the three American luxury marques still extant today if you include Chrysler’s Imperial. However, the main reason these three survived despite the failure of many others was not because they were necessarily better than the Marmon, Pierce or Duesenberg, but because they had the huge conglomerates of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford behind them to back them up through the lean years of the depression. Also, these survivors slowly turned to mass-producing their offerings instead of sticking with the extremely labor intensive custom built cars.

Lincoln also came out later with their magnificent K line of cars, in 1930, that sported stunning coachwork and big V-12 engines, just as the depression hit, and then, in 1936, they introduced their handsome mid-range Zephyr with a smaller V-12 that was actually an adaptation of the Ford’s V-8 first offered in 1932.  Finally, in 1939, they brought out their lower mid-priced Mercury echoing General Motors’ strategy.

In the 1940s, the Zephyr and Continental took Lincoln exclusively into assembly line production. The magnificent hand-built K models of the depression were eliminated in 1940, later to be replaced by the large luxurious post-war models such as the Premier and the Cosmopolitan that were mass produced, though with greater attention to quality.

We take the big Lincoln around and up the hills of Monrovia, and it loafs along at a dignified pace even though it is capable of surprising acceleration. People look up from their gardening and wave and smile, and a few take pictures with their cell phones. Other motorists show the old touring car the respect it is due, and nobody gets impatient with us, though some pull along side for a better look and a photo or two.

As the sun gets low on the horizon we swing back to town and pull into Chris’ shop with its Art Deco front that looks rather humble from the street, but extends far back on the lot and is filled with a wonderland of magnificent machines from all over the world, and all eras. Chris returns the big Lincoln to its slot in the showroom and we adjourn to his office for a cup of coffee and a chat. It is the end of an altogether wonderful day of reliving motoring in another time.

SPECIFICATIONS

The post The Great Emancipator—1925 Lincoln Phaeton appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

1958 DeSoto Adventurer

The 1950s were a halcyon period for American car manufacturing. After the deprivation of the war years, the American public yearned for a little excess—bigger, faster, flashier. Catering to this new appetite, during the 1950s American manufacturers went through a rapid period of automotive development, both technically and stylistically.

On the technical side, the widespread development and use of the V8 engine ushered in a new war—one of ever escalating power, while in the styling department, wartime advances in jet technology and the growing prospect of space travel heralded a new and rapidly evolving automotive aesthetic that saw American cars grow not only bigger, but sleeker and with an ever more outlandish cadre of fins, bullets and other aircraft-inspired flourishes.

The post Final Adventure appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

All have potential, but none can match the beauty of the Lusso. One reason that it is “the” most beautiful is because it has stood the test of time – it is as desirable in 2019 as it was in 1963. The Berlinetta Lusso creates a level of lust in the hearts of car aficionados that is matched by no other automobile. It is a work of art. And we haven’t even gotten to the “luxury” part – “Lusso” means “luxury” in Italian.

Carrozzeria Pinin Farina

Battista Farina was born in Cortanze, Italy, in November 1893, the tenth of eleven children. He was nicknamed “Pinin,” which in the local slang means “baby” or “youngest.” He kept that sobriquet for his entire life, eventually becoming an official part of his last name. In 1905, he was apprenticed to his older brother, Giovanni, who had a business repairing carriages and automobiles.

Giovanni grew his business into a coachbuilding firm, Stabilimenti Industriali Farina SA, and, in 1910, Pinin received his first major assignment. At the age of 17, Pinin was given the job of creating a design for the Fiat Zero’s coachwork. His design was so good, that Giovanni Angelli chose it over those of Fiat’s in-house designers. So pleased was Angelli, he presented Pinin with one of the first Zeros off the production line.

Apparently, Pinin Farina was an impressive designer. On a trip to the United States to learn about some production techniques, he was noticed by Henry Ford and offered a job at Ford. Farina had a more important offer in Italy, so he returned home and was married. He left Stabilimenti Farina, in 1930, to establish his own firm, Carrozzeria Pinin Farina.

His company took on coachbuilding assignments primarily for Fiat and Lancia, but as the company’s reputation grew, assignments came from many premier automobile manufacturers, including Alfa Romeo, Isotta Fraschini, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza, and Cadillac. Bodies were built for all styles of automobiles, from cabriolets to limousines.

Carrozzeria Pinin Farina was becoming known for innovative design. In 1937, the firm created the Lancia Aprilia Mille Miglia Aerodinamica streamliner. The design, as its name suggests, was to be very aerodynamically slippery. It was pure inspiration, but it was later tested and in fact found to be very slippery. The car finished 26th overall and 4th in class in the 1938 Mille Miglia.

The “Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile” credits Pinin Farina with being the first European designer to drop vertical radiators and windshields in order to gain better air flow. The influence to make this change came from seeing some milestone designs from America – Cord 810, 1939 Buick and Studebaker, as well as the 1940 Pontiac. But more beautiful coachwork would have to wait.

From 1939 until Italy was out of the war, the company concentrated on war production. Allied bombing took a toll on the company’s facilities, and attitudes affected the company’s ability to regain its status in the world automobile community. When auto shows began again, Italy, as a former part of the Axis, was not allowed to participate.

Recognizing that the company needed to show that it still existed, Pinin and Sergio, his son, drove an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S and a Lancia Aprilia cabriolet from Turin to Paris. At the Grand Palais, they parked the cars at the entrance to the Paris Motor Show and guarded their spot throughout the show. Everyone who entered or left the show saw their cars and the two Farinas.

Their stunt was even more successful than Pinin had hoped. They received considerable press attention, and the company was promised a central stand at the show the next year. Carrozzeria Pinin Farina was back in business, and the world knew it.

The carrozzeria had another design success as a result of Farina meeting Piero Dusio after the war. Dusio was an interesting fellow – soccer star, race driver, and entrepreneur. One of the firms he started became Cisitalia and, together with Farina, created the Cisitalia 202 GT in 1946. That car has been recognized for its exceptional beauty. It has long been on display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and remains a part of its permanent collection.

Through the 1950s, business was good. Sergio Farina graduated from the Politecnico di Turino and joined the firm in 1950. The company was doing business with a wide variety of firms. Cars they produced during this decade included some surprises, including the 1952 Nash Ambassador, 1958 – ’60 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, Alfa Romeo’s beautiful Giulietta Spider convertibles, and concepts for Lancia that were eventually produced as the Lancia Aurelia “Florida” cars. Farina even did work for BMC, producing body designs for Morris, MG and Riley brands, for example.

The ’60s saw production car work like the Peugeot (404) and Fiat 124 Spider, and exotics like the Corvette Rondine, shown at the 1963 Paris Motor Show. 1961 also marked a significant name change for Carrozzeria Pinin Farina. The company name had so often been said as if it was one word, that Pinin decided to affect that change permanently.

He requested that his family name as applied to himself, his direct descendants, and his company be officially changed to Pininfarina.The change was made official by a presidential decree on June 6, 1961. That same year, Sergio Pininfarina became General Manager. Upon his father’s death in 1966, he was named Chairman of the Board.

Pininfarina and Ferrari

The website for Carrozzeria Pininfarina (www.pininfarina.com) begins its elaboration of the relationship between Pininfarina and Ferrari with this paragraph: “’ Ferrari and Pinin? It won’t last. It’s like putting two Prima Donna in the same opera.’ This was the general opinion bandied round the automotive environment in the Fifties. Rash forecasts subsequently belied by facts. Since these two giants met, their combined marques have defined some of the most beautiful cars ever built in a constantly evolving relationship that has now lasted for 60 years and shows no sign of ending, as confirmed by the around 200 Ferraris designed by Pininfarina to date.

Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898 and founded his Scuderia Ferrari in 1929, starting to build cars in 1947. Pinin Farina, born in 1893, founded his ‘Carrozzeria’ in 1930. The meeting between ‘Pinin’ and “The Drake” gives some idea of their characters. Back in 1951, initially, Ferrari let ‘Pinin’ Farina know that he would like to meet him and invited him to Modena. The reply was: ‘I am very willing to meet him but I would rather he came first to Turin.’ He was informed that Ferrari rarely leaves Maranello. ‘Pinin’ retorted that Turin is not at the end of the world. At this point, the negotiation seemed to have a ground to a halt.

But son Sergio found the solution: a meeting on neutral ground. In the end, they finally shook hands at a restaurant in Tortona: half way between Turin and Modena. ‘At a certain point, it was clear – relates ‘Pinin’ in his autobiography – that one of us was looking for a beautiful, famous woman to dress and the other a world-class couturier to deck her out’. This marked the start of the long alliance between Ferrari and Pininfarina.” The agreement reached, it was sealed with a handshake, not a contract.

The first collaboration was with the Ferrari 212 Inter. Many Ferraris came after that – both road and racecars – that were designed by Pinin Farina and Pininfarina. Early in the 1950s, there were a variety of Pinin Farina designed Ferraris that followed the 212 Inter, such as the 375 MM, Coupé, America, and Plus built in 1953 and 1954.

There was a 342 America in 1952, then the 340-375 racecars, and a Mondial 500, all designs by Pinin Farina. Production cars weren’t the only Pinin Farina designed cars, there were one-offs, like the Sigma safety car of 1963. But the most significant collaborations between Carrozzeria Pinin Farina and Ferrari came with the 250 series.

Ferrari 250 Series

Model numbers for Ferraris represent the displacement of one cylinder. The bore and stroke for the Ferrari 250 models were 73-mm and 58.8-mm, respectively. For a 12-cylinder car, that produces a total displacement of 2953.21-cc and a single cylinder displacement of 246.1-cc. Using a round number, the model became the 250.

The first Ferrari 250 was the 250 S prototype that won the 1952 Mille Miglia and was subsequently entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Carrera Panamericana. Pinin Farina took the basic design of the 250 S and created a beautiful 250 MM that debuted at the Geneva Auto Show, in 1953. Previous models looked dated compared to the 250 MM, which went on to compete in races, finishing fourth at the Mille Miglia in 1954.

Vignale built one of the very few 250 Ferraris that were not built by Pinin Farina, the 250 Europa, and showed the car at the Paris Auto Show in 1953. This Ferrari had an engine based on the Colombo-designed V12 with a displacement of 2963-cc from a square engine – 68-mm x 68-mm bore and stroke. The following year, Pinin Farina followed with the Europa GT.

It was the first Ferrari with a smaller, oval grille, a design feature that would remain for quite some time. It had a longer nose, “fulsome sail panel” and mild fins. It also used the Lampredi “long-block” with a slightly reduced displacement of 2953-cc and bore and stroke of 73-mm x 58.8-mm. This was the same engine used in the 250 racecars.

The first true production Ferrari, the 250 GT, started with the 250 GT Competizione. Then came the road cars in both convertible and coupé form in the late 1950s. Pinin Farina was having some very successful years and was at its capacity, so production of the 250s moved first to Carrozzeria Boano and then to Carrozzeria Ellena when Boano closed his company and went to work for Fiat. Eventually, production returned to Pinin Farina in time for a new design for the 250. From 1956 to 1959, Zagato built a run of five 250 GTs, two of which were Italian GT Champions in 1956 and 1957.

May 1958 saw a significant change in Ferrari production. It was a successful effort to standardize production of the 250 GT by Pinin Farina and Ferrari. This would allow production of cars in the hundreds rather than in the tens. Ferrari built a new production facility and Pinin Farina moved into larger facilities about the same time. By 1960, 350 of the GTs had been built with standardized coachwork, along with a few specials that Pinin Farina built for special clients. The 250 GT was named “Sports Car of the Year” by Sports Car Graphic as a result of its styling and production numbers.

Southern California dealer and racer, Johnny von Neumann, asked for a “simple Spider” in 1958 and was rewarded with the California Spider. It was available with either aluminum or steel bodywork, making it a true dual-purpose Ferrari for street or race track. It looked much like the Series I cabriolet, and the drivetrain was from the 250 Tour de France sports car.

Produced from 1958 to 1963, it was the last open, dual-purpose Ferrari. Production of the California Spider overlapped with the Series II cabriolet, which was produced from 1959 to 1962. It had a different look than the California Spider and was intended for only street use.

The idea of a dual-purpose Ferrari did not disappear with the California Spider. It was enhanced with the 250 GT SWB (Short Wheel Base) coupe. Winston Goodfellow described the 250 GT SWB as “the definitive dual-purpose sports car.” It was a car that could win on the track then be driven home. It debuted at the Paris Auto Show, in 1959, and had a production run from ’59 to ’62.

The name came from the fact that the wheelbase was 7.8” shorter than the 250 GT. This change in wheelbase was a successful attempt to improve handling. The car was available with either aluminum or steel bodywork, various states of tune, suspension set for street or track and leather interior or stripped for racing.

Pinin Farina’s experience with fastback design began with the 1947 Cisitalia 202, and he applied that experience to the Ferrari, calling it “the first of our three quantum leaps in design with Ferrari.” Pinin Farina and, subsequent to the official name change, Pininfarina was the principal producer of the 250 GT SWB, although several other coachbuilders produced re-bodied versions of the coupe.

Bertone was the only other coachbuilder who was authorized by the factory to build the 250 GT SWB. After the end of production of the SWB, there were no more dual-purpose Ferraris. From then on, there were separate roadcars and racecars.

A significant change came about in 1960 with the production of the 250 GTE (see The Classic Ferrari 250 GTE and Driven-1962 Ferrari 250 GTE) and the GT 2+2 – Ferraris with a back seat. According to Piero Ferrari, “the 2-seaters were not my father’s favorite to drive. He loved the 2+2 . . . this was his personal car.” Enzo apparently drove his 2+2 often, although he had a “driver” with him, as well as his little dog.

At the time of the development of the GTE, Sergio Pininfarina was an assistant at the Turin Politechnic wind tunnel and oversaw the wing tunnel testing of the model. Four prototypes were tested to make sure they had the most aero-efficient design. In 1962, Road & Track called it “a not only grand, but glorious, touring car.” A lot of people also thought so. Including Enzo’s car, a total of 954 GTEs were produced, far more than any model up to that time.

Then came the 250 GT/L. Oh, what a beautiful car.

Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso

“Lusso” means “Luxury,” and it was a significant departure from earlier Ferraris, including the GTE. In some ways, it was designed to attract those potential owners who were more interested in the look that the performance. Still, it had plenty of performance – probably enough to scare some of those who were just looking for a Ferrari because it increased the owner’s social status.

The Lusso had a top speed of 145 mph and could accelerate from zero to 100 in 17 seconds! It was first shown at the 1962 Paris Auto Show and was only produced until 1964. A total of 350 were built. It was the last 250 model produced by Ferrari.

With Pininfarina very busy building other Ferrari models, and cars for other manufacturers, they farmed the body construction out to Carrozzeria Scaglietti. Pininfarina drew the car, but Scaglietti built the body. The result was that, for the first time, there was a badge on a car that said “Designo di Pininfarina” (Designed by Pininfarina). The body was steel, but the hood and trunk lid were aluminum. The body, lacking almost all ornamentation, was sculpted, with the front fenders elongated and the roofline swept back. The effect was to produce an airy greenhouse.

The shape of the roofline appears to have been taken from the GTO or 330LM coupe. The nose was reminiscent of the “sharknose” F1 car and Dino sports racer. The tail included a small spoiler, making it the first road-going Ferrari with an aerodynamic aid. The chassis was based on the GTO, and the Lusso shared its 94.5” wheelbase. Suspension came from the GTO, with independent double-wishbones and coil springs at the front front and live axle on semi-elliptic springs with trailing arms and a Watts linkage at the rear.

The engine was moved several inches forward to provide additional room in the cockpit. That engine was a Colombo-designed V12 with an engine block common to all 250s, but the valves and crank came from the SWB models, and the cylinder heads and pistons were from the GTE. Preston Lerner, in his book “Speed Read – Ferrari,” called the Lusso a “civilized grand touring machine . . . the Lusso exuded the rigorous grace of a ballerina rather than the brawny charisma of the SWB.” Engine horsepower was reduced to 250, because the car was intended for cruising. Not many were raced, but some were. One finished 13th overall at the 1964 Targa Florio.

The interior of the car was just gorgeous. Leather and soft carpet were everywhere, including on the package shelf behind the form fitting seats. The steering wheel was a Nardi – beautiful wood. There was plenty of sound-deadening. And the dashboard – it was unlike that of other Ferraris. The speedometer and tachometer were mounted in the middle of the dash and angled toward the driver. The other gauges were in front of the driver. Opposite of normal practice.

Addicted to Ferraris

Phil and Marth Bachman have owned this Berlinetta Lusso for a long time. Vintage Roadcar interviewed them in January 2018 (Volume 8, Issue 1). They have a preference for Gialo, and many of the Ferraris in their collection are buttercup yellow. They got their first Ferrari in 1984 and have added about one a year since then. Cars that aren’t yellow include a GTO and an F40, which only came in red. Of course, the Lusso is silver because it was not purchased new. Another “used” Ferrari is their oldest – a 1953 166 MM that has been on the Colorado Grand four times.

Driving Impressions

What a delightful automobile! It is beautiful in every way an automobile can be. Obviously, it is beautiful to look at. But, from entering the car to exiting it after a drive, it is all good. The driver’s door is wide, allowing an old guy like me plenty of room to get into the driver’s seat. Not all sports cars from 1963 are kind to old guys when entering. It was easy to slide under the Nardi wheel and into the wonderfully shaped driver’s seat. Can you say comfortable? The seat gives you support without being hard, and provides nicely shaped bolsters to hold you in place when (not if) you find yourself driving with a bit of verve.

Once in place in a car new to me, I like to get familiar with my surroundings. First, though, the seat needed to be adjusted. It was too far back! I was pleasantly surprised that it was not the Italian driving position I have learned to endure – requiring short legs and long arms. There was more than enough legroom. Seat adjusted, the steering wheel was right where my hands thought it should be, as was the shifter.

The dash, as mentioned earlier, was unusual in that the speedo and tach were in the middle angled toward the driver and where they can scare the hell out of a passenger once you get going. The other gauges, clock, gas, water temp, oil temp and pressure are directly in front of the driver. The diameter of the Nardi wheel allows all the gauges to be visible. My only concern was that there are quite a few control knobs, none of which were labeled. After I was assured that none would be important on our drive, I reached for the key.

Turn the key all the way clockwise and push it in to start. Oh what a wonderful sound! Three Webers up front and a V12 burbling through the exhaust. The sound is just incredible! It produced the first of many smiles. The door closes with a nice thunk, and the four-speed slips easily into reverse, which is located to the right and up next to third. Slide the clutch out, and nothing happened. My first try had me in neutral – embarrassing.

On the access road to the 4H facility, the car proved to be a little jouncy. This is a car designed for high-speed road travel, not a long driveway. Once on the road, the car was everything you expect from a Ferrari. It handles nicely, taking sweeping curves as if it wanted me to double my speed. Steering is light and very exact. Through the gears, and the car accelerates well. That’s when I noticed that the gas gauge was indicating empty – relief when told it doesn’t work and that the car was filled before we left the “clubhouse.”

I smiled so much, my jaw hurt when we returned to the starting point. I smiled when I accelerated, I smiled when I shifted (so smooth), I smiled when I turned, and I smiled when I braked. The brakes were as good as the rest of the car. The Lusso is my favorite Ferrari so far, and I’ve profiled five now.

Post Script

The Lusso was not the fastest, nor the most expensive, nor the most exotic Ferrari ever built. But it is certainly one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Steve McQueen owned four Ferraris, including a Lusso that was a birthday present from his wife. His Lusso sold for $8000 in 1973. It sold again, at auction, in 2007 for $2.3 million. The Hagerty Valuation Guide shows that Lussos have declined a bit in value over the past three years, with a concours example valued at $1,850,000 now. McQueen’s Lusso, if it came to auction again, would probably double that number. It’s an honor to be the caretaker of a car as important as this Lusso. And I am so very thankful to Phil and Martha Bachman for allowing me to drive it.

Specifications

• Body                                             Two-seat sports saloon
• Chassis                                        Longitudinal with cross members
• Engine                                          Front, longitudinal 60° V12 driving the rear wheels
• Displacement                          2953.21 cc (180.22 cid)
• Bore/Stroke                             73×58.8 mm (2.87×2.32 inches)
• Valve gear                                  Single overhead camshaft, two valves per cylinder
• Compression ratio               9.2:1
• Induction                                   Three Weber 36DCS carburetors
• Lubrication                               Dry sump
• Power                                           250 hp @ 7500 rpm
• Clutch                                           Single dry disc
• Transmission                            Four – speed with reverse
• Front suspension                   Independent, double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar, hydraulic dampers
• Rear suspension                     Live axle, longitudinal semi-elliptic springs and push rods, hydraulic dampers
• Brakes                                          Four wheel discs
• Steering                                       Worm and sector
• Tires                                              185/15
• Wheelbase                                 2400 mm (94.5 inches)
• Track front/rear                     1395/1387 mm (54.92/54.61 inches)
• Length                                          4410 mm (173.62 inches)
• Width                                           1750 mm (68.90 inches)
• Height                                          1290 mm (50.79 inches)
• Weight                                         1020-1310 kg (2248.72-2888.06 lbs)

The post  Bella Figura—1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

In 1912, Darracq sold his interest in the company, which the new owners renamed Automobiles Talbot in 1922. The Talbot name was used for road cars, however the competition cars were produced as Talbot-Darracq. (There was also a British company named Talbot at the time, so cars sold in Great Britain were marketed as Talbot-Darracq, Darracq-Talbot, or just Darracq).

Anthony Lago

In 1932, the company was feeling the effects of a deepening economic recession and appointed Antonio Lago as its managing director. Lago was born in Venice in 1893, later moving to Bergamo where his father operated a theater, gaining him access to many important officials such as Benito Mussolini and Pope John XXIII. After graduating school with an engineering degree, he joined the Italian Air Force in 1915, rising to the rank of Major.

Later, he would become one of the first members of the Italian National Fascist Party, but was disenchanted with the Party and an outspoken critic of Mussolini, leading to an attempt on his life in 1919. Lago fled to Paris, then went to Southern California to work for Pratt and Whitney before moving to England. There he changed his name to Anthony and became a representative for Isotta Fraschini. He also worked for Self-Changing Gears Limited where he promoted the Wilson pre-selector gearbox.

Lago relocated to France in 1933, after persuading the directors of S T D Motors he could turn around the faltering Automobiles Talbot France in 18 months. Lago reduced expenses, streamlined the production line to focus on more sports models that would be closely associated with competition cars using the Talbot name. The racing program was very expensive and contributed to cost overruns by the previous director, but Lago insisted it was important for publicity.

At the end of 1934, Automobiles Talbot was forced into receivership, creating an opportunity for Lago to acquire the company by converting his rights to export Wilson gearboxes into an option to purchase the Suresnes factory and equipment with a group of investors led by Lago that was completed by 1936.

All cars where now sold under the Talbot-Lago name, offering models with a four-cylinder engine and several different six-cylinder models. The bodies and engines where designed and built at the Suresnes factory by hand. The sporting cars where often sent out to coachbuilders and the six-cylinder engines became more powerful and Talbot-Lagos became one of the fastest cars on the track and the road in the 1930s. The Talbot-Lago factory survived the Second World War, resuming car production after hostilities ceased.

In 1947, Lago launched his new high-performance chassis, the Grand Sport. Lago displayed his new 265-cm wheelbase Grand Sport road car chassis at the Paris Auto Salon in the fall of 1947 as a chassis only. It featured a powerful 4,483-cc, dual camshaft, inline 6-cylinder engine with three Zenith carburetors. Carrossiers would not receive any of the new Grand Sport chassis until the spring of 1948.

Lago ran his company on a shoestring budget, selling a handful of super-expensive cars and continuing to fund a money-draining race program. His greatest racing success came in 1950, when Talbot-Lagos finished first and second place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a T26 Grand Sport and a Monoposto. 1950 would be the last year the factory ran a team car, but privateers would continue to campaign Talbot-Lagos for several more years.

Financial troubles followed Lago after the war, and car production dwindled to just 155 in 1947, then up to 433 by 1950 before dropping to just 80 cars in 1951 and 34 cars in 1952. After the war, the French government penalized owners of cars over 2-liters in size, plus implemented a new economic plan (named the Pons Plan) that allocated materials that were in short supply to the large auto manufacturers, leaving smaller operations like Talbot-Lago to struggle.

These factors, combined with building expensive hand-made cars in the post-war era of modern assembly methods that could produce thousands of well-built cars that would sell for less than it cost to build one Talbot-Lago was more than most small car producers could withstand. Lago’s money finally ran out in 1951 causing him to seek court protection from his creditors.

The court allowed him to restart production, but with a limited workforce and untold damage to his credit. Talbot-Lago would continue to build a limited number of cars until the end of the decade when it was sold to Simca.

Car Number 110156

Despite his increasing financial troubles, Lago decided to introduce a new, longer wheelbase chassis for the Grand Sport. This chassis had a wheelbase of 280-cm, up from the previous 265-cm chassis, lengthening it by 15 centimeters. This new long-wheelbase chassis was ideally suited for carrossiers that desired to create longer, lower, sleeker designs that were difficult to achieve on a short wheelbase.

It is likely that no one was more pleased than French coachbuilder Saoutchik in 1951, when he received the commission to construct a body for 280-cm chassis number 110156. The longer wheelbase, in effect, created a new canvas onto which Saoutchik could paint.

Saoutchik had created many bodies for high-end French carmakers such as Delage, Delahaye and others besides several masterfully designed bodies for Talbot-Lago cars. The number of coachbuilt cars in the post-war era was on a sharp decline, with larger companies with their modern assembly lines, ample funding and attractive retail pricing claiming their portion of the automotive market with authority.

Smaller, expensive chassis offered by these now boutique French manufactures with their largely pre-war drivetrains and suspensions, where starting to disappear along with the coachbuilders that painstakingly had fashioned bespoke bodies for them. By the end of the 1950s, most of the luxury French automotive brands, including Talbot-Lago, and many of the great French carrossiers would be gone.

Approximately 35 Grand Sport chassis where produced, however it is believed that Talbot-Lago only constructed six long-wheelbase 280-cm Grand Sport Chassis, while only four have been documented to have been built, of which three survive today. Chassis number 110156 is the second chassis constructed. The styling of this car is similar in many ways to chassis number 110101, the first Grand Sport coupe produced, also crafted by Saoutchik.

A sensation at the 1948 car salon in Paris, 110101 shares the same front-end styling, including the same Buick-inspired waterfall grill design, but that is where the similarities end. Built on a 265-cm T26 chassis, the fastback shape of 110101 is very Buick-influenced, yet decidedly French and flamboyantly Saoutchik as well.

The coachbuilder created bodies for six, 265-cm T26 Talbot-Lagos, in 1948 and 1949. The French publication Action Automobile Touristique, in October of 1949, offered a glimpse of what was to become of the body design of 11056 when they published a colorized design rendering by Saoutchik of a pale blue notchback coupe.

Constructed in 1951, chassis number 110156 is a notchback coupe similar to the one featured in the 1949 magazine rendering. Built on a 280-cm wheelbase, it is not known who commissioned the car or who the original and presumably wealthy owner was. It is worth noting that this stunning Saoutchik masterpiece was never shown at the Auto Salon when new, and there is no record of it having appeared at any European shows in period.

Many well-healed owners displayed their cars at concours events to show off their prized bespoke automotive possessions, validating their good taste for commissioning such automotive art. Perhaps this customer preferred to remain anonymous. Interestingly, there is a photo of this car being constructed at Saoutchik’s shop in 1951.

The early history of 110156 remains a mystery. It finally surfaced around 1980, when it was known to be owned by Maurice Harlaux, a Belgian army colonel residing in Brussels, who owned chassis number 110155 as well. Harlaux offered both of the Talbot-Lagos for sale as a package, however 110156 was sold separately to the well-known British collector and vintage car dealer Charles Howard in the UK.

Howard recalled his ownership of T26 Grand Sport in his memoirs: “…driving it from Ghent to Paris and at some point, forgetting to release the hand brake which caused a great deal of white smoke but appeared to do no harm when all had cooled down. These where excellent cars but not really pleasant to drive with this rather heavy bulbus coupe coachwork.”

Howard sold the car in 1983 to Albrecht Guggisberg from the Oldtimer Garage located in Berne, Switzerland who subsequently sold it to Jacques “Frenchy” Harguindeguy in California. The car was still in its original color of black when it was acquired by Harguindeguy, however he decided to change the color scheme to a red and black two-tone with matching red and black interior when he restored the car.

The two-tone paint accentuated the curvaceous Saoutchik body lines, but it is debatable if it added to the elegance of the car. Harguindeguy presented the newly restored 1101156 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1984, along with the previously mentioned Saoutchik T26 Grand Sport fastback, chassis number 110101. Later, Harguindeguy sold the car to the Blackhawk Collection where it resided for several years before being acquired by Swiss businessman Erich Taber in 1989, who exhibited the car at Pebble Beach in 1992 in the Talbot-Lago class.

In September of 2006, Taber sold the car back to the Blackhawk Collection where it still remains. It has been on display periodically at the prestigious Blackhawk Museum since then. By 2019, the now 35- plus year restoration was starting to show its age and the decision was made to restore the car again. This time it was to be returned to its original color scheme of black with red interior.

Don Williams of the Blackhawk collection explained the reasoning behind restoring the car back to original: “This is a very significant and important car, as well as one of the most beautiful examples of Saoutchik’s creations. Returning it back to the original color scheme allows us to clearly appreciate his original artistic vision.”

The result of the restoration is stunning. The soft, gracefully flowing lines of the car appear more elegantly than before, in solid black. The low profile, skirted rear wheels and beautifully rounded notchback roof design with its large rounded quarter glass give it a racy look but with formal elements as the lines of the car continuously flow back to the long, low-profile rear deck gently tapering down to the rear bumper.

Walking around this car, circling it at different distances and heights while photographing made me realize what I already knew, this car is incredible to look at from any angle. It simply does not have a bad side. It is at the highest level of automotive art.

A Short History Of The Wilson Pre-selector Gearbox

A Wilson pre-selector gearbox can be found in nearly every Talbot-Lago ever produced up until the mid-1950s. A pre-selector gearbox is not an automatic transmission, as would be likely assumed by anyone giving a cursory look at one of these cars today and spotting the delicate, column-mounted shifter inscribed with 1-2-3-4, plus reverse.

The gearbox was invented by British Major G. Wilson, who is considered one of the co-inventors of the modern military tank in the post-World War I era and started developing his design for use in tanks. The concept was conceived in an effort to reduce the effort it took for a tank driver to operate his machine. At the time, a tank operator had to signal to other men inside the tank to manipulate the brakes, shifting levers and steering levers as he drove.

Wilson believed the use of an epicyclic gearbox that could handle large amounts of torque, but was controllable through a small input force was the solution to making the tanks easier to drive. Additionally, the unit would save space and weight. By 1928, Wilson had patented the design for his pre-selective epicyclic gearbox for use not only in tanks and other military vehicles, but also for application in cars and trucks.

Wilson then entered into a partnership with his newly-formed Improved Gears Limited (later renamed Self-Changing Gears Limited), with automaker Armstrong-Siddeley to manufacture the gearboxes. In the late 1920s and all during 1930s, Wilson gearboxes were used by a variety of different manufacturers for use in different models besides Armstrong-Siddeley, including Damlier, Alvis and some Rileys and MG cars. Some were used in racing cars such as the 1935 ERA R4D, a few Maseratis and even the famous Auto Union “Silver Arrow”.

Anthony Lago was impressed with the Wilson gearbox and had one fitted to an Isotta Flaschini. Lago improved the gearbox further by designing a clutch mechanism and linkage between the clutch and the gearbox, allowing the clutch to remain disengaged when in neutral, as well as greatly reducing any noise emitted from it. Lago patented his improved design, then approached Self-Changing Gears Limited for licensing to manufacture his revised version of the Wilson gearbox and market it outside of England in 1934.

Driving Impressions

Slipping behind the wheel of this Talbot-Lago which, as all Talbot-Lagos of this era, is located on the right side, one is greeted by the large, distinctive CFA steering wheel, also typical for a Talbot-Lago. There is a recessed area in the headliner for the sliding sunroof, however most people could not wear a hat while driving this machine. The seat is very comfortable with plenty of leg room.

The elegant gauge cluster is fitted with gauges color-coordinated to match the interior, in this case, red. The Wilson pre-selector is on the right side of the steering column. The view through the slightly curved front windshield is amazing. There is a lot of real estate between the cowl and the front of the car with four rows of dozens of louvers tapering smaller as they reach to the front, separated by a chrome strip running the length of it.

The engine is powerful and smooth, and really feels like it wants to be unleashed. The ride is firm but less bouncy than a Ferrari GT car from the same era that also uses a single transverse front leaf spring, due to how heavy the T26 Grand Sport is. Handling is surprising nimble for a car of this age and size with no complaints from the 18-inch tires during swift corners. Shifting with the Wilson pre-select is simple and fun once you get used to it, which I very quickly did.

Driving a Talbot-Lago equipped with a Wilson pre-select gearbox is a unique experience. To start off, one depresses the foot pedal, puts the car in first gear from the small spring-loaded, chrome shift-lever in the notched gate on the right side of the column, releases the foot-pedal while applying some throttle and the car begins to move, essentially the same as driving any car with a clutch. Shifting gears while underway is where it gets interesting. The driver can pick, or select, the next anticipated gear needed in advance, before engaging it with the foot-pedal.

When the shift-lever is moved, a complex arrangement of chassis-mounted levers are moved also. This action gets the gearbox ready for the next gear, in advance of depressing the foot pedal. The driver, once he or she has mastered the technique, allows for lightning-fast shifting, either up or down, to any gear whatsoever. In general, I found this Talbot-Lago to be very civilized compared to other sporting machines produced in the same period.

Specifications

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With just over 600 produced between 1954 and 1962 it can t be said that the Jensen 541 was built in huge numbers. In my 45-plus years of older car enthusiasm, I can say that I have seen four Jensen 541s, and with pleasure have driven two of them. My secret is out, of all the British cars of the 1950s and early  60s, the Jensen 541 was and remains my favorite coupe of the period.

During the early 1950s Jensen Motors was on a financial roll, having just been awarded the contract to produce the new Austin-Healey 100 in engineless form. Such an arrangement provided Jensen with sufficient financial resources to commence the development of its own Grand Touring car that became known as the 541.

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After he had finished the restoration of his 1936 Stout Scarab, Ron Schneider took it to a prestigious car show in Michigan. Two suited Chrysler executives looked over the car. As they turned to go, one said to the other, “So, who’s going to tell Lee he didn’t invent the minivan?” There have been instances when the Scarab was likened to a minivan, but despite resemblances, it is far more innovative than a minivan.

William Stout – the man

The Scarab was the brainchild of William Bushnell Stout an aeronautical engineer, toymaker, industrial designer, president of the Society of Automotive Engineers, writer and editor. Born in Quincy, Illinois, in March 1880, he was credited with more innovations than Edison. He designed the Ford Trimotor airplane, an air-conditioned bed, improved theater seating, the Pullman Railplane (the first gasoline-powered streamlined train), and an incredible and influential—albeit not very successful—automobile.

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When you have the only one ever built, you might have trouble convincing people that it is real. It’s a particular problem when what it looks like really isn’t what it is. That’s what Brian and Samantha Styles face every time they take their 1967 GT 500 convertible to a show.  From 10 feet away it looks like your average 1968 Shelby GT convertible. Lift the hood or look at the interior, and it’s all 1968. However, a closer inspection of the Shelby fiberglass shows hand-built prototype components foreign to both model years. Confused? Even well-informed Shelby enthusiasts will do a double-take. When Brian Styles, who refers to himself as the car’s caretaker and historian, tells them that Samantha’s car is actually a 1967, they immediately reject his claim. Everyone knows there are no 1967 Shelby GT 500 convertibles.  Well, there is one, and this is its story.

The effort Brian Styles puts into convincing classic car enthusiasts this car is just what it is pales in comparison to the effort he expended to figure out what it actually looked like during its life. When equally enthusiastic Samantha Styles acquired the car in May 2009, he undertook an investigation involving a “dream team” that included noted Shelby experts and former employees of both Shelby American and Ford Motor Company. It was a group effort to determine what was true and what was rumor about the car’s history and its styling. There was a lot of discussion and even an occasional disagreement or two, but at the end of the effort, everyone on the team endorsed the result—the car that was shown at the 2013 Concours d’Elegance of Texas.

The post The Only One – 1967 Shelby GT 500 Convertible appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Things were bad. There had been difficulties before for Lancia, but on both occasions the good guys had ridden over the hill to save the damsel in distress in the nick of time.

Back in 1955 Gianni Lancia had had to say goodbye to his eponymous company. Depending upon who you speak to, the reason for this parting of the ways varied from a lack of sales, through financial difficulties, to simple mismanagement arising from indulgence in motorsport and the resultant oh-so-easy haemorrhaging of money. There was a fourth possibility though and that was Gianni’s insistence upon construction of nothing but top-quality cars but at prices that didn’t cover the costs.

The post Dealt an Ace appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

The next time you see an Audi on the road look closely at its badge. Four intertwined rings that probably remind the average person of the Olympic rings, but like most car badging there is a story behind the rings, which in the case of this German manufacturer goes back to those rather hectic and troubled days before the Second World War.

They were troubled days for German motor vehicle manufacturers, in particular within the landlocked state of Saxony. There were four separate companies that made very different motor vehicles that, under pressure by the State Bank of Saxony, joined together to form Auto Union. The four intertwined rings signifying that while together under one corporate banner, they were still the same four separate marques of Horch, Audi, Wanderer and DKW.

The post Sibling Rivalry – 1937 Wanderer W25K Sports Roadster appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

It’s rather ironic that both the birth of the “Pony Car” movement in the mid-1960s, and its eventual death in the early 1970s, would be brought about by the “economy car.” Perhaps even more interesting, and less well known, is the fact that the first car to officially enter this “Pony Car” world and the last to renounce its muscle car ways would be the Plymouth Barracuda.

Panda for the Masses

The early 1960s saw a ground swell shift in the demographics of the United States with the coming of age of the “Baby Boomer” generation. The country was soon overrun with young adults born from the ravages of World War II, and with this enormous new population of potential consumers, American automobile manufacturers were scrambling for ways to tap into this new, potentially lucrative market. But these new young adults didn’t share the same tastes and habits as their more staid parents. They looked different, dressed different, listened to strange music and, in general, wanted nothing to do with the “old ways”…including their parent’s cars. This new generation began to eschew Detroit’s “Big Iron” ways, for smaller, “sporty” cars; they wanted something very different than their parent’s giant, lumbering Cadillacs and Buicks.

The post Last Giant – 1970 Hemi ’Cuda appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

The 275 GTB occupies a very rarified space in the pantheon of Ferrari road car history. It sits at an important nexus where Ferrari road cars were evolving, becoming more sophisticated, no longer just racecars turned out for the street. Old techniques were giving way to new adaptations of racing-proven technology. Some called it the end of an era, others the beginning, but as Formula One driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise called it, in his test drive for France’s L’Auto Journal, the 275 GTB was “One of the greatest automobiles created in our times.”

250 is No Longer Enough

By 1960, the 250 line of Ferrari GT coupés had pretty well run its course. When first created in 1954, virtually nothing could touch the dual-purpose 250 in terms of performance on the road or the track. However, by 1960 other manufacturers had caught up and, in the case of cars like the E-Type Jaguar, managed to build at least as good a car for far less money. Clearly, Ferrari would have to raise both the ­performance and luxury of its road-going Grand Tourers if it was going to stay competitive in the marketplace. Of course, the 250 GTO and SWBs would still enjoy much on-track success for the next few years, but in terms of a more practical road car, Ferrari needed something new and more luxurious.

The post Luxurious Predator – 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Preserved for close to a century

A 1920s wooden handle screwdriver, which was used by one of the original mechanics before Major Henry Segrave broke the 200mph barrier, had been dropped into the filler neck of its engine oil tank while he checked the levels – and stayed inside for almost a century. Meanwhile, a preserved shilling with a 1921 stamp was found in solidified oil on top of the rear suspension spring, when bodywork was taken off to expose the chassis. An adjustable spanner from the time of its landmark run was also uncovered after being similarly ‘glued’ to the chassis with vegetable-based Castrol R oil.

What’s making that noise?

National Motor Museum Senior Engineer Ian Stanfield explained: “It’s the first 200mph screwdriver, which couldn’t have been removed from the oil tank because it was buried under the engine. We cleaned out the tank where the oil had solidified, using hot water and detergent, and after shaking the tank the vintage screwdriver eventually tipped out. After the LSR breaking run, the oil would have stuck like glue on top of the chassis which is where we made the other discoveries. It is like a time capsule which is all part of the incredible history of Sunbeam 1000hp. It has only ever been driven for 50 miles to break the world record and these are the style of tools the mechanics would have used when they built it.”

The National Motor Museum’s specialist workshop team has needed to make its own bespoke tools to fit the iconic record breaker to dismantle it. Visitors to Beaulieu can see the exposed chassis on show in the National Motor Museum until Sunbeam 1000hp is taken to motoring events at the end of the summer.

Future plans

The Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign was launched with Hampshire-based Brookspeed Automotive in March. To help raise the profile of the vehicle’s centenary celebrations and fundraising campaign – through individual donations and corporate sponsorship – there are plans to take it to Europe and on tour to motoring museums across America. Opportunities will also be offered for schools, colleges and universities to get involved with STEM workshops and activities.

The Sunbeam’s 22.5 liter engines, each producing 435bhp, have not run since before World War II more than 80 years ago – after corrosion attacked internal workings. With painstaking rebuilding, using specialist knowledge and bespoke parts, National Motor Museum engineers will recapture the sounds, sights and smells of this ground-breaking machine and help to preserve it for future generations.

Donations welcome

Funds are now needed to turn back the clock and complete the full restoration project. Donations for the Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign can be made online HERE.

Sponsors and corporate donors who would like to be associated with the campaign are urged to contact by emailing michelle.kirwan@beaulieu.co.uk.

Original story here

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When Jim Gehkre returned from his tour in Vietnam, in January of 1970, the first thing he needed was a set of wheels. He sold his ’57 Chrysler New Yorker just before he left to serve his country. Being a Mopar man, he went to the local Dodge dealer and drove away in a used ’68 Barracuda that was sparsely equipped and powered by Chrysler Corporation’s venerable slant-6 engine. A good-looking car that was cost effective and practical. The car served him well and he was content until…. he saw the new Dodge Charger Daytona that was unleashed by Dodge that same year. That long aerodynamic shape! That long nose! That huge rear wing! All of a sudden, he was no longer content with his Barracuda. He knew he had to own a Daytona!

The post Winged Warrior—1969 Dodge Charger Daytona appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

What is it about a Stradale?

Ask most Alfisti what Alfa they’d most like to have in their garage, and a significant percentage will say a Tipo 33 Stradale. I’ll admit, I’m odd, since my choice would be a Giulia TI Super, but the Stradale is a close second even for me. So, what do you do if you REALLY want a Stradale? There are very few of them, they sell for astronomical prices when they sell, and no one who owns one wants to sell theirs. If you’re David Simmons, you recognize that it’s unlikely that you’ll ever be able to buy one, so the answer is simple – Build It!

I’ve known David and Eileen Simmons for a long time. My daughter and I crashed their New Year’s Eve party some 30 years ago on our way to Santa Fe to ski, and they were happy to put us up. The Simmons are complete Alfaholics. He says, “I’ve been an Alfa person since 1971 when I bought my first one. It [has been] all downhill since then.” They’ve had other kinds of cars, but their garage is always full of Alfas. I don’t know how many Alfas they have right now, but my Ford Flex was the only non-Alfa anywhere on their property when I visited this year. Most of the cars have been restored by David, but there are a couple projects around – a Giulia Super owned by a young friend who visits and works on his car, a Giulietta Sprint that David is in the process of restoring, and the Stradale, which is in the final tweaking stage – it runs, but it still needs a bit of fiddling before it will go on any road trips.

The post Build It! — Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale Tribute appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

In September 2022, I travelled to Townsend, Tennessee, in the Great Smokey Mountains for Okteenerfest. The annual gathering of Porsche 914s was a fun, albeit secondary, reason for going. The primary reason was to profile a rare 914 model, a Can-Am in a color combination that causes it to be known as a Creamsicle. The owner, Rick Sumoski, told me about the gathering and suggested that it would be a great place to do the photography for the profile, and it certainly was.

The Fourteener

The history of Porsche, the man and the company, was chronicled in detail in an article titled “Wreck to Racer”, so this profile will begin with why Porsche and Volkswagen decided to build the 914. The 914 came about because of need. The lowest price Porsche was getting a bit too pricey, so Porsche saw a need for a new entry model. At the same time, VW’s more upscale models than the Beetle weren’t doing all that well. Porsche needed something cheaper, and VW needed something more expensive. Different needs that converged on a similar solution resulted in Ferry Porsche and Heinz Nordoff (of VW) agreeing to build the 914 with a handshake. The project was called the “Fourteener,” a nickname, sometimes shortened to “Teener,” that has remained among the 914 faithful ever since. It was a convenient solution, since Porsche, with the success of the 911, had no available production capacity while VW had plenty. The resulting 914 was a clever design that solved the problem as seen by the two companies, but it was not met with much acclaim from the legions of 911 and Beetle owners and fans. Porsche 356 and 911 owners could not imagine a Porsche without the engine in the very back, overlooking the considerable success Porsche had racing mid-engine cars. Beetle owners were horrified that VW would create a car that was not a “People’s Car.” Ultimately, as can be seen by the turnout at Okteenerfest, the 914 became quite popular among enthusiasts that appreciated the mid-engine design and resulting neutral handling of this two-seater cult classic.

The post Creamsicle — 1974 Porsche 914 Can-Am appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

When someone says “Sunbeam,” most car people immediately think of the “Tiger.” Sunbeam was much more than just that one model, and the subject of this profile is much rarer than the V8-stuffed Tiger.

Origins of Sunbeam

John Marston created the Sunbeamland Cycle Company in England, in 1887. In 1899, Marston’s assistant, Thomas Cureton, designed and built a single-cylinder car. Marston was impressed enough to fund the second car, this one with a horizontal engine. As his interest grew in automobiles, he became impressed with a design by Mr. Mabberly-Smith. Its four wheels were arranged in a diamond shape. There was a single, chain-driven wheel in the front, then two wheels in a more “normal” arrangement, and a single wheel in the back. The front and rear wheels were offset from each other – not in line – and the driver steered both with a tiller. It was powered by a 2¾ Hp DeDion-Bouton engine and had three seats facing sideways. Named the Sunbeam-Mabley, it sold well – 150 in its three years of production.

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The term Metropolitan is an adjective meaning,  “Of, relating to, or characteristic of a metropolis.” It was also a term used to label those who had the sophistication, fashionable tastes and manners associated with a metropolis. That is until Nash Motors, in 1953, came out with a stylish, diminutive, grocery-getter dubbed the Metropolitan.

The little Nash moved the meaning of the word from the city, where there was ample public transportation, to the suburbs. The car was actually a small part of a big movement to deal with the new post World War II reality for women. No one from the big city gets called a “Metropolitan” anymore, and vintage car buffs will forever-more assume you are talking about Nash’s first, second car for families when you use the term.

The post Metropolitan Lady — 1956 Nash Metropolitan appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

A frenzy of uncorked Mini Coopers, followed by a gaggle of vintage MGs, Triumphs and other assorted vintage sports racers came flying by, but incongruously, about mid-pack was a 1929 Model 75 Chrysler Roadster holding its own around this short airport road course. I was at a vintage and historic race at the Naval and Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin, California, a number of years ago, watching in awe as this upright ancient machine strutted its stuff in battle with cars that could have been its great grandchildren.

Buster Keaton could have been driving it, with its anachronistic upright 1920s styling and its tall, skinny wire-spoked wheels. However, it was turning the course at a surprising pace. I assumed that it had been breathed upon for the event, but I was mistaken. It was instead, arguably the grandmother of all muscle cars.

The post Mother of Muscle—1929 Chrysler Model 75 Roadster appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

In the 1920s, W.O. Bentley’s cars had earned a solid reputation and were highly competitive in sporting events, including the first winning of the 24 Hour Le Mans race for a British car in 1924 and subsequently winning four more times before 1931.

Despite impressive racing triumphs, by the end of the 1920s the finances of Bentley Motors were precarious indeed. The company was still not able to sell enough cars, for a high enough price, to make a profit. There was already a large number of manufacturers battling in the market for smaller and cheaper cars, but as far as Britain was concerned there was only one real competitor for the ultra-luxury market, the Rolls-Royce.

For 1930, Bentley decided to create a faster, better handling luxury car than the Rolls-Royce by producing what many historians consider his engineering masterpiece, the mighty 8-Litre.

At the heart of the 8-Litre is an amazing engine and drivetrain

The 8-Liter represents an evolutionary step in the development of the Bentley engine, combining proven features of the 6½-Liter model with the latest engineering advances.  W.O. never liked the legendary “Blower” Bentleys developed by Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin, thinking it corrupted his engine design and added to much stress to the engine. “Every engine we built was conceived with an eye first on reliability,” Bentley explained, “then on smoothness and silence, and lastly on sheer power output. Of course, we were after power output, but not by any falsely induced means; and I always held that the supercharger applied to the Bentley engine was a false inducer. [It] was against all my engineering principles.” (History would prove him right, as the Blower Bentleys proved unreliable in many races).

Rather than trying to squeeze more power from the existing 6½-Liter engine, W. O. Bentley followed his long-preferred method of improving performance and simply enlarged it, increasing the bore size from 100 to 110-mm. The 8-Litre’s straight-six engine used a one-piece iron block and non-detachable cylinder head with a crankcase made from Elektron, a magnesium alloy. Elektron consists of varying amounts of alloying elements, up to 9.5%, added to the magnesium resulting in changes to mechanical properties such as increased tensile strength, creep resistance, thermal stability or corrosion resistance. It also is unusually light and has a specific gravity of about 1.8 compared with the 2.8 of aluminum alloy, or the 7.9 of steel.

The engine utilized an overhead camshaft driven by a Bentley patented “three-throw drive” system of triple connecting rods with, as with all earlier Bentleys, featured four valves per cylinder and twin-spark ignition (coil and magneto), which were state-of-the-art at the time. The engine had a bore of 4.3 inches and a stroke of 5.5 inches, giving a total capacity of 487.2 cubic inches and used aluminum alloy pistons. The engine was rated at an impressive 220 brake horsepower. Its 8-litre capacity made it the largest-engined car on sale in the UK at the time.

Although the 8-Liter’s engine followed conventional Bentley practice, its gearbox, designated “F-type”, was radically different from its predecessors, the redesign having been necessitated by the greatly increased power and torque it was required to transmit, as well as the quest for silence. The 8-litre engine was shifted through a newly designed four-speed gearbox (constant mesh third) with a single-plate dry clutch which sent power through a hypoid bevel final drive to the rear axle.

Both engine and gearbox were each mounted at three points on rubber to isolate the chassis and body from vibration. Unlike many cars of the time, neither the engine nor the gearbox contributed to the bracing of the chassis.

The 8-Litre chassis was available with either a 144-inch wheelbase or a longer 156-inch wheelbase. Three were built with a 138-inch wheelbase. The massive chassis frame was entirely new, being of the “double drop” design that enabled overall height to be reduced and the center of gravity lowered, these aims also dictating the use of a hypoid-bevel rear axle. Seven tubular cross members resulted in a much stronger and less flexible frame than before.

The revised suspension system consisted of long semi-elliptic leaf springs that were controlled by double acting dampers, friction on the front and hydraulic on the rear axle, Bentley & Draper shock absorbers and all four 21″ Rudge-Whitworth wire center-lock wheels were fitted with Dewandre vacuum-servo-assisted (15.7 in) drum brakes, the forward brakes being of Bentley-Perrott design. Steering was by worm and sector, while castor action could be adjusted to the driver’s needs. There was also a centralized chassis lubrication system that included the gaitered springs but not for the front axle or the clutch withdrawal system. All of these features made for increased smoothness and stability, both vital considerations when designing a large and weighty vehicle capable of three-figure speeds.

As was customary at the time, the customer bought the rolling chassis from Bentley and could choose from any number of the great coachbuilders to fit it with a body. Anything from a limousine down to an open two-seater could be specified.

The 8-Litre Introduced

Announced on September 15^th, 1930, and launched at the London Olympia Motor Show in October 1930,  the car competed head-to-head with Rolls-Royce’s Phantom ll. The engine was just as quiet, the ride just as comfortable, the coachwork could be created to whatever the customer desired and, perhaps most importantly from a prestige point of view, it was faster.  Bentley claimed the car was capable of achieving up to 125 mph with a guaranteed top speed of over 100 mph.

At the time of the 8-Litre’s launch, W.O. declared, “I have always wanted to produce a dead silent 100 mph car, and now I think we have done it.” Such was the power of the car’s massive straight-6 engine, that the company guaranteed it would be capable of at least 100 mph, regardless of the chosen coachwork. In December of 1930, The Autocar magazine recorded a ½-mile terminal speed of 101.12 mph in a Bentley 8-Litre, stating “Motoring in its very highest form” and “tremendous performance”. Between 1930 and 1939, Britain’s foremost motoring magazine bettered that figure only once, while testing an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300.  Interestingly, the very same car was tested again by Autocar on April 4^th, 1954, and it was still capable of 100 mph. The 8-Liter remained the fastest production Bentley until the R-Type Continental’s arrival in 1953. Famous car collector Jay Leno owns an 8-Liter saloon and also claims to have exceeded 100 mph in his car.

Authors John Adams and Roberts wrote of the 8-Litre in their book A Pride of Bentleys in 1978: “Tremendous flexibility was embodied in the car, and even with heavy luxurious coachwork, and with a driver and three or more passengers, it still had genuine 100 mph performance, with a maximum bhp being developed at a little over 3,200 rpm, it was the first closed saloon car to lap Brooklands at over 100 mph, a further example of the useable power it possessed.”

Accolades for the new Bentley model came from all corners of the motoring press and beyond when it was introduced, prompting Bentley’s marketing efforts to include running a series of magazine ads quoting the praise they received. “The designer is to be congratulated on producing a car which no country in the world can surpass,” said the Manchester Guardian. “The thing will very comfortably do more than 100 m.p.h. on the flat. I may be wrong (though I doubt it) when I suggest that this may be the fastest car in the world,” wrote Captain Wilfred Gordon Aston in The Tatler, going on to say, “Never in my life have I known a vehicle in which such a prodigious performance was linked to such a smooth, unobtrusive quietness.”

The first production 8-Litre car, YF 5001, was delivered to the music hall star “Gentleman” Jack Buchanan in October 1930. W.O. claimed the second car made, chassis YF 5002, as his personal car, commissioning H.J. Mulliner to build a saloon body on the 12-foot short-wheelbase chassis. Originally registered GK 706, this car was W.O.’s personal transport from October 1930 for the next two years. He drove his 8-Litre for thousands of miles around Britain and Europe, and recalled travelling from Dieppe to Cannes, “…in the day, without having to switch on the lights, cruising at around 85 mph for hour after hour.” For a present, his wife commissioned a painting by celebrated artist Ray Nockholds showing her back-seat view of W.O. at the wheel.

End of an Era

The 8-Litre was intended for the very wealthiest segment of the world’s automotive buyers. Unfortunately, The Great Depression began in the previous year and the market for luxurious cars had waned. Bentley’s finances had been shaky for many years and Woolf Barnato, who won Le Mans three times in a Bentley, was the firm’s financial backer in the late ’20s. He had been forced to contribute more money on several occasions, but rather than ease the company’s financial worries the 8-Litre only exasperated them. After only 100 of magnificent machines had been produced, the company was placed into receivership just months after its introduction.

Rolls-Royce had been seriously worried by competition from Bentley, especially after the 8-Litre was launched, and they decided to try to acquire it. However, it had to be bought from the receivers and there was the possibility of a bidding war, particularly if a company as large and wealthy as Rolls-Royce expressed an interest.

The Napier engineering company, which was also currently building luxury cars, put in a bid. However, it was topped, at the last minute, by a company called the British Central Equitable Trust, which proved to be just a front organization for Rolls-Royce. W.O. Bentley was reported to be deeply disappointed, particularly when he found out that Barnato not only received a considerable sum for his shares but he was also, a few years later, appointed to the board of the new company which by now had been completely absorbed by Rolls-Royce. In the meanwhile, W.O was to work under contract for Rolls-Royce until 1935, a poor exchange for the loss of his company car. Production of the 8-Litre was discontinued after Rolls-Royce took over the company, in order to remove a competitor for their own Phantom.

As a measure of W.O.Bentley’s business acumen, he had never registered the Bentley trade name. Rolls-Royce spared no time registering the name themselves. This meant that from then on W.O. had no legal rights whatsoever to interfere in the manufacture of future cars that bore his own name. Rolls-Royce indeed didn’t allow him to make any major decisions in the future – in fact, they kept him as far away from the design decision making process as possible.  W.O. left the company just as soon as his contract ended to join Lagonda. An era had come to an end.

Chassis No. YX5109

This 8-Litre delivered new to London’s famed agency of Jack Barclay Ltd. wearing formal Sedanca de Ville Coachwork by Freestone & Webb. Given the timing of its purchase by the first recorded owner G. Henscher as mid-1932, it seems likely that perhaps the car was used by Barclay staff as a demonstrator. Michael Hay’s book on the model notes that prior to acquisition by Henscher, the car had already covered more than 2,400 miles and that when sold, it was sold as ‘second-hand’ and was to receive a new rear glass, and a full structural service of the bodywork and a polishing by Freestone & Webb prior to its delivery. The car continued to be maintained by the factory until just before the war.

The known ownership history of YX5109 is relatively uncomplicated, the car being the property of Joseph Perry of Birmingham just before the war and remaining with him until 1947 when acquired by Col. Walton in 1947, at which point it is known to have spent some time in Scotland. In 1962, the car was the property of a Willy P. Dale and later traded through Dan Margulies to Barry Eastick.

YX 5109 was restored in the 1970s by Hoffman and Mountford, at which point it was rebodied in the guise of the earlier 4½ and Speed Six ‘Le Mans’ fabric touring bodies, a style which was famously only fitted to one 8-Litre car. James Pearce’s eye for a good-looking sports tourer was arguably second to none and the bodywork fitted to this car is extremely well designed, in that despite retaining its original 13-ft chassis, the length of the car is obscured in its good proportions. The entire process took over 2 years from 1974 to 1976 at a cost of close to $30,000 – a tremendous price for a restoration at the time. On its completion, it was shown at the Bentley Drivers Club Dorchester House meet in 1978 and later at the Kensington Gardens meet, in the 1980s. Soon afterward, YX 5109 made its way to America and was acquired by Bill Chadwick of Dallas, Texas. Chadwick showed the car at the RROC Regional Meet in Salado, Texas, in 1986. In 1988, the 8 Liter was sent to Elmdown Engineering and received a full engine rebuild with new shell bearings, a Phoenix crankshaft, rods and full-flow oil filter were fitted. Later, a Laycock heavy-duty overdrive was also fitted, allowing effortless touring at high speeds. The 8 Liter was later acquired by Charles H. Brown in 1995. Brown brought it back to his coach-house in the UK until 2013, where it was driven sparingly and well maintained during his 18-year stewardship, including a thorough service by Elmdown. Since 2013, the big Bentley was carefully maintained in a private collection before coming to the Blackhawk Collection in California where it resides as of this writing.

Driving Impressions

I had an opportunity to ask noted Rolls-Royce and Bentley expert and author of the book Superfinds, Michael Kliebenstein from Germany about his experiences driving an 8-Litre:

“Handling an open 8-litre Bentley in city traffic initially feels a bit like maneuvering a torpedo gunboat in the close confines of Monaco harbor. It wants to run wide, but at the same time feels restraint and majestic in any surroundings.

“The burbling soundtrack indeed very similar to a Second World War Gun Boat.

“Steering is heavy, but not as heavy as say, a Mercedes-Benz SS Kompressor of the same period. And nowhere as nimble as a Bugatti Type 43A or Alfa 8c. Nevertheless the 8-litre is a fast old thing. Very fast indeed.

“There is something special about entering a modern motorway in a W.O. Bentley. As is common with the 4.5-litre Blower or 6 1/2 Speed Six, with the 8-litre Bentley you immediately enter the left lane in 3rd gear and start overtaking anything in sight. Simply because you can.

“Roaring past lesser traffic you change reluctantly in 4th gear showing just 1.800 revs on the huge plate sized speedometer.

“You‘re doing something like 90 miles average with no hint of overstretching the mechanics. 100 miles can be easily achieved when pushed, but by then the wind is blowing your head off.

“I have to say that I prefer the 8-litre to the kompressor equipped 4.5-litre Blower. Simply because the 8-litre feels so much more relaxed and powerful.

“The natural torque of the huge in-line six. always gets me.

“Also, I feel that I am quicker in building an inner relationship with the non-kompressor cars. I just love their relaxed nature. Pure magic.”

David Berthon, an Australian collector and well-known automotive journalist, had this to say about driving an 8-Litre Bentley in a 2015 story written for the Trade Unique Cars website:

“There’s something very special about driving a vintage Bentley.

“Big and brutish, they have a special quality that stands them apart. From its very beginnings Bentley has featured large capacity engines producing prodigious levels of torque at low rpm, offering effortless performance and endurance.

“As we pull away from the kerb in a superb example of W.O.’s last defining classic, the awesome 1931 8-litre, I marvel at the feeling of enormous power and immense torque.

“One of three in Australia from a production run of just 100 cars, this is indeed a special car.

“However, keeping the fuel up to the furnace at high speed via twin SU carbies was its biggest problem, especially on a hot day, and most 8-litres today have had their vacuum tank bypassed by the installation of twin SU electric pumps.

“I’ve been fortunate to drive all of W.O. Bentley’s different models, including a shorter chassis 8-litre; however, none has been as enjoyable to drive as this one

“A big car by any measure, it sits the driver roughly amidships of an overall length of a little more than 5.4 metres. Some idea of its long wheelbase can be measured by the fact it has a turning circle of 17 metres.

“Bentley employed a single plate dry clutch which I half suspected would be touchy given the output it has to handle; however, the pedal pressure is surprisingly light and the take up smooth and snatch-free.

“Likewise, the worm and sector steering, despite a relatively fast ratio by vintage standards, does not unduly load up at slow speed and is relatively easy to handle. On the open road the 8-litre is a really easy car to drive, although in suburban traffic you become very conscious of its weight and overall dimensions.

“The gearbox is perhaps the biggest challenge, not the easiest vintage Bentley shift, and it takes a little time to become familiar with road speed and engine revs before you can execute a clean change.

“What impresses is the refinement the chassis offers given its stunning performance capability. There is no fuss or bother in the way it performs and, compared to an 8-litre Hispano-Suiza, it is far quieter in the drivetrain and goes about its business in a far more subtle way. It’s somewhat docile on a light throttle, yet give the car its head and it responds with a stirring performance. On the open road at a steady 110km/hour the engine feels like it’s just ticking over but instantly responds to a boot full of throttle with startling acceleration.

“Poor brakes can be the Achilles heel on many vintage cars ­­– not on the 8-litre however and here Bentley employed a Dewandre vacuum-servo system with his own compensating device working on generous 400mm drums. They are so powerful you could mistake them for a modern hydraulic system, have great pedal feel, and they give you confidence moving such a heavy car in and around traffic.

“Few vintage cars today can offer the performance, exhilaration and drivability of an 8-litre Bentley. Whilst it doesn’t have the Speed 6’s racing heritage and Le Mans 24 Hour association, the 8-litre is today one of the world’s great collector cars, witnessed by its amazing survival rate.

Given the cosmetic condition of the car it is somewhat difficult to believe that its transformation and restoration was completed nearly 45 years ago, as the car still presents extremely well. Almost a half a century of age and use has graced it with a soft patina. I was able to drive this machine a short distance up and down some hills. I was impressed with the torque and power of the engine. First gear was not needed, even from a dead stop going uphill. The long wheelbase of the car renders a 3-point turn into a 6-point turn, but this is not a car to zip around town in – it yearns for the open road. Looking down the long hood, glancing at the wooden dashboard packed full of gauges, clutching the big steering wheel while massaging the gearbox into it’s next gear, the 8-Litre is a truly incredible machine. W.O.’s last and greatest creation at the company that bears his name will forever be one of the most coveted cars of all time.

SPECIFICATIONS

1931 Bentley 8-Litre

Engine 7983cc straight-six, single overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder, dual-ignition, Twin SU carburetors,
Gearbox Four-speed with constant mesh third.
Brakes 400mm. drums with vacuum servo assistance
Steering Worm and sector
Wheels 21-inch well base rims with 700 x 21-inch tires
Top Speed 104 mph

The post Dead Silent Speed—1931 Bentley 8-Litre Sports Tourer appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Bonnie Menapace (nee Hemsley – yes, she’s my daughter) got her first Alfa for her 16^th birthday. It was a used, yellow 1979 Alfa Spider Veloce, which she still has. Andy Menapace got to share that Alfa Spider when he married Bonnie, and he got to learn how to change a head gasket at that same time, not to mention how to get it running properly. Over the years, they accumulated a couple other Alfas, including a 1975 Spider Veloce that Andy won at the Alfa Romeo Owners Club convention in Seattle in 2005. Eventually, they decided that they wanted a rarer Alfa and were looking for a Junior Z when an opportunity suddenly appeared. A friend decided to reduce the number of projects he had, and offered this disassembled Giulietta to them for a reasonable price. This is the story of their ten-year restoration adventure and the rare, numbers-matching Spider Veloce they now have. But first a little history.

Many books have been written about the history of Alfa Romeo during its 112-year existence. One of those books, “The Alfa Romeo Tradition” by noted automotive historian Griffith Borgeson, was organized in chapters focused on important people in the manufacturer’s history. That approach makes sense, since each of those individuals contributed to, or caused, the changes in the company’s approach to automobile production and racing. That approach, according to the “Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile,” “…made Alfa Romeo one of the greatest names in the history of motoring and motorsport.”

The post It Takes a Village—1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Singer-songwriter Carol Connors once bet Carroll Shelby that if she wrote him a hit song, he’d give her a Cobra. Historian Bob Walker untangles the complicated tale of the 289 Cobra that Shelby gave her to honor that bet.

The original engine installed in CSX 2067 was reported by the first documented owner of record as having been a 260 HIPO, even though 289 HIPO engines were already beginning to be used for some Cobras by the early months of 1963. Several lower chassis numbered cars, including CSX 2025 and CSX 2044 (both completed out of sequence), as well as slightly higher VIN number cars (CSX 2074 and CSX 2075) were completed with 289 HIPOs. The date of completion of Mark I Cobras was actually the determining factor for using 289 HIPOs, not the chassis number.

Shelby Cobra CSX 2067 was originally invoiced to Downtown Ford at the corner of 7th Street and Wall Street in midtown Los Angeles, California, on March 6, 1963, for the standard Cobra dealer price of $4,995 plus an additional $548.65 for a heater ($72) and Class A accessories and racing equipment that consisted of AMCO windshield sun visors ($15.04), AMCO windshield wind wings ($13.97), #30560 Walpres chrome-plated mirrors ($14.58), chrome-plated exhaust tips ($4.25), Shelby teardrop chrome-plated hood latches $14.09, louvered hood $50, sway bars, front and rear $98.50, Goodyear Blue Streak tires $171.23 (upcharge), aluminum intake manifold $59.97 and Holley 4-barrel carburetor $35. The total cost to Downtown Ford was $5,543.63, accompanied with a whopping MSRP (Suggested Manufacturer’s Retail Price) of $6,717.28.

It is interesting to note that heaters were starting to become standard equipment by late 1962-early 1963 but were being charged for as an extra with different prices charged to different dealers. CSX 2065 was sold to Smith Motor Imports in San Antonio, Texas on March 8, 1963 with the heater listed at $62, while CSX 2055 was charged at $65 to European Cars on December 17, 1962 and CSX 2067 was sold to Downtown Ford four days later on December 21, 1962 with the heater priced at $72.

Downtown Ford may also have been gouged by Shelby American for the cost of louvers that were punched into the hood of CSX 2067 and two other Cobras, CSX 2049 and CSX 2058, that had been purchased by that dealership within a 40-day period. It is likely that all three cars had suffered body damage to their hoods during shipping aboard three different cargo carriers. Stevedores and ship’s crew members were notorious for having walked across the aluminum bodied Cobras that were tightly packed together in ship cargo holds, and insurance claims were numerous.

The punching of louvers, followed by hood repaint, was probably a creative method used by Shelby American Inc. to pass on the needed cost of paint and repairs to Downtown Ford, while disguised as a special Cobra feature.

A similar technique had been used on two Cobras that were repainted silver for no apparent reason at a cost of $200 each and then charged to Downtown Ford on invoices for CSX 2045 and CSX 2046 during January 1963. Most likely those two cars had also sustained body damage during shipping. It is no coincidence that all five Cobras purchased with those billing irregularities were invoiced to Downtown Ford over a two-month time period from January 26 through March 6, 1963. No other Shelby American dealership was ever charged for or received Mark I Cobras with hood louvers. Also, no other dealer was ever charged for the repaint of a Mark I Cobra at the time of completion. It appears that Shelby American had found a unique niche with Downtown Ford.

CSX 2067’s combination of street driving accessories mixed with racing equipment appears to be somewhat unusual. For road racing competition a 289 HIPO engine, roll bar, Raydot spun aluminum mirrors, with the option of Weber carburetors with hood scoop would probably have been a better combination of accessories. Walpres fender mirrors had been specified for several early Mark I Cobras and were first used as an accessory on CSX 2018 that had been a special ordered Cobra for Henry Ford II. Walpres mirrors were a premium cost accessory, but similar to the standard Talbot Junior and Senior mirrors.

Hood louvers are documented as having only been used on seven Mark I Cobras: CSX 2002, CSX 2004, CSX 2009, CSX 2010, CSX 2049, CSX 2058 and CSX 2067. Shelby American soon abandoned the use of punched louvers on later competition Cobra hoods, in favor of hood scoops that provided a better volume of air flow and were generally used to increase the vertical clearance for Weber carburetor velocity stacks.

Five months later and unsold at Downtown Ford, CSX 2067 was re-invoiced by Shelby American Inc. to Ford Special Vehicles and Racing Director, Jacque Passino, in Dearborn, Michigan on September 30, 1963 at the new wholesale cost of $5,769, which was $225.37 more than the original invoice cost to Downtown Ford. Thirty days later, on October 31, 1963 Passino issued a credit memo that canceled the previous invoice, followed by an apparent and complete financial write-off of the vehicle.

The Ford Motor Company had established a reciprocal agreement (a revolving door policy) with Downtown Ford for the buy-back or exchange of Cobras. When the inventory level became low at Shelby American Inc., Cobras failing to be sold in a timely manner at Downtown Ford were occasionally retrieved, especially when they were needed for special assignments, redistribution to special people or sale to other dealers. Several Cobras are documented as having been bought back from Downtown Ford during the mid-1960s. In this case, CSX 2067 failed to have been sold through that dealership, probably because of the high retail price for the unusual combination of extras.

CSX 2067 was reacquired through Ford management and Shelby American Inc. for a special presentation and given by Shelby to 22-year-old Annette Kleinbard on August 28, 1963. She was a popular singer-song writer who went by the stage name, Carol Connors. Information in SAAC Registries that “2067 was sold on 8/30/63 to Gail Kleinbard (Sherman Oaks, CA)” is wrong. During the author’s interview with Connors during November 2017 she explained: “Gail was my mother and CSX 2067 was not sold to her but given to me (Carol) as a reward for having written the hit song, ‘Hey Little Cobra’.” That song was recorded by The Rip Chords, a vocal group comprised of singers Jan and Dean, as well as Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnson of the Beach Boys. Connors is perhaps best remembered for her 1958 recording, To Know Him Is to Love Him, which was written by her friend and fellow “Teddy Bears” singer, 19-year-old Phil Spector. Connors was the lead singer of that group.

In later years, Spector went on to become a successful record producer and songwriter. During the late 1960s Spector purchased the prototype Cobra Daytona Coupe as a used car for $7,500 and campaigned CSX 2287 as a daily driver through the streets of Southern California while accumulating a sizeable collection of speeding and reckless driving tickets. Nearly 40 years later, Spector was convicted in 2008 for the 2003 second degree murder of actress Lana Clarkson at his Hollywood home and was sentenced to 19 years to life at Corcoran State Prison in California.

Apparently, the original Shelby American Inc. paperwork that was issued to Connors, in August 1963, for CSX 2067 mistakenly used the VIN number CSX 2024 and caused the California DMV to temporarily delay the registration of that Cobra to Carol Connors, in the name of her mother, Gail Kleinbard. CSX 2067 was issued the temporary paper license tag, 0387485. That incorrect VIN number (CSX 2024) belonged to a Cobra that had been completed by European Cars in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the fall weeks of 1962 and had been distributed by Ed Hugus to Tasca Ford in Providence, Rhode Island on November 30, 1962.

CSX 2024 had been returned to Shelby American Inc. in Venice, California almost a full year later by Tasca Ford for some unknown mechanical issue in 1963 and the car was being stored in the Shelby American Inc. shop at the same time as CSX 2067. Five months after Connors received Cobra CSX 2067, her California DMV registration recorded in her mother’s name had been corrected and Kleinbard’s Cobra was issued the 1963 gold numbers and letters on black 1963 issued California license plates, ASL 092.

Connors was 22 years old in August 1963 (born November 13, 1940) when she received CSX 2067. She elected to have the Cobra registered in her mother’s name, not because of age, but because of a serious automobile accident that she had experienced years earlier and she anticipated the likelihood of expensive insurance to a young driver with a prior totaled car and a major medical claim.

During an interview with the author in 2017 Connors stated: “I met Carroll Shelby (several years) after I had broken up with the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley… It was during the late summer of 1963 and because of my (new) boyfriend. He read in the newspaper about Cobras… AC built cars, being built in Venice, California by a young man named Carroll Shelby… that were being powered by Ford Motors.” Her boyfriend said, “Carol why don’t you go out there and talk to Carroll Shelby and see if he can put a Cobra front on a Bristol back.” (Connors had also recently wrecked her boyfriend’s AC Bristol).

Connors recalled: “I went there in little ‘hip-huggers and a crop top’. He knew I sang the song, ‘To Know Him Is to Love Him’. So, there I am in his office… I went in and I said, ‘Mr. Shelby, I cracked-up my friend’s car’… I did not say boyfriend, just friend… ‘and it’s an AC Bristol. Is there any way you could put a Cobra front on a Bristol back?’ Well, he became hysterical. He just could not stop laughing… and said, I can’t do that little girl, but if you write me a Cobra song that’s a hit, I’ll give you a Cobra and take you to Le Mans.”

Connors took Shelby at his word. She went home and rather quickly wrote the song, Hey Little Cobra, which was eventually recorded by The Rip Chords, hitting the Top 10 chart on “Billboard’s for six weeks and stayed on the top 100 chart for 14 weeks.” Connors said that she was nervous after she wrote the song, explaining: “I played it for the first time in public (on the piano) in the home of (automotive publishing magnate and auto museum founder) Robert E. Petersen and his wife Margie. The Petersens were (my) friends through SCUBA diving and social contacts. They were my best friends.” They were also a friendly audience and the song was well received.

She was also just as nervous when she first played the song for Carroll Shelby. She then showed her song to Doris Day’s son, Terry Melcher, who ended up producing the record with his partner, Bruce Johnson, who then became one of the recording singers. Soon after the record was released, Connors remembered her first meeting with one of the other recording singers, Beach Boy Brian Wilson. “He never forgave me for writing that song. It was an ‘all-boys club’ and he was very critical of my song when he first read the lyrics and was surprised when the record became a hit! Brian said, ‘We knew that song was written by a girl.’ I said, Brian, how did you know that? Almost spitting out the words, he said, ‘I knew it must have been written by a girl! That line, ‘I took my Cobra out of gear and let it coast to the line’ isn’t right. Nobody takes the car out of gear and just coasts to the line.”

Previous accounts in Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC) documents that: “Connors ran off the road in CSX 2067 in Los Angeles’ Laurel Canyon, suffering injuries to her face from the broken windshield and destroying 2067” are incorrect. So is the information: “The Cobra was scrapped.” (Hopefully that second bit of misinformation has not encouraged the construction of duplicate “air cars.”)

According to Connors, she did have a serious accident, but: “…it happened several years earlier (late 1950s) in my white MGA roadster and I went down a 350-foot cliff and hit a tree. I had used a chunk of my earnings from ‘To Know Him Is to Love Him’, to buy that MG. That (accident) was at Coldwater Canyon Lane at Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills,” which is a full three miles away from Laurel Canyon.

That accident was serious. She received multiple injuries and sustained many facial cuts from the broken windshield, which resulted in four surgeries and a long recovery. Not only was CSX 2067 not destroyed by her, but Connors’ Cobra (CSX 2067) survived her ownership and probably still exists today, although there is no reference to the car’s existence or current ownership listed in either the 2008 World Registry of Cobras & GT40s or the 2019 SAAC Leaf Spring Cobra Registry. SAAC still believes that CSX 2067 was destroyed!

Connors also stated: “I was given three Cobras (by Shelby).” CSX 2067 was the first Cobra, followed by a second Cobra with an unknown chassis number and then CSX 2544. Connors explained: “My 260 Cobra (CSX 2067) had lots of problems. It was plagued with lots of little glitches. When I told Carroll about it, he took the car back”, but there is no documented history for CSX 2067 surviving past Connors ownership of the car in 1964! A photograph of Connors holding the song “Hey Little Cobra” and standing in front of CSX 2067 shows that her first car had a narrow racing stripe running down the center of the hood and nose, flat head Cobra badges, Wilmot Breeden Budget Lock T-handle hood latches, hood louvers and two Walpres fender mirrors.

Connors used that replacement (289) Cobra with the unknown chassis number for several months, until one day: “…when my sister Cheryl, bless her little pointed head, was driving the Cobra and it overheated. She had driven it on Coldwater Canyon Lane, and she forgot to put water in it (the radiator). It was a hot day and when she got to our house… we were living at my parents’ house at 13141 Oxnard Street (in Van Nuys)… she came running in and said, ‘the engine won’t shut-off’. It was hot from lack of water and it was making all kinds of funny noises. The engine was detonating… so I called Carroll saying, ‘the car won’t shut off’ and he said, ‘just let it cool down’…I think I cracked the engine block.”

Connors also returned that second Cobra (probably with a cracked block) to Shelby American Inc. after only a few months of use and Shelby then gave her a third Cobra in early 1965. That second and unidentified Cobra with a 289 HIPO that Shelby gave to Connors was likely another used showroom demonstrator and it remains in existence today, although there is no history of that unidentified leaf spring Cobra as having been previously owned by Connors.

The third and last Cobra given to Connors was a Mark II, CSX 2544 that had been sold new to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania dealership, Alvin A. Swenson, Inc. at 3910 Kensington Avenue, but remained unsold at retail. It was then returned-back to Shelby American Inc. for redistribution. That dealership had the Shelby Leaf Spring Cobra Dealer Code number 160. While being transported to a second dealership, Hulbert-Stauffacher in Racine, Wisconsin that had just purchased it, CSX 2544 sustained major damage. Shelby American Inc. submitted an insurance report in July 1965 stating: “…at a rough rail crossing the hold-down chains broke. The car plunged backwards through the van rear door onto the road bed and was severely damaged.”

Following that accident, CSX 2544 was transported to Shelby American Inc. in California for repairs, rebuilt and then given to Connors. She registered it with the 1963 series gold numbers and letters on black California license plates, TQU 328. Connors stated: “Carroll offered me the choice of either that (second) 289 or one of the new 427s. I remember that he told me that the 289 had a ‘high rise’ manifold.” Connors chose the 289 after being given a demonstration ride in one of the showroom demo 427 Cobras driven on the 405 Freeway by Ken Miles. When they returned, Connors told Shelby, “The car hit 80 (MPH) in first gear! Shelby said, ‘It will do 100 in first gear’.”

In addition to having been given three Cobras by Shelby, Connors told the author: “Shelby showed me how to drive a Cobra when the song became a smash (hit) and he took me to Le Mans in ’64. After the 24-hour race, Carroll was driving through the mountains (in France or Italy) and I was freaking out…I said, Carroll please slow down, but Carroll said, ‘I know what I am doing’…I was a race car driver! I said but I’m the one who went off the cliff!” (in a white MG).

Connors describes her favorite story from that European trip. After the Le Mans race “We went to Modena and Maranello, Italy with our entourage of friends. We walked into the Ristorante Cavallino, across the street from the Ferrari factory. It was Carroll, myself, Bernard Cahier (French Grand Prix photographer and journalist) and his wife, Joani…I think Lee Iacocca was there also…and it was like the ‘Gunfight at the OK Corral meets A Fistful of Dollars. Being a song writer, I can hear the music playing in the background! Enzo Ferrari was there…he had his back to the wall…ok…and Shelby says, ‘Enzo I’m gonna beat the pants off you at Le Mans next year’…AND HE DID!”

Although CSX 2067 was not wrecked and “scrapped” by Connor in 1963-1964 as stated by SAAC, no current information is available as to any subsequent owners of that Cobra or the transfer of the car’s title from Shelby American since her ownership.

The story of CSX 2067 is one of just 125 accounts of every Mark I Cobra in author Bob Walker’s impressive, new two-volume book “Shelby Cobras: CSX 2001–CSX 2125”

Click here to order from Dalton Watson Fine Books

Or click here to order an author signed edition

The post Write A Hit, Win a Cobra appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

The names of the great marques roll off the tongue like poetry—Porsche, Jaguar, Maserati, Mercedes, Rolls-Royce and, of course, Ferrari. And, the best of these manufacturers reserve a special model name for their most significant cars. Think Carrera GT, Silver Ghost, SSK and Ghibli and you need no further description … at least to those in the know. But what many say could be the greatest name of all, GTO, was invented by Ferrari and has been used by them sparingly, almost lovingly, over the years; and always reserved for its most exciting, most dramatic cars.

The post The First Supercar – Ferrari’s 288 GTO appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

The spectacular Mercedes-Benz 540K represented the zenith of pre-war accomplishments by the Stuttgart-based firm in the pre-war era. It is considered by many to be both a technical marvel and a styling masterpiece. An evolution of the brilliantly engineered 500K, whose independently suspended chassis it shared, the 540K was powered by a 5.4-liter, supercharged, straight-eight engine. The 540K was one of the first models developed under Mercedes-Benz’s new chief engineer, ex-racing driver Max Sailer, successor to Hans Nibel, who had passed away in November 1934 at the early age of 54. Mercedes-Benz’s new flagship model featured the company’s famous Roots-type supercharger system in which pressing the accelerator pedal to the end of its travel would simultaneously engage the compressor and close off the alternative atmospheric intake to the carburetor. This system had been thoroughly vetted on the preceding series of the Dr. Ferdinand Porsche’s conceived S cars that had dominated racing during the 1920s, and in effect the 540K was the last supercharged production Mercedes until relatively recent times.

The post Mayfair’s Phoenix—1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Mayfair Roadster appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Joe Conzonire eases his 1903 Packard Model F Runabout out of his shop and pulls it into the sunlight. It is as dazzling and intricate as a tsarist Russian Fabergé egg. I behold a symphony of polished brass, lacquered wood, tufted leather and Jules Vern Victorian machinery. Its regal, opulent, extra-cost option rear-entry tonneau for extra passengers makes it a deluxe tourer, but without that it would be a two-place roadster.

The overall visual effect of the little machine is truly unique, and upon closer inspection, more discerning automotive history buffs would be surprised at how this pioneering Packard was ahead of its time in many ways – especially when you consider that it is one of America’s earliest automobiles. I feel privileged to be able to sample it. Sadly, there are only four left today.

The post The Start of Something Big—1903 Packard Model F appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Chatting with Barry Alan Twitchell about his Porsche 993, he remembered that during a dinner in Switzerland, the owner of a Porsche dealership in Zurich had said to him, “Never sell the 993.” Twitchell turned to his teenage daughter, Sydney, and said: “When I can’t drive this car anymore, it will be yours. Never sell it.” The 993 marked the end of an era for Porsche – it was the last of the air-cooled 911s.

Porsche AG

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