Showing posts with label Daytona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daytona. Show all posts
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
1977 ECotY - Rover Vitesse
There were not many four door executive vehicles that would look comfortable parked along side a Ferrari or Maserati in the 1970's but the Rover SD1 powered by the familiar alloy Buick derived V8 and designed by David Bache is certainly one that could keep such company in any car park and not look out of place.
Thanks in part to a painfully slow process of rationalisation that was occurring at British Leyland during the early 1970's involving many duplicitous departments and management within the nationalised organisation it took 54 months for the SD1 to move from drawing board to production.
David Bache was not in the least shy about his design influences incorporated into the SD1 including these indicator lights which are almost identical to those found on a Ferrari Daytona.
Built in a new purpose built £31 million factory in Solihull the SD1 was marketed as the Rover 3500 and launched in July 1976 to an ecstatic reception regarding the styling and performance, though the quality of some of the materials used and build were short of the market leaders particularly the emerging BMW brand. The deep front spoiler and BBS pattern wheels on this model signifies a later model in this case built in 1986.
The Vitesse badge hitherto associated with Triumph models belies the fact that the SD1 had technical and marketing input from the still separate and competing Triumph design and management offices. In late 1980 the Rover Vitesse, seen here at the Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, was introduced as the performance version of the Rover 3500 and the Vanden Plas the Luxury version that included leather seats.
While the styling of the SD1 was ahead of it's time the rear suspension was actually a technological step back from the de Dion suspension used on the previous Rover P6 to a live rear axle, though this made the cars easier and cheaper to build the move did not compromise the handling, much praised in the contemporary press, in anyway.
Since British Leyland had so many competing brands in its range the 1977 European Car of the Year award winner was not the money spinner that it should have been because it was priced so as not to compete directly with the Jaguar XJ6 against which it was seen in an extremely favourable light.
Thanks for joining me on the 1977 European Car of the Year edition of 'Gettin' a lil psycho on tyres', I hope you'll join me again tomorrow when I'll be looking at a fully loaded turbocharged competitor of the Rover SD1. Don't forget to come back now !
Thanks in part to a painfully slow process of rationalisation that was occurring at British Leyland during the early 1970's involving many duplicitous departments and management within the nationalised organisation it took 54 months for the SD1 to move from drawing board to production.
David Bache was not in the least shy about his design influences incorporated into the SD1 including these indicator lights which are almost identical to those found on a Ferrari Daytona.
Built in a new purpose built £31 million factory in Solihull the SD1 was marketed as the Rover 3500 and launched in July 1976 to an ecstatic reception regarding the styling and performance, though the quality of some of the materials used and build were short of the market leaders particularly the emerging BMW brand. The deep front spoiler and BBS pattern wheels on this model signifies a later model in this case built in 1986.
The Vitesse badge hitherto associated with Triumph models belies the fact that the SD1 had technical and marketing input from the still separate and competing Triumph design and management offices. In late 1980 the Rover Vitesse, seen here at the Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, was introduced as the performance version of the Rover 3500 and the Vanden Plas the Luxury version that included leather seats.
While the styling of the SD1 was ahead of it's time the rear suspension was actually a technological step back from the de Dion suspension used on the previous Rover P6 to a live rear axle, though this made the cars easier and cheaper to build the move did not compromise the handling, much praised in the contemporary press, in anyway.
Since British Leyland had so many competing brands in its range the 1977 European Car of the Year award winner was not the money spinner that it should have been because it was priced so as not to compete directly with the Jaguar XJ6 against which it was seen in an extremely favourable light.
Thanks for joining me on the 1977 European Car of the Year edition of 'Gettin' a lil psycho on tyres', I hope you'll join me again tomorrow when I'll be looking at a fully loaded turbocharged competitor of the Rover SD1. Don't forget to come back now !
Friday, 20 May 2011
Outlaw Racer - Ferrari 365 GTB/4
Launched in 1968 the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 replaced the Ferrari 275 GTB/4 and to this writers mind represents the pinnacle of front engine rear wheel drive fastback GT cars. Until outlawed by US legislation in 1971 the 365 GTB/4 came with headlights mounted behind acrylic glass covers.
This most stylish of vehicles is powered by a 347 hp Lamperdi inspired twin overhead cam 60ยบ V12 stretched to 4390 cc / 268 cui motor, each cylinder with a volume of 365 cc from which the model gets its name.
To optimise the weight balance and handling the gearbox is mounted as part of a transaxle just in front of the rear wheels.
As one would of expect of a vehicle this cool to look at it has performance to match being capable of reaching 60 mph from rest in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 174 mph.
Competition versions of the 365 GTB/4 run by privateers with up to 450 hp counted amongst their successes a GT class winning 5th overall at Le Mans in 1971 along with GT Class wins in the same race in '72, '73, and '74 scoring 1st to 5th in class in '72, and five years after production of the model had ceased an amazing 2nd overall in the Daytona 24 hour race.
Dan Gurney and Brock Yates also drove a 365 GTB/4 2,876 miles from New York to Los Angeles averaging 80.1 mph to win the inaugural Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash in 1971.
It is thought just 1,406 of these cars designed by Leonardo Fiorvanti of Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti including 122 Spiders and 15 lightweight competition vehicles. The high desirability of the rare Spiders has led to several Berlinetta models being converted and several companies have made Spider replicas with a variety of engines.
The 365GTB/4 was replaced by the rear engined 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer.
I hope you have enjoyed today's Outlaw Racer edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
Friday, 11 March 2011
Leading From The Front - Ferrari F550
In 1996 the Ferrari F 550 saw the return of a model with a motor in the front to the top of the Ferrari range for the first time, since the much loved Ferrari Daytona 365 GTB4, in 20 years.
This top end vehicle was powered by a 485 hp twin cam 48 valve V12.
Featuring a tubular steel chassis the F550 was clothed with an aluminium body.
Capable of reaching 60 mph from rest in just 4.2 seconds the F550 could cover 402 meters in 12.5 seconds and had a top speed of 199 mph.
The F 550 was also used in sports car racing by several private entrants including Prodrive who built 10 vehicles for themselves and BMS Scuderia Italia. Victories included a Class win at Le Mans for Prodrive in 2003 and the FIA GT Championship for BMS Scuderia Italia in 2004.
Hope you have enjoyed today's front engine Ferrari Friday edition of 'Gettin a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you'll join me again tomorrow. Don'r forget to come back now :-)
Friday, 14 January 2011
Not available in the USA - Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer !
Friday time for some more Marranello V12 vibes.
Just 387 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB's were made from 1973 to 1976 with the model continuing in production first in 512BB and then 512 BBi guise until 1984.
Designed to replace the front engine Daytona and rival the technically more complex Lambourghini Muira with its transverse V12 mounted behind the driver, the 365 GT4 BB features a 180 degree V12 developed from the 60 degree V12 Daytona, not a boxer as the model name would suggest, mounted longitudinally behind the driver.
None of the 365 GT4 BB's were originally sold in America by Ferrari as Enzo would not sanction the cost of federalisation, though a few are now in US ownership.
With it's 344 prancing horses pulling at maximum capacity it is thought the 365 GT4 BB was capable of over 185 mph.
Hope you have enjoyed today's 70's edition of 'Gettin a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you'll join me again tomorrow for some 1950's Girl Power and an OSCA. Don't forget to come back now !
Just 387 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB's were made from 1973 to 1976 with the model continuing in production first in 512BB and then 512 BBi guise until 1984.
Designed to replace the front engine Daytona and rival the technically more complex Lambourghini Muira with its transverse V12 mounted behind the driver, the 365 GT4 BB features a 180 degree V12 developed from the 60 degree V12 Daytona, not a boxer as the model name would suggest, mounted longitudinally behind the driver.
None of the 365 GT4 BB's were originally sold in America by Ferrari as Enzo would not sanction the cost of federalisation, though a few are now in US ownership.
With it's 344 prancing horses pulling at maximum capacity it is thought the 365 GT4 BB was capable of over 185 mph.
Hope you have enjoyed today's 70's edition of 'Gettin a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you'll join me again tomorrow for some 1950's Girl Power and an OSCA. Don't forget to come back now !
Thursday, 23 December 2010
2 miles a minute - 1905 Darracq 200hp
Using the profits from the sale of his Gladiator cycle factory, Alexandre Darracq founded Automobiles Darracq S.A.in 1896.
In 1905 he built a 200hp V8 specifically for setting Land Speed Records.
Straight out of the box Victor Hemery set an LSR on the V8 Darracq at 109 mph at Aries in France.
The Darracq was then shipped to Ormond - Daytona where Hemery's belligerent behaviour did not go down well with officials so Louis Chevrolet was drafted in to drive the car to a 1 mile petrol powered LSR of 117.65 mph only 10 mph slower than Frank Marriott on his Stanley Steamer ! Finally Victor Demogeot set a 2 mile LSR beating the Stanley Steamer with an average speed of 122.5 mph becoming the first vehicle to cover 2 miles in less than 1 minute.
Sir Algernon Lee Guiness of the famous Brewing company became the next owner of the Darracq and he used it to set many records in the UK and France until 1909.
The car then fell into the hands of someone who scrapped the axles for no particularly obvious reason and somehow Sir Algernon retrieved the remaining car which was kept stored until 1956 when his widow sold the car to Gerald Firkins who recreated the vehicle as we see it today.
When the pistons were replaced it was found that the engine volume was 25400 cc / 1495.1 cui not 22.5 litres as had been thought for nearly 100 years !
Mark Walker purchased the vehicle in 2006 and has campaigned it regularly in hill climbs and races ever since. Notice anything missing from the front axle ? This vehicle has never had brakes acting on the front wheels yet still gets driven competitively in the rain !
Despite having no front brakes, or reverse gear, a rear axle recreated from a drawing in a 90 year old book and being well known for spitting flames the Darracq is road legal and Mark drives it to and from competitive events.
Hope you have enjoyed todays Edwardian edition of Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres, looking forward to Ferrari Friday when I'll be presenting a Ferrari that allegedly served time as a mini van on the dark side of the moon ! Don't forget to come back now !
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