Showing posts with label Pontiac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pontiac. Show all posts
Thursday, 1 January 2015
Thursday, 10 April 2014
Sunday, 18 December 2011
GALPOT Weekly #9
Welcome to GALPOT Weekly #9, most weeks I manage to have my posts prepared a week in advance so this week I have been preparing the Automobiliart / GALPOT seasonal quiz, the experience has proved to be a strange mixture of sadism and masochism on the one hand the more difficult the questions the more fun the quiz on the other hand the more difficult the questions the more difficult it has been to establish the facts that constitute the answers. I hope I have struck a balance that ensures that everyone who reads the blog gets some pleasure from answering the questions.
On to the last weeks blogs, I started the week with my very first mini road test, the model under scrutiny was the frugal Honda CR-Z a hybrid small on the outside comfortably spacious on the inside and on the evidence of the short test it should be a hit for commuters.
It's hard not to like the type of car you first had the opportunity to drive at 100 mph, legally. Such is the case with the shapely Opel Manta S which I looked at on Tuesday, not exactly a muscle car but for us young Europeans wanting to be cool definitely an affordable fastback to aspire to.
On Wednesday I looked at possibly one of the last vehicles designed in the opulent style of the optimistic '50's Project Sunbird which became the Ford Consul Capri was a pretty cool looking car for the 1950's but it's poor sales figures perhaps reflect the fact that it was not available to the public until 1961 by which time a less gregarious more functional style was beginning to take hold of the automotive markets imagination.
I returned to look at a traditional muscle car on Americana Thursday a 1970 Pontiac Le Mans Sport not quite as cool as the Pontiac GTO of the period but most eyes in Europe would probably not be able to tell the difference, I, a Two Lane Black Top fan, certainly struggled to identify it correctly.
On Friday courtesy of Geoffrey Horton I was able to take a look at story of the Ferrari 375MM Viganle chassis #0286AM that Phil Hill drove with Ritchie Ginther on the 1954 Carrera Panamericana recording an average speed of 137 mph over the 572 miles of the last days stage of the event on which they recovered a second place finish after running out of fuel the previous day.
The cute little Lotus Climax 21 Formula Junior car was the subject of yesterday's blog, the British Racing Green and yellow paintwork of which certainly resonates with some readers.
Today's GALPOT blog is all about the road going version of Fords Le Mans sportscar racing programme the rare Ford GT40 Mk 3 of which only seven were built despite the success of the racing siblings of which 100 were produced.
Coming up next week I'll be reviewing the GALPOT year starting with a review of Museums visited tomorrow a review of Concours d'Elegance vehicles on Tuesday and moving on to motoring and sporting events towards the end of the week.
I hope you will join me daily for all this and more to come in the week ahead at GALPOT. Don't forget to come back now !
PS Don't forget ...
Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz
December 26th - January 2nd
Win a set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards
Set 1 Sports & GT Cars
Set 2 Phil Hill World Drivers Championship 50th Anniversary Edition
Set 3 1934 Season
Set 4 Grand Prix Engines of the 1950's
or
Set 5 Mike Hawthorn's Race Cars
The Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will comprise 8 categories.
Overall winner chooses one set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards from the five sets shown above.
The cards measure 15.24cm x 11.43cm, come in packs of 12 with 3 copies of 4 designs in each set, plus A6 envelopes.
Which set will you choose ?
The free to enter Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will run from December 26th - January 2nd Entries close January 8th 2012, Winner announced January 16th 2012.
Full details on December 26th at GALPOT.
Looking for Automotive Seasonal Gift Idea's? Visit Automobiliart Now !
On to the last weeks blogs, I started the week with my very first mini road test, the model under scrutiny was the frugal Honda CR-Z a hybrid small on the outside comfortably spacious on the inside and on the evidence of the short test it should be a hit for commuters.
It's hard not to like the type of car you first had the opportunity to drive at 100 mph, legally. Such is the case with the shapely Opel Manta S which I looked at on Tuesday, not exactly a muscle car but for us young Europeans wanting to be cool definitely an affordable fastback to aspire to.
On Wednesday I looked at possibly one of the last vehicles designed in the opulent style of the optimistic '50's Project Sunbird which became the Ford Consul Capri was a pretty cool looking car for the 1950's but it's poor sales figures perhaps reflect the fact that it was not available to the public until 1961 by which time a less gregarious more functional style was beginning to take hold of the automotive markets imagination.
I returned to look at a traditional muscle car on Americana Thursday a 1970 Pontiac Le Mans Sport not quite as cool as the Pontiac GTO of the period but most eyes in Europe would probably not be able to tell the difference, I, a Two Lane Black Top fan, certainly struggled to identify it correctly.
On Friday courtesy of Geoffrey Horton I was able to take a look at story of the Ferrari 375MM Viganle chassis #0286AM that Phil Hill drove with Ritchie Ginther on the 1954 Carrera Panamericana recording an average speed of 137 mph over the 572 miles of the last days stage of the event on which they recovered a second place finish after running out of fuel the previous day.
The cute little Lotus Climax 21 Formula Junior car was the subject of yesterday's blog, the British Racing Green and yellow paintwork of which certainly resonates with some readers.
Today's GALPOT blog is all about the road going version of Fords Le Mans sportscar racing programme the rare Ford GT40 Mk 3 of which only seven were built despite the success of the racing siblings of which 100 were produced.
Coming up next week I'll be reviewing the GALPOT year starting with a review of Museums visited tomorrow a review of Concours d'Elegance vehicles on Tuesday and moving on to motoring and sporting events towards the end of the week.
I hope you will join me daily for all this and more to come in the week ahead at GALPOT. Don't forget to come back now !
PS Don't forget ...
Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz
December 26th - January 2nd
Win a set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards
Set 1 Sports & GT Cars
Set 2 Phil Hill World Drivers Championship 50th Anniversary Edition
Set 3 1934 Season
Set 4 Grand Prix Engines of the 1950's
or
Set 5 Mike Hawthorn's Race Cars
The Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will comprise 8 categories.
Overall winner chooses one set of Paul Chenard Greetings Cards from the five sets shown above.
The cards measure 15.24cm x 11.43cm, come in packs of 12 with 3 copies of 4 designs in each set, plus A6 envelopes.
Which set will you choose ?
The free to enter Automobiliart GALPOT Seasonal Quiz will run from December 26th - January 2nd Entries close January 8th 2012, Winner announced January 16th 2012.
Full details on December 26th at GALPOT.
Looking for Automotive Seasonal Gift Idea's? Visit Automobiliart Now !
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Booby Prize from Wide Track Country - Pontiac Firebird
In 1954 vice president of engineering at General Motors Oliver K Kelly called Packards head of Research and Development John DeLorean to offer him a choice of jobs across the five divisions on General Motors. DeLorean who at the time also had the choice of moving to Studebaker with whom Packard had just merged settled on becoming assistant to chief engineer Elliot 'Pete' Estes at Pontiac.
By 1963 John had become chief engineer at Pontiac, and Estes had become general Manager when they together with engine specialist Russell Gee and chassis engineer Bill Collins convinced the GM management to let them offer a $296 performance package on the Pontiac LeMans Coupé and Convertible body stiles that included a 325 hp 6.4 litre / 389 cui V8 motor normally found in the full size Pontiac Catalina and Bonneville models, from whence the 'Wide Track' strap line was born and named it GTO a name John picked up from the Ferrari 250 GTO.
The Pontiac GTO with initial production limited to 5,000, by a disbelieving Pontiac Sales Manager Frank Bridge, was an instant hit with Ronnie and the Daytonas, the youth market at which it was aimed and GM Management. The GTO was responsible for transforming the image of the brand from an 'aunties car' to a youth orientated performance brand with over 32, 000 units built in 1964.
As the GTO was launched John DeLorean moved on to the development of the Pontiac Banshee a concept car to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette which was killed by GM's top management. DeLorean seen as Pontiacs golden boy was promoted to head of the entire Pontiac division and given the consolation task of turning the Chevrolet Camaro into a Pontiac Pony Car with the proviso that there could be no alterations to the sheet metal except to the front and rear panels.
By incorporating a signature Pontiac split grill with built in bumper at the front and a version of the rear strip lights seen on the two Banshee concept cars the Pontiac Pony car was easily distinguishable from it's Chevrolet sibling, Having failed to acquire the Banshee naming rights from rocket scientist Eugene F. Lally, who had successfully raced a Corvette powered special of the same name, for less than ¢50 per car, the name Firebird which had been previously used by GM on three seriously out landish gas turbine concept cars, was eventually adopted for the Pontiac pony car.
The absence of marker lights, Federally mandated in 1968, and the E suffix on the registration plate confirm this as most likely one of the five variations of the 1967 model line up.
The Ram Air bonnet / hood suggests this car had the top of the range 6.6 litre / 400 cui motor installed when it left the factory.
Just over 100,132 1967 Firebirds are thought to have been manufactured of which 9,980 were convertible.
Thanks for joining me on this Wide Track Country edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres', I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
By 1963 John had become chief engineer at Pontiac, and Estes had become general Manager when they together with engine specialist Russell Gee and chassis engineer Bill Collins convinced the GM management to let them offer a $296 performance package on the Pontiac LeMans Coupé and Convertible body stiles that included a 325 hp 6.4 litre / 389 cui V8 motor normally found in the full size Pontiac Catalina and Bonneville models, from whence the 'Wide Track' strap line was born and named it GTO a name John picked up from the Ferrari 250 GTO.
The Pontiac GTO with initial production limited to 5,000, by a disbelieving Pontiac Sales Manager Frank Bridge, was an instant hit with Ronnie and the Daytonas, the youth market at which it was aimed and GM Management. The GTO was responsible for transforming the image of the brand from an 'aunties car' to a youth orientated performance brand with over 32, 000 units built in 1964.
As the GTO was launched John DeLorean moved on to the development of the Pontiac Banshee a concept car to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette which was killed by GM's top management. DeLorean seen as Pontiacs golden boy was promoted to head of the entire Pontiac division and given the consolation task of turning the Chevrolet Camaro into a Pontiac Pony Car with the proviso that there could be no alterations to the sheet metal except to the front and rear panels.
By incorporating a signature Pontiac split grill with built in bumper at the front and a version of the rear strip lights seen on the two Banshee concept cars the Pontiac Pony car was easily distinguishable from it's Chevrolet sibling, Having failed to acquire the Banshee naming rights from rocket scientist Eugene F. Lally, who had successfully raced a Corvette powered special of the same name, for less than ¢50 per car, the name Firebird which had been previously used by GM on three seriously out landish gas turbine concept cars, was eventually adopted for the Pontiac pony car.
The absence of marker lights, Federally mandated in 1968, and the E suffix on the registration plate confirm this as most likely one of the five variations of the 1967 model line up.
The Ram Air bonnet / hood suggests this car had the top of the range 6.6 litre / 400 cui motor installed when it left the factory.
Just over 100,132 1967 Firebirds are thought to have been manufactured of which 9,980 were convertible.
Thanks for joining me on this Wide Track Country edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres', I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
Monday, 13 June 2011
Classic and Sports Car Action Day - Castle Combe
On my way back from a couple of interviews at Sheffield Documentary Festival at the weekend I found time to accept a kind invitation from David Roots to pay a flying visit to Castle Combe for the Classic and Sports Car Action Day.
As I arrived out on the track caught a glimpse of a huge variety of vehicles ranging from a Wolsely Hornet to a gargantuan, by comparison, Ford Zodiac.
Since I was on a tight schedule I directed my attention to the even larger variety of vehicles in the car parks and paddock.
Many owners clubs were in attendance including the Ford Capri owners club who's members brought a fine variety of examples of 'The car you have always promised yourself', along to the show.
I do not remember the last time I saw a Hillman Avenger Tiger, let alone half a dozen of them !
In the running for most exotic cat at the track was this Jaguar XJ 220, first time I have seen one in the flesh.
Another model I do not recall seeing before is the Lanchester Ten.
Richard Edmonds were auctioning a selection of classic cars and commercial vehicles, including the Morris Van above, during the event, their tent was packed out with bargain hunters as I went past.
Unfortunately I did not get to hear or see this 350 CUI GTO in action complete with this cool bonnet mounted rev counter. 18 03 12, this car actually turned out to be a Pontiac LeMans Sport.
Among the interesting vehicles in the car park was this Rover V8 powered Reliant Scimitar, manufactured originally with a Ford V6.
This Alpine A110 1600 S built for competition was one of several vehicles present with an interesting history in rallying.
There was also an impressive collection of Triumphs on display almost every type of TR and a couple of Stags.
Looking forward to blogging about some of the 40 vehicles I saw in the coming weeks, my thanks to David Roots, who's Alfa powered Lenham I blogged several months ago, of the Bath & West Car Club for the invitation to attend.
Thanks for dropping in on today's Classic and Sports Car edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres', I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Who can it be now ? - Vauxhall VXR8
The Vauxhall VXR8 is a badge engineered HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) Clubsport built in Clayton, Victoria Australia.
HSV Clubsports, based on the then current Holden VE Commodore body, were sold as the CSV (Chevrolet Special Vehicles) CR8 in the Middle East and Pontiac G8 in the United States.
This model is fitted with a 425 hp 6162 cc / 376 cui LS3 engine.
A Bathurst option was available with a 530 hp supercharged version of the LS3.
Regular GALPOT readers might remember the HSV strap line from my blog on the HSV Maloo R8 runs ' I just want one !' which is equally applicable to this antipodean model I think you might agree.
Hope you have enjoyed today's Clayton, Victoria edition of 'Getting a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you'll join me again tomorrow for a look at some of the details from this weekends Race Retro exhibition at Stoneleigh. Don't forget to come back now !
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