Best laid plans in PR - Bond Equipe 4S

Continuing the theme of rare Triumph based cars started yesterday, today we are looking at this 1965 Triumph Herald based Bond Equipe GT 4 S.



The Equipe GT 4S was built on a Triumph Herald chassis and was powered by a 63 hp 1147 cc / 69.9 cui 4 cylinder used in the Triumph Herald and Spitfire.



The opening boot was only introduced to the Equipe range with the GT 4s in 1964 ! 1934 examples of this 4S were built from 1964 - 1967. The Equipe in various guises was built from 1963 to 1970, when Bond was taken over by Reliant and the factory in Preston was closed.



A little footnote on the Bond Equipe 4S, Bond supplied several of these vehicles to the press for the official opening of a new stretch of the M6 Motorway on 23rd January 1965, big news in those days with thronging crowds as can be seen in this picture. The publicity coup however fell flat when Winston Churchill died the next day.

Hope you enjoyed todays show, don't forget to come back now !

Killed by British Leyland - Italia 2000 GT

The Italia 2000 GT was an attempt by Commendator Salvador Ruffino to fuse the proven 'reliability' of British engineering and the the artistry of Italian coach builders.



The Italia 2000 GT was built around knock down Triumph TR3A kits, featuring a 100 hp 1991cc 121 cui 4 cylinder engine, that has similarities to the engine Standard supplied to Ferguson for use in tractors in 1945.



The TR3 from which all the mechanical components are supplied was one of the earliest production vehicles to feature Disc brakes behind the Crosley Hotshot and Citroen DS.



As this, non original (?), plate show's only 349 Italia 2000's were built, the original agreement was for Carrozzeria Vignale to build 1500 of these sports cars however when British Leyland bought Triumph in 1960 the management decided to stop supplying the knock down kits and opted to built the TR4 instead.



The design of the Italia was by Giovanni Michelotti who designed the Triumph TR4 that superseded the Italia.



The production of the Italia 2000 GT in Turin ran from 1959 to 1962.

Thanks for popping by, don't forget to come back now ! :-)

Killer Bull - Lamborghini Islero

The Lamborghini Islero was a 2 + 2 built from 1968 to 1969, with just 225 examples built.



Powered by a 325 hp 3929 cc / 239.7 CUI 60 degree V12 capable of taking the Islero from 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 154 mph.



Named after a Muira Bull that killed Manuel Rodriguez 'Manilete' on August 28, 1947. The design was by Carrozzeria Marazzi.



Ferruccio & Edmondo Lamborghini used such vehicles as there 'daily drivers'. Any one who has seen 'The Man Who Haunted Himself' may have noticed Roger Moore driving one.

Hope you enjoyed today's post and will join me again tomorrow, don't forget to come back now !

Move Over - Rover P6... Cabriolet !

The other day I was ambling along to the shops in the bright sunshine and I caught a glimpse of an old school chrome bumper through a hedge, it was attached to a Rover P6 (marketed as a Rover 2000) I didn't think much of it till I got around the corner and it registered there was something odd, the roof was missing.



I went back to check and sure enough this is a Rover 2000 4 door cabriolet. I have no idea where or when the conversion was done, probably when the car was at least 12 months old to avoid attracting additional car purchase tax.

The Rover P6 Series 1 was in production from 1963 - 1973. This particular model was relatively underpowered by a 104 hp single carb, 1978 cc 120 CUI Heronhead (flat head / combustion chamber in the piston) overhead cam four cylinder engine. 208, 875 examples were produced of which between 160 to 170 are thought to have been converted post registration (to avoid additional car purchase tax) into estate / station wagon types by HR Owen and Crayford Engineering. Crayford are well known for Cabriolet conversions and possibly may have done this one.

If you know anything about Convertible P6's please tell us about them ?

Slightly off topic tonight (UK time) is the night Happy Harvick and anyone else interested in lifting the NEXTEL CUP surely has to beat Jimmy Johnson to be considered a contender, if the #48 leaves California with the win then I'd say the Chase and the Drive for Five is all over bar the shouting. Fingers crossed Go Happy ! Go Harvick ! Go #29 !

Wishing everybody a sunny Sunday. Don't forget to come back know !

Column Shift Racer - Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint 2

This is an Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint Series 2 is powered by a 1975 cc / 120.5 cui 4 cylinder engine.



This particular carl featuring a 5 speed column shift was delivered on the 31st March 1954.



Vehicles of this type are known to have competed in events like the Targa Florio & Mille Miglia I am not sure if these vented rear window's were part of the original specification, but they would indicate this particular car might have a competition history, if you know anything about it leave a comment below.



The body work is made by Touring of Milan using their trade mark Superleggera ( Super light) Duraluminim construction technique featuring a light steel frame covered in aluminium panels. Anyone who has seen Goldfinger might remember James Bond telling one of his molls about his 'Aston Martin DB5 Superleggera'.
in that fabulous Scottish brogue. Aston Martin bought a licence from touring to use the technique.

The construction technique has one major flaw other than being very expensive, steel and aluminium when they come into contact suffer galvanic corrosion, which is why aluminium alloy wheels corrode the steel in the brake dust reacts with the aluminium, a similar problem occurs with aluminium license plates and steel screws. Allegedly Bristol Cars with their experience in the aircraft industry are the only manufacturer to have satisfactorily minimised the problem by using a special paste.



The sunken rear lights on this car look particularly fetching though the heavy duty steel bumper rather spoils the effect IMHO.

Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend, don't forget to come back now !

Cinquecento - Fiat 'Topolino'

Nothing more topical to celebrate this blogs 500th visitor than this cute little Fiat 500 'Topolino'.



The 'Little Mouse' was powered by a 13 hp 4 cylinder 596 cc / 36.37 cui engine mounted ahead of the front axle.



The low, for 1937, front body line, was achieved by mounting the radiator behind the engine.



This really is a two seat vehicle but I remember hitch hiking in Italy in the 1980's seeing these vehicles stuffed with 4 or 5 passengers always screaming and laughing with Latin joie de vivre.

Thanks to every one who has popped by over the last couple of weeks and particularly all those who have made comments, its been great fun getting "Psycho on Tyres" up and running and I hope you'll continue to find this blog continues to entertain.

Don't forget to come back now :-)

A lesson from Lotus - Elan plus 2

The elegant Lotus Elan plus 2 was introduced in 1967 .



It was capable of 120 mph powered by a 126 hp 1558 cc / 95 cu inch 4 cylinder engine.



5200 plus 2's were made between 1967 and 1975. The registration of this model suggests it was made in between 1971 and 1972.



This non standard badge, celebrating all of the Lotus world constructors championships is at least 6 years younger than the rest of the vehicle to which it is affixed. Lotus Team Manager Peter Warr who played a role in the 1970, '72 and '73 championship victories passed away yesterday.



Peter should be best remembered for taking Ayrton Senna to Lotus on Ayrton's own terms and extending the life of the Lotus F1 team by several years after the death of founder Colin Chapman. However he is most well known for saying of Nigel Mansell (above Lotus 87 in 1981) "he'll never win a Grand Prix as long as I have a hole in my arse", which was probably all the encouragement Nigel needed to leave the Lotus team and become the winner of the 4th most Grand Prix of all time a World and Indycar champ. The lesson from Lotus must be 'never speak ill'. RIP Peter Warr.

Thanks for dropping by, don't forget to come back now.