Ralston Lynx MkII Roadster (1956)
Like many luxury marques entering the Great Depression, a bifurcated range of 'Senior' models - large cars with large engines, tailor-made to their customer's whims, and a 'Junior' model, exhibiting much of the flash, but with certain production and planning efficiencies befitting a less specialised product. So it was with Ralston. The 'Tigre' adopted specialist coachbuilt bodies, and potent Straight-eight engines, and the lower series line was named 'Lynx', and was sportier and lighter of build.
For the second series of Lynx, launched in 1956, the recipe was much the same. This time though, the line was focused on a low-slung sportscar (Coupe and Roadster), built in the Superleggera fashion. Bodies were hand-made in Italy by various coach builders, transported to Finland (to the modest vehicle works that the company had its origins in), and fitted with engines shipped from the US.
For the Type-II Lynx the engine was again a six-cylinder inline engine from Continental (the US specialist engine builders), deploying an early development, high-compression OHC head atop a 232 CID (3.8 L) later to power various AMC models.
For 1956, the engine developed 180 hp, rising to 210 hp in 1959 and 225 hp ins the MkII-C of 1961. Each improvement driven as much by fuel octane ratings, aspiration technology, and the need to keep pace with the competition. For the Lynx application, the engine was also inclined over 30 degrees, and fitted with a dry sump in an effort to reduce the engine height, and improve the cars already low centre of gravity.
Being October, which had always been the LUGNuts anniversary month, this Ralston Lynx MkII Roadster has been built to the 95th challenge theme 'Designing the Ralston Legacy'.
Ralston Lynx MkII Roadster (1956)
Like many luxury marques entering the Great Depression, a bifurcated range of 'Senior' models - large cars with large engines, tailor-made to their customer's whims, and a 'Junior' model, exhibiting much of the flash, but with certain production and planning efficiencies befitting a less specialised product. So it was with Ralston. The 'Tigre' adopted specialist coachbuilt bodies, and potent Straight-eight engines, and the lower series line was named 'Lynx', and was sportier and lighter of build.
For the second series of Lynx, launched in 1956, the recipe was much the same. This time though, the line was focused on a low-slung sportscar (Coupe and Roadster), built in the Superleggera fashion. Bodies were hand-made in Italy by various coach builders, transported to Finland (to the modest vehicle works that the company had its origins in), and fitted with engines shipped from the US.
For the Type-II Lynx the engine was again a six-cylinder inline engine from Continental (the US specialist engine builders), deploying an early development, high-compression OHC head atop a 232 CID (3.8 L) later to power various AMC models.
For 1956, the engine developed 180 hp, rising to 210 hp in 1959 and 225 hp ins the MkII-C of 1961. Each improvement driven as much by fuel octane ratings, aspiration technology, and the need to keep pace with the competition. For the Lynx application, the engine was also inclined over 30 degrees, and fitted with a dry sump in an effort to reduce the engine height, and improve the cars already low centre of gravity.
Being October, which had always been the LUGNuts anniversary month, this Ralston Lynx MkII Roadster has been built to the 95th challenge theme 'Designing the Ralston Legacy'.