View allAll Photos Tagged Bodyshell
Mini 850 Mk.III (1969-76) Engine 848cc S4 Tr OHV
Registration Number JPC 603 K
MINI (BL) SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623797597842...
The Mark III Mini had a modified bodyshell with enough alterations to see the factory code change from ADO15 to ADO20 (which it shared with the Clubman). The most obvious changes were larger doors with concealed hinges. Customer demand led to the sliding windows being replaced with winding windows—although some Australian-manufactured Mark I Minis had adopted this feature in 1965 (with opening quarterlight windows). The suspension reverted from Hydrolastic to rubber cones
Production at the Cowley plant was ended in 1969, and the simple name Mini completely replaced the separate Austin and Morris brands. In April 1974, a heater became standard equipment on the entry-level Mini 850, as well, having by then already been included in the standard specification of the other models for some time
This car was originally supplied by Swain & Jones in Farnham, with an invoice totalling £669.00 and registered on 14th December 1971, with the optional extras of a heater - £ 11 and seat belts £ 6-50, a one owner car with only 30,000 miles, It was offered for sale at the H+H Brooklands Auction of 8th March 2014, with an Estimate of £ 4 - 5500 selling for £ 5152.
A big thankyou for an incredible 23.7 Million views
Shot 06:03:2014 at Brooklands REF 101-501
The Austin Maxi is a medium-sized, 5-door hatchback family car that was produced by Austin and later British Leyland between 1969 and 1981. It was the first British five-door hatchback.
The Maxi (code name ADO14) was the last car designed under the British Motor Corporation (BMC) before it was incorporated into the new British Leyland group, and the last production car designed by famed designer Alec Issigonis. It was the first car to be launched by British Leyland.
The new chairman Lord Stokes decided to also change the hatchback's name to the Maxi in homage to the Mini of 10 years earlier. All Maxis were produced at the Cowley plant in Oxford, although the E-Series engines were made at a new factory at Cofton Hackett in Longbridge.
Underneath the Maxi's practical and spacious bodyshell lay an all-new front-wheel drive chassis, which was interlinked with an innovative five-speed manual transmission; the fifth gear was another rarity on family cars in 1969 and one which many manufacturers did not adopt until more than a decade later.
Despite the new platform, the Maxi's styling suffered from the decision to save tooling costs by re-using door panels from the Austin 1800 "Landcrab", which gave the Maxi an unusually long wheelbase in relation to its length, coupled with the fact that the carried-over doors made the Maxi resemble a scaled down version of the 1800 (and the Austin 3-Litre, which also used the same doors).
47 142 is seen here on the Down Filton Main at Lawrence Hill, on July 17th 1979.
She is pulling a rake of MOD Warflats, each carrying Bandvagn 202s.
She was built by Brush as D1735, entering service in May 1964.
86A Cardiff (Canton) 23/05/1964
87E Landore 06/1964
86A Cardiff (Canton) 07/1964
82A Bristol Bath Road 05/1965
D05 Stoke Division 17/06/1968
D16 Nottingham Division 10/1968
D05 Stoke Division 02/1969
D02 Birmingham Division 11/1969
BS Bescot 05/1973
CF Cardiff (Canton) 05/1973
Renumbered 47 142 04/1974
BR Bristol Bath Road 06/1974
CF Cardiff (Canton) 11/1974
LA Laira 02/1977
BR Bristol Bath Road 11/1977
TI Tinsley 10/1987
Named The Sapper, with the regimental badge of the Royal Engineers on a plate above the nameplate, at MoD, Long Marston, Warwickshire on 3/10/87 and removed in 7/93
Store 12/07/1993.
TI Tinsley 02/12/1993
Returned to Service 02/12/1993
Store 13/06/1994
Unofficially named TRACTION at Tinsley on 26/11/94.
CD Crewe Diesel 10/1995
Store 04/09/1996
CD Crewe Diesel 24/10/1996
Returned to Service 24/10/1996
Withdrawn 28/04/1998.
The loco was moved to Brush Traction at Loughborough about 20/10/96 for removal of all reuseable parts, and afterwards, sold to V.Berry of Leicester in 5/98 for final disposal.
The shell was moved by road to the yard of Leicester Heavy Haulage, where it was noted on 16/6/98, and was later disposed of by Vic Berry, although it had still not been cut up by 10/7/98.
This bodyshell was apparently broken up by Vic Berry at the new site by St. Mary's Mill Lock at Aylestone in Leicester during 9/99.
I hope you enjoy looking through my Flickr images. Please consider helping me pay for my Flickr subscription, and to replace my scanner with something that'll produce better images from the past.
I'd like to rescan all of my older uploads in the fullness of time.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Slowing for a stop at Teignmouth with the 2T15 Exmouth to Paignton is Great Western Railway Class 150, 150120, in the company of former London Midland Class 153, 153333.
The Class 150 and its derivatives are now a major part of Britain's commuter network, and also play an integral role in many of the rural branch lines and railway dependent settlements in connecting them to the rest of the country. Efficient, plucky and flexible, the Class 150's have always been a reliable instrument in the British Rail scene.
The planning of the Class 150 goes back to the early 1980's, where by this point many of the elderly Derby Lightweights and other 'Heritage' DMU's of the 1950's and 60's were in desperate need of replacement. The first consideration was the low cost Pacer units built by British Leyland that made their debut in 1984, but these units proved both unpopular and unreliable. As such, in addition to developing the Pacer, British Rail chose to build a more permanent unit based on the bodyshell of the MkIII carriage that had been used to form HST sets. The intention of the Class 150's was a unit that could provide both short distance commuter services as well as some longer distance trains. Areas of influence would be primarily outside of London, with commuter services connecting the cities of the North and the West Midlands, whilst more regional operations would connect the remote regions of Wales and Scotland to their nearest towns and cities.
By 1984, two prototypes had been built, consisting of three carriages and being fitted with two different engines for testing. 150001 was fitted with a Cummins powerplant with Voith Hydraulic Transmission, whilst 150002 was fitted with a Rolls Royce/Perkins engine and Self-Changing mechanical Transmission. These original units consisted of open plan interiors but no connecting gangways between units. After much testing primarily on the Midland Region around the Derby Test Centre, 150001's powerplant was chosen in favour of the Rolls Royce engine, which proved unreliable.
In competition with BREL was Metro-Cammell, who designed a pair of 3-car prototypes numbered Class 151. Although a very futuristic and space age looking machine, the Class 151's had troublesome gearboxes, resulting in violent gear shifts. Eventually, BREL's Class 150 was chosen for widespread production, and the Class 151's were withdrawn in 1989, languishing in Crewe before being scrapped in 2004 after suffering heavy vandalism. An advanced version of the Class 151 gearbox was however fitted to one of the Class 150 prototypes as a test for better design, this unit being dubbed Class 154. By this point however the gearbox design was outdated, and thus the unit was reverted back to its original specification.
From 1985, the first production Class 150/1's were released onto British Railways, working for the regional commuter sector known as Regional Railways. Their first points of influence were in Manchester and the West Midlands, operating on a wide variety of operations from longer distance services between Manchester, Blackpool, Liverpool, Barrow and Leeds, and in the Midlands from Birmingham to Kidderminster, Wolverhampton, Stratford-on-Avon and Shrewsbury. In total, 50 of these original units were built, distinguished by their lack of front gangway and non-sliding doors for the Driver's Cab.
To compliment this original fleet, a redesigned version of these units known as the Class 150/2 were built from 1986, and included a front-end gangway and all sliding doors. At the same time, the Class 150 bodyshell was used as a template for the Class 450 of Northern Ireland, a set of 9 nearly identical units with differing cab ends, one with a gangway, and one without. These units plied their trade across Northern Ireland until 2013 when they were all withdrawn, one unit preserved, and another in storage.
85 of the Class 150/2's were built, and began life working on almost the entire length and breadth of the network excluding London and the South East. These trains worked in Cornwall and Devon, the Highlands of Scotland, the Welsh Vallies, Trans-Pennine services between Manchester and Leeds, as well as along the East Coast of England from Newcastle to Lincoln and into Anglia. Both 150/1's and 150/2's differ from the original prototype by lack of a third intermediate trailer, although many Class 150/2's have been split to create hybrid 3-car units for extra capacity.
The only other member of the class to be built was the unique Class 180, a departmental track measurement unit fitted with computers and cameras to check the condition of the railway. It was redesignated Class 950 in 2000 following the introduction of the Class 180 Adalante units. This unit is still a common sight working for Network Rail.
Today all members of the fleet remain in service, but their original patterns have changed greatly. Class 150's no longer work in Scotland, but remain in heavy use around Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and other locations in the North of England with Northern Rail. London Midland, operating around the West Midlands on what was Central Trains' network have sold off many of their units to other operators following the introduction of Class 172 units, although the company retains 3 units for the Bletchley to Bedford service. Formerly, the Class 150's operated for what was Silverlink on the Barking to Gospel Oak line in North London, the only instance these units have been used regularly in the capital, but have since been withdrawn by London Overground in place of Class 172's.
Today, First Great Western and Arriva Trains Wales hold a sizeable fleet to operate trains in and around the South of Wales and England, working from Penzance and Plymouth to Great Malvern, Brighton, Salisbury, and along the Welsh coast to Fishguard, Pembroke and Swansea, with operations being based between Bristol and Cardiff. Arriva does however have a wider influence with its units, operating also to Manchester (on some occasions), Chester, Aberystwyth, Holyhead, and along the north Welsh coast.
Working a light engine movement from Felixstowe to Peterborough North Yard are GBRf Class 66's, 66711 'Sense' and 66742 'Port of Immingham', stopping for a red light at Peterborough.
One of Britain's, and indeed Europe's, most numerous diesel locomotives, the Class 66 has become the face of nearly every freight operating rail company on the UK network, a simple, utilitarian design with an enormous, powerful engine. But with it's popularity among rail companies came a price, as it is often listed as one of the most hated locomotives ever to hit the UK rails, largely because of the slew of older BR classic locomotives it replaced from the late 1990's onward.
But is it really deserving of such a bum rap?
By the mid-1990's it was apparent that a majority of the ex-British Rail locomotives were well beyond their bloom of youth. Aside from the Class 58's of 1983, the Class 60's of 1989, and the American built Class 59's of 1985, most locomotives in the service of freight companies were coming up to 30 or 40 years old, and reliability was a major issue. Years of under-investment in the BR freight sector Railfreight Distribution, had resulted in a fleet comprised of decrepit diesels such as the Class 37's and Class 47's, being worked into the ground to keep the company rolling. Although the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 was a catalyst to investments for freight trains working those particular trunk routes to the South East, with the construction of the Class 92's and the refurbishment of Wembley based Class 47's, the remainder of the freight operators, by this time led by shadow franchises Loadhaul, Transrail and Mainline, were left with a fleet that was slowly dying before their eyes. Class 47's, especially, needed a major overhaul every seven years, costing £400,000; yet had an average daily availability of less than 65% with only 16 days between major failures.
Enter Wisconsin Central, who, in 1996, bought the three franchises together with Railfreight Distribution and mail operator Rail Express Systems to create EWS, or English, Welsh & Scottish Railways. As part of the franchise commitment, the intention was to replace the ageing diesel fleet with a standard design that would reduce maintenance and operating costs substantially, with higher levels of reliability and efficiency. Looking at the fleet of diesels in general, it was noted that among the most reliable classes in the UK were the small fleet of 15 Class 59's, built by General Motors between 1985 and 1995 for private Aggregate operators such as Foster Yeoman and Hanson, as well as energy company National Power for the haulage of their coal trains between Collieries and Power Stations. These engines were, for the most part, substantially younger than the likes of the Class 20's, 31's, 37's and 47's, and more reliable than the early built Class 56's from Romania, which were infamous for their poor build quality.
Seeing their success, EWS placed an order in 1997 for 250 locomotives based on similar principles to that of the Class 59, often dubbed one of the biggest locomotive orders since the age of Steam. Locomotives were built at GM's factory in London, Ontario, and externally the bodyshell and design shared that with the Class 59. Internally though, the engines took many of GM's previous developments and updated the engine and traction motors to enable higher speeds. The new locomotive was fitted with the 20 year old design of the EMD 710 12-cylinder diesel engine, found originally in the GP60 freight locomotives of North America. However, some of GM's newer creations also made it into the mix, such as updated cab-control systems, the kind found in the Irish Railways Class 201 of 1994.
Originally designated Class 61, the first of these new locomotives arrived by boat at Immingham in June 1998, prior to proving tests at Derby. The locomotives then shipped at a rate of 11 per month into the UK via Newport Docks, until the order was completed in December 2001. After unloading, EWS engineers then simply took off the tarpaulin, unblocked the suspension, and finally as each was shipped with water and fuel, hooked up the batteries, before starting the engine and handing the locomotive into service. Almost immediately, other UK freight operators took interest in the Class, and companies such as Freightliner, GB Railfreight and Direct Rail Services also placed orders.
Upon their introduction, reliability levels for EWS's operations improved substantially. Each locomotive is specified and guaranteed to 95% availability, aiming for a minimum of 180 days mean time between failures. It is designed to cover 1·6million km between major rebuilds, equivalent to 18 years' service, with each major rebuild costed at £200,000. But with their success came the sad reality that the much loved classes of yesteryear were going to be given the push, and this is where a majority of the Class 66's unpopularity comes from. It could have been understood the replacement of the 40 year old Class 20's, 31's, 37's and 47's, as it was quite clear they were past their prime, the same could equally be said for some of the earlier Class 56's of the late 1970's. However, the line was stepped across with the withdrawal of the Class 58's and Class 60's, as the desire of EWS to have a standardised fleet, resulted in the removal of locomotives that were nowhere near life-expired. The large-scale retirement of these extremely reliable and powerful locomotives that weren't even 20 years old was seen as a travesty, and whilst some Class 60's have seen a revival with other operators as of late, the Class 58's are all but extinct, whilst many Class 60's continue to languish in yards across the UK, mostly at Toton in the East Midlands.
Nevertheless, the class continued to grow over the years, and, upon the conclusion of Class 66 production in the UK in 2014, 446 of the class were eventually built. But we can't forget also that the class has seen major success across Europe as well, with dozens of engines in operation in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, and Poland, with certification pending in the Czech Republic and Italy.
Today, a majority of the class is still in service with a variety of operators. DB Schenker, the successor to EWS, continues to operate the largest fleet of 249 locomotives. Freightliner operates 141, DRS operates 19, GBRf operates 72 and Colas Rail operates 5. Not all of the locomotives however remain with us, as three have been written off.
The first was 66521 on the 28th February, 2001, where after hitting a Land Rover that had fallen down an embankment from the M62 motorway, a southbound GNER InterCity 225 set led by lightweight Class 82 DVT, 82221, derailed and ran straight into the path of the oncoming Class 66 which was working a northbound coal train. With an estimated closing speed of 142mph, the DVT was obliterated upon hitting the Class 66, and the freight locomotive was mangled and distorted as it was crushed between its loaded coal train behind and the passenger coaches in front. In the disaster, 10 people were killed, including 66521's driver Stephen Dunn, although his instructor Andrew Hill, who was also riding in the cab, was able to survive. The locomotive however was for the most part destroyed, and scrapped later that year.
The second was on the 4th January, 2010 involving 66048, which derailed at Carrbridge in snowy weather. Coming down the Highland Mainline with a loaded container train, it passed a signal at danger and was derailed at trap points, subsequently falling down an embankment into trees and injuring the two crew members.
The third was on the 28th June 2012, where GBRf 66734 derailed at Loch Treig whilst working Alcan Tanks. The inability of recovery crews to access the highly remote and dangerous location resulted in the engine being cut-up on site.
Additionally, many Class 66's have suffered low-speed collisions and derailments, either through faults in the track, driver error, or faults with the rolling stock.
However, despite the criticism, and often being dubbed as bland and utilitarian, the Class 66 is still a major part of the UK freight network, working behind the scenes without need of major attention so as to get the job done. Indeed it may find a home among rail enthusiasts, and perhaps one day it'll be dubbed a classic like the Class 37's and 47's it replaced, but at the moment it's the UK networks humble hero, plying its trade the best way it knows how.
Ford Thames 300E Van (1954-61) Engine 1172cc S4 SV Production 196885 (comprising 139,267 5 cwt, 10,056 Standard 7 cwt and 47,562 Deluxe 7 cwt units.)
Registration Number WFO 904 (Gloucestershire)
Decals M + P Plumbing Ltd. (Est 1956)
FORD UK SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665118181...
Decals: Rex's TV
The 300E was introduced in 1954, based on the Ford Anglia and Prefect 100E saloon cars. It shared its bodyshell and 1172 cc sidevalve four-cylinder engine with the estate car versions of the line with shorter doors and a smaller overall length than thw Saloon. Initially only produced with a 5cwt (250kg) carrying capacity, the range was increased with the addition of Standard and Deluxe 7cwt (350kg) variants. All three offered the same 66-cubic-foot (1.9 m3) load volume.
Diolch am 79,283,382 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 79,283,382 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 03.11.2019 Redhill, Surrey 144-319
Vauxhall Victor (FE) 2300 (FE) (1972-76) Engine 2279cc S4 OC Production 25,185 (incl. VX1800)
Registration Number VNK 977 M (Hertfordshire)
VAUXHALL SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623863172810...
The FE Series was the last of the Victors, launched in March 1972 with the marketing slogan - The New Victor, the Transcontinental. Appearing much larger than its predeccesor the car was in fact no wider and only two inches longer with most of that from the new bumpers. But internally the car was both higher and gave an extra four inches of rear legroom. Originally launched with a front bench seat, it was uprated in 1973 to feature separate bucket seats and a repositioned handbrake.
The new Victor shared its floorpan with the Opel Rekord but retained a distinct bodyshell, its own suspension and rack-and-pinion steering as opposed to the Rekord's recirculating ball unit. The front end incorporated the then advanced detail of having the slim bumper bisect the grille, with a third of the grille and the side-lights (on quad headlamp models) below the bumper line. The FE Victor was the last Vauxhall to be designed independently of Opel. The engines were carried over from the FD range although enlarged to 1759 cc and 2279 cc. For a short period, the straight-six engine was used in the Ventora and 3300 SL models
Many thanks for a fantabulous
48,868,423 views
Shot at the NEC Classic Car Show 13:11:2015 Ref. 112-563
Departing Bristol Temple Meads with a train towards Great Malvern is First Great Western Class 150, 150238.
The Class 150 and its derivatives are now a major part of Britain's commuter network, and also play an integral role in many of the rural branch lines and railway dependent settlements in connecting them to the rest of the country. Efficient, plucky and flexible, the Class 150's have always been a reliable instrument in the British Rail scene.
The planning of the Class 150 goes back to the early 1980's, where by this point many of the elderly Derby Lightweights and other 'Heritage' DMU's of the 1950's and 60's were in desperate need of replacement. The first consideration was the low cost Pacer units built by British Leyland that made their debut in 1984, but these units proved both unpopular and unreliable. As such, in addition to developing the Pacer, British Rail chose to build a more permanent unit based on the bodyshell of the MkIII carriage that had been used to form HST sets. The intention of the Class 150's was a unit that could provide both short distance commuter services as well as some longer distance trains. Areas of influence would be primarily outside of London, with commuter services connecting the cities of the North and the West Midlands, whilst more regional operations would connect the remote regions of Wales and Scotland to their nearest towns and cities.
By 1984, two prototypes had been built, consisting of three carriages and being fitted with two different engines for testing. 150001 was fitted with a Cummins powerplant with Voith Hydraulic Transmission, whilst 150002 was fitted with a Rolls Royce/Perkins engine and Self-Changing mechanical Transmission. These original units consisted of open plan interiors but no connecting gangways between units. After much testing primarily on the Midland Region around the Derby Test Centre, 150001's powerplant was chosen in favour of the Rolls Royce engine, which proved unreliable.
In competition with BREL was Metro-Cammell, who designed a pair of 3-car prototypes numbered Class 151. Although a very futuristic and space age looking machine, the Class 151's had troublesome gearboxes, resulting in violent gear shifts. Eventually, BREL's Class 150 was chosen for widespread production, and the Class 151's were withdrawn in 1989, languishing in Crewe before being scrapped in 2004 after suffering heavy vandalism. An advanced version of the Class 151 gearbox was however fitted to one of the Class 150 prototypes as a test for better design, this unit being dubbed Class 154. By this point however the gearbox design was outdated, and thus the unit was reverted back to its original specification.
From 1985, the first production Class 150/1's were released onto British Railways, working for the regional commuter sector known as Regional Railways. Their first points of influence were in Manchester and the West Midlands, operating on a wide variety of operations from longer distance services between Manchester, Blackpool, Liverpool, Barrow and Leeds, and in the Midlands from Birmingham to Kidderminster, Wolverhampton, Stratford-on-Avon and Shrewsbury. In total, 50 of these original units were built, distinguished by their lack of front gangway and non-sliding doors for the Driver's Cab.
To compliment this original fleet, a redesigned version of these units known as the Class 150/2 were built from 1986, and included a front-end gangway and all sliding doors. At the same time, the Class 150 bodyshell was used as a template for the Class 450 of Northern Ireland, a set of 9 nearly identical units with differing cab ends, one with a gangway, and one without. These units plied their trade across Northern Ireland until 2013 when they were all withdrawn, one unit preserved, and another in storage.
85 of the Class 150/2's were built, and began life working on almost the entire length and breadth of the network excluding London and the South East. These trains worked in Cornwall and Devon, the Highlands of Scotland, the Welsh Vallies, Trans-Pennine services between Manchester and Leeds, as well as along the East Coast of England from Newcastle to Lincoln and into Anglia. Both 150/1's and 150/2's differ from the original prototype by lack of a third intermediate trailer, although many Class 150/2's have been split to create hybrid 3-car units for extra capacity.
The only other member of the class to be built was the unique Class 180, a departmental track measurement unit fitted with computers and cameras to check the condition of the railway. It was redesignated Class 950 in 2000 following the introduction of the Class 180 Adalante units. This unit is still a common sight working for Network Rail.
Today all members of the fleet remain in service, but their original patterns have changed greatly. Class 150's no longer work in Scotland, but remain in heavy use around Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and other locations in the North of England with Northern Rail. London Midland, operating around the West Midlands on what was Central Trains' network have sold off many of their units to other operators following the introduction of Class 172 units, although the company retains 3 units for the Bletchley to Bedford service. Formerly, the Class 150's operated for what was Silverlink on the Barking to Gospel Oak line in North London, the only instance these units have been used regularly in the capital, but have since been withdrawn by London Overground in place of Class 172's.
Today, First Great Western and Arriva Trains Wales hold a sizeable fleet to operate trains in and around the South of Wales and England, working from Penzance and Plymouth to Great Malvern, Brighton, Salisbury, and along the Welsh coast to Fishguard, Pembroke and Swansea, with operations being based between Bristol and Cardiff. Arriva does however have a wider influence with its units, operating also to Manchester (on some occasions), Chester, Aberystwyth, Holyhead, and along the north Welsh coast.
Happened to be back in Newport Pagnell for the first time in years last month, and as I was taking pics of the old mill and bridge, just look what happened along. Silver, too.
Perfect timing and most fitting.
For anyone who doesn't know, Aston Martin used to be based at Newport Pagnell. I have fond boyhood memories of the bodyshells lined up by the side of the old workshops.
Austin Allegro 3 (1979-82) Engine 1275cc S4 A Series Tr. Production 642350 (all models)
Registration Number RPH 977 X
AUSTIN SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623759808208...
The Austin Allegro was introduced in 1973, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis as a replacement for the popular 1100/1300 models. The Allegro used front-wheel drive, and was powered by the trusty BMC A Series engines with sump mounted transmission. The higher-specification models used the SOHC E-Series engine (from the Maxi), in 1500 cc and 1750 cc displacements. Its rounded shape bucked the trend of the more fashionable sharp edged designs of the time, that were becoming fashionable (largely led by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro).
The Allegro was updated as the Allegro 2 and debuted at the 1975 London Motor Show as the Allegro 2 with the same bodyshell but featuring a new grille, reversing lights on most models and some interior changes to increase rear seat room. The Estate gained a new coachline running over the wing top lip and window edges. Changes were also made to the suspension, braking, engine mounts and drive shafts.
The Allegro 2 was replaced by the Allegro 3 in 1979, cosmetically refreshed with a new grille and revised Leyland badging, mechanically as before, but with the new 1 litre A Plus engine, developed for the forthcoming Metro added to the range .
Many Thanks for a fan'dabi'dozi 25,287,400 views
Shot 09:06:2014 ar The Luton Classic Car Show, Stockwell Park, Luton REF 102-249
The saloon on the trailer has a V8 badge, so I wonder if this is a South African Perana? The Estate shell looks sound.
Spotted out and about.
Coachwork by Henri Chapron
Chassis n° 4609606
Bonhams : the Zoute Sale
Estimated : € 190.000 - 220.000
Sold for € 207.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2019
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2019
Just as it had done 21 years previously with the revolutionary Traction Avant, Citroën stunned the world again in 1955 with the launch of the strikingly styled 'DS'. Beneath the shark-like newcomer's aerodynamically efficient, low-drag bodyshell there was all-independent, self-levelling, hydro-pneumatic suspension plus power-operated brakes, clutch, and steering.
The project had been initiated in the 1930s by the company's managing director, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, and would be brought to fruition by designers Andre Lefebvre, previously with Voisin and Renault, and Flaminio Bertoni, who had worked on the styling of the pre-war Traction Avant. Part of Boulanger's brief had been that the proposed 'VGD' (Voiture de Grand Diffusion or Mass Market Car) should be capable of affording a comfortable ride over sub-standard rural roads while remaining stable at sustained high speeds on the Autoroutes. The solution to these seemingly incompatible requirements was the famous hydro-pneumatic suspension, suggested by Citroën engineer Paul Mages. No European car would match the DS's ride quality for several years, the fundamental soundness of Citroën's ahead-of-its-time hydro-pneumatic suspension being demonstrated by its survival until recently in top-of-the-range models.
In September 1965 the DS's original 1,911cc, overhead-valve, long-stroke engine – inherited from the Traction Avant - was replaced by a short-stroke 1,985cc unit, also available in 2,175cc and 2,347cc versions, while other DS developments included swivelling headlights, fuel injection and a five-speed gearbox. Other models offered alongside the original DS were the ID (a simplified, cheaper version), the cavernous Safari estate and the two-door Décapotable (convertible), the latter boasting coachwork by Henri Chapron. Chapron's first convertibles had been produced independently of Citroën but the factory eventually gave the project its blessing. Built by Chapron, Citroën's own Décapotables were erected on the longer, stronger chassis of the ID Break (Estate). In total, 1,365 usine (factory) convertibles were made with either the DS19 or DS21 engine between 1960 and 1971, while Chapron built a further 389 of his own, the last in 1973.
Built in 1967 and first registered in 1968, this matching-numbers DS 21 Décapotable has the most desirable hydraulic semi-automatic gearbox and retains its original registration, '6394 UY 75'. We're advised by the vendor that this DS remained with the first owner until 1988 when it was sold to a Parisian professor of psychology, Mr Ike Benzakein. This car has belonged to only two families since it left the factory.
In 1990, Mr Benzakein commenced a restoration to the highest standard; the chassis, body, engine, transmission, hydraulics, interior, and convertible hood all being restored to 'as new' condition, while the car was repainted in Bleu Antartique, a colour that was available in 1967. Today, this DS remains in outstanding condition; fastidiously maintained, it runs and drives superbly. Restoration bills are on file and the car also comes with its original plates and a French Carte Grise. An eye-catcher at any gathering, this magnificent and rare piece of French motoring history is 'on the button' and ready to be enjoyed.
Fiat 126 (1972-80) Engine 704cc S2 Production 4,673,655
Registration Number F 716 RFA (Burton-on-Trent)
FIAT SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665060711...
Designed by Sergio Sartorelli as a replacement for the Fiat 500, the 126 used a simular layout to its predecessor retained the rear engine layout and keeping the same wheelbase, but with an all new bodyshell and improved passenger safety.
The engine capacity increased from 594cc to 652cc by the end of 1977 and a claimed output of 23 bhp, though 594cc engines remained available until early 1983
In Italy, the car was produced in the plants of Cassino and Termini Imerese until 1979. By this time 1,352,912 of the cars had been produced in Italy.
A subsequent increase took the engine size to 704 cc in new "restyling" model Fiat 126 Bis (1987–1991), with 26 hp
In Poland, the car was produced under licence by Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych (FSM) in Bielsko-Biała and Tychy under the brand Polski Fiat 126p (literally in English: Polish Fiat 126p) between 1973 and 2000.
The car continued however to be manufactured by FSM in Poland, where it was produced from 1973 to 2000 as the Polski Fiat 126p.
This car was offered for auction sale at the Historics at Brooklands Sale 6th June 2015 (when the picture was shot). Described as having one lady from new and a documented mileage of just 14,000 miles, with retrimmed red interior. Offered with an auction guide price of £ 6,000 to £ 8,000, the car remained unsold
Many thanks for a fantabulous 36,423,700 views (recalculated by Flickr)
Shot at Brooklands Museum, H+H Auction 06:06:2015 Ref 106-559
Coachwork by Henri Chapron
Chassis n° 4609606
Bonhams : the Zoute Sale
Estimated : € 190.000 - 220.000
Sold for € 207.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2019
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2019
Just as it had done 21 years previously with the revolutionary Traction Avant, Citroën stunned the world again in 1955 with the launch of the strikingly styled 'DS'. Beneath the shark-like newcomer's aerodynamically efficient, low-drag bodyshell there was all-independent, self-levelling, hydro-pneumatic suspension plus power-operated brakes, clutch, and steering.
The project had been initiated in the 1930s by the company's managing director, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, and would be brought to fruition by designers Andre Lefebvre, previously with Voisin and Renault, and Flaminio Bertoni, who had worked on the styling of the pre-war Traction Avant. Part of Boulanger's brief had been that the proposed 'VGD' (Voiture de Grand Diffusion or Mass Market Car) should be capable of affording a comfortable ride over sub-standard rural roads while remaining stable at sustained high speeds on the Autoroutes. The solution to these seemingly incompatible requirements was the famous hydro-pneumatic suspension, suggested by Citroën engineer Paul Mages. No European car would match the DS's ride quality for several years, the fundamental soundness of Citroën's ahead-of-its-time hydro-pneumatic suspension being demonstrated by its survival until recently in top-of-the-range models.
In September 1965 the DS's original 1,911cc, overhead-valve, long-stroke engine – inherited from the Traction Avant - was replaced by a short-stroke 1,985cc unit, also available in 2,175cc and 2,347cc versions, while other DS developments included swivelling headlights, fuel injection and a five-speed gearbox. Other models offered alongside the original DS were the ID (a simplified, cheaper version), the cavernous Safari estate and the two-door Décapotable (convertible), the latter boasting coachwork by Henri Chapron. Chapron's first convertibles had been produced independently of Citroën but the factory eventually gave the project its blessing. Built by Chapron, Citroën's own Décapotables were erected on the longer, stronger chassis of the ID Break (Estate). In total, 1,365 usine (factory) convertibles were made with either the DS19 or DS21 engine between 1960 and 1971, while Chapron built a further 389 of his own, the last in 1973.
Built in 1967 and first registered in 1968, this matching-numbers DS 21 Décapotable has the most desirable hydraulic semi-automatic gearbox and retains its original registration, '6394 UY 75'. We're advised by the vendor that this DS remained with the first owner until 1988 when it was sold to a Parisian professor of psychology, Mr Ike Benzakein. This car has belonged to only two families since it left the factory.
In 1990, Mr Benzakein commenced a restoration to the highest standard; the chassis, body, engine, transmission, hydraulics, interior, and convertible hood all being restored to 'as new' condition, while the car was repainted in Bleu Antartique, a colour that was available in 1967. Today, this DS remains in outstanding condition; fastidiously maintained, it runs and drives superbly. Restoration bills are on file and the car also comes with its original plates and a French Carte Grise. An eye-catcher at any gathering, this magnificent and rare piece of French motoring history is 'on the button' and ready to be enjoyed.
Bonhams : the Zoute Sale
Sold for € 195.500
Zoute Grand Prix 2017
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2017
'The new engine turned out to have enormous marketing power. It became a real status symbol to have that little word 'turbo' on your rear deck, and this fashion spread right across the motor industry.' - Peter Morgan, 'Original Porsche 911'.
A 'modern classic' if ever there was one, Porsche's long-running 911 sports car first appeared at the 1963 Frankfurt Show as the '901' but shortly after production proper commenced in 1964 had become the '911' following Peugeot's complaints about the use of '0' model numbers. The preceding Type 356's rear-engined layout was retained but the 911 switched to unitary construction for the bodyshell and dropped the 356's VW-based suspension in favour of a more modern McPherson strut and trailing arm arrangement. In its first incarnation, Porsche's single-overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat six engine displaced 1,991cc and produced 130bhp; progressively enlarged and developed, it would eventually grow to more than 3,0 litres and, in turbo-charged form, put out well over 300 horsepower.
Much of the Porsche 911's development had resulted from the factory's racing programme, and it was the then Group 4 homologation rules, which required 400 road cars to be built, which spurred the development of 'Project 930': the legendary 911 Turbo. In production from April 1975, the Type 930 Turbo married a KKK turbocharger to the 3,0-litre RSR engine, in road trim a combination that delivered 260bhp for a top speed of 250km/h. But the Turbo wasn't just about top speed, it was also the best-equipped 911 and amazingly flexible - hence only four speeds in the gearbox - being capable of racing from a standstill to 162 km/h in 14 seconds.
The Turbo's characteristic flared wheelarches and 'tea tray' rear spoiler had already been seen on the Carrera model while the interior was the most luxurious yet seen in a 911, featuring leather upholstery, air conditioning and electric windows. The Turbo's engine was enlarged to 3,3 litres for 1978, gaining an inter-cooler in the process; power increased to 300 bhp and the top speed of what was the fastest-accelerating road car of its day went up to 257 km/h. Originally sold only as a closed coupé, the Turbo became available for the first time in both Targa and cabriolet forms in 1988.
More refined than hitherto yet retaining its high performance edge, the Turbo sold in the thousands, becoming the definitive sports car of its age. When Porsche revealed that the original 911 would be replaced by the new Type 964 in 1990, dealer stocks of the existing Turbo model sold out overnight. Production of the Type 930 ceased in September 1989, and there would not be another 911 Turbo until the Type 964 version was launched in September 1990. In total between 1975 and 1977 only 1.625 EU-examples of the 3.0 litre Turbo were built which makes this series almost as rare as the 911 2.7 Carrera RS with 1590 examples built.
This Type 930 Turbo was built for the German market and delivered to Porsche dealer Otto Glocker in Frankfurt where it was purchased by its first (Belgian) owner, Mme Padevain-Dupont in 1976. Incidentally, 'Dupont' was her husband's name, and - apparently - at that time a wife needed her husband's authorisation to buy a car! Madame Padevain was born in 1911 so she was already 65 years old when she bought the 911. The car was taken straight to Belgium and has belonged to the first owner's family ever since. The accompanying Porsche Certificate of Authenticity confirms that the engine and colour scheme of Sienna Metallic over 'Brown-Beige' leather are matching. Moreover, it lists the purchase price of 66.500 DM.
Always well looked after by its lady owner, the car was taken to Monaco in 1993 by Madame Padevain and registered there as 'L106', which we can still find on the windscreen. The history file contains a map of Cannes and a parking card from Monaco where the Porsche was kept for many years by Madame Padevain's family.
Sadly, in 2000 Madame Padevain died and the car's ownership passed to her son; documentation on file shows that the Porsche had 122.000 km recorded at that time. While in Madame Padevain's son's possession, the car was treated to a complete overhaul, which was carried out by D'Ieteren Porsche in Belgium. At the same time the 911 was repainted in its original colour and the interior re-trimmed. The restoration was carried out between 2000 and 2009; expenditure on mechanical work alone amounted to over 600.000 Belgian Francs (all invoices on file).
Once the restoration had been finished, the son, who by this time was approaching old age, hardly drove the car. It was then registered in his name and taken back to the South of France where it stayed until last year. Today, this beautiful car is presented in its original specification and in unmolested condition - the latter a rare attribute among early 911 Turbos - with only some 148.000 km recorded on the odometer. The last service was carried out in September 2017. The car is offered with an extensive history file containing the aforementioned restoration invoices including all invoices since 1976 up to now; Porsche Certificate of Authenticity and Certificate of Conformity; and the original service booklet, the latter stamped on six occasions between 1976 (1.319 km) and 1994 (98.417km). All books and tools come with this exceptional Type 930 Turbo, together with the original Porsche pouch and the 2 original keys.
Racing south with the 1M11 Glasgow Central to London Euston is an unidentified Class 390 Pendolino.
Since their introduction in 2002, the Class 390 tilting Pendolino sets have revolutionised services on the West Coast Mainline, bringing about an entirely new level of speed onto a route notorious for its laboriously winding route. But with such a technological leap, the Class 390 has sadly paid the price for its image due to what it was replacing.
The idea of a tilting train on the West Coast Mainline was however not a new one to Alstom when they developed the Pendolino sets in the late 1990's, with the concept being toyed way back in the early 1970's. British Rail first pioneered the concept of the tilting train with the ill-fated Advanced Passenger Train or APT of the mid-1970's. The idea was to create a train that could shift its centre of gravity whilst moving around sharp bends at high speeds, similar to how a motorcyclist leans into corners. This was to not only allow the train to travel at higher speeds on winding track without fear of it falling over, but also to improve passenger comfort levels and stop people being pressed against the windows when taking corners!
The original APT was a Gas-Turbine unit that operated on the Midland Region out of London St Pancras, and was later followed by the Class 370 electric multiple unit that began trials on the West Coast Mainline from 1980. A truly brilliant concept, the APT showed the world that the idea of a tilting train could be possible, that is, when it worked. The Class 370 was marred by teething problems and reliability issues, mostly consisting of the fact that the tilting mechanism wouldn't work properly or there would be just general train faults. Coupled with the winter of 1981, the worst winter for many years, and the train's image was damaged beyond repair. Even while developments were looking promising, and with only a few million Pounds required to complete the project, the British Government pulled the plug and the APT was axed in 1986, with only one complete set remaining as a rather sorry museum piece. The train of the future had become a thing of the past.
But the developments of the APT were picked up by none-other than Fiat Ferroviaria, who, following the failure of their British rival, developed their own and much more successful tilting train, the ETR-401 Pendolino, which began operations in 1988. This was later translated into a fleet of 15 ETR 450 production units which became the first revenue earning tilting trains.
In 2000, Fiat Ferroviaria was acquired by Alstom, who has been building their legendary tilting trains ever since. This coincided with the formation of Virgin Trains following privatisation of British Rail in 1994. As part of Virgin Trains' franchise requirements in 1997, the company intended the replacement of the ageing BR stock of the 1960's with a new fleet of high speed trains that would reduce journey times and up travel quality. As such, Virgin turned to Fiat Ferroviaria and later successor Alstom to provide them with a derivative version of the company's latest tilting Pendolino, the ETR 460.
Fiat Ferroviaria supplied much of the content of the Class 390 units, including the bodyshell and the bogies, while final assembly was carried out at Washwood Heath. The tilting technology was developed by SIG Switzerland (later Fiat-SIG, today Alstom). Two electromechanical actuators are used per car to achieve the desired tilting angle on curved stretches of track. The train can tilt to a maximum of eight degrees, at which point one side of the cabin train is 380 mm higher above the track than the other. In contrast to other Fiat Ferroviaria tilting trains which use hydraulic tilting actuators, the electromechanical systems offers lower maintenance cost and higher efficiency.
The new trains were intended to run at 140mph, but the West Coast Main Line modernisation programme, which was an upgrade to the infrastructure to allow faster line speeds, ran over budget. Consequently, plans were scaled back, and in a manner reminiscent of the introduction of the InterCity 225, the lack of signalling upgrades resulted in the maximum line speed being restricted to 125mph. Although this (and 140mph) are well below BR's hopes for APT of 155mph, it does match the maximum speed of 125mph for the APT in passenger service (although one APT set reached 162mph in testing).
The fleet was introduced into passenger services from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly on 23rd July, 2002, to coincide with the opening of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Over the next few months they took over the Manchester services, and were soon introduced on routes from London to Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Preston.
With the start of Class 390 operations, the writing was very much on the wall for the ageing sets of trains it was replacing, and thus the Class 390's image began to be somewhat tarnished amongst the railway purists. First to go were the Class 86's of the 1960's, proud high-speed locomotives that were once the mainstay of the WCML, withdrawn from service in 2003 following both the introduction of the Class 390's, and the Class 220/221 Voyager units on Cross-Country services. Next were the newer Class 90's of 1989, replaced in 2004 once Class 390's had been allocated to routes north of Preston. The final locomotive hauled trains were provided by the Class 87's of the 1970's, which held strong until final replacement in 2005, bringing an end to locomotive hauled services on the West Coast Mainline. From then on, the Class 86's have mostly been scrapped, whilst Class 90's were transferred to Anglia to replace their Class 86 fleet. Class 87's on the other hand have since been exported largely to Bulgaria, the few remaining here in the UK either being scrapped, placed in storage, or made into museum pieces. This left a great deal of animosity towards the Class 390's by the railway enthusiast community, who, even after 10 years, still have a strong hatred towards these trains.
The service improvements however are something that can't be taken away from the Class 390's as these trains have taken the original and comparatively sluggish 110mph top speed and translated it into the extremely fast 125mph running speed that BR had dreamt of for years. In September 2006, the Pendolino set a new speed record, completing the 401 mile length of the West Coast Main Line from Glasgow Central to London Euston in 3 hours, 55 minutes, beating the 4-hour-14-minute record for the southbound run previously set in 1981 by the Class 370 APT. The APT however retains the ultimate speed record for this route, having completed the northbound journey between London Euston and Glasgow Central in 3 hours 52 minutes in 1984 which included a 5-minute delay due to a signal fault.
Since then the Pendolino has become very much a staple of high speed train travel in the UK, and still looks good even 15 years after the first ones hit the test tracks back in 2001.
The Class 390 was put to the test however with 390033 'City of Glasgow', which was written off after the Grayrigg derailment of February 23rd, 2007. The accident had been caused by a points malfunction, which, after a failure to inspect by Network Rail, changed the direction of travel from normal and thus resulted in the entire set derailing and plummeting down an embankment at 95mph. The sturdy design and robust nature of the Class 390 has been attributed to the fact that only one person, an elderly lady, was killed in the disaster, whereas if the previous MkII carriages had been involved, the death-toll could have been much higher. As said, the unit was written off, and the less damaged rear carriages of the set now reside at the Crewe Training Centre and are used for the instruction of drivers and train crew. The subsequent destruction of one of the units led to Virgin Trains reinstating a loco-hauled service to cover its diagrams, this being in the form of a hired Class 90 (usually from Freightliner), a set of 9 MkIII coaches, and a Driving Van Trailer. This train operated covering diagrams until November 2014, when it was retired and transferred to Greater Anglia.
Since 2007 the Class 390's have had their fleet enhanced from the original 53 sets to 57 with the addition of 4 new units between 2011 and 2012. The introduction of these new sets coincided with the extension of 31 sets to 11-cars, with new carriages built and imported from Alstom's factory in Italy, the first routine 11-car InterCity train to operate in the UK since the 1970's.
Today the Class 390's continue to ply their merry trade, and remain vital parts of the UK's high speed network, bringing Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and London closer together than they've ever been before.
Collection Freddy Deklerck
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2019
Estimated : € 15.000 - 20.000
Sold for € 23.000
Mercedes-Benz introduced its new medium-sized, S-Class range at the International Motor Show, Frankfurt in 1979, there being no fewer than seven models with the new W126 body style. Launched at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1985, the 560 SEC coupé was an addition to the line-up and the most powerful of the three luxury coupés then on offer. This new model retained the existing bodyshell virtually unchanged but was powered by the new 5.547cc version of the M117 all-alloy V8 engine producing 300bhp (DIN), though customers resident in the USA had to make do with a considerably less powerful version. As befitted one of Mercedes-Benz's flagships, the 560 SEC came standard with a host of desirable features while customers could choose from an equally lengthy list of options. Despite its elevated price, the 560 SEC would turn out to be the most popular of the W126 coupés.
First registered on 4th May 1988, this 560 SEC is believed to have been delivered new to France and thus is one of the rarer European-specification 300 horsepower models. Accompanying documentation includes with the Étoile booklet from Mercedes-Benz France giving six months warranty on a used vehicle and recording that this car had recorded only 32.000 kilometres in September 1990 when it was sold by Mercedes-Benz International Garage SA. Bought by the current owner to form part of his collection in 2007, this beautiful modern Mercedes is offered with French Carte Grise.
Another day, another E-Type, and this example is one of what many consider the better cars, being the stylish and flamboyant Series I fitted with the powerful and reliable 4.2L Straight Six engine!
One of the most revolutionary cars in all of motoring history, a car that has often been declared as the Space Shuttle in the Middle Ages! Beauty, style and performance all harnessed in one simple bodyshell. It can't be anything other than the Jaguar E-Type!
When it was launched in 1961, Britain was still very much an antiquated Victorian country, and transport was not much better. Steam Trains still had another 7 years to go and the most you could get out of the Motor Industry were flaky BMC products such as the humble Austin Cambridge and the Morris Minor. Unbeknownst to this very slow moving world of modesty, the entire picture was about to be turned on its head. In music, the Beatles rocked their way into everlasting legacy, the De Havilland Comet brought nations closer together, and Jaguar launched the E-Type, a car that set the motoring world ablaze!
Designed by Malcolm Sayer and powered by a 3.8L Straight Six engine, the Jaguar E-Type could now whisk people to 150mph, and with there being no speed limits back then, that was not too much of a stretch to imagine. You just had to look at it to see nothing but speed, everything about it was designed to go as fast as possible!
In spirit, the E-Type can trace its roots back to the race ready D-Type, also designed by Malcolm Sayer and notable for raking home victory after victory at Le Mans, being credited with being one of the most advanced sports cars of all time. A limited edition road going version, the XKSS, made the idea of a D-Type on the public highway possible, and parts developed in this often forgotten little gem helped to culminate in the final and superb E-Type.
On March 16th 1961, the E-Type was released upon the unsuspecting public at the Geneva Motor Show to an absolute roar of applause and acclaim. It made the front page of pretty much every newspaper in Europe, and orders absolutely rolled in by the thousand! The thing that made the E-Type so desirable was the fact that it was fun on a budget, a high performance 150mph capable machine for an affordable price of just £2,000, the equivalent of about £40,000 today. Now you may think that's a lot of money, but when you consider that a car of comparable beauty and performance was double that price, you'd know it was something truly special.
However, this proved to be a problem for the comparatively small company, who simply couldn't turn out the cars fast enough to supply the demand. Millions and Millions of Pounds worth of orders were being placed, with some owners even going so far as to place deposits at 10 to 15 Jaguar dealers hoping that one of them could give them a car! The biggest problem was trying to supply differing markets, especially if you were British because in order to appease the desperate American buyers, cars would be built in LHD for 6 month periods at a time, which meant if you were someone wishing to buy a car here in the UK, you'd be stuck for the best part of a year!
But it was obvious why, these cars were unrealistically fast! Tap the pedal and you'd be at 60mph in 7.1 seconds, press it further and you'd be over 100, and if you pressed it further, the bonnet would rise and with blood gushing from your eyes and every fibre of your body telling you to stop, you'd be hitting 150mph! That doesn't sound like much today considering the Aston Martins and Ferrari's we're so used to, but in 1961 this was absolutely unheard of.
Not that your E-Type would ever make 150mph because Jaguar had been a tad naughty. As it turns out the initial test cars that had been leant to the Press had been tuned to reach that golden 150, but the rest of the flock would barely go that fast. This was further compounded by a troublesome gearbox, hopeless brakes, cramped interior and uncomfortable seats. Jaguar's con had only been done to bless their car with the initial fame that would sell the production models, but in 1965 Jaguar chose to redress the issue by fitting the car with a much larger and much better 4.2L Straight Six engine.
But once the novelty had worn off the E-Type was starting to become maligned. Much like owning a topping Rolls Royce, seeing one being driven in the street opened the wounds of jealousy that continued to divide the social classes, and if you were very lucky you'd only get away with a disapproving look or a nasty name, if you weren't expect a brick, a can of paint or a rock to be hurtled in your direction! At the same time because so many cars had been built, the Second Hand market became saturated which meant that people could pick up early ones for a song, which removed the exclusivity that these vehicles had once commanded. Again, much like a Rolls Royce these owners only saw them as ways to get women to take off their clothes for you, and thus didn't exactly give them the love that such cars required.
However, this was before we got to the biggest problem of them all, America.
Actually I take it back, America can't be blamed for everything, in fact the stringent safety legislation and rules on car manufacturing can be credited to the increased safety of modern motor vehicles, the people to be blamed though are in fact the car manufacturers themselves for not being able to incorporate the compulsory safety features whilst still keeping the car stylish.
But still, throughout the 1960's the death of James Dean had resulted in a gradual increase in safety legislation on US Highways, and in order to have a market there, cars had to conform. The height of the headlights, the bumpers, the smoke emissions, the recess of the switches, all of these things were scrutinised and had to be taken into account by car builders. The E-Type became a shameful victim as its looks were compromised with changes to the lights, and body profile. To be honest the Series II was not that bad a car, still retaining much of its charm, especially when you compare it to 1971's Series III which was formulated by British Leyland. With the cabin looking like it had sunk, the lights being stretched and contorted, and sporting a massive 5.3L V12 engine. By this point many of the cars former buyers saw the E-Type as damaged beyond repair and thus sales began to tumble. British Leyland however had been planning to replace the car since the late 1960's, and after much deliberation its replacement, the Jaguar XJS, was launched in 1975, bringing an end to the increasingly hard to sell E-Type. Although very well performing, in terms of looks, the XJS was considered by many classic Jag fans to be absolute heresy, but would go on to have a much longer life that the E-Type, being built until 1996.
However, even before the last E-Type left the production line the originals were already being hailed as classical heroes. In total well over 70,000 of these cars had been sold, and a large number of them remain on the roads. During the late 70's and 80's the car continued to be a major pin-up, often ending up rather oddly, and to my mind a bit shamefully, in erotic films and porn movies (I sure hope they washed thoroughly afterwards). But when you look at the E-Type you can understand why, it is a seriously sexy looking car!
So iconic and so stylish were these cars that over the years many different replica models have also been made. Throughout the 1990's the company Eagle GB built the Eagle E-Type, brand new cars built to exactly the same specifications as the original Series I versions, whilst in 2011 the Eagle Speedster was produced, revising the bodyshape but attempting to maintain the charm of the original, and in 2014 several remaining chassis from the original production run that had been kept in storage are intended to be built into fully functioning cars.
The E-Type may have died a long time ago, but its reputation isn't letting up! :D
In glorious summer evening sky, we see two Virgin Trains Class 390 Pendolinos passing each other at Lichfield Trent Valley. Speeding north, an unidentified unit works the 1H73 London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, whilst awaiting departure with the 1A76 Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston is 390119.
Since their introduction in 2002, the Class 390 tilting Pendolino sets have revolutionised services on the West Coast Mainline, bringing about an entirely new level of speed onto a route notorious for its laboriously winding route. But with such a technological leap, the Class 390 has sadly paid the price for its image due to what it was replacing.
The idea of a tilting train on the West Coast Mainline was however not a new one to Alstom when they developed the Pendolino sets in the late 1990's, with the concept being toyed way back in the early 1970's. British Rail first pioneered the concept of the tilting train with the ill-fated Advanced Passenger Train or APT of the mid-1970's. The idea was to create a train that could shift its centre of gravity whilst moving around sharp bends at high speeds, similar to how a motorcyclist leans into corners. This was to not only allow the train to travel at higher speeds on winding track without fear of it falling over, but also to improve passenger comfort levels and stop people being pressed against the windows when taking corners!
The original APT was a Gas-Turbine unit that operated on the Midland Region out of London St Pancras, and was later followed by the Class 370 electric multiple unit that began trials on the West Coast Mainline from 1980. A truly brilliant concept, the APT showed the world that the idea of a tilting train could be possible, that is, when it worked. The Class 370 was marred by teething problems and reliability issues, mostly consisting of the fact that the tilting mechanism wouldn't work properly or there would be just general train faults. Coupled with the winter of 1981, the worst winter for many years, and the train's image was damaged beyond repair. Even while developments were looking promising, and with only a few million Pounds required to complete the project, the British Government pulled the plug and the APT was axed in 1986, with only one complete set remaining as a rather sorry museum piece. The train of the future had become a thing of the past.
But the developments of the APT were picked up by none-other than Fiat Ferroviaria, who, following the failure of their British rival, developed their own and much more successful tilting train, the ETR-401 Pendolino, which began operations in 1988. This was later translated into a fleet of 15 ETR 450 production units which became the first revenue earning tilting trains.
In 2000, Fiat Ferroviaria was acquired by Alstom, who has been building their legendary tilting trains ever since. This coincided with the formation of Virgin Trains following privatisation of British Rail in 1994. As part of Virgin Trains' franchise requirements in 1997, the company intended the replacement of the ageing BR stock of the 1960's with a new fleet of high speed trains that would reduce journey times and up travel quality. As such, Virgin turned to Fiat Ferroviaria and later successor Alstom to provide them with a derivative version of the company's latest tilting Pendolino, the ETR 460.
Fiat Ferroviaria supplied much of the content of the Class 390 units, including the bodyshell and the bogies, while final assembly was carried out at Washwood Heath. The tilting technology was developed by SIG Switzerland (later Fiat-SIG, today Alstom). Two electromechanical actuators are used per car to achieve the desired tilting angle on curved stretches of track. The train can tilt to a maximum of eight degrees, at which point one side of the cabin train is 380 mm higher above the track than the other. In contrast to other Fiat Ferroviaria tilting trains which use hydraulic tilting actuators, the electromechanical systems offers lower maintenance cost and higher efficiency.
The new trains were intended to run at 140mph, but the West Coast Main Line modernisation programme, which was an upgrade to the infrastructure to allow faster line speeds, ran over budget. Consequently, plans were scaled back, and in a manner reminiscent of the introduction of the InterCity 225, the lack of signalling upgrades resulted in the maximum line speed being restricted to 125mph. Although this (and 140mph) are well below BR's hopes for APT of 155mph, it does match the maximum speed of 125mph for the APT in passenger service (although one APT set reached 162mph in testing).
The fleet was introduced into passenger services from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly on 23rd July, 2002, to coincide with the opening of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Over the next few months they took over the Manchester services, and were soon introduced on routes from London to Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Preston.
With the start of Class 390 operations, the writing was very much on the wall for the ageing sets of trains it was replacing, and thus the Class 390's image began to be somewhat tarnished amongst the railway purists. First to go were the Class 86's of the 1960's, proud high-speed locomotives that were once the mainstay of the WCML, withdrawn from service in 2003 following both the introduction of the Class 390's, and the Class 220/221 Voyager units on Cross-Country services. Next were the newer Class 90's of 1989, replaced in 2004 once Class 390's had been allocated to routes north of Preston. The final locomotive hauled trains were provided by the Class 87's of the 1970's, which held strong until final replacement in 2005, bringing an end to locomotive hauled services on the West Coast Mainline. From then on, the Class 86's have mostly been scrapped, whilst Class 90's were transferred to Anglia to replace their Class 86 fleet. Class 87's on the other hand have since been exported largely to Bulgaria, the few remaining here in the UK either being scrapped, placed in storage, or made into museum pieces. This left a great deal of animosity towards the Class 390's by the railway enthusiast community, who, even after 10 years, still have a strong hatred towards these trains.
The service improvements however are something that can't be taken away from the Class 390's as these trains have taken the original and comparatively sluggish 110mph top speed and translated it into the extremely fast 125mph running speed that BR had dreamt of for years. In September 2006, the Pendolino set a new speed record, completing the 401 mile length of the West Coast Main Line from Glasgow Central to London Euston in 3 hours, 55 minutes, beating the 4-hour-14-minute record for the southbound run previously set in 1981 by the Class 370 APT. The APT however retains the ultimate speed record for this route, having completed the northbound journey between London Euston and Glasgow Central in 3 hours 52 minutes in 1984 which included a 5-minute delay due to a signal fault.
Since then the Pendolino has become very much a staple of high speed train travel in the UK, and still looks good even 15 years after the first ones hit the test tracks back in 2001.
The Class 390 was put to the test however with 390033 'City of Glasgow', which was written off after the Grayrigg derailment of February 23rd, 2007. The accident had been caused by a points malfunction, which, after a failure to inspect by Network Rail, changed the direction of travel from normal and thus resulted in the entire set derailing and plummeting down an embankment at 95mph. The sturdy design and robust nature of the Class 390 has been attributed to the fact that only one person, an elderly lady, was killed in the disaster, whereas if the previous MkII carriages had been involved, the death-toll could have been much higher. As said, the unit was written off, and the less damaged rear carriages of the set now reside at the Crewe Training Centre and are used for the instruction of drivers and train crew. The subsequent destruction of one of the units led to Virgin Trains reinstating a loco-hauled service to cover its diagrams, this being in the form of a hired Class 90 (usually from Freightliner), a set of 9 MkIII coaches, and a Driving Van Trailer. This train operated covering diagrams until November 2014, when it was retired and transferred to Greater Anglia.
Since 2007 the Class 390's have had their fleet enhanced from the original 53 sets to 57 with the addition of 4 new units between 2011 and 2012. The introduction of these new sets coincided with the extension of 31 sets to 11-cars, with new carriages built and imported from Alstom's factory in Italy, the first routine 11-car InterCity train to operate in the UK since the 1970's.
Today the Class 390's continue to ply their merry trade, and remain vital parts of the UK's high speed network, bringing Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and London closer together than they've ever been before.
If you didn't know any better, you wouldn't recognize a 2M62UM loco as one of the old M62 loco's. CZ LOKO build an entire new bodyshell in order to rebuild the old Soviet machines to be able to function well in the current day and time.
During a short stay in Latvia, during which I spend most my time around Jelgava (also because I got a tour through a local factory), I was able to capture a few of these loco's. Among which the 2M62UM-0119, which headed for Liepāja with a mixed freight train. The typical infrastructure that comes with a baltic major station is clearly visible here south of Jelgava.
Coachwork by Henri Chapron
Just as it had done 21 years previously with the revolutionary 'Traction Avant', Citroën stunned the world again in 1955 with the launch of the strikingly styled 'DS'. Beneath the shark-like newcomer's aerodynamically efficient, low-drag bodyshell there was all-independent, self-levelling, hydro-pneumatic suspension; plus power-operated brakes, clutch and steering.
The project had been initiated in the 1930s by the company's managing director, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, and would be brought to fruition by designers Andre Lefebvre, previously with Voisin and Renault, and Flaminio Bertoni, who had worked on the styling of the pre-war Traction Avant. Part of Boulanger's brief had been that the proposed 'VGD' (Voiture de Grand Diffusion or Mass Market Car) should be capable of affording a comfortable ride over sub-standard rural roads while remaining stable at sustained high speeds on the Autoroutes. The solution to these seemingly incompatible requirements was the famous hydro-pneumatic suspension, suggested by Citroën engineer, Paul Mages. No European car would match the DS's ride quality for several years, the fundamental soundness of Citroën's ahead-of-its-time hydro-pneumatic suspension being demonstrated by its survival into the 21st Century.
In September 1965 the DS's original 1.911 cc, overhead-valve, long-stroke engine – inherited from the Traction Avant - was replaced by a short-stroke 1.985 cc unit, also available in 2.175 cc and 2.347 cc versions, while other DS developments included swivelling headlights, fuel injection and a five-speed gearbox. Other models offered alongside the original DS were the ID (a simplified, cheaper version), the cavernous Safari estate and the two-door Décapotable (convertible), the latter boasting coachwork by Henri Chapron. Chapron's first convertibles had been produced independently of Citroën but the factory eventually gave the project its blessing. Citroën's own Décapotables were built on the longer, stronger chassis of the ID Break (Estate). In total, 1.365 usine (factory) convertibles were made with either the DS19 or DS21 engine between 1960 and 1971, while Chapron built a further 389 of his own, the last in 1973.
Recorded in the Registro Italiano Storiche Citroën (RIASC), chassis number '440 70 56', the car offered here, comes with an email printout from Chapron confirming that the company's archives contain details of its construction as a convertible. Restored circa 2008 while in the hands of its previous owner, the car was inspected (prior to the current vendor's purchase) by the highly respected specialist, Fabrizio Libera of Polverara, Italy. The car has had two owners (in Italy) since 2002, and their details and those of previous owners may be found in the accompanying history file. Described by the vendor as in generally very good condition, this magnificent and rare piece of French motoring history car received a 3rd place award at the Valli Biellesi - Oasi Zegna concours d'élégance in 2016. An eye-catcher at any gathering, it comes with Italian registration papers, ASI and FIVA documents, Citroën Italia certificate, and the aforementioned communication from Chapron.
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
Bonhams
Sold for € 207.000
Estimated : € 170.000 - 210.000
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2017
My model is based on the Bachmann class 150 units.
The model class 150/0 uses a total of five Bachmann Sprinter bodyshells (two class 150/2 shells and three class 150/1 shells).
To build the Motor Standard coach the short end of a class 150/2 shell and the long end from a class 150/1 shell are used. The is is because the bodyside water fillers are in the correct position on a class 150/1 shell and on the opposite side on the class 150/2. The masking tape outlines a future cut to separate the single leaf sliding door for splicing into the class 150/1 bodyshell later.
The class 150 Prototype Sprinters are the pre-series Sprinter Diesel Multiple Units that led to the large scale class 150/1 and class 150/2 orders that are still to be seen across the UK railway network.
The two prototype units (150001 & 150002) were each built with mechanical differences to evaluate both Voith and SCG transmissions and Rolls Royce and Cummins power units. The also are the only Sprinter type units with a purpose built powered centre car, and had differences in door configuration to the production batches.
W111
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
Bonhams
Estimated : € 60.000 - 70.000
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2018
- Delivered new to France
- Automatic transmission
- Valid technical inspection
- Registered in the Netherlands
Introduced in 1965, Mercedes-Benz's new S-Class range was outwardly distinguishable from preceding models by a sleeker bodyshell with lower roof and waistlines, and increased glass area. All models featured similar all-independent suspension, as well as four-wheel disc brakes and power-assisted steering. The coupé and cabriolet, though, kept the timelessly elegant coachwork first seen back in 1960; longer than their predecessors, these elegant cars featured a wider radiator shell, wraparound windscreen, enlarged rear window, and vertically positioned twin headlamps, all of which were carried over to their 250 SE equivalents. As befitted top-of-the-range luxury models, the duo came equipped with air conditioning, electric windows, and stereo radio as standard.
The 250 SE employed a fuel-injected version of Mercedes-Benz's new, overhead-camshaft, seven-bearing 'six' displacing 2.496 cc and developing 150 bhp at 5.600 rpm. There was a choice of four-speed manual or automatic transmissions, while the rear suspension featured Mercedes-Benz's hydro-pneumatic compensating spring. Thus equipped, the 250 SE was good for 193 km/h, with 96 km/h reachable in 12 seconds, a substantial improvement on the superseded 220 SE's figures. Today all examples of these classic coupés and cabriolets are highly sought after.
The 250 SE coupé offered here was delivered new to France and comes with its original books and tools. Finished in brown metallic with Cognac leather interior, the car is described by the vendor as in generally good/excellent condition, and is offered with maintenance records, Netherlands registration papers, and valid technical inspection.
Slowing for a stop at Lichfield Trent Valley with the evening 1S87 London Euston to Glasgow Central stopping service is Virgin Trains Class 390, 390123.
Since their introduction in 2002, the Class 390 tilting Pendolino sets have revolutionised services on the West Coast Mainline, bringing about an entirely new level of speed onto a route notorious for its laboriously winding route. But with such a technological leap, the Class 390 has sadly paid the price for its image due to what it was replacing.
The idea of a tilting train on the West Coast Mainline was however not a new one to Alstom when they developed the Pendolino sets in the late 1990's, with the concept being toyed way back in the early 1970's. British Rail first pioneered the concept of the tilting train with the ill-fated Advanced Passenger Train or APT of the mid-1970's. The idea was to create a train that could shift its centre of gravity whilst moving around sharp bends at high speeds, similar to how a motorcyclist leans into corners. This was to not only allow the train to travel at higher speeds on winding track without fear of it falling over, but also to improve passenger comfort levels and stop people being pressed against the windows when taking corners!
The original APT was a Gas-Turbine unit that operated on the Midland Region out of London St Pancras, and was later followed by the Class 370 electric multiple unit that began trials on the West Coast Mainline from 1980. A truly brilliant concept, the APT showed the world that the idea of a tilting train could be possible, that is, when it worked. The Class 370 was marred by teething problems and reliability issues, mostly consisting of the fact that the tilting mechanism wouldn't work properly or there would be just general train faults. Coupled with the winter of 1981, the worst winter for many years, and the train's image was damaged beyond repair. Even while developments were looking promising, and with only a few million Pounds required to complete the project, the British Government pulled the plug and the APT was axed in 1986, with only one complete set remaining as a rather sorry museum piece. The train of the future had become a thing of the past.
But the developments of the APT were picked up by none-other than Fiat Ferroviaria, who, following the failure of their British rival, developed their own and much more successful tilting train, the ETR-401 Pendolino, which began operations in 1988. This was later translated into a fleet of 15 ETR 450 production units which became the first revenue earning tilting trains.
In 2000, Fiat Ferroviaria was acquired by Alstom, who has been building their legendary tilting trains ever since. This coincided with the formation of Virgin Trains following privatisation of British Rail in 1994. As part of Virgin Trains' franchise requirements in 1997, the company intended the replacement of the ageing BR stock of the 1960's with a new fleet of high speed trains that would reduce journey times and up travel quality. As such, Virgin turned to Fiat Ferroviaria and later successor Alstom to provide them with a derivative version of the company's latest tilting Pendolino, the ETR 460.
Fiat Ferroviaria supplied much of the content of the Class 390 units, including the bodyshell and the bogies, while final assembly was carried out at Washwood Heath. The tilting technology was developed by SIG Switzerland (later Fiat-SIG, today Alstom). Two electromechanical actuators are used per car to achieve the desired tilting angle on curved stretches of track. The train can tilt to a maximum of eight degrees, at which point one side of the cabin train is 380 mm higher above the track than the other. In contrast to other Fiat Ferroviaria tilting trains which use hydraulic tilting actuators, the electromechanical systems offers lower maintenance cost and higher efficiency.
The new trains were intended to run at 140mph, but the West Coast Main Line modernisation programme, which was an upgrade to the infrastructure to allow faster line speeds, ran over budget. Consequently, plans were scaled back, and in a manner reminiscent of the introduction of the InterCity 225, the lack of signalling upgrades resulted in the maximum line speed being restricted to 125mph. Although this (and 140mph) are well below BR's hopes for APT of 155mph, it does match the maximum speed of 125mph for the APT in passenger service (although one APT set reached 162mph in testing).
The fleet was introduced into passenger services from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly on 23rd July, 2002, to coincide with the opening of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Over the next few months they took over the Manchester services, and were soon introduced on routes from London to Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Preston.
With the start of Class 390 operations, the writing was very much on the wall for the ageing sets of trains it was replacing, and thus the Class 390's image began to be somewhat tarnished amongst the railway purists. First to go were the Class 86's of the 1960's, proud high-speed locomotives that were once the mainstay of the WCML, withdrawn from service in 2003 following both the introduction of the Class 390's, and the Class 220/221 Voyager units on Cross-Country services. Next were the newer Class 90's of 1989, replaced in 2004 once Class 390's had been allocated to routes north of Preston. The final locomotive hauled trains were provided by the Class 87's of the 1970's, which held strong until final replacement in 2005, bringing an end to locomotive hauled services on the West Coast Mainline. From then on, the Class 86's have mostly been scrapped, whilst Class 90's were transferred to Anglia to replace their Class 86 fleet. Class 87's on the other hand have since been exported largely to Bulgaria, the few remaining here in the UK either being scrapped, placed in storage, or made into museum pieces. This left a great deal of animosity towards the Class 390's by the railway enthusiast community, who, even after 10 years, still have a strong hatred towards these trains.
The service improvements however are something that can't be taken away from the Class 390's as these trains have taken the original and comparatively sluggish 110mph top speed and translated it into the extremely fast 125mph running speed that BR had dreamt of for years. In September 2006, the Pendolino set a new speed record, completing the 401 mile length of the West Coast Main Line from Glasgow Central to London Euston in 3 hours, 55 minutes, beating the 4-hour-14-minute record for the southbound run previously set in 1981 by the Class 370 APT. The APT however retains the ultimate speed record for this route, having completed the northbound journey between London Euston and Glasgow Central in 3 hours 52 minutes in 1984 which included a 5-minute delay due to a signal fault.
Since then the Pendolino has become very much a staple of high speed train travel in the UK, and still looks good even 15 years after the first ones hit the test tracks back in 2001.
The Class 390 was put to the test however with 390033 'City of Glasgow', which was written off after the Grayrigg derailment of February 23rd, 2007. The accident had been caused by a points malfunction, which, after a failure to inspect by Network Rail, changed the direction of travel from normal and thus resulted in the entire set derailing and plummeting down an embankment at 95mph. The sturdy design and robust nature of the Class 390 has been attributed to the fact that only one person, an elderly lady, was killed in the disaster, whereas if the previous MkII carriages had been involved, the death-toll could have been much higher. As said, the unit was written off, and the less damaged rear carriages of the set now reside at the Crewe Training Centre and are used for the instruction of drivers and train crew. The subsequent destruction of one of the units led to Virgin Trains reinstating a loco-hauled service to cover its diagrams, this being in the form of a hired Class 90 (usually from Freightliner), a set of 9 MkIII coaches, and a Driving Van Trailer. This train operated covering diagrams until November 2014, when it was retired and transferred to Greater Anglia.
Since 2007 the Class 390's have had their fleet enhanced from the original 53 sets to 57 with the addition of 4 new units between 2011 and 2012. The introduction of these new sets coincided with the extension of 31 sets to 11-cars, with new carriages built and imported from Alstom's factory in Italy, the first routine 11-car InterCity train to operate in the UK since the 1970's.
Today the Class 390's continue to ply their merry trade, and remain vital parts of the UK's high speed network, bringing Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and London closer together than they've ever been before.
The interior of this model was built from scratch at the same time as the bodyshell was first converted. Over the years it was plundered for various bits but has been rebuilt and re-seated. The lower deck now has the correct black leather seats, for which the texture of the acrylic has come in handy. The grey areas are a mixture of shades and so will all need repainted to ensure colour consistency.
Austin Healey Sprite (Frogeye) Mk.1 (1958-61) Engine 948cc S4 OHV BMC A Series Production 38999
Registration Number XAD 377 (Gloucester)
AUSTIN HEALEY SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623759812996...
The first of the Austun Healey Sprite's, nicknamed Frogeye for obvious reasons (or Bugeye in the USA), with a one piece lift up bonnet-wing assembly. First announced to the press in Monte Carlo May 1958. just ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix and intended as a low cost sports car for the enthusiast. The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, with production being undertaken by Austin-Healey. It first went on sale at a price of £669, using a tuned version of the Austin A-Series engine and as many other components from existing cars as possible to keep costs down, the car was produced at the MG plant in Abingdon.
It was originally intended that the headlights would be retractable and sit in the wings, facing upward when not in use, simular to the much later Porsche 928, but the flip up arangement was abandoned at the design stage to maintain low costs. The body was styled by Gerry Coker, with subsequent alterations by Les Ireland following Coker's emigration to the US in 1957. The car's distinctive frontal styling bore a strong resemblance to the defunct American 1951 Crosley Super Sport.
The problem of providing a rigid structure to an open-topped sports car was resolved by Barry Bilbie, Healey's chassis designer, who adapted the idea provided by the Jaguar D-type, with rear suspension forces routed through the bodyshell's floor pan. The Sprite's chassis design was the world's first volume-production sports car to use unitary construction, where the sheet metal body panels (apart from the bonnet) take many of the structural stresses. The original metal gauge (thickness of steel) of the rear structure specified by Bilbie was reduced by the Austin Design Office during prototype build, however during testing at M.I.R.A. (Motor Industry Research Association) distortion and deformation of the rear structure occurred and the original specification was reinstated.
The 43 bhp, 948 cc OHV engine (coded 9CC) was derived from the Austin A35 & Morris Minor 1000 models, but upgraded with twin 11⁄8" inch SU carburettors. The rack and pinion steering was derived from the Morris Minor 1000 and the front suspension from the Austin A35.
Many thanks for a fantabulous 37,511,900 views
Shot at the Haynes International Motor Museum Sparkford, Somerset 23rd June 2015 Ref 107-026
VGT 386R displayed at the Festival of Steam and Transport 2019. Historic Dockyard Chatham.
From this angle looking very much like the earlier Triumph Toledo. However the Dolomite 1500 has a good size boot, whereas the Toledo using the bodyshell from the even earlier Triumph 1300 had a small boot.
A bold (or may be desperate) move from Triumph to go from front drive on the Triumph 1300 and Triumph 1500 to use rear wheel drive on the similar later range of Triumph Dolomites.
Lotus Elite Type 75 (1974-80) Engine 1973cc S4 DOC Production 2398
Registration Number MPC 109 P (Guildford)
LOTUS SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623671671113...
First of the new generation cars from Lotus, still built around a backbone frame but now with a 98 inch wheelbase. Glass fibre body with concealed headlights and large glass hatch back.
The Elite type 75 was a larger and more upmarket car than its forbearers, intended to move the company away from its kit car past. and a replacement for the ageing Lotus Elan Plus 2. The Elite was configured as a small shooting brake with a glass rear hatch opening into the luggage compartment. It was front-engined with rear wheel drive. The Elite's fibreglass bodyshell was mounted on a steel backbone chassis evolved from the Elan and Europa. It had 4-wheel independent suspension using coil springs. The Elite was Lotus' first car to use the 907 aluminium-block 4-valve, DOHC, four-cylinder engine of 1973cc which had previously been used in the Jensen Healey. The Elite had a claimed drag co-efficient of 0.30 and at the time of launch it was the world's most expensive four-cylinder car. The Elite's striking shape was designed by Oliver Winterbottom. He is quoted as saying that the basic chassis and suspension layout were designed by Colin Chapman, making the Elite and its sister design the Eclat the last Lotus road cars to have significant design input from Chapman himself. The Elite went on to be the base for the Eclat, and the later Excel 2+2 coupés. and were available in 4 main specification variations, 501, 502, 503, and later on 504
In 1980 the Elite type 75 was replaced by the Elite Mark 2 Type 83 powered by a larger 2,174 cc (132.7 cu in) Lotus 912 engine. and continued until 1982
Many thanks for a fantabulous 44,108,324 views
Shot at the Silverstone Classic 14-15 July 2015- Ref 109-568
Ford Escort (5th Gen) LX Estate (1990-97) Engine 1800cc S4 Diesel
Registration Number M 195 UCP
FORD (UK) SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665118181...
The Escort Mark V Hatch and Estate and sibling the Ford Orion Mark III Saloon arrived in September 1990 with an all-new bodyshell and a simplified torsion beam rear suspension. Initially the 1.3 L HCS, 1.4 L and 1.6 L CVH petrol and 1.8 L diesel units carried over from the earlier models. The new car was not well received by the Motoring Press critised for its mediocre handling and poor refinement.
In early 1992, an all new Zetec 16-valve engine was launched bringing improved driveability, while also marking the return of the XR3i Specifications were improved and the Escort was now available with items such as power steering, electric windows, central locking, electronic antilock brakes, and air conditioning..
Stung by the critiscm of the original Mk.V Ford facelifted the Escort and Orion in September 1992, giving the revised cars a new grille, bonnet and, in the Escort hatchback's case, a new rear end. A new 1.6 L 16-valve 90 bhp (66 kW) Zetec engine was introduced, replacing the previous CVH. Fuel injection was now standard on all petrol models, Also new for 1993 were 1.3 L and 1.4 L CFi petrol engines and 1.8 L diesel engines. Ford introduced a four-wheel-drive variant of the RS2000, offering much improved handling over its front-wheel-drive cousins. A first for the Escort also saw the introduction of all disc brakes on all four wheels as standard on all RS2000 and XR3i models.
The crash structure was also improved, featuring side impact bars, a reinforced safety cage, improved crumple zones, front seat-belt pretensioners and airbags..
In September 1993, the Orion name was dropped, with the saloon taking on the Escort badge. The XR3i was discontinued a few months later.
Many Thanks for a fan'dabi'dozi 27,096,500 views
Shot 25:07:2014 at Tesco Superstore, Shirley REF: 102-1123
Estimated : € 80.000 - 120.000
Sold for € 216.720
The Renault Icons
Auction - Artcurial
Renault Manufacture
Flins-sur-Seine
Aubergenville - France
December 2025
- Prototype set up by Jean Ragnotti
- A crucial link in the history of the rally versions of the R5 Turbo
- Fitted with extremely rare and unobtainable parts
- Fabulous restoration project
The origins of the Maxi 5 Turbo
The first works Renault 5 Turbo in 1980 was the Group 4 model. In 1983, the advent of Group B gave rise to a limited run of 20 cars, the famous ‘Tour de Corse’ series. As a result of the regulations, these had narrower rear tyres, which compromised the cars’ stability, according to Jean Ragnotti himself. In 1983, Patrick Landon, the head of Renault’s rally department, gave his agreement for work to proceed on the final evolution of Renault’s ‘pocket rocket’, the car that would be known as the Maxi 5 Turbo. The goal was to revert to wider rear tyres, but also to equip the car with the latest technological developments, including the DPV anti-lag device derived from Formula 1.
To achieve this, a limited series of 200 R5 Turbo 2 ‘type 8221’ cars were built in order to homologate 20 examples of the Maxi 5 with a slightly increased engine capacity, as the Maxi’s 1527cc engine (rather than the 1397cc engine fitted to the other R5 Turbos) would allow them to be fitted with 11.5in rear wheels.
At the end of 1984, the yellow and black Maxi prototype would be driven by Alain Serpaggi to open the Rallye du Var. Following this, in February 1985, the 20 cars required for homologation were presented to the FFSA in Dieppe ... and 10 were then immediately dismantled! Truth to tell, the rally department did not have the resources to assemble 20 cars and provide the after-sales support to all its customers. Only 10 cars were registered: 3 were delivered in kit form to Carlos Sainz, Renault Chartres and Renault’s competition department in Antony, and 7 had their identification plates removed to add to the stock of spare parts, thus explaining why more Maxis exist today than were assembled at the time!
The Maxi made its debut on the Critérium de Touraine from 8-10 March 1985. The victory of Jean Ragnotti, Renault’s works driver, on the Tour de Corse in May, ahead of its 205 T16, Manta 400, Audi Quattro and Porsche rivals, gave the two-wheel drive Maxi its finest hour. Driven by such talented rallymen as Jean Ragnotti, Didier Auriol , François Chatriot and Philippe Touren in France, and Carlos Sainz in Spain, its power and brutal performance left a lasting impression.
The end of Group B for the 1987 season saw the Maxi banned from international rallies, but brilliant amateur drivers such as Meyer, Thomasse, Roussel and Mathon continued to demonstrate the qualities of this ultimate Renault 5 Turbo to the public.
The Maxi 5 in the auction
The presence in the Renault the Originals Museum of three Maxis allows some interesting comparisons to be made with the car in the auction:
- The ‘yellow and black’ prototype, presented in September 1984 and driven by Alain Serpaggi as the opening car for the Rallye du Var, without a chassis number or identification plates;
- The ‘Philips’ Maxi, driven by Jean Ragnotti, chassis no. 702 and registration no. 9489 YB 91, with its authentic identification plates, referred to as C2 by Renault Sport;
- The ‘Diac’ Maxi, driven by François Chatriot, chassis no. 705, the genuine Diac car from the 1985 and 1986 seasons and fitted with its authentic identification plates (there is also a Maxi claiming to be no. 705 in Belgium).
It should be noted that the competition department in Antony had three Maxis, all registered and in Philips livery; like all the motorsport cars, as those involved at the time will readily admit, the exact identity of each car varied according to the event and the degree of preparation of each car!
So what is the Maxi offered here, without any identification plates or registration papers? It was made over to Renault Heritage in 1990 as the ‘Maquette (Model) 3’, but is it merely a display model?
No, since this car has been driven – indeed, it has 7000km on the clock – and had been fitted with identification plates, the drill holes for which are still present on the right front wheel arch.
The car is on its wheels, but is missing its engine and fuel tanks; it has the polyester, Kevlar and aluminium bodywork of a Maxi 5 Turbo, 15in and 16in magnesium wheels, suspension with combined spring/shock-absorber units and no anti-roll bar, and a competition wiring loom. The interior is virtually complete, with a multi-point aluminium roll cage and a location for the spare wheel on the engine cover; the dashboard is also complete, including the turbo boost gauge, but lacks the trip computer for the co-driver. It is equipped with a hydraulic handbrake and a brake balance control. The boot in the front is empty, except for the steering and the ‘works’ cut-out switch already used on the berlinettes in the 1973 WRC! Four ‘works’ brake callipers are supplied with the car.
After a meticulous examination of this Maxi, and comparing it to the other Maxis in Renault’s collection, we can draw the following conclusions:
The bodyshell is not that of a Maxi, but a Tour de Corse modified to Maxi-spec:
- First, it has had a turbocharger on the right next to the shock absorber turret, like a TdC, as marks from overheating indicate, whereas the turbocharger on the Maxi was not installed there;
- Secondly, the internal firewall has three openings let into it, whereas the Maxi only had two, as the turbocharger was relocated behind the co-driver;
- Thirdly, the steering is from an R5 Turbo TdC, and not a Maxi, and the traces of the stiffeners on the anti-roll bar are those of the TdC models and not the Maxi;
- Fourthly, the aluminium roll cage is not a Matter part, but a Ruby model specific to the TdC, all the Maxis having been equipped with Matter roll cages.
The rear strut brace (which is missing) was not that fitted to the Maxi, but rather the first TdC models, as can be seen from its mountings.
On the other hand, several items are similar to a Maxi:
The car has been fitted in the past with a complete Maxi engine, and the water injection tank on the left at the rear is still present, as is the exhaust outlet tube ahead of the right rear wheel, showing that a Maxi turbocharger was installed there.
The mounting plate for the large air filter, originally from a Renault truck, is still in place on the rear valance. It may also be noted that two oil coolers are still fitted in the left and right wings.
The car has a fuel filler on the left wing, with a small Lebozec aviation-type cap.
At present, it has the conventional windscreen wiper set-up from the R5 Turbo, which is also found on some Maxis, but the holes (now plugged) show that the Marchal wipers specific to the Maxi were fitted there.
As far as the rear suspension is concerned, it is a Maxi assembly with a specific attachment for the lower wishbones to the side members, as François Bernard has confirmed..
The front suspension is very interesting: the machine-welded hub carriers are very similar to those of a Maxi, but nonetheless different. They are not, of course, those fitted to the Tour de Corse, as these were made from cast metal.
The front wheel arches are made from polyester and are of the Maxi type.
The front strut brace is identical to those fitted to the Maxi, whereas the TdC had two smaller-diameter braces; in addition, the trapezoidal box section between the two sides of the bodyshell behind the axle, specific to the Maxi, is present.
The conduits for the UV joints (which are missing) at the rear of the chassis have been treated in the same way as on the Maxi, with a small section cut out to increase the clearance for them, and you can see the small tubular tie-rod between the side member and the shock absorber turret from the Maxi, which differs from the strengthening piece fitted to the TdC model.
Naturally, the roof and doors are made from aluminium, and there are two brake master cylinders. All the bodywork parts are those of a real Maxi, including the very specific rear bonnet fastenings.
It should be noted that there is no roof vent, as found on some Maxis.
At this stage in our research, it seems highly likely that this Turbo was in fact a development prototype for the Maxi 5 Turbo. This view is supported by the very precise recollections of the chassis engineer François Bernard regarding the car’s development. During 1983, it was decided to develop a four-wheel drive R5 Turbo, to replace the Tour de Corse. This was intended to adopt several technologies for its engine from the F1 cars, and the project was named ‘NG’ (for new generation). The engineering choices made included installing a DPV anti-lag device, water injection and a Kugelfischer pump. Given the cost of homologating a 4WD version, however, Renault's management turned to a 2WD model, which would be the fastest ever built. And therein lies the explanation for these surprising front stub axles, the centre of which had been designed to accommodate the UV joints for the front axle of the 4WD car!
In the summer of 1983, a prototype engine for the future Maxi was installed in a white Tour de Corse car. The initial tests were carried out with Jean Ragnotti at Malaucène in the Vaucluse in November 1983, and then at Le Luc in Provence. The engine was still a 1397cc unit. The prototype had a Ruby roll cage rather than a Matter one, and it had undergone the mechanical changes specified by the engine designer Philippe Coblence as well as the chassis engineer. Very quickly, this TdC/Maxi became known as the B Zero, but it kept its white livery. In addition, François Bernard confirmed that the steering was from a Tour de Corse and not a Maxi; the yellow and black prototype would be the first to have the very special steering set-up, resembling that fitted to a single-seater. When the yellow and black car appeared in autumn 1984, the B0 prototype, which had gradually been fitted with the body components characteristic of the Maxi during its career, was still used occasionally, before becoming dormant and, most likely, being stored in the third hangar at Renault Sport in Antony. In 1990 therefore, it is this prototype which is believed to have been passed on to Renault Heritage as a display model, and it was at this point that it was repainted: originally white, it took on the blue and red ‘Philips’ colours, like a copy of the Maxi C2 which won the Tour de Corse in 1985, with no attempt made, however, to mask the running gear or front boot!
It therefore appears virtually certain that the car presented here is the B0 prototype used from 1983-1984 by Jean Ragnotti to set up the definitive version of the Maxi 5 Turbo. Starting from a Tour de Corse bodyshell that had already had a previous life, the Renault Sport team applied all the specific chassis and engine features from the legendary Maxi to this car, with the exception of the steering. With its Philips livery, this prototype – which might be termed ‘ex-Ragnotti’, since it was set up by the famous and hugely popular French rally driver – is a crucial link in the history of the R5 Turbo, as it represents the passing of the baton from the TdC (20 cars built) to the Maxi (10 cars). With its numerous very rare components, it deserves to find a complete engine and to breathe in once again the heady aroma of the asphalt!
Coachwork by Henri Chapron
Bonhams : the Zoute Sale
Estimated : € 240.000 - 320.000
Sold for € 425.500
Zoute Grand Prix 2018
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2018
Just as it had done 21 years previously with the revolutionary 'Traction Avant', Citroën stunned the world again in 1955 with the launch of the strikingly styled 'DS'. Beneath the shark-like newcomer's aerodynamically efficient, low-drag bodyshell there was all-independent, self-levelling, hydro-pneumatic suspension plus power-operated brakes, clutch, and steering.
The project had been initiated in the 1930s by the company's managing director, Pierre-Jules Boulanger, and would be brought to fruition by designers Andre Lefebvre, previously with Voisin and Renault, and Flaminio Bertoni, who had worked on the styling of the pre-war Traction Avant. Part of Boulanger's brief had been that the proposed 'VGD' (Voiture de Grand Diffusion or Mass Market Car) should be capable of affording a comfortable ride over sub-standard rural roads while remaining stable at sustained high speeds on the Autoroutes. The solution to these seemingly incompatible requirements was the famous hydro-pneumatic suspension, suggested by Citroën engineer Paul Mages. No European car would match the DS's ride quality for several years, the fundamental soundness of Citroën's ahead-of-its-time hydro-pneumatic suspension being demonstrated by its survival in present-day top-of-the-range models.
In September 1965 the DS's original 1,911cc, overhead-valve, long-stroke engine – inherited from the Traction Avant - was replaced by a short-stroke 1,985cc unit, also available in 2,175cc and 2,347cc versions, while other DS developments included swivelling headlights, fuel injection and a five-speed gearbox. Other models offered alongside the original DS were the ID (a simplified, cheaper version), the cavernous Safari estate and the two-door Décapotable (convertible), the latter boasting coachwork by Henri Chapron. Chapron's first convertibles had been produced independently of Citroën but the factory eventually gave the project its blessing. Citroën's own Décapotables were built on the longer, stronger chassis of the ID Break (Estate) but the model was never produced in England, where Citroën's right-hand drive cars were assembled at its Slough factory up to 1966. In total, 1,365 usine (factory) convertibles were made with either the DS19 or DS21 engine between 1960 and 1971, while Chapron built a further 389 of his own, the last in 1973.
The beautiful Citroën convertible offered here is the first of three DS23 IE cars built by the Chapron factory for 1973, and one of only four such examples with the 2.3-litre IE (fuel injected) engine. It was originally ordered by eminent Parisian Raoul d'Iray in October 1972 through the Citroën dealership in Paris 18th, 6 rue d'Oran. Carrying the Chapron build number '9414', this exceedingly rare car was finished in December 1972 and first registered in March 1973 under the Parisian number '3304 ZB 75' to Mr Raoul d'Iray, 148 Avenue Louis Roche, Gennevilliers/Seine, France.
At that time, Henri Chapron's cars were no longer sold through the Citroën dealer network, and every car that Chapron transformed had to be approved by the French licensing authority (the 'Service des Mines') before it could be registered. These papers accompany the car. The DS remained in Raoul d'Iray's ownership for a decade. It then passed to a Mr Van Houten, remaining with him for a further decade before passing to Mr Jaap Knap, a Citroën dealer.
Last publicly offered for sale in 2006 at Rétromobile, this rare Citroën DS23 IE Décapotable was purchased by the car collector and hugely successful fashion entrepreneur, Mr Kevin Stanford, who registered it in the UK with his personal registration plate, '56 KS'.
For the next 12 years the car was enjoyed by Mr Stanford and his family before being purchased by a UK car collector. Since then it has received a detailed mechanical overhaul at the hands of the widely respected UK-based Citroën specialist, Olivier Houiller of French Classics Ltd. Recent receipts totalling over £15,000 accompany the car, as does the extensive Chapron build documentation that was provided by Noëlle-Eleonore Chapron, Henri Chapron's daughter.
This magnificent and very rare piece of French motoring history is 'on the button' and ready to be enjoyed. An eye-catcher at any gathering, it comes with the aforementioned documentation and is currently registered in the UK.
Ref. 26-1611.
Audi 80 GL (1972-1976).
Escala 1/43.
Testauftrag >S<.
Schuco.
Made in Germany.
Production year: 1976.
"Schuco no. 26-1611 Test order S, from the 1976 series "For test drivers". Apart from actuality, what was special about these modellautos, that they could be divided into about 15 to 20 individual parts and thus the slogan test assignment got a special significance! (...)"
Source: www.autostadt.de/de/eshops/audi-80-gl.html
(original text in german language)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUDI 80 (B1)
"The Audi 80 was developed by Ludwig Kraus and was presented in 1972.
It quickly became the bestseller in the lower middle class.
With a facelift in September 1976, the style of the Audi 80 was aligned towards that of the Audi 100, which had just been launched.
The Audi 80 GL was the top model in the series. Front-wheel drive, negative steering scrub radius and diagonal brake circuit distribution provided for driving safety even in adverse conditions."
Engine: 4-cylinder inline engine
Displacement: 1,297 cc to 1,588 cc
Power: from 55 hp at 5,500 rpm to 110 hp at 6,000 rpm
Series: 07/1972-09/1978
Production: 932,403 cars (without US models)
Source:
www.audi-me.com/me/brand/en/company/audi_history/Evolutio...
www.audi-me.com/me/brand/en/company/audi_history/Evolutio...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audi 80 (B1) (1972-1978)
"This model debuted in Europe in 1972 as the Audi 80, and in 1973 in Australia and North America (Canada and the USA) as the Audi Fox, and was available as either a two-door or a four-door saloon (sedan).
It effectively took the place of several models that Audi had discontinued (the F103 series, which included the first model designated as an "Audi 80"), and provided the company with a viable rival to the Opel Ascona and the Ford Taunus (Ford Cortina in the UK), as well as more upmarket offerings including the Alfa Romeo Alfetta and Triumph Dolomite."
"The Audi 80 B1 was only the second modern-era Audi product to be developed entirely under Volkswagen ownership - Audi chief engineer Ludwig Kraus had famously been disparaging about the outgoing F103 series, referring to it as the "bastard", owing to its Auto Union/DKW bodyshell and Mercedes-Benz engine.
The B1 was a clean break from the Auto Union era, being equipped with.a range of brand new 1.3- and 1.5-litre SOHC inline-four petrol engines - the first appearance of the now legendary EA827 series of engines, whose descendants are still used in VW Group vehicles to the present day."
(...)
"On the home market, two- and four- door saloons were available in base trim (55 or 60 PS, called simply Audi 80 and 80 S, respectively), as L models (LS with 75 PS engine) or as a more luxurious GL (85 PS only).
In September 1973, Audi added the sporty 80 GT (two-door only) featuring a carburettor 1.6 litre engine (code: XX) rated at 100 PS (74 kW; 99 bhp)."
(...)
"Audi's design and development efforts paid off during the 1973 European Car of the Year competition where the 80 won ahead of the Renault 5 and the Alfa Romeo Alfetta.
A facelift in autumn 1976 brought about a revised front end in the style of the newly introduced Audi 100 C2 with square instead of round headlights, 1.6- instead of 1.5 litre engines (still of 75/85 PS) and a new 80 GTE model with a fuel-injected version of the 1.6-litre (110 PS (81 kW; 108 bhp)) replacing the former 80 GT."
(...)
"The B1 platform was dropped from the European market in 1978, although it was sold into the 1979 model year in North America."
(...)
---------------------------
Audi 80 B1 (80/82)
Also called
Audi Fox
Production
1972–1978
1,103,766 built
Body style
2/4-door sedan
5-door wagon
Layout
Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Platform
Volkswagen Group B1 platform
Engine
1.3 L I4
1.5 L I4
1.6 L I4
Transmission
4-speed manual
3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase
2,470 mm (97.2 in)
Length
4,175 mm (164.4 in)
Width
1,600 mm (63.0 in)
Height
1,362 mm (53.6 in)
Chronology
Predecessor
Audi 72
Successor
Audi 80 (B2)
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_80
More info:
Ref. 26-1611.
Audi 80 GL (1972-1976).
Escala 1/43.
Testauftrag >S<.
Schuco.
Made in Germany.
Production year: 1976.
"Schuco no. 26-1611 Test order S, from the 1976 series "For test drivers". Apart from actuality, what was special about these modellautos, that they could be divided into about 15 to 20 individual parts and thus the slogan test assignment got a special significance! (...)"
Source: www.autostadt.de/de/eshops/audi-80-gl.html
(original text in german language)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUDI 80 (B1)
"The Audi 80 was developed by Ludwig Kraus and was presented in 1972.
It quickly became the bestseller in the lower middle class.
With a facelift in September 1976, the style of the Audi 80 was aligned towards that of the Audi 100, which had just been launched.
The Audi 80 GL was the top model in the series. Front-wheel drive, negative steering scrub radius and diagonal brake circuit distribution provided for driving safety even in adverse conditions."
Engine: 4-cylinder inline engine
Displacement: 1,297 cc to 1,588 cc
Power: from 55 hp at 5,500 rpm to 110 hp at 6,000 rpm
Series: 07/1972-09/1978
Production: 932,403 cars (without US models)
Source:
www.audi-me.com/me/brand/en/company/audi_history/Evolutio...
www.audi-me.com/me/brand/en/company/audi_history/Evolutio...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audi 80 (B1) (1972-1978)
"This model debuted in Europe in 1972 as the Audi 80, and in 1973 in Australia and North America (Canada and the USA) as the Audi Fox, and was available as either a two-door or a four-door saloon (sedan).
It effectively took the place of several models that Audi had discontinued (the F103 series, which included the first model designated as an "Audi 80"), and provided the company with a viable rival to the Opel Ascona and the Ford Taunus (Ford Cortina in the UK), as well as more upmarket offerings including the Alfa Romeo Alfetta and Triumph Dolomite."
"The Audi 80 B1 was only the second modern-era Audi product to be developed entirely under Volkswagen ownership - Audi chief engineer Ludwig Kraus had famously been disparaging about the outgoing F103 series, referring to it as the "bastard", owing to its Auto Union/DKW bodyshell and Mercedes-Benz engine.
The B1 was a clean break from the Auto Union era, being equipped with.a range of brand new 1.3- and 1.5-litre SOHC inline-four petrol engines - the first appearance of the now legendary EA827 series of engines, whose descendants are still used in VW Group vehicles to the present day."
(...)
"On the home market, two- and four- door saloons were available in base trim (55 or 60 PS, called simply Audi 80 and 80 S, respectively), as L models (LS with 75 PS engine) or as a more luxurious GL (85 PS only).
In September 1973, Audi added the sporty 80 GT (two-door only) featuring a carburettor 1.6 litre engine (code: XX) rated at 100 PS (74 kW; 99 bhp)."
(...)
"Audi's design and development efforts paid off during the 1973 European Car of the Year competition where the 80 won ahead of the Renault 5 and the Alfa Romeo Alfetta.
A facelift in autumn 1976 brought about a revised front end in the style of the newly introduced Audi 100 C2 with square instead of round headlights, 1.6- instead of 1.5 litre engines (still of 75/85 PS) and a new 80 GTE model with a fuel-injected version of the 1.6-litre (110 PS (81 kW; 108 bhp)) replacing the former 80 GT."
(...)
"The B1 platform was dropped from the European market in 1978, although it was sold into the 1979 model year in North America."
(...)
---------------------------
Audi 80 B1 (80/82)
Also called
Audi Fox
Production
1972–1978
1,103,766 built
Body style
2/4-door sedan
5-door wagon
Layout
Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Platform
Volkswagen Group B1 platform
Engine
1.3 L I4
1.5 L I4
1.6 L I4
Transmission
4-speed manual
3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase
2,470 mm (97.2 in)
Length
4,175 mm (164.4 in)
Width
1,600 mm (63.0 in)
Height
1,362 mm (53.6 in)
Chronology
Predecessor
Audi 72
Successor
Audi 80 (B2)
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_80
More info:
Northern Trains 322481 stands in Platform 9 having just arrived with 2V17, 09:10 Ilkley – Leeds, 27th July 2016.
Unit History
In the late 1980’s British Rail built a branch off the London Liverpool Street – Cambridge Line to serve Stanstead Airport. Five new four car electric multiple units were built at York to work the new service becoming class 322. They are similar to the class 321 units and are the last units based on the Mark III bodyshell. The class worked the Stanstead services until displaced in 1997 when four units moved to North West Trains for Manchester – Euston semi-fast duties. The four units returned to East Anglia in 1999 before moving to Scotrail in 2001 for duties around Edinburgh. In 2011 the class moved to Northern Rail for duties around Leeds.
Arrived Sims Metals, Newport for breaking up on the 4th August 2022.
VNC-1 (93-KE-1919)
Volvo B6BLE / Northern Counties Paladin.
Resin body shell and 'concocted' interior
Notes:Mirror Image Models NCME Paladin bodyshell, rebuilt front details, considerably modified rear profile and second door added. Interior constructed from EFE Wright interior cut up and mounted on scratch built floor and chassis cut to length. Additional details are MIM etched wipers, mirrors and window frames. Transfers are all home produced.
In 1970 Ford Australia hand built two Super Falcons , at a cost of about $125,000 each , as a response to Norm Beechey's Monaro . They wanted to compete against it in a locally built car .
It was powered by a NASCAR 351 ci V8 with Lucas fuel injection producing 600bhp. and had a lightweight bodyshell , the overall weight of the vehicle being 1185 kg compared with the GT HO Ph III 1500kg.
They were quite unreliable and although they practised both the Super Falcon and their respective Mustangs Geoghegan and Moffat usually elected to race the still faster and more reliable Mustang , however at the 1972 Easter Bathurst meet Geoghegans Super Falcon beat Moffats Mustang by 6/10ths of a second with the lead changing 6 times in 13 laps !
Often described as Britain's first supercar (a little late, Italy beat us to that like 5 years earlier!), but the Aston Martin V8 and the derivative Vantage helped keep the company afloat during those dark years of bankruptcy and recovery, even though it almost committed corporate suicide by developing the overly complicated Lagonda!
The original Aston Martin V8 was a coupé manufactured from 1969 to 1989, built to replace the Aston Martin DBS, a more angular car that killed off the DB6, and by extension the iconic design that had eminated through the James Bond DB5. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt, with each car requiring 1,200 manhours to finish. Aston Martin's customers had been clamouring for an eight-cylinder car for years, so Aston Martin designed a larger car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage on the other hand took the original bodyshell of this 60's sports coupé, and completely re-engineered it to create something that was not of this earth! The first series had 375hp, and series specific details such as a blanked bonnet vent and a separate rear spoiler, of which 38 of these were built.
The Vantage name had previously been used on a number of high-performance versions of Aston Martin cars, but this was a separate model. Although based on the Aston Martin V8, numerous detail changes added up to a unique driving experience. One of the most noticeable features was the closed-off hood bulge rather than the open scoop found on the normal V8. The grille area was also closed off, with twin driving lights inserted and a spoiler added to the bootlid.
Upon its introduction in 1977, the car's incredible speed and power was taken up with acclaim, and, as mentioned, was dubbed 'Britain's first supercar', with a top speed of 170 mph top speed. Its engine was shared with the Lagonda, but it used high-performance camshafts, increased compression ratio, larger inlet valves and bigger carburettors mounted on new manifolds for increased output. Straight-line performance was the best of the day, with acceleration from 0–60 mph in 5.3 seconds, one-tenth of a second quicker than the Ferrari Daytona.
The Oscar India version, introduced in late 1978, featured an integrated tea-tray spoiler and smoother bonnet bulge. Inside, a black leather-covered dash replaced the previous walnut. The wooden dashboard did find its way back into the Vantage during the eighties, giving a more luxurious appearance. The Oscar India version also received a slight increase in power, to 390hp. This line was produced, with some running changes, until 1989. From 1986 the engine had 403hp.
1986 saw the introduction of X-Pack was a further upgrade, with Cosworth pistons and Nimrod racing-type heads producing 403hp. A big bore after-market option was also available from Works Service, with 50mm carbs and straight-through exhaust system giving 432hp, the same engine as fitted to the limited-edition V8 Zagato. 16-inch wheels were also now fitted. A 450hp 6.3L version was also available from Aston Martin, and independent manufacturers offered a 7L version just to up the ante.
In 1986, the Vantage had its roof cut off into what would become the convertible Vantage Volante, basically identical. In 1987 The Prince of Wales took delivery of a Vantage Volante, but at his request without the production car's wider wheelarches, front air dam and side skirts. This became known as the 'Prince of Wales Spec' (or POW) and around another 26 such cars were built by the factory.
The Prince was obviously very specific about his motorcars!
304 Series 2 Vantage coupés were built, including 131 X-Packs and 192 Volantes. Volante's are often considered the most desirable of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage range. In all, 534 V8 Vantages were constructed during its 12 year production run, with the car being replaced in 1989 by the Aston Martin Virage, as well as a new generation V8 Vantage which remained somewhat faithful to the original design of the 60's (if not a little more bulky) and was the last Aston Martin design to incorporate a traditional style before changing to the style laid down by the DB7 in 1993.
However, the Vantage did find its way into movie fame as the first Aston Martin used in a James Bond movie since the DBS used in On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. In 1987's 'The Living Daylights' (the first film to star Timothy Dalton as 007), Bond was treated to Q-Branch's Aston Martin V8 Vantage, complete with missiles, lasers to separate pesky Lada's from their chassis, and a heads-up display to assist in warding off evildoers. It also came with a 'Winter Pack', which included skis, a rocket propulsion and spiked tyres for better grip. The car however met an unfortunate demise after getting stuck in a snowdrift, forcing Bond to activate the self-destruct, engulfing the car in a fiery explosion. But at least everyone's favourite secret agent had finally been reunited with his faithful Aston Martin once again!
There is some slight incongruity with the film though, as at the beginning of the movie, the car is a convertible Volante, yet for the rest of the movie it's a hardtop regular Vantage. This confused me somewhat, or perhaps whilst Bond had the car shipped he had a roof welded on in the meantime!
Today there are a fair number of Vantages roaming the countryside, their popular design, pedigree Bond Car status and sheer raw power keeping them truly afloat. In fact, these cars are much more prominent than the Virage that replaced it, of which you barely see any!
Actually put the Belgian and Danish models away and have done a bit of railway modelling.
Having been so impressed with DCC Sound on the above models I've decided to convert to DCC for the Balkan layout.
Only issue is most of the models don't have DCC sockets. First conversion to be attempted was one of my Croatian 2061's, which started life as a Balkan Models kit. Looking at various how to's on line it all looked quite straightforward, so I cut the wires and wired in a 8pin DCC socket (as I didn't want to hard wire in a decoder). On trying to get the bodyshell back on it sat a little high so, unsoldered every thing, shortened the wires and tried again.
I tested the model with a decoder which worked fine. I've downloaded an American loco with a 16 cylinder GM567C engine (which is the correct power unit), to get my the motor sounds. My current issue is getting the correct air horn sounds, I never realised there were so many versions!!
From memory the loco's have a classic American horn (but which one is correct) and a more European horn as well, again not sure which ESU on to use. Have tried listening to YouTube videos but struggling a bit.
What a strange looking vehicle. SEAB was the maker of the plastic bodyshells of the Citroën Méhari, but made these under their own name. The Flipper II was a facelift making it a bit more modern (square).
There is a large microcar collection in this very special museum. It includes many models I hadn't seen before. Sadly there were hardly any information signs, so I still don't know those.
@Curioseum Willingen
@Ascension weekend Traction Avant Nederland 2022
Triumph GT6 Mk.III (1970-73) Engine 1998cc S6 OHV Production 13043
Registration Number YBH 510 M (Buckinghamshire)
TRIUMPH ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623847263736...
The final facelift for the Michelotti designed GT6. This time the whole bodyshell was revised to match the changes made to the Spitfire Mk.IV; these included a cut-off rear end, recessed door handles and a smoother front end.
Only detail changes were made to the mechanics, but in 1973 – close to the end of the car's life – the rear suspension was changed again, this time for the cheaper (but still effective) swing-spring layout also fitted to the Spitfire Mk.IV. a larger front anti-roll bar was fitted. A brake servo was also added in 1973, and seats were changed from vinyl to cloth. Engine power and torque for the MK3 was similar to the MK2, but better aerodynamics led to a new top speed of 112 mph
Diolch am 95,314,295 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 95,314,295 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated
Shot 03.07.2022, at Carss in the Park, Beacon Park, Lichfield Staffordshire REF 161-185
Southern Region Class 416 EPB EMU's 5209, 5200 & 5781 were Sunday resting in the carriage sidings at Orpington on October 17th 1982. 5209 & 5200 were 4-EPB Class 416/1's, part of a batch of units built to a Southern Railway design at Eastleigh between 1951 & 1957. 5781 was a 2-EPB Class 416/2 built using the BR Mk.I suburban bodyshell. The last of these bulk people movers were withdrawn in 1995.
I have to confess to not being a great fan of the Class 56, which visually has always struck me as a poor relation of the Class 47, although in reality the 3,250hp freight locomotive was the first 'second generation' UK diesel type. For expediency, the bodyshell was actually based on the Class 47 but with some clumsy front-end details. 135 examples were built between 1976 and 1983. The initial contract was awarded to Brush Traction who, because of insufficient capacity at its Loughborough works, subcontracted the work to Electroputere in Romania. Dissatisfied with the Romania product, British Rail brought the work in house after the first thirty examples. The remainder were built at BREL Doncaster and Crewe. In service they proved to be strong and capable locomotives but maintenance costs were high and, notwithstanding significant investment in the early 1990s, they could not compete with the more modern Class 66 in terms of availability and maintenance costs. Most had gone by 2004, although a few were surprisingly re-instated for infrastructure work in France. The base image for this fictional rendition in Class 47-style two-tone green was taken by David Little in March 2008 - see the DB-Schenker version for more details (01-Aug-10).
STRICTLY COPYRIGHT: You may download a copy for your personal use, but it would be an offence to remove the coyright information or post elsewhere without the express permission of the copyright owner
Ford Lotus Cortina Mk.1 (1963-66) Engine 1558cc S4 DOC Production 4012
Race Number 79 Mark Martin + a n other
FORD UK SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665118181...
The history of the Cortina Lotus began in 1961. Colin Chapman had been wishing to build his own engines for Lotus, mainly because the Coventry Climax unit was so expensive. Colin Chapman's chance came when he commissioned Harry Mundy (a close friend and designer of the Coventry Climax engine and technical editor for Autocar) to design a twin-cam version of the Ford Kent engine. Most of the development of the engine was done on the 997cc and 1,340cc bottom end, but in 1962 Ford released the 116E five bearing 1,499 cc engine and work centred on this. Keith Duckworth, from Cosworth, played an important part in tuning of the engine The engine's first appearance was in 1962 at the Nürburgring in a Lotus 23 driven by Jim Clark. Almost as soon as the engine appeared in production cars (Lotus Elan), it was replaced with a larger capacity unit of 1557cc
Whilst the engine was being developed, Walter Hayes (Ford) asked Colin Chapman if he would fit the engine to 1,000 Ford saloons for Group 2 homologation. The Type 28 or Lotus Cortina or Cortina Lotus (as Ford liked to call it) was duly launched. Ford supplied the 2-door Cortina bodyshells and took care of all the marketing and selling of the cars, whilst Lotus did all the mechanical and cosmetic changes. The major changes involved installing the 1,557 cc engine together with an Elan close ratio gearbox, he rear suspension was drastically altered and lightweight alloy panels were used for doors, bonnet and boot. Lightweight casings were fitted to gearbox and differential. All the Lotus factory cars were painted white with a green stripe (although Ford built some for racing in red, and one customer had a dark blue stripe due to being superstitious about green). The cars also received front quarter bumpers and round Lotus badges were fitted to rear wings and to the right side of the radiator grille.
Initially, the engines were built by J. A Prestwich of Tottenham and then Villiers of Wolverhampton. In 1966, Lotus moved to Hethel in Norwich where they had their own engine building facilities
To homologate the car for Group 2, 1000 were required to be built in 1963, and the car was duly homologated in September 1963. In the same month, in the car's first outing, in the Oulton Park Gold Cup, the car finished 3rd and 4th behind two Ford Galaxies, but beat the 3.8-litre Jaguars which had been dominant in saloon car racing for so long. Soon Ford were running cars in Britain, Europe, and the USA, with Team Lotus running cars in Britain for Ford, and Alan Mann Racing running cars in Europe, also on behalf of Ford. The Cortina Lotus was able to beat almost anything except the 7-litre V8 Ford Galaxies, and later, Ford Mustangs.
This car raced at Donington in the HRDC Celebration of the BTCC race for Touring Cars
A Big thankyou for an incredible 24 Million views
Shot 04:05:2014 at the Donington Historic Festival REF 102-148
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
Bonhams
Estimated : € 130.000 - 180.000
Sold for € 143.750
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2018
- Delivered new to Germany
- Early short-wheelbase car
- One of the first 911S models
- One of only 523 produced
- Matching chassis, engine, and transmission numbers
Now well into its sixth decade of production, the Porsche 911 defines its maker in way that few cars have: think 'Porsche' and you inevitably think '911'. Porsche's long-running and much loved sports car first appeared at the Frankfurt Show in September 1963, with deliveries commencing in 1964. The preceding Type 356's rear-engined layout was retained but the 911 switched to unitary construction for the bodyshell and dropped the 356's VW-based suspension in favour of a more modern McPherson strut and trailing arm arrangement. In its first incarnation, Porsche's single-overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat six engine displaced 1,991cc and produced 130bhp; progressively enlarged and developed, it would eventually grow to more than 3.0 litres and, in turbo-charged form, put out well over 300 horsepower.
The first of countless upgrades to the perennial 911 came in 1966, two years after production had commenced, with the introduction of the 911S. Easily distinguishable by its stylish Fuchs five-spoked alloy wheels, the 'S' featured a heavily revised engine producing 160 bhp, and was capable of a top speed of 225 km/h.
The Porsche 911S offered here, chassis number '307205S', is one of the early, short-wheelbase type much favoured by the historic rallying fraternity, a situation that has led to unmodified examples such as this one becoming a great rarity and consequently much in demand. Noteworthy features include the dashboard instruments with green figures (correct for the 1965-1967 model years), and the very rare and expensive, Fuchs deep-dished five-spoke alloy wheels.
This car was delivered new via the Volkswagen and Porsche dealer Rittersbacher of Kaiserslautern, Germany on 24th February 1967, and was registered on 1st July of that year to its first owner, Wilfried Holzenthal of Weidenhahn, Germany (delivery certificate available). History relating to its time with three further collector owners (2001-2011) is available also.
The current owner purchased the Porsche in 2011, at which time it was still in its original and rare Sand Beige colour (albeit an older repaint) and otherwise was un-restored and original. A Technical Inspection was carried out in May 2012 by TüV Rhineland (Classic Data report available) and later that year the car was extensively refurbished by one of Germany's most respected restorers, Thomas Grohmann of Classic Car Workshop in Pruem. As well as routine servicing, these works included renewing all the body's rubber seals; re-upholstering the seats in black leather and fitting new carpets; re-plating the brightwork; replacing the brake hoses; overhauling the carburettors; clear re-waxing the under-body; and fitting a new silencer and a new battery. The engine and gearbox are described as in top condition, and the car comes with cancelled German Fahrzeugbrief and fresh TüV valid until January 2020. All invoices are available. A wonderful opportunity to acquire a stunning and very rare early 911S with the desirable short wheelbase.
Bonhams : The Autumn Sale 2020
Estimated : € 120.000 - 180.000
Sold for € 143.750
Autoworld
Brussels - Belgium
September 2020
"The Mercedes 220 SE coupé is a very fine engineering achievement. Not only does it provide fast and economical transports for four and their luggage, but outstanding roadholding and riding qualities make this a car which is a pleasure to drive hard, and one in which it is safe and comfortable to do so. Furthermore, it has superb brakes and a high standard of mechanical refinement." – Autocar.
Mercedes-Benz debuted four new models at the Frankfurt Show in 1959 - the 220 SEb among them - all of which shared the same basic unitary-construction bodyshell and all-round independent suspension. This new 220 family moved Mercedes-Benz's styling into the modern era; longer than their predecessors, these elegant newcomers featured a wider radiator shell, wrap-around windscreen, enlarged rear window and vertically stacked twin headlamps. The new 220 SEb retained the fuel-injected, single-overhead-camshaft engine of the previous 220 SE, though maximum power of the 2,195cc six was increased by five horsepower to 120bhp (DIN). Top speed was now 172km/h with 100km/h attainable in under 14 seconds.
Coupé and Cabriolet models appeared in 1960 and 1961 respectively, minus the already dated-looking tail fins of the saloon. More modern in style, the luxurious 220 SEb Coupé and Cabriolet were better appointed too, being equipped as standard with a rev counter, leather upholstery, and four-speed automatic transmission with floor-mounted gearchange lever. Girling servo-assisted front disc brakes were fitted from the start of production, a benefit not enjoyed by the saloon until 1962. By the time production ceased in October 1965, fewer than 17,000 220 SEb Coupé and Cabriolet models had been manufactured, of which only 2,729 were Cabriolets, and today these stylish and luxuriously equipped Grand Tourers are highly prized.
This superbly restored Mercedes-Benz 220 SEb Cabriolet was delivered new in Germany. A matching-numbers example equipped with the desirable manual 'floor shift' gearbox, the Mercedes was sold new to a member of the United States' armed forces, who, it is presumed, took the car to the USA.
The present owner discovered this 220 SEb Cabriolet while searching for rare spare parts for his Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer Cabriolet D. Visiting the classic car fair in Stuttgart in March 2015, he became enchanted by this Mercedes 220 SEb cabriolet, which he considered to be the most perfectly restored vehicle on show. Delivered new in Germany, retaining matching numbers, and restored to concours standard, it met all of the perfectionist owner's exacting criteria and duly became part of his private collection on 1st March 2016. Since then, some 1,000 kilometres have been covered, including a recent trip to the Coppa Classic Concours in Belgium where it won the award for 'Best Restored Car'. Finished in the attractive colour combination of Burgundy with tan interior, and guaranteed to turn heads wherever it goes, this quite exceptional soft-top 4-seat Mercedes is well-documented and offered with all its original books; M-B Datakart; a selection of restoration photographs; and Belgian registration documents.
The remains of a circa early 1970s British-built Austin-Morris EA public service ambulance w/ bodywork by ‘Wadham Stringer’ coachbuilders, sitting abandoned and neglected in the woods on a country lane near Darlington, County Durham, U.K. The body was made entirely of fibreglass, and every other non-plastic component on this vehicle has long since been removed. All that remains is this bare cracked bodyshell, which after being decommissioned as an ambulance used to be painted light blue (as a mobile grocer shop), and has now deteriorated to “hearing aid beige” bare exposed fibreglass. The vehicle has been siting in this exact same spot for decades.
Examples of abandoned classic vehicles in the wilderness such as this one have become an increasingly rare sight in the United Kingdom nowadays. However, as these pictures prove, they still exist out there in the year 2025.
Chevrolet Impala (2nd Gen) 4 door Sports Hardtop (1959-60) Engine 235 cu in (3860cc) S6 Blue Flame
Registration Number 307 XUB (First registered in the UK 2006, on an age related number first allocated to Leeds)
CHEVROLET SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623638181561...
As part of a GM economy move the 1959 Chevrolet Impala was redesigned to share bodyshells with lower-end Buicks and Oldsmobiles, and Pontiacs. Using a new X-frame chassis the roof line was 3 inches lower, bodies were 2 inches wider, the wheelbase was 1-1/2 inches longer, and curb weight increased. Flattened tailfins protruded outward, rather than upward. The taillights were a large "teardrop" design at each side, and two slim-wide, nonfunctional front air intake scoops were added just above the grille,
he Impala became a separate series, adding a four-door hardtop and four-door sedan to the two-door Sport Coupe and convertible. Sport Coupes featured a shortened roof line and wrap-over back window. The standard engine was an I6, while the base V8 was the carryover 283 cu in (4.6 L), at 185 hp (138 kW). Optional were a 283 cu in with 290 hp (220 kW) and 348 cu in (5.7 L) V8 up to 335 hp (250 kW)
The second series Impala 1959-60 now available in five different body styles two and four door hardtops, a two door convertable, a four door sedan and a two door coupe. 1959 was the only model year that the Impala appeared without the trademark six tail lights instead using large teardrop style lights .
Many thanks for a fantabulous 35,804,000 views
3hot at the Enfield Pagaent N. London-25:05:2015 Ref 106-221