A series of photographs documenting the release of GB Railfreight's Class 92, 92 044 "Couperin" from the Wabtec Brush works at Loughborough. 044 had spent exactly 14 months there for overhaul, reliability mods and new wheelsets. The assisting locomotive was a fellow Brush Traction machine, Class 60, 60 002 "Graham Farish 50th Anniversary 1970-2020".

 

The 60 had also been out of traffic for more than a year after a turbo fire. The Covid-19 pandemic had delayed repairs and then some additional mods were done as well as its immaculate repaint - the first GBRf loco repainted at DB Cargo's Toton depot.

 

This was the 60's first working for GBRf after its long spell in Toton and also its first run on the main line sporting its recently received new name commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Graham Farish.

 

This was also the first time two of GB Railfreight's Brush "cousins" - the Class 60 and Class 92 - had been together. The locos share a common bodyshell design, built by Procor in Wakefield, and have other similar components.

 

Potentially most historically of all, though - with the subsequent announcement the Brush Traction works are due to close by the end of the year - there's a good chance this was the last time a Class 60 will visit the place where the 100-strong class were built in 1989-1993.

 

GB's sole active grey 92 had lost its tunnel rings and Crewe Electric depot plaques whilst in Brush, but there are rumours of a new livery to come in due course. However, that won't be before it gets back to earning some coin for its owners (and DB!) with a brief visit to Crewe for a test run, before heading to Dollands Moor to resume tunnel duties.

 

60 002 ran from Toton as 0Z60 08:45 Toton TMD to Loughborough Brush, then moved 92 044 to Crewe ETD on 0Z61 09:58 Loughborough Brush to Crewe ETD, before the 60 then ran on solo to resume biomass duties on 0Z62 13:09 Crewe ETD to Tuebrook Sidings.

Arriving at Cambridge with the terminating 2C16 service from London King's Cross is Great Northern Class 321, 321407.

 

The Class 321's were never originally residents of the East Coast Mainline, but the recent reshuffling of stock, and the availability of 321 vehicles displaced from the West Coast Mainline by Class 350 Desiro units has seen them become regular performers of the Semi-Fast workings in and out of King's Cross.

 

The Class 321's made their debut in 1988, being built by BREL of York in a set of three batches of 117 units overall. The first batch were the Class 321/3's, of which 66 members were built to operate on the Great Eastern Mainline out of London Liverpool Street, replacing many of the original AC units that dated back to the 1950's. The second batch the 321/4's, were a set of 48 units built to operate on the West Coast Mainline out of London Euston and Birmingham New Street. The final batch, the 321/9's, were built to work trains in West Yorkshire between Leeds and Doncaster, of which three units were built.

 

The Class 321's design is based largely off the bodyshell of the MkIII coach, and have 1,300hp at their disposal, whisking them to 100mph. The success of these units have seen a selection of derivative units being built, including the Class 320's that work in the Glasgow Area, the Class 322's that were originally built for the Stansted Express but now reside in West Yorkshire, and the Class 456's that operate for Southwest Trains, being of the same design but powered by DC 3rd Rail.

 

Today, the fleet is still in heavy use on the London commuter networks, with Greater Anglia being the largest operator of the Class on trains out of Liverpool Street. Great Northern inherited a fleet of 13 Class 321's from First Capital Connect, which took these from Silverlink and London Midland after they were displaced from their usual West Coast Mainline stomping ground by the Class 350's. London Midland continue to operate 7 Class 321's in the peak periods for extra capacity, but are highly underutilised as the company pursues a standardised Desiro fleet.

Estimated : CHF 70.000 - 100.000

Sold for CHF 66.700 - € 60.597

 

The Bonmont Sale

Collectors' Motor Cars - Bonhams

Golf & Country Club de Bonmont

Chéserex

Switzerland - Suisse - Schweiz

September 2019

 

Porsche's long-running and much loved 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.

 

The first of countless upgrades to the perennial 911 came in 1966, two years after production had commenced, with the introduction of the 911S, which featured stylish Fuchs five-spoked alloy wheels and a heavily revised and more powerful engine. Improved handling courtesy of a lengthened wheelbase arrived in 1969 and then in 1970 the 911's air-cooled, flat six engine underwent the first of many enlargements - to 2.2 litres. By this time the models on offer had stabilised at three: the entry-level 911T, middle-ranking 911E and top-of-the-range 911S, all of which were available as either a closed coupé or Targa convertible. With the 2.2-litre engine's arrival, a common type of cylinder head was adopted, the differing power outputs being determined principally by valve timing rather than valve sizes as had been the case hitherto. In 1972 all 911 variants received the 2,341cc (nominally 2.4-litre) unit, which in 'E' specification produced a maximum of 165bhp.

 

According to the vendor, this delightful Porsche 911E Targa had been comprehensively restored by Harald Brandner of BMC Classics in Florida, USA in 2011/2012. When the car arrived in Europe, the engine was again thoroughly overhauled by renowned specialist Tobias Nussbaumer of Flat Six Cars in Basel. Since then it has seen only sporadic use in good weather only. Finished in grey with grey/black interior, this extensively restored 2.4-litre 911 is offered with Swiss Carte Grise; MFK document; and assorted invoices, correspondence, and photographs relating to its restoration.

Estimated : CHF 70.000 - 100.000

Sold for CHF 66.700 - € 60.597

 

The Bonmont Sale

Collectors' Motor Cars - Bonhams

Golf & Country Club de Bonmont

Chéserex

Switzerland - Suisse - Schweiz

September 2019

 

Porsche's long-running and much loved 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.

 

The first of countless upgrades to the perennial 911 came in 1966, two years after production had commenced, with the introduction of the 911S, which featured stylish Fuchs five-spoked alloy wheels and a heavily revised and more powerful engine. Improved handling courtesy of a lengthened wheelbase arrived in 1969 and then in 1970 the 911's air-cooled, flat six engine underwent the first of many enlargements - to 2.2 litres. By this time the models on offer had stabilised at three: the entry-level 911T, middle-ranking 911E and top-of-the-range 911S, all of which were available as either a closed coupé or Targa convertible. With the 2.2-litre engine's arrival, a common type of cylinder head was adopted, the differing power outputs being determined principally by valve timing rather than valve sizes as had been the case hitherto. In 1972 all 911 variants received the 2,341cc (nominally 2.4-litre) unit, which in 'E' specification produced a maximum of 165bhp.

 

According to the vendor, this delightful Porsche 911E Targa had been comprehensively restored by Harald Brandner of BMC Classics in Florida, USA in 2011/2012. When the car arrived in Europe, the engine was again thoroughly overhauled by renowned specialist Tobias Nussbaumer of Flat Six Cars in Basel. Since then it has seen only sporadic use in good weather only. Finished in grey with grey/black interior, this extensively restored 2.4-litre 911 is offered with Swiss Carte Grise; MFK document; and assorted invoices, correspondence, and photographs relating to its restoration.

Originally conceived by British Leyland, the Metro was built to similar principals as those of the Mini it was intended to replace, with a small, practical platform with as much use available to the passenger as was possible. The car came under various initial guises, including the Austin Metro, the Austin miniMetro, the Morris Metro van and the MG Metro, a version of the car with a 1.3L A-Series Turbo Engine.

 

Although the car was launched in 1980, development of a Mini replacement had dated back to the beginning of the 70's. Dubbed ADO88 (Amalgamated Drawing Office project number 88), the Metro was eventually given the go ahead in 1977, but wanted to have the appeal of some of the larger 'Supermini' (what a contradiction in terms) cars on the market, including cars such as the Ford Fiesta and the Renault 5. Designed by Harris Mann (the same guy who gave us the Princess and the Allegro), the car was given a much more angular body for the time, but despite its futuristic looks did share many features of the earlier Mini, including the 675cc BMC-A Series engine that dated back to 1959, and the gearbox. Initial cars also included the Hydragas Suspension system originally used on the Allegro and the Princess, though with no front/rear connection. The car was also built as a hatchback, which would eventually be a key part of its success as the Mini instead utilised only a small boot.

 

The Metro was originally meant for an earlier 1978 launch, but a lack of funds and near bankruptcy of British Leyland resulted in the car's launch being pushed back. This delay however did allow the folks at Longbridge to construct a £200m robotic assembly plant for the new Metro line, with the hope of building 100,000 cars per year. Finally the car entered sales 3 years late and got off to quite promising initial sales, often being credited for being the saviour of British Leyland. The Metro was in fact the company's first truly new model in nearly 5 years, with the 9 year old Allegro still in production, the 1980 Morris Ital being nothing more than a 7 year old Marina with a new face, and the 5 year old Princess not going anywhere!

 

As mentioned, an entire myriad of versions came with the Metro, including the luxury Vanden Plas version and the sporty MG with its top speed of 105mph and 0-60mph of 10.1 seconds. Eventually the original incarnation of the car, the Austin Metro, went on to sell 1 million units in it's initial 10 year run, making it the second highest selling car of the decade behind the Ford Escort. However, like most other British Leyland products, earlier cars got a bad reputation for poor build quality and unreliability, combined with the lack of rustproofing that was notorious on many BL cars of the time.

 

The show was not over however, as in 1990 the car was given a facelift and dubbed the Rover Metro. The 1950's A-Series engine was replaced by a 1.1L K-Series, and the angular bodyshell was rounded to similar principals as those by acclaimed styling house Ital to create a more pleasing look for the 90's. This facelift, combined with an improvement in reliability and build quality, meant that the car went on to win the 'What Car?' of the Year Award in 1991.

 

In 1994 the car was given yet another facelift, with once again a more rounded design and removal of the Metro name, the car being sold as the Rover 100. Engines were once again changed, this time to a 1.5L Peugeot engine and more audacious colour schemes were available for the even more rounded design of the new car. However, the car was very much starting to look and feel its age. Aside from the fact that the design dated back to 1977, the new car was not well equipped, lacking electric windows, anti-lock brakes, power steering, or even a rev counter! In terms of safety, it was very basic, with most features such as airbags, an alarm, an immobiliser and central locking being optional extras.

 

Eventually the curtain had to fall on the Metro, and in 1997, twenty years after the initial design left the drawing board, it was announced that the car would be discontinued. Spurred on by dwindling sales due to lack of safety and equipment, as well as losing out to comparative cars such as the ever popular Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Vauxhall Corsa, with only fuel economy keeping the car afloat, Rover axed the Metro in 1998 with no direct replacement, although many cite the downsized Rover 200 a possible contender. Stumbling blindly on, the next car to fill the gap in Rover's market was the 2003 CityRover, based on the TATA Indica, which flopped abysmally and pretty much totalled the company (but that's another story).

 

In the end only 2,078,000 Metro's were built in comparison to the 5.3 million examples of the Mini that it was meant to replace. The main failings of the Metro were down to the fact that the car was too big compared to the Mini, and the rounded old-world charm of the Coopers and Clubmans was replaced by the angular corners. Because of this the car simply didn't have the novelty that the Mini continued to claim even 20 years after the first ones left the factory, and the Mini would even go on to outlive the Metro by another 2 years, ending production in 2000, then going on to have a revival in the form of BMW's New Mini Cooper that's still being built today. Unlike the Mini, the Metro also failed to conquer the international market in the same way, scoring its 2 million units pretty much in Britain alone, although some cars were sold in France and Spain, but only to the total of a few hundred.

 

The Metro however survived only on fuel economy and its spacious interior, but by the early 1990's, whilst other car manufacturers had moved on leaps and bounds, Rover continued to be stuck in the past with not the money or the enthusiasm to change what was a terribly outdated and extremely basic car. Towards the end the Metro, which had only a few years earlier won awards for its practical nature, was ending up on lists for Worst car on the market.

 

Today however you can still see Metro's, later editions are especially common on the roads of Britain. Earlier models built under British Leyland have mostly rusted away and are apparently only down to about a thousand nowadays, but the Rover 100's and Rover Metros continue to ply their trade, a lonely reminder of how here in Britain, we can never ever seem to move on!

Shoot on Agfacolor 200.

Empty body shell of a 1934-1952 Citroën Traction Avant on a trailer, ready for transportation.

 

The Citroën Traction Avant was designed by a team lead by André Lefèbvre and Flaminio Bertoni.

Production TA: 1934-1957.

 

Number seen: 1.

 

Probably near Besançon (Doubs, Fr.), Avenue de la 7ème Armée Américaine, D683, Aug. 19, 2016.

 

© 2016 Sander Toonen Amsterdam | All Rights Reserved

59204 rounds the curve at Crofton, working 7A09 Merehead - Acton TC loaded aggregate.

 

It's strange to think the first class 59s predate the class 66 by over a decade, and that the bodyshell of the 66 (seen all over Europe, and beyond) was based on the 59 - which had to fit British loading gauge. The 59/2s were built in 1995 for National Power, in its bid to operate its own coal trains, but the company sold out to EWS (which was subsequently taken over by DB Schenker), and the 59/2s eventually ended up working Mendip Rail aggregate trains as a result of them being more powerful than 66s. Now they are operated by Freightliner, which won the Mendip Rail contract a few years ago, and are gaining their third livery - G&W orange.

The Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina and Alfa Romeo 2000 Berlina (both 105 series) were executive cars (E-segment) produced by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1968 to 1977. Berlina is the Italian term for a saloon car. Both cars had Alfa Romeo twin cam inline-four engines; the 1.8-litre 1750 Berlina was made between 1968 and 1971, when it was phased out in favour of the improved 2.0-litre 2000 Berlina.

 

The 1750 Berlina was based on the existing Giulia saloon, which continued in production. The 1750 was meant to top the saloon range, above the 1300 and 1600 cc versions of the Giulia. In the United States, however, the Giulia saloon ceased to be available and was entirely replaced by the 1750 Berlina. The 1750 entered full production in South Africa in early 1969, later complemented by the 2000.

 

In contrast to the Giulia, the 1750s had reworked bodywork and bigger engine, shared many parts with other concurrent models in the Alfa Romeo range, but sold many fewer units during their production span.

 

The 1750 bodyshell had a longer wheelbase than the Giulia, and revised external panels, but it shared many of the same internal panels. The windscreen was also the same. The revisions were carried out by Bertone, and while it resembled the Giulia some of that vehicle's distinctive creases were smoothed out, and there were significant changes to the trim details. The car's taillights were later used on the De Tomaso Longchamp.

 

The Alfa Romeo 2000 Berlina was produced by Alfa Romeo between 1971 and 1977. The engine was bored and stroked out to 1,962 cc. A different grill distinguishes 2000 from 1750. Also, external lights were different between the models. The 1750 had 7 inch diameter outboard headlights, whereas the 2000 had 5 3/4 inch diameter in all four positions. The tail light clusters were also of a simpler design on the 1750.[8] With two carburetors, this 2 litre Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine produces 132 PS (97 kW; 130 hp). Top speed was 190 km/h (118 mph) and 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration took 9 seconds. Gearbox was 5-speed manual (also 3-speed automatic on some versions).

Longbridge factory Rover Group 1990. Rover 200/400 (R8) bodyshell alignment by laser beams after robot assembly.

 

Collection: Longbridge

Date: 1990

Reference Number: CC045805

 

To enquire about any of our images or for more information, please contact photo@britishmotormuseum.co.uk or visit our photographic website at www.motorgraphs.com/.

Great Western Railway Class 800, 800026, is seen at London Paddington as it prepares to depart with the 1U28 to Bristol Temple Meads.

 

The British Rail Class 800 is a type of bi-mode multiple unit designed and produced by Hitachi for use in the United Kingdom on the Great Western Main Line since October 2017. They use electric motors for traction, but in addition to operating on track with overhead electric wires, they have diesel generators to enable them to operate on unelectrified track. Based on the Hitachi A-train design, the trains have been built by Hitachi since 2014. They are very similar to the Class 802 units, which have uprated diesel engines and larger fuel tanks.

 

The units first entered service on the Great Western Main Line on 16 October 2017, under the brand name "Intercity Express Train (IET)" and the units entered service on the East Coast Main Line on 15 May 2019, under the brand name "Azuma." The planned launch date had been December 2018, but this was put back when the trains were found to interfere with trackside signalling equipment.

 

These trains are being assembled at the Hitachi Newton Aycliffe facility, alongside the related Class 801 electric multiple unit, from bodyshells shipped from the Kasado plant in Japan; no body construction takes place in the UK.

 

The Class 800 units are part of the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) and are part of the Hitachi AT300 product family. Train operating companies have also given the train separate brands. On Great Western Railway, they are known as Intercity Express Trains (IET) and on London North Eastern Railway, they are known as Azumas.

Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais

Bonhams

Estimated : € 40.000 - 60.000

Sold for € 32.200

 

Parijs - Paris

Frankrijk - France

February 2018

 

- Delivered new to France

- Three owners from new

- Very well maintained

- Fully documented

- 29.307 km recorded

 

In the mid-1980s, Ford to renew its alliance with Cosworth to create the eponymous Sierra, assembly commencing in June 1986 at the company's Genk plant in Belgium. Based on the three-door Sierra bodyshell, the RS Cosworth combined the standard 1.993 cc Pinto engine's cylinder block with a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods, the first time the latter combination had been seen in a production Ford engine. Topping it off was a Cosworth-developed, 16-valve cylinder head fed by a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger, the latter being deemed necessary to achieve a competitive power output for racing, which in time would amount to over 500bhp! Even in standard road trim the RS Cosworth produced a staggering 204bhp. Needless to say, the standard Sierra underpinnings were comprehensively up-rated to cope.

 

This Sierra RS Cosworth was delivered new in France on 25th April 1988 via the official Ford dealer, Durruty in Bayonne. Its first owner, Mr Pourvahab, a businessman living in Biarritz, paid a total of FF 175.000 for the car, and took delivery on a temporary registration (the original invoice and registration certificate are on file). Six weeks later, the car was registered by its owner in Biarritz, and at the same time received the anti-theft etching required by the insurance company (certificate on file).

 

The first owner took great care of the car for more than 20 years, covering 28.732 km (see bill of sale on file). The next owner, Mr André Lenoir of Berre-l'Etang (Bouches-du-Rhône), registered the Sierra in February 2009 and kept it for the next seven years. The car was well stored seldom be driven (the roadworthiness report of 2015 indicates 29.217 km). Finally, in 2016, the car was added to the stable of a prominent Belgian collector. Today, the car still sports its French second-owner registration plates from the Départment Bouches-du-Rhône ('308 BTS 13').

 

The car's current condition is a testimony to the great care it has enjoyed all its life. The interior shows almost no signs of wear, and the original Zandvoort Blue exterior colour presents beautifully. All books and instruction manuals are present, including the very rare 'Sierra Cosworth RS' supplement. The car is described as in generally excellent condition and runs extremely well.

 

The Sierra RS Cosworth has always been a coveted car as confirmed by a recent article in 'Octane' magazine dated January 2018, with record numbers stolen in their early days. Today, they are much sought after by discerning collectors, especially when presented in original, unmolested condition and with excellent provenance like this stunning example, which ticks all the boxes.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS (1973-74) Engine 2687cc HO6 OC Production 1580

 

Registration Number ABW 359 L

 

PORSCHE SET

 

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690528015...

 

The Carrera name was reintroduced to in 1973, originally applied to the 356 Carrera and in turn came from Porsche class victories in the Carrera Panamerica races accross Central America in the 1950's. The RS was built so that Porsche could enter racing formulae that demanded that a certain minimum number of production cars were made. Compared with a standard 911S, the Carrera 2.7 RS had a larger engine (2687 cc) developing 210bhp. With revised and stiffened suspension, a "ducktail" rear spoiler, larger brakes, wider rear wheels and rear wheel arches. In RS Touring form it weighed 1075 kg, in Sport Lightweight form it was about 100 kg (220 lb) lighter, the saving coming from the thin-gauge steel used for parts of the bodyshell and also the use of thinner glass. In total, 1580 were made, comfortably exceeding the 500 that had to be required to qualify for FIA Group 4 Class.

 

49 Carrera RS cars were built with 2808 cc engines

 

In 1974, Porsche created the Carrera RS 3.0 with K-Jetronic Bosch fuel injection producing 230 PS It was almost twice as expensive as the 2.7 RS but offered a fair amount of racing capability for that price.

 

Shot at the VSCC Spring Start, Silverstone 20-21 April 2013 REF:90C-909

Lancia Flavia 2000 Coupe (1969-73) Engine 1991cc HO4 OHV Production 6791 (+ 15025 Saloons)

Registration Number FBY 356 H

LANCIA SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623795824232...

 

The Lancia 2000 (Tipo 820) is a series of automobiles produced by Lancia between 1971 and 1975. Designed as a four door Saloon by Lancia Engineers under Piero Castagnero prior to the companies aquisition by the Fiat Group, and was a dirct evolution of the Lancia Flavia. The 2000 sedan kept the central part of the body (roof, doors, interior) and the entire drivetrain (except for some improvements to the fuel injection) of its predecessor, the second series of the Flavia, changes were made to the front and rear of the body where the designers updated its looks the tail was squared and simplified, and the nose lost its separate air intake and headlamp nacelles. The mechanics retained most of the Flavia's specifications including the front-wheel drive, 1991cc boxer engine, independent suspension and disc brakes all around, with vacuum-assist and split-circuits (called "Superduplex" by Lancia).

 

The Lancia two door 2000 and 2000 HF Coupé was designed by Pininfarina, who manufactured the cars bodyshell. The interior is also the work of Pininfarina bearing a close resembleance to that of the Ferrari 330 GT. The cosmetic changes to the 2000 Coupé were largely confined to a new grille (matte black instead of chrome) with headlamps incorporated into the now wider intake, new bumpers (with rubber strips on the HF), and the tail was shorn of its vestigial tailfins, with a raised and squared decklid. The Lancia 2000 and 2000 HF coupé were technologically advanced for the day with features such as 5 speed transmission, power assisted steering and electronic fuel injection on the 2000 HF.

 

The 2000 and 2000HF Coupé are considered to be some of the last true Lancia cars

 

Thanks for 16.9 Million views

.

Shot at the La Vie en Bleu meeting, Prescot Hill. 02:06:2013 Ref: 94-188

The latest addition to my growing collection of 1970s cars is this Mini 1275GT in Reynard Orange. Based on the long-nosed Clubman bodyshell, the 1275GT was the sporty model that replaced the more famous and sought-after Cooper range, and the real JCY 646N was apparently once owned by Taff, the boss of Oxford Diecast. The model is perhaps not quite up to the quality of some other Oxford products, but it is tiny (only 4cm long) and much better than the Springside kit version.

Fiat 131 Abarth Rallye (1976) Engine 1995cc S4 DOHC

Race Number 129 Neil Cotty (Colworth)

Registration Number N 84451 (Torino)

Production 400

FIAT ALBUM

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665060711...

 

The first series Fiat 131 was introduced at the 55th Turin Motor Show in late October 1974 The 131 came with a choice of a 1,297 cc or 1,585 cc OHV inline-four engines, both from the engine family first introduced on the Fiat 124. Both engines were fitted with a single twin-choke Weber 32 ADF downdraught carburettor. A four-speed manual transmission was standard, with a 5-speed manual and a 3-speed torque converter automatic optional on the 1600 engine only. The initial range comprised eleven different models with three body styles 2 door and 4 door Saloons and an Estate car.

 

In 1976, 400 examples of the Fiat Abarth 131 Rally were built for homologation purposes These cars were built in a cooperation between Fiat, Bertone and Abarth. Bertone took part-completed two door standard bodyshells from the production line in Mirafiori, fitted plastic mudguards front and rear, a plastic bonnet and bootlid and modified the metal structure to accept the independent rear suspension. The cars were fully painted and trimmed and then delivered back to the Fiat special Rivalta plant where they received the Abarth mechanicals. The street version of the car used a 16-valve DOHC derivative of the standard DOHC engine, which equipped with a double Weber downdraught carburettor produced 140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp). The street cars used the standard gearbox with no synchromesh (Rally type regulations required the use of the same type of synchromesh on the competition cars as on the street versions) and the hopelessly underdimensioned brake system of the small Fiat 127. Competition cars used dry sump lubrication and eventually Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection. In race specifications, the engine produced up to 240 PS (180 kW) in 1980, being driven to World Championship status by Walter Röhrl.

 

The Fiat 131 Abarth was a very successful rally car winning the World Rally Championship 1977, 1978 and 1980 with Markku Allen, Timo Salonen and Walter Rohl at the wheel. Between 1976-81 the Fiat 131 Abarth won 18 WRC rally events.

 

Diolch am 82,799,995 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.

 

Thanks for 82,799,995 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.

 

Shot 17.07.2021 at Shelsey Walsh (Classic Nostalgia), Worcestershire 147-070

     

Nº 29d.

(Austin) Racing Mini Mk II (1967-1970).

Red color, Green,Yellow,Black "29" sticker, White interior, Clear windows and Unpainted Metal base.

Escala 1/53 .

Matchbox Superfast.

Lesney Products.

Made in England.

© 1970.

 

Racing Mini [ Matchbox ]

 

Debut Series

Matchbox Superfast 1 - 75

 

Produced

1970 - 1975

 

Number

29

 

More info:

matchbox.wikia.com/wiki/Racing_Mini

-------------------------------------------------------

 

Mini Racing - 29d

 

"The Racing Mini is a model of a Mini MkII with the bumpers stripped off for competition.

 

It was first released in 1970 in metallic bronze with racing number 29, the Lesney racers frequently got their model number as racing number. The number stickers on the bronze cars are yellow, edged with orange and have black script.

 

From 1972 to 1976 the mini changed to orange and the stickers can have orange edges or green edges.

 

In 1976 the colour of the car changed again to red and these have the green edge stickers or a new design of round sticker, which is a plain white disc with a black three printed on it. A number of red cars have no stickers at all.

 

In 1981 after a spectacularly long run of 11 years the Racing Mini was withdrawn from the range.

 

There is quite a spread of values based on the colour/sticker combination. Most sought are the red ones with round RN3 stickers, Next come the red ones with RN 29 followed by the bronze ones."

 

Source: www.chezbois.com/non_corgi/matchbox/Model_3942.htm

 

More info:

www.bamca.org/cgi-bin/single.cgi?id=SF29b

www.bamca.org/cgi-bin/vars.cgi?mod=SF29b

www.bamca.org/cgi-bin/vars.cgi?mod=SF29b&var=08

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Mini

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

"The Mini is a small economy car produced by the English based British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000.

The original is considered an icon of 1960s British popular culture. Its space-saving transverse engine front-wheel drive layout – allowing 80 percent of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage – influenced a generation of car makers.

In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century, behind the Ford Model T, and ahead of the Citroën DS and Volkswagen Beetle.

 

This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis. It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England, the Victoria Park/Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney, Australia, and later also in Spain (Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (Innocenti), Malta, Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia.

The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates – the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III. Within these was a series of variations, including an estate car, a pick-up truck, a van and the Mini Moke – a jeep-like buggy.

 

The performance versions, the Mini Cooper and Cooper "S," were successful as both race and rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. In 1966, the first-placed Mini was disqualified after the finish, under a controversial decision that the car's headlights were against the rules.

 

On introduction in August 1959 the Mini was marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor.

The Austin Seven was renamed Austin Mini in January 1962 and Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969.

In 1980 it once again became the Austin Mini and in 1988 the Rover Mini.

 

BMW acquired the Rover Group (formerly British Leyland) in 1994, and sold the greater part of it in 2000, but retained the rights to build cars using the MINI name."

(...)

 

----------------------------------

Mark II Mini: 1967–1970

 

"The Mark II Mini was launched at the 1967 British Motor Show, and featured a redesigned grille, a larger rear window and numerous cosmetic changes.

A total of 429,000 Mk II Minis were produced.

 

A variety of Mini types were made in Pamplona, Spain, by the Authi company from 1968 onwards, mostly under the Morris name.

In 1969, a fibreglass version of the Mini Mark II was developed for British Leyland's Chilean subsidiary (British Leyland Automotores de Chile, S.A., originally the independent assembler EMSSA). The bodyshell mould was created by the Peel Engineering Company. Production began in 1970 and continued for a few years; these fibreglass Minis can be recognised by the missing body seams and by larger panel gaps. The Chilean market was never very large and the hyperinflation and political and social collapse led to the 1973 coup The Arica plant was closed in 1974. The reason for the fibreglass body was to enable Leyland to meet very strict requirements for local sourcing, increasing to 70.22% in 1971."

 

-------------------

Mini "Mark II"

 

Also called

Morris Mini

Austin Mini

 

Production

1967–1970

 

Assembly

Longbridge, Birmingham, England

Cowley, Oxfordshire, England

Seneffe, Belgium

Arica, Chile

Petone, New Zealand

Setúbal, Portugal

Cape Town, South Africa

Pamplona, Spain

Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia

Shah Alam, Malaysia

 

Body style

2-door saloon

2-door estate

2-door van

2-door truck

 

Engine

848 cc (0.8 l) I4

998 cc (1.0 l) I4

1,275 cc (1.3 l) I4

 

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini

 

More info:

www.automobile-catalog.com/make/morris/mini_m/mini_ii_coo...

www.topspeed.com/cars/mini/1959-2006-the-history-of-mini-...

Estimated : € 30.000 - 40.000

Sold for € 48.160

 

The Renault Icons

Auction - Artcurial

Renault Manufacture

Flins-sur-Seine

Aubergenville - France

December 2025

 

- Genuine Laguna BTCC

- Car probably driven by Alain Menu, 1994 BTCC runner-up

- Kept as if it had just finished its last race

 

Seeing racing as an excellent promotional tool, Michel Gigou, head of Renault’s UK subsidiary, decided to enter the Laguna in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), as soon as the model came out in 1994. Straightaway, it proved faster than the Renault 19 that preceded it and scored several victories in the hands of Tim Harvey and, especially, Alain Menu, who finished second in the championship. The following year, Renault joined forces with Williams and won the Manufacturers’ title, ahead of Vauxhall, Volvo and Ford. A success reaffirmed in 1997, with both the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ titles (the latter for Alain Menu), thus confirming the qualities of the Laguna BTCC.

 

The car in the auction today is a genuine Laguna from the 1994 season. It is probably the car used by Alain Menu, whose name appears on the rear windows and which had the racing number 10 that season. Furthermore, that year Menu won two races, tallying with the two small laurel wreath stickers on the right front door. Still fitted with its period running gear, the car is well preserved and appears quite complete, with the exception of the engine and gearbox assembly. It has the Matter bodyshell number 430.

This historic racing car is sure to appeal to those who enthusiastically followed the BTCC races, whose fame extended well beyond the UK borders. Its racing successes also made a major contribution to the sales across the Channel of this comfortable saloon, which could turn into a star on track.

Here we are, one of the rarest Rolls Royces and indeed cars to ever trundle down the roads, the last of the mighty Corniche. Although sold only as the Corniche, it is often dubbed the Corniche 2000 or the Corniche V, depending on your preference.

 

The last of the original Silver Shadow based Corniche's of the 1960's were built in 1995, and for three years Rolls Royce only sold the Silver Spirit and Spur until these were replaced by the Silver Seraph in 1998 following acquisition of the company by both Volkswagen and BMW.

 

Volkswagen was contracted to build Bentley and Rolls Royce vehicles between 1998 and 2003, whilst BMW supplied the engines to replace the original Rolls Royce V8 that had been handed down since the introduction of the Silver Shadow in 1965. In the end BMW were only able to supply their own V12 to the Silver Seraph, whilst the original RR V8 continues to be used even to this day, with a 6.75L version ending up in the Corniche V.

 

Either way, to compliment the new Silver Seraph, plans were launched to create a convertible two-door saloon version with the revived Corniche name. However, instead of taking a regular Silver Seraph, removing the rear doors and cutting off its roof, Rolls Royce instead went to long time partners Bentley for design assistance, with the result that the Corniche V is in fact built on the platform and with the bodyshell of the Bentley Azure,with Rolls Royce grille and badging, as well as Silver Seraph styling added instead. This was the first, and only Rolls Royce car to be derived from a Bentley product, instead of the usual tradition where Bentley cars were derived from Rolls Royce models.

 

In January 2000 that car was launched and became the company's flagship motor, with a base price of $359,900. As mentioned, the car is powered by a 6.75L Rolls Royce V8, providing 325hp and whisking the car to a top speed of 135mph at a rate of 0-60 in 8 seconds, which is pretty good going for a 6,000lb luxury saloon!

 

Inside the car came outfitted with every luxury and refinement characteristic of a Rolls-Royce. The car has a Connolly Leather interior, Wilton wool carpets, chrome gauges and a wide choice of exotic wood trims. Dual automatic temperature control, a six-disc CD changer, automatic headlamps and automatic ride control are standard.

 

Vehicles were built to order, but the heavy base price made them not as easy to purchase as the technically similar Bentley Azure, which meant that eventually only 374 of these cars were built between 2000 and 2002 when BMW took full control of Rolls Royce.

 

The Corniche V has the distinction of being the last ever Rolls Royce to be built at their traditional Crewe Factory, which had housed the company since 1946. On August 30th, 2002, a Corniche with chassis number SCAZK28E72CH02079 left the factory as the final Rolls Royce product of their home base, leaving in the company of a classic 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

 

Following the departure of Rolls Royce, the company set up shop in Goodwood near Chichester in the south of England, where the next car to be built was the 2003 Phantom. The spiritual successor of the Corniche V is essentially the Phantom Drophead Coupe, but this is a point of conjecture. Production at the Crewe factory was turned over entirely to Volkswagen and the construction of Bentley automobiles. The Bentley Azure continued in production until 2009, bringing an end to the 14 year old design that had helped spawn the last of the Corniches.

 

Originally the name was meant to be revived on Rolls Royce's latest car, but in the end was dubbed the Wraith.

 

Today you'd be very, very hard pressed to find one of these cars. Although many forget about the Corniche V and indeed the Silver Seraph, the surviving examples can still fetch a hefty price of up to £250,000 and more...

 

...that is except for one. Not to lower the tone of things, but sadly a certain somebody did in fact once own a 2002 Corniche V, and once his illicit acts became known to the public in 2011, his £250,000 Roller is now well and truly worthless.

 

The owner who bought the car at an auction before the scandal came to light now can't even give away the car, and has never even driven it because they're too ashamed and disgusted of the vehicle's unfortunate past.

 

I find this particular story very sad because as is always the case, the cars aren't evil, but the owners can sometimes be...

Spotted out and about.

DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd's class 92 number 92031 works 6B20 from Dollands Moor to Wembley European Freight Operations Centre on 15 September 2014 hauling G.E. Rail Services owned IZA (GE117CT Hfirrs 3) semi-perminantly coupled 4-wheeled CARGOWAGGON vans with shared running numbers built by Duewag. Having started out in France and passed through the channel tunnel these vans are used to transport Danone bottled mineral water (eau minerale) including Evian imported from the French Alps, Volvic from the Massif Central and Perrier which is loaded into the vans near Nimes in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France (the source of Perrier being at Vergeze about 15 km southwest of Nimes). (and Badoit?). From Wembley this train continues on route to Crick under headcode 6B41 and is ultimately unloaded at a distribution warehouse at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT).

 

Wagons being hauled included numbers 8029291586, 8029291990, 8028292890, 23 80 2929 014-1, 23 80 2929 069-5, 23 80 2829 294-0, 23 80 2829 278-3, 23 80 2929 030-7, 23 80 2929 182-6, 23 80 2929 108-1, 23 80 2829 243-7, 23 80 2929 180-0, 23 80 2929 020-8, 23 80 2929 095-0, 23 80 2929 011-7, 23 80 2829 226-2, 23 80 2829 299-9, 23 80 2929 197-4, 23 80 2929 042-2, 23 80 2929 167-7 and 23 80 2829 242-9 (thanks to Noisynoel for filling in the gap).

 

A similar set of cargowaggon vans was photographed by Nicolas Villenave on 9 May 2014 returning empty passing through Écaillon (department Nord) on their way from Calais Frethun to Culoz railway junction in the Ain department in the Rhône-Alpes region of France, by Mattias Catry at Boisleux-au-Mont on 9 September 2012 and by Laurent Knop at Béthisy-St.-Pierre, Picardie in the Oise department on 12 March 2014.

 

92031 (works number BT1091) was assembled by the BRUSH Traction Company Loughborough in 1995, from sub-contracted components e.g. Procor UK bodyshell, Asea Brown Boveri (ABB Rail) traction converters and GTO (Gate Turn-Off thyristor) controlled via the MICAS-S2 electronics system, retractable third rail collector shoes and pantographs made by Brecknell Willis, the engraved aluminium BRUSH traction works plates made by J M Ranger Limited of Leicester and cast aluminium based alloy Crew Depot plaque produced by David Newton of Nottingham. For track to train communications class 92s were fitted with the Siemens International Train Radio (ITR) "chameleon" system which could automatically change over to match local ground systems e.g. at international boarders and allowed the driver to select from a range of language settings. STS Signals Ltd supplied electronic Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) control units for class 92s as an add on to the Automatic Warning System (AWS) equipment. STS Signals Ltd also developed a twin-lightweight AWS receiver for use on class 92s so that only one receiver was needed to detect both standard strength magnets on lines powered by AC overhead wires (Rx1) as well as the extra strength magnets used on DC third rail lines (Rx2). All non-metallic components of the class 92 were either certified for Eurotunnels fire regulations by the manufacturers or where suppliers could not provide this information products such as the divers seat (made by Chapman Seating Limited) and plastic push buttons were fire tested by BRUSH.

 

After working to Wembley 92031 continued to Daventry as 6B41 (92031 WFBC WEMBLEYYD 726B41CJ15 8 * DAVTRYREC N 20D A) and then returned southwards as 0A42 (92031 WFBC DAVTRYREC 700A42CP15 F WEMBLEYYD N).

 

According to Realtime Trains the route and timing in the UK was;

Dollands Moor Sidings [XLM]..................0646.........0735..........49L

Ashford International [AFK]......................0700.........0752 1/2...52L

Maidstone East [MDE] 1.............................0733 1/2...0823 1/4...49L

Otford Junction[XOT]................................0818..........0851 3/4...33L

Swanley [SAY] 1...........................................0830.........0904 1/4...34L

St Mary Cray Junction[XMU]...................0835.........0908 3/4..33L

Bickley Junction[XLY]...............................0836 1/2..0909 1/2...33L

Bromley South [BMS].................................0840.........0911 3/4.....31L

Shortlands [SRT].........................................0842.........0917...........34L

Shortlands Junction[XOR]........................0843.........0918..........35L

Bellingham [BGM].......................................0846 1/2..0920 1/2...34L

Nunhead [NHD] 1........................................0855.........0928.........33L

Peckham Rye [PMR] 3...............................0859.........0931..........32L

Crofton Road Junction..............................0901.........0933 1/4...32L

Denmark Hill [DMK] 1.................................0902........0934..........32L

Voltaire Road Junction [XVJ]..................0906 1/2..0938..........31L

Latchmere Junction...................................0911 1/2....0952 1/2....41L

Imperial Wharf [IMW] 2..............................0915 1/2...0956 1/2....41L

West Brompton [WBP] 4...........................0918..........0958 3/4..40L

Kensington Olympia [KPA].......................0922........1003 1/4.....41L

Shepherds Bush [SPB] 2..........................0923.........1006 3/4...43L

North Pole Signal Vc813...........................0924 1/2..1008 3/4...44L

North Pole Junction...................................0925........1008 1/2....43L

Mitre Bridge Junction[XMB].....................0926 1/2..1012...........45L

Willesden West Londn Junction[XWI]...0928.........1013 1/2.....45L

Wembley Eur Frt Ops Cntre.....................0939.........1020...........41L

  

In France the bottled water trains travelling to and from England may take a number of different routes after leaving or before arriving at Calais Frethun but pass through;

 

Gare de Arras………………………………

Boisleux-au-Mont……………….

Gare de Achiet-le-Grand………..

Gare de Beaucourt………………

Gare de’Albert…………………..

Gare de Montigny……………….

Ecaillon, Nord-Pas-de-Calais……

Gare de Somain………………….

Culoz Junction…………………...

Gare de Volvic (freight only)......

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: fascination and high tech: New legend with unrivalled performance - the Gullwing super sports car from Mercedes-Benz and AMG

Laguna Seca (USA) – Automotive fascination and high-tech at the highest level: the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which is due to be launched in spring 2010. This Gullwing model captivates with a purist design, intelligent lightweight construction and superior handling dynamics, and is bound to cause a sensation in the super sports car segment. The new SLS AMG is nothing short of a masterpiece by Mercedes-AMG GmbH. As the first independently developed vehicle, the super sports car is the highlight in the company's more than 40-year history. It not only takes AMG, the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars, into a new era, but also demonstrates development expertise of the very highest order.

The new super sports car from Mercedes-Benz and AMG makes for an alluring proposition with its unrivalled technology package: aluminium spaceframe body with Gullwing doors, AMG 6.3-litre V8 front-mid-engine developing 420 kW/ 571 hp peak output, 650 Nm of torque and dry sump lubrication, seven-speed double-declutch transmission in a transaxle configuration, sports suspension with aluminium double wishbones and a kerb weight of 1620 kilograms based on the DIN standard – this superlative combination guarantees driving dynamics of the highest order. The front/rear weight distribution of 47 to 53 percent and the vehicle's low centre of gravity are testimony to the uncompromising sports car concept. The 'Gullwing' accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 317 km/h (electronically limited). The fuel consumption of 13.2 litres per 100 kilometres (combined) puts it at the front of the competitive lineup.

Design: purist, distinctive and passionate

The purist design of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG captivates by virtue of its passionate sportiness, and its reinterpretation of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL's breathtaking design lines. The stylistic highlights are the striking gullwing doors, which lend an incomparable charisma to the SLS AMG. The long bonnet, the low greenhouse positioned well to the rear and the short rear end with its extendable rear aerofoil stand for dynamism, as do the long wheelbase, the wide track and large 19 and 20-inch wheels. It is not only the gullwing doors that are reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, as the wide radiator grille with its large Mercedes star, the wing-shaped cross fin and the fins on the bonnet and flanks also hark back to the legendary sports car of the 1950s.

Eyecatching features of the side view include the accented wheel arches and the pronounced shoulder line, which extends from the front to the rear end like a taut muscle. Dynamism and power are also communicated by the rear view of the SLS AMG: the gentle slope of the boot lid with the automatically extending aerofoil accentuates the impression of width, as do the flat LED tail lights.

Interior with a touch of aircraft engineering

Mercedes-Benz designers took their inspiration from the aviation world when

designing the interior. The stylistic centrepiece is the dashboard, which ensures a visual impression of breadth with its muscular, wing-like profile. The four air vents with adjustable cruciform nozzles are prominently integrated into the dashboard – their shape is reminiscent of a jet engine. The design theme of an aircraft cockpit is also reflected in the long centre console of matt-finished, solid metal. Features integrated into this include the AMGDRIVE UNIT, which enables the driver of the SLS AMG to choose a personal vehicle setup. The AMGSPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission is operated by the E-SELECT lever, which resembles the thrust control of a jet aircraft. Despite the low seating position typical of a sports car, the wide-opening gullwing doors allow easy access and egress. They require less opening space than conventional coupé doors, and can be fully opened in a standard-size garage.

Aluminium spaceframe for lightweight design and high strength

The SLS also breaks the mould when it comes to the body concept: for the first time, Mercedes-Benz and AMG are presenting a car with an aluminium chassis and body. Compared with the traditional steel design this results in a significant weight saving, as is clearly illustrated by the DIN kerb weight of 1620 kilograms.

The newly developed bodyshell consists of an aluminium spaceframe. This exclusive design combines intelligent lightweight design with outstanding strength – thus delivering superlative driving dynamics. Lightweight aluminium sections connect the frame nodes to form a sturdy structure. The large, low-set cross-sections of these aluminium sections ensure high strength, and ensure the necessary, direct transfer of drive, braking and suspension forces. The structure prevents unwanted flexibility; the vehicle responds rigidly, directly and with practically no torsion.

45 percent of the intelligent, weight-optimised aluminium spaceframe is made

from aluminium sections, 31 percent from sheet aluminium, 20 percent from cast aluminium and 4 percent from steel. Maximum occupant safety requires the use of ultra-high-strength, heat-formed steel in the A-pillars. The bodyshell weighs 241 kilograms – an absolute benchmark in the super sports car segment in relation to the peak output of 420 kW/571 hp. With a DIN kerb weight of 1620 kilograms, the power-to-weight ratio is an extremely favourable 2.84 kilograms per hp.

Low centre of gravity and transverse reinforcing struts for superb

dynamism

The entire vehicle concept has been designed to achieve a centre of gravity that is as low as possible. This applies both to the low connection of the powertrain and axles as well as to the arrangement of the rigidity-related bodyshell structure. Examples include the rigid flexural and torque connections between the front and rear sections and the safety passenger cell, which have been realised using force paths that are consistently as low as possible. This results not only in a low centre of gravity, but also in a harmonious and therefore efficient force path in the vehicle structure.

Passive safety at a high level

The aluminium spaceframe provides the basis for outstanding passive safety. The extensive safety features include three-point seat belts with belt tensioners and belt force limiters, and up to eight airbags: adaptive front airbags for the driver and passenger, a kneebag for each, two seat-integrated sidebags and two windowbags deploying from the waistlines of the gullwing doors.

Fine-tuned AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine developing 420 kW/571 hp

A powerful eight-cylinder Mercedes-AMG engine forms the heart of the new SLS. The fine-tuned 6.3-litre V8 engine develops 420 kW/571 hp at 6800 rpm, making the SLS AMG one of the most powerful sports cars in its segment. A power-to-weight ratio of 2.84 kg/hp comes courtesy of the low vehicle weight. The naturally aspirated engine delivers its maximum torque of 650 Nm at 4750 rpm. The SLSaccelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, and has an electronically limited top speed of 317 km/h. Bearing the internal designation M 159, the high-revving V8 engine with its displacement of 6208 cubic centimetres has been thoroughly reengineered compared to the basic M 156 engine, and boasts all the hallmarks of powerful racing engines.

The principal measures in increasing output include the all-new intake system, the reworked valve train and camshafts, the use of flow-optimised tubular steel headers and the dethrottling of the exhaust system. This results in much better cylinder charging, which feeds through into an increase in output by almost nine percent - 34 kW/46 hp. The eight-cylinder engine responds swiftly to movements of the accelerator pedal, demonstrating much more pronounced high-revving flexibility across the entire rev range. The switch to dry sump lubrication also translates into a much lower installed engine position. And lowering the vehicle's centre of gravity has also paved the way for high lateral acceleration and exhilarating driving dynamics.

Perfect synthesis of lightweight design and strength

The use of high-strength components compensates for the increased engine loads associated with the higher output. Forged pistons, a reinforced crankshaft bearing, optimised crankcase structure, along with improved lubrication thanks to a demand-controlled, high-performance oil pump ensure optimum durability. Despite these higher loads, the engine weight for the M 159 has been further reduced. The forged pistons as oscillating masses play a particularly valuable role in this respect, resulting in a kerb weight of 205 kilograms and, in turn, a power-to-weight ratio of 0.36 kg/hp – an unrivalled figure compared with the competition. Sophisticated catalytic converter technology enables current and future exhaust emission standards such as EU 5, LEV 2 and ULEV to be met.

Enables demanding fuel consumption targets to be met

Despite its uncompromisingly sporty character, very ambitious fuel consumption targets have been met. The SLS AMG consumes 13.2 litres per 100 kilometres (combined, provisional figure), earning it a place at the top of the competitive ranking. Efficiency-enhancing measures include the familiar AMG-exclusive, friction-optimised twin-wire arc-sprayed coating on the cylinder walls as well as the on-demand, map-optimised oil supply and intelligent generator management: during the engine's overrun phases and braking, kinetic energy is used to charge the battery, rather than being wasted by simply generating heat. Conversely, the generator is switched to no-load operation during acceleration, thus reducing the load on the engine.

Double-declutch transmission with transaxle configuration and torque tube

The AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine delivers its abundant power to the rear axle via an ultra-light carbon-fibre driveshaft – similar to the setup used in the DTM C‑Class racing touring car. The double-declutch transmission is mounted at the rear (transaxle principle), and connected to the engine housing via a torque tube. A carbon-fibre shaft rotates at engine speed in the torque tube. The advantages of this sophisticated solution lie in the rigid link between the engine and transmission and, in turn, the optimum support for the forces and torque generated.

The AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission boasts fast gear changes with virtually no loss of tractive force – in as little as 100 milliseconds. The driver has a choice of four different driving modes: "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) or "M" (Manual). In the Sport, Sport plus and Manual modes the automatic double-declutching function is active; all the modes can be selected conveniently via the rotary control in the AMG DRIVE UNIT. The RACE START function provides optimum traction -- as does the mechanical differential lock, which is integrated into the compact transmission housing.

Sophisticated suspension layout with double-wishbone axles

The chosen solution with a front-mid-engine plus transaxle configuration ensures an ideal front/rear weight distribution of 47 to 53 percent. Mounting the engine behind the front axle has created the ideal conditions for consummate driving dynamics with precise steering, first-class agility, low inertia with spontaneous directional changes and outstanding traction. All four wheels are located on double wishbones with a track rod, a technology that has proven itself in motor racing right through to Formula 1. With a double-wishbone axle, the wheel location and suspension functions remain separate; the spring/damper struts are supported on the lower wishbone. The double-wishbone concept with its high camber and track rigidity positively locates the wheel with minimal elastic movements, providing the driver with an optimum sense of road contact when driving at the limits.

Wishbones, steering knuckles and hub carriers at the front and rear are made entirely from forged aluminium – substantially reducing the unsprung masses; this configuration also notably improves the suspension response. The long wheelbase of 2680 millimetres not only results in outstanding straight-line stability but also low wheel load shifts, significantly reducing the vehicle's tendency to dive and squat when braking and accelerating. The broad track width – front 1682, rear 1653 millimetres – ensures lower shifts in the wheel loads from the inner to the outer wheel when cornering, enabling the tyres to retain more grip.

Direct steering, differential lock and 3-stage ESP®

The rack-and-pinion steering gear provides a consistently direct steering feel with a constant mechanical ratio of 13.6:1, in tune with the high expectations placed on a super sports car. The power steering provides speed-sensitive assistance and improves feedback for the driver as the road speed increases: an indispensable factor for high-speed straight-line driving. Mounting the steering gear in front of the engine on the integral subframe enables the engine to be set down very low. The Gullwing model comes with 3-stage ESP® as standard, and the driver can choose the three "ESP ON", "ESP SPORT" and "ESP OFF" modes at the touch of a button. In "ESP OFF" mode too, operating the brake pedal restores all the normal ESP® functions.

Acceleration skid is controlled in all three ESP® modes. If one of the drive wheels starts to spin, specific brake pressure is applied to improve traction significantly – especially in conjunction with the standard-fit mechanical multi-disc limited-slip differential. This means that the engine power is transferred to the road even more effectively when driving in a particularly dynamic style.

AMG ceramic composite high-performance braking system available as an option

The AMG high-performance braking system with composite brake discs at the front ensures extremely short stopping distances even under high loads. The newly developed, optional ceramic composite brakes with even larger brake discs guarantee even better braking performance. The ceramic brake discs perform reliably at even higher operating temperatures thanks to their greater hardness, all combined with an impressive weight reduction of around 40 percent. Reducing the unsprung masses has further improved both comfort and grip, and the reduced rotating masses at the front axle ensure a more direct steering response.

Lightweight construction was also key when it came to the wheels: weight-optimised AMG light-alloy wheels – 9.5 x 19 inch (front) and 11.0 x 20 inch (rear) – based on the innovative flow-forming principle reduce the unsprung masses while improving driving dynamics and suspension comfort. In addition to the standard-fit AMG 7-spoke light-alloy wheels, 5-twin-spoke wheels and weight-optimised 10-spoke forged wheels are available as an option. 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear) tyres developed exclusively for the SLS AMG ensure optimum performance. A tyre pressure monitoring system is fitted as standard to permanently monitor tyre pressure in all four wheels; individual tyres are shown on the display.

The SLS AMG as a masterpiece in AMG's more than 40-year history

The new SLS AMG is a true masterpiece on the part of Mercedes-AMGGmbH.

As the first independently developed car, the super sports car is the highlight of the company's more than 40-year history. With this car AMG, the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars, is not only entering a new era, but also demonstrating development expertise of the highest order.

AMG was established in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, and is considered a pioneer in the field of vehicle tuning for motorsports. Following the cooperation agreement concluded in 1990 with Daimler-Benz AG, the company was gradually incorporated into what at the time was DaimlerChrysler AG in 1999. On 1 January 2005, DaimlerChrysler AG acquired 100 percent of the shares. Today Mercedes-AMG GmbH is a vehicle manufacturer in its own right, and AMG is the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars. This subsidiary of Daimler AG specialises in unique, high-performance vehicles; its sporty saloons, SUVs, coupés, cabriolets, roadsters and specially built one-off models constitute a product portfolio which meets its customers' every wish. The product range encompasses a total of 16 AMG high-performance models with outputs ranging from 265 kW/360 hp to 450 kW/612 hp.

Mercedes-AMG has overall responsibility for developing the design, aerodynamics, interior as well as the powertrain, engine, suspension, brakes and electronics – right up to granting final approval for production of the complete AMG vehicle. The company is also in charge of all marketing and sales-related activities for its products.

Another early Norman Clay (Fanfare) bodyshell (minus window sliders). New window sliders made, lifeguard made, OOC Queen Mary interior.

Taken 04/03/19; Following on from snaps of the King and Castle locos inside the STEAM museum, over to Swindon Station and a few snaps of the new Class 800s. The Warship and Westerns replaced the GWR 4-6-0s, they were replaced by the HST125s, which in turn have been replaced by the Class 800s. According to Wikipedia these are "... a type of electro-diesel train used in the United Kingdom, based on the Hitachi A-train design. They have been built by Hitachi since 2015. The first units entered service on the Great Western Main Line (GWML) in October 2017, and will enter service on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) from December 2018.

These trains are being assembled at the Hitachi Newton Aycliffe facility, alongside the related Class 801 electric multiple unit, from bodyshells shipped from the Kasado plant in Japan; no body construction takes place in the UK.

The Class 800 units are known as IETs (Intercity Express Trains), as part of the Intercity Express Programme (IEP). They have been named Azuma, meaning East in Japanese, by future operator Virgin Trains East Coast."

Direct Rail Services class 57/3 no. 57302 'Chad Varah' sits in the bay at Rugby on 21st December 2014.

  

The first Class 57s were built in 1997 for Freightliner, a Class 47 bodyshell was taken, stripped, rewired and then fitted with an EMD engine. In 2002, 12 further Class 47s were converted to 57s for Virgin Trains, these were numbered 57/3 and fitted with ETH. In 2003, four additional locos were ordered for dragging Pendolinos, these were fitted with Dellner couplings from new and the remainder of the fleet was retrofitted with Dellners in the same year. DRS now operate the majority of the class 57/0 and 57/3. Network Rail operate some Class 57/3s, First Great Western operate the Class 57/6 fleet and West Coast Railways operate a fleet of 57/0, 57/3 and 57/6.

During 2014, DRS took over the lease of the Network Rail 57/3s and began to paint them into their new livery, and also into the Northern Belle scheme.

The Porsche 911 (pronounced as Nine Eleven, German: Neunelfer) is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany.

 

These 1972 and 1973 Carrera RS models, valued by collectors, are considered by many to be the greatest classic 911's of all-time. RS stands for Rennsport in German, meaning race sport in English. The Carrera name was reintroduced from the 356 Carrera which had itself been named after Porsche's class victories in the Carrera Panamericana races in Mexico in the 1950s. The RS was built so that Porsche could enter racing formulae that demanded that a certain minimum number of production cars were made. Compared with a standard 911S, the Carrera 2.7 RS had a larger engine (2687 cc) developing 210 PS (150 kW; 210 hp) with MFI, revised and stiffened suspension, a "ducktail" rear spoiler, larger brakes, wider rear wheels and rear fenders. In RS Touring form it weighed 1075 kg (2370 lb), in Sport Lightweight form it was about 100 kg (220 lb) lighter, the saving coming from the thin-gauge steel used for parts of the bodyshell and also the use of thinner glass. In total, 1580 were made, comfortably exceeding the 500 that had to be made to qualify for the vital FIA Group 4 class.

The Manta A was released in September 1970, two months ahead of the then new Opel Ascona on which it was based. A competitor to the Ford Capri, it was a two-door "three-box" coupé, and featured distinctive round tail lights, quite similar to those on the Opel GT and which in fact were used on the GT in 1973, its final model year. In the UK market, the first Manta was sold only as an Opel: there was no Vauxhall-branded Manta (or Ascona) until after the launch, in 1975, of the Manta B1 and Ascona B.

 

The second car to use the Manta name was launched in August 1975. This two-door "three-box" car was mechanically based directly on the then newly redesigned Opel Ascona, but the overall design was influenced by the 1975 Chevrolet Monza. The Manta had more "sporty" styling, including a droop-snoot nose not seen on the Ascona, although it was standard, on the UK version of the Ascona, the Vauxhall Cavalier. There was still no "Vauxhall Manta", with the car remaining an Opel in the UK. However, a Vauxhall Cavalier was available with the same coupé bodyshell.

 

In 1977, a three-door hatchback version appeared to complement the existing two-door booted car. This shape was also not unique, being available on the Vauxhall Cavalier Sports Hatch variant.

 

Both Manta versions received a facelift in 1982, which included a plastic front spoiler, sideskirts for the GT/E and GSi models, a small wing at the rear and quadruple air intakes on the grille.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

- - -

 

Der Opel Manta ist ein fünfsitziger Pkw der Adam Opel AG, der als Manta A im September 1970 auf den Markt kam. Der Wagen ist die technisch identische Coupé-Version der zwei Monate später vorgestellten Opel Ascona A-Limousine. Das Coupé mit wassergekühltem Vierzylinder-Frontmotor und Hinterradantrieb wurde als Konkurrent des bereits seit 1968 erfolgreichen Ford Capri auf den Markt gebracht.

 

Der Manta A wurde zunächst mit drei verschiedenen CIH-Motoren angeboten, die auch in der größeren Rekord C-Limousine Verwendung fanden: zwei 1,6-l-Varianten mit 68 PS bzw. 80 PS sowie der 1,9-l-Version mit 90 PS.

 

Als im August 1988 der letzte Manta B vom Band lief, war seine Technik mit der aus dem Kadett B von 1967 stammenden Starrachse (Zentralgelenkachse) und den seit 1965 produzierten CIH-Motoren überholt, obwohl die letzten Modelle schon mit ungeregeltem Katalysator und 5-Gang-Getriebe ausgerüstet wurden. Für Opel war der Manta ein Erfolg: Von beiden Modellreihen wurden zusammen 1.056.436 Wagen gebaut.

 

(Wikipedia)

Coachwork by Pininfarina

Chassis n° 12031

 

'Pininfarina clothed it all in a beautifully refined bodyshell employing the nose lines of the 500 Superfast and the tail treatment of the contemporary 275 GTS. It was built at Grugliasco by Pininfarina themselves...' - Hans Tanner & Doug Nye, 'Ferrari', 1984.

 

In essence a closed version of the 275 GTS, the 330 GTC – immediate forerunner of the 365 GTC - was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. Beneath the understated Pininfarina coachwork there was the 4.0-litre version of Ferrari's familiar Colombo-designed two-cam 60-degree V12 (as used in the 330GT 2+2) mated to a five-speed all-synchromesh transaxle. The chassis was of relatively short wheelbase (2,400mm) and the suspension independent all round by wishbones and coil springs. Naturally, there were disc brakes on all four wheels.

 

Introduced late in 1968 as a replacement for the 330 GTC and given its first public airing at Geneva in March 1969, the 365 GTC was virtually identical in appearance apart from engine cooling vents relocated in the bonnet, a feature it shared with last of the 330s. Installing an 81mm-bore 4.4-litre V12 in place of the 300 GTC's 4.0-litre unit boosted mid-range torque and flexibility while maximum power was raised to 320bhp at 6,600rpm; acceleration improved markedly and the luxury coupés top speed increased to over 150mph. Less obvious to the eye were the refinements made to the drive-train that achieved a marked reduction in cabin noise, a sign that Ferrari understood that 365 GTC customers valued comfort as well as high performance. A sumptuous leather-trimmed interior, electric windows, and heated rear screen were standard equipment, while air conditioning could be ordered as an option. Like so many European sports cars, the 365 GTC (and convertible 365 GTS) would fall victim to increasingly stringent US safety and emissions legislation, production ceasing after less than one year during which time around 150 GTC and 20 GTS models left the factory.

 

The example offered here was delivered new in June 1969 to Mr Edouard Washer via Jacques Swaters' Garage Francorchamps, the official Ferrari importer for Belgium. The 20th 365 GTC built, chassis number '12031' was delivered finished in Grigio Mahmoud with beige leather interior, the latter equipped with a Voxson 'Sonar' radio with electric antenna. Mr Washer kept the Ferrari for a few years before trading it back to Garage Francorchamps in the mid-1970s. Garage Francorchamps then sold it to the next owner, in the Netherlands.

 

By 1982, '12031' was owned by one H L E Swarts in the Netherlands, who in March of that year advertised the car for sale, describing it as red with black interior and with 75,000 kilometres recorded. Around 1987, the car was sold to Fritz Kroymans, the Dutch Ferrari importer/collector, who kept it until 2004 when it was sold to Hans Jungblut of Maastricht, Netherlands. While in Mr Jungblut's care, the Ferrari was completely restored to its factory original colour, Grigio Mahmoud, in the Netherlands by marque specialists Garage Roelofs (restoration photographs on file), with the beige leather interior re-trim being entrusted to HVL Exclusive Italian Interiors.

From 2004 to 2014, the Ferrari was maintained by Forza Service and stayed in Holland. Later, in April 2014, the car was sold to the current owner in Belgium. Since, this stunning 365 GTC has been carefully looked after by its passionate Ferrari owner/collector. The most recent service was carried out in May 2017, by Ferrari Specialists L'Officina in Overijse, Belgium.

 

The car comes with an original sales brochure; copies of the original factory paperwork; a copy of the old Dutch registration papers (cancelled); Belgian registration papers; restoration invoices from Ferrari Garage Piet Roelofs; invoices for work carried out in 2004-2008 by Forza Service in Holland; and HVL Exclusive Italian Interiors' certificate (2008) confirming the interior was professionally restored using mostly original parts. The all-important Ferrari Classiche has been applied for and is currently in progress for this matching numbers 365 GTC; the file is still in production and will follow after the sale. Prospective purchasers should be aware that this process can take a few months to complete.

 

Examples of this strikingly handsome, startlingly fast, and much under-rated Ferrari Gran Turismo model rarely appear at auction. Well documented, professionally restored, and with Ferrari Classiche granted, '12031' represents an opportunity for the discerning collector to acquire one of these exclusive and ultra-desirable models, which are rare even by Ferrari standards.

 

Bonhams : the Zoute Sale

Sold for € 805.000

 

Zoute Grand Prix 2017

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2017

Peugeot 304 (1969-74) Engine 1288cc S4 OC Tr Production 1,178,425 (all variants)

Registration Number XDL 275 L

PEUGEOT SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690496925...

Launched at the 1969 Paris Motor Show to fill a gap in the mid sized car market. Based heavily on the Peugeot 204 sharing the same floorpan, running gear and bodyshell but with different nose styling and larger more powerful engines.

The Coupe and Cabriolet version replaced theeir 204 equivalents from 1970.

Tha 2 door Cabriolet was a two seater and is probably now the most numerous of the range, still running in the UK

 

Shot taken 10.06.2012 at the Bromley Pagaent of Motoring REF 85-301

Sold for £ 2.500

 

The Jaguar Land-Rover Collection

Brightwells Auctions

Bicester Heritage

Buckingham Road

Bicester

Oxfordshire

England

March 2018

 

Launched in 1958 at the Paris Autoshow, the new Humber Super Snipe was the first large Rootes Group car to use a monocoque bodyshell, replacing the pre-war design of its outmoded predecessor.

 

Losing its big separate wings of old in favour of a more modern unitised chassis and body, the new design was heavily influenced by the 1955 Chevrolet and was claimed to be the largest bodyshell built in the UK at the time – a strange boast but one which the marketeers thought significant.

 

Initially sold with a 2,6-litre 112 bhp straight-six, a year later the Series II arrived with an improved 129 bhp 3-litre unit which took the car’s top speed over the ton - not that its customers would have approved of such behaviour. Beautifully appointed with a build quality second to none, they were popular with bank managers and Government Ministers who needed to look sober and responsible - the Snipe couldn’t have fulfilled the task better.

 

Offered in a bewildering range of sub-models and face-lifts, these large Snipes were superbly engineered, but their rather formal image left them trailing in the wake of their more rakish competitors such as the Rover P5B and Ford Zodiac and they never proved as popular which is a shame as they are fine cars indeed.

 

This lovely mid-green Series II, with its luxurious leather upholstery has had 11 previous keepers according to the accompanying V5C. Its registration number is non-transferable and it has covered 4.200 miles since 2006 according to the DVLA MOT history. It’s most recent MOT expired in February 2013 and the car has covered only a handful of miles since then, the odometer showing a total of 82.792 miles with insufficient paperwork to prove its validity.

 

We have had the car running since its arrival onsite, although bidders are advised that the brakes are non-operational so we have been unable to drive the car.

The Jaguar XJ (XJ40) is a luxury sedan manufactured by Jaguar Cars between 1986 and 1994. Officially unveiled on 8 October 1986 it was an all-new redesign of the XJ to replace the Series III, although the two model ranges were sold concurrently until the Series III was discontinued in 1992. The XJ40 used the Jaguar independent rear suspension arrangement, and featured a number of technological enhancements (such as electronic instrumentation)

 

Development:

 

Throughout the 1970s Jaguar had been developing "Project XJ40", which was an all-new model intended to replace the original XJ6. Scale models were being built as early as 1972. Due to the 1973 oil crisis and problems at parent company British Leyland, the car was continually delayed. Proposals from both Jaguar's in-house designers and Pininfarina were received. Eventually, it was decided an internal design would be carried through to production and, in February 1981, the British Leyland board approved £80 million to produce the new car.

 

Jaguar historians claim that the XJ40 was the last car which company founder Sir William Lyons had contributed to during its protracted development phase. The previous generation XJ had been the final Jaguar to be developed wholly under Lyons' leadership - although he continued to take an active consultative role within Jaguar design, long after had retired from the day to day management of the firm following its merger in 1966 with the British Motor Corporation.

 

During development, the XJ40 pioneered significant improvements to the way Jaguar designed, built, and assembled cars. Among these improvements was a 25 per cent reduction in the number of bodywork panels required per car (e.g. three pressings needed for a Series 3 door compared with one for a XJ40 door), resulting in not only a more efficient assembly process, but also a weight saving and a stiffer structure. Greater attention to panel gaps improved the drag factor (reduced from 0.849 Cd to 0.762 Cd), while also improving the fuel economy and lowering wind noise inside the cabin.

 

Mechanicals:

 

AJ6 4.0 L engine (in a 1990 Daimler)

Initially, only two engines were offered across the XJ40 models: a 2.9 L and a 3.6 L version of the AJ6 inline-six. In 1990, these were changed to 3.2 L and 4.0 L versions. In 1993, the XJ12 and Daimler Double Six (both equipped with the Jaguar V12 engine) were added to the available models.

 

During the development of the XJ40, British Leyland had considered providing the Rover V8 engine for the car, which would have eliminated the need for future Jaguar engine production. The XJ40 bodyshell was allegedly engineered to prevent fitting V-configuration engines such as the Rover V8; this delayed the introduction of the V12-powered XJ12 until 1993.

 

The automatic gearbox used in the 2.9 L, 3.2 L and 3.6 L six-cylinder cars was the four-speed ZF 4HP22. On the 4.0 L, the four-speed ZF 4HP24 was used. A stronger automatic gearbox was required for the V12-equipped cars, and the four-speed GM 4L80-E was selected. The manual gearbox fitted to early cars was the five-speed Getrag 265, while later cars received the Getrag 290.

 

The automatic transmission selector was redesigned to allow the manual selection of forward gears without accidentally selecting neutral or reverse. This new feature was dubbed the "J-Gate" and has carried over to more recent Jaguar models.

 

Exterior:

 

The curvaceous lines of the outgoing Series XJ were replaced by the more angular, geometric shape of the XJ40. The nose of the car would accommodate either matched pairs of round headlights, or rectangular single units; the latter were fitted to the higher-specification Sovereign and Daimler trim levels, and also to all cars for the US market.

 

The bumper is a visually distinct black-rubber-covered bar that runs the full width of the car and incorporates the sidelights and indicator lights. The bonnet is hinged at the front. Window frames are either chromed or black, depending on model. Rain gutters, door mirrors, and door handles are also finished in chrome. All XJ40s have a chrome surround for the windscreen and a single windscreen wiper.

 

Early low-specification cars were fitted with metric-sized steel wheels and plastic wheelcovers. From 1991, the wheels were changed to non-metric sizing.

 

[Text from Wikipedia]

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_XJ

 

Arriving for a quick stop at Peterborough with a loaded coal train from Cottam Power Station to Acton is DB Schenker Class 66, 66126.

 

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 operators such as Freightliner, GB Railfreight and Direct Rail Services also placed orders for the class.

 

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.

Humber Hawk series 4A (1965-67) Engine 2267 S6 OHV Production 3754 (15539 all Hawks Ser. 1 - IVA (1957-67)

 

Registration Number LOC 328 F

 

HUMBER SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665287863...

 

The Humber Hawk Series 1- 5A (1957-67) were of a completetly new unitary construction which it would go on to share with the Humber Super Snipe. The 2267 cc engine is common to all the series with detail change and a Borg-Warner Automatic was available. The body was styled in house by Rootes, a feature of the Estate is the split tailgate with the lower portion opening downwards to provide extra length and the quirky idea of the filler cap being concealed behind the reflector. There are sevral revisions in each of the series,

 

Introduced in 1957 the Series 1 had a completely new body with unitary construction which it would go on to share with the 1958 Humber Super Snipe. This was the biggest bodyshell for a saloon/estate car built in Great Britain at the time. The 2267 cc engine was carried over, though with modifications to the distributor mounting, and other details; The body was styled in Rootes' own studios and featured more glass than previous models, with wrap-around front windscreen, which gave it a considerable resemblance to a 1955 Chevrolet.

 

The 1959 Series 1A had changed gear ratios and minor trim changes.

 

The Series II launched in October 1960 had disc front brakes, servo-assisted. The automatic option was no longer available on the home market.

 

The Series III of September 1962 had a larger fuel tank and bigger rear window. The export model automatic option was also dropped.

   

More significant changes came with the October 1964 Series IV. The roof was made flatter, the rear window smaller and an extra side window fitted behind the rear doors. Synchromesh was fitted to bottom gear. An anti-roll bar was fitted at the rear

 

The final Series IVA of 1965 saw the automatic option re-introduced, this time being the Borg Warner Model 35.

 

In March 1967 Rootes announced that production of the Humber Hawk, along with that of the Super Snipe and Imperial had ceased. and that their place in the range would be filled by Chrysler Valiants imported from Australia, though this never seemed to happen.

 

After Hawk production ended, Rootes came to concentrate on sectors offering greater volume, no longer featuring as a UK provider of large family cars. It had, in particular, been unusual for UK manufactured cars of this size to feature a spacious station wagon / estate car version; and, following the demise of the Humber Hawk, the UK market for large estate cars quickly came to be dominated by the Volvo 145,

 

Thanks for 15.1 million views

 

Shot taken 05:08:2012 at The Shugborough Classic Car Meeting. Ref: 93a-145

395 002 Sebastian Coe

 

British Rail Class 395 is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) used by train operating company Southeastern for its services along High Speed 1 and onwards to the Kent coast.

The trains were built in Japan by Hitachi and shipped to the United Kingdom to operate new high speed domestic services.

The trains are among the fastest operating domestic service trains in the United Kingdom, capable of running at a maximum speed of 140 mph (225 km/h).

 

During the 2012 Summer Olympics, Class 395 trains will be used to provide the Javelin shuttle service for visitors to the Olympic Games' main venue in Stratford and so the name Javelin has become a common nickname.

 

An order worth £250 million was placed with Hitachi Europe for 28 high-speed ‘A-trains’ in 2004.

A twenty-ninth train was later added to the agreement in order to provide additional capacity.

 

The first train was delivered from Japan to Southampton Docks on 23 August 2007.

It was then hauled to Ashford in Kent for acceptance testing by Serco.

Three more trains were delivered in 2007, with the remainder of the fleet in 2008–2009.

The final unit arrived in Southampton on 17 August 2009.

 

The first of the trains to be delivered was present at the official opening of High Speed 1 and St Pancras station on 6 November 2007.

 

A regular service commenced on 13 December 2009, with 2 trains per hour serving Faversham via Chatham and Gravesend, and 2 trains per hour travelling to Ashford International, where 1 train continues on to Dover Priory, and the other to Margate via Canterbury West.

As of September 2011 extra services run in peak hours from London to Ebbsfleet and Maidstone West, and some Dover Priory trains are extended to Sandwich and Faversham trains to Broadstairs.

 

The trains run up to 140 mph (225 km/h) on High Speed 1, but are restricted to 100 mph (160 km/h) on the South Eastern classic main lines and are based at a £53m five-road depot south of Ashford International railway station in Ashford, Kent, with stabling also at Ramsgate and Faversham.

They are owned by HSBC Rail, and leased by Southeastern.

 

The Class 395 units incorporate design elements from Hitachi's A-Train family including friction stir welded aluminium bodyshells, as well as elements of the 400 Series mini-shinkansen's design, the bogies are derived from shinkansen bogies.

They are designed as true high-speed trains, capable of 225 km/h.

The cab designs bear a resemblance to the 885 series EMUs used on limited express services on Japan's narrow gauge network.

The units are dual voltage, able to operate on third rail 750V DC and 25kV AC 50 Hz overhead electrification systems.

 

The train is equipped with GPS positioning equipment and a database to calculate the train’s exact position.

The pressure-sealed doors on each car can only be opened with an exact alignment to the platform.

 

The 6-car trainsets consist of

2 Driving trailer cars each of length 20.65 metres (67.7 ft)

4 Standard motor cars of length 20.0 metres (65.6 ft)

 

In total the train is 121.8 metres (400 ft) long over the couplings.

The train is unusual for a high speed train in that the doors and vestibules are not set at the ends over the bogies as on most long-distance trains (e.g. Mk 4 carriages), but in order to reduce dwell times (i.e. the waiting time at the station) they are set at approximately ¼ and ¾ along the carriage, which allows for faster loading and unloading, like most commuter trains (e.g. Electrostar); this means that the ride quality for passengers sitting over the bogies is diminished (due to transmission of vibration through the floor), though the quality of track on High Speed 1 is relatively high and the trains will not be used at speed on other lines.

 

The 395 has internally-hung sliding pocket doors, rather than plug doors; this has meant the sacrifice of a smooth external profile.

The door system is identical to that in use on the Japanese Shinkansen or bullet train and has over 40 years of operational experience and development.

  

The Class 395's seating capacity is as follows: Each DPT (1) vehicle seats 28, has 12 tip up seats in the wheelchair parking area and one RVAR wheelchair accessible toilet, each MS vehicle (four per a six carriage EMU train) seats 66 and finally each DPT (2) vehicle seats 48 and has one standard toilet.

 

Unusually for a high speed passenger train, there is no first class accommodation.

Chassis n° WPOZZZ93ZKS010076

 

Estimated : CHF 210.000 - 250.000

Sold for CHF 224.250 - € 204.290

 

The Bonmont Sale

Collectors' Motor Cars - Bonhams

Golf & Country Club de Bonmont

Chéserex

Switzerland - Suisse - Schweiz

September 2019

 

'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 162km/h in 14 seconds.

 

The Turbo's characteristic flared wheel arches 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 300bhp and the top speed of what was the fastest-accelerating road car of its day went up to 257km/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.

 

One of only three European-specification examples delivered new to the Gulf States, chassis number '10076' was completed on 8th December 1988 and is an early Turbo Targa example for model year 1989, a very rare model equipped with the desirable five-speed G50 gearbox, newly introduced on the Type 930 for 1989. That this car should be delivered new to the Middle East is not surprising given its exotic specification - a Turbo with the Targa body - and high price (the equivalent of €65,000, so very expensive at the time).

 

The Porsche was delivered in May 1989 to its first owner by Porsche Ali & sons Motor in Abudabi, a little under 6 months after its completion date, and was originally finished in black with a 'weinrot' (wine red) leather interior, a restrained yet stylish choice. Several options were specified, including a heavy-duty battery; Auto Lock differential (an option much sought after by Porsche purists); short shift; and a Blaupunkt Toronto radio.

 

The car has been serviced regularly at Porsche Ali & sons from new until 1997 and at Behbehani Centre until 2008, by which time it had covered some 107,000 kilometres. In 2008 the car moved to France where it has been restored to original specifications and since then has been driven only occasionally. More recently this desirable 930 Turbo Targa has benefited from cosmetic and mechanical works (invoices on file). Since 2017 even more money was spent, including work to ignition, cold start controller, fuel pump, electricity, ... totalling over €25.000 (invoices on file).

 

Accompanying documentation consists of a French Carte Grise; stamped service booklet; a lot of invoices for work carried out; Porsche Certificate of Authenticity confirming factory specifications, options and matching colours/numbers; and books/manuals in their original pouch.

 

Displaying a little over 111,000 kilometres on the odometer, this ultra-rare 930 Turbo Targa 5-speed G50 is an exciting opportunity not to be missed by any serious Porsche collector or enthusiast.

The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race. In 1962, all full-size Fords wore the Galaxie badge, with "500" and "500/XL" denoting the higher series. 1965 saw the introduction of the Galaxie 500/LTD, followed by Galaxie 500 7-Litre in 1966. The Galaxie 500 part was dropped from the LTD in 1966, and from the XL in 1967, however the basic series structuring levels were maintained. The "regular" Galaxie 500 continued below the LTD as Ford’s mid-level full-size model from 1965 until its demise at the end of the 1974 model year.[1]

 

The Galaxie was the high volume counterpart to the Chevrolet Impala. Some Galaxies were high-performance, racing specification machines, a larger forebear to the muscle car era. Others were plain family sedans.

 

A version of the car was also produced in Brazil under the names Galaxie 500, LTD and Landau from 1967 to 1983.

  

1960-1964

 

Second generation 1960 Galaxie Starliner

Production 1960-1964

Body style(s)

 

2-door sedan

4-door sedan

2-door hardtop

4-door hardtop

2-door convertible

 

Engine(s) 223 cu in (3.7 L) OHV I6

289 cu in (4.7 L) Windsor V8

292 cu in (4.8 L) Y-block V8

352 cu in (5.8 L) FE series V8

390 cu in (6.4 L) FE series V8

406 cu in (6.6 L) FE series V8

427 cu in (7.0 L) FE series V8

Wheelbase 3,023 mm (119.0 in)

Related Mercury Meteor

Mercury Monterey

Lincoln Continental

  

The 1960 Galaxie was all-new in style, abandoning the ostentatious ornamentation of the 1950s for a futuristic, sleek look. A new body style this year was the Starliner, featuring a huge, curving rear observation window on a pillarless, hardtop bodyshell. The formal roofed 2-door hardtop was not available this year. It had been the most popular body style in the line in 1959, and sales dropped off sharply. Contrary to Ford's tradition of pie-plate round taillghts, the '60 featured "half-moon" lenses turned downward. The "A" pillar now swept forward instead of backward, making entering and exiting the car, more convenient.

 

For 1961, the bodywork was redone again, although the underpinnings were the same as 1960. This time, the tailfins were almost gone; the small blade-like fins capped smaller versions of 1959's "pie-plate" round taillamps once again. Performance was beginning to be a selling point, and the 1961 Galaxie offered a new 390 CID (6.4 L) version of Ford's FE series pushrod V8, which was available with either a four-barrel carburetor or, for serious performance, three two-barrel carburetors. The latter was rated at 401 hp (298 kW), making even such a heavy car quite fast indeed. The 352 was downgraded in favor of the 390; it was equipped with a 2-barrel carburetor and single exhaust. The Starliner was again offered this year, and Ford promoted this model with lots of luxury and power equipment, but it was dropped at the end of the year, as the re-introduced square-roof hardtop coupe took the bulk of sales.

 

For 1962, the Galaxie name was applied to all of Ford's full size models, as Fairlane moved to a new intermediate and Custom was temporarily retired. New top-line Galaxie 500 (two-door hardtop, four-door sedan and hardtop, and "Sunliner" convertible) and Galaxie 500/XL (two-door hardtop and convertible) models were also introduced; the 292 cu in (4.8 l) V8 was standard on the 500/XL. Performance was not ignored either, with an even larger 406 cu in (7 l) engine being available, again in single four-barrel or triple-carbureted "six-barrel" form. At the other end of the spectrum, of course, the 223 cu in (3.7 l) "Mileage Maker" 6-cylinder engine was still available for the more budget-minded driver. Tailfins were gone, giving the '62s a more rounded, softer rear end look. Taillights were set lower into the rear panel, and were partially sunken into the newly-sculped rear bumper.

 

The '62s, however, were overweight by comparison to the Super Duty Pontiacs with their aluminum body panels and larger-displacement engines, so late in the production run, Ford's Experimental Car Garage was ordered to put the Galaxie on a diet. It produced 11 "lightweight Galaxies", making use of fiberglass panels, as well as aluminum bumpers, fender aprons, and brackets; the result was a Galaxie weighing in at under 3,400 lb (1,542 kg). (The base 2-door Club Sedan was 3,499 lb (1,587 kg).) It was an improvement.

1963 Galaxie

 

For 1963, Ford saw no reason to radically change a good thing, and the 1963 model was essentially unchanged save for some freshening and added trim; a four-door hardtop 500/XL was added. A lower, fastback roofline was added mid year to improve looks and make the big cars more competitive on the NASCAR tracks with the added downforce. This 1963½ model, the industry's first official "½ year" model, was called the "Sports Roof" or "Fastback". (It shared this feature with the in '63½ Falcon.) Galaxie buyers showed their preference as the new SportsRoof models handily outsold the "boxtop" square-roof models. The SportsRoof was available in both Galaxie 500, and Galaxie 500/XL trim. As to be expected, sister Mercury also received the SportsRoof in Monterey, Montclair, and Park Lane models. A base-model Galaxie was offered for 1963 only, badged as the Ford 300

 

While not much changed for the everyday buyer, for the performance oriented, things were a little different; for partway through this year and in limited quantities there became available Ford's new racing secret weapon, the 427, replacing the 406. It was intended to meet NHRA and NASCAR 7-liter maximum engine size rules. This engine was rated at a conservative 425 hp (317 kW) with 2 x 4 barrel Holley carburetors and a solid lifter camshaft. Ford also made available aluminum cylinder heads as a dealer option. The '63½ was still overweight, however. To be competitive in drag racing Ford produced 212[citation needed] (around 170 from Ford Norfolk, about 20 from Ford Los Angeles) lightweight versions of the "R" code 427, in the Galaxie 500 Sport Special Tudor Fastback. Available only in Corinthian White with red vinyl interior, and with a list price of about US$4,200 (when a base Galaxie 300 went for US $2,324, and XL Fastback was US $3,268), these cars came stock with Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed, 4.11:1 rear axle, heavy-duty suspension and brakes, and were fitted with a fiberglass hood (a flat piece at first, late in '63 the popular blister hood also used on the Thunderbolt), trunk, front fenders, and fender aprons, as well as aluminum bumpers and mounting brackets, transmission cases, and bellhousing. Hood springs, heater, trunk lining and mat, spare wheel and tire (and mounting bracket), trunk lid torsion bar, jack, lug wrench, one horn (of the stock two), armrests, rear ashtrays, courtesy lights, and dome light were removed to reduce weight. The first 20 cars had functional fiberglass doors, which shaved 25 lb (11 kg); these were deleted because of Ford's concern for safety if used on the highway.[citation needed] The cars had all sound deadening removed, lightweight seats and floormats, and no options. Contrary to myth, they were not factory equipped with cold-air induction, as the Thunderbolt would be. In addition, they were built on the 45 lb (20 kg)-lighter Galaxie 300 chassis, originally intended for a smaller-displacement V8. In all, the 427s were 375 lb (170 kg) lighter than before (425 lb (193 kg) with the fiberglass doors).

 

The first two lightweight Galaxies, using 289 cu in bodies, were assembled at Fort Wayne, Michigan, late in January 1963, to be tested at the 1963 Winternats. They were delivered to Tasca Ford (East Providence, R.I.) and Bob Ford (Dearborn, MI). Bill Lawton's Tasca Galaxie turned the best performance, with a 12.50 pass at 116.60 mph (187.65 km/h). It was not enough, against the '63 Z-11s in Limited Production/Stock, however. Three more were assembled from parts and tested at Ford's Experimental Car Garage in Dearborn. One of the next two, the last Winternationals test cars, was prepared by Bill Stroppe in Long Beach, California, for Les Ritchey; it was featured in the July 1963 issue of Hot Rod. For all their efforts, Ford discovered the Galaxies were still too heavy, and the project was abandoned.Some of these cars competed in England, Australia and South Africa after being modified by Holman and Moody who fitted them with disc brakes and other circuit racing components. Jack Sears won the British Touring Championship in 1963 and the racing Galaxies were also driven by Sir Jack Brabham, David Hill and other notable drivers of the period. The heavy Galaxies suffered from persistent brake failure that led to a number of crashes, and in late 1963 started using the 12" disc brakes off the Ford GT40 program. By this time the Lotus Cortinas were being developed and the big Galaxie became uncompetitive. Some of these race cars survive in England and in Australia where they compete in Historic Touring Car racing. A new 289 cu in (4.7 l), derived from the 1962 Fairlane engine, replaced the Y-block 292 cu in (4.8 l) as the entry level V8.

 

1964 was the fourth and final year of this body style. Interior trim was much altered, and the exterior featured a more sculpted look which was actually designed to make the car more aerodynamic for NASCAR. The formal-roof "boxtop" style was replaced by the slanted-roof design for all non-wagon or convertible models, including sedans. Ford's quality control, spotty when the first Galaxie was introduced, was now as good as it ever was, and many '64 Fords passed the 100,000 mile mark intact. The '64s gained an enviable reputation as durable, comfortable cars that offered decent handling and roadability at a reasonable price, so it is no wonder they sold so well. Of the XL models, the '64 hardtop coupe takes the prize for the most produced. The base 300 was replaced by a line of Custom and Custom 500 models.

 

Under the hood, the 427 CID (7.0 L) engine carried on the high performance duties. Ford again took the 427-equipped Galaxie to the racetracks in serious fashion in 1964, building 50 lightweight, fiberglass equipped cars just for the purpose of drag racing. These competed with success in North America but were still too heavy and Ford introduced the lightweight Fairlane Thunderbolt which used the 427 engine and was immediately competitive. The 427 was the powerplant of the dominant Ford GT40 Mk II.

 

Late in the year Ford introduced their new engine challenger, the SOHC 427 "Cammer", Though not documented, it is believed a few may have found their way onto the street (this engine was only available to racers through the dealer network or from the manufacturer; none were ever factory installed). Rated at over 600 hp (447 kW), this is possibly the most powerful engine ever fitted to a production car by an American manufacturer. NASCAR changed the rules, however, requiring thousands (rather than hundreds) of production examples in service to qualify for the next season, and Ford decided against producing the Cammer in that quantity. Fears of liability concerns and the bad publicity possibilities in giving the public a car that dangerously powerful are often cited as reasons, but it might simply have been that Ford doubted that an engine so unsuited to street use could sell in such numbers.

 

It should be noted that the Ford Country Sedan station wagon, while wearing "Country Sedan" badging for many years, was actually part of the Galaxie 500 line. Some Country Sedans had "Galaxie 500" badging on the glovebox indicating the series name. These wagons featured the same tinware as Galaxie 500s inside and out, and were a step up from the base-model Ranch Wagon, which became part of the Custom series in 1964.

Completely new body in very modern style. The look of car reminded some critics of a bath tub, and it consequently gained the soubriquet "Taunus Badewanne". At a time when competitors boasted that all four corners of the vehicles were visible from the driver's seat, the new Taunus instead offered a streamlined form. However, in Germany the concept of streamlining in cars was associated with narrow passenger cabins reminiscent of the 1930s and of the still popular Volksagen Beetle. The new Taunus, however, provided greater interior width than its predecessor despite being no wider on the outside. Although the 1.7 litre version was launched with the same 60 PS power output as the outgoing model, the new model was a full 10 km/h (6 mph) faster, which was attributed to improved aerodynamics and a lighter bodyshell.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

- - -

 

Der 1960 vorgestellte Taunus P3 (= Projekt 3, d. h. die dritte neue Pkw-Konstruktion der Ford-Werke Köln seit Ende des 2. Weltkriegs) ist ein Mittelklassewagen von Ford Deutschland. Er präsentierte sich in einer vom Designer Uwe Bahnsen kreierten neuartigen, sachlichen Form, für die der Slogan „Linie der Vernunft“ geprägt wurde, die ihm aber auch den Spitznamen Badewanne eintrug.

 

(Wikipedia)

G-Model

 

Bonhams : the Zoute Sale

Estimated : € 120.000 - 160.000

Sold for € 138.000

 

Zoute Grand Prix 2018

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2018

 

The legendary Porsche 911 Carrera RS resulted from the Zuffenhausen factory's realisation that the excess weight of its top-of-the-range 2.4-litre 911S production model restricted its development potential for racing. It was therefor decided to produced and homologate a special lightweight production variant for competition purposes, which would also incorporate, as standard, specific performance enhancements forbidden as post-production modifications. The result was the Carrera RS (RennSport) of 1972, which featured thinner-gauge metal in its doors, roof, boot lid, floors and even in the gearchange platform. Thinner window glass was provided by Glaverbel and most of the standard sound proofing was removed, while performance modifications included enlarged rear wheel arches to accommodate 7" wide wheel rims, the first of the famous 'duck's tail' spoilers, and the newly enlarged, 2.7-litre, 210 bhp engine.

 

These alterations resulted in the RS having a top speed of around 150 mph while ensuring that it remained stable and controllable right up to the limit. The homologation regulations required that cars had be built to the lightweight, racing specification; customers wishing to purchase a Carrera RS for the road had to specify the Touring package (order number '472') which cost an extra DM 2.500 (£ 430) and offered the greater comfort of the 911S's trimmed and upholstered interior.

 

When the homologation targets had been met, the lightweight RS was discontinued but the Carrera name continued on Porsche's top-of-the-range model, which in its new, series-production form mounted the 210 bhp engine in a full-weight, fully trimmed bodyshell; the tail spoiler was an option. Porsche had first used Bosch's K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection ('MFI') on 911T models destined for the USA, and this cleaner-running system was adopted for the 2.7-litre cars in 1974. As well as reducing emissions, the Bosch injection made the engine more flexible, with better power delivery at low revs.

 

This Porsche 911 Carrera was delivered new to Barcelona, Spain in March 1975 finished in Grand Prix White with dark red leatherette interior, and left the factory equipped with the following options: tinted windows; rear window with anti-fog system; engine compartment light; and rear fog light. The car was first registered in September 1975 in Barcelona by its first owner, Antonio Giminez Rodriguez, who kept it until 1993, nearly 20 years. It was then sold to Mr Jose Luis Brandes Calvo from Zaragoza. The Carrera stayed in Spain until 2012 and then went to Belgium where it was registered in March 2012. It was last registered in Belgium in February 2014 by Mr Pierre Mélotte.

 

Although it still presented beautifully, in 2016 the current owner decided to re-spray the car completely from bare metal to the highest standard because of a minor crack in the front left wing paintwork and the fact that the paintwork generally was beginning to show signs of age (invoices on file). At the same time the engine, which had only minor oil leaks, was removed for a complete overhaul; the owner, being a perfectionist, wanted his car to be 100%!

 

Service records track the odometer readings from February 1993 at 99,614 kilometres to April 2016 at 56.246 kilometres (actually 156.246 kilometres from new). Additional documentation consists of old Spanish registration papers showing technical inspections from 2000-2011; technical inspection 2014; Porsche Certificate of Authenticity; Porsche 111-point check carried out in 2016; Belgian registration papers; and a Classic Data report confirming the car's condition (before restoration) and its estimated value in 2016 of € 190.000. The car also comes with its original pouch with instruction manuals and service booklet; spare key; and the original spare wheel.

 

Retaining its original dark red interior, beautifully preserved, this Carrera is described by the vendor as in generally excellent condition, ready to enjoy. We have had the pleasure of test-driving the car and can confirm that it performed flawlessly, with a very responsive throttle. This car is worthy of a place in any important collection as direct successor or 'little brother' of the Carrera RS at less than half the price.

The Jaguar XJ (XJ40) is a luxury sedan manufactured by Jaguar Cars between 1986 and 1994. Officially unveiled on 8 October 1986 it was an all-new redesign of the XJ to replace the Series III, although the two model ranges were sold concurrently until the Series III was discontinued in 1992. The XJ40 used the Jaguar independent rear suspension arrangement, and featured a number of technological enhancements (such as electronic instrumentation)

 

Development:

 

Throughout the 1970s Jaguar had been developing "Project XJ40", which was an all-new model intended to replace the original XJ6. Scale models were being built as early as 1972. Due to the 1973 oil crisis and problems at parent company British Leyland, the car was continually delayed. Proposals from both Jaguar's in-house designers and Pininfarina were received. Eventually, it was decided an internal design would be carried through to production and, in February 1981, the British Leyland board approved £80 million to produce the new car.

 

Jaguar historians claim that the XJ40 was the last car which company founder Sir William Lyons had contributed to during its protracted development phase. The previous generation XJ had been the final Jaguar to be developed wholly under Lyons' leadership - although he continued to take an active consultative role within Jaguar design, long after had retired from the day to day management of the firm following its merger in 1966 with the British Motor Corporation.

 

During development, the XJ40 pioneered significant improvements to the way Jaguar designed, built, and assembled cars. Among these improvements was a 25 per cent reduction in the number of bodywork panels required per car (e.g. three pressings needed for a Series 3 door compared with one for a XJ40 door), resulting in not only a more efficient assembly process, but also a weight saving and a stiffer structure. Greater attention to panel gaps improved the drag factor (reduced from 0.849 Cd to 0.762 Cd), while also improving the fuel economy and lowering wind noise inside the cabin.

 

Mechanicals:

 

AJ6 4.0 L engine (in a 1990 Daimler)

Initially, only two engines were offered across the XJ40 models: a 2.9 L and a 3.6 L version of the AJ6 inline-six. In 1990, these were changed to 3.2 L and 4.0 L versions. In 1993, the XJ12 and Daimler Double Six (both equipped with the Jaguar V12 engine) were added to the available models.

 

During the development of the XJ40, British Leyland had considered providing the Rover V8 engine for the car, which would have eliminated the need for future Jaguar engine production. The XJ40 bodyshell was allegedly engineered to prevent fitting V-configuration engines such as the Rover V8; this delayed the introduction of the V12-powered XJ12 until 1993.

 

The automatic gearbox used in the 2.9 L, 3.2 L and 3.6 L six-cylinder cars was the four-speed ZF 4HP22. On the 4.0 L, the four-speed ZF 4HP24 was used. A stronger automatic gearbox was required for the V12-equipped cars, and the four-speed GM 4L80-E was selected. The manual gearbox fitted to early cars was the five-speed Getrag 265, while later cars received the Getrag 290.

 

The automatic transmission selector was redesigned to allow the manual selection of forward gears without accidentally selecting neutral or reverse. This new feature was dubbed the "J-Gate" and has carried over to more recent Jaguar models.

 

Exterior:

 

The curvaceous lines of the outgoing Series XJ were replaced by the more angular, geometric shape of the XJ40. The nose of the car would accommodate either matched pairs of round headlights, or rectangular single units; the latter were fitted to the higher-specification Sovereign and Daimler trim levels, and also to all cars for the US market.

 

The bumper is a visually distinct black-rubber-covered bar that runs the full width of the car and incorporates the sidelights and indicator lights. The bonnet is hinged at the front. Window frames are either chromed or black, depending on model. Rain gutters, door mirrors, and door handles are also finished in chrome. All XJ40s have a chrome surround for the windscreen and a single windscreen wiper.

 

Early low-specification cars were fitted with metric-sized steel wheels and plastic wheelcovers. From 1991, the wheels were changed to non-metric sizing.

 

[Text from Wikipedia]

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_XJ

 

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

This one has the badge Jaguar 3.8 LITRE on the hood (bonnet), and Jaguar 3.8 S on the trunk (boot). The overall design looks a bit different than the Mark II, and in fact it turns out that this is an S-Type. So, quoting from Wikipedia: Jaguar S-Type (1963-68):

 

• • • • •

 

The Jaguar S-Type was produced from 1963-68 as a technically more sophisticated development of the Jaguar Mark 2. It sold alongside the Mark 2, as well as the Jaguar 420 following its release in 1966. The 1960s S-Type should not be confused with the retro-styled Jaguar S-Type sold from 1999.

 

Contents

 

[hide]

 

• 1 History

• 2 Development

•• 2.1 Engines

•• 2.2 Mechanical

•• 2.3 Suspension

•• 2.4 Styling

•• 2.5 Bodyshell

•• 2.6 Interior

• 3 Performance

• 4 Production developments

• 5 Sales performance

• 6 Specifications

• 7 Diecast Models

• 8 References

•• 8.1 Further reading

• 9 External links

 

• Manufacturer

Jaguar Cars

 

• Production

1963–1968

3.4-litre S-Type – 9,928

1963–1968

3.8-litre S-Type - 15,065

 

• Successor

Jaguar XJ6

 

• Class

Sports saloon

 

• Body style(s)

4-door saloon

 

• Layout

FR layout

 

• Transmission(s)

4-speed manual; 4-speed manual/overdrive; or 3-speed automatic options available

 

• Wheelbase

2,730 mm (107 in)

 

• Length

4,750 mm (187 in)

 

• Width

1,683 mm (66 in)

 

• Height

1,416 mm (56 in)

 

• Curb weight

1,625 kg (3,583 lb)

 

• Related

Jaguar Mark 2

Jaguar Mark X

Jaguar 420

 

History

 

The Jaguar Mark 2 was introduced in 1959 and sold throughout most of the 1960s. It had a live rear axle and was powered by the XK six-cylinder engine first used in the Jaguar XK120 of 1948. In the Mark 2 the engine was available in 2.4, 3.4 and 3.8 litre capacities.

 

In 1961 Jaguar launched two new models. The full size Jaguar Mark X saloon (pronounced "mark ten") used Jaguar’s new independent rear suspension and a triple SU carburettor version of the 3.8 litre XK engine. The other new car for 1961 was the Jaguar E-Type sports car, which shared the same 3.8 litre engine as the Mark X but used a scaled down version of the independent rear suspension.

 

Having released the Mark X, with its many technical refinements, Jaguar boss Sir William Lyons expected the Mark 2 would need updating with similar features if it was to retain its place in the market. Accordingly, work began on developing the S-Type (codenamed "Utah Mk III", the Mark 2 having been “Utah Mk II”) as soon as development work was finished on the Mark X.

 

The S-Type was a major redevelopment of the Mark 2. It used a mid-scale version of the Mark X independent rear suspension to replace the Mark 2's live rear axle and featured longer rear bodywork, among other styling and interior changes. The S-Type was available with either 3.4 or 3.8 litre XK engines but only in twin carburettor form because the triple carburettor setup would not fit into what was essentially still the Mark 2 engine bay.

 

By the time of the S-Type’s release in 1963, the Mark 2 remained an unexpectedly strong seller despite its age. Although the Mark X was selling less well than hoped, especially in its intended market of the USA, Sir William decided to retain all three models in the Jaguar range concurrently. The Mark X was renamed “420G” in 1966 and was joined by another new model, the 4.2 litre 420. The 420 was developed to replace the S-Type but because some demand remained for the S-Type, all four saloon models (Mark 2, S-Type, 420 and 420G) remained on sale until the arrival of the Jaguar XJ6 in 1968. The XJ6 replaced all but the 420G in the Jaguar range.

 

Development

 

Engines

 

No new engines were developed for the S-Type. It was first released with the twin carburettor variant of the 3.8 litre XK engine, the same as that which had powered the 3.8 litre Mark 2 but which was no longer offered on the Mark 2 after the release of the S-Type. The 3.8 litre was the only engine offered on S-Types sold into the US market.

 

The lower powered 3.4 litre S-Type used the same 3.4 litre engine as the Mark 2. It was released a few months after the 3.8S and was not made available at any stage on Jaguar’s press demonstrator fleet in the UK. Whereas the 3.4 litre remained the most popular engine option for the Mark 2, the 3.8 litre S-Type outsold the 3.4S in the ratio 3 to 2.

 

Mechanical

 

Despite the S-Type’s weight gain of 152 kg (335 lb) over the Mark 2, no changes were deemed necessary to the Dunlop four-wheel disc braking system.

 

Major changes were made to the S-Type’s steering system. The Burman power steering system in the Mark 2, with its 4.3 turns lock-to-lock, was regarded as being excessively low geared and lacking in road feel. In the S-Type it was replaced by a higher-geared Burman unit of 3.5 turns lock-to-lock, which linked the input shaft and hydraulic valve by a torsion spring to improve its ‘feel’.

 

The heating and ventilating system of the Mark 2 was not considered adequate for the more upmarket S-Type and was replaced with an improved system. Separate control of ventilation direction was provided for both driver and front seat passenger. Warm air could also be directed to the rear passengers through an outlet situated on the propellor shaft tunnel cover between the two front seats.

 

Suspension

 

A key element of the Mark X that Jaguar wanted to include in the S-Type was its sophisticated, and by then widely acclaimed, independent rear suspension. The suspension was a revelation at the time of its introduction, and remained the benchmark against which others were judged until the 1980s. Essentially a double wishbone setup, it used the driveshaft as the upper wishbone. It carries the drive, braking, suspension and damping units in a single fabricated steel crossbridge, which is isolated from the bodyshell by rubber blocks. Including this suspension in the S-Type necessitated the development of a new crossbridge suitable for its 54” track, coming as it did between the 58” track of the Mark X and 50” track of the E-Type.

 

The S-Type used the same subframe mounted, coil sprung, twin wishbone front suspension as the Mark 2.

 

Styling

 

Sir William wanted to introduce some of the Mark X’s sleeker and sharper lines into the S-Type but with limited time and money available, most effort was applied to restyling the rear bodywork. The S-Type was given extended rear bodywork similar to that on the Mark X, which also gave it a much larger boot than the Mark 2. Relatively minor changes were made to the frontal styling of the car in an attempt to balance the longer rear styling but the overall affect at the front was still very rounded. The only change made to the centre section was to flatten and extend the rear roofline, which made the car look larger and helped to give rear seat passengers slightly more headroom.

 

The styling of the S-Type was regarded by many of those who worked on it as being not altogether successful. The mismatch between the horizontal lines of its rear styling and the rounded front was least flattering when viewing the car from the front quarter. Ref. [1] quotes Cyril Crouch, Assistant Chief Body Engineer at Browns Lane during development of the S-Type, as saying “We ourselves appreciated what an ugly looking car it was, and when it came out there was a ...’Is that the best you can do?’ sort of thing! People like myself had to take the stick for producing such an abomination! Perhaps I shouldn’t call it that, but I think everyone was very pleased to see the end of the S and move on to the 420. It seemed an odd-looking vehicle.”

 

The reasonable sales success of the S-Type prior to the release of the Jaguar 420 suggests that not everyone was as offended by its styling as Mr Crouch. Nevertheless, the 420 did ‘finish the job’ in a styling sense by adding to the car a squarer, four-headlamp front end more like that of the Mark X.

 

The list of the significant styling differences between the Mark 2 and S-Type is as follows:

 

• the tail was extended, with styling features similar to the Mark X only scaled down

• the Mark 2's spats over the rear wheels were deleted and the rear guards brought lower over the wheels and reshaped

• new slimline bumpers were used front and rear, the front bumper still featuring a dip to reveal the full depth of the radiator grille

• wraparound indicators and low mounted sidelights were added at the bottoms of the front wings

• the foglamps were recessed more deeply into the wing fronts

• the grille was given a thicker surround and centre bar

• the headlamps were given a small peak, making the car look longer and thus going some way to balancing the longer tail

• the roofline was extended rearwards slightly to make it look flatter and the rear window became more upright.

 

Bodyshell

 

Starting with the Mark 2’s monocoque bodyshell, Jaguar’s engineers had to alter it to accommodate the independent rear suspension's extra bulk and weight and the extended rear bodywork. Structural changes at the front were minimal and no changes at all were made to the inner scuttle, windscreen or dashboard structure.

 

A list of the significant structural differences between the Mark 2 and S-Type is as follows:

 

• the Mark 2’s underbody reinforcing rails were extended to the rear of the car and enclosed, sweeping up and over the space for the rear suspension assembly

• the boot floor was double-skinned and ribbed for additional strength

• the spare wheel well was relocated centrally in the boot floor (it was on the left in the Mark 2)

• the lid of the new longer boot (trunk) was secured by two catches rather than the single catch of the Mark 2

• the 12 gallon fuel tank was removed from under the boot floor and replaced by two 7 gallon tanks inside each rear wing

• new front wings were made to carry the frontal styling changes listed above

• new attachment points were made for the new wings and bumpers

• new wheelarches were made to match the new front guards and rear structure

 

Interior

 

The S-Type’s interior again reflected the styling of the Mark X but included features unique to the S-Type, not all of which found their way into the 420. Changes to the rear seat accommodation gave the impression of far greater room than in the rear of a Mark 2 and changes to the front of the cabin also gave the impression of greater luxury.

 

The list of interior differences between the Mark 2 and S-Type includes:

 

• a scaled down Mark X walnut veneer dashboard with a pull-out map tray below the centre section. The veneer extended to the dashboard centre section, which in the Mark 2 was black vinyl covered

• a full width parcel tray was fitted below the dashboard

• new controls were provided to go with the improved heating and ventilation system

• the front seats were widened to give the appearance of being almost full width, and each was provided with an inboard armrest.

• the centre console was redesigned to suit the wider front seats and rear compartment heating arrangements

• the door trims were given horizontal fluting

• Mark X type armrests were added to the front doors along with a map pocket

• the rear doors were given new armrests with a flip-top ashtray and magazine pocket

• the front seats were given a new fore and aft adjustment mechanism that raised the rear of the seat as it was moved forwards

• the backs of the front seats lost the Mark 2’s picnic trays and were made thinner, to the benefit of rear seat passenger legroom

• the rear seat had a 50 mm (2.0 in) thinner squab and its backrest was more steeply angled, further benefitting headroom already enhanced by the slightly higher rear roofline. These changes did, however, leave longer legged rear seat passengers in a fairly uncomfortable 'knee-high' posture.

 

Performance

 

A contemporary road test by Autosport magazine [2][3] was typical in describing the 'on paper' performance of the 3.8 S-Type as slower than the 3.8 litre Mark 2 but its actual cross country performance as faster. Despite its extra weight, the S-Type’s independent rear suspension allowed it to corner faster than the Mark 2, especially on uneven surfaces. Other benefits ascribed to the rear suspension were better traction and a much smoother ride for rear seat passengers. Some enthusiasts rued the loss of the Mark 2’s “driftability” and noted that the S-Type suffered more body roll during high speed cornering but the consensus was that the S-Type provided significant improvements over the Mark 2 in roadholding, safety and ride comfort.

 

Ref. [4] concluded its test report on a 3.8S with these words, "It can be a convenient family car, a businessman's express, a sports coupe, and a grand tourer. The latter two classifications come particularly clear to anyone who spends much time with the car in the wet, when the surefootedness of its all independent suspension and the Dunlop RS-5 tires makes its responsive handling an absolute revelation. The S-Type represents a great step forward for what has always been a fine automobile." The RS-5 cross-ply tyres were soon to be replaced by much better Dunlop SP41 radials, further enhancing the car's handling and grip.

 

Recorded performance figures obviously differed between testers and gearbox options but for the purposes of comparison, the following contemporary data are typical:

 

• 3.4 Mark 2 automatic

0-60 mph 10.0 sec

Max speed 118 mph (190 km/h)

 

• 3.4S manual/overdrive

0-60 mph 13.9 sec

Max speed 115 mph (185 km/h)

 

• 3.8S manual/overdrive

0-60 10.3 sec

Max speed 125 mph (201 km/h)

 

• 3.8S automatic

0-60 mph 11.5 sec

Max speed 116 mph (187 km/h)

 

Production developments

 

Several significant changes were made to the S-Type's interior and mechanicals during its six years in production.

 

Of the various performance enhancing mechanical changes, most were applied to both the 3.4S and 3.8S at the same time. These were:

 

• In June 1964 the original Dunlop RS5 cross-ply tyres were replaced with Dunlop SP41 radials, removing the former’s tendency to squeal under hard cornering and providing higher limits of adhesion with more gradual breakaway at the limit.

• In October 1964 the brakes were given a bigger servo, requiring lower pedal pressures.

• Also in October 1964, the Moss four-speed manual gearbox with no synchromesh on first gear was replaced with Jaguar’s own all-synchromesh four speed gearbox. Revised gear ratios improved acceleration and a more compact Laycock A-type overdrive unit was fitted (when the overdrive option was specified)

• A very few of the last S-Types built had the same Marles Varamatic variable ratio power steering that was available on the 420 and 420G. Detail of the Varamatic steering system can be found in the Jaguar 420 article.

 

The only production development not shared by both the 3.4S and 3.8S was that the Powr-Lok limited slip differential option ceased to be available on the 3.4S when the 1967 cost saving trim revisions were introduced.

 

In 1966 a dashboard switch was provided for the heated rear window, which had previously remained “on” as long as the ignition was on, leading to instances of flat batteries.

 

Reflecting a tougher economic climate (and similar changes made to the Mark 2s in 1966), all S-Types made from late 1967 onwards had Ambla upholstery instead of leather, and tufted carpets instead of woven. As part of the same revisions, dummy horn grilles replaced the foglamps in the front wings and the S-Type adopted the 420's new pattern wheel trim rings and hubcaps.

 

Sales performance

 

Though introduced in 1963, only a small number of S-Types was produced in that year. The S-Type did not manage to overtake the Mark 2’s production figures until 1965. It repeated the feat in 1966, the year in which the Jaguar 420 and its badge-engineered partner the Daimler Sovereign were introduced. In 1967 the 420/Sovereign outsold both the S-Type and the Mark 2, despite a resurgence in the latter’s sales that year. Both the Mark 2 and 420/Sovereign easily outsold the S-Type in 1967 and 1968. Sales of the S-Type in 1968, its last year of production, fell below four figures. Top seller in 1968 was actually the venerable Mark 2, potential buyers of both the S-Type and 420/Sovereign hanging back to wait for the new Jaguar XJ6.

 

Introduced late in 1968, the Jaguar XJ6 was slightly larger than the S-Type and 420/Sovereign and swept them both from the Jaguar range along with the Mark 2. The 420G continued to be available until 1970.

 

Production figures for each year of the S-Type's life were:

 

1963 - 43

1964 - 7,032

1965 - 9,741

1966 - 6,260

1967 - 1,008

1968 - 909

 

Specifications

 

• Engine

Jaguar 6 cylinder in line, iron block, alloy head

 

• Capacities

3.4 L (3442 cc) or 3.8 L (3781 cc)

 

• Bore/Stroke

3.4 L (83mm x 106mm) or 3.8 L (87 mm x 106 mm)

 

• Valves

DOHC 2 valves per cylinder

 

• Compression Ratio

8:1 (7:1 and 9:1 optional)

 

• Max. Power

3.4 L 210 bhp (157 kW; 213 PS) @ 5500 rpm or 3.8 L 220 bhp (164 kW; 223 PS) @ 5500 rpm

 

• Max. Torque

3.4 L 216 lb·ft (293 N·m) @ 3000 rpm or 3.8 L 240 lb·ft (325 N·m) @ 3000 rpm

 

• Carburettors

Twin SU HD6 (1.75in)

 

• Suspension

Front independent, with wishbones, coil springs with telescopic dampers and anti-roll bar

Rear independent, with lower wishbone and driveshaft as upper link, radius arms and twin coil springs with telescopic dampers

 

• Steering

Recirculating ball, worm and nut; power assistance optional

 

• Brakes

Servo assisted discs on all four wheels, inboard at rear

 

• Body/Chassis

Monocoque bodyshell with bolted front subframe, five seater saloon, front engine rear wheel drive

 

• Tyres/Wheels

6.40 x 15 crossply or 185 x 15 radial, 5.0in rim, five-stud disc wheels with wire spoke optional

 

• Track

Front=1,403 mm (55 in) Rear=1,378 mm (54 in)

 

Diecast Models

 

The S-type was modelled by Spot-on in the 1960s.

 

References

 

• ^ Taylor, James. "Jaguar S Type and 420 – The Complete Story", Crowood, ISBN 1-85223-989-1

• ^ "Autosport" magazine - 7 August 1964

• ^ "Jaguar S Type & 420 – 'Road Test' Limited Edition", Brooklands Books ISBN 1-85520-3456

• ^ "Car and Driver" magazine Road Research Report - June 1964

 

Further reading

 

• Ball, Kenneth. "Jaguar S Type, 420 1963-68 Autobook", Autopress Ltd ISBN 0-85147-113-7

• “Used cars on test: 1964 Jaguar S-Type 3.8". Autocar vol 127 (nbr 3725): Pages 28 – 29. 6 July 1967.

• "Buying secondhand: Jaguar S-Type and 420". Autocar vol 142 (nbr 4089): pages 44 – 46. date 8 March 1975.

• Harvey, Chris. "Great Marques - Jaguar", Octopus Books Ltd ISBN 0-7064-1687-2

 

A Fine Old Car...

The final Anglia model, the 105E, was introduced in 1959. Its American-influenced styling included a sweeping nose line, and on deluxe versions, a full-width slanted chrome grille in between prominent 'eye' headlamps. (Basic Anglias featured a narrower, painted grille.[12]) Its smoothly sloped line there looked more like a 1950s Studebaker (or even early Ford Thunderbird) than the more aggressive-looking late-'50s American Fords, possibly because its British designers used wind-tunnel testing and streamlining[citation needed]. Like late-'50s Lincolns and Mercurys and the Citroën Ami of France, the car sported a backward-slanted rear window (so that it would remain clear in rain, according to contemporary marketing claims). In fact, this look was imported from the 1958 Lincoln Continental,[13] where it had been the accidental result of a design specification for an electrically opening (breezeway) rear window. As well as being used, by Ford, on the Consul Classic, this look was also copied by Bond, Reliant and Invacar, for their three wheelers[citation needed]. The resulting flat roofline gave it excellent rear headroom[citation needed]. It had muted tailfins, much toned-down from its American counterparts[citation needed]. An estate car joined the saloon in the line-up in September 1961. The instrument panel had a red light for the generator and a green one for the oil pressure.[14]

 

The new styling was matched by a new engine, something that the smaller Fords had been needing for some time—a 997 cc overhead-valve straight-4 with an oversquare cylinder bore, that became known by its "Kent" code name. Acceleration from rest was still sluggish (by the standards of today), but it was much improved from earlier cars. Also new for British Fords was a four-speed (manual) gearbox with synchromesh on the top three forward ratios: this was replaced by an all-synchromesh box in September 1962 (on 1198 powered cars).[12] The notoriously feeble vacuum powered windscreen wiper set-up of earlier Anglias were replaced with (by now) more conventional windscreen wipers powered by their own electric motor.[12] The Macpherson strut independent front suspension used on the 100E was retained.

 

In October 1962, twenty-four-year-old twin brothers Tony and Michael Brookes (See also Ford Corsair GT) and a group of friends took a private Anglia 105e fitted with the Ford £13 Performance Kit to Montlhery Autodrome near Paris and captured 6 International Class G World Records averaging 83.47 mph (134.33 km/h). These were 4,5,6 and 7 days and nights and 15,000, and 20,000 kilometres. The Anglia's strength and durability meant that no repairs were required whatsoever other than tyre changes.

 

The car's commercial success has subsequently been overshadowed by the even greater sales achieved by the Cortina: in 1960, when 191,752 Anglias left Ford's Dagenham plant in the 105E's first full production year, it set a new production-volume record for the Ford Motor Company.[12] From October 1963, production continued at Ford's new Halewood plant at Merseyside alongside the newly introduced Corsair models. The Anglia Super introduced in September 1962 for the 1963 model year shared the longer stroke 1198 cc version of the Ford Kent 997 cc engine of the newly introduced Ford Cortina.[12] The Anglia Super was distinguished by its painted contrasting-coloured side stripe.[12]

 

A new Anglia saloon tested by the British Motor magazine in 1959 had a top speed of 73.8 mph (118.8 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 26.9 seconds. A fuel consumption of 41.2 miles per imperial gallon (6.86 L/100 km; 34.3 mpg-US) was recorded. The test car cost £610 including taxes of £180.[10]

 

The old 100E Anglia became the new 100E Popular and the four-door Prefect bodyshell remained available as the new Ford Prefect (107E) which had all 105E running gear, including engine and brakes, while the 100E Escort and Squire remained available, unchanged. In 1961 the Escort and Squire were replaced by the 105E Anglia estate. Both cars are popular with hot rodders to this day[citation needed], helped by the interchangeability of parts and the car's tuning potential[citation needed]. The 100E delivery van also gave way to a new vehicle based on the 105E. Identical to the Anglia 105E back to the B post, the rest of the vehicle was entirely new.

 

If you were to put an Alfasud and an Alfa 33 Permanent 4 on hoists and gaze at their bellies, you would have some trouble spotting differences. The flat-four motors look much the same; so do the gearboxes, the suspensions, much of the exhaust systems and the floor pressings.

 

Of course, the Permanent 4 has allwheel drive, and that means there’s a stout steel tube running down the centreline to drive a live rear axle, but this aside, the pair are near as dammit identical. The reason is simple - the 33 is merely a re-shelled Alfasud. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Not when the Sud's entrails were so good in the first place and the engineering philosophies behind them so sound.

 

Today, the Sud is best known for the frightening speed with which it turns to dust. Sub-standard steel, poor paintwork and foam-filled box-sections that soak up water are just some of the flaws that earned the Sud its terrible reputation. Yet the car still earns respect because of its handling, which reached a new plane for front-wheel-drive cars. This, and the boxer engine’s fabulous smoothness, gained the car a place on plenty of short lists.

 

Indeed, the Sud’s qualities here are so exceptional they obscure the fact that it has other strings to its bow. It was designed by a small team led by Rudolph Hruska, who hired the talents of a then- fledgling ItalDesign to shape and package the car. The singular approach of this group produced a machine of remarkably few unpleasant compromises.

 

It is immensely practical, for a start. Excellent packaging provides ample room for four adults and all their luggage, visibility is good, refinement and cruising ability well above average for its day. Servicing is a doddle, too, the carb, distributor and oil filter all being very accessible. It was, after all, designed as an ordinary family car as well as a real Alfa.

 

So if the Sud doesn’t have a twin-cam motor and rear-wheel drive, it nevertheless keeps faith with the tradition of innovative engineering and, most important of all, it drives like an Alfa. The aim was to endow a front-driver with the handling characteristics of a rear-drive machine, and, amazingly, Alfa succeeded.

 

Examine the innards of a Sud, and you begin to see why. It might incorporate MacPherson struts up front, but the suspension geometry was designed to provide a high roll centre and plenty of negative camber, both of which counter the understeer inherent to such a nose- heavy design. Mounting the brake discs inboard reduces both unsprung weight and the effects of torque reaction under braking, and careful bushing of all the suspension mounts cuts road noise.

 

1971 Alfasud 1.5Ti vs. 1991 Alfa Romeo 33 Permanent 4

 

Alfasud (top) puts huge loads on outside front tyre, cornering neutrally. Has very sharp steering. New 33 looks undramatic, but is travelling faster. It understeers at limit, has more rubbery steering. Alfasud interior clad in cruddy plastic (third from top); 33 only a little better. Soundproofing robs 33 of foot room. Short-legged driving position in both.

 

At the rear, Alfa’s liking for rigid rear axles lives on: a dead beam is located by pairs of Watt linkages at each end and a Panhard rod in the middle to provide sideways location. This is an ingenious solution. The Watt linkages allow plenty of vertical movement while restricting scope for rear-wheel steering, and because they are bolted direct to the axle, they force the dead beam to double as an anti-roll bar during cornering without in any way limiting suppleness. Add to this the layout’s low cost and the limited space it takes up, and it is easy to overlook the fact that it isn’t fully, independent. Coils, which encircle the dampers, are the springing medium.

 

The Sud might share its flat-four engine layout with the Citroen GS, but the Italian motor is water-cooled, and remarkable for using a one-piece cylinder block, whereas most boxer crankcases are split. There is a single overhead camshaft per bank.

 

The flat four was chosen not just for its inherent smoothness - a boxer motor is naturally better balanced than an in-line four - but for the low centre of gravity it allows, which helps the car’s handling. The low engine height also allows a lower, aerodynamically favourable, bonnet line.

 

Not that the body is terribly clean through the air by today’s standards with its 0.41 Cd, but that wasn’t a bad figure. More effort went into engineering the body for space, lightness and stiffness. Deep box sections help, and are one of the reasons the Sud acquired its double bulkhead, the forward wall further sealing the noisy bits from the cabin. In the space behind, the battery, wiper and fan motors, brake servo, fusebox and coil are housed away from dirt and spray.

 

The Ti, the direct antecedent of the Permanent 4 and the car we feature in our comparison, came three years after the Sud was announced in late 1971, and featured a modest battery of changes to appeal to enthusiasts, the most important of which was more power, something the chassis was well capable of containing.

 

The first 1974 Tis stayed with the 1186cc engine but used a twin-choke carb to boost power from 63bhp to 68bhp, which was not much, especially as torque dropped back from 71 lb ft to 67lb ft. However, a five-speed gearbox was standard, there were spoilers front and rear, real carpets and a tachometer.

 

Drivers loved the Ti but moaned about the power shortfall, which brought about a 76bhp 1286cc model in 1977. A year after that came the 85bhp 1.5 Ti motor, and with it the Sud’s first facelift, which ran to a new facia, allegedly improved rust protection, 165/70x13 tyres rather than 145s, trim changes and, for the Ti, wheel- arch extensions and restyled spoilers.

 

It’s one of these cars (my own, in fact) that we test here, survivors of the original series being exceptionally rare. Though more powerful, the series-2s lost none of the first car’s handling prowess and ride quality, characteristics that would gradually desert later versions of the Sud as Alfa successfully fiddled with it.

 

Recapturing that magic from the early days is something Alfa has been trying to do ever since. The problems began in the Alfasud’s twilight days, when the need to improve power and grip upset its delightful manners. The extra power induced torque-steer - despite equal-length drive shafts - and wider, lower profile tyres spoiled the ride. On top of that, alterations to the front suspension geometry, the springs and anti-roll bar undermined the wonderfully neutral feel.

 

When the 33 emerged as a replacement in 1983, it brought many of these problems with it, because apart from a new bodyshell and a redesigned interior, there was a little that was truly new in the 33. The short list of novelties ran to an instrument binnacle that adjusted with the steering column (later dropped), a change to outboard front discs and drum rear brakes, a retrograde step except that it made the stoppers easier to service and, most important of all, vastly improved corrosion protection. And that was it.

 

Two facelifts and dozens of derivatives later, we have the new Permanent 4, however, a car that appears to offer far more than 33s past. The fact that the gearbox lies behind the boxer engine and that the car has a dead beam rear axle makes it easy to convert the 33 to four-wheel drive, and indeed there was a part-time 4x4 estate some years back.

 

The Permanent 4 takes things a stage further by being full-time four-wheel drive, its centrally mounted viscous differential sending 95 percent of the drive to the front wheels unless traction trouble strikes. ABS is standard, the computer disconnecting drive to the rear wheels when it’s triggered.

 

Power comes from the ultimate version of the boxer engine, which has twin overhead cams per bank, 16 valves and Bosch Motronic ignition and injection. From 1712cc it produces 137bhp and 116 lb ft of torque at 4600rpm, quite an improvement on the 1.5 Ti’s 85bhp and 98 lb ft of torque at 3500rpm.

 

They both sound much the same when you fire up, though, the flat fours settling to an even, electric motor-like hum. Needless to say, the 1.7 has more life in it, the revs climbing eagerly to the backdrop of a rattling rasp that’s quite unique. The rasp is more subdued from the 1.5, and so is the performance, which by today’s standards would be called languid even for a family saloon. But the smaller engine endears with smoothness that lives to the red line - in the 1.7’s case, there’s more throbbing, if to a higher rev limit - and a more even torque spread. The 16-valve boxer serves maximum zest only when past 4000rpm.

 

1971 Alfasud 1.5Ti vs. 1991 Alfa Romeo 33 Permanent 4

 

In a straight line (opposite top) both cars ride firmly, but Permanent 4 less crashy than some old 33s. It’s the quicker of the pair by a mile. Both roomy in the back despite compact dimensions (opp middle). The Sud has more instruments, and a left foot rest. Otherwise, 33 has more equipment and better ergonomics - Sud’s heater fan switch is on a stalk and is easier to trigger than wipers. Rearward visibility poor on high-tailed 33. Engines: Sud’s single-carb 85bhp 1.5 (top); 33’s injected quad-cam 137bhp 1.7. Note double bulkhead.

 

To get the best of both cars the gearbox has to be used, but in neither case is the shift particularly good. Redesigned linkages make the 33’s change tighter and less floppy, but it’s doubtful whether it’s actually any quicker. Further impediments to rapid transit include the seat and steering wheel positions, which have never been right in either car. The Permanent 4 has a pair of good Recaros, but the steering wheel is curiously angled no matter how it’s adjusted, and the pedals are too bunched.

   

1971 Alfasud 1.5Ti vs. 1991 Alfa Romeo 33 Permanent 4

 

In the Sud the driver’s stance is still more emphatically stretched-arms crumpled-legs, but at least there’s a rest for an idle left foot-the 33 does without. The Permanent 4 is certainly the quieter cruiser, mainly because wind noise is better quelled. Both cars are vociferous under acceleration, though keen drivers won’t object, and at a steady speed the motors miraculously pipe down.

 

Neither car rides brilliantly - rapidly- taken humps and bumps are checked quite severely by the dampers, and the lower-profile tyres of the Permanent 4 patter more. But this 33 certainly is more supple than earlier examples, absorbing bumps effectively enough that, most of the time, the ride goes unnoticed. The same is true of the Sud.

 

It’s in the chassis department that the odds swing in the Sud’s favour. Of course, it can’t muster anywhere near the grip of the 33, with its skinny tyres, nor the 33’s security in tricky conditions, but it handles more pleasingly, sends more messages.

 

1971 Alfasud 1.5Ti vs. 1991 Alfa Romeo 33 Permanent 4

 

The biggest difference is the Sud’s responsiveness. It reacts instantly to the wheel, whether it’s entering a bend or halfway through, and resists understeer like almost no other front-driver, ancient or modern. It’s a cliche to say it, but it really does corner like a kart. This terrific quality is backed by accurate, reasonably quick steering that delivers plenty of feel.

 

The 33’s assisted steering is numb and not much quicker, though less effort is required. Initial vagueness and a surprisingly lethargic response to inputs don’t help. The Permanent 4 also understeers more. There’s no doubt, though, that the 33 is vastly more effective cross-country. It’s much quicker, of course (0-60mph in 8.5sec, 126mph against the Sud’s 11.7 and 102mph), but it’s also grippier and more effortless. And entertaining, too, the most fun any 33’s ever been, and more than the majority of rival rocket shoppers.

 

But it lacks the neutral handling and delicacy of response that marked out the Sud, and for that reason it’s often less satisfying. If Alfa could combine these with the extra grip and go, the Permanent 4 would be highly desirable.

 

The 4 also ought to make less noise, provide a slicker gearshift, a smoother ride and deliver decent ergonomics. Above all, it ought to be better made. But the 33 stands out with its marvellous engine - unmatched for entertainment value in this class - distinctive styling and capable chassis. Those who enjoy engineering will savour its layout, too.

 

That contrasts well with a couple of the cars in this comparison, the Audi and the Citroen, which abandon completely the philosophies promoted by their predecessors 20 years earlier. The ZX does without a flat four and fluid suspension, the 100 without a rotary engine and step-ahead styling, despite the fact that these approaches yielded such promise. They were killed by commercial cowardice in the first case and, in the second, spectacular warranty bills.

 

The Sud concept, on the other hand, remains intact to a startling extent. But on its own that's not enough to make the 33 a class leader 20 years on. Alfa has not had the money, nor perhaps the will, to develop the mechanicals to the pitch they might have reached today. It's to the Italians’ benefit that most rival manufacturers have been similarly reluctant to advance. Richard Bremner.

DMU RA2-062 is seen here at Rostov-Prigorodny station, some time earlier arrived from Volgodonsk.

Inscriptions on bodyshell side say: "Sochi welcomes flags" and "RZD - Sochi Flag Man". On 26 of March 2010 RA2-062 delivered Olympic flags to Sochi.

The ultimate development of the gas turbine in a road car was the T4, whose bodyshell appears to be modified from a production P6 but actually predates that car's launch by two years, showing that the styling was largely settled by then. Unlike T3, this one has the engine in the front driving the front wheels, and Rover claimed it could have been put into production within three years but at a cost of £3-4000, double that of a petrol P6. The turbine car programme culminated with the Rover-BRM racer, which finished tenth overall at Le Mans in 1965. Both T3 and T4 are still in full working order and are currently taxed.

Bonhams : the Zoute Sale

Estimated : € 40.000 - 80.000

Sold for € 43.700

 

Zoute Grand Prix 2019

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2019

 

A 'modern classic' if ever there was one, Porsche's long-running 911 arrived in 1964, replacing the 356 and providing the Stuttgart manufacturer with a product worthy of comparison with the finest sports cars from Britain and Italy. The 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, the 911's single-overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat six displaced 1,991cc and produced 130bhp. Although widely acclaimed, the 911 was necessarily expensive, a shortcoming that Porsche addressed by offering the 912 which, though outwardly identical, was powered by the 356's 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine. As installed in the 912 the latter produced 90bhp, some 40 horsepower less than the 911's six, but this deficit was offset by significantly reduced weight, resulting in a better-balanced car with greatly improved road manners. The 911 gearbox was used, offering a choice of four or five speeds. Despite being down on power, the 912 had a respectable top speed of 191km/h. Porsche officially began production of the 912 on April 5, 1965 with a little over 30,000 produced (all on the original short-wheelbase chassis) between 1965 and 1968, and today the 912 is a relative rarity when compared with its better-known sibling.

 

This desirable early matching-numbers Porsche 912 was sold new in the beginning of 1966 in the USA via Porsche Car Pacific of Burlingame, California. Being one of the early 1966 examples produced it features the typical and desirable early series 3-clock dashboard, the Enamel badged wheels and thin engine support. We are advised that the body of this car with chassis prefix '35' was produced by the Porsche factory itself where the vast majority was produced by Karmann.

 

Its first owner was Mr George Papageorge of San Jose (later Nipomo), California, who would keep the car until 2013 when it was sold to the current owner who unfortunately passed away and was never able to drive this car meaning this effectively is a '1 registered owner from new' car. A copy of the original Porsche Kardex is on file together with a State of California Certificate of Title and the 2013 bill of sale. EU duties have been paid. Still in its original (professionally repainted) colour scheme of Bahama Yellow with black (original) interior, this remarkably original Porsche 912 has led an easy life, as a single look will confirm. Even the carpets in the passenger compartment and boot appear original, and we are advised that there are no signs of welding or accident damage. The odometer reading is circa 51,000 miles. We are advised by the vendor that the engine starts instantly and runs well, while the transmission is said to be in good working order. In addition to the aforementioned documentation, the car also comes with its original jack, service book, factory options book, and Blaupunkt radio instructions.

Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais

Bonhams

Parijs - Paris

Frankrijk - France

February 2019

 

Estimated : € 200.000 - 300.000

Sold for € 173.833

 

'In rallying form its 4.2-litre engine produced at least 200bhp, which made it competitive with the Big Healeys, and there was a most impressive spread of torque. Had this car been properly developed, it should have had the Austin-Healey 3000 beaten.' – Graham Robson, 'A-Z Works Rally Cars'.

 

An ultra-rare works rally car of considerable importance, 'AHP 294B' was prepared by Rootes' Competition Department and first registered to Humber Ltd on 1st July 1964. Featured in Graham Robson's 'A-Z of Works Rally Cars' (page 155), it is one of only five surviving works Sunbeam Tiger rally cars constructed by Rootes' Competition Department.

Built in left-hand drive configuration, this extensively campaigned car made its international debut in the 1964 Geneva Rally driven by 'Tiny' Lewis and Barry Hughes, winning the GT Class and finishing 11th overall. Used by Andrew Cowan/Colin Turvey as a 'recce' car for the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally, 'AHP 294B' was driven in that event by Maurice Gatsonides and Albert Ilken, only to retire in the horrendous weather conditions encountered by the Paris starters.

 

Gatsonides then had the idea of using the Tiger to set some Dutch National Endurance records using the Zandvoort circuit, a successful attempt that culminated in new best marks for three, six, 12, and 24 hours, the latter at an average speed of 75.47mph (see press cutting on file). 'AHP' then went on to compete in the 1965 Tulip Rally driven by Peter Riley and Robin Turvey, being eliminated when it ran out of time after being slowed by un-seasonal snow when on racing tyres. Later in 1965, and again driven by Lewis/Hughes, the Tiger was forced to retire from the Alpine Rally when one of the rear brakes failed. The ensuing localised fire is almost certainly what led to the Tiger being rebuilt at the Competition Department around a new, later-type bodyshell to the latest international rallying regulations which required cars to match the silhouette of the production model.

 

The Tiger's next competitive appearance was in the 1966 Monte Carlo Rally, driven by Peter Harper and Robin Turvey, from which it retired on Stage 5 having posted some impressive times. Its final outing as a works entry was in the '66 Tulip Rally, serving as Harper/Turvey's recce car. 'AHP' was then sold by the Competition Department, via a well-connected Belgian intermediary, to racing driver Chris Tuerlinckx, who formed 'Sunbeam Tiger Racing' with former Rootes engineer, Vic Heylen.

 

Driven by Tuerlinckx, the car's first outing as a private entry was the 1966 Tour de Belgique, which 'AHP' won outright to secure only the second international rally victory by a Tiger (John Gott's in the International Police Rally had been the first). Then came an entirely new challenge: the Spa Francorchamps 1,000km. This first venture into endurance racing would end in a 'DNF', but at the following year's Spa race the Tiger won the GT Class and finished a highly creditable 13th overall despite being pitted against works prototypes fielded by the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, Lola, and Mirage. That year's Tour de Belgique saw 'AHP' win the GT category on its way to 3rd overall, and the car continued to be campaigned in Dutch and Belgian events until the early 1970s when it was sold to Hugh Chamberlain in the UK.

 

It appears that Chamberlain did nothing with Tiger, which he sold in 1988 to 'Big Healey' specialist, Ted Worswick. While with Ted Worswick, the car was restored by Jeff Goodliffe's GRV of Littleborough before being acquired by David Duncanson in 1991. An authority on Rootes Group works rally cars, David Duncanson ensured that 'AHP' was returned to as correct as possible 1966 specification. Subsequently, ex-rallying star Rosemary Smith campaigned the Tiger on several occasions in historic events, winning the Coupe des Dames category more than once (details on file).

 

Acquired by the current vendor in May 2014, 'AHP' was then treated to a full 'last nut and bolt' restoration by Hardy Hall Restorations of Thornbury, Herefordshire, while the engine has been rebuilt by Knight Racing Services of Daventry. Related bills on file total circa £100,000 (approximately €113,000) and the car also comes with a dynamometer test sheet (213bhp at the flywheel). On delivery from Hardy Hall, 'AHP' and its crew went out the next day and secured a class win in the 2015 Tour Britannia. In 2016, this famous ex-works Tiger successfully competed in the Monte Carlo Historique, and in 2018 led the Bromyard Motor Club's road trip to the Spa Classic, revisiting the historic Belgian circuit 51 years on from its last race there.

 

Prospective purchasers are urged to examine the most substantial history file, which contains the original buff logbook, period photographs, contemporary press cuttings, results sheets, expired MoTs, FIVA Identity Card, UK V5C Registration Certificate, and a Sunbeam Tiger Owners' Association Certificate of Authenticity. It also comes with the original factory hardtop, with various 1960s events stickers still in place, plus two sets of wheels shod with studded snow tyres. Possessing impeccable provenance and presented in superb condition, this historic works Sunbeam Tiger is ready to use.

Departing Birmingham New Street with a train from Stafford to London Euston is Virgin Trains Class 390, 390010 'The Cumbrian Spirit'.

 

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 Porsche 911 (pronounced Nine Eleven or German: Neunelf) is a two-door, 2+2 high performance sports car made since 1963 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted six cylinder boxer engine and all round independent suspension. It has undergone continuous development, though the basic concept has remained little changed. The engines were air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998, with Porsche's "993" series, produced in model years 1994-1998, being the last of the air-cooled Porsches.

 

The 911 has been modified by private teams and by the factory itself for racing, rallying, and other forms of automotive competition. It is among the most successful competition cars. In the mid-1970s, naturally aspirated 911 Carrera RSRs won major world championship sports car races such as Targa Florio, Daytona, Sebring, and Nürburgring, even against prototypes. The 911-derived 935 turbo also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979.

 

In the 1999 international poll for the award of Car of the Century, the 911 came fifth. It is one of two in the top five that had remained continuously in production (the original Beetle remained in production until 2003), and was until 1998 a successful surviving application of the air- (now water-) cooled opposed rear-engine layout pioneered by its ancestor, the Volkswagen Beetle. It is one of the oldest sports coupé nameplates still in production, and 820,000 had been sold by the car's 50th anniversary in 2013. "Around 150,000 911 cars from the model years 1964 to 1989 are still on the road today."

 

911 NOMENCLATURE

Although Porsche internally changes the headings for its models, all 911 models were and are currently sold as a "911". The headings below use Porsche's internal classifications:

 

Porsche 911 (1963–1989)

Porsche 930 (1975-1989) a turbo version of the original 911

Porsche 964 (1989–1994)

Porsche 993 (1995-1998)

Porsche 996 (1999-2004) all-new body and water-cooled engines

Porsche 997 (2005–2011)

Porsche 991 (2012–Present)

 

The series letter (A, B, C, etc.) is used by Porsche to indicate the revision for production cars. It often changes annually to reflect changes for the new model year. The first 911 models are the "A series", the first 993 cars are the "R series".

 

Not all of the Porsche 911 models ever produced are mentioned here. The listed models are notable for their role in the advancements in technology and their influence on other vehicles from Porsche.

 

Carrera: Also offered in upgrades of S and GTS. All models have cabriolet options.

Carrera 4: Also offered in upgrades of S and GTS. All models have cabriolet options.

Targa 4: Also offered in upgrades of S and GTS.

Turbo: Also offered in upgrades of S. All models have cabriolet options.

 

AIR-COOLED ENGINES (1963–1997)

PORSCHE 911 CLASSIC (1963–1989)

The 911 traces its roots to sketches drawn by Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche in 1959. The Porsche 911 was developed as a more powerful, larger, more comfortable replacement for the Porsche 356, the company's first model. The new car made its public debut at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show (German: Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung). The car was developed with the proof-of-concept twin-fan Type 745 engine, and the car presented at the auto show had a non-operational mockup of the production single-fan 901 engine, receiving a working one in February 1964.

 

It originally was designated as the "Porsche 901" (901 being its internal project number). 82 cars were built as 901s. However, Peugeot protested on the grounds that in France it had exclusive rights to car names formed by three numbers with a zero in the middle. So, instead of selling the new model with another name in France, Porsche changed the name to 911. Internally, the cars' part numbers carried on the prefix 901 for years. Production began in September 1964, the first 911s reached the US in February 1965 with a price tag of US$6,500.

 

The earliest edition of the 911 had a 130 metric horsepower (96 kW; 128 hp) Type 901/01 flat-6 engine, in the "boxer" configuration like the 356, air-cooled and rear-mounted, displaced 1991 cc compared with the 356's four-cylinder, 1582 cc unit. The car had four seats although the rear seats were small, thus the car is usually called a 2+2 rather than a four-seater (the 356 was also a 2+2). It was mated to a four or five-speed manual "Type 901" transmission. The styling was largely by Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche, son of Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche. Erwin Komenda, the leader of the Porsche car body construction department, initially objected but later was also involved in the design.

 

The 356 came to the end of its production life in 1965, but there was still a market for a 4-cylinder car, particularly in the USA. The Porsche 912, introduced the same year, served as a direct replacement, offering the de-tuned version of 356 SC's 4-cylinder, 1582 cc, 90 hp (67 kW) boxer four Type 616/36 engine inside the 911 bodywork with Type 901 four speed transmission (5 speed was optional).

 

In 1966, Porsche introduced the more powerful 911S with Type 901/02 engine, the power raised to 160 PS (118 kW; 158 hp). Forged aluminum alloy wheels from Fuchs, in a distinctive 5-spoke design, were offered for the first time. In motor sport at the same time, the engine was developed into Type 901/20 installed in the mid-engined Porsche 904 and Porsche 906 with 210 PS (154 kW), as well as fuel injected Type 901/21 installed in 906 and 910 with 220 PS (160 kW).

 

In Aug. 1967, the A series went into production with dual brake circuits and widened (5.5J-15) wheels, and the previously standard gasoline-burning heater became optional. The Targa (meaning "plate" in Italian) version was introduced. The Targa had a stainless steel-clad roll bar, as Porsche had, at one point, thought that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would outlaw fully open convertibles in the US, an important market for the 911. The name "Targa" came from the Targa Florio sports car road race in Sicily, Italy in which Porsche had several victories until 1973. The last win in the subsequently discontinued event was scored with a 911 Carrera RS against prototypes entered by Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. The road going Targa was equipped with a removable roof panel and a removable plastic rear window (although a fixed glass version was offered from 1968).

 

The 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp) 911T was also launched in 1967 with Type 901/03 engine. The 130 PS (96 kW; 128 hp) model was renamed the 911L with Type 901/06 engine and ventilated front disc brakes. The brakes had been introduced on the previous 911S. The 911R with 901/22 engine had a limited production (20 in all), as this was a lightweight racing version with thin fiberglass reinforced plastic doors, a magnesium crankcase, twin overhead camshafts, and a power output of 210 PS (154 kW).

 

The B series went into production in Aug. 1968 that replaced the 911L model with 911E with fuel injection, and remained in production until July 1969. 911E gained 185/70VR15 tires and 6J-15 wheels.

 

The C series was introduced in Aug. 1969 with enlarged 2.2 L engine (84 mm bore x 66 mm stroke). The wheelbase for all 911 and 912 models was increased from 2211 to 2268 mm, to help remedy to the cars' nervous handling at the limit. The overall length of the car did not change, but the rear wheels were relocated further back. Fuel injection arrived for the 911S (901/10 engine) and for a new middle model, 911E (901/09 engine). A semi-automatic Sportomatic model, composed of a torque converter, an automatic clutch, and the four-speed transmission was added. It was canceled after the 1980 model year partly because of the elimination of a forward gear to make it a three-speed.

 

The D series was produced from Aug. 1970 to July 1971. The 2.2 L 911E (C and D series) had lower power output of the 911/01 engine (155 PS (114 kW; 153 hp) at 6200 rpm) compared to the 911S's Type 911/02 (180 PS (132 kW; 178 hp) at 6500 rpm), but 911E was quicker in acceleration up to 160 km/h (100 mph).

 

The E series for 1972–1973 model years (Aug. 1971 to July 1972 production) consisted of the same models, but with a new, larger 2341 cc engine. This is universally known as the "2.4 L" engine, despite its displacement being closer to 2.3 litres. The 911E (Type 911/52 engine) and 911S (Type 911/53) used Bosch (Kugelfischer) mechanical fuel injection (MFI) in all markets. For 1972 the 911T (Type 911/57) was carbureted, except in the U.S. and some Asian markets where the 911T also came with (MFI) mechanical fuel injection (Type 911/51 engine) with power increase over European models (130HP) to 140 HP, commonly known as a 911T/E.

 

With the power and torque increases, the 2.4 L cars also got a newer, stronger transmission, identified by its Porsche type number 915. Derived from the transmission in the Porsche 908 race car, the 915 did away with the 901 transmission's "dog-leg" style first gear arrangement, opting for a traditional H pattern with first gear up to the left, second gear underneath first, etc. The E series had the unusual oil filler behind the right side door, with the dry sump oil tank relocated from behind the right rear wheel to the front of it in an attempt to move the center of gravity slightly forward for better handling. For this reason it's commonly called an "Oil Klapper", "Ölklappe" or "Vierte Tür". This rare 1972 911 is considered highly collectable.

 

The F series (Aug. 1972 to July 1973 production) moved the oil tank back to the original behind-the-wheel location. This change was in response to complaints that gas-station attendants often filled gasoline into the oil tank. In January, 1973, US 911Ts were switched to the new K-Jetronic CIS (Continuous Fuel Injection) system from Bosch on Type 911/91 engine.

 

911S models also gained a small spoiler under the front bumper to improve high-speed stability. The cars weighed 1050 kg. The 911 ST was produced in small numbers for racing (the production run for the ST lasted from 1970 to 1971). The cars were available with engines of either 2466 cc or 2494 cc, producing 270 PS (199 kW; 266 hp) at 8000 rpm. Weight was down to 960 kg. The cars had success at the Daytona 6 Hours, the Sebring 12 Hours, the 1000 km Nürburgring, and the Targa Florio.

 

911 CARRERA RS (1973 AND 1974)

These models are sometimes considered by enthusiasts to be the most "classic" 911s. RS stands for Rennsport in German, meaning race sport. The Carrera name was reintroduced from the 356 Carrera which had itself been named after Porsche's class victories in the Carrera Panamericana races in Mexico in the 1950s. The RS was built to meet motorsport homologation requirements. Compared to a standard 911S, the Carrera 2.7 RS had a larger engine (2687 cc) developing 210 PS (150 kW; 210 hp) with Bosch (Kugelfischer) mechanical fuel injection, revised and stiffened suspension, a "ducktail" rear spoiler, larger brakes, wider rear wheels and rear fenders. In RS Touring form it weighed 1075 kg, in Sport Lightweight form it was about 100 kg lighter, the saving coming from thin gauge steel used for parts of the body shell and also the use of thinner glass. In total, 1,580 were made, and qualified for the FIA Group 4 class. 49 Carrera RS cars were built with 2808 cc engines producing 300 PS (221 kW).

 

For the 1974 IROC Championship (which started in Dec. 1973), 1973 Carrera RSR models were fitted with the 3.0 engine and a flat "whale tail" in place of the ducktail spoiler.

 

In 1974, Porsche created the Carrera RS 3.0 with mechanical fuel injection producing 230 PS (169 kW). Its price was almost twice that of the 2.7 RS, but it offered racing capability. The chassis was largely similar to that of the 1973 Carrera RSR and the brake system was from the Porsche 917. The use of thinner metal plate panels and a spartan interior enabled its weight to be reduced to around 900 kg.

 

The Carrera RSR 3.0 was sold to racing teams and scored wins in several major sports car races of the mid-1970s. Also, a prototype Carrera RSR Turbo (with 2.1 L engine due to a 1.4x equivalency formula) came second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1974 and won several major races, a significant event in that its engine would form the basis of many future Porsche attempts in sports car racing. This, and the earlier Porsche 917, was Porsche's commitment to turbocharger applications in its cars.

 

911 AND 911S 2.7 (1973–1977)

Model year 1974 (G Series. Aug. 1973 to July 1974 production) saw three significant changes. First, the engine size was increased to 2687 cc achieving higher torque. Second, new impact bumpers conformed with low-speed protection requirements of US regulations. Thirdly, the use of K-Jetronic CIS Bosch fuel injection in two of the three models in the line up— the 911 and 911S models, retaining the narrow rear arches of the old 2.4, now had a 2.7-litre engine producing 150 PS (110 kW; 150 hp) and 175 PS (129 kW; 173 hp), respectively.

 

Carrera 2.7 MFI AND CIS (1974–1976)

The Carrera 2.7 model built for all markets, except for the United States, used the 210 PS (150 kW; 210 hp) RS 911/83 engine with Bosch mechanical fuel injection pump from the 1973 Carrera RS. These Carrera 2.7 MFI models were built from 1974 until 1976 and were mechanically identical to the 1973 Carrera RS. The Carrera 2.7 model produced for the North American markets, often referred to as the Carrera 2.7 CIS, was powered by the same 2.7 litre engine as the 911S which produced 175 PS (129 kW; 173 hp). The initial Carrera 2.7 models had the same welded-on rear RS flares, before switching to the SC stamped style rear flares during the middle of the 1974 production year. The Carrera 2.7 coupés weighed in at 1075 kg, the same weight as the 1973 Carrera RS Touring.

 

For the 1974 model year, the Carrera 2.7 was available with the "ducktail "rear spoiler first introduced with the 1973 Carrera RS. In the North American markets the ducktail was standard equipment for the Carrera. All other markets the ducktail was optional, except or the home German market where the ducktail had been outlawed by the TÜV road homologation department. This led to the introduction of the whale tail rear spoiler, available as an option on the 1974-75 Carrera 2.7 models, as well as the newly introduced Porsche 930 Turbo.

 

The Carrera 2.7 was replaced by the Carrera 3.0 for the 1976 model, except for a special run of 113 1976 Carrera 2.7 MFI coupés were built for the German market featuring the 911/83 RS engine, with an additional 20 narrow-bodied 1976 Carrera MFI 2.7 Targas being supplied to the Belgian Gendarmerie. The 1976 Carrera 2.7 MFI Sondermodells were the last mechanically fuel injected 911 produced by Porsche, and still featured the 1973 RS engine.

 

912E (1976)

For the 1976 model year, the 912E was produced for the U.S. market. This was 4-cylinder version of the 911 in the same manner as the 912 that had last been produced in 1969. It used the I-series chassis powered by the Volkswagen 2.0 engine also used the Porsche 914. 2,099 units were produced. The 912E was replaced by the front-engine Porsche 924 for the 1977 model year.

 

CARRERA 3.0 (1976–1977)

For the 1976 model year, Porsche introduced the Carrera 3.0 with wide rear flares, optional whaletail, and a variety of other luxury options. It was available in all markets except North America. The Carrera 3.0 was fitted with a variation of the 930 Turbo's 2994 cc engine (minus the turbocharger). The engine (dubbed the 930/02) featured K-Jetronic CIS. It developed 200 PS (150 kW; 200 hp) in contrast to the older Carrera 2.7 MFI model's 210 PS (150 kW; 210 hp). The crankcase and gearbox housing were made of aluminium rather than magnesium for extra durability.

 

The new engine, which featured bigger intake and exhaust valves, produced greater torque allowing the Carrera 3.0 to achieve the same performance as the previous Carrera 2.7, 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 6.1 seconds and 0-200 km/h in 27 seconds. Both versions boasted a top speed of approximately 236 km/h (147 mph).

 

Weight increased marginally by 45 kg to 1120 kg.

 

The 911 Carrera 3.0 was produced in both targa (1,125 examples produced) and coupé (2,566) versions. The Carrera 3.0 was available with manual gearbox (type 915) with 4 or 5 speeds as well as 3-speed automatic transmission (called the Sportomatic). Production totals were 3,691 manual cars and 58 Sportomatics.

 

930 TURBO AND TURBO CARRERA 3.0-LITRE (1975–1977)

For the 1975 model year, Porsche introduced the first production turbocharged 911. Although called the 930 Turbo (930 being its internal type number) in Europe, it was marketed as the 930 Turbo Carrera in North America. The body shape incorporated wide wheel-arches to accommodate the wide tires, and a large rear spoiler often known as a "whale tail" on the early cars (modified from the original 1974 IROC design). They were initially fitted with a 3.0-litre engine 260 PS (190 kW; 260 hp) and four-speed gearbox.

 

Production of the first 400 units qualified the 930 for FIA Group 4 competition, with the racing version called the Porsche 934 of 1976. They participated at Le Mans and other races including battles with the BMW 3.0 CSL "Batmobile". The FIA Group 5 version called Porsche 935 evolved from the 934. Fitted with a slope nose, the 500+ PS car was campaigned in 1976 by the factory, winning the world championship title. Private teams went on to win many races, like Le Mans in 1979, and continued to compete successfully with the car well into the 1980s until the FIA and IMSA rules were changed.

 

930 TURBO 3.3-LITRE (1978–1989)

For the 1978 model year, Porsche revised the 930 with a larger 3.3-litre turbocharged engine with intercooler that produced 300 PS (220 kW; 300 hp). To fit the intercooler a newly designed "tea-tray" tail replaced the earlier whale tail. Porsche dropped the "Carrera" nomenclature for the North American markets and simply call it the Porsche Turbo worldwide. The larger engine helped reduce some of the turbo lag inherent in the earlier version.

 

Only in 1989, its last year of production, was the 930 equipped with a five-speed gearbox. The 930 was replaced in 1990 with a 964 version featuring the same 3.3 L engine. There have been turbocharged variants of each subsequent generation of 911.

 

911SC (1978–1983)

In 1978, Porsche introduced the new version of the 911, called the '911SC'. Porsche reintroduced the SC designation for the first time since the 356SC (as distinguished from the race engined 356 Carrera). There was no Carrera version of the 911SC. The "SC" stands for "Super Carrera". It featured a 3.0-litre engine with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and a 5-speed 915 transmission. Originally power output was 180 bhp, later 188 bhp and then in 1981 it was increased to 204 bhp. In 1981 a Cabriolet concept car was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The convertible body design also featured four-wheel drive, although this was dropped in the production version. The first 911 Cabriolet debuted in late 1982, as a 1983 model. This was Porsche's first cabriolet since the 356 of the mid-1960s. A total of 4,214 were sold in its introductory year, despite its premium price relative to the open-top targa. Cabriolet versions of the 911 have been offered ever since.

 

In 1979, Porsche had made plans to replace the 911 with their new 928. Sales of the 911 remained so strong however, that Porsche revised its strategy and decided to inject new life into the 911 editions. 911 SC sales totaled 58,914 cars.

 

Peter W. Schutz (CEO Porsche AG 1981–1987) wrote:

The decision to keep the 911 in the product line occurred one afternoon in the office of Dr. Helmuth Bott de:Helmuth Bott, the Porsche operating board member responsible for all engineering and development. I noticed a chart on the wall of Professor Bott's office. It depicted the ongoing development schedules for the three primary Porsche product lines: 944, 928 and 911. Two of them stretched far into the future, but the 911 program stopped at the end of 1981. I remember rising from my chair, walking over to the chart, taking a black marker pen, and extending the 911 program bar clean off the chart. I am sure I heard a silent cheer from Professor Bott, and I knew I had done the right thing. The Porsche 911, the company icon, had been saved, and I believe the company was saved with it.

 

CARRERA 3.2 (1984–1989)

The replacement for the SC series came in 1984 named 911 3.2 Carrera, reviving the Carrera name for the first time since 1977. This was the last iteration in the original 911 series, with all subsequent models featuring new body styling with new brake, electronic and suspension technologies.

 

A new higher-displacement motor, a 3.2-litre horizontally opposed flat 6-cylinder, was utilized. At the time Porsche claimed it was 80% new. The new swept volume of 3164 cc was achieved using the 95 mm bore (from the previous SC model) combined with the 1978 Turbo 3.3 crankshaft's 74.4 mm stroke. In addition, higher domed pistons increased the compression ratio from 9.8 to 10.3:1 (9.5:1 for the US market). New inlet manifold and exhaust systems were fitted. The 915 transmission was carried over from the SC series for the first three model years. In 1987, the Carrera got a new five-speed gearbox sourced from Getrag, model number G50 with proven BorgWarner synchronizers. This slightly heavier version also featured a hydraulically operated clutch.

 

With the new engine, power was increased to 207 bhp (154 kW; 210 PS) (@ 5900 rpm) for North American-delivered cars and to 231 bhp (172 kW; 234 PS) (@ 5900 rpm) for most other markets. This version of the 911 accelerated 0–60 mph (100 km/h) in 5.4 seconds and had a top speed of 150 mph (242 km/h) as measured by Autocar. Factory times were more modest: 0–60 mph time of 6.3 seconds for the US version and 6.1 seconds for cars outside the American market.

 

The brake discs were increased in size to aid in more effective heat dissipation and improved oil-fed chain tensioners were fitted to the engine. To improve oil cooling, a finned cooler replaced the serpentine lines in the front passenger fender well. This was further improved in 1987, with the addition of a thermostatically controlled fan.

 

Driving refinement and motor reliability were improved with an upgrade of the fuel and ignition control components to an L-Jetronic with Bosch Motronics 2 DME (Digital Motor Electronics system). An improvement in fuel-efficiency was due to the DME providing a petrol cut-off on the overrun. Changes in the fuel map and chip programming from October 1986 further improved the power to 217 bhp (162 kW; 220 PS) (@ 5900 rpm) for North American delivered cars as well as for other markets mandating low emissions, like Germany.

 

Three basic models were available – coupé, targa and cabriolet. The Carrera is almost indistinguishable from the SC with the external clue being the front fog lights that were integrated into the front valance. Only cosmetic changes were made during the production of the Carrera, with a redesigned dash featuring larger air conditioning vents appearing in 1986.

 

In 1984, Porsche also introduced the M491 option. Officially called the Supersport in the UK, it was commonly known as the "Turbo-look". It was a style that resembled the Porsche 930 Turbo with wide wheel arches and the distinctive "tea tray" tail. It featured the stiffer turbo suspension and the superior turbo braking system as well as the wider turbo wheels. Sales of the Supersport were high for its first two years in the United States because the desirable 930 was not available.

 

The 911 Carrera Club Sport (CS) (option M637), 340 of which were produced from August 1987 to September 1989, is a reduced weight version of the standard Carrera that, with engine and suspension modifications, was purpose built for club racing. The CS had a blueprinted engine with hollow intake valves and a higher rev limit, deletion of: all power options, sunroof (except one unit), air conditioning (except two unit), radio, rear seat, undercoating, sound insulation, rear wiper, door pocket lids, fog lamps, front hood locking mechanism, engine and luggage compartment lights, lockable wheel nuts and even the rear lid "Carrera" logo, all in order to save an estimated 70 kg in weight. With the exception of CSs delivered to the UK, all are identifiable by the "CS Club Sport" decal on the left front fender and came in a variety of colors, some special ordered. Some U.S. CS's did not have the decal installed by the dealer; however, all CS's have a "SP" stamp on the crankcase and cylinder head. The UK CS's were all "Grand Prix White" with a red "Carrera CS" decal on each side of the car and red wheels. Although the CS was well received by the club racers, because it cost more than the stock 911, but had fewer comfort features. According to Porsche Club of America and Porsche Club Great Britain CS Registers, 21 are documented as delivered to the U.S. in 1988 with 7 in 1989, one to Canada in 1988 and 53 to the United Kingdom from 1987 to 1989.

 

For 1989, Porsche produced the 25th Anniversary Special Edition model to mark the 25th year of 911 production. The 1989 Porsche brochure lists production of 500 U.S. market cars, of which 300 were coupés (240 in silver metallic paint and 60 in satin black metallic, and 200 cabriolet models (160 in silver and 40 in black). All had "silk grey" leather with black accent piping and silk grey velour carpeting. Included were body color Fuchs wheels in 6x16 (front) and 8x16 (rear), stitched leather console with an outside temperature gauge and a CD or cassette holder, a limited slip differential, and a short shifting gear lever, as well as small bronze "25th Anniversary Special Edition" badges

 

According to the manufacturer, around 150,000 911 cars from the model years 1964 to 1989 are still on the road today.

 

The 911 Speedster (option M503), a low-roof version of the Cabriolet which was evocative of the Porsche 356 Speedster of the 1950s, was produced in limited numbers (2,104) starting in January 1989 until July 1989 as both a narrow body car and a Turbo-look. The narrow version production was 171. The Speedster started as a design under Helmuth Bott in 1983 but was not manufactured until six years later. It was a two-seat convertible that featured a low swept windshield.

 

Total production of the 911 3.2 Carrera series was 76,473 cars (35,670 coupé, 19,987 cabrio, 18,468 targa).

 

964 SERIES (1989–1993)

In late-1989, the 911 underwent a major evolution with the introduction of the Type 964. With technologies from the 959 model, this would be an important car for Porsche, since the world economy was undergoing recession and the company could not rely on its image alone. It was launched as the Carrera 4, the "4" indicating four-wheel-drive, demonstrating the company's commitment to engineering. Drag coefficient was down to 0.32. A rear spoiler deployed at high speed, preserving the purity of line when the vehicle was at rest. The chassis was redesigned overall. Coil springs, ABS brakes and power steering made their debut. The engine was increased in size to 3600 cc and developed 250 PS (184 kW). The rear-wheel-drive version, the Carrera 2, arrived a year later.

 

The 964 incarnation of the 911 Turbo returned in 1990 after an absence from the price lists. At first it used a refined version of the 3.3 L engine of the previous Turbo, but two years later a turbo engine based on the 3.6 L engine of the other 964 models was introduced.

 

In 1990, Porsche introduced the ahead-of-its-time Tiptronic automatic transmission in the 964 Carrera 2, featuring adaptive electronic management and full manual control. The 964 was one of the first cars in the world offered with dual airbags standard (from 1991), the first being the Porsche 944 Turbo (from 1987).

 

In 1992, Porsche re-introduced a limited-edition RS model, inspired by the 1973 Carrera RS and emissions-legal in Europe only. In 1993, appeals from American customers resulted in Porsche developing the RS America of which 701 were built. In 1994, the RS America returned with rear seats. A total of 84 RSA's were made in 1994. However, while European RS was a homologation special, RS America was an option delete variant of the regular model. The RS 3.8 of 1993 had Turbo-style bodywork, a larger fixed whale tail in place of the movable rear spoiler, and a 300 PS (221 kW) 3746 cc engine.

 

Since the RS/RS America was intended as a no-frills, higher performance version of the 964, there were four factory options available: a limited-slip differential, AM/FM cassette stereo, air conditioning, and a sunroof. The interior was more basic than a standard 911 as well; for example the interior door panels lacked the armrests and door pockets and had a simple pull strap for the opening mechanism. Although the RS America was about $10,000 cheaper than a fully equipped C2 at the time of their production, these models now command a premium price on the used market over a standard 964 (RS Europe was about $20,000 more expensive than a C2).

 

964 Turbo (1990–1994)

In 1990 Porsche introduced a Turbo version of the 964 series. This car is sometimes mistakenly called 965 (this type number actually referred to a stillborn project that would have been a hi-tech turbocharged car in the vein of the 959). For the 1991 through 1993 model years, Porsche produced the 964 Turbo with the 930's proven 3.3 L engine, improved to produce 320 PS (235 kW). 1994 brought the Carrera 2/4's 3.6 L engine, now in turbo-charged form and sending a staggering 360 PS (265 kW) to the rear wheels. With the 993 on the way, this car was produced through 1994 and remains rather rare.

 

993 Series (1994–mid 1998)

The 911 was again revised for model year 1994 under the internal name Type 993. This car was significant as it was the final incarnation of the air-cooled 911 first introduced in 1964. Most enthusiasts and collectors consider the 993 to be the best of the 911 series. As Car & Driver noted, "Porsche's version of the Goldilocks tale is the 993-generation 911, the one many Porschephiles agree that the company got just right," with an "ideal blend of technology and classic 911 air-cooled heritage."

 

The exterior featured all-new front and rear ends. The revised bodywork was smoother, having a noticeably more aerodynamic front end somewhat reminiscent of the 959. Styling was by Englishman Tony Hatter under the supervision of design chief Harm Lagaay and completed in 1991.

 

Along with the revised bodywork, mechanically the 993 also featured an all-new multilink rear suspension that improved the car's ride and handling. This rear suspension was largely derived from the stillborn Porsche 989's rear multilink design, and served to rectify the problems with earlier models' tendency to oversteer if the throttle or brakes were applied mid-corner. These modifications also reduced previous 911's lift-off oversteer problems to a much more moderate degree.

 

The new suspension, along with chassis refinements, enabled the car to keep up dynamically with the competition. Engine capacity remained at 3.6 L, but power rose to 272 PS (200 kW / 268 BHP) thanks to better engine management and exhaust design, and beginning with model year 1996 to 286 PS (210 kW / 281 BHP). The 993 was the first Porsche to debut variable-length intake runners with the "Variocam" system on 1996 models. This addressed the inherent compromise between high-rpm power production and low-rpm torque production, and was one of the first of its kind to be employed on production vehicles. However, the Varioram version with its ODB II had issues with carbon deposits, resulting in failed smog tests. This caused expensive repairs, and made comparisons with the 1995 car (with OBD I and just 12 hp less) inevitable. Meanwhile, a new four-wheel-drive system was introduced as an option in the form of the Carrera 4, the rear-wheel-drive versions simply being called Carrera or C2. A lightweight RS 993 had a 3.8 L engine with 300 PS (221 kW / 296 BHP), and was only rear-wheel drive.

 

Non-turbo models appeared that used the Turbo's wide bodyshell and some other components (the Carrera 4S and later the Carrera S) but not the large tack-on Turbo "hibachi" spoiler. "The Carrera S series (C2S) from 1997 thru 1998 is (according to most Porsche enthusiasts) the most highly sought after version of the 993."

 

The Targa open-topped model also made a return, this time with a large glass roof that slid under the rear window. The expensive air-cooled 993 Targa had a limited release between 1996 and 1998. [Production numbers: 1996: US/Can: 462 ROW: 1980, 1997: US/Can: 567 ROW: 1276, 1998: US/Can: 122 (100 Tiptronic / 22 Manual)]

 

As an investment, the 1997 and 1998 C2S version has proven the most desirable (apart from even rarer models such as the RS and Turbo S). "Many find that they are the best looking 911 there is and used prices have always seemed to reflect this. They command a hefty premium in today's market and the very best example wide body cars can be priced more than the higher mileage Turbos." Of the widebody 993 series, "The purists will want 2 wheel drive and nothing else will do." Similarly, purists will insist upon the manual transmission over the automatic "Tiptronic" version; this is even more true in the case of the 993 as compared with other models, because Porsche 993s were the first production model (apart from the 959 supercar) to feature a 6-speed manual transmission. The C2S wide-body 993s are in scarce supply, with none built in 1995 or 1996, and just 759 units made for North America in 1997, with a final supply of 993 in 1998, for a total of 1,752 C2S examples overall.

 

993 TURBO (1995–1997)

A Turbo version of the 993 was launched in 1995 and became the first standard production Porsche with twin turbochargers and the first 911 Turbo to be equipped with permanent all-wheel-drive (the homologated GT2 retained RWD). The similarity in specification and in performance levels inspired several comparison road tests with the Porsche 959. The 3.6 L twin turbo M64/60 engine produced 408 PS (300 kW / 402 BHP).

 

In 1997, Porsche introduced a limited run of 183 copies of the 993 911 Turbo S with 24 PS (17.7 kW) over the regular Turbo's 400 PS (294 kW). Features include a scoop on the side right behind the doors for engine cooling and vents on the whale tail rear spoiler.

 

WATER-COOLED ENGINES (1998–PRESENT)

996 SERIES (1998/9–2004)

The water-cooled Type 996 replaced the air-cooled mechanism used in the 911 for 34 years. This was also the first major re-design to the body shell. The 996 styling shared its front end with Porsche's mid engined Boxster. Pinky Lai's work on exterior won international design awards between 1997 and 2003.

 

The Carrera model had a 0.30 coefficient of drag. The interior was criticized for its plainness and its lack of relationship to prior 911 interiors, although this came largely from owners of older 911s.

 

The Type 996 spawned over a dozen variations, including all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S (which had a 'Turbo look') models, the club racing-oriented GT3, and the forced-induction 996 Turbo and GT2. The Turbo, four-wheel-drive and twin-turbo, often made appearances in magazines' lists of the best cars on sale.

 

The Carrera and Carrera 4 underwent revisions for model year 2002, receiving clear lens front and rear indicator lights which were first seen on the Turbo version two years earlier. This allowed the 911 to be more distinguishable from the Boxster. A mildly revised front fascia was also introduced, though the basic architecture remained.

 

Engine displacement was 3.4 L and power 300 PS (221 kW) featuring dry sump technology and variable valve timing, increased in 2002 to 3.6 L and 320 PS (235 kW).

 

The roof system on the convertible transformed the car from a coupé to a roadster in 19 seconds. The car is equipped with a rear spoiler that raises at speeds over 120 km/h. It can also be raised manually by means of an electric switch.

 

Starting from the models with water-cooled engines, 911 Carreras do not come with rear limited-slip differential, except the 40th Anniversary 911, GT2, GT3 and Turbo. The exception would be for MY1999 where the limited-slip differential was available as option code 220.

 

996 GT3 (1999–2004)

Porsche released a road version GT3 version of the 996 series which was derived from the company's racing GT3. Simply called GT3, the car featured lightweight materials including thinner windows. The GT3 was a lighter and more focused design with the emphasis on handling and performance. The suspension ride height was lowered and tuned for responsiveness over compliance and comfort. These revisions improved handling and steering. Of more significance was the engine used in the GT3. Instead of using a version of the water-cooled units found in other 996s, the naturally aspirated engine was derived from the Porsche 911 GT1 '98 sports-prototype racing car and featured lightweight materials which enabled the engine to rotate at high speeds.

 

The engine was a naturally aspirated 3600 cc flat-six (F6) rather than either engine from the pre-facelift and revised Carrera. It produced 360 bhp (268 kW; 365 PS) at first and later improved to 381 bhp (284 kW; 386 PS) at the end of the 996 series' revision.

 

The GT3 did not feature rear seats.

 

996 TURBO (2001–2005)

In 2000, Porsche launched the Turbo version of the Type 996 for MY 2001. Like the GT3, the new Turbo engine derived from the 911 GT1 engine and, like its predecessor, featured twin-turbos and now developed 420 PS (309 kW). Also like its predecessor the new Turbo was only available with all-wheel drive. In 2002, a US$17,000 factory option, the X50 package, was available that boosted the engine output to 450 PS (331 kW) with 620 N·m (457 lb·ftf) of torque across a wide section of the power band. With the X50 package in place the car could make 0–100 km/h in 3.91 seconds. Later on toward the end of the 996 life cycle, a 996 Turbo S coupé also returned to the US along with a new debut of the Turbo S Cabriolet boasting even more power - 450 PS (331 kW) and 620 N·m (457 lb·ftf) - than the regular Turbo. The Turbo can reach a top speed of 189 mph (304 km/h).

 

The styling was more individual than previous Turbos. Along with the traditional wider rear wings, the 996 Turbo had different front lights and bumpers when compared to the Carrera and Carrera 4. The rear bumper had air vents that were reminiscent of those on the Porsche 959 and there were large vents on the front bumper, which have been copied on the Carrera 4S and Cayenne Turbo.

 

Most important of all, the Styling of 996 Turbo was done, for the first time (1997) in the company history and in the car design field, with the help of Computer Aided Styling. Practically a digital Styling model existed before the full size clay model, and 99% of the Styling changes were done on the digital model and then the clay model would be milled (CNC) in order to present to the top management for approval.

 

997 SERIES (2005–2012)

In 2005, the 911 was revised and the 996's replacement, the 997, was unveiled. The 997 keeps the basic profile of the 996, bringing the drag coefficient down to 0.28, but draws on the 993 for detailing. In addition, the new headlights revert to the original bug-eye design, drifting from the teardrop scheme of the 996. Its interior is also similarly revised, with strong links to the earlier 911 interiors while at the same time looking fresh and modern. The 997 shares less than a third of its parts with the outgoing 996, but is still technically similar to it.

 

Initially, two versions of the 997 were introduced - the rear-wheel-drive Carrera and Carrera S. While the base 997 Carrera produced 325 PS (239 kW) from its 3.6 L Flat 6, a more powerful 3.8 L 355 PS (261 kW) Flat 6 powers the Carrera S.

 

In late 2005, Porsche announced the all-wheel-drive versions to the 997 lineup. Carrera 4 models (both Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S) were announced as 2006 models. Both Carrera 4 models are wider than their rear-wheel-drive counterparts by 32 mm to cover wider rear tires. 0–60 mph (97 km/h) for a base Carrera 4 with the 325 PS (239 kW; 321 hp) engine was reported at 4.5 seconds according to Edmunds.com. The 0–100 km/h acceleration for the Carrera S with the 355 PS (261 kW; 350 hp) was noted to be as fast as 4.2 seconds in a recent Motor Trend comparison, and Road & Track has timed it at 3.8 seconds.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Ford Thames 300E Van (1954-61) Engine 1172cc S4

Production 196,885

Registration Number 5458 FX

FORD (UK) SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665118181...

Based on Fords Anglia/Prefect 100E Saloons and sharing a bodyshell 100E Station Wagon. Powered by a Ford 1172 cc engine originally only in 5 cwt the range was later expanded to include standard and deluxe variants of a 7 cwt van. Production 196885.

 

Shot at The Commercial Vehicle Show, Gaydon 13.06.2010 Ref 56-109