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According to Kaleme website, Hamid Ghassemi-Shall and his family have been informed of his imminent execution during this week’s visit at Evin Prison.
Hamid Ghassemi-Shall, 42, was arrested in 2008 while visiting his family, and was later charged with espionage.
He was sentenced to death in 2009. An Iranian court has rejected an appeal.
“Canada is gravely concerned by indications that the execution of Mr. Ghassemi-Shall may be carried out imminently,” Baird said in a joint statement Sunday with Diane Ablonczy, the junior minister for foreign affairs.
Baird called on the Iranian government to grant clemency to Ghassemi-Shall on compassionate and humanitarian grounds and to respect its international human rights obligations.
The Iranian-born Ghassemi-Shall emigrated to Canada after Iran’s 1979 revolution, and most recently lived in Toronto.
He is awaiting execution in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where another Canadian — photojournalist Zahra Kazemi of Montreal — was beaten, raped and killed in 2003.
Another Canadian resident, web programmer Saeed Malekpour of Richmond Hill, Ont., is also on death row in Evin prison. Malekpour, who was born in Iran, is charged with setting up a website that was used to post pornography. He maintains his innocence and says he was tortured into confessing to crimes against Islam.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is also calling on Iran to spare the life of an Iranian-Canadian convicted of espionage and awaiting execution.
Harper warned there will be consequences if Hamid Ghassemi-Shall is executed.
Harper’s warning followed a similar statement by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird who said Sunday that Ottawa is “gravely concerned” by indications that Ghassemi-Shall’s execution may be imminent.
“We urge Iran to reverse its current course and to adhere to its international human rights obligations,” Baird said.
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1st panel, top: The execution of Maximilian in 1867.
Maximilian of the House of Hapsburg was an Austrian archduke who was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico with the backing of France and Mexican monarchists. Republican forces led by Benito Juárez, refused to recognize his administration. When France withdrew its military support after pressure from America, Maximilian and his generals were captured and executed in 1867. His last words were, "I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. May my blood which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. Viva Mexico, viva la independencia!".
In the mural, the imperial eagle of the Hapsburgs flies away from Mexico, towards Europe after Maximilian's death.
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1st panel, bottom: Indians constructing new buildings and the branding of Indian slaves by the Spanish conquistadors.
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Between 1st & 2nd panel, middle: Hernán Cortés and his Mexican mistress La Malinche, with their son Martin. Below this is the suppression of the Mayan culture with the burning of the Mayan codices & manuscripts by the Bishops Juan de Zumárraga and Diego de Landa.
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2nd panel, top: The Mexican Revolution (1910-20).
On the left side is the dictator Porfirio Diaz. His policies gave most of Mexico's resources away to foreign companies, as shown by the various industries in the background.
On the right are the leading Revolutionaries. Notable figures are Otilio Montaño who is the figure wearing his headband. He stands next to Emiliano Zapata, a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution. Pancho Villa is the figure sporting a macho mustache and wearing the sombrero.
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2nd panel, middle: An auto-da-fé during the Inquisition in Mexico. The figure in glasses to the left side of the heretics is the archbishop Juan de Mendoza and the religious figure to the right is Pedro Moya de Contreras who was the inquisitor general, and archbishop & Viceroy of Mexico.
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2nd panel, bottom: A Conquistador rapes an Indian woman and behind him, native Tlaxcaltecans who sided & fought alongside with the Spanish.
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3rd panel, top: Banner with the Zapatista slogan "Tierra y Libertad" (Land and Liberty). From left to right above the banner are Emiliano Zapata (the revolutionary leader), Felipe Carrillo Puerto (governor of Yucatán), and José Guadalupe Rodríquez..
On the top left are Álvaro Obregón Salido and Plutarco Elías Calles. Both were key players in the Mexican Revolution. Alvaro Obregón Salido was was a Mexican farmer and general who became President in 1920. Plutarco Elías Calles was a Mexican general and politician who suceeded Obregón as President.
Below Álvaro Obregón in the mural are Agustín de Iturbide (in red and white regal costume) and Vicente Guerrero (in red vest holding the banner).
At the end of the Mexican War of Independence, the Army of the Three Guarantees was created to fight Spanish royalist forces which refused to accept Mexican independence. The army was formed from the unification of the Spanish troops led by Agustín de Iturbide and the Mexican insurgent troops of Vicente Guerrero. The decree creating this army stated the three guarantees which it was meant to defend: religion, independence, and unity.
In the mural, Vicente Guerrero is holding the flag of the Three Guarantees. On 27 September 1821, Iturbide led the Army of the Three Guarantees triumphantly into Mexico City; the following day Mexico was declared independent.
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3rd panel, centre: Miguel Hidalgo's response to the Spanish prohibition against growing grapes to protect the sales of Spanish imports of the items.
Miguel Hidalgo, was a Mexican priest and a leader of the Mexican War of Independence. He tried to help the poor by showing them how to grow olives and grape. In 1810 he gave the famous speech, "The Cry of Dolores", calling upon the people to protect the interest of their King Fernando VII (held captive by Napoleon) by revolting against the Spaniards. He led an army of poor farmers & civilians across Mexico, but was eventually defeated and killed by the Spanish.
The figure holding the sword is Martín Cortée (son of Hernán Cortés and La Malinche). He was educated in Spain and returned to Mexico in 1563. However, he was accused of conspiracy against the Crown and subsequently imprisoned, tortured and sentenced to indefinite exile in Spain, never to return to Mexico.
Eagle clutching the Aztec symbol of war, the Atl-Tlachinolli ("burning water").
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3rd panel, bottom: The siege of Tenochtitlan 1521.
Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Aztec Empire. During the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, Hernán Cortés allied with rivals of the Aztecs, including the Totonacs, and the Tlaxcaltecas. Cortés fought numerous battles against the Aztecs, but it was the siege of Tenochtitlan in 1521 that was the final and decisive battle that led to the downfall of the Aztec civilization.
Cuauhtémoc was the Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan at the time of the siege. His name means "One That Has Descended Like an Eagle". As Tenochtitlán fell to the Spanish, Cuauhtémoc was captured and tortured by Hernán Cortés. In 1525, he was hanged for treason while accompanying a Spanish expedition to Guatemala.
In the mural, Hernán Cortés is on horseback with vizer up leading the attack. Beneath him are indigenous peoples who fought alongside the Spanish against the Aztecs.
Cuauhtémoc is dressed in an eagle costume, leading the defense of Tenochtitlán. Next to him is a priest who offers up a Spanish victim's heart. Next to the Priest is Cuitláhuac, who ruled Tenochtitlan for just 80 days and was succeeded by Cuauhtémoc. Cuitláhuac died of smallpox that had been introduced to the New World by the Europeans.
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4th panel, top: The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1857.
The Constitution of 1957 was ratified on February 5, 1857 establishing individual rights for Mexicans such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the right to bear arms. It also reaffirmed the abolition of slavery.
However, some of the reforms curtailed the power of the Catholic Church, restricting their privileges and forcing the sale of property belonging to the church.
In the mural, Benito Juárez who was the President of the Republic, is seen holding the constitution.
In the background are men with pick-axes destroying churches and the door of the central church is already destroyed.
Between the monk and the Pope is Antonio López de Santa Anna, president of Mexico on several occasions. He was corrupt and funneled government funds into his own pockets.In 1855 a group of liberals led by Benito Juárez and Ignacio Comonfort overthrew Santa Anna and fled to Cuba.
Opposite Antonio López de Santa Anna is Miguel Miramón - a staunch conservative who opposed the Constitution of 1857 and fought in the War of Reform. In 1867, he was shot for treason on the order of President Benito Juárez. The broken sword held by Miguel Miramón in the mural represents his betrayal of Mexico.
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4th panel, centre: The New Laws of 1542.
The New Laws of 1542 were created to prevent the exploitation of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas by the Encomenderos. This included its solemn prohibition of their enslavement and stated that the natives would be considered free persons and the encomenderos could no longer demand their labour.
The Spanish missionary Bartolomé de las Casas was instrumental for the creation of the New Laws, who was able to influence the King to sign the New Laws. His active role in the reform movement earned Bartolomé de las Casas the nickname, "Defender of the Indians".
In the mural, Bartolomé de las Casas is seen holding a cross shielding Indigenous people from the Spanish conquerors. A stone serpent sculpture is used as a Christian baptismal font to baptise Indigenous people.
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5th panel, top: The Mexican–American War (1846-48).
The Mexican–American War started after the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its territory.
The mural shows scenes of the Battle of Chapultepec in September 1847. Nicolás Bravo was the Mexican general who led the troops defending Chapultepec Castle.
In the mural, Nicolás Bravo is holding his sword in front of the Mexican troops. Chapultepec Castle is in the background and the flying eagle holds the Aztec symbol of war, the Atl-Tlachinolli.
The National Palace, Mexico City.
"9956-- Execution by the Garrote in the Yard of the City Prison, Havana, Cuba" copyright 1899 B.L. Singley, Keystone View Company
legos will be spilt this night!
I used a single flash(580EXII) inside of a westcott apollo softbox at camera left and triggered with pocket wizards TT1. shot at 1/400th to take down the ambient light.
More photo's of Auschwitz here
Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest of Nazi Germany's concentration camps. Located in German-occupied southern Poland, it took its name from the nearby town of Oświęcim (Auschwitz in German), situated about 50 kilometers west of Kraków and 286 kilometers from Warsaw. Following the German occupation of Poland in September 1939, Oświęcim was incorporated into Germany and renamed Auschwitz. The word Birkenau means 'Birch tree' of which there are many surrounding the Birkenau area of the complex.
The complex consisted of three main camps: Auschwitz I, the administrative center; Auschwitz II (Birkenau), an extermination camp or Vernichtungslager; and Auschwitz III (Monowitz), a work camp.
The camp commandant, Rudolf Höss, testified at the Nuremberg Trials that up to 2.5 million people had died at Auschwitz. The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum revised this figure in 1990, and new calculations now place the figure at 1.1–1.6 million, about 90 percent of them Jews from almost every country in Europe. Most of the dead were killed in gas chambers using Zyklon B; other deaths were caused by systematic starvation, forced labor, lack of disease control, individual executions, and so-called medical experiments.
www.auschwitz.org.pl/new/index.php?language=EN&tryb=s...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp
The gas chambers at Dachau were apparently only used to execute small handfuls of people; not the production-line scale murder, as in some of the other camps.
A lightly dressed girl hangs on the wooden beam. Nobody seems to be bothered of it. Macabre protest action of a nightclub owner in a dispute with the authorities because of the opening times. Rorschach, Switzerland, March 12, 2012.
Henri Regnault (1849-1871)
Summary Execution under the Moorish Kings of Grenada
1870
Oil on canvas
H. 305; W. 146 cm
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Henri Regnault was born in Paris in 1843 and killed in 1871 in one of the last battles of the Franco-Prussian war. Yet the young man had already made a name for himself in the Paris art scene. After winning the Prix de Rome in 1868, he was the first not to spend the three compulsory years in the Italian capital that went with the prize but obtained permission to discover other cultures. He went to Spain, whence he sent to the Salon of 1869 the gigantic painting General Juan Prim, also in the Musee d'Orsay, then briefly to North Africa, bringing back a number of astonishing canvases, flooded with light.
Taking his inspiration from local legends, he painted this Summary Execution under the Moorish Kings of Grenada in 1870. Against an architectural background based on the Alhambra in Granada and infused with an orange glow, Regnault has painted a scene of decapitation. The low angle and vigorous rising composition give the main character an imposing presence.
The executioner's detached attitude and commonplace gesture contrast with the foreground in which the blood dripping down the steps joins the severed head to the body. The colours also take part in this opposition because the executioner's caftan, which picks up the orange tones of the background, contrasts with the victim's green and black clothing.
The painting was acclaimed by the critics and bought by the State from Regnault's heirs, in 1872, to honour the artist's memory in the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris.
Taken at Swatch FIVB 11 in Stavanger in July.
All copyrights are reserved, if you are interested in using any of the photos please contact me via flickr mail or at arild.barka@gmail.com
Sometimes, when I get an idea, I have to try and execute it. Even if that means doing it with no makeup, still in pj's with REALLY bad bed hair.
Here's a repeat of a capture from 2009...I love bringing it, and the story, back again as it brings back the wonderful memory of the visit with some old friends that I seldom see...and came back with this shot!
"Mr. Tom T. Gobble, it is my pleasure to inform you that a last minute phone call from the Governor of the State of Alabama has granted you a permanent stay of execution..."
LOL...actually this guy was never subject to becoming Thanksgiving Dinner...he and several other turkeys are the beloved pets of my friends Gladys and David and they would never let any harm come to them...they are part of their family! Many thanks to them for giving me the opportunity to have this fine fellow added to my photostream for Thanksgiving! : )
This cross marks the place where the executions took place, most notably the executions of the leaders of the Easter Rising
FuturPointe Dance – Guy Thorne and N’Jelle Gage
GUY THORNE is the co-founder, artistic director, choreographer and dancer at FuturPointe Dance. As artistic director, he has primary responsibility for the development and execution of the company’s artistic vision. Thorne’s current choreographic work explores the confluence of folklore as well as popular and contemporary dance forms infused with his short film and multi-media creations.
Mr. Thorne recently collaborated with 2013 McArthur Genius Award recipient Carrie Mae Weems on A Story Within A Story, which is a multi- media performance about social identity and visual imagery – with video by Weems, music by Gregory Wanamaker, choreography by Guy Thorne, and additional direction from Kimberley Bouchard. A Story Within a Story was presented at the Lougheed Festival of the Arts at SUNY-Potsdam.
Thorne also teaches for FuturPointe Dance educational programs as well as in master classes and residencies at colleges/universities and for youth in k-12 school outreach programs. Thorne was on the dance faculty at SUNY – Potsdam where he taught ballet, modern dance, and Caribbean urban and folkloric dance. In 2012, he was a Jubilation Foundation fellow. Guy used his Jubilation grant to introduce Rochester area children (ages 5 to 13) to Jonkanoo, a West African and Caribbean performing art that combines costume-making, singing, dancing and drumming.
Thorne has over 15 years of professional experience and has toured extensively and taught master classes throughout the world including in Italy, Germany, Hawaii, France, the United Kingdom and Austria. He received critical acclaim on several occasions from critics in the New York Times and from other major publications. Thorne has danced at world-class venues such as the Ted Shawn Theater at Jacob’s Pillow, Joyce Theater, and The Lincoln and Kennedy Centers, among others. Dance Theatre Production from the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts. He moved to the United States as a scholarship student at Dance Theater of Harlem in New York City before becoming a principal dancer with Garth Fagan Dance for 7 years. Thorne holds a BFA in Dance from SUNY-Brockport.
N’JELLE GAGE-THORNE FuturPointe Dance co-founder, president and choreographer N’Jelle Gage is an international dancer and educator that has worked extensively throughout the United States, Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Although the directors of FuturPointe Dance run the company as a collaborative team, in addition to dancing and setting work on the company – Gage is specifically responsible for its administrative leadership.
N’Jelle Gage also teaches master classes in Caribbean contemporary dance techniques (Tecnica Cubana, L’Antech TM, Reggae ballet, Jamaican urban jazz) at college residencies, festivals, the Draper Center for Dance Education in New York State, and studios across the country.
In 2001, she directed and choreographed for Caribbean Performing Arts Ensemble in Florida and gained expertise from her work in music video production and ad campaigns with renowned international artists including Sean Paul, Mutabaruka, Damian Marley and Third World. She also worked as a cultural consultant for film in the United Kingdom.
Gage’s training began in classical ballet where she was the protégé of Norma Spence and performed as a soloist with Jamaica’s first amateur ballet company. During her early teens, she studied with acclaimed Polish ballerina Nina Novak at Academia Ballet Clasico in Caracas, Venezuela. She also studied with in Jamaica with Tatjana Sedunova, the artistic director of the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theater.
In 1991, N’Jelle was introduced to the work of Dr. L’Antoinette Stines and at 15 years old she became a professional dancer with Stines’ Avant garde modern dance company; performing in 16 international cities as a dancer with L’Acadco.
Her studies continued with the renowned Cuban ballet and contemporary dance faculty at Instituto Superior/Escuela Nacional de Artes in Havana where she studied modern technique and folklore/Orisha dance. She concluded her studies in Havana, Cuba with an internship with Danza Contemporanea de Cuba in 2000 and graduated with a teaching and performance degree.
democracystreet.blogspot.com/search?q=execution+island
See also: www.flickr.com/photos/sibadd/3748190033/
Jim Potts wrote to me 'I am interested in the suggestion that Theodorakis' brother may have been buried on Lazaretto Island. What is your source for this information? It seems very unlikely to me. I have a book in Greek about all the executions that took place, and I do not recall any mention of this. Jim
Jim. My source went unchecked. See the comment by Kerkira (Jenny Mulder) - on this photo.
(quote) This is a photo of the islet Lazaretto. Lazaretto was the execution area for at least 112 political prisoners of Corfu between 1942-1944 and 1947-1949. A couple of years ago an old man told me terrible stories how people (mostly communists from the Epirus Mainland) were executed there. To make things legal there was even a public prosecutor present during the executions. The brother of Mikis Theodorakis is also buried here. Every year Mr Theodorakis comes to Corfu to visit the grave of his brother (unquote)
On reflection I wonder if 'brother' might mean 'comrade'. The album of songs that Theodorakis composed supplemented this account - To Tragoudi Tou Nekrou Adelfou-Lipotaktes
en.mikis-theodorakis.net/index.php/article/articleview/31...
Message from Jim Potts on 16 July 2012: Simon, Now back in Corfu for a few days. Today will be the hottest day of the year. Anyway, I checked the book by the Lazaretto Association: "Yia sas adelfia: The Corfu and Lazaretto Prisons 1947-1949" (in Greek; Athens 1996). It has a complete list of all those who were executed- ten pages with all relevant details of 112 people. No mention of any Theodorakis. I don't think the book contains any mention of a visit to Lazaretto by Mikis Theodorakis, so if "The Ballad of the Dead Brother" drew any inspiration from Corfu's Lazaretto Prison, I imagine it would have been part of a more general sense of the tragedy of a fratricidal civil war. Jim
See also: somatio-lazareto.gr/el/
Edouard Manet - Execution of emperor Maximilian (second version, later cropped and still later put together again) [1867-68] - London NG
Who wants to know more about the historical background, why archduke Maximilian of Hapsburg entered in the Mexican adventure may read the following article:
www.holocaustianity.com/hysteria/maximilian.html
More about the history of Manet's paintings:
1) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Execution_of_Emperor_Maximilian
2) www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2006/Manet/
or
www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2006/Manet/detail_f...
Stockholm's executioner once lived and worked on this street (says Fredo). It may look charming, but many people died here.
Manet - the execution of emperor Maximilian [1868-69] (third version, Copenhagen)
Copenhagen Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Who wants to know more about the historical background, why archduke Maximilian of Hapsburg entered in the Mexican adventure may read the following article:
www.holocaustianity.com/hysteria/maximilian.html
More about the history of Manet's paintings:
1) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Execution_of_Emperor_Maximilian
2) www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2006/Manet/
or
www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2006/Manet/detail_f...
In 1821 Five conspirators were hanged outside Newgate Jail. This axe was especially made for this but never used. For some reason their heads were removed using a surgeon's knife.
It is on show at the People's History Museum in Manchester.
Taken during flickr meet 1 Feb 2009. Not sure what the dude is doing to the ghost, but it looks like an execution...
Mr. Ghassemi-Shall faces imminent execution in Iran. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Diane Ablonczy issued a joint statement asking Iran to release and halt the execution of Hamid Ghassemi-Shall.
Hamid Ghassemi-Shall was arrested in late May 2008 while visiting his mother in Iran. This arrest took place approximately two weeks after the arrest of his brother, Alborz Ghassemi-Shall.
In November 2009 Hamid’s wife in Canada received reports that both Hamid and Alborz were convicted of espionage and sentenced to death. The legal proceedings were deeply unfair and neither Hamid or Alborz had a meaningful opportunity to defend themselves. His conviction appears to be based on a document of an alleged email exchange between Hamid and Alborz. Hamid has unequivocally stated that the document is a complete fabrication and that he never sent any such message. Testing and analysis by his lawyer reportedly confirm that to be the case.
Hamid and Alborz were in solitary confinement for 18 months until the end of November 2009 when they were transferred to a general population section in Tehran's Evin prison. On 20 January 2010 Alborz died in prison, reportedly of stomach cancer. Mr. Hamid Ghassemi-Shall reported that both he and Alborz were subject to “extreme pressure” during their detention.
Hamid Ghassemi-Shall was sentenced to death. His case has undergone a number of reviews, but the family confirmed in March 2012 that the death sentance has not been lifted.
Take Action
Write the Iranian authorities. Request that they:
Guarantee that Mr. Hamid Ghassemi-Shall will not be executed.
Release Mr. Hamid Ghassemi-Shall immediately unless he is promptly brought to trial on recognizably criminal charges in legal proceedings that fully conform to international fair trial standards.
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid
Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency
Email: info_leader@leader.ir AND tweet @khamenei_ir
Copies to:
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur Street, Vali Asr Avenue, south of
Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran, 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com or info@dadiran.ir (In the subject line, write FAO Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani)
Salutation: Your Excellency
Copies to:
Mr Kambiz Sheikh Hassani
Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy for the Islamic Republic of Iran
245 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2K2
Fax: (613) 232-5712
Email: executive@iranembassy.ca
More Background
The Canadian government has sponsored a resolution censuring Iran at the United Nations General Assembly human rights committee, every year since the 2003 torture and death while in custody, of Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi in Iran. The resolution has expressed deep concern at serious ongoing human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The violations include torture, flogging, amputations, stoning, and "pervasive gender inequality and violence against women." Canada has also "particular concern" with the Iranian government's failure to launch a thorough investigation of alleged human rights violations in the wake of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's contested re-election in 2009.
In a new year’s statement on January 1, 2011 the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed deep concern for the “deteriorating human rights situation in Iran.” He expressed particular concern for the uncertain fate of two Canadians of dual nationality who remain in prison in Iran. (Hamid Ghassemi- Shall and Hossein Derakhshan). He further referred to reports that Saeed Malekpour, a Canadian permanent resident, has been condemned to death and that his sentence could be carried out at any time. Minister Cannon encouraged the Iranian authorities to show mercy and compassion to those who are in Iran’s prisons without just cause, and called on Iran to respect its international human rights obligations in law and in practice and to foster a more open dialogue with the international community.
خواهر حمید قاسمی: شما را به خدا نگذارید برادرم را اعدام کنند، حمید حتی فعال سیاسی هم نیست
soundcloud.com/frl-journalist/hamidghasemi
■■■■■ www.persianicons.org/human-right/iranian-canadian-facing-... ■■■■■
Following the modest success of the post-WWII Ralston Tigre MkII, the Ralston company looked to a more ambitious and glamorous execution with the Tigre MkIII, released in 1961.
The basis for the new car, again came from the General Motors' premium division - Cadillac - for the architectural hardware.
The Frame & Underbody was developed from the 1959/60 GM 'C' Bodies - a short-lived production run for GM, hence the availability to the Ralston Company. Wheelbase was set at 130 in (3,302 mm) for the standard sedan, and all the specialty 2-door cars. The long-wheelbase Limousine, Town Car and Specialty models sharing the GM 'D' Body 150 in (3,805 mm) with the Cadillac Series 75 / Fleetwood.
Powertrain was also Cadillac derived, incluing the 390 CID (6.4 Litre) V8 engine. Power was rated the same 345 bhp (257 kW). Cadillac was to retire this engine, with the development of a new engine of the same capacity for 1961. For the MkIII-C of 1967 the V8 engine was enlarged to 429 CID (7.0 litre) with the new OHV Cadillac engine, but power remained the same as the 1961-67 models, while torque rose to 480 lb.ft (650 Nm).
One notable characteristic of all Ralston Tigre MkIII models are the reverse-opening doors. On all two-door cars, the doors operated on special hinges to move backwards along the body, offering easier ingress and egress for all passengers. For the four-door models, the front doors were conventionally hinged, per the originating GM 'C' and 'D' body vehicles, whilst the rear doors adopted the special hinged mechanism to allow rear passengers easier access. The adoption of GM's body-on-frame chassis permitted the omission of a conventional B-pillar on the four-door cars. A rarity at the time, but shared with the contemporary Lincoln saloons.
The real party trick appeared in 1964, with the introduction of the MkIII B. This model, though visually little changed from the MkIII of 1961, incorporated the first (and only) reintroduction of the V12 engine to the US-based motor industry.
Once more, the engine was based on that of a Cadillac.
www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/04/the-ohc-v12-that-cadill...
The prototype engines were produced in 7.4 and 8.2 litre forms, originally to support the fitment of the V12 to the upcoming Cadillac Eldorado - Cadillac's first front-wheel-drive vehicle. Ultimately the V12 installation in the Eldorado was cancelled, as the engineering team considered the engine to be transversely installed, until late in the development, where the V12 length would have been a significant disadvantage in terms of installing a matching transmission. Cadillac instead, continued with V8 development at the same swept capacities, even when the Eldorado was ultimately launched with the longitudinal engine installation with the gearbox alongside. As the Eldorado was to be the most premium of premium Cadillacs, the large capacity V8s filtered across to the RWD BOF models, but the V12 was not fitted to any of the division's cars.
This opened the possibility of offering the V12 to another luxury vehicle manufacturer who did not have the funding to develop such an engine on their own.
Ralston, wishing to also continue the production of the V8 models launched in 1961, renamed the V8 as the E I G H T, and offered the V12 engined as a premium model above this. In truth, the engine was the only key difference, as there were very few restriction on the use of either engine in combination with the low-volume bodystyles on offer.
Ralston remained (relatively) conservative on the engine specification, choosing not to lift the power from the original Cadillac specification, nonetheless choosing the larger 8.2 litre capacity engine at a rated 394 hp (296 kW) and 506 lb.ft (686 Nm).
Externally there was noting to differentiate between the fitment of the V8 and V12 engines to the cars, other than the subtle text spelling out or on the side engine vent ahead of the doors. The 1964 introduction coincided with a minor external facelift, key change being the fitment of a third 'X' feature in the front grille, replacing the '5th' headlamp feature fitted on 1961-early 1964 vehicles. Additionally, the modest tailfins were trimmed smaller again, and a more conservative rear licence plate treatment used in place of the 3rd rocket pod in the rear facia.
In 1967, the Tigre MkIII-C underwent further revisions. There were new front fenders, eliminating the large, round double stacked headlamps, replacing them with small corner bumperettes and small double-stacked corner lamps. the headlamps were now hidden behind louvres in the new grille. There was now a single 'X' form at the front of the grille, centrally mounted. At the rear, the existing rocket pod tail lamps were retained. The 1967 MkIII-C reverted to the MkIII 1961-64 trunklid and bumper, but with the central '+' rocket feature supplanted by the licence plate. For all SWB body styles. there were new tapered fender tops (barely fins), recalling the Tigre MkII C & D. Long wheelbase 4-door cars retained the MkIII-B rear fenders as they suited the overall vehicle lines better.
Minor changes to the side of the vehicle included deeper opening doors, and a more open front wheelarch taper. A chrome trim feature led from the front fender vent to the rear rocket pod.
The model shown here is the commonly ordered Hardtop Coupe - a very sharp looking car, despite the origins dating back eight years to 1959 for the basic architecture. The model is one of the 7.0 litre V8s, despite there being little differentiation externally to vehicles fitted with the V12.
A very similar car was used as the prototype vehicle fitted with early versions of the extremely rare V16. These cars were development mules for the proposed Ralston Centaur - to be termed , though ultimately no completed customer cars were ordered, the 21 prototype engines fitted to various Tigre MkIII vehicles were either completed as un-homologated show cars for use by the Ralston family on their various estates, later restored from their mule conditions to rare collector cars, or unfortunately, destroyed. It has been long rumoured that the 13 crushed cars all had their engines removed, so potentially there is a small pool of functioning 10 litre V16s waiting for re-fitment to Ralston chassis.
This Lego miniland-scale Ralston Tigre MkIII C Hardtop Coupe (1967) has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 95th Build Challenge, - "Designing the Ralston Legacy", - for the design of vehicles under the fictional 'Ralston' company. The models must include a 'X' design feature on the car or bike. A number of Ralston challenge vehicle concepts are possible in this challenge.
[Cadillac V12 engine information taken from 'thetruthaboutcars.com']
www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/04/the-ohc-v12-that-cadill...