View allAll Photos Tagged spaceframe
The Hawk class was designed to replace the old patrol cruisers used in these regions prior to the Federation War, but to do so in a smaller, more nimble frame better suited to modern space combat. To this end, the spaceframe measures 27 metres long and 21 metres wide, guns included. Its broad and flat shape hearkens back to the Sagittarius class patrol ships that it replaced, but takes lessons learned in the 'slab-sided' Federation War era of shipbuilding to heart.
[Yes, the Hawk class was heavily inspired by - virtually modeled on - the Ebon Hawk from Knights of the Old Republic. Thus, the name. The model measures 54 studs long and 42 studs wide.]
Unseasonably warm weather in the UK, hence the first bare flesh of the season... briefly... I'm now back to winter wear.
Ferrari Dino 308GT4 (1973-80) Engine 2926cc V8 Tr QOC Production 2826
Registration Number YNU 113 S (Nottingham)
FERRARI SET
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The Dino 308 GT4 was introduced in 1973 and supplemented by the 208 GT4 in 1975. The cars were sold with Dino badging (continuing the Dino brand to differentiate non-V12 Ferrari) until May 1976, when they received Ferrari badging
The GT4 was a ground breaking model for Ferrari in several ways: it was the first production Ferrari to feature the mid-engined V8 layout, and was the first production Ferrari with Bertone (rather than Pininfarina) designed bodywork. The Marcello Gandini styling featured angular lines entirely different from its curvaceous 2-seater brother, the Dino 246, and was controversial at the time. The chassis was a tubular spaceframe based on the Dino 246, but was stretched for a longer wheelbase making room for a second set of seats, Nicki Lauda had a hand in the chassis set up
The 3.0 L (2927 cc) V8 was mounted transversally integrally joined with the 5-speed transaxle gearbox The engine had an aluminium alloy block and heads, 16-valves and dual overhead camshafts driven by toothed belts; it produced 255 hp in the European version reduced to 240bhp for North America
The 308 GT4 debuted at the 1973 Paris Motor Show, sporting a Dino badged, the cars finally gained the prancing horse in 1978 during a rebadging in an attempt to boost sales. There were two series of GT4; the earlier cars featured a twin distributor engine and foglamps mounted in the front valance. Later cars had a single distributor engine, with foglamps mounted behind the front grille.
Diolch am 97,768,791 o olygiadau gwych, mae pob un ohonynt yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 97,768,791 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 10.09.2022, at Statfold Barn Railway, near Tamworth, Staffordshire REF 164-045
I started building again Dec 26, and I'm messing with the idea of a structure built around two Friends train tracks sandwiched back to back. There's a mess of Technic spaceframing going on.
Furore Formula Car (2017) Engine 1441cc KawasakiZZR 1400
Livery Renault Elf 1994 Williams FW16
Registration Number F 10 NJP (Cherished vehicle related number, originating from Liverpool for Warrington)
The Furore Formula car is a unique, road-legal kit car designed by Russell Bost. It features a Kawasaki ZZR1400 engine, a six-speed sequential gearbox, and weighs around 560 kg. The car is known for its impressive performance, with a claimed power-to-weight ratio of 400 BHP per tonne. It has a steel spaceframe chassis and is equipped with anti-collision protection and roll bars for safety. The Furore Formula is a 2-seater cockpit design, allowing for a tandem driving experience, and has been featured in various media, including TV productions.
The Furore formula car can produce up to 400 BHP of horsepower per ton, weighing only 560 kg, and can accelerate almost any other sports car. The Furore formula can be built using the standard Toyota 1.6 Twin Cam 4AGE engine that comes with the donated vehicle, which will provide satisfactory performance under a limited budget. However for addition performance Furore recommend ZZR1100 and ZZR1400 Kawasaki engines, which mate with a six speed sequential gearbox. The chassis is a steel space frame with an anti-collision protection on the front, sides and rear, and 2 roll bars. The chassis is fully triangulated, is lightweight, hard and very strong. Furore can be equipped with a unique 2-seater cockpit, allowing the passenger to sit in tandem with the driver, (rather like the Messerschmidt in the background)
Cars are available in bespoke liveries. F 10 NJP reflecting the colours worn during the 1994 Formula One season on the Williams FW16, driven by number 0 Damon Hill
Furore Cars was a British kit-car marque created by designer Russell Bost in Benfleet Essex.
Diolch am 95,246,789 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 95,246,789 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated
Shot 03.07.2022, at Cars in the Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire REF 161-148
Chassis n° 5087GT
Coachwork by Pininfarina/Scaglietti
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 1.650.000 - 1.850.000
Sold for € 1.700.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2022
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2022
"This new luxury Berlinetta has been developed from the car which allowed so many gentlemen to enjoy sports car performance. It boasts those characteristics valued by enthusiasts while also possessing the comfort required by the ladies." – Ferrari's brochure for the 250 GT Lusso.
Arguably the most beautiful product ever to carry the Maranello marque's prancing horse emblem, the 250 GT Lusso debuted at the Paris Salon in October 1962. Styled by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, the Lusso (Luxury) combined racetrack looks with new standards of passenger comfort. Beautifully proportioned, it blended a low-slung nose, reminiscent of that of the SWB Berlinetta, with a sculpted Kamm tail by means of some of the most exquisite lines yet seen on an automobile. Slim pillars and wide expanses of glass not only enhanced the car's outward appearance but made for excellent visibility and a pleasantly light and airy interior. "The design of the body was at once elegant and exciting and no other road Ferrari before or since has earned the same degree of enduring admiration for its aesthetics," declared Road & Track.
After Pininfarina had completed the prototype Lusso, production was entrusted to Carrozzeria Scaglietti, a smaller concern that specialised in building low-volume models for Ferrari. In total, 350 (including one prototype each from Pininfarina and Scaglietti) would be completed over the next two years, with deliveries of the production model commencing early in 1963. "Its proportions approach perfection, and the execution is faultless," enthused Car & Driver. "It makes for Grand Touring in the grandest possible manner..."
The Lusso's immediate antecedent had been the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB. Introduced at the 1959 Paris Salon, the latter was a true dual-purpose car, arguably more capable than any Ferrari before or since of coping equally well with the conflicting demands of racetrack and highway. The 'SWB' (Short Wheel Base) designation arose from a chassis that, at 2,400mm, was 200mm shorter than that of the standard 250 GT. Specifications could be varied to suit individual customers' requirements for either road or track, models supplied for competition use having lightweight aluminium-alloy bodies while the lusso road version came with a fully-trimmed interior and softer springing.
However, Ferrari's policy of building a single, dual-purpose race/road model did not survive long into the 1960s, the diverging requirements of the two markets necessitating greater specialisation in the form of the competition-only 250 GTO and the touring 250 GT Lusso. Built on a short-wheelbase chassis similar to that of the 250 GT SWB and 250 GTO, the Lusso was powered by Gioacchino Colombo's light and compact 3.0-litre V12. Ferrari's first in-house power plant, the supremely versatile Colombo V12 had debuted in 1947 as a 1.5-litre unit and would enjoy a remarkably long production life, finally bowing out in 4.9-litre quad-cam form in 1988. Breathing through three twin-choke Weber carburettors, this all-aluminium, two-cam, Tipo 168 unit produced 240bhp at 7,500rpm as installed in the Lusso, giving it a top speed of 240km/h and a useful 0-160km/h acceleration time of 19.5 seconds. Power was transmitted to the road via a conventional four-speed gearbox, and the power train was housed in Ferrari's familiar steel spaceframe chassis with oval main tubes. Suspension was conventional for the time: independent at the front by means of 'A' arms and coil springs, with a semi-elliptically sprung live axle at the rear.
The result was not only one of the best looking Ferraris ever made, but also, courtesy of its competizione antecedents, one of the most rewarding to drive. "Driving a Ferrari smoothly is always easy; the Lusso is no exception," proclaimed R&T. "The gearshift moves like the proverbial stick in a bowl of whipped cream, and the smooth clutch combines with the 12-cylinder engine's buttery delivery of torque to make it nearly impossible... to stall the engine when moving off from rest." R&T found that the Lusso's steering was lighter than one would expect and remarked on its smooth, predictable, and forgiving handling. They were also much impressed by the powerful servo-assisted four-wheel disc brakes.
An important milestone in the Maranello marque's history, the 250 GT Lusso was the last of the long-running 250 series that had done so much to cement Ferrari's commercial success, and a most fitting finale to this remarkable family of Ferrari road cars.
The Lusso we offer, chassis number '5087', is the 119th of the 350 units built. Completed on 27th September 1963, the car was displayed at the 50th Annual Paris Motor Show held at the Grand Palais. Originally finished in the unusual combination of Nero (Black) with Beige Scuro (dark beige) Connolly leather interior, the Lusso was sold by Franco-Britannic Autos Ltd to first owner Gaston Burger, a French industrialist resident in Reuil-Malmaison. The Ferrari was registered on French plates as '5686 FA 75'. Burger kept the Lusso for only a couple of years before trading it back to FBA, who sold it to the second owner, a Mr Beaudoin, in May 1966. The accompanying Massini Report records several changes French registration into the 1980s; indeed, this Lusso has been resident in France for its entire life.
In 1993, '5087' was offered for sale at an auction in France where it was purchased by the last private owner. The Ferrari was in a very good state of conservation but required some work to improve its usability, which was carried between 1993 and 2006. It is worthwhile noting that this car has a totally original body, having never been in an accident. This point is very important because the front part is almost impossible to repair properly and many examples of the 250 GT Lusso have a more or less deformed front as a result. In 1997 the sills and wing entrances were changed because of corrosion. Since acquisition the Ferrari has been driven sparingly and kept in excellent condition in secure storage. It has been maintained by recognised specialists and exercised regularly, without ever being inactive for lengthy periods (details in the Massini Report). Events participated in with the current owner include the Tour Auto Optic 2000 (1994, 1996, 2002); Rallye du Maroq Classique (1995); Coupe des Alpes (1996); VIII Tour España (2006); and the Chantilly Arts & Concours (2015).
In December 2021 all the mechanical parts were overhauled and the engine was the subject of a total restoration (costing more than €30,000) carried out by the great French specialist, Tissier. The car is now in 'close to new' condition. At time of cataloguing Ferrari Classiche certification was underway at Ferrari Eberlein in Kassel, Germany. The car comes with a substantial history file containing among other items, copies of the factory build sheets, the aforementioned Massini Report; various magazines reporting on its last sale; and numerous invoices from Charles Pozzi (Ferrari France).
A rare opportunity to acquire a model - seldom offered for sale - that is not only one of the most beautiful and exclusive Ferraris ever made, but also one of the most enjoyable to drive and own: the 250 GT Lusso.
Marcos LM500 (1994-01) Engine 4995cc Rover V8
Registration Number L 50 OPM (Vehicle relaced cherished number, issued circa 1992, originally allocated from Guildford)
MARCOS ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157624599395813...
Based on the Mantura and built to homologate the Marcos to the Le Mans GT category. First launched at the 1993 Earls Court Racing Car Show. Similar to the LM 400 apart from having a larger version of the Rover V8 engine.Rover 5.0 L (305.1 cu in) 90° OHV V8 naturally-aspirated driving through at first a five speed manual and later six speed Hewland sequential manual transmission and has an output of 320 to 365 bhp.
The LM500 has a Steel tubular spaceframe, carbon fibre composite body, with double wishbones, coil springs over adjustable shock absorbers
Diolch am 84,679,943 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn 90cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 84,679,943 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 01.08-2021 exiting the Silverstone Festival 01.08.2021 Ref 149-282
W198
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 1.200.000 - 1.400.000
Sold for € 1.380.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2022
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2022
"When it was first announced by Mercedes-Benz, the production 300 SL Coupé was a startling car built to the German concern's customarily startling standards, but above all what left the general public most open-mouthed about the new car was its upward-opening Gullwing doors...!" - Motors, 1963.
Mercedes-Benz returned to post-war competition in 1952, fielding two of its new 300 SL (W194) sports cars in the Mille Miglia. The pair finishing a creditable 2nd and 4th overall in this most difficult of events and this promising start was followed up by a win in the challenging Carrera Panamericana. The works first raced the 300 SL (Sport Leicht) in open form, but for the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in June a trio of 'Gullwing'-doored coupés was entered. High sills were a feature of the multi-tubular spaceframe chassis, and while access was not a problem of the open car, the coupé bodywork required innovative thinking - hence the Gullwing doors. Karl Kling and Hans Klenk duly brought their 'Silver Arrow' home in first place and the 300 SL was on its way to becoming part of motor sporting legend.
The 300 SL had not been planned for volume production, and it took Max Hoffman, Mercedes-Benz's US importer, to convince the factory bosses that sufficient demand existed to make it viable. The fact that Hoffman placed an order for 1,000 cars must have helped. Given that the model was first and foremost intended for the USA, the 300 SL was launched at the New York International Auto Show, rather than at the hitherto preferred Frankfurt or Geneva shows.
Introduced in 1954, the production 300 SL retained the spaceframe chassis and lightweight aluminium-alloy bodywork of the W194 racer while its mechanical underpinnings, like the latter's, owed much to the contemporary Mercedes-Benz 300 luxury saloon. A 2,996cc overhead-camshaft inline six, the 300 SL's engine was canted at 45 degrees to achieve a low bonnet line and produced 215bhp (DIN) at 5,800rpm using Bosch mechanical fuel injection. A four-speed, all-synchromesh manual gearbox transmitted power to the hypoid bevel rear axle. Suspension was independent all round: by wishbones and coil springs at the front, with swing axles and coil springs at the rear.
A production 300 SL (W198) was tested by Road & Track magazine in 1955, accelerating from 0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 225km/h. Half expecting the long-awaited 300 SL to provide an anti-climax, R&T were delighted to find the new car, 'far beyond our wildest expectations. In fact, we can state unequivocally that in our opinion the 300 SL coupé is the ultimate in an all-round sportscar. It combines more desirable features in one streamlined package than we ever imagined or hoped would be possible. Performance? It accelerates from a dead start to 100mph in just over 17 seconds. Dual purpose? A production model 300 SL can make a very acceptable showing in any type of sportscar competition. Yet the car is extremely tractable and easy to drive in traffic. Comfort? The fully enclosed 300 SL is the most comfortable (and safe) high-speed 'cross-country' car built today.'
A 300 SL roadster featuring conventional doors was first exhibited at the Geneva Salon in May 1957 and, although built in greater numbers, has never matched the immortal Gullwing for desirability. Its racing parentage notwithstanding, the 300 SL remains a thoroughly practical car, as civilised in city traffic as it is exhilarating on the autostrada. By the time 300 SL Coupé production ceased in 1957, some 1,400 examples had found customers. Today the model is both rare and most sought after by connoisseurs of fine automobiles.
This particular Gullwing was completed at the factory on 10th January 1955. The car was ordered in the gorgeous shade of red (DB 534) over a black (953) interior. The car's early years are undocumented, but records suggest that this Gullwing was raced right from the start, as it was shipped back to Stuttgart in the 1960s where it received a new aluminium engine complete with sports camshaft (invoice on file). Many years later, in November 1978, the car was advertised in Hemmings Motor News for sale at $30,000, completely restored in Fire Engine Red with black interior and only 13,000 miles on the new aluminium motor. Mr John Olson, editor and publisher of the SL Market Letter in Minneapolis, Minnesota, snapped up the car and a new era began.
In 1982, Olson entered the car in the 3,000-mile Four Ball Rally from Boston to San Diego. Apparently averaging a 'sedate' 65mph, the 27-year-old classic (the oldest car in the field) finished in 47 hours. The following year the 300 SL came in 3rd in the Coast to Coast Cannonball, a strenuous feat which resulted in Olson having the Gullwing overhauled in April 1984 under the watchful eye of Paul Russell at Gullwing Service Co in Essex, Massachusetts. With all systems fully overhauled, it was time to return to the racetrack.
In 1986, Olson drove the car to 2nd place in a field of 30 300 SLs at Laguna Seca, and then attended the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, which was honouring the Mercedes-Benz marque that year. In his final competitive outing, Olson entered his Gullwing in the 1987 Mille Miglia and upon completion extended his European tour in Stuttgart where he presented the car at the annual Mercedes meeting. Finally, Olson decided it was time to retire from racing and in 1988 reluctantly sold the car to Alex Dearborn of Topfield, Massachusetts. In Olson's hand-written letter (on file) he tells Dearborn that over the past decade over $35,000 was spent on the mechanicals to draw out the car's 'guts and vinegar'. He goes on to say, "This car has soul, but don't be afraid of it. The harder you drive it, the more it loves you".
Dearborn immediately put this advice to the test and drove the Gullwing to 1st place overall at the Road America 300 SL Grand Prix in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The following year the car was treated to a repaint, again in Fire Engine Red, and was re-detailed, before entering the Historic Exhibition Race at Lime Rock, Connecticut, in 1989. According to magazine clippings, Dearborn and his Gullwing led the field for most of the race, but was out-manoeuvred towards the end by another Gullwing driven by Joe Tompkin. Crowds at the finish line erupted at the Mercedes one-two finish, reminiscent of the team victories celebrated by the factory race teams of the 1950s.
In 1990, Dearborn sold the car to a major East Coast collection. Never raced again, the Gullwing was routinely maintained and carefully stored by the collector and owner, keeping it in excellent condition. 'The paint is very good for a car restored almost 40 years ago, the engine bay is clean and tidy, and the interior exhibits a comfortable patina of careful use.' The Gullwing remains in similarly good condition today. There can be few 300 SL Gullwings with as much racing history as this one, which has to be all the more desirable for having been fitted by the factory - in period - with the highly desirable lightweight aluminium engine.
Accompanying the car is an extensive portfolio of documentation: race history, advertisements, a large number of period photos (including the car on the Mille Miglia 1989), judging record sheets, service invoices, hand-written correspondence and clippings from several magazines including Victory Lane and Vintage Motorsports. Maps of racing routes and photographs of the car en route add important historical background and colour to this extraordinary Gullwing's racing history. The car comes with Danish registration documents and we're informed by the vendor that the car, still today, is a magnificent driver car performing extremely well.
This car has it all: it is collectible, highly desirable, and a legendary Mercedes-Benz. It is beautiful, iconic, and ready for its next owner to enjoy.
"The 'new generation' GT was developed by Ford's Special Vehicle Team Engineering department under the direction of John Coletti and Fred Goodnow. The composite body panels were unstressed, as on the original, but instead of the monocoque chassis construction used in the 1960s, SVT Engineering developed an all-new aluminium spaceframe combining extruded sections and panels....
...In defeating Ferrari's more highly stressed V12s, Ford proved that the traditional American V8 possessed all that was necessary to compete at the cutting edge of international endurance racing. A far cry from the simple pushrod units of the 1960s, today's supercharged MOD 5.4-litre V8 produces 550bhp at 5,250rpm and 500lb/ft of torque at 3,250 revs; figures on a par with those of the 7.0-litre engine that won at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967. The all-synchromesh six-speed transaxle used ZF internals and was sourced from RBT Transmissions, whose founder Roy Butfoy had been a member of Ford's racing team at Le Mans."
~bonhams.com
One of only few (probably 1 of 2 left now) Ford GT in Ireland.
Photographed at Supercar Sunday in Limerick, Ireland.
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Porsche 718 RSK (1958) Engine 1498cc Type 547 DOHC boxer 4
Race Number 30 Robert + Albert Westerman
PORSCHE ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690528015...
The Porsche 718 is a series of one- or two-seat sports-racing cars built by Porsche from 1957 to 1962, designed by William Hild. Built on a spaceframe chassis, it has a mid-engined 142 horsepower 1.5-litre Type 547/3 quad-cam engine introduced in the 550A. The 718 was a development of the successful Porsche 550A with improvements made to the body work and suspension. The car's full name is 718 RSK, with the RS standind for RennSport (sport racing) and the K which reflects the shape of the car's revised torsion-bar suspension
The 718 made its racing debut at the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans driven by Umberto Maglioli and Edgar Barth, but failed to finish due to accident damage. In 1958 a 718 RSK 1.6litre Spyder Jean Behra and Hans Herrmann finished in third place ahead of the 718 RSK 1.5 litre driven by Edgar Barth and Paul Frère in fourth. Jean Behra also finished second in the Targa Florio in a 718. In 1959, the car, driven by Edgar Barth and Wolfgang Seidel, achieved overall victory at the Targa Florio for its first time. A 718 also won the European Hill Climb Championship in both 1958 and 1959. In 1961 Masten Gregory and Bob Holbert piloted a 718/4 RS Spyder to a class win at Le Mans. In 1963, Porsche got another Targa Florio victory, with a 718 GTR Coupé, making it three wins at that event for a 718 car.
Diolch am 82,263,585 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 82,263,585 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 05.06.2021. at Bicester Heritage Centre, Bicester, Oxon. 146-295
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Matra-Talbot Murena (1980-83) Engine 2174cc S4
Registration Number HTY 24 W (Newcastle on Tyne)
MATRA SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623795913876...
The Matra Murena was a 3-seat sports car produced from 1980 through 1983 by the French engineering group Matra. Replacing the very similar Matra Baghera. The car still had a steel spaceframe with body panels made of fibreglass-polyester, but to counter the rust issues plaguing the Bagheeras, the spaceframe was galvanized. The Murena was actually the first production car to use galvanized steel for all chassis parts. This, coupled with the composite panels, made the car essentially immune to rust, except for the rear trailing arms of the suspension.
The Murena also inherited Bagheera's mid-engined layout together with the sleek hatchback body shape, with the rear hatch allowing access to the engine mounted behind the passenger compartment. The styling was all-new, though, and the body very aerodynamic for its time. A unique feature carried over from the previous model was the seating arrangement - all three seats were placed in one row, with the middle seat folding down to become an armrest.
The more powerful version employed the 2.2 (Chrysler France engine), which also served as the base engine for the top of the range Talbot Tagora saloon. This engine was also available with the so-called S-kit that upgraded its output to 142 bhp - at first, it was a dealer-fitted option, but later it could be ordered straight from the factory.
Production of the Matra Murena was discontinued in 1983, when the Matra factory in Romorantin switched to production of the Renault Espace multi-people carrier.
Diolch am 87,568,420 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn 90cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 87,568,420 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 12.09.2021 at Cars in the Park, Lichfield Ref. 121-326
See more car pics on my facebook page!
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The Mercedes-AMG GT is a 2-door, 2-seat sports car produced by Mercedes-AMG since 2014. It is the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG after the SLS AMG.
The interior of the Mercedes-AMG GT was previewed on April 16, 2014. The car made its debut on September 9, 2014. At launch two models are available: the GT, with 340 kW (462 PS; 456 bhp), and the GT S with 375 kW (510 PS; 503 bhp). The GT has 600 N•m (443 lb•ft) of torque, and the GT S has 650 N•m (479 lb•ft) of torque.
Mercedes-AMG CEO Tobias Moers promised a Black Series variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT, as well as a GT3 racing and street version, to rival the Porsche 911 GT3.
The spaceframe chassis and body are made out of aluminium alloys, while the bootlid is steel and the engine bonnet magnesium. The suspensions are double wishbones front and rear, with forged aluminium wishbones and hub carriers.
The car is powered by a front-mid mounted M178 4-liter twin-turbo V8. This new V8 is in "hot inside V" configuration - with exhaust and turbochargers inside the cylinder banks - and uses dry-sump lubrication. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a transaxle 7-speed AMG Speedshift dual clutch gearbox; the GT S model employs an electronically controlled mechanical limited slip differential.
(Wikipedia)
The Eden Project (Cornish: Edenva) is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world. The project is located in a reclaimed Kaolinite pit, located 2 km (1.2 mi) from the town of St Blazey and 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the larger town of St Austell, Cornwall.
The complex is dominated by two huge enclosures consisting of adjoining domes that house thousands of plant species, and each enclosure emulates a natural biome. The domes consist of hundreds of hexagonal and pentagonal, inflated, plastic cells supported by steel frames. The first dome emulates a tropical environment, and the second a Mediterranean environment.
The project was conceived by Tim Smit and designed by architect Nicholas Grimshaw and engineering firm Anthony Hunt and Associates (now part of Sinclair Knight Merz). Davis Langdon carried out the project management, Sir Robert McAlpine and Alfred McAlpine did the construction, MERO designed and built the biomes, and Arup was the services engineer, economic consultant, environmental engineer and transportation engineer. Land use consultants led the masterplan and landscape design. The project took 2½ years to construct and opened to the public on 17 March 2001.
At the bottom of the pit are two covered biomes:
The Tropical Biome, covers 1.56 hectares (3.9 acres) and measures 55 metres (180 ft) high, 100 metres (328 ft) wide and 200 metres (656 ft) long. It is used for tropical plants, such as fruiting banana trees, coffee, rubber and giant bamboo, and is kept at a tropical temperature and moisture level.
The Tropical Biome
The Mediterranean Biome covers 0.654 hectares (1.6 acres) and measures 35 metres (115 ft) high, 65 metres (213 ft) wide and 135 metres (443 ft) long. It houses familiar warm temperate and arid plants such as olives and grape vines and various sculptures.
The Outdoor Biome (which is not covered) represents the temperate regions of the world with plants such as tea, lavender, hops, hemp and sunflowers.
The covered biomes are constructed from a tubular steel (hex-tri-hex) with mostly hexagonal external cladding panels made from the thermoplastic ETFE. Glass was avoided due to its weight and potential dangers. The cladding panels themselves are created from several layers of thin UV-transparent ETFE film, which are sealed around their perimeter and inflated to create a large cushion. The resulting cushion acts as a thermal blanket to the structure. The ETFE material is resistant to most stains, which simply wash off in the rain. If required, cleaning can be performed by abseilers. Although the ETFE is susceptible to punctures, these can be easily fixed with ETFE tape. The structure is completely self-supporting, with no internal supports, and takes the form of a geodesic structure. The panels vary in size up to 9 metres (29.5 ft) across, with the largest at the top of the structure.
The ETFE technology was supplied and installed by the firm Vector Foiltec, which is also responsible for ongoing maintenance of the cladding. The steel spaceframe and cladding package (with Vector Foiltec as ETFE subcontractor) was designed, supplied and installed by MERO (UK) PLC, who also jointly developed the overall scheme geometry with the architect, Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners.
The entire build project was managed by McAlpine Joint Venture.
Source: Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia
The 550 Spyder was Porsche's first model designed specifically for racing. Introduced in 1953, it became a racing icon, but it was notoriously difficult to drive. I 1956, Porsche released the upgraded 550A, which featured more predictable handling thanks to its lightweight, full-tube spaceframe and improved suspension. This 550A raced at the 1957 12 Hours of sebring as a Porsche factory works entry and was then sold to California dealer John Von Neumann. Renowned female driver Ruth Levy drove it in practice and in 1957 entered it in a race during Hawaiian International Sports Car Week at Dillingham Field near Honolulu, Hawaii.
Engine: 1.5-Liter flat-4
Horsepower: 135hp
Top Speed: 137 mph
From the collection of Jack and Kingsley Croul, Corona Del Mar, CA. At The Petersen Automotive Museum.
Alex Moulton launched the spaceframe AM Series in 1983.
Whereas the classic Moulton had been a quality mass market bicycle, the AM was much more upmarket. It was aimed at those who wanted the very best, and were willing to pay for it. It was produced on a modest scale, and Alex Mouton retained full control over its design and manufacture. He did not want to repeat his previous experience with Raleigh. The AM is still in production today.
The Moulton APB, or All Purpose Bicycle was launched in 1992. The APB was the realisation of Alex’s ambition to bring a lower cost spaceframe to a more mainstream market. This was achieved through the use of lower cost materials, more basic specification, and the hairpin version of the space-frame pioneered in the ATB. Manufacture was licensed to Pashley in Stratford-upon-Avon. The APB went through several revisions, increasing in specification and reducing in weight. It remained in production until 2005, when it was replaced by the TSR.
The example on the left is an APB 'Land Rover' edition from 1997.
In 2005, the Pashley Moulton TSR was launched, as a direct replacement for the APB. The TSR featured an improved frame design, unified rear triangle and a choice of frame models – either a V-braked model allowing large tyres, or a caliper braked model allowing a more restricted choice of tyres. A variety of specifications were available, including hub geared commuting models, and a 3×10 speed Campagnolo equipped touring model.
The example on the right is a TSR27 from 2011.
The Moulton bicycle is a unique design with many features that set it apart from other bicycles. Back in the 1950s, Alex Moulton defined the key features of the Moulton bicycle - small wheels, suspension, stiff unisex frame, adaptability to suit intended use, and innovation in design, engineering and manufacture.
Small wheels with high pressure tyres have been integral to the Moulton design from the beginning. The combination of the lower rolling resistance of high pressure tyres and the lower aerodynamic drag of small wheels, allows the bicycle to go faster with less effort.
In contrast to large bicycle wheels, the smaller Moulton wheels are immensely strong. Their lower moment of inertia allows faster acceleration and more responsive steering. Smaller wheels also reduce the overall length of the bicycle, making it compact and easier to transport.
In order to accommodate the hard ride of the ultra-rigid frame, strong wheels and high pressure tyres, full suspension has been a mandatory feature of all Moulton bicycles. This coupling of advanced suspension and small wheels provides superior comfort and road holding.
As with other vehicles, bicycle frame stiffness is a key element of performance. Lateral rigidity is vital, as any of the rider's energy spent flexing a frame is lost. A stiff frame also ensures accurate wheel tracking for secure road holding and cornering stability.
The unique Moulton space frame, a highly engineered lattice of small diameter tubes, is far stiffer than a conventional diamond frame. This frame architecture fits riders of all sizes and the low step-through allows the bike to be mounted with ease by both sexes. The low weight and high stiffness of the Moulton frame produces a ride that is lively and amazingly efficient.
All Moulton bicycles are inherently more compact and most feature separable frames for storage or transport. This separability introduces no compromises other than a little extra weight; there is no loss of stiffness or ride quality. When disassembled, the two halves of a Moulton fit easily in the boot of a car or travel case.
Development of the Lancia F1-car started in 1953 under supervision of Vittorio Jano, former chief-engineer at Alfa-Romeo. He opted for a V8, and in an effort to minimize the overall length, the engine was a structural part of the chassis, a novelty in racing at the time. The engine and the rear-mounted transmission were connected by a spaceframe. Aluminum fuel tanks were fitted as side pontoons between the wheels for optimum weight distribution. The driver seat sat lower than in most contemporary GP cars, because a single-piece propshaft ran alongside his seat. The D50 was very quick, but theeting problems prevented major successes. At the end of 1955, the Lancia team was handed over to Ferrari. In 1956 the only slightly modified Lancia-Ferraris D50 became World Champion with Fangio.
2.499 cc
V8
250 hp
Lancia 120 Years - innovation through Italian Design
27/02/2026 - 19/04/2026
Autoworld
Brussels - Belgium
March 2026
There were just 90 550 Spyders built. I don't know how much still exist. I also don't know how much a original one like this cost! (There's no one for sale atm)
Do you have any informations about the number of cars which still exist or the worth of them?
The Porsche 550 was a sports car produced by Porsche from 1953-1956.
Inspired by the Porsche 356 which was created by Ferry Porsche, and some spyder prototypes built and raced by Walter Glöckler starting in 1951, the factory decided to build a car designed for use in auto racing. The model Porsche 550 Spyder was introduced at the 1953 Paris Auto Show. The 550 was very low to the ground, in order to be efficient for racing. In fact, former German Formula One racer Hans Herrmann drove it under closed railroad crossing gates during the 1954 Mille Miglia.
The 550 / 1500RS or Spyder became known as the "Giant Killer". The later 1956 evolution version of the model, the 550A, which had a lighter and more rigid spaceframe chassis, gave Porsche its first overall win in a major sports car racing event, the 1956 Targa Florio.
Its successor from 1957 onwards, the Porsche 718, was even more successful, scoring points in Formula One as late as 1963. A descendant of the Porsche 550 is generally considered to be the Porsche Boxster S 550 Spyder; the Spyder name was effectively resurrected with the RS Spyder Le Mans Prototype.
The Porsche 550 "Little Bastard", serial number 550-0055 is best known for being the car in which James Dean was killed on September 30, 1955.
Messerschmidt KR200 (1955-64) Engine 191cc S1 TS
Production 40,000
Registration Number HHJ 362 (Southend on Sea)
MESSERSCHMIDT (Car) ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157624963580230
Messerschmidt were temporarily banned from building aircraft following World War II and had turned to producing other products, in 1952 they were approached by Fritz Fend with a view to manufacturing a small motor model was the KR175 launched in 1952 powered by a 175cc engine. based on his Fend Flitzer invalid carriage. The first vehicle was the From this came the three wheeled KR175 a two seater with tandem seats, with tubular spaceframe, handle bar steering, and bonded rubber suspension the KR standing for Kabinenroller - scooter with a cabin
Replaced in 1955 by the larger engined KR200 which incorporated the same basic frame as the KR175 with changes to the bodywork (notably including wheel cutouts in the front fenders) and an improved canopy design and had a car type throttle and clutch, Dyna start and a reversible engine. THe KR200 was powered by a 91cc Fichtel & Sachs air-cooled, single cylinder, two-stroke engine positioned in front of the rear wheel. ] The rear suspension and engine mounting were reworked, and hydraulic shock absorbers were installed at all three wheels. Tire sizes were enlarged to 4.00×8
Retailing for around DM 2,500, the KR200 was considered an instant success with almost 12,000 built during its first year, maximum speed was probably determined by the bravery of its pilot but due its lightweight the little car was capable of a speed in excess of 90 km/h (56 mph)
In 1956, around a year after West Germany joined NATO, Messerschmitt was allowed to manufacture aircraft again and lost interest in Fend's microcars. Messerschmitt sold the Regensburg works to Fend who, with brake and hub supplier Valentin Knott, formed Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH Regensburg (FMR) to continue production of the KR200 but as the German and other economies began to recover sales of the bubble car derivatives decline and Messerchmidt car production ceased
Diolch am 78,143,421 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 78,143,421 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 06.10.2019 at Bicester Scramble, Bicester, Oxon. 143-1330
Chassis n° DB4/677/L
Bonhams
Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris
The Grand Palais Éphémère
Place Joffre
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2023
Estimated : € 260.000 - 340.000
Sold for € 345.000
"Performance, controllability and comfort have been combined in the Aston Martin DB4 to make it a highly desirable car; one in which long journeys can be completed very quickly indeed with the minimum of risk or discomfort, and the maximum of pleasure." – The Motor.
At its launch in October 1958, the DB4 marked a major turning point for Aston Martin as it was the first car of the David Brown era which neither used a chassis derived from the experimental Atom of 1939 nor the W O Bentley-era engine. Moreover, it was the first Aston Martin to carry Carrozzeria Touring's 'Superleggera' bodywork, in which light alloy panels were fixed to a framework of light-gauge steel tubes welded to a platform chassis. Immensely strong, the latter had been designed by Harold Beach and replaced the preceding DB2/4's multi-tubular spaceframe, which was considered incompatible with the Superleggera body construction.
The DB2/4's trailing-link independent front suspension gave way to unequal-length wishbones, while at the rear the DB4 sported a live axle located by a Watts linkage instead of its predecessor's Panhard rod. Boasting disc brakes all round and with 240bhp on tap, the DB4 was the first production car capable of accelerating from a standing start to 100mph and back to rest again in under 30 seconds. At a time when few family saloons were capable of exceeding 70mph and took an age to get there, this staggering performance made the DB4 just about the fastest thing on the road, easily the equal of its Italian rivals. The DB4 was available only as a closed sports saloon until September 1961 when the convertible version was unveiled at that year's Motor Show. Priced at £4,449, it was £250 more expensive than the saloon. Passenger space was little changed, though there was more headroom than the saloon could offer.
Although styled by Touring, the DB4's gorgeous fastback coachwork was built under license at Newport Pagnell by Aston Martin, which employed some of the finest panel beaters in the industry. The result was a car whose sleek lines were described as 'unmistakably Italian and yet... equally unmistakably Aston Martin.' The 3.7-litre, six-cylinder power unit was the work of Tadek Marek and had first been seen at Le Mans the previous year in the works DBR2 sports-racer, while the gearbox was a new David Brown four-speed all-synchromesh unit. The Motor recorded a two-way mean maximum speed of almost 140mph in their 'test' DB4, while at the same time recording acceleration figures from 10mph in top gear!
Manufactured between October 1958 and June 1963, the DB4 developed through no fewer than five series. However, it should be made clear that the cars were not thus designated by the factory, this nomenclature having been suggested subsequently by the Aston Martin Owners Club to aid identification as the model evolved. The first series had already undergone a number of improvements, including the fitting of heavy-duty bumpers after the first 50 cars, before the second series arrived in January 1960. A front-hinged bonnet, bigger brake callipers and an enlarged sump were the major changes made on the Series 2, while the Series 3 of 1961 featured separate rear lights, two bonnet stays and a host of improvements to the interior fittings. Manufactured between September 1961 and October 1962, the Series 4 was readily distinguishable by its shallower bonnet intake, recessed rear lights and new grille with seven vertical bars. The final Series 5 was lengthened by some 3½", to 15' (allowing for increased legroom and a larger boot) and gained 15" wheels, an electric radiator fan, and the DB4 GT-type instrument panel.
According to the accompanying copy guarantee form, left-hand drive chassis number '677/L' was delivered via the French Aston Martin agent Société Mirabeau in May 1961 and first owned by a Mr Boris Henry of Paris. The car left the factory finished in Black Pearl with black Connolly leather trim, and was equipped with an overdrive, high-compression engine, chrome road wheels, and an oil cooler. The form also records that a replacement engine ('370/698') was fitted in August 1961. Since its acquisition by the vendor the car has been dry stored and will therefore require re-commissioning before turning to the road.
Paul Emery was one of the unsung heroes of the UK’s vibrant post-war motor-racing scene. A talented engineer and driver, he had worked with his father during the 1930s and entered his first race in 1936 at Donington Park.
Following World War Two, the Emeryson company built cars for everything from the 500cc Formula 3 category to Formula 1.
Emery’s Formula 2 design also formed the basis for this unique road-legal sports car, which was built in 1961 for Ray Fielding to drive in hillclimb events. Its specification included a spaceframe chassis, a 1460cc Coventry Climax FWB engine and a Cooper-ERSA gearbox, plus disc brakes all round and rack-and-pinion steering.
This one-of-a-kind Emeryson F2, JCM 700, is now being offered for sale at the Classic Motor Hub. This compact and lightweight ‘racing car for the road’ not only survives as a tribute to the talent of Paul Emery, it is just as exhilarating today as it was when it first took to the hills more than 60 years ago.
Ferrari 456 GT (1994-98) Engine 5474cc V12 Production 1548 (+ 403 456GTA, 688 456M GT, and 650 456 M GTA = Total 3289)
Registration Number C 5 FGT (London SE)
FERRARI SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665054999...
Introduced as a 4 seat front engine Grand Tourer as a belated replacement for the 412. Designed by Pietro Camardella under Lorenzo Ramaciotti at Pininfarina and originally only available as the 456 GT with the GTA, an Automatic version joining the range in 1996. The 5474cc V12, with 4 valve per cylininder engine produces 436bhp in a car of 1690kg. The chassis is tubular steel spaceframe construction, with a one piece composite bonnet and body panels of aluminium
A modified 456M was introduced in 1998 with improved aerodynamics, cooling system and interior which was to run until 2003
Thanks for a stunning 61,610,560 views
Diolch am olygfa anhygoel, 61,610,560 oblogaeth y Lloegr honno dros y Mynyddoedd
Shot 30-07-2017 exiting the 2017 Silverstone Classic REF 129-182
Ferrari Dino 308GT4 (1973-80) Engine 2926cc V8 Tr QOC Production 2826
Registration Number YNU 113 S (Nottingham)
FERRARI SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665054999...
The Dino 308 GT4 was introduced in 1973 and supplemented by the 208 GT4 in 1975. The cars were sold with Dino badging (continuing the Dino brand to differentiate non-V12 Ferrari) until May 1976, when they received Ferrari badging
The GT4 was a ground breaking model for Ferrari in several ways: it was the first production Ferrari to feature the mid-engined V8 layout, and was the first production Ferrari with Bertone (rather than Pininfarina) designed bodywork. The Marcello Gandini styling featured angular lines entirely different from its curvaceous 2-seater brother, the Dino 246, and was controversial at the time. The chassis was a tubular spaceframe based on the Dino 246, but was stretched for a longer wheelbase making room for a second set of seats, Nicki Lauda had a hand in the chassis set up
The 3.0 L (2927 cc) V8 was mounted transversally integrally joined with the 5-speed transaxle gearbox The engine had an aluminium alloy block and heads, 16-valves and dual overhead camshafts driven by toothed belts; it produced 255 hp in the European version reduced to 240bhp for North America
The 308 GT4 debuted at the 1973 Paris Motor Show, sporting a Dino badged, the cars finally gained the prancing horse in 1978 during a rebadging in an attempt to boost sales. There were two series of GT4; the earlier cars featured a twin distributor engine and foglamps mounted in the front valance. Later cars had a single distributor engine, with foglamps mounted behind the front grille.
Diolch am 97,768,791 o olygiadau gwych, mae pob un ohonynt yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 97,768,791 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 10.09.2022, at Statfold Barn Railway, near Tamworth, Staffordshire REF 164-046
Lamborghini Contach LP400 (1974-78) Engine 3929cc V12 Production 150 (Periscopio) (2042 all Countach 1974-90)
LAMBORGHINI SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623795819738...
The Lamborghini Countach is a mid-engined supercar that was produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars.
The Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini of the Bertone design studio. The doors, a Countach trademark, were scissor doors: hinged at the front with horizontal hinges, so that the doors lifted up and tilted forwards. The main reason is the car's tubular spaceframe chassis results in very high and wide door sills.
The mid mounted traditional Lamborghini V12 drives the rear wheels.
This RHD car is an early Periscopio version, perhaps the purest of the breed only 150 of these were built it was originally supplied to its first owner in Australia the lucky owner personally picking up the car fron Sant Agata
Thankyou for a massive 57,349,503 views
Shot 28.10.2016 at The Alexandra Palace, London REF 124-121
Gordon-Keeble was a British car marque, made first in Slough, then Eastleigh, and finally in Southampton (all in England), between 1964 and 1967. The marque's badge was unusual in featuring a tortoise — a pet tortoise walked into the frame of an inaugural photo-shoot, taken in the grounds of the makers. Because of the irony (the slowness of tortoises) the animal was chosen as the emblem.
The Gordon-Keeble came about when John Gordon, formerly of the struggling Peerless company, and Jim Keeble got together in 1959 to make the Gordon GT car, initially by fitting a Chevrolet Corvette V8 engine, into a chassis by Peerless, for a USAF pilot named Nielsen. Impressed with the concept, a 4.6 litre Chevrolet (283 c.i.) V8 was fitted into a specially designed square-tube steel spaceframe chassis, with independent front suspension and all-round disc brakes. The complete chassis was then taken to Turin, Italy, where a body made of steel panels designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro was built by Bertone. The car's four five-inch headlights were in the rare, slightly angled "slanted" arrangement also used by a few other European marques, generally for high-speed cars such as Lagonda Rapide, Lancia Flaminia and Triumphs, as well as Rolls-Royce. The interior had an old luxury jet feel, with white on black gauges, toggle switches, and quilted aircraft PVC.
...
E52
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais 2020
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2020
Estimated : € 140.000 - 170.000
Sold for € 151.800
In recent times many motor manufacturers, particularly those with a significant sporting heritage, have felt the need to reference iconic models from the past when launching their latest. BMW has proved adept at exploiting this 'retro' trend, commencing in 1996 with the Z3 coupé and convertible, the styling of which brilliantly recalled its fabulous '328' sports car of pre-war days. Its next effort along similar lines - the 'Z07' concept car of 1997 - took its inspiration from the post-war Alfred Goetz-designed '507', a luxurious limited-edition roadster.
The sensation of the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show, the Z07 was received so enthusiastically that BMW took the decision to press ahead with a production version: the Z8. For the most part the Z8 remained remarkably faithful to the original concept, retaining the 507-like twin-nostril front grille and distinctive front-wing vents. A period-style interior had been one of the Z07's most remarked upon features, and that too made it into the Z8.
The Z8's body panelling and spaceframe chassis were fabricated in lightweight and corrosion resistant aluminium, while the 32-valve 4,941cc V8 engine, shared with the M5 saloon, was built by BMW's Motorsport division. With 400bhp on tap, the Z8 raced to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.7 seconds and only the built-in rev limiter stopped it from exceeding 250km/h (155mph). Power reached the run-flat tyres via a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox. Needless to say, the Z8 also came with all the modern appurtenances one would expect of a flagship model: traction control, stability control, front and side air bags, GPS navigation, climate control, and power operation of the seats, steering wheel, and convertible hood all being included in the package.
The fact that the Z8 was a low-volume model assembled, for the most part, by hand, enabled BMW to offer customers considerable freedom in personalising their cars. Further enhancing its appeal to collectors, the factory announced that a 50-year stockpile of Z8 parts would be maintained. Despite a (US) launch price of over $128,000, initial demand was so high that a bidding war broke out, with many Z8s selling for well in excess of that figure. By the time production ceased at the end of 2002, 5,703 of these fabulous cars had been built.
This particular BMW Z8 was built to European specification and delivered new to Panama for an exhibition in Cuba, and from there went to Canada. Offered for sale by the original owner, it has covered only some 21,300 kilometres from new and is presented in commensurately good condition, benefiting from extensive servicing and fault rectification carried out by BMW Autohaus of Ontario, Canada in April 2019 (see accompanying bill for $8,686). Finished in Topaz Blue Metallic with black leather interior, this car comes complete with a Canadian registration document and all its original books and tools in their original leather case and rollup pouch.
Please note this motor car is subject to the normal local import tax on Hammer Price and Buyer's Premium, should it remains in the EU.
Bonhams is the guarantor of the customs duties and taxes clearance: consequently, this motor car cannot be released to the buyer or his transporter immediately after the sale.
See more car pics on my facebook page!
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The Mercedes-Benz 190SL is a two-door grand touring roadster with an optional removable hardtop that was produced byMercedes-Benz between May 1955 and February 1963. A prototype was first shown at the 1954 New York Auto Show.
The 190SL was sold alongside the faster, more expensive Mercedes-Benz 300SL, which it closely resembled both in its styling, engineering, detailing and fully independent suspension, both cars having double wishbone suspensions at the front and swing axles at the rear. However, the 190SL did not use the 300SL's purpose-built tubular spaceframe W198 platform, but was built on a shortened and monocoque R121 platform that modified from the W121 small saloon.
(Wikipedia)
Land Rover LCV2-3 Concept Vehicle (1997) Engine 2492cc V6
Registration Number J 781 JHY
LAND ROVER
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623671619947...
In the face of ever rising fuel costs and increasingly stringest emissions legistlation, in the early 1990's, Land Rover were looking to lightweight technologies for their range of 4x4 vehicles. The LCV (Lightweight Concept Vehicle) programme looked at ways of taking on board these technologies to help enhance Land Rovers off road abilities, and to push combined fuel economy to around 40 mpg.
The first such experimental vehicle LCV 1 was based on a Series 1 Discovery, weight was reduced by replacing the steel chassis frame and body panels with aluminium. The second vehicle LCV 2 was based on a Defender 90 using a bespoke bonded and riveted spaceframe, it retained the strength and durability of a standard Defender, the ensueing weight reduction gave significantly improved fuel economy, increased performance and lost non of the Defenders off road abilities.
LCV2-3 further developed lightweight technologies to the benefit of vehicle performance. The spaceframe design followed along the lines of LCV 2 though the upper structure was redesigned altering the body from station wagon to pick up along with style changes to improve aerodynamics, the vehicle was further update with revised cab interior. The 2 litre diesel engine was replaced witha n aluminium 2.5 litre V6 petrol enige to improve performance
Many thanks for a Supersonic
53,436.313 views
Shot 29.05.2016 at Gaydon Motor Museum, Transport Show REF 119-154
Chassis n° DB4C/1069/L
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 1.200.000 - 1.400.000
Unsold
Zoute Grand Prix 2022
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2022
'The Aston Martin DB4 was perhaps the finest compromise which the David Brown-owned company ever achieved between exceptionally high-quality, exceptionally high-performance, exceptionally lavish finishing and yet properly contained overall size and weight – a great British product, benefiting from the styling input of Touring of Milan...' – Motors, 1965.
Classically proportioned and instantly recognisable from the moment of its introduction in 1958, the Touring-styled Aston Martin DB4 established a look that would survive, with only minor revisions, until 1970. Moreover, it was the first Aston Martin to carry Carrozzeria Touring's 'Superleggera' bodywork, in which light alloy panels were fixed to a framework of light-gauge steel tubes welded to a platform chassis. Although styled by Touring, the DB4's gorgeous fastback coachwork was built under license at Newport Pagnell by Aston Martin, which employed some of the finest panel beaters in the industry. The result was a car whose sleek lines were described as 'unmistakably Italian and yet... equally unmistakably Aston Martin'.
Designed by Tadek Marek and already proven in racing, the DB4's new twin-cam six-cylinder engine displaced 3,670cc while the gearbox was a new David Brown four-speed all-synchromesh unit. An immensely strong platform-type chassis, designed by Harold Beach, replaced the preceding DB2/4's multi-tubular spaceframe, the latter being considered incompatible with Touring's Superleggera body construction. The DB2/4's trailing-link independent front suspension gave way to unequal-length wishbones while at the rear the DB4 sported a live axle located by a Watts linkage instead of its predecessor's Panhard rod. Boasting disc brakes all round and with 240bhp on tap, the DB4 was the first production car capable of accelerating from a standing start to 100mph and back to rest again in under 30 seconds. At a time when few family saloons were capable of exceeding 70mph and took an age to get there, this staggering performance made the DB4 just about the fastest thing on the road, easily the equal of its Italian rivals.
Manufactured between October 1958 and June 1963, the DB4 developed through no fewer than five series. However, it should be made clear that the cars were not thus designated by the factory, this nomenclature having been suggested subsequently by the Aston Martin Owners Club to aid identification as the model evolved. The first cars had already undergone a number of improvements, including the fitting of heavy-duty bumpers after the first 50 had been made, before the 2nd series arrived in January 1960. A front-hinged bonnet, bigger brake callipers and an enlarged sump were the major changes made on the Series II, while the 3rd series featured separate rear lights, two bonnet stays and a host of improvements to the interior fittings. The 4th series was readily distinguishable by its new grille, with seven vertical bars, shallower bonnet intake and recessed rear lights, while the final (5th) series manufactured between September 1962 and June 1963 was built on a 3½" longer wheelbase (allowing for increased leg room and a larger boot) and gained 15" wheels, an electric radiator fan and the DB4GT-type instrument panel. Including Vantage and convertible models, approximately 1,100 DB4s were produced between 1958 and 1963.
The DB4 was available only as a closed sports saloon until September 1961 when the convertible version was unveiled at that year's Motor Show. Priced at £4,449, it was £250 more expensive than the saloon. Passenger space was little changed, though there was more headroom than the saloon could offer.
Its accompanying copy guarantee form shows that this Aston Martin DB4 Convertible, 'DB4C/1069/L', was delivered in July 1962 via US agent J S Inskip and sold new to Robert S Salant of Long Island, New York, USA. The car left the Newport Pagnell factory finished in Dubonnet Rosso with fawn interior trim and was delivered with following items of non-standard equipment: overdrive, chrome wheels, driver's side wing mirror, block letter initials to the doors, and a 'GB' plate.
The Aston's second known owner was a Mr A P Moody of Chicago, Illinois, who kept the car from 1989 to 1999 when it was acquired by Mr Paul Faber of Luxembourg. When Mr Faber died, the car passed to his friend, the current vendor, who has not registered it in his name.
Beautifully finished in Dubonnet Rosso, a colour very popular with Aston Martin's customers, '1069/L' is a fully matching-numbers example: the chassis, engine, and gearbox are all original. The engine was upgraded to the more powerful Vantage specification early in the car's life, and that, coupled with the highly desirable overdrive gearbox and new modern power steering (by Aston Heritage), makes for a highly pleasurable driving experience. The car rolls on Borrani wire wheels and comes with an original and very rare factory hardtop.
Aston Martin specialists Noble House in the Netherlands have carried out a major service which included renewing all the brakes and fitting new tyres and a new fuel tank (invoice on file). All paperwork is up to date.
Combining Aston Martin's traditional virtues of style and performance with the joys of open-air motoring, the DB4 Cabriolet is most sought after and highly prized today. With the exception of the Zagato, the DB4 Cabriolet is the rarest Aston Martin road car of the David Brown era with a total of only 70 built, six less than the legendary DB4 GT, only 10 of which were left-hand drive like this gorgeous example.
The Mercedes-AMG GT (C190) is a 2-door, 2-seat grand tourer coupé produced by Mercedes-AMG. The sports car was presented on September 9, 2014 and was officially unveiled to the public in October 2014 at the Paris Motor Show. After the SLS AMG, it is the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG. The car is produced in two performance variations, with the Mercedes-AMG GT S (C120) having a slightly higher performance. Both models went on sale in March 2015, with a GT3 racing variant of the car expected to be released in 2016. All variants are assembled at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen, Germany.
History
The interior of the Mercedes-AMG GT was previewed on April 16, 2014. The car made its debut on September 9, 2014 and was officially unveiled to the public in October 2014 at the Paris Motor Show with two performance options: the GT, with 350 kW (476 PS; 469 bhp), and the GT S with 375 kW (510 PS; 503 bhp). The GT has 600 N·m (443 lb·ft) of torque, and the GT S has 650 N·m (479 lb·ft) of torque.
The Mercedes-AMG GT S is Formula 1's current safety car, having made its debut in that role at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix.
Specifications
The GT uses a front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, with the engine inside the vehicle's wheelbase. The spaceframe chassis and body are made out of aluminium alloys, while the boot lid is steel and the engine bonnet magnesium. The suspensions are double wishbones front and rear, with forged aluminium wishbones and hub carriers.
The car is powered by a front-mid mounted M178 4-litre twin-turbo V8. This new V8 is in "hot inside V" configuration—with exhaust and turbochargers inside the cylinder banks to reduce turbo lag—and uses dry-sump lubrication. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a transaxle 7-speed AMG Speedshift dual-clutch transmission; the GT S model employs an electronically controlled mechanical limited-slip differential. In a road test executed by Car and Driver, the AMG GT S accelerated from 0–60 mph in 3.0 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds.
[Text from Wikipedia]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-AMG_GT
This Lego miniland-scale Mercedes-AMG GT S F1 Safety Car has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 101st Build Challenge, titled - 'A Matter of Life and Death!'. In this challenge, any vehicle can be built that associates with the themes of life or death.
The F1 Safety car has been used more frequently over the past 20 years, but has been used as part of a number of specialist cars to improve the sports safety, including medical cars for life-saving, rapid emergency intervention.
See more car pics on my facebook page!
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The Mercedes-AMG GT is a 2-door, 2-seat sports car produced by Mercedes-AMG since 2014. It is the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG after the SLS AMG.
The interior of the Mercedes-AMG GT was previewed on April 16, 2014. The car made its debut on September 9, 2014. At launch two models are available: the GT, with 340 kW (462 PS; 456 bhp), and the GT S with 375 kW (510 PS; 503 bhp). The GT has 600 N•m (443 lb•ft) of torque, and the GT S has 650 N•m (479 lb•ft) of torque.
Mercedes-AMG CEO Tobias Moers promised a Black Series variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT, as well as a GT3 racing and street version, to rival the Porsche 911 GT3.
The spaceframe chassis and body are made out of aluminium alloys, while the bootlid is steel and the engine bonnet magnesium. The suspensions are double wishbones front and rear, with forged aluminium wishbones and hub carriers.
The car is powered by a front-mid mounted M178 4-liter twin-turbo V8. This new V8 is in "hot inside V" configuration - with exhaust and turbochargers inside the cylinder banks - and uses dry-sump lubrication. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a transaxle 7-speed AMG Speedshift dual clutch gearbox; the GT S model employs an electronically controlled mechanical limited slip differential.
(Wikipedia)
The Renault Avantime is a grand tourer marketed by the French manufacturer Renault, designed and manufactured by Matra, between 2001 and 2003. As a one-box design without B-pillars, styled by Patrick Le Quément, the Avantime combined the design elements of an MPV, estate or shooting brake with the style of a 2+2 coupé and elements of a convertible.
The name 'Avantime' is a portmanteau of the French word Avant' (meaning "ahead") and the English word 'time'.
The Avantime was designed and developed in-house by Renault affiliate Matra and was conceived by Philippe Guédon, head of the automotive division at Matra, who "believed that the children of Espace owners remained loyal to the car even after they had grown up and left home. As a result, the renowned estate was gaining a generation of new drivers."
Styled by Patrick Le Quément, the Avantime was intended to combine the space of an estate with the four place pillarless qualities of a coupé. Regarding the styling, Thierry Metroz, design project manager, said, "We wanted someone walking around the car to be continually astonished." Anthony Grade, Renault‘s vice-president of design said, "The exterior and interior had to be coherent.
The one-box design eliminated B-pillars and featured an aluminium structure, aluminium panels for the greenhouse and a full sunroof of strengthened heat-reflecting glass.
The design borrowed the automotive space frame of the first generation Renault Espace (load bearing galvanized structure with non-load bearing composite panels) and used Renault's 24 valve, 207 hp (152 kW) 3.0L V6 engine, which was coupled to a six-speed manual transmission or five-speed automatic transmission.
The Avantime's sales were poor. When Matra decided to pull out of the automotive production business in 2003 (partly as a result of the financial loss incurred by the poor sales of the Avantime), Renault chose to discontinue the Avantime rather than move its production elsewhere. 8,557 were built from 2001 to 2003, a figure that makes it one of the worst-selling cars of all time.
As for most of the models built his November, the Renault Avantime is a major redesign of a previously created model. In LUGNuts there was a build challenge named 'Redo or Redemption' just for this type of build.
W198
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 1.200.000 - 1.400.000
Sold for € 1.380.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2022
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2022
"When it was first announced by Mercedes-Benz, the production 300 SL Coupé was a startling car built to the German concern's customarily startling standards, but above all what left the general public most open-mouthed about the new car was its upward-opening Gullwing doors...!" - Motors, 1963.
Mercedes-Benz returned to post-war competition in 1952, fielding two of its new 300 SL (W194) sports cars in the Mille Miglia. The pair finishing a creditable 2nd and 4th overall in this most difficult of events and this promising start was followed up by a win in the challenging Carrera Panamericana. The works first raced the 300 SL (Sport Leicht) in open form, but for the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in June a trio of 'Gullwing'-doored coupés was entered. High sills were a feature of the multi-tubular spaceframe chassis, and while access was not a problem of the open car, the coupé bodywork required innovative thinking - hence the Gullwing doors. Karl Kling and Hans Klenk duly brought their 'Silver Arrow' home in first place and the 300 SL was on its way to becoming part of motor sporting legend.
The 300 SL had not been planned for volume production, and it took Max Hoffman, Mercedes-Benz's US importer, to convince the factory bosses that sufficient demand existed to make it viable. The fact that Hoffman placed an order for 1,000 cars must have helped. Given that the model was first and foremost intended for the USA, the 300 SL was launched at the New York International Auto Show, rather than at the hitherto preferred Frankfurt or Geneva shows.
Introduced in 1954, the production 300 SL retained the spaceframe chassis and lightweight aluminium-alloy bodywork of the W194 racer while its mechanical underpinnings, like the latter's, owed much to the contemporary Mercedes-Benz 300 luxury saloon. A 2,996cc overhead-camshaft inline six, the 300 SL's engine was canted at 45 degrees to achieve a low bonnet line and produced 215bhp (DIN) at 5,800rpm using Bosch mechanical fuel injection. A four-speed, all-synchromesh manual gearbox transmitted power to the hypoid bevel rear axle. Suspension was independent all round: by wishbones and coil springs at the front, with swing axles and coil springs at the rear.
A production 300 SL (W198) was tested by Road & Track magazine in 1955, accelerating from 0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 225km/h. Half expecting the long-awaited 300 SL to provide an anti-climax, R&T were delighted to find the new car, 'far beyond our wildest expectations. In fact, we can state unequivocally that in our opinion the 300 SL coupé is the ultimate in an all-round sportscar. It combines more desirable features in one streamlined package than we ever imagined or hoped would be possible. Performance? It accelerates from a dead start to 100mph in just over 17 seconds. Dual purpose? A production model 300 SL can make a very acceptable showing in any type of sportscar competition. Yet the car is extremely tractable and easy to drive in traffic. Comfort? The fully enclosed 300 SL is the most comfortable (and safe) high-speed 'cross-country' car built today.'
A 300 SL roadster featuring conventional doors was first exhibited at the Geneva Salon in May 1957 and, although built in greater numbers, has never matched the immortal Gullwing for desirability. Its racing parentage notwithstanding, the 300 SL remains a thoroughly practical car, as civilised in city traffic as it is exhilarating on the autostrada. By the time 300 SL Coupé production ceased in 1957, some 1,400 examples had found customers. Today the model is both rare and most sought after by connoisseurs of fine automobiles.
This particular Gullwing was completed at the factory on 10th January 1955. The car was ordered in the gorgeous shade of red (DB 534) over a black (953) interior. The car's early years are undocumented, but records suggest that this Gullwing was raced right from the start, as it was shipped back to Stuttgart in the 1960s where it received a new aluminium engine complete with sports camshaft (invoice on file). Many years later, in November 1978, the car was advertised in Hemmings Motor News for sale at $30,000, completely restored in Fire Engine Red with black interior and only 13,000 miles on the new aluminium motor. Mr John Olson, editor and publisher of the SL Market Letter in Minneapolis, Minnesota, snapped up the car and a new era began.
In 1982, Olson entered the car in the 3,000-mile Four Ball Rally from Boston to San Diego. Apparently averaging a 'sedate' 65mph, the 27-year-old classic (the oldest car in the field) finished in 47 hours. The following year the 300 SL came in 3rd in the Coast to Coast Cannonball, a strenuous feat which resulted in Olson having the Gullwing overhauled in April 1984 under the watchful eye of Paul Russell at Gullwing Service Co in Essex, Massachusetts. With all systems fully overhauled, it was time to return to the racetrack.
In 1986, Olson drove the car to 2nd place in a field of 30 300 SLs at Laguna Seca, and then attended the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, which was honouring the Mercedes-Benz marque that year. In his final competitive outing, Olson entered his Gullwing in the 1987 Mille Miglia and upon completion extended his European tour in Stuttgart where he presented the car at the annual Mercedes meeting. Finally, Olson decided it was time to retire from racing and in 1988 reluctantly sold the car to Alex Dearborn of Topfield, Massachusetts. In Olson's hand-written letter (on file) he tells Dearborn that over the past decade over $35,000 was spent on the mechanicals to draw out the car's 'guts and vinegar'. He goes on to say, "This car has soul, but don't be afraid of it. The harder you drive it, the more it loves you".
Dearborn immediately put this advice to the test and drove the Gullwing to 1st place overall at the Road America 300 SL Grand Prix in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The following year the car was treated to a repaint, again in Fire Engine Red, and was re-detailed, before entering the Historic Exhibition Race at Lime Rock, Connecticut, in 1989. According to magazine clippings, Dearborn and his Gullwing led the field for most of the race, but was out-manoeuvred towards the end by another Gullwing driven by Joe Tompkin. Crowds at the finish line erupted at the Mercedes one-two finish, reminiscent of the team victories celebrated by the factory race teams of the 1950s.
In 1990, Dearborn sold the car to a major East Coast collection. Never raced again, the Gullwing was routinely maintained and carefully stored by the collector and owner, keeping it in excellent condition. 'The paint is very good for a car restored almost 40 years ago, the engine bay is clean and tidy, and the interior exhibits a comfortable patina of careful use.' The Gullwing remains in similarly good condition today. There can be few 300 SL Gullwings with as much racing history as this one, which has to be all the more desirable for having been fitted by the factory - in period - with the highly desirable lightweight aluminium engine.
Accompanying the car is an extensive portfolio of documentation: race history, advertisements, a large number of period photos (including the car on the Mille Miglia 1989), judging record sheets, service invoices, hand-written correspondence and clippings from several magazines including Victory Lane and Vintage Motorsports. Maps of racing routes and photographs of the car en route add important historical background and colour to this extraordinary Gullwing's racing history. The car comes with Danish registration documents and we're informed by the vendor that the car, still today, is a magnificent driver car performing extremely well.
This car has it all: it is collectible, highly desirable, and a legendary Mercedes-Benz. It is beautiful, iconic, and ready for its next owner to enjoy.
Morgan Three Wheel (2011-on) Engine 1982cc V2
Registration Number AK 07 TNK (Presumably a tranferred cherished number, originally allocated from Reading)
MORGAN SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623797607694...
Powered by a US built V2 engine with an output of 100bhp from engine specialists S + S makers of Harley Davidson engines.
The whole assembly save the oil tank needed for its dry sump lubrication sits ahead of the double wishbone front suspension and feeds power rearward through a Mazda MX5 transmission to a fat, belt-driven rear tyre whose width probably exceeds that of both front tyres combined. The chassis is a spaceframe Morgan design manufactured in Hinkley, Leicestershire while the body is aluminium and produced by Premier Sheet Metal in Coventry. With paint and final assembly at Morgan in Malvern
Thankyou for a massive 55,864,643 views
Shot 17.07.2016 at Shelsey Walsh Classic Nostalgia Meeting, Worcestershire REF 121-618
Scanned from a Kodachrome slide.
Students & staff protest against the Razor Gang cuts to universities across Australia. Back in the days when "Vault" AKA the "Yellow Peril" was in the City Square, and we thought the large screen to be so cool.
Since the Plymouth Prowler first debuted back in 1996, I have always thought that this was a versatile platform perfect for exploration in multiple dimensions.
Around eight years ago I designed a V8, vintage plane themed HEMI Howler, replacing the stock V6 with one of Chryslers HEMI V8 engines. A not unexpected conversion.
The Prowler platform though is thoroughly modern, using a spaceframe construction and unstressed panels, meaning it can be turned into almost anything. That most customers didn't bother was a giant disappointment.
The Lego model here, designed to #mocaroundgang #mocaround56 for #hearserod models provided an just such an opportunity. Nearly all the change is via a long tapered rear overhang, suitable for carrying long thin boxes. And, unlike the standard roadster model, the inclusion of a roof smoothes things out.
The rear load door is all glass - a nod to the futuristic hotrod concepts of the late 1960s, and the grille, wheel trims and interior are finished in blood-red.
See more car pics on my facebook page!
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The Mercedes-Benz 190SL is a two-door grand touring roadster with an optional removable hardtop that was produced byMercedes-Benz between May 1955 and February 1963. A prototype was first shown at the 1954 New York Auto Show.
The 190SL was sold alongside the faster, more expensive Mercedes-Benz 300SL, which it closely resembled both in its styling, engineering, detailing and fully independent suspension, both cars having double wishbone suspensions at the front and swing axles at the rear. However, the 190SL did not use the 300SL's purpose-built tubular spaceframe W198 platform, but was built on a shortened and monocoque R121 platform that modified from the W121 small saloon.
(Wikipedia)
Hangar One at Moffett Field in Northern California was built in 1933 to house blimps, notably the Macon. It covers eight acres and could accommodate six US football fields. It is 198 feet tall and each of the two doors weighs 180,000 kg with its own 150 HP motor to move it. The doors follow the shape of the hangar to minimize impact of wind on the structure. When the skin was on, the hangar was so large that it had its own weather, including fog at the upper level.
In the early 2000s toxins were found leaking from the structure into the soil and there was talk of tearing the whole thing down, but the Navy said it would remove the skin causing the problems and leave the frame intact. Some time later a management company owned by Google won the bid to take care of Hangar One and Moffett Airfield and restore the hangar by 2025.
Although i'm not normally into photographing "modern" vehicles, this Solo was definitely worth a picture. R601NFX is an Optare Solo M850 which was new in May 1998 as fleet number 2601. What is special about this particular bus is that it was the first Optare Solo to be registered, and only the fifth to be built! This vehicle has chassis number VN6004, VN6000 & VN6001 were development chassis, and VN6002 & VN6003 were Optare demonstrators which weren't registered until several months after VN6004.
Sadly, this Solo will probably be scrapped soon. Although not apparent in this photo, the bus is currently minus most of it's interior fittings and also has no engine & gearbox. Earlier Optare Solo's suffer from corrosion of the chassis spaceframe, and this one is no exception as it has severe corrosion, which is possibly the main reason for it being withdrawn.
Coincidentally, chassis VN6003 (S794XUG, new as an Optare demonstrator in December 1998) is in a similar poor structural condition in the South West Coaches fleet in nearby Wincanton.
Brabham BT24 F1 (1967) Engine 2994cc Repco 740 V8
Number Built 3,
BRABHAM ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/5169729402/in/set-7215...
Designed by Ron Tauranac the BT24 chassis design was a little narrower than the preceding BT20, the fuel tanks were positioned inside the round steel tube spaceframe. With the whole design being somewhat tidier. The cars were powered by a Repco Type 740 V8 engine driving through a Hewland DG gearbox. It had the same long wheel base as the BT20 but with a slightly narrower track at the front and little wider at the rear and the suspension layout differed by having new cast front uprights.
At the begining of the 1967 season the BT20 was doing so well there Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme had no reason to try the new car. It did not make its debut until the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvort, Brabham drove the new car in testing but instead opted for his Brabham BT19. Brabham was to give the car in GP debut in Belgian but was forced into retirement . By the next Grand Prix, the French Denny Hulmes BT24-2 was ready with both drivers starting the race in BT24s which ran impeccably Brabham led home a one-two.. After that the with the exception of a retirement for Hulme in Canada, both cars finished all the remaining races in the top five, with further wins in Canada for Brabham and Germany for Hulme, the team finished the season with the Constructors Championship with Denny Hulme as World Champion driver and black Jack runner up.
The BT24 was little used by the team in 1968, scoring one podium with new rising star driver Jochen Rindt.
In 1969 the cars were run by team Guston for local driver Sam Tingle in the South African GP were he finished eighth and then by privateer Swiss driver Silvio Moser with a best finish of 6th in the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen
Diolch am 92,437,229 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 92,437,229 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 23.04.2022 at the Bicester Spring Scramble, Bicester, Oxfordshire 158-101
Mercedes-AMG GT (2014-21) 3982cc Twin Turbo V8
Registration Number MB 17 GTR (A Mercedes demostration number, now retired, and presumably belonging to Mercedes Benz World)
MERCEDES SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623671722255...
The Mercedes-AMG GT is a grand tourer designed by Huey Lee and Mark Feathersto,n produced in coupé and roadster bodystyles (C190, R190). Introduced at the 2014 Paris Motor Show it is after the SLS AMG, it is the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG, going on sale from September 2015. The GT uses a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, with the engine positioned inside of the vehicle's wheelbase. The spaceframe chassis and body are made out of aluminium alloys, while the trunk lid is made of steel and the hood is made of magnesium. The suspension system is a double wishbone unit at the front and rear, with forged aluminium wishbones and hub carriers. The car is powered by a 4.0-litre M178 twin-turbocharged V8 engine, with exhaust manifolds and turbochargers inside the cylinder banks to reduce turbo lag and uses dry sump lubrication Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a seven-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT dual-clutch transmission; the GT S variant employs an electronically controlled mechanical limited-slip differential.
As befits such a specialised car there are a number of variants.
The GT R is a high-performance variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT and was introduced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 24 June 2016, with its M178 engine tuned to an output of 577bhp (585 PS)it has a claimed top speed of 198mph and covers the O-100 kmph (62mph) sprint in 3.6 seconds. It is lighter than the GT losing Keyless-Go, the integrated garage-door opener, the heated and power-folding side mirrors, the auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors and reverts to the basic light-weight 4-speaker audio system of the GT. When it was launched, the GT R had several cosmetic changes compared with the standard car, notably the vertical slats in the front grille, an adjustable rear wing, new front air intakes and new front and rear diffusers. The styling of the GT R is more comparable to that of the AMG GT3 race car.
A Roadster version was introduced in March 2019 and would be limited to 750 unit
Diolch am olygfa anhygoel, 63,756,076 oblogaeth y Lloegr honno dros y Mynyddoedd
Thanks for a stonking 63,756,076 views
Danke für 63,756,076 Aufrufe, sehr geschätzt
Merci pour 63,756,076 vues, très apprécié
Bedankt voor de 63,756,976 views, zeer gewaardeerd
Gracias por 63,756,076 visitas, muy apreciado.
Grazie per 63,756,076 visualizzazioni, molto apprezzato
63,756,076 ビューありがとうございます、ありがとうございました
Shot 01.01.2018 at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey Ref 132-187
Chassis n° 022
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais 2020
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2020
Bonhams is delighted to offer one of the most successful of the entire good looking family of Ferrari Dino 206S cars – the ex-Ravetto, ex-Lo Piccolo chassis '022'. It is offered here in the ultimate Dino 206SP – sports-prototype – specification with simplified, lightweight Barchetta or Spider bodywork, as campaigned with considerable national Italian hill-climb success as late as 1970-71. A potential visit to Ferrari Classiche or to one of the top-ranked specialist restorers around the world and an alternative set of as-original 1966-67 body panels could return this great car very quickly to its mouth-wateringly gorgeous looks in original Piero Drogo 'mini-Ferrari P3/P4' style...
Amongst all racing Ferraris the rare family of Dino 206S and SP cars has the greatest intrinsic charm for its combination of exquisitely well-balanced, compact design and – most certainly – its vividly nimble agility whenever its inbuilt combination of lightweight, power and good handling can be fully explored.
Of course the Dino 206S series traces its genesis back to 1956 when Mr Ferrari's multi-talented son Alfredo – 'Alfredino', 'Dino' – succumbed to the Duchenne muscular dystrophy which had afflicted him since infancy. Dino Ferrari has been recalled by nearly all who knew and worked with him as a very pleasant young man, obviously in fragile health yet personally most engaging. Enzo Ferrari – his father and creator of the marque bearing their name – had lived in anguish for many years, fully aware that his heir would not long survive. And poor Dino passed away on June 30, 1956 aged only 24.
Immediately his grieving father decreed that a new type of Ferrari V6-cylinder engine, destined for the new International Formula 2 which would prevail for 1957-1960, should carry the boy's name. Lettering derived from his signature duly adorned the cam-covers of that new 1.5-litre 4-cam V6-cylinder engine. Its design had been outlined by legendary consultant engineer Vittorio Jano, ex-Alfa Romeo, ex-Lancia. It was developed by Ferrari under the leadership of its youthful new Chief Engineer Ing. Andrea Fraschetti. The Ferrari Dino V6 won its first major race – the F2 Coupe de Vitesse at Reims – in 1957 driven by Maurice Trintignant. By the end of that season the design had been enlarged to 2.2-litres for interim Formula 1 use, and into 1958 in 2.4-litre form the Ferrari Dino 246 would carry Mike Hawthorn to the Drivers' World Championship title. Ferrari Dino 246 and 256 Formula 1 cars would carry the marque to further Formula 1 success through 1959-1960, it remained a winner at 1500cc Formula 2 level and even shone in endurance sports-prototype form through 1961-62. The 65-degree Dino 156 4-cam V6 engine also featured in early examples of the famous 'Sharknose' Grand Prix cars of 1961 – before the derived 120-degree V6 engine took precedence 1961-63.
It was early in December 1964 that Mr Ferrari held a press conference to outline his plans for 1965. Amongst them was a major surprise as he made passing comment to a new '168 Dino GT car'. But he was notably reticent when asked for further detail, merely confirming that the new model would be powered by a '168' engine, so 1600cc and presumably a V8. It was suggested by sources close to Ferrari that the power unit would be used as the production basis needed for a new Formula 2 racing engine needed to contest a new F2 class due in 1967...
This was the beginning of the Ferrari-Fiat accord that eventually produced the Fiat Dino production models of 1966-67 although they emerged with V6 engines - not V8s. Nothing more was heard of the phantom 'Dino 168' but during practice for the April 25, 1965, Monza 1,000Kms race it was instead the delightful 'Dino 166P' that made its ear-splitting public debut, having just been revealed to specialist press at the Maranello factory.
Peter Coltrin, the respected American racing journalist resident in Modena, described how "At first glance (the new Dino) appears to be a dehydrated 250LM...but chassis and engine-wise the Dino is in many respects a closer relative to the Ferrari Formula 1 cars than it is to the more recent GT and prototype models...".
Its new V6 engine was indeed an endurance racing version of the Fiat-Ferrari Dino V6 then being finalised by Ing. Franco Rocchi; a 4-cam 65-degree V6 derived from the old 1957-60 F1/F2 design. The new car's all-up weight was barely 1,300lbs and the 1600cc V6 engine was expected to deliver around 190bhp at 9,000rpm. The chassis was a lightweight tubular frame with riveted-on aluminium stressed skin panelling. With Formula 1 style all-independent suspension the car carried its Dunlop disc brakes outboard at the front, and inboard – on the gearbox cheeks – at the rear.
Giancarlo Baghetti in the new Dino 166P won the Rome Grand Prix supporting sports car race with ease. One week later it was entrusted to Lorenzo Bandini/Nino Vaccarella in the Nürburgring 1,000Kms. Denis Jenkinson of 'Motor Sport' reported: "Surtees and Scarfiotti gave a very impressive demonstration (in their winning 4-litre Ferrari 330P2) but it almost paled into insignificance compared with the relative performance of the 1600 Ferrari Dino Coupe, driven by Bandini/Vaccarella. This Coupe two-seater 'Grand Prix' car staggered everyone by its performance and set a new standard... This little red coupe with its yellow Grand Prix alloy wheels went so fast that a lot of people refused to believe it was only 1600cc. As the class limit was 2000cc it did not matter much to Ferrari whether they were believed or not.... It was leading all the GT Cars, of any capacity, all the LM Ferraris, all the Porsches, both 8-cylinder and 6-cylinder, and was undoubtedly the star of the show. As other cars struck trouble it moved up into third place...for a long while the Ferrari team were on top of the world with their 4-litre prototype in first place, their 3.3-litre prototype in second place and their 1.6-litre prototype in third place, with Porsches, Fords, Cobras, Alfa Romeos and everyone else behind them.
"Then there was a moment of panic when the Dino started to misfire and Bandini came into the pits. There was no undue noise, no smoke, no loss of oil pressure, but the misfire was still there and it remained to the end of the race – so that one of the Porsches was able to take third place and the Dino finished fourth. It transpired that a piece of rubber from a seal in the intake system had gone down one of the downdraught Weber carburettors and partially blocked a jet. But the Dino Ferrari had certainly made its mark...".
That mark became even more indelible when team manager Eugenio Dragoni insisted that the German scrutineers should verify the little Dino's engine capacity, after which "...the muttering began about 'thinly-disguised Grand Prix cars'" being used in sports car World Championship racing...
After that year's Le Mans race the little Dino ran out of 2-litre class endurance races to contest, and so was entrusted instead to Ludovico Scarfiotti for another attempt upon winning the European Mountain Championship, which he had won so handsomely – with an earlier Ferrari Dino - in 1962. Despite missing the opening two Championship rounds, while latterly using the first prototype car in cut-down open-cockpit Barchetta form, Scarfiotti and the Dino walked off with Ferrari's second European Mountain Championship title in four years.
In early February 1966 Ferrari then released both its glorious 4-litre 330P3 sports-prototype car and its new 'little sister' – the new Dino 206S. Mr Ferrari declared his intention to build 50 of these little V6s to qualify them as 2-litre Group 4 sports-racing cars – as opposed to their being initially Group 6 prototypes. However, that summer saw Italian industry convulsed by widespread industrial strife which gutted Ferrari's production programme. While effort was focused upon the marque's Formula 1 and large-capacity sports-prototype programmes, Dino 206S production was apparently limited to just 18 true Dino 206S entities - even-numbered from chassis '002' to '036'. This family embodied a separate series from the works-team prototypes – although two works cars may also have been renumbered as production cars.
Several changes were made to the new 1966 Dino 206S. Most notable was the adoption of brand-new – far better proportioned - bodywork hand-made by Piero Drogo's Carrozzeria Sports Cars company in Modena. The body shape was scaled-down version from Drogo's big-engined P3 body form and the new model was based upon a welded multi-tubular spaceframe stiffened by alloy stress panels rivetted into place. Some glassfibre panels were also bonded to the frame tubes, housing bag-type fuel tanks within each side sill. The 65-degree 4-cam Dino V6 engine adopted the 86mm bore x 57mm stroke used in the Mountain Championship-winning car, displacing 1986.6cc. Redesigned cylinder heads had single-plug ignition replacing the 1965 twin-plug system. Either three twin-choke Weber carburettors or fuel injection was to be used, and in this updated form the Dino 206S was initially credited with 218bhp at 9,000rpm. The standard – voluptuously curved and utterly beautiful – bodywork resembled a Coupe with an open sun-roof. In fact a roof panel was offered to create a true closed Coupe – "...for very fast circuits".
Aristocratic Sicilian gentleman magistrate-cum-racing driver Clemente Ravetto was the first owner of Ferrari Dino 206S chassis '022' now offered here. He was a leading light of the Sicilian Scuderia Pegaso team, having campaigned Ferrari 250GTO and 250LM, and an E-Type Jaguar. He was the vice-prosecutor of the Republic of Vrone, and a Knight of both the Order in Malta and of the Italian Republic. He was an engaging and kindly man who remained widely popular and prominent figure until his death in 2010, aged 76, when his son, Dr Manfredi Ravetto, was general manager of the HRT Formula 1 Team, Hispania Racing.
Ravetto appears to have made his Dino 206S debut on July 31, 1966, running under race No 470 in the major Trieste-Opicina hill-climb. However, the Ferrari factory invoice for his purchase of Dino '022' offered here is dated March 29, 1967, quoting 'Telaio' (chassis) '022' and 'Motore' '022' – finished in Rosso Corsa (Racing Red). The price charged for the car 'complete with five wheels and tyres') was 8,876,400 Lire.
Clemente Ravetto then entered the April 25, 1967, Monza 1,000Kms, co-driving this Dino 206S – in its original ex-factory Drogo-bodied form - with fellow Sicilian aristocrat – and vastly experienced sometime Formula 1 racing driver - Prince Gaetano Starrabba di Giardinelli. But their race ended in engine failure.
Ravetto reappeared in the car in June that year, finishing second on home soil in the Monte Pellegrino hill-climb, just outside Palermo, Sicily. And it was to one of Palermo's most prominent personalities that Ravetto then sold '022', for 1968.
Pietro Lo Piccolo was the race-driving President of the Unione Provinciale Panificatori and leader of the Palermo commercial confederation. Lo Piccolo's father had founded a major bakery business, which prospered under the management of Pietro and his brother Francis
Lo Piccolo had raced motorcycles before turning to four wheels in karting, and then motor racing, initially in 1965 with an Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ, followed – in 1966 – by a Giulia TZ 1600. After acquiring '022' from Ravetto he would campaign it for three years, ultimately winning the Italian Championship in 1970. Having that far driven the Alfa Romeo TZ in his home island's International Targa Florio, he entered his Dino '022' in the 1970 Targa – co-driving it with Salvatore Calascibetta. They finished a 11th overall and 2nd in class. By that time '022' had been updated into the Spider or Montagna body form in which it is now offered here.
Pietro Lo Piccolo was also an enthusiastic aviator and competed in air races, including the Tour of Sicily, while in down-town Palermo he was a familiar figure cycling to his office because he couldn't abide being stuck in traffic...
His career in Dino 206S '022' began with 5th place in the Coppa Bruno Carotti race at Vallelunga, Rome, in June, 1968. That August saw him win his class, 5th overall, in the Coppa Citta di Enna race around Lake Pergusa, Sicily, and he then won the September '68 Cefalu-Gibilmanna hill-climb, followed in October by victory at Val d'Anapo-Sortino. He placed 2nd in the Citta d'Orivetto event before the broadly Ferrari 212E-type Montagna lightweight sports body - custom made for him in vetroresina (glass fibre) - was fitted to the car for 1969.
Pietro Lo Piccolo then drove '022' to win six important National events that new season; the San Benedetto del Tronto-Acquaviva Piceno hill-climb, Monte Pellegrino-Polerna, Trapani-Monte Erice, the Coppa Nissena, Val d'Anapo-Sortino and Camucia-Cortona events. He raced the car in the Coppa Citta di Enna at Pergusa, finishing 6th and placed 3rd in the Coppa di Tolentino.
This most capable and talented gentleman driver then entered '022' for its most important motor race – the 1970 Targa Florio, round 5 of that year's World Championship of Makes endurance racing series. Lo Piccolo and Salvatore Calascibetta co-drove their Dino 206S under the Scuderia Pegaso ('Pegasus' – the winged horse) banner, to finish 11th overall and 2nd in class, headed in that category by only the works-supported Alfa Romeo T33/2 of ex-works Ferrari driver Jonathan Williams/Giovanni Alberti.
Lo Piccolo in '022' went on subsequently to win the 1970 Coppa Faro, the Trofeo Ludovico Scarfiotti, Monte Pellegrino and Val d'Anapo-Sortino hill-climbs. In the July 19, 1970, Mugello 500Kms public road-circuit race he finished 14th overall, and between the Pellegrino and Val d'Anapo hill-climbs he also suffered a nasty and highly untypical accident during practice for the Coppa Citta di Enna at Pergusa, backing '022' into the trackside guardrail at very high speed. The car was well repaired, however, as evidenced by its October 12 victory at Val d'Anapo.
In its later life the car was acquired by the renowned French Ferrari connoisseur Jess G. Pourret – and in 1976 it passed into the legendary Ferrari Collection of Pierre Bardinon at Mas-du-Clos, Aubusson, France. He subsequently passed the car on to Jean-Marie Cauwet of St Maur, France only to re-acquire it in later years.
Eventually, in 1984, this Ferrari Dino 206S passed into the hands of its present vendor, Jack Setton, – in whose suitably renowned and respected private collection it has since been preserved for the past 36 years.
Here indeed is one of the most successful examples of the beautiful little Ferrari Dino 206S cars – blessed with a wonderfully Italianate racing history – and offering tremendous potential for a truly discerning and enthusiastic new owner/driver...
The Lamborghini 350 GTV is a Lamborghini prototype and forerunner of the automaker's first production model, the 350 GT. It was first presented to the public at the 1963 Turin Auto Show.
The design and development of the 350 GTV was overseen by Lamborghini chief engineer Giampaolo Dallara, assistant Paolo Stanzani and test driver Bob Wallace, the core engineering team that developed many early Lamborghini cars. Giotto Bizzarrini was commissioned to design the engine and an early version of the chassis.[3]
The 350 GTV's name signified the 3.5 L displacement of the engine, the "GT" for grand tourer and the "V" for the Italian word "Veloce" (meaning "fast").[4]
The 350 GTV body was designed by Franco Scaglione and built by Carrozzeria Sargiotto in Turin.[1][5] Ferruccio Lamborghini's opinion had a significant amount of influence on the design. He reportedly requested styling echoing the Aston Martin DB4's tapering rear bodywork and the sleek front of the Jaguar E-type. The 350 GTV had many styling details that were unusual at the time of its introduction, including hidden headlamps and six exhaust tailpipes (three on each side of the car's rear). The body was constructed of aluminum and steel. As workers at Sargiotto were primarily skilled in building molds for plastic products, the 350 GTV's body had numerous fit and finish issues.[4]
Initially, Bizzarrini designed a racing-style tubular spaceframe chassis for the 350 GTV. Giorgio Neri and Luciano Bonacini built the tube frame chassis in Modena.[6][7][4] This design was later reworked by Dallara into a more conventional, heavier design constructed of mostly square and rectangular section tubing that would be used in the production 350 GT.[4]
Ferruccio Lamborghini commissioned Giotto Bizzarrini to develop the 350 GTV engine. This was the first iteration of the Lamborghini V12 series of engines, which would power future Lamborghini models up through the end of Murciélago production in 2010. Bizzarrini developed a 3.5 litre racing-specification V12 engine, with an output of 255 kW (347 PS; 342 bhp) at 8,000 rpm, and torque of 326 N⋅m (240 lbf⋅ft),[1] using the DIN measurement standard.[6][8] This design was derived from Bizzarrini's plan for a 1.5 litre Formula One racing engine.[3] Top speed was claimed by the factory to be 280 kilometres per hour (170 mph),[7] although this was an estimate as the car was never driven or tested by the factory.[4]
This engine had a compression ratio of 9.5:1 and relatively aggressive valve timing compared to later versions of the Lamborghini V12. The higher redline, compression ratio and timing made the 350 GTV's engine more suitable for competition use rather than as a comfortable road car. The 350 GTV engine was also equipped with six downdraft Weber carburetors and a dry sump lubrication system.[9][3]
The transmission was a 5 speed manual made by ZF. Power was directed to the rear wheels via a Salisbury self-locking differential.[9] The independent suspension used triangular wishbones on the front and trapezoidal wishbones on the rear, with telescopic shock absorbers and coil springs at all four corners. Servo-controlled disc brakes were equipped on all four wheels. The Borrani center locking wire wheels were fitted with Pirelli Cinturato HS tires.[3]
The 350 GTV was never a complete, driveable car during its time as a Lamborghini prototype.[4] During assembly, the workforce discovered that the body panels would not fit around the engine. Since he had no further plans for the 350 GTV beyond being a show car, Mr. Lamborghini had the engine bay ballasted with bricks and kept the bonnet shut throughout the Turin Auto Show. The incomplete show car also lacked brake calipers, foot pedals and windshield wipers.
The 350 GTV was introduced to the public at the 1963 Turin Auto Show. It was covered extensively by the press and received both positive and negative reactions.[3][7] A sales brochure was produced and Ferruccio Lamborghini used the unveiling of this prototype to cultivate interest in a production version.[9][3][10] At the time of the 350 GTV's introduction, Mr. Lamborghini told Road & Track magazine of his intention to make both touring and competition versions of the 350 GTV,[11] although no competition version was ever realized. Lamborghini later garnered a reputation for being reluctant to build racing versions of his cars.[4]
Ferruccio Lamborghini was dissatisfied with several design features of the 350 GTV,[5] and with the state of tune of the engine.[6][8] He commissioned Carrozzeria Touring to redesign the car to be more practical[5] and had the engine detuned to 270 bhp (201 kW; 274 PS) at 6,500 rpm for use in the production car.[6][8] The compression ratio and redline were lowered and the camshaft profiles altered to moderate the valve timing.[3] The racing-derived dry sump lubrication and downdraft carburetors were also replaced with a simpler wet sump system and a more common model of Weber sidedraft carburetors.[3] The new body and retuned engine resulted in the first production Lamborghini, the 350 GT.
Wikipedia
I took this photograph during the Saturday practice and qualifying sessions of the Gold Cup meeting at Oulton Park in August 2018. It's John Burton in his 1974 Chevron B26 at Lodge Corner during the qualifying session for the HSCC Pre,80 Endurance Challenge race. The B26 was a replacement for the B23, and as well as revised suspension and a rear wing it had an aluminium monocoque tub instead of the spaceframe chassis of all the earlier Chevron sports racing cars. It had a 4-cylinder inline 1,998 Ford engine with an aluminium block, which had been designed by Brian Hart and re-engineered by Cosworth. Only 9 of these cars were made, mainly due to lack of demand because of the 1973 oil crisis in the UK.
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The Mercedes-Benz 190SL is a two-door grand touring convertible with an optional removable hardtop that was produced by Mercedes-Benz between May 1955 and February 1963. A prototype was first shown at the 1954 New York Auto Show.
The 190SL was sold alongside the faster, more expensive Mercedes-Benz 300SL, which it closely resembled both in its styling, engineering, detailing and fully independent suspension, both cars having double wishbone suspensions at the front and swing axles at the rear. However, the 190SL did not use the 300SL's purpose-built tubular spaceframe W198 platform, but was built on a shortened and monocoque R121 platform that modified from the W121 small saloon.
The 190SL was powered by a new, slightly oversquare 1.9 L straight-four SOHC engine (Type M121 BII), that developed 105 PS (77 kW; 104 hp) (or 120 gross hp) that earned itself a reputation for not running that smoothly[3] mostly due to the difficulty in properly synchronising the twin-choke dual Solex carburetors, and that, in detuned form, was later also used in the W120 180 and W121 190 models. The four-cylinder engine block of the 190SL was based on the six-cylinder engine of the 300 SL. The 85 mm bore was transferred unchanged from the larger engine to the smaller, although the stroke for the 190 SL was reduced from 88.0 mm to 83.6 mm.[4] The car was available either as a soft-top convertible (initially priced at DM 16,500/US$ 3,998[5]) or with removable hardtop (DM 17,650/$ 4,295). Optional was a third-passenger transverse seat that could even fit an adult. During its first years the 190SL was available as a sports-racing model with small perspex windscreen and spartan one-piece leather covered bucket seats and aluminum doors, although any competition aspirations were modest. In 1959, the hardtop's rear window was enlarged.
Both the 190SL and the 300SL were replaced by the Mercedes-Benz 230SL in 1963.
(Wikipedia)
Lister Costin Coupe (1963) Engine 3781cc S6 DOC Production 1
Race GT and Sports Car Cup
Race Number 88 Fred Wakeman (USA) + Patrick Blakeney-Edwards
Chassis # BHL 136
Registration Number WTM 446 (Bedforshire)
LISTER SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157625536682498...
This is the unique spaceframe Lister, recommissioned for the 1963 Le Mans 24 hour race to run in the experimental class which included the Ferrari 330 LMB, Aston Martin Project cars and Maserati 151.
Frank Costin designed the aluminium Coupe body which was built by Playford Engineering. Fitted with a fuel injected version of the familiar Jaguar XK engine, which had been developed from the Jaguar D Type. The car was driven in the 1963 race by Peter Sargent and Peter Lumsden but was forced to retire early with clutch problems. It raced once more in 1964 but with little success. The Coupe body was replaced by by a more conventional Costin open body to the design of the 1958 Knobbly.
Now restored back to its 1963 configuration the car is a regular at Historic race meetings
Diolch am olygfa anhygoel, 64,618,551
oblogaeth y Lloegr honno dros y Mynyddoedd
Thanks for a stonking 64,618,51 views
Shot 05.05.2018 at Donington Historic Festival, Donington Park, Leic Ref 133-207