Automobile Brand's Of The Past..,

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

1952 Volvo Elizabeth I (Vignale)

Source: Volvo Car Corporation

In 1962 Budd made a prototype called Budd XR400 powered by a 270 hp V8 engine. However the design was rejected by AMC. The caption on 1-st photo (provided by Curt Hall) in Automotive Industries (July 1996) states: "The 1963 XR-400 prototype for Rambler provided extra passenger space behind the front seat. The fully operational XR-400 was a frequent feature in parades."

Source: www.shorey.net

Monday, July 1, 2013

1952 Alfa Romeo C52 Disco Volante (Touring)

On first glance, the voluptuous curves of the Alfa Romeo C52 ‘Disco Volante’ could momentarily be mistaken as those of a Jaguar E-type; and indeed, had its cash-strapped manufacturer not shelved the project in favour of other pursuits, it might have become Alfa’s magnum opus.

The C52 was conceived during an unstable period for Alfa Romeo. While the company had just taken the 1951 Formula 1 World Championship, post-War cash shortages within the firm led to its withdrawal from the competition, with the 1900 Berlina road car deemed to be of higher importance. But the competition department was allowed a stay of execution, partly hinging on the promise that it could create an image-boosting race car for entrance into the 1952 Le Mans and Mille Miglia, with the potential to be sold to amateur racers.

Using the 1900 as a basis for the C52 to save money, the competition department took the design of the car’s 1.9-litre four-cylinder iron-block engine and fashioned an aluminium block with an increased bore size. The 1997cc engine now developed 158bhp and was integrated into the 1900’s existing tubular frame steel chassis, with the modifications resulting in an overall weight of just 735kg. The final car was capable of an impressive top speed of around 140mph.

But obviously, it was the C52’s bodywork which made it so extraordinary. Coachbuilt by Carrozzeria Touring, the car’s curvaceous, wind-tunnel tested surfacing not only gave the C52 a super-low drag coefficient (0.25 Cd, less than that of the 2012 Tesla Model S), but also inspired the internal nickname of Disco Volante, Italian for ‘Flying Saucer’. The unofficial name subsequently caught on, undoubtedly due to the public interest in space exploration and extra-terrestrial sightings in the 1950's.

Coincidentally, the name was also rather fitting in another sense – finding a comfortable seating position within the cramped cockpit required bodily proportions of a creature more other-worldly than human, partially due to the strangely offset tunnel for the four-speed transmission.

But this was of no concern to the public, who embraced the Disco Volante and its revolutionary streamlined contours – though the car’s influence went far further than this, with the bodywork also said by many to have inspired the celebrated Jaguar that it’s so often initially mistaken for. Undeniably, one needs look no further than the side profile of the Disco Volante coupé to notice some striking resemblances to the E-type, regardless of the Alfa’s half-metre length deficit alluding to a more upright posture. And the Disco Volante’s impact wasn’t limited to the 1950s: the 2010 Fiera Milano saw the inauguration of a bronze sculpture of the car to mark Alfa Romeo’s centenary, while the Pininfarina 2uettottanta concept of the same year made use of some subtle Disco Volante flourishes.

Another car to unashamedly lift some styling cues from the Disco Volante was the more successful Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 Competizione Maggiorata of 1952 – which often inadvertently returns the favour, as many wrongly credit its win at the 1953 Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio to the Disco Volante. Similar confusion surrounds the exact number of Disco Volantes produced, but the most credible account is that of the late Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni, the car’s lead designer. Anderloni recalls that only four or five Disco Volantes were built: three spiders with 1997cc engines and either one or two spiders with the cast-iron, six-cylinder 3000cc engine from the 6C 3000, the elusive example apparently being built but later dismantled by Alfa Romeo.

The trio of 2.0-litre cars were all handed separate fates. One was rebodied as a coupé and resides alongside an unmodified spider sibling in the Museo Historico Alfa Romeo in Arese – which is currently closed for refurbishment – but both regularly make appearances at classic car events. Meanwhile, the third alloy-engined spider was developed with more conventional bodywork and christened a fianchi stretti, meaning ‘with narrow hips’. This slim-bodied spider is part of the famous Schlumpf Collection at the Cité de l'Automobile in France, while the remaining 3.0-litre car is a main feature of the Museo Dell’Automobile in Italy, albeit accommodating the 3495cc six-cylinder it was later given by the competition department.

So, while the Disco Volante ultimately became four very different examples, the fact remains that it is one of the true Alfa Romeo greats – perhaps not in terms of racing heritage, but certainly with regard to design. Sure, it was built on a budget, didn’t enjoy much track success, and largely used components from a decidedly average road car. But had Alfa Romeo possessed the resources and determination to put it into production, the Disco Volante might have enjoyed the cult status that the E-type now inspires.

Source: www.classicdriver.com

1964 Chevrolet Chevy II Super Nova

Chevy II Super Nova 'Shark' Show Car

On the auto show circuit for 1964, this crisp-looking concept represented Chevrolet’s take on the future of sporty compact transportation, “Shark” style.

The Chevrolet Super Nova concept, nicknamed Shark, reportedly rode on the same 110-inch wheelbase as the same-year production Chevy II.

If you’ve never seen or heard of this car, there’s good reason: Ford’s fabulously popular Mustang hit showrooms at virtually the same time the Shark began making the auto show rounds. The poor Shark literally drowned in all the buzz surrounding the new Ford.

It wasn’t a fair fight, really. One sporty compact car was named for a horse; the other—a fish.

A New shape for the Chevy II

THE IDEA CAR has become a tradition with American automakers as a place to try out advanced and different styling concepts, component designs, and control refinements. Should such a dream puff excite public interest in the current vehicle which serves as its basis, so much the better. Chevrolet has unveiled its latest, built around the sturdy Chevy II, which it calls the Super Nova. Its fiberglass body, finished in "fire frost" silver, has a sloping 7.5-in extension of the hood and a bobbed tail on the same 110-in. wheelbase. The casual observer might see a hint of Riviera from the side. Normal door handles, both inside and out, have been eliminated from the car by putting an electric solenoid switch flush with the chrome window molding on each door. The windshield has a 60" rake and curved side glass extends to the pillar, eliminating vent windows. Minimum trim consisting of a rocker panel strip and different wheel covers and tires are used. Beneath the drooping snoot is a finely tooled grill, deeply recessed into a crisp well of bright metal. A pair of rectangular headlights, mounted vertically, flank the grill opening and are integrated into the surrounding casting, which serves in place of a bumper. Three large dials, fitted in individual pods hanging under the dash lip, are the only instruments before the driver. In addition to the 160-mph speedometer and 8000-rpm recording tachometer, there is a novel "Elometer" (elapsed time meter, in seconds). All other instruments and radio are lined up down the central panel from dash to console, with all window lift and other control switches aligned along the latter. Dual turn signal levers are installed behind the custom steering wheel, but are designed to turn with the wheel so as to always remain hidden behind the wheel spokes. The all-black interior is trimmed in a combination of leather, vinyl and polyurethane. At the rear, the stylists have come up with an awkward combination of styling clichés. The recessed rear window is an attempted adaptation from Porsche and Ferrari racing cars, the four rear lights are buried under the deck lip in separate holes and exhaust pipe tips form sides of the license plate cover. In all, it's an interesting version of a fastback snowplow.

Car Life, July 1964