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Albar Sonic

Albar Sonic

Year (of specifications) 1982
Engine -
Transmission -
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -

The 1982 Albar Sonic was an attempt to design an affordable sports car which had a slippery wedge-shaped profile.

The Sonic had numerous vents to funnel cooling air to the rear mounted engine. Powering the car was a Volkswagen Beetle drivetrain.

Needless to say the performance of the Albar Sonic was about as unimpressive as the fiberglass bodywork.





Alfa Romeo Disco Volante

Alfa Romeo Disco Volante

Year 1952 - 1953
Engine 3.5 litre inline 6 cylinder
Transmission manual RWD
Max speed 150 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 260 bhp
weight -

The Alfa Romeo Disco Volante was an extremely voluptuous sports car which was unveiled in 1952.

The name of the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante meant 'Flying Saucer' in Italian. A very appropriate name for such a striking vehicle.

Only four examples were built, and its primary mission was to win races. Which it did, but not many. You see, the gorgeous, slippery shape of the vehicle - while it created very little drag - it also generated lift at speed. This made the handling more than a little bit precarious!

Three different bodystyles and two different drivetrains were used for the car, including; one open roadster and two different coupe styles. Most of the cars features a 1.9 litre inline 4 cylinder which produced 158 horsepower. One car, which was specially built for Juan Manuel Fangio (a legendary old-school F1 driver), featured a 260 horsepower, 3.5 litre inline 6 cylinder.





Alpine A110

Competion spec Renault Alpine A110

Year 1963 - 1977
Engine 1.1 L - 1.8 L
Transmission -
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 87 bhp - 180 bhp
weight -

Alpine sold their A110 through Renault dealerships and the A110 came with a full warranty.

In competition spec the Alpine A110 was a formidable and successful rally car and in 1971 Alpine was named Renault's competition arm.




APAL Coupe 1200

APAL Coupe 1200

Year (of specifications) 1961 - 1965
Engine VW 1200 cc Aircooled
Transmission -
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -

APAL, standing for 'Application Polyester Armé de Liège' were a Belgian sports car company founded in 1961 by glass-fibre specialist Edmond Pery. The Apal Coupe 1200 was one of his first models and is an attractive coupe with curvaceous styling.

In total roughly 150 Apal Coupe's were made, they were based on a VW floorplan and power came from either a 1200 cc Volkswagen aircooled engine or a rarer Porsche power unit was also available.

The car pictured here is an early version of the Apal Coupe 1200 restored in 2005 and is owned by Roland Buyse of Belgium.





Arnolt-Bristol Bolide


Arnolt-Bristol Bolide

Year (of specifications) 1954 - 1961
Engine 2.0 litre inline 6 cylinder
Transmission 4 speed manual RWD
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 130 hp @ 5,500 rpm
weight 930 kgs / 2,050 lbs

Like the AC Cobra, the Arnolt-Bristol series of cars were the result of some sort of Anglo-American collaboration. Except whereas the AC consisted of a British chassis and an American engine, the Arnolt-Bristol was a British chassis, German engine, Italian styling and developed with US financing.

S. H. Arnolt of Chicago was the man responsible for bringing the project together. While vice-president of the Italian styling firm Bertone, Arnolt decided to get Bertone's designers to come up with a curvaceous roadster based on the Bristol 404 chassis. Into this was fitted a BMW derived inline 6 cylinder engine, and then the cars were taken exclusively to North America for sale. Truly this was an international design.

The Bolide model was a stripped down racer version of the Arnolt-Bristol. The engine pumped out 130 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 128 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000 rpm. Not staggering numbers these days, but at the time - and in a lightweight car with a competent chassis - this proved to be more than adequate.

In total 142 Arnolt-Bristols were produced.

Engine and chassis were Bristol, The Bristol in-line 6-cylinder engine had originally in the 400, 401 & 403 cars an interesting arrangement of pushrod operated valves from a side camshaft, with one bank of valves being driven by a side-pushrod and bellcrank arrangement, so the valves were inclined as in a DOHC layout. This Bristol engine had 3 carbs, with Y-shaped inlet ports each to a pair of cylinders.

This Bristol engine was also in the AC Ace and optional (for extra cash) in the AC Aceca.




Bitter CD

Bitter CD

Year (of specifications) 1971 - 1979
Engine 5354 cc V8
Transmission 3 speed automatic RWD
Max speed 129 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 230 bhp @ 4700 rpm
weight -

The Bitter CD was originally an Opel concept displayed in 1969 and 1970. When Opel decided not to put the CD into production Erich Bitter stepped in and purchased the project.

Production of the Bitter CD began in 1971 and was based on a shortened Opel Diplomat chassis, the suspension was revised to handle the lighter CD but otherwise the running gear remained much the same.

Power for the Bitter CD came from a 5.4 litre V8 developing 230 horsepower.




Bizzarrini Strada

Bizzarrini Strada

Year (of specifications) 1965 - 1969
Engine 5.4 litre V8 Chevrolet
Transmission 4 speed manual RWD
Max speed 174 mph
0-60 mph 6.4 seconds
Horsepower 365 bhp
weight -

The story of Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada is a kind of dream came true story. Although Giotto Bizzarrini has already firmed some of the exotic projects for most revered names in the sports car world such as 250 SWB, GTO and Testa Rossa for Enzo Ferrari or Iso Grifo for Iso Rivolta and vas involved by Ferruccio Lamborghini in Miura project as engine chief engineer, his secret desire was to realize a car that would bear his own name.

Bizzarrini was remarkable character with clear ideas about sports car and even some experience as a factory owner being for some time proprietor of ATS together with Chiti and Conte Volpi di Misurata, but he was also decidedly an artist as well as a designer, requiring his cars and engines to look as well as they performed.

That's why, when he started with his idea of making the first "Real Bizzarrini", still under the contract with Iso Rivolta, he engaged another wonder boy of Italian car body design, Giorgetto Giugiaro, that executed a beautiful coachwork for extremely low (111 cm) road raptor with unmistakable smell of circuits. A legend was born.

This superb machine was born at wrong time when oncoming oil crisis has already decreed the end of that magic moment that European GT car production lived. The Golden Age of supercar adventure was passing remorselessly but the Bizzarrini dream entered the hall of fame.

Although the entire story of Bizzarrini car factory occupied a mere 3 years of existence, no marquee more nobly painted the idea of mighty, yet elegant and refined road racer. In the early 1960s, that was leading concept of major European top car builders.

Sports car racing absorbed much time and money, but Giotto Bizzarrini has learned in the temple of racing, as a chief engineer of Scuderia Ferrari, that only the circuits could crown the successful projects, and that's the reason that he developed his car as a natural heir of group 6 prototypes that dominated the scene in world racing, mixing together ennobled and sophisticated chassis and suspension with huge American engine capable of various stages of tuning. Despite the fact that Bizzarrini was the father of such a jewel as Lamborghini Miura V 12 engine, he chose Chevrolet Corvette 5, 4 l alloy motor suitable for extreme tuning and preserving at the same time its natural tremendous torque.

The car appeared for the first time at Turin show in 1963 at Iso Rivolta stand under the name of ISO 150A3C moved with Chevy engine tuned to a 410 bhp and stated to 305 kph of maximum speed. It looked impressive with its body of nude aluminium just riveted to a monocoque chassis.

The engine was pushed back in the front part of the chassis to equilibrate the weights, and occupied partly cockpit producing a kind of hell temperature in such narrow space, making the car decidedly not suitable for daily street use. However, despite its racing origins it was never developed as a competition car and later, when Bizzarini in 1966 started the production in his own factory and under his name in Livorno, the car was detuned to 'only' 365 bhp and 'only' 280 kph, the heating problem in cockpit was fixed, the rear window was enlarged and the car offered in the States as "3500 GT".

But the game was over. Although Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada remain instantly recognizable throughout the sports car history, the fact is that only 107 of this superb thoroughbreds were assembled, and its uncompromising character where performance had absolute priority over other considerations, could not save this masterpiece from general catastrophic decline of the world of supercars at the end of decade.

Giotto Bizzarrini closed his activity in 1969, promising some better days and even better thoroughbreds in the future, but the season of the miracles has passed forever?




Cisitalia 202 Coupe

Cisitalia 202 Coupe

Year (of specifications) 1948 - 1952
Engine 1089 cc inline four cylinder
Transmission 4 speed manual RWD
Max speed 105 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 50 bhp
weight -

Cisitalia was an Italian company founded in 1946 by racing driver Piero Dusio. The Cisitalia 202 Coupe consisted of a Pininfarina designed body set over a tube frame.




Cizeta Moroder

Cizeta Moroder

Year (of specifications) 1989
Engine 6 litre V16
Transmission -
Max speed 204 mph
0-60 mph 4.0 seconds
Horsepower 560 bhp
weight -

The Cizeta Moroder was styled by Marcello Gandini, the designer responsible for the Lamborghini Miura, Countach and Diablo, with which the Moroder shares almost identical lines.




Costin Amigo

Costin Amigo

Year (of specifications) 1970 - 1972
Engine 2279 cc four cylinder
Transmission -
Max speed 137 mph
0-60 mph 7.2 seconds
Horsepower -
weight -

The aerodynamic fibreglass bodied Costin Amigo was designed by Frank Costin who also designed the Lotus VIII for Colin Chapman.




Datsun 240Z

Datsun 240Z

Year (of specifications) 1969 - 1975
Engine 2392 cc straight 6
Transmission 4 and 5 speed manual RWD
Max speed 125 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 151 hp
weight -



The Datsun 240Z was the first Japanese sports car to break into the American market and achieve a large volume of sales. The 240Z was designed by Albrecht Goertz and featured a long bonet with recessed round headlights. The roofline of the Datsun 240Z flowed gracefully into the taught rear arches and short rear end.

The Datsun 240Z was a superb handling sports car, helped by the use of Macpherson struts on all four corners. Inside the driver was offered an array of five guages, two large main dials for the tach and speedo directly behind the steering wheel, and three smaller dials above the centre console.

To this day the Datsun 240Z, and to a lesser extent the 260Z and 280Z, remain collectors favorites.





Falcon Caribbean

Falcon Caribbean

Year (of specifications) 1959 - 1963
Engine various
Transmission -
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -


Originally called the Mark 3, the Falcon Caribbean was primarily intended for the Ford 7 ft 6 in chassis, but would fit several other chassis of similar wheelbase. In 1960 the Caribbean became available as a complete kit, with a choice of engines including the Ford 100E and 105E, Coventry-Climax 1098cc & 1216cc and MGA. The Falcon Caribbean was a pretty, Italian-inspired two seater that proved most popular in coupe form, although a convertible version was also available. It was estimated that more than 2,000 Falcon Caribbean's were produced between 1959 and 1963.

Thanks to Chris Thomas for the information.




Ford RS200

Ford RS200

Year (of specifications) 1985 - 1986
Engine turbocharged 1803 cc cosworth
Transmission 5 speed manual
Max speed 140 mph (road spec)
0-60 mph 6 seconds (road spec)
Horsepower 250 bhp road / 450bhp works
weight -

Ford spent millions developing the RS200 to battle the Audi Quattro in Group B rally races. In order to comply with homologation regulations 200 road going Ford RS200's were built by Reliant of Tamworth, UK.

The tamed road versions were far less powerful than their racing counterparts but nevertheless still potent back road machines, in the right hands.
After Group B rallying was banned due to safety regulations, Ford sold the remaining production run of RS200's as Ghia spec road cars to private collectors and enthusiasts.

Fit and finnish are poor, they are meant for racing not posing. And driven at normal speeds the RS200 is a handful, the car is best used as it was originally designed.




Ikenga MkII

Ikenga

Year (of specifications) 1968
Engine Chevrolet 5.3 V8
Transmission 5 speed manual
Max speed 162 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -

Thanks to David Gittens, the Ikenga's designer, for the information below.

The Ikenga MKII was the second of three designs, all of which were based on the McLaren M1B tubular chassis. These were the last of the tube chassis before the M6s which were monocoque. The photo shown is from a 1969 cover photo feature in Car & Driver magazine.

The MKl, MKII, and MKIII were 1967,1968, and 1969 concepts with the latter being the most successful having been featured in Paris and at the Turin Auto Show in the autumn of 1969 and the Swedish auto show in March of 1970.




Isdera Imperator

Isdera Imperator

Year (of specifications) 1990
Engine Mercedes or Porsche V8
Transmission -
Max speed -
0-60 mph sub 5 seconds
Horsepower -
weight -

The Isdera Imperator was initially offered with either a Mercedes or Porsche V8, by 1990 the options were 3 - 6 litre Mercedes units. The Imperator's fibreglass body is built on a tubular frame. Interestingly the Imperator featured a periscope-style rear view mirror.





Iso Lele Sport

Iso Lele Sport

Year (of specifications) 1970 - 1974
Engine 5.7 litre Ford Cobra Jet V8
Transmission ZF 5-speed manual RWD
Max speed 145 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 360 hp
weight -

The Iso Lele Sport model was a lightweight, high-performance variant of the Iso Lele.

The Iso Lele Sport was produced in very limited numbers, in fact only 24 were built.

Power for the Iso Lele Sport came from a 5.7 litre Cobra Jet V8 engine, which allowed for a 145 mph top speed.





Jaguar SS100

Jaguar SS100

Year (of specifications) 1936 - 1940
Engine 2.5 (later 3.5) litre
Transmission 4 speed manual RWD
Max speed 100 mph (est)
0-60 mph 12 seconds (est)
Horsepower 100 hp (later 125 hp)
weight -

The Jaguar SS100 was a sports car produced from 1936 to 1940 by SS Cars Ltd based in Coventry, England.

The company name of 'SS' was changed to Jaguar after the end of the Second World War due to the association with the infamous German military unit.

When the Jaguar SS100 was initially introduced it featured a 2.5 litre in-line six cylinder engine capable of producing 100 horsepower. Later on in the SS100's production life, 1938 - 1940, the engine was upgraded to a 3.5 litre unit developing 125 horsepower.

The Jaguar SS100 featured a 4 speed manual gearbox with synchromesh on gears 2, 3 and 4.

Only 314 Jaguar SS100s were produced in total, of these only 49 were exported from England. The successor to the Jaguar SS100 was Jaguar XK120.




Jaguar XJ13

Jaguar XJ13

Year (of specifications) 1966 prototype
Engine 5.0 litre V12
Transmission -
Max speed 175 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 500 + hp
weight -

The stunning Jaguar XJ13 mid-engine prototype was tested several times at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) test centre near Nuneaton, England. The V12 XJ13 was kept secret in order to not interfere with E-Type sales, potential E-Type purchasers might prefer the XJ13.

However during a test run the XJ13 suffered tire failure at 140 mph and the car was destroyed in the resulting crash, the driver walked away. Two years later the XJ13 was fully restored by Jaguar technicians and it now resides in the Jaguar museum.





Jimenez Novia

Jimenez Novia

Year (of specifications) 1995 prototype
Engine 4.1 litre W16
Transmission -
Max speed 217 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 550 hp
weight 890 kgs / 1962 lbs

The Jimenez Novia, 'Novia' meaning 'girlfriend' in Spanish, was a prototype supercar and only one was ever made.

The Jimenez Novia featured a bizzare drivetrain which utilized four 1000cc Yamaha motorcycle engines arranged in a 'W' pattern around a shared crankshaft. In total this setup developed a mighty 550 horsepower and allowed for a claimed top speed of 217 mph.





Lamborghini Miura P400 SV

Lamborghini Miura P400 SV

Year (of specifications) 1966 - 1973 (1971 - 1973 SV)
Engine 3929 cc V12
Transmission 5 speed manual RWD
Max speed 180 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 385 bhp @ 7850 rpm
weight 1245 kgs / 2739 lbs

The Lamborghini Miura was born at the 1965 Turin Motor Show where a bodiless P400 chassis was put on display.

Nuccio Bertone saw the chassis and offered Ferruccio Lamborghini a body for his creation. The resulting Lamborghini Miura, designed by Bertone's Marcello Gandini, was shown at the Geneva Motor Show the next year.

The public liked the Miura so much that Lamborghini decided to put the Miura into production - somewhat hurriedly. Early Miura's suffered from mild defects and 'niggles', worst of which was a tendency for front end lift at high speed. However these problems were gradually eased on later models.

The Miura is a purist supercar, and as such lacks any home comforts like air conditioning or a radio - besides the engine noise would have drowned out anything the radio had to offer.

The legendary Miura was manufactured from 1966 - 1973 with a total of 765 cars produced. The arrival of the outrageous, and altogether opposite, Lamborghini Countach effectively ended the Miura's life prematurely.

The P400 SV was the last official incarnation of the Miura. Lamborghini began producing the Miura in 1966 with the P400, then in 1968 the Miura P400S arrived, before being replaced by the Miura P400 SV which ran from 1971 to 1973 when Lamborghini stopped producing the Miura altogether.





Lancia Rally 037 Evo 2

Lancia Rally 037 Evo 2

Year (of specifications) 1984
Engine 2111 cc, supercharged, 4 cyl
Transmission ZF DS25/2 5 speed manual
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 325 bhp @ 8000 rpm
weight 1170 kg /

The Lancia Rally 037 (also known as the Lancia Abarth #037) was a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive rally car built from 1982 - 1985 to compete in the FIA Group B World Rally Championship. Unlike its predecessor, the V6-powered Lancia Stratos, the Lancia Rally 037 had a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder supercharged engine developing around 250bhp. The power output increased to 305bhp with the Evolution 1 version introduced in 1982, and further horsepower gains were made in 1984 (325 hp) and 1985 (350 hp).

The Lancia Rally 037 was loosely based on its more common road-going counterpart, the Lancia Monte Carlo (known as the Scorpion in the US and Canadian markets). Modifications to the 037 included changes to the chassis to accept the larger engine, and increased rigidity for better handling.

The Lancia Rally 037 featured two "humps" in the roof, these were made to allow room for the crew's crash helmets because the original roofline hadn't taken these into account.





Lancia Stratos

Lancia Stratos

Year (of specifications) 1973 - 1975
Engine 2.4 litre Ferrari Dino engine
Transmission 5 speed manual
Max speed 143 mph
0-60 mph 6.8 seconds
Horsepower 190 bhp standard spec
weight -

Review by: Jasper Van Hoorick
There wasn't 500 examples built of the Lancia Stratos, they were supposed to built 500 to conclude with race regulations but there are actually between 430 and 480 pieces built. The first 50 cars didn't have spoilers on the roof and the back of the car, Lancia added it later because the car was unstable at high speeds. The first 50 cars also had an air intake for the "climate control" at the left front wheel.

The Stratos really brought the spirit back into lancia for a while, and it still has the world record of most rally titles in the world. It was one of the last rally cars without 4 wheel drive.

Although the Lancia Stratos has a really big boot the car isn't very practical for daily use because it can be very hot in the cockpit and you have absoluteky no rear sight, the brakes are very hard and the electrics are a disgrace. There were many Lancia Stratos which burnt out because of electrical failures.

There were also 2 long wheelbased Stratos' made for the use on the circuit and there were also circuit cars with the ordinary wheelbase but they didn't handle as well.




Mazda Cosmo 110S

Mazda Cosmo 110S

Year (of specifications) 1967 - 1972
Engine twin-rotor Wankel engine
Transmission 4 or 5 speed manual
Max speed 124 mph
0-60 mph 8.3 seconds
Horsepower 110 - 128 hp
weight -

The first prototype of the Mazda Cosmo 110S was introduced at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show, a year later 80 pre-production Cosmos were manufactured for the Mazda test department (20) and for dealership testing (60). Full scale production of the Cosmo began in May 1967 at a rate of around 1 car per day due to the fact the cars were hand built.

The Cosmo 110S was a quaintly styled coupe which appeared to be almost European in style. The Cosmo was created as a production test bed for the rotary Wankel engine. In the Cosmo was a twin-rotor unit which initially produced 110 hp, later cars (1968 - 1972) made around 128 hp. The later cars also benefited from a slightly longer wheelbase and a close ratio 5-speed gearbox.

The handling of the Mazda Cosmo was brilliant (partly due to the lightweight engine) but the ride was quite hard. A the front was wishbone suspension and at the rear a live axle with a DeDion tube.

In total just 1,519 Mazda Cosmos were produced between 1967 and 1972. Of these only six were imported to North America. One of these currently resides in Jay Leno's garage.





Panther Solo

Panther Solo

Year (of specifications) 1990
Engine Sierra Cosworth engine
Transmission AWD
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 204 bhp
weight -

There were only 12 of the 2+2, aluminium monocoque, carbon fiber reinforced Panther Solo's ever built. However the press were positive of the Solo when it first appeared and in another life it could have done very well.

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Review by: Martin Freestone
I worked as a body designer on the Panther Solo project from 1987 - 88. All normal automotive methods were used to design it, no different from an Escort or Focus. The Koreans had not got a chance to mess it up before the engineering was pretty much finished.





Piper GTR

Piper GTR

Year (of specifications) 1969
Engine 2.0L BMW / Oldsmobile V8
Transmission -
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -

The Piper GTR was of plywood and fibreglass sandwich construction. While only four GTR's were completed, Piper, as a company, lives on in Piper performance cams.

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Review by: Ian Stanley
The Piper GTR is back. A replica has been made, produced for racing and track days, with a good chance of a road legal GTR being made later. Contact www.piperracingcars.co.uk, (email reference Ian Stanley). The website has full details and photos of the Piper GTR with 21st century mechanical engineering to match the 21st century body aerodynamics





Probe 15

probe 15

Year (of specifications) 1969
Engine Hillman Imp running gear
Transmission -
Max speed 80 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -

The Probe 15 was made famous by the Stanley Kubrick film 'a clockwork orange'. The Probe 15 was only 29 inches tall making it the lowest car in the world, the car was so low access to the Probe was through the sliding roof.
Despite its rapid looks the Probe 15 was based on Hillman Imp running gear and its performance was anything but rapid.


Below is an entertaining story sent in to diseno-art.com by Mike Harrison of Canada about the Probe 15.

It was after the car was purchased by... darned if I can remember his name... a young man from South Africa who was training to be a pilot with BOAC.

He was called back to South Africa to attend the sale of one of his father's farms.

He asked me to drive him to Southampton. He was going back by boat and was hoping to take the car with him.

The morning we were due to leave Hertfordshire, the throttle cable broke. It was actually a bicycle brake cable and the nipple came off right under the gas peddle. The owner told me to keep the car, shook hands, wished me luck and took a cab (all the way to Southampton!)

He actually left PROBE 15 not in my care but in the care of a small company named David Johnson Enterprises, out of Harpenden. There were only four of us in the company and we specialised in major promotions using film cars and other traffic building props.

Our first car was a replica Batmobile, followed a year later by the 22 foot long, 8 foot wide road version of FAB 1, Lady Penelope's Pink Rolls Royce, so PROBE 15, though it hadn't appeared in any films at the time, was a good fit.

It took me four hours, upside side, sunnyside up, to attach a solderless nipple to the end of the brake cable (I'm 6'4" - take a look at the interior shots to appreciate that particular feat.)

I drove it regularly for about three months and one of my earliest memories is pulling up at a set of traffic lights in St.Alban and seeing a baby in a pram looking down at me.

It actually drove well. Not too fast, my girlfriend at the time had a Mini Cooper and the Mini would beat PROBE on the straight, but nothing touched it in the twisties.

I often drove it home and parked it overnight. I lived at the end of a narrow cul-de-sac. One morning, a long haul trucker thought our street offered a short-cut across town.

Realising his mistake, he compounded it by trying to turn his rig around and became completely stuck. His trailer completely blocked the entire street. Even cyclists were having a hard time getting past.

PROBE 15 handled it beautifully. Since she was only 29" high, I was able to simply drive under the offending trailer and out the other side.

It always drew a crowd. Especially when you were trying to get in or out through the roof panel. Long legged girl passengers in short skirts were particularly welcome, often receiving an appreciative round of applause from the onlookers.

My final days with PROBE were less than auspicious.

It was late in the evening, raining, in a built up neighborhood with cars parked on either side of a narrow road. Suddenly, a car swung wide around the approaching bend, headlight full on, taking up ever inch on my side of the road.

To avert a head-on, I feathered the brakes. Without warning, the curb-side rear brake locked up solid. The nose spun sharp left and smacked a parked car.

We were okay but PROBE's front wing disintegrated.

After that, they took away my toy and I had to content myself with tooling around in the Pink Rolls Royce.

Happy days.

Wonder what ever happened to dear old PROBE?

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Review by: anonymous:

Being a petrolhead since a kid,i was taken aback one day by a very low and sleek car, parked outside the parade of shops that i use to live near to.This turned out to be a Probe, and at that particular time (around 1976) was lime/pistachio Green. I'm pretty sure it had a wheel missing, and it seemed to be parked up/abandoned!.. It stayed there for about six weeks-ish, before dissapearing. Being twelve years old at the time, I didn't realize that one of these cars had been used in A Clockwork Orange (wasn't it banned at the time?)... Be nice to know if this car was used in the film, has survived etc,etc.. The shopping parade was woodhall shops in Welwyn Gdn city.

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Review by: Ewan
For the most authoritve account of the Adams Probe Series of cars, the Adams Probe 15, the Adams Probe 16 and the Adams Probe 2001 visit www.adamsprobe.com The site also cover the Concept Centaur GT, a derivative of the Probe 15.





Vector W8

Vector W8

Year (of specifications) 1980
Engine 5.7 litre Chevrolet twin turbo
Transmission Oldsmobile Toronado trans
Max speed 240 mph (claimed) max boost
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 600 bhp
weight -

The American made Vector W8 supercar featured gull wing doors and heated seats among other exotic delights. Vector has remained tight lipped about the full specs of the W8 to maintain exclusivity.

Only 17 Vector W8's were produced.








Alfa Romeo Carabo

Alfa Romeo Carabo

Year 1968
Engine 1995 cc V8
Transmission 6 manual
Max speed 155 mph
0-60 mph 6.4
Horsepower 230 bhp @ 8800 rpm
weight 1000 kgs / 2205 lbs

The Alfa Romeo Carabo was a milestone in Supercar design. Originally penned by Marcello Gandini, from Bertone, the car was called "Carabo," meaning beetle. The concept car was shown in October 1968, at Porte de Versailles in Paris, to a stunned crowd.

It was built on the Chassis of the mid-engined V8 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 and was an experimental design. The Lamborghini Miura, also previously designed by Gandini, had suffered from front-end lift at high speeds, so the Carabo was an exercise in focusing on an aerodynamic solution. The car also featured upward hinging doors, which later inspired the Lamborghini Countach.





Alfa Romeo Iguana

Alfa Romeo Iguana

Year 1969
Engine 1995 cc V8 DOHC
Transmission 6 manual RWD
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 230 bhp @ 8800 rpm
weight -

The Alfa Romeo Iguana prototype was based on an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale chassis (VIN 750.33.116). The Iguana concept was designed by Giorgio Giugiaro and was first presented to the public at the 1969 Turin Motor Show.

A production run was initially planned, however this was later withdrawn, and the Iguana remains a one-off.

The Alfa Romeo Iguana features an sleek wedge-shaped body which is formed from unpainted stainless steel. The styling of the Alfa Romeo Iguana provided some of the influence for the later Giugiaro-designed Maserati Bora and Merak models.





AMC AMX/3

AMC AMX/3

Year (of specifications) 1970
Engine 6.4 litre V8
Transmission -
Max speed 160 mph
0-60 mph 6.0 seconds
Horsepower 340 bhp
weight -

The AMC AMX/3 featured independent suspension and a 340 bhp engine which made 430 ft/lbs of torque at just 3600 rpm.

Only 6 AMX/3's were ever made due to an extremley high production cost and therefore price.





Argyll Turbo GT

Argyll Turbo GT

Year (of specifications) 1976
Engine turbocharged V6 or V8
Transmission 5 speed ZF transaxle
Max speed 150 Rover, 130 Saab
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -

The Argyll Turbo GT featured a box section chassis and Triumph 2500 independent suspension.

The Argyll Turbo GT had a longitudinally mounted V6 engine. It was a 2+2 Tourer. The Turbo GT was made in Scotland.





Aston Martin DB5

Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Convertible

Year (of specifications) 1963 - 1965
Engine 4.0 litre straight 6 cylinder
Transmission 4 or 5 speed manual / 3 auto RWD
Max speed 140 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 240 - 280 hp
weight -


The Aston Martin DB5 was a phenomenally expensive sports car when it was introduced in 1963 - costing considerably more than a nice house. In 1964 when the DB5 was featured in the Bond movie 'Goldfinger' the Aston Martin name was catapulted into the limelight around the world, and the 007 association has been strong ever since.

The DB5 was the fifth Aston Martin model to be built while the company was owned by David Brown - hence the DB element to the car's name. David Brown was an English entrepreneur and founder of a successful tractor company.

The DB5 was a development of the 3.7 litre DB4. However the DB5 featured a 240 horsepower, 4.0 litre engine coupled to a 5 speed ZF transmission when it was first introduced. The DB5 was capable of reaching a 140 mph top speed, although the more powerful DB5 Vantage version could nearly hit 150 mph.

In total 1,018 Aston Martin DB5's were manufactured from 1963 - 1965. They came in coupe, convertible and estate versions - although only 12 estates were built, and these were reserved for special clients and friends of David Brown.




ATS 2500 GT

ATS 2500GT

Year (of specifications) 1963 - 1964
Engine 2.5 litre SOHC V8
Transmission 5 speed Colotti gearbox
Max speed 160 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 210 bhp road / 245 competion
weight -

ATS stands for Automobili Turismo Sport, and the 2500 GT was their first road car, and more significantly, the first mid-engined Italian road car. Most of ATS's employees had worked for Ferrari, who they intended to dethrone. They produced a F1 car which was a total failure.





Bizzarrini Manta

Bizzarrini Manta

Year (of specifications) 1968
Engine 5.4 litre V8 Chevrolet
Transmission 5 manual RWD
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 355 bhp @ 5800 rpm
weight -

The Bizzarrini Manta concept was based off the chassis of the Bizzarrini P538 race car of 1966. The car was built by Giorgetto Giugiaro to promote Ital Design. The car was taken to motor shows all over the world and eventually ended up in the US, where it got it's current turquoise paint job. An interesting note, the car was a three seater, with the driver sitting in the middle.




Bourbon Nicolas Adonis

Bourbon Nicolas Adonis

Year (of specifications) 1993
Engine 5.2 litre V8
Transmission 5-speed automatic RWD
Max speed 205 mph
0-60 mph 3.3 seconds
Horsepower 420 bhp @ 7000 rpm
weight -

The Adonis was the work of Nicolas Bourbon. Working in his spare time from home he created the car after an estimated 6,000 hours of work over 5 years. The Adonis featured pneumatic suspension, inverted mirror headlights and composite fibre bodywork.





Chaparral 2



Year (of specifications) 1963 - 1965
Engine Chevy Small block (size varies)
Transmission 4 speed manual, automatic in C model
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower up to 480 horsepower
weight 1,600 lbs / 725 kgs


Review by: Sam Mc.
The Chaparral 2 had three different configurations, the 2A, 2B, and the 2C. They were designed in Texas by Jim Hall and had numerous innovations, many of which were banned shortly after being introduced.

The Chaparral 2A was unsuccessful because of front end lift at speeds, causing difficult handling, and was quickly quickly retrofitted and re-designated.

The new Chaparral 2B was, unlike the 2A, extremely successful in competition, both domestic and international. The small mid-engined sports racer was nimble in the corners and fast on the straits. It featured a cutting edge fiberglass monocoque chassis.

From the 2B evolved the 2C, with an automatic transmission, which at first may seem odd, until you know that replacing the clutch pedal with a new third pedal which, believe it or not, controlled the angle of the rear wing! Because of this, you could lower downforce on the straits, increasing speed, and add downforce in the corners, increasing grip. It was an ingenious design from an ingenious designer.

Counting the A, B, and C, the Chaparral won 22 out of the 39 races it entered, an impressive result.




Cheetah

Cheetah replica

Year (of specifications) 1960 's
Engine 5763cc V8
Transmission ZF 5 speed transaxle
Max speed 160 mph +
0-60 mph 5.2 seconds
Horsepower 350 bhp
weight -


The Cheetah was the inspiration for numerous small boys dreams in the early Sixties (including my own). Built as a proposal to General Motors as an alternative to Ford's very successful Cobra project, the Cheetah employed many of the styling cues that were common to the era. A long hood and short beck stretched taught over the biggest motor that could be stuffed between the wheels.

Like the Cobra, Jaguar's XKE and Chevrolet's own Gran(d) Sport Sting Ray, the Cheetah was designed to do one thing very well...GO FAST. Assembled from off-the-shelf Corvette parts and fabricated frame and suspension components, the Chevrolet derived engine was positioned behind the front wheels to create a front-mid engine arrangement to make a stable high performance platform. Because the chassis was not stiff enough, the Cheetah exhibited quirky handling characteristics at high speeds. The Cheetah was fast. Speeds of 185 mph were recorded at road courses, and a claimed 200+ mph is claimed at the Daytona oval.

Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the Cheetah production facility and claimed the unfinished cars and more importantly, the molds and tooling to create more cars. The fire did not end the Cheetah story though...

Numerous "kit" Cheetahs were attempted, with a few even being sold. Most of the replica Cheetahs were of very questionable quality, with poor fit-and-finish and highly suspect engineering. There are a few weblogs that chronicle attempts by owners to finish their kits with various levels of success.

"Cheetah Race Cars" has gotten permission from one of the original creators of the Cheetah (Thomas) to create "continuation" cars that are advertised as faithful to the original with updated engineering and reliability, but without the problems of the replicas.

The Cheetah was intended to rival the mighty Cobras. In some ways it did just that. It certainly looked the part. The performance was there. It just suffered the fate of many great dreams... It lacked just a little bit of good luck. If you happen to live in Southern California, keep your eyes open. The few surviving Cheetah's (out of 23 completed) that still exist are located in that warm and sunny dream-land. A fitting place for the car of my boyhood dreams.






Daimler SP250 Dart

Daimler SP250 Dart

Year (of specifications) 1959 - 1964
Engine 2548 cc V8
Transmission 4 speed manual, 3 auto, RWD
Max speed 125 mph
0-60 mph 9.5 seconds
Horsepower -
weight -


The decision to create a sports car was a change of tack for Daimler when, under new management, the company decided to build the SP250 'Dart'. The Chassis and layout of the SP250 was taken from the Triumph TR3. The body was made from fibreglass and featured some unusual and awkward styling elements.

The 'Dart' name had to be dropped from the SP250 as Dodge held the patent to the name.

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

Review by: John Kessler
Two UK guys who I met at a recent car show while looking at the first one I've seen in 35 years in USA told me most Brits refer to the SP250 as the "Catfish", due to its 'unique' front styling.




DeTomaso Mangusta

DeTomaso Mangusta

Year (of specifications) 1969
Engine 4949 cc Ford V8
Transmission 5 speed RWD
Max speed 155 mph
0-60 mph 7 seconds
Horsepower 230 bhp @ 4800 rpm
weight 3050 lbs


Review by: Richard Sorensen

The sensation of the 1966 Turin Motor Show, this was the second model from Alejando de Tomaso's stable. Styled by world famous designer Giorgetto Giugiaro during his tenure at Ghia it was arguably the world's first mid-engined sports car when it entered production in 1967. It was christened 'Mangusta' (Mongoose) in reference to the legendary AC Cobra with which it shared it's Shelby modified Ford 289 cu in V8 engine.Chassis construction was a Lotus-style sheet metal central backbone covered by an all-steel body including gull-wind engine covers. A total of 401 Mangusta's were built before the model was replaced by the more mass production oriented Pantera. Of the 401, only 120 were 'European' Spec with the 302bhp 289cu in engine, the balance were American spec 302 cu in putting out 230bhp. Later American cars also featured a less attractive single pop-up headlamp treatment.

Engine: 4728cc 90 V8
Output: 305bhp @ 6,200rpm (405Nm@4800)
Firing order 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Top speed: 250km/h6500rpm in 5th gear (theoretical)
Stroke & Bore: 72.89mm x 101.6
Compression ratio: 9.8:1





Ford GT70



Year (of specifications) 1971
Engine 2996 cc V6
Transmission 5 speed manual RWD
Max speed 155 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 128 bhp @ 4750 rpm
weight 762 kgs / 1680 lbs


There were only 3 Ford GT70's built before the project was scrapped.





Ginetta G33

Ginetta G33

Year (of specifications) 1990
Engine 3.5 or 3.9 litre Rover V8
Transmission -
Max speed 150 mph aprox (3.9 engine)
0-60 mph 5.0 seconds (3.9 engine)
Horsepower -
weight -

Review by:: Ginetta G33 Owner

Ginetta G33 1993 model 3.9l V8. 0-60 5 secs, top speed circa 150 mph.

Pretty and rare. The G33 looks and sounds fantastic, I get comments every time I drive it, even when stopped at traffic lights people come and ask about it.

The car is quite fast with very good handling but it can "bite" in the wet as there is so much torque.

I find the car comfortable for long distances, but it is prone to the top leaking a little in very heavy rain and the hood is not the fastest to put up.

As a car for warm sunny weekends and the odd trackday I think it's fantastic, but it wouldn't be suitable for everyday use.

Simple modifications such as exhaust manifolds, cam and ecu re-map can make these cars very fast.




Isdera Commendatore 112i

Isdera Commendatore 112i

Year (of specifications) 1993
Engine Mercedes 12 cyl 5987cc
Transmission 6 manual
Max speed 205 mph
0-60 mph 4.7 seconds
Horsepower 408 bhp @ 5200 rpm
weight 1480 kgs / 3263 lbs

The Isdera Commendatore 112i supercar was the sole prototype of a made to order supercar. The 112i was shown at the 1993 Frankfurt Motorshow.

The sleek bodywork was hand built and featured a roof mounted, periscope-style rear view mirror. The gullwing doors were matched by gullwing engine covers hiding a Mercedes Benz 6 litre V12, most of the other running gear came courtesy of Porsche.

The previously elusive Isdera Commendatore 112i was put up for sale on e-bay at the end of 2005, the owner asked for a starting bid of $3,000,000.00.





Iso Grifo

Iso Grifo

Year (of specifications) 1963 - 1974
Engine 5.4 litre V8 / 7.0 litre V8
Transmission 4/5 spd manual, 3 spd auto, RWD
Max speed 150 - 170 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 300 - 390 bhp
weight -

The Iso Grifo was a luxurious 2 door coupe derived from the unfortunatley named Iso Rivolta of 1962.

The Iso Grifo which debuted in 1963 featured a shorter chassis and flowing coupe lines penned by the Italian styling house Bertone.

The engine of the Iso Grifo was not of Italian origin, instead a GM sourced 5.4 litre V8 was used. This engine produced around 300 horsepower in the standard model and could propel the car up to 150 mph. A 365 hp version was also available and this was good for 160 mph. Transmission choices included a four or five speed manual, or a 3 speed automatic.

In 1968 the Iso Grifo received a larger 7.0 litre V8, and power output jumped to a very respectable 390 hp. With this new engine the Grifo was capable of 170 mph.

In the final two years of production the Grifo was fitted with a Ford 'Cleveland' V8 instead of the GM unit. Unfortunately Iso struggled during the fuel crisis of the 1970's and the company was forced into bankruptcy in 1974. In total 504 Iso Grifo's were manufactured from 1963 - 1974.






Jaguar E-Type

Jaguar E-Type

Year (of specifications) 1961 - 1975
Engine 3.8, 4.2 litre straight 6
5.3 litre V12
Transmission 4 speed manual / 3 spd auto, RWD
Max speed 150 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -

The Jaguar E-Type (the car was named the XK-E in North America) is probably one of the best known sports cars of all time. At its introduction in 1961 the E-Type offered superb performance at a price far less than any of its rivals.

The curvaceous yet simple bodywork of the Jaguar E-Type was inspired by the Le Mans winning Jaguar D-Type race car. The body proved to be incredibly stiff and worked extremely well with the wishbone and coil spring suspension system.

Initially the E-Type was powered by a 3.8 litre inline 6 cylinder connected to a 4 speed manual gearbox.

In 1964 the displacement was increased to 4.2 litres and the transmission and brakes were both upgraded. The interior was also improved thanks to better trim and electrics.

In 1966 Jaguar launched a 2+2 version of the E-Type and an automatic transmission was made available to appeal to the American market.

1968 saw cosmetic changes to the E-Type which were essential to comply with new US safety standards. These modifications resulted in a more cluttered appearance and lower power due to stricter emissions regulations.

The final version of the E-Type, the Series 3, was powered by a 5.3 litre V12. This model could be identified from the earlier versions due to the 2+2 layout (the 2 seat coupe model was discontinued), flared wheel arches and a larger grille.




Jensen Interceptor

Jensen Interceptor

Year (of specifications) 1966 - 1976
Engine 6.2 / 7.2 litre V8
Transmission 4 spd manual / 3 spd auto RWD
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 390 hp (7.2 litre SP version)
weight 1588 kgs / 3500 lbs


The Jensen Interceptor was the most successful model produced by the English manufacturer with 6,408 manufactured over the 10 years it was in production.

The Interceptor was based on the company's previous model, the CV8, but with striking body work designed by the Italian coachbuilding firm Carrozzeria Touring.

The Interceptor was initially offered with a 6.2 litre Chrysler V8 under the hood. There were both automatic and manual versions available and the power was sent to the rear wheels through a limited slip differential.

In 1971 the displacement was increased to 7.2 litres and equipped with a four barrel carburetor. An SP (six-Pack) version was produced from 1971 - 1973, this model produced a very healthy 390 hp and was the most powerful variation of the Interceptor.

The Jensen Interceptor saloon had a distinctive large, curving wraparound rear window that doubled as a tailgate. The interior was well appointed and featured electric windows, reclining front seats, a wood rimmed steering wheel, radio with twin speakers. Power steering was fitted as standard later in 1968.

The Jensen Interceptor was produced in three different forms, the hardtop grand touring version was by far the most common with over 6,000 made. Only 267 convertibles were produced, and a mere 60 Interceptor coupes were built.





Lamborghini Espada

Lamborghini Espada

Year (of specifications) 1968 - 1978
Engine 4.0 litre V12
Transmission 5 speed manual / 3 auto RWD
Max speed 150 - 155 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 325 - 365 bhp
weight -

The Lamborghini Espada was a genuine full four-seat supercar introduced in 1968.

The styling of the Espada was carried out by the Italian styling firm Bertone, and featured a distinctive side window line which swept upward at the rear. Under the long, wide hood lay a 4.0 litre V12 which on the first cars put out 325 hp. In 1970 the power was increased to 350 hp, and in 1972 365 hp.

Initially the Lamborghini Espada was offered solely with a 5-speed manual gearbox, later a 3-speed automatic transmission was made available.

While the styling of the Lamborghini Espada is not to everyones taste, the fact it had four usable seats, a glorious V12 engine and a Lamborghini badge made it one of Lamborghini's most popular models. In total 1217 Espada's were manufactured before the model was dropped in 1978.




Lamborghini Silhouette

Lamborghini Silhouette

Year (of specifications) 1976 - 1979
Engine 2996 cc V8
Transmission -
Max speed 161 mph
0-60 mph 6.5 seconds
Horsepower 260 bhp @ 7500 rpm
weight 1240 kgs / 2751 lbs

Review by: C. Fox
The Silhouette was an attempt to creat a lower cost, entry level Lamborghini using the 8 cylinder power plant of the Urraco. Constructed during hard financial time few of the lovely cars were built. After Lamborghini was purchased by the Mimram brothers the car was reincarnated at the Jalpa with a bigger engine and more muscular look. The Jalpa was more successful producing a run of cars almost 10 times greater.




Lancia Delta S4 Strada



Year (of specifications) 1985
Engine 1759 cc supercharger & turbo
Transmission Manual AWD (adjustable bias)
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 250 bhp (road) / 550 hp (race)
weight -

The Lancia Delta S4 Strada was conceived in 1983, before going into production in 1985. Only 200 S4 Strada's were produced for homologation purposes to allow the mighty S4 to compete in the legendary Group B Rally series.

The S4 name is an abbreviation of supercharged and 4, for four-wheel-drive. The 1759 cc 4 cylinder engine of the Lancia Delta S4 Strada was force-fed by both a supercharger and a turbocharger, this meant the cars immense power was available throughout a much wider rev range. In road going form the S4 Strada put out around 250 horsepower, but by 1986 some of the race versions were achieving upwards of 550 horsepower.

The 4-wheel drive transmission of the Lancia Delta S4 Strada could be adjusted from 75/25 rear/forward bias, to 60/40, depending on conditions and driver preferences.





Lenham GT

Lenham GT

Year (of specifications) -
Engine Ford mid-engined
Transmission -
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -

Review by: Kevin:
I definitely remember this stunning little car and being absolutely wowed by it's looks. The memory is definitely fading but I saw an advertisement in Motor Sport magazine. Now this would have been around 1967 to 1970 and I can't be more definite than that - we moved to the Wirral in 1967 and my brother, who used to buy the magazine, left for university in 1970. At that time I was into VW Beetles and the beach buggies were just starting to appear and I wondered if a Lenham GT body would fit on to a VW pan. I did phone up to pose that question, had a long chat but for the life of me I can't remember the reply. However I was sent a brouchure I think a two sided A4 sheet with that photograph on it and I think one of the rear quarter. It was not that long ago that I actually cleared out a lot of papers and that brouchure was among them. I honestly thought I would never see the car again and it certainly brought back some memories (but not them all). Whatever happened to it? How many if any were produced and where are they now? Can anybody shed any light on this car. It should really be in production today, the styling is just timeless.





Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe

Year (of specifications) 1954 - 1963
Engine 3.0 litre inline 6 cylinder
Transmission -
Max speed 130 - 150 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 240 - 250 hp
weight -

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is one of the most inspirational automotive designs of the 20th century. Not only has the shape been imitated, so have the dramatic doors and the "Gullwing" name. The 300 SL also provided much of the styling influence for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG concept.

Upon its introduction in 1954 the 300SL was offered solely as the "Gullwing" coupe. It came equipped with an advanced, fuel-injected, 3.0 litre straight 6 cylinder engine which produced 240 hp @ 6,100 rpm. The engine longitudinally mounted engine was tilted over at an angle in the engine bay which meant the hood could stay low and smooth.

The only faults with the 300 SL Coupe were due to its thoroughbred, race-derived technology which made for unforgiving on-the-limit handling, and expensive-to-repair spaceframe construction.

In 1957 Mercedes-Benz replaced the 300 SL Gullwing coupe with the 300 SL Roadster. This car was essentially the same, minus the fixed roof, and was fitted with a slightly more powerful (+10hp) version of the same engine. The suspension was also redesigned to be more forgiving to the average driver and the construction was simplified, making repair and maintenance easier.

In total 1,400 300SL Gullwing coupes and 1,858 300SL Roadsters were produced.




Pegaso Z102

Pegaso Z102

Year (of specifications) 1951 - 1958
Engine 2.8, 3.2, 4.0, 4.5, 4.9 litre V8
some supercharged
Transmission 5 speed manual AWD
Max speed 120 - 160 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 175 hp - 360 hp
weight -

The Z102 was the first automotive product of Pegaso, a Spanish company based in Barcelona better known for building trucks and buses. In the 1950s they experimented briefly with manufacturing a limited number of supercars and the Z102 was the result.

The Pegaso Z102 was first introduced in 1951. It featured an aluminium body with graceful lines similar to Italian and British marques of the time. Initially the Z102 was powered by a 2.8 litre V8 with dry-sump lubrication and a 5-speed gearbox.

Later there was a 3.2 litre V8 option which produced 230 bhp. Supercharged versions of both engines were also offered, the 2.8 litre unit put out 280 hp while the 3.2 litre engine developed 360 horsepower - a massive amount in the 1950s.

Later the Z102 was developed into the Z103. This model featured a larger displacement engine which was less complicated and expensive to produce.

In total only around 100 Pegaso Z102 and Z103's were produced from 1951 - 1958. Pegaso stopped making supercars after this but they proved that if they wanted to they could do them very, very well.




Piper GTT

Piper GTT

Year (of specifications) 1970
Engine 1599 cc Ford unit
Transmission -
Max speed 110 mph
0-60 mph 8.0 seconds
Horsepower -
weight -

The Piper GTT featured a fibreglass body built on a Y shaped backbone tubular spaceframe chassis. Running gear for the Piper GTT came courtesy of Ford and Triumph.





Saab Sonett

Saab Sonett III

Year (of specifications) 1966 - 1974
Engine 1.7 litre V4 (Sonett III)
Transmission 4 speed manual FWD
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 75 hp (Sonett III)
weight 820 kgs / 1,785 lbs

The Saab Sonett first went on sale in 1966 as the Sonett II (the Sonett I never made it to the showrooms). The Sonett II used the front-wheel-drive platform of the Saab 96 saloon. But instead of a dull saloon body the Sonett featured a distinctive coupe profile. But to be fair the Sonett II wasn't the prettiest car on the road.

One thing the Sonett II wasn't was fast. The first generation car was fitted with an 841 cc engine which only put out 60 horsepower, and the performance it offered was a little underwhelming. Later versions of the Sonett II faired slightly better thanks to a new V4 engine which made 65 horsepower and considerably more torque.

In 1970 the Sonett III was introduced. This iteration of the model was significantly superior to the early Sonett's. It had a 1.7 litre V4 engine which produced 75 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm and 94 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500 rpm. The bodywork was also revised and improved thanks to a change in supplier. The Sonett II got its fiberglass body from a Swedish company which normally made railway carriages. But the new suppliers, Coggiola of Italy, were more adept at their trade and the appearance improved as a result.

In 1974 production of the Sonett III ceased with 10,236 cars having rolled off the production line.

The primary reason for the model's discontinuation were tighter safety and emissions regulations in the US - the intended primary market for the car. Redesigning the car to comply with the new rules would have been too costly and uneconomical so Saab killed it instead.




Sunbeam Tiger

Sunbeam Tiger

Year (of specifications) 1964 - 1968
Engine 4.7 litre V8
Transmission 4 speed manual RWD
Max speed -
0-60 mph -
Horsepower 200 horsepower
weight 1,197 kgs / 2,640 lbs

The Sunbeam Tiger which was introduced in 1964 was a development of the Sunbeam Alpine. The car was conceived out of a desire to produce something which could rival the AC Cobra.

Inside the British-made chassis was a 4.2 litre Ford V8 and a Borg-Warner 4-speed gearbox. All-in-all it was a good combination which proved to be competitive in a variety of races.

In 1967 the Sunbeam Tiger's engine was upgraded to a 4.7 litre unit which produced 200 horsepower - further improving the car's performance potential.

Sadly however, due to the fact Chrysler had recently taken a financial stake in Sunbeam's parent company, Rootes, the Tiger was discontinued later in the year because Chrysler didn't want to be selling a car powered by one of their competitors engines. It's a shame they didn't bother trying to integrate one of their own powerplants into the Tiger.





Toyota 2000GT

Toyota 2000GT

Year (of specifications) 1967 - 1970
Engine 1998 cc
Transmission 5 speed manual RWD
Max speed 137 mph
0-60 mph 8.4 seconds
Horsepower 150 bhp
weight -

There were only 337 Toyota 2000GT 's ever made. The 2000GT 's beautiful aluminium body was designed with assistance from Albrecht Goertz, who went on to help in the production of the Datsun 240Z as a consultant.

When it was new, the Toyota 2000GT cost $6,800. Considerably more than the Porsche and Jaguar competition.

Nowadays the Toyota 2000GT is one of the most sought after collector's car in the world.





WSM Healey 3000

WSM Healey 3000

Year (of specifications) 1965
Engine Austin Healey 3000
Transmission -
Max speed 140 mph
0-60 mph -
Horsepower -
weight -

The WSM Healey 3000 was built on an Austin Healey 3000. After Malcom Bridgeland crashed his Healey 3000 at Silverstone he had WSM restyle his car into the WSM Healey 3000, with the new aerodynamic body the car was 12 mph faster than the standard Austin Healey 3000.

The WSM 3000 survives in the UK, and designer Douglas Wilson-Spratt was re-united
with the car in 2003 for the first time in 37 years. For more information on the WSM 3000 and other WSM cars please visit wsmcars.com

Information from: Tony Wilson-Spratt







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