Tag Archives: ECotY

Brazilian Power – FIAT 127 1050/CL

In 1971 FIAT launched it’s 127 model which was to replace the 850 that was being phased out of production.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

Initially the 127 was only available as a 2 door a, the hatchback was not introduced until 1972, Spanish built variants with 4 and 5 doors were later marketed under the SEAT and FIAT names.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

Unlike the rear engine rear wheel drive 850 model it replaced the 127 had the Dante Giacosa designed 45hp 903 cc FIAT 100 derived engine first seen in the 1955 FIAT 600 mounted in the front with the transmission driving the front wheels.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

European journalists voted the 127 European Car of the Year in 1972 two years after it’s larger sibling the FIAT 128 had won the same accolade.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

FIAT launched it’s restyled second generation 127 with larger window’s and larger tailgate in May 1977 with the a 50hp 1050cc Brazilian developed and built version of the Aurelio Lampredi designed five bearing OHC FIAT 124 engine offered as an option.

FIAT 127 1050/CL, Bristol

The Brazilian powered 127 seen in these photograph’s was first registered in the UK on the 22nd of January 1979.

Thanks for joining me on this “Brazilian Power” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at a Formula Junior car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Five Speed Hatchback – Citroen GSA Spécial

It took Citroën 14 years to fill the gap between their bargain basement 2CV/Dyane/Ami range and their up market DS range.

Citroen GSA Special , Castle Combe,

During this time Citroën engineers had explored options, including a bubble car and rotary powered vehicles before opting for a range of small flat four cylinder air cooled engines from 1015 cc / 62 cui 54 hp to 1299 / 79 cui 66hp that were to power the front wheels of four door fastback, 5 door estate / wagon, 3 door service van bodies styled by Robert Opron with independent hydropneumatic suspension.

Citroen GSA Special , Castle Combe,

The advanced design of the GS appealed to the same journalists who had voted it’s immediate competitor, the Renault 16, European Car Of The Year in 1966 and the 94 mph GS was given the same award after it’s launch in 1970.

Citroen GSA Special , Castle Combe,

In 1974 Citroën declared bankrupcy in part due to the late introduction of the GS and the development cost of the DS replacement the CX, but the company survived after Michelin handed control over to Peugeot.

Citroen GSA Special , Castle Combe,

The GS was face lifted to GSA specifications, with 5 door hatchback and 5 speed transmission options, in 1979 with the top speed now being quoted as 102 mph.

Of the 576,757 GSA models built between 1979 and 1986 5,500 were reported to have been exported to East Germany, where Communist Party Leader Erich Honecker was a fan of the marque.

Today’s featured GSA Spécial, seen at Castle Combe last year was first registered in the UK on the 30th of April 1982.

Thanks for joining me on this Five Speed Hatchback edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psychoontyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be visiting Brands Hatch. Don’t forget to come back now.

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Neither Nor – Renault 16

While Citroën was busy trying to develop a suitably innovative vehicle known as Projet F with a wankel motor and torsion bar suspension to fit between it’s successful small 2CV and and successful large DS models Renault’s Gaston Juchet was developing today’s featured Renault 16 with an aluminium straight 4 motor and torsion bar suspension for exactly the same market.

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

Like the Renault 4 launched in 1961 the 16 featured front wheel drive, umbrella stick gear change and an asymmetrical wheelbase thanks to the torsion bar suspension.

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

Another similarity with the smaller Renault sibling was the five door body style, neither car was offered with anything else for private use, though in the case of the 16 the rear door was noticeably more inclined toward the front.

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

Motoring Illustrated in May 1965 reported that “The Renault Sixteen can thus be described as a large family car but one that is neither a four door saloon (sedan) and nor is it quite an estate (wagon). But, importantly, it is a little different.”

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

The important neither nor word the journalist was struggling for was of course “hatchback” a term that was not coined as a body style until the early 1970’s.

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

European Journalists were so impressed with the Renault 16 that it became the first French car, after the Rover 2000 and Austin 1800, to named European Car of The Year in 1966.

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

Initially the Sixteen was launched in Grand Luxe and Super variants both powered by a 1470cc / 89 cui motor producing 54 hp.

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

At the 1968 Geneva Motor Show the TS version was launched with a 1565cc / 95 cui engine, an all-new instrument panel that included; a tachometer, water temperature gauge, two-speed windscreen wipers, column shift, rear defroster, passenger reading light, and optional electric powered windows.

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

In 1970 no less a luminary than Stirling Moss was quoted as saying “”There is no doubt that the Renault 16 is the most intelligently engineered automobile I have ever encountered and I think that each British motorcar manufacturer would do well to purchase one just to see how it is put together”.

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

By the time production of the facelifted Renault 16 ceased in 1980 over 1.8 million examples had been built, and most European manufacturers had a similar 5-door hatchback in their showrooms.

Renault 16 TS, Cotham, Bristol,

It is said that when the Renault 16 was launched Citroën cancelled it’s Projet F because of the similarities of the 16 and F amid rumours of industrial espionage, however these remain unfounded possibly in the light of the similarities of the Renault 4 and 16, possibly because the truth was the planned Wankel engine Citroën hoped to use could not be made as reliable as they would have liked.

Unlikely as it may seen among my earliest motor racing memories was seeing a Renault 16 being raced in Zambia at typically Gaulish angles on the corners by a chap called de Decker who tried in vain to keep up with a similarly standard Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV driven by Sergio Pavan at Nchanga.

The left hand drive non UK spec ’68 model year Renault 16 TX seen in these photographs taken in Bristol was not registered in the UK until October 2008.

Thanks for joining me on this “Neither Nor” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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’67 ECOTY – FIAT 124 S

In 1966 FIAT replaced it’s 1300/1500 range with the FIAT 124, a fresh design led by Chief Engineer Oscar Montabone which was awarded the 1967 European Car Of he Year accolade by a collective of European journalists.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

The 124 range, which included 4 door saloon/sedan, 5 door estate / station wagon, Coupé and Spider models, was powered by a variety of motors producing from 60hp to 115 hp for the 2 litre / 122 cui overhead cam motor that was used in the Spider.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

Today’s featured 1969 FIAT 124 S is powered by a 1,438 cc Over Head Valve 4 cylinder engine that produces 74 horsepower transmitted to the rear wheels through a 4 speed fully synchromeshed manual transmission.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

FIAT 124 trivia includes a one off 124 2 door convertible that turned out to be the last car built by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

The FIAT 124 went on to become an early global car as production expanded to the Soviet Union with the Lada brand, India, Spain with the SEAT brand, Bulgaria, Turkey, Korea, Egypt, Morocco and land locked Zambia in southern Africa.

FIAT 124 S, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

It was in Zambia that this correspondent took his first driving lessons on the open road at the wheel of a Zambian built ’74 FIAT 124 S.

Thanks for joining me on this “’67 ECOTY” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another 500 Formula 3 car built just down the road from me in Clifton, Bristol. Don’t forget to come back now !

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1977 ECotY – Rover Vitesse

There were not many four door executive vehicles that would look comfortable parked along side a Ferrari or Maserati in the 1970’s but the Rover SD1 powered by the familiar alloy Buick derived V8 and designed by David Bache is certainly one that could keep such company in any car park and not look out of place.

Rover SD1 Vitesse, Atwell Wilson MM

Thanks in part to a painfully slow process of rationalisation that was occurring at British Leyland during the early 1970’s involving many duplicitous departments and management within the nationalised organisation it took 54 months for the SD1 to move from drawing board to production.

Rover SD1 Vitesse, Atwell Wilson MM

David Bache was not in the least shy about his design influences incorporated into the SD1 including these indicator lights which are almost identical to those found on a Ferrari Daytona.

Rover SD1 Vitesse, Atwell Wilson MM

Built in a new purpose built £31 million factory in Solihull the SD1 was marketed as the Rover 3500 and launched in July 1976 to an ecstatic reception regarding the styling and performance, though the quality of some of the materials used and build were short of the market leaders particularly the emerging BMW brand. The deep front spoiler and BBS pattern wheels on this model signifies a later model in this case built in 1986.

Rover SD1 Vitesse, Atwell Wilson MM

The Vitesse badge hitherto associated with Triumph models belies the fact that the SD1 had technical and marketing input from the still separate and competing Triumph design and management offices. In late 1980 the Rover Vitesse, seen here at the Atwell Wilson Motor Museum, was introduced as the performance version of the Rover 3500 and the Vanden Plas the Luxury version that included leather seats.

Rover SD1 Vitesse, Atwell Wilson MM

While the styling of the SD1 was ahead of it’s time the rear suspension was actually a technological step back from the de Dion suspension used on the previous Rover P6 to a live rear axle, though this made the cars easier and cheaper to build the move did not compromise the handling, much praised in the contemporary press, in anyway.

Rover SD1 Vitesse, Atwell Wilson MM

Since British Leyland had so many competing brands in its range the 1977 European Car of the Year award winner was not the money spinner that it should have been because it was priced so as not to compete directly with the Jaguar XJ6 against which it was seen in an extremely favourable light.

Thanks for joining me on the 1977 European Car of the Year edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil psycho on tyres’, I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a fully loaded turbocharged competitor of the Rover SD1. Don’t forget to come back now !

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