Tag Archives: Alto

Noble Character And Distinction – Mercedes Benz W128 220SE Cabriolet

Looking through my picture library for cars to write about this month I came across Geoffrey Horton’s photograph’s of one more Mercedes Benz 220SE seen here at Palo Alto Concour’s d’Elegance a couple of years ago.

Mercedes 220SE Cabriolet, Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance

The strap line on the US sales literature for the 220SE Cabriolet and Coupé noted that these were “Two Personal Cars of Nobel Character and Distinction”.

Mercedes 220SE Cabriolet, Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance

The literature drew attention to the unitised frame floor with a subframe for the engine, the recirculating ball type steering, which has since been almost universally replaced by rack and pinion steering, and the rear swing axle suspension.

Mercedes 220SE Cabriolet, Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance

UK sales literature concluded “… these modern cars with their perfect matching of beauty, power and roominess are rightly considered favourites in their class.”

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Noble Character And Distinction edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at another Delage. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Baby Hemi – Peugeot EX4/L3

May used to be the month where US open wheel racing was centered entirely on the story coming out of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this month the iZod Indy Car Series breaks with tradition and will also be visiting Sao Paolo on May 6th, however GALPOT will be dedicating the next 5 Americana Thursday Posts to The Greatest Spectacle in Racing in years long gone by thanks to Geoffrey Horton who over the last two years has sent me numerous photo’s of Indy Cars from the Concours d’Elegance scene in California.

Peugeot EX4/L3, Palo Alto, 2011

This months five part potted history of the Indy 500 returns to 1914 when, as I found out two years ago, rookie René Thomas went to victory lane driving Delage Y, I forgot to mention René was accompanied by riding mechanic Robert Laly.

Today’s featured car the #14 Peugeot EX4/L3 was also entered in the 4th running of the Indy 500 for another rookie called Arthur Duray and US riding mechanician Henry Mattheys by Jacques Menier a member of the French Menier Chocolatier dynasty.

Peugeot EX4/L3, Palo Alto, 2011

In 1914 qualification for the 500 was slightly different procedure from what we are familiar with today, in the first two editions of the Indy 500 qualification was by date the entries were received providing a minimum speed had been achieved over a measure mile of the circuit in 1911 and a full flying lap in 1912. For 1913 and 14 with the arrival of foreign competitors a qualifying lap with a minimum speed was compulsory but the grid positions were determined by blind draw.

Peugeot EX/4 L3, Palo Alto, 2011

The Peugeot EX4/L3 that Jaques Menier bought featured an ‘L3’ 4 cylinder 3 litre / 183 cui version of the giant killing 7.6 litre / 463.78 L76 Motor that had successfully seen off the 15 litre / 915 cui FIAT’s in the 1912 French Grand Prix. Having proved with success the benefits of technical innovations that included twin gear driven overhead cams operating 4 valves per cylinder, which also featured the original hemi heads, designer Ernst Henry, aided by his driver engineers collectively known as “Les Charlatans”, proceeded to produce three further evolutions of of the motor with sizes of 5.6 litre / 341 cui, as used by Georges Boillot and riding mechanic Prévost to win their second consecutive French Grand Prix in 1913, 4.5 litre / 274 cui and the smallest of the family 3 litre / 183 cui L3 seen here.

For those interested in the minutiae of veteran era production methods there is a fascinating story regarding this particular motor whose block was found to have inconsistent longitudinal bore center lines on this thread on The Nostalgia Forum led by distinguished historian Doug Nye linked here.

Peugeot EX4/L3, Palo Alto, 2011

Alongside the winning two car Delage team Arthur Duray faced two EX3/L56 powered Peugeots of Georges Boillot with a riding mechaninc M. Brevot who ‘might’ have been Boillot’s regular mechanic Prévost with 1913 rookie winners Jules Goux partnered by Emil Begin. Boillot set the fastest time in practice of 99.860 mph but the draw by ballot for grid slots saw Jean Chassagne’s Sunbeam start from pole.

Peugeot EX4/L3, Palo Alto, 2011

Boillot was in a comfortable position to win the 1914 Indy 500 until repeated tyre failures led to a 14th place finish while Goux in the second large Peugeot finished 4th with Duray coming home second to the Delage of René Thomas.

Peugeot EX4/L3, Palo Alto, 2011

Arthur Duray who set three land speed records between 1903 and 1904 carried on racing until the 1930’s for manufacturers that included Hispano-Suiza, Ariès, B.N.C and Amilcar. At the 1921 French Grand Prix he was a spectator when running in second place Albert Guyot’s riding mechanic got hit on the head by a rock, Guyot pulled his Duesenberg up in the pits and it became apparent that his mechanic was too dazed to continue. On seeing this Arthur Duray is said to have vaulted the spectator fence pushed the mechanic aside cranked the Dusenbergs motor to life and jumped into the mechanics seat alongside Guyot who went on to record a sixth place finish.

The aforementioned Mr Nye has kindly informed me courtesy of Scott George at the Collier Collection, current owners of the vehicle, that “After its Indy days there is some suggestion it (today’s featured car) returned to France, plus a parallel suggestion that it stayed in the US. Sold to Harry Harkness who ran it a little in the north-eastern area, then sold to Kaufman, himself a New York Peugeot agent and team owner. The engine might have been “swapped out” of the chassis at some stage. Car then found at Benny Brandfon’s yard for old race cars and exotics in NY…”

Esteemed Indy historian Michael Ferner has expanded on what may have become of the car while in the care of Peugeot Dealer Alphonse Kaufman “The (#14) Meunier/Duray car, on the other hand, is a possible candidate for having served as the basis for the 1916 “Peusun Special”, apparently a Peugeot chassis with a Sunbeam engine and a Delage radiator!” If today’s featured EX4/L3 did form part of the Peusun Special this may tie up with Doug’s suggestion that the engine “might have been ‘swapped out’.”

Michael suggests James O’Keefes forthcoming book ‘Peugeot Racing In America (pre-WW II)’ should be a worthwhile read on the subject.

Harry Miller who had maintained and rebuilt a Peugeot L series motor copied the basic twin over head cam 4 valves per cylinder hemi head architecture for his own Miller motors that would come to dominate the Indy 500 in the 1920’s and 1930’s which would in turn be succeeded by “Offy” engines that former Miller employee Fred Offenhauser developed having bought the rights to the Miller motors when Miller went bust. The Offenhausers would remain competitive in ultimate turbocharged form at Indy until the mid 1970’s.

Of the 900 odd blogs I have posted to date this has without question proved one of the more challenging and I hope I have given an accurate summary of our knowledge of the car to date, my thanks to Doug Nye, Michael Ferner and Tim Murray, at The Nostalgia Forum and Scott George at the Collier Collection for their contributions to my understanding of the fascinating history of today’s featured Peugeot EX4/L3. Finally thanks to Geoffrey Horton without whose photographs their would have been no Peugeot EX4/L3 to blog about.

Thanks for joining me on this “Baby Hemi” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

03/05/13 PS Geoffrey has informed me the electrical equipment attached to the front axle was a sensor connected to a computer seen in the cockpit by students of the Revs Programme at Stanford University to examine the Peugeot’s dynamics in motion.

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Pillarless Coupé – BMW 327/28

The BMW 327 was a short chassis version of the BMW 326 manufactured originally in cabriolet form in 1937 and from 1938 it was also available as a Coupé.

BMW 327/28, Palo Alto

The 327 built with either a standard 55 hp 6 cylinder motor as used in the BMW 326 or with the 80 hp from the higher state of tune 6 cylinder found in the BMW 328. Cars supplied with 80 hp motors like the one in Geoffrey Horton’s photographs taken at Palo Alto are known as BMW 327/28 models.

BMW 327/28, Palo Alto

This pillarless coupé is one of just two known to have been built from more than 560 cars built with pillars until 1940. It was acquired by a US serviceman in Germany in 1958 who shipped it to NY and then drove it to California where it has remained, changing ownership just once since then.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for the fabulous photo’s.

Wishing all GALPOT contributors and readers in the USA a Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanks for joining me on this pillarless 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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Racin’ & Rockin’ – #46 Hunter Brothers Chevrolet Impala

For those needing a NASCAR fix while the series is taking a break today’s car is the #46 Hunter Brothers Chevrolet Impala, seen here at Palo Alto earlier this year, that operated out of Hendersonville NC in 1965.

Chevrolet Impala, Palo Alto, C d'E

This car was driven by US Airforce Sergeant Roy Mayne, from Sumter SC who was given permission to race while on active duty. His best finish was in 1965 when he drove this car to a 4th place finish behind Ned Jarret, Buck Baker and Darel Dieringer in the September 6th Southern 500 at Darlington.

From 1963 to 1974 Roy drove in 139 Grand National and Winston Cup events scoring 22 top ten finishes. He never compete in a whole season his best end of season standing was 25th in 1966. Roy was one of the stunt drivers in the 1968 Elvis Presley movie ‘Speedway‘.

Chevrolet Impala, Palo Alto, C d'E

The new for ’65 fourth generation Chevrolet Impala set the all time industry annual sales record of more than one million units sold. Chevrolet finished 3rd in the final standings of the 1965 Grand National season behind Ford and Dodge.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sending me the photos.

Wishing all my fellow NASCAR fans a relaxing day off, see you all at Rowdy Chat for the Brickyard 400 next Sunday.

Thanks for joining me on this ’65 Impala edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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