Tag Archives: Colmar

Hot Rover #2 – MG ZS

The MG ZS was the second prong of Rover MG’s three pronged attack on the market for hot vehicles launched in 2001 alongside the MG ZR I looked at last week.

The ancestry of the MG ZS can be traced back to fifth generation Honda Civic, the floor pan of which Rover used to build the Rover 400 model which when face lifted became the Rover 45.

The ZS was made available with a range of tuned motors from the Rover 45 and a tuned 175hp version of the 2.5 litre / 152 cui V6 from the larger Rover 75.

The 2001 vehicle seen here at the Goodwood Revival last year is the model topping ZS 180 with the 175 hp V6 that gives the ZS a rest to 60 mph time 7.3 seconds and top speed of 139 mph. The ZS 180 has larger brakes discs and brake calipers than all of the other ZS models.

The Honda based chassis pan with double wishbone front suspension and multi link rear suspension proved eminently adaptable to switch from optimised for comfort settings required for Rover 45 customers to optimised for handling settings required for MG ZS customers which along with the ZS steering came in for praise from press when launched.

The large rear spoiler was standard on ZS 180 models up until 2004 when the model was face lifted with a much smarter body kit.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hot Rover #2” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t for get to come back now !

Royal Enfield Transporter – Volvo 740 GL Pick Up

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The Volvo 740 as introduced in 1984, it featured the same body as the V6 and 4 cylinder Turbo Intercooler 760 models but was fitted, initially, only with normally aspirated versions of the 4 cylinder motor which had hither too been found in the Volvo 240 models.

Today’s featured model was built in 1989 with a fuel injected pushrod overhead valve 1986 cc / 121 cui 4 cylinder B20F motor that was known in the trade as a log burner because it’s 120 hp worked hard to move the older 240 models at a respectable pace. This car is fitted with a standard 5 speed manual transmission.

In 2000 the previous owner of today’s featured car converted his estate / station wagon into a pick up so that he could carry his Royal Enfield motor cycle to rallies and shows.

With over 265,OOO miles and a full service history Volvo Enthusiasts Club member Colin Hughes expects to keep this vehicle for a good while yet, when I was selling these cars new back in the day we used to boast that such cars could easily be made to last over 20 years this one looks like it could easily last twice as long. Colin has another Volvo 740, a hearse.

Thanks for joining me on this “Royal Enfield Transporter” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a vehicle billed as “Born To Perform Miracles”. Don’t forget to come back now !

Hydro-pneumatic Independent Suspension – Hispano Suiza H6C Xenia

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This unique 1938 Hispano-Suiza H6C Xenia is powered by a six cylinder 8 litre / 488 cui 160 hp engine.

Styling was by aerodynamicist Jean Andreau and crafted by Saoutchick on a modified Hispano – Suiza H6B chassis.

The doors open in parallel with the coachwork in much the same way as the rear side door of a VW Microbus.

Xenia was commissioned by Andre Dubonnet to showcase his company’s latest patent hydro-pneumatic independent suspension which was subsequently used under license by General Motors, Alfa Romeo and Fiat amongst others.

The vehicle features a Hispano – Suiza power assisted brake system which was one of several patented Hispano – Suiza features used under license by Rolls Royce.

This car was named after Andre Dubonnet’s wife Xenia, allegedley the was kept hidden for the duration of WW2 in the Saint Cloud road tunnel.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hydro-pneumatic Independent Suspension” of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Improvement Is Not Enough – Lotus Ford 81 #R2

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Through out the 1970s Colin Chapman had come up with a string of innovative if not always successful designs and concepts for his Formula One team on the successful side there was the wedge shaped Lotus 72 which remained competitive from 1970 to 1974, the Lotus 78 wing car which won more races than any other design in 1977 but did not win the championship and the Lotus 79 ground effects car which clinched the 1978 World Championships for Mario Andretti and Lotus.

On the less successful side Colin had developed the Lotus 76 with it’s novel twin wing and push button clutch which was abandoned in 1974, Lotus 77 with it’s infinitely variable suspension geometry which caused team leader Ronnie Peterson to quit the team, before it was turned into a one time race winner with Mario Andretti at the wheel in 1976 and the Lotus 80 which took the ground effects concept a little too far and was abandoned after just three starts in 1979.

This left Lotus and Ferrari tied on championships for the 1970’s with three drivers titles each and four constructors titles each with Lotus winning 35 races between 1970 and 1979 to Ferrari’s 39.

1980 proved to be a bad year for both Ferrari and Lotus, Ferrari were busy building a new turbo charged motor and the Ferrari T5 used in the interim was an improvement on the previous years championship winning Ferrari T4, but was way behind the development curve of its competitors, Colin Champman’s Lotus 1981 mean while did not appear to feature any innovations and is probably best described as an improvement on the 1978 championship winning Lotus 79, but was also way behind the development curve of it’s competitors.

Mario Andretti and Elio de Angelis were employed to drive the new cars and it was de Angelis in his second season in the sports top tier that scored the teams best result a second place in the Brazilian Grand Prix along with three further top six, points paying finish. Mario meanwhile had a miserable last season at Lotus with nine retirements and just a single sixth place finish in his last race for the team in the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.

The Lotus 81 introduced future world champion Nigel Mansell to Formula One when he became a third member of the team for three races towards the end of the year starting at the 1980 Austrian Grand Prix. Nigel recorded two retirements and a DNQ but had done enough to secure a seat with the team for the following season.

Lotus finished the season in a poor and distant, by their standards 5th place in the constructors championship while Ferrari finished an even more disappointing 10th.

Elio de Angelis is seen above in chassis 81 #R2 on the opening lap of the 1980 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch from which he retired. 81/R2 was used by all three Lotus drivers in 1980, Mario scored a best 7th place finish at Monaco, Elio a best 4th place finish at the 1980 US GP at Watkins Glen while Nigel failed to qualify R2 at the 1980 Italian GP at Monza.

For 1981 chassis 81/R2 was updated to B spec which included a tea tray front wing, as a has been in use by Ferrari since 1974. Nigel Mansell raced the car four times in 1981 scoring a best 10th place finish in the 1981 South African Grand Prix, the cars last race was the 1981 Argentinian Grand Prix from which Nigel retired. The car was subsequently taken to races as a spare car up until the French Grand Prix after which it was replaced by the new Lotus 87/88 design.

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

Movie Star Limo – Ferrari 250 MM Pininfarina #0298MM

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The 31 1953 Ferrari 250 MM chassis built could be specified with open barchetta body or Berlinetta closed body styles most, but by no means all of the open bodies were built by Vignale and the most but by no means all of the closed bodies were built by Pininfarina.

Of course being hand built no two bodies are identical and today’s featured Pininfarina Berlinetta body sitting on chassis #0298, has a slightly longer nose than any of it’s siblings, a fore taste of the pontoon Ferraris that were to follow at the end of the decade perhaps.

With a 3 litre / 183 cui 237 hp version of Gioacchino Colombo V12 under the bonnet/hood the intention was that these cars were built to be raced, and the likes of Phil Hill, José A. Nogueira Pinto, Luigi Villoresi, Paolo Marzotto, Eugenio Castellotti, Giulio Musitelli, Luigi Piotti and Casimiro de Oliveira all drove 250 MM in Barchetta and Berlinetta forms to victory lane during 1953.

#0298MM was purchased by Luigi Giuliano for 3.5 million lira in 1953 and a year later passed through two further owners Incom SpA and Industrie Cinematografiche Sociali, the later is reported to have used the car for chauffeuring movie stars.

In May 1955 this car was acquired by Giovanni Ghersi in San Remo for ‘just’ 2.5 million lira. The car is not thought to have been raced at all until it was acquired by German Herbert Ibing in 1984.

Since then the car has appeared at many historic events including those at Goodwood, reruns of the Mille Miglia, Nurburgring, Monaco and Monza.

Arnold Meier of Zurich has been the owner of the car since 2002 and was sharing the driving with former British Hill Climb Champion David Franklin when the car was photographed at the recent Goodwood Revival meeting. Starting last on the grid Arnold and David managed a 17th place finish, note for some reason the 33 entry in the Freddie March Trophy is listed as a Mitter BMW in the results of the meeting.

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

Lighter Stiffer Faster – Chrysler Viper Phase II RT/10

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The Dodge Viper was conceived as a modern Cobra by Chrysler’s Advanced Design Studios in 1988 and realised by 85 “Team Viper” engineers hand picked by Chief Engineer Roy Sjoberg ready the first deliveries in 1992.

The brutal aesthetics are matched by a few agricultural underpinnings including a pushrod operated 2 valve per cylinder motor originally designed for the Dodge Dakota Pick up as were the tie rod ends and parts of the front wheel hubs.

For 1996 the RT/10, like the model seen here at Summer Classics Easter Compton, was revised which resulted in a lighter car with a stiffer chassis and more powerful motor.

Viper engine blocks aluminium cast versions of the cast iron Dodge Dakota blocks, with the castings originally being done by Lamborghini a Chrysler subsidiary at the time. In Phase II RT/10 form seen here the V10 produced 415 hp from its 7,998 cc / 488 cui.

The RT/10 is intended to be a garaged vehicle originally these cars are supplied with a roof, side screens and instructional video on how it all fitted together.

Vipers exported to Europe like the example seen here are sold under the Chrysler brand, but do not appear to differ in any other way than their Dodge branded siblings for the US domestic market.

Capable of reaching a 119 mph in a quarter mile run and with a top speed of over 180 mph the Viper’s only week spot has been it’s brakes even after ABS became available in 2001.

Second generation Phase II Vipers were replaced by the third generation ZB series in 2003.

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

Implements Of Destrution Not Included – Volkswagen Sharan

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A couple of months ago I took the land ladies Volkswagen Passat to Heritage Volkswagen of Bristol for an injector recall and was given a loan car for the duration of the repairs.

Much to my amusement the car I was loaned was the Service Managers Sharan, I was expecting a Golf, Polo or even an UP!, but no my Service Advisor pulled up in this huge vehicle which despite it’s gothic shade put a huge smile upon my face.

I was only in the Sharan for about 2 seconds before Arlo Guthries magnus opus on the hazards of being a litter bug in Stockbridge, Massachusetts entered my head, in the form of an ear worm which remained for much of the rest of the day, that reminded me that this Sharan is the 2012 successor to some of the more refined VW Type 2 / Transporter micro buses of yore, which these days are referred to as MPV’s.

Rather than head straight home to resume blogging I decided to go with the flow of my lightened mind and ended up making a twenty mile detour around Bristol up the M32, West along the M4, south along the M5 and back to Bristol along a circuitous route made of windy lanes I found out about during a navigation exercise.

I had an OMG moment when I realised just how much I was enjoying myself in an MPV ! Sure it was not performance motoring but it was a simple joy rolling along the back roads in this huge vehicle, never mind it had enough options and features you could probably run a successful military campaign from the 5 seats in the back with all the power points and connectivity features provided.

Anyone who has run an old Type 2 or Transporter has probably at some time come across troublesome sliding doors closing which after 20 years had issues with the lock on the rear of the door failing to catch when a 2 cent clip came adrift of the door frame, not a worry on this Sharan the sliders shut with a reassuring “job done” clunk click.

The Sharan name is a derivative of a Persian word meaning Carrier of Kings which I guess puts the paintwork in a slightly different light.

For those not familiar with “Alice’s Restaurant” its the name of a song “not the restaurant” about how Arlo Guthrie and his friends thought it would be a friendly gesture to clear out Alices dwelling, an old church house, by loading up half a ton of garbage with shovels and rakes and “implements of destruction” into a red VW microbus and taking it down to the city dump. Unfortunately the dump was closed for Thanksgiving which is how Arlo became a litter bug but your best off finding out all about this case of blind American justice on this link.

Unfortunately shovels and rakes and implements of destruction do not come included with the Sharan but you can easily fit half a ‘short’ ton of garbage in the back. I didn’t have any garbage to take to the city dump which happened to be on the way back to Heritage Volkswagen of Bristol so I thought it would be a friendly gesture to ask my neighbors if they had anything that needed taking away and sure enough they produced a couple of bags of rubble and large pieces of wood which I happily dropped off on the way when I took the Sharan back. Fortunately the dump was not closed for Thanksgiving so I will not be getting arrested for littering.

Wishing all my friends in North America a Happy Thanksgiving.

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

Gettin' A Li'l Psycho On Tyres

Art Tidesco blogs on all things motoring

Tag Archives: Colmar

Hot Rover #2 – MG ZS

Royal Enfield Transporter – Volvo 740 GL Pick Up

Hydro-pneumatic Independent Suspension – Hispano Suiza H6C Xenia

Improvement Is Not Enough – Lotus Ford 81 #R2

Movie Star Limo – Ferrari 250 MM Pininfarina #0298MM

Lighter Stiffer Faster – Chrysler Viper Phase II RT/10

Implements Of Destrution Not Included – Volkswagen Sharan