Tag Archives: Coupé

13 mpg – Rover T3 Coupé

Today’s featured Rover T3 Coupé was Rovers third gas turbine powered car.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

Spencer ‘Spen’ King and Gordon Bashford are credited with the design of the Coupé which first saw the light of day in 1956.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

Among the designs novelties are all wheel drive, all wheel disc brakes and de Dion rear suspension which offers some of the advantages of independent sear suspension, but with additional complexity.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

The T3 was powered by a variant of Rovers 1S gas turbine which produces 60hp that was used for fire pump, auxiliary power for aircraft like the Vulcan B2 nuclear bomb delivery system, hovercraft and as the main engine for light aircraft.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

The motor, mounted behind the passenger cabin, has an operating speed of 46,000 rpm, unfortunately this gave a fuel consumption of 13 – 14 miles per gallon of paraffin.

Rover T3 Coupé, Heritage Motor Center, Gaydon,

Some features of the T3 including the all wheel disc brakes, and de Dion rear suspension found their way into the Rover P6 production model but unfortunately the gas turbine did not.

06 Rover T3 Coupé_6737sc

The T3 is seen in these photographs at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon where it is usually to be found unless it is on loan.

Unique GT Coupé – HWM Jaguar GT Coupé

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After the ’39 – ’45 war Hersham and Walton Motors (HWM) was operate by partners George Abecassis and John Heath. For the 1948 season John, a self taught engineer, built an Alta powered Special called an HW Alta which they both raced with some success.

The following season an open wheel HW Alta was built and encouraged by it’s success they built the first four HWM cars for the 1950 season, three works cars and one for a privateer, which could run in open wheel or closed wheel form.

HWM Jaguar GT Coupé, HGPCA Test Day, Silverstone,

20 year old Stirling Moss was given his first break, beyond 500cc Formula 3, by the team and scored two third place finishes at Reims and Bari despite a lack of reliability and power from the Alta motors.

One of the original works cars retains it’s an Alta motor to this day, another became the first HWM Jaguar and the third went to Hollywood and became the Stovebolt Special.

HWM Jaguar GT Coupé, HGPCA Test Day, Silverstone,

With the profits from selling their cars at the end of 1950 the team built new open wheel Formula Two cars for the 1951 and ’52 seasons but there competitiveness dwindled against the likes of Ferrari.

In 1953 HWM built another sports car now powered by a Jaguar motor with which George won a race at Snetterton. HWM focused on building and running Jaguar powered cars until 1956 when John Heath died from injuries sustained after an accident in the rain on the Mille Miglia.

HWM Jaguar GT Coupé, HGPCA Test Day, Silverstone,

Thereafter George decided to focus on running the trading side of HWM which had become an Aston Martin dealer in 1951 and has remained so to this day to become the oldest Aston Martin dealership in the world.

The final HWM is today’s featured Jaguar powered HWM GT Coupé built, with unique bodywork the design of which is credited to Aston Martin’s Frank Feeley, as a road car which show’s how HWM might have progressed but for the unfortunate turn of events on the Mille Miglia.

Thanks for joining me on this “Unique GT Coupé” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psychoontyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Formula One BRM. Don’t forget to come back now !

The Sultan’s Super Sport – Bugatti EB110 Super Sport #39001

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Having launched the Bugatti EB110 GT in 1991 Bugatti Automobilli SpA started working on an even higher performance model of the 212 mph EB110 GT known as the EB 110 SS (Super Sport).

Bugatti EB110 Super Sport, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The Super Sport made more use of carbon fibre to make the vehicle lighter and the quad turbo 60 valve V12 motor received a 50hp upgrade to just top 600hp. Externally the Super Sport is identifiable by the seven spoke alloy wheel rims.

Rest to 62.5 mph performance was reduced from 4.2 seconds to 3.2 seconds and top speed went up to 216 mph. In 1995 an EB110 Super Sport became the fastest car on ice with a world record speed of 185 mph.

Former World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen first broke this record in 2007 taking the speed up to 199 mph and four years later took the record to over 205 mph driving Bentley’s on both occasions.

Chassis #39001 seen here, a couple of years ago at the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham, was purchased new by The Royal Family of Brunei in 1993.

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

Very Well Behaved – Delta E4 Coupé

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Delta Motorsport was founded in 2005 by Managing Director Simon Dowson and Technical Director Nick Carpenter to transfer skills honed in motorsport to areas where innovative solutions are critical to performance, efficiency and optimisation.

Delta E4 Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed

In 2011, with match funding from the East Midlands Development Agency and the Technology Strategy Board, Delta Motorsport built a small run of prototype electric E4 Coupés to show off their skills.

Delta E4 Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The carbon fibre chassis and body with Bristol Fighter like styling is powered by two Oxford YASA DD500 electric motors fed by an under-floor mounted 32kWh battery driving the rear wheels.

Delta E4 Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed

With a range said to be 140 miles from a 12 hour charge, the E4 Coupé will accelerate from rest to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 116 mph.

Delta E4 Coupé, Goodwood Festival of Speed

After driving an E4 Coupé around Silverstone race circuit happy housing guru and TV presenter Kevin McLoud described the vehicle as “very well behaved”.

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

’56 Italian Hillclimb Champion – Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Coupé #2148

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Last in the current series of Maserati A6G/54 posts is one of twenty Zagato Coupé bodied models chassis #2148.

Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Coupé, Cartier Style Et Luxe, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The 21 Zagato bodied A6G/54’s are lighter than most of the other 39 A6G/54’s because their bodies are crafted from aluminium. This made #2148 and it’s Zagato siblings eminently suitable for use in competition.

Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Coupé, Cartier Style Et Luxe, Goodwood Festival of Speed

It is believed this car once belonged to Italian racing driver Adolfo Tedeschi who is thought to have used #2148 to secure the 1956 Italian under 2 litre hillclimb championship.

Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Coupé, Cartier Style Et Luxe, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Thereafter #2148 spent some time in the USA before passing into the hands of Peter Kaus and his Bianco Collection which included several vehicles that have featured in GALPOT blogs including several other Maseratis.

Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Coupé, Cartier Style Et Luxe, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Looking at this side vent trim I was struck by it’s similarity to the DEI (Dale Earnhardt Inc) stripes on the Dale Earnhardt Jr Limited Edition Chevrolet Impala, I wonder if Dale Earnhardt was a fan of the Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Coupé ?

Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Coupé, Cartier Style Et Luxe, Goodwood Festival of Speed

After a spell in France #2148 has passed through the hands of at least one other German before finding it’s way into the hands of current owner Klaus Busch.

Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Coupé, Cartier Style Et Luxe, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The most recent record of an A6G/54 Zagato sale by auction I could find was in 2010 for a slightly less aggressively styled Berlinetta variant which fetched over US$ 1.5 million.

Thanks for joining me on this “’56 Italian Hillclimb Champion” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for a look at a Bugatti tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Quick Transport and Transporter – Mercedes Benz Rennwagen Schnelltransporter and 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

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In 1954 the Mercedes Benz Rennabteilng returned to Grand Prix racing and equiped themselves with a special transporter that was capable of 105 mph.

Mercedes Benz, Rennwagen Schnelltransporter, 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

Most racing car transporters at the time were woefully underpowered and would have struggled to reach 60 mph.

Mercedes Benz, Rennwagen Schnelltransporter, 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

This is a recreation of the original Schnell Tranporter fitted with the correct type 200 hp 3 litre / 183 cui straight six motor as found in the 300 SL Gullwing Coupés.

Mercedes Benz, Rennwagen Schnelltransporter, 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

Mounting the cab ahead of the motor meant the frontal area of the vehicle was reduced, which aided top speed.

Mercedes Benz, Rennwagen Schnelltransporter, 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

Some of the features of the under chassis design would not look out of place on a 21st century Le Mans Prototype (LMP) racing car.

Mercedes Benz, Rennwagen Schnelltransporter, 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

I have not seen any contemporary evidence showing that Mercedes Benz advertised the original vehicles top speed on the rear wings / fenders.

Mercedes Benz, Rennwagen Schnelltransporter, 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

Sitting on the back of the Rennwagen Schnell Transporter at this years Goodwood Festival of Speed was a Gullwing Mercedes Benz, but this is not a regular 300 SL Gullwing.

Mercedes Benz, Rennwagen Schnelltransporter, 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

Beneath the 300 SL Gullwing bodywork sits a 1955 300 SLR Roadster chassis complete with competition spec 3 litre fuel injected 8 cylinder motor in place of usual 300 SL six cylinder motor.

Mercedes Benz, Rennwagen Schnelltransporter, 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

Known as the Uhlenhaut Coupé this was a vehicle devised by Rudolf Uhlenhaut as a 1956 racing prototype. However after Mercedes Benz withdrew from racing activities in Europe at the end of 1955 one of the two Uhlenhaut Coupés was fitted with a silencer the size of a suit case in order not to breach the peace and used by Rudolf as his daily driver.

Thanks for joining me on this “Quick Transport and Transporter” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a classic DeSoto. Don’t forget to come back now !

JK Car Corture – Maserati A6G 54 Frua #2114

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Like Pinin Farina bodied A6G I looked at last week today’s featured Frua bodied A6G is believed to have been shown at the Paris Salon albeit in 1955 rather than ’54.