The only one Italian-made Corvette

As already known that the name of the Chevrolet Corvette always known as an American muscular car, with a body design that is not less muscular and always be dreamed in its homeland. However, the charm of the V8 engine's Chevrolet Corvette mainstay just seems not enough to attract consumers in Europe, where the typical European car has a more beautiful design.

1963 Pininfarina Rondine Coupe made taken base of Chevrolet Corvette C2. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2jFF6th)

Then in 1963, one Chevrolet Corvette C2 had to undergo a makeover to be more pleasing to the eyes of Europeans. The result, Chevrolet in cooperation with Pininfarina, a famous Italian automotive coachbuilder that used to design a Ferrari, which later gave birth to the figure of Pininfarina Rondine Coupe.

Rear side view of 1963 Pininfarina Rondine Coupe. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2jFF6th)

Unlike the Corvette C2 which has a body made of fiberglass, Pininfarina Rondinne has a metal made exterior, which makes its weight so increase, and control is also changed completely. The car's front overhangs are more longer, and the Corvette's typical pop-up lights are eliminated, and on the back there is nothing resembling to the original car, and it is more like a Fiat 124.

Inside, the car has a stock dashboard and seats, but attention to detail around the doors is exceptional. The door jams themselves are chromed and decorated panels are fitted. The greenhouse is quite bright due to the white leather upholstery and a large wraparound rear windscreen.

Because seeing the car's view which then triggered a fairly diverse responses, and finally made Chevrolet was reluctant to continue Pininfarina Rondine to the production line and now the only one ever made was sitting peacefully at the Corvette museum. *** [EKA[20092017] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SUPERCARS.NET]

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The most fiercest V12 engined supercar of Peugeot

~Technology Breakthrough~ One of the rarest supercars in history would be discussed today comes from one of the French car manufacturers, Peugeot. We'll go into details on examples of this particular supercar in a moment, but first, let's talk about the origins of the Peugeot 907 Concept.

2004 Peugeot 907 Concept car while sits on displat at the at the Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot-Sochaux, France. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

The Peugeot 907 is a concept car built by Peugeot, and first revealed at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. The concept car was created by the company's head of styling Gérard Welter and designer Jean Christophe Bolle Reddat to celebrate the opening of the company's new design center in Vélizy and the closure of the forty year old design studio in La Garenne.

2004 Peugeot 907 Concept car is powered by two 3.0-liter V6 engines are combined together to form a V12 with a burst the power of 507 hp and features a sequentially controlled 6-speed manual gearbox. (Picture from: Supercars)

It was one of three concept cars unveiled by Peugeot at the show, alongside the Quark and 1007 RC. And the Fleet News described the concept car as "Peugeot's answer to the Ferrari 575M Maranello before it was unveiled in September 2004, where these two cars have the similar design, which is both have a long snout. 

2004 Peugeot 907 Concept car has the interior in combination of brown leather and light grey alcantara and is used to cover both the interior and the seats. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

The car concept was never designed for mass production, but rather was intended to be a prototype featuring Peugeot's new design techniques.

2004 Peugeot 907 Concept car was never designed for mass production, but rather was intended to be a prototype featuring Peugeot's new design techniques. (Picture from: Supercars)

The engine is mounted directly behind the front wheels, and side exhausts exit behind each of the front wheels. Unlike many concepts, the 907 can be driven like any other production car. Under the hood, two 3.0-liter V6 engines are combined together to form a V12 with a burst the power of 507 hp.

Then the monocoque body is made of carbon fiber and also uses four-wheel control arm suspension at all revolutions while a sequential shift transmission distributes power to the rear wheels. The windshield curves upward to form the roof, while the hood has see-through perspex inserts that reveal the engine's twelve intake trumpets. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | FLEETNEWS | WIKIPEDIA | SUPERCARS | DRIVETRIBE ]

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Seen Dodge Firearrow Concept series

Indeed, it has become an almost indisputable certainty if a neat fusion of style between America and Italy is capable of producing a series of beautiful and iconic cars. And Dodge Firearrow is one example. 

1954 Dodge Firearrow II (left) posed along with the 1954 Dodge Firearrow IV (right). (Picture from: VintageRaceCars)

These concept cars were designed in the early 1950s by the Chrysler Corp design chief in the time, Virgil Exner and built by Carrozzeria Ghia, a Turin-based renowned coachbuilder. And no half-hearted, these Dodge's concept cars were made serially ranging from the model I to IV. Now, let's us talking about those Firearrow concepts as follows;

1. Dodge Firearrow I

In 1953, the first Firearrow concept came out of Chrysler's advanced styling studio and was a dummy. Later, three Firearrows followed led to Dual Ghias. The Firearrow I was a true roadster and painted in Red and Gray, while the interior was yellow with maroon piping. Its wheels were full wheel covers and the bodyside molding wrapped all of the ways around the car and has dual headlights.

1953 Dodge Firearrow I Concept sat alongside with Abarth Fiat 1100 (Ghia) at the 1953 Turin Motor show. (Picture from: CarStyling.ru)

The Dodge Firearrow, a sleek, 34-inch-high sports roadster, is a new 'idea' car of the Dodge Division, hand-crafted by Ghia of Turin, Italy. At that time, William C. Newberg, president of Dodge, says that certain design features of the experimental body may well be reflected in future Dodge production models, but there are no present plans to produce the Firearrow.

1953 Dodge Firearrow I Concept was designed by the Chrysler Corp design chief in the time, Virgil Exner and built by Carrozzeria Ghia. (Picture from: CarStyling.ru)

The car is shown for the first time on November 12, 1953, at Chrysler Corporation's annual new car press party in Detroit. And today, it is on display at Petersen’s Museum although the seats are now brown.

2. Dodge Firearrow II

The second series of roadster-styled concept car of Dodge itself is built on a 119-inch chassis and equipped with a Red Ram Hemi (241 cubic inch engine) combined with a four-speed Gyro-Torque semi-automatic gearbox, so then the car is claimed to be capable of spewing power up to 150 horsepower.

1954 Dodge Firearrow II Concept appeared with different front and rear sections than the previous model. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

It painted in yellow and looked a lot like Firearrow I, except the body side molding didn’t wrap around the car, chrome wire wheels replace the full hub caps, single headlights replaced the dual, and Firearrow I’s split bumper was changed.

Rear three-quarter view of the 1954 Dodge Firearrow II Concept. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

But, it retained the two-seats behind the dashboard and striking frameless windshield when it appeared in 1954.

3. Dodge Firearrow III

In 1954, the two-seat Firearrow Sport Coupe appeared and proclaimed as the third series of the Dodge's models. As with the earlier roadster, the metallic blue coupe was essentially a 1954 Dodge.

1954 Dodge Firearrow III Sports Coupe shown at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance. (Picture from: Supercars.net) 

Dual headlights returned and now flanked a concave grille cut with narrow verticals. It also featured with the crash protection front and rear was provided by modest bumperettes. A wraparound backlight gave the Sport Coupe a particularly rakish aspect.

Rear three-quarter view of the 1954 Dodge Firearrow III Sports Coupe. (Picture from: Supercars.net) 

The third in a series of four unique Firearrow concept cars made, it has been said that this concept car had the skillful blending of the best ideas from Europe and the American design studios of Virgil Exner and brought an entirely new kind of beauty with a look of poised power.

4. Dodge Firearrow IV

The fourth series of Firearrow convertible arrived late in 1954. Despite being the series' first four-seater model, it shared many styling cues with the previous Sport Coupe model, or can be said, it was basically a soft-top version of the coupe.

1954 Dodge Firearrow IV four-seater convertible concept car and share the same design as the previous sports coupe version. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

The Dodge Firearrow IV was the only road-legal concept car that was actually prepared to enter the production line and adorn many car shows in the United States in 1954. And if you look at the specifications, this concept is similar to the Firearrow II which was also designed by Exner and built-in Turin by Ghia on a 119-inch chassis by using the same drivetrain.

1954 Dodge Firearrow IV convertible leather interior's with a black and white diamond pattern. (Picture from: CarStyling.ru)

The concave grille returned, though it now carried a grid treatment instead of the coupe's slim verticals. As for the convertible's leather interior, as it was a diamond pattern done in hard-to-ignore black and white, it was definitely an acquired taste. Additional sizzle was provided by the car's bright red body.

Rear three-quarter view of the 1954 Dodge Firearrow IV four-seater convertible. (Picture from: Automotivereport)

Although the Firearrows never made it into production, no one would let them die. And recently (on April 2020), the Dodge car enthusiast actually has the opportunity to have the Dodge Firearrow II and IV concepts through Mecum Auction. *** [EKA[13072020] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARSTYLING.RU | AUTOWEEK | SUPERCARS.NET]

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The classic Isetta design back alive into a Microlino electric-powered vehicle

~Got A Spirit~ Dense cities, traffic jams, limited parking spaces sparked the idea of ​​the world's car manufacturers to create small cars. If we know city cars, then there's a Swiss auto manufacturer, Micro Mobility System AG. recently introduced an even tiny car which named the Microlino.

The Microlino 2.0 electric-powered 'bubble car' posed along with the Microletta, its three-wheeled sibling. (Picture from: Microlino-Car)

And if we look at the shape, it makes us to remind the figure of a classic tiny car called the Isetta. We will give a little information about the legendary classic tiny car. This tiny car is also commonly referred to as a “bubble car,” perhaps due to its small round shape resembling a soap bubble.

From the shape of the legendary Italian bubble car, BMW Isetta (in pictured is 1956 BMW Isetta Cabrio) then Micro Mobility System AG. was inspired to redesign a modern electric-powered vehicle named Microlino. (Picture from: Microcarmuseum)

If you are an automotive enthusiast, you may have heard of the tiny Isetta crowded milling around on the streets of the European cities in post-World War II. Well, that's a unique shaped tiny car with a door in front. Initially, the car is designed and made by the Italian firm of Iso SpA. in the 1952. And then, the legendary tiny car was produced under licensed by many brands worldwide, ranging from VELAM, De Carlo, Romi, up to BMW, and under the last manufacturer emblem made it known famous by the name of BMW Isetta.

From the shape of the legendary Italian bubble car, then Kusnacht-based auto company was inspired to redesign a modern electric-powered vehicle. The model was first introduced in 2015, and today  the development version under the name of Microlino 2.0 is being demonstrated for the first time. As we mentioned before, the car designs is based and inspired by the famous tiny car Isetta.

The Microlino 2.0 electric-powered 'bubble car' has thick retro impression, that can be seen from its classic rounded style in a more modern way. (Picture from: Carvagamza)

It could be said, not just inspired, but it looks almost the same in all angles, except the drivetrain. And the thick retro impression can be seen from its classic rounded style but is now packaged in a more modern way. The roof is made higher to increase headroom. The A-pillar is made longer to increase visibility. But the exact dimensions were not disclosed by the automaker, only mentioned that the car has a length of 2.4 meters, means it's more compact than a small MPV.

 

In addition to its small appearance, another uniqueness is the access to in-out of the cabin. Like the Isetta, the source of its inspiration, the Microlino also has only one door that is used as access for the driver and passenger which is placed in front. So the car's muzzle also functions as a door. So when the door is opened, the windshield and part of the A-pillar would be opened.

The Microlino 2.0's front also functions as a door. So when the door is opened, the windshield and part of the A-pillar would be opened. (Picture from: Carmudi)

For the exterior, the Swiss auto manufacturer makes it as simple as possible with The rear wheel tracks are made narrower than the front wheels. The car main accessories such the front and rear lights are in a straight line. Round mirrors blend with the headlights and rear fender that swallows a quarter of the wheel.

Well, when we look into the cabin, we will be surprised. Since the interior is almost empty and there is nothing, there are only a few digital devices and not many buttons. It seems that all the settings on this tiny car can be done through a single instrument panel display.

The Microlino 2.0 electric-powered 'bubble car' interior is almost empty and there is nothing, there are only a few digital devices and not many buttons. (Picture from: Carvagamza)

The rack steer stands independently without having to go through firewalls like a “normal” car and it can be folded for easy in or out passages. Then no infotainment system, big screen or anything. So in this car all those functions can be done by using the smartphone that has been provided with a special holder on the dashboard.

This Swiss automotive company said that the Microline 2.0 was developed from the previous version by changing the material from the chassis to iron and aluminum. The axles are widened to accommodate independent suspension at the front and rear. Its electric motor is claimed to be more powerful and efficient by around 15%, but there are no further details about the power and torque.

The rear wheel tracks of the Microlino 2.0 electric-powered are made narrower than the front wheels. (Picture from: Carvagamza)

This small car utilizes the NMC battery as its power supply which is said to be able to make it run up to 90 kph (very sufficient for city use). Furthermore, the automaker provides two battery options to drive the motor, namely 8 kWh or 14.4 kWh with a range of about 125 km and 200 km. By looking at the small battery capacity, it certainly makes it fully charged faster, and claimed that it only takes about 4 hours through a household power source.

Now for the price, the Microline 2.0 is priced starting at €12,000 (or approx Rp. 194 million), and we thought that's a quite expensive for a micro car. The Swiss manufacturer said that 17 thousand people already have ordered the car. Meanwhile for mass production, it would only start next year. We'll just have to wait...! 

The Microletta electric-powered three-wheeled vehicle concept is uses two 4,2 kWh batteries. (Picture from: Carvagamza)

Well, the Micro Mobility System also provides another vehicles called the Microletta. If the Microline is a four-wheeled vehicle, then this one is a three-wheeled vehicle with a retro style too. What's interesting, besides the shape is cute like a toy, the Microletta could be riden without the need for a driving license like a motorcycle in general.

This three-wheeled vehicle uses two batteries with a capacity of 4.2 kWh each, making it capable of running as far as 100 km. In fact, each battery can be removed and replaced with a fully charged battery if needed. It's just that the Microletta is still a concept vehicle and is in the finalization stage. If it is completed and produced later, the price is estimated to be around €4,900 (approx Rp. 79 million).

 

The emergence of various innovations and concepts of electric-powered vehicles, indicates the seriousness of the world's automotive industry in welcoming electrification. An inevitability that will happen soon, as the use of petrol and diesel engines will be reduced or even banned in the near future.😁 *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MICROLINO-CAR | ]

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One of the unique retro concepts made by Pininfarina

One of the most interesting concept cars ever made by the famous Italian automotive design house, Pininfarina, is the one they built in early 1956, named Nash Rambler Palm Beach. It has a striking appearance, the Palm Beach is a new sports car concept and is a perfect replacement for the Nash-Healey model. And the Nash Rambler Palm Beach was introduced in early 1957, but unfortunately, it was never mass-produced.

1956 Nash Rambler Palm Beach by Pininfarina. (Picture from: OldCarConcept)

Uniquely, instead of being a mere "show car", Palm Beach turned out to be a prototype that made as a fully functional vehicle and can be driven normally, where's the car should be made its production version shortly after the car introduced to the market.

The Nash Rambler Palm Beach is built on a wheelbase of 101.5 inches, with a height of only 49.7 inches, a width of almost 68 inches and an overall length of 176 inches. The exterior of Palm Beach features a round central air intake surrounded by two unique oval-shaped air holes.

Left side view of the 1956 Nash Rambler Palm Beach by Pininfarina. (Picture from: OldCarConcept)

Its front looks were so elegant and combined with stylish plastic headlights. These lines are meticulously carved and don't use a lot of chrome, which when compared with other cars of the era, makes Palm Beach look so unique and futuristic.

Interior view of the 1956 Nash Rambler Palm Beach by Pininfarina. (Picture from: OldCarConcept)

Despite being a sports car, Palm Beach has plenty of room for two passengers and plenty of room for luggage. All major mechanical components, including the start system with the popular clutch pedal, come from Rambler with a wheelbase of 100 inches. This clutch pedal system replaces the starter button below the clutch pedal.

Engine view of the 1956 Nash Rambler Palm Beach by Pininfarina. (Picture from: OldCarConcept)

And its engine, Nash Rambler Palm Beach relies on a six-cylinder flathead engine capable of producing power of 82 hp at 3,800 rpm, with 138-ft.lbs of torque at 1,600 rpm. Because the low hood does not allow enough space to accommodate the manufacturer's size carburetor, and Weber's carburetor is used instead.

The Palm Beach's interior is laid out nicely, featuring individually adjustable bucket seats, covered with cowhide with large cushions placed between them. Large map bags are placed at each door, while a long, thin gearshift lever is mounted on the floor, operating a three-speed manual transmission.

The Nash Rambler Palm Beach is actually a very interesting luxury sports car concept, unfortunately, when the car finishes its debut, the American Motors Company (AMC) which has acquired Rambler is no longer interested in showing sports cars in their vehicle lineup. Palm Beach eventually became a show car that AMC brought to various auto shows as an additional attraction, but it never put it into the production line. *** [EKA[26112021] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | OLDCONCEPTCARS]

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Here's the almost forgotten Iso's unique GT car

~Nice blend~ Before the 2nd World War, Renzo Rivolta already had a successful fridge manufacturing business named Isothermos. And in the 1940s, the company's business sector turned to the production of scooters under the Iso brand. In the motorized vehicles production then developed into the production of the small-engined bubble car called Isetta in between 1953 and 1955 (although the production under licensed in other countries continued until 1964).

The Iso Grifo 90 was appeared with a sleek body lines and intended to mark the Iso's brand reviving in the 1991. (Picture from: OldCarConcept)

Although there is a delay in the production of the next car. It seems that the company has been steady in a four-wheeled vehicle production sector which at that time was producing very different cars named Iso Rivolta, which appeared as a rear-wheel drive salon, two-doors, four seats, is powered by the Chevrolet-owned V8 OHV engine with a capacity of 5,359 cc. The car was designed by Giotto Bizzarrini with a bodywork carried out by Carrozzeria Bertone and had been set to be a trend for the future of the ISO brand.

The Iso Grifo 90 is designed by Marcello Gandini with the chassis and powertrain developed by Gian Paolo Dellara. (Picture from: OldCarConcept)

Not long after, the company's factory based in Milan made the Grifo model, then the Fidia appeared in 1967. The last production car from Iso was the Lele. In 1966 Renzo Rivolta, the man behind the company passed away and his son Piero took the company's control.😭

The Iso Grifo 90 has certain changes to the interior so that the potential customers would feel like they were sitting in a very special car. (Picture from: OldCarConcept)

Entering the 1970s, the company made a bad move, when deciding to race in the Formula One with Frank Williams, it was an improper decision because carried out when the company's financial condition was not good due to the global situation at the time was in the middle of the oil crisis. The combination of these events caused the fall of the Iso brand in 1975.

The Iso Grifo 90 prototype is based on the Corvette C5 Z06 with the aluminium body was fitted to a tubular steel chassis frame, so it weighs only 1,200 kg. (Picture from: OldCarConcept)

In the late 80s, Piero Rivolta and Piero Sala thought the time was right to introduce the brand back into the market with a new GT. He contacted Gian Paolo Dallara to develop its chassis and powertrain and Marcello Gandini to design its outline, which clearly showed all the styling cues of the 90s. The model was named Iso Grifo 90. The prototype was presented to the press in 1991 and it was meant to be produced in a limited series starting from 1994.

The Iso Grifo 90 prototype is powered by a front mounted turbocharged 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8 engine (tuned by Callaway). (Picture from: OldCarConcept)

What was actually presented, though, only just a prototype, with neither an engine nor a normal interior. Not even the wheels on the car could spin. However, a lack of funds forced the automaker to suspend project development. 

Since then the car model hasn't been seen the daylight until in 2007, when the mock-up for the original model is found by Federico Bonomelli, the owner of the "Mako-Shark" multi material producer which also known as the Iso Rivolta collector and decided to produce the car. Together with his brother, he redesigned the car and got approval from Piero Rivolta to produce 12 units of the Iso Grifo 90.

Federico Bonomelli posed along with one of the classic and rare cars of his owned, the Iso Grifo 7Litri. (Picture from: AutoClassMagazine)

The new prototype is based on the Corvette C5 Z06 with the aluminium body was fitted to a tubular steel chassis frame, so it weighs only 1,200 kg. It powered by a front mounted turbocharged 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8 engine (tuned by Callaway) with 490 hp driving the rear wheels through a six-speed gearbox coupled with the Brembo's brake system and differential locking. The car was predicted to exceed 300 kph and need a mere 4.5 seconds to reach 100 kph.

The rolling prototype of the Iso Grifo 90 was completed in 2010. However, the economic crisis hit at the time, made the initial enthusiasm for the project had waned, so Federico Bonomelli decided not to build 12 cars of the rest. It seems that the Iso's modern GT car model is very unlucky, and had biggest problem is the unsuitable time.😐 *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARTYPE | OLDCONCEPTCARS | AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE | CURVES-MAGAZIN | CALLAWAY | DYLER ]

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