Phantom Duality - In the long, ever-evolving story of automotive design, some creations don’t just fade away—they slip quietly into mystery, leaving behind fragments of ambition, experimentation, and unanswered questions.
One such story revolves around a little-known prototype often described as a “double identity” machine:
a French-born concept infused with German engineering DNA, known as
the Tara, and later reborn as
the Nancy.
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| The Tara, later reborn as the Nancy, began in 1971 when a young and ambitious mechanic named Dominique Billiote borrowed the mechanical foundation of the NSU Ro80, including its advanced rotary (Wankel) engine, transmission, steering, and suspension. (Picture from: ClassicAndRecreationSportscars in Facebook) |
The story begins in 1971,
when a young and ambitious mechanic named Dominique Billiote,
only 21 years old at the time,
introduced the Tara prototype.
Built in Genicourt-sur-Meuse,
the car was his second attempt at automotive design,
following an earlier project based on the NSU 1200.
This time,
he aimed higher—
borrowing the mechanical foundation of the NSU Ro80, i
ncluding its advanced rotary (Wankel) engine,
transmission,
steering,
and suspension.
The Tara stood out immediately with its bold proportions:
a low-slung,
five-seat sports car that looked like it had rolled straight out of a futuristic sketchbook.
 |
| In 1981, the project took an unexpected turn when Tony Russell revived it, rebranded it as the Nancy, and made several cosmetic and structural adjustments. (Picture from: AllCarIndex) |
Visually, the car embraced experimentation without hesitation. Its front doors opened in a scissor-like motion, inspired by avant-garde concept cars of the era, while the rear passengers entered through gull-wing doors—an unusual and ambitious combination rarely seen even today. The body featured expansive glass surfaces, giving it a light and open feel, though practicality clearly took a back seat. The seating position was extremely low, forcing occupants into an awkward posture where knees nearly met faces, and visibility from the driver’s seat was far from ideal. Still, these flaws felt almost expected, considering the creator’s youth and the raw, early-stage nature of the prototype.
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| The Nancy boldly embraced experimentation with scissor-style front doors and gull-wing rear doors, an unusual combination rarely seen even today. (Picture from: AllCarIndex) |
Billiote envisioned more than just a one-off creation. He sought funding of around 150,000 French francs to begin limited production, with each car priced at approximately 70,000 francs. Working largely alone, he estimated a three-month build time per unit—an ambitious but not entirely unrealistic goal for a handcrafted vehicle. However, despite his determination, financial backing never materialized. Even with his father operating a sawmill that might have supported early production, the project failed to gain traction and was eventually abandoned, seemingly disappearing into obscurity for nearly a decade.
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| The Nancy had poor driver visibility, though this flaw was understandable given the creator’s youth and the prototype’s early-stage development. (Picture from: AllCarIndex) |
Then,
in 1981,
the story took an unexpected turn.
A man named Tony Russell revived the dormant project,
rebranding it as the Nancy and making several cosmetic and structural adjustments.
In doing so, he attempted to redefine the car as his own creation,
distancing it from Billiote’s original work.
The updated version retained the NSU Ro80’s 995cc twin-rotor Wankel engine producing around 115 horsepower,
paired with a semi-automatic transmission.
Russell considered replacing the rotary engine with a Porsche-sourced unit but ultimately left the original mechanical concept intact.
The redesign included a refreshed paint job and interior revisions,
yet the core identity of the car—
its dramatic glass-heavy body and unconventional door configuration—
remained unchanged.
 |
| The Nancy sacrificed practicality with an extremely low seating position that forced occupants into an awkward posture where knees nearly met their faces. (Picture from: AllCarIndex) |
Despite its striking resemblance to some of the most radical concept cars of its era,
blending cues reminiscent of Italian design experiments with German engineering underpinnings,
the Nancy failed to attract buyers or manufacturers willing to bring it into production.
Rumors suggest that Swiss designer Franco Sbarro may have had some involvement in modifying the car,
though this remains unconfirmed.
What is certain is that the project never progressed beyond its prototype stage.
Over time,
the Tara—then
Nancy—vanished from public view, leaving behind a lingering question that still echoes today: did this unusual fusion of French creativity and German mechanics survive somewhere, or has it been lost entirely to time?
*** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | ALLCARINDEX | RO80.NL | CLASSIC AND RECREATION CARS IN FACEBOOK ]Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
