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Showing posts with label Classic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classic. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

A Portuguese-made classic scooter

As we all know, the scooter fever during its heyday in the 1950s to the 1960s resonated almost all over the world. It is not surprising that at that time the scooter demand in the market was very high so that many manufacturers from all over the world tried to meet those market niche as well as be able to achieve high profits, as obtained by the two Italian-famous scooter makers, Piaggio and Innocenti.
The Casal S170 Carina is the only scooter model made by  Metalurgia Casal, the Portuguese manufacturer starting in 1967. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/343062g)
In the past, we have discussed here the many scooters that have been produced by manufacturers from Italy, England, Germany, Russia, France, Spain, Austrian, Belgium, Switzerland, Swedish, Polish, Czechoslovakia, and even Japan and the United States. So this time we are talking about a classic scooter is ever made by a Portuguese manufacturer.
The Casal S170 Carina is so widely known in Portugal that it is not surprising if the police force in the country ever used it as the official vehicle for its members. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/343062g)
The scooter in question was Casal S170 Carina made by the largest Portuguese motorcycle manufacturer, Metalurgia Casal. The Aveiro-based company was founded in 1964 with João Casal as Managing Director, and at the time it noticed has a relationship with Zündapp, the German automotive manufacturer. It could be seen by several former engineers from that German manufacturer was employing there and one of them was Robert Zipprich, who was then appointed as Technical Manager.

Initially the manufacturer produced agricultural machines and the Zündapp-based 2-stroke moped engines. Those first scooter products were launched in 1967. In appearance, the scooter model which uses a 50cc engine and is mated to a 4-speed manual transmission system is very similar to the Zündapp R50 scooter. Although the physical form is similar to the German scooter model (because it was designed by Robert Zipprich, a former Zündapp engineer), the engine it uses is Casal's own making.
The Casal S170 Carina uses a 50cc engine and is mated to a 4-speed manual transmission system is very similar to the Zündapp R50 scooter. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/31cGK8Q)
Regarding its name, the scooter is known internally by code of Casal S170 and then through the company's employees voting given a name as Carina, and turn out in the Aveiro area means "dear". These Casal scooter models are very popular in Portugal and are widely used by the public in there ranging from ordinary people to law enforcement officials.
The Casal S170 Carina three-wheeled model, there are parties who said that model was not original from the factory, it was a custom made. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/31cGK8Q)
As far as we know, the scooter models have produced around 7,000 units with 3 different models where each has little differences, and also there was a three-wheeled model, although there are parties who said that model was not original from the factory, it was a custom made.

Unfortunately, due to a disagreement between Casal and Zündapp regarding the scooter design issues and its engine, so then the production of the scooter was discontinued. And make the Casal S170 Carina was the only scooter model ever made by the company.😢 
As far as we know, about 7,000 units of the Casal S170 Carina were produced within 3 different models which have a little differences. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3duqYeB)
However, this company still produce other-kind of two-wheeled vehicles and not long after that, the Portuguese manufacturer launched several models of mopeds and motorbikes. And it is known that during the production period, this manufacturer has launched more than 30 models of mopeds and motorbikes.

This Portuguese company had grown rapidly in the 1970s to 1980s by conducting several collaborations with automotive business players from various countries in the world to make the brand more popular in the market and racing arena.
However, the company was finally fallen into bankruptcy in February 2000, due to weak sales of its moped and motorcycle products in the domestic and global markets. In connection with this, unfortunately, parts of the company's archives were destroyed.😢
 
Kept spur your adrenaline on the power of the two-wheeled monster and stay alive with true safety riding. May God will forgive Your sins and so does the cops...... *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CASAL | CYBERMOTORCYCLE | WIKIPEDIA | MOTOSDEPORTUGAL]
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Monday, October 19, 2020

Did You ever heard about the Asardo sportscar?

Was there really an Asardo sports car really exist? Yes, the brand really exists in the 1960s. And might be not many automotive fans who know this brand. Asardo is an American sports car brand founded in 1959 by an Austrian immigrant who lived in America named Helmut William Schlosser. The company's founder firstly managed a machine shop in North Bergen, New Jersey in the 1950s who was also known as a sports car enthusiast.
1959 Asardo 1500 AR-S has a compact curvaceous berlinetta fiberglass body. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3k0fPEL)
As quoted from Wikipedia, Asardo stands for 'American Special Automotive Research and Design Organization,' which is throughout its life in the world's automotive made a little number of car models. Indeed, there are not many sports car models made by the brand. Its first model car designs were completed around the end of 1957 and construction began in 1958. Unfortunately, there is not much information about the brand's first model.
1959 Asardo 1500 AR-S. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3k0fPEL)
Possibly the brand's first model is the Asardo 1500 AR-S whose controversy design is said to be inspired by the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ. The sports car has a compact curvaceous berlinetta fiberglass body with lots of elements 'taken from' other major automotive brands. The front view of the car is said to be similar to the Maserati 300S and the rear to several Ferraris.

The dashboard was from a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, as was the windshield, which was cut to fit. Its bucket seats were from the Porsche Speedster and the electric accessories were courtesy of Lucas. Then the most striking was its gull-wing style doors similar to the legendary model of Mercedes-Benz 300SL and in fact used Mercedes hinges and latches with a custom hold-up strut.
1959 Asardo 1500 AR-S uses a multi-tubular space frame chassis. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3iX3zn3)
Then for the engine, this sports car uses an Alfa Romeo Twin-Cam Inline Four bore-up engine mounted on a multi-tubular space frame chassis. Power output for the engine was estimated to have been 100.7 kW (135 hp) at 6,800 rpm. Power went from the engine to the rear axle through an Alfa Romeo four-speed manual transmission.

The Asardo 1500 AR-S sports car made its first public appearance at the 1959 New York Auto Show. Due to disagreements between parties (between the company owner and financial supporter), over how the car should be sold, brought the production plans to cease.
1959 Asardo 1500 AR-S is featured with the gull-wing style doors similar to the legendary model of Mercedes-Benz 300SL. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3lLmhQs)
And only in the early 1960s, he got an order from a Florida's VW/Porsche dealer owner named Charlie Kolb to make his Asardo sports car could be fitted a Buick's '215' aluminum V8 engine. Then he redesigned the chassis to be able to fit the new engine but still used the same body. Soon thereafter he finished revising the Asardo sports car by using a Buick V8 3.524cc engine mated to the Corvette's transmission system and renamed to Asardo 3500 GM-S.

Once again, unfortunately, there is any documentation that can provide the car model pictures due to the maker only made 1 unit. However it is in our opinion and support from a reliable source (alfabb.com) that both the Asardo 1500 AR-S and 3000 GM-S models share the same bodywork, so they will definitely look similar appearance. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | ALFABB]
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Sunday, October 18, 2020

The unusual Fiat Turbina

Indeed, since it was first founded in 1899, Fiat has been seen serving the world's high-volume automotive market with reliable and low-cost products. On the other hand, for the high performance, low volume and high cost automotive market, it is left to a third party. 
The Fiat Turbina concept is built by Fiat and debuted in 1954, it uses a turbine engine as the drivetrain. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2SUvQ30)
But in the 1950s, something different had happened when the Italian car manufacturer built an unusual concept car called the Fiat Turbina, which it all did on its own. Then why is this called an unusual project because it develops a concept car that uses a gas turbine engine as its driving force. Yes, in 1954 Fiat was the second car manufacturer in the world, after Rover, to introduce a car driven by a gas turbine engine.
The Fiat Turbina concept first appeared in public on 23 April 1954 at Caselle Torinese Airport, where it was a demonstration driving with Fiat test driver Carlo Salamano behind the wheel. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3nPNALm)
In fact, this project required a long time of planning, and the company had begun studying this concept car in 1948 and ended with a track test in 1954 on the rooftop track of the Fiat's Lingotto factory, in Turin, Italy.
The Fiat Turbina concept features a turbine engine without a gearbox which is placed in the middle, just behind the passenger compartment. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/33WuPOs)
This car project is known to be handled by Dante Giocosa, who at that time served as the Technical Director of Fiat who was also working on the Fiat 8V legendary sports cars. This concept car features a turbine engine without a gearbox which is placed in the middle, just behind the passenger compartment.
A cross-sectional image of the 1954 Fiat Turbina turbine-engine concept car. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3k1X8k0)
This machine has a 2-stage centrifugal compressor, three can-type combustors, a two-stage turbine driving the compressor, and a single-stage power turbine with a geared reduction to its rear wheels.
The Fiat Turbina concept can be seen on display at the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile (National Automobile Museum) in Turin. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/34QbrBS)
The Italian manufacturer says the engine burst power of 300 hp (220 kW) at 22,000 rpm, and is capable of delivering this concept car to run up to a top speed of 250 kph (160 mph). While the bodywork had undergone wind tunnel testing at the Politecnico di Torino facilities.
Inside the cockpit of the Fiat Turbina concept at the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile (National Automobile Museum) in Turin. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/33WuPOs)
This car first appeared in public on 23 April 1954 at Caselle Torinese Airport, where it was a demonstration driving with Fiat test driver Carlo Salamano behind the wheel. After that the concept car was brought to the arena of the 1954 Turin Auto Show which was taking place at that time.
The Fiat Turbina concept has the slippery shape had an amazingly low drag coefficient, and with its two compressor stages and one turbine stage drivetrain, it produced around 300 hp at 22,000 rpm. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/33WuPOs)
The Fiat Turbina concept car was noted as the record holder for the car's lowest drag coefficient (0.14) for 30 years. At the end the project was abandoned due to insurmountable overheating problems and extremely high fuel consumption, so the concept car was shelved in the plant garage.
Today, the Fiat Turbina can be seen on display at the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile (National Automobile Museum) in Turin. Even in 2014, Pagani, another Italian premium car manufacturer collaborated with Garage Italia Customs to present the one-off supercar named Pagani Huayra Lampo, whose design was said to be inspired by Fiat Turbina. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | DRIVETRIBE | FLICKR]
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Thursday, October 15, 2020

Known Giotto Bizzarrini superb car creations

The Bizzarrini big-name was began widely heard in the automotive world in the 1950s and seems to continue to resonate until today. He is one of the many world's automotive masters who has launched many amazing masterpieces.
1966 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada or 5300 GT America, the first Bizzarrini car after he estabilished his own company in 1966. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/32bFT9X)
Bizzarrini or the complete Giotto Bizzarrini is the name of an Italian gentleman who started his career in the automotive world as an engineer who worked for Alfa Romeo and then continued to several other well-known Italian car manufacturers, such as Ferrari, ATS, Lamborghini and Iso.
1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa has won several racing competitions, especially in the 1950s. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/36UPGDz)
Some of his work within the Italian's prancing horse logoed premium auto manufacturer, when he was an R&D manager, designer, test driver, and chief engineer can be seen in legendary models such as the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa and the Ferrari 250 GT SWB, he also took part in the Ferrari 250 GTO designing process which then dominated the world's racing in GT-class since 1962 and today are known as one of the most expensive classic cars in the world.
1959 Ferrari 250 GTO SWB uses a a Colombo-based 60-degree, single-over-head cam, 'vee' type 12-cylinder engine, with aluminum alloy block and heads, and cast-iron cylinder liners. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/36UPGDz)
Shortly after fired by Ferrari in 1961, he together with Carlo Chiti were ever being part of ATS (Automobili Turismo e Sport), a company started by the ex-Ferrari engineers with financial support from Count Giovanni Volpi to build a Formula 1 single seater, as one of the Ferrari's rivals, and a GT sport car, the ATS Serenissima.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO is made ​​specifically for the driver Sir Stirling Moss. This car is sold at the auction up to the US. $35 million or around Rp. 331 billion. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/36V6n1z)
Then when he became a freelance engineer, he also worked at Ferucio Lamborghini's tractor factory and had an important role when deciding to use the 3.5 liter V12 engine on the Lamborghini 350 GTV. And that Lamborghini's first sports car made its debut at the 1963 Turin Auto Show. 
1966 Serenissima ATS 358V Spyder, the only Serenissima racing car did make the actual race in the 1966 Le Mans. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/32bFT9X)
It turns out that the Lamborghini 350 GTV was not the only work of Bizzarrini to appear at the car expo.There were other cars was also been worked by him at the time, and the car was named Iso Rivolta A3/C owned by Renzo Rivolta, a Milan's industrialist. 
1963 Lamborghini 350 GTV was very sleek and streamlined, with a very low hood that incorporated one of the better pop-up headlight designs of all time. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ZQ2Gnv)
This car was a GT racing car with a lightweight aluminum body equipped with an American V8 engine. That is the most famous car bearing the ISO' brand ever born out of his hands and later it known became the basis for Bizzarrini's next sports cars. 
1963 Iso Rivolta A3/C was a GT racing car with a lightweight aluminum body equipped with an American V8 engine. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3jRs0DM)
After several years working under the Iso brand owned by Renzo Rivolta, in 1966 Bizzarrini decided to establish his own auto company called Bizzarrini S.p.A. The company is known to have built a small number of highly advanced and sophisticated sports and racing cars before finally ceased production in 1969.😢
1966 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada is known as the road-legal version of the Grifo A3/C (on which body shape and mechanical parts are almost the same as the Iso A3/C). (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2SLu83Z)
The first model Bizzarrini made after establishing his own company was the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada or 5300 GT 'America' which was a road-legal version of the Grifo A3/C (on which body shape and mechanical parts are almost the same as the Iso A3/C).
This is a 'baby' version of the 5300 GT called Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa powered by a 1,897 cc Opel engine and built in between 1966 to 1969. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3ij0gIr)
As qouted of Wikipedia, this 5300 GT Strada was originally a powerful yet sensual 43-inch coupe. However, in its further development, the car was also made in a spyder/targa version of 3 units and is rumored all of which survive and are currently owned by the same person. After that, he also had been built the 'baby' version of 5300 GT Strada called Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa is powered by a 1,897 cc Opel engine in between 1966 to 1969.
One of those rare Lamborghini V12 powered race cars, the 1967 Bizzarrini P538 located in the United States. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/37G4sut)
For the world of racing, Bizzarrini's advanced ideas resurfaced in the form of the extraordinary Bizzarrini P538S. A mid-engined roofless racing car with a tubular steel chassis covered by a fiberglass body and not having a chassis number printed on it. This car initially carried a Lamborghini V12 engine, but later used a Corvette 327 CID V8 engine.
The Bizzarrini Manta is built by Giorgetto Giugaro in 1968 based on the Bizzarinni P538 racing car. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1RUk8ko)
Then the life of this racing car resumed after the skilled hands of Giorgetto Giugaro managed to present Bizzarrini Manta in 1968. The one-off car has an unusual aspect, apart from the striking color scheme, is the seating layout.

The car applied 3 seater layout with the driver sits in the center and the passengers will sit on each driver's sides. After some years in Sweden, it was dismantled for an extensive restoration. Later featured in various classics car events, it is now in the United States. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CLASSICDRIVER | WIKIPEDIA]
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Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Did you know that Harley-Davidson ever made a boxer-engine models?

Harley-Davidson (HD) is a motorcycle manufacturer known for its V-twin engined cruiser motorcycle models. But who would have thought that this American manufacturer had actually made a cruiser-style motorcycle with a boxer engine that we usually encounter on motorbikes made by a German's BMW Motorrad.
During World War II, the U.S. Army asked Harley-Davidson to produce a motorcycle as good as BMW's side-valve R71, and here's the result, Harley-Davidson XA. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3jOHwjz)
The boxer-engined cruiser motorcycle model made by the American manufacturer is the Harley-Davidson XA, which was born in the era of World War II. Before talking furthermore, it would be better if we first look the brief story of the Harley-Davidson XA birth.
Harley-Davidson WLA, another model beside the XA is manufactured as mainstay rides of American GI's during World War II. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/36Uf0to)
During the World War II situation at that time, previously it was known that Harley-Davidson produced military motorbikes called the Harley-Davidson WLA for the US. Army. However, it seems that the American military officials are not quite satisfied with the Harley-Davidson WLA performance in relating to the engine-heat problem, instead amazed by the performance of the BMW R71 used by the German military in various battlefronts, ranging of the heavy-snowy regions in Russia to wild-hot deserts in North Africa at the time.
1942 Harley-Davidson XA claimed to be able to overcome the heat engine problem on the Harley-Davidson WLA model. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3nHhG3I)
Why is that? Maybe because the BMW R71 is used a boxer engine configuration couple with the shaft drive which is reliable for use on various terrains, is claimed not heat up quickly and easy to repair while used in the battlefield.
Testing the Harley-Davidson XA, that curious 'boxer,' flat-twin, shaft drive motorcycle designed and built for the US Army around 1942. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/36SiVH7)
Therefore, HD then studied carefully the various technical advantages of the BMW R71 and tried to apply to similar motorbikes to be built by them later. Shortly after, the American manufacturer introduced the Harley-Davidson XA model in 1942 which had similar features to the BMW R71, namely both using a boxer engine coupled with the shaft drive.
1942 Harley-Davidson XA had similar features to the BMW R71, namely both using a boxer engine coupled with the shaft drive. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3jRPxnW)
The results were also pretty good, apparently the XA's boxer engine had the advantage that the oil temperature was claimed to be 56 degrees Celsius lower than the WLA model's V-twin engine. As quoted from Rideapart.com, the boxer engine with a capacity of 738 cc installed on the Harley-Davidson XA is capable of producing power of  23 horsepower and proper to make the motor run up to a top speed of around 104 kph.
With those boxer engine and shaft drive configuration capable make the Harley-Davidson XA run up to a top speed of around 104 kph. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3jOHwjz)
As many as 1,000 Harley-Davidson XA units were produced in the period from 1942 to 1943. But unfortunately the United States Army did not adopt the XA model as their official military vehicle and prefer to take the WLA because it was cheaper.
It could be said that the top brass of the American military at that time is like a man is amazed to the enemy's grass yard seen greener than in their own yard. Although in the end, they choose the typical HD WLA production motorcycle of efficiency and financial factors. And the remaining unused Harley-Davidson XA units were sold to civilian consumers.

Kept spur your adrenaline on the power of the two-wheeled monster and stay alive with true safety riding. May God will forgive Your sins and so does the cops...... *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | RIDEAPART | CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | BMW DEAN]
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Monday, October 12, 2020

The most inspirational design of Ghia in the 1950s

On this occasion we will again explore the story of the beautiful car figures that have colored the automotive world in the past. After a while ago we talked about a beautiful car called 'Demon Rouge,' which was built by Vignale based on a high-performance two-seater sports car called the Fiat 8V.
The most inspirational design of Ghia Supersonic in the 1950s. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3lo6p6i)
And when the Fiat 8V was handled by the renowned Turin-based coachbuilder named Carrozzeria Ghia, the car changed dramatically into the Supersonic, an allusion to the car's rocket style.
The Conrero-tuned Alfa Romeo 1900, a racing car that competed at the 1953 Mille Miglia and inspired the Ghia Supersonic. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3lo6p6i)
At that time the Carrozzeria Ghia received about 30 to 40 of the 114 8V chassis built, and the most striking of which was that 15 of them were miraculously conjured by a touch of Giovanni Savonuzzi's design, which later known as Supersonic and was first shown at the 1953 Paris Auto Show.
The most inspirational design of Ghia Supersonic in the 1950s. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3nC1Hnq)
In fact the Supersonic design first appeared on the Conrero-tuned Alfa Romeo 1900, a racing car that competed in the 1953 Mille Miglia. The supersonic design was originally proposed by Giovanni Savonuzzi, as a car with a long, sharp windshield; a curved nose that formed a straight beltline, ending in a tiny flaming tail fin intended to resemble jet afterburners; and a low, glassy cockpit.
The most inspirational design of Ghia Supersonic in the 1950s. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2SJ3fh7)
Similar styling and is built on an 8V chassis then ordered by American designer Paul Farago, followed by 14 more copies, all of which differed in detail but remained largely true to Savonuzzi's original and dramatic design.
The most inspirational design of Ghia Supersonic in the 1950s. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3lo6p6i)
It's as if that's a match, when the car is built on a Fiat 8V chassis with an all-metal body. And the car still uses the original engine from the Fiat 8V, which is an advanced overhead-valve light alloy V-8 engine. Beside that the Supersonic's body design was also applied to three of the Jaguar XK120, an Aston Martin DB2/4 and another one unit in a more extreme version and was rebuilt into the DeSoto Adventurer II.
These cars are considered to be the most sought-after and desirable 8V-based models, as they are the best and proudest combination of avant-garde designs from the Jet Age. Even today these cars still look very modern and dramatic and always attract attention wherever they go. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | COACHBUILD | SPORTSCARMARKET | SILODROME | RM SOTHEBY'S]
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