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Showing posts with label Sportscar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sportscar. Show all posts

Friday, April 23, 2021

A compact sized Italian classic sports car powered by a Jap's drivetrain

Unique ONES As usual, We are felt curious when see there's any unique, beautiful or unusual car figure and always want to get to know it more closely, then write it as an article especially for you. The beginning of our encounter with this unique and beautiful car figure was when we visited Pinterest some time ago.
2001 OSCA 2500 GT - 'Dromos' designed by Ercole Spada and bodied by Touring Superleggera. (Picture from: FormulaPassion)
As quoted from CarsThatNeverMadeItetc, the OSCA 2500 GT prototype is bore the OSCA emblem, an old Italian brand that has been dead since 1967 done by the Solbiate Olona-based company named GMP Automobili as a part of the project of the OSCA's brand revived.
2001 OSCA 2500 GT - 'Dromos' designed by Ercole Spada and bodied by Touring Superleggera. (Picture from: Sumally)
Those company founded as a partnership between a former owner of Z Automobili, Luca Zagato  (who was also known the grandson of Ugo Zagato, the founder of the famous Milan-based Carrozzeria Zagato) with a Japanese entrepreneur named Shozo Fujita as financial backing up. Besides that's, reportedly there were many other names involved in the project of the OSCA's brand revived such Mario Colucci (ex-Abarth), Ercole Spada (ex-Zagato designer), Alfieri Maserati II (Ernesto Maserati’s son) and etc.
2001 OSCA 2500 GT - 'Dromos' designed by Ercole Spada and bodied by Touring Superleggera.  (Picture from: Dromos.Powerful.jp)
The sportscar was designed by Ercole Spada and later the bodywork was built by the Touring Superleggera. Then regarding the name, Ercole Spada originally wanted this car to use the 'Dromos' name after the OSCA brand. However, those name had been registered four years earlier by Fiat, then Luca Zagato decided that the car's name was OSCA 2500 GT to avoid conflict with the Italian auto giant. Well, whatever the name, what really matters is that the car comes with an excellent design, showing great care for proportions and style as well as for every detail.
2001 OSCA 2500 GT - 'Dromos' designed by Ercole Spada and bodied by Touring Superleggera.  (Picture from: Dromos.Powerful.jp)
Furthermore, the two-seater compact sports car appears in a distinctive Italian classic style with a length of 4.09 meters, a width of 1.76 meters and a height of only 1.15 meters. As quoted from Wikipedia, this car is said to have some similarities in style to the OSCA made race cars of the 1950s and 1960s. It's can be clearly seen in the design of the faired headlights, a typical design for sports cars of the period. The incredibly low body, combined with the compact overall proportions (even if the overall dimensions are not exaggerated) is reminiscent of Italian sports car made of the 1950s to 1960s.
2001 OSCA 2500 GT - 'Dromos' designed by Ercole Spada and bodied by Touring Superleggera.  (Picture from: Carview.yahoo.co.jp)
Continuing to the rear, the tail appears with a raised design especially in the center area, immediately reminding us of the distinctive style of the Carrozzeria Zagato's classic cars. Furthermore, the distinctive style of the Milan-based coachbuilder can also be found on the roof which is decorated with two bulges which are also reminiscent of the legendary car of the 1950s, the Abarth 750 Zagato 'Double Bubble'.
2001 OSCA 2500 GT - 'Dromos' designed by Ercole Spada and bodied by Touring Superleggera.  (Picture from: Carsot.com)
Finally, the glass surfaces are a tribute to the classicism of the car, especially the rear window and the panoramic windscreen. There is also some leeway for modernity, for example in queues, where a large air extractor stands out. 

The compact sports car is built in the 1998 with a tubular steel frame, light but strong, which have had MacPherson strut type front suspension and rear trailing arms and lower triangles. The two axes were then installed with two stabilizer bars. The mid-engined sports car powered by a 2.5 liter four-inlines machine taken of the Subaru Legacy.
Furthermore, the engine is able to delivering a power of 187 hp at 6,000 rpm and a torque of 235 Nm at 2,800 rpm, so that it is able to make a 780 kg empty weighted car accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 6 seconds and speeding up to the top speed of nearly 250 kph.

The car was presented for the first time in 1999 and a second time in 2001 when its launch was imminent, the project suddenly ran aground shortly after the first photos released by the specialized press and no one know what the reason.😢 Initially, the sports cars would be produced as much as 300 units, but in fact only one prototype has ever been made. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SUPERCARS | CARSTHATNEVERMADEITETC | WIKIPEDIA | COACHBUILT ]
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Wednesday, April 21, 2021

The missing links between the Jaguar D-type and E-type were found

Missing LINK The Jaguar D-type and its successor the Jaguar E-type are two of the many legendary car models that have been produced by Jaguar, one of the leading British automotive manufacturers. A series of classy achievements have been carved by these models, let's take a look at the achievements of the Jaguar D-type throughout 1955 to 1956 which made the British manufacturer had dominate the 24-Hours Le Mans racing circuit, before withdrawing from the events due to William Lyons, the company's founder wanted to concentrate the company's limited resources on developing a new production sports car.
1960 Jaguar E2A Prototype is a scaled up development mule built with the chassis made of steel, not monocoque aluminum as in the E1A. (Picture from: Pinterest)
Even though the factory racing team was absent from the event, the Ecurie Ecosse, a Jaguar's privateer team still managed to bring it back to the podium of the 24-Hours of Le Mans Championship
1957 and at the same time completing as the hattrick achievement for the Jaguar D-type. Reflecting on the aforementioned success, then the Jaguar manufacturer prepared a further racing car model called the Jaguar E-type whose layout is inspired by the D-type and built around a sophisticated semi-monocoque chassis unlike anything else available at the time.
1957 Jaguar E1A Prototype used an aluminum chassis which was equipped with an independent rear suspension for replaces the Jaguar D-type outdated live axle. (Picture from: Supercars)
Before the production version of the Jaguar E-type was born, it was known that the British manufacturer had ever built the first experimental prototype in mid-1957 and was known as the Jaguar E1A ('A' stand for Aluminum), because the E1A used an aluminum chassis which was equipped with an independent rear suspension for replaces the Jaguar D-type outdated live axle. The E1A prototype is rarely seen by the public and have been removed at the end of its duties.
The next Jaguar E-type prototype is the Jaguar E2A, it is a scaled up development mule built with the chassis made of steel, not monocoque aluminum as in the E1A. In addition, the E2A also has a steel front subframe to carry the engine and suspension, not the magnesium subframe as installed on the first prototype. 

For dimensions, the Jaguar E2A has the same wheelbase as the production version of the Jaguar E-type, which is 2,438 mm (96-inch). However, the E2A prototype has a 50 mm narrower track at both ends (1,220 mm). Then its front suspensions were via double wishbones, torsion bars and telescopic shocks. At the rear Jaguar fitted half shafts with lower wishbones, twin coil spring/damper units per side and an anti-roll bar. Disc brakes (inboard at the rear), 16 x 6.5-inch alloy wheels and tyres were all supplied by Dunlop.
1960 Jaguar E2A Prototype has one-piece nose featured closed headlamps, large oval radiator intakes, and a distinct center ridge for cleaning the engine. (Picture from: FavCars)
As the Jaguar E2A's drivetrain, an all-alloy version of the dual overhead camshaft 6 inline Jaguar's engine. As quoted from Supercarnostalgia, with the application of this type of engine, it is stated that the Jaguar can save about 40 kg in weight compared to the previous version. Then the Jaguar XK6 engine is tuned to a compression ratio of 10.0: 1, so it can give off power of 293 bhp at 6,750 rpm and 230 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. Initially the engine was mated to a five-speed experimental gearbox although later it was replaced with a four-speed unit. The E2A prototype is said to be capable of speeding to a top speed of more than 160 mph.

In appearance, the Jaguar E2A is clearly derived from the E1A which is shaped like a stretched Jaguar D-type with a fairly light weight of around 875 kg. The bodywork is made of aluminum with a shape made according to the latest understanding of aerodynamics. The one-piece nose featured closed headlamps, large oval radiator intakes, and a distinct center ridge for cleaning the engine, all of which were later adopted by the production versions of the Jaguar E-type.
1960 Jaguar E2A Prototype has a full height windscreen was installed with side glass that tapered down to a pair of ducts that fed cool air to the rear brakes. (Picture from: FavCars)
A full height windscreen was installed with side glass that tapered down to a pair of ducts that fed cool air to the rear brakes. The short tail section has an unusual side opening panel that allows access to the rear axle and spare wheels. The entire body is peppered with hundreds of exposed rivets, while the front and rear covers were heavily louvred to assist cooling. To achieve its light weight, it is not surprising then that the interior door panels are drilled likened the exterior, the bare cockpit was home to an abundance of exposed rivets.
1960 Jaguar E2A Prototype's inside a full-width dashboard featuring a large 8000rpm speed counter plus smaller combined pressure/temperature buttons for water, engine oil and axle oil. (Picture from: FavCars)
Inside, there is a full-width dashboard featuring a large 8000rpm speed counter plus smaller combined pressure/temperature buttons for water, engine oil and axle oil. In the middle there are several switches and on the left there is a closed fuse board. Next, there are two heavily reclined bucket seats upholstered in black vinyl that are placed between the thick sills and the transmission tunnel.
1960 Jaguar E2A Prototype uses all-alloy fuel injection three-liter engine, so it can give off power of 293 bhp at 6,750 rpm and 230 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. (Picture from: FavCars)
The Jaguar E2E prototype began to assembly in the 1960 and taken out of eight weeks to be completed. Then the car conducted a series of tests mainly at the MIRA proving ground and Lindley air force base. After completation the car was shown to Briggs Cunningham, a big Jaguar's dealer and distributor on the East Coast, United States, during a visit to the Jaguar factory. In short, Briggs Cunningham managed to convince the British manufacturer to bring the Jaguar E2A raced at the 24-Hours Le Mans race event under his racing team.
 
At that time, besides using the Jaguar E2A, he and his team also brought 2 Chevrolet Corvette race cars to compete in the race. In the Le Mans racing event, the car experienced high-speed stability problems and then caused an accident along with another race car in the second qualifying session. At that time the car was successfully repaired and got off at the main race and had a chance to occupy the third position before experiencing technical problems and causing the car's position to drop to tenth position before retreating from the arena. And after Le Mans race ended, the E2A car returned to the Jaguar factory.
1960 Jaguar E2A Prototype is said to be capable of speeding to a top speed of more than 160 mph. (Picture from: FavCars)
Some time later, and still with the Briggs Cunningham's racing team, the Jaguar A2E raced in several prestigious racing events in the United States and was also driven by several legendary racers such as Sir Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Dan Gurney and others. As soon as its racing assignment was over, the Jaguar E2A prototype was sent back to its maker in the UK, repaired, to be changed the color to the British-typical racing green and stored until 1966. At that time the Jaguar E2A was taken part in the famous Jaguar XJ13 secret car project by removing its tail fin and acted as a decoy model  to deflect attention. 
The Jaguar E2A prototype was about to be erased, but saved by Guy Griffiths for his esteemed Jaguar collection. And as part of the purchase agreement, the British manufacturer should be refurbished, and repainted the car with the Cunningham team's livery on white and blue. Originally, the car sold without an engine but Griffiths managed to install a 3.8 liter engine into it. However, it was replaced after Jaguar supplied him with an original E2A's all-alloy fuel injection three-liter engine. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SUPERCARS | NEW ATLAS | SUPERCARNOSTALGIA ]
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Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Brazilian-made 'Alfa Romeo' Fúria sports car

Unique ONES We are still talking about unique classic cars and this time we would be discussed a unique car that had caught our curiousity when we saw it for the first time on the Pinterest while surfing in cyberspace. After searching for the info for awhile, turned out it was a sports car named FNM 'Alfa Romeo' Fúria GT built by Fúria Auto Esporte Ltda. for FNM (Fábrica Nacional de Motores), a Brazilian automotive company back in the 1970s.
1971 'Alfa Romeo' Fúria GT, a sportscar prototype built by Toni Bianco for FNM. (Picture from: Classicandrecreationsportscars)
As quoted of the Autocult website, the car is the result of a mix of know-how between a Brazilian design and Italian engineering. How could it be happened? Well, it all began when Alfa Romeo, an Italian automotive giant bought the FNM in 1968, which was previously known as a Brazilian' state-run truck manufacturer with the whole production took place at the plant based in Duque de Caxias near Rio de Janeiro
.
1971 'Alfa Romeo' Fúria GT, a sportscar prototype built by Toni Bianco for FNM. (Picture from: Greatvintagemotorsfromtheworld)
Then the person who played the most important role in the car' birth is an Italian-born automotive designer who lives in Sao Paolo, Brazil named Ottorino 'Toni' Bianco who had been known since the 1955 to built the race cars through the Fúria Auto Esporte Ltda., his automotive company.
1971 'Alfa Romeo' Fúria GT, a sportscar prototype built by Toni Bianco for FNM. (Picture from: Frp70)
In shorts, the Bianco's auto company built several Fúria race cars to compete in various racing scenes in Brazil in the 1970s. Of the 5 race cars ever built and fitted by differing engines; sometimes Chevy, or BMW, Ferrari, and one time a V12 Lamborghini Miura engine. 
1971 'Alfa Romeo' Fúria GT, a sportscar prototype built by Toni Bianco for FNM. (Picture from: Classicandrecreationsportscars)
It also fitted a 2150cc Alfa Romeo engine producing 138 hp and put on a tubular chassis, triangular suspension arms, and Hewland Girling 4 wheel disc brakes. During 1970 to 1971, those Fúria's race cars attracted a lot of attention in the Brazilian' racing scenes. At the peak, it managed to grab respectable results at national championships, when the only Alfa powered version raced in the Brazilian 6-Hours endurance race against the Ferrari 512s and Porsche 910s and managed to finish at the 5th place in 1971.
1971 'Alfa Romeo' Fúria GT, a sportscar prototype built by Toni Bianco for FNM. (Picture from: LexiaCarBrasil)
These sport victories called attention of the Comionauto, the Sao Paulo-based FNM' dealer and made an approach to Toni Bianco about creating a sports car for FNM. Then Bianco accepted the offer and was later designed the Fúria GT, a beautiful sportscar based on a slightly shortened of the FNM 2150 mechanical platform and is featured with two dual carburetors with the engine compression ratio increased to 9.5: 1, so the engine able to spew a power output of 130 horsepower.
1971 'Alfa Romeo' Fúria GT, a sportscar prototype built by Toni Bianco for FNM. (Picture from: LexiaCarBrasil)
Great attention was paid to finishes and comfort as well as complete instrumentation, dashboard mounted center console, individual front seats, shell type, adjustable and headrests, leather upholstery, green glass and floor rugs plus a pair of gullwing doors. The body which in the prototype was modeled by hand in steel sheet, which in the production version will be made of reinforced plastic fiberglass. The plan is that the Fúria GT will be produced as many as 12 units per month.
The 130-hp-powered car was never reach into production lines and the public got to see it at the VIII Salão do Automóvel in the 1972. Until today, no one know the reason behind the pinning of the Alfa Romeo emblem on the grilles of the sportscar prototype. Despite in the end the Fúria GT joint venture ceased, but Toni Bianco still continue to prepare the sportscar and launched his first car to bear his name Bianco S in the 1974.*** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LEXIACARBRASIL | AUTOCULT-MODELS | ALFABB | BANDEIRAQUADRICULADA | FRP70 | CLASSICANDRECREATIONSPORTSCAR ]
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Saturday, April 17, 2021

The last OSCA race car

Last ONES The automotive world in the 1950s to the 1960s can be said to be the golden age of the Italian fast cars, many of them dominating various major racing events. Those were commonplace, because most of the racing activists at that time were the Italian automotive manufacturers ranging from large to small scaled companies. The intense competition atmosphere not only occured on the circuit but also spread out of the circuit. It is not surprising that many of the automotive business players had to resign because they could no longer face the tough competition at that time.
1963 OSCA 1600 SP while sat on display at the 2012 2012 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. (Picture from: Coachbuild)
This was also felt by OSCA (Officine Specializzate Construzione Automobili), a small Italian automotive company owned by the three Maserati brothers in maintaining the existence of their company's banner in the automotive industry, in which they had to face many of the same problems in the second half of the 1960s as they have been done on two decades earlier. Once again, the problem of limited demand for race cars threatens the existence of their company.
1961 OSCA 1600 GT Coupe bodied by Fissore and powered by a twin-cam 1.6 liter engine that can deliver 95 hp of power to drive its rear wheels. (Picture from: Hemmings)
As qouted of Ultimatecarpage, in an attempt to turn their fortunes around before the Maserati brothers were forced to close shop or sell their business once again, then they launched the all-new OSCA 1600 GT as the company's first production road legal car. The coupe-style standard car uses a Carrozzeria Fissore made bodywork and is powered by a twin-cam 1.6 liter engine that can deliver 95 hp of power to drive its rear wheels.
1962 OSCA 1600 GT racing version bodied by Zagato and powered by an engine tuned to 140 bhp, and applied the rear's independent suspensions. (Picture from: Coachbuild)
Given the Maserati brothers' great interest in the world of racing, it's no wonder the racing variants also offered then in the 1962. The 1600 GT racing version is built using a Zagato-made lightweight body, powered by an engine tuned to 140 hp, and applied the rear's independent suspensions. It turns out that the OSCA 1600 GT in various guises managed to reap the great success, then allowed the three Maserati brothers able to develop a new purpose-built racing car.
1963 OSCA 1600 SP racing car prototype is powered by an engine tuned to 140 hp coupled with the four-speed gearbox and mounted on an all-new multi-tubular space frame chassis. (Picture from: Supercars)
The new purpose-built racing car dubbed as the OSCA 1600 SP (and SP stands for 'Sperimentale' or Experimental) is powered by the same 140 hp engine used by the racing version of the OSCA 1600 GT coupled with the four-speed gearbox and mounted on an all-new multi-tubular space frame chassis. Then the independent suspension via double wishbones is installed at all four corners, furthermore there's sizeable disc brake system that's allowed the 1600 SP to provide capable braking power.
Initially 1963 OSCA 1600 SP racing car built to race at the 24-Hours of Le Mans, but never been raced at all. (Picture from: Supercars)
The sophisticated and light rolling chassis is then wrapped in a sleek coupe-style body. If usually OSCA always assigns the coachbuilding company like Morelli to made the bodywork, but this time the 1600 SP' bodywork is made in-house was of course particularly interesting and profitable from an economic perspective. The design is determined mostly by the shape of the chassis as the aluminium panels were tightly wrapped over the mechanical components, and the results are visually pleasing.
1963 OSCA 1600 SP racing car prototype has sleek low-drag body shape. (Picture from: UltimateCarPage)
Initially the OSCA's race car was built to race at the 24-Hours of Le Mans, it can be seen by its sleek low-drag body shape, Kamm-tail at rear. But what could be said when the economic reality speaks differently to the Maserati brothers. When the first 1600 SP race car was completely finished in the 1963, they were forced to sell their business to Count Augusta (the owner of MV Augusta motorcycle manufacturer), who turned out to be more interested with the Maserati brothers' engineering capabilities than to the OSCA' cars.
1963 OSCA 1600 SP racing car prototype's steering wheel and dashboard view. (Picture from: GTPlanet)
Well, it's like a tragedy that suddenly comes, as a result of the transfer of the company ownership, the 1600 SP race car project was terminated and the finished race car never raced.😭 Under the Count Augusta' ownership, the company operated as usual until 1966 when the Maserati brothers left and soon after production ceased. Furthermore, OSCA has become the final motoring venture for the Maserati brothers, then the OSCA 1600 SP is recorded the last race car built by them.
1963 OSCA 1600 SP racing car prototype also featured the Kamm-tail at rear. (Picture from: GTPlanet)
The sole OSCA 1600 SP race car was kept by Ernesto Maserati until the late 1960s, when he gave it as a gift to his son Alfieri Maserati. He has loved the car ever since and despite its regular use, remained in highly original condition. The car rarely appears at public events, the last time the Maserati family' scion race car had seen at the 2012 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este
. Wanna see the Fiat-OSCA 1500 Spider.

And if the article above is still considered inadequate or inaccurate, or if you have additional information related to this marque, please don't hesitate to let us know via the comments column below this article. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | COACHBUILD | ULTIMATECARPAGE | SUPERCARS | HEMMINGS | GTPLANET ]
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