RareONES - As previously discussed by many world automotive enthusiasts, that in the late 1950s and early 1960s, there're many sportscar of plastic-bodied relatively affordable GTs entered the UK's market with brands such as Elva, Lotus, Marcos, Peerless, Reliant, Rochdale, Turner, and TVR in which all vying to be the master of the automarket in such class.
1958 Tornado Typhoon Roadster is supported by Ford powertrain and was marketed with affordable prices at launched. (Picture from: Market-Bonham)
And one of them that is not so well known is Tornado, which entered the fray in 1957. And the man behind it was Bill Woodhouse, who is narrated to set up the company after found the car kit he bought was so badly built, he struggled so desperately to finish it.
Since then he resolved to produce something under his own autobrand that would be made to a much higher standard, for the reason then he partnered with his colleague Tony Bullen to estabilish an automaker company called Tornado Cars Ltd back in 1957, based in Mill End, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England.
1958 Tornado Typhoon Sportsbrake featured with a fiberglass station wagon superstructure replacing coupe's detachable hardtop. (Picture from: Story-Cars)
In short, the company's first production was launched in the 1958 called the Tornado Typhoon is supported by Ford powertrain and was marketed for less than £250 in roadster and shooting-brake styles. It is believed that between 300 to 400 of the Typhoon car, both complete and kit form, were produced and sold to the public.
1961 Tornado Tempest (435 WNO) 1000cc sat on display at the Sywell Classic 2018. (Picture from: Flickr)
The company's second model called the Tornado Tempest which replaced the Typhoon was launched in 1960. In appearance it was not actually a new design, only the Typhoon was updated to use the Ford Anglia 105E engine and Triumph Herald running gear. Even though all of these cars were produced with high quality standards and sold at affordable prices, they still could not change public opinion which looked at the Typhoon and its successor Tempest have an awkward appearance. During its production periods as much as 15 units for all Tempest bodies including 2 seater, 2 seater coupe, 4 seater, 4 seater coupe and shooting-brake.
1960 Tornado Competition Tempest 2 seater powered by an 997cc S4 OHV engine. (Picture from: Flickr)
All of the above seemed to have started to change when the company launched the Tornado Talisman in late 1961 as the third model. So this can also be said to mark the company's new era beginning. In appearance, the Talisman is a modern and attractive looking four-seater coupé that is manufactured to high standards, is still relatively affordable prices. In standard form, Tornado Talisman' power came from a Ford Classic 1,340 cc engine with a pair of twin-choke Weber carburettors, also had the option with the powerplant built by Cosworth.
1961 Tornado Talisman Coupe (owned by Bill Woodhouse) is a modern and attractive looking four-seater coupé. (Picture from: BelowTheRadar)
The company also provided two options to the prospective buyer, in which they could choose a kit priced at £875 (to avoid paying purchase tax), or a ready-made car priced at £1,259 while at that time the Lotus Elite has priced of £1,949, the Jaguar XK150 was £1,665, and the Triumph TR3 is only £991. Throughout 1962 the company enjoyed the sweet success of Talisman's high sales figures, and said 186Talismans had been made, thus financing the racing passion of Bullen and Woodhouse, both of whom were keen amateur racers.
In standard form, the Tornado Talisman' power came from a Ford Classic 1,340 cc engine with a pair of twin-choke Weber carburettors, also had the option with the powerplant built by Cosworth. (Picture from: BelowTheRadar)
However, it seems that the winds of change began to blow at the end of 1962, when Tornado Cars began experiencing financial difficulties and forced the couple to look for investors. At one point Colin Chapman was reportedly interested in acquiring the company, but he didn't because he hit financial problems of his own at the time. Due to the lack of investors, Tornado Cars underwent voluntary liquidation in 1963.
The company was later purchased by amateur racer John Baekart who opted for a strategy of cutting production and expanding the tuning side of the business. However, it seems that Baekart's efforts were also fruitless until he finally gave up in 1964, since then Tornado Cars really went out of business and dissapeared from the automotive market for good. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BELOWTHERADAR | AUTOCAR | MARKET-BONHAM | STORY-CARS | LANEMOTORMUSEUM ]
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Streamlined Legacy - What is this car? How come it looks so weird? Those are the exact questions that might pop into your head the first time you lay eyes on the Volkhart V2 Sagitta. With its teardrop silhouette and streamlined design, it almost looks like a prop from an old science fiction movie. But this isn't some futuristic prototype from a forgotten film—it's a real car, built more than 75 years ago, and its story is more fascinating than its strange appearance lets on.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta was the 2nd prototype designed by Kurt C Volkhart and Baron R König von Fachsenfeld based on the Volkswagen Beetle 1st generation aka the KdF Wagen Typ 60. (Picture from: ClassicCarWeekly.net)
At a glance, the Volkhart V2 Sagitta might seem like an oddball, but when you look closer at its foundation, things start to make sense. The car was developed using the chassis of the very first Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the KdF-Wagen Typ 60. This was a wartime car, produced between 1937 and 1944, and was the seed from which one of the world’s most iconic vehicles would grow.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta formerly known as the Luftwaffe 'courier car' due to it developed and built as a part of the Luftwaffe's need before the war for a small, fast and agile courier car.(Picture from: Bonham)
While most enthusiasts are familiar withthe Porsche 356as the pinnacle of performance based on the Beetle platform, the V2 Sagitta predates it in both vision and execution. Back in the late 1930s, Germany's Luftwaffe was on the hunt for a light, nimble courier vehicle—one that could be fast, efficient, and easy to maintain. That’s where Kurt C. Volkhart entered the scene. He was an engineer with a deep understanding of aerodynamics, something that wasn’t yet a major focus in car design.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta is offered accommodation for 4/5 passengers inside its cabin, but never came close to series production. (Picture from: Hemmings)
His early project, the V1, was a two-seater sports car powered by a rear-mounted 1,172 cc Ford Eifel engine with only 32 bhp of power. It never made it beyond the prototype phase, but the idea of a slick, aerodynamic machine stuck with him.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta when undergoing aerodynamic tests conducted by Volkswagen in its wind tunnel back in the 2011, produced a drag coefficient of 0.217 over a frontal area of 2.10 square meters. (Picture from: Hemmings)
After World War II, Volkhart picked up where he left off, this time with some financial help from a company called Sagitta. What came next was the V2, a one-of-a-kind aerodynamic experiment built on a wartime VW Beetle chassis (with number 2-033683). The body, made entirely of lightweight aluminum, was shaped by Baron Reinhard Koenig-Fachsenfeld, a visionary in the world of streamlined car design. Construction was handled by Helmut Fuchs and later finished by Hans Daum’s workshop, both based in Germany.
The Volkhart V1 small two-seater sports coupe came out in the end of 1930s, and powered by a rear-mounted 1,172 cc Ford Eifel engine with only 32 bhp of power. (Picture from: Hemmings)
Underneath that sleek body was a 1.1-liter, rear-mounted flat-four engine producing just 24 horsepower. Modest on paper, yes, but thanks to its incredibly efficient design, the car could reach speeds of up to 88 mph—faster than the early Porsches of the time. And despite its compact footprint, it could squeeze in four to five passengers, showing that Volkhart was thinking about practicality just as much as performance.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta has inlets at the front, could be for the cabin ventilation, front brake cooling, horn, or a front mounted oil cooler. (Picture from: Hemmings)
What really set the V2 Sagitta apart, however, was its aerodynamic brilliance. The car was tested in Volkswagen’s wind tunnel in 2011, decades after it was built, and the results were astonishing. It recorded a drag coefficient of just 0.217—still on par with some of the best modern designs today. To put that into perspective, that’s better than most current-day sports cars, and lightyears ahead of anything else in the 1940s.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta is powered by a rear-mounted 1.1-liter flat-four good for 24 horsepower and a top speed of 88 mph. (Picture from: Hemmings)
Sadly, the V2never went into production. Volkswagen refused to supply more chassis, and without a solid production plan, the project faded into obscurity. Only one unit was ever made, and it had a strange life afterward.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta has a fan sucking air through that grille under rear window as for its engine cooling (although this 24 hp engine actually doesn't need much cooling). (Picture from: Hemmings)
It was sold to Hugo Tigges, a man who had provided materials during the car’s construction. He used it as his daily driver for six years before abandoning it in a garden in 1953. Two years later, Helmut Daum, son of one of the original builders, stepped in to rescue and preserve what was left.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta' last appearance in public under British racing green color was happened at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2012. (Picture from: Madle.org)
Over time, the car was restored, repainted, and passed between owners before ending up with Austrian Porsche collector Walter Traxler. Its last known public appearance was at the 2012 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where it turned heads in a fresh silver coat after being returned to its original color from a previous repaint in British racing green.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta' last appearance in public under British racing green color was happened at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2012. (Picture from: Madle.org)
In early 2023, news surfaced that the Volkhart V2 Sagittawould be auctioned by Bonhams at an event in Paris, with an estimated price tag between €1.8 million and €2.6 million. Yet, in a surprising twist, the car was withdrawn before the sale could take place, leaving its future hanging in uncertainty once again.😥
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta is more than just a
quirky piece of automotive history—it’s a glimpse into a lost path of
design innovation. Built at a time when speed, beauty, and function
rarely intersected in car design, it stood apart as a bold attempt to
push boundaries. Today, it remains one of the rarest and most unique examples of what might have been, had things gone just a little differently.. *** [EKA [24032023] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CLASSICCARWEEKLY.NET | BONHAM | HEMMINGS | ULTIMATECARPAGE ]
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ForgottenONES - As far as we know, Italy is a country that has a lot of automotive manufacturers ranging from the biggest and famous to the unpopular and the unknown ones. Of the many Italian car manufacturers that have ever existed, maybe the following Italian manufacturer's name is one that you have never heard of or known before.
1972 Lombardi FL1 built based on the Lancia 2000ie by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi, but never saw production. (Picture from: LotusEsprit)
The company mentioned above was Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi, an Italian automaker firm was founded after the war over in 1947 by an Italian engineer whose also known also a WWI pilot veteran named Carlo Francesco 'Francis' Lombardi in Vercelli.
1959 Fiat 600 Lucciola 4-door saloon model by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi. (Picture from: CarTrader)
As qouted from DailyTurismo, as the coachbuilder, his works has a wide range of models, were influenced by the American car styles. He began to build family-type cars with wooden paneling during 1947 to 1950, based on Lombardi experiences in building aircraft by using the same materials. For this, it uses frames from the Fiat, and Lancia.
1959 Fiat 850 Lucciola4-door saloon model by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi. (Picture from: Wikimedia)
At that time this Vercelli-based company also made several Coupe and Cabriolet types based on the Fiat 500C and 1100E frames. Then the company made a 4-door saloon model based on the Fiat 600 called Lucciola in 1959, and then also built based on Fiat 850.
1963 Fiat 2300 Papal Limousine by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi known also as the first 'true' Popemobile. (Picture from: Pinterest)
Furthermore in 1962, Francis Lombardi expanded its production models of several versions of the limousine, and it been done in simply by extending the frames of many different cars, such as the Fiat 1400, 1500, 1800 and 2300 and also the Lancia Flavia. These cars were generally equipped with an extra row of seats that allowed capacities of between 7 and 8 passengers with the wheelbases were generally lengthened by about 550 mm.
1964 Fiat 850 Coccinella by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi, and debuted at the 1964 Turin Motor Show. (Picture from: CarrozzieriItaliani)
As quoted from Carrozzieri Italiani, the Vercelli-based automaker became famous by building a limousine with a glass roof for Pope Paul VI based on the Fiat 2300 in 1963 (known also the first 'true' Popemobile). While at the 1964 Turin Salon, Lombardi presents a two-seater coupe based on the Fiat 500, called Coccinella.
1964 Fiat 500 Libellula by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi. (Picture from: CarrozzieriItaliani)
While at the same year the Francis Lombardi company presented also a spider called Libellula based on the Fiat 850. Well, besides that the company is also continuing to build 2-doors coupe model with a capacity of four passengers based on the Fiat 1300/1500.
1967 Fiat 850 Spider Monza by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi, debuted at the 1967 Turin Motor Show. (Picture from: Pinterest)
This model was later replaced by a similar, though different, concept that used the frame and mechanics of the Fiat 124. At the 1967 Turin Salon, Lombardi displayed a new Fiat 850 Spider Monza. It was a two-seater equipped with a fabric roof, equipped with alloy wheels and a wooden steering wheel.
1970 Fiat 500 My Carwas the greatest commercial success models of Carrozzeria Francis Lombardiduring 1970s with an annual production of about 6000 units. (Picture from: Wikimedia)
Optionally it could be equipped with a modified Giannini engine that offered an additional 6 hp. The carrozzeria’s greatest commercial success models during 1970s was the luxuriously appointed Fiat 500 My Car with an annual production of about 6,000 units.
The Fiat 850 Grand Prix is a small two-seater coupe by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi started 1968 to 1972, and known also marketed under several other brands such as OTAS dan Abarth. (Picture from: CarrozzieriItaliani)
Followed by its most significant model was a small two-seater coupe called Fiat 850 Grand Prix, and produced during the periods of 1968 to 1972. It also known marketed under several other brands such as OTAS and Abarth.
Then Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi continued to focus on modifying cars, building coupes based on another Fiat platforms had the result of the one-off 4-door sedan called the Fiat 128 Star, which was then followed by producing similar model named the Fiat 128 Smart. Reportedly the Vercelli-based company also built several cars based on the German brand NSU.
1971 Fiat 128 Star 4-door sedan by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi, and debuted at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. (Picture from: CarrozzieriItaliani)
At the 1972 Turin Salon, the company presented the Lombardi FL1, a two-seater coupe prototype built based on the frame of the Lancia 2000ie, and claimed could reach a 125 mph in 2 litre engine and 140 mph with the larger V6. That model has dimensions of 4,210 mm in length, width of 1,700 mm and height of 1,130 mm, besides has an approximate weight of 800 kg.
1972 Lombardi FL1 by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi, and debuted at the 1972 Turin Motor Show. (Picture from: CarrozzieriItaliani)
CutieONES As we all know that as one of the world's leading automotive manufacturers, Bugatti has a very long history since the first time this company was founded by Ettore Bugatti in 1909. And if we examine the huge diversity of Ettore Bugatti's design works, could be said that's one of the most impressive achievements of the famed engineer.
The Bugatti Type 68 was not only small in size, but also driven by small engines, reportedly intended to facilitate those less well-heeled Frenchmen to own a Bugatti's branded cars. (Picture from: ClassicAndSportsCar)
Despite whatever events unfolding around him from the turmoil of war, the loss of his talented heir Jean, up to the German occupation of his Molsheim factory, Ettore remains as prolific and bright as ever. Well, from his drawing board at the new office in Levallois-Perret, Paris, where many brilliant ideas keep coming out, then put down in sketches, and followed by setting up a series of plans to turn them into reality for this great marque continuity during those turbulent times.
The Bugatti Type 68 built in 1940 featured with a two-seater coupe body style inspired by the legendary Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic. (Picture from: ClassicAndSportsCar)
As quoted from ClassicAndSportsCar, the heart of these ideas is a series of new engines, ranging from a single-cylinder unit to mount on a bicycle, up to an eight-cylinder, 62 liter marine powerplant. Well if we talk about Bugatti as players in the automotive world, then the main focus at that time was none were more fascinating than the Bugatti Type 68, which was not only small in size, but also driven by small engines.
The Bugatti Type 68 was powered by a 318 cc, 4 cylinder, 16 valve 2 over-head cams petrol engine with a maximum burst of power of 48 hp. (Picture from: ClassicAndSportsCar)
Some said that Ettore was sympathetic at that time to facilitate those less well-heeled Frenchmen to own a Bugatti's branded cars.😉 How could it be? Unfortunately, so far there's no related infos about it. But for sure, these tiny cutie cars made by Bugatti
were each only powered by an engine with a capacity of under 400 cc. And
with such those engines, you can be sure that the bursts of power it
produces are also small, so don't expect that the Type 68 will go fast like a rocket on a race track.
The Bugatti Type 68 also featured with a unique gull-wing door as the access to its cabin. (Picture from: ClassicAndSportsCar)
Well, when viewed from the size of these Type 68 engines, it's clearly that's very different from the line of machines produced by Bugatti today. However, this could be gave additional insight to us, it turns out Bugatti does not always produce fast cars with powerful big-engines, the fact in the past this Molsheim-based automaker had also produced a kind of cars that are not only small in size, but also driven by small engines.
However, this designation does not reveal whether Ettore Bugatti intended the production of Type 68 small cars or rejected the gullwing version. (Picture from: ClassicAndSportsCar)
At first, Ettore Bugatti built one prototype only, the first generation Bugatti Type 68 with a coupe body style inspired by the legendary Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic back in the 1940. However, in the 1942 he had time to make the Type 68 in cabriolet model as the second model called Bugatti Type 68B. So no wonder if the engines installed on the 2 cutie car models are also slightly different but still under 400 cc.
The Bugatti Type 68B is featured with a two seater cabriolet body style, and known as the second model built in 1942. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
As quoted from Bugattipage, the first generation Bugatti Type 68 was powered by a 318 cc, 4 cylinder, 16 valve 2 over-head cams petrol engine with a maximum burst of power of 48 hp. While for the second one Type 68B used a 369.5 cc, 4 cylinder, 8 valve 2 over-head cams petrol engine, there's not much data can be revealed from this model. Still from the same source, both Bugatti Type 68 models have a wheelbase of 2.2 meters, with a total body weight of around 400 kg.
The Bugatti Type 68B was powered by a 369.5 cc, 4 cylinder, 8 valve 2 over-head cams petrol engine. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Now, try to compare it with one of Bugatti's current products, such as the 2010 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport which is powered by a V12 engine with a capacity of 8,000 cc. This machine is capable of spitting out power as much as 1,100 hp. So that it can deliver the Veyron Super Sport accelerates from rest to 100 kph in just 2.4 seconds. Meanwhile, penetrating a distance of 402 meters takes 9.9 seconds only with a speed of around 234.6 kph. Wow!!!
Unfortunately with the death of Ettore in 1947, the Type 68 project lost focus as Roland and new director Pierre Marco revived car production with the Type 101, a thinly disguised pre-war Type 57. We're sorry if the video above is not related at all to the Bugatti Type 68, instead about the legendary Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BUGATTI | CLASSICANDSPORTSCAR | BUGATTIPAGE | ]
ForgottenONES Still from American soil and discussing a sports car model from this country that is rarely seen by the public todays. One of the mentioned cars is the Guanci SSJ-1(stands for Super Sports John model 1), it is an American mid-engine sports car made by Woodstock, Illinois based automaker Guanci Automobiles Inc. The sports car was produced only in three copies in between 1979 to 1981, and its production series did not materialize.
The first two prototypes of the Guanci SSJ-1 were presented to the public for the first time at the Chicago Auto Show 1979; and the rest followed and shown at the same expo in the next following year. (Picture from: CurbsideClassic)
Even though if viewed from the name alone, we can tell that this was not a big automotive company, nevertheless but that's not entirely true, because it founded and owned by an American industrialist, John Guanci whose famous owned the company manufactured industrial furnaces back in the 1970s.
The Guanci SSJ-1 (in pictured possibly was the first prototype) undoubtedly shared the dream of so many others back then, built by a Chicago businessman John Guanci as a mid-mounted GT with his name on it. (Picture from: Pinterest)
Furthermore, the story behind the car creation was initially related to John Guanci's daily vehicles. As quoted from Wikipedia, reportedly he personally owns and drives many European sports cars such as the Lotus Elite, but he is dissatisfied with the cars and considers to be poor automotive creations.
This is possibly the Guanci SSJ-1 first prototype which
is powered by a 5.7-liter eight-cylinder General Motors engine that
produced 220 hp. (Picture from: Klassiekerpassie.nl)
Then in 1977, he decided to develop his-owned sports car that was as comfortable as it was and reliable, by using American technology and taken John Z. DeLorean as a role model for his car project. The Guanci's sports car project began in 1978 and was carried out by a team consisting of Bob McKee, Mike Williams, Steve Norcross and Dick Kleber.
Reportedly, the red Guanci SSJ-1 (possibly was the second prototype) is the daily vehicle used by John Guanci aka the second prototype, is powered by a six-cylinder turbocharged Buick engine with a displacement of 2.8 liters and an output of 189 hp. (Picture from: Reddit)
In short, firstly they constructed a massive ladder frame from welded steel elements. Then for the car's drive technology and the chassis were obtained from General Motors. While the engine was installed in front of the rear axle, perpendicular to the direction of car's movement. At that time the team also immediately built three prototype units, each powered by a different engine.
The Guanci SSJ-1 (in pictured possibly the third prototype) while sat on display at the Chicago Auto Show 1980. (Picture from: MakesThatDidntMakeIt)
The first prototype was powered by a 5.7-liter eight-cylinder General Motors engine that produced 220 hp. The second vehicle received a six-cylinder turbocharged Buick engine with a displacement of 2.8 liters and an output of 189 hp. While for the third car was retrofitted with an Oldsmobile Aurora eight-cylinder engine. Furthermore on all of these three prototypes then installed a three-speed automatic transmission system of General Motors.
The cabin atmosphere of The Guanci SSJ-1 featuring two seats covered in a slick combination of leather and fabric.(Picture from: Klassiekerpassie.nl)
The SSJ-1 car body is designed by John Guanci and Mike Williams which is consisted of fiber glass reinforced plastic and bore a strong resemblance to the structure of the Giorgetto Giugiaro-designedMaserati Merak. Uniquely, it has hydraulically operated pop-up headlights were located on the gently sloping front section; below it ran a narrow cooling opening across the entire width of the vehicle, into which two chrome-plated decorative struts were embedded.
In front of the driver of the Guanci SSJ-1 there is a four-spoke steering wheel combined with a dashboard that contains a number of instrument panels and the center console houses a radio/tape entertainment system. (Picture from: Klassiekerpassie.nl)
Resemblance like the Merak, the first prototype had free-standing struts behind the driver's cab that sloped towards the rear of the vehicle, while in the later two cars, the rear side panels were glazed. And also on all of three prototypes have a unique design features such as the large, linear air intake behind the doors.
The Guanci SSJ-1 (in pictured possibly was the third prototype) is powered by an Oldsmobile Aurora eight-cylinder engine. (Picture from: Klassiekerpassie.nl)
The first two prototypes were presented to the public for the first time at the Chicago Auto Show 1979, and the rest followed and shown at the same expo in the next following year. In an interview with Motor Trend magazine in 1981, John Guanci claimed that he had invested a total of US$ 600,000 in the development of his SSJ-1 sports cars and planned to produce about 50 cars a month.
The Guanci SSJ-1 (in pictured possibly was the third prototype) along with the red one are in the possession of John Guanci, while the first prototype is in the Netherlands.(Picture from: MakesThatDidntMakeIt)
At that time, he also stated that the SSJ-1's production was set to begin in 1982 with a price tag of around US$ 63,000. But when it came to 1982, John Guanci instead decided not to produce the SSJ-1 sports car for economic reasons.
The reason was General Motors' reluctance to supply engines at a discount. So until 1982, only three copies of the SSJ-1 were ever built.😉 Reportedly all of these vehicles are still there where the first prototype equipped with a 5.7-liter eight-cylinder engine is now in the Netherlands, and the other two cars are owned by John Guanci. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | RITZSITE.NL | CURBSIDECLASSIC | ALLCARINDEX | MAKESTHATDIDNTMAKEIT | KLASSIEKERPASSIE.NL ]
And one of them that is not so well known is Tornado, which entered the fray in 1957. And the man behind it was Bill Woodhouse, who is narrated to set up the company after found the car kit he bought was so badly built, he struggled so desperately to finish it.
The company was later purchased by amateur racer John Baekart who opted for a strategy of cutting production and expanding the tuning side of the business. However, it seems that Baekart's efforts were also fruitless until he finally gave up in 1964, since then Tornado Cars really went out of business and dissapeared from the automotive market for good. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BELOWTHERADAR | AUTOCAR | MARKET-BONHAM | STORY-CARS | LANEMOTORMUSEUM ]
