On this 1959 Renault prototype You should be driving on the backward-side

In the context of business in the world's automotive, sometimes strange appearances are used as an attraction in an effort to attract potential enthusiasts to an automotive brand. And it is not uncommon for this strange shape to be mentioned by carmakers as the new technology applied by a futuristic design concept. But after it's completed as a prototype car is looks very strange.

Don't be fooled, here's the front view of the first  model of the 1959 Renault Project 900 prototype car. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37jcKvZ)

With a such concept, the automaker company tries to measure the future that is in accordance with what its audience imagines by implementing various changes in the vehicle appearance. It seems that concept cars have become a game that provide internal fun and solutions that are seen as worthy of being shown to the public, which could be gave product prides as well or to inspire the talented young designers.

Don't be fooled, here's the rear view of the first model of the 1959 Renault Project 900 prototype car. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37jcKvZ)

But it seems that nothing will be able to match the weird Renault Project 900 prototype car made by one of the leading French automotive brands in 1959. How come, the famous manufacturers in the world like Renault is made such a weird car or even the weirdest ever. It's like the company has used every visual cue possible to make you confuse the front and the back.

Don't be fooled, here's the front view of the second model of the 1959 Renault Project 900 prototype car. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37jcKvZ)

At that time, seems Renault was trying to beat its competitor such as Citroën in the category of "weird car," which has also owned a no less weird similar model. The Renault's Project 900 is definitely a strange looking car, but the company said that's designed to break new ground due to it uses innovative new materials as well as provides class-leading visibility.

Don't be fooled, here's the rear view of the second model of the 1959 Renault Project 900 prototype car. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37jcKvZ)

As quoted from The Petrolstop, this strange-looking car was built by this French manufacturer as many as 3 prototype units after the Renault Dauphine model production ended and also shortly after the change of leadership of the company.

The weird Project 900 was powered by a rear-mounted (1.7L) V8 engine that was basically made of two Renault Dauphine engines into one.  So logically, the car should be twice as fast as a Dauphine, but in the reality still made it slow vehicle.

Renault built the third model of the 1959 Renault Project 900 prototype car into a fastback version. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37jcKvZ)

The first model had painted in gold has the luggage compartment access issues, where if you want to store your luggage into the baggage, you must first fold the rear seats. The problem was later fixed in the second model which was painted in green by shifted the engine forward of the rear axle, therefore, allowing for conventional trunk access directly from the rear. It also had a revised rear end with larger lights. Then for the third model made by Renault into a fastback version, but unfortunately there is no detailed information about this model.

Besides that, the design of this car seems to have influenced the design made by the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Ghia S.p.A. on its similar-shaped concept car named the Selene Concept which was later left in Russia in 1962. So, what happened to Renault's Project 900 backward car, and what echoes of the bizarre yet innovative design for today's cars? *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THEPETROLSTOP.COM]

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The mighty Fiat sports car on the '50s racing track.....

Fiat is known to have served the global high-volume automotive market with reliable and low-cost products since its inception in 1899. On the other hand, for the high-performance, low-volume and high-cost automotive markets, it's left to third parties.

1953 Fiat 8V Series 1 Berlinetta coachwork by Fiat Carrozzerie Speciali. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3dBkkTD)

But something different happened in 1952 when the manufacturer started with the production of a high-performance two-seater sports car named Fiat 8V that used a two-litre V8 engine or "Otto Vu" in Italian. The car project lead by Dante Giocosa who was the company's Technical Director at the time.

1953 Fiat 8V Series 1 Berlinetta coachwork by Fiat Carrozzerie Speciali made its debut at the 1952 Geneva Auto Show held in March. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3dBkkTD)

Where all the work on the car was done by its own and secretly, though with partialy of the work transferred to Rudolf Hruska, who was working for Siata at the time. Finally, the Fiat 8V made its debut at the 1952 Geneva Auto Show held in March.

Steering wheel and dashboard view of 1953 Fiat 8V Series 1 Berlinetta coachwork by Fiat Carrozzerie Speciali. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3dBkkTD)

The car is available in different body styles offered under the Fiat's brand and Siata's, both as the Fiat 8V and partly as the Siata 208S with slightly modified. Then the Italian manufacturer ended the Fiat 8V production in September 1954, although many were not finished until 1955 and even 1956. Only 114 Fiat 8Vs were made and 96 others were made under the Siata name.

A pair of bucket seats of 1953 Fiat 8V Series 1 Berlinetta coachwork by Fiat Carrozzerie Speciali. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3dBkkTD)

However, during its journey, it turned out that this car did not sell well in the automotive market, but was able to make good achievements on the racing tracks. The Fiat 8V sportscar continued to win the Italian GT 2-liter Championship every year until 1959, where Fiat faced other Italian tough competitors such as Maserati, Ferrari and Lancia, etc.

1953 Fiat 8V Series 1 Berlinetta coachwork by Fiat Carrozzerie Speciali uses a 70 degree V configuration 1,996 cc engine able to produced power of 105 hp at 5600 rpm, and in standard form giving a top speed of 190 kph (118 mph). (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3dBkkTD)

After production was discontinued, of which 34 car units had the bodywork produced by Fiat's Reparto Carrozzerie Speciali (Special Bodies Department). Then the Italian manufacturer sells the remaining units to the another Italian coachbuilder company. 

1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata Zagato coachwork by Carrozzeria Zagato known made as many as 30 units. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3dBkkTD)

It is known that Carrozzeria Zagato made 30 units which were labeled Elaborata Zagato. Then Ghia and Vignale also made bodywork based on the Fiat 8V model, most of which were coupes, but some cabriolets were also made. Then there is an example equipped with a factory-style glass fiber reinforced plastic body shown at the 1954 Turin Motor Show.

The composite bodyshell was manufactured by Fiat's experimental bodywork department and is known to weigh just 48.5 kg (106.9 lbs). And the video below shows the 1954 Fiat 8V Rapi Series 2 Berlinetta while on the test drive.

Today, one of these Fiat 8Vs is at the Centro Storico Fiat in Turin. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | ]

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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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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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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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