Monthly Archives: November 2011

Abbotts Body – Ford Zephyr 6 Farnham

Baby Continental – Vauxhall 101 Super

The Vauxhall 101 was the third generation Vauxhall Victor given the 101 badge because it had 101 improvements over it’s predecessor the Victor FB.

Like the contemporary fourth generation Lincoln Continental the 101 Super carried bright work on the leading edge of the front wings that ran from the top of the front bumper around the top edge of the front wings along the mid rift to the top of the rear wings and around to the top of the rear wings.

Imitating another feature that had been seen in the USA for some time the 101 was among the first British designs to incorporate the side light and indicator clusters into the front bumper.

The 101 was the last of the Victor models to feature an engine with rocker operated overhead valves. The 1595 cc / 97 cui 4 cylinder motor produced 66 hp.

There was a choice of transmissions standard column shifted 3 speed, 4 speed floor shifted or Powerglide Automatic.

Contemporary reports noted that the low gearing gave the car class leading acceleration, 0 to 60 in 20.4 seconds, but made the fuel consumption, 23.1 miles per gallon, worst in class by a full 10%.

Front servo assisted brake discs were options along with a radio that was integrated into the dash.

Between 1964 and 1967 219,814 101 Victor FC models were built along with an additional 13,499 VX 4/90 performance models using the same body. The 1966 model featured today was seen at the Atwell Wilson Motor Museum.

Thanks for loining me on this 101 edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

FIAT Fiorino

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Continuing an occasional series on pick up trucks today’s vehicle is a FIAT Fiorino.

The history of the Fiorino is long and complicated by the fact that at any one time up to 3 different versions of the Fiorino appear to have been in production in plants across Europe, South America and China.

Today’s 1996 model appears to be a second generation model with the first face lift introduced in 1992 that continued in production in Italy until 1996.

The cab and bonnet appear to share some panels with the FIAT Tipo passenger car that was manufactured from 1988 to 1995.

It would appear the platform is a re engineered version of the Brazilian FIAT Uno passenger car which can trace its ancestry back to the FIAT 127 passenger car that was in production from 1971 to 1983.

One advantage of using such a platform would be that the spare wheel was stowed under the bonnet / hood, the added weight of the spare wheel over the front axle would marginally aid traction of this front wheel drive pick up when fully loaded with 500 kgs / 1,100lbs of cargo.

Fiorino, translated Florin, was the currency introduced to Tuscany by Duke Leopold II after the Napoleonic Wars in 1824 to replace the Tuscan Pound at a rate of 1.66 Tuscan Pounds to 1 Florin. In 1859 the Florin was replaced by the Italian Lira at the rate of 1 Florin to 1.4 Italian Lira.

Thanks for joining me on this Tuscan Currency edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Molto Bello – ALFA Romeo 33 Stradale

Leased Winner – Lotus 18

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Following the lead set by Cooper Cars winners of the 1959 World Manufacturers Championship for Formula One cars Colin Chapman took the rear engine plunge and built the Lotus 18 open wheeler that could be entered with the correct engine spec in to either Formula Junior, Two or One races.

Rob Walker, heir to the whiskey family of the same name, leased a Lotus 18 with a Coventry Climax motor for Stirling Moss to drive in the 1960 Grand Prix season. On the cars debut, in Monaco, Stirling qualified on pole and eventually won the race, giving Lotus their first Formula One victory after both Jo Bonnier in a BRM and Jack Brabham driving a Cooper Cliax had spent time leading the intermittently wet race.

An accident at Spa interrupted Stirling’s 1960 season but he bounced back with a win at the season ending US Grand Prix again driving this Lotus 18 for entrant Rob Walker. The following season a smaller Coventry Climax motor was fitted to this chassis, seen here at Donington Park Museum, as required by the new regulations for the 1961 season.

(Copyright holder unknown image will be removed or credited upon request)

Amazingly Stirling Moss managed to not only win pole at Monaco in 1961 ahead of three more powerful shark nose Ferrari’s but then, after dicing with Richie Ginther in his Ferrari, proceeded to win the race, a then record setting third Monaco Grand Prix victory.

Later in the season Stirling Moss would take his final Formula One victory driving the Lotus 18, fitted with newer Lotus 21 bodywork, at the German GP at the Nurburgring. At the start of the 1962 season Moss was lucky to escape with his life from a career ending accident at Goodwood before the Grand Prix season got under way.

Thanks for joining me on this Stirling Moss edition, of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Awful In Everyway ? – Ferrari 400i

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Allegedly an oafish TV presenter of a well known pseudo comedy motoring program who probably couldn’t tell you the difference between a gear knob and a knob of butter once described the Ferrari 400 as ‘awful in everyway’.

Personally I don’t see how any car with a chassis that owes it’s heritage to the Ferrari Daytona and with a Ferrari V12 engine, no matter how strangled to meet emissions regulations, can be awful in any way.

Certainly the 400i body, designed by Pininfarina, is not as appealing as the GTC and Daytona models that preceeded it but IMHO it’s seventies boxiness is a good deal less retro and a good deal more appealing than the mindset of the oaf described in the opening paragraph.

The coupé was first launched as the 365 GT 2+2 in 1972, by 1976 that model was re badged the 400 which became the 400i in 1979, when this particular car seen at Bristols Italian Auto Moto Festival was built. The ‘i’ denotes fuel injection which was fitted in place of the previous carburetors.

Although compliant with US regulations, unlike the 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer, none of the 422 manual GT or 883 Automatic 400i variations, or indeed any Ferrari 400 models were officially imported into the United States, doubly surprising since the 400 was the first Ferrari to be offered with automatic transmission.

Thanks for joining me on this fuel injected edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Entirely New ? – Chevrolet Bel Air

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Back in the 1950’s it would appear manufacturers could not keep up with demand for new innovations and so would resort to upgrading older chassis with restyled body panels and selling them as entirely new, such was the case with the 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air which was advertised with the strap line ‘Entirely new through and through’ which actually shared its chassis and running gear with the Bel Air built from 1950 to 1952.

Today’s featured car appears to have been built in 1954, the last year in which the first generation Bel Air’s were built.

During the last years production all of the 3,345 lb Bel Airs are said to have been fitted with a 125 hp 3.9 liter / 235.5 cui straight six ‘Blue Flame’ motor.

The original concept for the Bel Air was to style a hard top vehicle to look like a convertible, to confuse the issue Bel Air’s were originally available as either 2 door hard top coupé, 4 door sedan, 2 door convertible or 4 door Station Wagon / Estate.

This particular Bel Air is used as a support vehicle by the Gas Racing drag team who run the Pinto powered slingshot coupé Old ‘n’ Gold for drivers Scottie ‘Dog’ Durrant and Gina ‘Hot Rod’ Rumble.

According to Facebook Gina was recently recorded a 12.95 ET run in Old’n’Gold.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Entirely new through and through’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Gettin' A Li'l Psycho On Tyres

Art Tidesco blogs on all things motoring