Monthly Archives: December 2013

Out Of Disagreement – Lamborghini 350GT

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With his back against the wall and desperate for cash to keep Ferrari afloat in 1962 Enzo Ferrari fell out with many who crossed his path including potential saviours Ford, which led directly to Ford initiating it’s GT40 competition program, Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata who promptly employed Ferrari’s recently departed designer Giotto Bizzarrini to develop and build the legendary Ferrari 250 Breadvan, and agricultural machinery magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini, the latter who allegedly fell out over the shade of red his car was to be painted.

Lamborghini 350GT, Carmel Concours By The Sea

Ferruccio Lamborghini, undertook to build a GT car to compete with the best Ferrari could build and employed Giotto Bizzarrini to design the motor and chassis.

Bizzarrini moved on to ISO Rivolta before the design was ready for production and Gian Paolo Dallara working with Paolo Stanzani and Bob Wallace were employed to complete the task.

The first Lamborghini, GTV, appeared at the Turin Motor show in October 1963 and went into production the following year by which time the substantially redesigned for the road model was known as the 350 GT powered by the Bizzarrini inspired 4 cam V12 which could easily be tuned to give 400hp.

Lamborghini 350GT, Carmel Concours By The Sea

With just 270hp the 350 GT was capable of nearly 160 mph. The bodies were built by Touring of Turin, the chassis by Marchesi and the motors in Lamborghini’s own factory in Sant’Agata, Bolognese.

It is thought 135 350 GT’s, like the one seen here at Carmel Conours by The Sea, were built of which 85 are believed to have survived.

This particular car was found in France by the current owner and is in preserved original condition having only been serviced and cleaned.

I believe the 350GT would originally have been fitted with oblong headlights which may have been changed to the current quad round set up to meet US regulations.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs of today’s featured car.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Out Of Disagreement’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an extraordinary special built by the equally extraordinary John Bolster. Don’t forget to come back now !

Slough Pickup – Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup

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Citroën 2CV’s are usually thought of as more French than Croissant, but in fact not all 2CV’s were built in France, the last were built in Portugal and for a period in the 1950’s and 1960’s a number were also produced in Slough some of which like today’s featured 1955 Pickup were unique to the UK market.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Although the model did not prove a huge success with the British agricultural community at which it was aimed, in 1957 the Royal Navy saw the potential of the vehicle because it was both light enough to be lifted by the fleets largest helicopters and rugged enough to useful in the Malaysian jungle where an armed conflict; known as the Malaysian Emergency, where the Australian and British forces of the British Commonwealth were engaged against the insurgent Malayan National Liberation Army – the military arm of the Malaysian Communist Party, from 1948 – 1960.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Two batches making 65 2CV pickups in total were dispatched in 1959 and 1960 aboard HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark and deployed with the aid of the aforementioned helicopters in the Malaysian jungle.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Unique features of the 2CV pickups included the Butler head lights and Lucas sourced semaphore indicators and tail lights.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The dash had a unique British spec centrally mounted speedometer which could only be seen at night with the aid of a roof mounted interior light.

Citroën 2CV SAP Pickup, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The original factory, as seen on this model at the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham, colour options were also unique to the British built 2CV’s. From 1953 to 1962 just 130 of civilian and military 2CV pickups were built and just 2 civilian ones are in road worthy condition with a third in urgent need of restoration.

Thanks for joining me on this “Slough Pickup” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for the start of GALPOT’s celebration of the 50th year of Lamborghini car production. Don’t forget to come back now !

Bertone With A Hint Of Michelotti – ISO Rivolta IR

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Welcome to the first December 2013 edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”. This months Sunday posts will feature five ISO Rivolta’s to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the first ISO Rivolta cars the first of which was the Isetta perhaps the best known examples of which were manufactured under licence by BMW.

ISO Rivolta IR, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

By the 1960’s Renzo Rivolta set his ambitions a little higher and decided to build a vehicle which would compete against the FIAT 2300 Coupé> Rivolta commissioned Bertone to design a body which would enclose independent front suspension, a de Dion rear axle and a Chevrolet Corvette V8 motor which over the years of production from 1962 to 1970 would produce between 300 – 350 hp.

ISO Rivolta IR, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

The recirculating ball steering required five turns lock to lock on the car which had a, large, turning circle of 12.5 m / 41ft. The car was fitted with a leather interior which included a standard floor mounted 4 speed manual gear stick.

ISO Rivolta IR, Auto Italia, Brooklands,

The stylish IR touring car appears to owe a nod of inspiration to the three Vignale built Ferrari Coupes; 212 Inter, 375 America and 250 Europa who’s design was credited to Giovanni Michelotti.

Dependent on the engine tuning option the rest to 60 mph time for an IR, like the one seen here at Auto Italia Brooklands, was in the 8 second range with a top speed of over 140mph quoted for the most powerful models.

Thanks for joining me on this “Bertone With A Hint Of Michelotti” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a cute li’l pick up from France. Don’t forget to come back now !