Tag Archives: MI

Series II Side Vents – Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series I #5887

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The Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series I was introduced in 1963 with quad headlights and a 4 speed plus overdrive gearbox. 500 examples were manufactured before an interim model was introduced.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

Chassis #5887 seen here at Silverstone last year was built in 1964 and is recorded as being delivered to “Longoni” in Italy.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

Subsequently #5887 is known to have visited Copley Motor Cars in Boston Massachusetts at an unspecified date, in 1996 the motor appears to have been overhauled in Hubbard, Ohio and in 2001 the car was seen in Appleton, Michigan.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

In 2002 #5887 is said to have been imported into the UK by an Aston Martin specialist who kept and maintained it in good condition until 2011.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

Since then #5887 has been stripped and repainted in the correct Ferrari Blue Pozzi.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

The Auction notes that accompanied the car when it was photographed last year noted that the side vents in the wings/fenders first appeared on Series II 330 GT’s in 1965.

Ferrari 330 GT, Silverstone

This vehicle sold for GB£89,380 at Silverstone Auctions in May last year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Series II Side Vents” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow, when I’ll be looking at a Petty, but not one from Level Cross, North Carolina. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Traffic Light King – GMC Syclone

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Max Grabowsky established the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company on the 22nd December 1901 which built a truck powered by a single cylinder motor. In 1909 the company was taken over by General Motors to form the General Motors Truck Company from which the GMC Truck brand was born. In 1916 a GMC Truck was driven from Seattle to New York City in just 30 days, ten years later a 2 ton GMC Truck took five days and 30 mins to travel from New York to San Francisco.

GMC Syclone

In 1990 GMC identified a niche market for a ‘performance’ truck based on the GMC Sonoma complete with lowered suspension, four wheel drive, fog lights and under the bumper corner spoilers.

GMC Syclone

The Syclone model was powered by a 280 hp 4.3 litre / 262 cui turbocharged V6 motor that was coupled with a 4 speed automatic transmission. ABS brakes, to keep all those horses under control, were used for the first time on an all wheel drive truck application.

GMC Syclone

Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit GTi inspired, to European eyes, red detailing inside and out was rounded off with 16 inch alloy wheels carrying comparatively low profile tyres.

GMC Syclone

Car & Driver famously pitted the $26,000 Syclone against a $122,000 296 hp Ferrari 348ts and in all the acceleration tests up to and including the 1/4 mile drag the Syclone came out best only loosing out with a top speed of 126 mph against the Ferrari’s 166 mph !

GMC Syclone

Built in Troy MI by Production Automotive Services, unlike the regular Sonoma which was built in Shreveport LA, the only downside of the Syclone was that it’s lowered suspension limited the carrying capacity to just 500 lbs, still considerably more than a Ferrari, but considerably less than that 1700 lbs plus of a regular GMC Sonoma.

GMC Syclone

It is thought just 2998 Syclones were built between 1991 and ’92, with just 3 made in 1992 ! 113 are thought to have been exported, with 31 returned, making today’s vehicle seen in Bristol one of just 82 Syclones thought to be outside the USA.

Patrick Bedard of Car & Driver summed up the Syclone as the pick up that would ‘do a Ferrari blur on the local scenery’ and ‘makes this capability seem like a perfectly wonderful idea.’ Sounds good to me, a very good idea indeed.

Thanks for joining me on this `Traffic Light King’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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