Tag Archives: Touring

Standard Fire Extinguisher – Aston Martin DB5 Convertible

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

The Aston Martin DB5 billed as a luxury Grand Tourer was introduced in 1963, it was an evolution of the DB4 models that preceded it.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

Standard on the DB5 were the faired in headlights first seen on some DB4 and DB4GT models.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

Mechanically the the DB5 received a 240hp 4 litre version of the straight six designed by Tadek Marek for the DB4, fitted to a new ZF 5 speed synchromesh gearbox. With three carburetors the enlarged engine produced 280 hp enough to give the DB5 a top speed of 145 mph. Operation of the disc brakes was aided by twin servo’s.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

The the body work again designed by Carrozzeria Touring and used the Superleggera tube frame to attached the panels to the chassis.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

The 1964 convertible seen here in the car park, at last years Race Retro exhibition in Stonebridge, is one of just 123 DB5 convertibles built between 1963 and 1965.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

In all 1,023 Aston Martin DB5’s of all types were manufactured which included 13 that were built or modified into shooting brake / estate / station wagons which came fitted with a fire extinguisher as standard.

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

Longer Taller – Aston Martin DB4 Series V

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The Aston Martin DB4 launched in 1958 was an all new car that would be updated and modified through the DB5 and DB6 models built up until 1971.

Aston Martin DB4, Brooklands, Double Twelve

The all aluminium six cylinder Tadek Marek designed motor featured twin overhead cams and produced 240hp. Enough to propel the car from rest to 60 mph in 9.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 139 mph. DB4’s were fitted with servo assisted disc brakes.

Aston Martin DB4, Brooklands, Double Twelve

The superleggera body was designed by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan and could be ordered with the headlights faired in.

Aston Martin DB4, Brooklands, Double Twelve

DB4’s were built in five distinct series, the model seen here at Brooklands Double Twelve meeting last year is a 1963 Series V, first seen in 1962, which is distinguished by having a longer and taller body on smaller diameter wheels than the first four DB4 series.

Aston Martin DB4, Brooklands, Double Twelve

In all 1,110 DB4’s were built with 2+2 coupé, 2 seat Coupé or 2+2 drophead bodies, additionally 75 DBGT’s were built on a shorter wheel base shared with 19 DB4GT Zagato’s and one DB4GT with bodywork by Bertone known as the Bertone Jet.

Thanks for joining me on this “Longer Taller” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an Aston Martin DB5 Convertible. Don’t forget to come back now !

First Ferrari Road Car – Ferrari 166 Inter Coupé Touring Superleggera #017S

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At the Turin Motor Show in 1948 Ferrari presented two new models to the world, the 166 Barchetta sports racer and the 166 Inter Coupé which sits on a longer wheelbase. Both vehicles are powered by Gioacchino Colombo designed two litre / 122 cui all aluminium V12’s.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The car seen here carries the chassis number 017S, like all Ferrari’s at the time even numbers were saved for the works team racing cars while odd numbers were designated to cars intended for customers to buy.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

This Right Hand Drive car appears to have been sold new to the Cerana brothers of Milan in 1949 where it remained until 1958 before finding new owners in Switzerland where the car remained until the turn of the Millenium when the car moved to the Nehterlands before finding an owner in the UK in 2009.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The most popular coachwork supplier for the 166 Inter Coupé appears to have been Touring who built the aluminium body panels for the car seen here with their usual Superleggera structure of tubes in support.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

With 110 hp the 166 Inter Coupé could reach a top speed of 105 mph.

Ferrari 166 Inter Touring Coupé, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The 166 Inter Coupé represented Ferrari’s first series road cars and in all 37 were built between 1948 and 1951.

Thanks for joining me on this “First Ferrari Road Car” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Hands Up ! – MG KN Univesity Motors Speed Model Magnette #KN 0440

Every once in a while I learn something quite shocking, namely how easy it is to deceive myself into thinking I know something only to find with hind sight that I know nothing at all. Today I am sticking both hands up high in the air and admitting I was wrong, quite wrong and I hope you will accept my humble apologies for any confusion caused.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

The instance occurred a couple of days ago when I was trying to identify some MG’s I found that a vehicle I thought was a K Type was actually an Type NA, then to my horror I found out that a Type NA that I wrote a blog about some months ago turns out to be one of 200 type KN’s and a University Motors Speed Model Magnette to boot, that is the car I am featuring today which I incorrectly identified in a September blog as a Type NA.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

The MG KN was a factory built car featuring a K type saloon body and chassis but with a larger 1271 cc motor from the later MG N type.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

Today’s featured car which was seen at Brooklands last year is a variation of the factory built saloon featuring the K type chassis and K1 4 seat tourer body.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

These cars were assembled and sold by Univesity Motors, the main dealer in South East England as the University Motors Speed Model Magnette.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

The enlarged motor aside there are few differences between the original K1 tourer and the University Motors Speed Model Magnette apart from the headlight mountings and some interior trim details.

MG KN University Motors Speed Model, Brooklands Double Twelve

In all 171 K1 saloon and four seat tourers were built while 201 KN Saloon’s and University Motors Speed Model Magnettes were built between 1934 and 1936.

Apologies again for any confusion caused.

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

Racin’ ‘n’ Climbin’ – Ferrari 212 Export Touring Barchetta

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In 1951 Ferrari produced two 212 models the Grand Touring Inter with either a 150 or a 165 hp and the competition orientated Export with 170 hp from it’s high compression V12 which was mounted on a shorter chassis than the Inter.

The 212 Export was quick right out of the box, Vittorio Marzotto and Paolo Fontana won the 1951 Giro di Sicilia in chassis #0086E while “Pagnibon” and Alfred Barraquet led home a 212 Export 1,2,3 finish in the 1951 Tour de France. Among 212 Export winners in the States were Phil Hill, who won at Torrey Pines in 1952 driving chassis #0078E and Ernie McAfee at Palm Springs in 1953, driving chassis #0092E with a coupé body by Vignale.

Kirk Douglas drove a specially rebodied 212 Export chassis #0102 to a fictitious victory in the the 1955 film “The Racers“.

Chassis #0158ED, seen here at the Danville Concours d’Elegance dinner, was supplied new to Luigi Bordonaro di Chiaramonte of Palermo, Italy for the 1952 season. He used it to good effect scoring at least 7 overall wins in both race and hillclimb competition between 1952 and 1955.

Swiss driver Edouard Margairaz continued to compete with the car until 1956 when he came 1st in class at the Verbois hillclimb.

In all 28 212 Export models were built and chassis #0158 is thought to be the last of the seven built with Barchetta bodywork by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing todays photographs from Danville Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “Racin”n’ Climbin'” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a multipurpose open wheel racer from Lotus. Don’t forget to come back now !

Manifattura Tessile Cotoniera, Milano – Ferrari 166MM #0022M

A couple of weeks ago I looked at the Ferrari 166MM #0040M, thanks to Geoffrey Horton today’s featured car is the Ferrari 166MM #0022M which was seen at the recent Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.

Using only the internet as a source the history of this car is a little more difficult to pin down, it is certain that this is the twelfth of the 25 166MMs built with a body by Touring.

One source gives the delivery date as 27th July 1949 to Manifattura Tessile Cotoniera, Milano which is thought to have belonged to Giannino Marzotto.

The same source indicates that Giannino won the Coppa Gallenga hillclimb in this car on 16th October 1949. While another source indicates that Franco Cornacchia drove #0022M in at least two events prior to this in August 1949 which included winning a race at Circuito de Senigallia on 21st August 1949.

Both sources agree that the long distance expert and multi time Mille Miglia and Targa Florio winner Clemente Biondetti drove this chassis to a sixth place finish in a sports car race in Monaco on June 1st 1952.

Since 1973 #0022M appears to have had just three owners, all in the United States.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for today’s photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Manifattura Tessile Cotoniera, Milano” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow, when I’ll be visiting the 1969 Bank Holiday Monday Guards International at Brands Hatch. Don’t forget to come back now !

African Adventurer – Ferrari 340 America #0122A Touring Coupé

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Today’s featured car is the 340 America, seen here at Gooodwood Festival of Speed, a bye product of Ferrari’s Lamperdi V12 powered Grand Prix programme. With the failure of Ferrari’s Colombo designed 1.5 litre / 122 cui supercharged V12 Grand prix cars to make any impression on the pre war Colombo designed straight 8 supercharged 1.5 litre / 122cui Grand Prix cars thanks to poor fuel economy, Enzo Ferrari asked Lamperdi to design what has become known as the all alloy 4.5 litre / 274 cui long block V12 which was to run in Grand Prix racing without a super charger.

The new V12 was first built in a 3.3 litre / 201 cui guise and then in a 4.1 litre / 250 cui configuration before being stretched to a full 4.5 litre / 274 cui specification. No sooner had the new motor been developed into a winner, in the 375 chassis, than it was made redundant for World Championship Grand Prix racing thanks to a lack of competition which led to an immediate rule change.

As the 375 Grand Prix programme was in progress in 1950 Ferrari started to build a series of 23 340 America sports car chassis fitted with the 200 hp 4.1 litre / 250 cui spec motor. Only 2 of these chassis were fitted with a Coupé body by Touring, a model fitted with a Vignale Barchetta body won the 1951 Mille Miglia with Luigi Villoresi at the wheel and Pierro Cassani doing the co driving.

So far as I can establish this car might be chassis #0122A which was sent to the 1951 Brussels Motor Show and sold to a Belgian. I believe this is the same car as entered by Equipe Nationale Belge for Alain de Changy in the 1958 Grand Prix Leopodville now known as Kinshasa in Belgian Congo where it did not finish. Two weeks later the car was entered in the Angolan Grand Prix for Yves Tassin who finished 10th behind a far more modern D type Jaguar, a Riley Special, unspecified Triumph and Austin Healey amongst others.

As seen here at Goodwood Festival of Speed Councour’s d’Elegance the car won the best in show Award.

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