Category: Classic Cars

By the early seventies large American cars with their powerful V8 engines were dominant. Every manufacturer had models similar to the Cadillac Eldorado which gobbled up 25 litres of fuel for every 100km travelled. War in the Middle East in 1973 saw Arab nations raise oil prices by 387 per cent, which, for a country like America that consumed so much, it was a nightmare. Petrol station queues became the norm and two car owners ensured they had both an odd and even ending number licence plate so they could… Read more

The Saab 96 was introduced in 1960 but initially used the three-cylinder two-stroke engine from the model 93 which sold well in the late 1950s. The engine was inclined at an angle of 30 degrees to the left and positioned ahead of the front axle. The block and upper half of the crankcase were cast as an integral unit with the bottom half similarly of cast iron. The cylinder head, pistons and induction manifold were of light alloy. Right from its introduction Saab hoped to develop the two-stroke design even… Read more

The majority of TVR Ceberas were built in 1999 or 2000, most of them six-cylinder cars. The Cerbera Speed Six was developed by TVR company principal Peter Wheeler to give enthusiasts the same joy they got from driving Aston DB4s and E-type Jaguars. What resulted was an honest-to-goodness GT of the old school. The first Cerbera used a V8 engine which proved to be a powerful monster, one Wheeler felt was too much for many sports car fans to handle. So, in 1998, he initiated the Speed Six. Rather than… Read more

Alvis cars were produced by the Alvis Car and Engineering Company Limited of Coventry, UK, from 1919 to 1967. Initially the company, TG John & Co. Ltd was founded in 1919 and it produced stationary engines, carburettor bodies and motor scooters. Early in its life the company’s founder, TG John, was approached by Mr. Geoffrey de Freville with designs for a four-cylinder engine which was quite unusual for that time in that it used aluminium pistons and had pressure lubrication. It has been suggested by some that de Freville had… Read more

As the 1930s progressed, Bugatti sportscars became even more flamboyant. This was necessary to compete with other well-known cars of the time including the Delages, Delahayes and Bentleys – the market leader with a range of large-engined brutally fast cars prior to its takeover by Rolls-Royce in 1931. The Bugatti T57, first seen in 1934, was fitted with a 3.3-litre twin-overhead-camshaft straight eight engine mounted on a strong steel chassis with a body built by Bertelli and designed by Eric Giles. During its production life the T57 was sold in… Read more

Vincenzo Lancia’s last car, the innovative Aprilia of 1937-1950, appeared a few weeks after his sudden death at the age of 55. Its aluminium V4 engine, of 1.35 litres and, from 1939, 1.5 litres, with a chain driven overhead camshaft, gave a top speed of 128 km/h. The rear as well as the front wheels had independent suspension. Quite an innovation was the pillarless streamlined four-door saloon body which was followed later by a Zagato designed and built Spyder or sports roadster. When Lancia began thinking of the Aprilia, the… Read more