Klassikmobil

schöne Automobile

[teregetettszennyes]

Ha nyernék a lottón, akkor is kis kompakt autóval játnék rovatunk

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

By the mid-1960s, Volkswagen was getting desperate to replace the Beetle. In 1966, Porsche was awarded the contract to come up with the new volume seller, and the EA266 was their proposal. It would have a range (1.0-1.6 litre) of in-line engines mounted longitudinally ahead of the rear axle, below the rear passenger’s seat. The project progressed to the point where 50 prototypes were built; in 1969, it was signed off for production, and the mid-engined configuration was to be the basis for a whole new range of VWs. There were many issues, however: the cars overheated, wet road handling was tricky, and access for maintenance was difficult. When Rudolf Leiding took over as CEO of Volkswagen in 1971, he moved quickly to cancel the project despite over €300 being spent and destroy all bar a few of the prototypes. 

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

In 1981 Luigi Colani used a Citroën 2CV to set a fuel economy world record, thanks to his highly aerodynamic, lightweight bodywork, using 1.7 litres of fuel to travel 100 km (approximately 166 mpg).

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

Zagato proposed an update to their Flavia Sport in 1967 with the Lancia Flavia Super Sport, using a shorter wheelbase and a more powerful 1.8-litre flat-four engine, designed by Ercole Spada. In 1968, a second prototype was presented at the Turin auto show with a 2.0-litre upgrade, but Lancia was in critical financial and organisational difficulties, so the Super Sport was doomed. In October 1969, Fiat took over Lancia and had no interest in pursuing Zagato’s Flavia project. 

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

The Alfa Romeo Delfino was a  grand touring coupé concept based on the Alfa 6. Designed by Marc Deschamps at Bertone, it was presented at the 1983 Geneva Motor Show. 

[frenchcurious]

Simca 5 1938. - source Bring a Trailer.

[ceoracer]

Fiat-SPA TL.37 '1937–44

[demoralised]

Tornado Red Audi 90 quattro. 5-cylinder symphony. BBS RMs under those arches. OEM+ perfection.

[frenchcurious]

Audi 5000 CS Quattro 1986 . - source RM Sotheby's.

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

Presented at the 29th Tokyo Motor Show in 1991, Audi’s Avus Quattro Concept was designed by J Mays, referencing the Auto Union race cars of the 1930s, which featured unpainted aluminium bodywork. The concept previewed the aluminium space frame technology that Audi introduced in 1994 with the D2 A8. It was supposed to be powered by a 6.0-litre 60-valve W12 engine, but the motor wasn’t ready, so for the show the car was fitted with a precision-painted dummy, crafted from wood and plastic.

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

The second Vario concept was presented at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show and was also based on the four-wheel-drive platform on the Mk 2 Gold Syncro. The Vario II was a two-plus-two concept pickup with a modular roofing system proposed by the Swiss student Alexander Guye of the Art Centre College. 

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

German coachbuilder Karmann commissioned Italdesign to create a coupé based on the B1 series Audi 80 (also styled at Italdesign) to be produced by them as a small series. The result was the Audi Karmann Asso di Picche Concept presented at the 45th Frankfurt auto show in 1973. Audi’s overlords at Volkswagen AG were more interested in their own small coupé, the Scirocco (another Giugiaro design), so the Audi remained a one-off. Italdesign adapted the graphic wedge styling for the Lancia Delta. Meanwhile, Karmann did OK; the first-generation Scirocco was built by them. 

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

Carrozzeria Ghia became a division of Ford in 1973, which marked the end of its coachbuilding operations as it became Ford’s Italian design centre. From the early 1980s, Ghia became part of Ford’s extensive research into the development of aerodynamic cars that would influence its future design language. The Lincoln Quicksilver emerged at the 53rd Geneva Motor Show in 1983, Ghia’s radically futuristic take on what a luxury car might become. The mid-engined configuration was inherited from the AC 3000ME, whose platform it borrowed with a 28cm extension, fitted with Ford’s 2.8-litre “Cologne” V6. Flush glazing and the aerodynamic shape provided a drag coefficient of 0.30.

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

To mark its 80th birthday, Daihatsu unveiled the TA-X80 at the 27th Tokyo Motor Show in 1987. This futuristic two-seater mid-engined sports car boasted a 1.0-litre twin-cam 24-valve turbo V6 engine. The TA-X80’s name itself stood for Technology Advanced eXperimental. Its aerodynamic design, rearward sliding doors, and incredibly light 880 kg weight were key features.

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

The 1977 American Motors AM Van was a concept a decade ahead of its time. A compact 4x4 minivan designed under Richard Teague, the original design study had port-holes which were later replaced with fully glazed rear side windows. American Motors lacked the resources to put the AM Van into production. 

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

Fifty years ago, at the 46th Geneva Motor Show, Bertone used the final Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale chassis for the Navajo Concept. Marcello Gandini’s science-fiction-inspired wedge design made use of active aerodynamics with adjustable front and rear spoilers and concealed headlamps that emerged from the car’s flanks, preserving a clean flow of air over the Navajo’s nose. 

[morecarsthatnevermadeit]

The Maserati Boomerang was first displayed as an epowood model at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. The completed prototype, based on the chassis of the Maserati Bora, was ready for the 42nd Geneva Motor Show in March 1972. The styling was by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign, and though it had no influence on future Maseratis, the design was developed for the Lotus Esprit and the DeLorean.