1966, through the INI (National Institute of Industry), Cabrera makes a deal with the spanish government to get two new factories in an attempt to improve the economical situation of the country. While one of those factories would prove crucial in the following years for Cabrera, the second one was nothing more than a big workshop.
So, without a project to set in there, Cabrera decided to lauch a new sports car to fight againts the A110 that FASA (renault´s arm in spain) was building here. Based on the (much) shortened platform of our family car, the Boreas, the engine selection would prove underwhelming for a long while.
Then, we get to 1969, the Trubia is retired, and the engineers of the Cabrera 200 get access to the surplus engines of the Trubia Sprint, a 1300cc flat-4 tuned to the maximum.
While changing the traditional inline 4 for the new engine proved not that straightforward, the result was the best version of this fun little car until the end of it´s production in 1973.
The 1970 Transitstar Gnome ZL 2.5 Targa
Transitstar’s compact sports car is now cheaper then ever! With half the displacement of the 5.0L V8, this four-cylinder wonder still packs a punch! With the help of long-term proven technology features, this winning combination of “five-star” reliability and quality makes this a sports car that won’t let you down!
With a 0-60 time of under 9 seconds, the speed per dollar can’t be beat! Powerful front disc brakes mean the Gnome can stop on a dime too! It even has more safety features than the minimum required by law.
Someone told me the front looked plain, and I said you know what it needs? A bumper! Eventually I came up with that monstrosity since nothing went on to the negative slope nicely. Then someone said no stupid bumpers in US until 1973 but OH WELL.
Body itself was made for pop-up headlights… I tried to design a sensible headlight to it as well, but I failed to do so in the past. Yours would still look better without that bumper.
In this base form you get 85hp (*GT models are 142hp). Even still with its sport tuned suspension achieving a respectable .92g, the Raven is a worthy weekend track worrier.
New for the 1970 model year, Cambridge Motors LTD introduces the Kobold 1600 XE. To make the 1600 XE, Cambridge started by taking the 1.6 litre OHV inline four from the larger Wyvern family car line and fitted it with high compression domed pistons, a more aggressive camshaft, larger intake valves, and twin DCOE SU carburettors. This results in an engine that produces 94 bhp at 5800rpm and 100 ft lbs of torque at 3500rpm.
Mated to a four speed manual transmission, it propels the Kobold 1600 XE from naught to sixty in 9.8 seconds and pulls hard all the way to 114mph. Large sway bars, heavy duty springs, up-rated dampers, and high performance 185/70R13 tyres mounted on Rostyle wheels allow the 1600 XE to circle the skidpad at over 1g of force.
Finished with a matte black bonnet, side stripe package, extra cooling grills, and a rear spoiler, it will certainly stand out from a crowd. It can be yours for the low price of only $14,400 AMU.
Coming back from a trip in latin america, the lead designer at Régal had the idea of making a cheap sport car for developing markets. Little did he know it would become incredibly popular in america as well.
The very striking Coati GTE is the result of this new endeavour. Offered in any color (as long as it is yellow), this 2 doors/2 seats coupe looks menacing with a very long nose, side gill-like vents and a stubby rear housing the boxer engine. With proven and patented Régal top down cooling already at work here, the extra side louvers and vent channels did not actually provide much extra cooling, but was kept because it was the team’s favorite design element. (it did not help the abysmal drag however…)
The 1.7-liter is based on the proven DOHC racing/performance Régal engine, but has a cast iron block and has been downscaled to a single overhead cam to reduce costs. Performance is not compromised however, with about 110 horsepower on this very light steel chassis weighing under 850kg resulting in acceleration to 100 km/h in around 8 seconds, and top speed reaching 188 km/h.
While fast, it is also controllable and fun to drive with independent front and rear suspensions. The 5-speed manual gearbox sending power to the rear provides dependable performance. The alloy wheels, premium leather and wood interior, AM radio, the latest security features all makes this a very coveted package for a MSRP of under 2,500 USD (in 1970) - the value here is hard to beat.
You can’t pass this up, visit your dealership today.
