The 55R was imagined as more of a promotional vehicle than an actual race car (I didn’t pick up on the defunct racing truck category). Overpowered and uncomfortable for everyday use, certainly - a later, more comfortable version sacrificed inconsequential performance. Only a handful were ever built - unsafe at any speed comes to mind.
Inspired by the first Transit Supervan, but earlier and more pedestrian.
Anyway, is the new round for anyone, or for those who participated in the previous rounds?
3 Likes
The new round is for anyone to join, I don’t want to freeze anyone out.
4 Likes
1965 Ironclad C-C Series Heavy Duty Cab-Chassis Trucks
Ever thought about gas? Sure, it runs your car, and you buy it at the gas station, but have you ever really thought about how it gets there?
Let’s face it - Crude oil comes up from the ground and goes through a pipeline to a distillery. From there, various products like diesel, gasoline, and kerosine, get packed into tank cars on trains. But how do you get it from the train to the gas station, where you filled up your car this morning?
With a truck.
Ironclad Industrial has been making trucks for a while. Usually they’re bigger than this, but, we understand the value of small tankers like these.
These are our new series of Cab-Chassis trucks. The “C-C Series” for short. Available in expanded cab, or day cab configurations (Expanded cabs shown, day cabs are available upon request), these overgrown pickup trucks are designed to mount any standard Ironclad Upfit on the back. You can have everything from tanker trucks to cement mixers, moving vans to flatbeds, and just about anything you could imagine on this platform. Need a “yard pig” to shove empty semi-trailers around? We’ll put a fifth-wheel on a shortened frame and you can move those empty trailers out of your way. Looking to start a shipping business? We’ve got box upfits in both refrigerated and non-refrigerated varieties. Gotta move some haz-mat? We’ll design a specialized compartment designed around your dangerous cargo needs.
We understand that, day…
…or night, the freight must go.
8 Likes
A couple of slight anouncements:
- A spreadsheet of stats will be publically released after the round closes and reviews go up. The co-hosts will get to see stats, so it’s only fair that everyone does.
- The co-hosts are:
– @mart1n2005 - Luxe/Prem
– @shibusu - Commercial/Utility
– @Edsel - Budget/Family
– Me - Sport, particular outliers, general editing and opinions.
9 Likes
At this point, would companies be wondering about fuel efficiency and therefore not use the high-revving small displacement engine like in the S600?
Just wondering, as I’m hoping to make Mourmin Moteur’s meta RR high-revving 400CC engines.
Would companies be wondering about it? I’m not specifying what companies do or don’t wonder about.
Would consumers worry about it? I’m not specifying either because that’s part of the fun, but you can find potential hints in the various reviews and the challenge brief for this round.
3 Likes
is anyone even going to read this? I guess I'll just put a spaceship here (_)(_)=====D~~
The late 60’s; Planar doesn’t come to Araga?
The lore (aka my excuse for not doing Planar in ALC)
In the mid 60’s, P&A was in upheaval. Failed alliances and executive changes all culminated in a rebrand to Planar in 1965. In even more of an upheaval, however, was Planar’s Aragan division.
Following the Aragan government’s shock decision to replace ALL cars with newer, safer models come 1965, Planar was in a pickle. Aragan sales weren’t high enough to justify extensive re-engineering in-house while the company was in crisis, so they instead contracted Australian safety system manufacturer Minex to modify and sell their cars in Araga, thus introducing the Minex brand to the world at large.
Their initial cars were merely rebadged and modified P&A’s/Planars, but the company would soon grow to have its own styling cues.
The 1965 Minex Paceman M3 1500
Minex’s first car, the M3 Paceman was brought into Araga as a hire car. Being the P&A Paceman, it was essentially just a 1955 car modernised and brought up to safety standards, which left it as a cheap option that Minex felt was perfect for the hire market.
The interior was updated with newer materials and slightly more contemporary styling, with the intention that the car would be comfortable enough, but still cheap.
The engine, however, was where it was really cheapened. The Rotomax R4015 was very long in the tooth by 1965, and a measly 40kW from its 1500cc was never going to set the world on fire, but it was at least easy to access in the rear of the car!
The 1967 Minex Danazine F6H and F6L
The Minex Danazines, much like their Planar counterparts, were styling updates for the existing Sportsman Mk.III. The difference with the Minex examples, however, is the more advanced safety to satisfy Aragan design rules, as well as a mild tune to the engine giving it more performance.
A major difference in how Minex sold their cars, however, was that they wanted to be seen as a true luxury powerhouse from the start, so they imported the stretched F6L “Diplomatic Package” limousine as a regular car, complete with all their safety upgrades from the base car. All of their work resulted in a big price rise though, with the F6H costing $34,600 AMU, and the F6L a whopping $51,800 AMU!
10 Likes
What do you mean exactly, I am confused. Also, this gives cars of over 3000cc extremely high tax rates. I assume this was intentional, but just checking.
Need to hire a car? Kinda hard to go wrong with an AMCW AeroCoupe GT.
A powerful 2.8 liter engine thrusts this car forward, while the sliding cloth top allows for a “convertible-like” experience while maintaining all the safety of a typical closed-roof coupe. It’s sleek and somewhat sporty, and it seats four people.
Whether it’s a pleasant Sunday drive, or a day of carving canyon corners, the AeroCoupe can do it all.
4 Likes
This gives cars with a displacement over 3000 very high tax rates
There was a typo in the post; the displacement-3000 was supposed to be divided by 1000, to be a figure in litres. This has been corrected.
As for the waiver on new vehicle taxes, the displacement applied twice in ALC2 - the amount on the graph as an annual cost, and a multiple of that amount as an addition to the purchase cost. The latter part has been waived for this era, and displacement will not impact purchase cost (but will still impact annual cost).
3 Likes
Thank you for clearing this up! By the way you’ve been a delightful host and I very much enjoy your reviews.
2 Likes
Hey about Araga’s roads, is it very off road? Are the roads in good condition
Somboy Sembra 1600 GTX Injection
In 1965, Somboy launched a new trim of the midsized (compact for you folks in the land of the free) Sembra family car- the GT. With psuedo-muscle car looks, cheap pricing, and genuine performance, they expected it to be a hit in America. It wasn’t. In fact, it became a cultural icon, otherwise known as a joke. It should be said, though, that it was a hit elsewhere. Notably, everywhere else.
When it was facelifted in 1969, to distinguish the efficient, cheap, handsome-looking, twin-carb, sporty GT from the fire-breathing, twin-cam, race brewed GT Twin-Cam, a new model was born- the GTX. The GTX was available with either the 100bhp Z16 motor from the original GT Twin-Cam or the new mechanically fuel-injected 110bhp Z16E engine, and with front disc brakes, an LSD, and a 5-speed manual, it was a legitamate street weapon, at the hefty price of just under 20,000 AMU. But what a car!
Kensington 3700i Premier Saloon
In 1966, Kensington had a problem. Their only foreign markets with any success were Australia and Brazil. Their European branch only sold (apart from some rebadged French cars) the 220, a Europe-only midsizer with the unreliable “Yvelines” OHV 1.8-2.4L I6, and the Borough, a high-trim Aussie executive with that same I6 shoehorned in. None of them were making money. The solution, it turned out was a little Japanese company, known as Somboy.
Kensington de la France was already working on a new OHC I4 for use in Europe and South America, known as the “Strasbourg” for the town where it would be built. It was designed to fit in the 220, as well as various Kensington do Brasil cars, and be available in 1.3-2.3L displacements. Somboy, busy being laughed out of America with the Sembra GT, was looking for an American company to partner with to bring back American sales. Kensington took the bait, beginning a nearly 20 year relationship of cooperation and platform sharing that would become a trend setter for other American automakers through the “Japanese Invasion” of the 1970s and 1980s.
The first endevor of this relationship was sticking the Strasbourg in Somboy’s Euro bestseller- the Sembra. Kensington, eager to get their feet on the ground, started selling these reskinned Sembras in early 67’. Most of the changes were cosmetic and drivetrain, though there was also a new dashboard. In Australia, they were considered good cars but a bit on the underpowered side. The problem was, Kensington of Australia couldn’t fit the large OHV I6s or small-block V8s like they had in the 220 (sold in AU as the Ile-de-France), so they commisioned a new, “twin-four” V8. Conveniantly, an engine like this was already being designed for use in a new executive car, so by '69 you could buy a new Sembra Kensington midsized with a 3.0L, 3.4L, or 3.7L V8, with the latter variant being available with mechanical fuel injection at just 22,400 AMU. With Araga being a power-and-displacement hungry market, Kensington also deployed their street machines there.
1966 Somboy Parapet 2400L
Want a rental car? Here’s your rental car. Space? Yes. Fuel Economy? Sure, close enough. Cheapness? Absolutely. Looks? Mhm. Comfort? Of course! Get your Somboy Parapet rental car today!
6 Likes
From the round two prologue’s lobbying results (see the first post for an index of posts):
Just about every major or minor settlement is accessible via a paved, well-maintained road. Off-roading is the realm of hobbyists, farmers and lumberjacks.
As I have not mentioned a major degradation in the quality of roads, it is safe to assume that the prior lobbying results and conditions still stand; no substantial degradation has occurred over the period covered by ALC2.
1 Like
1965 Hamfa 3000 Coupe
The luxurious top model.
1965 Hamfa 3000 Kombi
The family car.
1965 Hamfa 3000 Sedan
The flexible base model.
10 Likes
A lot of brands build racecars for the road, the difference between us and them is we are telling the truth*.
Superlite Zero and Superlite Aero, coming soon to Araga.
*Pending road homologation.
6 Likes
1965 Nerruci Phantom(Black) and Phantom GT(Blue)
In 1961, a German and an Italian immigrated to Araga and became close friends. While they were there, they fell in love with cars, muscle cars to be exact. The loud roaring V8s, and the fast 0-60 acceleration. It was magnificent. They began to dream about making cars, they studied on how to make cars, went to car exhibits, and check on other people’s cars (With their consent). After a few years of saving, they began to build their own car. In 1965, they’ve finally came up with the V8 Phantom.
Equipped with a 6-Liter V8 engine producing a mighty 370bhp and 500Nm of torque, the V8 Phantom was a true Muscle of a car. Inspired by the designs of a few muscle cars before them such as the Pontiac GTO, The Chevy Chevelle, and the stripes of the Mustang, the car is one heck of a beauty. With the help of a bank loan and a couple of friends, and family, the Nerruci Car Company was born, named after the Founder Ferrucio Nerruci and the Co-Founder is Maximillian Gunther.
While they are setting up the factory, Ferrucio got a reminder. “Yes, there will be a lot of people wanting a muscle car, but there won’t be enough to keep us afloat.”. So both Ferrucio and Maximillian came up with an idea. To make a car, similar to the V8 Phantom but with less cost and more seats so families can buy the car as well. So they did just that. The Nerruci Phantom, was born. To distinguish between the two, they add a GT on the back of the V8 Phantom, and rename it to Phantom GT. The Phantom and The Phantom GT looks almost similar, but performs very differently. While the GT have a 6-Liter V8, Maximillian brought his knowledge from Germany and put a 2.5-Liter Boxer 6 engine into the Phantom.
The 2.5-Liter 6 cylinder engine in the Phantom can produce a whopping 140bhp and 190Nm of torque. It’s about the same as the Daimler SP250 engine with a bit less torque for the comfort of the people in the back. All in all, both Ferrucio and Maximillian are hoping that their effort in making their dream car will shine through and become a success just like how the Chevrolet brothers did.
Now, onto the prices of the car. The Nerruci Phantom, the base model will be sold at 16,000 AMU per unit, while the Nerruci Phantom GT will be sold at 20,000 AMU per unit.
6 Likes
The Aragan Auto Star
Headline - Asakura Heavy Industries of Japan imports its first car to Araga! 19/04/1966
Shinichiro Asakura, the head of Asakura Heavy Industries (Hiroshima), had always known that the Aragan market was one that they simply could not avoid. The problem was, at that point in time, Asakura-sama was known for its motorbikes. They were simple, safe, and incredibly dull to say the least. With that in mind, Asakura-sama knew that the only way for them to make a good impression on the public would be to develop a truly special car, ‘a head turner’ in his own words. Evidently, he had some interesting ideas up his sleeves. Read on to find out what him and his team in Hiroshima came up with!
The 1966 ASAKURA Sparrow GT-S
Review by Markus Anatolia
The first and arguably more elegant installment of the Sparrow is the GT-S trim, weighing in at a feather-esque 603 Kilograms. We know that Asakura-sama created this out of his own head, but we can already see the similarities to some of our own Aragan designs, the flowing lines and rakish stance. But when we had a look beneath all that, we saw that this one’s a very unique specimen indeed. With fully independent suspension all around, double wishbones on the front and a patented ‘Asakura Strut’ on the back, this car handles surprisingly well, although with noticeable bodyroll. This can’t be helped by the position of the engine, which they put in the back of all places, even behind the rear axle. Given that, you’d expect for it to handle poorly around corners, but the Sparrow seems to be able to conduct itself very well with the back being very planted indeed. On the subject of the engine, well, that’s certainly a story. Asakura engineers seem to have devised one of the most preposterous engines to date, an 800CC Flat-type four cylinder with twin cams and two valves per cylinder. It also has a pretty ingenious Mechanical Fuel Injection system that atomises fuel for transfer as opposed to just chucking it in. That may seem pretty pitiful on its own, but this engine revs to an insane 10,000RPM. What on earth? It produces a peak power output of reportedly 70HP at 8,500RPM, so the last 1500RPM are decorative. Onwards from that crazy little engine, we move to the practicality. It has a very nice interior, to say the least, quite simple and everything seems to be in the right place. Not only this, but the pedals are pretty much perfectly in line with the driver’s feet, not offset or anything. Given it doesn’t have much boot space due to that rear-mounted engine and no bonnet storage because of the fuel tank, it isn’t overly practical in that respect. To be honest though, who cares? It has a 0-100KPH of about 10 seconds, and can reach 180KPH relatively easily.
Ratings:
Exterior - 8/10 - A truly breathtaking car to look at, I could sit there staring at it all day, but it’s also an obvious knock-off of our designs, so that takes away some of the value.
Performance - 6/10 - The unique little Flat-type four may be interesting in that it revs so high and is so small, but in terms of actual performance, it’s quite lacking. It does have very responsive handling and a good ride, but it is hampered by the soft suspension.
Functionality/Interior - 5/10 - The storage space is really a let-down due to the design of the vehicle, but the interior itself is an absolute dream. Everything’s in the right place, and everything has a reason to be there with no bloat. It’s a little cramped, but what do you expect out of a car with a two metre wheelbase?
Overall - 6.3/10 - For a certain type of person, this car would be a dream come true, but it certainly is an acquired taste. For the driver used to the meaty, powerful meta of the Aragan automotive industry, this little import may be a bit on the twee side. We can all see though, for the next generation of driver, this car will be a future classic. People will definitely look back on this little car that punches above its weight and reminisce.
The 1966 ASAKURA Sparrow GH-S AEROBACK
All of the performance statistics and comments on the technology of this car are the same, so no comment is needed in that regard. The GH-S AEROBACK is a looker, and it’s hard to deny that. There’s just something about it that just flows right, it just seems appealing to the eye. The louvres on the sloping back really do fit quite well with the overall aesthetic of the car as well, even if they are a bit jarring at first. And thanks to that elegant sweeping AEROBACK (just a hatchback), the car has a major advantage over the GT-S. That seems obvious - the cargo space. This car has a very healthy sized cargo section, and thanks to that, has eliminated pretty much the only con about the GT-S trim.
Ratings:
Exterior - 9.5/10 - This trim looks a lot better than the GT-S, so much so that it has transcended the Aragan cars that I was comparing the GT-S to in the previous review, so I can only say that it deserves a higher rating as such.
Performance - 6/10 - :SEE ABOVE:
Functionality/Interior - 8/10 - The great interior :SEE ABOVE: is now really complemented by the presence of actual cargo space. It’s still a small car that’s quite cramped for a decently sized person, but it’s less noticeable with a larger interior volume.
Overall - 7.8/10 - At least in my opinion, this has all of the good details about the GT-S, but with addition of some truly needed features that make this car just great in total. I would certainly recommend this model, it’s guaranteed to become a classic, all that needs to happen is that you take care of it!
Pricing:
Now we get to the real kicker of it all - this car’s pricing. Evidently Asakura-sama has access to some sort of free materials plant, because these cars are incredibly inexpensive. At an Aragan Asakura dealership right now, you can pick up one of these little demons for only 14,000 AMU. For a car of this class and with this many fancy bits and bobs, you’d expect them to be going for some exorbitant sum, but no. We can chalk this up to Asakura-sama being wary of his company’s lack of reputation in Araga, but still. Snatch these little sports cars before Asakura-sama realises they’re selling well and marks up their price!
8 Likes
To prospective entrants:
You have 1 week remaining.
3 Likes