- - - - - - - - - - - 1957 - - - - - - - - - - -
Rumours started circulating in 1956 that Epoch had been secretly working on a new large-displacement engine, and a higher class of vehicle to utilise it. At the beginning of 1957, Epoch finally confirmed this rumour, and pulled the covers off its latest model, the Epoch Model 30 4.8. This vehicle maintained the general style of previous Epoch cars, however it managed to emit a much more stately and refined aura. Completely new from the ground up, the Model 30 4.8 utilised double wishbone suspension on the front (with a coil-spring solid rear axle) and progressive springs, making it the most comfortable and best handling car that Epoch had ever produced by far. Released in two trims, the 4.8 L and the 4.8 S, these offered a focus on comfort and performance respectively. Both trims were powered by the same massive 4788cc (292cui) straight six engine, which was rated at 107Kw (143HP) when in L trim, and 127kW (170HP) when installed in the S.
The Model 30 was actually Epoch’s hedge-bet, as there were conflicting signs within economic forecasts. Whilst the market was demanding larger and larger cars, with more and more powerful engines, the general outlook for both the US and European markets was volatile and hard to predict. In order to try to survive either way, the Model 30 was designed to be fast, powerful, and comfortable, but also to remain well under the costs of competitors. It may have been Epoch’s most expensive car to date, but it was the pinnacle of what they could do and remain true to their corporate mission of offering cars for the everyman.
In the US market, the Model 30 found mixed praise, with many reviews being quite positive about the value-for-money proposition that the Model 30 made, and even declaring it “the car we’ve been waiting for from Epoch”. Unfortunately, whilst the vehicle was far more desirable than prior offerings, it was now competing against cars that were a whole class above what Epoch was used to. Epoch’s lack of experience with the new suspension layout and performance focused engine lead to the Model 30 being criticised harshly for its poor drivability and thirsty fuel usage. This led to a dedicated engineering team being stood up in order to attempt to address these issues specifically for subsequent models.
