4v heads in 1948? That would’ve made it very far ahead of its time… Especially since it took a few more decades for 4v heads to become more mainstream. Still an immensely imposing machine, though.
1 Like
Neither the DCMW nor the defunct American brand referred to were mainstream cars.
2 Likes
I love the grille, slightly reminds me of a church window. I like the arrangement of lights too, the whole thing reminds me of the Bugatti Type 57. The upside down star logo is also nice
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Mrdja Cars
Mrdja Cars will enter this market with three of its brands:
- Kontir
- Rosanda
- Saguaro
Rosanda represents the entry in luxury segment
Saguaro is brand behind people car. It’s generally supposed to be cheap and offering will (hopefully) reflect that
And Kontir is making trucks.
2 Likes
Less than 24hrs to submit!
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The first car produced by the SUMA program to provide mobility and funding while design work was underway on a new vehicle was the E301, marketed as the Valori. Based on a wartime small car, it was built as cheaply as possible without compromising on usefulness, using not too many advanced features to simplify and expedite its production.
Shortly after the end of the Second Great Northern War, Ospiana began issuing export permits for various vehicles being made by SUMA, beginning with the Valori in 1946. These models were largely unchanged from domestic ones, but benefitted greatly from manufacturing improving gradually over time, and feature much higher build quality than earlier production versions. These export models also came from the factory with all the options - a speedometer lamp and a two-tone paintjob.
SUMA knows a thing or two about rebuilding a country, and has been aggressively producing vehicles in various markets to drive Ospiana to recovery. They’re here in Ernstland not just to make a sale, but to establish a relationship that hopefully can have a similar positive impact. The Valori would be heavily marketed in a way to reflect these values.
8 Likes
is anyone even going to read this? I guess I'll just put a spaceship here (_)(_)=====D~~
The Halvson BS1
The BS1 was the continuation of Halvson’s flagship pre-war sedan, carrying across a lot of its chassis and engine designs, but with a radical new design that had come purely from Australia.
Naturally, the Australian side of the operation wouldn’t be credited with its creation until years later, causing much annoyance, but the cars themselves were a point of pride in the Halvson HQ.
Divided into two distinct models, the S and L, the BS1 had a 2.2L four cylinder in the S, and a 4.5L six in the L, and while both were the same body, they got vastly different suspension setups and fitouts, with the S being a higher-end regular car, with some more extravagant features such as a standard AM radio, while the L got two-tone paint, extra driving lights, two mirrors and wipers, a hand built interior, and a transmission with overdrive.
The Halvson Commercial Van
The Halvson Van was a bit different to its BS1 contemporaries, however. A rebadged P&A Trucks Loadman Van, it was sold in Ernstland under a “Halvson Commercial” sub brand specifically started for commercial vehicles in the region.
With a P&A Trucks six cylinder providing more than enough torque, and a large load area, it could comfortably carry more than a tonne, and it was hoped that it would make for a good worker’s van. While the interior was pretty cramped and featureless, it wasn’t felt that creature comforts were much needed in the commercial market, and its capabilities would hopefully make up for its lacklustre comfort.
5 Likes
DMK-ADW
Company History
DMK and ADW were two manufacturers in the pre-war NKE, DMK was a fairly small motorcycle manufacturer with its origins in a co-operative producing bicycles, seen as a likely hotbed for Communist and Republican agitation it was placed firstly under state control and then sold to NKE, a luxury vehicle, bus and truck company owned by a prominent Junker family supportive of the monarchy. The war brought significant orders for both sides of the company with scout motorcycles, staff cars, logistics, and transport trucks all in demand. Now, having built up a small amount of cash they decided to develop a new luxury car and get into the affordable passenger car market as cheaply as possible to try and use the extra staff from the overstaffed DMK plant.
DMK Arbeitspferd
Available as both an estate and van the Arbeitspferd was a pre-war car with new independent front suspension, a newer design of carburettor on the engine and (somewhat roughly engineered) pressed steel bodywork. Very rudimentary and basic in either form affordability was its main draw. The company mainly expected it to last them till a better car could be developed for the 50s.
ADW Markgraf
Taking up most of the development funding the company had the Markgraf was an all new premium performance, using a rear mounted flat 6 and all round independent suspension it sought to be as impressive a car as the company could produce.
DMK-ADW 3.0m
Designed before the war and having sold well during it the 3.0m truck was designed to take 1.5 tons of cargo or troops in the back, its woeful pre-war engine was replaced with the new flat 6 from the Markgraf and a new cab was added to try and keep it competitive in the post war period. It’s main selling point was an ambitious brake cooling system, designed to allow it to handle even the steepest inclines at full load without significant brake fade.
2 Likes
Just over 1 hour left for submissions!
1946 Hexe Line-up
Hexe Kirrilee Executive – The most luxurious automobile ever produced by Hexe. The first fully post-war design, it shows the racing heritage of Hexe blended with highest luxury money can buy. Priced at 30000 AMU, it’s a small price to pay for perfection.
Hexe Mildred – The entry-level model launched in 1946, based on a wartime prototype that was modernized and simplified for civilian use. The base model starts at 9250 AMU. The version shown here, equipped with a premium radio, is priced at 10200 AMU.
Hexe Etta 2WD – A rugged civilian adaptation of a military utility vehicle used since 1938. While the original had 4WD, the civilian Etta uses RWD configuration, powered by the same dependable Flat-4 engine. Spacious, practical, and built to last. Priced at 10800 AMU.
Company lore
Hexe was founded in the German Empire by Polish inventor Izabela Jabłonowska of the Prus III coat of arms. Inspired by Bertha Benz’s historic drive in 1888, Izabela began designing her own automobile. A decade later, she realized her vision with the creation of the Hexe Isabella A. After winning it’s first race Hexe focused mainly on sports cars with flat engines, then in 1918 company found itself in newly independent Poland and expanded to other markets. After 1936 Hexe started producing military vehicles in line with Poland’s then government’s focus on armaments. Shortly after the war ended Hexe went back to producing civilian vehicles and selling them across all of Europe (including NKE and SSE).
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Subs closed!
Reviews will begin tomorrow (ish), good luck to all who managed to enter!
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Founded in France in the early 1920s, after the war, Iris focused on making cheap and easy to maintain cars. The 1946 VF1 is the best example of this.
The car was extremely simple with just the essentials and you could buy one for just under $5500. This meant some corners had to be cut: the VF1 had no radio and could barely go over 70km/h. Not ideal, but for its price it beats walking.
4 Likes
Transport for the People: 1946-1948
Part 1: April, 1946
In 1946 the ports and roadways into the NKE opened to trade, allowing imports into the country from all around the globe: particularly cars. Whilst the NKE did have a few domestic brands, most of them were motorcycle manufacturers and those that weren't were struggling financially and had a shortage of skilled laborers. Therefore the foreign car industry had an enormous appeal to the NKE government, and many contracts and trade deals were signed to allow for large amounts of cars to be brought into the country. The majority of these initially were large trucks or 4x4 vehicles, but companies soon saw the money to be made by selling to the NKE people. Thanks to these companies, by 1948 most families in the NKE had a car to rely on, which set the stage for the NKE car industry for the remainder of the century.
Entschieden Der Wagon @VladTheImpala
The first domestic car produced by Ernstland following the war was the Der Wagon, from Entschieden. In essence it was a pre-war body (of which Entschieden had multitudes left over) mated to a modern chassis, with an updated version of their 2.1L V8 engine, typically used in trucks. The original body had the rear portion cut off and replaced by a reinforced wooden box. The old wiremesh-style wheels were replaced by solid steel rims, new head and taillights were installed and twin windscreen wipers replaced the old single type.
Inside Der Wagon had 6 total seats, 3 rows of 2, accessible through 5 doors. The rear row was bolted to the large rear door and swung out with it. Below this was the fuel tank, where fuel was pumped in directly.
Despite being the first domestic production model, Der Wagon did not sell well. It’s looks were slightly antiquated, it was exceptionally uncomfortable, the 2.1L OHV V8 was really overkill and produced quite poor fuel economy and in 1946 alone it was one of the more expensive options- no doubt due to the aforementioned V8 and the large amount of hard wood required in it’s construction.
Der Wagon was very responsive for it’s design, however the skinny tyres, the weight imbalance and the open rear diff made it difficult to drive in the wet (which, being Ernstland was common). Additionally the side windows were very small, thick pieces of glass which made any visibility from the sides or the rear exceptionally poor. The lack of mirrors did not help, and this made the reputation of Der Wagon rather bad- an Entschieden with splintered bodywork and a twisted frame was not an uncommon sight in Ernstland scrapyards.
Some found homes in police forces, the large interior room acting as a secure container for criminals in transport. Others had their interiors gutted and served as farm vehicles. In almost all these cases the original engine was replaced by something simpler and more practical. The original engines commonly found homes in home-built racecars or kit sportcars- the V8 providing more than plenty of power. Most did not survive past the 1950s, those that weren’t pulled apart for scrap or mechanical components simply rusted away, and nowadays seeing an Entschieden is a bit like seeing a white elephant- rare, exceptional, almost impressive- but undoubtedly a beast of burden on it’s owner.
(October’s Notes:
I like the idea of Der Wagon. It’s the only entry in Market 1 that leans into the pre-war style of cars, and I respect the challenge that comes with that. However the execution just doesn’t work for me. This family of bodies has potential to look really pretty, but this particular variant just looks like a rolling shed. The headlights have a strange, bug-eyed look to them and the wheels seem out of place too. The actual build was a bit odd too- the decision to use a 2.1L OHV V8 in a car styled to look like a pre-war crapbox vexes me slightly, and the max-size brakes are a tad bit silly. Almost every other car on this list uses some sort of 4 cylinder configuration, which does the same job the V8 does whilst retaining better economy, reliability and service costs. Overall with some tweaks and maybe a name change (I hated spelling Entschieden every time for this lmao) Der Wagon could have been great, but unfortunately it falls just short of the mark in my eyes. 4/10 for design.)
Slight redesign I did, just to try and prove my point.
(Here’s my slight redesign- all I did was change the body variant and move around some fixtures, my advice is simply to avoid this body variant in future. It doesn’t look good frankly.)
Carsten Berg Coaches Mk.12 @AKA_NOBUDDY
Carsten Berg Coaches were not a domestic Ernstland manufacturer pre-1946, but following the war they saw the money to be made and moved their facilities to Emden in the NKR. Their first model entirely local to Ernstland was the Mk.12, specifically the Mk.12 Sedan. The Mk.12 had it's roots in the prior Mk.11, of course, and design work was halfway complete when the company relocated. Subsequent changes were made to acommodate the new market it found itself in, with the Mk.11's 1.4L 4-cylinder being replaced with a 1.8L straight-six (of which Ernstland had many surplus).
The Mk.12 was a rather simple car in most respects. The engine was surplus, the paint was surplus, the radio was probably the most complicated thing on the car. This made it relatively popular, particularly with those who chose to maintain the car themselves, though the large amount of bodywork that surrounded the bonnet could make it difficult to reach engine components.
The Mk.12 is not particularly comfortable, with most customers capable replacing the standard rough cloth seats with more plush alternatives- some cars even had leather seats installed by owners. The Mk.12 did come standard with an AM radio, though it had a tendency to break. Finding a Mk.12 with a standard radio was a tough task in 1956, let alone in modern times.
The real strength of the Mk.12 was it’s size. Compared to it’s contemporaries it was quite a bit larger, but as a result of this it had unchallenged cargo and passenger capacity- almost 4000L of interior volume. Combined with the factory mounting for a rear luggage rack, the Mk.12 was one of the most practical cars found in post-war Ernstland. The size and chassis also meant that the Mk.12 was impressively safe.
The Mk.12 was very prestigious compared to other cars on the road- helped in number by the 60hp triple-carb straight-six and large chrome grille. This prestige made it a favourable choice among those seeking class and power- though they may have been disappointed by the ride and the seat choice. The triple-carb I6 did mean the Mk.12 was not the most reliable or economical however, and many owners spent early mornings attempting to get the engine ticking over nicely or filling up the tank.
Unfortunately a design oversight meant most Mk.12’s left the factory lacking rear indicators, meaning most owners had to install them at home, or fear the wrath of the NKE’s highway patrols.
Nowadays factory-stock Mk.12s are rare, with most having updated cloth or leather seats, aftermarket indicators and fancier rims, and many were repainted (Ernstland’s people disliked the milspec green, it reminded them of what they had just come out of). Thanks to the 12’s tubular space frame chassis (a novel design experiment at the time) it handled excellently, and many Mk.12-based kit cars cropped up in the years following it’s release. CBC continued producing space-frame chassis until the 1960s, when mass production became implemented more frequently, and the effort to produce complex and capable tubular chassis became outweighed by the number of conventional chassis types that could be produced in the same time.
The Mk.12 remains a cornerstone in the foundling NKE car industry, an advanced design that set in motion CBC’s design philosophy for years to come.
(October’s notes:
The Mk.12 is almost a perfect design for this challenge- held back only by it’s poor comfort (a result of -4 interior quality to meet budget) and unconventional chassis type. I like the design, though the lack of rear indicators do hold it back (I’m guessing it wasn’t intended to use semaphore indicators? I can’t find any evidence either way) and it fits the bill almost perfectly. 7/10 for design.)
ADAZ 43225 @moroza
The first foreign design we've seen so far, the ADAZ 43225 is a Soviet designed and produced liftback that was imported to the NKE by DCMW, with modifications of course. Originally the 43225 had a part-time 4x4 system, however this was prohibited according to Ernstland's insurance and tax policies (4x4s were classed under a different system to regular 2wd cars.) so DCMW simply removed the propshaft leading to the front axles before import.
Powered by a 1.6L Flat-6 mounted over the back axle, the 43225 performed excellently off the beaten path- it’s 4x4 roots showing through despite DCMW’s efforts- and was no slouch when it came to the Autobahn either, capable of hitting 93mph in a straight line.
The 43225 was also one of the most comfortable cars on the road in Ernstland at the time, offering an unmatched ride in its price class. 2 rows of plush cloth or even leather benches, impressive sound dampening for it’s time and even interior heating (a necessity in cold Soviet winters) complemented soft suspension and gentle braking.
ADAZ engines are known for being reliable, and the 43225 is no exception- once again unmatched on the roads of the NKE. This was a double edged sword however, as if the 43225 did go wrong it was one of the pricier cars to repair, thanks to parts needing to cross the border from the USSR. Homemade bodge fixes became common for those in Ernstland who didn’t want to pay the fee for maintenance. As such most 43225 engines didn’t run as well as they could have, which unfortunately hurt the ADAZ’s otherwise exceptional fuel economy (a whopping 31.6 UK MPG!).
Thanks to it’s flat, rear-mounted engine the ADAZ was immensely practical for it’s size, capable of carrying 728L of luggage in the front and rear boot spaces. A passenger capacity of 2340L wasn’t anything to sneeze at either.
Because of it’s motherland in the Soviet Union the 43225 has very good rust protection, so whilst many other cars in Ernstland suffered during long rainy winters the 43225 was capable of soldiering on regardless. Thanks to this many original 43225s have survived to the present day, though many in a state of disrepair thanks to the sheer cost of repairs.
For just $9200 the 43225 was one of the cheaper cars available to the Ernstland driver, though this price came at the cost of build quality- being Soviet Russia, this wasn’t great. Despite this though $9200 got you a rather advanced and innovative car-
For starters the 43225 had not one but two fuel tanks, both with pipes that carried warm fluids from the engine around the tanks to ensure the fuel didn’t freeze in harsh winters. These same pipes carried through to the heating vents, to ensure the cabin wasn’t too cold to be seated in (though poor construction allowed cold air to enter through gaps in the doors). The 43225 also had fully independent suspension, a result of it’s 4x4 roots, which assisted in it’s outstanding comfort. The brake lights, tail lights and indicators were all contained within two pairs of twin taillights, achieved through multiple bulbs inside a single casing. This made the 43225 look very good but the absolute spider’s web of wiring running to these lights made it a nightmare for mechanics.
Overall the 43225 was quite a common sight on NKE roads, it being simultaneously quite cheap and yet also excelling in many fields that it’s peers did not. Of course, as NKE and USSR relations soured in the 1950s/60s they became far less favourable, though in Eastern NKE territories they still remained prevalent. The 1.6L F6 was a good engine, and was used in several racecars- on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The 43225 is somewhat forgotten in modern times, but it was still an exceptional car that helped many rural communities get moving.
(October’s notes:
The ADAZ 43225 is probably one of if not the most unconventional car in this challenge- rear engined, flat six, almost 4x4 like in it’s appearance with huge vents on the rear wings and two fuel caps. It’s almost alien in it’s design, and I love it. The front is a little bit flat looking, though it is a RR car so I suppose it could be excused. I don’t really have anything to say about the engineering side of things, apart from the soft suspension- but that makes sense given that it seems to be styled like a 4x4 type thing. 9/10 for design.)
Wulsen Boar 2110 @xsneakyxsimx
Wulsen is yet another domestic Ernstland company, founded by a Bernard Wulsen following the war. Their first car, the Boar 2110, is not dissimilar to the CBC Mk.12- both are 4-door saloons with straight six engines, mounted longitudinally and driving the rear wheels. Where the cars differ however, is primarily the cost. The Boar is roughly $3000 less than the Mk.12, although at the cost of service/maintenance costs (over $600!).
Unfortunately the Boar lacks a radio, so despite the fairly comfortable seats it’s not particularly pleasant to drive long distances, and whilst it gets better economy than the Mk.12 it still isn’t really exceptional.
From factory the Boar featured a large roof rack, which was particularly useful for those within Ernstland who needed to move many people and a large amount of luggage on a budget. Additionally the Boar is more than capable of sitting comfortable at 80mph for long periods of time, which, despite the lack of radio, made the Boar vital for many families relocating following the war.
The Boar was far more reliable than it’s counterpart the Mk.12, primarily only having a single carb instead of 3. The Boar also has far simpler underpinnings: relying on a typical ladder chassis as opposed to the Mk.12’s space frame design, front double wishbone suspension instead of a MacPherson strut and a solid leaf-sprung rear axle rather than a semi-trailing arm.
The biggest advantage of the Boar was it’s styling. Being mostly hand-built, the design was simple yet effective, but most of all it left a blank canvas for any aspiring artists/car designers to leave their mark. In later years it wasn’t at all uncommon to see Boars sporting elaborate paint schemes, or sporting aftermarket parts in place of the factory originals.
They mainly found their homes as undercover police cars, what with them being relatively unassuming at a glance. In modern times they’re somewhat forgotten, a result of being a fairly unremarkable car, but they have their enthusiasts none the less.
(October’s notes:
I have nothing really to say about the Boar. It’s perfectly unassuming, the design is simple but it works well, the mechanical side of things is very basic but fitting of the era, it’s sort of just An Car. Overall I’d say it could have benefited from a little more design work, but that’s just me. 7/10 for design. Also from now on I may write slightly badly, I have had a bit to drink.)
Halvson BS1 2202 S @lotto77
Hailing from the land down under, the BS1 2202 was a sleek and comfortable saloon offered by Halvson from 1946 onwards. Developed and produced by Halvson's AU division, the 2202 S was the lower-trim option offered in the NKE, with it's sister the 2202 L being targeted to a higher market than the S. Both cars were imported to Ernstland by the AU division, since the UK division was similarly struggling to get back up off of it's feet following the war.
The 2202 was generally a very middle-of-the-road car, not really excelling in any fields compared to it’s contemporaries. It was fairly comfortable, easy to drive and quite reliable but there was nothing that really set it apart from others in it’s market or price range. Compared to other options in 1946 it was slightly pricey (10500 $) but those interested were willing to pay the price for the prestige and styling associated with the Halvson brand.
The 2202 had one of the larger engines available to purchase for the common Ernstland man, a 2.5L 4-cylinder that produced over 60hp. This engine, despite the size was quite efficient and helped propel the large car to speeds up to 87mph, all whilst remaining remarkably quiet inside the cabin. This helped cement the 2202 as one of the more prestigious cars on the road in 1946, helped by the chrome-adorned styling and comparatively lavish interior.
The 2202 also had a reputation for being very safe, a result of Halvson’s research into safety technologies and the overall size of the car. Most 2202’s involved in collisions ended up back on the road. This meant that in future decades the 2202 was the banger racer of choice for those who partook, unfortunately meaning that not many original models remain.
Most 2202’s found their home in fleets of cars, both as high-end taxis and as police cruisers, though the L model was preferred for these duties.
The BS1 2202 was ultimately, tragically, just a very average car. Those that owned them praised their practicality and bragged about their prestige and their design, but other than that there really wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about the Halvson. It was a good car, undoubtedly, but it just didn’t stand out in any particular way. In future they’d have a small renaissance, with enthusiasts taking center stage in their old 2202s, although, these always seemed to be 2202 Ls. The 2202s never bore the spotlight, never had fame or glory. Though a few projects were built using it as a base, none of them went on to do anything great or glorious, and so, slowly but surely, the 2202s simply faded into obscurity.
(October’s notes:
Much like the Boar there’s very little I can say about the 2202s. I can say that I like the design, that I like the third taillight and that it’s a very unique touch, I can say that the build is good, with well balanced stats and no compromises, and whilst all of that is true, it’s all i have to say about the Halvson. I really like this car, but really it’s just a bit unremarkable. 8/10 for design.)
SUMA E301 Valori @Banana_Soule
SUMA hails from Ospiana, a similarly war-torn country to the NKE, and such the E301 Valori should be perfect for Ernstland's people to rebuild following the war- and that it very much is. Small, cheap and practical, whilst still remaining comfortable, spacious and reliable. Whilst not the cheapest car on the market, the Valori strikes a good balance between price and quality, and does it in relative style too.
SUMA has experience building cars for a wartorn country, and this shows in the Valori. It’s surprisingly practical, capable of holding some 820L of luggage thanks to it’s rear-mounted flat four accomodating both front and rear boot space, and the factory-installed roof rack only adds to that. Thanks to the spare wheel being mounted on the front fascia it doesn’t take up space inside the frunk, and the fuel tank is made to be as compact as possible.
It’s also comfortable, supremely so, which is surprising given it’s such a small car- though it does lack a 5th seat and a radio which could put off some potential buyers. It does use a simpler rack-and-pinion type steering system which does make it slightly more unwieldy to drive, but it’s really a negligible different when offset against the simplicity it provides- which is the core philosophy behind the Valori.
Thanks to the 1.3L F4 the Valori gets highly impressive economy score of 30.1 MPG, and additionally remains particularly reliable, capable of being able to be gotten on-the-go by any layman with a spanner, if it even does break down. Unfortunately this comes at the cost of any kind of performance, it struggles to reach 70mph in a straight line- though that’s not the focus of this kind of car.
Another appeal of the Valori was it’s looks. In an era full of so much destruction and misery, a small and cheerful hatchback with two-tone paint was a good distraction frankly, and the almost cutesy design made it popular among those who still held a lot of pain from the war.
Nowadays E301 Valoris are quite popular, almost having a bit of a cult following, mainly due to the aforementioned “cute” design, though the engineering involved in the car and it’s place in Ernstland’s motoring history do also play a part. Rest assured though, wherever you go in Ernstland- there’ll be a Valori hiding somewhere in those streets.
(October’s notes:
I absolutely love this design. I’m not ashamed to admit it, as I’m sure it’s a fairly common sentiment- it’s just absolutely adorable. I love the two-tone, the tiddly little wheels, the roof rack and the spare wheel- it’s all just brilliant. And whilst I like the ribbing (??? is this the right word) it does give the car an appropriate post-war economy feel. Unfortunately, apart from the design there’s not much to say about the Valori, save for it’s really quite impressive comfort and economy scores despite the price. I like it though, it’s my new daily for Beam xD. 10/10 for design, this is exactly what I wanted for this round.)
Saguaro T-REE Wagon @MrdjaNikolen
What is there to say about the Saguaro T-REE Wagon? Well, uh, as it turns out, not much actually. It has rather poor fuel economy, it's exceptionally slow, uncomfortable, it's really quite unsafe and above all- it's expensive. More pricey than a lot of it's contemporaries. So why did they start to appear on NKE roads?
One reason, really. It could seat a whopping EIGHT fully-grown people, and whilst not comfortably (3.5 comfort score!) it could still do it. And, on top of this it had over 1000L of cargo space alone, with an extra 2670L of passenger space- not even counting the factory roofrack. So, for a large family needing to move across Ernstland in 1946, if they couldn’t afford to buy or insure a van, they got a T-REE. No matter how uncomfortable it was.
Therefore, due to the sheer amount that actually ended up on the road in the NKE, few ended up standard. Many had new seats installed, the suspension softened, an aftermarket AM radio installed and far far more. Finding two T-REEs that were identical was a difficult task, even from the factory.
In modern times few T-REEs survive, most being scrapped, crashed or simply rotting away. Those that do remain are far from original, and have a very select following. Finding one is a tough task, and loving it is an even harder one.
(October’s notes:
This entry vexes me slightly. On all aspects it falls so far from the competition- but I can’t see where all those points can have gone? Maybe it’s the sheer amount of seats that’s making Automation shit itself, but either way, it underachieves for more cost than several other entries. The design is also a little disappointing frankly. I love the idea behind the lights, but it could have been executed a lot more cleanly than it was. The rest of the car feels flat though, almost rushed? I’m not sure if there were time constraints when building this entry, and the other cars from Mrdja feel similarly rushed. All the wheels are just the standard auto steelies for goodness sake. This design really had potential, but it just falls so utterly flat for me. 4/10 for design.)
DMK Arbeitspferd - Passenger @Dog959
The Arbeitspferd came in to do 1 thing, and 1 thing only- be *insanely* cheap. In 1946 it was one of the cheapest cars available in Ernstlandian markets. Pair this with extremely high fuel economy and very low service costs, and the DMK was unmatched in it's overall costs, so it became popular with less fortunate NKE families.
Unfortunately price was the really the only thing the DMK really had going for it. It was immensely uncomfortable, slow, relatively cumbersome and just generally suffered compared to it’s market rivals. It still had good cargo space, and was relatively reliable, but other than that? Nothing really helped it out.
It was a nice looking design, which helped owners feel better about their purchase, but the large front door ended up causing the rear doors to be extremely skinny- not really ideal. The exhaust mounts were also prone to being, well, missing. This meant that most Arbeitspferds lacked an exhaust, though an easy fix for this was simply to affix a guttering pipe to the manifold exit.
The DMK’s tiny cost lead it to be favoured by young drivers, and many custom DMK’s cropped up on Ernstland’s streets over the decades, some even being sold as kits.
(October’s notes:
Again, nothing really to say about this. It suffers in most areas but that’s clearly not the point- it is as cheap as could really be feasible for this challenge, and it suceeds in that. The design is nice, simple but effective, though the rear doors are probably a bit too skinny. 6/10 for design. Also I am really tired so excuse me if the next reviews are shortish.)
Hexe Mildred @Isabella
The Hexe Mildred is an interesting car. It's extremely easy to drive, it's quite quick, it's rather comfortable, it's prestigious, it's safe- you get the point. It's slightly above average in almost every single category it could be in, all whilst being slightly cheaper than a lot of entries. It's almost odd.
The Mildred is primarily favoured for it’s prestige- Hexe is quite the favoured brand- although it’s reliability (thanks to a simple 2.3L B4) is also an enticing feature for potential buyers. Of course, the design is a little bit out-there but for those that want to stand out in traffic the Mildred was perfect.
Hundreds of thousands of Mildreds were sold in the NKR alone, and tens of thousands of them were turned into custom racecars, kit cars- everything under the sun was made from a Mildred at some point. Nowadays they’re one of the more popular classics among enthusiasts in Ernstland.
(October’s notes:
Yeah, I like this car. It’s a faux-Beetle, I like beetles. it’s called Mildred. that’s funny. 7/10 for design.)
IRIS VF1 9CV @Danicoptero
French? Check. Funky? Check. The IRIS VF1 9CV is the cheapest car that you could buy in Ernstland in 1946, and as a result suffers from the same issues as the DMK- pretty poor in most factors, save for fuel economy, service cost, reliability and practicality.
As expected, there’s no radio, only cheap, hard cloth seats- but for less than $5500, that’s expected. The engine is essentially two 250cc two-stroke motorcycle engines bolted together- but that’s expected. It can barely reach 50mph, but when you can buy 2 VF1’s for the price of 1 CBC Mk.12, that’s expected. The VF1, much like the DKW, sets out to do exactly 1 thing and does it to a T.
Again, they were popular with youth and the less well-off, but favoured for their reliability. Plus, to many, they were just plain fun. Life’s more fun when you’re blasting down a backroad with a shitty little motorbike engined French crapbox, and this sort of philosophy made the VF1 popular even among those capable of buying better, a less-is-more way of driving and living that definitely shifted culture in Ernstland during the early 1950s.
Nowadays the VF1 is seen as a bit of a hippy wagon, but that’s okay- because that’s sort of what it was designed to be, in a way. Absolutely minimal, just about getting back up onto your feet and having another go. Therefore, much like the Mildred, it has an almost cultlike following. And it will do for the foreseeable future too.
(October’s notes:
im tired. i like this car it’s pretty, it has a funny engine, it’s slow as fuck and it’s a blast to drive in beamng. also haha funny french. goodnight everyone <3. 8/10 for design.)
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should all be good. sorry if the reviews trail off, it’s 6am here rn, i’ve been doing this for about 10 hours. please give me feedback so i can improve on the next rounds. thank you <3
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Was this supposed to be all the peoples cars? Since mine seems to be missing.
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Mine was also missing, though if you were tired by the end I assume maybe you haven’t got round to them yet?
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These are some very good reviews, especially for the commendably quick turnaround. The extent of artistic liberties taken is higher than most, but it feels reasonable and definitely adds depth to the alternate history world being built here. That depth is a strong point here, very welcome, both the geopolitical context of 1946-48 and modern times. Otherwise… the detail and analysis are well done, and the writing is better than half-decent though some polish wouldn’t hurt. I’d suggest dialing the balance of speed to quality more towards the latter - 10 hours is a long enough time working on something that it deserves a break before a final edit - otherwise, more of this; keep doing what you’re doing, cheers.
I have severe nerve damage and can type only in brief windows, hence the dearth of lore in my posts above. ADAZ’ origin is described here. DCMW’s here. Some mumbling and handwaving explains how/why a young luxury brand puts out a brand new lorry in 1946. On the other hand, apart from its name, the Asil (Arabic for “purebred”, in the context of Arabian horses) is pretty straightforward.
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Yes, they are absolutely very good reviews and I don’t want to put any pressure on the host to put them out quicker, because this far the quality/speed ratio is impressive (just don’t burn yourself out with that is a suggestion I want to give). It’s just that with this huge bunch of cars it’s a bit hard to tell if the lost ones (like mine) were forgotten or didn’t make it, or if there will be other cars in the same class reviewed later, since nothing in the post does clarify if there will be more cars from this class.
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@Knugcab @Fishman501 both of your cars were post 1946 (1948 and 1947 respectively iirc?) so they’ll come later- doing all the cars at once would probably have taken me close to a straight day lol
should come out tomorrow or tuesday, if all goes well
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Yep, that’s me. Mister “An Car”.
Glad it was generally well received in spite of the lack of a radio, which potentially could be added if the car got a facelift depending how much profit it ended up generating. Also, I will say that Wulsen is intended to be my homage to Holden, with the Boar 2110 taking general engineering and design inspiration from the Holden 48-215, or ‘FX’.
Hopefully I can continue to persist with the brand and try to practice more “Australian” design language.
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