1979 put Estrada back in their comfort zone: Luxury/Executive cars, unfortunately, this car would be their biggest loss in profits since the original Freemont that lost them the equivalent to $20m today. The Estrada Sportive was a car that no one was confident enough to own, it guzzled fuel at a pitiful 13 mpg UK and did not give sufficient performance to make up for fuel economy, this was thanks to its 4500cc V12 engine, it got the car to 62 in a pretty reasonable 8.5 seconds but only topped out at a measly 137 mph. Another limiting factor was the size, it was immense, the wheelbase alone was over 3 meters and the car its self was over 5.5m in length, making it almost impossible to drive it in Estrada’s home nation of Great Britain
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Against all odds, after the equivalent of a $100m loss today, Estrada pushed through, combining mid 80s modernity with good old fashioned 60s grunt and power, the result was a very understated luxury convertible, it was the Swallow Mk.2, Estrada’s new styling involves an oblong grille with chrome surrounds and a chrome center bar, strips of black plasic and chrome on the front corners and the side trim as black plastic, amongst other changes such as, body coloured tail light trim and rear grille surround. The result was also the fastest car in the world, topping out at 197 mph and due to the lack of grip, a still rather impressive 0-62 time of 5.8 seconds, this speed came from a front mounted 7.5l V12 sending power to the rear wheels
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Unsurprisingly, the Swallow also made Estrada a loss, the equivalent of $150m today, now Estrada were in deep trouble, they had no money left to develop a high quality automobile (sort of like the situation GM are in now), so they did what any failing company would do and make a car that could easily fit into as many markets as possible for the least amount of money, so they made a Hot Hatchback, Coupe, Sedan and Wagon and it only cost them the equivalent of $2m to develop from sketches to production in 1987, now introducing the Estrada Stallion. The TSR3i Hot Hatch was fater than the 1979 V12 sportive, with a 0-62 of 6.3 and a top speed of 138mph
<img src="/uploads/default/original/4X/2/a/b/2ab44281105a925d9abb0ce11124f26fe7a9c742.png" width=“690”
I changed the colour from cream to green right before I took the photo of the GSE and apparently the weight of green paint differs from that of cream but not enough to register a weight difference but enough to make it handle differently (its a bug with the game)
Now, the brand is practically dead, only producing the final 10,000 Swallows and the Stallion, We start again in 1962 with the brand that will buy Estrada when they disappear from the radar in 1989, another Anglo-American brand based in London and Minniapolis called Vanguard. They buy Estrada as the CEO Markus Dylan Vanguard is an enthusiast in Estrada and has a Mk.1 Swallow Aldercroft World Record Edition (some stickers and racing stripes in addition to the aldercroft V12 and vinyl roof-1 of 180-), a President, a Sportive and, most recently a TR3i Stallion.
Have you heard of daltonism? INB4 any crazy story of small PottoGadd boy
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The text is blue because I am colourblind and that is what happens when you tick the colourblind box, what would normally show up as shades of green show up as shades of blue. Anyway, the text looks slightly pink to me (makes me think this game is even more fabulous)
Now, from things that are deep blue to things that are vintage blue and Malachite Green.
In 1962 a small company is founded at the stock exchange in Westminster, London with physical facilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company is called Vanguard Motor Co. (later shortened to just Vanguard). They come out with 3 cars on 2 platforms, a larger platform for a Pickup and Luxury sedan and a smaller one for a rival for the Morris Mini Minor
1962 Vanguard Mackintire- Pickup
The Mackintire is a large pickup with a surprise under the hood, a massive V8 producing over 200bhp, probably the first proper Ute when in the Speed 8 trim, most buyers chose the base Accent with a 152bhp i6 that made 236 lb/ft of torque
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So I take it their factory/facories.
If so, American Eagle Automotive is no longer has the only automotive factories in the twin cities. We finally get to share Minneapolis / St. Paul with another company, sweet.
Yes, the factories, offices, design studios and shipment depots are in Minneapolis, the Financing of the company is based in London and then the Overseas offices are in Canterbury and New York. I guess you could call Minneapolis the Detroit of Automation, only with a small bit less failing economy.
In 1963 Vanguard launched their second car on the larger platform known as PL1 for short, this was a large sedan called the Malachite. The very name of the car enticed British Rail’s Southern Region to Vanguard, as Southern ran their trains in Malachite green, They placed an order for 75 malachites with the 4.5l i6 found in the Weston trim, raised the ride hight to make them more comfortable and used them as taxis for when a section of line was being repared or to ferry passengers to major stations in London, Brighton and Eastbourne, also on offer was the Speed 12, a Weston equipped with sports suspension, black paintwork and a 4.0l V12. The most economic Malachite had a 3.5l version of the i6 achieving 17 mpg UK
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Little suggestion - wouldn’t it be good to change the thread title?
Done
Awesome chrome work in the malachite! By the way, how do you pronounce it?
“Mal a kite”, at last that’s how I pronounce it
It’s a copper based gemstone I think
I was inspired by a 1950 Buick concept, thx btw. I find that the 40s bodies are easier to work on with chrome and stuff.
Ye, that is how is pronounced.
That chrome work is freaking amazing. Good one.