My engines were both 1950 families, and are only going to get worse from here on out. American companies change bodies all the time but engine platforms can easily last decades.
2 Likes
Cincinnati Enquirer, Front Page
Wednesday, February 8. 1956
Ohio industrial giant Ardent Motors Corporation was dealt a resounding blow today, as their lawsuit against Dutch manufacturer Anhultz came to an end today. The judge’s decision, delivered via the United States District Court in the Southern District of Ohio, went completely against Ardent.
The lawsuit stems from an apparent interpretation by Ardent CEO Jack Chancellor that a loan extended by the long-deceased owners of Townsend Coachworks, now a subsidiary of Ardent, was improperly issued and was to be called in immediately. After hearing testimony from Anhultz chief financier Bastiaan Rynsburger, former Townsend CEO Jeffrey Moss, and several others connected to the case, it was found that not only was the loan legally and properly issued, but that Ardent had, in its zeal and rancor during the legal process, abandoned all claim to acting in good faith.
The judge dismissed Ardent’s claim, and awarded Anhultz a victory in its counterclaim, voiding the remainder of the loan balance, and forcing Ardent to pay legal fees for Anhultz. It is estimated that this will end up costing Ardent somewhere over $200,000.
Jack slammed the paper down on Leo Scaletta’s desk. “We lost.”
Leo arched his eyebrows, unamused. He kicked his heels up on his desk and leaned back. “Mr. Chancellor, we made it explicitly clear, many times, that the case was trending in that direction.”
Jack scoffed. “Can’t even handle a little Dutch company, can you?”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Ignoring the fact that they hired one of the most prominent firms in New York City, you brought us a weak case. As soon as Rynsburger produced his copy of the loan paperwork, and you couldn’t produce anything to counter it, your case was as good as dead.”
“I am not amused by this, Leo.”
“By what?” Leo swung his feet to the floor and leaned forward, his burning gaze fixated on Ardent’s CEO. “By your hamstringing us through the entire process on some weird, hopeless crusade?”
“How dare you…”
“Please listen to the next words I say very carefully, Mr. Chancellor. I wasted a lot of time on this case. Andy Lowe wasted a lot of time on this case. Time that was wasted at your direction. You need to walk away right this minute.” Leo slowly rose to his feet. “Go back to your office and drink yourself stupid, like you always do when you’re pissed. Get mad, trash the place, I don’t care. But you better go down to your Accounts Payable department the next day, and have a check cut for our fees. And then you need to move on.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed into slits. “You little weasel. You dare to tell me what to do?”
Leo nodded slowly. “Oh, I dare, Mr. Chancellor. Your fees are due, and they are not negotiable. We are tired of your antics. And unless you want to start hopping on planes and crossing the country looking for new legal representation, you will start treating us with respect. And you will actually listen to our legal advice.”
“Bah, I should fire you…”
“And end up right back in court, this time against us. And you’ll lose again, Mr. Chancellor. I imagine your Board of Directors wouldn’t take kindly to that.”
Jack’s face turned a rather cherry shade of red, but he finally took his lawyer’s advice to heart, turned on his heels, and left.
(the next section is a copy-paste from Generations I, as it is pertinent)
Ardent Corporate Headquarters
Tuesday, January 7, 1958
Jack looked up from the papers when he heard a knock at the door. The door swung open, and Stanton Glass hobbled in. Gray now streaked the engineer’s slicked-back hair, and the age lines on his face accentuated his burn scars.
“Stanton, please have a seat,” Jack motioned.
Stanton moved to his customary place when these meetings took place, turned to the side of the desk. Over the years his movement had slowed, though his mind was sharper than ever.
“We did well with the A1 once again,” Jack started. “But competition is shifting, and we need to look to solidify our position once. I need you to take on another design, if you can.”
Stanton smiled. “As always, I’m your man. I may need a couple more junior designers, though.”
Jack nodded. “Staffing is a bit thin right now. I’m putting in a requisition with Personnel. We’re going to hire three more for Powertrain and four more for Design. Which brings me to my next point. How would you feel about sitting in on the interviews?”
Stanton’s expression disappeared, and his jaw slacked. “Me, sir?”
“Of course. You might want to know a few things about your potential new hires. That, and it’s your damned job, Stanton.”
“My job is to mold clay from paper, and steel from clay, Jack.”
“That was your only job before you were Chief of Design. Now you have meetings and staffing and all of that other fun stuff that comes with it. And it’s past time you took on the rest of your responsibilities.”
Stanton grimaced. He was saved from having to think of a comeback when Chancellor’s phone rang.
Ardent’s head honcho picked up the receiver. “Chancellor.”
“Jack, my friend,” Alonzo Rodriguez, his legal representative in Spain, chirped on the other end. “I have some news about your inquiry. It should be arriving in your mailbox within the next couple of days.”
“Can you at least tell me if it’s good or bad news?”
“I would consider it good news, though my mind and yours are not the same,” the Spaniard replied.
“Bad news, then,” Jack grumbled.
“Where there is a will, there is a way. Your will is being tested. Remember, this is not up to me, but to those who hold the keys.”
“Yeah, I know, Alonzo. I guess we’ll see.” Jack hung up.
“What was that about?” Stanton asked.
Jack’s brows arched. “Maybe you’ll know some day. Four new hires, Stanton. That’s your goal.”’
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Monday, December 16th, 1956
Bogliq HQ, Detroit
Konstantin’s Office
Konstantin Bogliq sighed as he leant back in his office chair. The competitiveness report that he had commissioned had arrived earlier today and it made for uncomfortable reading. This was because, despite dominating Ardent in passenger car sales, Bogliq had been easily defeated by foreign imports in the battle for American consumer’s hearts and minds.
The Bettong was the most competitive of the line-up being inexpensive and useful but the engineers had tuned the suspension too aggressively, which resulted in unexpected oversteer in poor road conditions. The Bison failed to be comfortable enough for buyers used to plusher rivals, not to mention that too many prospects rejected the big Bogliq based solely on it’s lack of brand cachet…
Which brought Konstantin to the weak spot of the Bogliq range; the Buffalo light utility. Despite assurances from the engineers that the Buffalo would be less complex and easier on the wallet than the competition, the Buffalo had one of the highest maintenance costs of the segment!
Changes needed to be made and feedback acted upon so that Bogliq could keep ahead of Ardent while re-conquesting marketshare from the unexpectedly popular Imports. Ardent would be introducing new models very soon and Bogliq couldn’t afford to rest on their laurels since one out of every five Bogliq customers reported dissatisfaction with their purchase.
Konstantin sighed again, put away the report then got up and left his office for home. He needed time to think and rest, he’d find solutions besides, plans were afoot to raise Bogliq’s profile and exports could prove to pick up where domestic consumption fell short of targets. Yeah, Konstantin reasoned, Bogliq had done well for a first step and, if we stayed the course, would overcome any and all obstacles in the pursuit of market domination…
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Hampton Motor Group - Round 2 Prologue
May 30th, 1958 - As the company celebrated its 10th anniversary, Toby outlined the plans for the company’s lineup for 1960. After a brief period of deliberation, he came up with the following suggestion:
Ferret - Engine to be enlarged to 1.8 litres, 3-speed automatic transmission available as option and manual gearbox to be upgraded to 4-speed; coupe and estate added to range.
Shrike - Engine to be enlarged to 2.0 litres, more standard equipment offered overall; convertible added to range.
Peregrine - Engine to be enlarged to 3.5 litres and tuned for better performance; range to be expanded to include 2-seater convertible and 2+2 coupe.
Valiant - Engine to be enlarged to 3.0 litres (3.2-litre version optional), automatic transmission to be upgraded to 3-speed and manual transmission to be upgraded to 4-speed; coupe and estate added to range.
Full-size luxury saloon (name to be determined) - New model, built on extended Valiant platform and powered by detuned Peregrine 3.5-litre engine.
In addition, all passenger cars will be offered with 4-wheel disc brakes, either as standard or as optional equipment, from 1960 onwards, and advanced safety equipment will be integrated into their construction. Front disc brakes will also be made optional on Transtar and Nevis.
When he showed this proposal to his fellow employees and colleagues, they unanimously approved it, since they were very enthusiastic about his grand plan for the company. Given that there were now more customers than ever before who were willing to buy a car with their own money, especially more upmarket ones, it seemed fitting that the Hampton Motor Group should target the upwardly mobile, especially in America. He began with the following speech:
“Greetings, everyone. It has been a full decade since this company was established. Back then, this factory had only just risen from the rubble, and a few years before that, I was being shot at from all sides during the D-Day offensive. Now, however, this country and its people are in better shape than they were in any previous year of this century.”
Toby’s colleagues roared with applause. He continued:
“It is therefore clear to us that, for the sake of upholding our reputation, our existing lineup of cars must be updated for the next decade, with more power and standard equipment without incurring excessive increases in price, and it will also be accompanied with at least one new model, which is currently under development as we speak. Given that other manufacturers around the world are also updating their model ranges, the timing of our updates could not be better, for it will allow us to remain competitive for longer. In a few years’ time, the world will marvel at the fruits of our labour. Until then, keep calm and carry on… working on our vehicles.”
As his ever-loyal employees returned to their stations, Toby returned to his office, sat down in his chair and whistled God Save The Queen quietly, before taking a nap and dreaming of the day when his company would make its next big breakthrough.
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Not too interesting this time. 1 Reused car, the 200 Sedan but more Luxurious this time. 1 end-of-life model, the Durene SE in the middle, and the 2 years in 350, replacement for the aged 250. Also snuck in a concept into the background because why not.
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1960 Hampton Model Line-Up
At Hampton Motor Group, we believe that continuous improvements are the key to success. To that end, we have updated much of our model range, with more power, safety and standard equipment. For example, our mainstream sedan, the Valiant, is now offered with either a 3.0-litre or 3.2-litre straight-six and can now be ordered as a coupe or estate. Meanwhile, the Peregrine is now available with a 3.5-litre straight-six, now developing 144 horsepower, or 172 if you order the Sprint Package. Finally, we have an all-new flagship luxury saloon for upper-class buyers - the Vanguard, powered by the same 144-horsepower straight-six as the standard Peregrine. WIth a more lavishly appointed interior than lesser cars in our range, it offers a sense of luxury that only the British can provide.
Please contact your nearest dealer for pricing and option availability.
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1960 sees KATSURO expanding its influence in the US market with 3 New models and the construction of a brand new high tech Factory. This factory will also produce Katsuro’s newest flagship model, the King as a statement to the commitment of its presence in the US market. The new factory also has 2 additional lines for a new affordable intermediate class car, the Princess powered by a 2.0l straight 6, and the Vatina GT-R, a new sportscar exclusive to the US and JDM markets only.
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Submitted models:
Intermediate - 1960 Ardent 420 Deluxe Estate, optional 289 cid Toledo V8, 2-speed automatic
Full Size - 1960 Ardent Manhattan L Sedan, standard 333 cid Toledo V8, 3-speed automatic
Sports - 1960 Ardent Midnight 310 Custom, optional 289 cid Toledo V8, 4-speed manual
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Meet the MY1960 Bogliq Model Range!
1960 Bogliq Burchell Deluxe - 2.9L V6, 3spd auto and tonnes of character!
1960 Bogliq Bison Exceed - 3.7L inline six, 3spd auto, just oozing with class!
1960 Bogliq Bazooka AE - 3.7L high output straight six, 4spd manual, power to burn!
There’s a Bogliq model to suit everyone, so come on down to your friendly Bogliq dealer and test drive a Bogliq today!!!
3 Likes
Reminder: Just over 6 days left in the submission period for round 2.
Anhultz Automobile Manufacturing
Location: Corporate Headquarters; Maastricht; Netherlands
April 12th 1956
An assortment of managers, employees and other staff are currently in a big room discussing further plans to handle Anhultz for the next few years.
…
Anhultz: “Okay… so from what i have gathered, Anhultz is facing some challenges…”
most of the attending people are more-or less obviously agreeing
Rynsburger raises his hand
Anhultz: “Mr. Rynsburger?”
Rynsburger: “May i add some context?”
Anhultz: “Err… sure?”
Rynsburger: “First off, most of our surplus profits are STILL going into the Rotterdam plant, leaving fairly little wiggle-room to keep the lineup up-to-date.”
Anhultz: “So no new models until Rotterdam is done?”
Rynsburger: “Pretty much…”
general disappointment in the room
Rynsburger: “…but there are enough funds to facelift/ alter current models at the expense of some sales potential…”
Anhultz: “There has to be some good part to this…”
Rynsburger: “Those current models are near the top if not AT the top in terms of sales, soo… they should last us a while.”
disappointment gone
Anhultz: “Good. I want that factory done AS…”
Frieda (Secretary) enters the room with a letter
literally everyone in the room turns to her storming into the room
Anhultz: “…AP!!! FRIEDA?? The fuck are you doing here???”
Frieda: “Got some GOOD news everyone!!!”
Frieda smashes said letter onto the table
Anhultz: “What is this?”
*Anhultz opens the letter, skimming it afterwards."
Anhultz: “Court summons… trial held… some dates and stuff…”
flips the paper
Anhultz: “154,000USD worth of claims… trial verdict…”
Anhultz’s eyes open wide
Anhultz: “WIN FOR ANHULTZ!!! PLUS LEGAL FEES PAID!!! WHOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
the room is stuck in confusion before realizing. then the serious meeting turns into a house-party in like 15 seconds.
5 Likes
i have ran into a bit of an issue for round two.
Anhultz doesn’t really do sports cars aand… i have come up with various ways to deal with it.
- try and half-ass a non-sports car with a bigger engine -> send a high-spec Mimas and hope for the best
- sell unchanged Keikas as Anhultz’s (wondering if retroactively adding the captive import thing would be possible)
- sell unchanged cars from a third-party company in no way associated with Generations II as Anhultz’s
- alter empty shells (frame and body) from said third-party company and sell those as Anhultz’s
i’d like to ask which of above options would be legal from a challenge point of view as to not be unfair towards other players
thanks in advance.
changelog:
basically rewrote entire post cuz it was a clusterfuck of characters…
2 Likes
Perfectly legal is #1. Remember, there was a Utility entry from last round that was a sedan. It was the closest thing they made, in lore, to a utility.
#2 is legal as long as your lore states you own at least 25% of the company you’d be importing by the year that you’re trying to import it. Given how long until Anhultz takes over Keika, and their general status as “recovering after the war”, it still seems a bit early to me to have that be realistic. It’s technically, legal, but shady. (Edit: For comparison, I can’t use Suzume cars as captive imports until 1974)
Options 3 and 4 are not legal. While I may not know, it’s a matter of integrity on your part. So I’d say probably not.
You missed option 5… not submit in that category. You will get, effectively, a 40% score. This may be better than submitting something horribly out of context, or it may not. (Last round, companies split the difference on this one)
Option 5 is, in terms of public opinion, “They don’t have one now. I’d love to see them build one. I wonder if they’re developing one?” It’s also not an option you want to use on a regular basis, because it’s hard to come back from if you do that more than a couple times.
1 Like
Waiting until the 1970s…
Hey @Elizipeazie
Here’s an idea. Jump-start the muscle-car movement!
Your car would only be four years in advance of the (theoretical for Gen II) Pontiac GTO, plus the first successful idea is usually prefaced by a bunch of almost successes. The GTO was the first, genre defining, muscle-car but there were predecessor cars which could have fitted the bill. I’m thinking cars like the Hudson Hornet and the 1957 Chevrolet 150 w/ optional V8 and manual gearbox…
But, if it just doesn’t fit your lore then do as @VicVictory says and submit either nothing or a luxury saloon that’s fast (think GT category) or, like the 1957 Chev, a volume selling car with a particularly speedy set of options!
I loo forward to how you choose to proceed 
2 Likes
1960: Watson Motors continues it development. Our engineers work tirelessly to improve the quality and robustness of our chassis and engines. This year Watson Motors is launching three new models:
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The Watson Aquila is closely derived from the Antlia while improving its reliability, comfort, consumption and driveability. It introduces a brand new 3-speed automatic transmission.
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The Watson Ariesa reuses and improves the engine of the Auviera. However, it is based on a brand new chassis that offers first-rate comfort and safety.
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Finally, Watson Motors is particularly proud to present a brand new sports car designed to offer particularly high driving pleasure both in straight lines and in curves : the Watson Arcadia.
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There were indeed a few ideas for somewhat small-ish sporty coupes in America, before the GTO and Mustang and such. 1957 saw the Rambler Rebel, an intermediate with a fuel injected V8. There was the Studebaker Hawk from 1956 onwards, which had a four-barrel-dual-exhaust V8 (pretty much the optimal GT car for automation), and 1961 saw the Buick Special “senior compact” with a 3.5 liter aluminum V8.
You could easily pep up your smallest coupe and give it four premiuim seats and a manual transmission.
1 Like
A little over 72 hours left in the submission period. I do not have submissions from:
@DukeOFhazards
@thecarlover
@mart1n2005
@Mikonp7
@lddrs
@Aaron.W
@patridam
@Elizipeazie
@Rise_Comics
@ProfessorP3PP3R
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1960's Deer And Hunt Lineup
-DaH Goonie
The newest addition to the Deer And Hunt Lineup. Perfect for everyone how just needs a reliable car.
-DaH Hawg Deluxe
For people who rather crawl thorugh your neighbours front lawn than the wilderness.
-DaH Fellow RUT
The first vehicle holding the RUT iron sights badge. No more late deliveries!
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Aldeane Automotive Company has withdrawn due to computer hardware failure.