Journey of ownership 2 - Rising Star - Part 2D (REVIEWS ON HOLD)

[DuceTheTruth100]

1963 Wells Panther

You’ll know it, from the very first time you time you sit in the front bucket leather seat…

Put the key in the ignition, turn it, and feel the 205hp BOSS v8 rumble to life.

Shift the floor mounted 3spd automatic transmission into drive and let the journey begin.

Crisp AM radio with seating for four, cruising never has, nor will be the same

The perfect car, for the perfect gentleman…or woman

The Panther, from Wells

[Lanson]

1963 Floyd Motor Co presents the Falcon:

This is it in Limited trim, which represents the top end of the model and includes ground-breaking technologies such as power steering, 4 wheel disc brakes, and an automatic transmission with 3 forward speeds.

4 Adults sit in the lap of luxury with a well-appointed interior, featuring all-power equipment.

The Falcon Limited edition is powered by a 384 cu in OHV V8. Torque and power is available in every gear, assuring a smooth, enjoyable drive.

[Bbestdu28]

En route pour les étoiles

1963, Canis Majoris, is back with a slicker, and better GT. Still using a big V8 from overseas, a 6.7L V8, producing around 320hp and 500Nm of torque. Paired with a 4-speed manual, this beast could propel that elegant vessel from 0 to 100 kph in just shy of 7s, mounted with proper tires, and under 8s with cross plies, while flirting with top speeds of more than 240 kph. But with power came also came innovation such as a clutched limited slip differential, and a sliding glass moon roof, for you to enjoy the others stars out there. The Canis Majoris EGT670 is ready to sail.

Gallery

[Maverick74]

1963 Markley Alicanto

Personal luxury has never before been more attainable. The new Alicanto for 1963 offers a 360 cubic inch V8 with 255 horsepower mated to a smooth shifting three speed automatic. Power steering, bucket seats, and an AM/FM/Phonograph radio come as standard equipment. Your's today for $16,900 AMU.

[Knugcab]

Just a reminder, 22-ish hours left.

This far, I’ve got submissions from

@Maverick74
@Lanson
@DuceTheTruth100
@GassTiresandOil
@cake_ape
@Ch_Flash
@DrPepper2002
@Happyhungryhippo
@karhgath
@Bbestdu28

[Ludvig]

Swanson 555 PC

Planes are good, but what if you could fly while grounded to the ground, too? A staple of reliable, safe and comfortable everyday performance, the Mk1 500 may be on its last year, but can still unleash your inner Maverick. Available in the Coupe exclusively, the 5,5L Boxer 6 literally brings aircraft performance to the streets for a mere 15.900$.

"Born from Props"

• Crew: one
• Capacity: three passengers
• Footprint: 8,1 m3 (+ bumpers)
• Empty weight: 1360 kg
• Gross weight: 1817 kg
• Fuel capacity: 56 US gallons (212 litres)
• Powerplant: 1 × SAAPE 55B6PRFF63 six cylinder, horizontally opposed terranized aircraft engine, 215 hp @4500 rpm (5500 cc)
• Transmission: 4-speed manual
• Cruise speed: 61 kn (70 mph, 113 km/h)
• Stall speed: 0 kn
• Never exceed speed: 122 kn (140 mph, 226 km/h)
• Range: 348 nmi (400 mi, 644 km)
• Service ceiling: 13,500 ft (4,100 m)
• Rate of horizontal climb: 4 m/s2 (0-100)
• Rate of quarter mile: 15.31 s
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Fingers crossed I checked everything this time

[Texaslav]

Okay, as an ASE major that is just an adorable stats sheet, love it!

[DuceTheTruth100]

You got some of THEEEE most interesting/cool designs on here I swear…

Imo of course.

[donutsnail]

INTRODUCING
New for '63!

Cabirou Rosson 420

Details

In 1963, Cabirou produced its first foray into building a smaller car than their full-size mainstays. At 204" in overall length, the Rosson was squarely in the newly-forming intermediate size class, providing a smaller and more affordable doorway into the comfort and pride of owning a Cabirou product.

Speed had never been a hallmark of Cabirou; in the past their hefty, luxurious offerings were powerful, but hardly fast. They noticed, however, an increase in interest from consumers in NHRA and NASCAR competition, and decided that winning on Sunday might just sell more Cabirous on Monday. The lighter and smaller Rosson would be the platform of choice.

To make winning on Sunday a real possibility, Rosson’s would be granted access to the hottest new big block in the TURBOL stable: a 420ci unit with a large four barrel carburetor, rated at 385 gross hp. Paired with a limited-slip differential and console-shifted four on the floor, a Rosson 420 could be equipped to terrorize your local drag strip or oval track.

But, the Rosson was still a Cabirou. An exquisitely crafted interior with an optional phonograph carried its occupants in comfort. Power steering made piloting the Rosson a breeze. And front disc brakes, unibody construction, and the latest in safety technology kept occupants safe.

[Knugcab]

OK, time is up now, expect reviews in a not too distant future.

[Knugcab]

PART 0: INSTABINS

Kenneth picked up a fairly recent issue of “Street & Speedway magazine”. The one he had bought a while ago because of the giant comparision test. As the cover said, “Nine luxurious and fast coupés are battling it out!”, exactly the reading he needed. But first, he eyed through the page called “news from the automotive world”.

“The Wolfe Cerberus has been on the market for a couple of years now. Still, ironically enough, if you want a 1963 model you’ll have to wait. Technical problems with some of the upgrades have delayed the facelifted model yet some months…” @karhgath

"Well, I guess that a Wolfe is out of the question then…", Kenneth thought.

(Reason for binning: Breaks trim ET limit. Overall a car with decent stats overall that still doesn’t shine in any particular area, but a great allrounder. Styling wise our client would have been a bit ambivalent I guess. The car looks amazing but is maybe a bit over the top and imposant, also, stuff like tail fins, the high mounted headlights and the upright chrome grille made it a bit obvious that it was a facelift of an older model. Also, high purchase price. Probably not the winner but a possible finalist)

“Another 1963 model we will have to wait for is the all new Armor Pomona. The reason is that Armor have some problems with the body stamping dies…” @GassTiresandOil

"A shame, since it looks great", Kenneth thought. "But I want my car delivered as fast as possible. Waiting until god-knows-when is out of the question…"

(Reasons for binning: Body unlock year too late. One of the best styled cars both in my own opinion and in the eyes of our client, though, and could probably barely pass as a forward thinking 1963 model. But rules are rules…

Like the Wolfe, generally a great allrounder and a possible finalist, probably not the winner. It does shine in one area, though - it has an excellent safety rating. Of course, that might be due to the more modern body, so…)

“A strike in the body manufacturing plant means that some of the 1963 Wells models are delayed too, among them the all new Panther…” @DuceTheTruth100

"Another car that looked interesting that has to go", Kenneth thought with a sigh. "Well, since they test 9 other cars in this issue, I guess not every manufacturer has problems like this."

(Reasons for binning: Body unlock year too new. Generally a well designed car, but automotive styling evolved rather rapidly back then and this looks more like something from 1966-67, but well, being built on a newer body that’s maybe not so strange. A bit too low on comfort and performance to be a finalist, is my guess, but among the more economical cars to buy and run, so maybe you were just aiming a bit low, it’s absolutely not a bad car.)

That means that the people going further are:
@Maverick74
@Lanson
@cake_ape
@Ch_Flash
@DrPepper2002
@Happyhungryhippo
@Bbestdu28
@donutsnail
@Ludvig

Also, Karhgath, you can update the topic now as you may understand.

[DuceTheTruth100]

The crazy part is after I posted the ad on here, I immediately posted it on discord where Maverick then proceeded to tell me in so many words “your gonna get binned”. I was like fuuuuuuck!!! But then I had also realized that maybe just maybe my power output was too damn low to be competitive as well. I did have fun making it though.

May the best car win🏆

[Knugcab]

In hindsight, I should have written that rule more clearly, because it is kind of hidden in there now.

[GassTiresandOil]

Ah crap. I didn’t see that one. Oh well, still plenty of great cars left to choose from. Can’t wait to see who wins!

[Knugcab]

REVIEWS PART 1

Kenneth was browsing through the issue of Street & Speedway magazine that he had in his hands. After a while, he came to the article that was the reason that he had bought the magazine to start with.

NINE FAST AND LUXURIOUS COUPÉS BATTLE IT OUT
"Some years ago, a new type of vehicle started to appear. A car that was more practical and comfortable than a sports car. More fun than a regular sedan. More driver oriented than the usual luxury cars. But with powerful engines and luxury equipment that made it into a fusion of the best of all worlds. That means that it is also a segment that is growing fast, since every manufacturer wants a piece of that cake. That is why we now are putting nine of the most interesting choices up for a test. Some of them are expected choices, some of them are outliers that may not be what you first think of when you hear about personal luxury coupés, but since they still are kind of fighting in that segment, we felt that they had their place in a test like this.

Kenneth was browsing through the article and picked out some interesting stuff from the masses of text.

Markley Alicanto - @Maverick74

“The Markley is the relaxed cruiser of the bunch. It is not blazingly fast and certainly not the car you would challenge sports cars on twisty roads with, but it is comfortable, well built and overall a sane car that’s maybe aimed to the most mature audience of all the tested cars. The service costs are low, but the fuel economy is disappointing in relation to the performance.”

"Well…", Kenneth thought, "It really looks the part, and seems like a solid choice even if it is not the most exciting choice. Interesting…"

Floyd Falcon - @Lanson

"The Floyd Falcon is a more compact entry that still manages to offer decent room for the passengers, and is also sold at a very competitive price. Other than that, it is a pretty mid range car, doing well enough in most areas without being perfect at anything.”

"Yeah…", Kenneth thought, "Another great looking car, and sometimes being good enough makes you the winner in the end, I will consider that, I think."

Collis Citus - @cake_ape

“Maybe more of a Gran Turismo than a personal coupé, the Collis is kind of the outlier in the bunch, especially considering that it’s using a V12 instead of the V8 most competitors have. If you thought that it would mean that it is fast but thirsty, you’re wrong. Its performance is generally on par with the V8 equipped cars but the fuel economy is good for its class. It’s main advantage is being very comfortable, but everything comes at a price. Costs both for servicing and purchase are on the higher side.”

"Really not the type of vehicle I was thinking of…", Kenneth thought, "…mainly because I thought of them as being out of my price range. But if this can offer me more and still is inside my budget, then why not?"

Miller Sunburst - @Ch_Flash

“Going for a six in the era of the V8 might sound a bit weak. That is also the case with the Miller Sunburst that is lagging behind the competition when it comes to performance. Unfortunately, that’s also true for more or less all the other areas, and the fact that parts were already breaking and that it wouldn’t always even start during our test drives felt worrying. Even though it sells at a reasonable price, we see no reason to spend your money on a Miller Sunburst.”

"Neither do I. Next!"

Trident Longbow - @DrPepper2002

“The Trident Longbow has decent (not excellent) comfort and fuel economy, and that’s about it. It’s hard to find anything more that speaks in its favour, even if it is better than the Miller Sunburst at more or less everything.”

"Add to that how raw and unfinished the styling looks, and I see no reason to go for this either", Kenneth thought for himself.

Globus Comet - @Happyhungryhippo

“The Globus Comet sells at a low price and gets great gas mileage, which are hardly the main selling points for a vehicle in this class. We also felt that it was a very easy car to drive, and it is decently roomy. But it is slow, lacking behind when it comes to safety equipment, felt like it had shoddy build quality and overall didn’t impress us. The value is questionable considering that a couple of hundred more will buy you the superior Floyd Falcon.”

Yeah, I would also rather go for the Floyd, no matter what", Kenneth thought, "This looks too boring for my taste. Like some regular sedan. Like an old man’s car. Next!"

Canis Majoris - @Bbestdu28

“Canis is trying to sell its Majoris in this segment, but truth is that it is more or less a high end sports car covered up as a competitor to cars like the Markley Alicanto which feels like its polar opposite. More or less everything is sacrificed for speed and driving experience - but what a driving experience then. It will be a bit hard to live with, considering low comfort, low practicality and high service costs, it is also the most expensive to buy of all the cars.”

Kenneth was a bit in doubt. "This speaks to me in some weird kind of way. Probably not the most sensible choice, but you only live once. Also, styling is already starting to look a bit old fashioned. Hmm. I don’t know. I really don’t know…"

Cabirou Rosson - @donutsnail

“The Cabirou Rosson could more or less serve as the build sheet for how a modern American coupé should be. Fact is that it is even faster than the Canis - the only car in the bunch that manages to do high 14 second times on the quartermile. It is also very well built, has decent comfort and is probably safer than any car in this class - even the rear seat passengers gets seatbelts! Our main gripe is the abysmal fuel economy, we almost wonder if we should measure it in gallons per mile in this case.”

"And I am absolutely not going to cheapen out on this if it can give me the car I want", Kenneth thought, "So this one is really worth to take a look at."

Swanson 555 PC - @Ludvig

“The Swanson 555 PC is generally seen as a car for quirky people only, due to quirky styling, quirky engineering and quirky advertising. We actually think that it deserves better, because if you can live with that, it is our favourite out of all the tested cars. It is both fun and easy to drive, roomy, has build quality like a rock, and even if it is not as smokingly fast as the Cabirou or Canis, it gives most other cars a run for their money. Yet, it is extremely economical both to service and drive, and sells for a reasonable price. Some competitors are ahead when it comes to safety equipment and comfort, but the Swanson is still highly competitive there. An unexpected test winner, but a winner nonetheless.”

Kenneth shook his head. "Yeah. I already know that this car sells for a reasonable price. The question is only, what is a Volkswagen doing in this test?"

After laughing a bit at his own joke, he kept thinking. "Nah, I really believe them when they say how good it is, but…nah, I just can’t see myself driving around in this. And after all I am buying this car for myself, and not for the staff of Street & Speedway magazine.

After some consideration, here are the cars going further to a test drive.

Finalists

Markley Alicanto
Floyd Falcon
Collis Citus
Canis Majoris
Cabirou Rosson

[DrPepper2002]

Shame i didnt get through but I didnt expect to rank highly. American Market cars are Not my Forte and the Styling is admittedly quite Anodyne and Lifeless.

[IDK158]

bro if this was me ngl I would instantly buy the Canis that thing looks beautiful

[Knugcab]

Yeah. The thing with a challenge like this is that you kind of have to understand the mindset of the consumer. Myself I like both the Canis and the Swanson, but I doubt that anyone looking for a car in this segment in early 60s USA would have wanted something “looking like a giant VW”, and the Canis would have been slightly dated by 1963, having lots of 50s design clues.

[Bbestdu28]

I thought of making a sharper design like the inspiration pics, as I adore them, (and boy i love the Alicanto, the Falcon or the Rosson) but I wasn’t satisfied with what I came up with the “acceptable” bodies. And I wanted to bring something unique, it is maybe old fashioned for the US, (but I need to complain as I am french ^^), but it’s more a exported European model than an American one.
Also the brand is named Canis Majoris (a tribute to Facel Vega, for the connoisseur), and the car is named EGT670

[Happyhungryhippo]

Ah crap, but that was to expect. The car that looks like a luxury-Corvair lost against the tasteful Mustang copy in the direct duel.
Congratulations to Floyd,