You got some of THEEEE most interesting/cool designs on here I swear…
Imo of course.
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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.
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OK, time is up now, expect reviews in a not too distant future.
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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.
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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🏆
In hindsight, I should have written that rule more clearly, because it is kind of hidden in there now.
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!
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
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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.
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bro if this was me ngl I would instantly buy the Canis that thing looks beautiful
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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.
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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
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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,
I will correct that then, thanks.
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If i had the chance to do this again, id go for a far more Flashy and show-y ‘American’ Design. The Smart, Minimal But somewhat lifeless and Boring on such a car, European design i used (A Trident Corporate look for the 60s) Evidently didnt cut the mustard. The engineering was more of the same… European design Clumsily Americanised with unhappy results. We live and learn. I fully intend on entering again though!!
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Theres a couple more challenges going on right now that you can test your skills in.
@DrPepper2002
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Woo! Finalist, nice!
Lots of great cars here, imo.
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FINALS
Kenneth had decided on five cars that he could consider interested enough in to be worth a test drive. First things first, he decided to visit the Cabirou dealer for a test drive of the…
CABIROU ROSSON
He eyeballed the bodywork of the red coupé, and got a very good first impression of the fit and finish. The panel gaps were even, the metallic paint had a smooth finish and nice shine to it. Styling wise it felt very modern. Some jet age cues here and there, and it was moving towards the blockier shape that most manufacturers seemed to be adopting at the moment instead of the swooping lines seen some years ago. Maybe the front end seemed a little bit too “chopped off”, maybe the C-pillar shape should take some time to get used to, the Markley maybe had an advantage there in his personal opinion, albeit a very small one.
He closed the door with a very convincing thud, the charcoal coloured leather interior seemed to have stunning quality at least at the first glance. To break this you probably would have needed dynamite, he thought. Sure, he was clear about the fact that except for the seating most of the materials used probably were genuine polymers, but who cared? They seemed to be good polymers at least. The styling may not have been exciting or surprising in any way. It was contemporary and looked nice, and that was it.
The 420 cubic inch V8 started up with a relatively quiet and smooth burble, tapping the throttle it revved up rather quickly, but with dignity, no roaring or thumping here, just a slightly louder burble that made you know that all of the 334 horsepowers were there.
He put the manual 4 speed transmission in gear. A manual maybe felt a bit dated to some people, but somehow he liked to be a master of his own machinery. Thanks to the clutch pack differential, the tyres chirped just slightly on takeoff, despite sending the car away like a rocket. Wow. This was really something different compared to his old Turból, despite the cars being half-siblings. First gear, second gear, third…it really took off like a rocket…fourth…man, this thing really went like a stink. Coming to a corner, he was amazing how such a big boat could take the bends. What he liked less might have been the steering. A bit vague and maybe over-assisted, now, that was how many people liked it but he had got bitten by the sports car bug and had a harder time accepting it. The brakes, however, had a good bite. It had modern day disc brakes up front, so they would manage to send the car to not one safe stop but multiple ones, he thought. The ride was not overly firm, suspension seemed to be well tuned.
He really liked this car, he thought when handing it back to the dealer. Was he turning into a Turból fanatic or something? He didn’t know, but this one seemed like tailored for him from what he knew this far, but he still had four cars left to test drive.
Since he had some time to spare that day, he also had time to visit the Collis dealer for a test drive of a COLLIS CITUS
The Collis was one of the two outsiders in the competition. Good looking - in a completely different manner compared to the Cabirou. Modern, almost futuristic. What surprised him slightly was that the burgundy paintjob had some more orange peel and that the body panels weren’t all that well adjusted compared to what he had seen on the Cabirou. The Collis still had really good fit and finish, but if anything he would have expected the opposite. The only thing he didn’t know how to feel about was the bulges on the roof, he believed that it would probably be one of those things that would take some time to get used to, but in the end also make the car stand out from the crowd, as if it didn’t do it enough already.
Considering the very futuristic outside, he was pretty surprised stepping into the cockpit to see how conservative it was looking. Classy? You bet, but absolutely not groundbreaking in any matter. Materials and such was of higher class than in the Cabirou, but at the same time he felt that the interior didn’t give such a solid feeling as they had given him in that one. Also, a roomy back seat was not one of his priorities, but still it could be worth keeping in mind that they were mostly suitable for short trips here.
The 275 cubic inch V12 started up with a roar. Smooth as silk, but not exactly quiet. This car made absolutely no excuse for what it was, but the large amounts of sound insulation meant that the engine note inside the car was just enough.
The lack of a limited slip differential meant that taking off caused the tyres to chirp a little. And of course it was a very fast car - but the Cabirou had been remarkably faster. It was obvious that the V12 was not there to make this car a fire breathing beast - but rather a smooth and still reasonably quick way to get from A to a very far away B. And why not? That was more or less what he was looking for anyway.
Even here there was a manual transmission, but as the exotic it was, it offered 5 gears which was a remarkably cool thing when most standard US cars had 3. Another surprise - the car felt less grippy - but more forgiving - than the Cabirou through the bends. It gradually went more and more understeery with speed. Steering was, surprisingly enough, not of the rack and pinion type, but a power assisted recirculating ball system like the Cabirou had. Though it offered better feedback from the road. Also, the brakes, wow, four wheel disc brakes that stopped on a dime, and seemed to be able to take lots and lots of punishment before getting tired.
But what struck him the most was how comfortable it was. Ride was smooth, engine was smooth, the seats seemed to grow more comfy the longer you sat in it.
“This must be the perfect automobile if you have to drive coast to coast in as short time as possible”, he thought before leaving it back to the dealer. “Though it doesn’t happen all that often”.
After reflecting a bit over the Cabirou and the Collis, some days later he visited the Floyd dealership for a test drive of a FLOYD FALCON.
The Floyd Falcon was a bit more compact than the other two “traditional” offerings. For US standards, the exterior was kind of clean and minimalistic, spare for the vinyl roof and the chrome trim on the sides that he didn’t mind, giving a kind of interesting contrast on the smooth-sided car. Fit and finish seemed to be on par with compact car standards. It was nowhere near the Cabirou or the Collis, but on the other hand, there was nothing to complain about either.
Stepping inside was more of a surprise. Instead of putting in a, in his opinion, questionable record player like Cabirou had done, they had put lots of effort in making a high class interior. Fact is that it was on par with the Collis, if not better. Styling was up to date and with no questionable choices. Yes, this was an interior that you certainly didn’t except to see in a car like this. Another thing you did not expect was a 384 cubic inch V8, almost brutal in a car this size. A little bit less muffled than in the Cabirou, on the other hand that maybe said something about the car being aimed at a slightly different audience.
Launching was a bit different than with the other cars - considering that this was an automatic. It also featured a clutch pack LSD, reducing wheel spin from the somewhat narrower tyres this car was using. Said tyres may also be the reason why it didn’t handle quite as well either, it did protest a bit more through the corners than the two other cars tested this far, but it felt secure. It was by no means slow either, despite the automatic it felt about on par with the Collis. Surprisingly enough, even if they were close, he almost felt like if the comfort was better in the Floyd that it had been in the Cabirou. Maybe because of the more exclusive interior.
Brakes were 4 wheel discs like in the Collis, meaning that the brake fade were kept under control. They were not close to the stopping power the Collis had, though, but the grippier tyres of the Collis was probably part of the reason there. The steering, however, was a power assisted ball type, as expected from an american coupé, but more precise, with better feel of the road, than the Collis or the Cabirou could offer.
All in all a car that had some positive surprises and no negative ones, with some compromises acceptable at its price point. The car had indeed left an impression on Kenneth when he headed to the Canis Majoris dealer to test the EGT 670.
CANIS MAJORIS EGT 670
The Collis and the Canis Majoris were the two outliers this time. The Canis Majoris, being French, the only European offering contrary to the Canadian Collis. He looked at it and it sure was imposing, and nice. But if the Collis looked like the future, this looked like the past. Now, he knew that European and American styling trends didn’t always go hand in hand, but still.
Also a disappointment was that the body was showing signs of slappy craftsmanship. There, even the Floyd had been better. Also, it felt weird to him to have metallic sparkle in black paint, but well, it could probably be ordered in other colours, so that was less of a concern.
Stepping inside after closing the not very well adjusted door twice, the cockpit seemed less comfort oriented than in the other cars. Instead, it focused on sportiness with deeply contoured bucket seats and a full instrumentation. Probably nice for the spirited driver, maybe less nice for longer trips, he thought.
The 409 cub…sorry, 6.7 litre V8, woke to life with a burble that could have made Tutankhamen rise from his grave. This was a performance car that wasn’t afraid to show it. And if it wasn’t for the clutch pack LSD, it would probably have shown it in a cloud of smoke too, since the tyres weren’t much wider than the ones on a VW Beetle.
The Canis Majoris was running a 4 speed manual gearbox. Kind of a luxury to have a fourth gear already, but he could not help comparing it to the Collis, and with that one you got five. However, that was probably mostly bragging rights with this kind of torque. The gearing made it actually feel a bit more sluggish than the Cabirou from the takeoff, but when it came to grunt in the higher end of the spectrum, the Canis Majoris was unbeatable. But the box was a little bit too truck-like in its operation. A bit clumsy and easy to grind gears.
Also, he started to wonder if Street & Speedway had been wearing rose tinted glasses when calling this a driving machine, because frankly, it wasn’t anymore. Some years ago, maybe, but handling was disappointing being worse than in all the cars tested this far, brakes were more or less on par with the Floyd (despite the Canis Majoris using rear drums), but better could be expected in this price range.
Overall, this car felt too primitive, and it could maybe have been acceptable if driving dynamics were on par with the performance, but they really weren’t. Speed was the only thing speaking in its favour. It was with disappointment he got back to his Turból to head to the next dealership.
Last came a car that probably would not give him any surprises, he thought. The MARKLEY ALICANTO.
It was pleasant to the eyes, at least. The peach coloured paint with its contrasting white roof was laid out smooth and shiny, the trim was straight, so were the panels. It oozed of great craftsmanship and he found it to be the most stylish of the traditional US coupés. The interior was easy on the eyes in its matching pastel colours, just weird that it still was running a black dashboard. But just like the exterior, the interior quality was superb.
The 340 cubic inch V8 ran both smooth and quiet - spare for the Collis V12 more so than any other engine. But it seemed like if that was at the expense of speed. Being one of the smaller engines, with some of the power taken out by the 3 speed auto, it was a bit less frisky than the other cars he had tested. Driving away, however, he could notice that it had the best steering of all the tested cars (power assisted recirculating ball type, like all of them). Unfortunately, that was all that was speaking for it regarding its driving dynamics. It was understeery and somewhat unwilling to corner - but strangely enough still a bit better than the Canis Majoris had been. More disappointing were the brakes. The Markley was the only car still running drums up front, meaning the longest stopping distances to start with, and quickly getting worse with more heat being built up. Now, it was by no means one of the worst cars on the market, but still all the other cars he had tested braked better.
So, not really the most exciting car to drive, but a relaxed cruiser, like the review had said. He was impressed by the comfort that was almost as good as in the Collis. Quiet and with a very comfortable suspension tune, covering long distances in this car would not be too much of a struggle.
CONCLUSION
First car to go was the Canis Majoris, since it felt that in this case, the most expensive car also gave you the least. It felt dated, like if they were trying to sell the best performance car of 1953 but forgot that the year was 1963. Nothing was speaking in its favour except for speed - which the Cabirou could do exactly as well. On top of that, it was not the easiest car to live with on a daily basis, being unpractical, probably not very reliable and expensive to service.
Another car he wasn’t too sad to let go was the Markley. Yes, it wasn’t the worst car if you judged it by rational reasons, being reliable, cheap to service and because of that probably easy to own. It was also good looking. But driving dynamics and performance was clearly lagging behind the competition.He liked driving too much to be considering this one.
The main selling point of the Floyd Falcon ironically sealed its fate. It was able to cram in an impressive amount of features considering its price. But in the end it seemed too much of a budget friendly choice. If he had been on a tighter budget it would have been a very interesting car, but all the time his thoughts had been, “why should I settle for less when I can afford more?”.
That left him with two cars left in the upper end of the price range, the Collis and the Cabirou. This was not going to be the easiest choice. He liked the exotic flair of the Collis, with its futuristic looks, exclusive interior, V12, 5 speed transmission and 4 wheel disc brakes. On the other hand, when the Cabirou could do everything almost as well, sometimes even better, with simpler technology, and hence probably causing less trouble, was the Collis going to be worth it then?
The answer was no, and once again he settled for a vehicle from the Turból family. The Cabirou Rosson combined the ease of maintenance from american family cars with driving dynamics and performance sometimes on par with the exotics. Maybe that also made it easier to get the old Turból traded in for a greater value than a package of crackers. It was in the family after all.
Now, the only thing that bothered him a little was the tragic fuel economy. But hey, it was worth it! After all, gas was too cheap to make you care about such a thing when the car was so damn good!
And it probably was going to stay that way forever.
CONGRATULATIONS TO DONUTSNAIL FOR WINNING JOC2 THE SECOND TIME IN A ROW!
Ranking:
Also, since Maverick didn’t finish third, the question is if the apocalypse is near.
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Having just finished QFC I’m not interested in hosting. I’ll pass down to @cake_ape and preemptively also tag @Lanson as I doubt LHC leaves cake any time or energy for hosting anything else
Yep, once again I’ll have to pass on “being Kenny”… That said, I’m super happy how well the Collis cars have done in both rounds, and have to give major props for @Knugcab for a wonderful write-up!