I’ve been playing Automation for a while now, so its about time I started sharing some of my designs. I have a few different brands on the go:
Rosanti - Italian small cars focusing on fun and practicality, not bargain basement but low priced. Small engines but fun to push to their limits.
Taliesin - A Welsh Utility brand which moves upmarket over time. Inspired a little by Volvo and Jowett
Tatra - The old Tatra car company reborn for the 1990s as Skoda was. Still making rear engine cars but with a modern twist.
Dawnstar - A luxury pre-war brand moving downmarket after the war as demand for it’s high-end cars fell. Still trying to keep some of the drama of the Deco-era cars
Wallace - A large American mass market company similar to Ford or GM. Mostly traditional mass market cars.
Gladiator - Upmarket offshoot of Rosanti: larger more luxurious models with a sense of style.
I’ll start sharing designs soon, got to work out how to get a good picture!
I’m having a bit of trouble with the poster and photo scene right now so all the pictures are from Beam. Well, here goes..
Presenting the Rosanti Poccolo 450
Unveiled in 1954, the Poccolo is the first truly small car built by Rosanti. The front wheels are driven by a 450cc Triple with 15bhp, through a 4 speed manual gearbox.
The engine is tilted at 45 degrees, allowing the differential to be mounted centrally and the engine to sit further back in the bay. Giving it a much better weight balance and providing easy handling at low and (relatively) high speeds.
It was quite practical for such a small car, with space for two adults in front and two children in the back. Capable of over 50mph and 50mpg, it was a practical and cheap way to get into the world of motoring.
This generation of the Bryn (it means hill in Welsh) was introduced in 1963 to replace the previous model which had its’ roots firmly in the pre-war era. Still on a separate chassis but now a much more modern machine.
The base engine is a 1272cc version of Taliesin’s FPW four cylinder making 40bhp. Slightly underpowered, it makes up for it with its simplicity and torque.
A 1500cc version of this engine was also offered, as well as an upmarket six cylinder version, all prioritising simplicity and easy torque.
One quirky feature of Taliesin cars in this era was the provision to carry items on their roof to enhance their practicality. Metal bars prevented scratching the paint on the roof panel and tie-downs were installed as standard.
Taliesins were becoming more refined and comfortable, but they would not abandon their commitment to practicality.
After selling well for a few years, Rosanti decided that the Poccolo needed an upgrade to compete with newer small cars like the Fiat 500.
The range was restyled for 1957 with new front and rear styling, as well as some sculptng of the otherwise flat panels to keep the design fresh.
The base engine was now an 18bhp 500cc version of Rosanti’s Triple, and radial tyres were offered as they improved handling and economy.
The result of all these changes was a car which could now reach 60mph (with its’ engine screaming like a banshee!) but which could still return impressive economy.
The Super also joined the lineup in 1957, with a few upgrades to justify it’s higher price. A radio and the choice of either a 650 or 800cc engine were the main attractions though, taking the 0-60 sprint from the leisurely 36 seconds of the 500 to 29 for the 650 and 20 seconds in the 800 which was quite fast for such a small car.
The 800 could be recognised by the triple vents in the front wings, inspired by exotic machinery of the era, and both had a fully chromed grille instead of the more basic body coloured item on the 500.
After 40 years behind the iron curtain, Tatra was a shadow of its former glory. While it still produced commercial vehicles, it only offered one passenger car: the ageing 613, itself based on the 603 with its roots in the 40s.
As the 80s ground on, it became clearer that the communist regime would fall, and that Tatra’s ageing flagship could not possibly compete against the more modern offerings of other European manufacturers.
A few engineers decided that they would need to have new products in order to survive, and began piecing together a new model: simpler and easier to produce than the 613 but closer to the standard of modern vehicles and with a much more modern look.
Still rear engined, but with a smaller flat four engine for economy and handling balance. This original concept looked distinctly ‘80s Soviet’ but the basics were there. A long kamm tail and slippery body echoed the iconic models from Tatra’s history, but the shape was pure 80s Aero.
They decided to name the car Ledwinka, after the legendary designer from Tatra’s early days of aerodynamic innovation: a clear statement that they would propel the carmaker back to it’s former glory.
I really like this take on a “what-if” for Tatra, though I’m not entirely sure about the covers over the rear wheels. I’d also place the Tatra badging on the back between the lights instead of above them. Very cool design though regardless.
The futuristic, aerodynamic look of this alternate universe Tatra would’ve kept it relevant into the 1990s, after the fall of communism and the Velvet Divorce - who knows if the company stayed in the car business longer as a result of this new model’s success, and hence wasn’t relegated to manufacturing commercial vehicles before the end of the 20th century?
Thanks for the feedback, I’ve always been interested in Tatra and what could have happened if they had carried on past the 1990s. The idea of them being something like Saab with a bit of an unconventional streak. Before Communism they made economy cars as well as their massive aero barges so I’m gonna try to strike that balance with smaller cars and larger ones.
So here is the production model: The 1991 Tatra Ledwinka 1800i
By 1991, Tatra was ready to start production of the Ledwinka. The styling was tidied up to look less ‘Russian Pack Mule’ and the engine was larger and more powerful. The concept’s basic shape was unchanged but the details were updated to give it a style of its own.
Competing with larger companies would be difficult, but small numbers of cars were sold across Eastern Europe and some were even imported into the US, slowly increasing awareness and sales. Although much more investment would be needed to even keep the company afloat, this car proved that the Czech engineers could build a capable car.
