[LHC] - Letara History Challenge - Rd 5 [Results being posted]

Knugcab · 8 December 2022 21:43

VAUGHN REVUE LETARA

The magazine that goes out to all of you Letarans driving a Vaughn, Wraith or VCV
Spring 1962

EDITORIAL

This time we are giving you more than just an editorial. This is also kind of an open letter, to the government and to other car importers/manufacturers, that like us are seeing the need for change.

What needs to be changed is in our opinion the safety regulations and the taxation system. At Vaughn, we see no conflict in having a tax system based on the safety of the car, since of course it will lead the buyers into making better, more informed choices. Also, minimum safety requirements is probably necessary to keep an acceptable standard on the vehicle fleet of this country.

Now, Safety is something we are taking very seriously at Vaughn. For example, sled tests performed in the United States, with cabs from ex-government VCV Enforcers, are currently conducted for development of the “Nitro-Sack” system that will make the safety belt obsolete, probably at the end of this decade. An easy description of the system, is that the steering assembly (and the space normally occupied by the glovebox) contains a container of compressed nitrogen gas, and a nylon sack. At impact, the container releases the gas into the sack, creating an effective restraint system. Tests with the system pre-inflated have shown great potential, and at the moment it is just a matter of making the system able to release the gas quick enough and at the right time, which is something our engineers are working hard with at the moment. It solves the problem some scandinavian manufacturers have tried to cure by adding an upper, diagonal portion to the seatbelt. While effective, we don’t believe in them at Vaughn, since the struggle with using such a seatbelt system is probably going to leave the belts unused. The Nitro-Sack also probably has potential to protect children riding in the front seat that are too small to use a seatbelt.

What we feel needs to be changed is how the current system works. At the moment, it is based on a complicated points system, which punishes for example small cars, cars using jump seats, convertibles and vehicles with ladder frames. That means that to lower taxation, or to even be allowed to be sold, such vehicles (that all have their niches to fulfill) needs to have all the latest safety equipment. On the other hand, a large unibody 2-seater coupé could, by a less serious manufacturer, as well get lead weights bolted to the floor instead of having even the most rudimentary safety equipment, since weight is such a heavy factor in the scoring system. Even if we only make large cars at Vaughn, we can admit that weight is only a factor working in your favour in a head on collision between two cars, and the advantages will be evened out if everyone drives a heavy car. To put it this way, in a rollover a seatbelt may save you regardless of the size and weight of the car, lead weights bolted to the floor will absolutely not do it.

Being forced to remove jump seats if the vehicle is seen as being “on the limit” by the government is another factor that has questionable effect and is more effective on paper than in real life. Even if a full size seat obviously is a safer place to be in, being seated in a proper seat is always better than riding in the cargo area, which people will be tempted to do if vehicles does not offer the desired seating capacity. Accident investigation we have been doing in the US shows that in the accidents either involving a VCV enforcer, and/or having a pickup truck as the opposite vehicle, the worst injuries have been sustained by people riding in pickup beds.

Our suggestion is that regardless of the size and construction of the car, the regulations should be based on a minimum of safety equipment instead of an illogical scoring system. A good side effect: If all the cars are required to have a certain level of safety equipment, it will make every car from the most tiny to the most large one on the market safer, if it is forced only into small cars, it will only make the small cars safer, which means less of a safety benefit.

Our suggestion is that from 1/1 1964, all new cars should be required to have a safety equipment that consists of (1). Those regulations should be updated with an interval of (2), since progress is made all the time (for example, in 10 years a requirement of Nitro-Sack probably will be more actual than requiring a seatbelt). Also, we suggest that vehicle using (3) safety should get a higher sales tax of 10%. Vehicles using (4) safety should be tax exempt while the rest keeps the 5% tax. That would allow for some diversity on the market when needed, while still leading consumers into choosing safer cars when possible.

Until next time, happy motoring!

Taking this OOC because it would be hard to get a realistic flavour on it.

Either (A), the latest unlocked basic safety at the starting year of the round at the allowed techpool, (B), standard safety that is at least one notch below the latest unlocked one during the same circumstances, or (C), advanced safety that is at least two notches below the latest unlocked one during the same circumstances.
At the start of every new round, but using the same rules for how it should be applied, to make it fair and easy
Cars using any kind of basic safety, or using the worst allowed variant of standard safety
Cars using advanced safety, that should be of at least the best possible variant unlocked at the allowed techpool at the start of the round.

cake_ape · 11 December 2022 18:25

Rd. 2 RESULTS

Chapter 3: Consumer car segment 1955-1963 - city cars

Left to right: Aero Zipp Base @Edsel, KHI 1325 @doot, Aero Zipp Premium, Resuki Tabi 900B @Repti, Knightwick Dragonfly Saloon @mart1n2005, Aero Zipp Convertible, Resuki Tabi 1300D, Resuki Tabi 1500S, Knightwick Harris 1500, KHI 1325 Luxe

Once again we start the reviews with the city car segment. These were the smallest cars with short wheelbases that were nimble, easy to drive, and (usually) good on gas. Not built for the open road, they were most at home on city streets. The best in this segment would get you (± some family members and ± your groceries) from A to B within the concrete jungle reliably and in relative comfort. Now that much of the inner cities have been rebuilt after the earthquake damages, roads widened, and parking space integrated in city planning, is there still a real need for these kinds of cars? We shall find out…

Right in 1955 the smallest car on Letaran roads made its debut, the Aero Zipp. Although officially classified as a ‘city car’, the popular designation soon became ‘micro car’ - the first ever of its kind. The Base model was the cheapest city car on the market and was the only budget city car offering in this era. And it was truly bare-bones: basic interior, no radio and a tiny 0.4L I3 propelled the car to a blistering 71 km/h, making it the slowest car on Letaran roads. It really had no creature comforts and was miserable to drive, having the lowest comfort and the lowest drivability rating of any car on the road. At least it was good on gas, one of the cheapest offerings in terms of long-term upkeep (but not the cheapest due to the difficulty of working in such a small body), and easy to park… Overall, though, the car was just too bare-bones, too uncomfortable, too impractical with only two seats that it never really caught on as a serious contender. Although slightly faster, better to drive, and more comfortable, the Premium model suffered much the same fate.

Also released in 1955 were the Resuki Tabi 900B and 1300D. Compared to the Aero, you got a lot more car here for just a little more money: full 2+3 seating, a radio in both trims (basic and standard, respectively), standard interior, and a larger, more powerful engine that propelled the cars to safe highway speeds. The Resuki cars were also good looking: cute yet stylish with well-thought out chrome accents in the appropriate places and a distinctive grille. The premium interior in the 1300D was particularly attractive as it was the cheapest car with such an interior on the market, and could be had well within “standard” pricing. The 900B had decent comfort for the class and the 1300D was outright good, easily rivalling more expensive and larger cars. Long-term upkeep for both was also quite reasonable and both had excellent reliability, and both were among the easiest to drive cars in all of Letara. So it is easy to see why the Resukis were a major success in this segment, and remained strong sellers throughout their production run.

The final city car released in 1955 was the Knightwick Dragonfly Saloon. Price-wise, the Knightwick slotted in between the two Resuki models. Overall, the Knightwick seemed a little outdated with its looks, ladder frame (all others thus far were unibodies), and solid rear axle (all others had fully independent suspension on all four corners). More forward thinking was the 4-speed gearbox, however. Overall, the car was quite average, with decent drivability, reliability, and comfort. It was not quite as practical as the Resuki cars with only 4 full seats. But that was not really a problem, because its main market turned out to be older, mostly retired, buyers who preferred the more traditional (older) looks of the car. With the kids out of the house, they didn’t really need all the seats - four were enough to ferry around some grand-kids if necessary. Due to a bad fuel economy, long-term upkeep was quite expensive for the class, but as long driving was kept to a minimum this cost could be minimized somewhat. So while not an outright huge sales success, the Knightwick did find a niche, and was relatively successful in it.

Introduced one year later, the Knightwick Harris 1500 was a slightly more upscale offering than the Dragonfly. It had more stylish chrome on the outside, a nice two-tone paint job, and a more premium interior. The Harris was also more comfortable, even a little more than the 1300D, was a little better to drive, and it was the most prestigious city car too. Of all the city cars on the market thus far, it is also the first one with enough ‘oomph’ to make it a relatively comfortable tourer for longer inter-city trips. Younger buyers were equally unsure about its dated looks and engineering, but pensioners who didn’t lose their investments in the economic crash, or had good secure pensions, and wanted a more comfortable and capable city car opted for the Harris 1500.

Released in 1958, the Resuki Tabi 1500S was introduced to the market. At first glance, it seemed a direct competitor to the Knightwick cars, in an attempt to lure the older buyers into the more modern cars. Similar to the Knightwick offerings, and in contrast to the other Resuki cars, the 1500S had 4 full seats. It retained the premium interior of the 1300D, also on par with the Harris 1500, but thanks to a more sporty suspension tune its overall comfort was slightly lower. Yes, indeed, looking at the performance is where it becomes clear that it is not really a competitor of the Knightwick. It is something new altogether. The Tabi 1500S is a small and nimble car, perhaps best classified as ‘city-sports’. It had really good acceleration, only beaten by true sports cars, good top speed, good handling. Yes, this car truly bridged the gap between ‘city’ and ‘sports’. Perhaps a little extravagant given the economy of Letara at this time, but it was still quite a tempting offering for younger buyers who didn’t yet have a family, had a decent job in the city, and wanted to feel a little bit of excitement. So in the end the Tabi 1500S didn’t see too many sales, it was a little too niche - but whomever bought it was a very satisfied customer indeed!

Three more city cars were released in 1959. First was the last addition to the Aero Zipp line, the Convertible. This car was very similar to its sibling micro cars: small anemic engine, lack of any kind of performance, lack of comfort, hard to drive… ok, no need to hammer this poor little car any more. The Convertible was in an unfortunate situation that it tried to fill a non-existent need in the market that its earlier siblings already tried to fill, and at an unattractive price to boot.

The other two cars were the KHI 1325 and KHI 1325 Luxe. These cars were at complete opposite ends of the city car segment; the 1325 was almost the cheapest on offer, and the 1325 Luxe the most expensive. In fact, the latter was the only ‘premium’ offering in terms of purchase price, with an upkeep to match. Both were on slightly dated ladder frames and had solid rear axles. Interestingly - and uniquely - both were wagons with 2/3 seating, making them the most practical city cars. The 1325 had a standard interior with standard radio and the Luxe model had a premium interior with a class-exclusive phonograph! The Luxe was also the only city car with an automatic gearbox. So while built on the same platform and in the same segment, they were truly catering to a different market. The 1325, aiming for the lower end of the city market immediately captured a large portion of buyers. Its low price combined with superb practicality, good comfort for the price and overall good stats, it was a very appealing prospect for anyone wanting a decent car to haul their family and a large amount of luggage. Although a city car, this niche had at this point not been filled yet even in the ‘wagon’ segment, so sales were brisk. The Luxe, on the other hand, was trying to extend the city segment into the ‘premium’ realm. It was by far the most expensive city car, but it offered comfort not seen even in more expensive family cars, and combined it with really good practicality and cargo space. Its Achilles heel was its performance and reliability. In this class the consumers would expect to at least make 100 km/h, yet, the Luxe came just short. And the car became known for frequent issues as the advanced interior electronics tended to fail. So it was on paper an interesting proposal, in practice however it came at the wrong time, and never became as popular as it’s cheaper sibling.

…to be continued…

cake_ape · 11 December 2022 23:18

Rd. 2 RESULTS

Chapter 4: Consumer car segment 1955-1963 - family cars pt. 1

Left to right: Popas Rushba 1500-4S II @Mikonp7, Mara Irena 1.3 SK @AndiD, Anhultz 1000 R3 @Elizipeazie, Suma M311 Selecta @Banana_Soule, Anhultz 1000 R3 Comfort, Stellar Saloon, Stellar Trekker @donutsnail, Suma M311 Sintapa, Suma M311 Sheriff, Kamaka Destiny 1800 Sedan @LS_Swapped_Rx-7, Niichi Kinema K10 Standard @MisterRocketMan, Mitsushita Kuruan 2000 GX @conan, Swanson 217BF @Ludvig

Larger than city cars, family cars promise to offer more space for passengers and cargo alike. Their larger size should allow for longer distance travel in at least some comfort. More utilitarian cars are ideal as daily drivers for the common folk as well as for family vacations, while the most expensive side of the segment caters to the opulent tastes of the rich. This is a wide segment with a lot of cars to choose from. In this first part we will look at the cheaper side of the segment.

First on the market - perhaps unsurprisingly - were the Anhultz 1000 R3 and R3 Comfort. These were basically updated and reworked versions of the R2 offered since 1952, itself an updated version of the R1 that saw daylight in 1946. Needless to say, it is a little dated. It’s four-corner independent suspension once might’ve seemed forward-thinking, now it was simply the norm in this segment. Its looks were also barely updated. As such, it fell into the same trap as the Knighwick: it was well-suited to the older generation hunkering for the “good old days” when the economy wasn’t just this bad… but the younger generation wanted something fresh, something forward looking, something exuding optimism. That said, both the Anhulz cars were well priced and their upkeep was cheap - cheaper than most city cars even. They didn’t have many creature comforts; both had a basic interior, and the Comfort model added a basic radio, but that was about it for the five potential occupants of the car. Comfort was barely acceptable, the cars weren’t overly easy to drive, and they were slow. Here, you definitely got what you paid for. So it was mostly picked up by pensioners who could not afford a Knightwick, or absolutely needed the full rear bench.

The other two cars in this segment in 1955 were the Stellar Saloon and Stellar Trekker. Priced just a hair higher than the Anhultz cars, they were still pretty cheap - cheaper still than the Knightwick Dragonfly in any case. With a fresher look than the Anhultz, the Stellar cars captured the younger generation’s attention better. Especially the two-tone paint job on the side of the car appealed to many. So, these two cars were priced almost identically, had the same standard/basic radio interior with 2/3 seating, same engine, nearly the same comfort and drivability… so where was the difference? Well, the Trekker was an offroad version. It featured a ridiculously high lifted suspension and offroad tires, but surprisingly no offroad skid tray to round out its capabilities. It had better offroad capability than the Saloon model to be sure, but it fell long behind cars that fully embraced the offroad lifestyle - so it was considered a half-hearted attempt that fell a little flat. The Saloon however did manage to hit the nail on the head, so to speak. For its price it was relatively capable, relatively comfortable, relatively roomy compared to city cars, had a fresh look, and the OHC engine even left something to talk about amongst techie-youngsters (who mostly tried to pretend or ignore the fact that it had a ladder frame). So initially the Stellar Saloon proved to be a moderate success.

Released in 1956, the Swanson 217BF entered the market with great fanfare as the first ‘hatchback’ of the era; although that is a bit of loose terminology used for advertising purposes. This car too had an older appearance, but had modern engineering under the skin with a monocoque chassis, full independent suspension, and a boxer engine with DaOHC head. The rear of the car even looked a little retro-modern in this era, but that then didn’t really carry to the front. In any case, in terms of looks it was a little bit of an oddball that people either loved or hated. In any case, this was a relatively expensive car, bordering on the ‘premium’ segment. Yet, it only has a basic interior and basic radio, which is well below par for this price range. Comfort was well below the Stellars, and much below the slightly more expensive lower end of the premium segment. So overall, it simply didn’t offer enough for its nearly premium price tag - something it could’ve perhaps overcome if it had the looks, but most people were swayed more by the forward-thinking looks of the Stellar.

After a brief drought in the segment, five new cars were introduced in 1960. First up is the Popas Rushba 1500-4S II. Perhaps a bit of a mouthful, but where the company spent its money in lettering, it saved somewhere else because this was the cheapest family car on offer during this entire era. Well… cheap to buy that is. Upkeep is a whole other story. A story that best fit a ‘premium’ car, not a cheap, basic family sedan. So in the given state of the economy, it might have been able to fool some early buyers into a purchase, and the cheap purchase price might even have made them overlook the paltry comfort of the car or its dismal drivability… yes, for those who just needed a cheap family car now, they bought a Popas. Only to regret it shortly thereafter when they were again driving to the pump or an oil change.

The three Suma M311 siblings took to the market in the same year. The three trims were the Selecta - the base trim with a smaller engine that slotted nicely between the two Anhultz cars, the Sintapa with its slightly larger engine and detachable top, and the Sheriff also with the larger engine and a bit more offroad-oriented set-up. All cars have a locking differential, but only the Sheriff gets an offroad skid tray and all-terrain tires. These car’s chassis is also a bit of an anomaly in this segment: they have a light truck monocoque chassis, which is a bit of an odd choice. Are these meant to be light trucks? Or offroaders with their locking diffs? Or simple family sedans? Whatever they were mean to be, they were a bit of an oddity in many ways. At least their looks were appealing - fairly modern and pleasing to the eye. As for their other characteristics, they were all three hard to drive only ‘beaten’ (if that is the right word here) by the Popsas in terms of how difficult they were to handle. They were not particularly economic in the long run either. The Selecta and Sintapa were slightly better off-road than most others in this segment, so they did have a use in the more remote areas of the country, but they were not that popular in the better developed areas. The Sheriff, however, had very decent off-road capability indeed, and basically became the competitor of the Popas Rushba 1500-5S-4 II for those who wanted an off-roady sedan rather than a wagon.

The last entry to the market in 1960 was the Niichi Kinema K10 Standard. This was another relatively modern looking car, although a little more bland than the Stellars, despite being priced quite a bit higher. But for this price you did get a nice monocoque chassis, full independent suspension, and a standard interior. Of note is also the class-exclusive aluminium head engine (albeing only a push-rod design). But alu heads were only seen on the KHI cars thus far, and overall were quite rare still. So if you had one of these cars, there was plenty to talk about at the water cooler. But did you want to get one of these? Well, priced between the Suma and Swanson, both in terms of upfront cost and long-term upkeep, it did have better comfort than either, but not quite as good as the Stellar cars. In terms of capability and drivability it was decent. Maybe not quite as nimble as some of its rivals, but it was certainly fast in a straight line. Indeed, in 1960 this was the cheapest way to get yourself over 140 km/h (unless you bought a train ticket for the new super-speed passenger train between Lerance and Storia, of course). So overall the Niichi was not an overwhelming success, but due to its strong points and bragging rights, it did sell in decent numbers for one year - especially among young who could not afford a sports car, but wanted that outright top speed. Its only rival in that regard was the Tabi 1500S, but for any young person thinking about eventually establishing a family, the Niichi was more future proof.

Introduced in 1962, the Kamaka Destiny 1800 Sedan slotted in-between the Suma cars and the Niichi. It also had nice modern styling and an interesting forward-looking safety feature: a third center brake light! Its engineering was a little more traditional though, with a ladder chassis and solid rear axle. Combined with a standard/standard interior, its 2/3 seating was not overly comfortable. It was pretty decent to drive, however, and oh boy was it sporty! It immediately let you know too with a nice rumble from its tubular headers. And it simply blew by the Niichi with its top speed in excess of 157 km/h! Yes, it could be said that this was the only true budget-friendly sports-family-sedan on the market. As such, it quickly displaced the enthusiasm for the Niichi. Especially the new-found optimism as the economy started to turn around, the Kamaka seems to have entered the market at the right time and found a new niche to fill. So sales were pretty strong as it took significant market share of away from the Niichi and Resuki both. It could never compete with the true sports cars of course, but for those with a family who still wanted a little excitement, this was their car.

Also introduced in 1962 was the Mitsushita Kuruan 2000 GX. This entry slotted in between the Niichi and Swanson in many ways. It had a galvanized monocoque chassis (step up from the Niichi), fully independent suspension that wasn’t quite as nice as the Swanson’s, a fully standard/standard interior (nicer than the Swanson)… the list goes on. Where the Mitsushita had bragging rights was the front disk brakes, a class first. Interestingly, in terms of statistics, it was almost identical to the Niichi. They had an identical 0-100 time of 16.63 s (yes, to the 100th of a second!), the top speed was just 2 km/h apart (141 vs 143 km/h), they had basically the same comfort, drivability, practicality… everything. But the Mitsushita did look more refined, better fitting its slightly higher price tag. So it could be said that the entry of the Kamaka killed the Niichi, the Mitsushita finished it off… because anyone who didn’t want the crazy performance of the Kamaka, but wanted something slightly more comfortable, got a Mitsushita instead. It was a tight market indeed in the upper standard-family segment!

Last to be introduced, in 1963, was the Mara Irena 1.3 SK. The Mara completely avoided the ongoing battle in the upper echelon of the ‘standard family’ segment, and went for the jugular of the lower tier. It slotted in just above the Popas, but below the Anhultz 1000 R3. So it was cheap to buy. Not quite as cheap to maintain, but cheap to buy. It was relatively modern in this lower end of the segment with a monocoque chassis, and did have a standard interior with standard radio, which was a step-up for anyone on this (cheap) side of the segment. Given its price point, it was still a pretty capable car that could reach highway speeds today rather than tomorrow, had decent comfort (compared to its nearest rivals that is), was easy to drive (again, compared to its nearest rivals)… So overall, not a bad car. Its looks were rather bland, but modern enough, which suited buyers just fine. Given the slow upturn in the economy, the people who were without any transportation in the last few years were clawing themselves out of complete destitution, and the Mara was one of the newer offerings they could turn to for their first car. As such, it became a bit of a symbol among people who had nothing, but were beginning to have something, and sales slowly picked up as the economy improved and people emerged from the gutters.

…to be continued…

cake_ape · 12 December 2022 07:17

Rd. 2 RESULTS

Chapter 5: Consumer car segment 1955-1963 - family cars pt. 2

Left to right: Niichi Kinema K10 Deluxe @MisterRocketMan, Mitsushita Kuruan 2600X @conan, P&A Paceman Flat4 2000 @lotto77, Liberty Phoenix @FidleDo, Capital Emissary @Prium, Benetsch Gwesda 31 Fiest @Texaslav, Swanson 225 PO @Ludvig, P&A Paceman Flat4 2000H, Swanson 225SPC, Torshalla Naktergal DL @Maverick74, Liberty New Yorker, Torshalla Naktergal SL, Torshalla Naktergal Cabriolet, Capital Emissary Signature Special, IA Ariete, IA Ariete S @Admiral_Obvious, Vizzuri Laonda Special @Aruna, and Wolfe Chupacabra 500 LE @karhgath

Stepping up to the more expensive side of the family segment we get into the premium and luxury sedans, convertiblesand even some coupes and a hatchback. These cars come with a higher price tag than the cars we’ve seen so far, and shoud offer more comfort and more prestige. This is a rather large field vying for top spot in a dwindling market, so only the best of the best can rise to the top! Let’s see how each of them did…

Of the 18(!) cars in this segment, half were released right away in 1955. The cheapest of them (but still more expensive than anything we’ve covered so far) was the P&A Paceman Flat4 2000, and just a tad more expensive was the Liberty Phoenix. These two cars were duking it out in the ‘lower end of the premium market’, if we indulge in further dividing this large segment of cars. In other words, both of these cars were vying for top spot in the upper middle-class. The what you might rightfully ask? Yes, the market segment hit the hardest by the current recession. So which car was better for the few buyers still remaining in this economic bracket? Well, the P&A was a little better at being a normal family car with 2/3 seats compared to the more premium 2/2 seating of the Liberty. The P&A was a regular size sedan, whereas the Liberty was a long barge-like American coupe-sedan. The P&A had a premium/premium interior and medium compound tires, and the Liberty had a sports/premium interior and was on sports tires. The P&A had a 2L boxer 4 engine in the rear, the Liberty had a 4L V8 in the front. The P&A had a normal 2-barrel carburettor, the Liberty had twin Webbers. The P&A ran on regular leaded gasoline, the Liberty on premium leaded. Both cars were pretty fast, but the Liberty was almost blisteringly fast, especially considering its weight and size. However, the P&A was a lot more comfortable and a lot easier to drive than the Liberty. So this was a very long-winded way to say that the Liberty was really a large land-yacht that pretended to be a nimble sports sedan, and the P&A was actually the smaller, yet more practical family car with more sensible engineering choices for the segment. The Liberty’s comfort that was on par with the Anhultz 1000 R3 was simply deemed inexcusable at this price range and for this size of car. To add more to the misery of the Liberty, it’s long-term upkeep costs were quite simply astronomical - more than 1.5 times that of the P&A and rivalling some of the most expensive luxury sports cars. The only thing going for it was its top speed and its good looks (yes, it was pretty though!) - but you could get that in a much cheaper sports car too. So, the P&A seemed the only sensible choice in this segment at the time, and those still hanging on in the upper middle-class were seen proudly driving around in one, even if the car looked a little bland for the class.

The next car up was the P&A Paceman Flat4 2000 H, basically a more prestigious sibling of the ‘regular’ P&A discussed above. It still retains the 2/3 seats, but has a luxury interior with luxury radio. It has the same engine, so with the added weight it’s a little slower, but not slow by any means. It is also more prestigious and comfortable; in fact the most comfortable of any car seen thus far. No wonder, price wise it’s almost in the luxury segment, basically in that fuzzy middle-ground between premium and luxury. In any case, it did enough to distinguish itself from its stablemate, and snagged a few sales from people who could afford it, but being in this no-man’s land meant that it did not capture the imagination of the rich, luxury market. So overall, it was the car that lured P&A customers into the show room, but they mostly left with the 2000 - without the H.

Next are four cars that have very similar price tags at the bottom of the ‘luxury’ segment, yet they all offer very different things. The three Torshalla Naktergal cars (DL, SL, and Cabriolet), and the Liberty New Yorker sandwiched between the DL and SL in price. The Torshalla cars look good and all - quite luxurious even, but the general public can’t help but wonder whether Torshalla borrowed some ideas from the P&A Sportsman by any chance? In any case, a good looking car, but the little outdated styling did hurt it in a segment where looking different - and looking new and fresh is a major bonus. The doors on the DL and SL were certainly quirky and unique, actually, opening toward each other. But this led to some unfortunate accidents with the doors banging into each other and chipping the paint, so over time this quirk of the car became a bit of a deterrent. That out of the way… the DL was certainly the most family oriented with 2/3 seating, premium interior and phonograph. It was an extremely comfortable car, only beaten by one other car in Letara during this whole era - the New Yorker right next to it in price! The performance of the DL was not the best, however, being edged out by many cheaper ‘premium’ options - but for a comfortable ride, it was acceptable. It was also a very easy car to drive thanks to front-wheel drive similar to the Stellar cars. This car would’ve done exceptionally well if it were not for its real rival:

the Liberty New Yorker. We already saw that the Liberty Phoenix was a little bit of a dud with abysmal comfort. Well, the New Yorker made up for this in spades, and became known as the most comfortable car money can buy in Letara in this era. Sitting in this 2/2 seater with its hand-made interior and being lulled to sleep by sweet notes from its phonograph, you could really feel like you were floating on a cloud. This car was propelled by a much more sensible large I6 delivery smooth power. The car had decent performance too for its size and weight. Noting as insane as the Phoneix, but just enough what you’d expect from a barge like this. Due to its size it was not the easiest to drive, but that hardly mattered: one would buy this car to sit in the rear seat and sip champagne rather than drive it yourself. Indeed, this car had the right amount of prestige and comfort to sway the upper echelons to trade in their Wraith Montezumas and Benetsch Buhries for the New Yorker, and continue to ride in opulent luxury. And all that at a “reasonable” price too!

Now, back to the Torshalla SL and Cabriolet. Well, the SL’s interior was a more sporty 2/2 seat arrangement with sports interior and luxury radio, a more sporty engine tune, and wire wheels, so it was clearly aiming for the more sports-sedan market. It was certainly faster than the DL, but still clearly beaten by cheaper options in the premium family or sports market. With its front-wheel drive it was also not feeling particularly sporty, but it was very easy to drive. The question remained, where was the market for this car? It was expensive, sure, but didn’t quite stand out in any way from the crowd to make the luxury buyer look at it more seriously. The Cabriolet, on the other hand had a trick up its sleeve. Namely, that it was a… cabriolet! Otherwise it was basically the same car as the DL. But simply by the virtue of it being an open top with great comfort, it did manage to sway some buyers away from the New Yorker, so it was not a complete sales disaster in the end.

The last two and most expensive family cars released in 1955 were the Immortale Automotive Ariete and Ariete S. These rather expensive, gaudy American-inspired barges were very similar in every way: ladder frame, aluminium panels, 2/2 seating, hand-made interior with luxury radio, 3.2L V8… the main difference was that the Ariete had four doors, whereas the Aeriete S had two doors and a removable top. For the class and their size both were woefully under-powered, making them slow lumbering beasts. Their comfort was not particularly good either in this class and this price point, on par with the Torshalla SL, but handsomely beaten by the other two Torshalla cars and of course the New Yorker. These cars had one major selling point: their gaudy and over-the-top looks with the screaming paint and wings. If you drove these cars, everyone knew you were showing off. And that has fallen out of favour a little bit. So with few other redeeming qualities, the IA Ariete cars never really took off, although the convertible still managed to sell some copies, which were mostly restricted to touring around the rich dachas near Fiegheni so only their rich neighbours would see them…

In 1956 the Capital Emissary was released on the market. Price-wise, it slotted in right above the Liberty Phoenix, so still in the lower echelons of the ‘luxury’ market. It had a slightly older, more conservative look, but was very nicely detailed with tasteful touches. And it wasn’t that outdated by any means, just made one remember the good old times. It was a relatively comfortable car, rivalling the Naktergal SL and Ariete. Yes, I did say that those were lacking a little in comfort, but they are also $5,000 and $15,000 more expensive, and don’t have 2/3 seating. So all considered, and compared to its rivals the Liberty Phoenix and P&A Paceman, it had very much good comfort. With its 4.1L I6 it also had good performance, although real performance number were a little misleading. Which brings us to the main downfall of the Emissary: it shipped with radial tires! Yes, this meant that every buyer had to pay up for a tire change even before driving off the lot. And this is when they found out that the performance, handling, and comfort they were promised, was a little bit of a mirage. The car was still pretty good, don’t get us wrong, but it was a little let-down, and consumer couldn’t feel but a little bit misled. But those that managed to look past this issue, did get a decent car in the end. In this segment, however, not many were that forgiving…

Released in the same year, the Swanson 225PO slotted in between the Capital Emissary and the P&A Paceman ‘with the H’. The Swanson was firmly in the ‘premium’ category with its 2/2 seating, premium interior and premium radio, and OHO! It’s a gorgeous cabriolet! Again with a little outdated looks perhaps and a slightly weird rear end, but this one had more stylish chrome cues than its cheaper 217BF sibling. Its two-tone paint job was also a lot more attractive, although over time some started comparing it to bowling shoes. Otherwise, the 225PO was an average car for the segment, with average performance, comfort, decent drivability and upkeep. Its main selling point was that it was the cheapest convertible on the market at the time, so if you wanted one, and could afford it (and not more), then this is what you got. So it was a very small market, but for now, the 225PO had it all to itself.

In the same year its sibling, the 225SPC was also released. This was a covered top hatchback style, similar to the 217BF, but with three doors instead of five, and 2/2 seats instead of 2/3. It had a slightly hotter tuned engine too, a sports interior with premium radio, and sports tires. Yes, this car had some pretty serious performance. In fact, it was so good, that it was almost seen as a true sports car, but fell just a tiny bit short. Just like how its price tag was on the brink of being in the ‘luxury’ category, but was still classified as ‘premium’. It - perhaps accidentally - hit just a sweet spot of being between many categories, including sports, premium sedan, luxury sedan, family sport. As such, it attracted some attention from every direction. It wasn’t quite enough to make it an overwhelming success, but combined with its sibling the 225PO, they did bring bring people into the Swanson dealership, and a decent number still left the showroom in the first couple of years. But the old-ish looks of the models did age them quickly, which was a death sentence in the long run in this segment.

Jumping to back to the more expensive side of the ‘luxury’ market, we get the 1958 Vizzuri Laonda Special. Now this, this car was a looker! It sure didn’t mince its words when it announced proudly what it was! Although it was not a giant by any means (‘only’ a 2.7 m wheelbase), it looked bigger and more imposing than it really was. The looks were certainly in your face, but less gaudy than the IA Ariete cars, so its buyers didn’t have to be self-conscious as much. In any case, it was expensive. Thus far the most expensive car indeed, although its upkeep was not as proportionally high as its purchase price. Surprisingly, it only had a luxury interior and luxury radio, which seemed a little less prestigious, and felt less comfortable than the cheaper cars with their hand-made interiors and phonographs. Indeed, this was not an outright comfortable car. It didn’t need to be. It had a large 4.7L V8 in the front, ultra-modern DOHC heads bringing air and fuel into the engine, big tubular headers on the other end letting gases out… this was a performance machine, backed up by its superb 8.5s 0-100 time and 214 km/h top speed. Indeed, it beat any sports car in the ‘standard’ and even ‘premium sports’ category - only the ‘luxury sports’ cars managed to beat this monster. Given its size, it was not the most nimble, and was not the easiest to handle, but again, it didn’t need to be. It already had its bragging rights, which the luxury buyers very much appreciated. As soon as it hit the market, it took away any market share the Torshalla Naktergal SL still had, and effectively split the luxury market into the ‘comfort-loving’ people buying a New Yorker, and the ‘speed-loving’ crowd buying a Vizzuri.

And then came 1959, and the most expensive luxury family car on the market in this era, the Wolfe Chupacabra 500LE. Only one car managed to be more expensive than this one in the entire market, but that one will have to wait till a future review chapter. So, what was the Wolfe all about? It had the characteristic ‘Wolfe’ styling of course, immediately exuding an aura of luxury and prestige. It had 2/2 seating and as could be expected at this price point, a hand-made interior and phonograph. It was a quite heavy car, and had class-exclusive disk brakes on all four corners, so stopping this behemoth was not an issue. Powering this car was an 8.2L V12; not quite as sophisticated as the powerplant in the Vizzuri, but arguably smoother and easier to control in a way. But it still had a nice grunt through its tubular header, not belying its slightly sporty aspirations. Performance was excellent in the class too with a 10.5s 0-100 time and a top speed over 200 km/h. This was no slouch. Comfort was, naturally, most excellent, and prestige was second to none. Indeed, the Wolfe Chupacabra 500LE was the worthy successor of the Wraith Montezuma, and as such, saw brisk sales among the elite of Letara.

Introduced in 1960, the Niichi Kinema K10 Deluxe entered the market at the complete opposite end of the ‘luxury family’ market. Almost classified as a ‘standard’ entry, it neatly straddled the gap between the segments. It was truly more family oriented with 2/3 seating and premium/premium interior. It more or less entered the market as a direct competitor to the Swanson 217BF and the P&A Paceman. Instead of the other two’s boxer engines, the Niichi had an I4. It had a more modern alu head, but with slightly more dated OHV construction rather than the OHC of the other two. Performance and comfort wise, it eclipsed the cheaper Swanson, and was on-par with the more expensive Paceman. So it did just what it needed to do to take away sales from both its 4 and 5 year-old rivals, making it the most successful car in its own (barely existent) category.

The Benetsch Gwesda 31 Fierst was also introduced in 1960. Unlike the Niichi, the ** Benetsche squarely aimed for the center of the ‘luxury family’ segment, slotting in between the Capital Emissary and the Swanson 225PO. So it certainly had its work cut out if it wanted to carve out a niche in this already over-saturated market segment. First off, this car was a looker. It had its traditional Benetsch styling cues, but modernized and refreshed. This 2/2 seater car had luxury interior and premium radio, roughly on par with its competitors. Its fully aluminium, 3.1L 90-degree V6 engine was certainly an interesting engine and utterly unique in the family segment, which gave its owners many bragging rights. So did the four disk brakes. Otherwise its performance was decent among its closest rivals, comfort and prestige were a little better, but not too significant. So it came down to its looks and the engineering. And in that aspect, it delivered in spades. Although the market in this segment was still shrinking day by day, it did manage to displace its rivals, and achieve a modicum of sales success and a lot of envy from people who could not afford one.

Capital released its second trim, the Emissary Signature Special in 1961. This car aimed for the top of the luxury market, unlike its cheaper sibling. Slotting in right above the *Torshalla cars, it was still quite a bit cheaper than the IA Ariete cars, keeping it well away from the ‘truly exclusive’ luxury cars. Interestingly, this car also came with 2/3 seating, and also a luxury/luxury interior similar to its sibling. So considering this car was $6,000 more expensive than its stable sibling, where did all the cost come from, one might’ve asked? It’s quite simple, really: in contrast to its sibling’s 4.1L I6, the Signature Special was fitted with a sporty-tuned 4.4L 60-degree V8. Another interesting engine choice clearly showing the manufacturer’s willingness to experiment in this era. What else can be said about this car? Well, not much, given that this car also shipped with radial tires. So even though on paper its performance was good, comfort and handling decent, consumers who did buy it reported that the car could not really live up to expectations. That said, the weird engine did manage to lure some buyers who had the spare money and wanted something quirky and weird in the garage.

Last to arrive on the ‘family’ scene was the Mitsushita Kuruan 2600 EX. The Mitsushita aimed also for the lower end of the ‘premium family’ segment, slotting in right beside the Niichi Kinema K10 Deluxe. For this price, the Mitsushita offered nice modern looks, 2/3 premium seats and a premium radio, disk front brakes. It had a larger I6 engine than the Niichi’s I4, but performance-wise the two could hardly be separated - with perhaps a slight edge for the Mitsushita. Similarly, they had very similar comfort. The Mitsushita did have better prestige and drivability. So in the end, while not a hugely exiting entry in the segment, it did manage to carve out sales from Niichi’s (admittedly tiny) pie, especially now when the economy seems to be in a small upswing and people are becoming a little more hopeful again.

…to be continued…

Knugcab · 12 December 2022 08:10

Seems like there was maybe too much of an optimism for a recovering economy with the new government in 1955, oversaturating the market when it went even more downhill. Nice writeup!

cake_ape · 13 December 2022 17:52

Rd. 2 RESULTS

Chapter 6: the Lerance Raceway opens - 1959

Letarans were of course well-aware of the construction of the new Lerance Raceway between Lerance Airport and the capital. Many were employed as construction workers, and the site is easily visible from - even integrated with - the main highway. Given the five year hiatus between the last Portunis Cannonball Run and the opening of the Lerance Raceway, people were hungry for auto racing to resume in Letara.

So, in 1959, after several years of construction, the new Letara Raceway finally opened with much fanfare. Three classes of races were proposed: a street-legal class, and two race-car specific classes - one for under 2.5L engine capacity, and one unlimited class.

The crowds gathered on opening day to see all the new teams and their shiny cars lined up on the main straight. It had a real car show and carnival atmosphere. There was even a small ferris wheel set up near the go-cart track!

Of course, the teams had to undergo scrutineering before they were allowed to race. Unfortunately, some cars were found to be in breach of entry rules, or had misplaced documentation, which led to a few cars being sent home - much to the chagrin of the fans they already amassed in a short time. The remaining cars were officially announced and lined up for group photos before testing began in earnest.

As it turned out, the street-legal class only had four remaining legal entries, which was too few to have its own race. Looking at the options and predicted lap times, it was decided to combine the sub-2.5L race class and the street-legal class. Lap times were sufficiently similar that these two classes combined should result in good tight racing - and of course also provide a good comparison between the tried-and-true cross-ply tires and the new experimental radials…

R1 and Street Class

Street-legal group (left 4): Mons 356-esque @cake_ape, KHI 1325 Swift @doot, AMCW Scout Family Cargo Race Truck @Madrias, Kessel Sperling Race Car @GassTiresandOil.
Sub-2.5L group (right row, top to botton): Torshalla Griffin @Maverick74, Saeta 2000 @Petakabras, Mara Companion R1 @AndiD, P&A Raceman PR3 @lotto77, Aero Zipp Racing-Spec @Edsel, Knightwick k40 Roadster @mart1n2005, Swanson LR159 @Ludvig, Kamaka Haste Proto @LS_Swapped_Rx-7

Looking at initial testing results, it seems that there are several groupings of cars. The first is the “5:15-ish pace league”. The outright fastest car in this combined class is the Saeta, although its reliability is a little below average, so it remains to be seen how well it can actually finish races. It’s also not as nice to drive as others, so it’s harder to really get all the performance out of the car. The Kamaka is only a tiny fraction slower on paper, but has slightly better reliability. In terms of user-friendliness, it is a bit of a wash. A fraction slower is the Swanson. This car is much easier to drive and more reliable, so if it can keep up, it should have a decent chance at a victory too. So we predict that these three competitors will be taking the races out fast, but to capitalize on their speed they will need to watch that reliability and not push too hard.

Next in raw speed is the “5:26-ish pace league”. Here we see the first street-legal entry, the Mons. It is a little ways back in pace - about 10 seconds a lap slower than the top three, and it is about level on ease-of-driving and reliability. So for it to have a realistic chance, it will have to hope for a retirement from the top three and at the same time be able to finish the race itself. The P&A is nearly as fast at the Mons, but has abysmal reliability in comparison. Although it should be easier to extract more performance from this car, it’ll really have to hope to finish a race in one piece.

With that we get to the slower half of the field - cars that only have a realistic chance to make a podium if others ahead crash or break down.The fastest of the “5:40-5:50-ish pace league” is the Mara. It is on raw pace a good 13 seconds per lap slower than the P&A. It’s not particularly easy to drive, but it has absolutely bomb-proof reliability and should have no issues finishing any race. A further 8 seconds back is the Torshalla - this is a pretty easy to drive car with good reliability. Considering how easy it is to extract the most out of this car, we can expect it to even keep up with the Mara on a good day. Coming in another 4 seconds slower is the second road-legal car, the Kessel. Similar to the previous two, it has superb reliability. Perhaps not that easy to drive, it should still have a very good chance at finishing races.

Then there is the “over 6-minutes to nearly 7-minutes” league, also known as the moving chicanes. In decreasing pace they are the Knightwick, the AMCW, the Aero, and the KHI. One would think that these cars would shine in reliability and/or ease of driving, but you’d be mistaken. The KHI is slightly above average in reliability, but is not that easy to handle. The others are below average reliability, with especially the Knightwick a let-down. In terms of drivability, the Aero especially is a major let-down, so it’ll be hard for the driver to extract whatever little pace the car has. All that to say, we do not expect major fireworks from these cars.

R2 Class

Left to right: Garland Collins Superlight @ChemaTheMexican, Popas Rezak (Secret Prototype) @Mikonp7, Zephorus Racing Design Silver Thunder '59 @Riley, Rhania Hunter Type-C @happyfireballman, Daniloski KimiQuattrro Racer @MrdjaNikolen, Vizzuri Drago @Aruna, Vaughn Torpedo Coupe de Lerance @Knugcab, Benetsch Gwesda GBK “Klinoplan” @Texaslav, Mocabey Mulsanne @SheikhMansour, Wolfe Racing 460 @karhgath

The initial testing results also allowed the R2 class to be subdivided into several loose leagues. First, there is the “sub-5 minute to just over 5 minute pace league”. The fastest - on paper- car is the Zephorus. It is a small, light, and nimble car with slightly above average reliability, and is fantastically easy to drive too allowing the driver to extract the most out of the car. So it will certainly be hard to beat! Slightly slower is the Wolfe, a chopped down version of a large coupe. Not only is it fast, but it has decent reliability too. It is just very hard to handle, so actual performance will depend on the driver’s skill and mindset. The third car is the Benetsch. Although a good 4 seconds per lap slower than the Wolfe, it does have superb (best in class) reliability, and is nearly as easy to handle as the Zephorus. So in any circumstance the Benetsch should be a solid contender for race wins too. Although the Mocabey can’t claim a sub-5 minute test time, it nearly does so, and rightfully belongs to this top group. It has very solid reliability, but is the hardest to handle from all of these cars. So while it should still keep the slower cars at bay, and is a solid contender for the podium places on pace alone, it does have to have some luck to be able to snag the top spot.

The next group of cars is in the “5:17-5:30 pace league”. Taking top honours here is the Vaughn. Sitting at nearly 15 seconds a lap behind the Mocabey, it is additionally plagued by below-average reliability and poor drivability; it’ll be a tough fight for the driver to maintain relevance in the races. Only a second slower, the Vizzuri is perhaps a little bit of a let-down. It certainly brings the race car looks, and has the pedigree, but in this series their pace seems a little faltering. That said, its reliability is absolutely second-to-none, and it is easy to drive, so perhaps it does have a good chance at a strong finish if the top cars encounter some issues along the way. A further 4 seconds back is the Garland. Another racecar that is lacking some pace… but in this case it’s also lacking reliability and is hard to drive to boot, so the bookies have given it slim odds for a good result. Last here is the Daniloski. Perhaps not surprising that a family wagon is pretty slow. At least it has decent reliability, but is not that easy to drive… perhaps it would’ve been better suited to the “street-legal” class after all…

Last we get to the “over 6-minutes pace league”. These two cars are over 30-seconds per lap slower than even the Daniloski. The honour of “not the slowest car” goes to the Rhania, with a time just over 6 minutes per lap. Given that it is a bulky SUV, perhaps this car would’ve also done better in the “street-legal” class, but here it is in the R2. In any case, it has miserable reliability, so its slow running should only hinder lapping cars only so long before it retires due to a malfunction. The slowest car - another 6 seconds per lap back - is the Popas. Given its sporty looks we had to make sure that the numbers were correct - but they are. This car is just… slow. And also unreliable. And hard to handle. So if you feel lucky and go with the 1:2000 odds, place your bets on the Popas, the bookies are waiting!

…to be continued…

cake_ape · 14 December 2022 04:41

Rd. 2 RESULTS

Chapter 7: Park Ranger - 1955

Left to right: Vizzuri National AT02-G @Aruna, Canadian Heavy Industries O636J “Chieftain” @benjamintamilia, Martinet Crapaud Ranger @Ch_Flash, Bolland GPCTC @donutsnail, KHI 1325 G @doot, Liberty Service Wagon @FidleDo, Kessel Otzelhauser Sperling @GassTiresandOil, Rhania Hunter Type-M @happyfireballman, Vausse Julius @IDK158, DWA Woodsman 4x4 @karhgath, VCV Rural B44 @Knugcab, Swanson AUV-25 B4G @Ludvig, Torshalla Industrial Tegal @Maverick74, Popas Bukhanka Panel Van Offroad II 5-Seater @Mikonp7, Kolondra 3000 Gov.Edition @MrdjaNikolen, Saeta Albor Viajante 4T @Petakabras, Fitz C90 L @Prium, Resuki Yotoi 2400U [Custom] @Repti, Zephorus Hokkaidō @Riley, Mocabey Oreamnos @SheikhMansour, Fadiga Ariete VMG @TanksAreTryhards, Capable Wayfarer @Vento.

After major reforestation efforts around Mt. Modred, and in an effort to bolster tourism in the area and to preserve nature, the Government of Letara was well on the way to establishing its first National Park in 1955. Of course, a National Park needs its own little army to maintain peace, patrol the campgrounds and fine unruly tourists, provide aid when needed and even conduct rescue operations, manage wildlife, and many many other tasks. For this, the rangers need capable vehicles that can traverse the rough terrain of the park, be capable enough to tow stuck road cars, haul large wildlife in relocation efforts, and act as an off-road ambulance during medical rescues. In order to secure a fleet of such vehicles, the Government put out a Call for Proposals to see what solutions the various car manufacturers could come up with to solve their problem.

In total, the Government received 22 proposals. The Procurement Office carefully vetted them for compliance before handing the portfolio over to the Internal Affairs - Natural Environment office. During the vetting process, four proposals were deemed to be in breach of the RFP’s stated requirement, and were dismissed out of hand (see bins).

The 18 remaining Proposals were forwarded to the Internal Affairs - Natural Environment office where each was evaluated by Junior staff. Their task is to narrow the proposals down to the top six. These, then, will be evaluated in detail by the Senior Officers as well as the new Park Management Committee.

Here are some exerpts from the Junior staff’s notes (ooc: in alphabetical order of user name)

Vizzuri - Slightly above price and upkeep, but very capable. No real weak points, although the moderate-high brake fade could be an issue on descents. We’ll send this one up.

Canadian Heavy Industries - Average price and upkeep. Decent stats, except for abysmal comfort. Nobody could sit in this all day. Won’t send up.

Bolland - Relatively cheap units to buy, but upkeep overwhelmingly the cheapest of any car - which is almost impossible to ignore. Solid capability overall. Leaded fuel not ideal for an “environmentally friendly” image. We’ll send this one up.

KHI - Average price to buy, but slightly better than average upkeep. Ok stats, but really bad comfort. Another car you don’t wan to spend considerable time in. Too weak, too slow, and not good off-road capability. Leaded fuel. Won’t send up.

Liberty - Slightly above average to buy, but very expensive on maintain due to high fuel consumption and high service costs. Stats are average, but off-road capability is lacking. Gearing isn’t the best for off-road either, and the brake fade is a bit of a concern. Won’t send up.

Kessel - Slightly below average price and upkeep, which is nice to see. But not the greatest comfort, and off-road capability could be better. 38% brake fade is unacceptable, however. Leaded fuel. Won’t send up.

DWA - A little on the expensive side to buy, and even more to maintain. Off-road capability could be better, as could be its gearing. It’s overall stats bring it close, but not quite over the line - won’t send up.

VCV - Expensive to buy, even more expensive to maintain. This car’s strength is its safety. Off-road could be better. Slightly concerning brake-fade. Won’t send up.

Swanson - Quite cheap to buy, and very cheap maintenance. Again, almost impossible to ignore. But both comfort and off-road capability are poor. Under-powered. Won’t send up.

Torshalla - Slightly above average to buy, but average to maintain. Poor comfort, OK off-road capability, but very high brake fade is concerning. Won’t send up.

Popas - Extremely cheap to buy and below average maintenance costs. Comfort is unacceptable or even a wooden stool, and otherwise average numbers. Except for 50% brake fade. Leaded fuel. Won’t send up.

Kolondra - From the cheapest to the most expensive car on the list… and also by far the most expensive to maintain. Lowest off-road capability and unacceptable 36% brake fade. Won’t send up.

Saeta - Slightly above average purchase price, slightly below average maintenance. Consistent, but below average stats, except low off-road capability and not the best gearing. Won’t send up.

Resuki - Average price to buy, pretty cheap to maintain. Average stats across the board except low off-road. Too feeble and light, and too under-powered to be of use as a rescue vehicle. Won’t send up.

Zephorus - Average price, but fairly expensive to maintain. Very good stats all-round, however. Could be better geared, has some brake-fade, and uses high-octane leaded gas. But the stats are strong enough to give it more consideration - will send up.

Mocabey - Average price to buy, and a little over average to maintain. Very comfortable and above average off-road capability. Strong contender overall - will send up.

Fadiga - Cheap to buy, but average to maintain. Very strong stats with highest off-road of the field. No clear weaknesses aside from slightly low comfort. Minor brake-fade issues could be possible here. Will send up.

Capable - Average costs all-round and overall strong stats without major defisits. Shows some brake-fade and comfort could be better. Will send up.

…to be continued…

GassTiresandOil · 14 December 2022 06:05

Wow, 38% brake fade! I just checked my file to make sure and, there it was. Don’t know how I let that one go. Mine probably wouldn’t have won regardless, judging by some of the other entries. Can’t wait to see who wins!

Texaslav · 14 December 2022 07:23

BENETSCH AT LERANCE

May 1959

Benetsch racing engineer Karl Selic stands behind the wall in the Lerance pits, watching the unsightly Klinoplan bolide rack up laps. The wheel covers added by the team a day prior were providing dividends: Though heavier, the car now ran 6 mph faster - and got up there sooner, meaning its full speed was realized and brought to bear on the track’s back straight.

A mechanic walks up, quick and worried - prompting Karl to turn to him with a raised eyebrow.

Jonas Schmidt: It’s a code JK, Boss. They’ve parked and are headed this way.

Karl: Both of them? Well, that’s my ass. Look busy or some-- No, actually, just disappear. Get outta here.

Code JK… That means Josip Benetsch and Klaas Benetsch. The majority owner and CEO, respectively, of all Benetsch - and Father and Son. To see the both of them, especially the 77-year-old elder, in a foreign country is extremely unusual - and worrying. Then again, Lerance is set to be the first leg of the R2-class tournament, and Karl’s been quartered here since opening day - so at least one of the two was bound to turn up at some point.

Selic steeled himself. Assigned to the racing engineering team two years ago to investigate dedicated track racing after years of the company’s indifference to the idea, he was tasked with creating the first viable Benetsch track car… but was paradoxically limited to the company’s existing models as bases. The resulting GBK seemed to be coming out well, but it was one unusual setup.

Klaas: Ah, Hr. Schmidt! Just the man we were looking for. My father and I have been touring our final-assembly facility and, well, the track was on the way to the airport. Figured I could check up your progress.

A dirty lie! Benetsch Sr. has been anxious by the continuing economic downturn in Letara, with his old and austere mind lamenting the possible losses the new plant could bring; Benetsch Jr. was thus compelled to visit Lerance, which is in the opposite direction fro mthe airport in comparison to the Benetsch plant, to calm his father.

Karl: …Alright, that can be arranged. We have the prototype running laps as we speak, I’ll have them bring him in.

Karl orders his marshal to signal the test driver to pit; the executives talk over the car while they wait for it to actually appear.

Josip: The last I have heard from my son, this vehicle does not follow the corporate edict that all new engine blocks be built from aluminum. What is the reason for that?

Karl: We cast an aluminum block for the test car at first. It didn’t last long because of a bad aluminum batch going around at the time. The fact is, Sir, that the aluminum supply is barely good enough for civilian Benetsch engines; I give it at least four years before it’s good enough to use in a race engine. We’ve been using a single cast-iron block the whole time since the aluminum one failed, so I can personally vouch for its dependability.

Klaas: But can you vouch for it to carry its own weight? I want a car that wins, not one that loses flawlessly.

Karl: Seven liters. Four-ten horsepower. It’s got what it takes and more.We are hitting three hundred kilometers on the back straight. But if you were worried about speed, maybe you should have given us leave to build a dedicated cha–

Klaas: Excuse me? Are you saying your team isn’t capable of optimizing a Gwesda well enough? We have the most slippery body on the market, with the lowest center of gravity and most rigidity you could ask for. You would scrap it for a backbone with a bit of weight loss, in an unlimited class?

That ferocity and that deadly glare would take anybody aback. Though standing two-thirds of a foot below his stately father at 5’ 7", Klaas is no less a commander, pressing on with his way forward. In this particular instance, he isn’t wrong: an overly light car but one less rigid or aerodynamic would not fare as well at Lerance or at most any other track built recently, with high speed in vogue. Talking to somebody else, Karl would retort that he could make a new body that beats the civilian Gwesda; but he shall remain silent this time.

Klaas: And besides, the race car is supposed to help us sell. And sell big, mind you, not just in the limited numbers we’d get if we did it the other way and made a road car out of a race prototype. We can’t have it looking like a Vizzuri.

Josip: Back to the subject at hand. My son asked you if it performs; taking aside your petulant grievances with the body choice, does it?

Karl: As of today, our lap times are around the top for class R2 - third, to be exact. If things continue as they do, we’ll be finishing on the podium every single time.

Josip: And who is it, Hr. Selic, that makes you say ‘podium’ instead of ‘cup’?

Karl: Experience. That, and the little Zephorus scamp over there.

He motions to the Zeph. pits: the tiny gray car is just sitting there, silent. Josip, with his single good eye, can’t make heads or tails of just how small it is; Klaas has an easier time.

Klaas: Dear God, that can’t have a wheel base any larger than eighty inches. Is it one of those mid-engined stories where there’s nothing inside but an engine and a triple amputee?

Karl: That or thereabouts. They have more power, but also it seems like they have more drag. Still, beats us by four seconds and breaks more often is my summary. It’s a toss-up.

Josip: I did not miss that you were third in fastest times, not second. Explain.

Karl: Oh, that would be a Wolfe race car. It’s not very stable; so there was an occasion where they pretty much matched the Zephorus car for speed, but there was another one where they almost lost a driver after the car ejected itself off the main straight going backwards. Call me cocky, but I wouldn’t worry too much.

Klaas: What about our car? I’d assume your apparently reliable boat anchor makes it quite spinny, as well.

Karl: Oh, you’d be surprised. Camber fixeth all things. It’s pretty easy to drive. And speak of the devil…

Klaas: Uh-huh, and I’m a squirrel. Let me see.

The bastardized Gwesda pulls into the pits. The driver, Max Hulos exits to greet the two founders - only to be flabbergasted as Klaas walks past him, gets into the car, and peels off to set some laps of his own.

Josip: Many alcohols advertised on that car. Can I get a bottle of each for when that little shit crashes?

Karl: No, but there’s beer on tap.

Josip: That is a start…

To be continued

doot · 14 December 2022 16:11

In late 1959, the four lead designers of the 1325 were given an award by the company for making the first successful Korean automobile export.

In March of 1962, each manufacturer received the following letter. It came in a simple white envelope, sealed by Kim Heavy Industries. It was simply addressed to their public address, intended for the CEO… though it’s hard to say if it ever got that far.

cake_ape · 15 December 2022 07:38

Rd. 2 RESULTS

Chapter 8: Consumer car segment 1955-1963 - wagons and SUVs

Left to right wagons: Popas Rushba 1500-5S II @Mikonp7, Mara Irena 1.3 UR @AndiD, Stellar Personal Bus @donutsnail, Liberty Familia @FidleDo, Niichi Kinema K10 Estate @MisterRocketMan, Capable Wayfarer C @Vento, Kessel Sperling A/M @GassTiresandOil, Mitsushita Kuruan 2600 DX Wagon @conan, P&A Paceman Flat 4 2000 HW @lotto77, Kolondra 3000 and Daniloski KimiQuattro Consumer @MrdjaNikolen
Left to right SUVs: VCV Rural B24 and VCV Rural B44 @Knugcab, Rhania Hunter Type-S @happyfireballman

Moving to a more utilitarian segment: the family wagon and SUV. These cars should equally be capable of moving the entire family as the regular family car, and additionally should also be able to carry all of their luggage and them some to whatever far off destination. Usually wagons are also more rugged, more utilitarian, and perhaps even a little more off-road capable than their sedan counter parts. In this era we’re also seeing the first true SUVs, which are even more capable to take on any terrain that Letara throws at them - are these the ideal cars to take on vacation to the new National Park?

Right off the bat, eight cars were released in 1955. The cheapest of them all was the Stellar Personal Bus. Well, this is awkward… the Stellar was neither a wagon, nor an SUV. In fact, it was a ‘people mover’. The only one of its kind in Letara, so this was the best segment to lump it into. And what a weird one it was too! It seated seven adults, but not in a usual configuration. It had a single drivers seat in the first row, and two full benches behind. It was certainly a little unusual. Access to the rear rows was a little awkward with access either through the front doors, or the rear, but the car did not have side doors for the passenger rows. In any case, the car was quite good looking, just like its siblings; it certainly looked more expensive than it was. With its standard interior and basic radio it had just enough amenities to be reasonable comfortable too. It was very easy to drive with FWD, and had decent reliability. What was lacking, however, was speed. But who needs speed in the city, right? So the Stellar became a staple of Taxi companies in the larger cities and served successfully as a fleet vehicle.

Next was the Liberty Familia. This boat of a wagon, with a total length of nearly 5.5 m, was one of the longest cars on Letaran roads. Truly a monster, but a good looking at that! This car, too, had a slightly unusual seating with a 2/3/2 pattern, necessitated by a narrow gap between the rear wheels for the third row. Despite being able to also transport seven adults, this car was more geared toward families. Upkeep costs made this hard to drive car out of fleet use. Despite a large size, it was not very comfortable either. But it was the only option for large families that wanted to haul half the household with them on vacation - as long as they went to well-developed areas, because this behemoth could hardly clear a speed bump. So overall not a very successful car in Letara, because if you really need to haul the whole family and all of their gear you got the…

VCV Rural B24. Sure, it was a tiny bit more expensive than the Liberty, but it was cheaper in the long run. And for this price you got a full size SUV with 2/3/3 seating (one more!), even more cargo space, more offroad capability, more comfort, better overall performance, better reliability, and an easier car to drive to boot! What about its rival in the ‘family’ segment? Sure the Stellar Trekker was a bit cheaper - especially the maintenance was a big difference, and a little more comfortable. But whoever could afford it, the VCV just offered that much more room to haul everybody and everything to everywhere. So what was there not to like? Well, it looked dated. Quite dated in fact, especially with its drab brown paint. But, nobody bought this car to be hip. People bought this car to be practical. One more drawback was that it ran on unleaded gas, but had no leeway for bad batches built-in - so taking it to rural areas was a little risky perhaps or could affect reliability. Unless your mechanic friend could detune the engine for you. And so it can be said that the first SUV on Letaran roads was well-received by those few who needed it, and could look past its flaws. With the opening of the National Park and outdoorsy recreation activities slowly gaining popularity, so did sales of the VCV slowly climb, almost defying the worsening economy in the early years of its run.

The Capabe Wayfarer, also released in 1955, cost exactly the same as the VCV Rural B24 to buy, but buyers were still cautious due to its high maintenance costs. Also it looks were just a little… unorthodox. Too much so for most Letarans, and frankly, not many could look past the haphazard design. In any case, it was a solidly off-road oriented 2/3 seater wagon with a premium interior and standard radio. It had absolutely superb off-road prowess, that nobody could deny. It was pretty hard to drive, though, but that could be expected from a pure off-roader. Same could be said for its comfort rating. So in the end, its only bragging right was its off-road capability. Letarans who wanted the best of the best off-road experience had a dilemma… buy a slightly less capable car and modify it (e.g., buy a VCV and a lift kit), or buy the Capable and strip off the bodywork to use the platform only and rebuild a shell around it that is less offensive to the senses? Most chose the former…

Slightly moving up-market into the ‘premium’ category, we got the VCV Rural B44. Adding a 4x4 drivetrain, clutched diff, shorter 4-speed gearbox, slightly raised suspension, off-road skid plate, and A/T tires, this was certainly a lot more off-road oriented out of the box. As such, it had nearly identical statistics as the B24, with its strengths and weaknesses. Was the premium price over the B24 worth it though? Only for those who wanted a more serious off-road adventure. So the B44 did get an avid following in the offroad circles, it never saw the same general popularity as the B24.

Still in 1955, but moving to the upper echelon of the ‘premium’ market, we got the P&A Paceman Flat 4 2000 HW. This car had 2/3 luxury seating and a luxury radio. It was very comfortable indeed for a wagon, rivalling some of the more expensive premium sedans. It was not very fast, and being on the relatively smaller side of the ‘wagon’ segment, it couldn’t carry as much as its rivals. But it did look pretty good. It was basically a no-nonsense, solid family wagon that just got the job done. This was certainly appreciated by Letarans. The main issue with the P&A was that it was a solidly premium offering. And well, the problem was that there were not many premium wagon buying families in Letara at this time. So those few upper-middle class buyers who needed a wagon for their family holidays were very happy with their new P&A Paceman… HW.

Slightly more expensive was the Kolondra 3000. Another solidly ‘premium’ wagon, but with an even more solidly ‘luxury’ maintenance cost. However, for all this expense you only got a 2/3 seat standard interior and premium radio - a major step down from the P&A. So where did the money go? Well, you did get a clutched diff and a relatively powerful 3L I6, and almost sportscar-like acceleration and top speed. Unfortunately the looks of the car did not match its sporty aspirations, so that left Letarans a little confused. Was it some sleeper wagon perhaps? It was just a little confusing. Whatever it was, it just didn’t catch on as the market was already small in this segment, and people preferred the cheaper, more comfortable, and more practical P&A.

Getting to the last wagon of 1955, the most expensive was the Daniloski KimiQuattro Consumer. What we had here was basically the earlier street version of the Daniloski race car that was entered in the R2 class a few years later. It has the same engine, and an insane amount of power for a wagon. But first we need to talk about price. This car cost more than the Ariete S and only a little less than the Vizzuri Laonda Special. In terms up upkeep, however, it eclipsed even the Wolfe Chupacabra, and could only be ‘outdone’ by the most outlandish sports cars. In other words, it was solidly in ‘luxury’ territory and some. It did have a luxury interior, but only a premium radio, however. It was not really comfortable for its price bracket, nor was it any good really at anything, except to go fast. Yes, going back to its speed. With its 6.2L V8 it managed a top speed of 228 km/h and 0-100 in 7.3 s, which could only be matched by better race cars - no sedan managed to get these figures. So, this would be classified as the first true sports wagon. But again… with its bland looks that was identical as the Kolondra. That made no sense to Letarans. Neither did the whole concept of a sleeper-super-sport-family-wagon-with-a-wooden-roof-rack. So aside from a few rich eccentrics, the Daniloski never sold many units.

After a few years hiatus, the Kessel Sperling A/M was introduced in 1959. It came with a premium price tag, just over the Capable and VCV Rural B24*. It had 2/3 premium seats, and had a premium radio. It was a well-rounded vehicle in the upper ‘standard’ market, with solid road characteristics but also a good amount of off-road capability with its 4x4 drivetrain, locking differential, and A/T tires. In fact, it was as good off-road as the VCV Rural B44, which is quite a feat for this wagon. Not only that, but it was more comfortable too! It did lack some of the VCV’s loading space, and of course the third row of seats, but if you didn’t quite need such a large vehicle, this was a very solid contender. It had a very nice modern look too, which swayed people toward it even more. So while the VCV was still popular, the Kessel really put a dent in its sales as it carved out a significant portion of the off-road wagon market.

The following year two cars were released. The cheaper of the two was the Popas Rushba 1500-5S-4 II. In fact, this was the third cheapest car on Letaran roads to buy, and the cheapest family wagon. However, it was very expensive to maintain long-term, which diminished people’s enthusiasm for it significantly. Trying to ride on its previous popularity as the “off-road wagon” of the 50s, the Popas once again sported a 4x4 drive train, locking differential, off-road undertray, and A/T tires. But in the end, it was very clear that Popas was just trying to sell a slightly updated version of the old Popas. While still relatively capable off-road, other manufacturers have caught up and even surpassed the Popas. Its engine was by now sorely lacking, with the car not even making 100 km/h. And while the first Popas was received so warmly, now it just felt stale and outdated. So despite the love and admiration that the last Popas received, this one was only bought by those who couldn’t afford anything else, but needed an off-road capable wagon now. And even they regretted their decision once the high long-term costs became apparent…

The more expensive car introduced in 1960 was the Niichi Kinema K10 Estate. A relatively small and light wagon, it was pretty modern and stylish. It was pretty cheap in the long term, which certainly did not go unnoticed by Letarans. The standard interior with 2/3 seating and standard radio was… standard in this segment. Otherwise, everything else was just good common sense in this car. It had an engine that was capable of making the car move at a good pace, its comfort levels were adequate, for its size it could haul just enough luggage or cargo, it was decently reliable and easy to drive. It just got on and did everything it needed to do without complaining. At a pretty good price too. As such, it filled that niche of the ‘sensible and cheap’ family wagon that the Stellar and Liberty couldn’t quite fill, so it was an immediate success among wagon buyers. It even managed to get into the fleet market, joining the Stellar as a smaller, but perhaps more practical option - at least in terms of getting in and out of the vehicle.

Released in 1962, the Mitsushita Kuruan 2600 DX Wagon - what a mouthful - entered as a bridge between the ‘standard’ and ‘premium’ price range. It had 2/3/+3 standard seats and standard radio, making it the only wagon with jumper seats in the third row. It had a nice modern and fresh look and some modern touches, such as a rear windshield wiper. Similar to the Niichi, this too was simply a sensible family wagon that did what it needed to do, nothing more, nothing less. However, its downfall was that it did not do any of it any significantly better than the Niichi, despite the more premium price tag. The Mitsushita’s main advantage was its third row of seating, but that was not quite enough to persuade people toward it considering a $5,000 price difference between the two. So the Mitsushita could have been a very solid contender in the market, if it didn’t have the unfortunate ‘pleasure’ of following in Niichi’s footsteps.

The Mara Irena 1.3 UR was released in 1963. It was the second ‘budget’ wagon next to the Popas. It was slightly unfortunate that it got released into a slightly recovering economy, but there was still significant interest in budget offerings. Price-wise, it competed well with the Popas, especially when factoring in the long-term upkeep. It too had 2/3 seats with standard quality and a basic radio. In contrast it was not an off-road oriented car, but more of a sensible cheap family wagon that still could get to every town and village in Letara if needed. Aside form pure off-road prowess, it did do everything better than the Popas, and had nicer, more modern looks too. Sure it was a little bland, but that’s to be expected at this price point. So overall, it was also a car that got the job done, just like the Niichi and Mitsushita. The Mara, however, had enough separation from the Niichi that the two didn’t really interfere in each other’s market share - and the Mara became a successful wagon for those who were still struggling and just getting their feet under them - a similar story as the Mara Irena 1.3 SK experienced.

Also introduced in 1963 was the Rhania Hunter Type-S. This was the third SUV in Letara, so expectations were high. The Rhania was priced at a ‘luxury’ level, between the Kolondra and Daniloski (or slightly above the Capital Emissary if we compare to the family segment). Its maintenance was quite reasonable, which was nice to see for a more utilitarian vehicle. It had 2/+2 seating, premium interior and a standard radio - perhaps a little below what one would expect at this price range. Other than that, it had all the bells and whistles of an offroader: 4x4 drive-train, locking differential, skid tray, A/T tires - and a nice touch, all-round disk brakes. One “bell and whistle” it was missing, however, was a pair of tail lights. Without this, the car was not road legal. So this necessitated buyers to fit an after-market light to the vehicle before driving off the lot - which at this price point many were not willing to put up with. With its 3.5L I6 it had really good performance too: 8.2 s 0-100 km/h and 190 km/h top speed. That is race-car level performance from an off-roading SUV. It had - not surprisingly - good off-road capability. However, comfort at this price range was well below acceptable for Letarans. So in the end, the Rhania just didn’t manage to capture many hearts, only making some sales among the rich who only bought one to “be different” from their neighbours that had a Wolfe or Vizzuri, or some exotic sports car on their driveways.

…to be continued…

Knugcab · 15 December 2022 08:10

I am not sure that I agree about the VCV looking dated for 1955 (for the end of this era, sure). Body is based on mid 50s Ford trucks and I don’t think fixture works are backdating it either. Now, this is by no way personal criticism, you’re doing a great job. Just a matter of agree to disagree, I guess.

cake_ape · 15 December 2022 08:24

You’re right of course, irl it wouldn’t look very dated for '55. But here I’m comparing to and commenting in context of the other submissions and Letaran tastes that are shaped by the submissions. Many were quite forward thinking in design if seen through an irl lense, but perhaps that’s just how design evolves in the Letara universe?

Knugcab · 15 December 2022 09:03

Fair point, and I can also understand that in this era a passenger car based wagon, which it after all competes with, was generally way more stylish than truck based offerings.

Knugcab · 15 December 2022 18:36

A HUGE CAMPAIGN ON LETARAN BILLBOARDS
APRIL-MAY OF 1959

FidleDo · 15 December 2022 20:57

A later article from a same investment journal

LIBERTY CORP FACES TROUBLE IN LETARAN MARKET

The sales report for Liberty Corp. has recently been released to investors, and many are concerned about the future of Liberty Corp… The report shows that while sales for the 1955 line-up have been doing decent in the states, the same cannot be said for the sales in the Letaran Market. It shows that sales for the Familia are far lower than the previous generation, and the Phoenix having incredibly low sales. A representative blamed the low sales of the Phoenix and Familia on “the idiocy of [their] engineers”, stating that “the Phoenix was not built well enough for the sports market”. When asked about the Racing project, he stated that “this only proves the idiocy of our engineers. They managed break a basic regulation for the tier the car was placed in”

Regarding the Liberty New Yorker, experts were surprised with the success of the car, with it achieving higher sales than predicted. It could mean that Liberty could shift further towards the premium market. “We too are surprised to see the New Yorker succeed in such a dark market” the representative stated. “Our plan of boosting the Liberty brand’s more luxurios reputation has worked out. We hope we can continue to move up the market with our future projects”.

Distributed by Gold Investment, 1959

In the office (Lore)

Peterson looked at the sales report for the Phoenix. He’s too old to deal with this. “I want all engineers that worked on the Phoenix in my office! NOW!”. He saw the engineers rush into his office, each with a concerned look on their faces. They all sat down. They all knew what was about to happen. “It was four years ago I saw each of you in my office” he said. “I believe we all know why your are here”. He looked at every face of each engineer.

One got up from his seat. “Sir, we are so sor-”

“DON’T YOU EVER INTERRUPT ME”. He swiftly sat back down. “The sales report for the Liberty Phoenix just came in. It was a complete failure all over the world. The car isn’t even classified as a sports car. That’s how bad of car you made.” The room filled with silence. He looked at the engineers, the ones who made a mistake of a car.

The same engineer stood back up. “We are sorry. We tried our best and failed. We didn’t have the right resources to create an innovative sports car.”

“If that’s the best you can make, then clearly you don’t know how to make a car.” The engineer sat back down, again. “All of you are fired. I want all of you to get out of my office immediately, to pack up of all of your belongings in this office, and for the sake of every car company in the world, to never enter an office and get a job again. Do you understand?” All of the engineers nodded and followed his orders.

cake_ape · 17 December 2022 06:14

Rd. 2 RESULTS

Chapter 9: Consumer car segment 1955-1963 - utility

Left to right: Mara Irena 1.3 TR, @AndiD, Kessel K-15 @GassTiresandOil, VCV Enforcer B20 @Knugcab, Capable Lugger @Vento, Rhania Hunter Typer-T @happyfireballman, Garland Vanstar @ChemaTheMexican, KHI 1325 H @doot, Garland L200-B, Capable Lugger P, AMCW Scout Family Cargo, AMCW Scout Family Cargo Deluxe @Madrias, Immortale Automotive Ariete UCV @Admiral_Obvious, AMCW Scout Family Cargo Redline, Vizzuri Laonda Vantaggio @Aruna

The utility segment: these cars are designed to haul goods small and large, from inner cities to farm fields and everything inbetween. Open pickups to haul stuff that can get wet, and vans for things that can not. Some are made for paved roads only, some are made to go anywhere where goods need to be moved. A segment so neglected in the previous decade, let’s see if the modern crop picked up (no pun intended) the slack and if Letarans can finally move all of their goods around?

The cheapest utility car released in 1955 was the VCV Enforcer B20. This was truly a no-nonsense work vehicle. For its price and upkeep it was a large pick-up truck that could haul a serious amount of stuff in the bed. Where it lacked a little in the capability department was its open differential, RWD drivetrain, relatively weak brakes, and gearing wasn’t really set up for hauling. So while it could haul a lot of volume, it was not really recommended to haul a lot of weight because loaded up it was a little on the anemic side. Nevertheless, it was still one of the most capable and reliable trucks on the market. Good thing too about that base reliability, because it did get a hit every time a bad batch of fuel was encountered. In the cab it had a basic bench seat and no entertainment. Its comfort rating was so abysmal that it could really only be used for short stints. So it was really not a vehicle that could be considered as a daily driver or family vehicle - but it sold quite well among farmers who just needed to haul their hay bales and what not around the farm. Having to detune the engine was a drag though, but with their tractor-fixing skills most managed out of necessity.

A little more expensive was the Capable Lugger. Where the Enforcer catered to the pure working crowd, the Lugger was in a sense the complete opposite. It was smaller, sure, but still had a full bench in the cab. This one, however, was of standard quality and also had a standard radio. Although it had a smaller engine than the Enforcer, it was tuned a lot more sporty, propelling the Lugger 0-100 km/h under 12 seconds, and had a top speed of 155 km/h. At this price point you could not get a sportier truck. With its locking differential, 4x4 drivetrain, and A/T tires it was also very capable in the muck. So it could be said that it was the first true performance-offroad truck. It just looked so… well, not good. Letarans were already familiar with Capable’s… unusual… styling choices, but this was over the top even for them. And although the truck was very capable, few - the hard-core performance chasers who couldn’t afford something more expensive and better looking - could overlook its looks.

Jumping up a little in price, the KHI 1325 H hearkened back to the previous era’s utility market: this was a small city-sized truck in every way. Short wheelbase, tiny bed, two basic seats, basic radio, uncomfortable, and very slow due to its gearing - meaning it was not really safe to use on the highway. Well, it did have a locking differential, A/T tires, and an off-road skid tray, but it is doubtful that it ever got to use these in the inner city where it belonged. Letarans mostly shunned this little pick-up as it didn’t really fulfill their needs, and also reminded them of the days when these were the only options available. However, it did find a small market share specifically where small trucks were needed, such as lugging parts and components around large factories.

Moving quite a lot up in price to the upper echelons of the ‘premium’ market, there was the IA Ariete UCV. It was just as yellow and just as over-the-top as its Ariete siblings, but here in pick-up format. It was a low-slung and long beast and looked more like a regular car - even almost a sports car - than a capable truck. Although much larger than trucks generally offered in the last decade, this still looked too much like a car-based utility vehicle, which made some Letarans cautious. In any case, this truck also had a bench front seat. Surprisingly at this price point, it was only of standard quality, and so was the radio, which was a let-down and in stark contrast to the hand-made interiors in the other Arietes. Despite having a V8, it was not a large unit, and the car was a little anemic when it came to performance. Belying its low ride-height, it could tackle some mild terrain thanks to its all-terrain tires, and wouldn’t get damaged thanks to its skid tray. Looking at the overall package though, Letarans weren’t convinced. It was expensive - too expensive for what it offered, especially in this economy.

Letarans had to wait three years until the next utility vehicles came on the market. First, the stable mates Garland Vanstar and Garland L200-B. The Vanstar was an immediate success for one simple reason: this was the first full-size consumer van available in the country, ever! It didn’t even matter how it was, it had an entire niche to itself. Was it cheap? No not particularly. Was it comfortable? With its two basic seats and basic radio, it was barely acceptable. But it had a proper utility suspension set-up and proper utility brakes, had a proper utility gearbox, and had plenty of oomph to get going and keep going on the highway all day long. So not only was it filling a vacuum in the car market, it did it exceptionally well too! Even though it was probably out of the price range of common Letarans, any business worth something - and had something worth transporting in a covered van anywhere, any time, had to have one of these. As for the L200-B, it was a similar story. Slightly more up-market, but not much more in price, this one had standard seats and a standard radio, which increased comfort tremendously. Otherwise, it was similarly well made as the Vanstar with all the proper touches, making it a very capable truck indeed. It could even haul nearly as much as the Enforcer. But its price did hold it back a little - in this recession most still could only afford the cheaper Enforcer, but those who could afford one, did opt for the L200-B. One thing to mention about both of these, that did chagrin their buyers: neither came with a proper brake light, and an after-market unit had to be custom installed adding even more cost to the price of the vehicles. But, despite it annoying their buyers, their capability did manage to mostly overcome this issue.

Also released in 1958 was the Vizzuri Laonda Vantaggio. This was another low-slung truck that more resembled a sports car - but this time it had reason to do so! It was basically a chopped down version of a sports car! It had a monocoque chassis and fully independent suspension on all four corners. It had a large and powerful V8, and a sporty autolocking differential. And it was fast! Proper sports-car fast with a 0-100 km/h time of 7.8 s, and a top speed in excess of 200 km/h! Oh, and it looked mean. Very futuristic and stylish too, like a proper luxury vehicle. The premium interior with two bucket seats and premium radio was perhaps a bit of a let-down at this price point, but regardless the truck was the most comfortable on the market by a long shot - again, rivalling some premium sports cars. Well, this was certainly something unique on the market, something that stands out both in terms of overall looks and also just for what it is. As such, it did find a decent amount of luxury car buyers who wanted to stand out from the crowd. Especially among the “young-rich” who didn’t have to think about families yet, and were probably not yet as rich as the more established elite (in other words, couldn’t afford the most expensive sports cars or a Chupacabra) this two-seater was a unique enough proposition to persuade them to get one.

Introduced in 1959, the Kessel K-15 was at the polar opposite of the price bracket to the Laonda. It was thus far the cheapest option to get a truck. It was a modern-looking medium size truck also based on a car chassis with a unibody construction; however it did have two solid axles. The Kessel became a direct competitor of the Capable Lugger. This car too was a sporty-offroad type, with almost identical on-road performance as the Lugger. With its more road-oriented auto-locker it didn’t quite match up in off-road capability, but it was still quite capable with its A/T tires and lifted suspension. Although it fell a little behind in some areas to the Lugger, it was cheaper and looked so much better too. So while it could not compete in the true truck world, it did displace the Lugger once and for all in the cheap and sporty truck category.

This same year the Capable Lugger P was introduced. It might strike one as curious why the Kessel was compared to the Lugger and not the Lugger P. The reason is that the Lugger P was much more expensive, and with its premium interior and premium radio it was a closer rival of the Garland L200-B than its cheaper sibling or the Kessel. But how did the Lugger P stack up then? Well, true to form it was also a very fast truck, and overall had the same equipment on board. But, despite being a lot more expensive than its cheaper sibling, it was in fact less comfortable, less off-road capable, less reliable, and even a little harder to drive. It was a true enigma what Capable was thinking when they released this car, and Letarans would have none of it.

Moving up higher in the market, and also released in 1959, were the two AMCW trucks, the Scout Family Cargo and the Scout Family Cargo Redline. Now these were certainly something new and unique in the utility segment! They were the only trucks (or vans for that matter) to offer a second row of seats in a 2/3 arrangement. This meant that, for the first time, people could buy a utility vehicle that could also serve as the main family vehicle. It was not just a work vehicle anymore. This opened many new possibilities. Now, neither of these were cheap by any means. The regular version was solidly priced as a ‘premium’ vehicle, despite only having a basic interior and basic radio. The Redline was priced outright as a ‘luxury’ vehicle, and had a standard/standard interior. So yes, they were certainly on the pricey side. Especially because they didn’t offer much comfort - the regular Cargo even quite miserable for long trips. But, despite not-ideal gearing and brakes, they could still haul quite an impressive amount of stuff, making them suitable work-vehicles. The Cargo became quite a successful vehicle, for the simple fact that it was considered two vehicles in one: people didn’t have to buy a work truck and a family sedan when they could just buy a Scout. The Redline, however, became that vehicle that draws the crowds in, but it is not what leaves the showroom. It was aiming to be a fast sports truck with its large V8 engine and sporty performance. However, the Vizzuri did this just so much better - both on Sunday and on Monday.

Two year later the AMCW Scout Family Cargo Deluxe was introduced. This stable-sibling of the previous two split the difference in price between the two. However, it did offer a premium interior and premium radio, had a much more proper suspension, brake, and gearing set-up for a utility vehicle, and was significantly more comfortable than either. Even with its automatic gear box it had decent off-road capability, better than its siblings in any case. Its main rival was in fact the Ariete, but the Scout was overall a better vehicle. However, we all know how the Ariete did, and the Scout fell into the same pricing trap. As a consolation, because of its dual-purpose capability, it did do better especially in the later years as the economy picked up again and slowly people started looking away from the base Scout and instead started flirting with the Deluxe.

Released in 1963, the Mara Irena 1.3 TR came in at the very bottom of the utility market. It was a seriously cheap car with a very cheap maintenance bill as well. In fact, it was the only one in the entire segment that could be classified as ‘budget’. The Mara was a relatively small vehicle based off a unibody car. And it was the second - and last - van in Letara introduced in this era. Up until now the inner city deliveries still had to be done with previous era’s small vans, and finally there was a replacement! So almost by default the Mara van became a success, zipping around the streets of Lerance and Storia. But was it actually good, or was it just the only one? Well, it had a decent engine. The car was not fast, but just fast enough not to be a hazard. It had surprising comfort with a standard 2-seat interior, but had no radio. It was superbly reliable too as one would expect from a basic vehicle. So yes, it did deserve to replace last generation’s small delivery vans.

And last on the market was the Rhania Hunter Type-T. Price-wise this car slotted in just above the Capable Lugger, and was a very similar vehicle in many ways. It was not much of a looker (just like the Lugger), and had aspirations of being an offroad-truck. It certainly had most the equipment: a 4x4 drivetrain, locking diff, skid tray. But for some reason only utility tires - giant ones at that on tiny 12" rims. Unfortunately its brakes left it either spinning, or they simply cooked. The car’s engine seemed to have some interesting choices as well making it a bit of a mix of eco and performance components, and had a power peak at red line. This car also didn’t make allowances for a bad batch of fuel, which reduced its already shoddy reliability. In any case, we could go on about why the Rhania never became a success in Letara, but this should give a good indication. (ooc: if you want some more in-depth feedback or help so you can learn better engineering, I am willing to provide that in a DM).

…to be continued…

Madrias · 17 December 2022 07:02

AMCW, End of Year Report, 1963.

Warning: Contains Lore

Vilzahir Jupard Rhuthan-Selgald was at least seated this time when his advisors came to deliver their news regarding, as they called it, “the Letara Situation.”

“So, what’s the news from over there?” Jupard asked, having read at least a few of the reports over the years, knowing that the economy had, again, crashed hard.

“Well… Letara had another economic setback. And an economic depression as a result,” one of the advisors mentioned.

“We did, at least, release our least expensive brand into that mess, then. If we’re still above the budget of the average Letaran, then we shall have to go up-market to survive,” Jupard replied. He grabbed a fountain pen from his desk and scrawled out his signature on a sheet of parchment, carefully folded it and put it in an envelope, and sealed it with dark purple wax.

“Well, the good news is, our AMCW Scout truck turned out to be quite a strong seller,” one of the advisors mentioned, sliding a sheet of paper over to Jupard. “The “redline” trim was a bit of a flop, but the base model and the later Deluxe, they’re well loved by families who need a truck.”

Jupard studied the sales report, then smiled. “No one else had the idea to send in a truck with space for the family. They must all think families should ride in the truck bed, rather than in the cab. This… We can work with this,” he said. After setting the page aside, he looked to his advisors and politely dismissed them by mentioning, “I need to speak with Kadinya Kirumali-Bruvaal regarding her current orders,” Jupard said.

The advisors left, and in their place, Kadinya arrived. She stood just over 6’7” tall, nearly 6’9” to the top of her horns, and as a result, wouldn’t need the tall-heeled boots she was currently wearing to fit into Valraadi society when she traveled over to Letara. She had a lot of leopard in her heritage, with her golden spotted pelt barely visible thanks to the heavy furs she was wearing to deal with the cold of Galren’s Height.

“Please tell me that if you’re sending me somewhere, Vilzahir, that it will be warm there,” Kadinya said, sitting in the chair across from Jupard’s desk without asking his permission first. She knew she was one of the privileged few who could do that without risking his wrath, and she never did so when others could see it, as it could be seen as disrespectful, rather than a sign the two were friends.

“While I’ve enjoyed your services as a spymaster,” Jupard said, looking Kadinya in the eyes, “I have a different issue right now. The news we get from Letara is… Disappointing at best and shocking at worst. However, one thing keeps being mentioned, time and time again: The Letarans are glad that car companies are opening factories in their times of need. We are opening a factory. I need you there, not as a spymaster, but to take up the title of Vilkasir. In their language, it would be equivalent to a, I think the word is “foreman.” You will lead the factory, oversee the construction of the building, the construction of the machinery, the building and assembly of our cars.”

Kadinya’s green eyes flashed and she gave a light smile. “And how will I get to our chosen location?” she asked.

“I’ve spoken with the Letaran government regarding the rights to purchase a bit of land and construct a factory on it. I also had someone purchase a used car for you to make your way there. I’m sorry, but I had a feeling you probably wouldn’t want one of the new ones within our budget,” Jupard said, handing over a set of car keys.

“A Minerva? At least I’m keeping honor in driving to the site where we shall construct thousands more in a car of the same brands we will make,” Kadinya admitted.

“Be careful. I’ve heard that there are limits on the speed you are allowed to travel over there. It would be wise to avoid any actions that could upset the Letaran police. We do not need a diplomatic incident,” Jupard advised.

“It will not be an issue,” Kadinya admitted.

“Take these with you,” he said, handing Kadinya the envelope. “They are my official orders for what you need to have built, the contract for the government with my signature on it, and also your official travel papers. Those, by the way, were very difficult to get, and I had to meet with one of the officials in person to prove that we do exist.”

Two Weeks Later

Kadinya finally arrived in Letara after a long journey, first across the entirety of Valraad, and then out to their portal in the ocean. She’d been on ships before, even an old paddle-steamer like the one they routinely used to travel between worlds, but arriving just off the coast of Letara… That was an experience. Immediately, the biting chill of the arctic wind had been replaced with such brutal warmth that Kadinya found herself hurriedly shedding her winter furs in favor of her much lighter summer clothing.

Now, she walked to where her car had been parked, unlocking it with her keys before getting settled into the seat. She set the envelope on the seat and, after several thousand miles of travel, popped the wax seal and pulled the papers free. There, she had her official diplomatic passport, an identification card, 300 Letaran Dollars, and a curious little bit of paper on which Vilzahir Jupard had written that she “Had his permission to drive any motor carriage for which she has papers claiming legal ownership,” and a curious slip of paper that confirmed that, yes, she did own this particular Minerva.

“I remember he asked me to sign this,” she mentioned to herself, holding it for a moment, “but did not realize what it was. I guess now I know.” She tucked that paper away along with the rest of her personal documentation into her hand-bag, then put the keys into the ignition, put her heavy feet down on the clutch and the brake, and started the engine.

Instead of the brutal roar of a V8, she was greeted by the raspy snarl of the 4.3 liter inline six. This prompted her to look around the car a little more. “What did I get? Three speed column-shift manual. And the transfer case. Well, it’s nice that someone got me the Solarian Ranger, I suppose, but it would have been nice to have one of the better models,” she said to herself, putting the car in gear and engaging the four-wheel-drive just for the sake of safety.

It didn’t take too long before Kadinya found herself a challenge. She’d caught up to the tail of a train and gave a fanged smile as she put her foot down. The eager straight-six roared like a tiger as the car surged forward. She had, of course, worked in the shipyards, she knew what a big straight-six could do, but to hear one spinning ten times faster was glorious. She went for third gear and buried the pedal, the car eagerly responding as she weaved around traffic like a woman possessed.

There, at the front of the train, was a great rumbling diesel locomotive, a shining monument to Letara’s perseverance. Through financial hardships, they still innovated and they endured.

Unfortunately, one of the cars she’d passed happened to catch back up to her, with a curious blinking light on the roof and a loud, obnoxious noise blaring from it, like someone blaring an air-raid siren.

“Oh, by Yawli’s tail, what is with that noise?” she grumbled, pulling off to the side to let the loud car go around her. Instead, it parked behind her and a man got out, wearing a curious uniform with a badge on it.

“Good afternoon, m- Whoa!” the man said, almost jumping back two feet as he realized he wasn’t talking to a human. “What are you!?”

“I am Vilkasir Kadinya Kirumali-Bruvaal, under orders from Vilzahir Jupard Rhuthan-Selgald to travel to the site of our new factory, where I will oversee the building and construction, as well as the assembly of our motor-carriages,” she replied.

“But, what are you?” he whimpered out.

“I am a Valraadi. We make the cars you know as AMCW and Minerva,” she replied. “Now, why do you have that obnoxious screaming siren in your car if there are no war planes in the sky to be concerned with?”

“I’m a police officer. Do you have any idea how fast you were going?” he asked.

“Neyi. I was chasing the train. Is that not allowed?”

“Why were you chasing the train?”

“I saw the back of it and was curious what locomotive was at the other end. Where I am from, we still use a lot of steam locomotives. Considering the hardships your people experienced, I was not expecting a diesel.”

“I see. I’m going to have to write you a ticket for speeding. You really shouldn’t be going that fast on the road. If you really have to go fast, you need to go to the raceway in Lerance and do it there where it’s safe.”

“I… Very well. How much is this going to cost me?” Kadinya asked.

“40 Letaran Dollars. You were going quite fast.”

Kadinya sighed. “Jupard is going to have my head for this,” she grumbled. “Can I pay this here?” she asked.

“Of course,” the police officer mentioned. He watched as Kadinya carefully removed 40 dollars from her handbag, handing them over through the window. “Sorry, just… Never seen hands with fur and claws before.”

“I suspect you’ll get used to it eventually. From what I’ve heard, there may be more of my kind coming here to help out. Now, am I free to go?”

“Yes, you are. Please, remember, the speed limit on this road is 60 kilometers per hour.”

Kadinya nodded and started the Minerva’s engine again, and within a few minutes, was back on the move, though at the almost-painfully-slow pace of the speed limit.

After a long while of driving, she finally saw it, the large patch of land assigned to the new AMCW factory. Her factory. Right now, it was nothing more than a patch of dirt that required the 4x4 unit in her Solarian to cross it, but soon… Soon, it would become the concrete, steel, and glass heart of AMCW’s efforts here in Letara. Kadinya’s twin hearts raced at the thought of thousands upon thousands of cars being assembled from the ground up here. Access to locally-sourced materials. The prospect of people possibly buying the same car they helped build. Being able to help the Letaran people by offering a steady, well-paying job, founded on the idea that honor matters, that promises will be kept. That people who worked for her would not starve, that they would always have access to health services, days off with pay when ill, even a handful of vacation days to use as they desired.

With a smile, Kadinya parked her car, grabbed something out of the trunk, and walked over to one of the small cloth flags marking off the four corners of her plot of land. She drove the post of her sign deep into the ground, the small sign looking comical in comparison to the plot of land assigned for her building.

“The Future Site of the AMCW, Kasivah, and Minerva Factory.”

cake_ape · 17 December 2022 18:07

Rd. 2 RESULTS

Chapter 10: Park Ranger - 1955

Left to right: Vizzuri National AT02-G @Aruna, Bolland GPCTC @donutsnail, Zephorus Hokkaidō @Riley, Mocabey Oreamnos @SheikhMansour, Fadiga Ariete VMG @TanksAreTryhards, Capable Wayfarer @Vento.

A few days later the Senior Procurement Officers (SPOs), two Government Fleet Mechanics (GFMs), and the National Park’s Operations Director (NPOD) sat down in a large board room. In front of them were six thick portfolios containing pictures and specifications of each top candidate Park Ranger vehicle. This was a big decision: these cars needed to be capable, reliable, and also “the face” of the ranger corps. It would look bad if the rangers got stuck themselves while rescuing stranded motorists, or if they couldn’t arrive on time at an emergency. No, these cars had to be better than what your average Letaran ever saw. At a reasonable cost - the Procurement Officers would add. So the people gathered topped off their coffees and went to work evaluating the top six candidates in alphabetical order (by car name this time).

Bolland GPCTC
SPOs: This car caught our eye immediately with its affordability. It is not outright the cheapest to buy, only a tad more expensive than the Fadiga, but its maintenance costs make up for this within the first week of ownership. In fact, compared to any other proposal, for each car we could buy a second one if we factor in long-term ownership costs. This would mean huge savings for our already strained coffers.
GFMs: The car is fairly well equipped mechanically and has decent reliability. Despite its price, the only place where some costs were cut is the engine internals, but with such a mild tune it shouldn’t be a problem. There might be some long-term rust issues though on this old body. The car is a little under-powered too, limiting its effectiveness in a car rescue situation. And while it can reach safe highway speeds, it does struggle to do so, limiting its usefulness outside the Park.
NPOD: Yes, it does have an old body. Do we really want to portray the new Park and its new and shiny Ranger Unit with such an old design? But moving on, the car is indeed solid with good off-road capability and is pretty easy to drive too. Perhaps dedicated off-road tires would’ve been better for our needs, but A/T is acceptable. The small internal space is a major concern though; there isn’t much storage space, nor could this be used to relocate larger wildlife. It’s a shame that comfort levels are such that after a long day in the car our Rangers would need a good soak in the hot springs to loosen up their sore backs. Lastly, we have to mention that its use of leaded fuel doesn’t jive well with the new “environmentally friendly” image of the brand new National Park.

Capable Wayfarer
SPOs: Cost wise this car is the absolute middle ground both in purchase price and upkeep. So it can be a useful benchmark for the others - and while we cannot outright complain about it, it’s also not a strength.
GFMs: A well-equipped off-roader wagon - the only of its kind in this group. The engineering is quite solid, except for the suspension set-up is not ideal for an off-roader. In contrast to the Bolland, this car will stand the test of time without rust issues. It is also rather safe for its occupants in case of an accident (or charging bull bison). A small concern is the brake-fade; drivers will have to be careful on descents and diligently use low gear. Otherwise, the car has a strong engine with more than enough power to perform all of the required tasks and also be highway-friendly.
NPOD: First we have to talk about the looks of the car. Its looks don’t really fit with with our image of what an official government vehicle looks like. That said, it does have nice specialized equipment, but the addition of a roof rack would’ve added much functionality. Looking at every day use, the car is quite hard to drive, and suffers from the same lack of comfort as the Bollard. It has decent off-road capability, but is still one of the lowest ones in this final group.

Fadiga Ariete VMG
SPOs: Now this is the cheapest vehicle to buy, but its long-term upkeep is just average. So it is still a pretty enticing proposal from a financial stand point, if it holds up in other areas.
GFMs: Another solidly engineered car. There are good quality components in the engine and the interior is especially really well made. The only concern area is the lesser quality drivetrain and wheels that are used here. Overall, it is the least reliable car, so there might be some longer-term issues to contend with. It should hold up to the weather quite well though - it has not the best, but decent rust resistance. Slight brake fade is of minor concern. And while the car has decent power, it still struggles to reach highway speeds.
NPOD: Now this is more like it! This looks like a proper, modern and fresh off-roader that would immediately be recognized as a capable Government vehicle. It has all the proper equipment that we like to see. In terms of daily use, it is the hardest to drive of the bunch, but a hair more comfortable for our rangers. Still, not exactly the vehicle you’d want to spend all day in. Its excellent off-road capability would allow us to go literally anywhere - this is a true rock-crawler. Some concerns are with fuel. Namely that there is no built-in allowance for a bad batch, and that it uses so much of it limiting its effective range.

Mocabey Oreamnos
SPOs: This vehicle is slightly more expensive than average to buy, and quite a bit more expensive to maintain in the long run. Looking at our budget, this looks a little concerning. If this car is chosen then we might have to look into cost cutting measures in other areas.
*GFMs: The Mocabey is a very solidly engineered car, we detect no cost-cutting anywhere. Reliability is quite good, and it should hold up to the elements well too. It is the only car in the line-up with a double-wishbone front suspension (all others have solid fronts and rears). Gearbox, brakes, and suspension are properly set-up for an off-roader, so no concerns here about any of that. The engine is quite powerful and should give zero issues in either a rescue operation or on the highway.
NPOD: This car too looks like it would be a good representative of the Park Rangers. Perhaps not quite as eye-catching as the Fadiga, but still pretty good looking. It seems to have most of the equipment we’d need, but a winch and some tow hooks would’ve rounded out the package. It’s off-road capability is a little lacking compared to the others on this list, however - perhaps due to its independent front suspension, or its A/T tires. Either way, it’s not outright bad, it’s just the weakest of the bunch here. On the other hand, it is quite easy to drive, and is very comfortable too, which are a big bonus for our rangers who have to spend all day in the vehicle.

Vizzuri National AT02-G
SPOs: This vehicle is by a small margin the most expensive to buy here, and its maintenance is also just a little over average. So it would certainly strain the coffers to buy this option.
GFMs: Well, we certainly see where all that cost went! The engine is absolutely bomb-proof with quality components and an overall high-quality build. It’s a marvel of engineering, really. The car itself also has good quality components in many places, but there was some cost cutting in the drivetrain and tire department. Overall, though, it is by far the most reliable car of all the proposals, so we would not expect many break-downs or surprise high-cost repair bills. It also has superb resistance to the elements, so the cars should last a long time out there. Power wise, it is not the strongest in the bunch, but it is adequate for the task both for park duties and the highway. Overall it has a good set-up, but brake fade is of minor concern and care should be taken on long downhill stretches.
NPOD: This is a very nice looking car that we would be very proud to have as the face of the Park Ranger Unit. It has all the desired extras on the car too. It has really good off-road capability too - not an outright rock-crawler like the Fadiga, but more than good enough to get us wherever we need to go. It is quite easy to drive too, and very comfortable. And we cannot forget that it has the highest safety rating of all proposals on our desk.

Zephorus Hokkaidō
SPO: The Zephorus is a quite costly proposition. While its purchase price is a little less than the Vizzuri, it is still well above average. But the kicker is its long-term upkeep costs - nearly double that of the Bolland! Also, we are told that it might need extra investment to supply it with fuel, making the overall package the most expensive on the table.
GFMs: This is a solidly engineered car with no cost-cutting anywhere - but also no extra quality anywhere either. Its gearing is properly set-up for off-roading, but this car too shows some concerning brake fade on longer descents. Gearing is also not really ideal for off-roading purposes and is more suited for regular road-use. It has good power though - the most of any car here, so it still has good performance simply by virtue of throwing more HP at the problem. The car has good reliability overall.
NPOD: A pretty good looking car that could represent the Ranger Unit quite well. It seems to be the only car that has stock set-up for deep-water crossings, which is a bonus. But then it misses a winch and tow hooks, which is not ideal. It has quite good off-road capability nevertheless. Its ease of driving and comfort are both about average. The rangers wouldn’t complain too much, but nothing special either. A large concern for us is the fuel for this car. First, it uses high-octane leaded fuel. This is both bad for the National Park’s environmental image, and is also hard to procure - it would need a completely custom fuel delivery to the Park just for these vehicles. Also, its fuel consumption is by far the highest of all cars here, reducing its operating range significantly.

After some more deliberation and back and forths, the panel finally settled on which company would be granted the contract to supply the National Park with a fleet of ranger vehicles.

The winner of the contract is...

Congratulations to Vizzuri! The car had just the right strengths and compromises to raise above the other proposals. Well done, the National Park Service is very happy with its fleet of National AT02-Gs.

…to be continued…

cake_ape · 17 December 2022 21:56

Rd. 2 RESULTS

Chapter 11: Racing results, combined R1 and R3 class

1959

Pre-race testing was an overall success. After a few years without racing excitement, the people were hungry to see race cars again, so the grand stand was sold out even for testing. All teams did their test runs and ironed out some of the issues with their cars as best as they could. After a rough order was determined, the bookies opened their doors and people placed their bets.

The crowd came out in force for race day. All of the stands and viewing areas were sold out. Even regular traffic along the highway stretch ground to a halt as people stopped on the highway to watch the race. Police had to be called in to keep people moving.

The race turned out to be a good one! All cars got off the line well and some fights immediately took place as cars jostled for position. The P&A had the first major issue on lap 6 and it fell off the leading group and joined the KHI at the back of the field. It slowly fought its way back to the trailing group of cars consisting of the Aero, Knightwick and AMCW, but then on lap 10 it retired along with the Knightwick. The Kamaka was doing well fighting for the lead, but also had some issues on lap 12 as it fell behind the leading group, which itself was slowly beginning to stretch out. On lap 14 the Aero was forced to retire from the race. The Kamaka slowly fought back toward the leading group of cars, but just as it made its way back it had another issue and was almost caught up by the trailing AMCW. The Saeta, leading on lap 12 had a major issue on lap 13 and fell back to the rear of the leading group, and then retired on lap 18. In the end the Swanson had no issue and ran away with the race win, followed by the Mons, showing that street-legal cars can indeed race in this category. Third place was snagged by the Torshalla, which also had a good race without any major issues.

Race results and lap times

1960

After the exciting racing in 1959, the crowds were back in full force at the race track in 1960. This year the police were better prepared and managed to direct traffic more efficiently on the highway along the back straight. Also, more ‘general admission’ areas were opened along the track, so attendance was even better this year.

The cars once again lined up for the start. the P&A stalled on the starting line, but managed to get going again, but had to come into the pits on lap 2 for more repairs. Eventually it did get going, but its race was shot. It trailed far behind the field until it had more severe issues on lap 10. After going out for a little bit, it had to eventually give up and retire on lap 11. Meanwhile the rest of the field just got on with racing. There were a few smaller mishaps and repairs along the way, so the group did stretch out a bit, but every car was actually racing. The Saeta had a strong start and was fighting in the podium places, but had a setback on lap 10, throwing it back to the trailing group and leaving it fighting with the Knightwick. After a short fight, the Knightwick retired on lap 13, though, leaving the Saeta racing alone until it also retired on lap 18/ The AMCW had a pretty uneventful race, mostly circling on it suddenly retired on lap 15. In the rear group the KHI and Aero were fighting for a while, until the Aero once again had a major issue and fell way back. Unfortunately, it had to retire on lap 18, leaving the KHI to finish the race alone in last place. More interestingly perhaps, but at the very front of the field the Mons and Swanson were fighting hard for first place all race, with the Swanson leading most of the way. On lap 18, however, disaster struck making the Swanson enter the pits. It did get going again, but the win was lost - it fell well behind and eventually only managed a 5th place finish. This left the flawlessly running Mons as the race winner. Behind, there was a tight battle for second and third places, but in the end the Mara edged out the Kessel, and the Torshalla came 4th keeping the Swanson behind.

Race results and lap times

1961

Excited by last year’s upset win of the road-legal Mons and third place of the Kessel, crowds came out again to see the ‘racing cars’ trounced’ by the cross-ply shod cars. Bookies adjusted their odds accordingly, secretly hoping that the faster cars wouldn’t retire this time and they would rake in the money at the end.

This time most cars got off the line well, with only minor issues for some cars. Slowly but surely six cars pulled ahead of the rest and were fighting for the win: the P&A, Mons, Saeta, Kamaka, Mara, and Swanson. The first to drop out was the P&A on lap 9. On lap 11 the Swanson dropped back behind trailing cars as it encountered an issue and had to make a pit stop. On lap 12 the Mons retired with a terminal issue, and the following lap the Kamaka encountered an issue making it drop well behind. This left the Saeta and Mara fighting for the lead. The Saeta had more raw speed, but due to minor issues it fell behind the Mara, only to fight back and then fall behind again. It was certainly nail-biting racing, until on lap 19 disaster struck the Seate, and it fell behind even the trailing pack of cars, only to retire from the race just before the finish on lap 20. So after a tough battle, the Mara prevailed with superb reliability in this race. The fight for second place was a tight one that raged for most of the race between the Torshalla and the Kessel, but was eventually won by the Torshalla. The Swanson, which had the major setback on lap 11, fought back hard, and nearly managed to pip third place for itself, and with another lap or two it might’ve just done that, but in the end had to settle for fourth.

Race results and lap times

1962

The 1962 edition of the race was attended by the largest crowds yet as the organizers built more temporary viewing stands around the track. The races and the track itself were turning out to be a good money maker. And not only during race weekends either. With the economy slowly turning, more people were confident in buying a “toy” - a sports car, which they could take on the track during “track days”. The racing spirit was truly taking over Letara!

The race itself got off to a clean and uneventful start and the pack separated only slowly in the first three laps. Then the P&A was - again - the first car to run into issues on lap 3, making it fall behind considerably. It was nearly joined by the KHI on lap 4 as it had its own issues, but the P&A had another major issue on lap 5. Then it retired on lap 7 from solidly last place, leaving the KHI again to run alone until the race finish in last. This race saw the cleanest running thus far until lap 12 when the Mons had to pit with a major issue, dropping it from 4th to 7th. Then it fought back and caught the 6th place Torshalla, but then suddenly had to retire. On the same lap the Knightwick retired, after a long battle with the Aero and AMCW for 8th place. At the front of the pack the Saeta and Swanson were battling for first until the Saeta encountered an issue on lap 15. Swanson’s lead was short lived however, as it encountered a similarly severe issue just a lap later, so now both dropped back to be in a fight for the lead with the Mara and Kessel. This four-way fight got broken up when the Saeta finally retired on lap 17, adn the Swanson dropped further back on lap 18 with another major issue. This left the Mara and Kessel to duke it out, which the Mara won once again on reliability when the Kessel slowed down on the last lap and came in second. The Torshalla had a relatively steady and uneventful race all along, just driving along without issues first in 7th place, but as other cars retired or had issues, it quietly made up spots to snag third. The Swanson once again was fighting back hard, but just couldn’t quite catch up to the Torshalla and had to settle for fourth.

Race results and lap times

1963

The last race of this era brought a lot of excitement, as people had one more chance to cheer on their favourite teams. The teams that have not been successful also were hopeful that this last chance will be ‘the one’. Excitement was in the air as the cars lined up on the finish straight for the race start.

The start was once again fairly uneventful. Only the KHI had a bit of a moment on lap 2, but otherwise most cars kept running with only minor issues. This was perhaps thus far the best race to showcase the pure speed of the cars as the pack slowly but surely separated. Everything was going smoothly, with the Swanson pulling away at the front, and the group consisting of the Kamaka, Mons, Seata, and P&A duelling for second. That is until lap 10, when the P&A was forced to retire from the fight. The following lap the Kamaka had an issue, leaving the Mons and Saeta in the fight for second, followed closely by the Mara, Torshalla and Kessel grouping. On lap 12 the Mons encountered an issue dropping it out of the fight too, leaving the Seata running in clean air in second place. Meanwhile in the rear of the pack the Aero encountered a major issue on lap 10, dropping it from 10th to last. After fighting its way past the KHI, it retired on lap 15. The same lap the Kamaka was forced to retire too after a short battle with the Mons for 7th. On lap 16 the Swanson, which was running away with a victory, suddenly had to pull into the pits for a major repair job, which dropped it smack in the middle of the group fighting for third. Unfortunately, it couldn’t take up the fight as it had to retire the next lap. Meanwhile back on lap 15 the AMCW also had to retire from the race after a slow but solid run. So, on lap 17 there were four cars left fighting for the win: the Saeta, Mara, Torshalla, and Kessel. All four of these cars had a relatively smooth end to the race, and this order held till the finish line. Coming in 5th was the Mons a little ways back, as it could not find the pace after its mechanical issue, and the order was rounded out by the Aero as the KHI retired on lap 19.

Race results and lap times

Edit, just adding some pings to the participants, just in case they miss the post…
@Maverick74 @Petakabras @AndiD @lotto77 @Edsel @mart1n2005 @Ludvig @LS_Swapped_Rx-7 @doot @Madrias @GassTiresandOil

…to be continued…