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 weâve 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! Letâs see how each of them didâŚ
Of the 18(!) cars in this segment, half were released right away in 1955. The cheapest of them (but still more expensive than anything weâve 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 âlower end of the premium marketâ, 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 Libertyâs 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, itâs 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 âregularâ 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 itâs 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 itâs 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-manâs 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 âluxuryâ 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 canât 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 âpremiumâ 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 wouldâve 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 youâd 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 âreasonableâ price too!
Now, back to the Torshalla SL and Cabriolet. Well, the SLâs 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 didnât 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 themâŚ
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 âluxuryâ market. It had a slightly older, more conservative look, but was very nicely detailed with tasteful touches. And it wasnât 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 donât 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, donât get us wrong, but it was a little let-down, and consumer couldnât 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 forgivingâŚ
Released in the same year, the Swanson 225PO slotted in between the Capital Emissary and the P&A Paceman âwith the Hâ. The Swanson was firmly in the âpremiumâ category with its 2/2 seating, premium interior and premium radio, and OHO! Itâs 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 âluxuryâ category, but was still classified as âpremiumâ. 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 wasnât 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 âluxuryâ market, we get the 1958 Vizzuri Laonda Special. Now this, this car was a looker! It sure didnât mince its words when it announced proudly what it was! Although it was not a giant by any means (âonlyâ 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 didnât 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 didnât 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 âstandardâ and even âpremium sportsâ category - only the âluxury sportsâ 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 didnât 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 âcomfort-lovingâ people buying a New Yorker, and the âspeed-lovingâ 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 âWolfeâ 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 âluxury familyâ market. Almost classified as a âstandardâ 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 twoâs 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 âluxury familyâ 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 âtruly exclusiveâ 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 mightâve asked? Itâs quite simple, really: in contrast to its siblingâs 4.1L I6, the Signature Special was fitted with a sporty-tuned 4.4L 60-degree V8. Another interesting engine choice clearly showing the manufacturerâs 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 âfamilyâ scene was the Mitsushita Kuruan 2600 EX. The Mitsushita aimed also for the lower end of the âpremium familyâ 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 Niichiâs 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 Niichiâs (admittedly tiny) pie, especially now when the economy seems to be in a small upswing and people are becoming a little more hopeful again.
âŚto be continuedâŚ
