Could be multiple strips?
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I knew it! I’ve used that trick before on some of my own cars.
Seems like we were also thinking along similar lines.
Early 1967
Just an hour left before the work hour ends. A mysterious big wooden crate came into our warehouse. I ordered one of my workers to help me open the crate. and there it is, a small inline 4 engine in the middle of the hay used for padding, a mediocre inline 4 mind you, or at least, by our standards. You see, we have started to slowly move away from pushrod machines because we are late to the pushrod technology, and we’d like to gain an advantage in the newer technology that is overhead camshafts.
On top of the engine, there’s a letter included too. As opened the letter we saw it was both a request and a challenge. I had mixed feelings about the whole thing. The request was, to make then a one-off dune buggy, and the challenge was, to only use the engine they sent us. of course, we can modify the engine.
A number of ideas and thoughts started pouring into my head. The first thing is, this is perfect for an experimental car development, we were in the middle of researching some high tech parts that were used back in the WW2 for warplanes, for use in road cars. since our race car from last year that participated in the BRC also used the same technology, this seems like the perfect step forward to testing the technology for mass-producible road cars.
But we have to acknowledge it, designing the exterior hasn’t been our forte, and none of our cars sold so far has been known for their excellent looks, and because we want to put as much time as possible to making the powertrain works properly anyway. I think it’s best if we hand it off to someone else for the frame and body designs.
But for now, it’s about an hour left until the office and the factory go empty. Let’s finish our job for the day, and leave that for tomorrow.
The next day, the jobs started by just purely acknowledging the engine design first, writing some notes about what we can do with it, and investigate if we can actually apply the technology into the engine. But I’ll leave that to the engineers and senior technicians.
I have other things to do, I need to look for the designer for the body. Many letters were sent, many phone calls were made, some places were visited, some designers were met. At the end, because this is a one-off car, many big coachbuilders rejected the request, same story with bigger design houses. This forced us to choose between the smaller design houses or freelance designers.
In the middle of the hectic search for a designer. There was a letter from an independent designer/design house.
Simply styled as Rk38 in white text contrasted on a bold red background. It was a little was known firm that was almost without much experience. But they demonstrated in their letter the capability to craft unique and stylish designs.
But what really caught my eye was a clever and aggressive contract they offered. The firm had a whole department specialised in advertising and public relations. The contract they offered not only to handle the design. But to also advertise the product undercutting many of the larger and design houses.
At headquarters of Rk38 received a letter from Komodo Motors accepting the contract. Now the real work began. The men in sharp suits took off their jackets and set out their pencils and paper. They confronted a clean sheet of paper, the most daunting task for a designer.
Ahead nothing but endless possibilities…but it was not long before they sprang into action. The room was soon covered with hundreds of sketches of sleek dune buggy designs.
A few weeks later a large clay model was already in the works. A soft top with a curvy body. Round headlights, quad indicators to the sides and two square fog lights above the grill. The hood had unique three scoop design and the side featured aggressive side pipes. The taillights were handcrafted to match the curving chrome lines from the side vents. Large chrome bars protected the boot and to finish off a large whale tail rose up from the tail.
This vehicle means business the designers thought. They hoped their Komodo partners would think so too.
Unfortunately, the clay model did not survive the transit to the Komodo factories intact. The taillights did not make it out alive.
While the reaction was generally positive. The Komodo engineers insisted in some changes. A hardtop was better they said, gone was the wide wheel stance and flared arches. The taillights had to be completely reworked too. Just as the Rk38 designers were putting the finishing touches to the revised model.
They got a phone call from the head office at Komodo. A new smaller body was just developed by their engineers. Which they said offered a great many advantages over the old shape.
So it was back to the drawing room! The designers had to admit the new chassis allowed them to create a more dune buggy like design. They implemented lessons from the first two designs.
Taillights now featured a triangular design hinting towards from of the vehicle. The protective chrome bars now shielded the now tail mounted quad exhaust system. The massive whale tail spoiler now had a black lip to match the hood strips. Gone was the triple hood scoops replaced by a single one. The front was completely revised and simplified. Creating a clean but purposeful compact kit machine.
Designers added a nudge bar up front for protection out on the dunes. They also added a sports package. Consisting of black racing stripes on the front, hood and sides of the buggy. To finish off the design the team decided to paint up the new design in a bright sunburst yellow.
The design got the ok from Komodo and was then pressed and shaped into a production model. The engineering department of Komodo made some final decisions in optimising the platform. Before they handed the design back to Rk38’s advertising team for the photo shoot.
A few weeks the advertising team produced a single funky poster. After a final briefing with the Komodo executives. The whole Rk38 and Komodo team were ready to present their design.
13 Likes
Quite an intriguing backstory for such a cute car.
Bloody hell, I’m also using the A35 body.
We are all screwed, lads.
I just don’t have enough time to submit something this round! Too many other things plus I gotta prep to travel again.
@AirJordan is using the same body as I did, if it’s rear engined then that was my idea. Do us proud!
It would be a sin otherwise 
Pragata Lintas, simple, small dimension, open top, lightweight, 4X4, small engine with a punch, and a radio, best combination to spent your sunny day by launching yourself the car on offroad route without rolled yourself. get it now.
http://imgur.com/w3uHY51
http://imgur.com/nBdW5VP
http://imgur.com/IjRdlR8
Entries are now closed. I try to get the results up (step by step) as soon as possible. But I cannot promise anything as I am travelling because of work this week. If I find some time in the evening, I’ll put things up.
EDIT: Thanks for everyone who didn’t follow the naming convention. 
How hard can it be?
2 Likes
Quick update: These are the cars I have received and downloaded:
- abg7
- AirJordan
- BobLowLaw
- Darkshine5
- Denta
- DoctorNarfy
- EnryGT5
- HighOctaneLove
- Howlerautomotive
- JohnWaldock
- KoolkeiRk38
- lordvader1
- Madrias
- NormanVauxhall
- Ornate
- phale
- thecarlover
- TR8R
Please let me know if you are not on the list and think you should be. It can happen that I missed a PM. The best thing to do is to directly answer the PM you sent and remind me that way. Thanks!
1 Like
Oh no, I have become one of THEM 
I named the car right, but not the trim. Sorry.
dink.
Crap. I’m so used to [competition name] - [username] I forgot to check 
I followed the submission template for this round - it’s slightly awkward, but I got used to it quickly.
any news?
In the evening. I’m currently on a business trip.
1 Like
okay. that part i didn’t know about. take your time then. 
#[color=red]TRUMP CARDS[/color]
Alright, time to get this started. Here is the overview of all the cars I can choose from. The rest will be coming after the weekend, sorry for being so slow.
9 Likes
I love your trump cards 