This will be my design posting thread. I’ve got a lot of cars under a few different companies that I’ll slowly start posting.
Solo Motors Co.
Founded in Canada in the early post-war period, Solo Motors Co. began with small cars of British design to sell in Canada but quickly went on to produce models for all market niches.
Diamond Automotive
A producer of large, luxurious vehicles named after various gemstones, with trim levels of Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Founded in Canada in 1955, it went into bankruptcy in 1977 after being in decline since the 1973 oil crisis. It was acquired by Solo Motors Co. and revived in 1990 as its top luxury division.
H.A.
Archanian manufacturer “People’s Cars” founded under Soviet control in 1958. Cheap, rugged, and simple describe its cars that are mainly for the domestic market.
Figured I’d start with a few generations of a hypercar, since everyone seems to like those
1965 Solo Lightning V8
0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, top speed of 256.7 km/h, 1/4 mile in 13.5 seconds
The 1986 Solo Kei (such an imaginative name, I know), following all the kei car regulations of the time. With a 0-100 km/h time of 17.9 seconds and a top speed of 114 km/h, it’s far from a performance car, but it’s highly drivable and has excellent fuel economy for a very low price.
In 1967, Solo Motors Co. officially entered the muscle car market with the Hawk. While it was fairly expensive and nothing too special compared to the competition, it was a worthy attempt that could only be improved over the years.
1955 Diamond Ruby, the first ultra-luxurious car to roll off the Diamond Automotive assembly. Quite the hyper car for its time, as well as fitting well in the super, luxury, and GT markets.
Thanks! I find 50s land barges tricky due to the amount of chrome that’s needed for any realism, so I’m proud of how well it turned out… If only they had the minimalist designs of the 2000s at the time
The first H.A. model was the 1958 650 van, that came in both minibus and delivery versions. Fitting the company, it’s cheap and rugged, with the added features of terrible performance and abysmal comfort. But when you’re one of the few companies behind the Iron Curtain, none of those things really matter.
1958 Diamond Opal: Diamond Automotive’s top luxury sedan, a class leader in both luxury and performance. Starting at $21,000 for the Bronze trim, $25,900 for Silver, and a prestigious $49,400 for Gold, the Opal covers the luxury spectrum of its time.
1959 Diamond Azure, the perfect blend of European-styled supercar and premium grand tourer. With a price of $43,000, a 0-100 km/h time of 8.9 seconds, top speed of 254 km/h, and a hand made interior paired with phonograph entertainment, the Azure is only available in Gold trim because there are no compromises made for performance and luxury.
Edit: added performance numbers to the supercars in the first post.
2015 Solo Lightning V8 Turbo Super Sport, a car so extreme it has 0.0 desirability and 0.0% affordability in all markets. Coming in at $943,200, the Super Sport variant is for those who only care about speed. 100 octane fuel, light sport seating, no infotainment, and no added safety make it a machine of pure performance. 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds, top speed of 507 km/h, and the 1/4 mile in 8.82 seconds.
Following the success of the 1959 Azure, the second generation was introduced in 1971. Like the previous model, it was designed in Europe as premium grand tourer that could hold its own against supercars and hypercars. It could do the 0-100 km/h in 7.1 seconds, hit a top speed of 254.7 km/h, and cost $46,200.
This body prevents me from seeing the design tab, so here’s the missing engine info:
Engine: Diamond DOHC V8 - 5.2L
Power: 382hp @5000 RPM
Redline: 5000 RPM
Bottom End: Cast Iron 5300cc V8 Crossplane
Top End: Cast Iron DOHC-32
Compression: 11.0:1
Fuel System: Naturally Aspirated 4 Barrel
Economy: 13.60% - 0.930 lb/(hph)
Following the 1990 revival of the Diamond Automotive brand, the all new Azure hit the market in 1992. As the others before, European styling and aluminium prevailed, though the smaller engine that fit the time period did not sacrifice the expected performance. With a 0-100 km/h time of 6.2 seconds, a top speed of 275.1 km/h, and a base price of $66,500, it proved that Solo Motors Co. was determined to keep Diamond Automotive’s legacy intact.
2006 brought another generation of the Azure, again improving on its predecessor. This time, a sport variant of the company’s only available engine was developed for it. 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 301.6 km/h for the price of $91,600 all proved that the Azure was still a force to be reckoned with.
