Same ruleset? No radials? Any MFI restrictions? When’s the Deadline?
It’s all in this post.
And fuel injection was available in some cars of the era, but as with radials, be a bit careful and use common sense. If you wonder if fuel injection or radials really are realistic for your vehicle, chances are that the answer might be “no”.
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1962 Moravia Jaka 455
The little Veverka proved to be exactly what the people of Czechoslovakia were needing, the affordable transport for the masses, and continued fairly unchanged throughout the rest of the decade and into the 60’s. But it wasn’t the only vehicle Moravia produced during this era.
A couple of years after the Veverka was introduced, the director of the armed forces approached the small company with the need for an off road capable transport vehicle. The engineers put their heads together and in 1960 the Jaka came to be. Bigger in size than a Russian GAZ 69 yet smaller than a one ton personnel carrier, it fit the niche the military was looking for. Powered by a water cooled 2.2L inline four sending power through a four speed transmission and a two speed transfer case to two leaf sprung solid axles, it was capable of going nearly anywhere.
After the initial demand for military service was met, civilian and export models were cobbled up to help keep the factory running at it’s optimal capacity. Marketed as a family wagon and utility vehicle for farmers and other industries were it’s payload and towing capabilities could be of most use.
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1961 AIM Special C - 6
In the early 60’s, AIM was riding high on their domestic success in Australia and decided that their next Special revision should begin to be exported, but not just to any market. So in 1961 when the C released, they began branching out to their first truly international market, Sweden. Releasing with the bold claim that “Our cars will thrive from one extreme of the world to another!” AIM was confident that their cars would prove a hit and establish themselves overseas.
The Swedish market Specials were more well equipped than their Australian counterparts, with only the straight 6 model being available. And that was only available with a “Premium Kit”, placing it in the more premium area of the market that AIM hoped would be more willing to pay for a car imported from the other side of the world.
Said straight 6 was also updated to its latest spec, producing an impressive 120hp, enough to propel it to a top speed of 188km/h. Intended to give the Special a speed and power advantage over the Holdens of the time, as the Special was marketed as a sporty alternative in Australia, the engine caused problems in the smaller body, with the engine bay being very cramped from the relatively large engine sitting in it.
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1962 Courageux Mille
The first foray into a rear engined family car for Courageux, this start a multiple decade long love affair for this unusual engine layout.
The Mille uses a relatively new 1046cc cast iron 4 cylinder engine mounted longitudinally in the rear using a 4 speed gearbox. This produces 42bhp@5000rpm which is good for 0-100km/h in 20 seconds and a top speed of 134km/h which is very competitive for the segment.
Macpherson strut suspension is used at the front and rear with large 225mm drum brakes offering very surefooted driving and stopping ability.
This deluxe model comes with partial leather seats and vinyl door fittings. A wood inlaid dashboard with a single speaker radio is also included. Whitewall cross ply tyres and exterior chrome detailing are also features of the deluxe model.
Courageux_Mille_-_Deluxe.car (112.1 KB)
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MY56 Tack 23F
The Tack 20F, by the sole virtue of being one of the earliest post WW2 cars, had sold in significant numbers. But these sales were heaviy skewed in favour of the early years. Tack had attempted to address customer complaints and design flaws with a 1952 facelift, which only had a small impact on the sales decline, but an all new car would be needed to return Tack to the top of the pops…
Enter the 23F, an evolutionary improvement over the 20F-II, with better reliabiity and reduced fuel usage while simultaneously improving driver comfort and driving enjoyment. The 23F also improved interior room, as well as storage space, with the design again taking strong stylistic cues from the dominant US automaker, Ardent.
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Cabrera Monzon COPA
Lore
After a long run, Cabrera phased out the 100 model and released a new compact car, the Cabrera Monzon. While it was based on the same architecture as the previous model, it received some improvements, such as a much improved front suspension design, a more modern exterior design and a small increase in power thanks to a better flowing head.
The COPA model was the hottest Cabrera you could get out of a dealership. Thanks to the double carbs and a more aggresive cam, the engine could reach 50hp in street tune, and the reinforced brakes were able to tame all that potential.
Could the little Cabrera compete in the saturated markets of Europe…?
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sorry to bother, but exactly what years are allowed? because the model year is 1965 or older, but the trim year is 1956-1965? (for example, my current entry is 1969, would it be DQ’d or not?)
I am not trying to be salty but I wonder what I have done wrong when it is not obvious from my description that 1969 is neither “1956-65” or “1965 or older”?
Let’s put it this way, take the VW Beetle to relate to an IRL example. Since the production started in 1938, the model year for a Beetle would in any case be 1938. Now, Automation can’t go pre 1946 but you still get what I mean I guess. The trim year, however, could be between 1938 and 2003, since the Beetle was produced between those years.
So, a 1956 Beetle would be allowed to enter this despite the model year is older than 1956, as would a 1965 Beetle. So would any trim year in between. But not a 1955 Beetle or a 1966 Beetle.
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ah, thanks for clearing that up.
you did nothing wrong, it was just that i didn’t read it properly and therefore didn’t quite understand. apologies.
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1962 Mara 1300 Pickup
In the mid 1950s, Mara developed their first ‘proper’ (the number of quotes people would like to use here vary…) mass market car, the Tovarish, as it was called on the domestic market. First available as sedan and panel van, the first facelift added a 3-door wagon and a pickup / ute version.
In the Tovarish’s development, Mara had applied everything they had learned to design and produce cars cost-efficiently. On their home market the resulting low price led to a massive sales success. Since the Tovarish had replaced the Konyk on the production lines, a utility / off-road variant was needed after the last remaining Konyk stocks were sold off. This variant had to be engineered without compromising cost, development and production efficiency, however.
The resulting Tovarish pickup became a workhorse in the wide rural areas of Archana
Mara had found out that most Konyk owners did not need the full off-road capability in the mostly dry and well-trailed Archanan landscape, so the Tovarish pickup kept the regular RWD drivetrain of the other variants to save cost and complexity. It gained, however, a substantially increased ride height, all-terrain tyres and a simple skidtray. A very short first gear effectively served as low-range replacement, leaving essentially just gears 2 and 3 for regular on-road driving.
Combined with the low weight, this proved to be sufficient for all but the most demanding off-road trails. I only get stuck on stones pretty far in into the hardest Beam timetrials in East Coast and Small Island and uphill on wet mud in one Jungle Island timetrial, but the rest and Utah and Italy offroad timetrials are surprisingly not much of a problem without 4x4 and skinny hard tyres. Probably owing to the latter, I actually don’t get much further with 4x4 except on Jungle Island…
Water / mud? No problem! (as long as the track does not go uphill…)
As domestic market demand allowed, limited contingents of the Tovarish became available as export models under various names, decided on by the respective independent importers. On the Swedish market, it was named just the 1300 after the displacement of the engine, which was basically unchanged from the Konyk.
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Dont think I’ll be able to make it this time.
You’re free to enter in later rounds still.
Ah, the AMM Lyxig - a topic of some rather heated debate within the company. To some, the Sarek had been a rampant success - plenty had been sold, and balance sheets were good. To others, it had been a failure, heavily reliant on a single client to move units. The company had ended up pursuing several directions with the money gained from it - and the Lyxig was one such direction. It was designed as a high-end, high-margin product quite unlike the utilitarian Sarek. Several variants of the Lyxig were made available; the most prestigious was the Lyxig Långt.
The Lyxig line was built around a handful of common aspects. A four litre, overhead cammed inline six sits in the front of all models, and all models include AM radios. Hydraulic power steering is also present on all cars - with the sheer mass, it is required. The dashboard has been padded and lap belts have been provided, in the event of an impact.
The Långt model provides an even greater experience, with extreme care and attention having been shown. It is available solely as a convertible, and solely with an automatic transmission - despite the engine, this car is built for cruising and enjoying onesself. The interior is incredibly luxurious, with four fully-leather seats, and expensive varnished wood trim. Rear coach doors are another exclusive feature for the model, setting it apart. The Långt, ironically, is one of the lower margin models, serving to advertise the brand and attract consumers to the cheaper, more reasonable models - at 22 thousand AMU, it’s far from attainable for many.
The car was incredibly decisive inside the company. To some, it was disgracefully American, with its foreign styling and massive engine. They viewed it as a surrender, something built for someone else. To others, its American nature was precisely why it was a good idea - it would stand out and turn heads in Sweden, while acting as a prime candidate for export to the rich, client-filled markets of America. Luckily, it was released early enough that the company could stilll rely on the Sarek if it failed - but only time would tell…
TLDR: Sweden makes an American.
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1965 KAI K1 1.2
KAI launched the K1 in 1965 as their latest entry-level offering. It was initially available with a 44bhp 1.2-liter inline-four, and like the BMC Mini it had been benchmarked against, it was a transverse-engined, front-wheel-drive design. Simple underpinnings and modest equipment levels helped keep the cost down.
With its good reliability record, low running costs and small size, the K1 quickly became a sales success, and laid the foundations for a long-running line of small cars that continues to this day.
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With 48 hours left, I put in a reminder, and I have recieved submissions from:
@Maverick74
@BannedByAndroid
@Prium
@cake_ape
@conan
@Tez
@lotto77
@HighOctaneLove
@AndiD
@Petakabras
@mart1n2005
@AMuteCrypt
@abg7
@interior
@Edsel
Shout if you can’t find yourself!
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Argh!! i really need to bring out my car!
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We’ve never designed a rear engine car before, Introducing the Schnell New-Series 1400. A car designed for the masses, by the masses. Designed to be affordable at 13200 AMU, and weighs 797KG. and it has a amazing fuel economy too! You won’t be running short soon.
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Seeing all of these cheap cars makes me fear for how the price of the one I’m working on will be received! Oops.
You’d think that 150 years of turmoil and poverty plus an active dictatorship would make recovery a slow process. Not in Spain; beginning in the late 50s, Spain saw one of the biggest growth rates in the world, rapidly launching its status high enough to rival the rest of western Europe. And one of the biggest catalysts of this change, as it happens, was the automobile industry.
El CADE 700 (1960)
About the 700.
After many years of development, CADE is ready to announce its first true car for 1958- And not a microcar, but a real, mass-market Spanish car for the Spanish people! And what better a car for a good Spanish person, than a completely original Spanish made car!
That’s completely originally Spanish!
100%!
Made in Spain!
By Spaniards!
Not stolen from anywhere else!
No sir!
Definately not from Italy!
You have no proof, Mr Wright!
Exclusively Spanish!
In all seriousness, stealing a design from the Italians and replacing the badges may not have been the morally correct choice, but CADE didn’t really have many options; anyone who’s seen CADE’s own blueprints could immediately tell how incapable of design these old cats were. Plus, it did a lot of good for Spain; this car was the icon of the Spanish miracle, acting as the first car for hundreds of thousands of people, and often the second car too.
And to their credit, they did make some changes; mostly to the engine, which they modified to make sure it could run on 85 RON fuel. They also modified the front grill, to make it look a bit like it was smiling. And whereas the Italians moved on with the years, the fact that CADE stuck with and depended on this design for a lot longer meant it saw more variation and change over time.
Another first for CADE: it had a limited subset of additional options, which could be had for extra cash:
an improved muffler,
upgraded offroad tires (both normal and upgraded tires could also be had with whitewalls),
prettier rims,
an AM radio,
safety glass (instead of normal glass),
a passenger side mirror,
a chrome accent trim running along the side,
and a wider selection of colors (though by far the most common color was white, to accommodate Spain’s hot climate).
These options came with drawbacks, adding added so much weight to an already light and weak car, but they all made very noticable improvements to the cars’ comfort, capability, or prestige.
CADE did decide to sell this car abroad, using the network established with the Scutermovil; After all, it was basically just a cheaper version of an already-popular car. What could possibly go wrong?
The version ya’ll have for reference has every improvement installed except the offroad tires (not very useful in Sweden, apparently), and comes in the default white color. While the original version sold for about $8000 AMU, the extras would’ve pushed this one’s value to $8760.
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