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!
Argh!! i really need to bring out my car!
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.
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.
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.
Is there naming regulations we need to follow?
Yeah, at the bottom of the rules post (under the pictures of ornaments).
With the moderate success that Ardent’s Swedish importer had with the 400-series, the home office slowly opened up nearly their entire lineup. Certain models like the Starlight were still closed off, though the Spanish-built Wren was allowed in its place. Bigger models were taken straight from factories in the States.
The A-series was officially opened up for importation late in 1958, but with a redesigned 1960 model on the horizon, it was no surprise that no orders for the older model were placed.
The 1960 A-series saw the introduction of the Toledo Iron Eight into the model, with 289 and 333 cid options. This joined the existing Vela inline-6 that had powered these pickups since 1946. Four Wheel Drive was no longer longer limited to the A200 pickup, and was now available across the line (including A-series vans). A wide variety of transmissions were available, including 3- and 4-speed manuals in 2WD, a 2-speed ShiftGuard automatic 2WD, and the exclusive 4-speed manual 4WD.
Being a thoroughly American truck, there was only one seating arrangement: A 3-wide bench. Deluxe trim models got a three-position adjustable bench back and pleated vinyl, plus an AM radio.
All Vela-powered A-series were rated at a half ton. Toledo-powered A100’s had an optional “3/4 ton” package with power steering and a stiffer suspension for load carrying. All A200’s were at least 3/4 ton rated, and 333-powered A200’s could get a similar suspension upgrade to bump its rating to one ton.
Maestrum A650 MK1 Blackpool 1.1
Released in 1965, the A650 set to be the somewhat spiritual successor of the M32 - a small, economic hatchback that was easy yet still relatively fun to drive. The A650 achieved this in almost all it’s markets, however the low acceleration and depressing top speed left many feeling… bored. In an era where people were starting to want more power, Maestrum was left largely behind.
So, they decided to reach out to French car manufacturer Vantour (who were the most advanced in car technology in the world at the time) and the small Scottish brand Keira, who made sports cars suited for small and winding mountain roads of the Scottish Highlands. Maestrum asked them to assist in producing a more sport-oriented trim of the A650, in exchange for a rather large sum of money.
Vantour provided brand-new radial tyres and DOHC engines, whilst Keira tuned the car’s new 4 - speed gearbox and, when it arrived, the new 1.1 litre inline 4 engine. Whilst the engine provided more power than standard, it was still asked by Maestrum to be relatively economical, so it only produced 60 horsepower. More than enough to power the 800 kilo car, but still relatively low in the sports car market.
Maestrum fitted all of this to the existing A650 chassis, and after some visual modifications (including new wheels, trim pieces, foglights and a more sport-oriented interior) it was finished. It was named the Blackpool, after the city of the main Maestrum factory producing A650’s at the time. It proved to sell very well in England and Scotland, as being only £760 ($13,500 in AUD) it was very attractive to young drivers, being cheap enough to ensure but still having enough grunt to outstrip most first cars on British roads at the time. Pair this with it’s unique looks and you had the perfect “Boy Racer” car.
The MK1 was produced from 1965 - 1978, when the MK3 came into production (the MK2 was produced from 1970 - 1978, and it was deemed “a bad financial decision” to cut the strings of the MK1 to be replaced with the MK2.) and even saw a relatively successful rally career, getting podium finishes on multiple stages.
(OOC: AMU to DM/SFr conversion is based on 7.89 2012 dollars equaling 1 1959 dollar, and 1 1959 dollar equaling 4.19 DM. Based on some pricing data of Italian cars I multiplied the DM price by 1.2 to get the cost in Swiss francs.)
The HSM V8 was a complete commercial failure, but the prestige of the vehicle managed to put Holtzmann and Kobelt on the map. Quite literally, in a way; the two founded Automobile Munot - taking its name from the fortress overlooking Schaffhausen - on the back of the old HSM company, to pursue the development of a mass market car.
Of course, this was not an easy task - the world was already awash in many similar cars, so they had to stand out somehow. Drawing on their experience in racing and performance, Holtzmann and Kobelt had created a concept for what they nicknamed the “Schnellwagen”, a full-sized upmarket sedan with more sporting lines that was, as the name implied, also fast. A “car of the future” proving that stately elegance could also be powerful and exciting to drive - similar in it’s basic idea to the Jaguar Mark 2’s “pace and grace”, using modern technology. Much like Switzerland itself, this concept drew on a number of neighboring European influences; in particular the Italian automakers’ experiments in fast road cars and German developments in luxury and safety, as well as the rising American muscle car fad. A factory in Emmen, an industrial center and the heart of Swiss aerospace was secured, which would become the main Munot factory complex. This concept soon gained the name “Helvetia”, the national symbol of Switzerland.
Many contemporary innovations were included in the Helvetia. It would have a unibody construction to save weight and improve crash resistance, which had long been in use with German manufacturers. A highly refined power steering system was included as standard, like many vehicles in the segment and in particular American premium cars. The success of radial tires in racing, and the adoption by the Italians and French in mass market vehicles like the Traction Avant made the legendary 165HR400 radial the tire of choice for the Helvetia. Also adopted from racing were front disk brakes; rear disks were too expensive to include at launch however. The interior was luxuriously furnished with radio and heater/cooler as standard, with leather upholstery and wood and chrome accents. An unusual center console configuration was used instead of a dashboard, built on ergonomic principles of the time and inspired by aviation. One other unusual feature was a powered rear window wiper.
To save money and development time, the expensive transmission, suspension, and engine were all reused from the HSM V8, though refined and retuned. In particular, the V8 was heavily redesigned derated to 113 PS (111 hp) in order to meet noise and efficiency requirements, but this was acceptable as the Helvetia was a relatively light car for its size. Incidentally, the HK113 used in the 1st generation Helvetia is to date the only V8 ever used by Munot, and was its largest engine until the 1986 Munot Millennium.
Enter Basel native Pierre Junod. A talented if eccentric engineer, his specialty was in safety, and he had worked for a number of major European companies in this field before being hired by Holtzmann and Kobelt, thus bringing much needed experience to Munot. Junod’s goal was to make the safest car in the world, and thanks to the Helvetia’s spare mass, he had lots of room to work with. Unashamedly inspired by the Swedish experience with front seatbelts, they became standard equipment. He also designed a shorter steering column and placed the fuel tank over the rear axle. Most importantly though, he and his team created an effective passenger cell and crumple zones for the Helvetia with the assistance of licensed MB patents, in a departure from older safety design principles.
At launch, though still expensive, the Helvetia was significantly cheaper than the HSM V8 and was now within the price range of the vast majority of it’s market. At $23,300 AMU, it retailed for 12,375 DM/14,850 SFr, which competitively priced it with the massively popular W111 series and made it within reach for buyers looking to upscale. It was available in five different colors with five more being added in 1961, and a two-tone body and a sunroof could be ordered as extra cost options.
After release, Munot continued to develop the Helvetia, aside from simple updates and refinements. In 1960, a 3-speed automatic was available as an option; in 1961, rear disk brakes also became an extra-cost option. In 1962 three-point seatbelts became standard, and in 1963, a coupe body with a more powerful engine became available while four-wheel disk brakes were now standard. Production lasted until 1965, to be replaced by the 2nd generation Helvetia using a more efficient engine.
All in all, the Helvetia was one great step forward for the newly formed Munot. With a top speed of 180 km/h and hitting 100 km/h in 10.98 seconds, it was fast. With new innovations and design principles in safety, it was safe. And it was lavishly comfortable too while being reasonably priced for its segment. A lot of hope and pride was resting on this vehicle, but whether it would be successful was up for the free market and history to decide.
The Mark I, unfortunately, was crude at best. The rear brakes were practically non-existent, the interior had bare sheet metal exposed in some places and but the seats were comfortable. However, the IVERA Vidar inline 6 engine was beautifully smooth, and packed a serious punch. Thanks to the 2 barrel carburetor the engine pushed out 130 horsepower and allowed the car to reach a modest 185 Km/h top speed.
The car also became known as the One Wheel Squealer in the US, as it tended to break traction under heavy acceleration spinning either the right or left rear wheels. In its production run from 1957 to 1961, 10,000 units were produced with 2,000 of them being exported to the US and other markets.
ROUND 3: 1966-75
A short summary of the era:
We enter this era with lots of hope for the future and the growth is still amazing. But we are leaving this era in a kind of troublesome situation where the industry have suffered from some backlash, the growth has gone down, the inflation is high and we have had the oil crisis to top everything off. It is clear that the glory days are over.
What happened during this era? (OOC: Including this as it might reflect society as a whole, important to consider in this challenge)
1966: The Volvo 140-series is introduced. Teachers in Sweden are going on a long strike. The Saab 37 Viggen fighter jet is shown for the first time. Sweden gets its third radio channel. Colour TV is shown in the country for the first time. Demonstrations against the Vietnam war gets violent in Stockholm.
1967: The ship building industry gets a heavy backlash when 900 people are fired from Uddevallavarvet. The Swedish road safety department is founded, as well as the environment protection department. Sweden changes from left hand to right hand traffic. The movie “I am curious (yellow)” is shown and causes heavy uproar for its erotic contents. Mercury is found in fish in such high contents that sales are stopped of 40 kinds of fish. The first heart transplant in the country is done.
1968: The maximum speed limit in the country is set to 110 km/h. SAAB and Scania Vabis is fusioned into SAAB-Scania, the largest fusion of two swedish companies ever. The first pizzeria in Sweden is opened.
1969: Sweden is accepting North Vietnam as a state, causing kind of a stir in the US, leading to American ambassador William W Heath leaving his post with no replacement until 1970. Sweden bans DDT as the first country in the world. Olof Palme becomes the prime minister of Sweden. TV2, the second TV channel in the country, is introduced. Mining workers in the country are going on a long strike.
1970: Work weeks are shortened to 40 hours. Pehr G Gyllenhammar becomes the new CEO for Volvo. Sweden gets its first female vicar.
1971: The trains are standing still for a month because of a strike. There is protests in Stockholm about cutting down some elm trees for building a subway, leading to the protesters winning - the elm trees were saved. Gothenburg celebrates 350 years. The first Saab 37 Viggen is delivered to the air force.
1972: The last steam locomotive is taken out of service. Björn Borg is the youngest one in history to play a Davis Cup match when he is winning over Onny Parun. ABBA releases their first single. Volvo buys 33% of the stock in DAF. The longest bridge in Europe, Ölandsbron, is finished.
1973: The Norrmalmstorg robbery starts with a bank robbery in Stockholm, where robber Jan-Erik Olsson demanded that Clark Olofsson should be set free. After five days it ended and hostages were released. King Gustaf VI Adolf dies, his successor is Carl XVI Gustaf.
1974: Use of electricity and gasoline gets restricted in the country due to the oil crisis. ABBA wins Eurovision song contest.
1975: Use of seatbelts for drivers and front seat passengers gets mandatory. Ingemar Stenmark wins the slalom world cup.
CAR RULESET:
Model year - 1975 or older
Trim year - 1966 - 1975
Engine family year - 1975 or older
Engine variant year - no newer than the trim year of the car
Banned parts:
Racing intakes
Racing tubular headers
Semi slicks
Restricted parts:
Alu or fiberglass bodies not recommended except for sports cars. May result in binning, if you are unsure, ask first.
Lockers are only allowed on 4x4 vehicles.
Turbochargers only for high end performance vehicles.
Fuel type: Any, but premium might put some cars at a disadvantage.
Emissions/loudness: No emissions restrictions. At least one muffler required.
Safety: 1966-68: No regulations, but people were becoming more safety conscious by then, so building a deathtrap may be a bad idea.
1969-75 : This was the era when the first crash test regulations started to appear. If using 50s safety, it has to be “Advanced”. 60s safety has to be “Standard” or “Advanced”. All types of 70s safety allowed.
EXCEPTION: Light duty trucks did not have to comply with the regulations, which means that vans and pickup trucks are excepted. A SUV is classed as a light duty truck only if the last row of seats that can be used in the body is either empty or jump seats. So, if it’s a 2 row body, the second row can’t contain full seats. If it’s a 3 row body, the second row can, but not the third row.
Lights:
At least one pair of headlights required - can have any shape since Sweden never had any sealed beam regulations, and in this era other shapes than round started to appear. White or yellow lenses forward. One pair of extra parking lamps allowed, not required.
Turn signals required front and rear. The exception is that one side mounted turn signal can be accepted, IF the lens is visible from both front and rear. The lens then has to be orange. White or orange turn signals up front, red or orange turn signals in the rear.
At least one pair of taillights and one pair of brakelights. They can be combined in the same fixture. If orange rear turn signals is used, a red fixture with one bulb is OK in the rear, but for red turn signals, at least two bulbs are required (in one or two red fixtures). One or two backup lights optional, not mandatory
Wiper/washers: 1966-68: At least one wiper required. Washers not required.
1969-73: If using only one wiper, it has to be mounted close to the centre so it can sweep most of the windshield. Real life examples: Mercedes 190 or Fiat Panda. Washers required.
1974-75: See 1969-73, except that now wipers and/or washer nozzles for the headlights are mandatory. If using dual headlights, it is enough to have it only on the low beams.
Mirrors:
1966-68: Not required
1969-75: Two outside mirrors required
License plate:
1966-72: One up front, one in the rear. Any shape/size available in the game can be used.
1973-75: One up front, one in the rear. The wide “euro size” plates has to be used, not necessarily this one but the ones that is close in size to this:
Gas cap: 1966-68:Any placement, didn’t even have to be on the outside of the car in this era so no visible gas cap required.
1969-75: Gas cap has to be mounted on the outside of the vehicle.
Tyres: Crossplies or radials, this was the era when the transition mostly occured. Maximum rim diameter 16 inches. Minimum tyre profile 60 - but keep in mind that even at the end of this era anything below 70 was kind of “extreme”.
Others: 1966-68: Hard, protruding hood ornaments are banned.
1969-75: see 1966-68, except that bumpers are now required front and rear, though no requirements regarding size or strength. Exception: Light duty trucks
Naming:
Model/Trim : SCCR3 - Your name / The name of the car
Family/Variant : SCCR3 - Your name / The name of the engine
DEADLINE: Sunday the 24th of October, 6 PM CET
Before this, I want the car file sent to me via PM, and also a presentation, ad, or similar of the car in this thread.
(Feel free to ask any questions!)
REPRINT FROM TRAFIKJOURNALEN #2 2021
CARS THAT INFLUENCED CAR CULTURE
PART 2: THE GLORY DAYS
Let’s continue our quest for the most influential cars we have had when it comes to the car culture of this country. In this issue we mostly look at cars that maybe could be said to come from the glory days of motoring - 1956 to 1965. Before exhaust and safety regulations killed the creativity, but still when most manufacturers had raised out of the ashes from the war.
The Moravia Jaka is a prime example of how some vehicles won’t be successful among private customers, but still sell in decent numbers. When the vehicle was released, it was a bit more civilized than some earlier attempts at making 4WD vehicles, like the AMM Sarek and the Mara Konyk. The steel top, for example, made for better practicality, comfort and weather protection. It had almost unparalleled off road capabilities, great loading capacity, and it was literally unbreakable.
But one has to keep in mind that the days when a SUV meant status among private buyers were still far, far into the future. The Moravia was a pure work vehicle, a heavy duty one by the standards of the day, and it was probably very hard to convince mr. Average why this should be his vehicle of choice. Instead it found some niches that it could fulfill. One of them was among fire brigades. The Moravia Jaka was almost THE standard fire chief car for a while in the rural areas.
Since the fire departments tend to take care of their stuff, and keep it for a long while, one could have thought that the market in the late 80s / early 90s would be flooded with relatively nice Jakas. And in one way, it was.
But where are they now? Well, most of them were simply exported back to the eastern block by then, where the demand was huge, to say the least. That means that the Moravia Jaka is a very rare sight today. But of course, the remaining few examples do have their following - anything else would be kind of strange.
Initially, everything was looking promising for the Ursula F5. When it arrived, it was a very modern car in what would probably be called the “executive” class nowadays. A new kind of luxury car that was engineered with people that liked driving themselves in mind, rather than being chauffeured around. It was very modern, both in engineering and in appearance, it was fast and it had great driving dynamics for its era.
Unfortunately, the horizon got cloudy rather fast and the F5 more or less hurt the reputation for the Ursula brand, at least in this country. Frankly, they were lemons. Advanced technology that was a bit ahead of its time meant that it was everything but proven, and many examples of the F5 seemed to spend more time at the repair shop than they did on the road. When we were looking at them in one of our used car reviews when they were some years old, our advice was “avoid at all costs”.
And most second hand car buyers took our advice. Not that we feel guilty, the fate would have been the same in any case. Expensive repairs meant that second hand prices hit rock bottom. In turn, that also meant that cars were scrapped even because of less expensive repairs, because it was simply cheaper to just get another F5. Or for that matter, a completely different car.
That means that the F5 is a rare beast today. Once in a while one of them will arrive at a classic car event. And we have an advice for you then.
Don’t ask the owner how many times he has had the alloy cylinder head welded. He (or she) does not like to hear that question again and again and again. Thanks!
The US car culture (OK, in this case Canadian) is very strong in this country as most of us already know. And maybe the Mons Albatros S is the car that symbolizes this the best of them all.
But it has not always been like this. In the 50s, this was something that most people could not even dream of. It was a vehicle for a chosen few, most often chauffeured around, and at the same time, it was at the end of the heydays for the American (OK, Canadian) cars for doing that duty. Even as a chauffeured luxury car, the 1959 Albatros was at the limit of being too big and excessive. Not expensive for what it is but excessive. Most people in higher society really had a bit more modest taste than what was expressed by this barge with its tail fins and chrome.
But the people that were watching them almost jealously had a different view. To them, this was the pinnacle of automobile design and engineering. The ultimate way of experiencing the American dream on wheels. Canada is a North American country so now we have said that once and for all.
Fast forward to the 70s and the oil crisis. In Canada and USA people were cramming themselves into IP Warblers and Tanaka Aventises thinking that now all the fun was over. Not that an used Mons Albatros had anything resembling value there anyway. “The fun has just begun”, the Swedes said and imported heaps and heaps of these cars, that probably would have been hard to trade for an used VW Bug back in its home country.
And ever since that the Albatros has been more or less a cult classic in the US/Canadian car community. And in Canada and USA people regret exporting them now. Some of them have actually been imported back again.
Sometimes, when customers like what you give them, the right thing to do is to give them more of the same thing. At other times it becomes boring and repetitive and just gives a backlash. When it comes to the AEKI 121S, we land somewhere in the middle, in a pretty good compromise though.
The AEKI 100 platform proved to be too good to just leave it alone. AEKI introduced the stylish 121S on the same platform as their “halo car”, and it was met with kind of mixed receptions, both good and bad. Some people did not really see it as a true sports car, it was too much of just a normal AEKI, too civilized. 100 hp was not totally convincing for a sports car even back then and it was said to be “driving like a family car”.
Some other people protested against that view. It was simply the answer to all the questions. A good looking, sporty, fast car with all the reliability and refinement of the AEKI 100.
And the truth? It was somewhere in between. It had decent handling, good brakes and went surprisingly fast - not that it was anywhere close to the exotics of the era. On the other hand, the “sporty” tuning of the engine took its toll on the reliability which didn’t really reach the levels of the AEKI 100, and the platform was coming close to being a decade old by then. The competitors were really catching up and the 100 was not as competitive as it had been in the 50s anymore, even less so for building a sports car.
But it was a good looking compromise, it became a hit among the “hip” people in the 60s and prices today are reaching levels that some of the more exotic competitors haven’t seen yet.
The F&S Rattler is proof that making things overly complicated is not always the answer. The A-3500 had been a strong seller for its class, as the down-to-earth, honest sports car it was. The Rattler introduced lots of new technology like an all-alloy SOHC 176 hp inline six and independent suspension all around. And on paper, it looked like the sports car to have, and the racing pedigree somewhat boosted its image.
But reality was that the performance just barely exceeded what the A-3500 could offer, and many people saw it as too soft-hearted in comparison. Even the AEKI 121S offered better driving dynamics at a much lower price, the weak brakes and understeering characteristics of the Rattler was not really what people expected in a sports car.
Also, it was seen as notoriously unreliable, and the amount of modern technology meant that most mechanics of the era didn’t really appreciate or understand wrenching on the Rattler. Used examples was most often avoided as the plague among sports car enthusiasts. It has always been “accepted” but to put it this way, the general consensus has been that you have to be of “a special kind of breed” to be able to handle a Rattler.
But today, when a korean supermini has technology that is 10 times as advanced and they are mostly a “good weather” car that’s rolling a few miles per year, the bad reputation is kind of washed away and the surviving examples are getting quite pricey.
There was no reason for the AIM Special C-6 to NOT be a strong seller when it arrived. It could be seen as an early example of a compact sports sedan with its 121 hp 2.7 litre inline six, that offered frisky performance for its era with a top speed of 188 km/h and a 0-100 time of 7.2 seconds. It was mated to a slick close-ratio 4 speed manual that had a short shifter and was a joy to handle, and its driving dynamics were competitive with some of the sports cars of the era. Yet, it didn’t cost too much - $17000 gave you not only all of this, but also a well-appointed interior with comfortable wool upholstery and some walnut inserts and thick carpeting, as well as a push button radio with reverb.
For the family man that didn’t want to give up on sports cars, the AIM was the ultimate compromise, and it was attractive on the second hand market for many years. Of course, most cars have a period in their life when the value will be hitting bottom, but the AIM never really crashed that hard, it has always been a sought after car.
So also today, since buying a nice example won’t really be friendly to your wallet, but it will sure attract people’s attention, whether you’re driving down the road or attending a car meet. Its sporty dynamics also meant that it is quite popular among the historical racing crowd.
Price fighters have always had their place on the market, so also the Tack 23F. When it arrived, it promised a six to the price of a four, and that was also true. It should be said, however, that what you got also was a kind of simple car that felt kind of old fashioned already as new. It was built on a separate frame, the six was a kind of lazy 70 hp affair and the interior was very rudimentary. Thanks to the simple construction it could take some beating, though. It also could handle bad roads relatively well for being a regular, rear wheel drive passenger car. That means that it was a relatively strong seller in the rural parts of the country. But despite the six cylinder engine, it was never seen as a prestige car at all, due to its cheapness and simplicity.
Eventually, most of them needed expensive overhauling of the engine, even if reliability was vastly improved over the 20F, which rarely was seen as worth it, and they ended up as scrap. But remaining examples are still seen as kind of a remarkable part of Swedish automobile history, even if it doesn’t really carry the cult status of, for example, the AEKI 100, which is also reflected in the pricing nowadays.
Maybe the Mara 1300 pickup was a little bit too niched when it arrived on the market, and that the reason for the lukewarm success can be found somewhere in there. In itself, the idea of a cheap, compact pickup truck is never wrong. But the high ground clearance to cope with the bad Archanian roads was not really needed here - not for the kind of buyers choosing to opt for a pickup in this class. The ones really needing offroad capability probably rather looked at a larger capacity pickup truck instead, maybe even with 4 wheel drive even if that was much more rare in the 60s compared to now. Also, the strange looks of the Mara 1300 made it kind of laughing stock, “the Mara on stilts” as it was called. Still, it managed to find its share of buyers. And maybe it has never really been sought after, but still something happened in the late 80s and early 90s. With “the ironical generation” came something else too, “love for the unloved”. And the silly looking little Mara 1300 really became something of a poster child for that. The remaining examples were dusted off, and they gained kind of their own cult. Sure, it is still a player in the margins, as it always has been, but certainly not forgotten either.
Before the days of the hot hatch, this was what we had. The Cabrera Monzon COPA. One of the first small sedans engineered for performance that really was a lucky strike among the buyers and sold like hotcakes. Yet - it may not be a very impressive car on paper - featuring an 1 litre 53 hp inline 4, though in a car weighing only 730 kg, the performance is mediocre by the standards of today, with a 15.5 second time to 100 and a top speed of 144 km/h.
But everyone that bought one knew that this was just a diamond in the rough. With sticky radial tyres and a sporty suspension tune, this car could outrun almost anything in the corners - if you could drive one. The rear engine layout meant that more than one got wrapped around trees or poles, when the drivers got a little bit too brave and the oversteering became too much to handle. There was lots of potential to be found in the little inline four, and probably almost none of the Monzon COPAs were rolling around in original condition in the 60s and 70s. This was a rally winner for the road. Pure fun on wheels. It really became THE car to have for many young drivers back then - and a price of $13400 meant that it was an affordable dream too. Sure, you had to skip on some luxuries, to keep price and weight down the interior featured nothing more than the most necessary stuff.
Unfortunately, not many are left today. We have said earlier that many of them were crashed beyond repair, not an uncommon fate for cars attracting a “certain kind” of drivers. They also tend to be hard on the mechanical parts, even though the Monzon COPA wasn’t really fragile. But what killed most of them was probably the rust. There was not an ounce too much of undercoating or paint, once again to keep the weight and price down. Not really a success in our Scandinavian climate though.
Nice examples are going for almost silly prices today, the historical rally or racing crowd is sharing their interest with people that were around back then that wants to realize the dream from their youth. Also, since there was hardly any original examples rolling around, they are generally accepting period correct modifications more than many other classic car owners. Minilite wheels, souped up engines, 60s racing seats, everything can be seen in Monzon COPAs and are also fully accepted in the crowd.
The Cabrera Monzon might have been a success on the RR type platform, but it still became clear that it had its heydays behind it in the 60s. While the Cabrera had shown that it still could be tamed with a good work on the chassis, the Courageux was a more mediocre example that had a kind of lukewarm reception when it arrived. Sure, it was not without its points, it was comfortable and roomy for being such a small car, but while the Ambronay 15 years earlier had lots of charm and was the right vehicle at the right time, the Mille was more of an “also-ran” in the Swedish market. It didn’t have much of an advantage over the competition, it was known for being kind of a challenge to drive in bad weather conditions, wanting to come tail first through the corners, and it was generally seen as a bit bland and soulless compared to some of the older Courageux models. That also means that it was generally seen as a cheap throwaway car. And threw away them was also what people did when the rust had eaten them up completely in just a couple of years. The protection against rust was absolutely non-existant.
Now, it sounds like if we are mean to the Courageux, but we are not. It might not have been the right car at the right time in the 60s, but seen as an enthusiast vehicle nowadays it can be quite charming, like any small 60s car. If you find one with its floorboards in place, we can’t blame you if you happen to fall for it.
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So from 1969-73, when “washers” are required, does that refer to washers from the windshield, then?
If Sweden has its own Edsel, it would be the AMM Lyxig. It was simply a prime example of answering a question that nobody ever asked. A story where prestige mattered more than sanity. It is said that it was controversial inside AMM if they should put the car into production, but voices speaking about the importance of showing the world that AMM could build state of the art cars was obviously louder than the one that asked if they were able to pull this off. And truth is - they were not.
To start with, the number of buyers for this pure showoff in excess were easily counted on the fingers of one hand in our small country. And even if they could afford it, the car was simply too much in many ways. The fuel consumption of 31.1 litres per 100 km was kind of questionable even then - being released in the middle of the Suez crisis as it was, even if there was no possibility that AMM could predict that one. The styling could maybe have been swallowed some years later but now they were kind of too early pulling the jet age looks off. And it drove…well. Worse than the Sarek 4x4 to be honest. That car cornered and braked like a sports car in comparison. To make things even worse, the buyers that actually did exist probably was in regret some years later, due to the unibody being full of rust traps. When the annual safety inspection of cars started in 1965, the AMM Lyxig had an infamous record of being the car that was most often declared not roadworthy due to structural rust.
Was the AMM Lyxig a total failure then? Maybe from a sales standpoint, but maybe AMM learned a thing or two about engineering during its development. For example, it had a crashworthiness that was almost unparallelled at the time. At least as long as the body still held together by itself. And maybe it was a great wakeup call about what Swedish manufacturers should NOT build.
The KAI K1 was a prime example of (by then) a modern car maneuvering out the old fashioned ones. We can compare it to the Courageux Mille, for example. The KAI was slightly better at almost everything - more than just slightly better on some things, and it was all in all a very good little car. Yet it was priced low enough to be more than competitive - actually a fair bit lower than the Courageux.
The formula behind this was of course what you find in every supermini nowadays. Transversely mounted engine, front wheel drive and a hatchback body. But what could also be said about it was that it was very well bolted together - in fact, one of the most reliable cars of its era. It also had quite stellar fuel economy, again, for its era it is. That meant that second hand values were high for many years - it was simply THE economy car to have.
Sure, it took some time for the KAI K1 to receive a status as an enthusiast vehicle - like so very often when a car is simply too good. Far into the 90s you could see well kept examples rolling around, at least as “second cars” in families. And that also meant that nobody saw it as anything else than a mode of transportation. But all the fond memories of the K1 eventually formed into some kind of collective nostalgia, when the cars started to vanish from the road, and if you have one today, it will get appreciation both from enthusiasts and from non-car people.
But it failed because of two reasons. First, the driving dynamics was far from as good - while Cabrera had tamed the RR layout, the Schnell was worse at throwing out its rear end than even, for example, the Courageux Mille. Second, it was…second. Sorry for the pun, but when the Monzon already had established itself, it had an advantage that was hard to beat for the competition. To beat it you had to be much better, which most people can agree that the Schnell was not. Also, even if this was the era before people did care so much about fuel economy, it was bad considering the small size of the car. The two door layout made it “sportier” according to its fans, even if it was not as practical, what you prefer is really up to you.
But the Schnell was proof that it was hard to beat good engineering with pure power, at least when it came to getting a foothold in the market. Still, that does of course not mean that it doesn’t have a fanbase today - it is just not as big or dedicated as the one some more popular brands have got.
And finding a car today is not easy - like many of its competitors, the New 1400 was terrible when it came to rust protection.
The CADE 700 was far from the same flop as the earlier Scutermovil - there was a good reason for that too, for example, the 700 was a real car and not a glorified golf cart. Yet, it was still among the most basic kind of transportation you could get. Not only was it tiny, every part was more or less as simple as it could get, that was also reflected in the price, $8760 AMU. Though, as always, you got what you paid for. The 700 was not really comfortable, roomy or fast. Neither did it have any inspiring driving dynamics. It gained some success, but yet it was seen as “not car enough” by many Swedes. People were not really running their legs off on the way to the CADE showroom.
On the other hand, if your requirement really was only BASIC transportation, the CADE 700 offered weather protection, an engine and even, surprisingly enough, a radio. Simple technology also meant that it was sturdy and reliable (even if rust protection left much to be desired). So, for the money it did cost, value was absolutely on an acceptable level.
Driving one in the hectic traffic of today, squeezed in between stressed drivers in 2 ton SUVs aren’t the most pleasant experience, though. It really becomes obvious how small the 700 really is by then. No, this car should be enjoyed on the small backroads, which is more like its right element. That, of course, hasn’t stopped the values of the remaining cars to rise by a fair amount during the last years. The little CADE is “cute” and “charming” in a way that very few, if any, modern cars can match, and that have lead to an increased interest in the model. It reminds many people of the good things about the past that will never come back, despite the car in itself being quite mediocre for its era.
The Ardent A100 Deluxe is another example of a vehicle that wasn’t really popular among private customers. Keep in mind that this was 1960. An US pickup was a work vehicle back then, not a status symbol, and it was more work vehicle than most people needed. Especially the 4WD V8 version, that still turned out to be the most common variant in Sweden. Why?
The reason is that Skandinaviska Automobilimporten hit the head of the nail when it came to satisfying some of the specialty customers. One of them was as newspaper distribution trucks. No, we aren’t talking about the kind that will deliver the newspaper to your mailbox - rather the one that took them from the printworks out to the customers. The powerful V8 made the A100 Deluxe very suited for that task, today it is not anything strange with a pickup truck being as fast as a passenger car, but back then it was largely unheard of.
But perhaps what was the most important to make it a cash-cow for Skandinaviska Automobilimporten was the contract they got with the air force. Keep in mind that few countries could match us back then when it came to having a large air force in proportion to the size of the population. And the performance and load capacity made them suited for building firetrucks for the air force, as well as tow / service vehicles for the aircrafts. They delivered heaps and heaps of Ardent A100 Deluxes for the air force.
So, just as many people remember the AMM Sarek if they did their military service in the army, if you did it in the air force in the 60s, 70s or 80s, chances are that you have been in touch with the A100 Deluxe in one form or another.
But that also meant that the market later got flooded with second hand examples for sane prices. That meant that they got a second life. We said earlier that they weren’t really a status symbol when they were new. That’s completely true, and maybe there was not much “status” about owning an Ardent A100 Deluxe in the late 80s or early 90s either, but it was often an extension of the personality. The people romanticizing the rural american lifestyle. So, with an old school US truck, a cowboy hat and a gun rack behind the seats, they were ready to live out their dreams.
Lately, there has been vintage US trucks of many other brands imported to Sweden, increasing the diversity, but it all started with surplus A100 Deluxes, don’t forget that.
When it arrived, the Munot Helvetia was not far from the pinnacle of automotive engineering. The little 3 litre flatplane V8 was a gem, for example. The interior was a work of art crafted from the finest wood and leather. And it was rumoured to be one of the most comfortable cars in the world - and it was really more than just a rumour. Yet, considering that it was an advanced and luxurious car, it was not notoriously unreliable, thanks to high levels of engineering and build quality. A Munot Helvetia was an expensive car, but you knew what you got. At least for the first few years. That meant that it sold surprisingly well considering its high MSRP.
Unfortunately, the Munot helvetia was not really better protected against rust than some of its much cheaper competition. In the late 60s, if you saw a rusty Munot Helvetia parked at the side of the road, you really knew that you were on the wrong side of the tracks. For many years, that was a reputation that was hard to wash off the car.
Fast forward 20-25 years. When the last rusty heap of a Helvetia had driven into automobile heaven on its 7 cylinders together with a blue cloud of smoke many years ago. Then the nostalgia started to take over - because it really WAS one of the finest cars of the late 50s and it was time to start appreciating it for what it was again - just like when it was new.
Unfortunately, restoring a Munot Helvetia is an expensive affair that certainly is not for everyone. You paid for more than just cosmetics in the 50s and the same thing is true if you are trying to rebuild the same amount of attention to detail and engineering today.
So like a roller coaster ride, the Munot Helvetia has gone from top, to bottom, to top again, with the periods in between being too short to even notice.
While the USA has Detroit, Sweden has Malmö. AMM, AEKI and from 1957 also Ivera, are all examples of car builders coming from the largest city in the region of Scania. Of course, Ivera was an old company already by 1957, but their first car, the Mk1 arrived by then. And it was by no means a bad car - but if you have ridden in one in the late 50s or early 60s, chances are that it was not really a pleasant experience after all. The reason? The IVERA Mk1 quickly became the favourite among the Swedish police. It was fast, with its 4 litre 131 hp straight six. Yet it didn’t cost as much as some of its more luxurious six cylinder counterparts. It also was roomy, kind of durable and had sane service costs.
The big drawback, that scared off many private customers, was the notoriously bad fuel economy. For the police, however, it was said that it was only a kind of slight disadvantage, considering an overall economy that in the end still was better than most other cars that could offer the same advantages.
The ironical thing? That’s probably that the IVERA Mk1 was the most stolen car in the country in the 60s. Every criminal knew how to steal one, and appreciated it for the same fine qualities as the police did. So, it really was a game of cops and robbers many times.
Today, the Mk1 is of course seen as a very important part of the Ivera history and a highly appreciated vehicle in the vintage car crowd.
One has to admit that this round really shows the transition of small cars in this era. We have seen the Courageux being a bit too late on the ball. We have seen Cabrera making a success by taking the same recipe but tuning into a better drivers car. We have seen Schnell fail when trying to follow the path of the Cabrera. We have seen KAI jumping on the FWD bandwagon.
And our last car is an important one. It is the Maestrum A650 1.1 Blackpool. Take the FWD hatchback concept of the Kai, give it the war paint and sportiness of the Cabrera, and bingo, you have created a success. Because for young people in the 60s, the A650 was really a ticket if you wanted to be hip.
The big difference between Cabrera and Maestrum may be that the Cabrera people more often had a motorsports interest while the Maestrum people mostly wanted to look cool. But that does not mean that the Maestrum was a looker with no pep - it was slightly faster and drove slightly better than the Cabrera. Not by much though and probably it is mostly a matter of preferring front- or rear wheel drive.
Thing is that the Maestrum was a cult auto already as new, and it still is. They have had their loyal fanbase for over 50 years and they will keep having it. Yet finding one is not impossible - it was one of the top selling small cars in the 60s and they generally held up well, so if you’re not looking for mint condition, they don’t carry fantasy prices.
EPILOGUE
There has been many classics in this round that, even if not all could be classified as “Very influential”, at least is fondly remembered today. But maybe it was kind of too easy? We’re soon entering the dark ages, of safety regulations, emissions control and oil crisis. Can any of the cars from that era still stand strong today? Stay tuned!
BINS: ITA Cuter (@Prium)
Reason: Does not follow naming regulations
Yes. And from 1974 and forward also washers and/or wipers on the headlights.
It took more than two decades after the war for Suzume to finally export vehicles farther than its immediate neighbors. Spurred on by strong success at home and nearby, and with encouragement from Ardent (who at the time owned 10% of the company), Suzume’s first export occurred in 1971, with the 10S/12G subcompact.
Two years later, they would send more upscale cars abroad. In Sweden, this happened thanks to a partnership with Ardent’s importer.
The Kaminari was considered by most markets to be compact (though at home it was closer to intermediate). Yet its small figure packed a big punch, with three different straight-six motors. The sporty top-trim 22G had a 100-horsepower A2200Z motor under the hood, and a four-on-the-floor (optional 3-speed automatic, but who in their right mind would order one?)
Other appointments included front bucket seats, a solid-state AM radio, radial tires, and alloy wheels. Top treatment for a budget-conscious with extra thrills on the side.
What is washer fixture?
Unleaded fuel is available in this era - but is there any obligation to use it? And as for catalytic converters for cars made in 1972 or later, are those parts even legal?
Does this allow for the use of windshield wiper fixtures on the headlights, albeit scaled accordingly? Besides, I don’t know of any period-accurate washer fixtures for the 1970s.
Also, fuel injection started to become more common in the later years of this era - but I’m sure they were usually reserved for higher-end machinery.
And regarding this specific body set:
This one has a bumper slot that can be repainted - so does it count as a bumper if I set the Car Bumper color to plastic or chrome if I were to use any of the bodies in this set for my submission? I suspect it does.
My first guess would be, as it’s based on my challenge, that if it has a moldable bumper, it counts. But don’t quote me.
