The 1967 Pontiac GTO "xXx" Movie Car Star

Auto Car | The 1967 Pontiac GTO "xXx" Movie Car Star | The 1967 Pontiac GTO is a classic muscle car that known as the famous movie car star, the supercharged spy car that Xander Cage, played by Vin Diesel, drove in the 2002 action movie, "xXx"

The Pontiac GTO an automobile built by Pontiac Division of General Motors in the United States from 1964 to 1974, and by GM subsidiary Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. It was a classic muscle car of the 1960s and 1970s. The GTO was the brainchild of Pontiac engineer Russell Gee, an engine specialist; Bill Collins, a chassis engineer; and Pontiac chief engineer John DeLorean. In early 1963, General Motors' management issued an edict banning divisions from involvement in auto racing.

1967 Pontiac GTO Specs
Model:1967 Pontiac GTO
Engine Position:Front
Engine: 6375 ccm (387,06 cubic inches)
Engine type:V8
Valves per cylinder:2
Fuel:Gasoline
Drive:Rear
Seats:4
Passenger space:5510 litres (1448,72 gallons)
Country of origin:USA
Weight:1400 kg (3071,07 pounds)
Total length:5250 mm (205,67 inches)
Total width:1900 mm (74,43 inches)
Total height:1380 mm (54,03 inches)
Wheelbase:2930 mm (114,82 inches)
Rear brakes type:Drums

The Hollywood Star Car: 1963 Volkswagen Beetle "Herbie"

Auto Car | The Hollywood Star Car: 1963 Volkswagen Beetle "Herbie" | Herbie is an anthropomorphic 1963 Volkswagen Beetle. The Volkswagen Beetle Type has made numerous appearances in Hollywood films, most notably (Disney's) The Love Bug comedy series from 1968 to 2005, starring as "Herbie", 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, a pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Beetle - racing number 53. 

This 1963 VW Bug was driven by Lindsay Lohan in the 2005 Disney Movie, 'Herbie: Fully Loaded.' To give the appearance that Herbie could reach full speed while traveling in reverse, engineers removed the body and placed it backwards on the chassis. Notice the rear wheels now steer the vehicle. The body is coated with Rust and Dirt-Colored paint to make Herbie appear used and abused. Actually, this car is in excellent condition. 
Herbie: Fully Loaded is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Angela Robinson and produced by Robert Simonds for Walt Disney Pictures. It stars Lindsay Lohan as the youngest member of an automobile-racing family, Michael Keaton as her father, Matt Dillon as a competing racer, Breckin Meyer as her brother, and Justin Long as friend and mechanic. The film features cameos by many NASCAR drivers, including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin. It is the first theatrical Herbie film since Herbie Goes Bananas in 1980.


1963 Volkswagen Beetle Specifications
Light alloy finned cylinders
Engine Type : O4 1192 cc | 72.7 cu in. | 1.2 L.
40 BHP (29.44 KW) @ 3900 RPM
64 Ft-Lbs (87 NM) @ 2400 RPM
Bore : 3.0 in | 77 mm.
Stroke : 2.5 in | 64 mm.
Engine Location Rear
Drive Type Rear Wheel
Body / Chassis Unitized steel
Production Years for Series 1938 - 1980
Price $1,600-$2,100
Weight 1600 lbs | 725.748 kg
Transmission:4 Manual

References:
conceptcarz, wikipedia, imdb

Classic Recreations Shelby GT500CR 2010

Auto Car | Classic Recreations Shelby GT500CR 2010 | Classic Recreations 1967 G.T.500CR prototype makes first public appearance in Las Vegas the same weekend as the NASCAR Shelby American Race
Yukon, Okla. (Feb 26th, 2010) - Less than four months after custom coachbuilder Classic Recreations announced the Officially-Licensed 1967 Shelby G.T.500CR continuation car program at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the first prototype made its debut in the same city but with a very different setting.

Details of the reborn supercar have been a closely guarded secret, but on February 25th, 2010, the first GT500CR prototype was photographed near the Shelby American facility in Las Vegas, prior to an all-Shelby weekend where car owners and NASCAR fans gathered to celebrate the legendary mark during the NASCAR Shelby American GT350 stock car race.

The G.T.500CR is the first official 1967 Shelby Mustang continuation car ever built, and each hand-built vehicle features a 427 cubic inch (7.0L) engine, model specific bodywork, custom paint and hand-stitched upholstery.

Every G.T.500CR has an official Shelby serial number, badges and will be included in the Shelby World Registry. The prototype that appeared in Las Vegas is the 545 horsepower Performance Model, featuring a fuel injected, naturally aspirated engine, Tremec overdrive transmission, modern coil-over suspension with rack-and-pinion steering, modern vented disc brakes, and a custom handcrafted interior featuring Carroll Shelby signature seats, custom gauges, brushed aluminum trim, five-point harnesses and more.
Other G.T500CR models include the Intro and the top of the line Venom which boasts a high performance four-link coilover rear suspension and a 780 horsepower supercharged, intercooled hand built engine. Prototypes for both the Intro and the Venom will be introduced soon.

About Classic Recreations
Classic Recreations founder Jason Engel, and his company's team of skilled technicians and craftsmen, have been modifying and custom fabricating high-performance vehicles for more than 10 years. Each built-to-order G.T.500CR takes approximately four months (nearly 2,500 man hours) of painstaking assembly. Find out more about how to get your own hand built vehicle at

source : www.seriouswheels.com

Bugatti T37

Auto Car | Bugatti T37 | Starting life as a Type 37 Bugatti, this car was owned and raced by T P Cholmondeley Tapper who vividly described his exploits in his book “Amateur Racing Driver”. A subsequent owner commissioned independent-minded engineer Leslie Ballamy to convert the front suspension to one of his swing-axle designs that he usually applied to Fords. 

 

At the same time, the classic Bugatti radiator was replaced by a specially-made one enclosed in a narrow, streamlined cowl. The car was raced in this form by Ballamy and, on one occasion, by Richard Seaman, until WWII, during which its engine was lost to the wartime scrap drive.

An Australian bought the engineless car and shipped it downunder where he fitted a Holden engine and continued to race it well into the sixties. A later owner replaced the Holden engine with the correct Bugatti type, discarded the Ballamy proboscis but retained the unique front suspension. The car changed hands again in 2005 and the new owner commissioned Auto Restorations to restore the car to full Ballamy specification. 

 

The restoration entailed making a new nose and radiator, returning the hydraulically-operated brakes to original mechanical operation and making a new fuel tank to original drawings. The car has since competed in classic racing events in New Zealand and Australia.

Source : www.autorestorations.co.nz

Abarth 205 Vignale Berlinetta

Auto Car | Abarth 205 Vignale Berlinetta | Austrian born tuning expert Carlo Abarth was one of an all-star team that was involved in Piero Dusio's ambitious Cisitalia project immediately after the War. By 1949, Cisitalia's financial position quickly worsened and Abarth decided to jump the sinking ship. As compensation for his efforts, Dusio gave him several examples of the latest '204' model in various states of completion. They were modified to the extent that a rebadging to Cisitalia-Abarth 204A was warranted. These cycle-fendered sports cars were raced with considerable success by the 'Squadra Carlo Abarth' in 1949.

Encouraged by the good results on the track and funded by the ever increasing sales of his exhaust systems, Carlo Abarth established Abarth & C. to manufacture complete cars. The first of these made a victorious debut early in March of 1950 when Guido Scagliarini won the 1100 class in the Coppa InterEuropa at Monza. Fitted with a new coupe body, it was confusingly referred to as an Abarth 204A. Today it seems more likely that the car was actually the first of three Abarth 205s built around a brand new platform chassis. The 204s used a distinctly different tubular frame.

Both cars do share the Fiat sourced four cylinder engine. Fitted with Abarth's tuning kit, which consisted of a revised intake manifold, two Weber carburettors and a bespoke exhaust, the tiny 1089cc engine produced an impressive 83 bhp. The four-speed gearbox was also sourced from Fiat. The potent drivetrain was fitted in a very straightforward box-section steel platform chassis. Alfredo Vignale was commissioned to build the lightweight aluminium body. The beautiful design came from the pen of Giovanni Michelotti. Included, of course, were the three portholes on the front fenders that were typical for Vignale's bodies.

After its spectacular Monza debut, the 204A / 205 Coupe was shown during the 1950 Turin Motor Show. It was the first time Abarth displayed his cars at this most important show. A second example was finished shortly after and both were raced in the major Italian events that season. The third example was completed early in 1951 and was more luxuriously appointed as the two racing cars. Fitted with a slightly larger version of the four cylinder engine, it was shown during the Turin shown in 1951. Prized at the level of a two-litre Ferrari, Abarth struggled to find customers for his small Coupes and in the end only three were built.

The huge expenses of the racing efforts weighed heavily on the fledgling company and Abarth decided it was wise to cease racing and focus on developing the successful exhaust systems for the foreseeable future. The platform chassis first used on the 205 would serve on as the basis for several show cars and eventually the Abarth 207 racing car introduced in 1955. Amazingly all three Abarth 205s have survived and are in the hands of caring owners. They remain as the first in a long line of Abarth racing cars that made their mark on small-displacement racing for several decades.

Although originally referred to as a 204A Coupe, it is believed that this car received the chassis 205101. It was first raced at Monza to a class win in the Coppa Intereuropa. A week later it finished sixth overall in the Targa Florio and second in class. For the Mille Miglia, extensions were bolted on the nose and tail to make the car more efficient but it was forced to retire. In 1951 it was acquired by an Italian customer, who in turn sold to the United States. Here it was raced at Torrey Pines in 1954 but again failed to finish.

Chassis 205101 was then retired from active service an lived a peaceful life in American ownership. That was until tragedy struck in 1981 when during a fire a ceiling failed covering the delicate Berlinetta in rubble and a 1911 Overland. All seemed to be lost until Scott Emsley salvaged the remains of the Abarth in 1984 and commenced with a ground up restoration. Damaged both by the ceiling and heat, it would have been understandable that most of the body was discarded. In a monumental effort, Emsley managed to restore the complete body without having to replace a single panel or use any filler.

The restoration was completed in time for the 1989 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. This hugely impressive work was awarded with a second in class at Pebble. A year later the car and its restoration were prominently featured in the May 1990 issue of Road & Track Magazine. Since then Emsler has shown the car at numerous events, including the 2005 Quail, a Motorsports Gathering where it is pictured. More recently he decided to part with the little Abarth. The new owner brought the car, still in immaculate condition, back to Europe for the 2009 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.

Source : www.ultimatecarpage.com

2005 Aagland Aaglander

Auto Car | 2005 Aagland Aaglander | Given the long and successful history of car manufacture, a move away from the modern hi-tech vehicles of today to a mechanically driven carriage - as found in the early days of automobile design - would appear from a technical point of view to be a backwards step.  And at first sight it may also seem to be flying in the face of common sense.  That was exactly the intention of German entrepreneur Roland Belz.

As an enthusiastic rider and carriage driver he want to contribute to emotional rather than purely technical progress, enabling more people who love truly special things to discover and enjoy the luxury of a slower pace of life.  For that reason, Roland Belz, together with a team of dedicated staff, has invested an enormous amount of passion and expense over 2 years in the development of a mechanically-driven carriage: the original Aaglander.  The company AAGLAND Manufaktur was set up with that sole purpose.

Its headquarters and production workshops are based in the old financial buildings of Schloss Kuhlenfels, in an idyllic location in the Franken region of Germany, between the three city cities of Nurnberg, Bayreuth and Bamberg.


Source : carpicturesdownload.blogspot.com

1960 Renault 4 CV

Auto Car | 1960 Renault 4 CV | The Renault 4CV is a small French car built between 1946 and 1961. Intended by its creators to be a “people’s car”, it was inspired by the original Volkswagen Beetle and was the first French car to sell over 1 million units. Conceived during German occupation, the design team envisioned something suitable for the economically difficult years expected to follow the war. The 4CV was first shown to the public at the 1946 Paris Motor Show and by 1949 was the most popular car in France. It was powered by a rear mounted, water-cooled 760cc inline 4 cylinder engine. The completion of this same kit by my late friend Ted Holowchuk, a true master modeler as well as teacher, was an inspiration for me on this project. Prior to his passing, Ted and I had talked on and off about both building the same ‘simple’ car kit and the example he built was a ‘donation’ from me.

This kit is from Heller’s fairly broad range of 1:43 scale European cars originally introduced during the later 1970s. Some, including the 4CV, are still irregularly available today and it is one of the better offerings from the range. At one time these kits were quite common and extremely cheap, but now some of the harder to find issues like the Alfa Romeo Alfasud, Peugeot 604, and Citroën DS can be difficult to find and costly to purchase. All 25 parts were molded in a grayish tan plastic that was easy to work with. Except for reworking some parts and adding a number of small details, I built the kit more or less out of the box.

The moldings are crisp and accurate with good detail throughout. The head and taillights are a prime example as though very small, they have accurate scale fidelity + are molded in clear plastic versus being chrome plated like I’ve seen on other small car kits. Everything fitted pretty well and the way the parts where originally designed allows detailing to be easily done. In spite of this, there are two areas that need improvement; the wheels and the windshield.

The chassis is simplified but reflects the actual car well and the interior floor is molded integral with the chassis. Other parts included in the box are a pair of separate front bucket seats, a rear bench seat and package shelf, a combination dash/fire wall, a steering wheel and column, four individual clear windows, a floor shifter, chrome plated bumpers, hubcaps and headlight ‘buckets’. My kit also had a small decal with a pair of unusable “Renault” license plates. The inside of the body shell and dash have basic detail, which I enhanced a bit during assembly.

The kit wheels are very simple, made up of two halves with molded-on tires and the aforementioned separate small hubcaps. The issue that I had with the wheels is because the differentiation between the rim and tire are very subtle and must be scribed or otherwise enhanced to look right. The instructions on my late 1970’s issue used a single exploded view drawing. There isn’t a lot of published material on the car, at least in English, and the box art was quite accurate, so I used it as a detailing reference. The Internet also came in handy for amassing a small photographic reference file.

Source : www.internetmodeler.com

1935-1940 Peugeot 402

Auto Car | 1935-1940 Peugeot 402 | The development of the 1935 Peugeot 402, like many of its contemporaries, was heavily influenced by the principles that governed efficient air travel. The Wright Brothers' pioneering airplane flight in 1903 not only opened the way for mankind's mastery of the skies, it also infused the technological world with the dream of flying. Very soon it was realized that the shapes of a plane's surfaces had an important influence on power and economy.

Since 1930, Peugeot had begun labeling its models the 201, 301, 401, and 601. When the new 1935 Peugeot 402 was introduced at the Paris Auto Show in the Grand Palais, it was recognized that the choice of the final digit represented the beginning of a quite different generation of passenger cars.

In contrast to the body construction restrictions inherent in the semiunitary Airflows, the 1935 Peugeot 402 lineup's body-on-frame chassis allowed for more variety of body styles. When the new Peugeot was unveiled in Paris in October 1935, there were no less than eight different models.

On the standard 124-inch-wheelbase chassis there was the four-door sedan; the "Coach," a six-passenger coupe with a one-piece backlight; a convertible; a three-seater roadster with a folding one-piece windscreen and a rumble seat in which two more persons could sit; and a utility sedan dubbed the "Commerciale." The Commerciale had a two-piece tailgate for easy loading of its flat cargo floor, but it came without fender skirts.

The absolute sensation, however, was the "Eclipse," a three-seat convertible with a metal roof that could be electrically retracted into the car's very long tail. Based on plans by a Peugeot-enthusiast dentist, Georges Paulin, such convertibles first appeared in the 601 series beginning in 1934. Peugeot claimed it took just 15 seconds to stow the top and that the system's reliability had been proven in 20,000 tries on the prototype.

The remaining models were mounted on a 130-inch wheelbase. They included an eight-passenger sedan called the "Familiale" and a purpose-built taxi with sunroof and sturdier bumpers. (The taxi was available only for a year because cab drivers came to prefer the regular 402 for their work.)

Aside from the 402, there was something else of note on the Peugeot stand at the 1935 Paris show, something that seemed to be so unbelievable that a cutaway model of it was displayed to explain it further: the world's first fully automatic transmission.

Gaston Fleischel, an Alsatian engineer born in 1885, designed the device specifically for the new streamlined Peugeot. His numerous patents, which dated back to 1927, would influence the development of automatics built in America where, with much more powerful cars and greater production volume, the automatic transmission would find more ready acceptance after first appearing as an option on 1940 Oldsmobiles.

At Peugeot, however, only prototypes of Fleischers handiwork were produced. The big factor was cost: 6,000 francs ($910) for the transmission was too much when the price for a whole car was listed at 22,900 francs ($3,465).

A more successful option was a four-speed electromagnetic Cotal gearbox shifted via a small lever attached to a control box on the steering column. There was still a lever in the dash, but it served only to put the car in or out of reverse gear. This transmission was functional and affordable -- costing only 2,500 francs ($380) -- and found favor with Peugeot customers.

This engine was considered for a more luxurious sedan with the same body as the 402, but with a modified nose and grille. Perhaps, predictably, it would have been called the 802. But due to the ominous political situation in Europe, it never got past the point of some nice drawings and perhaps a clay model.

Another sensational car did become a reality, the radically streamlined 402 sedan designed by Jules Andreau. For some time, Andreau had been working on aerodynamic automobile designs. In 1933, he showed some extraordinary prototypes with fishtail bodywork. Then the streamlined Peugeot 402 gave him the basis for a new project with all-around wind-formed lines.

The result appeared at the 1936 Paris Motor Show, a breathtaking car with one mighty fin -- and a sealed hood. The stillborn V-8 was supposed to go there. In the end, Peugeot produced six Andreau cars with normal 402 mechanicals for sale to special clients.

Source : auto.howstuffworks.com

1936 Peugeot 402 Andreau

Auto Car | 1936 Peugeot 402 Andreau | The Peugeot 402 Andreau Aerodynamic Research prototype was commissioned by Peugeot to the aerodynamic expert Jean Andreau. He was invited to create a "scientific" body design corresponding to the theory of dynamic and wind penetration resistance. The first prototype was exhibited in 1936. Five prototypes were built between 1937 and 1938. All prototypes were built on the chassis of the Peugeot 402E with a 1991 cc in line four cylinder engine and a transmission with Cotal electro-magnetic clutch and gearbox.

The 402 Andreau prototype has a streamline body that respect the passenger compartment volume of the original model. The vertical fin at the back is intended to stabilize the vehicle at strong winds by bringing the lateral efforts at the extreme back of the car.

At the time the official announcement was claiming : "Without modifying the mechanical elements, the Andreau prototype compared to the original squared shape will allow 30% fuel savings at similar speeds. It will also allow a maximum speed 40% higher than the original."

The Peugeot 402 Andreau as research prototype exhibited in Motor Show, can be considered as an early day concept car as it never reached production but influenced the shape of following Peugeot 302 and 402 production models.

Source : www.autoconcept-reviews.com

1958 Packard Hawk

Auto Car | 1958 Packard Hawk | The Packard Hawk is one of the oddest vehicles to ever see the light of day. Built by Studebaker/Packard Corporation, it was the last production car to carry the Packard Name. It was also the fastest production Packard ever built. The 1958 Packard Hawk was the sportiest of the four Packard-badged Studebakers produced. Packard, for the 1957 and 1958 model year, were all rebadged and retrimmed Studebaker products. The 1958 Packard Hawk was essentially Studebaker’s 1957 Golden Hawk with a fiberglass front end and a modified deck lid.

Instead of the Studebaker Hawk’s upright Mercedes-style grille, the Packard Hawk had a wide, low opening just above the front bumper and covering the whole width of the car. Above this, a smoothly sloping nose, and hood, reminiscent of the 1953 Raymond Lowey Studebaker Starliner Coupe, but with a bulge as on the Golden Hawk, to accommodated the engine’s McCulloch supercharger. This gave the Studebaker 289 CuIn (4.7 L) V8 a total of 275 bhp. At the rear, the sides of the fins were coated in a brilliant PET film, giving them a shiny metallic gold appearance. A fake spare-tire bulge, again fashioned from fiberglass, adorned the 1953-55 style Studebaker deck lid. ‘PACKARD’ was spelled out in capitals across the nose, with a gold ‘Packard’ emblem in script, along with a Hawk badge, on the trunk lid and fins.

The interior was full leather, with a fully instrumentation in an engine-turned dash. As on early aircraft and custom boats, padded armrests were mounted outside the windows, a rare touch. The styling was definitely controversial, often described as ‘vacuum-cleaner’ or ‘catfish’ by detractors. Interestingly, the styling has come to be appreciated more today than in its debut.

Most were equipped with the Borg-Warner three-speed automatic transmission. Approximately 28 were produced with the B-W T85 3-speed w/overdrive manual transmission. Studebaker-Packard was the first manufacturer to popularize the limited-slip differential, which they termed Twin-Traction. Most Packard Hawks came with TT. Basic price started at $3995, about $700 higher than the Studebaker model, but with a more luxurious interior. Electric window-lifts and power seats were optional extras.

Distinctive Packard Hawk features rarely seen in Studebakers also included all-leather seating with matching interior trim made of Naugahyde. Dashboards displayed Stewart Warner tachometer and supercharger manifold pressure gauges. The speedometer showed a top speed of 160 mph, and it was published that this car could flat-out run faster top end than the American-made sports cars of the Big Three.

Its rarity and status as the best of the ‘Packardbaker’ final-year cars have made the Packard Hawk quite collectible. The 1958 Packard Hawk was a last-gasp effort to save the once-proud automotive manufacturer from extinction. Only 588 Hawks rolled off the assembly line before the Packard name went defunct. For their time, Packard Hawks were nearly as expensive as Cadillacs and Lincolns, which contributed greatly to their limited marketability. It is estimated that about 200 have survived.

Source : blog.cardomain.com