Classic Car Reporter

The production of the Austin 7 spanned 17 years, from 1922 to 1939. One could say the Austin 7 was in a way the British equivalent of the American Ford Model T. It was one of the most popular cars produced in U.K. and virtually erased most other British small cars of the early twenties.

The Austin was licensed and manufactured by many companies all over the world. The BMW Dixi’s were licensed Austin 7’s. So were the original American Austins. In France, they were sold as Rosengarts. Japan too used the Austin 7 design as a basis for their original cars, though not under license.

The Seven was powered by a 4-cylinder 747 cc side valve engine which was composed of an aluminum crankcase, cast iron cylinder block and cast iron cylinder head. The power developed by the engine was a modest 10 HP. Transmission was initially through a three-speed gearbox and in 1932, a four-speed gearbox was introduced.

Braking required considerable dexterity. The front brakes were to be activated using hand brakes while the rear brakes had to applied using the footbrake. After 1930 however, the brakes became fully coupled.

Even though the car was relatively underpowered, this did not prove to be a deterrent to the buyers and the car sales accounted for nearly 40% of all the new car sales in U.K.

It was in 1985 that the ZiL-41047, a 7-seater limousine was introduced by Zavod Imeni Likhacheva. It featured a 7.7L V8 engine delivering 315 HP. Power transfer to the wheels was through a rear wheel drive. Transmission was three-speed automatic.

The top speed reachable with two persons seated was about 190 km/h. The car actually came as a replacement to the ZIL-41045. There were virtually no technical differences as such between the 41045 and its succeeding 41047. Changes were mainly confined to styling aspects.

Rear view mirrors were subject to noticeable modification. So were the front turn indicators. Restyling work was also carried out on the front headlights. A very visible change in the interiors was the presence of a gear selector in place of the pushbutton automatic transmission.

Triumph Stag was a classic car that came from our British friends which was on sale by the Triumph Motor Company between 1970 and 1978. It was the brain child of Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. It is said that Stag was built on 2000 Saloon background, whose design was also penned by Giovanni himself. All Stags were four-seater convertible coupés and it is believed that they were designed to pitch directly against the Mercedes-Benz SL class models!

After so many internal politics and delay in the car introduction, Triumph Stag was finally introduced in the year 1970. But, it looked as if fate was not on Triumph’s side because even though Stag was welcomed warmly in the beginning, it later lost the battle and was declared a major disappointment due to reports of engine problems.

To worsen the situation it has been listed on “The 50 Worst Cars of All Time”. Time reports that, “Like its classmates, it had great style ruined by some half-hearted, half-witted, utterly temporized engineering. The Stag was lively and fun to drive, as long as it ran. The 3.0-liter Triumph V8 was a monumental failure, an engine that utterly refused to confine its combustion to the internal side. The timing chains broke, the aluminum heads warped like mad, the main bearings would seize…”

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The Fiat Topolino was manufactured by Fiat from 1936 to 1955. Topolino, meaning ‘Little Mouse’, is the Italian name for Mickey Mouse. The name was first given to the Fiat 500, one of the smallest production cars at that time.

The Topolino, launched in 1937, was powered by a 569 cc four-cylinder water cooled engine. The top speed achievable was 53 mph and the fuel economy was 39.2 mpg. The three models which were manufactured until 1955, had only minor mechanical and cosmetic variations between them.

1955 saw the mid-size, rear wheel drive Fiat 600 being launched. This became the design basis for the ‘500 Nuova’, also referred to as the ’Bambino’. Developing a low cost entry-level car is something Fiat has been working on. Based on the A-platform used by the Fiat 500 and the Fiat Panda but shorter in length, the new Topolino will be able to accommodate four people. Production is scheduled for 2010. The car will be manufactured in Serbia.

Following the end of World War I, BMW, which was founded as an aero engine manufacturer found itself in difficult waters owing to the Versailles treaty restricting air plane manufacture in Germany. As a result, BMW moved on to truck and boat engine, motorcycle and later took to car manufacture.

With the collapse of the BMW Dixi line, BMW bought the license for the Austin seven and the Eisenach factory. Initially, production of the car went on as BMW 3/15 PS DA1. The DA1 had various body shells and was one of the first customizable cars. The BMW 3/15 PS was first manufactured in July 1929.

The power plant of the BMW 3/15 PS was a 4-cylinder water cooled 4-stroke 750 cc engine that produced 15 HP. The top speed attainable was 45 mph and acceleration from 0 – 40 km/h was achieved in 10 sec. The fuel consumption was 43 miles a gallon.

The letters ‘3 /15 PS’ are taken from, 3 – taxation class, 15 – 15 HP and PS – German Equivalent of HP.

The NSU Ro 80 was a large sedan manufactured by the German firm of NSU from 1967 to 1977. It was designed by Claus Luthe. The power train was a 995 cc twin-rotor Wankel engine producing 113 BHP. The maximum speed achievable 112 mph.

The car featured four wheel disc brakes, which for some time were found only on pricey sports cars or luxury sedans, an automatic clutch and independent suspension on all four wheels. It was also equipped with power assisted rack and pinion steering.

The NSU however encountered problems quite early as the engine suffered intensive wear on the rotor tip seals and some cars needed a completely rebuilt engine before 30000 miles. The other factors added to this were a fuel economy of 15-18 mpg and insufficient understanding of the engine by the dealers and mechanics.

Even though most of the problems were addressed, the NSU’s financial situation deteriorated badly and NSU was acquired by Audi in 1969. A common remedy suggested for the rotary engine was to replace it with the Ford V4 ‘Essex’ engine.

The last of the cars rolled out in April 1977. The design of the car was considered very modern during its times and has been part of many gallery exhibits of modern industrial design.

The Morris Minor was unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show in September 1948. The parent company was British Motor Corporation. It was a result of the efforts of a team led by Sir Alec Issigonis, who later went on to design the Mini.

It was basically conceived to combine the comfort and conveniences of a good motor car with affordable pricing to suit the working classes. Compared with  others in the late ‘40’s and throughout the ‘50’s, the Morris Minor stood out as a spacious vehicle with excellent cornering and handling characteristics.

The original Minor MM (’49 – ’53) included 2-door and 4-door saloons and a convertible 4-seat Tourer. It was equipped with a 0.9L side-valve straight-4 engine capable of generating 27.5 BHP, with a top end of 64 mph. The fuel economy achieved was 33 mpg (US).

Morris Minor series II – In 1952, the Minor line was updated with a Austin-designed 0.8 L engine. An estate version called ‘Traveller’ along with van and pick-up versions were further introduced.

The Morris Minor 1000 – The car was updated again in 1956, featuring a 0.9 L engine.  Modifications were carried out on the wind screen the rear window and flashing direction indicators were introduced.

In 1961 the Morris Minor acquired the credit of becoming the first British car to sell over 1,000,000 units.

Today, the Morris Minor and 1000 occupy a place amongst the best served classic family sized cars of the yesteryears.

The Citroën Traction Avant was manufactured by the French manufacturer Citroën. About 760,000 units were manufactured from 1934 to 1957.

The Traction Avant, designed in the late 1933 and early 1934 was one of the most triumphant front wheel drive cars of the ‘30’s. The car made use of a monocoque frame, a standard in all car construction today. The outcome of a monocoque frame is a lighter vehicle, compared to the technique where the body is built on a chassis, which was being used in other cars of that era.

The new design of the car made it look unique and appear very low-slung compared to its contemporaries. The suspension was very superior for that era. Being substantially lighter than its contemporaries, it was capable of achieving a speed of 100 km/h and offered a fuel economy of 24 mpg.

The original models called the 7A, possessed a 1303 cc engine. The later models, the 7B and 7C came with slightly bigger engines having displacements of 1529 cc and 1628 cc respectively. Subsequent to that, the model 11 was fitted with a four cylinder 1911 cc engine and the model 15 had a 2867 cc six cylinder engine.

Two other variants, an automatic transmission-equipped model and the 22CV equipped with a V8 engine, never entered production due to funding constraints and were only restricted to prototype versions. Apart from the 4-door version, the car was also manufactured as a 2-door coupe with a rumble seat, as a convertible and as an extended length model with three rows of seats.

The oldest surviving 7A is displayed at the Citroën museum in Paris.

The Hindustan Ambassador, based on the Morris Oxford model of U.K. was built by Hindustan Motors of India. It has been in production since 1957.

The Hindustan Ambassador is truly India’s classic car. Despite the fact that no major modifications have been undertaken on the car except an engine change, in the 90’s, and changes in the interiors, the popularity has more or less remained undiminished all along. It was once considered the national car of India and was the chosen means of conveyance of the political fraternity until they moved on to SUV’s and luxury sedans.

Two main reasons for its success have been the excellent ride comfort offered and the roominess of the interiors. The cargo area at the rear is spacious enough to stack a good amount of luggage and other travel accessories, which make it ideal for touring. It has also been a favorite amongst the overseas tourists visiting India.

The Ambassador was previously called the Landmaster. The Landmaster received design changes which were the deep headlamp cowls and small rear wing ‘tail fins’. The dash and the steering wheel were completely redesigned. All subsequent models were called Ambassador.

The sixties saw the Amby, as it is affectionately called, undergoing a minor facelift with a chequered grill and was called the Ambassador Mark II. In ’75, after another facelift to the grill and a bigger frontal facelift, the Amby was called the Ambassador Mark III. After the Mark IV, the Ambassador was called the Ambassador Nova.

Another version called the Ambassador 1800 ISZ was later released. It was fitted with an Isuzu 1.8L engine and bucket seats were offered as an option. The dash was redesigned. The instrument panels were shifted from the center to behind the steering wheel.

The Avigo, which followed the 1800 ISZ was launched in 2004. The Avigo was equipped with more classic-touch internals, a centrally mounted console, wood-grain interiors and beige colored seats.

The engines presently available are a 75 BHP petrol engine and an 80 BHP turbo charged and intercooled diesel engine.

Many cars have made their presence on the Indian soil since the last four to five decades but the legacy of the regal Ambassador is something that has and which will stay strong in the minds of the Indian people.

This video features an exclusive range of cars, built by Chip Foose, one of the well known cutting edge and renowned designers and fabricators in the custom car area.

The cars are a great combination of classic styling and modern mechanics. The Stallion, the Grandmaster and the Impression all priced at over a million dollars, are national award winners.

One of the characteristics that makes Chip’s cars unique when compared to other cars is the styling which is very appealing to the eye. The other factors that go to his credit are excellent workmanship and the quality of detail. The Stallion is a 1934 Ford Coupe which has won the coveted Ridler Award.

The 1935 Chevy Grandmaster featured in the show has also won the acclaimed Ridler Award. The dash board and the interiors are modern. The coloring of the exterior is also unique. Truly works of art one could say, ‘metal sculptures’ as Dick Messer puts it.