MY FEEDLY

Silodrome’s Top 20 Cars Of 2020

Editor’s Note: For the first time in Silodrome’s 10 year history we’re publishing the Top Cars list for a year in early January of the following year. The reason for this is that last year we unfairly missed a car from the list because it went viral after we published the Top 10 in late December – so from now on we’ll do the Top Cars and Top Motorcycles lists in early January.

There’s nothing that can be said about 2020 that hasn’t already been said by people far more clever, funny, and handsome than I’ll ever be. So let me just say, if you’re reading this that means we both made it through 2020 in one piece, and that calls for a drink.

To be perfectly honest I had already poured myself a glass of Talisker before I wrote that last sentence but at least now I feel like my drink has a purpose. Go pour one for yourself and get settled in because this Top 20 is easily one of our best ever. And that statement is coming from a man who has a burning white-hot hatred for listicles.

How The Top 20 Is Decided

As always, we compile our annual lists using web traffic logs to determine which vehicles were the most popular – so essentially it’s the readers clicking through and reading the articles that results in the votes being cast.

It’s the fairest and most democratic way of doing it that I can think of, though it does tend to favor vehicles featured earlier in the year. That said, over half the cars on this list are from mid-year onwards. As always, I’ll be posting the images and the intro-text in reverse order below, and each one has a link to the full article if it catches your eye and you want to read more about it.

Now without further ado, let me just say thank you for reading this far down and not just skipping ahead to se who’s number one!

⤈ #20 – The 1967 BMW-Glas 3000 V8 Fastback Prototype

This is the 1967 BMW-Glas 3000 V8 Fastback prototype, it’s the only one that was ever made. There was hope that BMW would embrace the car as its own luxury coupe however it was sadly to remain a single prototype, with BMW instead developing their own car – the 3.0 CS.

The short-lived series of vehicles from BMW-Glas are now highly sought after, they were only produced in limited numbers from 1966, when Glas was acquired by BMW, until 1968.

⤈ #19 – The Six-Wheeled Panther 6

In 1977 when the Panther 6 was unveiled to the general public for the first time at London’s 1977 Motorfair show at Earls Court it caused a global sensation.

It had been developed by the small British automaker Panther in total secrecy and it quickly became the most talked about car in the world for a few weeks after the show.

⤈ #18 – Prince’s Purple Rain Tour Bus

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many of us spend much of 2020 in full or partial lockdown, this has of course led to an increased interested in adventures and road trips once this is all over.

With the surge in interest around “van life” (living out of a converted van while you travel), a lot of people have been searching through online classifieds for suitable vans and busses. I think today we may have discovered the greatest bus in modern human history – the original tour bus used by Prince for his Purple Rain Tour that ran from late 1984 into 1985.

⤈ #17 – The M274 Mule 1/2 Ton 4×4

The M274 Mule 1/2 Ton 4×4 was used extensively in the Vietnam War as both a weapons platform and a specialist transportation vehicle that could traverse exceedingly difficult jungle terrain with 1/2 a ton of equipment, men, or supplies.

Otherwise known as the “U.S. Military M274 Truck, Platform, Utility, 1/2 Ton, 4X4” or “Carrier, Light Weapons, Infantry, 1/2 ton, 4×4” the vehicle quickly became known simply as the “Mule” or the “Mechanical Mule” – an obvious reference to its mule-like ability to carry heavy loads through tough environments – albeit slowly.

⤈ #16 – The 707 hp Jeep Wagoneer Hellwagon

Although it looks entirely stock from the outside, this 1989 Jeep Wagoneer is fitted with a 707 hp Hellcat engine and a specially modified drivetrain designed to withstand the prodigious 650 ft lbs of torque.

The original Jeep Wagoneer is remembered today as the father of the modern luxury SUV, it was first released in 1962 with a series of unusual features for an off-road vehicle including power steering, optional automatic transmissions, a radio, independent front suspension, and even optional air-conditioning.

⤈ #15 – Mercedes-Benz Ruthmann Unimog Race Car Hauler

This 1966 Mercedes-Benz Unimog car hauler is one of the more unusual methods you could use to get your car to the race track, it has a unique rear hydraulic system that moves both rear wheels out from under the tray back, the tray back then lowers down to the ground so cars can be loaded and unloaded.

Underneath the tray back there is an H-shaped brace that lowers to slightly lift the rear wheels off the ground so they can be extended outward, and it’s this H-brace that then lowers the rear of the tray down to the ground. This can be hard to visualise so we found an old YouTube clip that shows the mechanism working on a similarly equipped Unimog and added it below (it may be this same vehicle, but we haven’t been able to independently confirm that).

⤈ #14 – The Super Bond Bug – A 150 bhp Superbike Three-Wheeler

The Bond Bug isn’t the sort of car you’d typically associate with speed. It only has three wheels after all, and its somewhat relaxed four cylinder engine was capable of just 29 bhp on a good day.

The original designers of the Bond Bug never intended it to be fitted with an engine capable of 150 bhp, in fact if they learned of this existence of the Bug you see here they’d almost certainly need a lie down in a darkened room.

⤈ #13 – The $1.3 Million Dollar Jeep CJ7

The 1981 Jeep CJ7 you see here was comprehensively restored and upgraded by Richard Rawlings and the crew at Gas Monkey Garage, it was then auctioned by Barrett-Jackson at their 2019 Scottsdale auction where is achieved the eye-watering hammer price of $1,300,000 USD.

This price was achieved because the Jeep was being auctioned to raise money for the Gary Sinise Foundation – a charity that supports those who served in the US military and their families.

⤈ #12 – The Mercury Cougar XR7 From James Bond’s “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”

This is a 1969 Mercury Cougar XR7 convertible that had a starring role in the classic James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service starring George Lazenby and Diana Rigg.

The most famous car chase scene in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (watch it below) involved the Mercury Cougar XR7 being driven by Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg) through a Swiss mountain village. The car chase joins in with an ice racing event (keep your eye out for the Mk1 Ford Escort) and she eventually escapes.

⤈ #11 – 800HP Experimental BMW Race Car Driven By Ronnie Peterson

When it was first raced in 1976 at the Six Hours of Silverstone this 1974 BMW CSL was producing almost 800 hp courtesy of a turbocharger, this turned out to be far too much for the gearbox which imploded after 43 laps with legendary Formula 1 driver Ronnie Peterson at the wheel.

The car actually started life as a BMW 3.0 CSi which was converted to 3.2 CSL turbo specification to compete in Group 5. It was initially raced by two Swedish racing legends, Gunnar Nilsson and Ronnie Peterson, with their first entry being the aforementioned 1976 Six Hours of Silverstone on May the 9th. Impressively Peterson drove it to the 2nd fastest time in the first practice session for the event, clearly showing that the car had extraordinary potential.

⤈ #10 – An Indian Post-Apocalyptic Battle Van By Holy Shift Garage

Holy Shift Garage is an Indian custom motorcycle (and car) workshop that channel the original spirit of the A-Team but with a distinctly South Asian style. The team have their own TV show on India’s hugely popular Power Drift channel, with millions tuning in to watch them turn otherwise normal Indian vehicles into wild and wonderful customs.

This Suzuki Omni (Suzuki Carry) van is their latest four-wheeled creation, they started with a scrapped Omni that was in such terrible shape it was almost certainly destined for the crusher. Once they had stripped it back to bare metal they released it was worse than they had initially anticipated, there was rust everywhere, the engine wasn’t working, and the interior was unusable.

⤈ #9 – A Plymouth Cuda V-Code 440-6 Convertible

This rare Plymouth Cuda V-Code 440-6 convertible is 1 of 17 that were built in 1971, it’s 1 of just 2 export cars, and it remains in overwhelmingly original condition due to the fact it was stored away in a container for 35 years – only rolling back out into the sunshine recently.

The Cuda was the sport model of the Barracuda from which it got its name, it was joined in the model line up with the luxury-oriented Gran Coupe, the base Barracuda model, and the Barracuda Coupe – an inexpensive model with a slant-6 engine and a lower grade interior.

⤈ #8 – Meet The Just-Released Eagle Lightweight GT

The original Jaguar E-Type was in production from 1961 till 1975, a total of 14 years, at which time it was replaced by the somewhat controversially-styled Jaguar XJ-S.

The team at Eagle have been restoring and building bespoke E-Types for over 35 years now, over twice as long as Jaguar, and Eagle have no plans to stop – in fact they’ve just released a new E-Type that might be the best example of the model ever built.

⤈ #7 – The Porsche MOMO 356 RSR Outlaw

The Porsche MOMO 356 RSR Outlaw by Rod Emory and his team is one of the fastest street-legal Porsche 356s anywhere in the world. That said, although the car is officially titled as a 1960 Porsche 356 it’s actually more of a Porsche Greatest Hits Album – all rolling on custom MOMO wheels and Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires.

Rod Emory is unquestionably one of the most famous Porsche customizers in the world, he comes from a long line of automotive icons starting with his grandfather Neil Emory at the Valley Custom Shop that started out in Burbank, California in 1948. Neil’s son Gary (Rod’s father) took up the mantle and founded Gary Emory’s Parts Obsolete, becoming one of the most essential Porsche parts shops in the USA and a well-known custom Porsche builder.

⤈ #6 – The Runge RS010 – Built By Hand In A Secluded Minnesota Barn

The Runge RS010 was hand-built by Christopher Rünge as a bespoke one-off sports car with styling reminiscent of late 1950s racers. Rünge is a traditional coachbuilder who only ever creates his own vehicle designs – he never replicates or recreates, everything has to be unique.

Each Rünge vehicle is built in a secretive barn tucked away on a property in the Minnesota countryside, he works alone bar the occasional help from his teenage son, his work has been celebrated by countless luminaries of the classic car world and displayed on the lawn at The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering.

⤈ #5 – Mad Max Interceptor Pursuit Special

The Mad Max Interceptor is one of the most famous cars in cinema history, and deservedly so. The car was officially named the “Pursuit Special”, it’s also known as the “Last of the V8 Interceptors”, however most people just call it the Interceptor.

The car used in the first film was an Australian-built 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Hardtop that had been extensively modified by the team at Melbourne-based car customizers Graf-X International with Peter Arcadipane, Ray Beckerley, John Evans, and painter Rod Smythe woking on the car to a series of designs penned by Mad Max art director Jon Dowding.

⤈ #4 – The Beautiful Toyota 2000GT

The Toyota 2000GT is one of the most important Japanese cars of all time, it’s now the most valuable vintage Japanese production car ever – just 351 of them were made.

If you noticed a vague, passing resemblance between the 2000GT and the Datsun 240Z you’re more right than you know. The car that would become the Toyota 2000GT was originally a Yamaha design, they took it to Datsun first who passed on it, much to their surprise the most conservative automaker in Japan signed on to buy the rights to it – Toyota. Datsun would release their own Fairlady Z just two years after Toyota rolled out the 2000GT.

⤈ #3 – An Official A-Team Van – 1 of 6

This 1979 Chevrolet Van is one of just six that were built and licensed by Universal Studios to Hollywood Productions Inc. to promote the TV series throughout the U.S. and Canada from 1983 to 1987.

The vans that were built for use on screen were mostly destroyed and few are known to remain, the video clip below is a good example of what happened to most of them – the scriptwriters of The A-Team were just as fond as body-bending jumps as the Dukes of Hazzard writers.

⤈ #2 – All 3 Alfa Romeo BAT Concept Cars

Editor’s Note: Technically this is three cars but we’ve included it based on the fact that they’re all in the one article and so closely related.

There are few, if any, concept car series as famous as the Alfa Romeo BAT trifecta – three one-off cars penned by the legendary Franco Scaglione and built by Carrozzeria Bertone between 1953 and 1955.

The Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica cars were built for Alfa Romeo after the company expressed interest in exploring a technical proposal into aerodynamics. Franco Scaglione had studied Aeronautical Engineering at University before WWII and so he was far better equipped than most car designers of the time to design highly aerodynamic cars without the use of computer-aided design.

The “BAT” acronym stands for “Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica”, in Italian the word “Berlina” is used to described a sedan with a fixed roof, so the full translation for the name would be something akin to “Technical Aerodynamic Sedan”.

⤈ #1 – The Sbarro Super Eight – A Ferrari 308 V8-Powered Hot Hatch

Just one Sbarro Super Eight was ever built, it’s powered by a mid-mounted Ferrari 308 V8 producing 260 hp and the car uses the original Ferrari 5-speed gearbox with its gated shifter.

Switzerland-based Sbarro built the Super Eight in 1984 and showcased it at the Geneva Motor Show that year as a follow on to the 1981 Sbarro Super Twelve – a similar looking car that was powered by a Kawasaki V12.

This V12 had been developed by using two Kawasaki 6-cylinder motorcycle engines mounted to a common crankcase and producing 240 hp, the engine was mounted transversely and power was sent through a chain primary drive to two 5-speed gearboxes which were operated by the same shifter.

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The Only De Tomaso Mangusta Shelby MkV Prototype Ever Made

The De Tomaso Mangusta Shelby MkV prototype is a little known historical oddity, but it very nearly became the Ford-badged successor to the Ford GT40 that would have been sold in Ford dealers right across the country.

Alejandro De Tomaso and Carroll Shelby are said to have had two of the biggest personalities in the automotive world of the 1960s, so the fact that the men managed to work together on at least two occasions is somewhat remarkable.

Both De Tomaso and Shelby were former racing drivers turned automakers, and they both shared a similar philosophy – that of taking lightweight European cars with excellent handling and adding hefty American V8s.

The Birth Of The De Tomaso Mangusta

The two men first worked together on the failed P70 project, despite the project’s early demise it did result in two fully-functional prototypes that would form the underpinnings of the DeTomaso Mangusta – the similarly-styled De Tomaso Sport 5000 and De Tomaso P70.

Above Image: The “Shelby MkV” badging on the grille and unusual paint scheme are indicators that this is no ordinary Mangusta.

After the failure of the joint project the two men went their separate ways, Shelby onto managing Ford’s GT40 Le Mans program and De Tomaso onto developing the car that would become the Mangusta. The original design of the Mangusta was penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Carrozzeria Ghia – it was intended for a new Iso Rivolta.

For reasons unknown Renzo Rivolta rejected the design, and Alejandro DeTomaso wasted no time at all sweeping in and buying it for his own use. He would name the car the “Mangusta”, the Italian word for “Mongoose” – the only animal that hunts, kills, and eats cobras. A clear dig at Carroll Shelby and his famous Shelby Cobras.

The Creation Of The Mangusta Shelby MkV Prototype

The Mangusta was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in November 1966, shortly after an example was sent to the United States for evaluation by Ford, with Carroll Shelby playing a supporting role. The car was painted and badged with suitably Shelby-centric elements, it was named the Mark V as it was intended to be the follow-on to the famed Ford GT40 Mark IV.

Ford executives examined the car and ultimately decided not to proceed with the program, however they must have seen something they liked, as shortly thereafter they took a controlling interest in De Tomaso. Ford then paid for the development of the De Tomaso Pantera, a mid-engined supercar with a Ford V8, and sold it through select Ford dealers.

Above Image: The Mangusta has unusual engine bay lids that can both open fully to give excellent access.

It’s believed that just one De Tomaso Shelby MkV was ever built, the car you see here, and due to the surging interest in cars carrying either De Tomaso or Shelby badges this car that carries both is likely to prove popular when it rolls across the auction block.

The De Tomaso Mangusta Specifications

The De Tomaso Mangusta was produced from 1967 to 1971 with 401 built. The car used a steel backbone chassis with a load-bearing, rear-mid mounted Ford V8. Front and rear suspension was independent, the car also used disc brakes on all four corners, rack and pinion steering, and power is sent to the rear wheels via a 5-speed ZF transaxle.

Two primary engine types were used in the Mangusta, the Ford 289 cu. in. V8 and the Ford 302 cu. in. V8. Initially European cars used the Ford 289 V8 with the American cars getting the Ford 302 V8, but all cars later in the production cycle were fitted with the 302.

The interior of the car was described as cosy for people under 6 feet tall and a little tight for those over. It was a well equipped vehicle though with air conditioning and power windows, leather bucket seats, and ample instrumentation.

Above Image: The De Tomaso P70 steel backbone chassis, a modified version was used on the Mangusta.

Besides the stunning good looks of the Mangusta it was perhaps most famous for its rear gullwing engine bay doors that can both be opened to offer remarkably good engine access on both sides.

The De Tomaso Mangusta Shelby MkV Prototype Shown Here

Dressed in red with white racing stripes and carrying Shelby Mk V bathing front and rear, this car is a unique piece of automotive history that many don’t know about.

Considering the sky-high prices of original Ford GT40s and Shelby Cobras it’ll be interesting to see what this one sells for when it crosses the auction block with Mecum in a few days time (at the time of writing).

The current estimate is $300,000 to $350,000 USD.

If you’d like to read more about the car or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

Images courtesy of Mecum

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The 18 Wrench Leather Tool Roll by Kruk Garage

This is the popular leather tool roll by the team at Kruk Garage, each uses thick cowhide leather construction for toughness and they roll up to keep your tools safe and compact but easily accessible.

Each of of the tool rolls you see here is made by hand by Kruk Garage in Europe, they have space for up to 18 wrenches and other tools, there’s a YKK zipper compartment to hold smaller items like fuses, electrical tape, sockets, a small flashlight, some spare automotive electrical wiring and connectors, and whatever else you might need.

Kruk Garage makes their tool rolls from thick vegetable tanned leather with an antique colored metal buckle fastening, the roll measures in at 30 x 50 cm (11.8 x 19.7 inches) when open and 13 cm (5.1 inches) in diameter which makes it perfect for use both with motorcycles and cars.

Typically on any form of road trip or longer journey it’s a good idea to bring some essential tools and spares with you, particularly if you’re piloting vintage machinery.

It’s generally a good idea to pack your own tool roll based on the vehicle you’ll be using it for so you can choose the right wrench sizes, you’ll also need to choose the right fuses, and decide what other parts and tool you may need on hand.

The folks are Kruk Garage offer their tool rolls in a variety of colors, you can choose during checkout and one size is available. They do offer a range of other leather goods and their ratings are always excellent.

Visit The Store

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The Renault 5 Turbo – The World’s First Mid-Engined Hot Hatch Production Car

This Renault 5 Turbo 1 is a rare original Marlboro livery team car that was driven in the European Championship R5 Cup – a race series that was a supporting event to the Formula 1 races around the European continent in the 1980s as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The 5 Turbo, sometimes known as the R5 Turbo, is one of the most unusual Renaults of the era, it was also the most powerful French car in production at the time of its launch, and it had been designed with one goal in mind – beating the best in the world in top flight rally competition.

The Renault 5 Turbo

At first glance the Renault 5 Turbo looks a lot like its namesake the Renault 5, though the Turbo variant has flared fenders and a far more purposeful aura. The real changes become apparent when you open the hood and find no engine.

Above Image: The Renault 5 Turbo 1 showing its largely vacant front engine bay.

Rather than the Renault 5’s front engine, front wheel drive layout the 5 Turbo has a turbocharged rear-mid engine powering the rear wheels. The rear engine compartment sits directly behind the driver and passenger, with cool air being fed to the intake and radiators via vents on the rear fender flares.

Engineers at Renault in the late 1970s knew they needed something special to compete with the mighty Lancia Stratos. The trouble was that they had very limited funding with which to develop a car. With this in mind they took the Renault 5 and shocked the motoring world by bolting an engine into the back, turning it into the world’s first mid-engined hot hatch production car.

Renault’s plan had originally to built 1,000 examples of the Renault 5 Turbo in order to homologate it for both Group 3 and Group 4. The factory would then build special race-only versions to compete against the Stratos and the rest of the World Rally Championship field.

Impressively, Jean Ragnotti won the Monte Carlo Rally on its first outing in the World Rally Championship in 1981 – the most prestigious rally event in the world.

Above Video: Jay Leno takes a look at the Renault R5 Turbo 2, the direct descendant of the Turbo 1.

Over the course of its competitive life the Renault 5 Turbo in a variety of configurations would win a slew of rallies including the Tour de Corse in 1982 and 1985, the Rally de Portugal in 1986, and the Renault 5 Maxi Turbo Superproduction won the French Supertouring Championship in 1984.

In the road-going version of the Renault 5 Turbo power was provided by a mid-mounted 1397cc (1.4 litre) Cléon-Fonte OHV engine with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and a Garrett AiResearch T3 turbocharger. Power output was 158 hp at 6,000 rpm with 163 lb/ft of torque at 3,250 rpm.

High performance racing versions of the car would produce upwards of 380 bhp, providing rocketship-like performance in the small, ~2,000 lb vehicle.

The production run of the Renault 5 Turbo would run from 1980 until 1986, almost 5,000 would be built across both the Turbo 1 and Turbo 2 variants, and today they’re highly sought after by collectors as possibly the world’s most extreme production hot hatch.

Above Image: The close-ratio 5-speed transmission is mounted behind the engine and feeds power to the rear wheels.

The Renault 5 Turbo 1 Shown Here

The car you see here is from 1980, the first year of production. It was dressed in period with the now legendary Marlboro livery – as shared with the Marlboro McLaren Honda F1 cars of the era.

It’s thought that this car was campaigned in period by Boy Hayje, and there is a photo in the history file showing Hayje with a Marlboro team R5 Turbo. It’s important to note that Jan Lammers and Alain Prost drove these cars at the time, and so it’s possible that all three, or any one of the three spent time behind the wheel.

After its racing career some modifications were made to the car to prepare it for street use including fitting a full set of carpets, and the Turbo 1 black leather and striped cloth seats. The car is equipped with a full roll cage, and all of the switchgear or electrics are said to be working.

Although not currently road registered the car has been put through an MOT test in the UK using the chassis number, with no advisories or defects. The car can now be road registered by the next owner if they so wish.

The car is currently being auctioned by Collecting Cars with approximately a week left to bid at the time of writing. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.