MY FEEDLY

Bugatti Type 46 #46491 “Superprofilée” – A Bugatti That Almost Didn’t Get Built

In the days before the widespread production of unibody cars the world was largely dominated by cars that utilized body-on-chassis construction. As a result of this there were countless coachbuilders around the world who would build an automotive body to your specifications, then fit it over a power rolling chassis built by companies like Bugatti.

Now typically the time between the chassis being built and it having a body fitted to it would be a few weeks, maybe a few months, and the two would stay mated for the entirety of the car’s lifespan.

There are some unusual circumstances where there was a delay between the construction of the chassis and its body, sometimes a few years but in rarer cases many decades can pass – such was the case with the unusual Bugatti Type 46 shown here.

The story of this car is worthy of an hour long documentary, it tells the story of a Bugatti chassis that wasn’t initially bodied, instead finding itself passing through the hands of a series of collectors.

The Type 46 chassis that underpins this car was built at the Bugatti works in Molsheim however for reasons unknown it never had a body fitted. Bugatti built 468 examples of the Type 46 chassis over the course of the 1929 to 1933 production run, but in the years after World War II a number of unfinished chassis were still in the factory.

The ownership of four of these chassis was assigned to Roland Bugatti, son of Ettore Bugatti the company’s larger than life founder. Roland still had two of these chassis in his garage with their crated up engines in 1952, which is where they were discovered by Richard Baudens who promptly bought them and had them shipped to his garage in Paris.

Above Image: The stunning design of the Superprofilée body has been winning over new Bugatti fans since the 1930s.

One of these chassis/engine combinations was sold to an American enthusiast and the other remained in the possession of Baudens who planned to have it bodied and completed.

Sadly as often happens, life got in the way and the project was never completed – the chassis changed hands between a number of Bugatti enthusiasts over the years before ending up in the world famous workshops of Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations in England.

It would be with Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations under the watchful eye of Keith Bowley that this Type 46 chassis would have a body fitted for the first time. It wouldn’t be just any body either, but a meticulously hand-built body inspired by the Gangloff-bodied Type 50 coupé, otherwise known as the “Superprofilée.”

The Type 50 is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful Bugattis of the 1930s, with tis steeply raked windshield and elegant curves it was the more sporting version of the Type 46 sharing many parts with its sibling.

In fact the period Superprofilée body found in the Cité de l’Automobile, Collection Schlumpf in France is itself presently mounted on a Type 46 chassis much like the car you see here.

Once completed this Type 46 with its immaculate body finally finished the work that had been started by the men who built the chassis back in the early 1930s – almost 100 years ago.

This unusual Superprofilée Type 46 is now due to cross the auction block with RM Sotheby’s on the 15th of June with a price guide of €500,000 to €700,000 ($610,000 to $854,000 USD). If you’d like to read more about its remarkable story or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

The post Bugatti Type 46 #46491 “Superprofilée” – A Bugatti That Almost Didn’t Get Built appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/bugatti-type-46-superprofilee/
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1933 Austin 7 “Special” Racer – Powered By A Honda CX500 V-Twin

There are many unusual Austin 7-based racers in the world, the humble 7 was Britain’s answer to the Model T Ford, and just as the Americans over the pond had enjoyed modifying their Model Ts for speed, so had the British with their beloved 7.

The Incredible Austin 7

The Austin 7 is truly one of the great unsung heroes of the early days of the automobile, both BMW and Nissan got their start building their own versions of the 7 for their home markets and legends like Bruce McLaren got his start in racing (as did many others) modifying and racing a 7. Bruce’s old 7 is now sitting proudly at the McLaren Formula 1 team’s headquarters in England alongside many of the firm’s race and championship winning race cars.

Truth be told, the rise of the modified Austin 7 for racing was almost a mirror image of the rise of the American hot rod. Both of these movements used cheap, affordable older cars which were then heavily modified to reduce their weight and increase their power. One company that got their start building fast Austin 7s was Lotus, a company that would go onto revolutionize Formula 1 with company founder Colin Chapman at the helm.

The origins of the Austin 7 would make a perfect Hollywood film: a board of unimaginative executives and creditors at Austin in 1920 didn’t want to fund a new project given the state of near bankruptcy that the company found itself in.

Rather than taking no for an answer, Sir Herbert Austin set up a drawing room in the billiards room in his house and hired a young draughtsman named Stanley Edge to work with him on the project. They developed a very small and inexpensive car powered by a 7 hp inline-4 cylinder engine. Once the design was completed in 1922 he had three prototypes made and thankfully the board of directors conceded to a production run of the new car.

In hindsight they must have been glad they did, because Sir Herbert and Stanley’s little car saved the company. Austin sold an astonishing 290,000 of them between 1923 and 1939, largely wiping out their competition and establishing themselves as the company behind the most popular car in the country.

The 1933 Austin 7 Special Shown Here

The car you see here is a heavily modified 7 specifically built for racing, hillclimbs, trials, and anything else that might tickle your fancy. The car was built more recently from an old Austin 7 chassis and running gear. A new floor was fabricated from mahogany sourced from an old wardrobe and a custom aluminum alloy body was shaped using hand tools and sandbags.

The builder had originally intended to use a JAP V-twin to power his unusual racer however the prohibitive cost of such an engine sent him looking for a more affordable V-twin alternative. He settled on the engine from an inexpensive Honda CX500 motorcycle which was mounted up front, with power being sent to the live axle rear end.

The completed car looks like a racer from the inter-war years that would have terrorized its competition around Brooklands, though it’s far less expensive and probably quite a bit more reliable. Interestingly it does appear that this car is road legal in the United Kingdom, though I can’t guess what people on the high street would think if they saw this puttering along.

The car is now for sale on Car and Classic in the UK with bidding sitting at £10,000 at the time of writing. If you’d like to read more about it or cast a bid yourself you can click here to visit the listing.

Images courtesy of Car and Classic

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from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/austin-7-special-racer/
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Time Capsule Condition: 1983 Nissan Patrol 4×4

This is a rare sight – an original 1983 Nissan Patrol in original and unrestored condition still looking much like it did the first owner took delivery. If you’re an American and you’re wondering what a Nissan Patrol is I don’t blame you, as Nissan haven’t officially imported the vehicle into the USA since 1969.

Though it’s perhaps not well known to American audiences the Patrol is a four-wheel drive icon in places like Australia, South America, and throughout the Middle East.

The Nissan Patrol – A History Speedrun

Nissan first introduced the Patrol model family in 1951, the same year that Toyota unveiled their Land Cruiser. Both vehicles were targeting a similar market to that of the American CJ Jeep and British Land Rover, from where the Japanese manufacturers took a hearty dose of inspiration.

Although it’s perhaps not as famous as the Land Cruiser around the world it is a much sought after vehicle in places like Australia where it’s been on the market for decades.

The Patrol is now on its sixth model generation – the Y62 released in 2010. More recent model iterations have taken the Patrol family in a similar direction to the modern Land Cruiser – they’re large, opulent four-wheel drives that can be ordered with every conceivable luxury.

Earlier versions were typically more spartan creations designed with serious off roading in mind as well as tough rural use.

The first generation of the Nissan Patrol was very similar looking to the American Jeep, the second generation looked a little more like a Series Land Rover, but the thirds generation is where the vehicle really stepped out on its own with an entirely unique design.

Above Image: The interior of this Patrol is in remarkable condition for its age and appears to be overwhelmingly original.

First released in 1980 the third generation of the Nissan Patrol, the vehicle you see pictured here, featured an entirely new look for a new decade. Gone were the curves of the previous models, replaced by far more sharp-edged styling that would help set the model apart.

As with many (if not most) four-wheel drives of the era the Patrol used body-on-chassis design with a front mounted engine, front and rear live axles on leaf springs, and a standard two box body layout.

Nissan offered the model in either long or short wheelbase versions, with a variety of both petrol and diesel motors on offer. When ordering your Patrol new you could choose either a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic gearbox, though later in the production run a 5-speed model was offered.

This version of the Patrol would be assembled in Japan, Iran, South Africa, and Spain. It would be sold in all of these regions as well as in Australia and New Zealand and a slew of Asian countries were you can still see them on the road – albeit in slightly worse for wear condition.

The fourth generation Nissan Patrol would arrive in 1987, helping to further cement the model as a key competitor for the Land Cruiser.

Above Image: The Patrol’s no-nonsense styling has been winning it fans around the world for decades.

The 1983 Nissan Patrol Shown Here

The vehicle you see here is a surprisingly well-preserved 1983 Nissan Patrol finished in a rich copper color with a removable white rear roof section.

This Patrol has been fitted with white steel wheels, a popular aftermarket addition in places like Australia, along with a front bumper mounted antenna.

When the first owner ordered this vehicle they wisely chose the 2.8 litre straight-six petrol engine mated to the famously tough Nissan 4-speed manual gearbox.

This engine is called the Nissan L28, it’s a member of the Nissan L-series engine family that was also used in the Datsun 240Z (and later Z series), the Datsun 510, the Nissan Maxima and a number of other vehicles.

Inside you’ll note that this Patrol is in remarkably good condition, almost time capsule like condition. The car is fitted with air-conditioning and Pioneer speakers, both welcome upgrades, and it’s being offered with the original owner’s manual and tools.

If you’d like to read more about this Patrol or bid on it you can click here to visit the listing on Collecting Cars, it’s currently being auctioned live.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

The post Time Capsule Condition: 1983 Nissan Patrol 4×4 appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/1983-nissan-patrol/
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For Sale: A Low-Mile, Original TVR Cerbera 4.5

This is a TVR Cerbera, it’s a low-volume British performance car that was built between 1996 and 2006. It was named after Cerberus, a three-headed beast from Greek mythology that guarded the entrance of Hades.

The TVR “Speed Eight” V8 Engine

The Cerbera (pronounced “Sir – Burr – Uh”) was the first vehicle to be powered by TVRs all new “Speed Eight” engine, an in-house developed high-performance V8 capable of over 440 hp. Prior to this TVR had always bought in engines from outside suppliers, like Rover, Ford, and Triumph.

Despite the relatively small size of TVR as an automaker they succeeded admirably in developing their own engine, an engine that would make the Cerbera one of the fastest production sports cars in the world when it was released.

The engine was designed by engineering legend Al Melling, a man who had designed engines for everything from Norton motorcycles to Formula 1 cars. The engine was developed with some input from both John Ravenscroft and (the then boss of TVR) Peter Wheeler, the project was named AJP8 as a result, taking the first initial of each man’s name.

Since its introduction the Speed Eight engine has been lauded as one of the best naturally aspirated V8s of its time, the highest performance road car version was capable of 97.7 bhp per litre – a figure that bests many full race engines.

The TVR Cerbera

The Speed Eight engine was fitted to the Cerbera’s steel backbone chassis which then had the lightweight fiberglass body fitted over the top. This construction method wasn’t dissimilar to the engineering of Lotus or Bolwell sports cars and it allowed low-volume manufacturing of lightweight sports cars that could best many of the world’s fastest.

Above Image: The passenger compartment of the Cerbera is surprisingly well designed and opulent for a low-volume sports car manufacturer.

TVRs have a well-earned reputation as a true driver’s car – there’s no ABS, traction control, lane keeping assist, or any other electronic driver aids. The cars offer a traditional, analogue driving experience that has won them fans around the world, and ended up with more than a few in ditches when a driver exceeds his or her own abilities.

The Cerbera was offered to buyers with four primary engine options including the TVR Speed Six with 350 hp, the 4.2 litre Speed Eight with 360 hp, the 4.5 litre Speed Eight with 420 hp, and finally the rarer 4.5 Speed Eight “Red Rose” with 440 hp.

The 4.5 litre variants are the most desirable, and depending on final specification the car tips the scales at between 1,060 kgs up to 1,130 kgs, or approximately 2,337 lbs to 2,491 lbs. Thanks in no small part to this relatively low weight, the Cerbera in 4.5 litre trim can do the 0 to 60 mph dash in 4.1 seconds, onto a top speed of 185 mph.

Inside the car you’ll find a 2+2 seating arrangement, that is two primary seats for adults in the back and two smaller seats with limited leg room in the rear. TVR designers ensured that the passenger seat can move further forward that the driver’s seat in order to provide more legroom for a rear passenger, as a result they called the Cerbera a 3+1.

The interior fit out of the Cerbera and all TVRs of the period is surprisingly opulent for a low-volume sports car manufacturer. Particular attention was paid to comfort and ergonomics, and there’s no other car with quite the same feel to it as a TVR from this period in the company’s history.

Above Image: The car’s sleek aerodynamics help it reach a top speed of 193 mph with the “Red Rose” engine option.

It’s believed that 1,490 examples of the TVR Cerbera were built over the production run, and less than 600 remain licensed on British roads today.

The TVR Cerbera 4.5 Shown Here

The car you see here is a 1998 TVR Cerbera with the desirable 4.5 litre Speed Eight engine, it’s finished in “Moonraker Black” paintwork and features a two-tone magnolia and biscuit leather interior.

The original 420 hp output of the engine has been increased somewhat with the fitment of a Whirlwind induction kit with blue inlet hoses, and an aftermarket ECU, as well as a “de-cat” large bore exhaust system.

The car is now showing just 18,597 miles on the odometer and it’s accompanied by the owner’s handbook and stamped service book, as well as documentation of its service history. It’s relatively rare to see 4.5 litre Cerberas in this condition come up for sale so this one will likely attract plenty of attention in the UK and further afield.

The car is currently being auctioned live on Collecting Cars, at the time of writing there are 7 days left to bid and the current bid is £16,250 with 20 bids cast so far. If you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

Above Video: Jeremy Clarkson pits the TVR Cerbera against some of the fastest production cars in the world (at the time) and shows just how fast it actually is.