You learn something new... - Cars you didn't know existed, until now!

[Volksauto]

Another one for today!

Autobianchi Bianchina Transformabile from 1957. I guess the manufacturer's name is not unknown for you guys.

The Bianchina Trasformabile, actually a typically Italian special body based on the Fiat Nuova 500, was released in autumn 1957, combining solid, low-maintenance engineering with a chic and luxurious form. The folding roof coupé offered Italian style with extravagant finesse, an affordable dream car for the resurgent Italian economy. A convertible, sedan and estate version were not added to the Trasformabile until later on.

Displacement: 499 ccm/R4
Gearbox: 4-speed
Power: 18 hp 0_0

This one would be suitable for Horizon 4! Am I officially weird if I like these type of cars?

It's also sutible for Gran Turismo Sport! And it's perfectly fine that you like these kind of cars. Then again, that's coming from me. Bianchinias aren't so cheap anymore. They go for about 20k now. Sweet little machines!

 

[TexRex]

Am I officially weird if I like these type of cars?

I don't know if you're weird, but you're not alone.

 

[Populuxe]

Am I officially weird if I like these type of cars?

We can both be weird, because those are exactly the kinds of cars I like.

I don't know if you're weird, but you're not alone.

I posted about the Cabriolet version of the Autobianchi in that very thread.

 

[Volksauto]

I discovered the Renault 40cv today. It was a luxury car built from 1911 to 1928. The early models had a 7.5 liter straight-six then later versions had a 9.1 liter straight-six. Also, what I found cool was that a modified single seat Type NM variant raced in the 1925 Monte-Carlo rally and covered over 50 miles at a speed of 118 mph.

 

[Dennisch]

Another one for today!

Autobianchi Bianchina Transformabile from 1957. I guess the manufacturer's name is not unknown for you guys.

The Bianchina Trasformabile, actually a typically Italian special body based on the Fiat Nuova 500, was released in autumn 1957, combining solid, low-maintenance engineering with a chic and luxurious form. The folding roof coupé offered Italian style with extravagant finesse, an affordable dream car for the resurgent Italian economy. A convertible, sedan and estate version were not added to the Trasformabile until later on.

Displacement: 499 ccm/R4
Gearbox: 4-speed
Power: 18 hp 0_0

This one would be suitable for Horizon 4! Am I officially weird if I like these type of cars?

I had a quick go in this one last week. My enthusiasm was enough to convince the owner (know him for quite some time) to let me have a test drive. That and calling the Ferrari (belongs to his brother) behind it a pile of plastic.

 

[Volksauto]

View attachment 795700

I had a quick go in this one last week. My enthusiasm was enough to convince the owner (know him for quite some time) to let me have a test drive. That and calling the Ferrari (belongs to his brother) behind it a pile of plastic.

I'm sure it's just as fun if not more than driving that Ferrari behind it.

 

[Populuxe]

Anybody can buy a Ferrari. All it takes in money. But it takes a real enthusiast see the beauty in that Autobianchi.

 

[Gotbeefboy564]

Another one for today!

Autobianchi Bianchina Transformabile from 1957. I guess the manufacturer's name is not unknown for you guys.

The Bianchina Trasformabile, actually a typically Italian special body based on the Fiat Nuova 500, was released in autumn 1957, combining solid, low-maintenance engineering with a chic and luxurious form. The folding roof coupé offered Italian style with extravagant finesse, an affordable dream car for the resurgent Italian economy. A convertible, sedan and estate version were not added to the Trasformabile until later on.

Displacement: 499 ccm/R4
Gearbox: 4-speed
Power: 18 hp 0_0

This one would be suitable for Horizon 4! Am I officially weird if I like these type of cars?

Isn’t that one of these?

I saw it when I was at car week 2017.

 

[Ferraridriver27]

On the topic of Autobianchi, this one escaped me until now:

The A112 Runabout was designed by Gandini and presented in 1969 and used the underpinnings of the humble A112 but propulsion came from a Fiat 128 engine mounted in the middle.
It later inspired the Fiat X1/9.

 

[TexRex]

Isn’t that one of these?

I saw it when I was at car week 2017.

Close, but not quite, and for the life of me I can't actually recall what that is. The front end and rear arches are reminiscent of a Vespa 400 and it's clearly intended to seat four like a Bianchina Berlina and Panoramica, but it appears to be longer than either.

 

[Populuxe]

Isn’t that one of these?
View attachment 795963
I saw it when I was at car week 2017.

Close, but not quite, and for the life of me I can't actually recall what that is. The front end and rear arches are reminiscent of a Vespa 400 and it's clearly intended to seat four like a Bianchina Berlina and Panoramica, but it appears to be longer than either.

It's an NSU Prinz.

 

[TexRex]

It's an NSU Prinz.

OF COURSE IT IS!!!

 

[Liquid]

Rover Mini

During its 52 year life, the model known as the Mini was sold under a variety of marques; Austin, Morris and as its own brand from 1969-1980 and again from 1988-2001 in addition to variants being sold by Riley, Wolsey and Broadspeed.

However, although it always being manufactured under the roof of Rover Group and its predecessors, the Mini never was sold in the UK as a "Rover Mini" despite the common association with Rover, the superior and most well-known marque. The only market where the Mini was sold as a Rover Mini was Japan.

 

[TheCracker]

During its 52 year life, the model known as the Mini was sold under a variety of marques; Austin, Morris and as its own brand from 1969-1980 and again from 1988-2001 in addition to variants being sold by Riley, Wolsey and Broadspeed.

+ British Leyland +Innocenti

 

[TexRex]

+ British Leyland +Innocenti

+ Authi

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

+Innocenti

Hey, I think I saw one of those before.

...wait a minute. Here it is!

If you're wondering why I didn't buy it, I was a college student making my money from McDonalds. McDonalds pay doesn't get you a classic Mini.

---
EDIT: Wasn't the Mini Cooper 1.3i in Gran Turismo 2-6 a Rover Mini?

 

[TheCracker]

There is, or there was, a Rover-badged Mini similar to the one Liquid posted not far from me. Always seemed odd that someone in the UK would import a Mini from Japan when they were made here in the first place and are still relatively plentiful. I wondered originally if it was a British sold Mini dressed up to look like a Rover-badged one, but it has a faded and cracking Tokyo Rover dealer sticker in the rear window.

 

[Liquid]

Wasn't the Mini Cooper 1.3i in Gran Turismo 2-6 a Rover Mini?

As a game made by a Japanese company, that's quite likely.

 

[SVX]

There is, or there was, a Rover-badged Mini similar to the one Liquid posted not far from me. Always seemed odd that someone in the UK would import a Mini from Japan when they were made here in the first place and are still relatively plentiful. I wondered originally if it was a British sold Mini dressed up to look like a Rover-badged one, but it has a faded and cracking Tokyo Rover dealer sticker in the rear window.

I'd guess accessories/options and most likely far easier to find a crust free shell with their unique climate. Funnily enough Germany will do something similar, with a lot of it's BMWs and the like being re-imported back from Japan to the mother land. Higher spec, better condition and way better price- it wouldn't surprise me if it was a similar reason for importing something like that into the UK.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

I'd guess accessories/options and most likely far easier to find a crust free shell with their unique climate.

Pretty much this. It's the easiest way to get an immaculate Mini that isn't someone's former project car.

 

[Populuxe]

1968 Serenissima Ghia GT

Only one built. 3.5 liter Alf Francis M-167 V8. Never heard of the car. Never heard of the engine. Designed by Tom Tjaarda and built by Ghia. At least I've heard of them.

 

[Gotbeefboy564]

Baja 740 F150

No Raptor badges I’m assuming it’s a tuned F150 or a special edition?

 

[RocZX]

Baja 740 F150View attachment 798697No Raptor badges I’m assuming it’s a tuned F150 or a special edition?

https://www.f150online.com/articles/2016-baja-f-150-740hp-raptor-killer/

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> ...

https://www.f150online.com/articles/2016-baja-f-150-740hp-raptor-killer/

^ The article didn't mention who assembled it. No mention of the tuner/dealer/etc.

 

[RocZX]

-> ...

^ The article didn't mention who assembled it. No mention of the tuner/dealer/etc.

It was made by Waldoch exclusively for Long McArthur Ford

 

[Populuxe]

Baja 740 F150
View attachment 798697
No Raptor badges I’m assuming it’s a tuned F150 or a special edition?

If only ten were made and that's your picture, then you saw a very rare truck.

 

[Gotbeefboy564]

If only ten were made and that's your picture, then you saw a very rare truck.

Well damn and it was a good thing I turned around for it too because it was about to leave as I pulled in the store.

 

[Carbon_6]

Michelin PLR (Poids Lourd Rapide – loosely translated as "fast truck")

Based on the estate version of the Citroën DS, the PLR was a 10-wheeled tyre evaluation test platform built in 1972 by Michelin, at a time when the company was a shareholder in Citroën. At 8 feet wide and 24 feet long, and weighing up to 9.5 metric tonnes (just under 21,000 pounds) with additional lead weights, the PLR could reach a speed of 110mph/180kmh. Nicknamed "milles-pattes" (French for centipede), it was conceived as a way to test out truck tyres at high speed without taking the risk of using an actual truck. The general idea was that if there was a blow out, the engineers didn’t have to worry about losing control of their vehicle.

Although it housed two Chevrolet 454 Big-Block V8 engines in the tail section, only one was used for driving the six rear wheels. The second was used to drive the sample tyre being tested in the middle of the PLR which, via the use of hydraulics, could be raised or lowered and aligned in various positions on the tarmac to put it through its paces.

The PLR spent its life doing laps of Michelin's Ladoux test track in Clermont-Ferrand, and after being phased out in favour of more sophisticated tyre testing machinery later on, now spends most of its time within the company's museum in the same city, occasionally making appearances worldwide as a promotional piece at fairs and exhibitions.

 

[TexRex]

Michelin PLR (Poids Lourd Rapide – loosely translated as "fast truck")

Based on the estate version of the Citroën DS, the PLR was a 10-wheeled tyre evaluation test platform built in 1972 by Michelin, at a time when the company was a shareholder in Citroën. At 8 feet wide and 24 feet long, and weighing up to 9.5 metric tonnes (just under 21,000 pounds) with additional lead weights, the PLR could reach a speed of 110mph/180kmh. Nicknamed "milles-pattes" (French for centipede), it was conceived as a way to test out truck tyres at high speed without taking the the risk of using an actual truck. The general idea was that if there was a blow out, the engineers didn’t have to worry about losing control of their vehicle.

Although it housed two Chevrolet 454 Big-Block V8 engines in the tail section, only one was used for driving the six rear wheels. The second was used to drive the sample tyre being tested in the middle of the PLR which, via the use of hydraulics, could be raised or lowered and aligned in various positions on the tarmac to put it through its paces.

The PLR spent its life doing laps of Michelin's Ladoux test track in Clermont-Ferrand, and after being phased out in favour of more sophisticated tyre testing machinery later on, now spends most of its time within the company's museum in the same city, occasionally making appearances worldwide as a promotional piece at fairs and exhibitions.

Say, that sure looks familiar.

 

[Carbon_6]

It was very much one of those double-take moments when I first saw it.

"It looks like a DS, but..."