The Ferrari 250 GTO is a sports car manufactured by Ferrari between 1962-1964 specifically for the race in 3 of the FIA Grand Touring Group car category.

The numerical part of the name indicates the displacement in cubic centimeters of each engine cylinder, while GTO stands for "Gran Turismo Omologata", Italian for "Grand Touring Homologado.

Even in 1962, sales of the model in the United States were complex, buyers had to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari together with the North American representative, Luigi Chinetti.

36 cars were made in the '62 / '63 years. In 1964, Series II was introduced, which had a slightly different appearance.

Three cars were made, and four older ones, Series I was given a "Series II" body. He brought a total of GTOs produced to 39.

In 2004, Sports Car International placed the 250th GTO eighth on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s, and named it the Sports car of all time.

Likewise, the Motor Trend Classic magazine placed the 250 GTO at the top of the "Greatest Ferraris of All-Time" list.

For the model to be able to participate in the FIA GT races, it had to have at least 100 normal units produced.

But even though Ferrari failed to reach 100 units, the model participated in the race.

In 2012 the model 250 GTO Scaglietti Berlinetta 1962 was sold for US $ 35 million (outweighing the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, sold in 2010 for € 25 million), becoming, until then, the most expensive car in the world .
In 2014, the 1962 250 GTO became the most expensive car sold at an auction.

The car was auctioned for $ 38 million at the Bonhams auction in England, held over the festive week of the Pebble Beach, California meeting.

The Volvo P1800 is one, and two-passenger, front engine, rear-wheel drive two-door touring car (instead of a real sports car) manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars as a coupe (1961-1973) and brake-shot (1972- 1973).

Widely known as the car driven by Roger Moore on the television series The Saint (1962-1969), the P1800 featured styling by Pietro Frua and mechanicals derived from the Amazon / 122 Volvo series.

In 1998, a P1800 was certified as the largest private mileage vehicle driven by the original owner in non-commercial service - having exceeded three million miles as of 2013.

The project was originally started in 1957 because Volvo wanted a sports car to compete in the North American and European markets, despite the fact that its previous attempt, the P1900, failed to take off with only 68 cars sold. The man behind the project was an engineering consultant for Volvo, Helmer Petterson, who in 1940 was responsible for the Volvo PV444. The design work was done by the son of Pelle Petterson Helmer, who worked at Pietro Frua at that time. Volvo insisted that it was an Italian design by Frua and only officially recognized that Pelle Petterson designed it in 2009. The Italian company Carrozzeria Pietro Frua project (then a newly acquired subsidiary of Ghia) built the first three prototypes between September 1957 and early 1958 , later designated by Volvo in September 1958: P958-X1, X2 and P958-P958-X3 (P: Project, 9: September, 58: Year 1958 = P958, X: experimental.).

In December 1957 Helmer Petterson drove X1, (the first hand-built P1800 prototype) to Osnabrück, West Germany, Karmann's headquarters. Petterson hoped that Karmann would be able to take over the tooling and construction of the P1800. Karmann engineers had previously been preparing work drawings of the wooden styling buck at Frua. Petterson and Volvo chief engineer Thor Berthelius met there, tested the car and discussed the construction with Karmann. They were ready to build it and that meant that the first cars could hit the market as early as December 1958. But in February, Karmann's most important customer, Volkswagen VAG, forbade Karmann to take on the task.

They feared that the P1800 would compete with sales of their own cars, and threatened to cancel all of their contracts with Karmann if they took over this car. This setback almost caused the project to be abandoned.
Other German companies, NSU, Drautz and Hanomag, were contacted, but none were chosen because Volvo does not believe that they met Volvo's quality control manufacturing standards.

It started to look like Volvo might never produce the P1800. This motivated Helmer Petterson to obtain financial support from two financial companies with the intention of buying the components directly from Volvo and marketing the car itself. At this point Volvo had made no mention of the P1800 and the factory declined to comment. Then, a press release surfaced with a photo of the car, putting Volvo in a position where they had to acknowledge its existence. These events influenced the company to renew its efforts: the car was first presented to the public at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1960 and Volvo turned to Jensen Motors, whose production lines were underutilized, and they agreed to a contract for 10,000 cars.

The Linwood, Scotland, vegetable manufacturer's pressed steel body was in turn subcontracted by Jensen to create the unibody shells, which were then taken by rail to be assembled at Jensen in West Bromwich, England. In September 1960, the first production P1800 (for the 1961 model year) left Jensen for an anxious audience.
P1800

The engine was the B18 (B for the Swedish word for gasoline: Bensin; 18 for 1,800 cc displacement) with double SU carburetors, producing 100 hp (75 kW). This variant (named B18B) had a higher compression ratio than the slightly less powerful twin-carb B18D used in the contemporary Amazon 122S, as well as a different camshaft. The 'new' B18 was actually developed from the existing B36 V8 engine used on Volvo trucks at the time.

This reduced production costs, as well as providing the P1800 with a strong engine boasting five main crankshaft bearings.

The B18 was combined with the new and more robust M40 manual gearbox through 1963. From 1963-1972 the electrically driven M41 overdrive gearbox was a popular option.

Two types of overtaking were used, the D-Type until 1969, and the J type to 1973. The J type had a slightly shorter ratio of 0.777: 1, as opposed to 0.756: 1 for the D type.

Overtaking effectively gave the 1800 series a fifth gear, to improve fuel efficiency and less drivetrain wear.

Cars without overdrive had a numerically lower differential ratio, which had the interesting effect of giving them a slightly higher maximum speed (just under 120 mph (193 km / h)) than the most popular overdrive models.

This was because non-overtaking cars could reach the engine's redline at the highest gear, while overtaking-equipped cars could not, giving them a top speed of around 110 mph (177 km / h).

Announced in May 1957 the XK150 had a familiar resemblance to the XK120 and XK140, but has been radically revised. Visibly, a one-piece windshield replaced the split screen, and the wing line was higher and more aerodynamic on the doors. The extended hood opened to the wings and, in the coupés, the windshield structure was moved forward, 102 mm, to facilitate the access of passengers. The car was available on several occasions in red, pearl gray, white, indigo blue, claret, Cotswold blue, black, fog gray, Sherwood green, Carmen red, British Racing Green, Cornish Gray and Imperial Maroon.

The XK140's walnut panel has been replaced with a leather trim. In the first tilting coupés, the central aluminum panel, which was discontinued after June 1958, had an X-patterned engraving similar to the beginning of the E-Type 3.8. Thinner doors gave more interior space. A small red light reminded the driver that the front parking lights, located on top of the wings (fenders), were on.

The suspension and chassis were very similar to the XK140, with rack and pinion steering only manual. The 3.4-liter DOHC straight-6 XK engine was similar to that of the XK140, but a new type "B" head increased power to 180 SAE bhp at 5750 rpm.

XK150 S 3.4L XK engine with orange paint used on S models with "straight door" heads equipped with three carburetors

The first closed and convertible XK150s were slower than their predecessors. After a twelve-month delay caused by the factory fire in February 1957, this deficit was corrected in the spring of 1958 with the launch in March of special equipment models equipped with disc brakes and a more powerful SE engine. Two 1.75 ”SU HD6 carburetors (44 mm) and a modified type B cylinder head with larger exhaust valves improved performance to 210 hp at 5500 rpm. While most export cars were SE models, a third option for the open two-seater car included an "S" engine with three 2-inch (51 mm) SU HD8 carburetors and a straight-door cylinder head that drove 250 SAE bhp.

In 1960, the 3.8-liter, 220 hp (223 hp; 223 hp) engine, installed in the luxurious Mark IX salon, since October 1958, became available. [6] It was tuned to produce 265 hp (198 kW; 269 PS) and propel an XK150 at 135 mph (217 km / h) and from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.0 seconds. Fuel economy was 18mpg. [4] Dunlop 12-inch (305 mm) four-wheel disc brakes first appeared as an option. Factory specifications 6.00 × 16 inch Dunlop Road Speed tires or optional 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato CA67 radials could be mounted on 16 × 5K½ solid wheels or optional 16 × 5K wire wheels.

The Mercedes-Benz W111 was a chassis code given to a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles produced between 1959 and 1971, including four-door sedans (1959-1968) and two-door coupés and cabriolets (1961 to 1971). Their bodywork featured distinctive American-style tailfins that gave the models their Heckflosse nickname — German for "fintail".

Introduced with a 2.2-litre inline 6-cylinder engine, the W111 spawned a pair of variant lines which bracketed it in 1961: downscale entry-level inline 4-cylinder engined vehicles sharing the W111 chassis and bodies, designated the W110; and the W112, a high-end luxury sedan built on the W111 chassis with its body but exclusive features, elaborate appointments, and the Mercedes-Benz 300d Adenauer's fuel-injected 3-litre M189 six-cylinder engine – at the time the company's largest.

Somewhat confusingly, both the W111 and W112 lines included vehicles with different Paul Bracq-designed bodywork, the 2-door coupe and cabriolet.

Design
Mercedes-Benz emerged from World War II as an automaker in the early 1950s with the expensive 300 Adenauers and exclusive 300 S grand tourers that gained it fame, but it was the simple unibody Pontons which comprised the bulk of the company's revenues.

Work on replacing the Pontons began in 1956 with a design focused on passenger comfort and safety. The basic Ponton cabin was widened and squared off, with a large glass greenhouse improving driver visibility. A milestone in car design were front and rear crumple zones for absorbing kinetic energy on impact. The automaker also patented retractable seatbelts.

The body was modern and featured characteristic American-style tailfins that gave the models their Heckflosse nickname — German for "fintail".

Production history
Sedan

Mercedes-Benz 220b
Series production of the 4-door sedan began in August 1959, which made its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in autumn. Initially the series consisted of the 220b, 220Sb, and 220SEb. These replaced the (W105) 219, the (W180) 220S and the (W128) 220SE Ponton sedans respectively. The 220b was an entry-level version with little chrome trim, simple hubcaps, and basic interior trim that lacked pockets on doors. Prices were DM16,750, 18,500 and 20,500, with a rough sales ratio of 1:2:1.

All models shared the 2195 cc M127 straight-six engine carried over from the previous generation, producing 95 hp (71 kW) at 4800 rpm and capable of accelerating the heavy car to 160 km/h (155 if fitted with optional automatic gearbox). The 220Sb featured twin carburettors and produced 110 hp (82 kW) at 5000 rpm, raising top speed to 165 km/h (103 mph) (160 km/h (99 mph)) and improving 0–100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration to 15 seconds (16 on the 220b). The top range 220SEb featured Bosch fuel injection producing 120 hp (89 kW) at 4800 rpm, with a top speed of 172 km/h (107 mph) (168 km/h (104 mph) for auto) and a 0–100 km/h (62 mph) time of 14 seconds.

Mercedes-Benz 220S
In 1961, the W111 chassis and body were shared with the even more basic 4-cylinder W110 and a luxury W112 version built on the W111 chassis with its body and the Type 300 series' 3-litre M189 big block 6-cylinder engine, many standard power features, and a high level of interior and exterior trim. The body of the W110 featured a shorter hood, compared to the W111.


Mercedes-Benz 220Sb
In May 1965, the 220Sb and 220SEb were replaced by the new 230S. It was visually identical to the 220S,[citation needed] with a modernised 2306 cm3 M180 engine with twin Zenith carburettors producing 120 hp (89 kW) at 5400 rpm. Top speed is 176 km/h (109 mph) (174 km/h (108 mph) on auto), acceleration from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) is 13 seconds (15 with automatic transmission). As a successor to the 220b, Mercedes-Benz also introduced the 230, with the 2306 cm3 engine fitted into the W110 series car. A total of 41,107 230S models were built through January 1968, when the last of 4-door fintails left the production line.

During its ten-year run between 1959 and 1968 a total of 337,803 W111s were built.

Coupé and cabriolet

The fintails were almost gone on two-door versions
Design of a replacement for the two-door Pontons began in 1957. Since most of the chassis and drivetrain were to be unified with the sedan, the scope was focused on the exterior styling. Mercedes chose the work of engineer Paul Bracq, which featured a more squarish, subtle rear-end treatment, more evocative of the later squarish styling of the subsequent W108/W109 than the sharp-edged tailfins of the sedan.



Production began in late 1960, with the coupe making its debut at the 75th anniversary of the opening of Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart in February of the next year. The convertible followed at the Frankfurt Auto Show a few months later. Almost identical to the coupe, its soft-top roof folded into a recess behind the rear seat and was covered by a tightly fitting leather "boot" in the same color as the seats. Unlike the previous generation of two-door ponton series, the 220SE designation was used for both the coupe and convertible; both received the same version of the 2195 cc M127 engine. Prices in 1962 were 32,500 for the coupe and 36,000 NLG for the cabriolet. Options included a sliding sunroof for the coupe, automatic transmission, power steering, and individual rear seats.


Mercedes-Benz 280SE Coupe (US)

Mercedes-Benz 280SE Coupe
In March 1962, Mercedes-Benz released the exclusive two-door M189-powered 300SE. Like the 300 sedan, it was based on the W111 chasis but shared both Daimler's top-range 2996 cm3 fuel-injected engine and the unique W112 chassis designation, efforts on Mercedes' part to distance it from the maker's modest W110 and W111 lineups and link it to the prestigious W188 300S two-door luxury sports tourer. It was distinguished by a chrome strip, and featured air suspension and a higher level of interior trim and finish. Prices were 45,000 and 48,500 for the hard and soft roofs respectively.

In summer of 1965 Mercedes-Benz launched replacements for both W111 and W112 sedans, the W108 and W109 respectively. With the tailfin fashion well eroded by the mid 1960s, the new design was based on the restrained W111 coupe, widened and squared off. Work on a future new chassis that would fully replace the Ponton-derived W111/W112 and W108/W109 was well under way. With a concept car of the first S-Class was shown in 1967,[citation needed] Daimler declined to develop a two-door W108/W109 vehicle, instead continuing production of the aging W111/W112 with modest changes. The 220SE was superseded in early autumn 1965 by the 250SE, which featured the new 2496 cm3 M129 engine. Producing 150 hp (112 kW) at 5500 rpm, it gave the vehicle a significant improvement in top speed, 193 km/h (120 mph) (188 km/h (117 mph) with automatic transmission), and 0–100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time of 12 seconds (14 with automatic transmission). Visible changes include new 14-inch rims, which came with new hub cabs and beauty rings accommodating the larger disk brakes and new rear axle from the W108 family.

Since the W108 and W109 were only available as 4-door models, 2-door W111 and W112 coupés and cabriolets like this 1969 280SE are frequently mistaken for them

In November 1967 the 250 SE was superseded by the 280 SE. It was powered by the new 2778 cc M130 engine, which produced 160 hp (119 kW) at 5500 rpm. Top speed was hardly affected, but acceleration from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) improved to 10.5 seconds (13 with automatic transmission). Inside, the car received a wood veneer option on the dashboard and other minor changes, including door lock buttons and different heater levers. The hubcaps were changed yet again to a new one piece wheelcover, and the exterior mirror was changed.

Despite its smaller engine, the 280 SE could outperform the early 1950s M189 powered 300 SE, resulting in the more expensive model's retirement.

The 280 SE 3.5

Mercedes-Benz upgraded the W111 280SE to include an optional 3.5 litre V8 engine
A final model was added in August 1969, the 280 SE 3.5, the first Mercedes post-War coupe with more than 3 litres. The car was fitted with the brand-new M116 3499 cc V8. It produced 200 hp (150 kW) at 5800 rpm, and a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph) (205 km/h (127 mph) with automatic transmission) and a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) at 9.5 seconds (11.5 for the automatic transmission). As one of several changes to modernize the aging design a lower, wider grille was incorporated and the facelifted model is often by the Germans referred to as the "flachkühler". The new grill was not a side-effect of enlarging the engine compartment to accommodate the V8 despite popular belief. Front and rear bumpers were also modified with the addition of rubber rub strips; the rear lenses changed to a flatter cleaner design. This change was carried across the standard 280 SE. As the top of its range, the 280 SE 3.5 is seen as an ideological successor to the W112 300 SE, though it lacked the W112's air suspension.

There were plans to place the larger M117 V8 engine in the W111 (the model would have been called 280 SE 4.5).[citation needed]

The last 280 SE was produced in January 1971, with the 280 SE 3.5 ending in July. The total production over the decade was: 220 SEb - 16,902, 250 SE - 6,213, 280 SE - 5,187, and 280 SE 3.5 - 4,502 units. Not including 3,127 W112 300 SE models, the grand total of 2-door W111 models was 32,804 of which 7,456 were convertibles.

The indirect replacement for the Coupé was the C107 SLC, which was an SL Coupé, it therefore had no link with the S Class range. The true successor of the W111/12 Coupe was the C126 Coupe of 1981. As the R107 SL grew bigger and more luxury oriented, it assumed the position of the top of the range Convertible, which meant the four-seater convertible would disappear from Mercedes-Benz's lineup for nearly two-decades, until the A124 in 1992.

MG began offering the MGB GT V8 in 1973 powered by the aluminium block 3,528 cc Rover V8 engine, first fitted to the Rover P5B. This engine had been used in the unibody GM 1961–1963 A-body platform Buick Special/Skylark and Oldsmobile F-85 and 1961–1962 Pontiac Tempest and was the lightest mass-production V8 in the world.

The Buick version had a dry, undressed weight of 318 lb (144 kg) and the 1963 Skylark with optional four-barrel Rochester carburettor and 10:1 compression ratio produced 200 hp (150 kW) at 5,000 rpm. By the time Rover had made webbing modifications to strengthen the block, the engine was considerably heavier (over 170 kg). Some changes were made by MG-Rover and the engine found a long-lived niche in the British motor industry.

These cars were similar to those already being produced in significant volume by tuner Ken Costello. MG even contracted Costello to build them a prototype MGB GT V8. However, the powerful 180 bhp (134 kW) engine used by Costello for his conversions was replaced for production by MG with a more modestly tuned version producing only 137 bhp (102 kW) at 5,000 rpm. Nonetheless, 193 lb⋅ft (262 N⋅m) of torque helped it hit 60 mph (97 km/h) in 7.7 seconds and go on to a 125 mph (201 km/h) top speed. Fuel consumption was just under 20 mpg.

By virtue of its aluminium cylinder block and heads, the Rover V8 engine weighed approximately 40 pounds less than MG's iron four-cylinder. Unlike the MGC, the V8 that provided the MGB GT V8's increased power and torque did not require significant chassis changes nor sacrifice handling.

Both chrome and rubber-bumpered GT versions of the V8-powered MGB were produced by the factory with production ending in 1976.

MG never attempted to export the MGB GT V8 to the United States. It chose not to develop a left-hand-drive version of the MGB GT V8 although the Rover V8 engine was offered in US-bound Rover models. The P6 3500 was withdrawn after 1971 from the US and the Rover 3500 SD1 only introduced in 1980 (its engine equipped with power-sapping emissions equipment) so that during the lifetime of the MGB GT V8 the engine was not being built in a federal version. Abingdon built seven LHD models, sent them to America to achieve certification, and brought them back to the UK to be sold to mainland European countries.

These high-end cars were fitted with the 3.0 litre fuel-injected M189 big-block six-cylinder engine, at the time of the model's introduction the company's largest. They were finished with a higher level of wood and leather trim than the W111, and had standard luxury features such as power steering, automatic transmission, and pneumatic self-levelling suspension, an enhancement of the Mercedes-Benz 300d Adenauer's dashboard activated mechanical torsion bar based system.

The sedan was based on the Mercedes-Benz W111 Fintail sedan chassis and coachwork. The 300SE coupe/convertible was introduced in February 1962, and - somewhat confusingly - shared its more restrained and elegant Paul Bracq designed bodywork with the Mercedes-Benz W111 220SE coupe/convertible.

The sedan-based stretched wheelbase 300SE "Lang") appeared in March 1963, redesignated the 300SEL in 1964.

Background

The previous generation of Mercedes models featured three types of chassis: those mass produced on a unibody Ponton chassis, which included the entry-level 4-cylinder 180/190 series, mid-range 220 series of sedan, coupe, and convertible, and 190SL sports coupe and roadster; a luxury range of coachwork-built 300 series sedan, coupe, convertible, and roadster, hand-crafted on a pre-war X-frame chassis; and the exotic 300SL coupe/roadster, built on a unique tubular frame.

In the late 1950s, Daimler-Benz AG began plans to unify its entire model range on one platform in order to take advantage of economies of scale. Assembly of all 2-door 300S W187s ended in 1955, and in 1958, the fuel-injected W128 220SE "Ponton" was introduced. The new generation of 220/220S/200SE W111 "Fintail" sedans was introduced in 1959. These were joined in 1961 by the 220SE W111 coupe and convertible, as well as the four-cylinder W110 190 and 190D. Since a replacement for the big 300d Adenauer limousine was still being developed, its fuel-injected 3-litre six-cylinder M189 engine was installed in the W111 and supplemented with luxury features and detailing to create the W112.

Coupe and Cabriolet

With no equal or superior in the Mercedes line, the coupe and cabriolet W112s enjoyed a somewhat elevated status through their model runs. Their more modern and elegant Paul Bracq designed W111 220SE coupe/convertible-based bodywork lacked the dating pointed, upwardly-raked fintails of the sedan, and aged better. The 2-door coupe and cabriolet W112s arrived in 1962, only a year later after the première of the 2-door W111s. The cabriolet was offered as a single 220SE model, and sold in a 5:1 ratio to the 2-door 300SE. Two-door W111/W112 production continued after 1965 with the coming of the new generation W108/W109 sedans.

However, in November 1967, the aging M186-based M189 engine was replaced by a 2.8 litre straight-6 used in the 280SE. At least one 300SE Convertible, with M189 engine, was produced for the Frankfurt Auto show with updated equipment and styling for the 1968 standards but the line was discontinued before the new year for all 2 door W112 autos

The manufacturer's name 'SS Cars' used from 1934 maintained a link to the previous owner, Swallow Sidecar, founded in 1922 by Walmsley and Lyons to build motorcycle sidecars. In March 1945 the S. S. Cars shareholders agreed to change the name to Jaguar Cars Limited.

In common with many products of the thirties the adoption of an animal name was deemed appropriate[citation needed] and the model name "Jaguar" was given to a new SS saloon car in 1935, and then to all new SS models.

The '100' was for the theoretical 100 mph maximum speed of the vehicle.

Construction
The chassis had a wheelbase of 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m), and was essentially a shortened version of the one designed for the 2½-litre saloon, a car produced in much greater numbers, and first seen in the SS 90 of 1935. When leaving the factory it was originally fitted with 5.50 or 5.25 × 18 inch tyres on 18 inch wire wheels.

Suspension was on half-elliptical springs all round with rigid axles. The engine was a development of the old 2½-litre Standard pushrod unit converted from side valve to overhead valve with a new cylinder head designed by William Heynes and Harry Weslake. The power output was increased from 70 bhp (52 kW) to 100 bhp (70 kW). Twin SU carburettors were bolted directly to the cylinder head. In 1938 the engine was further enlarged to 3½ litres and the power increased to 125 bhp (93 kW). The four-speed gearbox had synchromesh on the top 3 ratios. Brakes were by Girling. The complete car weighed just over 23 cwt (2600 pounds, 1150 kg).

On test by the Autocar magazine in 1937 the 2½-litre (20 RAC hp rating) car was found, with the windscreen lowered, to have a maximum speed of 95 mph (153 km/h) and a 0–60 mph (97 km/h) time of 13.5 seconds. With the 3½-litre (25 RAC hp rating) the top speed reached the magic 100 mph (160 km/h) with a best of 101 mph (163 km/h) over the quarter mile and the 0–60 mph (97 km/h) coming down to 10.4 seconds.

In 1937 the 2½-litre car cost £395 and in 1938 the 3½-litre £445. The fixed head coupé, of which only one was made, was listed at £595. A few examples were supplied as chassis-only to external coachbuilders.

Legacy

Widely considered one of the most aesthetically pleasing sporting cars of the 1930s the SS100 is also very rare, with only 198 2½-litre and 116 3½-litre models made. While most stayed on the home market, 49 were exported. Cars in good condition will now regularly fetch in excess of £300,000. A near concours example was auctioned by Bonhams at the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed for £199,500. Due largely to its rarity, auction prices for the SS100 have since risen strongly.

More recently a beautifully restored former Pebble Beach concours winning 1937 S.S. Jaguar 100 3½ Litre Roadster - was sold by Gooding & Co. at their August 2010 Pebble Beach auction. It fetched a noteworthy £666,270 ($1,045,000).

It was on an SS100 that the famous Jaguar 'leaper', the marque's signature feline bonnet ornament, was first displayed. In mid 1936 the first version of the Jaguar mascot was reputedly described by Sir William Lyons, founder of the company, as "looking like a cat shot off a fence". A later publicity photograph of the new Model 100 "Jaguar" (registration mark CKV 250) parked outside the offices of SS Cars Ltd in early 1937 shows a revised Jaguar 'leaper' mounted on the radiator cap. It is this more stylised 'leaper' that became the trade mark for Jaguar Cars, Ltd., remaining in use to this day.

The unnamed owner of the Belgravia vintage car dealer in James Leasor's 'Aristo Autos' novels, 'They Don't Make Them Like That Any More', 'Never Had a Spanner on Her' and 'Host of Extras', drives an SS100, and the car features prominently in the books.

The late Alan Clark (1928-1999) MP owned an SS Jaguar 100, and during his time in Margaret Thatcher's government was often to be seen piloting his SS100 away from the House of Commons after late Parliamentary sittings.

 

The production of the Capri RS3100 showroom at the initial selling price of £ 2,450 included a l4in three-spoke sports steering wheel, and a modified version of the decalling used on the period RS2600 - Ford just removed the RS2600 and the injection references! Such decals are becoming impossible to obtain new stock for the concours competitor, so it has to be done using the standard originals. The traditional quarter-bumpers have been preserved for the front of the RS3100. As in the case of the 2600, both the chrome and matte black models were owned and photographed by Ford: the catalog specification was matte black. I was told Escort 1100 Mk2 The popular screws can be used to replace any missing original.

Only two officially manufactured RS Capris went into production, but there have been a few other attempts to bring RS and Capri together over the years following the brief production of the RS3100. Some of the following, such as Escort Mexicos, were sold only by RS dealers. Some were designed by German motoring personnel and then sold only through RS outlets. Some have been proposed as RS products, but have never achieved anything more than Ford's limited approval, with some sections of the normal warranty absent in deference to radically increased engine power.

The closure of Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations was a prolonged affair. Several departments remained operational in 1975 (notably engineering; and Motorsport's parts operation still operates from this location in 1987) despite the closure of the production line and the dispersion of the majority of the workforce.

Product planner Mike Moreton prepared a plan in 1975 to produce a 2.8 liter RS ​​Capri with fuel injection that should have reached the production lines in conjunction with the Escort RS2000. Management approval was given for this project, but the car was never made, due to the time-consuming business of putting the RS2000 into production at a mainstream facility, rather than at the FAVO factory for which it was originally designed.

However, the RS2800 Capri prototype was built, with the help of Thomas Ammerschlager in the Ford Motorsport department of Germany, and these cars were later demonstrated to the press in the Capn III trim. At the time, it was said that it was not worth the cost of development and crash tests to combine the 2.8 with the Capri hatchback, but the fluctuation in sales in Britain ended up changing all of that and the 2.8 injection appeared, reaching a very high level. proportion of profitable sales.

There is some logic in the owners of Capri 2.8 Injection, Special or 280 versions feeling that they have a genuine RS car, but the project had no intention on the part of the factory to use it in the competition. It was, however, a product of many of the same engineers who were at FAVO. The men who designed the RS2600 / 3100 started working on 2.8 Injection, the first car handled by the Special Vehicle Engineering group.

The fact that the resulting vehicle did not have an RS badge was simply a marketing decision. For the 2.8i it was as completely changed from a production base as many types of RS were. In fact, a former FAVO engineering chief told me: When I first ran a Capri injection, I thought it was the perfect development for the RS2600 series. Suspension, brakes, engine, all looked like developed versions of that first RS Capri

A similar lack of competition intent was why Germany's Ford / Zakspeed Capri turbo did not become an official RS product, despite being sold by RS dealers and developed by Motorsport staff. The Zakspeed-Ford alliance had previously produced a phenomenally successful 1.4 and 1.7 liter Turbo Capri race based on Cosworth BDA technology, but in addition to Zakspeed's work in its production and engineering, the Capri 2.8 Turbo sold by RS dealers in Germany in 1981 -82 had few features in common with 16-valve turbocharged race cars. Only 200 of these 134mph road cars were made by the Zakspeed-Ford cooperation, although a run of 300 to 400 was originally planned. Ford Vice President of Europe, Karl Ludvigsen, was brought to Britain. All were LHD and their 2.8-liter V6s equipped with a carburetor received only a modest increase of 0.38 bar in a KKK turbo. For later production, a Garrett AiResearch turbine was adopted, when the increase was apparently increased to almost 0.5 bar. With the largest reinforcement figure, these special Capris gave 188bhp at 5,500 rpm and at least 200lb / ft of torque was up at 4,500 revolutions.

Externally, they were the wildest goats ever offered by a Ford dealership. They had a very large rear wing in the style of the 16-valve pilots, tall and wide. The popular X-pack / RS body kit inflated wheel arches over 6.5 or 7.5 inch wide alloy wheels. The front spoiler was what the biggest German authorities allowed, and was usually removed when transporting new vehicles! The price, at the close of production in September 1982, was just under £ 8,900 without options.

There were also turbo capris for sale through Ford dealerships in Great Britain that could have achieved RS status, as SVE was very interested and cooperative in its training stages. The first was the Tickt Capri 2.8T, based on 2.81 with a Japanese IHI turbo conversion giving 205bhp. This package, of which less than 90 had been made when I arrived in 1986, included disc brakes for the rear axle and extensive body modifications, its price rising from over £ 15,000 to closer to £ 20,000 for the final lot in 1986-87.

In 1958, the PV 544 was introduced (although the Volvo Amazon, which was introduced in 1956, was to replace the PV444). The most important differences with the PV444 are: the windshield is made of one piece, new (also padded) panel (with horizontal speedometer) and interior, new steering wheel, new rear lights, redesigned headset, larger and clear rear window : space for 5 people instead of 4 (hence the name 544). The extra space was created by a wider rear seat. There were also seat belt holders available at the back (seat belts at the front were already available on PV 444).

The first version of PV 544 is the standard. It had a 60bhp B16 engine with an M30 3-speed gearbox and was only available in black. Volvo also made the other version available in the introduction, which were Special I (better equipment and interior upholstery), Special II (the same as Special I but available in more color options and four-speed M40 gearbox) and the PV Esporte (export only) which also had a travel recorder, front seat belts and a B16B engine that supplies 85 hp. With all the colors and upholstery available, there were more than 100 possible combinations for the PV 544!

 

 

The Fiat Coupe was a beautiful 4-seater coupe that was based on the 850 saloon. Available in two engine sizes, 843cc and 903cc, both engines were installed at the rear and gave respectable performance.
Introduced in 1965 at the Geneva Motor Show, the 843 cm³ engine was tuned to produce 47 hp. At the present time, the maximum speed was 135 km / h.





The convertible Spyder was introduced at the same time as the Coupe.

With its own Bertone body style that was based on the 850 sedan racing trains, a total of 14,000 were produced until 1972. Completely built by the Bertone design studio, the design was drafted and created by the same company.
The sporty two-seater Spider shared the original 843 cm³ engine, capable of producing 49 HP. The Spyder can reach a top speed of 145 km / h.

Made of fabric, the section of the folding roof can be stored completely under a rear flap.
Shipped in the USA to comply with emissions regulations, the Sedan, Coupe and Spider had a reduced engine capacity of 817 cm³.
Launched in 1968, the Fiat 850 Special was a revised and recently redesigned prototype of the 850 sedan.
The Fiat 850 Special shared the same engine with the Coupe. Available in this new model has been improved trim, sports steering wheel and front disc brakes.

 

The Special also saw a 25% increase in power, 13 'wheels and disc brakes.
Considered classics today, the successful Coupe and Spider models were revised again in 1968 and received a more powerful engine with 52 HP and 903 cm³. They received the new name Sport Spider and Sport Coupe. Both vehicles received sports seats, a round speedomter and a sports steering wheel.
Coupes finished production in 1971, and the Sedan ended a year later. The spiders lasted another year before they also ceased production.
In Spain, the Fiat 850 was marketed under the name Seat 850 in all variations, including a four-door variant. The 850 was also produced in Lovech, Bulgaria, under the name Oirin-Fiat.

Two years after the launch of the Fiat 850, Giovanni Agnelli, became president of the company. Agnelli was the founder's grandson, who shared the same name.

The 220S was produced in limited numbers, starting in the mid-1950s and continuing until October 1959. A total of 3,429 copies were produced, 2178 of which were convertible.

The XK140 was launched in late 1954 and sold as a 1955 model. External changes that set it apart from the XK120 included more substantial front and rear shock absorbers with overriders and flashing direction signals (operated by a switch on the panel) above the front bumper.


The grid remained the same size, but it became a one-piece unit with smaller and wider vertical bars. The Jaguar emblem has been incorporated into the surround grid. A strip of chrome finish ran along the center of the hood (hood) and the boot lid (boot). An emblem on the boot lid contained the words "Le Mans winner 1951-3".

The interior was more comfortable for taller drivers, moving the engine, firewall and panel forward to give 76 mm more legroom. Two 6-volt batteries, one on each front wing, were mounted on the Fixed Head Coupe, but the Drop Heads and Open Two Seater had a single 12-volt battery installed on the front wing on the passenger side.

The XK140 was powered by the Jaguar XK 3.4 liter inline-6 ​​twin-axle camshaft engine, with modifications to the XK120's special equipment, which increased the specified power by 10 bhp to 190 bh (142 kW) gross at 5500 rpm as standard. The type C cylinder head, transported from the XK120 catalog and producing 210 bhp (157 kW) gross at 5750 rpm, was optional equipment.

When equipped with the C-type head, 2-inch H8 carburetors, heavier torsion bars and two exhaust pipes, the car was designated XK140 SE in the UK and XK140 MC in North America.

In 1956, the XK140 became the first Jaguar sports car to be offered with automatic transmission. As with the XK120, wire wheels and dual exhaust were options, with most XK140s imported into the United States with optional wheels. Cars with standard disc wheels had spurs (defensive skirts) over the rear wheel opening. Factory specifications 6.00 × 16 inch crossply tires or optional 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato CA67 radials can be installed on 16 × 5K½ solid wheels or 16 × 5K wire wheels (special equipment). [2]

The Roadster (called OTS - Open Two Seater - in the United States) had a light canvas top that hid behind the seats. The interior was cut in leather and artificial leather, including the panel. Like the XK120 Roadster, the XK140 version had removable plastic and canvas side curtains on light alloy barchetta doors and a tonneau cover. The door tops and the exhaust panel have been cut in two inches (50 mm) compared to the XK120, to allow a more modern [necessary clarification] positioning of the steering wheel. The angle of the front face of the doors (A-Post) was changed from 45 degrees to 90 degrees, for easy access. The windshield remained removable.

The Drophead Coupé (DHC) had a more bulky lined canvas top that lowered into the body behind the seats, a fixed windshield integral with the body, rope side windows and a small rear seat. It also had a walnut panel and door covers.

The Fixed Head Coupé (FHC) shared the DHC's interior and rear seat. The Fixed Head Coupe prototype maintained the roof profile of the XK120 fixed head, with the wings and front doors equal to those of Drophead. The production cars had an elongated roof, the windshield was placed further forward, the front wings were shorter and the doors were longer, resulting in easier entry and more interior and legroom.

 

The Mercedes-Benz W111 was a chassis code given to a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles produced between 1959 and 1971, including four-door sedans (1959-1968) and two-door coupés and cabriolets (1961 to 1971).

Introduced as in-line 6-cylinder cars with 2.2-liter engines, the W111 spawned two lines of variants: entry-level vehicles sharing their chassis and body, but with four-cylinder engines they were designated as the W110. A luxury version built on the W111 chassis with its body and the six-cylinder M186 engine with six-cylinder fuel injection was designated the W112.

Mercedes-Benz emerged from World War II as an automaker in the early 1950s, with the expensive 300 Adenauers and the exclusive 300 S tourers that gained fame, but it was the simple monoblock that Pontons represented in most of the company's revenue.

Pontons replacement work began in 1956 with a design focused on passenger comfort and safety. Ponton's basic cab was enlarged and square, with a large glass greenhouse improving the driver's visibility. A milestone in the design of the car was the front and rear crumple zones to absorb kinetic energy on impact. The automaker also patented retractable seat belts.

The body was modern and featured characteristic American-style squiggles that gave the models the nickname Heckflosse - the German for "fintail".

 

Mercedes-Benz 280SE Coupe (USA)

 The boxes almost disappeared in the two-door versions

The design of a replacement for the two-door Pontons began in 1957. Since most of the chassis and powertrain would be unified with the sedan, the scope was focused on the external style. Some of the prototypes and prototypes show that Mercedes-Benz tried to give the two-door car a front style almost identical to what would be realized on the Pagoda roadster, but ultimately favored the work of engineer Paul Bracq. The rear featured small tailfins, subtle compared to the bodies and evocative of the W108 / W109 square style.

Production began in the late 1960s, with the coupe making its debut on the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, in February of the following year. The convertible followed at the Frankfurt Motor Show a few months later. Almost identical to the coupe, the soft top roof folded into a recess behind the rear seat and was covered by a well-fitting leather "boot" in the same color as the seats. Unlike the previous generation of the two-door ponton series, the 220SE designation was used for both the coupe and the convertible; both received the same version of the 2195 cc M127 engine. Prices in 1962 were 32,500 for the coupe and 36,000 NLG for the cabriolet. Options included a sliding sunroof for the coupe, automatic transmission, power steering and individual rear seats.

Mercedes-Benz 220SE Convertible

In March 1962, Mercedes-Benz launched the exclusive two-door 300SE with an M189 engine. Like the 300 sedan, it was based on the W111 chassis, but shared Daimler's 2996 cm3 engine and the unique W112 chassis designation, efforts on the part of Mercedes to distance it from the automaker's modest W110 and W111 lines and joints to the prestigious two-door luxury sports tour W188 300S. It was distinguished by a chrome strip and featured air suspension and a higher level of internal trim and finish. Prices were 45,000 and 48,500 for hard and soft roofs, respectively.

In the summer of 1965, Mercedes-Benz launched replacements for the W111 and W112 sedans, the W108 and the W109, respectively. With tailfin fashion well eroded in the mid-1960s, the new design was based on the contained W111 coupe, enlarged and square. Work on a future new chassis that would completely replace the Ponton-derived W111 / W112 and W108 / W109 was already underway. With a concept car of the first S-Class shown in 1967, Daimler refused to develop a two-door W108 / W109 vehicle, continuing the production of the aging W111 / W112 with modest changes. The 220SE was replaced in the early fall of 1965 by the 250SE, which featured the new 2496 cm3 M129 engine. Producing 150 hp (112 kW) at 5500 rpm, it provided the vehicle with a significant improvement in top speed, 193 km / h (188 km / h (117 mph) with automatic transmission) and 0-100 km / h (62 mph) time acceleration of 12 seconds (14 with automatic transmission). Visible changes include new 14-inch rims, which came with new hub cabs and beautiful rings, accommodating the biggest disc brakes and the new rear axle of the W108 family.

Mercedes-Benz 280SE Coupe

In November 1967, the 250 SE was replaced by the 280 SE. It was powered by the new 2778 cc M130 engine, which produced 160 hp (119 kW) at 5500 rpm. The top speed was hardly affected, but the acceleration from 0-100 km / h (62 mph) improved to 10.5 seconds (13 with automatic transmission). Inside, the car received an option of wood veneer on the instrument panel and other minor changes, including door lock buttons and different heating levers. The hubcaps were changed again to a new one-piece cover, and the outer mirror was changed.

Despite its smaller engine, the 280 SE could outperform the early 1950s, with the M189 equipped with 300 SE, resulting in the retirement of the more expensive model. The coupe and cabriolet kept the shared model designation until they were replaced by a new generation chassis in 1968.

Mercedes-Benz updated the W111 280SE to include an optional 3.5-liter V8 engine

A final model was added in August 1969, the 280 SE 3.5, Mercedes' first post-war coupe with more than 3 liters. The car was equipped with the brand new M116 3499 cc V8. It produced 200 hp (150 kW) at 5800 rpm and a top speed of 210 km / h (205 km / h with automatic transmission) and 0-100 km / h (62 mph) in 9.5 seconds (11.5 for the automatic transmission). As one of several changes to modernize the design of aging, a lower and wider grid has been incorporated; this was not a side effect of enlarging the engine compartment to accommodate the V8 despite popular belief. The front and rear bumpers have also been modified with the addition of rubber friction strips; the rear lenses have changed to a flatter cleaning design. This change was made to the 280 SE standard. As the top of its range, the 280 SE 3.5 is seen as an ideological successor to the W112 300 SE, although the W112 air suspension was missing.

There were plans to place the larger M117 V8 engine on the W111 (the model would have been called the 280 SE 4.5).