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ID:392
What's this cute little white rear-engined sports car?


Ram

Thats a NSU-Fiat/Neckar (?) Jagst 770 Riviera.

Right, Karl. ID:392 is a 1962 Neckar Jagst 770 Riviera.
Designed in Turin by Vignale, she was mass produced by Neckar at Heillbronn, Germany from 1961-1964.

The Jagst 770 Riviera was based on the Fiat 600 platform but with a 767 cc 25 bhp 4-cylinder engine. Careful weight control let the design achieve 120 km/h performance, yet return 16 km/litre economy. There was an even rarer and more powerful Abarth version for the speed freak.

The car shared many parts such as the engine, transmission, suspension, brakes and steering with the little Spanish SEAT 600D.

Neckar was a German joint venture of Fiat and NSU. Their factory was at Heillbronn on the river Neckar. Neckar products were often more luxurious and sporty than what Fiat produced in Turin.

NSU's JV with Fiat broke up before Fiat introduced their 124, 125 and 128 models. Neckar shut shop in 1971 having produced 3.7 lakh cars.

Ram

ID:393
What's this lovely black and silver car?


Do identify model year, make and model.
Ram

ID 393 is 1957 Gazelle from Singer, part of the Rootes group, also badge engineered as the Humber Sceptre if im not mistaken.

No. It's neither the Singer Gazelle nor the Humber Sceptre.

its a Sunbeam Rapier, there were quite a few of these around till the early nineties

Silly me, thats what I meant to say, immedeately recognising the Sunbeam hood ornament.

Field Marshal SHFJ Maneckshaw bought one brand new in the UK, and I believe he still has it at his residence at Conoor. Im also told the car is absolutely immaculate, with original paint and leather.

yes he has a rapier, but im not sure if its this or the later shape, its a blue grey car, absolutely mint.

awini, as nearly always, you're spot on.

ID:393 is a 1962 Sunbeam Rapier Series IIIA.
The pic was taken in St. George's square in front of The George Hotel - Rugby League Heritage Centre at Huddersfield Rly. Stn. In 1895, the northern rugby union - later to become the Rugby Football League (RFL): governing body for rugby league in the UK - was formed here.

The 1962 Sunbeam Rapier Series IIIA had a 1,592 cc 4-in-line which put out 80+ bhp @ 5,100 rpm and 120 Newton-m of torque @ 3,900 rpm. The car topped out at 145 km/h. Even back in 1959, the front wheels of the Series III (with the 1,494 cc engine) had disc brakes. The Series IIIA got a bigger 1,592 cc.


Karl, the Singer Gazelle's grille was more ovoid elliptical while the Rapier had a more-or-less rectangular grille. The Humber Sceptre had quad headlamps.


The Sunbeam Rapier in 1955 was the first of the Rootes Group "Audax" style cars that included the Singer Gazelle and the Hilman Minx (4-door version of the Sunbeam Rapier 2 dr. hardtop). Raymond Loewy Associates, USA styled this car for Rootes. That's why it has a shadow of resemblance (vertical grille flanked by horizontal grilles, "C" pillar treatment, fish tail fin) to the 1950's Studebaker Hawks, albeit a third smaller.


Ram

His Rapier I recall looked something like this, in a two tone blue and deep grey.



More here

Sunbeam Rapier

Karl, The pic you have posted is a Series I Rapier before the vertical Talbot grille.


This had a 1,390 cc OHV Rootes engine from the 1954 Hillman Minx. It also had the column shift gear lever with electric Laycock de Normanville overdrive.


The earliest cars had a single downdraft Stromberg carb that saw 62 bhp.
1957 onwards, this was succeeded by twin downdraft Zenith carbs which gave 5 more bhp. It participated in the Alpine and Monte Carlo rallies. Rally models had a remote control floor shift. Racing driver Stirling Moss had one. He also drove for the Rootes Rally team.

Hormazd Sorabjee's narrative in bharat-rakshak.com mentions a 1958 Rapier. That would have been the Series II, with the vertical Talbot grille. It also had an enlarged 1,494 cc engine called the Sunbeam Rallymaster engine that put out 73 bhp. And small tilted tail fins at the back. BTW, all these cars had drum brakes -- the Series II had finned brake drums and a recirculating-ball steering box.

The front disc brakes debuted with the Series III in 1959. My pic is a Series IIIA with an even bigger 1,592 cc engine. It debuted optional air-conditioning with the blower in the dikky, shooting cold air into the car from vents on the rear parcel shelf. (pain in the neck?)

Ram

The picture I recall seeing showed a car very similar to the one in the picture I posted. Im quite sure about it. So 58 might be a typo.

Awini, can you enlighten us?

ID:394A and ID:394B

Friends, here's a pair of cars, a four-door sedan and a two-door coupé, both styled by Giovanni Michelotti.


Both have a pointed snout with a grille underneath. The snouts have notches to accomodate quad headlamps.

Do identify both cars: model years, makes and models.

Ram

ID394A Triumph 2000

This is the mark 1 1963-1969

This car along with the Rover 2000 took executive british motoring to a high. Mercedes Benz's were too expensive. Japanese and Audi equivalents were non existent. BMW 1800 were slugs (the branding had not started). Opels were an apology - scaled down US cars.

alas the mighty how they fall