Tag Archives: Automotive Nostalgia

Nostalgia: “1961 AC Ace” Convertible Roadster (Classic Driver)

November 29, 2019 boomersdaily Leave a comment

From Wikipedia:

In 1961 a new 2.6-litre (2,553 cc (155.8 cu in)) straight-six ‘Ruddspeed’ option was available, adapted by Ken Rudd from the unit used in the Ford Zephyr. It used three Weber or SU carburettors and either a ‘Mays’ or an iron cast head. This setup boosted the car’s performance further, with some versions tuned to 170 bhp (127 kW), providing a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h) and 0–60 mph (0–100 km/h) in 8.1 seconds. However, it was not long before Carroll Shelby drew AC’s attention to the Cobra, so only 37 of the 2.6 models were made. These Ford engined models had a smaller grille which was carried over to the Cobra.

AC came back to the market after the Second World War with the 2-Litre range of cars in 1947, but it was with the Ace sports car of 1953 that the company really made its reputation in the post war years. Casting around for a replacement for the ageing 2-Litre, AC took up a design by John Tojeiro that used a light ladder type tubular frame, all independent transverse leaf spring suspension, and an open two seater alloy body made using English wheeling machines, possibly inspired by the Ferrari Barchetta of the day.

Photos from Classic Driver website: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/ac/ace/1961/703263?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Classic%20Driver%20Daily%203342019&utm_content=Classic%20Driver%20Daily%203342019+CID_08b403976196024a8806d6851989b77c&utm_source=newsletter

Classics, Reviews

Automobile Nostalgia: “1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia – 1600 Sprint Speciale”

November 25, 2019 boomersdaily Leave a comment

From a Classic Driver online article:

This extraordinary Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600 Sprint Special was delivered on 03.10.1963 in Pescara (Italy) and was home (city) of their time in Italy. The car was optimized for performance after delivery by Autodelta. Cylinder head, camshaft and manifold were changed and the output increased to 125 hp.

Classics, Leisure, Magazines, Reviews

Automobile Nostalgia: “1949 Healey Silverstone” Was Designed As “Both Road And Racing Car”

November 20, 2019 boomersdaily Leave a comment

From a ClassicDriver.com online article:

“Originally designed as both a road and racing car, little compromise was made for comfort and practicality. With a light body and a peppy 2½ litre Riley engine, the Healey Silverstone performed well; even the headlights were brought inside behind the grille to make it more aerodynamic. It had a very limited run; just 105 produced making correct examples extremely desirable.

…Donald Healey himself raced one, winning the 1949 Alpine Rally. A Healey Silverstone also won Belgium’s Liège-Rome-Liège Rally, the Isle of Man Manx Cup, various races at Goodwood and other national events.

Due to the limited production run, cars with important period competition history are desirable and so when a previously undiscovered chassis turns up, correct identification is key.

Reviews, Technology, Transportation

Automotive Nostalgia: 1940s British Van “Morris Commercial” Relaunches With All-Electric Model

November 14, 2019 boomersdaily Leave a comment

From a AutoCar online article:

The van is new from the ground up, sitting on a new modular platform and featuring a 60kWh lithium ion powertrain said to endow it with a “power-to-weight efficiency that fully maximises the range of the vehicle”. It can fast charge to 80% in 30 minutes.

Morris Commercial ranks it alongside the Mini, Morris Minor and Land Rover Defender as a “truly iconic post-war British automotive design”.

Revived thanks to unnamed UK and European financial backing, Morris Commercial’s first production model since the 1960s has a 200-mile range, a 1000kg payload and a 2.5-tonne gross weight.

Company website: https://www.morris-commercial.com/

It’ll be priced from £60,000 and set to be built in the UK at an undisclosed location, with the design an engineering taking place in a facility in Worcestershire.

Design, Reviews, Transportation

Automobile Nostalgia: 1950’s “Alfa Romeo B.A.T.” Concept Cars Exhibited In London Nov 20-23

November 5, 2019 boomersdaily Leave a comment

From a Classic Driver online article:

Titled Trinity: B.A.T. 5-7-9 and poised to take place at Phillips Berkeley Square on 20–23 November 2019, the exhibition will highlight B.A.T. 5, 7 and 9s’ visionary aesthetics in addition to their significance in the wider context of 20th-century art, architecture and design.

Designed for Bertone by the supremely talented Franco Scaglione in the 1950s, the Alfa Romeo-based Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica concept cars are seminal objects of 20th-century design. Widely known as the B.A.T. cars, the trio of audacious, ultra-aerodynamic and fully functional prototypes pushed the boundaries of automotive design like nothing that had come before and truly embodied avant-garde creativity.

Leisure, Travel

Automotive Nostalgia: 25th Annual Woodward Dream Cruise On August 17 In Detroit Will Feature Over 40,000 Classic Cars

August 8, 2019 boomersdaily Leave a comment

From a Curbed.com online article:

Enthusiasts and spectators will soon be out showing off their rides for the 25th Annual Woodward Dream Cruise, which rolls through the northern suburbs along Woodward Avenue on Saturday, August 17. The world’s largest one-day automotive event is an enormous draw—last year an estimated 1.5 million people attended and 40,000 classic cars were on the roads.

While the main event takes place from Pontiac to Ferndale, Detroit also has a few offerings for visitors this year. Here’s where to go if you want to watch—or avoid—the festivities.

Time

Officially, the Woodward Dream Cruise runs Saturday, August 17 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Events have already started, and an official ribbon cutting will take place on Friday at 5 p.m. in Ferndale.