Shelby GT500

A blend of sports car and muscle car, the 1967 Shelby GT 500 satisfyed a maturing taste for high performance.

The GT 500 represented a departure for Ford factory tuner Carroll Shelby. To make a road-racing champ of the 1965-1966 Mustangs, Shelby had transformed them into thundering thoroughbreds ill-suited to everyday driving. By 1967, however, Shelby’s audience was demanding more civility, and the original pony car was undergoing a revamp that finally gave it room for big-block power.

With the introduction of the 1967 models, regular Mustangs could get a 320-bhp 390-cid four-barrel V-8. Shelby, naturally, went further. His GT 350 retained its 289-cid V-8 with its 306-bhp rating. And a new model, the 1967 Shelby GT 500, got a reworked 428-cid “Police Interceptor.”

The 428 was otherwise reserved for bigger Fords, where it made 345 bhp. Shelby added the cast-aluminum medium-rise intake manifold from Ford’s 427, twin 600-cfm Holley four-barrel carburetors, and other tweaks for a conservative rating of 355 bhp. During manufacture or through dealers, a handful of 1967 Shelby GT 500s were equipped with Ford’s near race-ready 427-cid V-8.

The 1967 GT 500 had a four-speed manual transmission or a three-speed automatic, with axle ratios ranging from 3.50:1 to 4.11:1. Instead of true competition-grade underpinnings, the suspension was a fortified version of the Mustang GT’s, with standard front disc brakes and E70X15 tires. Also gone were the two-seat cabins and standard racing harnesses of the original GT 350.

All 1967 Shelby GT 500s had Mustang GT-level interior trim; air conditioning and power steering were new factory options. An 8000-rpm tach, 140-mph speedometer, and padded roll bar, however, remained Shelby standards.

Always looking to improve performance, Shelby outfitted the GT 500s with fiberglass body pieces, including an elongated nose, a hood with functional scoops, and four body side intakes. The fiberglass tail had a molded spoiler and sequential turn-signal lamps borrowed from the Mercury Cougar. High-beam headlights were mounted in the center of the grille (some were moved to the sides to meet state laws). Twin “Le Mans” stripes were dealer-applied options for any 1967 Shelby GT 500.

If Shelby Mustangs were now less race car and more grand touring machine, that was fine with buyers, who took an immediate liking to Shelby’s latest. The 1967 Shelby GT 500 cost just $200 more than the GT 350 and handily outsold its small-block companion by 875 units.

Specifications:

• Front engine, RWD, 4 passenger, 2 door coupe
• Supercharged DOHC 32 valve V8 engine
• 330 CID (5408 cc) displacement
• Power: 540 hp (410 kW) (550 CV)
• Torque: 510 ft.-lbs.
• 6 Speed Manual Transmission
• 3.73 differential ratio
• 18 x 9.5″ Alcoa wheels on Goodyear F1 tires (front: P255/45ZR18 rear: 285/40/ZR18)
• Tuned suspension by Shelby and Ford Racing
• 3,800 lb (1,700 kg) curb weight
• 107.1 in (2,720 mm) wheelbase
• 188×73.9×54.5 in (4.78×1.88×1.38 m)

Standard Engine:

• Type: ohv V-8
• Displacement, cid: 428
• Fuel system: 2 x 4 bbl.
• Compression ratio: 10.5:1
• Horsepower @ rpm: 355 @ 5400
• Torque @ rpm: 420 @ 3200

Performance:

• 0-60 mph, sec: 6.2
• 1/4 mile, sec @ mph: 14.6 @ 99

"Bella Figura" Bugnotti Coupe

Delahaye's new Carbon Fiber body debuts at RETRO AUTO Aug. 13-15, Pebble Beach.
Inspired by the classic 1937 Type 57S, this is not a real Bugatti. It is a tribute to Ettore's son Jean.

2010 Royal Enfield

Can a classic styled, low horsepower, single cylinder motorcycle cut it amongst today's super bikes? No, but you will look very cool!

Mercedes Benz SLS AMG

Mercedes Australia has announced a price of $464,000 for the SLS AMG, of which over 40 have already been sold.

Deliveries are due to begin in August.

Performance numbers have been known for a while; with 420kW of power and a stout 650Nm of torque, the SLS AMG is blisteringly quick. The 0-100km/h run is dispatched in just 3.8 seconds and top speed is electronically limited to 317km/h.

Mustang vs Camaro

The 2011 Ford Mustang, with the new V-6 engine, will be priced less than the Chevrolet Camaro with a comparable engine when it hits the showroom floor.

Ford says the 3.7-liter V-6 will start at $22,995US. A Camaro with a 3.6-liter V-6 starts at $23,530US.

Ford's 5.0-liter V-8 starts at $30,495US, and the V-8 premium at $33,695US.

Hamann Fiat 500 Abarth

The Hamann tuning firm is a well known BMW and luxury car tuner, but have now added the Fiat 500 Abarth to their list of modified cars since it is extremely popular. This new program for the Cinquecento features a new aero kit to make it much more aggressive. Hamann also offers several performance packages to the car to a new level. As for the aerodynamics, they chose to modify the Fiat with a new front skirt, integrated LED daytime running lights, wing extensions, side skirts, and a redesigned rear skirt with Ferrari-like diffuser. However, the performance gains for the small engine Fiat 500 Abarth are jaw dropping.
Hamann offers the HS I performance pack that includes a remapping of the ECU to boost the numbers to 160 hp and 285 Nm of torque. The next level, HS II, adds a new full exhaust system from the exhaust of the turbo to the tips at the muffler to raise the figures to 180 hp and 295 Nm of torque. The kit right in the middle, the HS III for the Fiat 500, increases the horsepower and torque to 210 hp and 310 Nm with the addition of a better performing turbocharger and new fuel supply.

Now here’s the good stuff. Hamann’s fourth level for the Fiat 500 Abarth is called the HS Race, and offers quite a bit of extensive tuning. Their company installed forged pistons, aftermarket connecting rods, a modified turbo charger, race clutch, and a weight optimized one-mass flywheel to give the Fiat 240 hp and 330 Nm of torque. The most powerful kit is called the HS Cinquecento 575, and it includes everything mentioned above, along with a re-engineered cylinder head with adjusted camshafts, two charge air coolers, and a self-locking differential. The power numbers from this package show 275 hp and 380 Nm of torque.

The wheels you see pictured are a newly developed design, Largo Forged Anodized available in 18×8 for the front, and 18×9 at the rear. Hamann also offers a variety of sport suspension kits for the Fiat 500 to ensure improved handling. With the power kits mentioned above, it is also recommended to have them install a high performance braking system for the very fast 500 Abarth.

Porsche 918 Hybrid

Porsche AG has anounced it has nearly reached its quota of 1000 potential purchases of its 918 Hybrid, so that they may begin production.

The 918 Spyder relies on a 500-horsepower V8 engine and electric drive-systems allowing the vehicle to go up to 25 kilometers on electric power. The two-seater limits gasoline consumption to three liters per 100 kilometers, emitting 70 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer.

Honda Retro Electric Car

Inside, the Honda EV-N concept car is minimalistic in its styling approach, but there are some interesting innovations, including switchable seat fabrics and rear seats that fold completely flat.
There's also a battery-powered unicycle that sits in the front passenger door.
From the front, the concept car has an unmistakeable 21st century feel, with extensive use of blue LED lighting in the front headlamps and front grille.
At the back, the roof-hinged rear door of the Honda EV-N opens like a commercial van for maximum load space. But Honda is set to disappoint buyers hoping that the EV-N will become Japan's answer to the Europeans' retro hits, the Fiat 500 and Mini Cooper.
Honda says the EV-N is purely a design study and there are no plans for production, but the maker is edging closer to launching a production version of the world's first hybrid sports coupe, the CR-Z.

1969 Honda Trail 90

The Honda Motosport 90 or Honda SL90 was a street/trail Honda motorcycle with a high fender. Its engine was a single cylinder 89cc, single overhead cam configuration. It had a 4-speed transmission and a manual clutch. It was produced only during the 1969 model year and was available in two colors: Candy Ruby Red and Candy Blue. It came with a silver fuel tank stripe and a chrome exhaust system. Its frame was silver with the front wheel measuring 19" and 17" for the rear wheel. The steel fenders matched the basic colors (red or blue).

1960 Berkeley Sports Roadster

The B95 and B105 models were launched at the 1959 Geneva Motor Show and boasted more power from twin-cylinder Royal Enfield 692 cc four-stroke engines, with the 40 bhp (30 kW; 41 PS) Super Meteor engine in the B95 and the 50 bhp (37 kW; 51 PS) Constellation unit in the B105 which could reputedly exceed the magic 100 mph (160 km/h). The engines featured Berkeley-design primary chaincases to accommodate a Bendix starter motor, and duplex (aka double-row) chain drive to the differential. Kerb weight increased to 402 kg (890 lb). B95 engine numbers have the unique prefix 'SMTB', while B105 engines are prefixed 'SMUA'.

The prototype car was SE492 chassis number 638, which was modified to add additonal bracing to withstand the extra power and weight of the four-stroke engine, a taller bonnet (US hood) with large grille to accommodate the engine, and unfaired headlights. In mid-February 1959 this car spent two weeks at the Royal Enfield factory, during which time it covered 500 miles of general road use and 1,000 mi (1,600 km) of endurance testing at MIRA.

By the time of the press release announcing the launch of the B95 in March 1959, a further 2,500 mi (4,000 km) of road and track tests had also been carried out by Berkeley factory drivers. Perhaps to address the reputation for breaking down that the two-strokes had developed, especially in export markets, it was emphasised by the factory that during this testing there had been no involuntary stops or any form of mechanical failure, and that further testing would be performed until a total of 15,000 mi (24,000 km) had been completed.

At its launch, the B95 cost £659 (equivalent to £11.4 thousand today). About 200 B95 and B105 models were made, with chassis numbers following-on from the SE492 series and chassis number 670 (the earliest known B95) was registered at the end of March 1959. The first B105, chassis number 686, was delivered about one month later.

About half of the four-stroke cars were exported, and both the B95 and B105 were in production at the time the company was declared insolvent in December 1960.

1961 Amphicar

The Amphicar is an amphibious automobile, the first such vehicle mass-produced for sale to the public starting in 1961. The German vehicle was designed by Hanns Trippel and manufactured by the Quandt Group at Lübeck and at Berlin-Borsigwalde. Its name is a portmanteau of "amphibious" and "car". The Amphicar was designed to be marketed and sold in the USA. Compared to most boats or cars, its performance was modest, and only 4000 were produced by 1965. Nevertheless, it is still among the most successful amphibious civilian autos of all time, and still often prized and preserved as novelty collectible automobiles today.

Engine: Triumph four-cylinder engine of 1147 cc, 8.0 compression ratio, rated at 38.3 bhp
Chassis/body Overall length: 14.250 ft (4.343 m)
Overall width: 5.083 ft (1.549 m)
Height: 5.000 ft (1.524 m)
Turning circle: 36.833 ft (9.398 m)
Wheelbase: 7.000 ft (2.134 m)
Front track: 4.000 ft (1.219 m)
Rear track: 4.083 ft (1.245 m)
Fuel tank capacity: 10.5 imperial gallons
Empty weight: 2,315 lb (1050 kg) (includes fuel and oil)
Appearance Front undersurface is slightly pointed and sharply cut away below. The wheels are set low, so that the vehicle stands well above ground level when on dry land. Front and rear bumpers are placed low on the body panels (but fairly high in relation to dry ground). The one-piece windshield is curved. The foldable top causes the body style to be classified as cabriolet. Its water propulsion is provided by twin propellers mounted under the rear bumper.^[2] The Amphicar is made of mild steel

Performance

The powerplant was the 1147 cc (69 in³) engine from the British Triumph Herald 1200. Many engines were tried in prototypes but the Triumph engine was "state of the art" in 1961 and had the necessary combination of performance, weight, cool running and reliability. Updated versions of this engine remained in production in the Triumph Spitfire until 1980. The Amphicar engine had a power output of 43 hp (32 kW) at 4750 rpm slightly more than the Triumph Herald due to a shorter exhaust. Called the "Model 770", the Amphicar could achieve speeds of 7 knots in the water and 70 mph (110 km/h) on land. Later versions of the engine displaced 1300 cc and 1500 cc and produced up to 75 bhp. Some Amphicar owners have fitted these engines to improve performance.
One owner was quoted "It's not a good car and it's not a good boat, but it does just fine" largely because of modest performance in and out of water.^[3] Another added, "We like to think of it as the fastest car on the water and fastest boat on the road."
In water as well as on land, the Amphicar steered with the front wheels, making it less maneuverable than a conventional boat.^[4] Time's Dan Neil called it "a vehicle that promised to revolutionize drowning", explaining, "Its flotation was entirely dependent on whether the bilge pump could keep up with the leakage."^[5] In reality a well maintained Amphicar does not leak at all and can be left in water, parked at a dock side, for many days.^{[citation needed]}

Amphicar adventures

Two Amphicars crossed the English Channel in 1968 enduring 20-foot waves and gale-force winds.
Howard Singer of San Diego, California sailed an Amphicar from the mainland to Catalina Island in the late 1970s.
In 1965, two Amphicars successfully navigated the Yukon River in Alaska.

History

Production started in 1961. From 1963 to 1965 cars were assembled from parts inventory built up in anticipation of sales of 20,000 per year. Production ended in 1965. Cars were titled in the year they actually sold rather than when they were produced, e.g. an Amphicar assembled in 1963 could be titled a 1968 if that was when it was first sold. Most Amphicars were sold in the United States. Cars were sold in the United Kingdom from 1964. Total production was 3,878 vehicles before the company folded. 99 right-hand drives were converted from left-hand drives. Some were used in the Berlin police department and others were fitted for rescue operations.

Driveability

Although underpowered by modern standards, a well-maintained Amphicar can be an agile and pleasant vehicle to drive on both land and water. The fact that such a high proportion –more than 700 of the almost 4000 produced –have survived more than forty years is a testament to their high initial production quality, and to the lengths to which many owners will go in order to maintain and restore these vehicles.

1970 LC Holden Torana GTR XU-1

In 1970 the first genuine performance Torana, the GTR XU-1, was developed by Holden along with Harry Firth of the Holden Dealer Team for competition in popular Series Production racing series in Australia as well as in off-road rallying. However, the main purpose of the Torana GTR XU-1 was to keep Holden competitive against the big and powerful Ford Falcon GT-HO V8s in the Hardie-Ferodo 500 (Bathurst) endurance race that is considered to be the jewel in the crown of Australian motorsport.

The LC Torana GTR XU-1 was equipped with a 160 brake horsepower 186 in³ (3 litre) six cylinder engine, fitted with three Zenith Stromberg CD-150 carburettors, cast iron headers, a performance cylinder head and camshaft and an Opel four-speed manual gearbox. This car featured a rear spoiler, guard flutes, wider steel rims, full instrumentation and front disc brakes as standard. The Torana GTR XU-1 proved to be a strong performer both on the road and track due to its favourable power/weight ratio. It soon gained huge popularity in Australia, being an ideal race car in many forms of motor sport, especially Series Production touring car racing and rallying. It successfully replaced the V8 Monaro GTS 350 as Holden's frontline track race car in 1970, winning many touring car and rally events, but for the famed Bathurst 500-mile (800 km) race which Ford won in 1970 and 1971 with its XW Phase Two and XY Phase Three Falcon GT-HOs respectively.

1968 HK Monaro GTS 327 Coupe

Named after the Monaro region in New South Wales (although pronounced differently), the Monaro was introduced in July 1968 as a two-door pillarless hardtop coupe available in three models: the basic Monaro coupe, Monaro 'GTS' coupe and Monaro 'GTS 327' coupe. The GTS versions had "full instrumentation" which included a tachometer mounted on the centre console. This proved to be a bad location as the drivers knee would obstruct the view and it often rattled (Spotlight on Holden Monaro Page 6-7). The cars could be ordered with a choice of six cylinder engines of 161 cubic inches (2,638.3 cm³) capacity (base only) or two versions of 186 cubic inches (3,048.0 cm³) capacity (GTS with the uprated 186S only), or a 307 cubic inches (5,030.8 cm³) capacity Chevrolet-sourced V8. The exclusive 'GTS 327' model was powered by the 250 bhp (186 kW) Chevrolet 327 cubic inches

1966 - 1970 Ford Falcon (American)

The Falcon received another redesign for 1966, with a long-hood/short-deck look much in the Mustang vein. This body was based on a shortened Fairlane platform with different body sheet metal. The two-door Hardtop and Convertible were dropped, while the Station Wagon and Ranchero were moved to a larger platform shared with the contemporary Fairlane. The Ranchero would leave the Falcon line and adopt the Fairlane's front sheet metal for 1967. The 1966 Falcon was used in the Trans-Am series.

The final model year for the Falcon in North America was 1970. Continuing sales declines and the inability of the car to meet forthcoming safety standards resulted in a short run of 1970 models identical to the 1969 version being built through the end of December, 1969.

1980 - 1984 Vauxhall Mk1 Astra

The Astra name originated with Vauxhall's 1980 model, though the car was launched almost a year earlier as the Opel Kadett D. This model replaced the Vauxhall Viva in the UK, along with some versions of the Vauxhall Chevette. However, the Chevette (itself based on the previous generation Kadett C) remained available for several years afterwards until the Vauxhall Nova was launched. The Astra was Vauxhall's first model to have front wheel drive. Not all trim levels were available with all body styles. Confusingly in the British market, both the Kadett D and the Astra were sold alongside each other until the consolidation of Opel and Vauxhall dealerships in the early 1980s, when the Opel badged versions were dropped.
Production began at Opel's West German plant at Bochum in August 1979, and the first British customers took delivery of their cars in February 1980.

The overhead-camshaft engine (not 1200) was a huge leap forward from the earlier generation of small engines used in Vauxhall and Opel cars in terms of power, economy and refinement. It was initially available in 1300 and 1600 forms, and later an 1800 fuel-injected version was added, used in the Mk 1 Astra GTE model, introduced in 1983. This version of the Astra was a quick and stylish alternative to the Ford Escort XR3, Volkswagen Golf GTI and Fiat Strada 105TC.

Vauxhall now appeared to have a serious rival for the Volkswagen Golf at just about every level.^{[citation needed]} The car featured a new unified engine for Vauxhall/Opel, featuring an all-aluminium head, overhead camshaft and hydraulic valve lifters, and it quickly became popular with buyers. A 1200 cc version which used the older Opel OHV engine was also available.

There were three body styles for the first generation Astra: hatchback, so-called "saloon", and estate, all available with two or four side doors. The saloons were styled exactly like the hatchbacks, except for a different rear window above a bootlid; from the side they looked almost indistinguishable from the hatchback, with no protruding notch at the rear.

The white 1800GTE was the first UK car to be 'colour coded' with body trim that matched the base colour of the car, this included wheel arch extensions, front side and rear lower skirts, mirror covers, bumpers and even the alloy wheels were painted white. The black and red versions of the GTE also had colour coding but had the more conventional black bumpers and silver painted alloy wheels.

There was also a van version which was badged the Bedford Astravan — the Bedford brand at that time being used for GM's commercial vehicles in Britain. Unlike the previous Opel T-Car, no Coupé was offered.
Production of the Mark 1 Astra took place in West Germany initially, with production moving to Vauxahll's Ellesmere Port plant in Britain some two years later, on 16 November 1981.

Sales of this first Astra were strong, and gave Vauxhall a much-needed boost in the small family car sector after several years of declining sales with the Viva HC. It soon overtook the Austin Allegro as Britain's second most popular small family car, although it was still a long way behind the Ford Escort in terms of sales success.

1981 - 1988 BMW E28 5-Series

The BMW E28 BMW 5-Series was made between 1981 and 1988. It replaced the BMW E12 in 1981 and was replaced by the BMW E34 in 1989.
E28 Production started in July 1981 and ended in December 1987. The E28 was still sold in North America as a 1988 Model Year car while Europe received the E34 towards the end of 1987.

European model range

• 518 M10B18 carbureted engine, produced through 9/84
• 518i M10B18 fuel-injected engine, 1984 to 1987
• 520i M20B20 early, fuel-injected engine, 1981–1985
• 520i M20B20 late, fuel-injected engine, 1985–1987
• 524d M21D24 diesel 2.4 L engine, 1983–1988
• 524td M21D24 turbocharged diesel 2.4 L engine, 1983–1987
• 525i M30B25 fuel-injected (Motronic) 2.5 L engine, 1981–1987
• 525e M20B27 fuel-injected (Motronic) 2.7 L high efficiency engine, 1983–1988
• 528i M30B28 fuel-injected (LE-Jetronic) 2.8 L engine, 1981–1987
• 535i M30B34 fuel-injected (Motronic) 3.4 L engine.
• M535i M30B34 fuel-injected (Motronic) 3.4 L engine, with M-Technic aerodynamic kit, sport seats and unique 390 mm alloy wheels, 1985–1988
• M5 S38 fuel injected 3.5 L engine, 1985–1988

The "baby six" engine found in the 520i, 525e and 528e models is known as the M20, a 12 valve SOHC inline six cylinder design. It had seven main bearings and seven cam shaft bearings, a rocker arm type valvetrain driven by a composite rubber timing belt. US market M20s came with cast aluminum acoustically tuned, common plenum intake manifolds and a single throttle body. This engine was first available in the European market for model year 1976 in a 2.0 L carbureted version. It later grew to 2.3 L in the E21 323i, then 2.5 L in the E30 325i and also 2.7 L in the 325e and 528e models. It is also very similar to the later 24 valve engines as in the E36 and E46 3 series models, with the same basic block dimensions.

The big six engine found in the 528i, 533i and 535i/is models is known as the M30. The M30 is also a 12 valve SOHC inline six cylinder design. It has seven main bearings, four camshaft bearings and a rocker arm type valvetrain. US M30's also came equipped with cast aluminum acoustically tuned common plenum intake manifolds and single throttle bodies. Unlike the M20 it has a chain-driven valvetrain. Its larger dimensions allow for a longer stroke and larger bore, which makes for almost 3.5 L displacement in later engines.

It should be noted that both 533i and 535i M30 intake manifold from 1982-1988 had a "3.2/3.5" casting. During the new intake manifold's development a 3.2 L version existed in Europe and the US, and a 3.5 L in Europe. When the 3.4 L versions came out a year later in Europe, the casting was not changed. The 3.4 L was introduced to the US in 1985. 1988, was the last year this manifold casting was used in the E28 535i and 535is. A new style intake manifold was designed for the new 3.4 L. The casting read "3.5", but it was still 3.4 L (3430 cc). For the US, the 735i and the 635 csi were the first to receive the new M30 in 1988.

The M535i was introduced as a sporty version of the regular 535i, although the M535i does not feature any unique BMW Motorsport-designed drivetrain components it is, however, equipped with an M-Technic suspension, wheels and body panels not found on the standard 535i. Combined, these items distinguish the M535i from the regular 535i. The E28 M535i was introduced at the 1984 Paris Auto Salon. Unlike the hand-built E28 M5, the E28 M535i was assembled on the standard E28 assembly line in Dingolfing, outside of Munich. An additional batch of cars was built at BMW's Rosslyn, South Africa factory using Complete Knock-Down kits supplied from Germany. BMW did not import the E28 M535i to North America for two reasons: 1) the M brand had not yet been established in North America at the time and thus held little equity with the consumer and 2) the cost of adapting the M-Technic body panels to fit the contours of the government-mandated bumpers was highly prohibitive. Instead, BMW of North America created the 535is, essentially a standard 535i equipped with front and rear spoilers, sport suspension and sport seats, which was sold exclusively in the U.S. and Canada. Total M535i production: 10335 cars.

The M5 came with a big six engine known as the S38. This engine is similar to the M30, but has a 24 valve cylinder head, duplex timing chain, dual overhead cam layout and shim and bucket style valvetrain. In addition to the top end revisions, the S38 also had six individual throttle bodies and intake trumpets fed by a cast aluminum intake plenum. This engine was designed for high power and durability at very high engine speeds. In the E28 chassis it was one of the fastest sedans in the world for its time, and it remains legendary among enthusiasts today.

1974 - 1982 Triumph TR7

The Triumph TR7 was a sports car manufactured from September 1974 to October 1981 by the Triumph Motor Company (which was part of British Leyland) in the United Kingdom. It was initially produced at the Speke, Liverpool factory, moving to Canley, Coventry in 1978 and then finally to the Rover plant in Solihull in 1980. The car was launched in the United States in January 1975, with its UK home market debut in May 1976. The UK launch was delayed at least twice because of high demand for the vehicle in the US.

The car was characterized by its "wedge" shape, which was commonly advertised as: "The Shape of Things to Come," and by a curved line in the bodywork sweeping down from the door area to the rear of the car. The design was penned by Harris Mann who also designed the wedge-shaped Leyland Princess. The car had an overall length of 160 inches (406 cm), width of 66 inches (168 cm), wheelbase of 85 inches (216 cm) and height of 49.5 inches (126 cm). The coupé had a kerbside weight of 2205 pounds (1000 kg). During development, the TR7 was referred to by the code name "Bullet".

Power was provided by a 105 bhp (78 kW) (92 bhp (69 kW) in the North American version) 1998 cc 8-valve four-cylinder engine which shared the same basic design as the Triumph Dolomite Sprint engine mounted in-line at the front of the car. There were plans to directly use the Sprint engine 127 bhp (95 kW) in the TR7 and at least 25 pre-production cars were made in 1977 using the 1978 model year bodyshell. This model was getting ready for full production until the closure of the Speke Plant. These cars, of which several still exist in the UK, can be identified by a different chassis number to the production 8-valve model. Drive was to the rear wheels via a four-speed gearbox initially with optional five-speed manual gearbox or three-speed automatic from 1976. The front independent suspension used coil spring and damper struts and lower single link at the front, and at the rear was a four link system again with coil springs. There were front and rear anti roll bars, with disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear.

Various British Leyland vehicles were driven by the lead characters in the British secret agent television series The New Avengers produced between 1976 and 1977. Amongst these was a yellow TR7 hardtop driven by the character Purdey. The car was immortalised as a children's Dinky Toy and Revell construction kit.
For export to the US market, Triumph created a more powerful Triumph TR8 model in 1977/78, this was a TR7 with a 135 bhp (101 kW) 3.5 L Rover V8 engine. While some genuine TR8s stayed in Britain, these examples are exceedingly rare. Most TR8s went to the US, where they did not fare well due to both
 Triumph's poor build quality at the time and the unusually strong pound which peaked at around $2.40 by 1980, making Triumphs fairly expensive compared to competitors.

In early 1979, Triumph belatedly introduced a convertible version, called the TR7 Drophead, which first went on sale in the US. The British market received it in early 1980. It's often forgotten that the convertible version of the original Harris Mann design was done by Michelotti. In the UK in 1980, the TR7 Drophead sold for £5,050, whilst the Coupé sold for £5,230.

British Leyland ran a team of TR7s in rally competitions from 1976 to 1980. These cars used the 16 valve Dolomite Sprint or Rover V8 engine and had disc brakes on all four wheels. They were reasonably successful on tarmac events but did not do so well on off road sections.

1976 - 1980 Plymouth Arrow

The Plymouth Arrow was an extension of the Mitsubishi Lancer/Dodge Colt known as the Mitsubishi Celeste in Japan. It was also known as the Dodge Arrow in Canada and as the Dodge Celeste in Puerto Rico. It was a small 2-door fastback coupe with a hatchback instead of a conventional trunk.

The Arrow was released in September 1975 as a 1976 model. The Arrow was a rear-wheel drive car utilizing a solid rear axle and leaf springs in the rear, with MacPherson struts in the front. Transmission types included four and five-speed manual transmissions and a three-speed automatic. A 1.6 L I4 engine was standard with an optional 2.0 L I4. It was produced in various trim levels including the 160, GS and GT. The first year Arrow is easily identified from later years because its quarter-window louvers have two slats in the center, which were changed to three on all later years. The 1976 Arrow also came with a single windshield-wiper fluid nozzle on the hood, which was changed to dual nozzles for 1977 and remained that way for all later year Arrows.

Sporty exterior finishes were also offered, such as the Arrow Jet package, first offered in 1978. The Arrow Jet paint package was an eye-catching two-tone finish, typically in spit-fire orange and black. The entire car was spit-fire orange, but the entire bottom half of the car was covered in a solid flat black stripe with the words "Arrow Jet" stenciled out of the stripe on the doors so that the underlying body color showed through. This color combination of spit-fire orange and flat black seems to pay tribute to one of the design inspirations for the Plymouth Arrow, that being the Plymouth Barracuda. In 1971, the Barracuda was offered with a "billboard" decal option, which was a large, solid flat black decal that covered the entire back half of the car on both sides (often in a red and flat black color combination).

For 1979, the styling was freshened with the addition of flush bumpers, a smoother grille with rectangular headlights and hidden turn signals, chrome strips on the tail-lamps, and larger rear glass for the hatchback. Inside, the steering wheel previously found only in the Arrow GT was now standard. The rear axle was also extended 2.5 inches for better traction. A sporty variant called the Fire Arrow was first offered this year, which had special decals and a sporty interior, as well as a 2.6 L I4 engine and four-wheel disc brakes. The Fire Arrow had one of the best horsepower/weight ratios among U.S. production cars at the time because of its light weight. For 1979 and the succeeding year, the 2.0 L I4 engine was unavailable as an engine option.

The styling changes of the 1979 models carried over to 1980. The Fire Arrow however, was changed significantly. The 1980 Fire Arrow was now available with two new paint schemes: tan with a darker caramel-colored hood, and blue with a dark blue hood. These colored models were available with the smaller 1.6 engine and, like the base-model Arrows, had bumpers that were chrome instead of body color. The white Fire Arrow was also changed, and now had a matte-black hood and cowl, with the black paint continuing along the tops of the fenders and doors and ending under the quarter-windows. Unlike the colored versions, the white/black Fire Arrow had only one engine option, the 2.6 I4.

The Arrow was discontinued after the 1980 model-year and was replaced by the Plymouth Sapporo/Dodge Challenger which was larger, heavier and had more amenities. The Sapporo/Challenger retained rear-wheel drive and was itself the forerunner to the Mitsubishi Starion. A pickup version of the Arrow was released in 1979 which was also available with the 2.6 L engine, but they shared few, if any parts. The Arrow's styling influence can clearly be seen in the Plymouth Arrow Truck and its cousins; the Dodge D-50 and Mitsubishi Mighty Max pickups.

The Arrow was also sold in Australia up to 1980 (with some 1980 imported stocks still available in 1981) in fully imported right-hand drive form (Japan like Australia is a right-hand drive country) as the Chrysler LB and LC Lancer Hatchback Coupe, where it only came fitted with the 1.6 L 4G32 engine. The LC only came with a 5-speed manual transmission (the LB had a 4-speed manual). The Australian cars still had arrow decals on the hood and stripes on the flanks, but these were less flamboyant than on those sold in the North American market. Australian cars also had different bumpers and steel sports wheels. It was one of the last imported Mitsubishi vehicles sold in Australia under the Chrysler name; in 1980, Mitsubishi took over Chrysler's Australian operations [1] and the LC Lancer was replaced by the Mitsubishi Cordia.

The Celeste was also assembled in Mitsubishi's Philippines factory [2] and sold in large numbers in the Philippines from Complete knock down (CKD) kits.

Although the Arrow was a Japanese product from Mitsubishi, it borrowed styling cues from various European and American cars including the Bricklin, Alfa Romeo GTV and Plymouth Barracuda. Because of the Arrow's long, narrow, aerodynamic, lightweight design and rugged suspension, it was used extensively in various types of racing including SCCA road racing, rally and drag racing. The Arrow body design was used on pro stock and funny cars in the late 1970s by noteworthy racers such as Ray Godman, Don Prudhomme, Bob Glidden and Raymond Beadle.

The Harry Nilsson song, "Me and my arrow" (from The Point!) was used in television commercials in the United States promoting the Plymouth Arrow during the 1970s.

One of the more interesting options available for the Arrow was a small tent. When the rear seats were lowered and the tent was clipped over the open hatchback, it would allow the back of the car to be used for camping. General Motors would borrow this design many years later for the Pontiac Aztek.

1984-1988 Fiat-Abarth Ritmo 130TC

This is the new Strada Abarth 130TC and "quick" is some thing of an understatement.
It'll get to 60mph from zero in comfortably less than eight seconds, and power on to an indecently (not to mention illegally) fast 122mph.
But speed alone has never, ever, been the sole ingredient of cars that wear the Abarth insignia.
And this one is no exception.
As well as 130bhp from its twin cam 2 litre engine, theres a ZF 5 speed box to lay that power on the road.
Low profile tyres on alloy wheels reduce unsprung weight, and the suspension and brakes have been honed to an edge to match the performance.
So if you re the sort of driver who can handle a very quick car, your local Fiat dealer would like a word with you.
Oh, and by the way, if you already drive one of our competitors so called "hot" hatchbacks and you see a Strada Abarth coming up behind you, please move over.
After all, you have been warned.