Forgotten Greats

[Dieselman]

Not forgotten, but I could not resist mentioning a personal favourite of mine, the P5B Coupe:

Is that not the same as the one in post #236?

 

[del320]

Is that not the same as the one in post #236?

Yes.

And?

I've only ever seen one of those, that I can recall, and I thought it was nothing special. Owners were forever telling people it had a Rolls Royce engine..

Well it did, sort of. A Rolls Royce armored car and utility vehicle engine.

Not so.

The Austin 3 Litre was powered by a modified C Series, as seen in the Austin-Healy 3000 and the MGC, and replaced the 4 Litre Van de Plas in 1968.

The same C Series featured in the Austin Westminster and the badge-engineered Van den Plas until 1964.

The Rolls Royce 4 litre engine, whilst used in various military applications, was a collaboritive effort which was fitted to the 4 Litre Van den Plas between 1964 - 1968, replacing the 3 Litre Van den Plas of 1959 - 1964.

Plans to link Austin with Rolls Royce/Bentley were aborted, hence the failed attempt to maintain a market presence with the Austin 3 Litre.

The P6 Rover and Triumph 2000 subsequently filled the void.

All history before your time...

 

[John Jones Jr]

One of the best looking cars to come out of the 70's imo, like the colour too. The saloon was rather striking as well.

When I was a lad I wanted one of those along with a 450SEL 6.9, NSU RO8, Ferrari 365GT, Citroen SM, Alfa Romeo Montreal and a 928. No longer a lad now but delighted to say I'd still like to have those cars to this day.

 

[Chalpkin]

In fact.... any 80' Fiat or Lancia Abarth was a great car

And them there was the Lancia Delta Integrale and het little sister the HF Turbo...

Anyone else remember the Lancia Thema 8.32 typical Italian marriage of a sublime Ferrari engine with an understated four door saloon, shame it was only available in left hand drive, the only give away at standstill was a couple of small badges but once fired up there was no mistaking it's heritage.

 

[markjay]

Is that not the same as the one in post #236?

Quite right - I took my time submitting the post and was beaten to it.

 

[Scott_F]

The Austin 3 Litre was powered by a modified C Series, as seen in the Austin-Healy 3000 and the MGC, and replaced the 4 Litre Van de Plas in 1968.

The same C Series featured in the Austin Westminster and the badge-engineered Van den Plas until 1964.

Not to mention the Wolseley 6/99 and 6/110.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Anyone else remember the Lancia Thema 8.32 typical Italian marriage of a sublime Ferrari engine with an understated four door saloon, shame it was only available in left hand drive, the only give away at standstill was a couple of small badges but once fired up there was no mistaking it's heritage.

Indeed I do. Couldn't get my head around the drivetrain layout. I also remember driving a almost new Thema 2.0 turbo, it seemed very impressive at the time and rapid too.

 

[Dieselman]

Yes.

And?



Not so.

The Austin 3 Litre was powered by a modified C Series, as seen in the Austin-Healy 3000 and the MGC, and replaced the 4 Litre Van de Plas in 1968.

The same C Series featured in the Austin Westminster and the badge-engineered Van den Plas until 1964.

The Rolls Royce 4 litre engine, whilst used in various military applications, was a collaboritive effort which was fitted to the 4 Litre Van den Plas between 1964 - 1968, replacing the 3 Litre Van den Plas of 1959 - 1964.

Plans to link Austin with Rolls Royce/Bentley were aborted, hence the failed attempt to maintain a market presence with the Austin 3 Litre.

The P6 Rover and Triumph 2000 subsequently filled the void.

All history before your time...

Yawn.

What isn't before my time is that the engine in question is regarded as a rough bucket, underpowered and built to too tight cost constraints.

 

[Dieselman]

Anyone else remember the Lancia Thema 8.32 typical Italian marriage of a sublime Ferrari engine with an understated four door saloon, shame it was only available in left hand drive, the only give away at standstill was a couple of small badges but once fired up there was no mistaking it's heritage.

Indeed I do. Couldn't get my head around the drivetrain layout. I also remember driving a almost new Thema 2.0 turbo, it seemed very impressive at the time and rapid too.

I've only seen one 8.32 in the flesh and I suppose I could have bought it if I had wanted to as it was in a bit of a sorry state.

I've driven a couple of Themas, 2.0ie and 2.0 Turbo. Nice to drive, but very understated.

 

[Chalpkin]

I've only seen one 8.32 in the flesh and I suppose I could have bought it if I had wanted to as it was in a bit of a sorry state.

I've driven a couple of Themas, 2.0ie and 2.0 Turbo. Nice to drive, but very understated.

Just a shame Lancia couldn't shake off the stigma from the rust problems they suffered from in the 70's! Chap down the road from me had an 8.32 when I had my Uno Turbo, always fancied one, can't forget the howl from the thing when he booted it!

 

[del320]

Yawn.

What isn't before my time is that the engine in question is regarded as a rough bucket, underpowered and built to too tight cost constraints.

I don't dispute that.

I was merely pointing out that you were wrong inferring the car had a Rolls Royce engine.

Yawn...

 

[72 dudes]

One for Tali. This may look like a MK1 Capri, but is in fact a Uren Stampede. 5.0 V8 lump, 0 to 60 in 5.5, top speed 171. So forgotten, I could only find a few references to them. Great? Meh, but certainly quick in the early 70's. The slightly better known Uren Savage was MK2 Cortina with a 3.0 engine.
Prompted me to write a terrible song which my band performed a few times in 77/78!
Included the lines:
"The cops can't catch me, I go too fast,
they only catch a glimpse as I cruise on past,
I've got a cool, black, sooped-up Uren Stampede,
that BMW I'm gonna make him bleed" and
"Right foot hard down doing one seven one, past a Consul doing a ton"

OK stop laughing, I was only 15.....

 

[Stratman]

Without going back seventeen pages to check for duplication, the Lotus Cortina was well regarded