This Car Is Related To The One Above because...

[vulgalour]

The Diplomat was considered by Cadillac to become the basis for the Seville, as described in this post: www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/ebay-find-1973-opel-admiral-this-could-have-been-the-seville-now-someone-should-turn-it-into-one/

They were available in a variety of body styles and fairly indicative of the American car market at the time, they aren't particularly evocative of the Cadillac name. They've appeared in a lot of films and they're just one of many unloved cheap old cars now. The 2 door convertible version has very odd proportions, looking more like a four door they just cut the rear door portion out of before welding it together again, rather than stretching the front doors. Some look better with the roof down, most look like someone made a shorty-Caddy.


One thing these cheap old Cadillacs do have is potential.

[rblote]

General Motors has built one of the most exclusive, impenetrable and expensive cars in the world to transport the most important person in the free world.
The Secret Service will give up a little info, but the company won't talk about it.
So what's the big secret? It's President Donald Trump's new limousine that Cadillac built, called "The Beast."
The U.S. Secret Service, in an email to the Free Press, confirmed that on Sept. 17, a new armored limousine made its debut in the presidential limo fleet. An agent confirmed the 2018 custom-built Cadillac is in use in New York City this week, shuttling Trump around as he attends United Nations General Assembly meetings. It has a twin version that travels in Trump's motorcade.
The exterior armor plating is reportedly 8 inches thick, making its doors weigh the same as those on a Boeing 757 aircraft. Its bulletproof windows are 5 inches thick and its nearly bus-size tires can run-flat to keep The Beast in motion for some distance if needed, reports say. The interior is completely sealed to protect occupants against a chemical attack. There is even a special foam that would surround the fuel tank to shield it during an impact.

Trump is not first leader driving an armored car.


1928 Cadillac "Al Capone" Town Sedan (President Franklin D. Roosevelt)
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt made use of a heavily armored Cadillac that was originally owned by gangster Al Capone until the Sunshine Special could be modified with armor plating, bulletproof glass, and sub-machine gun storage.

[Samage]

So with the connection of "Cars driven by notorious American criminals" - I'm referring to Al Capone before anyone makes this political - I present the 1934 Ford Deluxe sedan.




A car not dissimilar to this was used by famed - and frankly psychotic - serial murderer/robber duo Bonnie and Clyde during the last few months of their career. Reputedly fans of the Ford V8, they nicked a great many of them over their crime spree. The 1934 one is perhaps the most notorious, as it was the car they died in.

Cause of death? An estimated 160 rounds of police-issue ammunition, straight through the doors - unlike the Al Capone car above, this one wasn't armoured. Unfortunate for them, but probably just as well for the local community.

The actual "death car" still exists and is on display in the US. Decided not to use a picture of it, as it seems a bit morbid for RR. Even if they did have it coming.

[vulgalour]

America's presidential car is, realistically, a military vehicle in civilian clothing, and has been for quite some time. It's barely even a car at this point. In China, the presidential car of choice was traditionally from Hongqi, a car that began life inspired by the 1955 Chrysler (according to Wikipedia, at least, I've also heard it was inspired by Packard's offerings, much like the Gaz Chaika of Russia... but I digress) and which was only available to those of sufficiently high rank. Hongqi cars have had a few rises and falls over their lifetime as to who used them and for what purposes. They're rarely seen outside of China.


I'm going to pick the Hongqi CA770 for my car link of choice here because of all the models, it's the nicest proportioned and most iconic of the Hongqi cars I'm aware of. In fact, if you go to Jay Leno's Garage on Youtube, you'll be able to find a video of one in America, of all places.

EDIT: Bother, managed to be too slow on my typing and fact checking.

[georgeb]

May 7, 2019 23:44:04 GMT metalshapes said:

The Breadvan is related to the 1967 Mirage M1, which is also a radically improved Non Works version of the older model Works racer.
And while the factories went on with a new car, these improved older cars were competitive.

Although, in both cases, not at LeMans, the years they were introduced.

And for those who want to know the story behind this, if they don't already, may I commend, "Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans" by A.J. Baime.

I re-read it only a month or so ago and it's a great tale.

[metalshapes]

So the Bonnie and Clyde '34 sedan is the last link, correct?

There is at least one clone of it in a museum somewhere, so I guess that gives a 50% or better chance that pics we find are not that morbid...

( shooting up a perfectly good '34 sedan to create a fake is kind of tragic, though...)


I'm going to stay with a 1934 Ford sedan, but another specific one.

The Jim Lytle built, Alison powered drag racer that was the first drag car with a lift off fiberglass body.

[metalshapes]

[rblote]

This 1934 Ford was powered by a P-51 Mustang engine. THis engine came out of a plain like this one

North American P-51 Mustang Fighter-bomber
DescriptionThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. Wikipedia
Top speed: 703 km/h
Range: 1,609 km
Engine type: Packard V-1650 Merlin or P-51 Mustang engine
Unit cost: 50,985–50,985 USD (1945)
Number built: More than 15,000

[The Rascal King]

The P51 Mustang inspired the name of the Ford Mustang, which was first applied to this jewel of a concept in 1962:

[vulgalour]

The Mustang is known for being a pony car; Something that's small and flash for not a lot of cash. Hyundai made a Pony car too, it was just small and not a lot of cash, it wasn't particularly flash.

[metalshapes]

The Hyundai Pony was a combination of a Mitsubishi engine, Cortina suspension, and a Giugiaro designed body.

Giorgetto Giugiaro's long career of designing gorgeous cars started with cars like the Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint.

[Deleted]

The Simca Coupe 1000 was developed at the same time, launched at the same time, at the same motor show, and designed by the same styling house.

[metalshapes]

BTW, those Fiat wheels on the '62 Mustang Concept really bother me.

That car should be on Lotus Wobbly Web wheels.

Those are being reproduced, there is no good reason not to use them.

Grabbing a couple of Cromodora's off a 124 Spider just reeks of a sloppy restoration...

[metalshapes]

Fiat and Simca were very tightly connected.

The acronym's forming the company names even have similar meanings in the counties languages.

The Topolino was license built as the Simca5, and the Simca 1000 was done by Dante Giacosa, who also was responsible for the 500, 600, etc.

It could just as easily have been the Fiat 1000.

So it was only natural for Carlo Abarth to use the platform for his bigger sports racers ( and a sedan ), to ad to the lineup of 500 and 600 based racers.

[vulgalour]

The Fiat 500 platform would be used for a huge amount of vehicles, including the first Multipla which feature a clever butterfly door arrangement that made use of the same hinge point on the B pillar for front and rear doors. Another car that makes use of a similarly clever hinge is the Jowett Javelin, built in Bradford.

Thanks go to @grumpynorthener for his regular Jowett updates and wealth of knowledge shared here in recent years for that bit of knowledge.

[metalshapes]

The Jowett Javelin had a flat 4 engine in the front and rear wheel drive.

That is a pretty unusual setup...

( the Morris Minor was supposed to get that same setup, but it got the 4 inline instead)

Other cars that had that were the Lotus9 that got the Porsche Carrera engine out of the wreck of James Dean's 550, and one of the Dutch built Hirondelle sportscars.
Also with a Porsche Carrera 4 cam engine.

Here some pics of the Hirondelle.

[rblote]

May 14, 2019 18:41:34 GMT metalshapes said:

BTW, those Fiat wheels on the '62 Mustang Concept really bother me.

That car should be on Lotus Wobbly Web wheels.

Those are being reproduced, there is no good reason not to use them.

Grabbing a couple of Cromodora's off a 124 Spider just reeks of a sloppy restoration...

Are you sure about this?
These Cromodora wheels were used by a fair few manufacturers. BMW had them, same as Ferrari, Fiat, Lancia, Talbot and Ford?

[vulgalour]

Considering all the earlier photographs show it on a different set of wheels, I'm inclined to believe him.



For the car link, Hirondelle translates into English as Swallow, as in the bird. As we all know, Jaguar started out essentially as Swallow Sidecars and another company that put sidecars on things was Vespa. Did you know Vespa made a little car? Well you do now.

The Vespa 400 is a tiny little microcar.

[metalshapes]

May 15, 2019 11:35:21 GMT rblote said:

May 14, 2019 18:41:34 GMT metalshapes said:

BTW, those Fiat wheels on the '62 Mustang Concept really bother me.

That car should be on Lotus Wobbly Web wheels.

Those are being reproduced, there is no good reason not to use them.

Grabbing a couple of Cromodora's off a 124 Spider just reeks of a sloppy restoration...

Are you sure about this?
These Cromodora wheels were used by a fair few manufacturers. BMW had them, same as Ferrari, Fiat, Lancia, Talbot and Ford?

Yes.

Pretty sure.

The Wobbly Webs were an integral part of that cars history.

Chapman had close ties with Ford, and I believe Dan Gurney was involved in it too, who had close ties with both.

It also had Lotus suspension parts ( mainy uprights,I believe ).

Those wheels are cool on the right car, but on this one they are from the wrong country, the wrong manufacturer, the wrong era ( about 10 years too new ), and probably the wrong bolt pattern...

[metalshapes]

There used to be a well known Vespa 400 drag racer with a Big Block Chevy, called " No Big Thing".



Another micro car with a big engine is this Gogomobil with a 10,220cc, radial airplane engine.
( yep, it runs and drives... Look for it on Youtube... )