The lines needed to be something new and out of the ordinary hence the car’s appearance was somewhat controversial and awkward in some ways, mainly because of the long wheelbase compared with other cars its size Matra entered the world of four wheels in 1963 with the Djet, developed on mechanicals derived from Renault. We … More Non-conformist innovation
The car was sold in kit form, common in those days to avoid the Purchase Tax from which such unassembled cars were exempt. The car manufacturing adventure of the Welsh Gilbern began in 1959 with the co-operation between Giles Smith and Bernard Friese, a German engineer with experience in glass-fibre. Their first car was the … More Kit car passion
Although the Magnum was positioned as a premium car, many of its components were sourced from series-production models; despite its long production life, in 18 years on the market only 6,000 examples were built. The Rayton Fissore arose in 1976 from the ashes of the Fissore coachbuilder; straight away the intention of Cherasco’s new company, … More The Giant Uno
Despite its small size the vehicle offered four seats, whilst the mechanicals were all at the back, with the engine, gearbox and drive placed over the rear axle. The history of Glas began in 1883 in Pilsting, Germany, when Andreas Glas founded a company to make agricultural machinery. After the Second World War Andreas’s son, … More From agriculture to cars
Stylistically the Samba continued the simple square lies of the other models together with particular finishes; mechanically it had a transverse front engine and front-wheel drive. The Talbot marque, founded in 1903 by Adolphe Clément with the financial help of Lord Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, remained active from 1905 until after the Second World War, when the … More The last Talbot
The car was officially presented to the press on 12th September, 1963 in Venice and was transported for the occasion by gondola, becoming the first car to be taken to St. Mark’s Square. At the start of the 1960s the Italian division of the British Rootes Group, based in Milan, was headed by George Carless, … More The English Venetian
The car was powered by an electric motor and its price was competitive considering the avant-garde technology which characterized the car and the era in which it was made. George Milburn founded his company around 1850 and, at the start, devoted his efforts to the production of carriages and transport wagons under the name of … More Green & Forgotten: the future in the past – Milburn’s adventure
The lines were very modern, with the cut of the windows almost horizontal and an aerodynamic front, thanks particularly to the multiple headlight projectors integrated behind a single transparent cover, completely new for that time. Throughout its history the Panhard marque introduced various technological innovations which are all worthy of inclusion in the history of … More Ahead of its time
The DAF brand is still active in the trucks sector today, whilst the car division has been inactive for many years and, in this article, we will talk about the first car model produced by the brand. Starting from the beginning, DAF was founded in 1928 by brothers Hubertus and Win van Doorne and for … More One of a kind
In 1953 a collaboration with the engineer Fritz Fend gave rise to the production of a small three-wheeled car called the Kabinroller. Willy Messerschmitt started his activities in the technical office of Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG, out of which grew Messerschmitt AG at the end of the 1930s, production activity always being linked to the military … More From the sky to the road
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