The first Vega FV1 came off the lines in 1955 and, compared to the prototype, was slightly longer to increase space in the rear, and had a more powerful V8 engine giving it adequate performance. Destiny can offer moments of joy but also of deep sadness, sometimes bringing people together by making them participate in … More Facel: The Fall of a Star
The mechanical base chosen for the new sports berlinetta was borrowed from the Simca 1000, with which it shared parts of the chassis, steering, suspension and gearbox suitably revised by Abarth engineers. Usually, when you think of Abarth, you automatically associate it with Fiat, given that under this combination cornerstones of the history of the … More The French Scorpion
The Rancho once again emphasised Matra’s innovative spirit; they knew how to make the car stand out and it was manageable and more compact than its “rivals”. We’ve already talked about Simca several times and in particular have focused on the 1100 model, a medium-sized car produced from 1967 to 1985, also as a commercial … More Rancho: The crossover
Initially the entrepreneur wanted his creation to be produced entirely in French territory, but during its development he had to rely on components and professionals from other countries. Create a prestige car than can compete with the most famous marques of the time, giving back a prominent place in the exclusive market in your own … More Missing prestige
On the continent of the Stars and Stripes the Horizon was profoundly changed by the engineers, however, to make it more suitable for the market it was to be imposed on and, also for this reason, it contained few elements in common with the European model. In the previous article we talked about Chrysler’s C2 … More The car for two worlds – Part 2
In 1979 the Horizon was voted Car of the Year, but that didn’t help it to achieve satisfactory sales after being re-branded under the “new” marque. Designing a car for two completely different markets: that was the goal of the “C2” project initiated by Chrysler in the first half of the 70s. The definitive car, … More The car for two worlds – Part 1
The new coupé did not offer four seats like the 530, the engineers abandoning that idea after the problems they had encountered with its design, and also discarded the classic but limiting two-seats, choosing an original solution of three seats in a single row. By the end of the 1960s Matra had gained an excellent … More Three front row seats
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
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 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
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