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Hillman Imp
The Hillman Imp is a small economy car that was made by the Rootes Group and its successor Chrysler Europe from 1963 until 1976. Revealed on 3 May 1963, after much advance publicity, it was the first British mass-produced car with the engine block and cylinder head cast in aluminium. Being a direct competitor to the BMC's Mini, it used a space-saving rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout to allow as much luggage and passenger capacity as possible in both the rear and the front of the car. It used a unique opening rear hatch to allow luggage to be put into the back seat rest. It was the first mass-produced British car with the engine in the back and the first to use a diaphragm spring clutch. The baulk-ring synchromesh unit for the transaxle compensated for the speeds of gear and shaft before engagement, from which the Mini had suffered during its early production years. It incorporated many design features which were uncommon. Among them were a folding rear bench seat, autom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rootes Group
The Rootes Group or Rootes Motors Limited was a British automobile manufacturer and, separately, a major motor distributors and dealers business. Run from London's West End, the manufacturer was based in the Midlands and the distribution and dealers business in the south of England. In the decade beginning 1928 the Rootes brothers, William and Reginald, made prosperous by their very successful distribution and servicing business, were keen to enter manufacturing for closer control of the products they were selling. One brother has been termed the power unit, the other the steering and braking system. With the financial support of Prudential Assurance, the two brothers bought some well-known British motor manufacturers, including Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam, Talbot, Commer and Karrier, controlling them through their parent, Rootes' 60-per-cent-owned subsidiary, Humber Limited. At its height in 1960, Rootes had manufacturing plants in the Midlands at Coventry and Birmingham ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coupe
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past participle of ''couper'', "cut". __TOC__ Etymology and pronunciation () is based on the past participle of the French verb ("to cut") and thus indicates a car which has been "cut" or made shorter than standard. It was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. These or ("clipped carriages") were eventually clipped to .. There are two common pronunciations in English: * () – the anglicized version of the French pronunciation of ''coupé''. * () – as a spelling pronunciation when the word is written without an accent. This is the usual pronunciation and spelling in the United States, with the pronunciation entering American vernacular no later than 1936 and featuring in the Beach Boys' hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Economy Car
Economy car is a term mostly used in the United States for cars designed for low-cost purchase and operation. Typical economy cars are small (compact or subcompact), lightweight, and inexpensive to both produce and purchase. Stringent design constraints generally force economy car manufacturers to be inventive. Many innovations in automobile design were originally developed for economy cars, such as the Ford Model T and the Austin Mini. Definition The precise definition of what constitutes an economy car has varied with time and place, based on the conditions prevailing at the time, such as fuel prices, disposable income of buyers, and cultural mores. It typically refers to a car that is designed to be small and lightweight to offer low-cost operation. In any given decade globally, there has generally been some rough consensus on what constituted the minimum necessary requirements for a highway-worthy car, constituting ''the'' most economical car possible''.'' However, whether tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tim Fry
Tim Fry (25 August 1935 – 17 May 2004), was an automotive engineer who, whilst in his twenties and working for the Coventry-based Rootes Group, designed the Hillman Imp, in conjunction with Mike Parkes. He subsequently became chief engineer at Chrysler Rootes. He left Rootes and set up the industrial design consultancy Smallfry in 1971. Fry and Anthony Smallhorn were awarded the Prince Philip Designers Prize for the Sea Truck In 1979. Life Fry died of cancer on 17 May 2004 in Rugby, Warwickshire. He was married to Karin and had two daughters. References External linksObituary ''The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...'' (via The Imp Site) British automotive engineers 1935 births 2004 deaths Deaths from cancer in England 20th-century English busin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Parkes
Michael Johnson Parkes (born 24 September 1931 in Richmond, London, Richmond, Surrey; died 28 August 1977 near Riva presso Chieri, Italy) was a British racing driver, from England. Parkes was born into an automotive background as his father John, was Chairman of the Alvis Car and Engineering Company, Alvis Group. He participated in seven Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 July 1959. He achieved two podiums, and scored a total of 14 championship points. He also secured one pole position. When not racing cars, Parkes worked as an automotive engineer,''Sebring 'Crasher' Swept By Ferrari'', Los Angeles Times, 22 March 1964, Page B5. and whilst working for the Rootes Group was involved in the project which led to production of the Hillman Imp. Sports car career Parkes began his racing career in the mid 1950s initially with an MG Cars#Motorsport, MG before moving on to a Frazer Nash. In 1957 he raced a Lotus Cars, Lotus and came to the attention of Colin Cha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BS Nymph
The BS Nymph was a fibreglass monocoque British buggy based on running gear from the Hillman Imp, including its rear-mounted 875 cc engine. While meant by Chrysler UK to enter series production to the tune of 4000 cars per annum, the Chrysler corporation discontinued the Imp before the Nymph was released. Rather than competing globally with the Mini Moke as intended, the Nymph entered small-scale production as a kit car and only 42 cars were finished. The designers, Peter Bohanna and Robin Stables, are perhaps best known for having designed the "Diablo GT", which later was developed into the AC 3000ME. Design The Nymph used almost all of the Imp parts aside from the body, with most of the hardware bolted directly to its GRP monocoque. This body was moulded in colour and also fire-retardant. At the time of introduction, a construction time of 50-60 hours were claimed. Doors and a hardtop, as well as a "Surrey"-style softtop, were available as options. By 1977, production had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Davrian
Davrian cars were built by Davrian Developments at 65 North Street, Clapham in London, England, from 1965 to 1976, in Tregaron, Dyfed, Wales from 1976 to 1980 and Lampeter, Dyfed, from 1980 to 1983. Adrian Evans (d. 1992), a structural engineer and the car's designer, built a series of cars called Davrian from 1965, based on components from the Hillman Imp, including the front and rear suspension, the aluminium alloy Hillman Imp engine which was Coventry Climax-based and the Imp transaxle. Davrian 1965–83 In 1967, the design had settled to a 2-seat glass fibre monocoque coupé, officially called the Davrian Imp and series production started with a company being formed called Davrian Developments. The cars were sold in kit form. Over time, a variety of power units were offered including the Mini The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ginetta Cars
Ginetta Cars Limited is a British specialist builder of racing and sports cars based in Garforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire. History 20th century Ginetta was founded in 1958 by four Walklett brothers (Bob, Ivor, Trevers and Douglas) in Woodbridge, Suffolk. Their first product, the Fairlight, was a glass-fibre body shell priced at £49 for fitting to a Ford chassis. The first car, not destined for production, which subsequently became known as the Ginetta G1, was based on a pre-war Wolseley Hornet six. The four Walklett brothers each had their areas of expertise: Bob was the managing director, Douglas was the mechanical engineer and also handled the electrical work, Ivor was the designer and Trevers was the stylist, working closely with Ivor. From their original base, the company moved to Witham, Essex, in 1962, and between 1972 and 1974 operated from larger premises in Ballingdon Street adjacent to the railway bridge Sudbury, Suffolk, before returning to Witham. In 1988, the Walk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clan (car)
The Clan Crusader is a fibreglass monocoque British sports car based on running gear from the Hillman Imp Sport, including its Coventry Climax derived, rear-mounted 875 cc engine. It was first made in Washington, Co Durham, England between 1971 and 1974, but since then several efforts have been made to bring the car back to production. Plans were made by Martin Phaff (of previous Ginetta fame) to re-resurrect the Clan in 2009, but nothing seems to have come of the project so far. Clan Crusader The car was designed by a group of ex- Lotus engineers led by Paul Haussauer with styling by John Frayling. The company was set up in 1969, and small-scale production began in July 1971. From September, official production began at a new factory in Washington set up with the aid of a government grant. Engineer Brian Luff, one of the brains behind the all-conquering Lotus 72, created "a remarkably strong, yet ultra-lightweight, monocoque." Heseltine, ''Specialist Sports Cars'', p. 16. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bond 875
The Bond 875 was a small three-wheeled car partly designed by Lawrence "Lawrie" Bond and manufactured by Bond Cars Ltd in Preston, United Kingdom from 1965 to 1970. There was also a van version from 1967, known as the Ranger. The car was announced in August 1965, though volume production got under way only during the summer of 1966. The 875 used the lower-compression (8:1) four-cylinder 875 cc 34 b.h.p. four-stroke engine used in the Commer Imp Van from the Rootes Group. Crucially for the dynamics of the vehicle, this was rear-mounted, unlike in most other British three-wheelers of the era. It was the same basic layout as used in the Hillman Imp, installed as a complete package along with the Imps' transmission, rear suspension and rear wheels. However, thanks to the fact that the 875 had a fibreglass body along with aluminium doors, and weighed less than , the performance was good – better than the Imp. The low-compression engine meant it was able to run on "2-star" low- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Autocar (magazine)
''Autocar'' (originally ''The Autocar'') is a weekly British automobile magazine published by the Haymarket Media Group. It was first published in 1895 and refers to itself as "the world's oldest car magazine". There are now several international editions, including for China, India, New Zealand, and South Africa. History The publication was launched as ''The Autocar'' by Iliffe and Son Ltd. "in the interests of the mechanically propelled road carriage" on 2 November 1895 when, it is believed, there were only six or seven cars in the United Kingdom. L. J. K. Setright suggests that the magazine was set up by Henry Sturmey as an organ of propaganda for Harry J. Lawson, founder of the Daimler Company and a journalist on the magazine in its early days. Henry Sturmey stood down as editor of ''The Autocar'' magazine and left the company in 1901. ''Autocar'' claims to have invented the road test in 1928 when it analysed the Austin 7 Gordon England Sunshine Saloon. ''Aut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cylinder Block
In an internal combustion engine, the engine block is the structure which contains the cylinders and other components. In an early automotive engine, the engine block consisted of just the cylinder block, to which a separate crankcase was attached. Modern engine blocks typically have the crankcase integrated with the cylinder block as a single component. Engine blocks often also include elements such as coolant passages and oil galleries. The term "cylinder block" is often used interchangeably with "engine block", although technically, the block of a modern engine (i.e. multiple cylinders integrated with another component) would be classified as a monobloc. __TOC__ Construction The main structure of an engine typically consists of the cylinders, coolant passages, oil galleries, crankcase, and cylinder head(s). The first production engines of the 1880s to 1920s usually used separate components for each of these elements, which were bolted together during engine assembly. M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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