Collection of Infamy

[BMW325]

This is a place for cars that live in infamy; the great cars that hardly anyone knows about. ultra-rare versions of popular icons...one-off prototypes that never saw the light of day...normal chassis with special-bodied coachwork...anything unknown that deserves admiration

please post pictures and information (techinical specs, history, production numbers, serial #s, etc..)

[Matra et Alpine]

Bagheera U8.

Wanting more power to comepte with Ferrari, Matra bolted 2 of the Simca I4 engines together. Performance was so fast that they then realised they had to uprate the suspension and the brakes and the chassis. It retained the 3-seats abreast layout and the driver was NOT in the middle despite what Clarkson 'wrote' in his book

The oil crisis hit - as well as a bit of common sense as projected price was seemingly going to be MORE than a Ferrari - and it was canned.

So prototype only. Rumours of two built, but only one known about.

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame...hp&carnum=1243

[BMW325]

The LT2 is a lightweight XK120 with a one-piece magnesium body.

Jaguar prepared 2 examples to run at LeMans in 1951 in the event that the XK120C (aka C-Type) was not ready in time to compete. However, the C-Type was ready and it would go on to win the race.

(it was very hard for me to find any information or photos of this car, so if you have any of either, send me a PM...i do know that it was featured in the Victory by Design special hosted by alain de cadenet, so if anyone has the DVD it might prove useful)

im not sure if both examples still exist...i can only find information on one owned by a guy by the name of Chris Jaques...

this photo was taken at the 2001 LeMans Legend race...it is labeled a LT2, but i think it may be simply a mislabeled shot of a standard XK120 http://www.maranello.cc/All.Ferraris...r-xk120-1.html

[blackcat77]

The Astro 1 showcar from the 60s. Yes, it was a Corvair. Yes it kicked extreme butt.

[blackcat77]

One more view of the Astro 1.

[Wouter Melissen]

Originally Posted by blackcat77

One more view of the Astro 1.

Do you have any more info on it? I have shot it earlier this year, and with some info we could feature it on the site.

[NuclearCrap]

Should this be in here?

Alfa Romeo B.A.T.

[NuclearCrap]

OMG THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE IN HERE LMAO!!!

Covini C6W

[BMW325]

The Abarth 1500 Biposto is a one-off concept built by Bertone for the 34th Turin Motor Show in 1952. It was built on Fiat 1400 mechanics reworked by Abarth. It is said to be the forerunner to the '53 BAT 5, '54 BAT 7, and '55 BAT 9 Alfa Romeo concept cars; thus it is referred to by some as "BAT 1". (B.A.T. stands for Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica) In 1952 it was bought by Packard (as an example of modern styling) and brought back to the US where it practically vanished untill it was found in a barn in Connecticut and sold at auction in 2003. Including buyer's premium, at the Christie's Rockefeller Center auction on June 5, 2003 the car sold for $296,500.


Pics/Info from these sites:
http://www.rickcarey.com/Catalog%20D...rthBiposto.htm
http://www.bertone.it/en/scheda_50_a...imeline_en.htm
http://www.sportscarmarket.com/profi...ini/index.html

[blackcat77]

Originally Posted by Wouter Melissen

Do you have any more info on it? I have shot it earlier this year, and with some info we could feature it on the site.

http://www.corvaircorsa.com/astro1_01.html
http://www.corvaircorsa.com/monzap12.html

Here are a couple pages from my main source on Corvair information. I saw this car in person when it first came out and I was just blown away.

If you don't post the pictures to the site, could you at least send the pictures to me? I have an extensive collection of Corvair images and that sounds like something I'd like to add.

[P4g4nite]

Mercedes W125
Built to destroy the 1937 GP

It had a supercharged DOHC 5.7L V8 making almost 600hp, handy in a 833kg body.
An aluminium skin over oval tube frame.
It topped out at over 320Kph which would have been fun on it's skinny arsed tyres.
I included it because of the techno marvel it was back then, and that it worked so well.

[bc-clay]

the jag racing at le mans you mentioned had a brother...sister...ok twin, named LT1. It looked exactly like the picture shown and was owned by a fellow in vancouver canada called bill mackin, a family friend. He died and the car was sold back to the UK I think. I drove in it as a child. I remember going along the freeway having to hide under the dash board as the wind was blowing my eyelids off my eyeballs! It had straight pipes to scare children and cats. It was stored down town and recieved many...bumps...by being moved to a fro in the warehouse. Super cool car...I should look out the photos. I remember my dad trying to drive it and stalling it so many times...how embarrasing! I now have an xk120...I stall that occasionally.

thought you might like the info.

gerald

[BMW325]

Originally Posted by bc-clay

the jag racing at le mans you mentioned had a brother...sister...ok twin, named LT1. It looked exactly like the picture shown and was owned by a fellow in vancouver canada called bill mackin, a family friend. He died and the car was sold back to the UK I think. I drove in it as a child. I remember going along the freeway having to hide under the dash board as the wind was blowing my eyelids off my eyeballs! It had straight pipes to scare children and cats. It was stored down town and recieved many...bumps...by being moved to a fro in the warehouse. Super cool car...I should look out the photos. I remember my dad trying to drive it and stalling it so many times...how embarrasing! I now have an xk120...I stall that occasionally.

thought you might like the info.

gerald

awesome! great story. great info.

[BMW325]

Probably the most famous Zagatos ever; 1 VEV and 2 VEV were both ordered especially lightened for racing by John Ogier's Essex Racing Stable. Although this was not a works team as such, it enjoyed strong factory support. Both cars competed at Le Mans and have been raced by such famous names as Roy Salvadori and Jim Clark. 2 VEV was seriously damaged in 1962 during a crash at Spa and was replaced by a new car built to DP209 specification, with the same registration number and incorporating many modifications. Another accident in 1993 except this time on the road returned the car to Works Service at the factory which returned it to 1962 specification.
Three DP209 cars were produced. They are easily distinguished with their lower roofline, broader rear wings, a reshaped tail and flatter, longer nose.

Pictured here is "2 VEV"

http://www.astonmartins.com/db4_5_6_s/db4gt_zagato.htm

[MRR]

This could have been the most powerful production BMW, the M8 that was never produced. According to e31.net it was the original car with the S70 (the engine that would later power the McLaren F1. The prototype was 550 bhp and if it was produced would have been the most powerful factory BMW ever (shame it was never produced ).



http://www.e31.net/navmodelle_e.html