Farina Wide-Body + IRS (BMC Australia prototype)

[nota]

I'd only ever seen oblique reference to this car .. until I encountered this excellent online article about a fascinating 'could have been'

In a round table discussion one day, probably in about January 1961, Chief Engineer Bill Serjeantson was lamenting the lack of width in these cars and remarked that it was a pity that we could not split the car down the middle and add about 5 inches into it. Experimental Manufacturing Engineer Reg Redfern, who was in on the discussion said “OK, we can do that”. Bill gave the go ahead thinking that perhaps a body shell centre section might be cut down the middle to illustrate the point never dreaming that Reg would take him literally.

Little did he know that within no more than ten days, Reg and his band of skilled tradesmen as well as with unofficial co-operation and advice from Mechanical Engineer John Hamilton and Body Engineer Graham Hardy, produced a Complete Driveable Motor Car

bluestreaksix.com - ADO40 History

[NSXType-R]

That's some nice fabrication. It's just like a limo, just split sideways. Pretty cool and innovative. But cars just grow bigger every generation now, so not really useful. Just look at the Honda Civic. The current generation is already larger than the original Accord and the Fit/Jazz had to slot in for it.

[nota]

That's some nice fabrication. It's just like a limo, just split sideways.

When you think about it and what the process involves, the amount of modifications required in widening a car entails so much more work to so many more bits & pieces than 'merely' splicing in a section to extend (a-la limo conversions)

For example, there's no point in just widening the transmission tunnel itself. Instead the floor on both sides of the tunnel would have to be widened. As would the diff, and the steering system, along with so many other structural, mechanical, body & interior componentry

In short its an enormous undertaking. Which is not to say unfeasably so, even aftermarket conversions, as evinced by this widebody Benz

[NSXType-R]

When you think about it and what the process involves, the amount of modifications required in widening a car entails so much more work to so many more bits & pieces than 'merely' splicing in a section to extend (a-la limo conversions)

For example, there's no point in just widening the transmission tunnel itself. Instead the floor on both sides of the tunnel would have to be widened. As would the diff, and the steering system, along with so many other structural, mechanical, body & interior componentry

In short its an enormous undertaking. Which is not to say unfeasably so, even aftermarket conversions, as evinced by this widebody Benz

Yes, I understand that. I kinda simplified it a bit too much in my first comment. I wonder if the car drives any differently? It could possibly more stable. Turning circle might be affected too?

The widebody Benz doesn't look as good as the original. It looks taller too. But the wider version of the old car in your original post actually looks better than the original. Possibly because the original was more tall than wide.

[basman007]

About that S-class. It's not just widened, but more so enlarged. It might look a bit strange next to an original car, but on it's own it works very well. SGS made this car the proper way. Just stretching a car isn't enough. That's why (imho) the Bentley or Royce limousines by Hooper/Jankel/MPW, etc. look so great.

[fnqvmuch]

wasn't there 4in added to the mosquito to make the minor - and still visible on the bonnet?

[lowdrag]

The original Morris Minor wasn't wide enough so they did the same thing - cut it lengthways and added a few inches. Just look at the bumpers and you'll see the extension piece in the middle because the didn't retool for a new bumper.