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IAD (International Automotive Design), a design consultancy based in the UK, introduced the Alien concept at the 1986 Turin Motor Show. The IAD Alien was a highly futuristic proposal for an advanced mid-engine supercar. The design highlighted the company's radical styling ideas and showcased innovative and unusual engineering solutions. Unfortunately, the car was a non-running prototype, so many were purely theoretical. One of the more interesting ideas, if perhaps a bit over-complicated, was the modular construction method which meant that the rear-mounted engine of the car could be swapped out quickly and easily for upgrades, maintenance, or to suit the driver or different occasions! To access the interior traditional doors were dropped in favor of a one-piece canopy that tilted forward and provided almost unhindered entry and exit. Thanks to an integrated roll cage and sturdy side-impact bars, the passenger compartment was well-protected. Engine & performance: Position: mid-engined Capacity: 1600 cc Dimensions: Length: 3690 mm Width: 1600 mm Height: 1070 mm Wheelbase: 2390 mm Source: http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/concept_cars/IAD_alien.html; allcarindex Images: Concept Car Central

To better maneuver the lunar landscape, NASA commissioned General Motors with the task of designing a series of manned lunar vehicles, and the Mobile Laboratory (MOLAB) was a 1965 prototype. At 20 feet in length and weighing more than four tons, the closed-cabin MOLAB was a beast of the rover. The pressurized vehicle was designed to function as a geological laboratory, capable of sustaining two astronauts for up to two weeks. The rover had a top speed of 21 miles per hour and a range of more than 60 miles. The unit packed a modified Corvair engine under the hood and was so massive it would’ve taken a Saturn rocket to launch it to the moon. Ultimately, NASA eventually shelved plans for its lunar monster truck and instead went with the slightly slimmer, more practical moon buggy design. Nonetheless, at least a few individuals had the opportunity to test drive the bigger, meaner version in the New Mexico desert before it was decommissioned. 📸/📚: https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/weirdest-space-missions/?amp

Tires were not particularly reliable before, trucks drove on massive tires for a long time, simply unable to make enough strong air-filled tires. In the early years of cars, tires were fragile and punctures were common, and tire changes were difficult as they were often nailed to the rim. While there were alternatives, if you had to avoid the most accident, there were those wheels that had a pair of spiral springs instead of rubber rings. These strange tires sit on a German Protos from 1916, which in all probability is a kind of military vehicle for the army and accessibility was vital. 📚: http://svammelsurium.blogg.se/ 📸: AACA Forums

Besides being a postcard photo by Zeitung, I couldn’t find any more information. Comment if you know more about it! 📷: Scherl Süddeutsche Zeitung

1960 Kaiser-Willys Jeep Wide-Trac The Kaiser-Willys Jeep Wide-Trac concept was built to be an affordable, easy to assemble all-terrain truck that was inexpensive for third-world countries. It may have been under consideration by the United States Army, although that’s based on hearsay. It has an all-aluminum body and what appears to be an angle-iron-built front and rear, skid-bumper. 1969 Jeep XJ001 Jeep Corporation stylists created the XJ001, a fresh design concept in four-wheel-drive vehicles. Built on a Jeep Universal CJ-5 Chassis, the one-of-a-kind prototype had an 81-inch wheelbase, extra-wide tread, and plastic body. This model several years later was accidentally destroyed when a van in which it was being transported turned over and burned. 1970 Jeep XJ002 Bolide The word Bolide means "a large meteor that explodes in the atmosphere," which is maybe appropriate for a flashy concept car that was never produced. It"s also an unusual name for a Jeep, but this was an unusual Jeep. Its plastic roof had bulges for head clearance. Built on a Commando V6 chassis, the off-road sports car was shown at the 1970 NYC Auto Show, and reportedly the XJ002 still survives and is undergoing restoration. 1977 Jeep II In line with the downsizing trend in passenger cars, American Motors designers came up with this scaled-down concept of the Jeep CJ-5 which preserves the ruggedness and fun-to-drive character of the CJ series. Compared with its full-size brother, the Jeep Renegade II is almost two feet shorter in overall length and nine inches lower with the top-up. The wheelbase is 76 inches compared with the CJ-5’s 84 inches. Seating dimensions are comparable, front and rear. A blue Levi’s convertible top and rear tire mount cover complement the Alpine White body. While the company has no present plans to produce the miniaturized Jeep, it demonstrates American Motors’ continuing exploration of new ways to reduce vehicle size while maintaining usable interior space. 1979 Jeep Jeepster II AMC came up with this stubby sports car idea, the "Jeepster 2," in the early 1980s. This concept was more Jeep-like (check the grille) than the Mustang-influenced XJ001. This would have been the third iteration of the "Jeepster" name, and Chrysler tried again in 1998 at the Detroit Auto Show. 1986 Jeep JJ With Jeep's parent company, AMC, fully under the control of French automaker Renault by the mid-'80s, the trio of brands began to percolate some trans-Atlantic synergy. Noting the popularity of cute utes like the Suzuki Samurai with the American off-road crowd, development began in 1986 on a pint-size 4x4 that would fit in under the Wrangler. Dubbed the 'Junior Jeep' or 'JJ' for short, the idea was to offer a more affordable (in terms of the purchase price and production) model that would give Jeep a wider line-up. 1988 Jeep Concept 1 The 1988 Concept 1 was hinted toward the production Jeep Grand Cherokee of 1992. Concept 1 featured a flush front end, including lower protective cladding, which continued around the entire vehicle. The flush-tinted side glass eliminated exterior wind noise and contributed to aerodynamics. 17-inch 5-spoke cast wheels and custom-designed Goodyear all-terrain radial tires completed the appearance. A more notable feature was the set of low-beam headlights mounted on the front bumper, which served as the vehicle's lower half. 1990 Jeep Freedom Built on the chassis of the Jeep Cherokee Limited station wagon, the Freedom was a proposal for a two-door convertible Jeep, similar to the 1985 Cherokee Targa. Painted a color dubbed “Viper Red". The four-wheel-drive Freedom featured a power-actuated roof and a sporty rollbar behind the front seats. The Freedom was powered by Jeep's 177-horsepower Tech Six. 1991 Jeep Wagoneer 2000 Released in early 1991, the Jeep Wagoneer 2000 prototype attempted to predict what a full-size sport-utility vehicle of the 21st century might look like. The Wagoneer 2000 rolled on 20-inch diameter, 6-spook flangeless wheels, was equipped with all-wheel drive, and featured an integrated step that extended from the doorsill to make entry and exiting from the interior more graceful. Upholstered in leather, the two bench seats could be configured into a 2+2+2-bucket seating arrangement. Under the low-slung hood beat a 220 horsepower, 5.2-liter V-8 engine that was connected to a 4-speed automatic transmission. 1993 Jeep Ecco The Ecco blended the simple, go-anywhere trademarks of earlier Jeep vehicles with ideas to meet the concerns of the environmentally-friendly generation. The turtle-colored Ecco was constructed of recyclable aluminum and plastic components and powered by a lean-bum, two-stroke engine. The small 1.5-liter engine was Chrysler's "Series Three" all-aluminum design, which was placed in the mid-section of the vehicle, and produced 85 horsepower. While lightweight, this two-door four-passenger full-time four-wheel-drive vehicle used plastic "rafts" to support and protect the upper body. 1997 Jeep Dakar Built over an extended Jeep Wrangler chassis, the Dakar four-seater was presented at the 1997 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. With an extended wheelbase, more features and luggage space could be accommodated. The Dakar was given a new windshield, side glass and a steel roof. The roof offered a variety of features including a full-length tubular roof lack, as well as a manual sliding sunroof, front-mounted rally lamps, spare tire storage, and strategically-placed access handrails running the length of the D-pillar. Other features included a folding shovel integrated into the front fender and an adventure module designed to fit inside of the rear door that incorporated a night vision scope, binoculars, flashlight and compass. The earth-tone interior was finished in wood trims, woven leather seats, and Berber carpeting. Analog instruments were placed behind a glass band behind the steering wheel. 1997 Jeep Cherokee Casablanca The 1997 Jeep Cherokee Casablanca was essentially a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4WD specially-outfitted for the trail. It was equipped with a 4-Speed Automatic transmission and a 4.0L Power-Tech High-Output Inline Six-Cylinder (I6). Not much else is know about this mysterious Jeep concept. 1997 Jeep Icon The Icon includes a standard winch, impressive protection of the entire lower perimeter, panoramic windshield, and a soft top frame. The interior is completely "redrawn", especially the instrument panel trimmed with polished aluminum in the center of the dashboard and aluminum seat frames with water-repellent leather upholstery. In general, the deliberately rustic interior is in perfect harmony with the aggressive exterior - such a well-tailored SUV has not been seen for a long time. 1998 Jeep Jeepster Chrysler borrowed a model name from the past, "Jeepster," for its wild Jeep concept vehicle from 1998. The open-air 4-passenger prototype was a beautiful blend of sports car power and handling with the off-road capabilities of a Jeep Wrangler. High-performance action was provided via a 275 horsepower, 4.7 liter V-8. Jeepster featured an adjustable suspension that provided nearly 10-inches of ground clearance. Stylish cockpit was upholstered in tough, cognac-colored weather-resistant leather. 1999 Jeep Commander The Jeep Commander featured a suspension that could be raised 4 inches for off-road purposes. Though the Commander’s height was equal to the Grand Cherokee, it was 7-inches wider. Dual E-W electric motors powered both front and rear wheels. Sources: https://www.carstyling.ru/en/manufacturer/Jeep/; https://oldconceptcars.com/category/1930-2004/jeep/; https://jeep.fandom.com/wiki/Jeep_Cherokee_Casablanca

The Schlörwagen (nicknamed "Göttinger Egg" or "Pillbug") was a prototype aerodynamic rear-engine passenger vehicle developed by Karl Schlör (1911–1997) and presented to the public at the 1939 Berlin Auto Show. In a test drive with a production vehicle Mercedes 170H as a comparison, the Schlörwagen tested about 135 km/h (84 mph) top speed - 20 km/h (12 mph) faster than the Mercedes; and consumed 8 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers - 20 and 40 percent less fuel than the reference vehicle. According to Karl Schlör, the vehicle could reach a speed of 146 km/h (90 mph). A year later it was unveiled to the public at the 1939 Berlin Auto Show. Despite generating much publicity, it was perceived by the public as ugly. The project was shelved with the onset of World War II and mass production was never realized. It never went into production, and the sole prototype has not survived. 📚/📸: Wikipedia, Revivaler

It was painted initially blue and named the Turnpike Hauler. It was built from scratch by Dick Dean from an Ed Newton design for Bob Reisner and Jay Ohrberg's California Show Cars in 1970. It was an "all show, no go" art car made for display only. Around 1974 it was acquired by customizer George Barris, who painted it red and renamed it Lil' Redd Wrecker, as a promotional tie-in with Redd Foxx, star of the popular TV show Sanford & Son. Barris brazenly claimed credit for building it in lettered paint right on the vehicle when all he did was give it a makeover! Currently, the Wrecker is owned and on display at the Galpin Auto Sports Museum in Los Angeles. Source: JoelFletcher.com Images: via Pinterest; Discovery

Mario Bellini created an outrageous concept that he dubbed Kar-a-Sutra. He worked on it in collaboration with two of the world’s most famous companies: Citroën and Pirelli. The Milan-based architect and designer astounded all and sundry with this artwork through it. Eventually, art lovers worldwide referred to his creation as Mario Bellini’s Car. It proves it’s possible to cloak the most complex creations in great yet unthinkable simplicity. As the name suggests, Mario Bellini’s Kar-a-sutra is an artistic impression of a car. In many ways, it resembles what the world now refers to as Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs). It is proof of the level of innovation that made the Italian a household name. This particular creation is just one of the works that put him on a pedestal. His artistic passion comes to the fore through Kar-a-sutra. It is a powerful design that created a buzz in 1972 when Bellini launched it. The art was radical in many ways. First, Bellini attempted to fill an Italian road with a mobile living room. Two, it stood out for its libidinous name and the risqué user illustrations that brought it to life. As if that’s not enough, the creation’s chic photo shoot that accompanied it on this path also enabled it to stand out majestically. More remarkably, Bellini didn’t just draw it. Instead, he created a car, which, sadly, never went into production. Bellini has a philosophy upon which he lives and works. One sees him using this platform to present a perfect demonstration of all that through Kar-a-sutra. For example, Bellini doesn’t believe in functionalist doctrines and designs. He has designed countless cars and furniture. Bellini’s unique touch is clear for all to see in all of them. On top of that, Kar-a-sutra shows the clarity of Italian cultural aspects in his design and architecture. Source: Mario Bellini’s Kar-a-sutra – You can’t drive this car .... https://publicdelivery.org/mario-bellini-car/ Images: Italian Ways

1924 Bugatti Type 35 Prototype (pictured above) Grand Prix racer or daily driver—the Type 35 could be driven to the track, on the track and home from the track. The Type 35 was Ettore Bugatti’s masterpiece, and it played a huge part in establishing his reputation as one of the world’s finest automobile manufacturers. The success of the Type 35 and its unique place in automotive design history are unequaled. After his achievements with the Type 23 Brescia in 1922, Bugatti revealed the next generation of Bugatti voiturette racers at the 1924 ACF Grand Prix. The new Type 35 built upon the ultra-lightweight designs of the Brescia and improved upon the overall control, braking, and engine output—a winning combination of beauty, speed, and handling. The innovative all-in-one rims, spokes, and brake drums were cast as a single piece of aluminum that could be replaced with only one nut. The vertical design of the spokes allowed air to circulate and cool the braking system, becoming a signature of the marque’s subsequent wheels. The Type 35A was introduced by the Bugatti factory in 1925 as a less expensive version of the Type 35, and its coachwork is virtually identical. 📸: shorey.net; Mullin Automotive Museum 📚: mullinautomotivemuseum.com

The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922–1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I. The car was designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves. Three different versions were made: Normale, Turismo and Sport. RL total production was 2640. Notably, Ercole Castagna’s 1925 Alfa Romeo RLSS was one of the most elegant automobiles of the 1920s. Attention to detail and superior craftsmanship were the standard for this motorcar. This handsome phaeton is not painted, but rather the entire body is engine-turned steel! 📚: www.heacockclassic.com 📸: Alfa Romeo Automobilismo Storico

The Lancia Lambda is an innovative automobile produced from 1922 through 1931. It was the first car to feature a load-bearing unitary body, (but without a stressed roof) and it also pioneered the use of an independent suspension (the front sliding pillar with coil springs). Vincenzo Lancia even invented a shock absorber for the car and it had excellent four wheel brakes. Approximately 11,200 Lambdas were produced. Nine versions of the Lambda were built: 1st series, produced 1923, 400 built. 2nd series, produced between 1923 and 1924, 1,100 built. Minor modifications for engine. 3rd series, produced 1924, 800 built. Engine modified. 4th series, produced between 1924 and 1925, 850 built. Modified windscreen. 5th series, produced 1925, 1,050 built. 4-speed gearbox. 6th series, produced between 1925 and 1926, 1,300 built. Car is sold now with bare chassis and with two wheelbases. 7th series, produced between 1926 and 1928, 3,100 built. New bigger engine. 8th series, produced between 1928 and 1930, 3,903 built. Again bigger engine. 9th series, produced 1931, 500 built. Last series sold only bare chassis. The Lancia Lambda was not only an Italian milestone but a global one as well. It was the first car in the world to have a monocoque chassis instead of the more common body-on-frame construction. The innovative design was patented as early as 1919 and was strongly supported by Vincenzo Lancia himself who invented a shock absorber for the car. It also pioneered the use of an independent suspension. The 1923-1931 Lancia Lambda pioneered the unit body method of car construction which today is used by the majority of automobiles. "No one can look at the history of motoring without seeing the Lancia Lambda as a major technical milestone," wrote the late Michael Frostick. "Leaving aside its novel engine, its independent suspension, and a whole host of other minor innovations, its unique unitary construction, in which body and chassis were one, came a good ten years before Mr. Budd succeeded in selling his idea for a monocoque to Andre Citroen." Exactly where Vincenzo Lancia, that brilliant pioneer, got the idea of a unit body-chassis is unknown. The only tale commonly repeated is that it glimmered aboard ship on the Atlantic, possibly from the way a ship's hull holds its structure together -- which is probably about as true as the one about Isaac Newton and the apple. No matter, for the fact is that on the last day of 1918 Lancia filed for Italian patents on a car in which the body was "a self-supporting shell without a separate chassis," and had it in production four years later. If the Lambda represented a tremendous risk on the part of his company, it also emphasized Lancia's clean-slate approach to design. One of his objectives was an extremely low center of gravity while retaining adequate ground clearance and suspension movement. Such a layout precluded the conventional separate chassis and body as known at the time. Lancia adopted a welded and riveted steel shell with a central open-bottom tunnel for the driveshaft and another tunnel at right angles to it for the rear axle, which simultaneously strengthened the overall shell. The tunnels in turn allowed for low-mounted seats, and footwells designed so that the seat cushions could rest even lower. The shell was made stronger by extending the sides upward -- with the smallest possible doors -- to form the body, while a removable hardtop provided weather protection and more rigidity. The independent front suspension was a sliding pillar system with a transverse leaf spring; the engine a narrow, long-stroke V-4 of 2.1 liters developing 49 horsepower. The first Lambdas had three-speed gearboxes, but a four-speed was developed in 1925. Displayed at the Paris Motor Show in November 1922, the 1923 Lancia Lambda was instantly recognized as a new approach to cars. "Even those with no engineering interests had only to look at it to know that it was different," wrote Lancia historian Nigel Trow. "It was low and angular, with a quality of unity, of being 'all of a piece.' It looked deliberate, something that was designed from scratch by a team that knew exactly what was wanted. The car was a total departure from all previous practice." Of course, not everything about the car was new, but certainly nobody else clapped so many innovations onto one model. The engine, for example, was unprecedented: a V-4 banked at a tiny 13-degree angle (later 14 degrees), with a flat cylinder-head face and combustion chambers in the block. Nobody had ever seen anything like it. The torpedo body, with pontoon or sweeping cycle fenders, looked more like a fanciful doodle than a production 1923 automobile. The brakes, to cite another attribute, operated on all four wheels. Designed by engineer Battista Falchetto, they were unorthodox in the extreme: conventional manufacture at that time tended to dictate rear brakes only. This was, incidentally, an example of Vincenzo Lancia's standards governing the car's development -- he merely told his engineers that the brakes, whatever they were, must be capable of hauling the car down repeatedly from 100 kilometers per hour (62.5 mph). Falchetto suggested the use of front brakes by taking Lancia for a test drive in which the standard was met by a car fitted with front brakes only. Only later was it realized that front brakes do 80 percent of the work on any automobile. The Lambda was faster over a twisty road than anything Lancia had hitherto produced, including the big Tri Kappa, an eight with twice the horsepower. It was soon being raced by privateers all over Europe. In 1924, the Lambdas of Riva and Gauderman finished 1-2 in the under 2,500-cc class in France's Routes Pavees race; another Lambda won the Indian Tourist Trophy at Simla in 1925; the Circuit of La Spezia in 1926; the Tunis-to-Tripoli race in 1927. When Italy's famous open road race, the Mille Miglia, was instituted in 1927, a trio of Lancias took the first three places overall. The following year saw a Lambda entered by the factory, which prepared it merely by fine tuning a production model; it held second place most of the way and would have finished second to a more powerful supercharged Alfa Romeo had the engine not dropped a valve toward the finish. Gismondi, the Lambda driver, actually held the Alfa in average speed, thanks to Lancia's superior brakes, handling, long-range fuel tank, and modified fuel supply to prevent fuel starvation when ascending the mountains. Displacement was increased to 2.4 liters on the 1926 seventh series and to 2.6 liters on the 1928 eighth series. Also with the seventh series, Lancia parted with its revolutionary practice by offering the option of a separate chassis -- a product of necessity and the pressure of custom coachbuilders. The body makers had a complaint that would dog every unit-bodied car from the Lambda forward: The monocoque shell was very difficult to alter, and there was only so much the specialists could do with the factory bodies. (One of the loudest complaints came from Vincenzo Lancia's good friend, Battista Farina.) Also, some owners wanted to create more sporting bodywork for competition; this often took the form of shortening the wheelbase, which could not have been more disastrous. The alteration ruined the handling and seriously weakened the body. So the Lambda had a problem. Simultaneous with its arrival had come a wave of prosperity in the mid- to late Twenties. There was a huge market for custom bodies, and this meant that a separate chassis option was crucial. "This is perhaps why enthusiasts lay so much store by the seventh series Lambda," wrote Frostick, "since this was the last, and most highly developed version, of the original fascinating concept." These later custom-bodied Lambdas led in time to the factory's own luxury model, the Dilambda, with a V-8 and separate chassis, independent front suspension, servo brakes, central chassis lubrication, and twin electric fuel pumps. Lancia built 1,700 Dilambdas; they in turn fostered other notable productions, including the prewar Astura and the postwar Flaminia. 📸: https://www.carstyling.ru/ru/car/1922_lancia_lambda/ 📚: https://www.carstyling.ru/ru/car/1922_lancia_lambda/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Lambda

The Austin 7 is an economy car that was produced from 1923 until 1939 in the United Kingdom by Austin. Approximately 250,000 units were produced. It was nicknamed the "Baby Austin" and was at that time one of the most popular cars produced for the British market and sold well abroad. Its effect on the British market was similar to that of the Model T Ford in the US, replacing most other British economy cars and cyclecars of the early 1920s. It was also licensed and copied by companies all over the world. The first BMW car, the BMW Dixi, was a licensed Austin 7. In France they were made and sold as Rosengarts, and in the United States they were built by the American Austin Car Company. In Japan, Nissan also used the 7 design as the basis for their first cars, although not under licence. This eventually led to a 1952 agreement for Nissan to build and sell Austins in Japan under the Austin name. Many Austin 7s were rebuilt as "specials" after the Second World War, including the first race car built by Bruce McLaren, and the first Lotus, the Mark I. Companies such as Speedex in Luton thrived in the late 1950s by producing race-proven bodies and engine parts for the Seven chassis. 📚: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_7 📸: https://www.carstyling.ru/ru/car/1922_austin_seven/

Aerodynamics Rumpler, born in Vienna, was known as a designer of aircraft when at the 1921 Berlin car show he introduced the Tropfenwagen. It was to be the first streamlined production car, before the Chrysler Airflow and Tatra T77. The Rumpler had a drag coefficient of only 0.28, a measurement which astonished later engineers and would be competitive even today. For comparison: the top ten most aerodynamic production cars in 2014/2015 worked their way down from a value of 0.26. The Fiat Balilla of the mid-1930s, by contrast, was rated at 0.60. To enable the car's aerodynamic shape, the Tropfenwagen also featured the world's first (single plane) curved windows. Both the windscreen and the side windows were significantly curved. Engine The car featured a Siemens and Halske-built 2,580 cc (157 cu in) overhead valve W6 engine, with three banks of paired cylinders, all working on a common crankshaft. Producing 27 kW (36 hp), it was mounted just ahead of the rear axle. The engine, transmission, and final drive were assembled together and installed as a unit. The Rumpler-invented rear swing axles were suspended by trailing leaf springs, while the front beam axle was suspended by leading leaf springs. Seating Able to seat four or five, all the passengers were carried between the axles for maximum comfort, while the driver was alone at the front, to maximize view. With the 1923 model, two tip-up seats were added. Performance, models, influence Weighing 1,400 kg (3,086 lb), the Tropfenwagen was nevertheless capable of 110 km/h (70 mph) on its mere 27 kW (36 hp). This performance got the attention of Benz & Cie.'s chief engineer, Hans Nibel. Nibel conceived the Mercedes-Benz Tropfenwagen racers using the virtually unchanged Rumpler chassis. Poor sales and increasing losses led Benz to abandon the project. Later Auto Union racing cars resembled the Benz Tropfenwagen racers and were built in part by Rumpler engineers. Rumpler made another attempt in 1924, the 4A106, which used a 37 kW (50 hp) 2,614 cc (159.5 cu in) inline 4-cylinder engine. This compelled a growth in wheelbase, with a consequent increase in seating to six or seven. Sales Although the car was very advanced for its time, it sold poorly – about 100 cars were built. Sales were hindered by small problems at the start (cooling, steering), the appearance of the vehicle, and the absence of a luggage compartment. Most were sold as taxis, where easy boarding and the high ceiling were advantages. The last cars were built in 1925. In Metropolis The Tropfenwagen did become famous thanks to the film Metropolis, in which Rumplers found a burning end. It also inspired the Mercedes-Benz 130H / 150H / 170H road cars. Surviving specimen Only two examples are known to survive, one in the MVG public transportation museum in Munich, and one in the German Museum of Technology in Berlin. 📸: www.shorey.net; veteran.auto.cz 📚: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpler_Tropfenwagen

The Citroën Type A was produced from June 1919 to December 1921 in Paris, France. It was the first car Citroën made. 24,093 were made. In fact, the first Citroën was also the first mass-produced car in Europe. Model "A", also known as "10 PS 8/10", had a four-cylinder in-line engine with a volume of 1327 cc and 18 hp. at 2100 rpm, it was distinguished by ease, ease of control. She had a wonderful soft suspension that later became typical of all Citroëns. The engine and clutch were combined in one unit. All this has created Citroen's reputation for being a very simple and easy-to-drive car and has contributed a lot to the success among the public. 📚: Adapted from: CITROEN HISTORY 📸: CITROEN

The Vauxhall Prince Henry is known as the first true English sports car. The Vauxhall Prince Henry series took its name from its success in the 1910 Prince Henry Prize rally of Germany. The open Vauxhall featured a wedge-shaped radiator and polished aluminum bonnet that became the hallmark of many later Vauxhalls. The car's engine was designed by Lawrence Pomeroy. In 1913, such a car won the Hill Climb Rally. 📚: Based on materials: km.ru 📸: CarStyling.ru

From the beginning, the Peugeot was developed as a small-bodied, popular car in France. In 1905, the first Bebe was completed, and 400 units of this epoch-making car were sold annually. Based on this concept, the automobile designed by Ettore Bugatti in 1913 was the Peugeot Bebe. Its unique styling, combined with its small engine, created a compact, open two-seater car, which won widespread acclaim for being a practical and enjoyable car. By 1916, more than 3,000 units were manufactured. 📸: CarStyling.ru 📚: TOYOTA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM; novosti.ua

Sporting, sensationally styled, and as reliable as the proverbial Swiss-watch, it is little wonder that the London-Edinburgh Silver Ghost has been coveted throughout the century since its introduction. Chassis number 1701, the car that gave the new model its "London-to-Edinburgh" name, was just the second chassis built to a new specification with a massive torque tube to carry the propeller shaft, strengthened rear axle casings and, in the case of the first two cars in the series, inverted semi-elliptic rear springs. The 1701 carried an elegant light tourer body by Holmes of Derby Ltd., carriage builders since the nineteenth century. With engine compression ratio upgraded, a larger carburetor and a skimpy wind-cheating body, 1701 was later to record a spectacular 101mph over the flying half mile at Brooklands with Edward W. Hives (later to become Chairman of Rolls-Royce) at the wheel. Not only could Rolls-Royce satisfy the market that demanded the most comfortable formal cars built in the best traditional coach-building traditions, but here was a sporting car with few, if any equals, from a miniscule and exclusive peer group of manufacturers. All these much publicized promotional exploits were driven by the similar stunts promoted by arch self-publicist S.F. Edge at the helm of Napier, perhaps Rolls-Royce's most serious rival for the luxury car market. That Rolls-Royce were more effective in their marketing exploits and their engineering-excellence is substantiated by Edge's retirement from Napier in 1912. Shortly after, Napier withdrew from motor car manufacture in 1924. Arguably, the introduction of the new "London-to-Edinburgh" Silver Ghost was one of the final nails in Napier's coffin. The London to Edinburgh and return run—some 800 miles travelling north mainly via The Great North Road and returning down the west side of the country—had captured the headlines and Rolls-Royce's subsequent order book, with a raft of new more sporting owner-drivers, undoubtedly put pressure on the manufacturing facilities at Derby. Contemporary Rolls-Royce advertising in 1911 featured Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Chassis no.1701 and its remarkable London to Edinburgh and return journey that year, describing the feat in the following terms: The car.... was a standard Six-Cylinder Rolls-Royce chassis of 40/50h.p. The trial... was to demonstrate that the car could travel from London to Edinburgh and back entirely on the top gear, that at the same time it could show an exceptionally economical petrol consumption, and yet attain considerable speed when required. The result...... the car travelled from London to Edinburgh and back on top gear on a petrol consumption of 24.32 miles per gallon, afterwards without alteration or adjustment attaining a speed of 78.26 miles per hour on the Brooklands track. Almost as soon as the company's demonstrator "1701" had completed the original "Top Gear" run between the British Capitals, they wisely sought to capitalize on this success; arguably, the model recalibrated the essence of the brand, echoing the early successes in the Tourist Trophy and other events. Of the more than 6,700 Silver Ghosts delivered in their epic 19 year production run, only 188 of the "London-to-Edinburgh" cars were built. The first production models were delivered to the coachbuilders in the Spring of 1912 and the last, no. 2699, in October 1913. Of course, that is before one accounts for the numerous cars lost to the ravages of two world wars, making survivors, such as this car extremely rare. 📚: www.bonhams.com 📸: www.vintageweb.net

Battista "Pinin" Farina was 18 when he designed the radiator for the all new (late 1911) Fiat Zero. The selection of this radiator design by Fiat set him on to forming the Pininfarina design house of today. The Fiat Zero, known also as the Fiat 12/15 hp, was a car produced by FIAT from 1912 to 1915. (The letters 'hp' defined its fiscal horse power rather than its bhp.) At launch it sold for 8,000 lire, which later was reduced to 6,900 lire, the equivalent of 23,250 € in 2003. It was equipped with a 1.8-liter, 18 PS (13.2 kW) engine that achieved about 19.6 miles per gallon and could reach about 50 mph (80 km/h). It was the first Fiat to sell more than 2,000 similarly bodied units and most of these were four seater bodies. In 1915 production came to an end when the factory was converted for war production. There were also light bodied version produced which claimed various speed records. The 1912 Fiat Zero Torpedo was the first Italian design to offer an elegant motorcar at an affordable price. The Fiat Zero was both a very popular and successful design. 📚: Fiat Group, "History," (Retrieved December 27, 2005); kasravi.com; www.heacockclassic.com 📸: Fiat; Pininfarina spa.

Between its debut in 1908 and its final production in 1927, more than 15 million Model T’s, the runaway best-seller of its time, were manufactured. As the world’s first genuinely mass-produced car, the Model T, more than any other single car, made the automobile affordable and, with its simple mechanics, provided a car for the masses; and it was not only in the U.S. that it exerted such influence. Indeed, automotive history is not complete without mention of the Model T. The Model T implemented planetary gear transmission, enabling speed control and shifting of gears by operation of the pedal. This was a breakthrough that rivals the modern automatic transmission in importance. It was infinitely easier to handle than the "cone clutch" systems that caused many problems during that period. Until 1909, a two-pedal system was used, with a lever control for forward and reverse. The Model T introduced a three-pedal system; it had two forward gears with the reverse gear being engaged by the middle pedal. 📸: Ford; Vintage Web; www.carculture.com; Collections of The Henry Ford - www.thehenryford.org 📚: https://www.carstyling.ru/ru/car/1907_ford_model_t/

It's a little-known fact that George Barris tried to capitalize on the two-seater AMX's like-no-other-car look by offering mildly customized versions of the AMC sports car. That effort went nowhere, but Barris did enjoy more publicity with another AMX customization, which AMCers now refer to as the Banacek AMX or the AMX-400. Built for one episode of the early 1970s TV detective show Banacek, in which the title character investigates the disappearance of Project Phoenix, a prototype automobile, Barris not only chopped the roof of the 390-powered 1969 AMX by four and a half inches but also lengthened the schnoz 15 inches and added a louvered grille and matching rear strakes. Source: 9/16/09 by Daniel Strohl (via Hemmings) Images: Mecum Auctions