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The Tyrrell P34 six-wheeled car raced in Formula 1 in 1976 and 1977. The designers' idea was simple - to reduce the height of the front wheels to improve aerodynamics and increase their number to maintain the "total" contact patch with the surface. In practice, it turned out even cooler: Derek Gardner, engineer of the Tyrrell team, implemented the idea in such a way that the contact area of ​​​​the front of the car with the road increased by 40% compared to the traditional scheme, the front brakes became “tighter” by 25%, and most importantly, the gain in aerodynamics allowed to level the 50 hp lag that the Cosworth engine had before the Ferrari ... The small front wheels were almost completely hidden by the pontoons, but from the pilot's seat, they could be seen turning through windows in the cockpit lining. In 1976 drivers Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depayer finished first and second at the Swedish Grand Prix and finished third and fourth at the end of the season. But the next season, Scheckter left the team, and the results of Peterson, who replaced him and the remaining Depayer were more modest, there were no more victories. A year later, Gardner left the team, having received a good offer from British Leyland Corporation. With six-wheelers having complex front-end kinematics, overheating brake issues, unpredictable front-wheel lock-up behavior, and non-standard 10-inch front tires that Goodyear had to punch through, the Tyrrell team chose not to mess around anymore. Over the years, six-wheelers with four wheels, both front and rear, were built by the Ferrari, Williams, McLaren, and March teams, but these prototypes did not get to participate in the Grand Prix. And then the FIA ​​banned the use of cars with more than four wheels. But the incredible appearance of the Tyrrell P34 has sunk into the soul of automotive designers so much that it still does not let go. When designer Derek Gardner first proposed a six-wheel racing car in 1968, he got no reply. When Tyrrell owner Ken Tyrrell first showed one to trusted journalist Denis Jenkinson seven years later, he was speechless. When the Tyrrell P34 was officially unveiled to the public in London, Frank Williams' jaw dropped. Several cars and their innovations have surprised onlookers in the past, but none have been as striking as Project 34, which also had some success in backing up the concept. A brave design that threatened to change the face of Formula One in 1976, the venture proved unsustainable but made a lasting impression during its short lifespan. The initial concept first came into Gardner's thinking at the 1968 Indianapolis 500. The Lotus 56 was causing issues for its three drivers; Joe Leonard, Art Pollard, and Graham Hill. Coming before wings, the aerodynamic wedge shape on the four-wheel drive car was causing the front to become unstable when getting on and coming off the throttle. A year later and Gardner was working on Matra's four-wheel drive gas turbine car and was experiencing the same problem. Though the Matra never started a race, Gardner began investigating potential solutions having learned that Lotus was also having a similar problem when trying to develop the 56 as an F1 car. One idea he came up with was a six-wheeled car with four smaller wheels on the front to split the load and make the car more stable. It was never developed. In 1970 Gardner joined Tyrrell as technical director and enjoyed plenty of success. The Tyrrell 003 delivered a drivers' championship for Jackie Stewart in 1971 and the constructors' championship, and another title for Stewart followed in 1973. The Tyrrell-Ford combination was proving difficult to beat as the V8 DFV powered the team to 16 wins in its first three full seasons, but the engine had debuted in 1967 and other manufacturers were catching up. "In about 1974 it was becoming apparent that the Ford engine had lost its edge," Gardner said. "It was still producing the same horsepower that it always had, or a little more even, but with the success of the Ferrari, the possible success of engines like Matra or anybody else who came along with a Flat 12, V12 or 12 cylinders whatever, you're going to be hopelessly outclassed. I wanted to make a big breakthrough." And in looking for this "big breakthrough," Gardner returned to the Indy six-wheel concept. Investigating ways of finding more straight-line speed, his thinking was that smaller front wheels would reduce lift, meaning the car would require a smaller front wing producing less drag. He presented the idea to Tyrrell, but Tyrrell wasn't interested, later admitting: "I didn't think that we were long enough established as manufacturers to go to something so radical." Similar to today, there was only one tyre manufacturer at the time - Goodyear - and the next hurdle was to convince it to manufacture tires especially for the P34. Gardner persevered, and in the end, Tyrrell was persuaded. A prototype was commissioned, and four front wheels were grafted onto the existing Tyrrell 007 to test the theory. 5 it commissioned the 10" tire and the prototype was ready to go. Excited by the radical nature of the car, Tyrrell was ready to unveil it to the press in September 1975. First, he wanted to show it to his close friend Jenkinson, the famous Motor Sport writer. In his book Jenks: A Passion for Motorsport, Jenkinson recalls the first time he saw the P34. "When Ken Tyrrell rings you up and says: 'Can you come over, I've got something to show you,' you don't ask: 'What?' or 'Why?' One thing about Ken is he never called a spade shovel; you know exactly where you stand with him, right or wrong. So one morning in September 1975, having just got back from Monza, I got on my motorcycle and rode over to Ken's house in West Clandon, and after a welcoming cup of coffee, he said: 'Come out into the garden.' Unprepared for what to expect, I followed him out to the lawn my mouth fell open, and a look of total disbelief came upon my face. Ken roared with laughter as I stood there speechless, and to this day, he still has a chuckle at the memory of 'Jenks speechless.'" Having shown the rest of the press, the prototype was tested. Though the sessions were far from smooth, the key was that Gardner's theories were proved correct, and the car was put into production. The car made its debut at the start of the European season at Jarama in May. Only one was ready, but at the hands of Patrick Depailler, it qualified third while team-mate Jody Scheckter could only line up 14th in the old 007. A brake failure caused Depailler to crash out, but the car had shown potential. The size of the front wheels restricted the size of the disc brakes, which were difficult to keep cool, but Gardner persevered and was rewarded with a sensational one-two finish at the Swedish Grand Prix the following month. The season ended with Scheckter and Depailler third and fourth in the drivers' championship and Tyrrell a close third in the constructors'. 11 podium finishes pointed to potential, but Scheckter thought otherwise. The P34 might have brought him victory at Anderstorp, but he departed for Wolf, labeling the car "a piece of junk." Ronnie Peterson replaced him but could only manage thee points finishes in 1977, with Depailler securing five, though three of them were podiums. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the drivers who were losing faith. A telling sign was the lack of other teams adopting a similar design, Goodyear's enthusiasm had waned, and the tires were not being developed, which Gardner said was a costly issue out of his hands. "Where I think we went wrong was that Goodyear were supplying most of the teams with rubber, and they were only supplying one team with small front wheels. Therefore development of the tyres - which is continually going on - meant that almost with its first race the development of the front tyres went back - they just didn't develop as fast as everyone else. Whereas the rear tyres were being developed with the existing front tyres, so in effect you're having to de-tune the back of the car to stay with the front." The braking issues would not go away either despite the car using a special triple-master cylinder system to control the brakes on each axle, and Tyrrell admitted they were problems that could not be overcome. "It became difficult to get big enough brakes to fit inside small front wheels," he said. "Because everyone else was using a standard front tyre it became politically difficult for Goodyear to develop the small tyre for us. The car became too heavy with our attempts to put bigger brakes in it and at the end of the second year we had to abandon it." The P34 was replaced by the more conventional 008 after the 1977 season, and though Ferrari, Williams and March developed six-wheeled cars, only four-wheelers have ever been raced in Formula One since. Source: www.kolesa.ru; espnf1.com Images: www.autotitre.com; f1-history.deviantart.com

You back this dune buggy down to the water's edge, and suddenly, it gives birth to a 14-foot fiberglass boat. After the cruise or waterskiing, an electric winch hauls the ship aboard its wheeled partner when you're back ashore—the same 50-hp outboard motor powers the dune buggy and boat. The buggy has standard Volkswagen running gear and an infinitely variable hydrostatic gearbox of the type used on high-power garden tractors. The prototype, a brilliant orange and pearlescent model, appeared at the San Francisco Boat show in January 1970. Created by Brooks Stevens, the Lakester is expected to sell for around $2,500 when it becomes available. This unusual unit was created by renowned industrial designer Brooks Stevens and could take the concept of a beach buggy to a new level. Just imagine: approaching the beach's edge in a comfortable buggy, you continue your journey across the water surface on a light and equally comfortable 4-meter fiberglass boat, and when you get tired of driving through the waves, you just as quickly return to land. No more hassle with the boat trailer and all! This unusual device was called the Lakester. The chassis was based on Volkswagen units, which facilitated repairs and reduced the cost of construction. It was planned to sell the kit for $2,500, but like many similar projects, the Lakester remained a prototype. Source: Two-in-one fun for the RV set - Popular Science, Mar 1970; carstyling.ru Images: aldenjewell's photostream; archive.mam.org

As in the case of the Mohs Opera Sedan, the International Harvester SUV served as the basis for this phaeton, from which the frame, engine, and all-wheel drive transmission were borrowed. The SafariKar was introduced in 1972. Built on an International Harvester chassis, the SafariKars featured an aluminum body. The exterior is upholstered in Naugahyde (vinyl) stretched over foam padding. Doors for the vehicle opened outward from the body on four linear rods, again for side impact protection. The vehicle has a retractable hard top system and a fold-down bed in the rear. Options for the SafariKar included a television, four-wheel drive, two-way radio, and "butane furnace." Only three were produced, probably all in 1972, since an early Mohs publicity photograph shows all three in various stages of assembly. "Production" of the Safari Kar was listed in several publications as late as 1979, although only the original three were built. The bodywork was a completely original design by Bruce Moss. It was made entirely of aluminum, but the most exciting thing was its coating; it was not just polished aluminum or banal paint; the entire body was covered with vinyl, resembling leather in its structure. The doors, which were moved sideways from the body with the help of hydraulics, also looked unusual. The convertible top was rigid and had an electric folding drive. All-wheel drive and a TV were standard for the car. Even though the car was supposed to operate in a hot climate, there was a gas heater on board that ran on butane. Everything else could be installed at the customer's request, and although the car seems completely insane outwardly, it was released in small series. There were as many as three customers who ordered a car in 1972. Mohs' second automotive creation was an on/off-road vehicle that entered the market in 1972 and was named the Safarikar. As with the original Opera Sedan, big and luxurious was the theme in the Safarikar. The dual-cowl phaeton featured a retractable convertible top, rear seats converted into beds and an exterior covered in padded Naugahyde. According to the sales flyer, this covering "is not only quiet in the extreme but low in maintenance since there is no paint on the car's exterior. You merely wet, wipe and dry for cleaning. No waxing. No polishing." This car had doors on each side of the vehicle, but they weren't hinged. Instead, they slid in and out on linear shafts. The Safarikar featured a 392 cubic inch V8 engine and sold for $14,500. While the Mohs cars were big and over-the-top, the sales literature was anything but flashy and consisted of simple black & white, two-sided flyers. These flyers included photographs and a list of equipment and features. I think the sales literature for this car should have been highly interactive with paper models that had opening doors and more illustrations about the swing and sway seats. Mohs' patented swing sway seats featured in the sales flyers for both cars, which "compensate for centrifugal force in turns and pivot into the horizontal in the event of a frontal collision." In brief, they kept the passenger centered in their seat with no side-to-side sliding. Literature also brags that Mohs "shares no components or designs philosophy with any other car" and may have stretched the truth a bit when it stated that owners would see "minimum depreciation" in their investment. While not considered sales literature, the AACA Library owns a collection of correspondence between Bruch Mohs and several automotive manufacturers, designers, and government agencies. The first letter comes from legendary designer Gordon Buehrig who bluntly wrote to Mohs, "I do not care for your design of a new car…I suggest you check the opinions of several people before going ahead with your present design." In other correspondence, readers can learn that Mohs had several meetings with Ford Motor Company regarding using his seats in Ford products. We can also see his passion for safety in communications with the Department of Transportation, which, at one time, considered Mohs for an appointment with a newly formed Experimental Safety Program. Mohs cars may have been big on style, power, and appointments, but their sales literature, while informative, lacked the flair, originality, and attitude of the ostentatious vehicles. Source: Hemmings Classic Car #119, August 2014 via cargeekjournal.com Images: Alden Jewell Collection; cargeekjournal.com

Created by noted car designer George Barris, Manufacturers Hanover Trust's third model of its uniquely designed series of AnyCars is the actual asymmetrical car. The 1975 AnyCar III was as visually dynamic as its two predecessors; it is an amalgamation of parts from some 40 different auto makes and models mated to the body of a 1974 Volkswagen station wagon. No particular components are dominant, nor are two parts similar. In addition, a new dimension has been added to AnyCar III. "Car for all seasons" is non-pollutant and minimizes fuel crisis and urban traffic congestion problems. It's 2 feet high, 27 inches wide, 30 inches long, and weighs less than 300 lbs. Under its hood is a four-speed, battery-powered, 27-inch-wide "Mini-AnyCar" designed for short-range travel. With the release of the lever and push of a button, it can be automatically lowered from its mother car. The AnyCar III (1975) contained pieces from the following: Cougar, Mercury, DeVille (Cadillac), Volkswagen, MG, New Yorker (Chrysler), Volvo, Jaguar, Lucas, Chevrolet, Toyota, Continental (Mark IV), Ford, Marcal, Matador, Chrysler Source: CarStyling Images: libwww.freelibrary.org

AnyCar II, the focal point of Manufacturers Hanover Trust's fall auto loan program, is a worthy successor to the bank's first AnyCar, "ForChevAmChrysVagen." New AnyCar, created by exceptional car designer Gene Winfield, combines parts of 50 car models dating from the 1930s to the 1970s. Dominant 1929 Hudson body gives AnyCar II a classic "look," A unique blend of modern car models emphasizes the diversity of choice available to car purchasers. The AnyCar II (1972) contained pieces from the following: 1929 Hudson, 1973 Triumph, 1973 Toyota, 1958 Volvo, 1970 Pontiac, 1961 Imperial, 1970 Mustang, 1970 Catalina, 1973 Mercedes, 1971 Dodge, 1969 Cadillac, 1954 Chrysler, 1969 Toronado, 1973 Plymouth, 1967 Volkswagen, 1968 Ford, 1961 Valiant, 1966 Corvette, 1971 Mach I, 1971 Continental. Source: CarStyling Images: libwww.freelibrary.org

One can only guess what goals the American financial corporation Manufacturers Hanover Trust pursued in 1971, which built this car, the design of which was a terrible mixture of 22 different models - from the Volkswagen Beetle to the Lincoln Continental. The advertisement said that buyers looking at this "Frankenstein car" should understand that bank loans are available for the purchase of any car - new or used. However, the matter was not limited to the construction of this instance, and soon the no less extravagant AnyCar II and AnyCar III saw the light. A new luxury/economy/intermediate automobile was introduced to the auto-buying public today by one of the nations leading banks. Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. said it raised the ForChevAmChrysVagen--or AnyCar--to emphasize the diversity of choice available to car purchasers. Featuring "something for everybody" styling, the AnyCar is a unique blend of 22 different cars — ranging from a Volkswagen to a Lincoln Continental. Source: CarStyling Images: libwww.freelibrary.org

Often, cars in movies play a role no less than live actors. The vehicle can be the embodiment of the main character (Pontiac Aztec Walter White from Breaking Bad), one of the central locations (Cadillac Sedan DeVille in Green Book), and sometimes even the main villain (Plymouth Fury in Christine based on the novel by Stephen King). But if the movie needs to show the future, concept cars are used. Take, for example, the Durango 95/Probe 16, created by brothers Peter and Dennis Adams, former Marcos designers. In 1969, he was one of the lowest cars in the world: body height - 86 centimeters! And in this "meter without a cap," they fit a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine from an Austin 1800 sedan and two full-fledged seats. The only way to get into the bright orange coupe was through a sliding roof section - such a low car did not need doors. But what made the Durango 95 famous was not its appearance or British Leyland roots. In 1971, he became the car of the gang of Alex DeLarge - the protagonist of the film "A Clockwork Orange." Few things can complete the image of a group of psychopaths better than a swift two-door rushing through the thicket. Director Stanley Kubrick glorified the Probe 16, which, however, still did not become financially successful - only three copies of these were collected, one of which now stands in the Petersen Automobile Museum in Los Angeles. Depicted in A Clockwork Orange (1971) as the Durango'95 Designed by Dennis and Peter Adams Source & Images: motor.ru

Prototype for a city car, La Quasar, designed by Quasar Kahn. The car allows easy access from all four sides and can reach speeds of 95kph. The Quasar Unipower City Car was designed by French-Vietnamese engineer and designer Quasar Khanh. 4-cylinder 1100 cc engine with automatic transmission and suspension was borrowed from the Mini. The British company Universal Power Drives Ltd, which built sports cars on Austin Mini units, made a limited number of these cars between 1967 and 1968. The main highlight was a cubic five-seater body with sliding glass walls-doors. The motorhome is not precisely a cube; its uniqueness, as a car, is that it is more comprehensive than long. The Quasar-Unipower was a box-like car produced in limited numbers between 1967 and 1968 by Universal Power Drives of Perivale, Middlesex, England, who also made the Unipower sports car. The vehicle was designed by Quasar Kahn, a French-Vietnamese designer, and engineer. The car had a unique appearance, being cubelike and using sliding glass doors. It is probably unique amongst car designs in being more comprehensive than long. The seats were plastic and inflatable. The engine was a four-cylinder 1100 cc BMC model with automatic transmission. Modified Mini subframes carried the suspension components, and Mini 10-inch wheels were used. Source & Images: CarStyling

O.S.I. (Officine Stampaggi Industriali) "Scarabeo" (Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA). Designed for low-volume production, the Giulia Scarabeo emerged first in 1966. With competition in mind, it used a transverse Giulia G.T.A. 1570cc engine (DOHC 4-cyl with 115bhp @ 6,00rpm) mounted behind the two seats. The rear wheels were driven through an angled shaft, the rear suspension used transverse arms with coilover units, and the disc brakes were inboard. The front suspension used a similar independent system and disc brakes, though outboard. Steering was rack and pinion while the fuel was stored in the large diameter tubes, which formed parts of the chassis structure. The body was made of a composite plastic fitted to a welded tubular and plate chassis which gave a weight of 700kg. The wheelbase was 2150mm (front/rear tracks: 1310mm/1320mm), while the total height was only 1020mm. A total of three cars were built, two coupes (the first with right-hand drive, the second with left-hand drive) and a single spider version. The second coupe can be seen in the Alfa Romeo Museo at Arese. It might have had its chances for production snatched away in favor of other projects. Still, the Alfa Romeo Scarabeo was so innovative that it gave the legendary Tipo 33 racing car some of its pioneering features. Project Scarabeo came about in the mid-1960s when Alfa Romeo was developing a racing prototype to return to major competition following its withdrawal in 1953. Thanks to an improved financial position resulting from the sales success of the Giulietta in its various forms, the company had the means to continue from where the development of the stillborn Tipo 160 Grand Prix prototype of 1954 had left off. The racing prototype sat on an H-shaped chassis, three of which were sent – along with a Giulia G.T.A. engine – to O.S.I. of Turin, a subsidiary of Ghia. Each chassis was given different bodywork and a slightly different seating position; one of the principles that the Scarabeo explored was to have the driver seated as far back in the car as possible. It was intended to give the driver a better position to assess the behavior of – and thus control – the car. The idea had been suggested in the fifties by works driver Consalvo Sanesi. The Scarabeo with seats furthest back was the silver coupé that debuted at the 1966 Paris Motor Show – also note the different bodywork from the yellow car. A third spider version was built as a test mule (thought to have used the same chassis of the racing prototype), and its bodywork was never completed. Unlike its siblings, the silver coupé was built with right-hand drive, necessitated by positioning the rear-mounted engine’s carburetors. They were located just behind the seat's headrest on the left-hand side of the car, with the occupant only protected from deafness by a thin sheet of Perspex. A novel approach to chassis design was incorporated into the Scarabeo. The H-shaped structure was fabricated from large-diameter tubes, including the fuel tanks, to spread the liquid’s weight evenly across the car. This concept was used later in Tipo 33, as was Scarabeo’s employment of exotic materials such as magnesium. Other interesting features included a clutch and gearbox incorporated into the engine block; drive to the differential was also an integral unit. The rear disc brakes were centrally, and each corner was sprung independently. Although the Scarabeo concept’s mechanical elements were advanced enough to be used in the prestigious Tipo 33, it seemed there was not a good enough business case to conclude its development with a small production run, as was initially intended. Of the three Scarabeos built, two remain in Alfa’s collezione storica, while the silver coupé escaped and is thought to be in a private collection in Canada. Source: www.carsfromitaly.net; Joe Breeze - www.classicdriver.com Images: www.karmannghia.it; www.conceptcars.it; Alfa Romeo Automobilismo Storico, Centro Documentazione (Arese, Milano)

Quattroruote Secura is one of the projects of the leading Italian automotive publication Quattroroute to create a prototype of a safe car. The Italian coachbuilder OSI created the vehicle based on the Fiat 1500C and was shown at the 1965 Turin Motor Show. The first approach to the projectile was the PF Sigma concept developed by Pininfarina in conjunction with the Quattroroute in 1963. Quattroruote, located in Rozzano, Milan, after many insistence on the need to improve safety on the roads of Italy, the authoritative magazine Quattroruote decided to move from words to deeds. In 1963 they contacted the Pininfarina designed company and began collaborating with Sigma. They were devoid of a mechanical prototype designed to meet the most significant possible number of security requirements, from concepts today fundamental to the deformability of the extremities and programmed cell resistant. In 1965 Quattroruote took a further step forward and, in collaboration with OSI, who handled the completion of the prototype's material, helped design another car, and this time a running car. The vehicle responded directly to the need and requirement to provide a degree of safety to passengers, at least in comparison to the standards of the time. The Secura deliberately used the typical mechanical setup of the Fiat 1500C to reinforce their proactive industry. The car was displayed at the Turin Motor Show in 1965 and then went around the world, appearing in all the major automobile exhibitions for some years. Also, in 1965, the automotive magazine (Quattroruote), sponsored by a project by the engineer Piazzi, worked to create a prototype to be exhibited at the Turin Motor Show. The car was named the Bikini and was a very spartan open vehicle. It was constructed around the mechanics of the Fiat 500 station wagon but modified to be front-wheel drive. Source: www.wheelsofitaly.com Images: Glen.H - Photostream; www.conceptcars.it; www.wheelsofitaly.com

James Bond's 1964 Aston Martin DB5 is expected to top $5 Million at auction. The legendary Aston Martin DB5 that Sean Connery's 007 used in Goldfinger and Thunderball will be up for auction. Equipment as it should be: a rotating drum with license plates of all countries, armored windows in a circle, a tracking monitor on the dashboard with a range of 150 miles, a special retractable cutter for cutting the wheels of enemy vehicles, a chair with a catapult to get rid of uninvited guests, machine guns in the wings, a smoke screen, a stern bulletproof shield and, finally, an oil sprinkler (almost like in the "Prisoner of the Caucasus"). The starting price is $5 million. True, the future owner will still have to buy a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon '53 separately. It is not included in the package. 2010 Update: Held October 27th in London, England. This event was best known for the sale of the Aston Martin DB5 from James Bond, which sold for £2,912,000 ($4,608,500 US). Source: krutayatema.ru; Roman Kamenetsky - www.scarlet.ru Images: RM Auctions

The Panamera is not Porsche's first sedan. In 1967, a Texas dealer of this German brand, a certain William Dick, instructed the then-famous racing car builder Troutman-Barnes to "compose" one four-door from two beaten 911s - Mrs. Dick needed a roomier car. Source & Images: CarStyling

The Trippel SG 6 was a Schwimmwagen (amphibious vehicle) developed in the 1930s and used by the German ground forces during the Second World War. In 1935 Hanns Trippel began to design all-terrain amphibious vehicle prototypes. In 1936 a factory was established in Hamburg to mass-produce such vehicles. Instead of a commercial suspension provided with a buoyant vehicle body, Trippel designed a streamlined, tub-shaped body into which the vehicle technology was fitted. The resulting Schwimmwagen SG 6 was intended for civilian use, such as expeditions. Still, from the outset, it was clear that vehicle production could only be economical if military customers would order the amphibious vehicles in more significant numbers. The first order of 20 cars went to the Wehrmacht. This version of the SG 6 was manufactured from 1937 to 1940. At the end of September 1938, a Trippel SG 6 was used on an advertising drive from Hamburg to Naples and across the 28 km (17 mi) water route to the island of Capri. At the military's request, a version of the SG 6 was built with an enlarged interior for transporting up to 16 soldiers. This military variant of Schwimmwagen was manufactured from 1939 to 1943. In 1940, Trippel revised the streamlining and enhanced the detailing of the civilian version of the SG 6, resulting in the SG 6 Colonial Pioneer. Still, only a few were made because of the war. Following the development of the swimming characteristics of the Colonial Pioneer model, the military version of the Schwimmwagen was also revised. This vehicle began in 1941 under SG 6/41 at the Bugatti works in Molsheim in Alsace. The two doors were removed, and the damage control improved. With the outbreak of war in September 1939, Bugatti ceased the manufacture of expensive luxury vehicles. After the fall of France in June 1940, Bugatti, on August 12, 1940, signed a lease agreement with the Trippel-works to move the latter's headquarters to Molsheim. In 1942, a version of the SG 6 with a folding roof was manufactured. From 1943, the production of SG 6 was shut down, and in 1944 replaced by the Volkswagen Schwimmwagen Type 166, which was much lighter and also cheaper to manufacture. A total of about 800 SG-6-Schwimmwagen were produced. Source: Wikipedia Images: Nevington War Museum

It is the 1957 Trippel Alligator, which was developed into the 1959 Eurocar Alligator, which first kept the center steering, but later changed to LHD. It finally emerged as the well-known Amphicar. To date, this is the only information and picture found of this rare, amphibious car. If more is known, please comment below. Source & Image: AutoPuzzle (2015) https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2015-44/solved-neh-4199-trippel-alligator-amphibious-car-1957/

Designed by Hanns Trippel, who was fascinated with microcars and designed many of them, most of which were quick commercial failures. I have two Amphicar brochures and one appears to be a prototype and the later one the production version. I have scanned the relative pages so comparisons can be made. They must have sold a lot of these in America, the target market, because so many are still around, and still floating. Other sources claim this prototype is from 1961 and also refer to the prototype as the Trippel IWK - Amphicar Prototype. Little is known about this prototype. Comment below if more is known. Source: Flickr (John Lloyd) https://www.flickr.com/photos/hugo90/6853126876/in/photostream/ Images: www.amphibiousvehicle.net

Created almost 35 years ago by an American outrageous artist, the Orbitron show car seemed to have disappeared without a trace, and its appearance remained only in photographs of the 60s. Recently, however, an unusual car was discovered by professional trackers of the old automotor in Mexico. The strange-looking car came from the pen of the artist and customizer Ed Roth, nicknamed Big Daddy, in 1964. This is the fourth car in a series of crazy creations of the maestro, who became interested in the design of show cars in the 60s of the last century. The design of his creations was heavily involved in the hot-rodder tradition that flourished then in America but brought into the canons of style that bit of madness and fantasy, which sometimes other inventors lacked so much. These artifacts of the automotive world had a great influence not only on the then customizers but even on the designers of the Big Three. That is why the brainchild of the Big Daddy deserved the title of the legends of the genre. However, this was facilitated by the efforts of the master himself, who advertised cars with the help of "related products" - all kinds of T-shirts, key chains, and prefabricated models. Ed Roth passed away in 2001, but his art objects on wheels have become iconic and expensive collectibles, and almost all of them have been restored. are in excellent condition and are often participants in various rallies and exhibitions. Unfortunately, traces of the Orbitron, a coupe with a plexiglass dome instead of a roof, reminiscent of an apparatus from comics about aliens, were lost a few years after its creation. Now, 35 years later, professional tracker Michael Lightbourne, nicknamed the West Texas Scout, accidentally discovers a spaceship-like Orbitron in northern Mexico. The famous show car served as a makeshift dumpster outside the local adult store! The car lost a transparent roof and front axle, but otherwise, it was almost complete. Related magazines call the Orbitron "the greatest find of all time", as it was believed that the machine replenished the stocks of ferrous metal and plastic waste. What is the Orbitron, which is admired by connoisseurs of automotive curiosities? The concept of the car is a dragster with the body of the "future" as it was imagined in the 60s. Two types of headlights are located in front of the asymmetrical body of the car, and on the passenger side, there are red, blue, and green headlights in the block. As conceived by Ed Roth, the three colors symbolized the latest invention of those years - color television (like a ray tube), and all the headlights, turned on at the same time, were supposed to give a strong beam of white. In continuation of the theme, the author placed a real color TV in the salon! In addition, the car is distinguished by caramel coloring, a glass dome instead of a roof, and a natural fur carpet under the feet of riders. In technical terms, everything is much more prosaic: the Chevrolet V8 engine, located in the base behind the front axle, a power system of three carburetors, a two-stage Powerglide “automatic,” and a Ford rear axle. And - as a legacy from the dragster - slicks on the drive axle. After its birth, the car was exhibited very little, and Ed Roth himself once joked that The Beatles themselves prevented its success: “When the Liverpool Four appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, all the guys rushed to buy guitars instead of cars!” Now the Orbitron is getting ready for a complete restoration at Galpin Autosports, known for its projects for the Ride-On Car program, and the Orbitron will soon have an active exhibition life. Source: Magazine "Cars and prices" from 06/01/2009 Images: www.theorbitron.com; www.hotrod.com; www.rodandcustommagazine.com

The famous Red Baron Roadster is as fantastic today as it was in the early seventies when it was designed by Tom Daniel for Monogram Models and built by Chuck Miller of Styline Customs for Promotions, Inc. The "RED Baron" was created by Tom Daniel for Monogram Models and built by Chuck Miller. It is an enjoyable vehicle ... from the German World War I helmet to the dual machine guns to the Pontiac OHC racing engine. Tom's Inspiration: Two trends in the late 60s influenced my design of this kit. The first was the surfer craze, with many surfers wearing this type of chrome helmet on the beach. I looked at the helmet and said: Hey, I bet that would fit nicely on a T-bucket! I gave it a German aircraft motor I copied from the Orange Country Museum. Another thing that was popular at the time was the "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron" song. It was a bit hit on the radio back then and helped carry the kit to #1 as well. Source: www.tomdaniel.com

The Panthermobile is a show car built for the cartoon TV series The Pink Panther Show. Called "the world's most flamboyant vehicle," the bright pink custom car was designed by Ed Newton and built in 1969 at Bob Reisner California Show Cars by Ed "Newt" Newton, Dan Woods, and customizers Joe Bailon, Bill "The Leadslinger" Hines, and Bill Honda. It was used in the title and credit sequences of the original cartoon. It was one of several famous television show cars of the era in the US, including the 60s TV Batmobile, the Monkeemobile, and the Munster Koach, and one of many radical contemporary custom cars, such as the Red Baron. The Panthermobile cost $100,000 to build in 1976, equivalent to $476,000 in 2021. Built on an Oldsmobile Toronado chassis, it measured 23 ft (700 cm) long and 6 ft (180 cm) wide, with an exposed driving compartment requiring the driver to wear a helmet. The body is sheet metal. In the cartoon's title sequence, the driver is a boy. Instead of rearview mirrors, the driver had a camera and black-and-white television monitor. Behind the open cockpit was a compartment, accessed by a large clamshell door opening to the curbside, which contained pink shag-covered reclining seats, square-tufted upholstery, half a dozen faux-fur pillows, a mobile phone, and a bar. Joe Perez did the upholstery. The seven-liter Oldsmobile V8 engine, longitudinally-mounted right behind the driver's head, drove the front wheels. The car was a challenge to drive due to the long snout. For many years the car was owned by promoter Jay Ohrberg before being put up for auction in 2007. It was again put up for auction in 2011, where it was purchased and restored by Galpin Auto Sports in Los Angeles, California, under the supervision of Dave Shuten. A complete restoration of the car's drivetrain, suspension, interior, and paint was required. Sources: News.com; Carbodydesign; Jalopnik Images: Robson Kay & Co Ltd

1966 Jaguar 4.2-Liter Series 1 XKE Coupe Coachwork by Pichon-Parat. Custom one-off designed by Raymond Loewy. Raymond Loewy is a legend in design history. Still, the man who helped shape such iconic works as the Greyhound bus, spectacular streamlined Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives, Coke bottle, Lucky Strike cigarette packet, and one of the most beautiful American cars – the Studebaker Starliner – had strange aesthetic judgments when it came to restyling his cars. It takes a bold personality to think you can improve on such all-time beautiful sports cars as the Lancia Flaminia, BMW 507, and XK Jaguar. Still, the extrovert French-born industrial designer had different ideas. For a man who criticized American car design as "jukeboxes on wheels," his range of gold-painted custom road cars contradicted his studio's pure design philosophy. Loewy's bizarre Lancia Loraymo has hints of the Avanti in its overall profile, but there are some odd ideas about lights, spoiler, and unsightly extended grille. The car debuted at the 1960 Paris Motor Show and, like all his personal cars, was then driven around Europe. The detailed design contrasts dramatically with the Starliner, which is now largely attributed to Robert E Bourke, while the Avanti was possibly more influenced by young team member Tom Kellogg, an ex-student from the LA Art Center. But Loewy always had a knack for spotting gifted designers. The startling E-Type coupe is one of only two Jaguars restyled and customized by Raymond Loewy (it is the only one remaining; the other was created from a 1955 XK-140 and was demolished in a fire in 1957). Pichon-Parat of Sens, France, accomplished the substantial redesign coachwork on this E-Type, and the car was owned and driven by Mr. Loewy while he lived in France and Monaco. Mr. Loewy's E-Type was left mechanically stock; his redesign work was restricted to the body panels, side window openings, and glass. The car was shortened fore (25cm) and aft (12cm); the new nose encompassing a dual headlight treatment, with the quad lights mounted behind plastic covers. The car's original radiator opening was also dispensed with the favor of a large oval-shaped metal grille, which likely improved the E-Type's marginal cooling capacity. The factory taillights were replaced with Chevrolet Corvair units frenched into the quarter panels. The dual exhaust pipes, which usually exit just below the rear license plate, are splayed outward, exiting the car's tail at approximately 45-degree angles. A unique glass "spoiler" was mounted at the roof's trailing edge. Mr. Loewy anticipated today's Center High-Mounted Stoplight regulations by placing a large, red taillight in the aft cabin, visible through the 25% larger stock rear window, activated by the brake pedal. The interior remains otherwise stock. Source: Mick Walsh - www.classicandsportscar.com; www.bonhams.com Images: www.bonhams.com

Raymond Loewy, often referred to as the father of industrial design, is appreciated and respected for his legendary styling, demonstrating speed, beauty, and simplicity. His motto, "never leave well enough alone," was exemplified throughout his life and made him one of the most famous stylists of our time. His most well-known automotive design was the Studebaker Starliner and Avanti. Loewy's 1959 one-off Cadillac Coupe de Ville was his car from 1959 to 1970. It was purchased new and delivered to his coach builder Pichon-Parat of Sens, France, where it was redesigned and transformed into this stylish and elegant coupe, then shown at the 1959 Paris Salon Auto Show. Quite a find, and even though it's in a bit of rough shape, it looks complete. Check out how the grille is perforated into the front of the hood — I never saw that trick before. Loewy and his family used it in Europe, then shipped it back to the States, where it spent time in New York and Palm Springs, California. In 1970, it was sold to Loewy's next-door neighbor, a car collector named Mimo Zaccuri, then was subsequently lost until its recent find a few years ago. Designed by Raymond Loewy Coachwork by Pichon-Parat Source: www.barrett-jackson.com Images: carcatalog1.free.fr; www.rodsnsods.co.uk; www.barrett-jackson.com