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Unveiled at the 1965 Auto Show circuit, the Charger II gave the public a close look of what Dodge would be releasing in January of 1966. The Charger II show car demonstrated the new styling ideas at Chrysler Corporation. Clean, simple, and sweeping lines define the new Charger’s shape. The long smooth hood is capped with a delta hood ornament, while the fastback roofline joins to the short rear deck lid. In order to maintain a smooth clean appearance door handles were replaced with a concealed latch. The vent frames were removed to create an open and clean expanse of side glass. The Charger’s cowl houses three larger air ducts that circulate fresh air throughout the interior and exhaust the stale air through vents atop each rear fender. The front grill assembly is stylish but functional. A full steel grill wraps around the front of the Charger, with four smaller divider bars connecting the headlights. The massive grill assembly provides true bumper-like protection. The twin rectangular headlights further enhance Charger’s simple clean appearance. The Charger was designed to accept any one of Dodge’s high performance engines. The Charger’s interior includes such amenities as power windows and ventilated seatbacks. The Charger features fully padded four bucket seats with body molded contours. The door panels on the Charger are smooth and cleanly styled, and are combined with an integrated armrest and door latch. A full length console houses the power window controls, shift selector, and armrests. The dash cluster has four large pods for easy viewing. The two center pods house the speedometer and tachometer. The rear bucket seats and armrests in the Charger fold down to provide a flat and large cargo area. The rear truck dividing panel also folds flat allowing an addition increase in Charger’s cargo area. Source: www.coachbuilt.com Images: DaimlerChrysler

Between 1963 and 1966 the De Tomaso factory built a number of racing cars prototypes but none of them were raced. During the 1966 winter several projects were considered among which the famous P70 which allowed the development of the future Mangusta engine. The P70 – code named King Cobra – was intended to be raced in the USA with different engines ranging from a 4200cc to a 6789cc block. This superb automobile clothed by Fantuzzi (like the 5000 Sport) was sold in 2004 by the factory to an Italian collector. There were also the 2000 Competizione with a Ghia body and the car we offer here, the not so well-known Sport 1000 Spyder also bodied by Fantuzzi but fitted with an unusual BRM 998cc engine designed at first for F2 racing cars. This is a barchetta designed on the basis of a partially modified Vallelunga chassis. VL1609 was unveiled at the Turin racing car show on February 26, 1966 and probably without its engine. Rumours in the Italian motoring press in March had it that a Ford engine was to equip the car. In the end ” VL1609 ” was taken back to the factory and fitted with the BRM 998cc engine. According to the specialists, this block could be roughly a half P56 used in the P578 1.5 litre with a P56 head and a five speed gearbox of Volkswagen origin with internals supplied by Hewland. The engine #8011 should be considered as the only one ever fitted to ” VL1609 “. Some modifications were made on the car itself like the wider Campagnolo mag wheels and the widening of the rear wing extensions. ”VL1609” was kept at the factory until the clearance sale which took place in 2004 when it was sold to an English collector who sold it again to another British collector in 2007. This car is a unique prototype fitted with a powerful BRM engine developing more than 100bhp to the litre and clothed with one of the most handsome body ever made by Fantuzzi. A true milestone in this exclusive marque’s history. Source: supercars.net Images: Mario Buonocunto

A limited edition of the final super version of a racing car based on a VW chassis was destined to be built by the former German aircraft maker Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugbau GmbH in Central Germany. In 1963, the company had produced the 120 plastic car bodies for the Porsche 904 racing car. The attractive prototype of a Colani VW RS racing prototype with wing doors was meant to follow the Porsche, but was never built, as not long after the design was finished the former aircraft producer reverted to producing only military vehicles. Source & Images: Colani Design

The Turbo-Titan III used a pearlescent white fiberglass and steel cab combo with its styling theme extended to the chassis, which was completely concealed by molded fiberglass panels. Doors mounted just ahead of the rear wheels on both sides of the skirt provided access to dual batteries and the turbine engine when the cab was electrically tilted. Power-operated wing-type side windows with top hinges provided operator entry when the key was inserted in the door. Retractable square headlamps were mounted within functional air intakes in two banks of three lamps each. The front turn signals were retractable, with the rears operating in sequence, flashing inward. A flat exhaust stack exited through the roof. Inside, "Astronaut Seats" with full headrests were mounted on each side of a center console. A wing-topped handle controlling the six-speed automatic transmission was mounted on the console. Full interior carpeting was included along with retractable seatbelts, air-operated windshield wipers, full tinted glass, and air conditioning/warm air heating. A four-speaker FM stereo radio and a two-way telephone were used for the first time. The most novel feature, though, was the GM designed and engineered "dial steering system." This unit was mounted on a pedestal in front of the driver, replacing the conventional steering column and wheel. Twin dials mounted on a padded vinyl panel operated the platforms power steering. An auxiliary pump driven from the propeller shaft provided emergency usage if the main pump failed for any reason when the platform was in motion. The automatic transmission quadrant was also mounted on this panel along with the turn signals. The pedestal pivoted forward and back along with the panel for the most comfortable driving position. Source: www.sporttruck.com Images: GM; www.trucksplanet.com; www.sporttruck.com

The Mako Shark II concept car was originally built in 1965 under the direction of William (Bill) L. Mitchell, Vice President of GM Styling Staff, and set the design standard for the 1968-1982 production Corvette. This hand-built Corvette was a favorite of Mr. Mitchell’s, and he drove it daily. Its paint scheme matched the original Mako Shark. In 1969, the car was returned to the GM Design studio for more changes. At that time, the name was changed to the Manta Ray. This concept car’s claim to fame was its influence on the redesigned Corvette of 1968. The Mako Shark II debuted in 1965 as a show car. Chevrolet created two of them - only one of which was fully functional. The non-running show car sported some interesting, futuristic details, such as square section side pipes and a squared-off steering wheel. While the functioning version didn’t have these features, it did have a retractable rear spoiler and a square section bumper that could be extended for added protection. The Mako Shark II was powered by a 427 Mark IV engine, which became available on production Corvette models. The paint scheme continued the Shark I tradition, with blue/gray on top and silver/white on the bottom (along the rocker panels). Source: GM Media Archives Images: General Motors Corp.

One of the first scale models of 1960s Cadillac concept cars was a close-coupled coupe with approved 1963 lower-body styling but a much longer front – truly enormous, in fact – plus a dramatically tapered fastback roof of the sort favored by corporate design chief William L. Mitchell. Gradually, work proceeded through scale- and full-size clay models designed from the ground up. Jordan emphasized that it was all mostly for fun: "It was a two-passenger Cad with 16 cylinders all right, but it was done just to make a statement about the heritage of Cadillac and where we were going with the image. "We built several scale models and one full-size clay. The concept of all was invariably the same: a long-hooded car to contain the long engine. These designs were exaggerated, almost cartoon-like, but exciting to work on. This was one of our pet advanced projects at the time." Still, somebody must have taken this work seriously, for by December 1965 the new multi-cylinder Cadillac had won "official" status as one of GM’s famous "Xperimental Projects": XP-840. This progressed to a full-size mockup for a two-seat V-16 fastback coupe. Typically shown in the GM Design viewing court, it continued the "substantial" look of earlier proposals, most notably in profile, plus a domed "prow" hood and matching vee’d windshield. But there were many startling firsts here – like no back window or inside rearview mirror; instead, a narrow slit was cut into the roof as a viewport for a rear-facing TV camera. As photos testify, designers really cut loose on this two-passenger fastback, giving it a massive undercut nose, semi-separate front fenders, a huge wrapped windshield sans A-pillars, double-notched beltline, a back panel deeply inset between bold "outrigger" rear fenderlines, and the ribbed "cuffs" spilling out and down from the hood to recall the outside exhaust pipes of Classic days. Nameplates read "Eldorado," but probably just for convenience. Cadillac had no need for a new V-12 or V-16, and all the design work toward such a car was done mainly in speculative fun. Source: auto.howstuffworks.com Images: General Motors Corp.

The 1965 Exner Bugatti Type 101-C Roadster by Ghia was the result of three separate auto legends working together. Virgil Exner made his fame designing stunning show cars and the finned "Forward Look" Chrysler vehicles of the Fifties. Bugatti became legendary for its sports/racing cars of the Thirties. Ghia is the highly respected coachbuilder that over the years has produced many one-off show cars. Put the three together and you have what we call the 1965 Exner Bugatti Type 101-C Roadster by Ghia, though this car's title actually reads Bugatti 101C. In November 1965, Motor Trend wrote about the 1965 Exner Bugatti Type 101-C Roadster by Ghia that "This modern classic 2-passenger roadster is the latest thing off Virgil Exner's drawing board. It's his version of the modern Bugatti. Chassis is actually a Bugatti, shortened to 112 inches (from 130). Power comes from the last dohc, Type 57, Straight 8 Bugatti built in 1951 by Pierri Marko, Etorre [Bugatti's] right-hand man, who made one final attempt to revive the car. Only 6 chassis/engine combinations were built and only 5 bodies fitted." Etorre Bugatti's death in 1947 presaged the collapse of the automotive dynasty that bore his name. The decline had begun when Bugatti's talented son Jean fatally crashed while testing a powerful Grand Prix racer in 1939. That blow was followed by World War II. Fortunately, a cache of parts remaining from the legendary prewar Type 57 enabled loyal works personnel to assemble a new model without extensive retooling. The Type 101, unveiled in 1951, was a modernized version of the Type 57. Its chassis carried the same straight-eight engine, but the twin overhead cams were now driven by chains instead of gears. The supercharged 3,257-cc Type 101C engine developed 200 horsepower. A silent four-speed gearbox with overdrive and Lockheed hydraulic brakes were new, but the solid front axle was a carryover. Of the five chassis of the new "Bug" that received coachwork, two were shown at the 1951 Paris Salon. The sixth — set aside as a show chassis — was purchased by Exner in the early Sixties for $2,500. He designed the modern-but-classic exterior, highlighted by a traditional Bugatti-style grille. Virgil Exner Jr. did the interior. Ghia, meanwhile, spent six months building the steel-bodied one-off. Source: www.auto.howstuffworks.com Images: Automobile Quarterly - July 1987

This 1965 Apollo 2+2 is a prototype model that was featured at the 1965 New York Auto Show and acquired by the current owner in 1971. It was stored from 1966 until 1984, when a refurbishment was performed by British European of Seattle, Washington. Work included refinishing the body and updating the suspension with parts from a Ford Mustang II. A Ford 302ci V8 was installed at the time and is paired with a C-4 three-speed automatic transmission. Other equipment includes power steering, Truespoke wire wheels, and a custom black leather interior. The 2+2 body was designed by Franco Scaglione and hand-formed at Intermeccanica of Turin, Italy before being shipped to Oakland, California for assembly by International Motor Cars. The 2+2 version of the Apollo never made it to production, but later influenced the Griffith GT. Approximately 90 cars were produced in total under the Apollo and Vetta Ventura nameplates between 1962 and 1965. This prototype sold for $80,000 on Bring A Trailer in 2019. Source: bringatrailer Images: Intermeccanica

Alfa Romeo the type TZ (Tubolare Zagato) was a roadworthy racing car at the Turin Motor Show in 1962. Consistent lightweight construction including a space frame and aluminium body enabled the weight of the sports car, based in other respects on the engineering of the Giulia 1600, to be reduced by 70 kg. Limited series production started in 1963 and came to an end in 1965 after only 102 examples had been produced with Zagato bodies. Most TZ sports car competed intensively in a wide range of races and often achieved leading places. The car shown here is a one-off with a body designed by Pininfarina. This concept car was presented in public for the first time in 1965 at the 47th Turin Motor Show. The car is currently in an unusual original condition and is still finished in the original paintwork. Source: autoconcept-reviews.com Images: Pininfarina

1964 Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ (SZ = Sprint Zagato), only 105 were built (1965-1967). After the presentation of the 2600 Berlina, Sprint and Spider, the first appearance of a prototype signed by Zagato could be seen in the coachbuilder’s stand at the Turin Motor Show in 1963. The wheelbase is the shortened version of the 2600 Spider and the body is characterized by a streamlined and essential structure, featuring a flashy and slightly recessed Kamm tail, just like in racecars. The front of the vehicle is also very peculiar, featuring a large-sized shield. The same - yellow - prototype was presented during the following edition at the Alfa Romeo stand (Turin 1964), while the final vehicle would be shown for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1965. However, in this case, the coachwork was strongly revisited, especially in the front: the already huge front shield was enlarged even more and placed in a higher position, the headlights made more vertical in shape, the engine bonnet clean and essential - without leather laces nor air intakes (now partially hidden behind the bumper bars). Source: www.museoalfaromeo.com; www.alfaworkshop.co.uk Images: Alfa Romeo; Zagato Pictured Above: 1962-1963 Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ Prototipo by Zagato Pictured Above: 1965-1967 Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ by Zagato

Among the most interesting styling themes offered by the Fiat 850 - the latest creation for the Turin Firm - Pinínfarina have studied, in cooperation with Abart Co. for the mechanical parts, this special sport 2 seater Coupe. On this new model it is fitted the Fiat Abarth 1000 - 4 cylinder engine - 982 cc. - 54 HP-DIN (gear ratio: 9/37 - 2 Girling disk brakes) which Abarth Co. has derived from the Fiat 850 model. Aesthetícally the car shows a very slender and low appearance: noteworthy is the relation between the very thin and aerodynamic front end and the rear part, where the mechanical groups are housed. The front part of lenticular section, is much sloping down towards the front end and it harmoniouslv blends with the fenders, of a very thin section. The iodine front lights, expressly realized by Carello Co., are protected by a transparent fairing forming a one only horizon tal front element. The whole front end is protected against shocks by means of light steel and rubber bumper guards, fitted at the end of the fenders. The very low and slim side shows a slight dihedron giving a note of particular slenderness. The side windows with the two vent wings and the much inclined and multi-curved windscreen form, with the pavillion, a one only element which turns over forwards by means of a special hinge system, in order to allow an easy entrance to thecar inside. The rear end of the pavillion works as a roll-bar. A very wide rear window allows a remarkable visibility. The rear part, where the mechanical group is housed, has a very wide surface and it is delimited sideways by two elements dying in the fenders. A groove above the fenders works as air outlet for the car inside and lightens the whole design". On this car special wheels of elektron alloy are mounted, allowing a remarkable weight reduction in comparison with the traditional ones. The inside of the car is upholstered with elastic leather and padded with foam rubber for safety purposes. The instruments are housed in a very light ogival fairing instead of being located in the traditional instrument panel, not existing in this car. The steering wheel can be moved aside to allow a better drive position, since the seats are very low and inclined backwards, according to the typical solution of the sports cars. Source: Alessandro Sannia - www.fiatfuoriserie.it Images: Pininfarina; www.bernimotori.com

As a side note to the successful X-Car program, and in the context of the enthusiasm present throughout the Ford Styling Department, Gene Bordinat directed the styling studio to create a second version of the Cougar II for him. Bordinat wanted a dream car of his own, much as Bill Mitchell was then enjoying at General Motors and what Harley Earl had done earlier. Always interested in innovation and good styling, Bordinat's customized X Car was a stunning statement of the kind of nimble, droptop Ford sports car that could be created. Called the XP Cobra alternatively or, more authentically, the Bordinat Cobra, this iridescent honey gold iteration of the Cougar II was a beautiful roadster with a body fashioned from Royalex – a miracle "memory" material that recovered from minor dents. The Bordinat Cobra was the first coil-spring chassis Cobra, has a unique plastic body painted metallic silver, and features a 289 High-Performance engine with a C4 automatic transmission. The Bordinat Cobra was also built on a 427 Cobra (coil spring) chassis, # CSX3001, and, like the coupe, required the Ford small block motor to be set back in the frame to clear the low hood line. The Bordinat Cobra was an important part of the Ford Division's wonderfully creative explosion of practical – but still dramatically styled – concept cars that directly precipitated the production Ford Mustang and additional corporate show cars in the rest of the Sixties. Although it was in many ways a "dream car," the Bordinat/XP Cobra was never a part Ford's second-generation X Car program. Apocryphal evidence and urban legends suggest that Bordinat used the car regularly for at least a year. As Ford expert Jim Burgy notes, "...the Bordinat Cobra has not been restored -- it is in it's original condition, complete with original paint and drivetrain. It has been washed and waxed, but NOT repainted or restored." Source: www.saac.com; www.thelynxproject.org Images: www.shorey.net; Ford; Jim Burgy

This rare Jaguar is a result of conversations between some of the automotive industry’s most revered names of the 1960s. The Jaguar importer for Northern Italy, Ferruccio Tarchini, commissioned the famous coachbuilder, Bertone, to build a four-seater coupé based on the Jaguar S-Type in 1966. Called the Jaguar “FT Coupe” after Tarchini’s initials, the importer hoped to sell the car through Jaguar’s Italian operations. In the end, only the 1966 Geneva Motor Show exhibition car and the example presently offered were built. While the Geneva show car was based on the S-Type as originally intended, this unique sister model began life as one of the CKD (“complete knocked-down”) kits using the Jaguar 420 platform. The Coventry-based marque would supply these to the Italian coachbuilder, to be completed with Bertone bodywork. This FT Coupe was sold new to a Spanish aristocrat, before making its way to a Jaguar dealership, where it would remain stored for 20 years before being rediscovered. It was refinished in its original metallic green colour in 2015, while the interior features charming black leather upholstery. The car is equipped with electric windows, “FT” horn push, and an air conditioning system. One of only two examples of the FT Coupé built by Bertone The only example built on the Jaguar 420 platform Powered by a Jaguar 4.2-litre inline six-cylinder engine with four-speed manual gearbox Source: RM Sotheby's Images: OldConceptCars

The Jaguar XJ13 was a prototype racing car developed by Jaguar Engineering Director William Heynes to compete at Le Mans in the mid 1960s. It never raced, and only one was produced. The car has not been officially valued, but a £7 million bid for it was declined by the owners in 1996. It was more than 3 times the price of a Ferrari 250 GTO at the time. Jaguar had considered the manufacture of a DOHC V12 engine as far back as 1950, initially for racing purposes, and then developing a SOHC road going version, unlike the XK which was designed as a production engine and later pressed into service for racing. The engine design was essentially two XK 6-cylinder engines on a common crankshaft with an aluminium cylinder block, although there were differences in the inlet porting, valve angles and combustion chamber shape. The first engine ran in July 1964. The design structure of a mid-engined prototype was first mooted in 1960 by William Heynes, but it was not until 1965 that construction began, with the first car running by March 1966. The aluminium body exterior was designed by Malcolm Sayer, the aerodynamicist responsible for aerodynamic air flow work on the Jaguar C-type and D-type. He used his Bristol Aeroplane Company background to build it using techniques borrowed from the aircraft industry. The task of building the car was entrusted by Heynes to Engineer Derick White, Ted Brookes, Mike Kimberley, and Bob Blake in the Browns Lane experimental department's "competition shop" - Blake described by his contemporaries as "An Artist in Metal". William Heynes recognised as early as 1964 that a car such as the XJ13 needed an experienced race driver to help develop it. Jack Brabham was approached in this regard but the challenge was eventually taken up by ex-Jaguar Apprentice David Hobbs, who was recruited as the XJ13's main test driver. In 1969 Hobbs was included in a FIA list of 27 drivers who were rated the best in the world. Hobbs achieved an unofficial UK closed lap record with the XJ13 which stood for 32 years. For the XJ13's final test at full racing speed, Hobbs was joined at Silverstone by another racing driver (and ex-Jaguar apprentice) Richard Attwood. The XJ13 had a mid-engine format with the 5.0 litre V12 engine designed by Heynes and Claude Bailey. It produces 502 horsepower in 7600 rpm, mounted behind the driver, used as a stressed chassis member together with the five-speed manual ZF Transaxle driving the rear wheels. The front suspension wishbones were similar to that of the E-Type, however where the E-Type used longitudinal torsion bars, the XJ13 had more conventional coil spring/damper units. At the rear there again remained similarities with the E-Type—the use of driveshafts as upper transverse links—however the rest was quite different, with two long radius arms per side angling back from the central body tub together with a single fabricated transverse lower link. The development of the XJ13, although treated seriously by the designers, was never a priority for company management (despite assistant MD Lofty England's Le Mans success in the 1950s), and became less so following the 1966 merger with BMC. By that time Ford had developed the 7.0 litre GT40, and so the XJ13 was considered obsolete by the time the prototype was complete. The prototype was tested at MIRA and at Silverstone, which confirmed that it would have required considerable development to make it competitive. The prototype was put into storage and no further examples were made. In 1971 the Series 3 E-type was about to be launched with Jaguar's first production V12 engine. The publicity team wanted a shot of the XJ13 at speed for the opening sequence of the film launching the V12 E-Type. On 21 January 1971, the XJ13 was taken to MIRA for the filming with Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis at the wheel. The car was driven by Dewis at speed on a damaged tyre, against the instructions of Jaguar director England. The resultant crash heavily damaged and nearly destroyed the car, although Dewis was unharmed. The wreck of the car was put back into storage. Some years later, Edward Loades spotted the crashed XJ13 in storage at Jaguar and made the offer to 'Lofty' England that his company Abbey Panels should rebuild the car. The car was rebuilt, to a specification similar to the original, using some of the body jigs made for its original construction and at a cost of £1,000 to Jaguar. In Jaguar's own words, "The car that can be seen today is not an exact reproduction of the original." The XJ13 made its public debut in July 1973 when 'Lofty' drove it around Silverstone at the British Grand Prix meeting. It is now displayed at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, UK. Neville Swales, Building the Legend, creates "exact replicas" of the pre-crash 1966 Jaguar XJ13. His first recreation, powered by an original quad-cam prototype engine, was built with the knowledge of the Jaguar Heritage Trust and under the guidance of surviving XJ13 Team members. The car, painted and with its engine running, was shown in February 2016 at the London Classic Car show. The completed car made its first track appearance, in the company of surviving members of the original XJ13 project team, and members of William Heynes' and Malcolm Sayer's family, Jaguar VIPs and enthusiasts at Curborough (UK) on 9 August 2016. The car has been nominated as a finalist in the International Historic Motoring Awards 2016 in the category Car of the Year. Other replicas have been produced of the post-crash (current) car: Proteus P90 Proteus XJ13-inspired coupé Charles Motors Ltd replica The Sports Car Factory / TWRR

The Pampero, named after a special wind that blows across the Argentine Pampas, was in principle a new open version of the Vallelunga, but with slightly different dimensions and a completely new body. Giugiaro had lengthened the Vallelunga wheelbase by 1.5 cm to 2,350 mm. The chassis was basically unchanged so the heavy spine frame ran from the front suspension back to the 1500 cc Ford engine. The front end of the car looked a bit like that of the Mangusta, but with the twin headlights fitted behind a meshed grille, making them hard to clean. The tail end of the car had much similarity with that of the Fiat 850 spider Giugiaro had designed in his days with Bertone. Interesting were the two air intakes in the front part of the rear fenders. They did not only serve as vents, but also hid the fuel tank filler cap and the handle for opening the rear end of the car. The dashboard was "V" shaped for easy reading of the instruments. The Pampero remained a one off and if DeTomaso had decided to put the car in production he would have had a hard time competing against the Fiat 850 Spider. Source: wikicars Images: OldConceptCars

When newcomer Lamborghini arrived on the motoring scene in 1963 his supercar rivals down the road in Maranello and in Modena took note. Here was a wealthy industrialist with the drive and the means to challenge their supremacy who had already put together a team of gifted young engineers who were to transform his ambitious dreams into reality. Lamborghini’s first model, the 350GT, wowed the motoring press and public alike when launched in 1964. “Enzo, Orsi and David Brown had better look to their laurels!” remarked Sports Car Graphic magazine after testing an example early in 1966. Not content to rest on their own laurels, Lamborghini’s engineers were already at work on a successor, the 400GT, which was in road testers hands by the end of that year. “Better than all the equivalent exotic and home-bred machinery in this glamorous corner of the fast-car market” judged Autocar after 300 miles at the wheel. The series produced 350GT/ 400GT coupé was the work of respected carrozzeria Touring of Milan, retained by Ferruccio who, some say, was not entirely happy with Franco Scaglione’s design for the first 350GTV prototype. Although even the revised design remained somewhat controversial, just a handful of bespoke show cars were built on the 350/ 400GT chassis. Touring was responsible for a pair of handsome spyders and the rakish, shooting brake inspired ‘Flying Star II’ for a French client. Sporting Milanese firm Zagato penned a pair of coupés with many of their trademark features. Almost certainly the most exotic creation of all, however, came from much closer to home: Neri & Bonacini’s mysterious ‘Monza’. Giorgio Neri and Luciano Bonacini ran a well-established workshop in Modena looking after Ferrari and Maserati racing cars, and had taken over responsibility for the maintenance of customer cars after the latter’s competition department shut its doors in the late 1950s. They had been retained by Ferruccio Lamborghini to build the first prototype Lamborghini chassis and engine, and the very first complete car to bear his name, the 350GTV, in 1963. They continued as Lamborghini’s chassis supplier until handing over responsibility to their former employee Marchesi once 350GT production was well underway. Already responsible for the famous ‘Nembo’ series of Ferraris, Neri & Bonacini now turned their hand to creating their own interpretation of a high speed Lamborghini granturismo. As a contemporary Italian historian put it: “This Monza 400 does not lack character: the cockpit, set low onto a flowing and powerful infrastructure, creates a silhouette which cannot fail to impress. The wide mouth opening, almost at ground level, the shape of the side windows, the rear sail panels all make it a handsome car. This prototype has been born with the blessing of Ferruccio Lamborghini, who is said to have followed it closely after disappointments with coachbuilders.” Believed to have been finished in May/ June 1966 (this date appears on photographs shot by journalist Pete Coltrin of the car nearing completion), the Monza may have been intended to put forward an alternative Lamborghini model but, after attracting the attention of the motoring press for a few brief months, it remained a tantalising one-off and disappeared from view for almost four decades. At the time the authoritative American magazine Road & Track, who followed the construction of the Monza in their November 1966 issue, commented: “Basic contours are considerably cleaner than [the] production Lamborghini.” In their 4th August 1966 issue, Italy’s weekly motoring equivalent AutoSprint observed: “The line of the car is very pleasing and most rakish…the absence of garish chrome and the purity of its lines place it amongst the finest creations of the Italian automotive tradition.” French magazine L’Automobile noted in 1967 that: “A surprise awaited Spaniards at the circuit of Jarama attending the presentation of the Lamborghini Miura. The latter was admired as it has been everywhere, but this curiosity was shared with another model with a previously unseen silhouette, which also bears the badge of the Italian constructor. Baptised ‘Jarama’ in honour of the Spanish circuit, this prototype has been executed on the 400GT from which it takes its mechanical elements. Existing for now only as a one-off, the Lamborghini ‘Jarama’ has nothing aesthetically to envy the classic GT version.” When we recently arranged for Giorgio Neri to be interviewed by Octane magazine as part of a feature on this car, he recalled: “I think we built it for an American client, possibly with the intention of racing at Le Mans, but there were homologation problems”. He was under the impression that the car had been built earlier, possibly in 1963/4, using a 350GT chassis (virtually identical to the 400GT chassis) but, seeing the car for the first time in almost four decades, confirms: “È perfetta (it’s perfect)… exactly as I remember it”. He recalls that the intention had originally been to call the car the ‘Monza Neri and Bonacini’ but that they finally decided to abbreviate the name to “Monza, a romantic and suggestive name”. Quite how remains a mystery but this rakish one-off was shipped to Spain and presented on Lamborghini importer Amato’s stand at the 1967 Barcelona Motor Show where it caught the eye of a wealthy Spanish gentleman who, having already achieved success in other high-risk sporting pursuits such as motocross and big game hunting, had recently decided that motor racing might be fun. Moving rapidly from a tuned Mini Cooper to a new Porsche 904 (and soon a 908), his taste in road cars was equally exotic. The Lamborghini Miura on Amato’s stand was drawing the crowds, but there was a lengthy waiting list which, even with his connections (in a country where most of Generalissimo Franco’s citizens had to make do with home-grown family cars), was rather less appealing. Sitting next to the silver Miura, however, was an equally low-slung berlinetta resplendent in metallic Amaranto set off by chrome Borrani wire wheels. After negotiations, and possibly a word or two with friends in high places, the Lamborghini Monza was his…except that the ‘Monza’ script adorning the car’s rear had already been replaced by a ‘Jarama’ badge in deference to the car’s new home country (long before Lamborghini had christened its own Jarama model). Source: Bonhams Images: OldConceptCars

The Ford OSI 20M TS debuted on the 36th Geneva Salon in March 1966. The idea of a luxurious coupe based on the running gear of the Ford 20M TS was hatched in January 1965 and in June the same year a prototype was already being tested in the Turin-Ivrea highway. The spyder version of the Ford OSI 20m TS, a 200mm shortened platform was presented in the 1967 Turin show and was the last appearence of an OSI in such events. The OSI (Officina Stampaggio Industriale SpA) 20M Coupé was based on Ford of Germany’s Taunus and featured bodywork designed by Sergio Sartorelli at Ghia. Around 2,000 of the Ford 2.0 and 2.3 litre V6-powered coupés were built between 1966 and the end of 1967 when OSI ceased operations. Source: carsthatnevermadeitetc; osi20mts Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc

The Electrovair II Experimental vehicle was built in 1966 and was GM's second post-war attempt at developing a viable electric vehicle. The Electrovair II addressed the problem of lead-acid battery weight and package size demonstrated with its predecessor by utilizing a new battery technology, silver zinc. This battery development delivered power in a package three times lighter and considerably smaller than lead-acid batteries. The Electrovair II showed promise, but it experienced the same limitations that have restricted electric car acceptance; limited range and frequent recharging requirements. Even as far back as the mid-1960s, General Motors was earnestly exploring futuristic vehicles with alternative power sources, including electric; and this 1966 Electrovair II concept was a test bed for electric motor and control development. It was actually GM's second attempt at an electric-powered Corvair. But when the first one didn't meet the engineers 'hoped-for performance' they started from scratch with a new one using a 532-volt silver-zinc battery pack stuffed into its front truck and what had been its rear engine compartment. Because it used comparatively light and compact silver-zinc batteries, the Electrovair II weighs about 800 pounds more than a standard Corvair, where an equivalent pack of conventional lead acid batteries would have weighed closer to 2,600 pounds. The silver-zinc batteries also offered good energy storage and high peak power, but their downsides were high cost and the unfortunate reality that they were essential worn out after only about 100 recharges. The car's 115 horsepower AC-Induction motor that provided acceleration competitive with the gasoline version and an 80-mph top speed. Its major disadvantage was a driving range of only 40-80 miles before recharging. Strictly an engineering exercise, the Electrovair II was never intended for production. With relatively stable and cheap gasoline prices in the mid-1960s, the American public wasn't exactly clamoring for electric cars at the time. Source: ConceptCarz Images: OldConceptCars

A crossbed that combines the mobility of automobiles and the efficiency of rapid-transit systems, staRRcar may hold the answer to urban-suburban transportation of the furure. Here’s how it works. A commuter takes from his garage a compact three-seat staRRcar – rented from an operating company. By inserting a charge into a slot on the dash, he activates the starter and signals a computer center he is on his way. StaRRcar is then driven conventionally until it reaches the nearest entrance ramp to a guided track. Once on the track, the engine cuts out, and an electrical power pickup takes over. The commuter dials his destination exit, picks up the morning paper while traveling 60 mph and relies on automation for rest. Upon reaching its destination, the car automatically whisks off on a spur track without decelerating – or holding up to other cars. The inventors, William L. Alden and Martin Gilvar, both of Boston, claim their system “can handle as many people per hour as public transit and 12 times as much as a lane of highway”. Source: carsthatnevermadeitetc Images: carsthatnevermadeitetc

The Isle of Man, located between England and Ireland, was home to the Peel Engineering company which produced the only car ever to originate from there. This small company provided the microcar world with some stimulating ideas, still discussed decades later. Originally producing motorcycle fairings and boat hulls it also produced car body kits in the 1950s. The famous P-50 was introduced in 1962 as the world’s smallest passenger car. The tiny 4’2″ long car amounted to a chair on go-kart wheels surrounded by a close-fitting angular fiberglass body. Powered (using the term loosely) by a 49 cc Zweirad Union (DKW) moped motor underneath the driver, it generated more noise than power. At an advertised 100 miles per gallon, it was “almost cheaper than walking”. A contemporary road test joked that the top speed was dependent upon the size of the steak that the driver had for dinner. The Trident was launched at the 1964 British Motorcycle Show held at Earls Court. The seat, stated as being 31 in (79 cm) wide, was intended to provide for use as an occasional two-seater. A completely new design from the earlier side-engined Peel P50 microcar, the Trident was manufactured in 1965 and 1966. This was essentially the same chassis but with a slightly larger futuristic 2-seater body shell, topped by a large clear plastic dome which lifted for entry. Perhaps 45 were built, the last six of which were fitted with the 98cc motor with automatic belt transmission out of the Triumph Tina scooter. This car is one of these, purchased from the designer, still living on the IoM, and displayed at a German museum for some years. Peel offered a 12 volt electric motor version with a running radius of 65 km in 1966, and went on to build bodies for Minis. “The Trident is a good example of why all those futuristic bubbletop cars of GM’s Motorama period would never work: The sun would cook you alive under the Plexiglas” – TIME Text: microcarmuseum; wikipedia Images: Darin Schnabel