The Cars Time Forgot...

[jith]

droopsnoot said:

Dapster said:

Not so much a car, as a technology. Absolutely brilliantly simple and so cheap compared to Airbags. Consigned to the history books.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procon-ten

Wasn't there a "dislocating shoulders" issue with that, on the basis that people tend to hang on for dear life in the event of a crash rather than letting go of the steering wheel as the technology assumed? I can't remember whether that was a story I read, or just something I heard mentioned.

Procon 10 was considered to be the most advanced safety device ever utilised on a motor car. It consisted of a series of very strong bowden cables that ran around the transmission casing, the engine mounts, the front subframe and into the cabin. At that point they were attached to the seats and the steering column.

In the event of an accident, the rearward movement of the engine assembly deployed the system and pulled the steering wheel away from the driver into the dash, pulled the rear of the transmission and engine assembly down and under the car to prevent it penetrating the cabin, pulled the seat belts tight restraining body movement and pulled both front seats together away from the B posts, preventing skull damage. It did this of course, in a fraction of a second on impact.

It was so effective that Audis became very popular with the German traffic police, and at one time one of the larger Audis was in the Guinness book of records for being the only car in history that was never involved in a fatal crash.

It was a victim of its own success however, as it became so expensive to repair in the event of an accident that insurance companies started loading premiums on vehicles with this system; and this despite the fact that it saved lives!

Check out this seriously clever ad :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-ooL3Afzx8

Vorsprung Durch Technik indeed!

J

[boyse7en]

This turned my head when I was about 10. Was probably the most exotic-looking car I'd ever seen at the time.
Virtually no one remembers them now.

[DH01]

Baghera, you are not alone . . .

[FlaminiaGT]

A friend of mine had one, then moved onto the Murena.
Talking of French cars what about the Venturi, I always fancied a LM spec one

[S10GTA]

Citroen Xantia Activa

[Foliage]

Porsche 959, worlds first supercar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_959

[Hugo a Gogo]

dunno about world's first supercar, dozens of possible claims to that, going back decades

nor forgotten either

I was talking to an American bloke at Technoclassica Essen who reckoned he'd bought 3 of them that day...

[Hurricane52]

FlaminiaGT said:

A friend of mine had one, then moved onto the Murena.
Talking of French cars what about the Venturi, I always fancied a LM spec one

I loved my Atlantique. Always something wrong with it, but I could forgive it most things, especially on those long drives when it was hard to beat for pace and handling. Eventually it ended up back in France despite being rhd. The LM was a beast - had a ride in a black one when they were new and I think the first supercar with carbon brakes.

[kiseca]

Hurricane52 said:

FlaminiaGT said:

A friend of mine had one, then moved onto the Murena.
Talking of French cars what about the Venturi, I always fancied a LM spec one

I loved my Atlantique. Always something wrong with it, but I could forgive it most things, especially on those long drives when it was hard to beat for pace and handling. Eventually it ended up back in France despite being rhd. The LM was a beast - had a ride in a black one when they were new and I think the first supercar with carbon brakes.

The Venturi! What a great call. I always fancied those (I liked the original the most, when it was an MVS Venturi) but I had forgotten all about them.

How about the Lister Le Mans?

[exitwound]

boyse7en said:

This turned my head when I was about 10. Was probably the most exotic-looking car I'd ever seen at the time.
Virtually no one remembers them now.

I remember them and I'd have one in a heartbeat if I had the parking space.. Sooo comfy inside! Love the triple seating arrangement.

I keep hoping that Wheeler Dealers will do one..

[Qcarchoo]

I've never seen one of these in the flesh but remember it well from my 'Observer's Book of Automobiles'

[ian2144]

exitwound said:

boyse7en said:

This turned my head when I was about 10. Was probably the most exotic-looking car I'd ever seen at the time.
Virtually no one remembers them now.

I remember them and I'd have one in a heartbeat if I had the parking space.. Sooo comfy inside! Love the triple seating arrangement.

I keep hoping that Wheeler Dealers will do one..

How could we forget this.....always thought it looked like a mini Lambo. Simca Rallye 2 engine in the early models, 82 bhp if memory serves.

[kiseca]

Qcarchoo said:

I've never seen one of these in the flesh but remember it well from my 'Observer's Book of Automobiles'

Is that a Monteverdi somethingorother?

[dbdb]

Monica 560. I saw one in Saumur once. It was beautiful.

[kiseca]

dbdb said:

Monica 560. I saw one in Saumur once. It was beautiful.

[mikey77]

Borgward. They made F1 engines as well, once.
Wartburg. I had one...

[crashley]

GT6 Jonsey said:

Simca Rancho, our next door neighbour had one in this colour. I remember being fascinated by it as a kid, with its spot lights and bull bars

I had a model one as a child. Forerunner to the Yeti and no doubt many modern day 'crossover' type vehicles.

[exitwound]

crashley said:

GT6 Jonsey said:

Simca Rancho, our next door neighbour had one in this colour. I remember being fascinated by it as a kid, with its spot lights and bull bars

I had a model one as a child. Forerunner to the Yeti and no doubt many modern day 'crossover' type vehicles.

That was the car that nearly did it for Lulu..

[Rostfritt]

jith said:

It was a victim of its own success however, as it became so expensive to repair in the event of an accident that insurance companies started loading premiums on vehicles with this system; and this despite the fact that it saved lives!
J

Seems mad when today cars are pretty much written off when one of the dozens of airbags are deployed.

My car has it. I don't really want to test it out, but I am glad it is there!

[theadman]

The Monica is a great call.

There were actually more prototypes built than production cars(from memory it was something like 28 v 9)! Although it was French it was engineered by the late Chris Lawrence working out of a workshop under some railway arches in West London. As a teenager Itook myself off to London in the 70s to find this Monica Mecca and rather predictably there were two or three prototypes but no customer cars. He kept one of the cars which was auctioned about a year and a half ago.





They have been on my favourite car list since launch. I actually went to the auction with half a mind to bid if the price was right...it wasn't so that saved quite a lot of garage space...they're big cars!!