More cars you didn't know existed...

[Hobbes003]

Doofus said:

I think you're thinking of the Loadrunner, which was built on a CX by Tissier. This is the 'Centipede', built by Michelin from bits.

There were DS-based Loadrunners as well. I don't think the Mille Pattes was based on one of them, though. It's much wider, and sits on a custom chassis, with wheels and hubs from the Citroën H van. They just used a bunch of DS body panels.

[Fast Bug]

I was thinking of the Tissier conversions

[PomBstard]

Morris 1500 - Australian model based on the ADO16. Brown, natch....

[saaby93]

Hobbes003 said:

Michelin built this vehicle for high-speed tests on large tyres (up to 180 km/h, 120 mph). The big drum in the middle contained the tyre being tested.



The vehicle had two Chevy V8 engines in the back, one driving the tyre being tested, the other drove the 6 rear wheels. It was called the Michelin PLR (for Poids Lourd Rapide, i.e. "fast heavy Truck"), nicknamed Mille Pattes (centipede).
It still exists, Michelin display it in their museum.

How close is the driver to the tyre under test

[Hobbes003]

The tire is enclosed in a casing - they removed the cover for the photo. Michelin built this vehicle specifically so they'd have a safer way to test these tires than just sticking them on a truck.

[ajprice]

Fast Bug said:

I was thinking of the Tissier conversions

Tissier did a DS transporter too

[MarkwG]

We may be covering old ground, SAAB did similar, & there are some specialist & home build versions.

[Doofus]

If we're doing quirky transporters, this outfit has just found a new owner for £149k, which seems like a bit of a bargain to me.

[honda_exige]

Proudly built in South Korea

[finlo]

honda_exige said:

Proudly built in South Korea

No doubt better built than the original.

[Doofus]

Some people are very young.

[Johnspex]

Didn't Kia just take over manufacture of the fwd Elan when Lotus gave up?

[Doofus]

Johnspex said:

Didn't Kia just take over manufacture of the fwd Elan when Lotus gave up?

Not entirely. Kia bought Lotus.

[MarkwG]

Johnspex said:

Didn't Kia just take over manufacture of the fwd Elan when Lotus gave up?

Lotus sold KIA the rights, is how I understood it.

[Johnspex]

I thought Proton bought Lotus.
If I wasn't so lazy I'd google it.

[Kawasicki]

saaby93 said:

How close is the driver to the tyre under test

I don’t think it’s a destructive test. They load the tyre and then sweep it through a few different steering angles, measuring what cornering force is generated.

[deeen]

PomBstard said:

Morris 1500 - Australian model based on the ADO16. Brown, natch....

Ok and what's the beige car in front of it? Some kind of 4 door estate (that I never knew existed)?

[finlo]

deeen said:

PomBstard said:

Morris 1500 - Australian model based on the ADO16. Brown, natch....

Ok and what's the beige car in front of it? Some kind of 4 door estate (that I never knew existed)?

Australian Morris Nomad.

[Doofus]

Johnspex said:

I thought Proton bought Lotus.
If I wasn't so lazy I'd google it.

Me too.

[deeen]

finlo said:

deeen said:

PomBstard said:

Morris 1500 - Australian model based on the ADO16. Brown, natch....

Ok and what's the beige car in front of it? Some kind of 4 door estate (that I never knew existed)?

Australian Morris Nomad.

Thanks! Never heard of it! If only someone had told BL UK, before they spent all those pounds developing the Maxi...