Classic Car Facts, Stats & Trivia
Discussion
I thought it would be interesting to see who can produce some of the best classic car related trivia. It can be something lots of people already know or a hidden gem. I’ll start off with a few to get the ball rolling.
1-The Ford Mustang was nearly named after a cat, early plans show the Mustang named as a cougar.
2- The MG C received negative reviews for it’s handling but it was observed that critics were hitting corners too fast and struggling under the impression that they were driving slower than they actually were.
3- VW workers engraved the last ever Karmann Ghia with the parting message of “you ran so well, you were so beautiful, but alas, you must leave us now”.
1-The Ford Mustang was nearly named after a cat, early plans show the Mustang named as a cougar.
2- The MG C received negative reviews for it’s handling but it was observed that critics were hitting corners too fast and struggling under the impression that they were driving slower than they actually were.
3- VW workers engraved the last ever Karmann Ghia with the parting message of “you ran so well, you were so beautiful, but alas, you must leave us now”.
Re fact 1, Mercury (part of Ford) produced the Cougar from 67 onwards. It’s based on, and uses many of the Mustangs parts, so I’m not sure this is a 100% accurate.
How do I know, well I don’t for sure but I’ve owned on for the last 3 years and regularly go on the US Cougar forums and I’ve read about the cars development quite a bit but I’ve never read it quite like that
Edit after further research I have to admit you might be right
How do I know, well I don’t for sure but I’ve owned on for the last 3 years and regularly go on the US Cougar forums and I’ve read about the cars development quite a bit but I’ve never read it quite like that
Edit after further research I have to admit you might be right
Edited by stuartmmcfc on Wednesday 11th July 17:24
HeritageJoe said:
I thought it would be interesting to see who can produce some of the best classic car related trivia. It can be something lots of people already know or a hidden gem. I’ll start off with a few to get the ball rolling.
1-The Ford Mustang was nearly named after a cat, early plans show the Mustang named as a cougar.
...and the original Mustang was a mid-engined two-seater convertible. Some design traits were carried over to the GT40.1-The Ford Mustang was nearly named after a cat, early plans show the Mustang named as a cougar.
When Issigonis started work on the ADO15 / Mini project the rear track was originally a few inches wider, at some point he looked at the work his team had done up to that point and decided to make it slightly narrower, which is why there is a distinct taper towards the rear of the bodyshell when seen from above.
John Cooper received a £2 royalty for every Cooper and Cooper S model sold from 1961 to 1971, this was agreed by a gentlemen's handshake with George Harriman and confirmed in writing soon after. In 1966 Cooper commissioned Bertone to build a special luxury version based on a 1965 Austin Cooper S, similar to a Radford but even more bespoke, it was meant to be the first of a run but when George Harriman got wind of it the idea got no further. Only one car was built, its current whereabouts is not known.
The first mini variants to have wind up windows were the Mk3 Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet in 1966, three years before the standard saloons received them.
John Cooper received a £2 royalty for every Cooper and Cooper S model sold from 1961 to 1971, this was agreed by a gentlemen's handshake with George Harriman and confirmed in writing soon after. In 1966 Cooper commissioned Bertone to build a special luxury version based on a 1965 Austin Cooper S, similar to a Radford but even more bespoke, it was meant to be the first of a run but when George Harriman got wind of it the idea got no further. Only one car was built, its current whereabouts is not known.
The first mini variants to have wind up windows were the Mk3 Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet in 1966, three years before the standard saloons received them.
How many marques can you think of that began not just in a living room, but with its prototype emerging through the front door?
To my knowledge there is just the one. If you don't know which marque, here's a clue. The semi-detached house it emerged from was 22 Chinbrook Road in Grove Park, London.
Wonder if the current owners know the story?
I like to think I can lay my hands on tons of car trivia, only because it's always been fascinating to me.
Much of the stuff is known, like the above, but not widely known. So here goes with another snippet.
Someone above mentioned Issigonis.
Here's another tale (true) again also known, but not widely.
When Tim Fry and Mike Parkes were working on a 'new' car for Rootes both men were well aware of the existence of the prototype 'Mini'.
How? Because they used to have monthly 'suppers' with both Issigonis and Alex Moulton. All, obviously, were sworn to secrecy by their employers so despite wanting desperately to 'talk cars', each had to be cautious and knew they could say very little or mention any of the finer details of each others prototypes.
Fry, however, was a canny man.
He found a way to show how the two Rootes' men knew a great deal about the prototype Mini, after Issigonis had asked Fry whether he could draw?
Fry promptly got out a sheet of paper and sketched a Mini rear-suspension arm!
Issigonis was said to have been mightily impressed.
On a later occasion (in Oxford) prior to the Hillman Imp's launch, the same four designers got together for another pub lunch.
Fry arrived in no less than a prototype Imp! And he could not resist lending the keys to Issigonis. Sir Alec accepted and disappeared off for a spin.
A while later he came into the pub and gave his verdict:
'Absolutely brilliant!'
'But you have got it the wrong way round!'
To my knowledge there is just the one. If you don't know which marque, here's a clue. The semi-detached house it emerged from was 22 Chinbrook Road in Grove Park, London.
Wonder if the current owners know the story?
I like to think I can lay my hands on tons of car trivia, only because it's always been fascinating to me.
Much of the stuff is known, like the above, but not widely known. So here goes with another snippet.
Someone above mentioned Issigonis.
Here's another tale (true) again also known, but not widely.
When Tim Fry and Mike Parkes were working on a 'new' car for Rootes both men were well aware of the existence of the prototype 'Mini'.
How? Because they used to have monthly 'suppers' with both Issigonis and Alex Moulton. All, obviously, were sworn to secrecy by their employers so despite wanting desperately to 'talk cars', each had to be cautious and knew they could say very little or mention any of the finer details of each others prototypes.
Fry, however, was a canny man.
He found a way to show how the two Rootes' men knew a great deal about the prototype Mini, after Issigonis had asked Fry whether he could draw?
Fry promptly got out a sheet of paper and sketched a Mini rear-suspension arm!
Issigonis was said to have been mightily impressed.
On a later occasion (in Oxford) prior to the Hillman Imp's launch, the same four designers got together for another pub lunch.
Fry arrived in no less than a prototype Imp! And he could not resist lending the keys to Issigonis. Sir Alec accepted and disappeared off for a spin.
A while later he came into the pub and gave his verdict:
'Absolutely brilliant!'
'But you have got it the wrong way round!'
After the Morris Minor design was signed off there was a last minute change to make it a couple of inches wider. This resulted in the front chrome bumper having to be cu in half and an extra section added to the middle.
Nuffield hated the Morris Minor despite it being a great sales success because he thought it looked like an egg.
Nuffield hated the Morris Minor despite it being a great sales success because he thought it looked like an egg.
When John Frayling sketched out the Lotus Europa he had to design the nose and rear end to accept off the shelf bumpers from the Ford parts bin, Anglia at the front and Cortina at the back. The Europa concept itself came out of talks and ideas batted back and forth between Colin Chapman and Ford when the GT40 project was getting off the ground.
Also, this just in.... of the 14,313 Mk1 Mini Cooper 1275 Ss built between 1964 and 1967, it is believed that some 27,000 are still on the road in the UK. File under 'trivia'...
Also, this just in.... of the 14,313 Mk1 Mini Cooper 1275 Ss built between 1964 and 1967, it is believed that some 27,000 are still on the road in the UK. File under 'trivia'...
Edited by P5BNij on Wednesday 18th July 20:20
markymarkthree said:
The glorious MK3 Cortina with the T88 engine (pinto) was the first UK built, mass-produced car to be made using metric nuts and bolts.
It was indeed - but all my mates had those! I got a 1970 Fiat 125 in 1977 - which had the first twin-cam production engine driven by a cam-belt rather than a chain (Ford followed the belt route, but missed out 1 of the camshafts).
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