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Abadal was a Spanish car manufactured between 1912 and 1923, and was named after Francisco Abadal. Considered a fast luxury car, it was closely patterned on the Hispano Carrocera and offered in two models. One had a 3104cc four-cylinder engine while the other had a 4521 cc six-cylinder engine. Abadal Specifications >> |
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Successful in hillclimbing and sports car racing, mainly in classes from 850cc up to 2000cc, competing with Porsche 904 and Ferrari Dino. Hans Herrmann was a factory driver from 1962 until 1965, winning the 500km Nürburgring in 1963 with Teddy Pilette. Abarth Specifications >> |
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AC Cars Ltd was originally a Company formed for the manufacture of a three-wheeled delivery van, the 'Auto-Carrier’ - hence the enterprise's initials. The original Company was formed in 1904, and until the outbreak of WW1 the tricyles were built as "motorised rickshaws" for Far Eastern markets, as military vehicles, and also as the two-seater "AC Sociable" for private motoring. AC Specifications >> |
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Born from a factory built
by Alexandre Darracq near Milan to build cars
out of French supplied parts, the struggling
concern was taken over by Anomima Lombardo Fabbrica
Automobil in 1909. It quickly established itself
as a major sports car manufacturer when Nicolà Romeo joined
in 1915. Alfa Romeo Specifications >> |
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Founded by Sydney Allard who, before World War II, had spent much of his time building highly powered sports cars using Ford V8 engines. Best known for the 1949 J2 which used a 3.2 litre Mercury derived engine, the company was not able to compete with the cheaper sports cars being manufactured by Jaguar, and from 1960 became the manufacturer of Shorrock supercharges. Allard Specifications >> |
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Founded in 1919 by T. G. John, and started out making the rather mundane side-valve 10/30. Alvis enjoyed a successful period between 1920 and the outbreak of war, and was considered at the time a worthy competitor to the likes of more famous marques such as Bentley. Alvis Specifications >> |
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Formed from the merger
of Nash and Hudson, using the Nash Rambler as
its platform to regain market share. The marque
would follow up with some surprisingly good models,
such as the 1959 V8 Ambassador and sporty Javelin. AMC Specifications >> |
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Short lived German manufacturer that thought outside the square, manufacturing
around 4500 of the rather odd amphibious vehicles. The majority (some 3700) were exported to the
USA, the remainder being sold in Europe. The marque
now has a strong following given the rather peculiar
nature of the car, and of course it's scarcity
today. Amphicar Specifications >> |
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prestigious British marque plagued by financial mis-management. Built its
first road going car in 1923, then went into
receivership in 1924. Rescued by engineers Renwick
and Bertilli, the cost of their racing programme
would see the company founder again in the early
1930's. Two more ownership changes did not progress
things much, until David Brown took control
in 1947. Aston Martin Specifications >>
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Established by brothers Frank and Morris Eckhardt in 1900, their new company took its name from
the town of Auburn, Indiana, USA. The company
started out making horse drawn carriages; three
years later they decided to try their hand
at the manufacture of a single-cylinder chain-driven
car, known as the Runabout. Auburn Specifications >> |
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Founded by August Horch following
his fall out with partners at the company already
bearing his name, Audi being the literal German
translation of his own name. Manufactured some
successful competition cars before concentrating
on trucks during World War 1. DKW would take a
controlling share 1928, Audi then manufacturing
small cars. Audi Specifications >> |
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Formed by Herbert Austin and Frederick Wolseley who joined togther as partners, the company began making largish and popular cars such as the Ten and Twenty. Rose to prominance with the cheap and cheerful but very robust Seven, following up with the ingenious Mini. Went into a slow but unstoppable decline after the takeover by British Leyland. Austin Specifications >> |
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Donald
and son Geoffrey Healey partnered to build a sports car based on Austin
components, having experience building such
cars with components from Riley, Nash and
Alvis. Austin agreed to provide components
from the A90 Atlantic, however the Healey
design could not have looked more different. Austin-Healey Specifications >> |
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Founded by Jorgen Skafte Rasmussen in Saxony
after studying Engineering in Mittweida. By 1904
he had set up an apparatus engineering company,
and in 1916 began experimenting with steam-driven
motor vehicles. Although these experiments did
not lead to any specific product, they yielded
the company name and trademark DKW, derived from
the German words for "steam-driven vehicle" (Dampf
Kraft Wagen). Auto-Union Specifications >> |
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East German car-maker made up from an ensemble
of manufacturers that found themselves on the
wrong side of the Iron Curtain following the
war. Started out producing cheap (but not so
cheerful) two cylinder air-cooled iterations
based on pre-war DKW designs under the brand "IFA",
a national group that featured all the automotive
and motorcycle brands in the German Democratic
Republic. AWZ-Trabant Specifications >> |
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Founded by Walter Owen "WO" Bentley who started out modifying the French DFP cars before deciding he could do much better. For a decade Bentley was responsible for manufacturing large, exotic, fast and very expensive motor cars. The company collapsed in 1925, recovered for a time and then collapsed again in 1931. Bentley Specifications >> |
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BMW started with the manufacture of Aero Engines, then turned to car manufacture, and then
motorcycles. Took over the Dixi concern, who
were manufacturing Austin Sevens under licence,
slowly expanding its range, the majority featuring
a glorious 6 cylinder engine. Concentrated on
motorcycle construction during the war, then
from the ruins choose to manufacture exclusive
and expensive limousines. BMW Specifications >> |
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Founded by Campbell, Winston and Graeme
Bolwell,
with the idea of building low volume high performance
sports cars. Each brother developed their own
design through the 1960's, in the main using parts
salvaged from pre and post World War II wrecks. Bolwell Specifications >> |
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Founded in 1948 by Lawrie Bond, the company was originally known as Sharps Commercials Ltd, until it changed its name to the more familiar Bond Cars Limited in 1965. The company is best known these days for the manufacture of cheap utalitarian 3 wheel iterations, the first of which was to roll off the production line in 1949. Bond Specifications >> |
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Founded by Dr. Carl F.W. Borgward - a fitter
and turner who, after surviving World War 1,
would purchase a small manufacturing business
and transform it into an automotive component
manufacturer of both radiators and fenders. The
company’s
first true automobile would be the 1924 200cc
2-stroke “Blitzkarren” delivery vehicles,
which led to the more successful “Goliath” light
commercials. Borgward Specifications >> |
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Bristol Cars Ltd have an esteemed reputation as low volume manufacturers of superbly made, prestigious cars. It is a reputation that was justly earned in the company's very early days and is one that has remained with them ever since. The Car Division of the Bristol Aeroplane company was formed in 1945 after a link up with the company AFN (Archie Frazer Nash) who were before the war, the importers of BMW cars. Bristol Specifications >> |
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Founded by Ettore Bugatti, a gifted engineer who had
manufactured his own 4 cylinder engine by the age of
20. The Milanese Bugatti would work for an array of
leading European manufacturers, including Benz, before
starting the manufacture of his own cars in France.
His first car was a design carried over from his time
at Benz, and it was not long before Bugatti's began
to win races, such as Ernst Freidrich winning his class. Bugatti Specifications >> |
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Founded by David Dunbar
Buick in 1903, it only survived one year of independence
before financial problems would see the need
to bring William C Durant into the company. Durants
capital injection was put to good use, the new
Buick factory turning the fledgling company into
a success story that survives to this day. From
that factory was born the "Model C"
- almost the most popular car around, 2nd only
to Henrys Model T. Buick Specifications >> |
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Founded by Henry Leland in 1902, who named the
company after the seventeenth-century French
explorer who founded Detroit. Quickly established
a reputation for innovation, even after being
absorbed into the GM conglomerate in 1909. In
1912 the company introduced the Delco electric
ignition and lighting system, and the powerful
V8 engine was also a Cadillac first. Cadillac Specifications >> |
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Brothers Louis, Arthur and Gaston Chevrolet migrated to the US from their native Switzerland
as young men. Having worked for Mors, Louis was
able to find plenty of work in the automotive
industry, at the same time garnering a reputation
as one of the countries leading race drivers. Building his own racer based on Buick running
gear, the car would catch the attention of William
Durant, founder of General
Motors. Chevrolet Specifications >> |
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Founded by Walter Percy Chrysler in 1925 by
using what was left from the Maxwell Motor Company.
Chrysler wanted to compete with General Motors,
and so needed to create a range of product lines
in sync – thus in 1928 a multi-tiered range
would be introduced, Plymouth at the lower end,
DeSoto in the lower-middle, then Dodge and Imperial
at the upper end with Chrysler being the flagship. Chrysler Specifications >> |
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Chrysler was the last of the Big 3 in Australia, and
the timing couldn’t have been better. Chrysler
distributors had been finding it increasingly
difficult to offload the large and more expensive
US sedans in the face of competition from the
all-conquering Holden, even sales of the Simca
were in decline. Chrysler Australia Specifications >> |
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Founded by André-Gustave
Citroen, who possessed the genius for organising
mass-production, arguably second only to Henry
Ford. Educated at Ecole Polytechnique, France's
top technical university, Citroen then had
a spell in the French army as an engineering officer
and then landed a job as chief engineer at Mors. Citroen Specifications >> |
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Founded by Erret Lobban Cord,
a successful salesman who, as a teenager, had
traded Model T Ford's around his native Los Angeles.
He went on to sell Victory cars at a Moon dealership
in Chicago, but his big break came when he was
asked to restructure the moribund Auburn company,
then in the hands of a receiver. Cord Specifications >> |
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Founded by Powel Crosley, who had already made his fortune
as a radio and appliance manufacturer, owner
of WLW the "Nation's Station" and
the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. Crosley set
up an engineering facility in Cincinnati Ohio,
with assembly of the cars taking place in Richmond
Indiana (Crosley Corporation) from 1939 to 1942,
and then Marion Indiana (Crosley Motors) from
1946 to 1952. Crosley Specifications >> |
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The Crossley brothers were the first engineers in Britain to build four-stroke internal combustion units, under licence from Otto & Langen of Deutz in the early 1860s. The Crossley brothers engineering reputation was so high that, when the motor agents Charles Jarrott and William Letts were looking for a company to produce a quality British car that they could sell alongside imported Oldsmobiles. Crossley Specifications >> |
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DAF started out building trailers as a family business, however after World War 2 the company commenced production of trucks and later cars, each considered very innovative even by today's standards. For example, at a time when auto transmissions were both complex
and expensive, DAF was a pioneer in bringing a simplified
auto to the cheaper end cars. DAF Specifications >> |
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Founded to manufacture the
combustion engine, by 1930 the company was
manufacturing three-wheeled vans. It was not
until the early 1950's that Daihatsu began
the manufacture of passenger cars, it owing
much of its design to the earlier vans, even
carrying over the three-wheeled layout and
rear mounted 540cc air-cooled engine. Daihatsu Specifications >> |
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Daimler was formed in 1896 by Fredrick Simms,
he acquiring the patent rights to sell Gottlieb
Daimler’s 1 horsepower motorboat engines;
more importantly Simms was also able to retain
the Daimler name. The same year the Daimler Motor
Syndicate would enter into car production at
their newly established facility in Coventry,
soon after garnering Royal patronage when the
Prince of Wales. Daimler Specifications >> |
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Masujiro Hashimoto's prototype was funded by K.
Den, R. Aoyama and A. Takeuchi (the first letter
from each last name making the acronym DAT). Went into production as a DAT 31 in 1915, powered
by a 122ci 2 litre 4 cylinder engine. Concentrated
on truck manufacture from 1926, although the
Lila light car became increasingly popular,
particularly with cab drivers. Datsun Specifications >> |
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Founded by John
DeLorean in 1973, who was able to persuade the British
government to invest more than $140 million
in the venture in hopes of stimulating the economy
in Belfast. American investors put up another
$31 million, among them entertainers Johnny
Carson who contributed $500,000, and Sammy Davis
Jr., who coughed up $150,000. The rear-engine,
gull-winged, stainless-steel car that emerged
in 1981 was well received at first and developed
a cult following which helped propel it into
the "Back to the Future" films. DeLorean Specifications >> |
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Founded by Argentinian Alejandro de Tomaso,
son of a former Prime Minister. Was to take
over the family estate but political pressure
saw him flee to Italy. Passionate about motor
sports, he met with the Maserati brothers
and raced their OSCA cars until founding his
own company in 1959, dedicated to building
race cars powered by OSCA engines. DeTomaso Specifications >> |
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Founded by brothers John and Horace Dodge;
the duo began as bicycle machinists working
in their fathers Michigan (USA) shop, then
moving to Windsor, Ontario (Canada) where they
adapted their skills to meet the needs of the
fledgling automotive industry. They were particularly
adept at the manufacture of intricate automotive
parts, their products soon coming to the attention
of Henry Ford. Dodge Specifications >> |
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Founded by Fred Duesenberg,
an aspiring car designer who had played a big part
in the design of the “Mason” automobile in 1906, after which he set up his own racing engine
business with brother August. Together, the pair built
and supplied their race engines to Mason in 1912, and
then established the Duesenberg Motor Co. the following
year. Duesenberg Specifications >> |
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Ford was committed to the Lincoln
remaining as the flagship make, and so a decision
was made to introduce a suitable competitor
for the Oldsmobile. Dubbed the “E Car” (experimental
car), the new division set about creating an
advanced and highly desirable car that would
be readily identifiable and individualistic. Edsel Specifications >> |
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Founded by Enzo
Ferrari who, from an early
age, became entranced with the idea of car
racing. After World War 1 he managed to get
a job with a small car maker converting war
surplus, enough to fund his first foray onto
the racetrack at the 1919 Targa Florio. Ferrari
would land a job with Alfa Romeo the following
year, once again competing in the Targa Florio. Ferrari Specifications >> |
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Founded as the Societa Anonima Fabrica Italiana
di Automobili Torino, the management were quick
to decide that Fiat should join other marques
on the race track, knowing that success would
result in car sales. Success came quickly when,
in 1907, Felice Nazzaro won the Targa Florio,
the Kaiserpreis and the French GP! Fiat’s
first sports-car was the Balilla, a car derived
from the small saloon design of the same name. Fiat Specifications >> |
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Australian’s can thank Charles Smith for ensuring the country had a worthy competitor
to the ever popular Holden’s of the 1960’s.
Prior to 1955, Ford Australia had been assembling
British made Zephyr’s, but in 1955 the
decision was made to manufacture the Zephyr
entirely in Australia. Ford Australia Specifications >> |
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The Ford UK operation began in 1903 with the
import of Model A’s, then in 1909 the
Ford Motor Company (England) was officially
established, an office being opened at 55 Shaftsbury
Avenue, London under the chairmanship of Percival
Perry. The following year Ford’s first
dealership was opened in Southampton, and then
in 1911 Ford acquired an old tram factory in
Trafford, Manchester, which they converted
into an assembly plant. Ford Europe Specifications >> |
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Using a converted Detroit factory and $28,000 from twelve investors (among them the Dodge brothers John and Horace), 40 year old Henry Ford began what would become one of the worlds largest and most influential automobile empires in 1903. The original car was the Model A, which morphed into the Model S by 1908, the same year that Henry Ford released the most famous of them all, the Model T. Ford USA Specifications >> |
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Founded in 1929 as NNAZ when a joint venture between the Soviet Union government and Ford was established. The name changed to GAZ (short for Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod) when the city was renamed after Maxim Gorky. The first car to roll off the production line in 1932 was the Ford Model A. GAZ Specifications >> |
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Founded by the Walklett brothers Douglas, Trevor, Ivor and Bob, who built their first sports car based on a Wolseley Hornet. Encouraged by friends who wanted their own replicas, Ginetta went into production in 1958 with the Ford engined G2. Typical of low production British sports cars of the time, it consisted of an open fibreglass body mounted on a steel spaceframe chassis. Ginetta Specifications >> |
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Founded by Hans Glas of Dingolfing, Germany in 1883 to produce farm machinery, it was not until well after World War 2 that the company would commence automobile manufacture. Following the war cheap and cheerful cars were borne through necessity rather than desire, and Glas turned their hand to the manufacture of a scooter that proved very successful. Glas Specifications >> |
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Founded by John Gordon and Jim Keeble. The pair developed the Gordon GT in 1959, and like the Monterverdi and DeTomaso, they formula was to fit a large American V8 into a European sports saloon. The original engine chosen was the Buick 215 c.i. (3.5 litre) V8 engine (the engine which would later be developed and used by Rover), a Peerless chassis being used. Gordon Keeble Specifications >> |
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Established in Warnemende, Germany by Ernst Heinkel in 1922 for the production of airplanes, at the time being restricted in what it could manufacture by the Treaty of Versailles. Heinkel managed to obtain the services of 3 leading aeronautical engineers, Heinrich Hertel and brothers Siegfried and Walter Genter. Heinkel Specifications >> |
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Founded by William
Hillman in Coventry for the manufacture of bicycles,
he enlisted the help of John Kemp Starley (who
would go on to found Rover) to help get the fledgling
operation off the ground. Such was the demand
for bicycles at that time that Starley would
soon leave to set up his own business. Hillman Specifications >> |
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Set up during World War 2 to
manufacture motor vehicles for the burgeoning
Indian middle-classes. As part of the British
Empire, it was inevitable that ambitious industrialists
based in India would look back to the homeland
to provide the manufacturing technology and facilities. Successfully established, the company's first
product was the Landmaster. Hindustan Specifications >> |
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Founded in 1904 by a group of Spanish businessmen, which took over the establishment of a Barcelona car constructor, a certain J. Castro. But why 'Suiza'? Because the designer of the Castro car, produced from 1901 to 1904, was none othher than a young Swiss engineer, Marc Birkigt. Hispano-Suiza Specifications >> |
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Founded by British immigrant James Alexander
Holden in 1852 as a leather works and saddler,
by 1910 the company would be trimming motor vehicles
and, in 1914, they manufactured their first one-off
car body fitted to an imported Lancia chassis.
The company would go from strength to strength
when, in 1917, the Australian government placed
an embargo on fully assembled vehicles. Holden Specifications >> |
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The world's largest motorcycle
manufacturer did not make its first car until 1963, and even then it owed much of its mechanical
underpinnings to the two wheeled variety. Founded
by Soichiro Honda, one of nine children from a
poor family, he was a gifted engineer and astute
businessman. Apprenticed in a car repair shop,
got his first chance to actually drive a car during
the Toyko earthquake of 1923, then ferrying people
and supplies around the devastated city. Honda Specifications >> |
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One of the pioneering British
automobile manufacturers. Started out making bicycles
in 1867, amoung them the Pennington 3-wheeler.
Released their own single cylinder car in 1899,
then experimented with front-wheel-drive and shaft-driven
DeDion powered cars. Took control of truck manufacturer
Commer in 1926 and Hillman two years later. Introduced
the larger 6 cylinder Humbers in 1930, but was
taken over by the Rootes Group in 1932. Humber Specifications >> |
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International Harvester was founded in Chicago, at first concerned with the manufacture of
agricultural machinery and construction equipment.
It came about as the result of a 1902 merger
between the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company
and Deering Harvester Company, along with three
smaller agricultural equipment firms: Milwaukee;
Plano; and Warder, Bushnell, and Glessner (manufacturers
of Champion brand). International Specifications >> |
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Iso was founded in 1939 in Genoa, and was originally concerned with the manufacture of refrigeration units. Dubbed "Isothermos" by its founder Renzo Rivolta, the company moved to Bresso in 1942, and following the war was able to again re-open its doors. ISO Specifications >> |
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Isuzu can be traced back to a merger
between a heavy engineering company and Tokyo
Gas and Electric back in 1918. After the merger,
the company built and sold Wolseleys in the
Far East. In 1929 they began building their
own cars, using various trade names including
that of a famous Japanese river, Isuzu. Isuzu Specifications >> |
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Founded by William Lyons, bringing new style
to Swallow sidecars, then manufacturing a
series of special bodies for more common vehicles
such as the Austin Seven, the Fiat Tipo 509A,
the Standard 9 and the Standard 16. William Lyons joined forces with William Walmsley, naming
their new business SS Cars, the most famous
being the 1935 SS90 and SS100. Used Jaguar
as a model designation for its saloons and
drop-head coupes. Jaguar Specifications >> |
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Founded by Alan and Richard Jensen. It was common practice for would-be automotive engineers to tinker with the ubiquitous Austin 7, but Alan and Richard Jensen went one step further than most, removing the body entirely to fit their own race version to the chassis, at the time the brothers still mere apprentices in the Birmingham motor industry. Jensen Specifications >> |
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The Jensen Healey promised so much, yet delivered so little. Disappointing when you consider that the car was born from such a fine pedigree. After all, the impressive Jensen FF was the world’s first production car to use a four-wheel-drive system, and was widely regarded as an engineering masterpiece. Jensen-Healey Specifications >> |
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Kaiser started operations in 1945, then known as the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation, being founded by Henry J. Kaiser, an industrialist, and Joseph W Frazer, president of the Graham-Paige Corporation. Both recognized that, following the end of World War 2, there would be a huge increase in the demand for automobiles. Kaiser Specifications >> |
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Lada was set up in 1970 with help from Fiat which was also instrumental in establishing FSO in Poland. A new factory was built at Togliattigrad, west of Moscow, and production commenced of a Soviet version of the ageing Fiat 124, although the Lada iteration did make some concessions to the harsh Russian conditions it would operate in, particularly with the use of thicker steel. Lada Specifications >> |
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Founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini, born April
28, 1916 in a small Italian farming village,
Renazzo di Cento, Ferrara. Even as a small
child Lamborghini displayed a keen aptitude
for anything mechanical. During World War
2 he was drafted into the Italian services
where he repaired vehicles. Lamborghini Specifications >> |
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Founded by Vincenzo Lancia who launched the
popular Lambda at the Paris and London car
shows of 1922. Lancia would pass in 1937,
but not before overseeing the continued improvement
of the Lambda, and leaving behind the wonderful
Aprilia saloon. After World War 2 the company
hired Vittoria Jano, an ex Alfa Romeo designer. Lancia Specifications >> |
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The Series I Land Rover was released at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show, a solid workhorse that would quickly garner a loyal following of devotees with its rugged no-nonsense style and ability. The original 80” wheelbase would be extended to 86” in 1954, later the 107” making it an attractive proposition as an agricultural workhorse. Land Rover Specifications >> |
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Lincoln was
founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland after his
departure from Cadillac. Initially set up to
manufacture Liberty aircraft
engines for the war effort, after the war
Leland set about re-tooling the factories to
facilitate the manufacture of up-market vehicles. Lincoln Specifications >> |
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Founded by the late Colin Chapman,
one of the greatest innovators of motorcar design.
Chapman started out designing and building specials
based on the ubiquitous Austin Seven, however
his motoring prowess would soon see him emerge
to control a Grand-Prix racing team, among many
other accomplishments. The first Lotus was manufactured
in the English winter of 1947-1948, while Chapman
was still studying for his engineering degree
at London University. Lotus Specifications >> |
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Founded by five
Maserati brothers involved in the racing of
both cars and motorcycles. Alfieri, Bindo,
Ettore, Ernesto and Mario made up the Maserati
dynasty, tragically sixth brother Carlo died
in 1910 and there was even a seventh brother
that died at birth. In 1926 the five brothers
built their first 1.5 litre racer, and soon
after Alfieri had a class win in the Targa
Florio. Maserati Specifications >> |
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Matra started out as an aeronautical engineering
contractor, which in 1964 took over the René Bonnet
sports cars. The Djet would
be sold as a Matra, and within 3 years the company
would switch production to their new factory
at Romorantin, where it launched the M530. This
beautiful coupe was powered by the Ford V4 engine,
but the lack of a proper dealer network with
which to sell the M530 would deprive the car
of the success it deserved. Matra Specifications >> |
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Mazda is one of the great success stories of recent automotive history. While car manufacture did not begin until 1960, the Hiroshima based Toyo Cork Kogyo company had been in existence since 1920, concerned with the manufacture of motorcycles, machine tools and drilling equipment. Mazda Specifications >> |
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Karl Benz's created the world's first car in 1885. Benz was to start out working as a carriage
builder and at a stationary engine manufacturer,
where he quickly thought it a good idea to combine
the two to make a better mode of transport.
It would take him 5 years, and a couple of partners
(allowing him to concentrate on his engineering)
to see the first Benz tricycle reach limited
production. Mercedes-Benz Specifications >> |
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The initial success of the Ford empire was
clearly due to Henry Ford’s decision
to keep things simple, in design, application
and model line-up. But by the 1930’s
competition was forcing Ford to do a major
re-think of this strategy, and a move to a
more up-market offering would also require
the establishment of a different division,
a brand that offered clear differentiation
from Ford. Lincoln catered to the top tier,
but for the burgeoning middle ranks Mercury
would take the lead. Mercury Specifications >> |
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Cecil Kimber is credited as pioneer of
the MG brand after he instigated the manufacture
of the Morris Cowley. In 1924 the Morris Oxford
would prove valuable as a donor car, used to form
the basis of a small series of sporting four-seaters.
Sanctioned by William Morris (owner of both Morris
Motors and Morris Garages), Kimber's sporty new
car would be dubbed the MG Super Sports. MG Specifications >> |
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An Alec Issigonis masterpiece, the original Mini was born into a time of rising fuel prices and austere mini cars that were far from desirable. Britain in particular had been hit hard by the 1956 Suez Crisis, and the resultant reduction in oil supply led eventually to petrol rationing, something the British motorist had not suffered since the end of the war. Mini Specifications >> |
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Mitsubishi is one of the largest
companies in the world, and automobile manufacture
makes up only one part of the conglomerates empire.
It was originally established in 1870 as a shipping
concern, then became one of the pioneering Japanese
automotive manufacturers when it manufactured
its first car in 1917 – only around 20
of the Fiat designed Model A would be manufactured
before the company decided to concentrate on
other endeavours in 1921, including the manufacture
of trucks and buses. Mitsubishi Specifications >> |
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Morgan started out setting up a car dealership in Malvern Link, Worcestershire. Here, and in his spare time, the young Morgan would build his own iterations, one such three wheeled version using a Peugeot engine and independent front suspension. Believing in the genius of his son, Morgan’s clergyman father would finance the establishment of the Morgan Motor company in 1910, then manufacturing the now famous 3 wheelers using JAP engines. Morgan Specifications >> |
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William Morris (later Lord Nuffield) believed
firmly in the need to produce cheap cars for
the masses. Morris himself started out manufacturing
motorcycles, but his attention soon turned to
automobiles, and he was determined to make his
company a success. The first iteration was the
1912 Oxford, named after the nearby city of Oxford
(the Morris factory being at Cowley). Morris Specifications >> |
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Founded by Charles W. Nash,
a self made entrepreneur that started out as
a farm labourer, then by 1912 had landed the
job as president of none other than General Motors.
But Nash wanted to be his own boss, and in 1916
he purchased the Jeffery Motor Company with the
intention of building his own cars. In 1917 the
very first Nash hit the roads, it being powered
by a 244ci 4 litre six cylinder engine; this
was soon followed by the release of both sports
cars and roadsters. Nash Specifications >> |
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The Datsun name was dropped by Nissan in 1983,
timed to aid in an all out assault the company
was determined to make on the European market.
Nissan purchased a controlling interest in Motor
Iberica of Spain, and soon had the company building
Nissan Patrol 4x4’s. They then built a
brand new factory in Sunderland, UK to build
the Bluebird. Nissan Specifications >> |
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Founded by Heinrich Stoll
and Christian Schmidt to manufacture knitting
machines. Took the name NSU from the first letters
in the names of the rivers surrounding the plant
in which they operated, Neckar and Sulm. Following
the increasing popularity of bicycles, devoted
an ever increasing amount of production to their
manufacture, first with the high wheelers, then
to more modern, ballbearing equipped examples. NSU Specifications >> |
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Founded by Ransom E Olds in 1897 as the Olds
Motor Vehicle Company of Lansing, Michigan, the
company began the serious manufacture of cars
in 1901, that year manufacturing 425 - not many
by today’s standards but at the time it
was enough to make Olds the first high-volume
car manufacturer of the day. Oldsmobile Specifications >> |
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Opel has its origins in the sewing machine business, where in 1886, and encouraged by his five sons, Adam Opel diversified into cycle production. Adam Opel died in 1895, at a time when the cycle car industry was already suffering a downturn. Opel Specifications >> |
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Founded
as the Ohio Automobile Company by brothers James
Ward and William Dowd Packard in Warren (Ohio).
Deciding not to compete at the lower mass-produced
end of the market being then dominated by Henry
Ford, the company instead concentrated on the
manufacture of more up-market cars. Packard Specifications >> |
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Established by the Peugeot family in the early
19th century, then concerned with the manufacture
of various industrial products, including the
bicycle. In 1890, just 4 years after Carl Benz
and Gottlieb Daimlers invention of the motor
car, Armand Peugeot used Daimlers engine to manufacture
his own 4-wheel motor vehicle, based on his quadricycle. Peugeot Specifications >> |
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Plymouth was the low-end of the Chrysler range. The name
was the brainchild of then Chrysler Sales Manager
Joseph Frazier, he using Plymouth Rock for his
inspiration – the place where the Pilgrim
Fathers first set foot on American soil. Much
like the competition, Plymouth borrowed heavily
from the parts bin of its parent company, but
where it was different was in how advanced those
parts were. Plymouth Specifications >> |
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Arguably the
2nd most successful GM division, behind Chevrolet.
The marque was “invented” by GM in
1926, the name being taken from the town of Pontiac,
Michigan, where the cars were built. And as with
the rival (Chrysler) Plymouth, the Pontiac’s
had almost overnight success, some 200,000 being
sold in 1929 alone. Pontiac Specifications >> |
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The story of
Porsche dates back to long before the establishment
of the marque, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche playing
pivotal roles in so many illustrious marques,
such as Volkswagen, Austro-Daimler, Steyr and even
Cistalia (the French authorities freeing him after
the war with the Italian manufacturer paid them
a million francs so that they could secure his
services to design a new Grand Prix car). Porsche Specifications >> |
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Founded in 1935 by T L Williams to take over making the Raleigh 3 wheeler delivery
van, a vehicle that Williams himself had designed
in 1933, and one that Raleigh no longer wished
to make. Powered by a 750 cc V-twin engine driving
the rear wheels through a 3 speed gearbox and
shaft drive, in 1939 the engine was replaced
by Reliant's version of the straight four cylinder
747cc Austin 7 side-valve engine. Reliant Specifications >> |
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Founded by Louis, Marcel
and Fernaud
Renault as the Société Renault
Frères in 1898. Louis provided the engineering
expertise, while the brothers concentrated on
running the business. Their first car, the “Voiturette”,
was sold to a friend of Louis after he took a
test ride. Renault Specifications >> |
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Riley started out as a family concern, for many
years working as master weavers. With a downturn
in trade to both Germany and Austria William
Riley, who had inherited the business from his
father, decided he needed to diversify, and so
in 1890 he acquired the Bonnick Cycle Company.
Against Riley’s wishes, his five sons would
experiment with engines, and in 1899 the company
had manufactured their first powered tricycle. Riley Specifications >> |
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Arguably the most famous partnership in automotive
history belongs to Rolls Royce. Having acquired
a Deauville car, Henry Royce was so dissatisfied
that he decided to build his own; somewhat of
a perfectionist his first car, the 10hp, ran
with unsurpassed precision. It would impress
many, none more so than one Charles Rolls, who
offered to sell as many cars as Royce could manufacture.
A partnership was formed, and Rolls Royce born. Rolls-Royce Specifications >> |
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Founded in 1877 in a partnership between John
Kemp Starley and William Sutton, the Coventry
based bicycle company would be at the forefront
of modern bicycle design. Car manufacture would
commence in 1904 with a range of single and twin
cylinder sleeve-valve engines, one of their cars
even taking out the 1907 Tourist Trophy race. Rover Specifications >> |
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Saab has a relatively short automotive history.
The company was founded in Trolhattan as Svenska
Aeroplan Aktiebolaget to manufacture high-performance
aircraft before World War 2. Only after
the war would the company make its first foray
into automobile manufacture. The first prototype
vehicle, the 92001, would be hand built by 17
aeronautical engineers – amazingly only
one having a driver’s license. SAAB Specifications >> |
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The Sociedad Española de Automóviles
de Turismo (Spanish Corporation of Private Cars),
or SEAT, is a relative newcomer to the automotive
industry. Founded in 1950 as a subsidiary of
Fiat, a significant share of the company was
owned by the Spanish government under the dictatorship
of Francisco Franco. SEAT Specifications >> |
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Founded by Frenchman Henri-Theodore Pigozzi who had been importing
Fiat’s for a time, and realised it
would be even more lucrative to produce the Italian
cars under license for the French market, thus
in 1934 La Société Industrielle
de Mécanique et de Carrosserie Automobile,
or simply Simca for short. It would become an
overnight success by building the Fiat 500 Topolino
and 508 as the Cinq and Huit respectively. Simca Specifications >> |
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Founded by George Singer who began manufacturing cars
under licence from Lea-Francis, namely the 8 and 12
hp underfloor engined models. The company would soon
lose direction upon the death of Singer, finding itself
at the mercy of receivers. But remarkably the company
survived, and began the manufacture of small but high
quality cars such as the three-cylinder Ten. Singer Specifications >> |
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Started out in 1895 as Laurin and Klement, then
manufacturing bicycles. In 1899 they began the
manufacture of motorcycles, following in 1905
with the manufacture of the Voiturette automobile.
After World War 1 the company concentrated on
the manufacture of trucks, but fell on hard times
in 1924 following a large fire that all but destroyed
their manufacturing facility. Skoda Specifications >> |
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Standard would start out in 1903 producing single
cylinder cars, and like most other manufacturers
these would quickly evolve into two, three and
four cylinder iterations. During World War 1
the company would manufacture a variety of planes,
including the much lauded Sopwith Pup and Bristol
F.2-B. After the war the company started the
manufacture of small domestic cars, for a time
locked in combat with Austin. Standard Specifications >> |
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Studebaker established a manufacturing facility
in South Bend, Indiana (USA) to manufacture wagons.
Incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers
Manufacturing Company by the 5 Studebaker brothers,
it would enter the automotive business in 1897,
then to manufacture electric vehicles. Studebaker Specifications >> |
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Started as a
small concern for the giant Fuji Heavy Industries,
manufacturing a moped named the 'Rabbit' in 1956,
followed by its first real car, the 360, a few
years later. During the 1960's manufactured the
full-sized FE saloon followed by the updated FF
Leone coupe. Entered the performance car segment
in the 1980's with the turbocharged XT coupe.
The 'Legacy' was released in 1989, Subaru once
again raising the bar in terms of quality and
performance. Subaru Specifications >> |
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Founded by John
Marston in 1901, a sheet metal worker who built
up the company Sunbeamland to manufacture bicycles.
Marston allowed his apprentice Thomas Cureton
to tinker with prototype cars, the resulting Sunbeam Mabley of 1901 being a curious cross
between car and motorcycle, the four wheels being
set in a diamond formation. Sunbeam Specifications >> |
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Founded in 1955, Suzuki is better known for
the manufacture of motorcycles, although there
have been some worthy four-wheeled versions to
come from the Japanese manufacturer. Their first
iteration was the tiny Suzulite; designed to
benefit from Japanese tax laws with its little
21.97ci 360cc engine, it would pave the way for
larger, albeit still very small versions. The
most significant of the early exports was the
4 stroke LJ80, later renamed Jimny. Suzuki Specifications >> |
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Originally set up to import
French Clément cars into England, Talbot soon
began manufacture in its own right. Combined with
Darracq and Sunbeam to form STD motors in 1920.
Enjoyed success with designs by Swiss born Georges
Roesch, credited with the 10/23 model in 1923. STD collapsed in 1935, Talbot and Sunbeam being
purchased by the Rootes group. Talbot Specifications >> |
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Tatra owes much of its success to Hans Ledwinka, an engineering genius who brought much innovation to the marque. His early Nesseldorf car introduced 4 wheel braking and an overhead-cam engine. After World War I the company was renamed Tatra and Ledwinka charged with designing a new small car. The 1923 Type-11 was simple yet extremely rugged, and became a huge success. Tatra Specifications >> |
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Toyota is the largest car manufacturer
in the world, and has been built on a reputation for building
good quality cars. Reverse engineered US and British
cars, then studied US production methods, the
resultant Corolla of 1966 becoming an overnight
success. There are, and have been, many models
in the Toyota lineup, but it is the Corolla that
built the success that the company enjoys today. Toyota Specifications >> |
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Motorcycle manufacturer since 1902, Triumph diversified into the manufacture of automobiles from 1923. Became extremely popular after World War II with its Spitfire and TR series. Best known for the sporty open-top roadsters, notable saloon models included the Herald and Dolomite. Triumph Specifications >> |
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Founded by Trevor
Wilkinson and Jack Pickard, going from the manufacture
of one-off specials to series production models
from 1953. The earliest examples used Austin mechanicals,
but as the company became more and more successful,
larger powerplants from other manufacturers were
used. TVR Specifications >> |
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Originated
in Belgium in 1870 manufacturing wheels, then
axle units for carriages. In 1884 moved from
Brussels to Antwerp where horse drawn carriages
were produced, some of their creations being
exhibited at the World Trade Fairs. Manufactured
components for De Dion Bouton, Berlier, Germain,
Packard and others. Formed a company in England
in 1913, building bodies under licence from Vanden
Plas in Belgium. Vanden-Plas Specifications >> |
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Derived from
the Vauxhall Iron Works, which was founded by Alexander Wilson and located in Vauxhall, London. Vauxhall began the manufacture of
marine engines in 1857, although Wilson would leave the company at the turn of the century, the encumbant board of directors then required to determine the future direction of the company. Like many, the horseless carriage captured their imaginatrion, and by 1903 the company had manufactured their first car, a single cylinder 5hp. model. Vauxhall Specifications >> |
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Born from
the KdF-Wagen, the Beetle would make Volkswagen
the worlds most popular car. The 5 millionth
Beetle was made in 1961, with over a million
being manufactured each year after that. Slowly
diversified, with the introduction of the Transporter
in 1950 and Karmann Cabriolet in 1949. Volkswagen Specifications >> |
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Founded by Assar
Gabrielsson and Gustav Larson with the intention
of building vehicles better able to handle the
harsh Scandinavian climate. Both came from SKF
bearings, this company funding the first production
of 1000 cars in 1927. The P120 Amazon established
its enviable global reputation for quality and
safety. Volvo Specifications >> |
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Founded by Heinrich Ehrhardt in 1896, a successful
German industrialist who, among other concerns,
was responsible for the creation of the the 2nd
largest cannon manufacturing facility in Germany
(behind Krupp). His new company started out
manufacturing bicycles, military transporters,
taxi’s
and even omnibuses, however the “Autocar” introduced
at the 1898 Dusseldorf car exhibition was generally
ignored by the public. Wartburg Specifications >> |
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Founded by
John North Willys in 1907 after he purchased
the Standard Wheel Company. Went from making
small runabouts powered by single and twin cylinder
engines, to development of the "Overland",
the USA's best selling car of 1914 and even overtaking
sales of Ford's Model T. Best known for the manufacture
of the US military Jeep, for many years the companies
only product. Willys Specifications >> |
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Established in 1896, Wolseley was one of England’s
first carmakers, quickly garnering a reputation
for building quality vehicles. The first iteration
was actually built by Herbert Austin who was,
at the time, the companies General Manager. This
simple three-wheeler would quickly morph into
a four-wheeler, as did so many at the time, and
by 1901 there was even a four cylinder five speed
racer in the modest 3 model lineup. Wolseley Specifications >> |
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Zastava started life as a cannon-casting plant, founded in 1853. They entered vehicle production with the manufacture of Ford trucks, made exclusively for the Yugoslavian Army in the late 1930's. A small number of vehicles continued in production until the outbreak the World War 2. In the early 1950's Zastava would manufacture a small number of Jeeps, however the relationship with Willys-Overland (Chrysler) remained at length, and when the lawyers were called Zastava ceased production. Zastava Specifications >> |
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Zavod imeni Likhacheva, more commonly called ZIL - Likhachev Factory, literally "Factory named after Likhachev") is a major Russian truck and heavy equipment manufacturer, which also produced armored cars for most Soviet leaders, as well as buses, armored fighting vehicles, and aerosans. ZIS/ZIL Specifications >> |