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Glenn Gordan “Gary” Davis was an industrial designer and salesman. Around the end of World War II, he bought a small racecar that a California racing enthusiast had converted to a 3-wheeler–thinking it would make a practical economy car. It is likely that this car became the first Davis prototype. The Davis Divan was presented […]

René Bonnet was a self-made engineer with a passion for competition and Charles Deutsch was a trained body designer who managed a custom coach works in Champigny-sur-Marne, close to Paris. Their partnership was unofficial because Deutsch was a civil servant who oversaw all French roads, and French law prohibited civil servants from owning a business.

From 1949 to 1962, DKW produced a van with a trailing-arm rear suspension system which incorporated springs in the cross bar assembly. It had a very modern layout with a front engine and front-wheel drive, but the engine was weak. The F800 was offered for sale to the public in 1954 and was equipped with

The DKW-Vemag is considered the first genuinely Brazilian-made passenger vehicle. It is basically a German DKW Sonderklasse. There were some differences; for example, no heater was provided (for obvious reasons). The first DKW-Vemag model was launched in 1958. It was the first four door model made in Brazil. DKW autos were produced in Sâo Paulo,

This company is better known for its commercial vehicles which have been made from 1918 to the present day. In recent years, they have concentrated on ultra-large, off-road dump trucks. Production of the Kraka began in 1962 with the idea that it would be suited for cross-country or forestry workers. While these clients showed little

Fiat began in 1899 when the Societa Aninima Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili – Torino was formed and has been building cars for over 100 years. Many consider the most famous Fiat to be the 500 “Topolino” (topolino translates to “little mouse”, a term of endearment the Italian people gave the small 500A).  Launched in 1936, the

Envisioned by Louis Bertetto, president of the Automobile Club Milano, and Romulus Tavoni, former sporting director for Ferrari, as an entry-level racing formula in 1964, Formula Monza 875 was both an affordable and educational series for up-and-coming drivers. The “875” in the name was tied to the ready-to-race car’s price limit – 875,000 lire, or

The charter establishing Fiat was signed in 1899. A year later, the factory opened and produced 24 cars in the first year. By 1908, Fiat had expanded throughout Europe and the U.S. World War I began in 1914 and production focused on supplying the army. After the war, during Mussolini’s rule, the company’s international presence

The first appearance of the Irat name was in 1914 but there is no record of car production until 1921. Apart from the bodies, the whole of the car was made at the factory in France. Output was about 200 cars per year up to the end of the 1920s. Irat became interested in American