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In 1969, Matra was taken over by SIMCA, which in turn became fully Chrysler-owned one year later. Matra continued with their mission to produce an inexpensive, economical sports car, using off-the-shelf power units and running gear coupled with dramatic styling. In 1973, Matra introduced their newest concept, the M550—better known as the Bagheera and named […]

Servicemen returning from the European Theater after WWII had become infatuated with the sports car. One of the most popular and recognizable was the MG T-series. In 1949, the MG TC gave way to the MG TD; in 1953, the MG TD gave way to the MG TF. The TF was at the time a

The MG B proved even more successful than its predecessor the MG A. In 1965 came a coupé version–the MG B GT, which had an attractive and functional closed version of the standard body. In appearance, the front end was essentially the same, but the windshield was slightly higher to allow for a higher roof

While the NSU Prinz 1, 2, and 3 were inexpensive, economical cars, they were not considered stylish. NSU realized that if they sought to sell small cars in volume numbers they needed a car with a more appealing style. The designers at NSU thought the Chevrolet Corvair was an attractive automobile and decided to style

In 2000, Martin Ogilvie designed a car for the British Hillclimb series. This series has one rule – engine size. Martin focused on making the car as light as possible (460 pounds) and took every aspect of this car to the edge. The brakes are from the rear of a Ducati motorcycle, and the brake

In 1953, Reliant Engineering Co. brought out their first passenger car–the Regal. Reliant chose this name in recognition of the Coronation of Elizabeth II, also in that year. All models had a very small “bonnet,” intended to allow only a coolant and oil check, while further engine maintenance had to be done by accessing the

The 4 cylinder Renault Alpine 310 was launched in 1972. Some consider the Alpine one of France’s best kept secrets–it was a more practical and cheaper alternative to the Porsche 911. The V6 engine, introduced in 1976, allowed the A310 to rival the best sports cars in Europe. With a mid-engine layout and fiberglass monocoque

The Saab 96 was presented at a Stockholm press conference on February 17, 1960. It was well received and proved popular. In 1967, Saab considered making the 96 model as a convertible. The factory had six cars made by a special body maker and then decided the demand might not warrant the extra tooling costs.

This company began under the name “Sicam” in 1912 and produced a small cyclecar. In the early 1920s they began making 98cc engines for attaching to bicycles. By 1924, the company was reformed under the new name for the purpose of making the Sima-Violet. They used the same Marcel Violet-designed 496cc flat-twin engine as its