Racing cars with propellers are something we would need more of around here. The propeller on this 1923 Voisin C6 Laboratoire Grand Prix special worked in reverse, utilizing otherwise unused energy borrowed from the blazing 100+ mile per hour top speed of the Voisin to circulate engine coolant in an attempt to keep the near 2000 cubic centimeter sleeve valve straight six from … [Read more...]
Hopped Up Renault 4CV
Over a million Renault 4CV sedans can't be wrong. Sales of the 4CV hit half a million units in 1954, and surpassed the million mark by 1960. The 4CV was sold here in America, and manufactured under license as the HINO 4CV in Japan. And what's not to like? Rear engine. Developed in total secrecy by a German-occupied WW2 France. Rear wheel drive. Cheap to buy when produced. … [Read more...]
Hydropneumatics and Design Together in Pasadena
There were more Citroëns than drivers on a Saturday morning. The task at hand was a good one. Settle into the plush appointments behind the steering wheel of a 1969 and-one-half Citroën iD21F Safari Wagon and drive. The mission was to get all cars on the move to the Pasadena Art Center College of Design for a gathering of Citroëns, and subsequent tour of the Art Center … [Read more...]
France and Italy Show
If you were traveling through L.A.’s San Fernando Valley on the first Sunday in November and experienced a sudden craving for a scoop of gelato, a double espresso, and a few puffs on a Gitanes, chances are you passed within spitting distance of the 2009 edition of the Best of France and Italy car show. With sunny skies above and a soundtrack which included French versions of … [Read more...]
France and Italy Together
We know what you're thinking. You pine away the hours longing for the sleek lines and elegant thrift of a 1958 Fiat 600. You revel in the idea of automobiles that incorporate corrugated steel as exterior paneling. You drift off into daydreams of motoring along on a hydro-pneumatic cushion of infinite suspension adjustment, your hands leaving the steering wheel just long enough … [Read more...]