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Sir, I do not know to which Post are referring.

My comments related to the Post containing

the image of the 3 wheeled vehicle..

 

Yes and I said that that on the torn remains of the dust cover of the book (Voitures Modernes pub. 1951) from which this three wheel car image came, there is a picture of the author holding a camera which I think is an LTM with a Leicameter on top and in an every ready case. It is more probably the photographer, as there is another picture of a different man, without a camera in the other half of the triangle (not copied). He is smoking a cigarette, actually between his lips not fingers as I said, when I look again. So when you nit picked, saying that you thought that all pictures were supposed to be taken with Leica cameras, I said that in view of the picture below, the image of the three wheel car might well have been taken with a Leica.

 

Having to have this sort of conversation is rather depressing, on what to date, has been a very friendly thread.

 

Can we now PLEASE get back to guessing cars!

 

Wilson

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To, wlaidlaw, your explanation is much appreciated. Having read many of your Post's I have always assumed your attributes to be well earned, one extra attribute I would add - "nose in the air" - I too have run the London - Brighton, definately an experience all modern motorists should have.. As you commented, let's return to "Name this Car"..

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Getting back to Wilson's post #7248, even though its one wheel short, it certainly bears a strong resemblance to the Porsche Typ 64 '39 Berlin-Rome Streamliner. ( please see scanned photo )

 

Not ready to committ and state the two are actually related, but I'm pretty sure it must be German.

 

JZG

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I believe the 3 wheeled vehicle is a Mathis VL333..:)

There is a Google image available, but I will not Post until a moderator gives permission..

 

Goggle even displays the same picture posted by Wilson... :)...(or, at least, taken in the same location, with same people on board) : really a strange beast... but in the '50s there had been an incredible number of odd microcars around Europe...

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A Mathis 333 as people say. The same book explains 3 wheels, 3 seats and 3 litres/100km. It has a 2 cylinder, water cooled, side valve, aluminium flat twin engine, where each cylinder has its own thermo-syphon radiator. The car was also all made of aluminium, for which, unlike steel, there were plentiful supplies post war. It only weighed just over 370kg. 10 prototypes were made but Emile Mathis did not receive the expected government grant to put it into production. He was rather vocal about collaborators from the Vichy government still being in positions of authority in the civil service post war and this did not go down well. I believe two examples remain, one running.

 

Mathis was technically born German in occupied Alsace Lorraine, started making cars there in the early 1900's, including Bugatti's earliest designs. He was conscripted into the German army in WW1 but when sent to Switzerland with a bag of cash to buy trucks in 1916, defected to the French with the cash. His cars were successful in the 1920's and he was France's largest exporter of cars to the USA in the 1920's. His company was bought by Henry Ford in the 1930's to make badge engineered Fords. During WW2 he provided the allies with maps and blueprints to assist with bombing and sabotage of his factories, then making shells and other armaments for the Axis powers. Post war, he was heavily criticised by the French authorities for having done this (you wonder whose side they were on).

 

The next car on from the 333, was logically the 666, which had a flat 6 engine, six seats and six gears. Its styling was very advanced if somewhat challenging. It also never went beyond the prototype stage. By this time Emile was in his mid 70's and must have been running out of steam a bit. He died in the early 1950's, a bitterly disappointed man.

 

I assume the Google image must have been copied from "Voitures Modernes" or it may also have appeared in other books, as I don't imagine there are that many contemporaneous photos of the 333 and that one could have ended up in some photo agency.

 

Wilson

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I believe only 9 were made. The other views are fab. This is as shot, no cropping, so it may be just easy for you guys.:)

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Shawn -

 

Thanks for stepping in. I'm sure Wilson and Ronald will know this one, but I do not. It looks fascinating, well photographed, and I look forward to seeing the entire car. Probably European from the '30s.

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Sorry Wison, not T87. Though I must say they do look eerily similar if T87's back fin was removed, but the the profile do not match. Stuart, U're right @ 30s. 1936 to be precise.:)

Hint; Not a European.

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I'm almost sorry I consulted Google and found the Stout Scarab. It wasn't nearly as good looking as I hoped, but it seems to be a forerunner of the minivans of today. I still look forward to seeing your complete photo, which from the crop looks well executed.

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The contemporary reports talk of excellent handling of the Scarab. With a flathead V8 located above the rear axle, giving a high centre of gravity and swing axles, which have a very low roll centre, I would have thought that the handling would have more likely fallen into the "interesting" category :)

 

Wilson

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