hektor Posted September 5, 2018 Share #11301 Posted September 5, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 2 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=3586777'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 5, 2018 Posted September 5, 2018 Hi hektor, Take a look here Name this car..... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
wlaidlaw Posted September 5, 2018 Share #11302 Posted September 5, 2018 Hektor, The 540K I drove (and we nearly bought) was the one owned by a well known German/Swiss playboy, I think from new until his death. It was supposed to be the best one in existence, maintained at unlimited expense throughout its life. At the last minute we decided we better drive it before purchase, just in case, as we had previously bought cars un-driven that were equally supposed to be "the best in the world". We then found they needed a huge amount of work to get them right and on some we gave up in the end, because we just could not get them either really right or nice to drive (Bugatti 57SC Gangloff Coupé). The 540K had incredibly heavy and vague steering. Fine on an Autobahn, where I am sure it was very stable but not elsewhere. The whole car was wallowy and sluggish until you engaged the supercharger, either manually or kick-down but that was so noisy, it is not something you would want to do much. We walked. If RR were comparing the 540K suspension with say a Phantom II, I can understand that they found it good. The Phantom II's steering is nothing to write home about either. The 8 litre Bentley was a far nicer car than the contemporary Phantom. There are very few pre-war road cars that are really nice to drive. The only ones I really like are: Cricklewood and Derby Bentleys, BMW's, Alfa Romeos and Delahayes. Silver Ghosts can be fun to drive, especially the lightweight earlier ones on beaded edge tyres, like our 1911 London to Edinbugh but nice - not really and in modern traffic, the absence of front wheel brakes makes driving very mentally tiring. You are correct with an Isotta Frascini but from the narrow tyres, I would guess an 8 rather than an 8A. I am fairly sure that is a Castagna Coupé body. They got a lot prettier later, which again points to this being an earlier car from I would guess, 1922 or 23. A friend had always lusted after an I-F and bought a 1929 8A with a rather tired but extremely pretty Castagna Body. He sent it to Bonfanti in Italy and spent a lot of money on it. He invited me to have a drive because he found it a bit disappointing, after it had come back. It went well in a straight line albeit it felt a very heavy car and only has a three speed box. The engine sounds like a big speedboat engine. The steering however was dire. On the move at slower speeds, you had to use both hands pulling down on one side of the enormous wheel to turn it. We tried pumping the tyres up a fair bit and checked things like the king pin trail angle. We then spoke to a UK vintage car dealer, who we knew had had a few Isottas through his hands and he told us that the incredibly heavy steering was normal and if you tried to lighten it by reducing the king pin trail/caster angle, they lose all directional stability. He recommendation was to get a chauffeur to drive it! My friend sold it last year, a disillusioned man but he has since bought a GT40 - far better. Your turn. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 5, 2018 Share #11303 Posted September 5, 2018 (edited) Wilson, I don't think a car can be judged by just one example. The various K Mercedes-Benz of the thirties I have driven did not have steering any heavier than its contemporaries, but not as good as a Derby Bentley. There are a surprising number of Phantoms II in Australia of which I have driven many and owned one, a late Continental. What I disliked about that model was its understeer, although the handling characteristics were benign. A Sedanca de Ville doing a four wheel drift on a wet road is quite a sight. The vintage car in which I have done most miles is a Speed Six Bentley, a superb car with a deservedly good reputation, however even its steering was wooden and characterless. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited September 5, 2018 by hektor Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=3587203'>More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 5, 2018 Share #11304 Posted September 5, 2018 Just in case this would be considered a copyright violation, I've removed the image and entered a link. Stuart Nordheimer https://www.google.com/search?q=1963+Fiat+2300+S+Lausanne+Coup%C3%A9&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjixoe2q6bdAhXQuVkKHXKPD5sQ7Al6BAgFEA0&biw=1280&bih=889#imgrc=4gXzsKv11YRuxM:&spf=1536235563852 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted September 5, 2018 Share #11305 Posted September 5, 2018 Looks like a Pininfarina design. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 5, 2018 Share #11306 Posted September 5, 2018 (edited) Looks like a Pininfarina design. Yes Michael, you are right. Now for the mechanics. Edited September 5, 2018 by hektor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11307 Posted September 6, 2018 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Still looks like an NSU to me, which suggests a Wankel engine. Edited September 6, 2018 by IkarusJohn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11308 Posted September 6, 2018 (edited) Not an NSU. I don't think Pininfarina designed anything for them. The engine is a straight six cylinder. Edited September 6, 2018 by hektor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UliWer Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11309 Posted September 6, 2018 (edited) There was a design by Pininfarina for a NSU Ro 80 "2 Porte +2" from 1971 - which never was produced in series. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:NSU_Ro80_2PortePlus2_1.jpg The car hektor asks for indeed looks very similar to the original Ro 80 - which was designed by Carl Luthe and still looks good today (which I should not say about the Pininfarina study from 1971) Edited September 6, 2018 by UliWer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11310 Posted September 6, 2018 (edited) 1963 Fiat 2300 S Lausanne Coupé Your image, Hektor, is very similar to one on Prology.info. Did you take this image? I can't for the life of me remember where I have seen this car, but I have seen it in the flesh somewhere ... This is the NSU I was thinking of - the Ro80, with the Wankel engine that kept blowing head seals - rather beautiful, I thought, as a 9 years old ; https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/features/nsu-ro80-the-car-of-the-year-that-killed-the-company/ Edited September 6, 2018 by IkarusJohn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11311 Posted September 6, 2018 Well done John. I didn't take this image. In 1963 I was still at school as a 15 year old. It is a pity so many attractive cars never made it in to production. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11312 Posted September 6, 2018 1963 Fiat 2300 S Lausanne Coupé Your image, Hektor, is very similar to one on Prology.info. Did you take this image? I can't for the life of me remember where I have seen this car, but I have seen it in the flesh somewhere ... This is the NSU I was thinking of - the Ro80, with the Wankel engine that kept blowing head seals - rather beautiful, I thought, as a 9 years old ; https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/features/nsu-ro80-the-car-of-the-year-that-killed-the-company/ It was on this thread a few months ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11313 Posted September 6, 2018 FIAT had a number of lovely designs which either never made it to production, or were very rare, such as the FIAT Dino. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11314 Posted September 6, 2018 Pininfarina provided a similar design for the Mercedes 230SL (pagoda roof), which was a more beautiful take on an already beautiful car. No production models. A one off, or maybe a two off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11315 Posted September 6, 2018 Dear friends, This morning I received this communication from God Hektor - I've removed the image of the FIAT since posting it might be construed as a copyright infringement. Please do not use unauthorized images. Thanks. Stuartwww.barbara-and-stu.com My reply was: Dear God, What right do you have to do so. Most photographs posted on this thread are not taken by whom ever posted them. If this is the sort of policing on this forum I intend to make a complaint to the appropriate authority and cease contibuting to the Leica Forum. Yours sincerely Hektor As a lawyer who was awarded honours in copyright law I think the man is an idiot. Accordingly I am leaving the Leica Forum. Good bye, I have very much enjoyed the fun. Sincerely Hektor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11316 Posted September 6, 2018 Dear Wilson, Did you take this photograph, if not watch out: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=3588218'>More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11317 Posted September 6, 2018 I did take this photograph with a Leica on Kodachrome: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=3588219'>More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11318 Posted September 6, 2018 Published literary, dramatic or musical works (includes published official records) 50 years after the end of the year in which the work is first published The photo of the Fiat 2300S with Pininfarina body was taken at Geneva in 1963. Its copyright, the photo that is, expired in 2013. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11319 Posted September 6, 2018 Sorry to have raised the issue, Hektor - the situation under German law is a bit different, as I understand it. I will post an image shortly - I'm having trouble with my catalogue ... I seem to have lost a large number of images. Seems I need to be more careful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted September 6, 2018 Share #11320 Posted September 6, 2018 (edited) Hi John, I agree that copyright law is clear and should be enforced. However copyright expires after fifty years including in Germany. Furthermore the Fiat photograph was not used for commercial purposes. I suggest the lawyers for this Forum are consulted. End of discussion. "Beam me up Scotty, there is no intelligent live down here". Edited September 6, 2018 by hektor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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