More than an old car #182: Maserati Indy

After a rather hectic week, it is a relief to have some time set aside for more writing. Having trawled through my archives, I was inspired to cover this rather unique 1972 Maserati Indy: it has been a while since I wrote about continental cars and I figured that though the trident brand is relatively well-acquainted with many (for good or for worse), few people would be aware of the rich history behind the older models..

The Indy was conceived as an alternative to the 1960s Ghibli, featuring a V8 engine and seating for 4 people. 2 coachbuilder prototypes were introduced at the 1968 Turin Motor Show, one by Ghia and the other by Vignale: Maserati already had established relationships with both coachbuilders as they had designed other cars for the company. The Vignale design was chosen and was launched subsequently at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show: its name was a reference to Maserati's 2 victories at the Indianapolis (Indy) 500 race in 1939 and 1940.

The genius of Vignale's design was evident in the Indy's side profile: the full-width window hatch flowed down to a cut-off tail incorporating the now-standard horizontal rear light clusters above a full-width rear bumper. Despite not possessing the long low line of the Ghibli, the use of retractable headlights helped to accentuate the flowing lines of the car. In 1970, a larger 4.7 litre engine was introduced and major changes were made to the dashboard: a grab handle was fitted and the aircon vents on the centre console were removed. Instead, it was replaced by gauges for temperature and fuel, and even an analogue clock.

In 1971, cars bound for the North American market were renamed to 'Indy America', and a 4.9 litre engine was also introduced. Externally, an extra grille was fitted on the hood and the Borrani wheels were increased in size to 15 inches. The Indy was available in both automatic and manual transmissions, and was rear-wheel drive despite the engine being located at the front of the car. This unit was powered by a 4136 cc V8 engine (instead of the 4719 cc version), allowing it to reach a top speed of 250 km/h with an acceleration of 7.3 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4740 mm long and weighed 1650 kg, with a fuel consumption of 19.2 litres/100 km.

Production of the Indy ended in 1975 with no direct successor. A total of 1,104 units were made, of which just 74 were in RHD. The Australian registration suggests that this was 1 of 5 4.2-litre version with a manual transmission sold new in the country! This particular unit has a burgundy exterior with a cream interior, and has clocked about 63,000 miles currently. It was sold in 2016 for A$16,612, where it was acquired by a local classic car collector. Despite being exhibited a few times over the years, it has not been road-registered locally. Indys were not known to be sold in Singapore, though a 4.9 litre unit was test driven here in 1973. The automatic version was noted to have a quick start and the controls were smooth and responsive, along with the brakes. There was praise for the ample rear seat space, although the long seat belt and aircon vent positioning left much to be desired. 

Older Maseratis tend not to be well-recognised, perhaps because of its general lower presence in popular culture etc. Whatever it is, this obscurity is something that is right up my alley and I hope that this has been informative about its presence right here in Singapore. Perhaps you may be able to catch it at exhibitions or even registered on the road!

More than an old car #181: Nissan AD Resort

 

 

In the midst of my posts, I have realised that I have not given much attention these few weeks to non-continental cars, partly due to work fatigue and overall ennui. Being aware of this, I went to take a look at my archives and found this rather remarkable 1995 Nissan AD Resort SLX!

First introduced in 1982, the AD Van was intended to replace the commercial delivery vans based on Nissan's other vehicles. Based off the B11 Sunny wagon, it was more squarish and utilitarian: despite being a van, it came with 4 side doors and a liftback hatch in the back. In 1990, the Y10 series appeared in the market: it was based off the B13 Sunny and a passenger version known as the AD Wagon was introduced in order for consumers to avoid the annual inspection in Japan. The Japan market also received a unique version known as the AD Max: it had 2 front doors, an extended height and double doors were fitted on the back in the 'fourgonette' style.

There was a facelift in 1993, where the squarish headlights were now integrated with the front grille and became more rectangular. It was around this time that the car was exported to Thailand and Malaysia, where it was called the AD Resort. The SEA market version had a larger 1.6 litre engine, and units sold in Thailand had many body styles to choose from owing to their love of pick-up trucks. Only the regular wagon was sold in Malaysia by Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd as far as I am aware. The AD Resort in Malaysia was powered by a 1597 cc GA16DE i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 170 km/h with an acceleration of 12.1 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4175 mm long and weighed 1010 kg, with a fuel consumption of 9.5 litres / 100 km.

Production of the Y10 AD Resort ended in 1999, where it was replaced by the Y11 series. Curiously, the AD Resort was never sold in Singapore although it would have complemented the B13 Sunnys that were present here. It was purely coincidental coming across this Malaysian unit: I had thought that it was a Sunny wagon (which was technically not wrong) but some research led me to discover this rarity on the road. There are a small handful of the Y12 series AD wagons here, but they are registered under diplomatic plates. 

As to why wagons never really caught on here, it is noted that they were naturally more expensive despite having more storage space. It appears to be more of a status symbol, and the rise of MPVs have made wagons superfluous: what better car to get that could carry a regular family plus furniture from IKEA? Regardless, coming across this little obscurity from across the causeway was a nice surprise: hopefully you may see them when the borders re-open...

Miscellaneous classics #8: Mercedes Atego

I guess it's one of those moments where I have to clear my backlog, and that this has been sitting in the archives for a long while. Being caught up with work also means that I have less time to work on the blog, so it would have to be something that does not take up much resources in planning on what to write. Speaking of this, I naturally thought on writing about the few commercial vehicles that I have seen, and I was reminded of this 2001 Mercedes Atego 1517/5360 that I saw some time ago!

The Atego (internal code W970) was introduced in 1998 as the successor to the LK series. It was made available in different cab sizes, from S to L high-roof version, along with different wheelbases between 3020 mm and 6260 mm. Different tonnages were available and designated in the following format: 7xx for 6.5 tonnes, 8xx for 8 tonnes and so on. The 'X's following the designation is the engine horsepower but given as a tenth. Thus, this particular unit thus has a tonnage of 11.99 tonnes based on its 15xx designation with a horsepower of about 170 hp, and its wheelbase was 5360 mm long.

In 2000, a heavy version of the Atego chassis was brought to the market, with designations 1533 and 1833. A year later, the Axor truck replaced the heavy Atego chassis and became a standalone model. The Atego, which remains in production today, went through a facelift in 2004 with wider indicators and a revised front end to be more aligned with the Actros. This Atego was powered by a 4249 cc OM904 94 engine, with a maximum power of 174 hp. It was 6900 mm long and had an unladen weight of 6080 kg, with a gross weight of 11990 kg.

Production of the first-generation Atego ended in 2004 with about 170,000 made, where it was followed by the second generation. It is likely that there are no first-gen Ategos left in Singapore, although a handful of second-generation units still see service under the fire brigade. This particular unit was owned by an art logistics company, which makes sense for it to be so huge. It was fortuitous running into this truck as I only took the picture since its number plate was relatively old. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find out that it was already a classic this year. However, that also meant that its lifespan was up and sure enough, it had been scrapped.

To be honest, I was not expecting anyone to even know that this actually existed here, such is the general perception of heavy-duty vehicles. As always, I will continue to give these workhorses their much-deserved spotlight just because I would like to. Now that you have heard of this, I hope that you may be able to recognise it in the future..

 

 

More than an old car #180: ZIS-110

With travel plans put on the back burner currently, I figured that it would be a good time to reminisce about my trip to South Korea. It has been a while since I wrote about a vehicle not in Singapore, and I was reminded of this unique rarity while scrolling through my archives. Given its novel background and history, this 1948 ZIS-110 would mot likely be your first exposure to a Soviet-era classic car!

The history of ZIS spans back to 1916, where it was first known as the Avtomobilnoe Moskovskoe Obshchestvo (AMO), or the Moscow Automotive Society. It was part of a government program to establish an automotive industry in Russia: it started out producing Fiat trucks under licence before designing its own vehicle, the AMO F-15 truck in 1924. The company had its name changed to Avtomobil'n'iy zavod Nomjar 2 - Zavod Imeni Stalina [ZIS] (i.e. Automotive Factory No. 2 - Factory named after Stalin) in 1931, after it was re-equipped and expanded with the help of the American firm A.J.Brant Company. As it was during the reign of Stalin, his name had to be incorporated in it somehow.

The first production car known as the ZIS-101 began in 1936: while different car models were made, the company continued to predominantly manufacture trucks and buses instead. Its name was changed in 1956 to Zavod imeni Likhachyova [ZIL], which was named after its former director Ivan Alekseevich Likhachov. However, as the years went by, its vehicles became severely outdated and the company went bankrupt in 2013. It continued to survive as a joint-stock company without producing any vehicles under the name MSC 6 AMO ZIL until its liquidation in 2019, by which time the original factory buildings had been demolished for residential usage.

The 110 was first conceived back in 1943 under the guidance of chief designer Boris Fitterman. Its design was heavily inspired by the pre-war Packard Super Eight 180, which Stalin received as a gift from Franklin D. Roosevelt. Stalin apparently loved the Packard so much that he wanted something similar on Soviet roads, and the task fell on lead designer Andrei Ostrovsev. While it has been claimed that the dies for the 110 were originally from the Packard, it is noted that the production of the 110 used the metric system compared to the imperial system in Packards, resulting in both cars being actually distinct from each other. Body panels were not transferrable and there were slight variations in lengths due to the varied systems used. However, it is undeniable that the decorative trim, fittings and interior design carried Packard DNA, so to speak.

On the exterior, the 110 was fitted with 2 rear lights even though traffic rules at that time only required 1 to be placed on the left. It also had headlight lamps, where the bulb itself was both a reflector and a diffuser: this was different from conventional headlights with separate components. It was also the first Soviet car with direction indicators (made in the American style), which could be turned on by switches on the dashboard or via the left steering column lever. 

The dashboard was fitted with the standard gauges (speedometer, thermometer etc), but an interesting feature was the speedometer needle changing colour at different speeds: it was green up to 60 km/h, yellow from 60-120 km/h and red above 120 km/h. The numbers on the speedometer scale also did not have the last zeroes i.e. "8, 10, 12" instead of "80, 100, 120". As the flagship Soviet car, the interior was fitted with a radio receiver, hydraulic windows and a cigarette lighter among other luxuries.

2 main body styles, namely a 4-door sedan and a 4-door convertible (phaeton) were produced although an ambulance version was also available. Sedans were painted in black, burgundy and blue, although 1 unit was painted in green and gifted to the then-Patriarch of Moscow Alexy I by Stalin. Phaetons were available in black, gray, gray-blue and beige. The 110s were primarily distributed to government branches and was out of reach for the typical peasant unsurprisingly, though some were also gifted to foreign communist leaders like Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh. Interestingly, some also saw use as inter-city taxis, where they were painted in dual-tone white and brown. An armoured version known as the ZIS-115 was commissioned by Stalin, which featured reinforced aviation armour and bulletproof glass.

The car was powered by a hefty 6002 cc inline-8 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 140 km/h with an acceleration of 23.1 seconds [0-60 mph]. Naturally, whoever owned it would probably not be terribly concerned with the eye-popping fuel consumption of 23 litres / 100 km. With a length of 6000 mm, height of 1730 mm and weighing in at 2575 kg, it was simply The Car to be in. There is a saying that goes "don't measure by the miles per gallon, but the smiles per gallon", which rings true for this instance, but I would probably be feeling like a literal god and forget about the dollars being converted to exhaust gases.

Production of the 110 ended in 1958 (or 1961 as some sources suggest) with just 2,083 cars made. It is estimated that about 200 still exist today, with half of them still on the road. This unit was noted to be a gift by the Soviets to Kim Il Sung, the first leader of the DPRK. It was captured by the ROK forces on 22 October 1950 near the Chongchon river in Pyongyang, where it was subsequently gifted to the widow of General Walton Walker. It made an appearance at the 1951 Los Angeles Motorama, but after that its history became quite murky. Nothing was heard of until 1982, where the UN Korean War Allies Association (UNKWAA) discovered it in the possession of a car collector in New Jersey. The UNKWAA returned the vehicle in 2013, where it has since resided in the War Museum of Korea in Seoul. 

It goes without saying that none of them existed in Singapore: in fact the only time a Russian car brand entered the local market was the short-lived Lada between 1977 to 1981, and subsequently in the 1990s under Togliatti Cars. The lack of maintenance knowledge (and trying to decipher potentially useful manuals in Cyrillic) effectively puts these Soviet-era cars out of reach from even the most enthusiastic collector in this part of the world. The fact that there was one right here in Seoul was a big surprise as I had never heard of its existence before...I hope that this has been a fresh insight to Soviet classic cars, especially one as illustrious as this. Hopefully, you may be able to see it some day!

More than an old car #179: Sunbeam Rapier

Car events now seem to be a lifetime ago as a result of current restrictions, and I am sure many of us are raring for a time where we can enjoy looking at many cars again without any fear. As a little throwback to when we were oblivious to the situation today, I felt it was a good moment to introduce this little obscurity of a 1956 Sunbeam Rapier!

The Rapier was launched by the Rootes Group in 1955, where it was based off the Hillman Minx. Curiously, the Hillman Minx itself debuted later in 1956 instead. Its styling, undertaken by Raymond Lowey Associates, was heavily influenced by the titular designer's Studebaker Starliner. Car bodies were built by Pressed Steel, shipped to Thrupp & Maberly in London where they were painted, then sent to the Rootes assembly plant where their engines were installed. Overall, the fractured nature of car production back then was an unwieldy beast that had fortunately died out. 

The car was equipped with a steering column gear change, leather trim and a Laycock de Normanville overdrive system. Typical of the period, cars were available in two-tone paint schemes like the above unit. The overdrive system was given praise by the late Sir Stirling Moss, who noted that the car could perform like a 2-litre engine car instead of a 1.3 litre one. Reviews also praised the instrument panel for showing important information at a glance, the wide view from the windscreen and seat comfort. Minor gripes included sluggish brakes and unnecessary clicking sounds when the wipers were in operation.

Despite being a 2-door car, it was able to fit 6 adults decently. Interestingly, the Rapier was also used in competition despite looking anything but sporty: it won the Special Touring Class up to 1600 cc in the 1956 Mille Miglia, and emerged 5th place at the 1958 Monte Carlo rally which were significant achievements. The Rapier was powered by a 1390 cc overhead valve straight-4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 85 mph with an acceleration of 21.7 seconds [0-60 mph]. It was 4070 mm long and had a fuel consumption rate of 9.3 litres / 100 km.

Production of the Series 1 Rapiers ended in 1958 with only 7,477 units made, where it was replaced by the Series 2. Rapiers were sold in Malaya (ie before Singapore became independent) by Lyons Motors Ltd in 1956, where they retailed at $7,180. While some units had been registered here in Singapore, none have survived till today: this unit was from Malaysia which had been here for an event. As with most 50s cars, not many remain partly due to scarcity of parts and knowledge to maintain these machines. With just 20 remaining in the UK, it would be reasonable to approximate around 100 remaining worldwide...

Although cars from your grandparents' era tend to be overlooked, they are veritable time machines that carry a nostalgia for a simpler period of history. The styling cues that appeared pioneered the way for car designs later on and are duly recognised as a significant part of what makes a car, a car. I was fortunate to be able to see this unique rarity, although I lamented not being able to take proper pictures due to the lack of access. While you probably won't see this anytime soon on the roads, I hope this has been fruitful in letting you know about its existence!

More than an old car #178: Lexus GS300

Real-life stuff has taken the forefront so this page has regrettably being put on the back burner. However, there are just so many cars that I would like to share with you all, so I will still continue to do my best in educating about the old cars here! Having delved into my archives for a fair bit, I was able to re-discover this 1998 Lexus S160 GS300! (which I did not recall taking pictures...)

The GS300 (also known as the Toyota Aristo in Japan) was first conceived in 1988 by Italdesign Giugario, where they aimed to produce a deluxe saloon that favoured a more simplified, European style appearance instead of the many bells and whistles that characterised Japanese cars of that era. The GS name stands for 'Grand Sedan': although it sounded relatively plain, it was still able to convey a sense of luxury. Its name in the Japan market was derived from Aristotle, which had the connotation of 'being the best'. Its design merged elements of the flagship LS and SC coupe to a more rounded, aerodynamic wedge, featuring a higher rear bootlid and wider proportions than rival vehicles. As such, it had a relatively low drag coefficient of 0.31. The car was assembled almost virtually by robots, who performed 4,200 welds while humans only did 8 of them. 

In 1993, development began for the 2nd generation in earnest under chief engineer Yasushi Nakagawa, and a concept was subsequently unveiled at the 1995 Detroit Motor Show. The car was shorter than before, but made considerably larger inside due to a newer wheelbase. Luggage capacity was also increased from 404 to 515 litres and it was even more aerodynamic than its predecessor with a drag coefficient of 0.29. The unique 4-headlight treatment was a head turner, and one could see the resemblance to the Mercedes W210 which appeared shortly before. 

Lexus promoted the arrival of the GS300 with the tagline 'Something Wicked This Way Comes', with good reason: it was fitted with the same engines behind the fan favourite Supra A80, and the US-market cars also received a larger 4-litre engine known as the GS400. This prompted Lexus to claim that it was the world's fastest production sedan in 1997, as it was theoretically able to outrun the BMW E39 M5. In 2000, it received a facelift with a slightly modified grille and subtly tinted headlights, while the interior received more wood trim. Various special editions were also offered throughout its production run, though mostly limited to the Aristo model.

This GS300 was powered by a 2997 cc 2JZ-GE i6 engine, allowing it to reach an electronically-controlled top speed of 230 km/h with an acceleration of 8.2 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4805 mm long and weighed 2120 kg, with a fuel consumption of 13.3 litres / 100 km.

Production of the S160 series ended in 2005, where it was replaced by the S190 series. Naturally, they are a rare sight nowadays with its relatively pricey road tax, with an estimated 7 left on the roads. GS300s were sold here in 1998 by Borneo Motors and one unit was noted to change hands recently. Despite its rather bland exterior (much like modern car designs), this unassuming executive sedan packs a punch: what better way to arrive on time for your meeting than to be delivered via raw power? 

The GS300 would be what people might call a 'sleeper', although this term has been bandied around for so many times that it has lost the original significance. However, let this not distract you from the fact of its classic and last-survivors status: hopefully this has been useful for you to identify them in the future!

More than an old car #177: Triumph Herald

Currently I have some time to spare and I felt it would be good to catch up on the backlog. These few days, I aim to look through the archives from years back and see if I can dig out interesting pictures to write on. This picture was taken more than 5 years ago (how time flies!) and this very carpark has been closed recently for redevelopment. However, finding this 1967 Triumph Herald 1200 there was pretty much a stroke of luck!

Towards the end of the 1950s, the Standard-Triumph (ST) company were offering a range of 2-seater Triumph sports cars along with Standard-brand saloons. However, the cars were due for an update and ST began work on what would be the Herald. Initially, the Herald was supposed to be sold under the Standard brand as it fit the model naming scheme (Ensign, Pennant and Standard itself), but this was changed as the Triumph name had more brand equity. 

Giovanni Michelotti was commissioned to style the car, and he quickly developed designs for a 2-door saloon that gave 93% all-round visibility and razor-edge looks which were getting popular. The car featured a separate chassis from the body, and each panel could be unbolted so that different body styles could be used. The instruments only featured a single large speedometer with a fuel gauge on the dashboard, although slightly more perks were available in the saloon. Initially, coupes and saloons fitted with a 948 cc engine were the only versions available, and a convertible was introduced in 1960. 

ST ran into financial difficulties in 1960 and was taken over by Leyland Motors in 1961. This released more resources for the Herald's development and led to the introduction of the 1200, featuring a larger engine, rubber-covered bumpers and a wooden laminated dashboard among other changes. A 3-door estate and a van version known as the Courier were also introduced. The 948 cc cars were phased out by 1964, and around this time an upmarket version known as the Herald 12/50 also made an appearance. It was only available in 2-door saloon form and was distinguished by a vinyl-fabric sunroof (as a standard option) and a fine-barred aluminum grille. 

October 1967 saw the entry of the Herald 13/60 with a restyled front end, and the sunroof was available as an option instead. Engine size increased to 1296 cc and the Herald continued to persist until its style and performance became severely outdated. The Herald was popular enough to outlive the Triumph 1300, which was intended to be the Herald's successor. Interestingly, Heralds remained popular enough for their chassis to be used as kit cars due to the separation between body and chassis mentioned previously.

This particular unit had the 1147 cc OHV i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 74 mph (119 km/h) with an acceleration of 28.6 seconds [0-60 mph]. It was 3886 mm long and weighed 800 kg, with a fuel consumption of 34 mpg (7 litres / 100 km).

Production of the Herald ended in 1971 with more than 500,000 made, of which 43,299 were the 1200 convertibles. This unit is an original Singapore-registered car and it has gone through a handful of changes: a white stripe was added and the grille design was changed to the standard version (featuring the 2 individual grilles). It was by accident that I saw this car: apparently it was part of a wedding convoy which had stopped at the carpark. There are currently about 4 Heralds here (2 convertibles and 2 saloons), making them relatively scarce in this region. They continue to be unique cars to own, in part of their background and the position it occupies among cars of the 1960s. 

One can only imagine the myriad experiences this unit has experienced over the years. For a car that is almost as old as the country, it still looks almost new and I am inclined to think that it runs well too. While it remains to be seen if it ever makes a reappearance again, this should not be stopping you to hopefully be able to identify it if you are lucky enough!