BERTONE? OR FORD?

eflexter

eflexter

Eddie Flexter
mustang.jpg


This is the 1962 FORD MUSTANG. Look familiar?
 
And it had a midship V4, like a Lancia Fulvia. The car is kept at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, a must see for the Motorhead. In person, it looks 1/2 the size of a Mustang, probably even smaller than an X1/9.
 
is a Ford by Bertone

Is a Ford Mustang prototype by Bertone design, also right now on any walmart you can buy a hotwheels die cast model on white or red.
 
Last edited:
The one at the Henry Ford Museum.....

......wears Cromadoras. I have some pics of them and the car, but I moved and can't find a thing. Saw it last Summer. Actually there were 2 cars, but the one not on display is in a large storage building gathering dust. A friend of mine who worked for Ford research in, wandered where he wasn't supposed to be when getting a rare stocked part in the warehouse, saw them sitting there mid 70's. Both were covered up and tucked away, but he couldn't resist sitting in one. Lucky!
 
 
Don't know about you guys, but to me it is so sad the number of advanced ideas that American car companies played with in the 50's 60's and 70's... and then just punted on because of cost, or the fact that they were a few years ahead of their time. There are so many stories of cool concepts like this one being 'mothballed'.

GM's expirments with alloy sleevless blocks... that started out crappy ala Vega, but later were pulled off by another company after GM bailed on the concept. GM played the Wankle, bailed on it... Mazda rode that wave and the rotary still has rabid followers. I know Chrysler designed a twin overhead cam 4 valve per cylinder V8 by the early 70's to keep their dominance of NASCAR style racing. When NASCAR (weenies) basically decided to dumbdown stock car racing to help with cost... the big 3 crapped all over their racing and design programs.:mad2: Pontiac's IRS rearend Tempest and OHC straight 6's... Even GM's electric car concept... Sure it wasn't ready for public consumption, but to totally walk away from it, when personally it's pretty obvious that one day there will be a solid nitch for electric vehicles, at least inner city. To just totally kill all those programs and all that potential progress... aaaauuuggghhhh!!!!! :doh:

So many forward looking designs that were given up on, setting our cars so far behind by the end of the 70's early 80's. Back when America was financially kicking the worlds butt and the big 3's profits were great, they toyed with so much...
 
mx5rush said:
Don't know about you guys, but to me it is so sad the number of advanced ideas that American car companies played with in the 50's 60's and 70's... and then just punted on because of cost, or the fact that they were a few years ahead of their time. There are so many stories of cool concepts like this one being 'mothballed'.

GM's expirments with alloy sleevless blocks... that started out crappy ala Vega, but later were pulled off by another company after GM bailed on the concept. GM played the Wankle, bailed on it... Mazda rode that wave and the rotary still has rabid followers. I know Chrysler designed a twin overhead cam 4 valve per cylinder V8 by the early 70's to keep their dominance of NASCAR style racing. When NASCAR (weenies) basically decided to dumbdown stock car racing to help with cost... the big 3 crapped all over their racing and design programs.:mad2: Pontiac's IRS rearend Tempest and OHC straight 6's... Even GM's electric car concept... Sure it wasn't ready for public consumption, but to totally walk away from it, when personally it's pretty obvious that one day there will be a solid nitch for electric vehicles, at least inner city. To just totally kill all those programs and all that potential progress... aaaauuuggghhhh!!!!! :doh:

So many forward looking designs that were given up on, setting our cars so far behind by the end of the 70's early 80's. Back when America was financially kicking the worlds butt and the big 3's profits were great, they toyed with so much...
Click to expand...

IMHO, when many companies grow big, they take their eyes off the ball. They start to employ people to manage their real estate and realise that they can make bigger margins there than the annoying and oily business of making good cars. Then they realise that financing makes squillions, so they concentrate some of their effort over there, too. Meanwhile product development and engineering... well, we know what happens.

Another example - Mercedes likes to take the credit for airbags, but they were an American idea (GM, I think).

And it's not just American companies. British ones did the same, too. There was supposed to be a small British mid-engined car before the X1/9 came along, IIRC. I remember the pix of the proto - it was fugly. So I'm not complaining. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top