1976 Marcadier Barquette Can Am

Tony Gomis, Marcadier Can Am, Course de Cote d'Etretat-Benouville 2015.

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Marcadier, Lyon, France.  This French kit car maker made a number of Renaut or Simca powered cars that looked like Can-Am cars in the early to mid seventies.  Most had Renault 8 Gordini engines. This one has a 1,598cc Renault R12 engine, unusually a Hewland rather than a Renault gearbox and a non-standard rear wing.  It is mainly raced by Londoner Tony Gomis in English hillclimbs and sprints and who has had the car since 2000.

Read about another beautiful Marcadier car, the Barzoi, by clicking on this link. 

1963 Abarth-Simca 1300 GT

The Teisserenc's Abarth-Simca 1300 GT, Tour Auto 2016

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Abarth, Turin, Italy. The Abarth-Simca 1300 GT was produced from 1962 to 1965.  It was based on a Simca 1000 after Simca went to Abarth to get a faster version of their basic car.  With the new Abarth aerodynamic aluminium body, based on the Bialberobore,  it is difficult to see any resemblance to the original Simca.  The engine was a new straight four1300cc dry sump twin cam unit designed by Abarth..  Disc brakes were standard.  It was of course rear engine rear wheel drive.  It was capable of over 140mph and could do 0-60 in about 6 seconds!   A very desirable small sports coupé in terms both of looks and performance.  Not surprisingly they were very successful on the race circuit, apparently scoring 90 victories in 1963 alone. They race with their boots open to help cool the engine.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint

Dominique Geoffray and Agnès Bonnet, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint, Tour Auto 2016.

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Alfa Romeo, Milan, Italy.  The Giulietta was produced from 1954 to 1965 and normally had a twin cam straight four 1,300cc engine.  The sprint model was a two door Coupé instead of the 4 door saloon or convertible Spyder version.  Like all Alfas these were raced and rallied successfully including in the last Mille Miglia.

Note:  On the Tour Auto entry list this is described as a 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300GT but surely it is a Giulietta Sprint.  Comments please.

1950 Aston Martin DB2

Laurent & Marion Desplaces, Aston Matin DB2, Tour Auto 2016

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Aston Martin, Feltham, England.  The DB2 was produced from 1950 to 1953.  It had a straight 6 2.6 litre engine.   The first 49 had a chrome framed front grille split into three and side vents as in the photo above. After this it was a one piece non-framed grille and had no side vents as in the photo below. They had 2 seats and space for luggage behind.  According to contemporary road test reports hey were capable of 110mph and they had a 0-60mph time of around 12.5 seconds.  The works team entered them in the 1950 Le Mans 24 hours and they finished fifth and sixth and won the 3 litre class.  Contemporary drivers included Reg Parnell, George Abercassis, Eric Thompson, Raymond Sommer and Lance Macklin.  In the 1951 Tour de France a DB2 finished and was placed 15th.

1953 Aston Martin DB2, Tour Auto 2016

Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS

Adrien Cathiard, Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS, Tour Auto 2016.

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Alfa Romeo, Milan, Italy.  The 1900 was the first of the post war Alfa Romeo models and the first produced on a production line rather than being hand built.  The CSS was a top of the range model built in the early to mid fifties with the letters standing for Corto (short wheelbase) Super Sprint.  Not that many CSS were built and they had five speed gear boxes.  The sprint versions were coupés and thus had just two doors.  They had 1.9 litre inline 4 cylinders engines.  There were a number of body stlyes depending on the coachbuilder.  Like most Alfas a number were raced and rallied in the fifties and now compete in historic events.

1970 Plymouth Hemicuda

Christophe Schwartz, Plymouth Hemicuda, 2016 Tour Auto.

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Plymouth (part of Chrysler0, Michigan, USA.  The Plymouth Barracuda was produced from 1964 to 1974.  The car above is a third generation model.  The Hemis were the large engined 426ci versions with uprated suspension.  Chrysler France raced the Chrysler Hemi 'Cudas successfully during 1970 to 1973, winning a number of Group 1 championships and hillclimbs driven by Henri Chemin. They were also raced in the Trans-Am series, less successfully,  by Dan Gurney and Swede Savage.

1973 Ferrari Dino 246GT

Ferrari Dino 246GT, Tour Auto 2016

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Ferrari, Maranello, France.  Dino was a marque that Ferrari set up as an affordable sports car.  They had a yellow Dino badge rather than the famous prancing horse.  Nowadays the Dino 246GT is accepted as a Ferrari by all except the absolute purists.  The Dino was named after Enzo Ferrari's son who died young.  The 246GT was a 2.4 litre 6 cylinder engined mid-engined coupé.  Although the preceding 206GT was the real racing car, the 246GT did appear at a number of big and small events in privateer hands.