Successful comebacks are pretty hard to do. And with the upcoming Clan Cruiser in the works, British company Clan is hoping that its comeback would be a success. But since the Cruiser is a concept car for the future, we at Rearviewed would like to take a look back at the race car that helped put Clan on the map. The vehicle that we’re referring to is the Clan Crusader.

Considered a favorite among the British, the Clan Crusader is fiberglass monocoque sports car that was developed by ex-Lotus engineers. The team was led by Paul Haussauer and John Frayling. Set-up in 1969, Clan started working on the Crusader two years later in Washington, with the aid of a government grant. Sporting a running gear that was similar to the Hillman Imp Sport and the Coventry Climax, the Clan Crusader came in a kit or fully built version.

Upon its release, the Clan Crusader was able to receive favorable reviews. It also managed to put up a fight with its competition, enabling it to become a favorite among drivers. However, with its steep price of £1400, car owners found it difficult to afford one. As a result, they ended up settling for the Crusader’s competitors. Due to poor sales, Clan was forced to close shop in November 1973, putting an end to the production of the Crusader. Prior to its shutting down, Clan had a total of 315 Crusaders produced.

Even though the company folded, it still wasn’t able to escape the limelight quickly. Disputes over ownership and replica body shells of the Crusader surfaced after Clan was purchased by Andreas Kaisis of Kaisis Motor Company. The dispute ended in 1982, with body moulds returned to the UK.

So before we look forward to the development and release (hopefully) of the Clan Cruiser, let’s look back and pay tribute to the Crusader, the vehicle that helped make Clan a household name.

Sources: TopSpeed, Wikipedia

The 80’s will forever be remembered for the decade’s cheesy music, videos, clothing line, and movies. But the one thing that people will fondly look back at on this decade was the cool cars that came out. One of those vehicles was the 1984 Dodge-PPG Twin Turbo M4S Prototype.

The 1984 Dodge-PPG Twin Turbo M4S Prototype will always be remembered as the vehicle used by Charlie Sheen in the movie, The Wraith. For the film, the car carried the name “Turbo Interceptor.” It was meant to be a one-of-a-kind car that could outrace pretty much anything that had a set of four wheels. The funny thing here is that, in reality, the 1984 Dodge-PPG Twin Turbo M4S Prototype was really one-of-a-kind and could pretty much go against any car at that time.

Originally made by Chrysler and PPG in 1984, 30 of these vehicles were produced solely for the film. Although it proved to be quite a head turner in the movie, Dodge decided not to push through with mass producing the 1984 Dodge-PPG Twin Turbo M4S Prototype due to high production costs. Doing so would prompt them to sell the car at a high price.

Of course had Dodge pushed through with it, the company would’ve probably had a hit on their hands. Thanks to the combination of a 2.2 Trans Four OHC 8 valve I4 engine and a 5-speed manual transmission, the 1984 Dodge-PPG Twin Turbo M4S Prototype is able to produce 400 horsepower, 300 lbs-ft of torque, hit the top speed of 194.8 mph and go from 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 4.1 seconds.

Given how the 1984 Dodge-PPG Twin Turbo M4S Prototype performed, it’s such a shame that Dodge failed to capitalize on it. The only way for you to get a good look at “what could have been” is to settle for watching the movie, The Wraith. Yes, just like you, we prefer to see the real thing on the road instead.

Sources: Movie Mopars, Vorle.ru

The Chevrolet Corvair had two unique traits that made it stand out. First was its body class. It was the first to sport GM’s unique Y-body. Second, it made a transition from being an economy sedan to being a sporty sedan. It’s these two characteristics that helped the Corvair line succeed. This was proven during the release of one of its variants, the Chevrolet Corvair Monza.

The Chevrolet Corvair Monza was considered to be one of the lifesavers of the Corvair line. Thanks to its sporty features, bucket seats, and floorshift, the Monza was able to revitalize the brand from becoming an unknown economy car to a popular sporty car. Its powerful 95 horsepower engine along with the use of a camshaft that was bundled with a low-restriction exhaust and fully synchronized four-speed transmission also added to the overall popularity of the vehicle. Aside from these features, the Chevrolet Corvair Monza also enjoyed an upgrade in its suspension by using an independent rear suspension system. A new body style was added to the mix, making way for coupe and sedan versions of the Monza to sport pillarless hardtops. All these features enabled the Chevrolet Corvair Monza to enjoy a good run, selling around 12,000 units.

However, the initial positive reception received by this vehicle wasn’t good enough to save it from being cancelled. Because Chevy decided to shift its focus on building the Camaro line, attention towards the Corvair slowly diminished. This led to its production going down from 1966 to 1969, which became its last year of production prior to Chevrolet pulling the plug.

But despite that, the Chevrolet Corvair Monza will never be forgotten. With its unique Y-body and features, this sports sedan will always find a spot in the hearts and minds of car enthusiasts everywhere.

Sources: How Stuff Works, Wikipedia

We’ve often heard the phrase “that’s no way to treat a woman” used when we see a woman abused. Well, that phrase now seems applicable to how this old 1963 Corvette Stingray split-window coupe has been treated. While it’s not part of the female populace, it doesn’t mean that this sports car doesn’t deserve a better treatment. Unfortunately, its owners don’t seem to see it that way.

Discovered in Washington, 1963 Corvette Stingray split-window coupe looks like it’s about to bite the dust, figuratively and literally. According to the owner, it’s been left to rot since 1975. That means the car has been exposed to all types of weather conditions and elements for more than 30 years. Come to think of it, it’s amazing that it’s still standing to this day. And if that wasn’t bad enough, its windows were left open. Now how long it’s been open that we’re uncertain of. However, we’re pretty sure that it wasn’t just yesterday. So if you thought that its exterior looks bad, it’s interior is probably in the same shape or even worse.

Given that the 1963 Corvette was a popular vehicle during its time, it’s kind of sad that the owner didn’t exert that much effort in maintaining this ride. He (or she) could have made a small fortune out of it by selling it to car collectors.

Sources: AutoBlog, Corvette Blogger, Classic Nation

A sports car has always been considered a thing of beauty. It’s like the equivalent of having a drop-dead gorgeous partner, minus the nagging. However, even though there are a lot of these vehicles around, we tend to associate the cool sports cars with the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari, or Porsche. With their quality, performance, and sleek appearance, we can’t blame you. But we’d like to let you know that there’s more than just your occasional Italian sports car. Take for example, the Mazda RX-7.

For those who just happened to hear about this car for the first time, the Mazda RX-7 was produced from 1978 to 2002. Originally, it sported a Wankel rotary engine and a front-midship, rear-wheel drive layout. The car was initially offered as a two-seater in the United States, Japan, and Australia, with rear seats made available as an option. Because of the vehicle’s stellar performance, the Mazda RX-7 became part of Car and Driver’s Ten Best list five times.

During its run, the Mazda RX-7 has a total of three generations. But since we’re focusing on vintage rides (and to keep us from overloading you with information), we’ll stick to the models produced during the first generation. There were a total of three series produced during this time. Series 1 ran was produced from 1979 to 1980. This version of the RX-7 sported exposed steel bumpers an innovative high-mounted indentation-located license plate. This first series also offered a variant called the LS or Leather Sport. This sports car was given an LS badge, full leather upholstery, sunroof, and gold-colored alloys. A total of only 3,000 LS were ever made.

Series 2 had a production run that spanned from 1981 to 1983. This version of the Mazda RX-7 sported plastic-covered bumpers that were now integrated into the vehicle. It also came with wide black rubber body side moldings, wraparound taillights and updated engine control components. Aside from these updates, Mazda equipped the second series with a GSL package that gave the sports car optional 4-wheel disc brakes and a front ventilated, clutch-type rear limited slip differential.

The last of the first generation RX-7 was the Series 3. Produced from 1981 to 1983, the Series RX-7 was given a new lower front fascia and sported a different instrument cluster. The suspension was given an upgrade by adding tougher springs and shocks. The external air-oil oil cooler also made a comeback in this model after being removed in 1983. Now just like the second series, the Series 3 was also given a GSL package that allowed the sports car to be equipped with a fuel-injected 1.3-liter 13B RE-EGI engine. The package also included the standard rear disk brakes and clutch-type rear limited slip differential.

Thanks to these features, the Mazda RX-7 has been able to establish itself as one of the premier sports cars around. And it’s able to do that by giving you an array of features while not being as expensive as its Italian counterparts. Not bad, right?

Source: Wikipedia

The Alfa Romeo 6C can be considered one of the pioneer vehicle lines produced by this well-renowned automotive company. With bodies made by popular coachbuilders, it’s no surprise that it’s been able to give us six generations with a number of variants in between. In our last two entries, we’ve already shown you what the first four generations of the 6C could do. Now let’s focus our attention on the last two generations of 6Cs to see if they’re as good as their predecessors.

6C 2500 – Considered the last road car of the brand, the 6C 2500 was introduced in 1938. Although the impeding Second World War caused manufacturers to stop production of vehicles, the C6 2500 was able to bounce back from 1940 to 1945. Although only a hundred of them were made, it helped the car establish itself to the public. This resulted in it being offered again in 1946 with bigger results, allowing Alfa Romeo to produce 680 of them until 1981. It also attracted the attention of celebrities such as King Farouk, Alì Khan, Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Power, and Prince Rainier, all of which ended up owning a 6C 2500. Even though this vehicle line enjoyed the production of a number of variants (the Coloniale, Turismo, Sport, Super Sport, Super Sport, Freccia d’Oro, GT, Competizione), the one people will remember is the Villa d’Este variant. Produced from 1949 to 1952, this vehicle was made for the Concours d’Elegance which was held in Villa d’Este. Only 36 units of this hand-built model were made.

6C 3000 – Even though the 6C 2500 was meant to be the last 6C vehicle to be built, Alfa Romeo came up with a prototype of a 6C in the 1950s. It was a 6C 2500 that carried a 3-liter engine. This prototype is what gave birth to Alfa Romeo’s CM or Competizione Maggiorata. Despite being a prototype car, this vehicle was given four variants: the 6C 3000, the 6C 3000 50, the 6C 3000 CM, and the 6C 3000 PR.

Thanks to the six generations and variants spawned by the 6C, Alfa Romeo has been able to establish itself as being one of the top car manufacturers worldwide. This has helped the company become a recognized brand that’s synonymous to creating the best luxury, sports, and racing vehicles to date.

Sources: Wikipedia, Velocetoday

Italian car makers carry with them a distinct reputation of being able to produce sleek and stylish automobiles that can perform well on the road. That’s why they’re considered to be the most sought after among automobile designers. Lucky for Isuzu, one of these renowned Italian artists decided to take a break and help them come up with a unique automobile. This led to the development of the Isuzu 117 Coupe.

The Isuzu 117 Coupe is a mid-sized Gran Turismo coupe that enjoyed a production run from 1968 to 1981. The car first appeared in the 1966 Geneva Motor Show and then later, at the Tokyo Motor Show. The coupe carried a number of distinctions during the time was released. One of the distinctions it carries is being the first Japanese car to be designed by an Italian designer. The designer in question is Giorgetto Giugiaro. In case you don’t know who he is, here’s a brief backgrounder for you.

Giorgetto Giugiaro is one of the most influential designers of our time, since he’s practically responsible for building most of the popular cars we see and use today. This includes cars like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT, Lotus Esprit S1, Alfa Romeo 159, VW Golf I, 1988 AMC/Eagle Premier, the DeLorean DMC-12, the Polish FSO Polonez, and the 2008 Ford Mustang Giugiaro Concept, just to name a few. In 1999, he was awarded the Car Designer of the Century and was inducted in the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2002. Yep, that’s how great a designer he is. Makes you wonder how Isuzu was able to convince him to do a design for them, huh?

Aside from being conceptualized by a legendary designer, Isuzu 117 Coupe also holds the distinction of being the first Japanese car to sport a DOHC engine (a 1.6 L DOHC I4), the first to be equipped with electronic fuel injection, and the first to have a diesel engine. Lastly, the Isuzu 117 Coupe is known for its lavish interior. The sports car came with leather seats, a dashboard trim made from Taiwanese camphor laurel wood, and a headrest. These components made the vehicle very, very expensive.

Because of these distinctions, the Isuzu 117 Coupe became quite popular. This prompted Isuzu to give the go signal to mass produce the sports car. For its mass produced version, Isuzu shifted from the use of a 1.6-liter engine to a 1.8-liter engine. Fuel injection became optional as well. Aside from its engine, the Isuzu 117 Coupe also got a facelift, which occurred in 1977. This resulted in Isuzu equipping the car with a modern, rectangular-shaped set of headlights, setting aside its previous round shape.

Even though more than 86,000 units of these sports car was produced, the Isuzu 117 Coupe is considered to be a very rare collectible nowadays. So if you happen to own one or you’ve managed to see one being sold, keep its distinctions in mind. It’s these features that have helped make the Isuzu 117 Coupe one of Japan’s iconic cars.

Source: Wikipedia

The Alfa Romeo 6C is one of the earliest vehicles produced by the company. Since it first came out, this mix of luxury, sport, and race cars has been able to provide us with six generations. In our last entry, we talked about the first two generations of 6C’s that was produced by Alfa Romeo. For this one, we’ll be focusing on the second batch of 6Cs.

6C 1900 – Introduced in 1933, this vehicle sports a 1917 cc engine and an aluminum head. The engine gave the 6C 1900 the ability to produce up to 68 brake horsepower and reach the maximum speed of 81 mph. Although this generation didn’t spawn a number of variants, it is considered quite rare. That’s because about 197 of these cars were produced when it first came out. It was then later replaced by the next model, the 6C 2300.

6C 2300 – The 6C 2300 spelled the demise of the 6C 1900. Sporting a 2309 cc engine, this vehicle was designed by Italian automobile designer Vittorio Jano. The 2300 is most known for being an economical alternative to the more expensive Alfa Romeo 8C. During its run, the 6C 2300 was able to sport seven variants. The first is the 6C 2300 Turismo, which was able to produce 68 bhp and the maximum speed of 75 mph. Second is the 6C 2300 Gran Turismo. This version was able to give off 76 bhp as well as the top speed of 81 mph. Third is the 6C 2300B Gran Turismo, which was able emit 76 bhp when on the road. The fourth variant is the 6C 2300 Pescara, which enabled the car to hit 95 bhp and the maximum speed of 89 mph. The fifth 2300 is the 6C 2300B Pescara. Its engine was capable of producing a maximum of 95 bhp. The last two variants released for the 2300 was the 6C 2300 B Corto/Lungo and the 6C 2300 B Mille Miglia.

Now that we’ve gone through four generations of the Alfa Romeo 6C, we’re down to just two. If you’d like to learn more about them, be sure to check back with us for our last entry on the various generations of Alfa’s 6Cs.

Source: Wikipedia

Alfa Romeo is no stranger to producing fast cars. Through the years, it’s been able to give us the very best in road, race, and sports cars. One of the earliest vehicles that helped establish the company among car owners everywhere is the Alfa Romeo 6C.

The Alfa Romeo 6C takes its name from the fact that it’s a vehicle that uses a straight 6 engine. Aside from being popular for the use of a straight 6 engine, this luxury vehicle is also known for being produced by top coachbuilders during its time. These coachbuilders included James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina. It also has 6 variations tucked under its belt, which were all produced from 1925 to 1954. For this entry, we’ll be setting our sights on the first two versions.

6C 1500 - This vehicle sported a dual overhead camshaft and was packed with a 1487 cc engine. It’s had four variations of its own. First is the basic 6C 1500 which emitted 44 bhp and hit the speed of68 mph. Next is 6C 1500 Sport, which produced 54 bhp and allowed the car to hit the speed of 78 mph. There’s also the 6C 1500 Super Sport compressore, which produced 76 bhp and the speed of 87 mph. The last is the 6C 1500 TF, which was able to give off 84 bhp at every outing.

6C 1750 – Introduced in 1929 in Rome, this model sported a single overhead cam and had six available variants. First is the 6C 1750 Turismo which produced 46 bhp and the speed of 68 mph. Second is the 6C 1750 Sport/Gran Turismo, which gave off 55 bhp and the speed of 78 mph. Third is the 6C 1750 Super Sport/Gran Sport. It’s able to produce 64 bhp and hit the top speed of 81 mph. Fourth on the list is the 6C 1750 Super Sport/Gran Sport compressore. It’s able to emit 85 bhp and give up a maximum speed of 89 mph. Fifith is the 6C 1750 Gran Turismo compressore, which can emit 80 bhp at 84 mph. The sixth and last variant is the 6C 1750 Super Sport/Gran Sport/TF. This version can give you 85 bhp and the top speed of 106 mph.

To get more info on the other generations of the Alfa Romeo 6C, check out the second part of our entry regarding this unique sports vehicle.

Source: Wikipedia

Corvettes are known to be fast cars. They’re the types that you don’t want to mess with on the streets. But if you thought that those “ordinary” Corvettes would be hard to deal with, then you might as well brace yourself for this supped-up 1963 Corvette owned by Rod Saboury.

Rod Saboury, a 58-year old resident of Carroll Count, isn’t a race car driver or a well-renowned car designer. As a matter of fact, he’s a self-taught car builder and full-time roofing contractor who learned by reading auto magazines at the age of 15 and decided to make it a hobby. A hobby, by the way, that lasted for 40 years.

Prior to working on this customized ’63 Corvette, the first car he worked on was a 1932 Ford. He managed to work on it using spare parts he could find in the nearby junkyard. He then followed it up by building two Corvettes, a 1957 model which he made in 1955 and a 1953 model which he worked on in 1998. These two vehicles allowed him to win the National Muscle Car Association or NMCA pro street class championships.

So what can Saboury’s dazzling automotive beauty do that makes it stand out from its Corvette siblings? Well, it’s built to go from 0 to 60 mph in just one second. That’s right, in a blink of an eye, Saboury’s 1963 Corvette can disappear right in front of you just like magic. Aside from that, the sports car is able to breeze through the quarter-mile mark running at 210.54 mph in just 6.95 seconds. The numbers it notched has made the Corvette the fastest street legal car today. All this was made possible because of the vehicle’s twin-turbo charged engine that’s capable of producing an outstanding 2,400 horsepower at every outing.

But despite driving a very, very fast car, Saboury is proud to say that he’s never destroyed a vehicle while on the road. That’s good hear especially since his ’63 Corvette doesn’t have any air bags.

If you’re interested to find out more about this customized Corvette, be sure to check out Super Chevy’s February issue. Saboury’s 1963 Corvette was made the publication’s Car of the Year. Given its look and performance, that’s practically a no-brainer.

Sources: 0-60 Mag, Baltimore Sun