Car Of The Day: April 30, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from juantoo3's collection and is Hot Wheels' 1937 Fiat Topolino dragster (Frank Pendragon).

The Fiat 500, commonly known as Topolino ("little mouse" in Italian, possibly also influenced by Mickey Mouse), is an Italian automobile model manufactured by Fiat from 1936 to 1955.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Fiat 500 Topolino

The Topolino was one of the smallest cars in the world at the time of its production. Launched in 1937, three models were produced until 1955, all with only minor mechanical and cosmetic changes. It was equipped with a 569 cc four-cylinder, side-valve, water-cooled engine mounted in front of the front axle,( later an overhead valve motor ) and so was a full-scale car rather than a cyclecar. The radiator was located behind the engine which made possible a lowered aerodynamic nose profile at a time when competitors had a flat, nearly vertical grill. The shape of the car's front allowed exceptional forward visibility.
Rear suspension initially used quarter-elliptic rear springs, but buyers frequently squeezed four or five people into the nominally two-seater car, and in later models the chassis was extended at the rear to allow for more robust semi-elliptic springs.

With horsepower of about 13 bhp, its top speed was about 53 mph (85 km/h), and it could achieve about 39.2 miles per US gallon (6.00 L/100 km; 47.1 mpg-imp). The target price given when the car was planned was 5,000 lire. In the event the price at launch was 9,750 lire, though the decade was one of falling prices in several part of Europe and later in the 1930s the Topolino was sold for about 8,900 lire. Despite being more expensive than first envisioned, the car was competitively priced. Nearly 520,000 were sold.
In 1955 the mid-size rear wheel drive Fiat 600 was launched by Fiat and that would become the design basis for the new Fiat 500, the Nuova 500. The Nuova 500 is often thought, mistakenly, to be the only model 500 Fiat.

Truck Of The Day: April 29, 2012

Today's car of the day is Zylmex's 1972 Datsun 620.

The popular and economical Datsun/Nissan compact pickup truck was produced in Japan from 1955 and imported to the United States, Australia, Finland, the Middle East, South Africa, and various European countries. Modern versions of this vehicle are still in production around the world, currently known as the Frontier & Navara.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Datsun 620

Another model acquired at this year's Keystone CARnival, this is a model that has eluded my grasp for many years.  I'm in dire need of an upgraded model, but at least I finally have one.  Much like most real pickups, this one has spent considerable time being used and abused by previous owners.  One can only imagine how many imaginary loads this one has hauled over the decades, but much like many of its real world counterparts this one has been relegated to my scrapyard diorama.  The wheels are bent.  The paint's mostly missing.  The windows are cloudy.  The roof's dented.  And yet, the motor probably still fires.  The real ones were resistant to everything except Northeast winters.  The body would rust off long before the engine would quit.

In February 1972, the Datsun 620 truck was released and was in production until 1979. It was a regular cab truck (a King Cab version was released in 1977) and two types of wheelbases were offered, and it consisted of six models of pickup seating, it was related to the delivery van offered only in Japan. There was also the U620, which was a crew cab "Utility" version. It used a shorter bed to allow full seating for four people. The U620 was essentially a 620 pickup from the doors forward, with the bed and rear end being the only difference. The 620 continued to use the Nissan L engine.

The 1972-1973 models were powered by the L16 engine (96 hp), the 1974 model used the L18 engine (100 hp), and the 1975-1979 models used the L20B engine (110 hp). In overseas markets the 620 was equipped with the J15. The standard transmissions were the F4W63 4-speed (1972-1973) and F4W71 4-speed (1974-1979). In 1977, the optional FS5W71B 5-speed transmission became available. The 3N71 3-speed automatic became available as an option in mid-1972. This was the first series to offer an automatic transmission as an option (all model series before the 620 only had manual transmissions). Final drive gearing was 4.375:1. Side badges were "DATSUN 1600" or simply "DATSUN". The grille badge was two colored stripes (one red and one blue, respectively) behind the word "DATSUN". Nissan continued the strong rhythms and styling of its previous vehicles, with a shoulder "wing line" or "Bullet Side" accent running alongside the vehicle. The 620 was known for its durability and weather resistance despite its small size along with an engine known for reliability. As a result, the 620 was competing with the larger American pickup trucks, which in turn gave Datsun a strong reputation in the United States. A number of innovations were introduced with the 620: first long-bed (1975), first extended-cab (1977), front disc brakes (1978), and electronic ignition (1978).

The 620 was redesigned slightly for 1978, with changes to grille and front bumper. A 4-door crew cab variant was offered in some markets.

Car Of The Day: April 28, 2012

Today's car of the day is Majorette's 1975 Ford Capri MK II.

Ford Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three different automobile models. The Ford Consul Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Britain between 1961 and 1964. The Ford Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Europe from 1969 to 1986. The Ford/Mercury Capri convertible was produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia from 1989 to 1994.

The Capri name was also used by Ford's Lincoln-Mercury Division on six different models which did not bear the Ford name. The Lincoln Cosmopolitan Capri from 1950 to 1951; the Lincoln Capri from 1952 to 1959; the Mercury Comet Capri in 1966-1967; and three different generations of Mercury Capris from 1970 to 1994.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Ford Capri

Another model acquired at this year's Keystone CARnival, I saw this Capri and it had to come home with me.  I love this casting!  The seperate vinyl roof makes this one a winner.  What's visible in the pictures (but not to the naked eye) is the roof damage.

In February 1974, the Capri II was introduced. After 1.2 million cars sold, and with the 1973 oil crisis, Ford chose to make the new car more suited to everyday driving with a shorter bonnet, larger cabin and the adoption of a hatchback rear door. By the standards of the day, the Capri II was a very well evolved vehicle with very few reliability issues. For Germany the Capri now offered 1.3-litre (55 PS (40 kW)), 1.6-litre (72 PS (53 kW)) or 2.0-litre (88 PS (65 kW)) in-line four-cylinder engines, complemented by a 2.3-litre (108 PS (79 kW)) and the UK sourced 3.0-litre V6.

Although it was mechanically similar to the Mk I, the Capri II had a revised larger body and a more modern dashboard including a smaller steering wheel. The 2.0 L version of the Pinto engine was introduced in the European model and was placed below the 3.0L V6. The Capri still maintained the large square headlights, which became the easiest way to distinguish between a Mk II and a Mk III. Larger front disc brakes and a standard alternator finished the list of modifications.

Ford introduced the John Player Special limited edition, (known as the JPS) in March 1975. Available only in black or white, the JPS featured yards of gold pinstriping to mimic the Formula 1 livery, gold colored wheels, and a bespoke upgraded interior of beige cloth and carpet trimmed with black. In May 1976, and with sales decreasing, the intermediate 3.0 GT models disappeared to give way for the upscale 3.0 S and Ghia designations. In October 1976, production was limited to the Saarlouis factory only and the following year the Capri left the American market with only 513,500 models sold.

Car Of The Day: April 27, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from Firehawk73's collection and is Racing Champions' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

The Pontiac Firebird was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002. The Firebird was introduced the same year as the automaker's platform-sharing model, the Chevrolet Camaro. This coincided with the release of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, which shared its platform with another pony car, the Ford Mustang.

The vehicles were powered by various four-cylinder, six-cylinder, and V8 engines sourced from several GM divisions. While primarily Pontiac-powered until 1977, Firebirds were built with several different engines from nearly every GM division until 1982 when GM began to discontinue engines it felt were unneeded and either spread successful designs from individual divisions among all divisions or use new engines of corporate architecture.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Pontiac Firebird

In 1976, Pontiac celebrated their 50th Anniversary, and a special edition of the Trans Am was released. Painted in black with gold accents, this was the first anniversary Trans Am package and the first production Black and Gold special edition. In 1977, Pontiac offered the T/A 6.6 Litre 400 (RPO W72) rated at 200 hp (150 kW), as opposed to the regular 6.6 Litre 400 (RPO L78) rated at 180 hp (130 kW). In addition, California and high-altitude cars received the Olds 403 engine, which offered a slightly higher compression ratio and a more usable torque band than the Pontiac engines of 1977. The 1977 Trans-Am Special Edition became famous after being featured in Smokey and the Bandit. Later on the 1980 Turbo model was used for Smokey and the Bandit II.

Beginning in 1978, Pontiac engineers reversed years of declining power by raising the compression ratio in the Pontiac 400 through the installation of different cylinder heads with smaller combustion chambers (1977 Pontiac 400 engines also had the 350 heads bolted to the 400 blocks, these heads were known as the 6x-4 heads)(taken from the Pontiac 350). This increased power by 10% for a total of 220 during the 1978–79 model years. The 400/403 options remained available until 1979, when the 400 CID engines were only available in the 4-speed transmission Trans Ams and Formulas (the engines had actually been stockpiled from 1978, when PMD had cut production of the engine). 1979 marked the 10th Anniversary of the Trans Am, and a special anniversary package was made available: silver paint with a silver leather interior. The 10th Anniversary cars also featured a special Firebird hood decal, which extended off of the hood and onto the front fenders. In 1979 Pontiac sold 116,535 Trans Ams which still holds the record to this day.
Up until the 1979 models, the performance of 400-equipped Firebirds could still be brought up to pre-1970 levels by disabling emissions equipment- removing the catalytic converter and blocking off the exhaust gas recirculation system- and opening up the block off plate to make the hood scoop functional. However, in 1980, due to ever-increasing emissions restrictions, Pontiac dropped all of its large displacement engines.
1980 therefore saw the biggest engine changes for the Trans Am. The 301, offered in 1979 as a credit option, was now the standard engine. Options included a turbocharged 301 or the Chevrolet 305 small block.

In the final year of the Second Generation Firebirds (1981), Trans Am still used the same engines as it had in the previous model year, with the only change being the addition of a new electronic carburetion system.

Car Of The Day: April 26, 2012

Today's car of the day is Hot Wheels' 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata.

The MX-5, also known as Miata in North America and Eunos Roadster in Japan, is a lightweight two-seater roadster, of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, built by Mazda in Hiroshima, Japan. The model was introduced in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show. The MX-5 was conceived as a small roadster – with light weight and minimal mechanical complexity limited only by legal and safety requirements; technologically modern, but a philosophically direct descendant of the small British roadsters of the 1960s such as the Triumph Spitfire, Austin-Healey Sprite, MG MGB and mainly the Lotus Elan.

The second generation MX-5 (NB) was launched in 1998 and the current (NC) model has been in production since 2006. It continues to be the best-selling two-seat convertible sports car in history and by February 2011 over 900,000 MX-5s had been built and sold around the world.

Since the launch of the third generation MX-5, Mazda consolidated worldwide marketing using the MX-5 name, though enthusiasts in the US still refer to it as Miata, a name that means "reward" in Old High German, and the vehicle in 2011 was still marketed by Mazda in the US as the MX-5 Miata in printed showroom brochures.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Mazda MX-5 Miata

Leave it to the Japanese to build a better British roadster than the British do.

The MX-5 was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show on February 10, 1989, with a price tag of US$14,000 (US$25,400 in 2011 adjusted for inflation). The MX-5, with production code NA, was made available for delivery to buyers worldwide in the following dates: March 1989 in Japan; May 1989 (as a 1990 model) in the US and Canada; and 1990 in Europe. An optional hardtop was made available at the same time, in sheet moulding compound (SMC). Demand initially outstripped production, fueled by enthusiastic press reviews.

In Japan, the car was not badged as a Mazda, as the company was experimenting with the creation of different marques for deluxe models, similar to Nissan's Infiniti and Toyota's Lexus (both brands of which launched at the same time as the Miata). Instead, the Mazda MX-5 was sold as the Eunos Roadster in that market.

The body shell of the NA was all-steel with a light-weight aluminium hood. Overall dimensions were 3,970 mm (156 in) in length, 1,675 mm (65.9 in) in width, and 1,235 mm (48.6 in) in height. Without options, the NA weighed only 2,150 lb (980 kg). Drag coefficient was indicated as 0.38. Suspension was an independent double wishbone on all four wheels, with an anti-roll bar at the front and rear. Four wheel-disc brakes, ventilated at the front, were behind alloy wheels with 185/60HR14 radial tires. The base model came with stamped steel wheels from the then-current 323/Protege.

The original MX-5 came with a 1.6 L (98 cu in) dual overhead cam inline four-cylinder engine, producing 86 kW (115 bhp) at 6,800 rpm, and 136 N·m (100 lbf·ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. The engine employs an electronic fuel injection system using a vane-type air flow meter and an electronic ignition system with a camshaft angle sensor instead of a distributor. This engine, codename B6ZE(RS), was specifically designed for the MX-5 and featured a lightened crankshaft, flywheel, and aluminum sump with cooling fins.

Standard transmission was 5-speed manual. In Japan and the US, an optional automatic transmission was also offered but proved to be unpopular. The Japanese and American markets also received an optional viscous limited slip rear differential, although it was only available for cars with a manual transmission. To achieve the low introductory price, the base model was stripped. It had steel wheels, manual steering, roll-up windows, and no stereo or air-conditioning. Power steering, air-conditioning, and stereo were added as standard equipment in later years.

The NA could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 8.1 seconds and had a top speed of 126 mph (203 km/h). This first generation of Miata (often referred to as the NA) included a special edition in 1991, produced in British Racing Green with the first use of tan interior.

1500 LE (Limited Edition) cars were produced in 1993. This model featured red leather interior, upgraded stereo, Nardi shift knob, leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise, limited slip differential, power windows, power mirrors, power steering, air conditioning, BBS wheels, Bilstein shocks, front and rear spoilers, ABS brakes, stainless sill plates, and Harley style peanut tank door speaker trim. All 1993 LE cars came in black.
For the 1994 model year, the first-generation MX-5 was freshened with the introduction of the more powerful 1.8 L (110 cu in) BP-ZE engine, dual airbags and a limited slip differential in some markets. The chassis was substantially braced to meet new side-impact standards, most visibly by adding a "track bar" between the seatbelt towers inside the car, but also to the front and rear subframes. Also, 1994 and 1995 were the only years in which Mazda offered a light metallic blue paint (Laguna Blue Mica), making these cars rare collectors cars to some. 1994 also saw the introduction of the "R" package, a sport-themed package with Bilstein shocks and subtle underbody spoilers, in addition to the removal of unnecessary items such as power steering. No body style changes were made, however.

The new 1.8 L (110 cu in) engine produced 98 kW (131 bhp), which was then increased to 99 kW (133 bhp) for the 1996 model year. The base weight increased to 990 kg (2,200 lb). Performance was improved slightly, the additional power being partly offset by the extra weight. In some markets such as Europe, the 1.6 L (98 cu in) engine continued to be available as a lower-cost option, but was detuned to 66 kW (89 bhp). This lower-powered model did not receive all the additional chassis bracing of the new 1.8 L (110 cu in). Japanese and US cars were fitted with an optional Torsen LSD, which was far more durable than the previous viscous differential.

There were a number of trim levels and special editions available, determined by local Mazda marketing departments. In the US, the base model was offered for US$13,995 at launch and was very basic, with manual windows, steel wheels, and without A/C or power steering. The "A Package" offered power steering, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, aluminum alloy wheels and cassette stereo. The "B Package" added power windows, along with cruise control and headrest speakers, while the "C Package" included a tan interior and top and leather seats. The "R Package" was for racing, and the annual special editions were formalized as "M Editions". These included all of the luxury options from the "C Package" as well as special paint and, sometimes, special wheels. In the UK, to celebrate Mazda's 24 hours of Le Mans win, Mazda brought out a special edition of the MX-5, with the winner's color scheme (see Mazda 787B) and came equipped with BBR (Brodie Brittain Racing) turbo conversion; the car is one of the most sought after special edition cars of the MX-5s.

The first generation MX-5 was phased out with the 1997 model year (with the exception of 400 limited edition Berkeley models sold only in the UK in 1998 to mark the end of the NA), with the final 1500 NAs produced for the US market being the "STO" ("Special Touring Option") versions.

Car Of The Day: April 25, 2012

Today's car of the day is Johnny Lightning's 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1.

The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.

It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year. At the time of its introduction, the Mustang, sharing its underpinnings with the Falcon, was slotted into a compact car segment.

With each revision, the Mustang saw an increase in overall dimensions and in engine power. After an initial surge, sales were steadily declining and Ford began working on a new generation Mustang. With the onset of the 1973 oil crisis, Ford was prepared, having already designed the smaller Mustang II for the 1974 model year. This new car had no common components with preceding models.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Ford Mustang

I'm surprised by just how many scrapes and dings this car has.  I purchased it specifically for gravity racing (one of the better choices but there are faster cars out there).  It hasn't seen nearly enough track time to be this scuffed up.  I'm almost wondering if it got sent down the banger track a few times at some point.

The Mustang became larger and heavier with each revision, culminating with the 1971 to 1973 models designed under the supervision of Ford's new product design manager, Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, originally of General Motors. Introduced in September 1970 Mustang MY 1971 saw the last high-performance big-block Mustang, 375 hp (280 kW) 429 Super Cobra Jet. The body style designed for the purpose of big-block installation versions was limited to a maximum of 351 cu in (5.8 L) in 1972 and 1973 due to stricter U.S. emission control regulation, as well as the low demand for big block muscle cars because of high insurance premiums. Two more high-performance engines were introduced in 1972; the 351 "HO" and the 351 Cobra Jet. Both versions were high performers for their era, but nowhere near the level of the Boss cars and original Cobra Jet. Automakers in the U.S. switched from "gross" to "net" power and torque ratings in 1972, which coincided with the introduction of low-compression engines with different, far more restrictive induction systems. Thus, it is difficult to compare power and torque ratings.

As before there were three body styles; hardtop, sportsroof and convertible. On hardtops there was 'Grande' trim offered, it was meant as a luxury version. Sportsroof models were performance oriented, as it was only body version with 'Mach 1' option available, which was distinguishable by decals, hood with scoops (nonfunctional in most models), color keyed; side mirrors, strip on the edge of the front fenders and hood, urethane front bumper and grille with 'sportlights'. Cars equipped with 'Boss' engine had appearance of Mach 1 package, excluding front bumper, which was chrome. Convertible was equipped with a power top, a glass rear window, and tinted windshield standard. It was last Mustang available as a convertible until 1983.

There were no significant changes in appearance during 1971–1973 model years, 1973 however brought some mild restyling. Front bumpers in 'Base' and 'Grande' and Urethane in 'Mach 1' were all replaced by new Urethane one of new design to comply with new regulations. Thus turn signals were moved from underneath it to inside of the grille next to the headlights. Because of those changes horizontal grille 'sportlights' seen in 1971–1972 'Mach 1' were discontinued as new vertical blinkers took they place. New rear bumpers were introduced too. Also in 1973 new design of decals for the 'Mach 1' has been introduced, 'hockey stick' side stripes of 1971–1972 were still available on the 'Exterior Decor Group'. Magnum 500 wheels has been discontinued for 1973 and replaced with forged aluminum wheels.
1971–1973 Mach 1 has become famous thanks to the appearances in the films Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Gone in 60 Seconds (1974).

For 1972 Ford prepared special model called 'Sprint' it was meant to commemorate USA participation in 1972 Olympic Games. It consisted of special decals, color keyed front bumper, mirrors and grille taken from Mach 1. Performance suspension and wheels were also available.

There was no Shelby version of 1971–1973 Mustangs, save for the 'Shelby de Mexico GT-351', by Mexican dealer and very limited edition 'Shelby Europa', sold in Europe by private importer request to Shelby Motors.

Race Car Of The Day: April 24, 2012

Today's car of the day is Racing Champions' 1995 Ford-Cosworth Indy Car (Scott Pruett).

Scott Donald Pruett (born March 24, 1960 in Roseville, California) is an American race car driver who has competed in NASCAR, Champ Car, IMSA, Trans-Am and Grand-Am. He and his wife Judy have three children, and are children's book authors.

Pruett started racing go karts at the age of eight, and went on to win ten professional karting championships. In the 1980s, he established himself as a top American sports car racer, eventually winning two IMSA GTO Championships and three Trans-Am Series Championships.

In the 1990s, Pruett was a regular in the CART series. From 1988 to 1999, he made 145 starts with two wins, five poles and fifteen podiums (top three finishes). In a pre-season testing in 1990, Pruett was involved in a serious crash at West Palm Beach, Florida, where he seriously injured both his legs. Pruett spent the 1990 season recovering & on certain occasions calling ESPN Indycar telecasts as color commentator with Paul Page doing the play by play.

In 1994 he joined the reformed Pat Patrick team in CART series testing Firestone tires. Later that same year he won the Trans-Am Series Championship. In 1995 he drove full time for Patrick racing using Firestone tires in Firestone's return to the CART series & finally won his first race in a thrilling last lap duel with Al Unser Jr. at the Michigan 500. In 1997 he won his final CART series race at Surfers Paradise Australia (Nikon Indy 300).

Following his Champ Car career, Pruett raced the 2000 season in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series with PPI Motorsports, although with little success, achieving just 1 top-10 and finishing 37th in the points standings. He then moved back to sports car racing and won his third Trans-Am Series Championship in 2003. Since 2004, he has raced in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series for Chip Ganassi Racing. Pruett is still a regular starter at NASCAR road course races and he is often referred to as a Road Course Ringer. Pruett has won nine American sports car championships, three in Grand-Am (2004, 2008, 2010), to go along with previous championships in IMSA GTO (1986, 1988), Trans-Am Series (1987, 1994, 2003) and IMSA GT Endurance (1986).

Pruett also worked for several years as a commentator for Champ Car races on Speed Channel.

He is rumored as a candidate to replace Brian Barnhart as INDYCAR Chief Steward.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Scott Pruett

Yes, an Indy Car.  I don't have a lot of these in my collection but two joined my collection at the CARnival this year (including this one).

Pruett won the opening round of the 1991 IROC series season at Daytona. In 1994, Pruett joined Patrick Racing as a test driver for Firestone tires. The same year, he also won the IMSA 24 Hours at Daytona, and also won a second Trans-Am Series championship.

For the next 4 years, Pruett continued driving Indy Cars for Patrick Racing and usually made the top ten in the series championship. In 1995 he won his first CART race at the Michigan 500. His best CART career championship finish was in 1998 finishing sixth in points with three podium finishes and one pole position.
In 1999, Pruett changed to Arciero-Wells and participated in the Toyota engine program development. He also earned Toyota's first pole on an oval (California Speedway) and earned Toyota's best qualifying effort on a road course at the current time (third at the Australian Grand Prix).

Panel Van Of The Day: April 23, 2012

Today's car of the day is Matchbox Models Of Yesteryear 1927 Austin 7 Van.

The Austin 7 was a car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom by the Austin Motor Company. Nicknamed the "Baby Austin", it was one of the most popular cars ever produced for the British market, and sold well abroad. It wiped out most other British small cars and cyclecars of the early 1920s; its effect on the British market was similar to that of the Model T Ford in the USA. It was also licensed and copied by companies all over the world. The very first BMW car, the BMW Dixi, was a licensed Austin 7, as were the original American Austins. In France they were made and sold as Rosengarts. In Japan Nissan also used the 7 design as the basis for their original cars, although not under licence.

Many Austin 7s were rebuilt as "specials" after the Second World War, including the first Lotus, the Lotus Mk1, which was based on an Austin 7.

Such was the power of the Austin 7 name that the company re-used it for early versions of the A30 in 1951 and Mini in 1959.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Austin 7

A recent acquisition from rlyoung (thanks Rick!) this is the first Yesteryear in my collection.  Normally they're far too big for my collecting habits but since this is a 1/52 model of a very tiny real vehicle it actually comes in shorter than a true 1/64 scale GreenLight Mustang.  Hence why it's landed in my collection.

Until the First World War Austin built mainly large cars, but in 1909 they sold a single-cylinder 7 hp built by Swift of Coventry called the Austin Seven. After this they returned to bigger cars, but Sir Herbert Austin felt a smaller car would be more popular, in spite of protestations from the company's board of directors who were concerned about the financial status of the company. Austin won them over by threatening to take the idea to their competitor Wolseley, and got permission to start on his design, in which he was assisted by a young draughtsman called Stanley Edge who worked from 1921 into 1922 at Austin's home, Lickey Grange. Austin put a large amount of his own money into the design and patented many of its innovations in his own name. In return for the investment he was paid a royalty of two guineas (£2, 2s), (£2.10) on every car sold.

Nearly 2,500 cars were made in the first year of production (1923), not as many as hoped, but within a few years the "big car in miniature" had wiped out the cyclecar industry and transformed the fortunes of the Austin Motor Co. By 1939 when production finally ended, 290,000 cars and vans had been made.

Rental Car Of The Day: April 22, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from Firehawk73's collection and is Shelby Collectibles Inc. 2007 Shelby GT-H.

The Shelby Mustang is a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang which was built by Shelby American from 1965 through 1970. Following the introduction of the fifth generation Ford Mustang, the Shelby nameplate was revived in 2007 for new high performance versions of the Mustang.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Shelby GT-H

Ford introduced the Shelby GT-H version of the Mustang at the 2006 New York Auto Show. Like the original GT350H from 1966, the GT-H featured gold-on-black paint and was only available at the Hertz car rental agency. A modest power bump over the regular Mustang GT V-8 engine. Features included a 5-speed automatic transmission, and a package from Ford Racing including a 90 mm cold air intake kit, X-pipe, special performance suspension, and Ford Racing "GTA" axle-back mufflers. Only 500 cars were built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Shelby GT350H. For 2007, a convertible version of the GT-H was offered for rental at Hertz. This time the convertibles came with a custom light bar reminiscent of the 1968 Shelby Mustang convertibles.

The 4.6 liter, 281-cubic-inch, 319 hp (238 kW) Ford Shelby GT slots between the 300 hp (220 kW) Mustang GT and the Ford Shelby GT500. It is essentially a retail sale version of the Hertz rental-only Ford Shelby GT-H, except a manual transmission is available. The Shelby GT was offered based on strong demand from enthusiasts wanting Ford and Shelby to offer a retail version of the GT-H. Other differences include the deletion of the rear spoiler, a retro Shelby hood scoop in place of the CS6/8 Shelby hood, and silver versus the gold stripes, with the car available in either white or black in 2007 and Vista Blue, Grabber Orange or Black with red stripes for 2008. The Grabber Orange Shelby GT-C (California) was sold exclusively in California and only available as a coupe (less than 220 models were produced). Again, the popularity of the 2007 Shelby GT-H rental car, this time the convertible, Shelby offered the 2008 Shelby GT as a coupe or convertible in limited numbers. Based on requests from enthusiasts for a blue Shelby GT, Vista Blue became the signature color for the 2008 Shelby GT. The Vista Blue models were available as a coupe or convertible. A very limited number (100) Barrett Jackson Shelby GTs were built in 2008 that were black with red stripes, also available in coupe or convertible. The Barrett Jackson Shelby GTs were sold exclusively in Arizona. The Hertz Shelby GT-H attracted so much attention that Ford dealers and customers asked for a version of their own. Like the GT-H, the Shelby GT is modified at Shelby Automotive's factory in Las Vegas, which distinguishes the GT-H and Shelby GT models from the GT500 in that the GT500s are produced entirely by AutoAlliance International.