Discussion
These are very practical, but unusual cars. I drive one as my everyday car. I got it in February and love it. It had had very light use over the last ten years or so, but it's now had over 10k miles piled on with no problems, once all the perishables had been replaced. Fast, handles and rides well, looks great, huge boot, usable seats in the back, 20-something to the gallon, and you won't see another one! If you get one just be prepared to get asked what it is wherever you go!
Here it is in the Pyrenees in April:
Indeed - 462 coupés produced, of which only 29 were RHD. Also 21 cabrios, only 1 RHD, and 5 four-door saloons, all LHD. Only about 10% of production got the Getrag 5-speed manual, most being 3-speed autos. Remember the coupé was the thick end of £40k when it was new - the cabrio over £50k! All info from bittercars.com
Here it is in the Pyrenees in April:
wedge girl said:
Now there's a thought, rarer than rocking horse poo.
Indeed - 462 coupés produced, of which only 29 were RHD. Also 21 cabrios, only 1 RHD, and 5 four-door saloons, all LHD. Only about 10% of production got the Getrag 5-speed manual, most being 3-speed autos. Remember the coupé was the thick end of £40k when it was new - the cabrio over £50k! All info from bittercars.com
dinkel said:
in the flesh it's no headturner.
I have disagree with this. In fact, I would go so far as to say that headturning is the one word that most accurately describes it, given it's effect on most who see it. Beauty is obviously in the eye of the beholder, but it is a distinctive, elegant, understated shape, especially in a dark metallic. (1980's issue solid red or white is a bit much these days I admit!) Most people assume it is a Ferrari or a Maserati, and all are surprised to learn that it is German (but wearing a sharp Italian suit...)
dinkel said:
Italian suit . . .
That's a CD, not an SC. Frua-designed Italian suit. Even more like rocking horse poo, less than 400 made. I've only recently seen my first one, and it was a very nice car. (That said, I've only ever seen two SCs and the first one I saw I bought!) There are only 3 CDs in the UK, but I think one of them has just been sold back to Europe.
(Is that bright red 1970s hair in the pic, or a hat?)
I have to say, from the profiles I still think the SC is better looking than the De Tomaso cars, which are a long way from the Vallelunga or Mangusta in my mind. But I also agree that the CD is nicer still than the SC, and for that matter a better shape than the Khamsin too. But all discussions like this are entirely subjective - we are all right. There's no accounting for taste don't they say? 
But the real appeal of the SC for me is it's genuine practicality for something so exotic. Most mechanical bits still can be sourced through Vauxhall, it's big, fast, half-way sensible and and rare. What more could I want? I also have a '93 Tatra 613, so clearly looks are not the be-all and end-all of cars for me. Classic and Sports Car magazine summed it up well when they drove an SC and a Ferrari 412 back to back a couple of years ago - "consider them an irrational alternative to a used Mondeo". The very phrase that swung it for me!
But the real appeal of the SC for me is it's genuine practicality for something so exotic. Most mechanical bits still can be sourced through Vauxhall, it's big, fast, half-way sensible and and rare. What more could I want? I also have a '93 Tatra 613, so clearly looks are not the be-all and end-all of cars for me. Classic and Sports Car magazine summed it up well when they drove an SC and a Ferrari 412 back to back a couple of years ago - "consider them an irrational alternative to a used Mondeo". The very phrase that swung it for me!
I've always wanted a Tatra! More a 77 though, just too deliciously art-deco.
I'd not really thought of the Bitters as knock-offs of the de Tomaso efforts, and to be quite honest, although there is more similarity there than I had picked up on, I still think they're different enough. I'd say the Longchamps is closer to the contemporary Merc 450 SLC than the Bitter is to the Longchamp. The Deauville is very obviously a tip of the hat to the Jaguar XJ6, to put it mildly
The Khamsin though is delicious. Have you got yours yet Dinkel?
Ciao
Zak
I'd not really thought of the Bitters as knock-offs of the de Tomaso efforts, and to be quite honest, although there is more similarity there than I had picked up on, I still think they're different enough. I'd say the Longchamps is closer to the contemporary Merc 450 SLC than the Bitter is to the Longchamp. The Deauville is very obviously a tip of the hat to the Jaguar XJ6, to put it mildly
The Khamsin though is delicious. Have you got yours yet Dinkel?
Ciao
Zak
I leave this forum alone for a few days and look what happens, madness takes over sheer and utter madness!
To even suggest that the Deauville looks like a rodded up Vauxhall is tantamount to bloody heresy As for it looking like an XJ6, bag humbug people were burnt at stake for less.
Now let’s consider the evidence. The Deauville came into this world in 1970, a very good year as so did I and at that time the old ‘King sized Fag’ looked like this
It is one of life’s givens that the original XJ6 was one of the greatest cars ever designed (if you don’t you shouldn’t be here) but it does not look like one of these
This looks like an XJ40 which also know was pretty damn wretched, I had one and survived it
Now we know that de Tomaso did not rip of Jaguar rather the boys from Coventry came plagiarising when in their infinite wisdom they decided to take the glorious form of the original XJ6 and make it a whole lot worse.
The Longchamp is however another kettle of fish, an SLC for the Goodfella’s
So all in all the Bitter looks good but is an expensive rodded up Vauxhall, the Deauville does not look like a Series I XJ6 and the Longchamp is pure gangster are we happy with that?
As for the Tatra, absolutely fantastic and were it not for the sheer size of the Deauville project I wouldn’t half mind it
To even suggest that the Deauville looks like a rodded up Vauxhall is tantamount to bloody heresy
As for it looking like an XJ6, bag humbug people were burnt at stake for less. Now let’s consider the evidence. The Deauville came into this world in 1970, a very good year as so did I and at that time the old ‘King sized Fag’ looked like this
It is one of life’s givens that the original XJ6 was one of the greatest cars ever designed (if you don’t you shouldn’t be here) but it does not look like one of these
This looks like an XJ40 which also know was pretty damn wretched, I had one and survived it
Now we know that de Tomaso did not rip of Jaguar rather the boys from Coventry came plagiarising when in their infinite wisdom they decided to take the glorious form of the original XJ6 and make it a whole lot worse.
The Longchamp is however another kettle of fish, an SLC for the Goodfella’s
So all in all the Bitter looks good but is an expensive rodded up Vauxhall, the Deauville does not look like a Series I XJ6 and the Longchamp is pure gangster are we happy with that?
As for the Tatra, absolutely fantastic and were it not for the sheer size of the Deauville project I wouldn’t half mind it
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