British/Smitish...I'll take good old American Muscle myself

In case my friends distracted you.....

LOTUS Elise! Great British engineering...errrr....With special thanks to Toyota.

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Yeah, that BSA Gold Star was one hell of a machine. IIRC it was a 600cc one-lunger, or do I have that model confused with another one? It has been a while since 1962...

Fred,

The 650 Rocket Gold Star often called the RGS, was basically a tweaked up A10 twin engine with twin carbs etc, the frame was redesigned from an A10 engine with the major differences of it being stiffer and it also had a kink in the frame to accommodate a different oil filter and the RRT2 gearbox was a high ratio 4 gear set up. It was a bastard to ride on the road because you had to slip the clutch in first up to damn near 30 mph but once it got rolling, it absolutely flew.

Standard set up was very like a cafe racer with polished tank with painted sides, clip ons and rearsets.

I had one when I was about 17 or 18 and even back then if I parked it somewhere, it'd invariably have a crowd around it when I came back.

They also made Gold Stars of other sizes, including a 350 single (early ones had hand/sand cast crankcases and if I remember correctly, also a 500 but the only RGS they made was the 650 twin with RRT2 box. - Not many originals around now and most of the ones you see are tricked out A10s masquerading as RGSs. The easiest give away is to look for the kink in the frame.

I say this about every classic I've ever owned, but I wish I'd never sold my one!

quote:

Originally posted by JohnHunt:
The 2012 redesign target price is going to run $200k

That is cheap - here in Denmark prices will run in the 600.000 USD range

quote:

Originally posted by TWL:
jdollar says: "There is a huge difference between beauty and quality engineering."
Finally! Someone gets it! Bingo, bingo, bingo!

E Type quality engineering:

Independent, coil spring rear suspension, decades ahead of its time
Inboard, duct cooled, rear disk brakes, decades ahead of their time.
Monocoque construction, decades ahead of its time
50/50 front/rear weight distribution, decades ahead of its time

There is much more, but it is as clear now as in the 60's, that the E Type was well ahead of its time as far as engineering, performance and styling too.

If you haven't owned one, you can't know of the real achievement it was. Or know that the car, despite a bogus reputation, was actually extremely reliable and robust - except of the Lucas electrics.

BTW, the E Type was a class leading race car more than a decade after its' last production. I believe that last championship won by a team driving an E Type was 1986.

JPK

The E Type was a true 150 mph car. Unfortunately it's styling was more aesthetic than aerodynamic and the front end tended to left up at very high speeds. My love for the XK8 is based in large part on it's looks which still show the E Type heritage. Those lines still look beautiful after, what, 50 years?
Peter.