SOLVED: Djetset #586 - 1952 Ford Vedette SIAM record car

[Djetset]

First of a small batch of new puzzles from me for a while.

So, to gain a point, tell me all you can about this vehicle.

[Allemano]

seems to be not the most torsion-resistant chassis.

[Djetset]

Moving up the banking...

[Djetset]

... and on to the top of the banking.

[woodinsight]

French?

[Djetset]

Oui.

[woodinsight]

Caron Bouvot Sport Monopole 1954?

[Djetset]

Desole, but not the lovely Caron Bouvot Sport.

[woodinsight]

Is it a one-off?

[Djetset]

Essentially a one-off, but with the support of a larger company.

[woodinsight]

1950s?

[barrett]

Any Gordini connection?

[Djetset]

Yes it is from the 1950s, but it has no Gordini connections known to me.

[woodinsight]

Simca engine?

[Djetset]

Simca engine?  Hmmm, tricky one to answer, so I will say no.

[woodinsight]

Was the car used as a sports racer in its final configuration?

[Wendax]

Ford V8 engine?

[sixtee5cuda]

Ford 60-series V8 with Ardun heads

[Wendax]

Ford Vedette SIAM record car, built in 1952 by Albert Simille and Joseph Ampoulié, originally fitted with an aluminium body by Ampoulié and Gallet which was destroyed in an accident. The V8 engine was reduced to 1995 cc and had hemispherical combustion chambers. At Montlhery, it broke two long-distance world records which had been unbroken since 1927:
10000 km at an average of 130.654 km/h
72 hours at an average of 130.131 km/h

[woodinsight]

Wendax - presumably this is the car you mean?

[Wendax]

Yes

[Wendax]

 

[Djetset]

Wendax gets the point (I thought it might have gone before the Pros level as the Montlhery banked circuit in the photo was quite a clue!) 

[SACO]

The current body on this chassis : 

[Wendax]

That's a way to make an outstanding car look like a cheap Cobra copy