Please tell me the make, designation, what it led to, and approximate year for one point.
Strange, this. The lights and the little grilles suggest John Tjaarda's hand in the design, but the wide track, narrow tyres and what seem to be swing axles at the rear :-\ seem to indicate a rear-engined prototype. Could it be an ancestor to Tjaarda's Briggs Streamliner, aimed at the general public as buyers?
Though it does look like something Tjaarda might have created, there is no connection to the famed designer. You're on the right track with the rear engine though.
Have the rookies been sleeping? Time to give the Experts a shot...
Is this one of those Ford experiments with soybean, hemp, etc bodies?
Nope, it's not a Ford.
French?
Not French.
Have I really stumped both the Rookies and the Experts? Time to give the Professionals a shot....
USA?
Willys?
Nope, not a Willys. It's not American, either. Glad that people are taking a shot at it, though. I'd hate to see this puzzle go into the Black Hole without a fight.
Japanese?
Nope, not Japanese.
South American?
Nope!
European?
Yes, it's European.
Opel?
No, not an Opel.
Is it Czech?
Early prototype for Isotta Fraschini 8C Monterosa?
It's neither Czech nor an Isotta-Fraschini prototype.
I think it's Italian, maybe a Fiat prototype?
Are you asking whether it's Italian or whether it's a Fiat prototype? I believe the general rule here is only one guess at a time.
Maybe it's Swedish?
Yes, it's Swedish.
Quote from: tonyola on March 16, 2012, 01:48:32 AM
Yes, it's Swedish.
It's the Volvo V40 prototype from the early 1940's.
It had an 8-cylinder engine mounted ahead of the rear axles, so was mid-engined!
It was actually called the PV-40 but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and the point. Also, I did ask what this car led to. The PV-40 idea was abandoned because of expense and the conventional PV444 was developed in its place.
Quote from: tonyola on March 16, 2012, 09:09:58 AM
It was actually called the PV-40 but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and the point. Also, I did ask what this car led to. The PV-40 idea was abandoned because of expense and the conventional PV444 was developed in its place.
Sorry, that was a typo on my behalf. I meant to put PV40 (as it says in the captions to the pictures..)
Also, I should have re-read the question as of course I could have answered the other bit too!
So instead I'll add that before WW2 Volvos were known for rather large cars and the management wanted something a bit smaller, which they thought was what people would want in the future; that's what the PV40 attempted to be (with 8 cylinders!!). As we now know it didn't lead to anything and the PV444 was developed to fulfil the job instead.