After the first World War, Czech arms manufacturer Franisek Janecek made a business decision to produce motorcycles. He designed the bodies and used Wanderer engines. The trademark “Jawa” was patented in 1929; the name came from the first two letters of Janecek and Wanderer. Motorcycle production was growing, and by the mid 1930s Jawa began […]
Vincenzo Lancia was the youngest child of a wealthy Turin soup manufacturer. As a young man, he was a chief inspector and test driver for F.I.A.T. as well as a successful racer. In 1906, he formed his own company. Initially, Lancia produced luxury cars but by the 1930s, they saw a need to mass-produce a
Lancia Aprilia- 1945 Read More »
The first small Lancia conceived under FIAT ownership was the Delta, which appeared in 1978. In 1987, a new model, the Delta HF Integrale, was launched. It had a more aggressive look to highlight its sporting personality. It retained the 1995cc turbo engine with intercooler and overboost, twin counter-rotating balancer shafts, and integrated electronic ignition
Lancia Delta HF Integrale- 1991 Read More »
An example of the U.S. military’s largest amphibious craft, the LARC-LX (lighter, amphibious, resupply, cargo) came in three sizes, ranging in size from 5 ton (LARC v) to the LX, capable of transporting 60 tons from ocean to inland, across heavy seas and up inclines as steep as 60 degrees. It remains the only amphibian
This tiny traditional-style sports car was conceived mainly with British Trials racing in mind. Trials racing is a popular motor sport in Great Britain which entails vehicles traveling up a steep hill with a challenging course layout to see who can go the farthest distance. As such, the Liège is a very simple, very lightweight
Guy Ligier, a successful French racing driver and rugby player, built his own sports car–the Ligier JS–and showed it at the Paris Salon in 1970. Ligier then went on to found his own Formula 1 racing team which he owned from 1976 to 1996. In 1980 Ligier introduced the JS4 microcar. With 7,000 sold in
This rugged 4-wheel drive vehicle was built for the French military. It is lightweight and intended for use by airborne troops. A large cargo plane can carry and launch six Lohrs while a helicopter can only carry one. It was built to be parachuted to the front lines with the capacity to carry equipment over
Lohr Fardier FL 500- 1978 Read More »
Italy had many small specialty car manufacturers in the 1960s and 1970s. Many small car makers used drivetrains from Fiat. This vehicle is based on a Fiat 500 drivetrain, with Fiat 600 transmission. The rear four wheels are chain driven from the transaxle. This vehicle was made to traverse difficult off road conditions and still
Ferrario Lucertola 500- 1972 Read More »
The Martin, despite vigorous promotion, never went beyond three prototypes. Before you is a one-of-a-kind aerodynamic vehicle built by Martin Aircraft Company of Garden City, New York. Martin’s concept was to create a four-seater streamlined car along jaray principles. Notice the pontoon-shaped underbody, fully covered rear wheels, and a deep-sloping front with the body tapering
Martin Aerodynamic- 1928 Read More »