Jaguar XJ13, 1966

Jaguar XJ13, 1966

 The Jaguar XJ13 was a prototype racing car developed by Jaguar to challenge at Le Mans in the mid-1960s. It never raced, and only one was ever produced.

Jaguar had considered the manufacture of a V12 engine as far back as 1955, initially for racing purposes, and then developing a road going version, unlike the XK which was designed as a production engine and later pressed into service for racing. The engine design was essentially two XK 6-cylinder engines on a common crankshaft with an aluminium cylinder block, although there were differences in the inlet porting, valve angles and combustion chamber shape. The first engine ran in July of 1964.

The idea of a mid-engined prototype was first mooted in 1960, but it was not until 1965 that construction began, with the first car running by March 1966. The aluminium body was designed by Malcolm Sayer, the aerodynamicist responsible for the Jaguar C-Type, D-Type, E-Type and XJ-S, who used his Bristol Aeroplane Company background to build it using techniques borrowed from the aircraft industry.

The Jaguar XJ13 had mid-engine format with the 5.0 litre V12 engine mounted behind the driver, used as a stressed chassis member together with the five-speed manual ZF Transaxle driving the rear wheels.

The front suspension wishbones were similar to that of the E-Type, however where the E-Type used longitudinal torsion bars, the Jaguar XJ13 had more conventional coil spring/damper units. At the rear there again remained similarities with the E-Type - the use of driveshafts as upper transverse links - however the rest was quite different, with two long radius arms per side angling back from the central body tub together with lower links.

The development of the Jaguar XJ13, although treated seriously by the designers, was never a priority for company management (despite assistant MD Lofty England's Le Mans success in the 1950s), and became less so following the 1966 merger with BMC. By that time Ford had developed the 7.0 litre GT40, and so the Jaguar XJ13 was considered obsolete by the time the prototype was complete. The prototype was tested at MIRA and at Silverstone, which confirmed that it would have required considerable development to make it competitive. The prototype was put into storage and no further examples were made.

The Jaguar XJ13 was a prototype racing car developed by Jaguar to challenge at Le Mans in the mid-1960s. It never raced, and only one was ever produced.

aguar had considered the manufacture of a V12 engine as far back as 1955, initially for racing purposes, and then developing a road going version, unlike the XK which was designed as a production engine and later pressed into service for racing. The engine design was essentially two XK 6-cylinder engines on a common crankshaft with an aluminium cylinder block, although there were differences in the inlet porting, valve angles and combustion chamber shape. The first engine ran in July of 1964.

The idea of a mid-engined prototype was first mooted in 1960, but it was not until 1965 that construction began, with the first car running by March 1966. The aluminium body was designed by Malcolm Sayer, the aerodynamicist responsible for the Jaguar C-Type, D-Type, E-Type and XJ-S, who used his Bristol Aeroplane Company background to build it using techniques borrowed from the aircraft industry.

The Jaguar XJ13 had mid-engine format with the 5.0 litre V12 engine mounted behind the driver, used as a stressed chassis member together with the five-speed manual ZF Transaxle driving the rear wheels.

The front suspension wishbones were similar to that of the E-Type, however where the E-Type used longitudinal torsion bars, the Jaguar XJ13 had more conventional coil spring/damper units. At the rear there again remained similarities with the E-Type - the use of driveshafts as upper transverse links - however the rest was quite different, with two long radius arms per side angling back from the central body tub together with lower links.

The development of the Jaguar XJ13, although treated seriously by the designers, was never a priority for company management (despite assistant MD Lofty England's Le Mans success in the 1950s), and became less so following the 1966 merger with BMC. By that time Ford had developed the 7.0 litre GT40, and so the Jaguar XJ13 was considered obsolete by the time the prototype was complete. The prototype was tested at MIRA and at Silverstone, which confirmed that it would have required considerable development to make it competitive. The prototype was put into storage and no further examples were made.

Dodge Charger, 1966

Dodge Charger, 1966

There have been a number of vehicles bearing the Charger nameplate, but the name has generally denoted a performance model in the Dodge range. The 1966 to 1974 Chargers were the high performance B-body models. The 1975 to 1978 Chargers were based on the Chrysler Cordoba.

1966
Carl "CAM'" Cameron would be the exterior designer of Dodge's new flagship vehicle, and on January 1, 1966, viewers of the Rose Bowl were first introduced to the new "Leader of the Dodge Rebellion", the 1966 Charger. The Charger's introduction coincided with the introduction of the new street version of the 426 Hemi. Finally, Dodge would have the performance image to go along with this performance engine.

As the 1966 Charger's features would go, the "electric shaver" grille used fully rotating headlights that when opened or closed made the grille look like one-piece. Inside, the Charger used four individual bucket seats with a full length console from front to rear. The rear seats and console pad also folded forward, and the trunk divider dropped back, which allowed for lots of cargo room inside. Many other things were exclusive to the Charger such as the door panels, courtesy lights and the instrument panel.

The instrument panel was especially interesting as regular bulbs weren't used to light the gauges. Instead four electroluminescent dash pods housed the tachometer, speedometer, alternator, fuel and tempature gauges. In the rear the full length taillight read CHARGER.

The engine selection was all V8s. A six cylinder engine didn't make the option list until 1968. In 1966 four engines were offered; the base-model 318 in³ 2-barrel V8, the truck-sourced 361 in³ 2-barrel, the 383 4-barrel, and the new 426 Street Hemi. The majority of 1966 Chargers were ordered with the 325-hp 383.

Total production in 1966 came to 37,344 units, which was successful for the mid-year introduction.

In 1966 Dodge took the Charger into NASCAR in hopes that the fastback would make their car a winner on the high-banks. But the car proved to have rear end lift around corners which made it very slippery on the faster tracks. The lift was because the air actually travelled faster over the top of the car than under it, causing the car to act like a giant airplane wing. Drivers would later claim that "it was like driving on ice." In order to solve this problem Dodge installed in a small lip spoiler on the trunk lid which improved traction at speeds above 150 mph. They also had to make it a dealer-installed option in late 1966 and through 1967 because of NASCAR rules (with small quarter panel extensions in 1967). The 1966 Charger was the first US production vehicle to have a spoiler. David Pearson, driving a #6 Cotten Owens-prepared Charger, went on to win the NASCAR Grand National championship in 1966 with 14 first-place finishes.

Bentley T1, 1966

Bentley T1, 1966

The Bentley T-Series was even more rarely built than the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. The Bentley being technically an identical twin of the Rolls Royce seems to have been bought mostly by owners wishing a little more understatement. The formerly more sportive image of Bentley motor cars differing from Rolls Royces was gone by the time the Silver Shadow/Bentley T was introduced and thus couldn't motivate buyers any more. The outward appearance of a Bentley T is slightly more dynamic because the bonnet design is a few centimeters lower and the radiator shell shape with its rounded edges is smoother.

The T1 was made from 1967-1977 and the T2 was made from 1977-1980.

Lamborghini 400 GT, 1966

Lamborghini 400 GT, 1966

 

The Lamborghini 400GT 2+2 was a 2+2-seated sports car from the Italian manufacturer Lamborghini, successor to the 350GT. First presented at the 1966 Geneva Auto Show.

Compared to its predecessor the engine was enlarged to 3,929 ccm (240 c.i.), increasing the power to 320 bhp. The 400GT 2+2 was actually a different body from the 350GT, with a longer wheelbase, different roofline, and some sheetmetal changes throughout the car. The larger body shape enabled the +2 seating to be installed in the rear, where the 350GT only had room for luggage or +1 seating. The bodywork was designed by Carrozzeria Touring. The 400GT 2+2 also had a Lamborghini designed gearbox, with Porsche style synchromesh on all gears including, which greatly improved the drivetrain.

There was a variant of the 350GT with the 4L V12 fitted to it, which was called the 400GT. Only 23 of these smaller coupes were built, three of which had desirable aluminium bodywork.

A total of 247 units were built from 1966 to 1968, when it was replaced with the Islero.

Lamborghini 350 GTS Spider, 1966

Lamborghini 350 GTS Spider, 1966

The Lamborghini 350GT was the first production car by Lamborghini, first shown at the Turin Motor Show in 1963.

The car featured a 3.5 litre quad-cam V-12 engine (hence its designation), independent rear suspension (while Ferrari still used live rear axles) and a controversial 2+1 semi-fastback body by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan.

The 350GT generally drew high praises at the time for its flexible and high-revving engine, its stable cornering, even on rough surfaces, and its high level of finish. 120 copies were built from 1963 to 1966.

Carroll Shelby Celebrates 85th Birthday & 1966 Le Mans Victory with Commemorative GT40

We got our first look at Shelby's 85th Commemorative GT40 back in January at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. It's as close as you can get to the real thing without spending millions on an original GT40 with the chassis and body nearly perfectly replicating the original. Shelby Distribution has now issued an updated press release as well as the official photos. The GT40, built by Superformance but officially badged a Shelby, celebrates both Carroll's 85th birthday as well as the dominating 1-2-3 Le Mans win in 1966. It's available in all three colors of the original race cars - Arcadian Blue, Black, and Red - as well as unique Shelby badging on the door handles, headlights, side graphics, and floor mats. No engine specs are available since each comes as a rolling chassis, but the engine bay is built to accommodate any Shelby-badged V8 crate engine. Anything but a 427ci V8 would be just plain crazy, though. Follow the jump for the press release and check out nearly fifty high resolution photos in the gallery below.


PRESS RELEASE:

In celebration of Carroll Shelby's 85TH birthday Shelby Distribution USA under license from Shelby Licensing and in partnership with Shelby Automobiles Inc. will reproduce the three dominating Shelby American GT40® race cars that accomplished one of the greatest feats in American automotive racing history into a street legal vehicle that can be driven or simply collected. These rolling chassis will receive a Shelby Automobiles Inc. MSO and will be recorded in the Shelby Registry along with the Safir GT40 Spares LLC assigned licensed mark, identification number and registry that reflects these cars as newly manufactured variants of the original GT40®.

Chassis/Body

The GT40®'s chassis is a near-exact replication of the original race car's monocoque unibody structure down to the pressed steel roof. The only departure is the use of electro-galvanized sheet steel in the construction. The chassis, at over 12,000 pounds per degree, is stiffer than any other chassis on the market, and is made of over 244 laser cut and bent or pressed parts.

Engine/Transmission

The Shelby 85th Commemorative GT40® is built to accommodate only a Shelby branded engine. The top of the line engine includes the Shelby 427FE V8.


Original Style Suspension

The Shelby 85th Commemorative GT40® features an original style fully independent suspension system utilizing an unequal length A-arm design. The coilover system utilizes H&R springs and Bilstein shocks that are fully adjustable as well as the front and rear anti-roll bars. Ride height can be changed from 4.125 to 4.75 inches.

Wheels/Tires/Brakes

Incredible braking performance is achieved through vented Wilwood super light brakes. Both front and rear brakes feature 12.75" discs and 4-piston calipers. Original style 15-inch Halibrand wheels are wrapped with high performance BFGoodrich g-Force Drag Radial tires, 225/50/15 front, 275/60/15 rear.

Interior

The interior features original style seats with rivets and 4-point racing harness seat belts. A racing style dash features Smith gauges, and the pedal box, instruments, quick-release 14-inch steering wheel, and dash accurately replicate the original.

Unique 85th Commemorative Edition GT40® Features

The MKII Shelby GT40®'s will be based on the following cars. Only 85 of each color will be issued.

Car #1, Chassis P/1015: Arcadian Blue, White Stripes/Dark Blue borders, and Dayglo Red Fender Flashes
Car #2, Chassis P/1046: Black with solid Silver Stripes and White Roundels
Car #3, Chassis P/1047 Red with solid White Stripes and Roundels

Features Include:

- Record sale into the Shelby Registry
- Shelby MSO and dash plaque
- Carroll Shelby engraved door handles
- Carroll Shelby etched left and right front headlight covers
- Roundels with 85 number decals
- Leather seating
- Hood wind diffusers
- CS GT40® numbered plaque
- CS GT40® side sill graphics
- Carroll Shelby signature floor and sill mats
- 85th Commemorative hood badge
- 85th Special Edition decal
- Available in right and left hand drive

Available Race Version

While the standard Shelby 85th Commemorative GT40® is as close to a race car as one can get to driving on the street, a race version is also available. This package comes with a roll bar, fuel cell and A/C delete.

Vehicle specifications

Wheelbase: 95"
Length: 163"
Height: 40.5"
Width: 70"
Track (f/r): 57"/56"
Ground Clearance: 4.125" – 4.75"
Curb Weight: 2400 lbs
Weight Distribution: f/r: 40/60%

About Shelby Distribution

Based in Irvine, CA, Shelby Distribution is the official distributor for Shelby continuation cars. Their product lineup includes the CSX4000 Cobra, CSX9000, and the 85th Commemorative GT40. For more information on Shelby continuation cars or to find a dealership, visit www.shelbydistributionusa.com or call 888-SHELBY-USA. The GT40® trademark is owned by Safir GT40 Spares LLC.