Archive Photos
Join us on another trip down memory lane as Simon Goldsworthy samples a selection of press and publicity photos from manufacturers, this issue ranging from M for Mercedes through to P for Princess.
This issue we select archive photos featuring manufacturers from M to P.
MERCEDES
This images sees the Mercedes W25 Silver Arrows race cars being taken on a victory parade after winning the Eifel Race at the Nurburgring on 3rd June, 1934. That was a hugely significant occasion, marking as it did not only MercedesBenz's first race win, but their first competition entry too! With a supercharged 3.4-litre straighteight engine, the Silver Arrow was capable of 155mph, quite terrifying really when you think of the technology of the day. Supposedly, the cars had been painted white, but this was stripped off to help get them under the 750kg weight limit.
MAZDA
This delectable machine is the first Mazda Cosmo sports car, a name that lasted in production from 1967 to 1995. The L10A had been shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1964, but production proper did not begin until May 1967. Under the bonnet was a two-rotor Wankel engine, something that was to become a Mazda USP for decades – the 'unique' part of that designation being that the company made a success of the technology, in direct contrast to everybody else who dabbled in it. The '90th Anniversary' tag is because the image was released by the company in 2010 ' to celebrate 90 years of technical innovation' – the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co Ltd was taken over by Jujiro Matsuda in 1920.
MG METRO 6R4
The MG Metro 6R4 did not owe too much to either MG or the Metro, but it did both names proud. There were already MG Metro 1300 and MG Metro Turbo versions of the little shopping trolly being built at Longbridge by the time that the 6R4 was announced in February 1984. With a 2991cc V6 engine mounted amidships producing either 410bhp in International form or a more modest 250bhp in Clubman guise, the lack of a turbocharger ensured this came on tap without any lag. It was accompanied by up to 270lb.ft of torque. With acceleration of 0- 60mph in just 3.2 seconds, Autocar said it was the fastest wheel- driven car they had ever tested.
NSU
Remember the days before commercial hand washes when people use to clean their own cars? Back then, the alternative was a mechanical wash that was a thrilling adventure for the kids, but risked damaging your paint or pulling off a mirror. This family were all mucking in to spruce up their NSU TT, a rapid little beast with its rear-mounted OHC engine. The Neckarsulm company was bought by VW in 1969 and folded into Audi, the NSU name disappearing with the Ro80 in 1977.
NISSAN
Very apt since we are introducing our new Figaro project this issue, this picture shows the opening ceremony for the Nissan Oppama Plant near Yokohama in 1961. The car is a Cedric Model 30, the first of the Cedric line that was updated and reinvented to compete with Toyota's Crown until reaching the end of the road in 2004. Originally it replaced the Austin A50 that Nissan were building under licence, but why was it called Cedric? Supposedly that name was chosen by Nissan's CEO and comes from the main character in the novel,
No, we don't really see the connection either.
NASH
This is the Nash Ambassador of 1949, and it marked a new departure for the Wisconsin company. The Ambassador name was first used by Nash for the most luxurious version of their Advanced Six in 1927, but with the introduction of the Ambassador Eight in 1932, it became a model range in its own right. The 1949 models introduced unitary construction, but it was the styling changes that grabbed the most headlines as serious attention was paid to streamlining – those enclosed front and rear wheelarches were more than a styling gimmick.
NASH-HEALEY
This 1951 photo is from the launch of the Nash- Healey, built by Donald Healey using Nash Ambassador underpinnings for the American market. After a Pinin Farina redesign in 1952, it had probably the longest production line in history as the running gear was shipped from the USA to England, the rolling chassis were then sent to Italy to be bodied and the finished cars returned to the US. It was financial madness, and the model was laid to rest in 1954.