Classic Crossword
Clues across: 7. British tuning company, founded in 1959 and successful with engines from BMC, Ford and Rootes (especially in the fastback Sunbeam Rapier) (6) 8. German specialist car maker, whose most successful model was the CD built from 1973 to 1979 (6) 10. Italian specialist car maker, active for some 60 years from 1925, initially with own design cars but from the mid-fifties worked with Fiat base vehicles (7) 11. Aussie engineering company whose name became known world-wide after Formula 1 racing success with Brabham in 1966-67 (5) 12. Maserati 2+2 coupe GT car, styled by Vignale and built in decent numbers (1136) from 1969 to 1974 (4) 13. Austin’s largely unsuccessful 4wd rival to the Land-rover - its steel bodies rusted, while the alloy Landie did not! (5) 17. A major UK car electrics firm, jokingly called the “Prince of Darkness” by disrespectful US commentators (5) 18. British car company, active from 1919 to 1929 and initially successful with high volume sales against Austin and Morris: a good candidate for running on vegetable oil perhaps (4) 22.
The first mechanically-operated ----- valve was reputedly used by 13 across in their first car prototype in 1898 (5)
23. Belgian car maker active from 1906 to 1948, and on to 1957 producing Standards under licence (7) 24. Successful Aussie coupe, built from 1968 to 1977, and again from 2001 to 2005/6 (6) 25. Model name used by Hillman from 1931 to 1934 for a side-valve six cylinder saloon (6)
Clues down: 1. Maserati again, this time the successor to 12 across, with body by Bertone (7) 2. Alternative name from 1958 to 1962 of Renault’s successful (117,000 built) Caravelle coupe (7) 3. Opel’s reply to Ford’s successful Capri, built from 1970 to 1988 - with over 1.1million sold, a successful competitor (5) 4. Hot rod 250cc Triumph scooter in production from 1959 to 1964, also sold as the BSA Sunbeam (7) 5. Jaguar’s first Le Mans winner in 1951and 1953 (1-4) 6. The Pierce ----- was one of America’s “Three Ps of Motordom” (with Peerless and Packard) (5) 9. Italian small car builder, active from 1946 to 1949, and sold off in 1952 - its main claim to fame is the ground-breaking 202 GT design of 1947 (9) 14. Successful Audi sports, GT and competition car that from 1980 led the rally world into 4wd (7) 15. Classic vintage sports car produced by the Stutz company from 1912 to 1925 (7) 16. Italian automobile made from 1919 to the mid-30s - its parent company was one of Europe’s biggest engineering outfits; NZ sales were strong thanks to a very active NZ agent (7) 19. Well-known nickname for the sturdy GMC trucks very widely used in WW2 -and its use continues to the present day (5) 20. US automobile sold by Durant Motors: it was based on a modified Willys design and sold from 1923 to 1927 (5) 21. Lancia’s small car rival to Fiat’s 1100/1200 and Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta, with over 98,000 built from 1953 to 1963 (5)