Alfa Romeo GTV-6 2.5

The GTV-6 started its life as the Alfetta GTV, which in turn was based on the Alfetta GT saloon. The GTV was a fastback coupe version of the GT saloon. In 1979 Alfa Romeo's new 'big-car' range was launched with the Alfa 6, which used a 2.5 litre V-6 and belt-driven single overheard camshafts. This engine proved so successful that it stayed in production until the late nineties, being used in the Alfa Romeo 164. 

To create the GTV-6, Alfa Romeo took the Alfetta GTV and added the 6's 2.5 litre engine, creating the GTV-6, literally. This also created the necessity for a bonnet bulge to accommodate the top of the air intake, distinguishing it from the GTV quite noticeably. 

The six downdraught Dell'Orto carburettors of the 6 were replaced by Bosch fuel injection, meaning the car was far easier to start than the 6 while it also retained its state of tune much better. The carburettor problems were the main criticism of the 6, so the engine could finally show the world just how good it was when it found a home more suited to it in the GTV-6. Eventually the injection system replaced the carburettors in the second generation of the 6, clearly proving it was a far superior system.

The GTV-6 was a fast car, proving very successful in motor racing and even appearing in Octopussy (1983), establishing it even further as a desirable, sleek car. It won the European Touring Car Championship 4 years in a row from 1982 to 1985, the British Touring Car Championship in 1983 and the Australian Rally Championship in 1987. 

In 1984 the car underwent revisions to its interior and new gear ratios, along with other minor changes throughout its lifetime. Production lasted seven years until 1987 and there was no real replacement until the GTV arrived in 1994.

Specifications

Engine: 6-cyl, 2.5 litre

Horsepower: 160bhp

Transmission: 5 speed manual

Chassis: Unitary steel construction

Brakes: Discs all round

Top Speed: 132mph

0-60mph: 8.4 seconds

0-100mph: 22.4 seconds

AC Cobra

When AC began exporting their cars to America, it came to Carroll Shelby's attention that the AC Ace's chassis could take far more power than it already had from standard specification, so in 1961 he replaced its 2.6 litre engine with a Ford 260 4.2 litre V8. The recipe for a car like this sounds terrible, but such was the quality of the Ace's chassis that it actually worked rather well.

As a result, AC adopted this design, strengthening the chassis and transmission further before widening the bodywork by two inches to allow for larger tyres. This car went into production as the AC Cobra - what was once a fairly sedate, stylish convertible was now a 150mph car, capable of the Ace's original top speed of 100mph in just 13 seconds - around the same time it took for the Ace to reach 60mph.

The Bristol unit that the Ford engine replaced happened to be going out of production anyway, so this new development suited AC very well. As if this massive new engine wasn't enough, it was replaced after a relatively short period with the 4.7 litre Ford 289, now producing 271bhp.

Shelby then attempted to add a 6.4 litre Ford FE engine to the MKII chassis but when Ken Miles drove the car, he claimed that it was virtually undriveable, nicknaming it 'The Turd'.
















Still, Shelby would not settle for this, so he inserted a 7 litre Ford 427 engine into a chassis that had been redesigned by Ford to accommodate this colossal engine, using larger chassis tubes with wishbone/coil suspension and wheels and tyres that were even wider than before - the MKIII was born. The car had come a long way since the original 85bhp Ace - the Cobra produced 425bhp, on what was essentially the same platform.

Although all the Cobras were very successful racing cars, the 289 MKII was the car that won AC the International GT championship in 1965. The Ford-redesigned chassis cars were never sold in Europe, however AC did swap the 289's chassis for the Ford one, creating what many people argue to be the best of the Cobras.

Specifications

Engine: 8-cyl, 4.2 litre / 8-cyl, 4.7 litre / 8-cyl, 7.0 litre
Horsepower: 260bhp / 271bhp / 425bhp
Transmission: 4 speed manual
Chassis: Twin tube frame with independent suspension all round, later redesigned and strengthened
Brakes: Disc brakes
Top Speed: 150mph / 138mph / 185mph
0-60mph: 5.5 seconds / 5.6 seconds / 4.2 seconds

AC Ace

The AC Ace was first manufactured in 1953 as a direct replacement for the ageing 2-Litre, a car launched in 1947 with an engine that first appeared in 1925 boasting similarly aged styling. The 2-Litre looked increasingly out of date in post-war Britain, so a far more elegant car had to take its place.

Chassis were still fairly basic at the time of the Ace's conception, so the company recruited John Tojeiro to design something that would make the Ace fairly unique. The basic frame was modelled on the BMW 328 with large diameter twin tubes, attached to an independent front suspension unit that used transverse leaf springs with the lower wishbones; the same system was also used in the rear of the car.

The body was aluminium, moulded around small diameter tubes, giving it a great likeness to the Ferrari Barchetta - winner of the first ever post-war Le Mans 24-hour race in 1949. The Ace was also raced at Le Mans in 1957 and 1958.

The 2-Litre's 2.0 litre, 6 cylinder engine was installed in the Ace, despite its age, giving relatively good performance for a 1950s car - 85bhp, 100mph top speed and 0-60mph in 12 seconds. This was chiefly due to the three SU carburettors that were added to the engine and its lack of weight - it only weighed 760kg. 

Although this gave good performance, AC would need to make it even faster if they wanted to retain its desirability. From 1956 a customer could choose to have Bristol Cars' 120bhp 2.0 litre 6 cylinder engine fitted instead of the AC unit with 3 downdraught carburettors and a four speed manual gearbox. This increased the top speed to 116mph and reduced the 0-60 time to around 9 seconds. 

This option was later replaced in 1962 with the 2.6 litre 6 cylinder 'Ruddspeed' engine, adapted from the Ford Zephyr. It still used 3 carburettors - either Weber or SU with a 'Mays' or iron cast head, but only 40 were made due to Carol Shelby's interest in the Cobra. The Ford engined cars were not only faster still but also had smaller grilles than the earlier cars. 

Overdrive was available as an option from 1956 onwards and front disc brakes were also added in 1957, later becoming standardised. The Ace was successful in competition due to its weight distribution, good handling and light weight overall, with two Aces built for professional racing driver Cliff Davis. In 1953, at the wheel of the Bristol engined Ace he took 16 wins and 14 second places, allowing him to race in the Brooklands Memorial Trophy.

Specifications

Engine: 6-cyl, 2.0 litre / 6-cyl, 2.6 litre

Horsepower: 85bhp / 120bhp

Transmission: 4 speed manual

Chassis: Twin tube frame with independent suspension all round

Brakes: Drum / Disc option

Top Speed: 100mph / 116mph

0-60mph: 12 seconds / 9 seconds