A lot
of boys have broken their picks in an effort to build a sports car out of the
family sedan. After endless planning and alteration they usually wind up with a
hybrid that outwardly resembles a sports car but lacks many of the
characteristics that are inherent in true members of the breed.
In the same way other groups have attempted to
modify the engines, suspensions, brakes, running gear etc. of the family sedan
to give it sports car performance factors. They, too, have wound up with rough
jobs that idle badly, steer erratically, stop indifferently and have the
bulbous lines of a Grecian urn which the poet Keats described as a thing of
beauty-but Keats never saw a motor car.
When S. H. Arnolt of Arnolt Corporation,
Warsaw, Indiana, decided to build |
and market a family sports car he
started at the bottom and worked up. First he chose as the basis for his car
the MG-TD chassis. None could question the inclusion, of this chassis in the
sports car category. This sturdy little performer from England has been the
backbone of the road racing revival in America. Its smooth little 1-1/4 litre 4
cylinder engine with its exciting bark has stirred the imagination of speed
enthusiasts everywhere.
Arnolt's next move was to develop a body with
true sports car lines which would comfortably accommodate a family of four. For
this he turned to the famous Bertone of Italy with amazingly good results (see cover). Two models by
Bertone made their first public appearance during the Elkhart Lake Road Race at
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, last |
The saloon coupe has a combina-
tion steel and aluminum body
by Bertone. Weight: 1890 pounds. |
September. One is a convertible model the other
a saloon coupe.
Both bodies are of steel and aluminum
construction of such light weight that the saloon coupe weighs only 40 pounds
more than the standard MG-TD roadster while the convertible adds only 20 pounds
to the TD weight. This slight margin makes little or no difference in the high
performance which owners have come to expect from the MG-TD engine. In all
other respect than the new body, the MG chassis, clutch, transmission, rear end
and brakes are strictly stock.
The Bertone bodies have been styled to
incorporate the latest engineering developments in aerodynamics and therefore
probably offer less drag than the standard roadster models. Great attention has
been given to the interior appointments. Upholstery is of genuine leather and
will be available in a wide choice of color combinations.
A feature of the Convertible model is the
extreme ease with which the top can he raised or lowered providing a real
"one-hand-top" rather than the, hard to raise and stow
"one-man-tops" of the past. Door windows when raised fit snugly
against the top assuring a tight weather and water proof seal.
Since the first public showing of the new cars
last September, Mr. Arnolt has made several changes aimed at passenger comfort.
A new ventilating systems has been added which draws fresh air from outside the
car and forces it around the interior. Specially designed heaters and radios
also are available.
(Continued on Page 34) |