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
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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
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The saloon coupe has a combina-
tion steel and aluminum body
by Bertone. Weight: 1890 pounds.
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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)
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