Motorsport fever around the globe has produced some special national championships, and none more so than in Argentina. One of South America's most spectacular race series was the short-lived Sport Prototipo Argentino, which from 1969-'73 produced some of the wildest-looking racers. With bulbous rooflines to meet the odd height regulations, dramatic streamlined bodies with audacious extensions and precarious aerodynamic wings, these front-engined, V8-powered machines looked more like full-scale slot-cars. Then there were the names of Chevun, Liebre, Poto, Numa and Baufer, which made the series' entry list sound like an online gaming scoreboard.
But this dramatic series involved visionary designers including Oreste Berta, who was later invited to the Nürburgring 1000km with his team's LR prototype, and Heriberto Pronello, a talented aerodynamics specialist.
At home, these new prototypes were cover stars of Parabrisas Corsa magazine, but outside the Argentine Republic the cars and their aces were little reported in Europe, other than in stories about rising star Carlos Reutemann. So the surprise entry of a sensational Huayra Pronello Ford coupé at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed in July led to fascinated enthusiasts Googling the Sport Prototipo series, with many voting the restored 200mph prototype their standout car of the event.
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
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Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A Breath of Fresh Air- Alfa Romeo's exotic, V8-powered Montreal was like nothing the marque had made before, but can it compare with a Porsche masterpiece, the 911S 2.4?
The stereotype of the ItaloGermanic automotive rivalry is that the Latin car will be brilliant to drive, but poorly built and ergonomically flawed, while the Teutonic will be the opposite. Yet these 2+2 sports coupés both ran against orthodoxy. In the Montreal, Alfa Romeo created an outlandish-looking two-door more comfortable, more powerful and more refined than anything it had produced for decades. Meanwhile, Porsche continued to refine its back-to-front, austere and increasingly aged 911. Neither took a traditional development path, but both created thrilling and individual cars that have echoed through the decades.
Daring to be diminutive
AMC's Gremlin and Pacer, and Ford's much-derided Pinto, led America's response to the threat of imported European compacts
THE LONG WAY ROUND
There is a great tradition of overland trips by Land-Rover, but the tale of this 70s Aussie epic and the car itself was discovered by chance
Handsome cab
The Phantom V limousine marked the beginning of the end for coachbuilder James Young, but this Rolls-Royce represents the craft at its very best
DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
Racing for their own F1 teams brought some drivers success and an enduring legacy. For others, it turned into a nightmare
20 30 LITRES CYLINDERS, 400BHP......AND MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD
Thunderous torque, flame-spitting stub-exhausts, white-knuckle thrills - and hopefully no spills - aboard a trio of Edwardian racing titans
ICON.
The three top-selling vehicles in the USA in 2023 were pick-ups, topped by the Ford F-Series. This is the truck that started it all
Blurred Lines
lan 'Del' Lines blended the V8 burble of Triumph's open GT with real practicality in his Stag V8 saloons and estates
Home of the brave
The innovative Silverstone proved a hit with keen amateur drivers. To mark its 75th, Healey's club racer returns to the circuit for which it is named
PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES
Alfa Romeo's wild RZ eschewed the jellymould styling of the period to offer a striking, wedge-shaped take on open-topped performance motoring
