interesting project on BAT

Always loved that shape.

It's interesting that this one is a Willys.  The back end is a little weird.

it does look good from most angles!

@Panhandle Bob posted:

it does look good from most angles!

I almost always agree with you, Bob. We're going to have to agree to disagree about this one.

That is one deeply disturbing back end.

Very CarDashian in style!

"That is one deeply disturbing back end." - Stan G.

I think Speed Racer would disagree with you. 

I dig it. French as can be.  A MassIVe Raby motor in that thing would be killer. 

But imagine it with a different engine lid. It has those side air scoops to get air to the engine. Perhaps that weirdness above the rear bumper cold be modified. Of course the interior  and everything else needs a complete redo. But ... when done! Could be a long and interesting project. (Of course I have no idea what this thing is worth in original condition. So ... that certainly plays into it.)

I did say most angles, but you are right, not that one.

I think they had a required number of features and just loaded all of them on the back.

I once briefly dated a girl who turned out to be the same. Great coming at you but sort of a mess walking away. Lovely personality though!

@MotoCarlo posted:

But imagine it with a different engine lid. It has those side air scoops to get air to the engine. Perhaps that weirdness above the rear bumper cold be modified. Of course the interior  and everything else needs a complete redo. But ... when done! Could be a long and interesting project. (Of course I have no idea what this thing is worth in original condition. So ... that certainly plays into it.)

The engine lid is obviously the biggest issue, but the taillights are also problematic to my eye. There's nothing quite as nicely resolved as Ghia or Type 3 notchback taillights. These look like trailer lights.

This is what the Renault Alpine A110 looks like.

I've seen one in person. It is small. Those are 13" wheels, and in typical Frenchness, only 3 lug. 

One of my all time favorite cars.

^ That is a lovely automobile. I've never seen one. Thanks, Carlos. 

Back to the Willis: the nose is the best part of it, and the nose has a lot of Puma in it. Come to mention it, the Puma is just an all-around better looking car.

I thought of the Alpina when I first saw this car. 

The Alpina is what I was thinking about when I saw this.  Yeah, the rear view is a little... chaotic.

Very nice car Carlos very nice.  Très belle voiture, mais oui! Couldn't help it. 

I've always like the Brazilian Puma GT but it's predecessor the '67 DKW GT was even nicer looking.  Not many were made (136) before production switched to rear VW engine and the later Puma design.  The DKW was a 3 cylinder 1000 cc producing 100 hp (it was front wheel drive though).

Rear window about as large as the old Barracuda!

A car I’ve never heard of!  The rear looks like a miniature tribute to an Iso Grifo.  Very nice.

@WOLFGANG posted:

I've always like the Brazilian Puma GT but it's predecessor the '67 DKW GT was even nicer looking.  Not many were made (136) before production switched to rear VW engine and the later Puma design.  The DKW was a 3 cylinder 1000 cc producing 100 hp (it was front wheel drive though).

Rear window about as large as the old Barracuda!

I like it much better as well .

@MotoCarlo posted:

I thought of the Alpina when I first saw this car. 

 

Alpine. Pronounced al-PEEN because French. Alpina is a German tuner, mostly BMW. 

@Stan Galat posted:

That is one deeply disturbing back end.

Seems like the designers made a habit of waiting to design the tail end until 4:30 on Friday. 

The A310 that replaced the A110

Wow, those are ugly butts!

I don't like the white one but the blue one may be OK.

Both of them look like the back end of a Pontiac Aztec and those were butt-ugly, too!

I thought if the glass was removed on the blue one it would look a bit like the Lotus Europa I had.  Of course, some people thought that was ugly too.

Naaaaah, the Europas weren’t ugly.

Decidedly underpowered, but never ugly.

A friend of mine installed a Fiero V-6 from a 1988 into a Europa and it became a really fun car.  Understeered a bit (ok, a lot) but bump it to 225 hp and it was really fun!

@Gordon Nichols posted:

Naaaaah, the Europas weren’t ugly.

Again, I almost always agree with Gordon, but I'll agree to disagree here as well.

I kind of did the opposite.  I put a Northstar engine in my rebodied  Fiero.

I put dual side-draft Webers on the Europa.

The steering was really quick on the Europa.  When I picked it up in Toronto I zig-zagged all over the road as I drove away. Only very slight wrist movements were needed.

@Michael McKelvey posted:

I thought if the glass was removed on the blue one it would look a bit like the Lotus Europa I had.  Of course, some people thought that was ugly too.

That's funny, Mike. I was thinking the act same thing just about the time you posted. I think the low front and tall rear of a Europa looks funny, but overall I like the look of them. They're a fun car. Keyboard player in my first band had one, until he got tired of getting in and out of it and traded it for a Jensen Healy. 

Theyre tiny cars. Probably as short as a Spyder. 

@dlearl476 getting in was a bit like climbing into a golf bag.  I commuted 100 miles a day in mine until it got rear-ended by a Thunderbird.