Unheard, Underrated, Forgotten Cas & Manufacturers Thread

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ZedMan1996

ZedMan1996

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ZedMan1996
This post is for us to search for the unheard and underrated car manufactures around.

Discuss, compare, evaluate and help find the unheard & underrated car manufactures, this can unclude racing cars of course.
 
Loutus
 
Avions Voisin. Those things were awesome and well engienered, as well as completely absolutely bonkers.
 
Cano
Avions Voisin. Those things were awesome and well engineered, as well as completely absolutely bonkers.
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Wasn't there a Voisin replica used in a movie?


EDIT: did some research, in the 2005 movie Sahara, there was a 1936 Voisin C28 replica.
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Kaiser is one of my favorite forgotten cars. They looked pretty strange at their time, like the Henry J:
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Also made for good custom cars, like the 1951 Kaiser "Drag'n":
Dragn-Kaiser.jpg








There is also Vector. Built purely because they could with no care about sales. only 21 Vector W8's were ever built, and supposedly they did 242 mph at Bonneville
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Argyll Motors was one of the only car makers I heard of that were based in Scotland.

Back at the turn of the 20th Century they made cars like the Flying Fifteen
1280px-Argyll_Flying_Fifteen.jpg


They were briefly revived in the 1970's with their attempt to make a sports car called the GT Turbo.
argyll-turbo-01.jpg
argyll_gt_02.jpg
 
AudiMan2011
Argyll Motors was one of the only car makers I heard of that were based in Scotland.

Back at the turn of the 20th Century they made cars like the Flying Fifteen
1280px-Argyll_Flying_Fifteen.jpg


They were briefly revived in the 1970's with their attempt to make a sports car called the GT Turbo.
argyll-turbo-01.jpg
argyll_gt_02.jpg
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Awesome!
 
Heldenzeit
Mercer. These were the sports car to have in the 1910s. 4900cc Inline 4 making 55hp and a top speed of 90mph.
13-Mercer-35J_Raceabout-DV-09_PBC_00.jpg
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For back then those figures are impressive, and even for now they're impressive for such a car!
 
55 hp from a 4900cc. Thats 4.9 liters right?
 
That reminds me, I once saw what appeared to be a Tommykaira ZZ-S, then later discovered there was a version that was produced under licence in the UK, with a different name. I wonder if there is a connection? Also reminds me I really need to look that up, and find out more about this Vemac too :)
 
Lol. Leather armchairs. Thats why i love old cars. Some of them even had couches in them.
 
Not so much unheard of but definitely underrated, were Marcos. Like Lister they had a pretty big presence in motorsport (predominantly GT-class) but their road cars were pretty interesting too. Plus gives me an opportunity to post this again:

 
Delaunay-Belleville. Early 20th century Parisian prestige:

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Belgium's equivalent. Minerva:

minerva1914.JPG

v11rminerva.jpg


Probably best known for their redesigned Land Rover:

1863.jpg


Tyger
That reminds me, I once saw what appeared to be a Tommykaira ZZ-S, then later discovered there was a version that was produced under licence in the UK, with a different name. I wonder if there is a connection? Also reminds me I really need to look that up, and find out more about this Vemac too :)
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Yep. Breckland Technologies obtained what was left of the original ZZ-S plans and materials and produced an updated version at their Norfolk base. They were then sold to Leading Edge and marketed as the 190RT and 240RT.

http://www.pistonheads.com/trackdays/index.asp?storyId=5479
 
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Wiegert
Delaunay-Belleville.
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YES.

and

Wiegert
Minerva:
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Dear God YES. I kinda want to hug you. I always liked Delauney cars because of how round they are :lol: they were some of the better cars of the era, too!

As for Minerva, I never thought their very early designs were too remarkable, but their 30s cars are astounding. Glad to see these two gems in this thread!
 
Heldenzeit
Stutz made the knockoff Mercer right? I think I remember a story like that from the tour guide at the Petersen Museum in LA.
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It wasn't precisely a ckock off, it was just their own sportscar, it was called the Bearcat.
 
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