Dome Zero

The Japanese supercar from the 1970’s that almost was. Built by race car builder Dome and debuted at the 1978 Geneva Motor Show as a sensation that would surely get financial backing as well as the super rich wanting this exotic car. Unfortunately due to red tape the homogenization from the ministry of transport of Japan (Dome simply couldn’t afford the development costs to get the car thought the hoops) , for a limited run of road racers was declined.

The Highwayman Truck

I looked at this a few years ago that went on to be the “buddy” truck in The Highwayman in the late 1980’s. But this though is the main truck, for those who can remember the series know apart from looking awesome it had a major trick up its sleeve, with a change of the steering wheel it would transform into a helicopter!!!!! How awesome was that. (2 mins in video below)

Scott Sociable

The conventional way to build a 3-wheeler is either 2 wheels at the front or the back with a centrally mounted wheel at the other end right? Well Scott’s went down a different view with 2 wheels to one side!!!! However once you understand that Scott’s were primarily a motorbike and sidecar manufacturer, not only that but ones with machine guns mounts!!!!

Nissan Pulsar NX

Sold in Japan, Australia and the US, this 3rd generation car was sold with an interchangeable rear, between 1986-90!!!! The dealership sold it as either an open top coupe (with its t-bar roof) or a hatchback/estate depending on what rear section was provided. It’s similar to an idea from Mercedes VRC, but on a server budget. I suppose it was meant to be a car for all users and could be changed to suit your life style at the time. To me it just doesn’t look finished, like part kit car, all's good up to the B pillar then oh dear. Still its unusual so found its way on here.

Adams Brothers, Probe 2001

After the success of the Probe 16, the Adams Brothers added a little more comfort into its successor produced between 1970-72. Granted you still have to get in through the roof which opened electrically as the seat rose and slid back!!!!! But you do get more headroom with the car standing 37” tall rather than only 29” but that did include the rear wing. Over 8 months 4 cars were built before the project was sold to a Scottish builder, Caledonian Probe Motor Co. who over the next year or so built another 12 cars. 50 or so kit car versions called Centaur’s and, later, the modified Pulsar’s, were made from 1974 to 1982, all with Imp engines.

Ligier LS4/6

We’ve seen what F1 teams can come up with when they decide to build a road car, McLaren F1, Ferrari Enzo etc but French builder Ligier went down a slightly different route in 1980!!!! In France until quite recently if a car had a 50cc engine or produced less than 4.5bhp it didn’t need to be registered as a car or require the driver to hold a valid drivers licence yet it could still be driven on the road!!!!! Therefore they were bought by the very young, very old or prosecuted drink drivers!!!!! They were also popular rental cars.

Cosmic Invader

Built by the iconic car builder Carl Casper, if you don’t know his name you’ll know his work such as the A Team van, the General Lee, K.I.T.T as well as the movie Batmobiles along with a host of hot rods. The Cosmic Invader was a 3 wheeled, battery powered car built in the 1970’s, well with a paint job like that it couldn’t have been built in any other decade. The car, with its 18 six volt batteries, could cruise at 50mph, although if you dropped this to 35mph you’d have a 125 mile range before a recharge was needed. Unfortunately no matter how advanced this car seemed to be, it hit the same problem still here for electric cars, the 8hour recharge!!!!

Classic and Sports Car show, Tatton Park.

Well after the very bad weather yesterday I was expecting this to be a bit of a washout, to my surprise with good weather the event was packed with cars. I’m not sure how the organisers did it but the mud I was expecting wasn’t there and the walk round with my little one in tow (literally she was in her Radio Flyer Wagon) was not the expected muddy affair. I also get the feeling the most of the attendee’s, my self included, had gone there due to the bank holiday weekend and sunny weather because it was packed with people mulling around.