24 replies to this topic

[just me again]

HI
Reading the thread Worst ever Group C car for sale? I found the picture of the Adam Escort Can-Am, it promted me to think about when I visited the Leonardi da Vinci museum in Milano and saw the Nardi ‘Bisiluro’. I have since then wondered why there have not been more “twin torpedo cars” and if there has been any successful cars. I would have thought that at least in some small engine sport car classes where engine/gearbox weights aproximaticly the same as driver /fuel it should have succeded due to the smaller frontal area.
Please let us try to make a list of the varius “twin torpedo cars” from the beginning of times until now.
I have for a start found the : Adam Escort Can-Am, Tarf record car and the Nardi ‘Bisiluro’


Bjørn

Ps: Sorry for any misspellings, i am at work without dictonary and can't get the check spelling button to work.


Tarf record car

http://www.sevenoaks...002/gravel.html

Nardi ‘Bisiluro’

http://www.amazing43...madness_Eng.htm

[ensign14]

Does the Yunick Sidecar count? That had 2 distinct parts.

[just me again]

The Yunick Sidecar :

http://groups.msn.co...hoto&PhotoID=48

No, i think not. I was thinking of cars where driver + petrol and engine + gearbox was put in each side in between the wheels, the reason should be to lessen the frontal area, so the frontal area should be so close to the fronal area of the wheels as possible.

Bjørn

[Teapot]

We could add the Alpine-engined OSI Silver Fox...look here for more informations ( select OSI from the manufacturers list and scroll down to find this car).

I've also found this article from a German magazine on the Renault Alpine Club International's website:

Page 1

Page 2

[just me again]

I never thought that i would see a “twin torpedo” sportscar!!. the OSI definatelty qualify's.

I have added some picturelinks to the Adam Escort Can-Am car, maybe it's a weird car, but i must say, i like it!!.

Bjørn

http://racingsportsc...3-06-05-bg3.jpg

http://www.racingspo...3-06-05-010.jpg

http://www.racingspo...3-06-05-bg4.jpg

[gdecarli]

I took a photo of Tarf (foreground) and Nibbio 2 (background, nearly hidden) last May at Museo dell'Automobile Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia in Torino (Italy) :


(click to open)

More pics, but NOT regarding twin torpedo cars, are on Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia Museum - Torino (Italy) thread.

Ciao,
Guido

[Mike Lawrence]

Pegaso made the Bi-Torpedo in 1953, the driver sat the the right, the 2.5-litre supercharged V8 engine was in the centre section,and there was a seat for a notional passenger onder a metal tonneau in the left-hand pod. The car was entered for Le Mans in 1953, but was damaged by a fire at the factory and didn't make it. It later achieved some spanis national records by recording 148.6 mph on closed public roads in Spain.

Following Piero Taruffi's successful record attempts in the twin-boom Tarf-II, weight distribution attracted a lot of attention. The original Cooper-Jaguar was inspired by Tarf II, the driver sat way to the right. Then there were the centre-seater sports cars like the 1953 Kiefts, and the Cooper T39 Manx Tail. They were not twin-boom cars, sure, but they were after the same goal, which most effect place to place what was sometimes the heaviest object in a car, which was the driver.

[Henri Greuter]

Not a twin torpedo car bur another car that has driver one side& engine other side is the 1967 STP Paxton-Pratt&Witney which raced at Indy that year. (The original STP Turbocar, driven by Parnelli Jones)
But that was built around a backbone frame with the cockpit hanging on one side and the engine on the other side of the frame. Nevertheless, a strict separation of "business sides"

That escort car, if sorted out properly and weigth distribution a bit reasonable must have been about the most optimal design concept to creat a stunningly effective wingcar. But I wouldn't like to race with it doorhandle close with anything else on the left of me...
Or take fast corners to the right....

Henri Greuter

[Gerr]

The recent book "the Birth of Hot Rodding" Robert Genat/Don Cox, there is a photo of a twin-boom dry lakes car built by Howard Johansen (Howard's Cams) in 1948/9.
It was built from two 165 gallon aircraft belly tanks, lengthened by four feet each. Driver in the left boom, flathead Ford in the right.

[GIGLEUX]

The "inside" of the 1955 Le Mans Nardi bisiluro. Dott.Damonte is at the wheel.

[T54]

I do not know if the Pegaso may qualify since the body is really one-piece...

[just me again]

Hi

GIGLEUX : Thanks for the "naked" picture. The radiator, is that only there for testing ) before the Bodywork was mounted? ( was'nt the radiator incorporated in the bodywork??)

T54 : I don't think the Pegaso qualifys. It should have had the engine in the left side between the wheels to qualify.

Mike Lawrence : Mr Lawrence, I am sorry but i don't think the twin torpedo cars had anything to do with weigth distribution, i think the designers gave most thought to frontal area and wind resistance. at least, that was my first thought when i saw the Nardi bisiluro.

Henri Greuter : "That escort car, if sorted out properly and weigth distribution a bit reasonable must have been about the most optimal design concept to creat a stunningly effective wingcar." Exactly my reasoning for liking that car. Maybe not pretty, but it's beatiful, i think, from a tecnical wiew.

Does any of you know if it was a one of, the Adam Escort car, or if they produced more cars, before and after that car.

There must be other cars than the ones we already have found, othervise they must be the most rare configarationvise of all cars.

Bjørn

[D-Type]

OSI Silver Fox
Taruffi's nickname was the Silver Fox
Connection or tribute?

[ggnagy]

Not a "twin boom" or "twin torpedo" by any stretch, but there is at least one North American builder doing a side by side configuration, TraXstar Supercars .

According to their website, the reason for doing so is:

The traXstar tX-1 sports racing car employs a unique architecture: Unlike all other designs, the tX-1 has its engine and gearbox amidships alongside the driver. This lowers polar moment by concentrating the mass of the car in its center and produces the most compact aerodynamic envelope.

I suppose a twin boom car would not see this same gain, because they just have just pivoted the weight about the CG from front/rear to side/side. On the other hand, wouldn't concentrating the weights as far as possible from the opposite wheels reduce body roll in cornering?

[dmj]

Originally posted by D-Type
OSI Silver Fox
Taruffi's nickname was the Silver Fox
Connection or tribute?

Connection. He was head of that project.

[karlcars]

Great thread, guys! Keep up the good work!

I didn't even know about the Adam Escort. Any more good photos of that?

I covered the OSI car when it was being built in Turin. Quite a piece of kit in which Taruffi was indeed involved. I believe that it never quite got to the stage of being driveable, but close.

The Speed Record Club's newsletter had a good series of articles on the Taruffi cars.

Happy New Year!

[GIGLEUX]

The "insides" of the OSI Silver Fox.

[dmj]

OSI Silver Fox was to my knowledge really never put up to stage of being driveable although a few years ago when Claude Huet sold the car to a new owner (unknown to me) it was allegedly supposed to finally get the finish it deserved and to become ready for the road. But I don't know anything of progress with it and car's history since.

[vintageautomobilia]

Thanks for the photo of the Nardi Bisiluro without its body. What a fascinating car! I believe the body was done by Carrozzeria Rocco Motto of Turin. Motto was a great friend of Nardi, and bodied several Nardi cars.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by just me again
.....I am sorry but i don't think the twin torpedo cars had anything to do with weigth distribution, i think the designers gave most thought to frontal area and wind resistance. at least, that was my first thought when i saw the Nardi bisiluro.....

Whether it was by intention or by accident, they certainly were committed to the goal of achieving a low polar moment...

[D-Type]

Did I read somewhere that there is a second Tarf in a museum somewhere in Australia or am I imagining it?

[Ray Bell]

I saw it maybe 25 years ago in the Porsche Distributors' workshop... stored there along with 917s, Allan Hamilton's Lola etc. I think it was there because of some friendly connection.

It wasn't in Allan's current workshop when I visited him four years ago, however. I don't remember if I asked where it was, either.

[just me again]

I have been trying to look for the Escort - Radar Warning Reciever car on the internet, and i think i have found out that it's made by Herb Adam who is an ex Pontiac Engineer who sometime had a company. Herb Adams (VSE) Very Special Equipment at Pebble Beach, CA. making parts for modifying Trams Ams into Fire Ams. like on this page :

http://tachrev.com/W...uper_Tuner.html

Bjørn

[Dick Willis]

D-Type, its in Peter Briggs' Fremantle, WA, Motor Museum.

Tthe latest Australian Classic Car Yearbook has a story on the museum and mentions it ;

" Another rarity on display is the TARF 11, the Bisilauro twin boom car Piero Taruffi drove to set a new world record in 1951. It is one of just two examples. The other resides in Taruffi's home town in Italy where, apparently, they'd very much like the WA car back--but it isn't for sale. "

There are also some other cars in the museum of interest to TNF'ers ; 1952 Alta GP car, Maybach 111, Cooper Climax T39, MG K3, 1929 4.5 litre Blower Bentley, H16 BRM, 1979 Williams F1, 1970 March F1, these last three being display cars only. In all there are 56 cars on display.

[Andrew Fellowes]

Dick I had no idea that was there. Having once had a passion for red tridents it was of course an interest with 4CLT engine. I didn't realise 'till I read this http://www.fremantle...951bisuliro.htm just know how damn quick it was.