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unusual facts about roadster


S-segment

It approximately corresponds different segments in North American classification: Grand-Tourer (so called GT), Convertible, Supercar and Roadster.


1964 Indianapolis 500

It is also the last race won by a front-engined "roadster", as all subsequent races have been won by rear-engined, formula-style cars.

1995 in motoring

But the MGF is here - with its mid-mounted 1.8 16-valve engine and appealing looks, it is the long-awaited British answer to the Mazda MX5 that kicked off the roadster renaissance six years ago.

BMW Z4

First generation production started in 2002 at BMW USA's Greer, South Carolina plant, with production of both roadster and coupe forms.

Erwin Baker

In 1915, Baker drove from Los Angeles to New York City in 11 days, 7 hours and fifteen minutes in a Stutz Bearcat, and the following year drove a Cadillac 8 roadster from Los Angeles to Times Square in seven days, eleven hours and fifty-two minutes while accompanied by an Indianapolis newspaper reporter.

Haynes Roadster

Haynes Roadster is a replica of Lotus Seven home-built according to a book Build Your Own Sports Car: On a Budget by Chris Gibbs (ISBN 1-84425-391-0).

Jaguar E-Type

The New York City Museum of Modern Art recognised the significance of the E-Type's design in 1996 by adding a blue roadster to its permanent design collection, one of only six automobiles to receive the distinction.

Julius Mackerle

He studied at the Technical University in Brno where he constructed his first motorcar – a two-seater sport roadster with 1,000cc JAP motorcycle engine.

Laverda

At successive international motorcycle shows, Laverda displayed mockups of new models they were planning to build, including an all new, 900 cc liquid-cooled three-cylinder engine; The 750 roadster variants Ghost and Strike; the Lynx, a small, naked roadster with a Suzuki 650 cc V-twin engine; and finally the 800TTS trail/enduro, which aimed to take on the likes of the Cagiva Gran Canyon and Honda Transalp.

MG MGB

The last MGB Roadster off the production line at Abingdon returned to Abingdon County Hall Museum on 1 December 2011 with the help of British Motor Heritage.

Panhard Dyna X

In 1954 a French car dealer in Hollywood found itself with a number of complete Panhard chassis and engines and sold them to racer Bill Devin, who quickly developed a fibreglass roadster body and marketed them as Devin-Panhards.

Phillips Berlina

Debuting in 1980, it was designed by Charles W. Phillips in the style of the 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster.

Pontiac Club de Mer

The brainchild of GM engineer-designer, Harley Earl (Paul Gillian was also involved being the Pontiac Studio head at the time), the "de Mer" was a two door sport Roadster that incorporated innovative breakthrough styling like a sleek, low-profile body encasing a large powerplant, a design trend used widely in LSR (land speed record) trials at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah during the 1950s.

Porsche 356/1

The aluminum roadster body of the 356/1 was designed by Porsche employee Erwin Komenda in April 1948 at Gmünd and completed only a month later.

Project Kimber

In 2006, David James entered talks with MG Rover's new owners the Nanjing Automobile Group to buy the MG brand in order to produce a number of sports cars based on the out of production Smart Roadster design following discussions with DaimlerChrysler to buy the Roadster's design, technology and equipment for approximately £13 million.

Smart Roadster

In 2006, David James initiated Project Kimber, an attempt to restart production of the Smart Roadster in the United Kingdom.

In the 2010 movie Knight and Day, the Smart Roadster appears in the final chase scene.

Studebaker Commander

In Australia, a crew of three drivers led by Norman "Wizard" Smith tackled overland records using a Commander roadster.

Sunbeam Alpine

More recently, the American PBS show History Detectives tried to verify that an Alpine roadster owned by a private individual was the actual car used in that movie.


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