MGA Steve
Jedi Warrior
Offline
This would seem to be the right group to come up with a conceptual design for a new MG-Rover Spridget. After all, who today knows the advantages and limitations of the original better than today's Spridget owners. And just look at the market for retro cars--new Beetles, Minis, 2-seat T-Birds, Prowlers, etc., not to mention the Miatas and Vipers. So, there must be a "Spridget" market, too--all of us LBC lovers aren't nuts, are we?
I've come up with a few quotes to get us started:
First, the 1960s Spridget:
“The Midget was small, inexpensive, fast, and safe with predictable handling. Above all, it was a fun car.”
Now, a new car that MG-Rover just introduced:
“CityRover is ... small, smart, and surprisingly spacious. It's all about fun, having the freedom to move, making life that little bit easier and a lot more affordable.”
Here is a link to the new car, which interestingly has a model called the "Sprite." (https://www.mg-rover.com/content/Rover/en_GB/Rover2/~jsp/model_CityRover_home.jsp)
This new car has a 1.4-liter, 16-valve engine with 85Ps. The "sporty Sprite" has a £7,712 starting price and includes power-assisted steering, 5-speed manual transmission, optional ABS braking, and driver and passenger airbags.
Here are some of the "CityRover's" dimensions:
Length = 3703 mm (145.8 inches)
Width = 1620 mm (63.8 inches)
Height = 1500 mm (59.1 inches)
Wheelbase = 2400 mm (94.5 inches)
Front track = 1380 mm (54.3 inches)
Rear track = 1374 mm (54.1 inches)
Turning radius = 9.8 m (32 feet)
Here is the "Designer's Challenge" (no money is involved!):
1) Could this car be rebodied as a two-seat sports car and sold for, say, $13,000 as a "starter" sports car?
2) Would you want it converted to rear-wheel drive (as in Spridget vs. Mini) or left as FWD?
3) What features of the original Spridgets would you want to see included in the body--frog-eyes, square wheel wells, oval or square grill, etc.?
4) Are there any other modern sports car (from, say, the last 20 years) that you would most want it to look like?
Have fun!
Steve
I've come up with a few quotes to get us started:
First, the 1960s Spridget:
“The Midget was small, inexpensive, fast, and safe with predictable handling. Above all, it was a fun car.”
Now, a new car that MG-Rover just introduced:
“CityRover is ... small, smart, and surprisingly spacious. It's all about fun, having the freedom to move, making life that little bit easier and a lot more affordable.”
Here is a link to the new car, which interestingly has a model called the "Sprite." (https://www.mg-rover.com/content/Rover/en_GB/Rover2/~jsp/model_CityRover_home.jsp)
This new car has a 1.4-liter, 16-valve engine with 85Ps. The "sporty Sprite" has a £7,712 starting price and includes power-assisted steering, 5-speed manual transmission, optional ABS braking, and driver and passenger airbags.
Here are some of the "CityRover's" dimensions:
Length = 3703 mm (145.8 inches)
Width = 1620 mm (63.8 inches)
Height = 1500 mm (59.1 inches)
Wheelbase = 2400 mm (94.5 inches)
Front track = 1380 mm (54.3 inches)
Rear track = 1374 mm (54.1 inches)
Turning radius = 9.8 m (32 feet)
Here is the "Designer's Challenge" (no money is involved!):
1) Could this car be rebodied as a two-seat sports car and sold for, say, $13,000 as a "starter" sports car?
2) Would you want it converted to rear-wheel drive (as in Spridget vs. Mini) or left as FWD?
3) What features of the original Spridgets would you want to see included in the body--frog-eyes, square wheel wells, oval or square grill, etc.?
4) Are there any other modern sports car (from, say, the last 20 years) that you would most want it to look like?
Have fun!
Steve