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Dauphine

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tony barnhill

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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Found one of these y'day up in Tennessee....white just like this one...&, unbelievably, NO RUST....all original, straight body, good chrome, neat interior....only drawback: engine is locked up (says owner)....this one would only need a good cleaning, engine rebuild, & daily driving

....Jerri says I should stick with my unfinished MG projects.
 
A cousin of mine had one in the early '60's, and with herself and three of us kids in the car, it wouldn't climb a local hill.
Wasn't much of a hill, either.
Jeff
 
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These are rare beasts nowadays. They were known for "interesting" handling in the wet, and are really rather slow. They are, however, charming little cars.

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Oh man, Steve - you're too kind! Charming!

I remember 'em well. We called them ReNOLT DawFEENs before we knew any French (and me with MY last name!).

But they are neat looking. Remember the Caravelle? That was a pretty car - same basic car as the Dauphine, wasn't it?

(Jerri's right, as usual, Tony!)

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gifMickey
 
Neat-looking car, but it reminds me of many of the budget car setups of the 60's with the air-cooled rear engine and no power at all. If the engine is toast, why not pull it apart and build the heck out of the thing? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Neat-looking car, but it reminds me of many of the budget car setups of the 60's with the air-cooled rear engine and no power at all.

Actually, these are water cooled with the rad in the back. I had one and it was always overheating.
I paid $5 for it in 1968....probably too much, all considered.
Interesting is a kind word for the handling!

They did make a Gordini version that was supposed to be pretty neat. You could paint it blue/white (French racing colours) and build sort of a Gordini-replica.....use it for historic rallys.
Note to Tony: If we listened to our wives, would we have any interesting cars?
(really, I'm just kidding....if we didn't listen to them once in a while, we'd all be in jail!)
 
There was a Canadian company that was converting those to electrics a couple years ago. They were called FeelGoodCars or something. I believe they now manufacture more conventional electrics.
 
Yeah I think I drove by that company in Downtown Toronto once....they had a fenced off parking lot full of those things(and a bunch of similar cars) I know nothing about these cars so I didn't pay much attention...I think the company was also on TV a couple times.

Zack
 
Have not seen one of those in eons. Anyone seen any Caravelles?

Bruce
 
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There was a Canadian company that was converting those to electrics a couple years ago. They were called FeelGoodCars or something. I believe they now manufacture more conventional electrics.

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I checked their website. They call their cars ZENN - Zero Emissions No Noise.

But can these specs be right:

ZENN™ Specifications :

Maximum speed :25 mph (40 km/h),
Range :30 - 34 miles (50 - 55 km)

Golf carts probably do better range wise.

Bruce
 
I know that the Dauphine has made every major list of "the worst cars ever." The one story that rings in my head from one of the magazine lists was a guy who said that a local cop would wait on a hill for him to come, and pulled him over a bunch of times for going too slow up the hill!
 
my wife's first car. ran well until her first husband worked on it. never ran again. well, maybe its a good thing he worked on it. 1. they aren't married anymore. 2. I don't have to work on it.
 
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I know that the Dauphine has made every major list of "the worst cars ever."




I'll drink to that, Sammy-- My sister bought one of those (used) because she liked the interior and thought it was "cute" Man, it was down all the time!
It was kinda' fun to drive around because it was a bit weird.
 
I've always wanted one (!)... to weld 2" angle iron at a 45° angle on all four corners, sharpen the edges and ends with a grinder and use it as a Cadillac "Can Opener" in traffic when th' idiot blue-hairs pull annoying maneuvers.

The words "French" and "Engineering" are mutually exclusive IMO, but for the purpose stated above I couldn't think of a BETTER vehicle ('cept p'raps a Simca) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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The words "French" and "Engineering" are mutually exclusive IMO

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Oh, I don't know -- I know that people love to bash French engineering, but the French companies produced some very technically impressive vehicles.
+ Hispano Suiza - alloy and muti-valve OHC engines

+Bugatti- Dual Overhead Cam Eight Cylinder Engines and small displacement supercharged engines in the 1920s.

+Delahaye and Delage -- first elegantly styled streamlined vehicles (of course, by French coachbuilders Figoni et Falaschi and Chapron.)

+Panhard -- Two words: Pahard Rod.

+Citroen- First mass market application of FWD (although it was based on Tracta, Cord and Ruxton technology.) Later hydropnuematic suspension allowing a car to drive on 3 wheels, quick change body panels and other cool stuff.

+Matra - Djet was the first mid-engined production car in the world! (Yes, it beat the Miura to market.)
 
Mostly bygone glories... Pointing to recent F-1 achievements could have been a better example. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

But: three lugnuts do not a wheelmount make. I guess the designers figgered for every unit built they had a set o' FREE nuts, plus a spare onna next one. Two more cars and two sets free...and.. and... soon it's FREE LUGNUTS FOR EVERYONE!!

viva la france. <snort>

I guess I'd agree there's worse: India's automotive design/engineering could arguably be less impressive than th' french lately. There's always th' Traubant, as well.

'sides: If we couldn't pick onna French who'd be next on th' list? Liechtenstein? How much fun would THAT be? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif
 
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