7. One of the most successful Lotus sports-racers of the late ’50s – Le Mans index winner in 1957 (6)

8. 2- or 3-litre V8, mid-’70s Lamborghini – some say it was built to rival Ferrari’s Dino (6)

10. Of distant DKW ancestry, this East German car had a cult reputation as the worst set of wheels in the world in the ’80s (7)

11. Super sports coupe (with Chev V8 motor) from the makers of the Isetta bubblecar (5)

12. Major figure in US styling history, long-time GM styling supremo (4)

13. Austrian car/cv maker, 1920-40 and 1953 onwards – the famous designer Ledwinka designed its earliest cars (5)

17. One of the great ’60s 250 GT Ferraris, behind only the GTO and 250 GT SWB in popular appeal? (5)

18. Trend-setting 1912-13 Fiat open body design, though its name may mean nothing to most of us! (4)

22. UK light car maker (1920s-30s), its best-known car was the Hawk sporting model (5)

23. A Rootes design, but Chrysler-built car, from 1970-81. Tiger and TC/Alpine variants are the collectables from the range (7)

24. Idiosyncratic French maker of aeroplanes, then cars – one 1936 prototype even had a straight-twelve engine (6)

25. The larger of Triumph’s two celebrated ‘razor-edge’-styled saloons of the late ’40s, produced until 1954 (6)

Down

1. Good-looking fastback Riley sports saloon of the mid-to-late-’30s, available with four- or six-cylinder engines from 1087-2443cc; also a badge-engineed BMC ADO 16 in the ’60s (7)

2. Famed Buick styling creation of 1951, designed by Harley Earl, heavily influenced by the F-86 fighter plane, and a 1959 onwards production model name (7)

3. V6 Citroen-engined small version of Maserati’s Bora (5)

4. Affectionate UK nickname for the first series of Austin-Healey’s small sports car, 1958-61 (4-3)

5. Alternative name for dashboard (the short version) (5)

6. The Wankel engine’s equivalent of a piston (5)

9. Model name for GMH’s top model Holdens, from 1971 with the HQ range (9)

14. Classic V6 Lancia in poduction from 1950-58; some claim its GT version was the first modern GT car (7)

15. The Lion of Belfort is this French car maker’s emblem (7)

16. Major Italian coachbuilder, Milan-based, 1926-64, with Anderloni its initial creative force (7)

19. The forward motion position of an auto transmission selector, allowing all forward gears to be automatically engaged (5)

20. Major US oil company, noted in Australia for three successful marathon-type trials from 1956-58 (5)

21. Italian carburettor company, famous for high-performance engine induction systems (5)

7. British coachbuilders, owned by BSA/Daimler from WWII, noted for formal bodies on the top UK makes (6)

8. Model name used by Triumph pre-WWI and Prince in the 1960s (6)

10. Rear seating arrangement for legless dwarfs in sports cars and coupes (4,3)

11. 5-door hatch/estate car variant of Audi’s successful late ’70s and ’80s FWD saloons (5)

12. Carburettor used on many UK motorcycles and highly tuned competition sports and racing cars (4)

13. Model name used for 1960s Singer saloons in Britain, and Humbers in Australia, (5)

17. (see also 18 across) Second part of the name of a small Czech two-stroker that won the tiddlers class (Class H) at the first two post-war Le Mans 24-hr races (5)

18. First part of the name in 17 across (4)

22. Extra model name applied to the final 1962-64 manifestation of the Australian Morris Major (5)

23. 1961-70 Pontiac model range best-known for the 1964 onwards GTO variant (7)

24. 1990 onwards successor to Lamborghini’s Countach (6)

25. US make, 1910-25, the classic production of which was the Type 35 Raceabout of 1911 onwards (6)

Down

1. Brilliant British designer of lightweight and fine-handling sports and racing cars under the Lotus nameplate (7)

2. Cheapest UK Ford during the ’50s – was a real throwback to the ’30s! (7)

3. Italian for head, as in Ferrir’s ‘red head’ (5)

4. Hruska-designed Italian small car of the early ’70s, brilliant in almost everything except rust resistance (7)

5. French word for an estate car or station wagon (5)

6. Opel’s response to Ford’s Capri – nice-handling coupe built through the ’70s and ’80s (5)

9. Italian word for single-seater, applied to some of the great Italian racing cars (9)

14. Italian tyre manufacturer – its Cintura and Cinturato were some of the best early radial tyres (7)

15. Model name (capitalising on its old royal connection) for a dignified 1951-57 six-cylinder Daimler saloon (7)

16. French word for motor car (7)

19. Cast iron or alloy castings bolted above the cylinder block, housing vavle, plugs and combustion chambers (5)

20. Best of the UK kit cars of the ’80s – this small two-seater coupe, designed by Richard Oakes, had distant Mini-Marcos origins, but had its own golden touch (5)

21. Mid-colour in the traffic-light sequence (5)

7. Surname of two 1920s World Land speed Record holders, one Welsh and one French (6)

8. This small company’s sports cars were most successfully powered by Jaguar and driven by Scott-Brown (6)

10. US auto electrical company, part of GM for many years (1,1,5)

11. (see also 6 down) Second part of the name of a UK coachwork company (5)

12. RAC horsepower rating for UK 1100cc cars pre-war, and used as a model name by some makers, e.g. Riley (4)

13. Great US classic car, successful in NZ beach racing competitions in the ’20s (5)

17. US-based industrial designer whose studio was noted for futuristic body designs, particularly on Studebakers of the ’40s/50s (5)

18. Long-running (1956-70s) model name for Plymouth large sporting sedans, coupes and convertibles (4)

22. In engines these carry combustion chambers – valves in ohv engines and cams in ohc engines (5)

23. The major brand name for American Motors cars from 1958-70 (7)

24. Top-bracket US luxury car whose final 1931-33 creation was an alloy V16-engined sedan (6)

25. Model name for the smaller car in Ford UK’s post-war Mark I and Mark II ranges (6)

Down

1. US auto maker, 1898-1930, the last five years under Willys-Overland ownership; these were quality cars, at one stage using Knight sleeve-valve engines (7)

2. French tuning export, initially (pre-war) of Simcas, later maker of his own sports and racing cars, before takeover by Renault (7)

3. 1920s French sports car, began as a cyclecar made from Harley motorbike parts, but used Salmson engines at the end of its life (1933)

4. Small-production UK sports car maker, counting among its classic designs G4, G12, G15 and G21. The Walklett brothers were the driving force (7)

5. Respected Italian car maker, Peking to Paris road race winner in 1907 (5)

6. (see also 11 across) First part of name of British coachwork company noted for regular work on 1920s-30s Alvis and Lea-Francis cars (5)

9. NZ founder of a superb car museum in Paraparaumu (9)

14. _______ bars are occasionally used as a springing medium, usually for suspension (7)

15. Sports mid-’60s Oldsmobile – its 4-4-2 version countered the Pontiac GTO (7)

16. F1 racing team, successful through the ’70s initially with Jackie Stewart (7)

19. Heavy and not hugely effective Austin 4WD utility vehicle, built from 1952-55, mainly for services use (5)

20. Czech car company whose rear-engine big cars are known to many, but driven by very few (5)

21. Australian fuel and oil company, sponsor of several marathon competitive trials in Australia from the ’50s to the ’70s (5)

7. Successful British sports, sport-racing and saloon cars for ten years after WWII, powered by various US V8 motors (6)

8. Four-, six-, and finally eight-cylinder Holden models from 1967-82 (6)

10. British company specialising in lubricants, founded in 1899 and a long-time motorsport supporter (7)

11. Model name for ’80s/90s Opel; very similar to the Vauxhall Carlton, and there was even a classic and very fierce Lotus version for a while (5)

12. Ignition system on most classic cars, or springing medium in most IFS systems (4)

13. French voiturette/small sports car, built from 1921-36; some very special Miller and Maserati-powered racing cars broke world records for them (5)

17. Famous UK oil company with a Dutch connection, founded in 1897 and another motorsport supporter (5)

18. Frequently used abbreviation for the modern self-shifting transmission, or in the US, a car (4)

22. German coachbuilder, noted pre-WWII for imposing bodies on prunkwagen such as Maybach (5)

23. Brand name used by the French Mathis company while building American Fords pre-WWI, and very briefly just after the war (7)

24. Noted British racing driver pre-WWII; his speciality was speed record breaking, including the World Land Speed Record (6)

25. One of the foremost Italian coachbuilders, specialising in lightweight GT cars, founded way back in 1919 (6)

Down

1. This UK firm produced specialist overdrive units frequently used in British sporting classics (7)

2. Description frequently (if perhaps erroneously, sometimes!) applied to 1945-75, or occasionally later cars (7)

3. Belgian motoring journalist and competition driver, winner of Le Mans 24-hours plus a GP (5)

4. Italian designer who did great work for Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, including the classic 250 GT V12 engine (7)

5. ’50s/60s French high-performance luxury car powered by Chrysler (5)

6. Swiss-based ’20s/30s car aerodynamics pioneer, once a Zeppelin designer whose landmark design was the late ’30s Adler (5)

9. Tradename used by GM for the early ’50s version of the old stove-bolt six (4,5)

14. Rolls-Royce model name, used for six long-lasting series from 1925 to the ’70s, and recently revived (7)

15. British weekly magazine claimant to the title of longest-running motor magazine of all time (7)

16. Brand and model name used by Ford (1929 onwards) for some of its UK trucks, vans and tractors (7)

19. French engine maker and later UK engine/car maker which supplied to many makes in the pre- and post-WWI period (5)

20. Italian for race, used as a model designation for many sporting models from various manufacturers (5)

21. Alternative motive power system for motor vehicles – Stanley, White and Locomobile were early adherents to what sadly now is a lost cause (5)

7. ______ Fraschini was a famous Italian sporting luxury car rivalling the Hispano-Suiza for charisma, if not quite for engineering quality (6)

8. (and 1 down) Part of the under-car lubrication maintenance schedule for classics, through to the ’60s (6,7)

10. Mid-engined by Ford V8, this was a strong ’70s supercar from De Tomaso (7)

11. Model name for solid large family motor car from Humber, produced from 1930-48 (5)

12. Lotus small sports car with backbone chassis, introduced in late 1962 (4)

13. Successful NZ rally driver through the ’70s, became a politician (5)

17. French aerospace company with Simca connection; produced the neat Bagheera and Murena coupes from 1973 through to the ’80s (5)

18. Modified Fiat 500 built by Steyr in Austria – some models were successful rally performers (4)

22. Japanese for lightning, the model name of Toyota’s successful ’70s Corolla GT, or an NZ race circuit (5)

23. Founded 1908, taken over by Rootes in 1935, built alongside Commer as a Rootes Group commercial vehicle brand name (7)

24. GT two-seater version of Saab’s classic two-stroke (and later V4) design – some 10,000 were built over eight years of production (6)

25. Triumph’s successor to the Herald, 1971 on, using the body from the FWD 1300 model, but converted to (then) conventional drivetrain (6)

Down

1. See 8 across

2. A _______ cover stretches over the seats to protect an open car’s interior from the elements (7)

3. In motoring parlance, this word can be applied to over-, under- and power- (5)

4. Engine lubrication arrangement frequently used in motorbike and racing engines (3,4)

5. Alternative name for dashboard – in the shorter of its two variant spellings (5)

6. Austin _____ was a ’20s-30s classic small saloon or tourer (5)

9. Speed-retarding or motion-stopping device, usually working on the rear wheels (9)

14. Ignition system found on many ’20s/30s sporting cars (7)

15. Successful post-war sports Jowett, Le Mans 1500cc class winners 1950-52 (7)

16. British competition driver, killed at Ardmore in 1957 after a successful career in trials, rallies, hillclimbs and circuit racing (7)

19. Model name for mid-’90s Lotus car, a modern classic noted for fine handling (5)

20. Citroen’s Onze Legere or Light Fifteen is also known as the Traction _____ (5)

21. Rootes/Chrysler code name for the Hillman Hunter and derived model range (5)

7. One of Colin Chapman’s classic small Lotus sports cars, built in 1956; 150 built and very successful (6)

8. 100E side-valve and 105E/123E ohv were the last two models of this successful British Ford (6)

10. Mid-range saloon/wagon from Austin-Rover in the mid-late-’80s (7)

11. Italian make, 1904-34, most noted for success in the Peking-Paris race in 1907 (5)

12. US-based Ferrari racing team, with old-time racing driver Chinetti a major backer (1,1,1,1)

13. Booted variant of VW’s very successful Golf hatchback design (5)

17. UK sporting car maker, 1898-1969, noted for Imps, Sprites and final and Elf (5)

18. More VW – this time its successful 1975 onwards small car, still selling well in the 2000s (4)

22. German make, from 1905/6 to 1939 under its own name, but by the ’50s part of the Borgward empire before its untimely fall in the early ’60s (5)

23. British component maker, noted for brakes and suspension units for many years (7)

24. c.1931/2 name for what is now Nissan – a small change of spelling then allowed the company to use the national emblem in its name (6)

25. ’60s mid-engined Lotus, originally Renault-powered, then Ford (6)

Down

1. French coachbuilder of the ’20s noted for lightweight, fabric-covered bodies; its founder was a pioneer aviator and accessory manufacturer (7)

2. Leo _______ was a successful NZ saloon car driver in the ’60s and ’70s (7)

3. The longest-lived classic Lotus of them all (5)

4. British sporting car whose great sporting success was a 1931 Monte Carlo Rally win (7)

5. Alfred P. _____ was manager of GM from 1923-36, reorganising its company structure in very successful style (5)

6. Successful sports car racing series in which McLaren dominated for years (5)

9. Model name for several Daimler versions (capitalising on the make’s long-time royal connection) of successful Jaguars (9)

14. Model name for upmarket Chryslers with a royal connection to Edward VIII (7)

15. Late ’70s Chrysler UK, then Talbot, FWD hatchback, successor to the Simca 1100 (7)

16. UK motorcycle maker noted for a classic series of flat-twin bikes that were raced successfully (7)

19. What happens when your wheels lose grip on the road surface (5)

20. _____ Carlo rally is one of the great European rallies (5)

21. Name of a successful ohv conversion for side-valve Ford and Mercury V8s, post-WWII (5)

7. Cooper-______ set Black Jack and Bruce McLaren on the way to Grand Prix fame (6)

8. NZ-built working vehicle based on Skoda Octavia mechanicals and running gear with Land Rover-like body (6)

10. Italian tyre maker whose Cintura/Cinturato radial was one of the main tyres of choice for your classic in the ’60s (7)

11. _____ engineering – when one basic design is sold in varying trim and power levels under differing nameplates (5)

12. Ferrous oxide, or the tin worm – it never sleeps (4)

13. Austin J40 is one well-known example of a manufacturer approved _____ car (5)

17. Name of five-door hatchback, 1500-powered version of Australia’s own development of the BMC 1100/1300 (5)

18. Transverse structure (bar, beam, shaft or tube) carrying wheels at either end (4)

22. Small volume UK racing/sports car maker in the ’50s, first of successful 500cc racing cars, then 1100cc sports car (5)

23. Racing cars, 1953/4 to 1962 financed by Tony Vandervell in his attempt “to beat the bloody red cars” (7)

24. Old-established US coachbuilding company, noted for fine work on Duesenberg and other great US cars in the 1930s (6)

25. British car maker (originally coachbuilders) from 1934-76. Classics include the 541 and CV-8 (6)

Down

1. ’60s sporting Humber saloon, at first Hillman Super Minx, then Hunter-based (7)

2. Low-production six-cylinder MG 18/100 sports car built in 1930. It looked nice, but was heavy and unreliable! (7)

3. Racing cars produced by Dan Gurney in the ’60s/70s (5)

4. World champ Aussie racing driver, then racing car builder (7)

5. Sideslips, often out of control (5)

6. ’50s/60s French high-performance luxury car, powered by Chrysler (5)

9. L-head is an alternative name for this form of valve train, widely used pre-WWII, but outmoded after the war (9)

14. US car maker, part of GM and noted in the ’60s for some classic high-performance vehicles (7)

15. Spent combustion gas discharged from the engine (7)

16. Noted more recently for trucks and buses, and a ’60s merger/takeover of BMC, this North England company produced luxury straight-eights in the ’20s (7)

19. Czech car maker with a long history, taken over by VW in the ’90s (5)

20. Le _____ was a French car maker from 1910-31; a casualty of the Depression. Its early ’20s 8hp was the forerunner of the ‘Cloverleaf’ Citroen (5)

21. A major prize in classic period Le Mans 24-hour race was the _____ of Performance, designer to evaluate the efficiency of competing cars (5)

7. Use of ______ petrol has caused problems for many classic vehicle users (6)

8. (and 16 down) US racing driver who competed with success for Ferrari in sports and GP cars, then for BRM and Honda in F1 racing (6,7)

10. Big Buick coupe, the 1963/4 series, designed by Bill Mitchell, which is reckoned to be one of the best-styled US autos of its time (7)

11. 61 cubic inches! (5)

12. Model name used by Daimler for the SP250 sports car until Dodge pointed out it owned copyright on it (4)

13. Small economy saloon from NSU with notable motorcycle design influences (5)

17. Fibreglass-bodied saloon on the 2CV chassis briefly sold by British Citroen in the early 60s (5)

18. German vehicle manufacturer from 1910-39 and under VW control from ’65 onwards (4)

22. 1908 onwards US auto company bought by the Graham brothers in 1927 as they moved on from Dodge truck building (5)

23. Blow, in the suck-squeeze-bang and blow four-stroke engine cycle (7)

24. First part of name of aero-engined (by Maybach, Benz or Mercedes) specials, built from 1921 in Britain by Count Zborowski (6)

25. Nickname for the classic VW known by Americans as the Bug (6)

Down

1. Model name for rear-engined Dauphine-based Renault coupe (7)

2. Home town in Britain for the long-lived Morgan sports car company (7)

3. The Italian carburettor noted for precision, power and price (5)

4. Model name for several ’30s fasback coupe body styles, two of the best-known coming from MG and SS (7)

5. US company founded in 1900, noted early on for steam cars and now a prominent truck maker (5)

6. Small four-wheeler car from Reliant, 1965-74, or a much bigger one from AMC (5)

9. Alternative name for drophead coupe, usually with two doors, though the word has changed definition several times in coachbuilding history (9)

14. Small production UK sports car maker, counting among its classic designs G4 and G21. The Walklett brothers were the driving force (7)

15. V4 and 1196cc, a successful small Lancia saloon from 1933-37, noted for good road manners (7)

16. See 8 across (7)

19. _____ frame uses carefully stressed triangulated tubing to support body and mechanical elements of a car (5)

20. Alternative first name used by Battista Farina when he set up his own coachbuilding firm in 1930 (5)

21. Auto Union/DKW and Saab used two-stroke _____ cylinder engines, and recently Suzuki, Daihatsu and others have used four-strokers of this configuration (5)

7. Successful UK sports car, pre- and (for 10 years) post-WWII, usually powered by transatlantic V8s from Ford, Mercury, Cadillac or Chrysler (6)

8. The Silver ______ was an unsuccessful Land Speed Record contender in 1930, driven by Kaye Don (6)

10. Fastback body style on Riley saloons, pre WWII, and also the Riley version of the BMC 1100/1300 in the ’60s (7)

11. Len _____, the car designer created his own Terriers, but also worked with Lotus, Eagle and Surtees in the ’60s/70s (5)

12. ____ Rubber was a successful NZ tyre manufacturer affiliated to the US BF Goodrich company (4)

13. The valve or port that lets gas into an engine cylinder (5)

17. Australian fuel company that sponsored some of the great round-Australia marathon trials of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s (5)

18. Small German vehicle manufacturer taken over by BMW in 1928 and producer of a LHD version of the Austin Seven (4)

22. French electrically activated self-change gearbox, much used by the great French grands routiers (5)

23. 1960s model name for upper range Buick models (7)

24. Model name for Mercury versions of pony car, debuting in 1967 and one size up from the Mustang (6)

25. Model name of sports car from the limited-production BMW 328-based German Veritas firm, after WWII (6)

Down

1. Great name in US luxury cars – “ask the man who owns one” (7)

2. Model name for 1961-66 108/112-inch wheelbase Ramblers (7)

3. Paul _____ was a successful Belgian race and rally driver and noted journalist (5)

4. Great British racing motorcyclist and GP driver, world champ at both disciplines (7)

5. Great Scots driver, world champion for Lotus and one of the best racers ever (5)

6. Austrian car makers, 1915 onwards, originally started out producing rifles in 1864 (5)

9. Australian racing driver, world champion for Williams (4,5)

14. French car maker, its crowning jewels were classic 1100cc four- and six-cylinder sports and racing cars in the ’20s (7)

15. Noted Australian automobile adventurer, Francis _______ was the first to drive a car across Australia (Freemantle to Sydney) in 1912 (7)

16. French designer, active 1905-mid-’30s, noted for eccentric cyclecar/voiturettes with transverse leaf independent suspension (7)

19. Nicely styled sports coupe from AC in the ’50s/early ’60s, rivalling the Italian jobs for elegance of line (5)

20. Suspension leg or support system – e.g. Macpherson (5)

21. UK oil and fuel additive company, sponsor of mid-’50s round-Australia marathon trials (5)

7. Ecurie _____ was a Scottish-based team that raced Jaguars to success in international sports car races (6)

8. Variously available with four-, six- or eight-cylinder motors, these Holdens began life as the Aussie equivalent of 18 across (6)

10. This Wolverhampton, UK-based engine company provided motive power for many successful pre-war British sports cars like Frazer Nash, HRG, Lagonda, Lea-Francis and 23 across (7)

11. Italian stylist of the ’60s – among his credits were the Elva BMW 160GT and TVR Trident (5)

12. Australian low-production sports car – in the ’70s its Fang was a hot little beast (4)

13. Late ’60s (1967-73) Ford Cortina GT or MGB-powered version of TVR’s stubby little sports car (5)

17. Noted pre-war UK driver/tuner/special Riley builder, one of the few men to win both a motorcycle and car TT race (5)

18. Vauxhall small car – its first series was known affectionately as the ‘biscuit box’ (4)

22. NZ F1 world champ in ’67. He drove 102 GP races from ’65-74, and won eight (5)

23. Fine British sporting marque whose greatest claim to fame was a 1931 Monte Carlo Rally win, driven by Donald Healey (7)

24. Trade name of UK-built racing cars in the early ’70s, made by Racing Preparations Ltd, or a very exclusive Bugatti Luxury car (7)

25. 100E side valve and 105E/123E ohv were the last two models of this successful British Ford small car (6)

Down

1. Lightweight semi-rigid coachbuilding body style, favoured in the late ’20s, using fabric-covered panels (7)

2. Model name for the 1960-70s convertible Aston Martins (7)

3. _____ Hill (aka _____ Clinton) was a British public road hill climb early last century 5)

4. The G of GN and HRG, two stark British sports cars (7)

5. Aussie 1.5-litre development of Morris Minor, also known as the Austin Lancer (5)

6. French builder of bodies for Panhard, Simca and Ford – then for some years it built some fine Chrysler-engined luxury cars (5)

9. UK designer of two classic small cars, the Morris Minor and the Mini (9)

14. Four-cylinder touring saloon from Alvis in the early ’30s (7)

15. Fine US quality car, founded by the same man as set up Cadillac all those years ago (7)

16. Minor-league UK coachbuilder, noted in the ’30s for pleasant bodies on Lagonda (7)

19. The Mako _____ was a celebrated GM styling exercise that influenced later Corvettes (5)

20. Small UK economy car, 1936-51, or German car maker, 1906-63, that died with the collapse of the Borgward combine – the Alexander was its last successful model (5)

21. The Traction _____ was an influential classic Citroen, built from 1934-57 (5)

7. This model was Mercury’s ‘stablemate’ ponycar to the ’60s/70s Mustang (6)

8. Model name for Fiat 518, 1934. A special body for it by Bertone used partly glazed roof hatches (6)

10. Small ’60s/70s Toyota saloon, convertible and two-seater sports that eventually grew up into the Starlet (7)

11. Auto _____ was the firm created by the formation of Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer in the early 1930s (5)

12. Sports ____ was a model name used by ford as an alternative to fastback in the late ’60s (4)

13. Most of us think of this as an Italian scooter, but a Piaggio-designer, French-built microcar also used the name (5)

17. D in PRNDL (5)

18. British motorbike world champion who drove Aston Martin sports cars with some success in the ’50s (4)

22. The red triangle was the emblem of this fine British car manufacturer (5)

23. The _______ pin joins the connecting rod to the piston (wrist pin in US auto speak) (7)

24. British name for what in NZ was usually called generator (6)

25. Small three-wheeler invalid carriage type vehicle made by ACC, a striking alternative to its contemporary production of Ace sports cars (6)

Down

1. Model name for the upmarket Humber versions of the Rootes Super Minx and Hunter (7)

2. Early ’50s German microcar, one of the world’s first cars to use fuel injection (7)

3. Alternative name for dashboard (5)

4. British car maker, founded in 1923, and from 1945 onwards a subsidiary of Standard (7)

5. Sports saloon from Iso, 1967-74, a larger but less stylish replacement for the Rivolta (5)

6. Six-cylinder tourers from MG in the ’30s, available in F-type and L-type series (5)

9. French supercar of the ’50s to early ’60s, powered by Chrysler V8s (5,4)

14. Special system of lubrication frequently used on competition or high-performance sporting vehicles (3,4)

15. V6 Lancia saloon, coupe and sports car, seen by many as one of the first true GT cars (7)

16. Why did bubblecars attract German aircraft firms? Dornier, Messerschmitt and this firm all joined the rush to build them! (7)

19. In ’60s rallying this cockpit aide (_____ Speed Pilot) was de rigueur for top-class navigators (5)

20. Model name for the 100 series estate/station wagon versions in Audi’s late ’70s/early ’80s range (5)

21. German firm that set high standards in car construction from 1900-39, as well as producing bikes and typewriters (5)

7. Headache relief? No, a Turkish-built car designed by Reliant and powered by a Ford Anglia 1200cc motor (6)

8. Italian for ‘swift’ – applied to sporting versions of regular models, notably to ’50s/60s Alfa Romeos (6)

10. Started as a model name but became the major brand name for American Motors cars from 1958-70 (7)

11. Model name for 1960s Sunbeam sports car, harking back to the company’s 1920s racing success (5)

12. European purpose-built race tracks often have this in their name – e.g. Hungaro____

13. French maker (1935-81) of good family saloons, strongly Fiat-influenced through to the early ’60s and then part of Chrysler (5)

17. 1920s French sports car, began as a cyclecar made from Harley motorbike parts, but used Salmson engines at the end of its life (1933) (5)

18. Noted US family automobile, 1917-57, finally as part of American Motors Corp (4)

22. Erdmann and _____ were coachbuilders of Berlin, worked on Minerva but also many other makes (5)

23. Hudson-powered ‘Anglo-American bastard’ – its designer also penned John Cobb’s Land Speed Record car (7)

24. Designer of a classic small-production British GT (1964-67) using a Corvette engine in a space-frame chassis (6)

25. Triumph’s successor to the Herald, 1971 on, using the body from the FWD 1300 model, but converted to (then) conventional drivetrain (6)

Down

1. Model name for Porsche and other sports cars, named after a classic Mexican road race (7)

2. German coachbuilder, made lots of money with semi-sporting and convertible VWs in the ’50s and ’60s (7)

3. The best steam car of the ’20s – with a New Zealand connection (its builder worked in NZ for a while) (5)

4. The D of DB, constructors of fast Panhard-based small sports cars in the ’50s and early ’60s (7)

5. US car/truck company – in the early ’20s it was second-biggest seller to Ford (5)

6. One of the last jewels of the Austin Seven range – the 1935-7 Austin Seven Cabriolet (5)

9. Wooden-spoked road wheel, much used in pre-WWI times (9)

14. Model name for the classic Tipo 508S Fiat sports car of the ’30s (7)

15. UK company known first for Jaguar-like near-replicas, but also made the successful Lima sports car (7)

16. Rolls-Royce model name, used for six long-lasting series from 1925 through to the ’70s (7)

19. The shooting _____ was a near-synonym for what is now called an estate car or wagon (5)

20. 1918-32 name plate used by Hudson Motor Car Co and an early mount of Wizard Smith in Australian city-to-city runs (5)

21. Fibreglass-bodied saloon on the Citroen 2CV chassis, briefly sold by Citroen UK in the early ’60s (5)

7. These V8-powered creations had great ’50s competition success, including a Monte Carlo Rally win and Le Mans third place (7)

8. You can find this piece of kit on both crankshafts and suspension (6)

10. Great Italian driver of the classic era – the “Silver Fox” won the last true Mille Miglia race (7)

11. Humber model name, from 1930-48 (5)

12. Tony ____ did great design work for BRM while Ken ____ was a top-bracket tuner for AC, Volvo and other sporting cars (4)

13. In Britain this model name was used for Singers, while Down Under it was seen more often on Humbers (5)

17. RAC _____ power was calculated by an arcane formula involving cylinder bore size and number of cylinders (5)

18. Commonly used abbreviation for self-shifting transmission (4)

22. German car maker whose streamlined sports cars won their class in pre-war Le Mans races (5)

23. Frank _______ was the founder of Elva cars in the mid-’50s (7)

24. Great US racing driver ,successful in F1 and sports car racing, and later the founder of Eagle racing cars (6)

25. Italian motorcycle maker whose V-twins have been very successful in superbike racing (6)

Down

1. De Tomaso supercar (7)

2. Stylish Renault 2+2 coupe/cabrio/convertible, 1958-63, which looked faster than it actually performed on 845cc! (7)

3. Supercar from Iso, 1963-74 – the fullhouse Chev V8 versions were a performance match for Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini (5)

4. Nickname for NZ’s Graham McRae while he took on the F5000 racing world in the ’70s (7)

5. Sweet handling small saloon/coupe from Lancia, 1953-63 (5)

6. British firm noted more for fine motorbikes like the Red Hunter and Square Four, but also a car maker pre- and post-war (5)

9. Luxurious large closed passenger car – strictly it should have a division between driver and passenger (9)

14. This small sports car was a successful model for Elva in the late ’50s/early ’60s (7)

15. This British car magazine is the longest-running title in the motoring field, having started in 1895 (7)

16. Slightly upmarket, and much less successful running mate for Ford UK’s 1960s Cortina range (7)

19. _____ Rover – an upmarket 4WD estate car introduced in 1970 (5)

20. Great F1 driver of the ’60s – very successful for Lotus (5)

21. Mid-to-late ’30s FWD two- or four-seater open touring car from BSA (5)

7. British ‘wooden wonders’ for a while in the ’60s – the Frank Costin influence! (6)

8. British brake linings, prominent in UK motor racing (6)

10. British (though founded by an American) firm whose sports and GT cars had a fine reputation pre-war, with a 1935 Le Mans win to their credit (7)

11. Italian for ‘shield’ or ‘plate’ now used to describe an open road competition event (5)

12. UK sports-racing and racing car maker from 1931-54, whose designer Geoffrey Taylor pursued racing success above all (4)

13. This make has gained fame as the worst (late ’50s) failure of design and marketing by an auto company (5)

17. British Ford V8 (1947-51), actually an American pre-war design (5)

18. Brazilian VW-based fibreglass-bodied sports and GT cars, made from 1964 into the ’70s (4)

22. Auto _____ was formed when Audi, Horch, DKW and Wanderer combined in 1932 (5)

23. The final stroke of the four-stroke cycle that governs the workings of most current i/c engines (7)

24. Chevrolet’s full-size sedan of the mid-’60s – in the metal it was far from the light and swift antelope it was named after (6)

25. German GT coupe of the ’70s – Opel Diplomat-based with a stylish Baur-built body (6)

Down

1. French car maker best known for successful four- and six-cylinder 1100cc sports and racing cars in the ’20s (7)

2. Big Renault sedan of the ’50s – the company’s director lost his life after a crash in one (7)

3. Universal and constant-velocity can precede this word (5)

4. Good-looking fastback Riley sports saloon of the late ’30s, available with four- or six-cylinder engines from 1100-2443cc (7)

5. Hairy sixties Anglo-US sports car from AC via Shelby – inspiration of many replicas (5)

6. French electrically activated self-change gearbox, much used by the GT cars of the late ’30s (5)

9. WWII Jeep-inspired, this British 4WD has been a great sucess story since 1948 (9)

14. Italian coachbuilder – among his lesser-known works was a dress-up version of the Standard Vanguard (7)

15. V4 and 1196cc, a successful small Lancia saloon from 1933-37 (7)

16. Electrical storage component, essential to running most vehicles (7)

19. “There ain’t no substitute for _____ inches” say the proponents of big US V8s (5)

20. Model name for the two-seater sporting version of the Austin Seven in the early ’30s (5)

21. Final drive system used by the pre-war Frazer Nash (5)

7. British motorbike maker, whose engines powered most of the successful Cooper 500s in early Formula 3 racing (6)

8. GT Coupe from Toyota, first produced in the early ’70s and a fixture in the model range ever since (6)

10. A _______ cover is used in open sports cars to cover the seating area when not in use (7)

11. ’80s FWD sports saloon from Lancia, whose top model used a Ferrari V8 engine (5)

12. For many years, ____ Rubber was a successful NZ tyre manufacturer, affiliated to BF Goodrich (4)

13. Four-wheeler economy car from Reliant, 1965-74, and a much bigger and faster one from AMC! (5)

17. Axle _____ is a condition caused by application of too much power or braking effort causing wheels to patter up and down (5)

18. Italian coachbuilder and stylist, successful designs included the Maserati Mistral and AC 428 (4)

22. Iron or alloy castings, bolted to the engine block to mount the valves and sparking plugs (5)

23. The _______ Ring is a classic motor racing circuit in Germany (7)

24. Electrical generator driven by the engine to produce direct current – replaced these days by the alternator (6)

25. Part of the valve gear between the cams and pushrods, rockers or valves (6)

Down

1. Type of body construction using no separate chassis; also known as monocoque (7)

2. ’60s box van from Ford with V4 engine – no classic, but a very useful vehicle (7)

3. European name for a horizontally opposed engine (5)

4. Model name for a stylish Riley saloon of the mid-’30s and used again for the FWD 1100/1300 Rileys of the ’60s (7)

5. German mountain range in which the circuit at 23 across is situated (5)

6. Classic North American racing series of the ’60s/70s in which McLaren was very successful (5)

9. Stolid and comfortable Hillman family car of the ’60s, also known as the Humber 90 (5,4)

14. Engine lubrication system in motorbike or racing engines, using a separate oil tank (3,4)

15. British car and bike company, that arguably produced its best classics in the TR series of the ’50s and ’60s (7)

16. Australian mechanic/engine designer, successful in the early ’70s in association with Mildren (7)

19. British light car maker, 1921-31, best known for its Hawk sporting model (5)

20. Model name for the more touring version of six-cylinder MG in the pre-war era (5)

21. The part of the tyre that makes contact with the road (5)

7. Classic Volvo sporting saloon, frequent race and rally winner in the late ’50s/early ’60s (6)

8. Unsuccessful 1931 Rover small car prototype, or 1958-63 US competition car (6)

10. Italian tyre maker whose Cintura/Cinturato radial was one of the tyres for your classic in the ’60s (7)

11. Middle colour of the normal traffic light sequence (5)

12. Occasionally used abbreviation for rev counter (4)

13. Fine British car maker, 1898-1969, prominent in competition pre-war, but latterly just a badge-engineered BMC car (5)

17. Combined with pre-selector gearbox, this sort of flywheel offered near-automatic transmission on pre-war Daimlers (5)

18. 1970s Chev small car, notorious for body rust and niggly engine problems (4)

22. Abbreviation (mainly in USA) for a two-door sedan (5)

23. US car maker, 1907-31, under GM control from 1909; it was first overshadowed, then superseded by its companion make, Pontiac (7)

24. Historic touring car from Lancia, introduced in 1922, and the first true unit-body vehicle (6)

25. Principal designer of the classic 1955 Chev small block V8 engine (2,4)

Down

1. Part of the valve gear, frequently requiring adjustment on many British motors! (7)

2. French part of the STD motoring combine, maker of fine cars; its factory and name survived the 1935 takeover by Rootes and the name was used to just before WWII (7)

3. Successful early racing driver who joined forces with a great mechanic to found Britain’s most prestigious car maker (5)

4. Great NZ racing driver/constructor, whose name lives on in F1 racing (7)

5. One-off prototype for a successful 1930s sports car built by the company at 13 across (5)

6. Slang name for Ford’s late ’54 sporting car rival to the Corvette (1-4)

9. Original model name for the Morris version of BMC’s classic 1959 small car (4-5)

14. Model name for late ’50s coupe version of Renault’s Dauphine small car (7)

15. US coachbuilder, 1920-41, eventually taken over by Chrysler and noted for quality bodies on the US prestige makes (2,5)

16. British builder of big, slow-turning and torquey diesel motors for truck makers such as Foden (7)

19. Respected Italian car maker, 1904-34, whose best-remembered designers we Ceirano and Cappa (5)

20. A British car, 1905-14, with an epicyclic transmission; “Pedals to push, that’s all” was its slogan (5)

21. Czech car maker (actually a wide-ranging arms and industrial combine) with a long history, now owned by VW (5)

7. 1962-65 limited- production (88 built) US sports/GT car with Italian body and Buick motor (6)

8. UK Ford model, made in four series from 1950-72 (6)

10. Model name for Chrysler saloons from 1939-61 – perhaps capitalising on a one-time British royal connection (7)

11. Kiwi racing driver/constructor whose fine F5000 cars were top-rated in the mid-’70s (5)

12. Abbreviation for major GM automaker in the States (4)

13. The Traction _____ is one of several Citroen automobile classic designs (5)

17. US racing cars built by Dan Gurney, for many years winners in US racing (5)

18. Stylish Brazilian VW-based coupe (4)

22. One of the great Austrian makes – designer Ferdinand Porsche briefly worked for them in 1929-30 (5)

23. Model name for 1960s upper range Buick models (7)

24. Alldays and ______ – unforgettable name for a rather less memorable British car (6)

25. Surname of noted Franco-American racing family, racing Delahayes pre-war, and son Harry a force in ’50s races (6)

Down

1. Maker’s name for the second coming of the late ’50s, early ’60s Peerless GT coupe (7)

2. German aviation company that designed the Zundapp Janus micro/bubblecar in the late ’50s (7)

3. Mid-’90s small sports car from Lotus (5)

4. French coachbuilder of the ’20s noted for lightweight fabric-covered bodies on some of the classic makes (7)

5. “Basking _____” is an occasionally used nickname for the Citroen DS/ID range (5)

6. Model name of Lancia’s smallest saloon car (late ’30s to early ’50s)(5)

9. Model name for BMC estate cas, usually morris-badged (9)

14. Australian motoring pioneer, first built his own cars but later made more money by selling Model T Fords! (7)

15. UK car/motorbike racer whose ’70s TS-series racing cars had some success in F1 and F5000 (7)

16. GM’s lower-priced stablemate for Cadillac, 1927-40 (7)

19. First part of name of a premier UK sports car maker (5)

20. Japanese for lightning – the model name for GT or sports versions of Toyota’s successful Corolla series cars (5)

21. Aussie car accessory company that came to fame in the 1966-67 F1 world championship (5)

7. One of the most successful bubblecars of the ’50s (6)

8. Classic ’20s sporting tourer from Lancia, with several technical advances (6)

10. Engineering division of GM making electrical componentry (7)

11. _____ and stroked – a typical recipe for more cubic inches (5)

12. Mid-’30s four-cylinder saloon from Sunbeam – last new model before the Rootes takeover (4)

13. Australian motor industry firm who came into international prominence after backing Brabham in the ’60s (5)

17. Substitution of in-house maker or model name on identical cars is called _____ engineering (5)

18. Long-running (1956-70s) model name for Plymouth large sporting cars (4)

22. Distinguished German luxury car maker who in 1932 became part of Auto Union (5)

23. Minor-league UK coachbuilder of the ’30s with some nice bodies on Lagonda Rapier among others (7)

24. Very successful coupe for Holden in the late ’60s/early ’70s (6)

25. Trade name of a noted British brake lining maker, a long-time support of motorsport (6)

Down

1. Sir Harry _______ was an influential engine design expert (7)

2. UK car and cv engine maker whose 1500cc fours and 4500cc sixes won Le Mans, Monte Carlo Rally and the TT in various cars (7)

3. Respected Italian car maker whose best remembered designers were Ceirano and Cappa (5)

4. Top quality German car with strong aeronautical links – they listed huge V12 models with complicated multi-speed transmissions (7)

5. Affectionate nickname for Ford’s (US) successful mid-’50s sporting coupe (1,4)

6. Japanese car maker, noted in the classic world for its rotary-engined sports cars (5)

9. French company (1928-55) that built Austin, Adler and Citroen-derived cars (9)

14. Early French car company, taken over by Citroen, with last cars built in the mid-’60s (7)

15. Radiator mascot of Mack trucks (7)

16. Hardtop coupe Armstrong Siddeley of the late ’40s, named after one of the parent group’s WWII fighter aircraft (7)

19. Four-wheel drive Austin with independent suspension, built as a rival to the Jeep and Land Rover (5)

20. NSU economy saloon whose late ’50s/60s versions were styled like a mini Corvair (5)

21. Model name for early ’50s Ferrari sports car that helped build the Ferrari legend (5)

1. Successful French F1 driver, winner of four world championships, with 51 wins from 199 starts in F1 (5)

8. Camber of wheels when the wheel leans slightly outwards at the top (8)

9. Spectacularly failed automobile from Ford, 1958-60 (5)

10. Argentine-born ex-racing driver who built cars and motorbikes in Italy from 1963 (2,6)

11. See 3 down (5)

12. Acronym/abbreviation often applied to smallish sporting hatchbacks, e.g. VW or Peugeot (1,1,1)

16. Saab sports car, built in 1956, and again, 1966-74 – not named or spelled as poetically as many people think (6)

17. Prototype Lamborghini built in 1967 which became the basis for the later Espada (6)

18. 1953 onwards motor oil company which gained fame under Andy Granatelli and Studebaker-Packard ownership from 1961 (1,1,1)

23. A wading bird that lent its name to Rootes Group’s Humber cars (5)

24. Metric equivalent of 122ci, a popular engine size for many mid-size European cars (3,5)

25. Muscle car motto: if you want to get a big chunk of iron moving very fast, there’s no substitute for _____ inches (5)

26. 1975-86 Rolls-royce coupe with body designed by Pininfarina (8)

27. A _____ beater is the fixer for your vehicle body after an accident (5)
Down

2. Vital major component of a vehicle cooling system (8)

3. (with 11 across) Famous UK hillclimb course, first run in 1905 and supposedly the longest-running motorsport venue of all time (8)

4. British car and van building company active in Yorkshire from 1906-54 (6)

5. Low-production 1959-64 fibreglass-bodied Citroen 2CV with body styled by Kirwan-Taylor, and built in Slough, England (5)

6. Italian ‘motor city’ home to alfa Romeo and other Italian car makers (5)

7. Latin language word for swift, used as the model name for several classic Vauxhalls (5)

12. One of the many acronyms/abbreviations applied to sporting coupes, notably from 1968 to the Holden Monaro (1,1,1)

13. Rear-engined small saloon, built by Rootes/Chrysler with a 13-year production run from 1963 (3)

14. One of the first versions of TVR’s stubby little coupe, built in several models from 1958-67 (8)

15. Top quality Armstrong-Siddeley with just over 10,000 of all versions built from 1952-60 (8)

19. In a vehicle specification, this figure will be listed in Newton metres or lb/ft in older times (6)

20. US terminology for a floor-lever gear change (5)

21. Mazda model name used for four generations of its GT range – the first generation car was Mazda’s pioneer rotary production model in 1967 (5)

22. This Italian-sounding car stylist was actually British-born with the name of Frost (5)

1. Successful French F1 driver, winner of four world championships, with 51 wins from 199 starts in F1 (5)

8. Camber of wheels when the wheel leans slightly outwards at the top (8)

9. Spectacularly failed automobile from Ford, 1958-60 (5)

10. Argentine-born ex-racing driver who built cars and motorbikes in Italy from 1963 (2,6)

11. See 3 down (5)

12. Acronym/abbreviation often applied to smallish sporting hatchbacks, e.g. VW or Peugeot (1,1,1)

16. Saab sports car, built in 1956, and again, 1966-74 – not named or spelled as poetically as many people think (6)

17. Prototype Lamborghini built in 1967 which became the basis for the later Espada (6)

18. 1953 onwards motor oil company which gained fame under Andy Granatelli and Studebaker-Packard ownership from 1961 (1,1,1)

23. A wading bird that lent its name to Rootes Group’s Humber cars (5)

24. Metric equivalent of 122ci, a popular engine size for many mid-size European cars (3,5)

25. Muscle car motto: if you want to get a big chunk of iron moving very fast, there’s no substitute for _____ inches (5)

26. 1975-86 Rolls-royce coupe with body designed by Pininfarina (8)

27. A _____ beater is the fixer for your vehicle body after an accident (5)
Down

2. Vital major component of a vehicle cooling system (8)

3. (with 11 across) Famous UK hillclimb course, first run in 1905 and supposedly the longest-running motorsport venue of all time (8)

4. British car and van building company active in Yorkshire from 1906-54 (6)

5. Low-production 1959-64 fibreglass-bodied Citroen 2CV with body styled by Kirwan-Taylor, and built in Slough, England (5)

6. Italian ‘motor city’ home to alfa Romeo and other Italian car makers (5)

7. Latin language word for swift, used as the model name for several classic Vauxhalls (5)

12. One of the many acronyms/abbreviations applied to sporting coupes, notably from 1968 to the Holden Monaro (1,1,1)

13. Rear-engined small saloon, built by Rootes/Chrysler with a 13-year production run from 1963 (3)

14. One of the first versions of TVR’s stubby little coupe, built in several models from 1958-67 (8)

15. Top quality Armstrong-Siddeley with just over 10,000 of all versions built from 1952-60 (8)

19. In a vehicle specification, this figure will be listed in Newton metres or lb/ft in older times (6)

20. US terminology for a floor-lever gear change (5)

21. Mazda model name used for four generations of its GT range – the first generation car was Mazda’s pioneer rotary production model in 1967 (5)

22. This Italian-sounding car stylist was actually British-born with the name of Frost (5)

7. Successful Loewy-style sports coupe from Studebaker, later relaunched under its own name (6)

8. Quality US car, of which 537 were built from 1920-32. The best known was the Model G Speedster (6)

10. Semi-sporting body style with unbroken line from bonnet to boot, in vogue from 1910 to WWII (7)

11. French sporting car maker, 1921-36, but also made FWD record cars with Miller or Maserati power (5)

12. UK racing car driver turned racing manager who was the R of March racing cars at its founding in 1970 (4)

13. Model name for large and stolid Humber saloons, 1930-48 (5)

17. Model name for upmarket Singer (and in Australasia, Humber) models based on the Hillman Super Minx and later Hunter (5)

18. Italian by birth, but often consider as French through leading the old firm of Talbot Suresnes in the ’30s (4)

22. Surname of the SS and Jaguar founder, regarded as one of the best auto stylists of his era (5)

23. One of the trio of German aircraft makers who produced bubblecars in the mid-’50s (7)

24. Great British motorbike maker with a proud competition history – its engines were used in early Cooper 500 racing cars (6)

25. First part of the name of an Australian racing circuit, just north-west of Sydney (6)

Down

1. Mid-engined with Ford V8, this ’70s supercar shares its name with a rock band (7)

2. UK commercial vehicle maker, founded in 1908, taken over by Rootes in 1935, and built alongside Commer

3. In autospeak, you will hear of bump _____, plus over and under ______ (5)

4. This noted German motorbike firm built a short-lived 1956-58 microcar designed by Dornier (7)

5. One of NZ’s great world champion speedway riders (5)

6. Austrain commercial/car firm whose high performance Fiat 500 variant, the Puch, was a very unlikely mid-’60s rally car (5)

9. British racing car whose 1950s success story included the first Grand Prix win (in 1955) for a British car in over 30 years (9)

14. Most successful model of Crosley sports car, with a sort of frog-eye look; won Sebring Index of Performance (7)

15. Great US quality car maker with a near-sixty year history from 1899 – “Ask the man who owns one” was their ’20s slogan (7)

16. Industrial designer who collaborated with Issigonis on BMC Mini/1100 suspension design (7)

19. US car, 1923-27, a fairly successful part of William C Durant’s automobile empire (5)

20. All-time sports car classic from AC via Shelby (5)

21. Frequently used nickname for General Motors GM trucks in WWII and later service (5)

1. Booted version (1979 on) of VW’s very successful Golf, and a 6.6 million-plus seller in its own right! (5)

8. Japanese motorbike maker; its classic bikes have included the Mach III, Z1 and Z1300 (8)

9. Classic Italian motor scooter, named in Italian after the wasp-like noise early models made (5)

10. Nickname for the first car built by Morris cars, from 1913 (8)

11. In old pre-sponsorship motor racing, red was the colour for this country’s racing vehicles (5)

12. Citroen small car, 1.8 milion sold and available from 1961-79 in 602 or 1015cc variants (3)

16. Contact areas in an older type contact breaker ignition assembly (6)

17. Model name for pre-war Lagonda and Sunbeam, post-war (6)

18. Noted more for fine motorbikes, this UK firm produced light cars from 1930-33 (3)

23. UK V8 Ford, sold from 1947-51, and based on the US pre-war Model 62 body (5)

24. Austin’s US-oriented export model convertible/two-door saloon, 1948-52, but only 350 sold Stateside (8)

25. To impose directional control of a vehicle, occasionally by tiller in the early days (5)

26. GM’s 1953 sports car – built on the same 102-inch (2591mm) wheelbase length as the rival XK120 Jaguar (8)

27. To start an engine by hand turning a starting handle (5)
Down

2. Lightweight 1956 onwards sports car built by small volume UK manufacturer Fairthorpe (8)

3. The ‘little mouse’ – over 520,000 were built of Fiat’s first 500 (8)

4. Variation below atmospheric pressure, of importance in classic cars for ignition timing advance or retard, and/or braking assistance. Some early Fords used it for wiper activation (6)

5. La _____ was the cheaper price companion make to Cadillac from 1927-40 (5)

6. Frequently used abbreviation for estate car or shooting brake (5)

7. Noted British make, its blue diamond emblem graced many fine vehicles from 1898-1969 (5)

12. Low production Italian firm, active from 1962-69, and builder of the little ‘Ferrarina’ coupe (3)

13. Abbreviation for independent rear suspension (1,1,1)

14. Alternative name for some (cheaper) models of the Toyota Corolla, including some of the classic twin-cam coupes (8)

15. Former GM executive who took the UK taxpayers for a very expensive ride! (2,6)

19. Ball and cv _____, among the many in a classic vehicle, are the most likely to wear and give trouble (6)

20. Rear access door, usually with window, to the boot of a two-box shape saloon or coupe (5)

21. Brilliant Scottish driver, winner of 25 out of 72 F1 GP starts (5)

22. Proper name for the suck phase of the suck-squeeze-bang-blow four-stroke cycle (5)

7. The name of the brothers who guided Hillman (et al) to great UK sales success (6)

8. Model name for home-grown Aussie supercar built by Bolwell (6)

10. “The Goddess of Automobiles” was the slogan of this Belgian luxury car makers, like Daimler a user of sleeve valves (7)

11. German manufacturer of electrical and electronic automotive (and other) equipment (5)

12. Sports ____ was an alternative name for Fastback dreamed up by Ford in the early ’70s (4)

13. Founded in 1899, this UK heavy truck maker (witha few buses) was taken over in 1980 by Paccar (Kenworth/Pacific in the US) (5)

17. P3, P4, P5 and P6 series were post-war classics from this great UK firm, but they also built pioneer gas turbine cars (5)

18. _____ wheels are a much sought-after option on many classic sports cars (4)

22. Model name twice used by Lotus – the late ’50s classic small GT perhaps the nicer of the two (5)

23. Low-production Welsh GT car, 1957-74, whose GT, Genie and Invader made quite a name for a while (7)

24. The T of STD produced great cars from 1903-38, and some (not so great) cars in the ’80s (6)

25. Four-wheel variant of the baby Reliant three-wheelers – some 4000 of them were among the most economical cars on British roads, 1975-82 (6)

Down

1. NZ airfield racing circuit, home of the NZGP from 1954-62 (7)

2. Dick and son Steven have been long-time Ford racing stalwarts in Australia (7)

3. 1935-37 cabriolet version of the Austin Seven (5)

4. Originally a model name for a very successful compact Nash, this became one of the final maker’s names for AMC (7)

5. Low-production Ford V8-based sports car from Dutch rallying champion – three headlights lit the road ahead, but only from 1948-50 (5)

6. This was the RAC horsepower rating for small family saloons in ’30s Britain (5)

9. Coachwork style (started by Freestone and Webb in 1935) and popularised by Triumph from 1946-53 (9)

14. Famous UK father and son, designer for Vauxhall and noted journalist (7)

15. The WWI V12 ex-aircraft motor that powered several Land Speed Record cars in the ’20s (7)

16. The upmarket version of Standard’s successful 10, from 1955-59 (7)

19. The booted saloon version of VW’s successful Golf family car from 1981 (5)

20. Coupe de _____ is the European equivalent of the US town car body style (5)

21. This UK firm’s first classic was the 12/50 of 1923-4, and the last the TF21 of 1967 (5)

1. Second part of the name of this fine Austrian motor car, perhaps best-remembered as the Archduke Ferdinand assassination car (at the start of WWI) (5)

8. NZ racing circuit, opened in 1963, which encircles a horse racing track (8)

9. UK electric component maker, frequent butt of mainly US-origin bad jokes (5)

10. Great father and son NZ racing driver family, active and successful competitors in NZ racing from the mid-1920s to the early ’60s (8)

11. Opel’s sporting coupe designed as an answer to Ford’s Capri – successful through the ’70s and ’80s (5)

12. Monster mid-engine coupe from Monteverdi, 1970-76 (3)

16. UK marque, with some early racing and record-breaking success, noted for quality six-cylinder models through to end of production in 1924 (6)

17. Small volume UK car builder, founded in 1959 by Frank Costin and Jem Marsh, and still in production over four decades later (6)

18. Alternative abbreviation or acronym for fibreglass (1,1,1)

23. Top quality German coachbuilder, noted for imposing prunkwagen on pre-war Maybach chassis (5)

24. Also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, this compound is used as a solvent or petrol additive for extra performance (8)

25. V6 Citroen-engined mini-supercar, small stable-mate of Maserati’s Bora (5)

26. Successful (15 podiums, including 2 wins from 26 GP starts) Argentine racing driver – “The Pampas Bull” – a contemporary of Fangio (8)

27. Famous German company noted for bikes, motorbikes and typewriters, and successful car builder from 1900-39 (5)
Down

2. UK-born Australian, with a French-sounding name, and successful racing chassis designer for Brabham and Ralt through the ’60s and ’70s (8)

3. Engine configuration used in Douglas motorbikes and DAF Daffodil cars, among others (4-4)

4. NZ petrol brand of time past, originally selling imported petrol (initially from Russia); it was a Todd-owned company from 1933 (6)

5. One of the final models of the British Allard company in the late ’50s was the Palm _____ (5)

6. Central engine component (equivalent to a piston) in the Wankel engine (5)

7. Italian word for head, used as part of the model name for several classic Ferraris (5)

12. Small production and very stark UK sports car, sold from 1936-56 with Singer 1100 or 1500 Meadows or Singer motors (3)

13. Hillman’s (and later Chrysler UK’s) less successful small car answer to the BMC Mini (3)

14. Pimitive form of lubrication used in early engines before pressure lubrication came in (4,4)

15. UK company, Yorkshire-based, maker of several effective kit and production cars from 1952-68, including the advanced Olympic fibreglass monocoque (8)

19. UK family that guided Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam, Commer and Karrier to industry success from 1928-64 (6)

20. Model name for Oldsmobile compacts, 1973-84, and Opel and Vauxhall executive cars from 1986-2003 (5)

21. Kiwi brothers Jim and Ross _____ run a successful V8 Supercars team in Australia (5)

22. Bobby _____ was a successful CART/Champ Cars racer and Indy 500 winner; now a team owner (5)

7. 1982 onwards version of the Reliant three-wheeler (6)

8. RWD derivative of Triumph’s FWD 1300/1500 saloon – many feel the new version worked better than its predecessor (6)

10. Low production British sports car maker – its classics include the G4, G12, G15 and G21 (7)

11. Popular ’20s UK light car, though its performance did not live up to its name; it ceased production in 1931 (5)

12. Australian low-production sports car – its Fang caught a few people’s fancies in the ’70s (4)

13. _____ frames are an effective form of chassis structure – light but strong (5)

17. RAC horsepower racing for c.900cc cars from Ford, Morris, Austin, etc (5)

18. This 1971 onwards compact Chevrolet, with some technical novelties, was a slug in the US market (4)

22. Two early US cars bore this name, but more famous is the Auto _____ (5)

23. Hugely influential UK engine design theorist, whose work still underpins much current knowledge (7)

24. A Giugiaro design for Ghia, this classic Maserati GT was a successful late ’60s/early ’70s supercar (6)

25. Italian motorcycle firm, founded in 1950 and now noted for successful V-twins (6)

Down

1. Bristol GT car, 1982 onwards, evolving from the 603 series (7)

2. Ignition system found on many ’20s/30s sporting cars (7)

3. Quality US car whose classic designs include the great sports car in 15 down (5)

4. Italian-sounding, but very British coachbuilder, 1920 to WWII period, noted for some fine sports car designs (7)

5. Model name for Crossley, 1934-37, when the company ceased car production to build cvs (5)

6. Common abbreviation for the first major rally of the calendar year (5)

9. Austin A70 first series, 1948-50, a rare car nowadays (9)

14. Famous Italian coachbuilder from 1946-74, though he sold out to Ghia in 1969 (7)

15. See 3 down – this car was an animal…two, in fact (7)

16. Name of the Sicilian road circuit used for the great Targa Florio motor race (7)

19. This UK firm briefly produced cars before WWI, but is better known for motorcycles and wire wheels (5)

20. Chev (or later, Ford) V8-powered four-seater performance saloon from Iso, 1968-74 (5)

21. Mid- to late-’30s BSA sporting car, 9 or 10hp (5)