Europe and the US have worked together in different industries, and the car industry has produced some brilliant collaborations. It’s common practice to combine the power of an American engine with the elegance of European design. This was a cost-effective strategy for a lot of manufacturers, and we’re looking at six of the best collaborations between America and Europe.
By Rex Gray from Southern California, cropped and altered by uploader Mr.choppers (1953 Allard J2X – fvr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Allard J2
The 1950 Allard J2 is an early example of a British-American car produced on a mass scale. Created by London born Sydney Allard, the car was intended for an American market. It made use of a Ford Pilot 3.6-litre V8 engine and had the body of a British sports car. Later versions were fitted with a 4.4-litre Mercury and some customers modified their vehicles to feature Cadillac V8s.
Bizzarrini GT 5300
This car was created by Giotto Bizzarrini to compete at Le Mans and turned out to be his most successful model. It possessed a 5.3-litre Chevrolet Corvette V8 engine and produced 365 bhp. The GT 5300 achieved its best result at the 1965 Le Mans when it came first and ninth in separate classes.
By Letdorf (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via WikimediaCommons
Jensen Interceptor
The Jensen Interceptor can be considered a British classic, but it used a 6.3-litre Chrysler V8 to achieve its power. Perhaps the best known version is the FF, which proved to be highly innovative, but didn’t sell well commercially.
By PSParrot from England (Ford GT40) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Ford GT40
One of the most successful racing cars of all time, the Ford GT40 was built specifically to best Ferrari on the track. This came about after Ford were unable to buy Ferrari. It was designed in Slough, England and named the GT. The ‘GT40’ nickname was only considered a nickname. The car came with an American built 4.7-litre V8 engine. From 1966 to 1969, the GT40 won four times consecutively at La Sarthre.
Monteverdi High Speed
The 1967 Monteverdi High Speed competed with the Jensen Interceptor and they were both powered by American engines. Created by Peter Monteverdi, his car featured a 7.2-litre Chrysler V8. However, it was only produced in small numbers and went out of circulation in 1984.
By U1Quattro (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
TVR Griffith
TVR has recently announced it’s bringing out a new car for 2018. The model is following in the footsteps of the original Griffith V8 that featured a 4.7-litre Ford V8. The 2018 Griffith has a dry-sumped 5.0-litre Ford Coyote engine that’s bound to make the vehicle memorable.
