Atalanta 4,3 Litre Drophead Coupe by Abbott RH
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Car producer : |
Atalanta |
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Model: |
4,3 Litre Drophead Coupe by Abbott RH |
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Year: |
1938-1939 |
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Type: |
Cabriolet |
The Atalanta was an English automobile manufactured from 1937 until 1939 by Atalanta Motors Ltd in Staines, Middlesex. Two models were made.
The 1937 car used Albert Gough's somewhat erratic 4-cylinder overhead-cam 1496 cc 78 bhp and 1996 cc 98 bhp engines with three valves and two spark plugs per cylinder which had been previously fitted to some Frazer Nashes where Gough had worked. An Arnott supercharged version was also available. Three or four-speed gearboxes were offered. The car had a tubular steel chassis and all round independent suspension using coil springs. The channel-section steel chassis was a substantial, X-braced affair, while the use of Hiduminium alloy for the suspension links and Elektron magnesium alloy for the huge (16"-diameter) Lockheed hydraulically operated brake drums helped keep un-sprung weight to a minimum. Two-seat open sports and two-seat drophead coupé bodies built by Abbott were available.
From 1938 the car could be had with a 4·3-litre V-12 Lincoln-Zephyr engine giving 112 bhp which proved to be the more popular. The car had a 3-speed gearbox. A four-seat version on a slightly longer chassis was made as well as the two-seaters.
A 1496cc version raced in the 1938 Le Mans 24 hour race driven by Charles Morrison & Neil Watson (one of the company founders). The car retired with a broken driveshaft.
The cars were very expensive and the outbreak of war stopped production after only about 20 cars were made. The company continued in existence making pumps and becoming Atalanta Engineering Ltd.
