A Bol d'Or Development

A Bol d’Or Development

THE pre-war 24-hour Bol d’Or race was an event of particular interest to the amateur enthusiast. In view of France’s apparent intention to build numbers of i-litre cars as soon as she is able, this race seems likely to be revived in the future. In this connection, a catalogue relating to La Voiturette Huascar, which Harold Biggs has sent us from his well-known collection of motoring data, is of more than passing interest. The Huascar came into being about 1931 and was one of several such cars put on the market by firms who built cars for the Bol d’Or and subsequently decided there was money in them. A sports Miasma had performed well in the 1980 Bo, d ‘()r, covering a greater dis tance (1,575 km. 860) than any other car in the sports or racing up to 750-c.c, categories and beating the old record by 217 km. In the 1930 G.P. des Routes Privies a Huascar averaged over 40 m.p.h. for six hours, putting up the best performance in the sports and racing 750-c.c. classes and winning the Coupe Lilia and the Coupe de Regularite Marcel Plateau. The production version was interesting. It had a 2-cylinder monobloc, 73 by 75 mm. (625 c.c.) 2-stroke engine, which had special crosshead-type pistons which dispensed with crankcase compression. The crank throws were at 180°. Cooling was thermo-syphonic, ignition by coil, and a Solex carburetter fed into ports on the near side. Starting and lighting

were by Paris-Rhone dynamotor. In unit with the engine’ was a 2-speed gearbox, final drive being by shaft to a Gleason spiral-bevel back axle. Suspension was by a transverse spring at the front and 1-elliptics at the back. A scuttle tank held 18 litres of essence and four litres of oil. The wire wheels were reminiscent of those on a Senechal and carried 26-in. by 3.50-in. Dunlop tyres. There were cable-operated four-wheel brakes. The facia carried merely an ammeter in a central panel, and a 12-volt, 30 amp. hour battery was used. Approximately 47 m.p.h. was claimed for the 2-se9fc r and coup6 models, and 53 m.p.h. for the sports 2-seater, with a fuel consumption of some 50 m.p.g.