British enthusiast Martyn Corfield aims to revive the pre-war British car marque Atalanta Motors by producing a new traditionally coach-built Atalanta.
With more than just a gentle nod to Atalanta’s heritage, it is the objective of this venture to bring this innovative pre-war sports car concept up-to-date, by acknowledging 72 years of automotive evolution, yet remaining true in spirit and sympathetic to the style and function of the original Atalanta sports car designs.
A traditionally coach-built pre-production prototype is currently being developed that remains true to original Atalanta design principles of ‘Innovation, Style and Performance’ and it is scheduled to be unveiled Spring 2012, 75 years after the first Atalanta car was announced. Atalanta Motors History
Established in December 1936 and based in Staines Middlesex, Atalanta Motors Ltd., designed and produced exciting and innovative sports cars for just over two years before the unfortunate outbreak of war halted development and production after only 21 cars were made.
Atalanta Motors announced their first car in spring 1937 and were the only pre-war British car manufacturer that instigated and implemented innovative design features that included:
Fully independent coil spring suspension
Adjustable damping front and rear
Full hydraulic brakes
Electrically operated, magnetic epicyclic gearbox (an early semi-automatic!)
Multi valve, twin-spark cylinder head
Selective engagement of supercharger
Extensive use of lightweight materials such as electron, duralumin and hiduminium for many of its castings.
Initially the Atalanta was offered with Albert Gough’s underdeveloped 1.5-litre 78 bhp and 2-litre 98 bhp engines that had been trialled previously in some Fraser Nash cars. A supercharged (Centric and Arnott) option was also available and later in 1938 a more reliable 4.3 litre V-12 Lincoln Zephyr engine producing 112 bhp was introduced.
Atalanta cars were available in a variety of configurations, each tailored to the bespoke needs of each customer. Variants included:
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