Life, Fun, and Adventure - A Disclaimer
Times change all manner of things, but the more things change, the more they remain the same. For instance: we all want to have fun and adventure in our lives, especially after working all the long hard day. Work hard, play hard, as they still say. That hasn’t changed.
In the world of cars, it’s still a truism that nothing expresses that better than driving a speedster:
A Speedster is a simple but powerful car meant for speed, fun, and adventure
But do these creations still exist in this day and age? In a word – yes – but there are some necessary qualifications. Needs have evolved, and so too have speedsters to meet those changing needs. To broach that topic, we’re beginning a series of articles that will cover the modern speedster beat. This first installment will illustrate how the classic term “speedster” has been broadened in its updated application!
Two Wheels
In 2015 Uwe Ehinger of Hamburg, Germany created a Speedster motorcycle in the style of speedway racing bikes. Speedway bikes are short-chassis sprinters that compete on dirt and provide a universe of excitement in five laps or less. Speedway cycles mate pencil-thin frames to skinny tires and are motivated by antiquated Jawa, J.A.P, or Harley power. Other sprint competitions, such as World or Outlaw sprint cars or Olympic speed skating, provide similar adrenaline-fueled excitement in short order. Even spectating at these events is not for the faint of heart…
Ehinger’s Kraftrad Speedster is a two-wheel work of art, but it is more bike than just its looks, and the engine, of course, is the centerpiece. Thousands of hours of digitizing engine parts preceded mating combinations of the 1930s-era Harley “knucklehead” engine components before actual machine work was performed to modernize it, yet keep its classic nature intact. That’s assuming that one can “modernize” what is fundamentally an overhead-valve tractor engine! Like most speedsters, the Kraftrad Speedster was made to drive on the street, and you can view photos of this radical beast at
https://www.cycleworld.com/2015/08/21/ehinger-kraftrad-speedster-custom-motorcycle-cycle-world-custom-and-style/
Three Wheels
Three-wheeled cars were an answer to a need for small, light, and efficient transport. This phenomenon stretches back to the early decades of the twentieth century and found worldwide application that persists to this day. Three wheelers are still a global phenomenon, whether they be tooling around on golf courses, engaged in backwoods trail-riding, delivering goods in small European towns, or ferrying passengers in southeast Asia.
2019 Vanderhall Venice Speedster. Photos courtesy Vanderhall Motor Works
Vanderhall Motor Works of Provo, Utah is a recent entry into the world of three-wheelers and offers a cost-effective sports roadster experience. Its application of front-wheel drive technology and twenty-first century design to a three-wheeled vehicle concept is the brainchild of Steve Hall, founder.
The Vanderhall models, which seem to be evolving as the company develops, are all registered as motorcycles, so although they qualify under EPA and CARB regulations, they do not have all of the safety nannies like their contemporary four-wheeled cousins, devices that encumber automobile manufacturers and cost millions in development and testing. No airbags? Nope. Windshield wipers? Nah!
Interior done in true Speedster style: straightforward, purposeful
But Vanderalls do feature lots of interesting engineering;
• Aluminum tub that provides two-seat capacity (Speedster is a one-seat)
• Front wheel drive package includes modern suspension, disc brakes on all wheels
• Turbocharged Chevrolet 1.4-liter that produces 180 hp
• Six-speed automatic with manual gear-selection option.
As the company has progressed, certain models have been retired while others have been brought online. Daniel Boyer, Director of Marketing for Vanderhall, pointed out that the Speedster is a limited-edition version whose first iteration was built within the 2019 Venice model run. Only 250 of these single-seat Venice Speedsters were built; the regular models are two-seaters.
2019 Vanderhall Speedster brochure cover
Plenty of fun packed into this package. Good price, too!
As Boyer wrote, [the Speedster] “…is the purest iteration of a Vanderhall roadster – focusing on the driver and the road – not to be bothered by a passenger.” Boyer also noted that a Speedster may again be produced at some point, and maybe within another model line.
… doesn’t get much better ‘n this!
Want to know more about this exciting new vehicle and how it developed? Here are a couple of choices to provide some backstory:
https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/businessschooled?selected=PPY9773591900
The podcast above is produced by Synchrony. In it Steve Hall discusses how his creative and entrepreneurial talents led him to create Vanderhall Motor Works.
Also, Jay Leno’s Garage contains an episode that features the Vanderhall. Jay gives an overview and takes it for a ride with its founder, Steve Hall. You can find this episode on YouTube.com at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X71spAvmw4&list=PLl5haOpipBoXda_NgkMwPf0pVsw7Uuoab
Four Wheels
Modern speedsters, as a concept, have evolved far past their early twentieth century counterparts. But, when compared to their modern contemporaries, the elements of speedsterism soon become apparent:
• simple design
• lots of power
• few, if any, nanny devices and other distractions.
Some of these are totally new formulations, and in future episodes concerning modern speedsters we will single some of these out. However, for this piece, we are looking at a re-imagining of a classic Indianapolis-style roadster:
The Troy Indy Special
And special this sport roadster is! Manufactured by 7fifteen Motorworks in Three Lakes, Wisconsin, the current project is styled after an iconic sports racer that was created by Illinois native Wally Troy in 1959.
The car that inspired the Troy Indy Special. photos courtesy 7Fifteen Motorworks
Featured in the October 1960 issue of Hot Rod, this custom-built street racer was built in true minimalist speedster style as an example of what America could produce in a sports car. No doubt inspired by contemporary design cues found on examples that competed at Indianapolis and the Milwaukee Mile, the original Wally Troy car was acquired by Bob Kendall in 2017; Bob and John Kendall own 7fifteen.
Since that time they have re-engineered and modernized the original concept to produce an updated version using new approaches.
Troy aluminum body. Note the body buck in background.
Troy tube frame with Chevy LS3 in place.
Features include:
• modern TIG-welded space frame
• all-independent, adjustable pushrod suspension system, inboard coilover shocks
• stretch-formed, die-built aluminum body panels
• 495 hp Chevrolet LS3, six-speed Tremec manual, Cadillac CTS-V differential
Troy Indy Special interior. Note the elegant layout: simple, no-nonsense. But classy!
The interior is Spartan but elegant in its purposeful style. To sit in this creation requires the time-honored speedster step-over-the-sill routine, as there are no doors. Easy-peasey!
The body itself is a work of art and evokes the classic Indy track racer. Only this one is for the street!
Troy Indy Special, an American street speedster for the 21st century!
For more information about this exciting beast, you can visit the company website at
www.7fifteenmotorworks.com.
But Wait! There’s More…
The term “speedster” has a lot of cachet in the classic car world, and sooner or later it was going to find its use in fashion. Jochen Bauer, owner of Heinz Bauer Manufakt GmbH in Reutlingen, Germany (near Stuttgart), produces custom-made sports jackets in varying styles. One such example found in his latest catalog is, of course,
• The Speedster!
Created in leather, the quilted pattern waist-length jacket has a zippered chest pocket for phone storage and incorporates a windbreaker in its collar. Very classy in black; check it out at
www.heinzbauer.com
Many thanks go out to Daniel Boyer, Director of Marketing for Vanderhall Motor Works and John Kendall of 7fifteen Motorworks for information on their exciting products.
You’ll find our next installment concerning modern speedsters down the road a piece. Until that time, happy roads to you, and
Go drive that speedster!