Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire (car)
| Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire / Star Sapphire | |
|---|---|
| Production period: | 1953-1960 |
| Class : | upper middle class |
| Body versions : | Limousine , Pullman limousine |
| Previous model: | Lancaster , Whitley |
The Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire is a passenger car that the British manufacturer Armstrong Siddeley produced from 1953 to 1960 as the successor to the Lancaster and Whitley models .
Common to all Sapphires is the traditional radiator grille with a sphinx as a hood ornament. On some models, the Sphinx has the wings of an airplane with small Sapphire- type jet engines .
Sapphire 346
| Sapphire 346 | |
|---|---|
 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 346 Mk2 Saloon |
|
| Production period: | 1953-1960 |
| Body versions : | Saloon , limousine |
| Engines: |
Otto engine : 3.4 liters (88–110 kW) |
| Length: | 4902-5385 mm |
| Width: | 1829 mm |
| Height: | 1600 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2896-3378 mm |
| Empty weight : | 1575-1829 kg |
The Sapphire 346 was the first Sapphire to be introduced at the end of 1952 as the 1953 vintage. It had an overhead six cylinder in - line engine with hemispherical combustion chambers and a displacement of 3435 cm³. With a Stromberg carburetor, the 7: 1 engine produced 120 bhp (88 kW) at 4400 rpm. A version with two Stromberg carburettors, the 150 bhp (110 kW) at 5000 rpm, was also available on request for an additional charge of £ 25 . submitted. The vehicles with a single-carburetor engine reached a top speed of 146 km / h, those with a twin-carburetor engine 160 km / h, so they were real "hundred mile cars".
At the front, the cars had independent wheel suspension with coil springs, and at the rear a driven rigid axle that hung on longitudinal leaf springs. Girling's braking system was fully hydraulic; their brake drums had a diameter of 279 mm on all four wheels.
The sedan body was available with four or six side windows at no extra charge; at the front there was a choice of either a bench or individual seats. The seats were upholstered in leather and the dashboard and doors were covered with walnut veneer. A heater was standard.
A manual four-speed gearbox was also standard . If desired, a Wilson preselector could be ordered for an additional charge of £ 30. From 1954 there was also a fully automatic gearbox on request.
In 1955 a limousine was brought out on a longer chassis. The 7: 1 compression engine had a single Stromberg carburetor and developed 125 bhp (92 kW) at 4700 rpm. The pre-selection gearbox was standard equipment on this model, but the manual four-speed gearbox was also available on request.
All cars exported to the USA had the twin-carburetor engine.
A saloon with a two-carburetor engine and manual transmission was tested in 1953 by the British auto magazine “The Motor”. A top speed of 160.36 km / h and an acceleration of 0-100 km / h in 13 seconds were determined. The fuel consumption was 15.1 l / 100 km / h. The test car cost £ 1,757 including tax.
By 1959, 7,697 examples of the Sapphire 346 had been made.
Sapphire 234 and Sapphire 236
| Sapphire 234 / Sapphire 236 | |
|---|---|
 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 234 (1958) |
|
| Production period: | 1955-1958 |
| Body versions : | limousine |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 2.3 liters (62.5–88 kW) |
| Length: | 4572 mm |
| Width: | 1740 mm |
| Height: | |
| Wheelbase : | 2819 mm |
| Empty weight : | 1321-1372 kg |
The Sapphire 234 and Sapphire 236 models had the same chassis and were available with identical bodies, but had different engines. In addition to the usual disc wheels, wire-spoke wheels were also available on request for the 234.
The 234 was offered from 1955 and had the engine of the 346 shortened by two cylinders. This engine had a displacement of 2290 cm³ (bore × stroke = 90 mm × 90 mm), was 7.5: 1 compressed and delivered with two SUs -Carburetors 120 bhp (88 kW) at 5000 rpm. A manual four-speed gearbox was standard, with overdrive as an option .
The top speed of the car, which is only available as a four-door sedan, is specified as 155 km / h. 803 copies were built by 1958.
The 236 was also offered from 1955 and had an overhead six-cylinder in-line engine with 2309 cm³ displacement (bore × stroke = 70 mm × 100 mm), like the Whitley . This was also compressed 7.5: 1, but had a single Stromberg carburetor. With that it achieved 85 bhp (62.5 kW) at 4400 rpm. As with the four-cylinder model, a manual four-speed gearbox was standard, but most customers ordered the semi-automatic "Manumatic" from Lockheed. There was an overdrive for both transmissions.
The top speed was 136 km / h. By 1957, 603 Sapphire 236 were made.
Star Sapphire
| Star Sapphire | |
|---|---|
 Armstrong Siddeley Star Sapphire Saloon |
|
| Production period: | 1958-1960 |
| Body versions : | Saloon , limousine |
| Engines: |
Otto engines : 4.0 liters (88-103 kW) |
| Length: | 4928-5385 mm |
| Width: | 1880-1892 mm |
| Height: | 1613 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2819-3429 mm |
| Empty weight : | 1778-1880 kg |
The Star Sapphire was introduced as a saloon on October 17, 1958. The car offered the dominant driving position of its predecessor, the Sapphire 346. There were few changes compared to it, but the grille no longer extended to the top of the bonnet and there were several minor improvements.
The six-cylinder in-line engine had a 16% larger displacement of 3990 cm³ (bore × stroke = 97 mm × 90 mm), was 6.5: 1 compressed and made 165 (SAE) / 147 (DIN) bhp with two Zenith carburetors (121 (SAE) kW) at 4250 rpm. More important, however, was the 30% higher torque than its predecessor. The main and connecting rod bearings were now made of indium and the crankshaft was fitted with a vibration damper. The maximum speed is given as 159 km / h.
The chassis has been improved in a number of ways. There were servo-assisted girling brakes, with discs at the front with a diameter of 144 mm. The new, standard power steering was designed as a recirculating ball steering system and made the turning circle diameter 1.37 m smaller. There was an automatic transmission from BorgWarner , type DG . With a lever on the dashboard, you could keep them in middle gear at 35 mph (56 km / h), 45 mph (72 km / h), 55 mph (88 km / h) or 65 mph (104 km / h).
All four doors were now hinged at the front and the hinges were installed concealed. There was a separate heater for the rear passengers with ventilation openings for the rear window. All these innovations were built in as standard, as it was believed that the respective alternatives would have led to unsatisfactory solutions.
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In 1959, a Pullman limousine on an extended chassis was presented based on the model of the saloon. Their engine was 7.5: 1 compressed and had only a single Zenith carburetor. The engine achieved 140 bhp (103 kW) at 4000 rpm.
By 1960, 902 saloons were built on the short chassis and 77 on the long chassis. 73 of them (including two prototypes ) were built as Pullman sedans. Of the four remaining long chassis, three were delivered as hearse and one as ambulance.
In 1958, the Star Sapphire won £ 4,000 first prize in the four-door body class at the Earls Court Motor Show , ahead of an Austin Princess Pullman sedan and a Jaguar Mark IX .
An automatic gearbox saloon was tested in 1959 by the British auto magazine "The Motor". A top speed of 159.56 km / h and an acceleration of 0-100 km / h in 14.8 seconds were determined. The fuel consumption was 18.3 l / 100 km / h. The test car cost £ 2,498 including taxes.
Market situation
The following purchase prices were payable in the United Kingdom in October 1958:
- Armstrong Siddeley Star Sapphire: £ 2,646
- Daimler Majestic : £ 2,492
- Jaguar Mark IX with automatic transmission: £ 2,163
- Jaguar XK 150 : £ 1939
- Automatic Humber Super Snipe : £ 1,666
Star Sapphire Mark II
The Star Sapphire Mark II was to replace the Star Sapphire in 1960. But only a prototype was created.
Others
- In the James Bond novel Diamond Fever , James Bond is picked up at the Ritz Hotel in London in an Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire as a chauffeur limousine. The year of manufacture of the car is not mentioned in the novel written in 1956. The car has red dealer license plates.
- In the movie Nobody Passed Her , Kathy Allen - played by Arlene Dahl - is picked up at the airport in London in a black Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Pullman limousine and taken to The May Fair Hotel.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin: The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895–1975 . Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 1997, ISBN 1-874105-93-6 , pp. 47-50
- ^ A b c d e The Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire in The Motor , October 7, 1953.
- ↑ Robert Penn Bradly: The Original 346 Sapphire explored to great depth . Limula Pty, Bardwell Park NSW 2008.
- ↑ a b c d M. Sedgwick, M. Gillies: A – Z of Cars, 1945–1970 . Bay View Books, Devon 1986, ISBN 1-870979-39-7 .
- ↑ Britain's New Cars On Show At Earls Court in The Times , October 18, 1955, Issue 53354, 11.
- ↑ a b The Armstrong Siddeley Star Sapphire in The Motor , June 10, 1959.
- ^ A b c New Armstrong Siddeley Car in The Times , Oct 17, 1958, Issue 5428, p. 4.
- ^ Car Coachwork Competitions in The Times , October 31, 1958, Issue 54296, p. 14.
- ↑ Arlene Dahl in an Armstrong Siddeley 346 Limousine and a Boeing Stratocruiser . YouTube.
