Clénet Series II

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Clénet
Clénet Series II
Clénet Series II
Series II
Production period: 1979-1987
Class : Upper class
Body versions : Cabriolet
Engines: Otto engine :
5.8 liters
Length: 5690 mm
Width: 1880 mm
Height: 1588 mm
Wheelbase : 3455 mm
Empty weight : 1855 kg
Previous model Clénet Series I
Rear view of a Clénet Series II. The doors and windows of the VW Beetle Cabriolet are clearly visible.

The Clénet Series II was a car model from the American manufacturer Clénet Coachworks .

description

The concept

Alain Clénets second model was significantly larger than its predecessor CLENET Series I . The car was designed as a four-seater convertible. Clénet again used a Ford chassis, but lengthened it by 40 cm. The passenger cell came from the VW Beetle Cabriolet, from which the windscreen, the doors and (in some versions) the fabric roof were also taken over. In contrast to the Series I with its reused MG Midget passenger cell, Clénet now purchased new parts that were supplied by an American Volkswagen dealer. The drive technology continued to come from Ford; the engine was, however, significantly smaller with a displacement of 5.8 liters and also considerably weaker with a maximum output of 115 kW (156 hp). This also reduced the car's performance: the top speed was only 155 km / h. The equipment features were similar to those of the Series I roadster. Two-tone paintwork on the vehicle body was also popular.

The production

Production of the Series II began in the fall of 1979 after the last Series I was shipped. A total of 180 vehicles were built between 1979 and 1987. A distinction is usually made between two production phases:

  • The first phase spanned the period from the end of 1979 to summer 1982. In these two and a half years, a total of 174 convertibles were built under the direction of Alain Clénet. Production was initially started at the previous plant at Goleta Airport; From the summer of 1980, however, the cars were manufactured in Clénet's new plant, also in Goleta ( Santa Barbara County ). These vehicles are informally known as Goleta-Clénets.
  • After the company was taken over by Alfred di Mora, production of the Series II was resumed in the spring of 1984. Di Mora moved the production to Carpinteria. There, six more Series II convertibles, called Carpinteria models, were built, which in all probability corresponded technically to the Goleta models. In addition, di Mora manufactured two chassis that were no longer completed.

The Clénet Series II models continued to be very expensive vehicles. At launch, the retail price was $ 59,500; the last Carpinteria models were sold for almost double the price. Nevertheless, the Goleta models were initially very popular; the customer base was roughly the same as that of the Series I Roadster. One of the well-known Series II drivers was Sylvester Stallone , who acquired two different models within a short period of time. A Clénet Series II appeared in individual episodes of the American television series Dynasty (" The Denver Clan ").

Special models

During the production of the Series II Cabriolet, Alain Clénet repeatedly thought about model variations:

  • At the request of an Arab customer, a four-door model with two windshields (in the style of a so-called Dual Cowl Phaeton ) was created as a one-off . The vehicle was based on the Series II, but had numerous different design features in detail. Today the vehicle is in an unrestored condition in the USA.
  • Clénet also considered making a station wagon with wooden panels on the sides, which cited features of the "Woodie" wagons from the 1930s. However, these considerations did not get beyond the pencil sketch stage; possibly the financial difficulties of the company in the spring of 1982 put an end to further planning.
  • The same applies to a four-door hardtop sedan with so-called suicide doors , which was based on the idea of ​​a Clénet dealer from Miami .

literature

  • George Nick Georgano (Editor-in-Chief): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Volume 1: A – F. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1 , pp. 314-315. (English)
  • Car catalog , years 1977 to 1984 (for technical data)

Web links

Commons : Clénet Series II  - collection of images, videos and audio files