Pegaso Z-102
| Pegaso | |
|---|---|
 Pegaso Z-102 with Saoutchik body
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| Z-102 | |
| Sales designation: | Z-102 |
| Production period: | 1951-1958 |
| Class : | Sports car |
| Body versions : | Coupé , convertible |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 2.5-3.2 liters (128-265 kW) |
| Length: | 4100 mm |
| Width: | 1640 mm |
| Height: | 1290-1340 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2340 mm |
| Empty weight : | 990 kg |
The Pegaso Z-102 is a sports car that was built in Spain from 1951 to 1958 .
background
Pegaso was an established manufacturer of trucks and buses, but also produced sports cars from 1951 to 1958.
The then Pegaso boss was the technical manager Wifredo Ricart , former designer of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 512 and at that time a colleague and rival of Enzo Ferrari at Alfa Romeo .
construction
The Z-102 is designed according to the concept of a racing car. All components except the bodies were manufactured in the factory in Barcelona , the bodies were either built by Carrozzeria Touring , Serra or Saoutchik ; the early Z-102 units still had Pegaso's own bodies. The vehicles had V8 engines with four overhead camshafts, a 5-speed gearbox with an unsynchronized first gear and a chassis made of sheet steel, which was arranged behind the rear axle and assembled in a housing with the differential . The main beams of the frame had large relief holes, and the wheel arches were used as load-bearing parts. A rigid De-Dion axle was installed at the rear , the front wheels were individually suspended and sprung with torsion bars. In the stern, a tank was placed on each side of the gearbox.
In 1951 two prototypes of the Z-102 were built, a coupe and a convertible. However, the shape was rather clumsy and the steel body too heavy, which led to the decision to have it made from aluminum by external bodybuilders. The coachbuilder Touring then revised the shape; there was a different grille, the vehicle was lowered, the position of the fog lights corrected and various details simplified to give it a smoother profile, similar to that of the Aston Martin DB2 and Lancia Aurelia at the time .
The Z102 went into production with 2.5 liter engines (2472 cm³), which were also used in the prototypes. Later there were also variants with 2.8 l (2816 cm³) and 3.2 l V8 engines (3178 cm³) with four overhead camshafts, four desmodromic valves per cylinder, several carburettors and, if desired, with a compressor. The power ranged from 132 to 271 kW (175 to 360 hp), it was transmitted through a five-speed gearbox. The fastest Z-102 could reach 250 km / h, more than a Ferrari of the time, making it the fastest car produced at the time. The basic version had a top speed of 192 km / h.
Despite everything, the cars were difficult to drive and had almost no racing success. Because the cars were designed on the premise that money does not matter , the company ran into financial difficulties. A simplified and cheaper version, the Z-103 with 3.9, 4.5 and 4.7 liter engines, was launched unsuccessfully and the Z-102 was discontinued at the end of 1958. The figures for the number of units vary between 86 and 125 cars, of which only a handful are convertibles.
Technical specifications
| Pegaso | Z-102 |
|---|---|
| Construction time: | 1953-1958 |
| Engine: | V8 engine installed lengthways at the front, aluminum block and cylinder head |
| Bore × stroke: | 80 mm × 70 mm |
| Displacement: | 2816 cc |
| Max. Performance (smallest version): | 128 kW (170 PS) at 6300 rpm |
| Max. Torque: | 220 Nm at 3600 rpm |
| Compression: | 8.8: 1 |
| Mixture preparation: | 4 Weber 36 DCF3 carburettors |
| Valve control: | Two overhead camshafts |
| Cooling: | water |
| Transmission: | 5 gear, manually shifted |
| Rear axle ratio: | 4.18: 1 to 5.2: 1 |
| Front suspension: | double wishbones, torsion bar suspension |
| Rear suspension: | De Dion axis |
| Brakes: | Drums in front and behind |
| Steering: | Rack |
| Chassis: | Sheet steel platform frame |
| Construction: | Aluminum / steel on tubular frame |
| Empty mass: | 990 kg |
| Front / rear track: | 1320 mm / 1290 mm |
| Wheelbase: | 2340 mm |
| Length: | 4100 mm |
| Top speed: | 225 km / h |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 8.5 s |
| Fuel consumption (estimated): | 13.2 to 14.5 l / 100 km |
motor race
The Pegaso was used in various competitions, but without any real success. In the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans , driver Jose Jover was seriously injured after an accident at over 200 km / h. A Pegaso was also driven by Joaquin Palacio in the 1954 Carrera Panamericana - with promising results in the first stages - but here, too, an accident prevented a better result.
On September 25, 1953, a Z-102 Touring BS / 2.8, driven by Celso Fernández, broke four official RACB (Royal Automobile Club de Belgique) world records in Jabbeke (Belgium). In the fastest of them, the car was on average over 150 km / h with a flying start. The previous record holder was a Jaguar XK 120 . The Z-102 BSS / 2.5 Bisiluro Especial Competición (with a charged 2.5-liter engine), which was actually intended for the record , could not be used due to an engine failure.
Web links
- CanadianDriver Motoring Memories: Pegaso
- "Memory of a mirage" exhibition 2001
- Pegaso Z-102 Saoutchik Cabriolet
- "On the Wings of Pegasus: The Story of Spain's PEGASO Sportscar" - Tiki Lounge Magazine
- PIEL DE TORO (Spanish)