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150:. Engine specifications varied as the General Motors donor cars were changed; in a 1982 road test Desande claimed 136 PS (100 kW) DIN at 3400 rpm. The exterior exhaust manifolds, visible beneath the running boards were originally functional, but the heat proved problematic and caused burns. On later cars, these were replaced by dummy exhausts.
102:. The overall length was 4,960 mm (195 in) and the car was 1,860 mm (73 in) wide. Power from the smaller Windsor V8 was 135 PS (99 kW) at 3400 rpm, enough for a claimed top speed of 176 km/h (109 mph). As with many other neoclassics, the car used the doors from the
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Production was limited to twenty cars per year and a maximum total of 250 cars, with the chassis plates (a gold plated one being mounted near the door) being numbered accordingly, but it is unknown how many were actually built. A planned four-seater model never materialized. Grand Prix
Metalcraft was
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dashboard, and lambswool carpets. Right-hand drive was available for an additional £4,000, the price of a small car at the time. Grand Prix
Metalcraft handbuilt the bodywork out of aluminium aside from the MG Midget-derived central section. The radiator cowl was made from brass while the headlight
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Danny G. Vandezande presented the first
Desande in 1979; originally the car was going to be named the "Desande Greta" after his wife. Vandezande felt that only a small British firm would be able to execute the bodywork to a high enough standard, although he was forced to switch manufacturers after
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the original company selected proved not to have the necessary expertise. In the end, production of the aluminium bodywork was carried out by Grand Prix
Metalcraft in North London. GP Metalcraft had been exclusively a supplier of Formula 1 aluminium body parts but expanded to making bodywork for
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and the engine was moved back about two feet (61 cm). The body dimensions remained unchanged, although the wheelbase increased marginally, to 2,945 mm (116 in). Power was up to 157 PS (115 kW) SAE, enough to propel the 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) car to a top speed of
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automobiles with retro styling combined with modern technology. The automobile's distinctive styling was based on the high-end automobiles of the 1930s. Despite their retro looks, Desandes used modern
American drive trains and suspension systems. While the company was based in
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working on the fourteenth car in mid-1982, and reportedly they had built 27 examples by 1985. Several sources state that production ended in 1984, but GP Metalcrafts displayed the car in 1985 and there are cars with titles as late as 1989. Later models are called
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placed the future of motor sports in doubt. To further confuse matters, the company behind the car was sometimes identified as JBS Associates, Ltd., also of London.
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in
Belgium, the cars mechanics were American, and the vehicle was built in England. The company's Belgian branch was headquartered in the small town of
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175 km/h (109 mph). The 5.0 was later supplanted by the 5.7-liter V8, reflecting changes on the
Chevrolet production line.
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The car was always luxuriously equipped, with electrically adjustable connolly leather seats, climate control,
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349:(Auction Catalogue). NEC Classic Motor Show Sale: Silverstone Auctions. 2017. Archived from
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312:(in Italian). Vol. 1°. Milano: Editoriale Domus S.p.A. 31 October 1982. p. 180.
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in the
Netherlands, the founder Danny G. Vandezande (hence the car's name) came from
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After only a handful of Ford-based cars had been built, Desande presented the
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in March 1980. The name change indicated a switch to using
Canadian-built
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210:(in Dutch). Vol. 87, no. 28675. 28 February 1980. p. T.4.
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238:. Vol. 156, no. 4459. IPC Business Press Ltd. p. 27.
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Miles, John (5 June 1982). "Desande: A Vintage
Chevrolet Caprice".
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90:. This meant a 2,946 mm (116 in) wheelbase and
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Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1984
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Quattroruote: Tutte le Auto del Mondo 82/83: AC-Nissan
204:"Greta op vier wielen" [Four-wheeled Greta].
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originally used the chassis and mechanicals from the
273:"Grand Prix Metalcraft: Unsung bastion of the sport"
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Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1979
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347:"Lot no. 662 - 1989 Desande Caprice Convertible"
53:1981 Desande II Roadster (the eighth car built)
371:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England
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386:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in London
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250:"1982 Desande: #15 of only 250 Ever Made!"
186:Vereinigte Motor-Verlage GmbH & Co. KG
401:1984 disestablishments in the Netherlands
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332:. Link House. February 1985. p. 50.
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396:1979 establishments in the Netherlands
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184:(in German). Vol. 24. Stuttgart:
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133:. The chassis received an additional
16:Dutch-British automobile manufacturer
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24:was a Dutch-British manufacturer of
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180:Freund, Klaus, ed. (August 1980).
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256:: GR Auto Gallery. Archived from
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127:General Motors 5.0-liter V8
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98:coupled to a three-speed
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146:housings were spun from
406:Retro-style automobiles
376:Cars of the Netherlands
254:Traverse City, Michigan
129:mated to a three-speed
125:chassis, fitted with a
22:Desande Automobielen BV
271:C.R. (February 1976).
100:automatic transmission
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104:Austin-Healey Sprite
353:on 15 January 2020.
330:Custom Car Magazine
277:Motorsport Magazine
260:on 14 January 2020.
115:Desande II Roadster
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328:"Dune Messiahs".
291:Auto Katalog 1981
182:Auto Katalog 1981
131:Turbo Hydra-Matic
119:Chevrolet Caprice
96:4.9 or 5.8 liters
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88:Ford Thunderbird
80:Desande Roadster
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207:De Telegraaf
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135:cross brace
84:Ford LTD II
68:fuel crisis
365:Categories
162:References
92:V8 engines
66:after the
62:and other
26:neoclassic
108:MG Midget
64:replicas
235:Autocar
74:The car
45:History
39:Schilde
35:Hasselt
143:walnut
123:Impala
60:Cobras
31:Hulst
86:and
78:The
94:of
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