Liebre Torino
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Category | ACTC stock car |
|---|---|
| Designer | Heriberto Pronello |
| Production | 1967–1970 |
| Technical specifications[2] | |
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbones, pushrod actuated coil springs over shock absorbers, anti-roll bar (Deformable parallelogram) |
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbones, pushrod actuated coil springs love shock absorbers, anti-roll bar (formerly rigid axle) |
| Length | 4,100 mm (161.4 in) |
| Width | 1,710 mm (67.3 in) |
| Height | 1,150 mm (45.3 in) |
| Axle track | 1,420 mm (55.9 in) (front and rear) |
| Wheelbase | 2,720 mm (107.1 in) |
| Engine | Tornado 4.0 L (244 cu in) SOHC I6 naturally-aspirated FR Ford 5.0 L (305 cu in) OHV V8 naturally-aspirated FR |
| Transmission | ZF 4-speed manual + reverse |
| Power | 275–380 hp (205–283 kW) |
| Weight | 950 kg (2,094 lb) |
| Brakes | Disc brakes all-round |
| Competition history | |
The Liebre Torino, also known as the Hare Torino, is a series of race cars that were manufactured between the 1960s and 1970s in Argentina, for use in the Turismo Carretera and Sport Prototipo Argentino categories. These are prototypes created by coachbuilder Heriberto Pronello and motorist Oreste Berta on the basis of the IKA Torino production car.[3][4][5]
The idea of creating these cars was feasible thanks to the revolutionary regulations imposed at the end of the 60s in order to generate an evolution within the category, a product of the fact that they had been competing since the 40s with the same units of that time. This extensive regulation opened up a true range of possibilities for both pilots and trainers to compete with models designed to their liking and convenience, and combining elements from different brands. Among these machines, the Liebre-Torino marked dominance within the specialty.[6][7]
There were four evolutions of the Liebre-Torino, known as:
- Hare Mk I
- Hare Mk I and ½
- Hare Mk II
- Hare Mk III.
Of these units, the Liebre Mk II and Mk III became champions in 1967 and 1969 with Eduardo Copello and Gastón Perkins, respectively.
In 1966 and attentive to what was happening in Road Tourism with the arrival of the first compact cars, Industrias Kaiser Argentina decided to enter the aforementioned category, presenting a completely new model: the IKA Torino. The first official team was under the command of the renowned trainer Horacio Steven (who in 1968 would obtain the title for preparing the Thunder Orange Chevrolet engine), who did not have much brilliance in the direction of it. It was then that IKA decided to hire Oreste Berta.
His landing on the official team was somewhat revolutionary, he also showed his innovative stamp by trying to implement his own ideas. Despite the fact that the new regulation imposed for Highway Tourism allowed the free preparation of units at ease and convenience, IKA tried to present its units, maintaining its original lines, in order to achieve a greater identification of the product with the buying public. However, Berta tried to get the most out of this new regulation and pour it into the preparation of her cars. It was then that she became associated with Heriberto Pronello, who worked for IKA and with whom they began the development of new units. Pronello undertook the construction of a pointed design nose on reinforced fiber, which ended up giving his car a highly aerodynamic cut. Thus, at the team's debut in 1967, two of its three cars maintained their original lines, while the third used the novelty designed by Pronello. The first two vehicles were entrusted to the drivers Héctor Gradassi and Jorge Ternengo, while the refurbished Torino was used by Eduardo Copello. It was the beginning of the society that would be known as the "CGT" (for C opello, Gradassi, and T ernengo).
This last model was known as "Lebrel" because an American engineer called it that the first day he saw it (believing it was the support car since in the United States reserve cars are known that way). . The car finally adopted the pseudonym "Hare Mk I-Torino", a product of the deformation of the nickname given by this engineer and the model on which it was based.
Hare Mk I and ½ Torino
The debut of the Liebre Mk I took place at the Rafaela Grand Prix in 1967. That race was won by Héctor Gradassi with a conventional Torino 380 W. However, according to Oreste Berta, Eduardo Copello's Liebre was 5 km/h higher than Gradassi's and Ternengo's Torino, which maintained their original lines. At that time, the Hare Mk I, apart from its revolutionary trunk, had been equipped with a new suspension system that allowed it to have a better hold on the road compared to its "big brother".
These solutions suggested by Berta for the design of the vehicles of the official team led Pronello to project itself once again and experiment with improvements in the design of the Hare. It was then that he decided to implement new parameters in the vehicle, shortening its chassis, running the engine a few centimeters further into the cabin, and adding a nose with a slightly sharper section, thanks to the cut that was made to the chassis. In this way, Pronello created a new evolution, which was called "Hare Mk I and ½-Torino". This Hare presented as novelties, in addition to the cut in its chassis and the relocation of its engine that allowed a better distribution of weights., the development of new suspensions, presented modifications in the anchorage points of the tensioners that improved the car's hold.
This Hare was presented a few races later to the Hare Mk I, and it was driven by Jorge Ternengo. However, beyond the fact that it would continue to compete in the following years, the prototype would undergo its most radical evolution that same year, due to the dizzying advances posed by the new regulations, presenting a new design in the middle of that championship.