Newest releases from Autocult - Daimler, GM Corsair, and NSU

An interesting mix of models and a little change up in options...

1948 GM Corsair

Born in Los Angeles in 1893, Harley Earl was a great visionary. At the age of 34, he began his career at General Motors, which did not end until 1959 when he retired.

In 1940, at the age of 47, he was appointed vice president of General Motors and at the same time the first designer in the company. In this capacity, he created the study called Corsair in April 1949, which was presented in the then popular technology magazine ‘Mechanix Illustrated’.

While it was considered a sensation at the time that this prototype had its engine located in the rear, it was also the visual implementation that impressed. An elongated glass dome extending over three rows of seats – including the driver seated in the middle – and reinforced with continuous struts allowed an unrestricted view of the passengers, but on the other hand, they could also enjoy the passing panorama completely unhindered. Without really publishing facts, General Motors probably also tested the acceptance of such completely new versions via the print magazine. It was not entirely clear whether there was also a ready-to-drive prototype of it, but the details were well worked out on a 3/8th large model.

A high, central fin at the rear deviated from well-known US vehicle construction, as did revolutionary headlights and bumpers attached directly to the body. The model most likely got stuck in the design and style elements mentioned were not found on production models. Due to the many new elements, it can still be assumed today that the Corsair was intended from the beginning as a pure marketing study.

Harley Earl died in 1969 at the age of 75.

1917 Daimler Marienfelde DR 4.5

When the Kaiser reigned in Germany and the annual calendar was about to reach the number 1900, the ‘Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft’ with its branch plant in Berlin-Marienfelde was very involved in the development of the truck. The company continuously expanded its transport sector, winning medals in various competitions and the then obligatory exhibitions for its innovative technology. 

World War I, which broke out in 1914, did not stop the development at all, and in 1917 the Berlin branch offered three different types. The smallest truck was the 3-ton model DC 3 with a 33 hp-strong engine. The large DR 4.5d was produced in two variants and was designated as a four- to five-ton truck.

The DR 4.5d models were fitted with a 7.2-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 45 horsepower at the very low speed of only 800 rpm. The extent to which the generally weak motorization of the trucks challenged the engineers became clear in the driving performance. Daimler specified a maximum speed of 16 km/h for the DR4.5d series! This specification referred to a route on the flat, but according to the brochure it was even possible for the DR 4.5 to master a gradient of up to 25%.

After the end of World War I, it was not until 1922 that the DR model series was modified. Different wheelbases were offered and the engine output increased to 50 hp with the 55 hp drive, the top speed of 21 km/h could be reached. In 1926, the last DR truck left the factory and the model series was replaced by the new generation called ‘L 2’.

2024 Model of the Year with USB flashdrive Book of the Year

And finally, from the Avenue43 line, the NSU EP4