
Sports Cars
New events such as the Mille Miglia in Italy and the Le Mans 24-hour race in France in the 1920s meant that by the following decade competitive automobile racing was thriving. It led to many manufacturers developing models that could be used on both road and track, with marques such as Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin producing fast cars designed to appeal to customers with a competitive edge.
Salmson S4, 1929

Origin | France |
Engine | 1,296 cc, straight-four |
Top speed | 56 mph (90 km/h) |
French carmaker Salmson offered the S4 in a range of body styles, and fitted it with a modern double-overhead-cam power plant.
Austin Seven Ulster, 1930

Origin | UK |
Engine | 747 cc, straight-four |
Top speed | 80 mph (129 km/h) |
This aluminum-bodied race version of the Austin Seven, first launched in 1922, added competition success to the model’s mainstream popularity.
Aston Martin Le Mans, 1932

Origin | UK |
Engine | 1,495 cc, straight-four |
Top speed | 85 mph (137 km/h) |
Aston’s two-seater Le Mans sports model was named in recognition of the marque’s participation in the celebrated French endurance event since 1928.
Aston Martin Mk II, 1932

Origin | UK |
Engine | 1,495 cc, four-cylinder |
Top speed | 80 mph (129 km/h) |
The epitome of the small British sports car of the period, the Mk II was lower than its predecessor, thanks to a redesigned chass
Alfa Romeo 8C 2600, 1933

Origin | Italy |
Engine | 2,556 cc, straight-eight |
Top speed | 105 mph (169 km/h) |
This later version of the famed 8C featured a bigger power plant and was used with further success by Alfa’s official racing team.
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, 1931

Origin | Italy |
Engine | 2,336 cc, straight-eight |
Top speed | 105 mph (169 km/h) |
Designed by the automotive genius Vittorio Jano in 1931, the celebrated 8C dominated Blue Riband races such as the Mille Miglia in Italy during the early 1930s.
Alfa Romeo 8C, 1034

Origin | Italy |
Engine | 2,336 cc, straight-eight |
Top speed | 105 mph (169 km/h) |
Among the many Italian coachbuilders to clothe Vittorio Jano’s iconic 8C model was the legendary Pinin Farina, with a typically beautiful interpretation.
MG PB, 1935

Origin | UK |
Engine | 939 cc, straight-four |
Top speed | 76 mph (122 km/h) |
Revising the 1934 MG PA led to the larger-engined PB a year later, which was available in coupe and convertible body styles.
MG TA Midget, 1936

Origin | UK |
Engine | 1,292 cc, straight-four |
Top speed | 79 mph (127 km/h) |
Introduced as a replacement for the PB, the sportier TA Midget featured MG’s first hydraulic brakes and, on later models, a synchromesh gearbox.
Fiat Balilla 508S, 1933

Origin | Italy |
Engine | 995 cc, straight-four |
Top speed | 70 mph (113 km/h) |
A year after Fiat’s new Balilla was launched in 1932, a Sports (S) version of the family model was made available with extra horsepower.
Jaguar SS100, 1936

Origin | UK |
Engine | 2,663 cc, straight-six |
Top speed | 95 mph (153 km/h) |
Less than 200 examples were made of the SS100 sports model, one of the last before the “SS” was dropped from the company’s name.
Morgan Super Sport 3-wheeler, 1936

Origin | UK |
Engine | 1,096 cc, V-twin |
Top speed | 70 mph (113 km/h) |
In the 1930s Morgan expanded the technology on its three-wheelers; buyers could now choose models with three speeds rather than just two.
Morgan 4/4, 1936

Origin | UK |
Engine | 1,122 cc, straight-four |
Top speed | 80 mph (129 km/h) |
After 27 years of building three-wheeled vehicles, in 1936 Morgan launched its first four-wheeler in the form of the evergreen 4/4 model.
AC 16/80, 1936

Origin | UK |
Engine | 1,991 cc, straight-six |
Top speed | 80 mph (129 km/h) |
The six-cylinder engine in the elegant 16/80 was first introduced in 1919, and would go on to power ACs until the early 1960s.
BSA Scout, 1935

Origin | UK |
Engine | 1,075 cc, straight-four |
Top speed | 60 mph (97 km/h) |
Known as a manufacturer of cars, motorcycles, and three-wheelers, BSA launched its first modern-looking sports tourer, the Scout, in 1935.
BMW 328, 1936

Origin | Germany |
Engine | 1,971 cc, straight-six |
Top speed | 93 mph (150 km/h) |
Le Mans and Mille Miglia winner, the streamlined 328 was one of the finest sports models of the late 1930s.
Wanderer W25K, 1936

Origin | Germany |
Engine | 1,963 cc, straight-six |
Top speed | 90 mph (145 km/h) |
The svelte and stylish W25K came from German carmaker Wanderer, which was part of the Auto Union car manufacturing group that included Audi.
It is a quote. The Definitive Visual History Of The Automobile 2011