On March 5, 1937, a new automotive marque was born in the form of the Atalanta Sports Tourer. The Atalanta was well received but when Britain went to war just two years later, all production capacity was turned toward the war effort and the marque ceased to be.
Last week, exactly 75 years later, the Atalanta marque was relaunched as a tradtional sportscar built to modern standards with modern electrics, brakes, suspension, chassis and a modern 185 bhp 2.5 liter VVT engine.
In reviving the Atalanta, the company has employed modern technology to enhance performance and safety, but the authentic look and feel of a 1930's English sports car has been retained. All parts used in the construction of each car are new, but they have been "sensitively packaged within traditional hand-crafted aluminium over ash coach built structure."
Atalanta's rebirth is the product of a joint venture between Staffordshire-based motoring enthusiast, Martyn Corfield and Cheshire based restorer Trevor Farrington.
At the launch of the new marque, Corfield spoke at length, and his words capture the essence of the name.
"Many great things have come from 75 years of automotive evolution, but equally many things have been lost in the pursuit of performance and safety; over powered, over rubber, homogenous styling, electronically controlled machines with poor visibility and disassociated communication and feel from the mechanical elements all contribute to a numb driving experience.
"Today most performance cars generally rely on delivering thrills and excitement from raw speed and not from engaging directly with mechanical challenge and fulfillment derived from controlling and getting the best from a machine."
"By remaining true to the original Atalanta design principles, our wish is to create a unique motoring experience; enjoying the pride, thrill and style of pre-war motoring within the confidence derived from 75 years of automotive evolution.
"Our aim at Atalanta Motors is to reproduce the positive and enjoyable characteristics of vintage motoring in a reliable and usable manner that is relevant to today's driving environment."
"The new Atalanta gives a stylish, exhilarating drive with easily accessible performance and a comfortable ride with engaging handling which delivers driver satisfaction even at modest speeds."
The price will be under GBP100,000 (approx. US$157,134) - but not much - and the Atalanta Web site is the beginning of the journey.
