Topic: Solved - NEH 894: Duport 125/4 Diesel

[Carnut]

Correct identification of this earns 1 point:

[Carnut]

Experts?

[Oguerrerob]

S.N.D. Duport D 125/4

[hondast]

S.N.D. Duport D 125/4

Have any relationship with the Suncar Arpège?

[Carnut]

Oguerrerob has the point!
He'll have to answer  your question Hondast - I can't!

[Oguerrerob]

I don't think they're related at all the Sun Car Arpege is a Kit Car, a kind of MG Replica and Duport are Mini cars. The only common link is that they are from France. That's all I can tell. Sorry not being more explicit.

[cmetisse]

Yes, this is a Duport 125/4, but the first 'generation', the GL. It was built between 1987 and 1989, then replaced by the more 'rounded' GT. Both were powered by a ferocious Ruggerini twin 654 cc diesel. 
The GT was produced until 1994, the last two years by the last incarnation of Duport, SND (Société Nouvelle Duport).

And, in fact, there is a connection between Duport and Suncar. The Arpège prototype was built by Jean-Claude Arié and Guy Duport. Then Arié kept this project for himself, and sold a few under the name Suncar. Lately, the Arpège business was taken over by libanese investors under the name Kamouh International...

[ImpishGrin]

Lately, the Arpège business was taken over by libanese investors under the name Kamouh International...

Not that lately, as the company building Suncars was called Kamouh International at least in 1984.

[cmetisse]

Sorry, I wanted to say 'later' 

As far as I know, the Suncar Arpège was unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow in 1980. Duport has only worked on the prototype, and he soon stopped his collaboration with Jean-Claude Arié.
Arié himself stepped out of the Arpège project in 1982, and made a small microcar instead, the Hopi.
Then the Suncar was taken over by Kamouh, and they built a tiny number of the Arpège (with a weird delivery van version !) until 1986...

[Carnut]

Think this was the front of the sales leaflet; it's what I got the puzzle picture from.