Topic: Solved NIC#751 - 1964 de Pontac Formula 3

[nicanary]

What is this car?

[nicanary]

Experts?

[richard cuyler]

Renault wheels (R8?), rear engine and, apparently, four wheel drive! Is this correct and is it French?

[nicanary]

Renault wheels (R8?), rear engine and, apparently, four wheel drive! Is this correct and is it French?

It is French. It is not Renault-powered but there are parts from different French car makers. My French is poor these days (la plume de ma tante is about my best shot) but I don't think it's 4-wheel drive.

[richard cuyler]

Renault wheels (R8?), rear engine and, apparently, four wheel drive! Is this correct and is it French?

It is French. It is not Renault-powered but there are parts from different French car makers. My French is poor these days (la plume de ma tante is about my best shot) but I don't think it's 4-wheel drive.

I note driveshafts going to the centre of all the wheels, so this suggests 4x4. It is odd, though, that the engine's in the rear, so there must also be a central driveshaft going past the driver's seat...

Inutilement complique?

[richard cuyler]

Is the engine water- or air-cooled?

[nicanary]

Is the engine water- or air-cooled?

I can see what you mean about the driveshafts, but I can't find any more about the car, and the information on my source site didn't mention the transmission arrangements. The engine is air-cooled.

[D-type]

Does it perhaps have two engines?

[Allan L]

Perhaps it just has inboard brakes at the front - they look pretty large therefore heavy

[richard cuyler]

Is it 2CV-powered? And can it be found on the Internet?

[nicanary]

Only one engine AFAIK.  I think those could be inboard brakes. Not 2CV powered.

It can be found on the internet, but not much information is provided. It's a known maker, but I feel that this car never raced. In order to answer questions, I have done a Google search and cannot find any entries for it after 7 pages of frustration. The internet source which I used does not appear in this search, but because I know what it is, I can find the image and source page  .

[Hiawatha]

1964 de Pontac formula 3.. Panhard engine, 2cv suspensions, DS 19 brakes

[nicanary]

1964 de Pontac formula 3.. Panhard engine, 2cv suspensions, DS 19 brakes

That's the one - well-found. The same de Pontac I'm guessing that built those odd sports cars which have been previous puzzles.

The suspension set-up was a bit odd - it seems the front left was interconnected with the rear left and ditto on the other side.

[Hiawatha]

At the end it was surprisigly easy..no Renault or Citroen engine, so I  tried formule Panhard and voila.

[nicanary]

It's difficult to believe that de Pontac came up with this car at a time when Jackie Stewart was demolishing the opposition in Ken Tyrrell's Cooper-BMC. Like chalk and cheese. It would have been so uncompetitive it beggars belief.