Austin 1500
The Siam Di Tella 1500 is a passenger car of the D segment sedan version was produced in four-door and five-door rural Siam Di Tella called Traveller. This car is a version of Riley Argentina 4 manufactured by the British Motor Corporation. There was also an exclusive pick-up model called Siam Di Tella Argenta for the Argentine market.
The vehicle is equipped with a four-cylinder, with displacement of 1489cc, producing 56hp (42 kW) at 4500 rpm. Has manual gearbox with four forward gears and one reverse, at top speed can reach 117km/h. Fuel consumption: 10.3km consumes each liter. Its fuel tank has a capacity of 46 liters (with a full tank can do 473.8km).
To equip according to the compatibility of the Argentine roads, the suspension was modified reinforcing the front and the back cushions anchor.
The success of the company Siam Di Tella encouraged its owners to branch out into other productive areas. Thus were manufactured later successful electric refrigerators Siam. In the 50’s through an agreement with the Italian company Lambretta, start scooters manufactured in Argentina, known as Siambretta.
Siam Di Tella Automotive Inc. was the result of the decision of the company Siam until then dedicated to the exclusive production of appliances, to venture into automobile production. This decision sought to exploit the new Promotion System Automotive Industry, released by the government of Arturo Frondizi in 1959. In that year, the company joined the automotive promotion scheme, which will produce under license premitió models British Motors Corporation. Siam Di Tella Automotive SA is then created. The car chosen to start local production was the Austin A-60, known as Di Tella in Argentina 1500.
To produce an unoccupied home was conditioned that the company had in the locality of Monte Sparrow. The works of the complex of 50 000 square meters conditioning began in late October 1959 and, after 126 days of work, the plant was inaugurated on March 15, 1960. Barely two weeks later, on April 2 I left the first Siam Di Tella 1500. demand was very important and in few time, on September 2, occurred unit n. º 1000. production chain was overseen by English technicians BMC, and was the main objective of improving production times to meet growing demand, which reached 4000 units in the first year of production, as it was a cheap and ideal car for the middle class. The following year the numbers have tripled since that time growth in the automotive production industry and living in general.
Backed by a simple and reliable mechanics, the success of Siam Di Tella 1500 was remarkable and fast, soon becoming an ideal for middle class family car and also for taxi drivers: the first 14 500 units produced, 3870 were used as taxi. The BMC was one of the first companies to experiment and produce self-supporting body. The Siam responded to this concept and was especially designed by Pininfarina.
The car had a very classical mechanical layout, front-engine four-cylinder water-cooled and rear transmission line, with gearbox first four gears with unsynchronized. With the same mechanical base, accompanied the sedan, the rural Traveller, of which 1915 units were produced. From 1966 production remains in the hands of IKA and its subsidiary CIDASA, changing the name of the file for the English original: Riley 1500 Morris Traveller for the rural.
The Siam Di Tella 1500 has a four-stroke engine (like most cars), four-cylinder, causing the engine mechanics easier. Its power is 56hp (42 kW) at 4500 rpm. Engine valves, head with rods and lifters. The radiator is a common water pump and pressure radiator cap. The lubrication system is forced with a pressure oil pump. Your carburetor was a "SU" carburetor based on a different principle than the others used, because it has a dispensing needle and a hood center operated by the intake vacuum of the engine to regulate the acceleration and fuel mixture. Although outwardly different, this engine, it is practically the same as the Dodge 1500 (copy of the Hillman Avenger English), especially in the mechanical part as the camshaft, piston rods etc, the similarity coming from the English origin of the engine, a similar displacement of 1500, Siam was the BMC Austin engine, while the Dodge was a Hillman motor (Chrysler subsidiary in England).
The Siam 1500 is a car with enough space to accommodate five people, including the driver. It has a length of 4520 mm, width 1620 mm, height 1520 mm and wheelbase of 2520 mm, making it a pretty sturdy car.
The gearbox is Siam 1500 four-speed gears synchronized with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear. He was the recipient of some complaints from some difficulties making changes. Pressing the clutch pedal and placing first the shifter has a longish journey, the clutch has less travel, causing it to be quite "jealous".
The pedals must be pendant feature of soft actuated. The clutch is hydraulic control.
The first speed is rather short: soon going towards the most you can get that speed, so it should immediately switch to the second speed; but it is also rather short, so you also have to switch to the third; this is already much longer. Above 40km/h, it is noted the difference between the first speed and the second, taking advantage of the elasticity of the motor.
The suspension of Siam 1500 has been very flattered: has great cushioning, which is able to withstand high pressures. The front axle suspension is deformable trapezoid with spirals, the rear axle; is a Hotchkiss drive with longitudinal elastic.
Brakes are four-wheel hydraulic. The mechanical brake is actuated on rear wheels.
The car appears in a theatrical company called Fuerzabruta, originated in 2003 as an independent project De La Guarda. The work already performed in cities like Lisbon, London, Madrid, Barcelona and New York. Such work was presented at the parade of the celebrations for the Bicentennial of the May Revolution 25 May 2010, and as of July 2011, the work is presented daily in the mega shows Technopolis.
In the plaza located on Avenue of the Italians and Macacha Guemes (Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires), there is a monument to the taxi, work of Fernando Pugliese. The same is a sculpture made from polymer that simulates bronze portrays a taxi driver with his Siam Di Tella 1500.
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