NACIONAL PESCARA

NACIONAL PESCARA 

From time to time various governments have attempted to support the national automotive industry. It does not always passed on to her advantage. One example of this - Spanish project Nacional Pescara. At a time when Spain was a poor country under the control of a few very wealthy aristocrats, and on its roads traveled only 200 thousand vehicles, the government approved the idea of ​​the production of expensive and sophisticated cars.


Juan Zanella (Juan Zanelli) driving Nacional Pescara with a compressor and two camshafts in competition to raise up the hill, Rabassada (1933)
The authors of the project were the Marquis de Pescara Raoul (Raoul de Pescara), his brother Enrique (Enrique), created the design of the car, and Italian Moglia Edmond (Edmond Moglia). Part of the work carried out Wilfredo Rickard (Wilfredo Ricard), later worked with Alfa Romeo ("Alfa Romeo") and Pegaso ("Pegasus"). Established the company settled in Barcelona in 1929, and the next year of its cars on sale.
Cars were very large and expensive for sale in Spain and abroad, virtually unknown. Do not contributed to the success and economic crisis. This probably explains the fact that the cars were manufactured at the plant of the French Voisin ("Voisin") in Issy.
The Spanish revolution in 1931 led to the overthrow of King Alfonso XIII (Alfonso), providing substantial support to the automotive enthusiast. As a result, the project soon folded, leaving behind nothing but losses. After 1932 there was released a single machine.
Nacional Pescara 8 ("Nacional Pescara 8"), 1930-1932
The generated Edmond Moglia 8-cylinder car is clearly felt the American influence: a long-line engine with a 3-supenchatoy transmission on a conventional frame, plus hypoid final drive and hydraulic brakes. However, the engine had polnooporny crankshaft, aluminum crankcase, cylinder block and cylinder head and valves operated overhead camshafts driven by gears. Its power was 80 hp, but he had a large margin to advance, as shown later built copies of the race.


Estefan Cake (Estevan Tort) at the start of the race, "Walsh Shelsli" (Shelsley Walsh) in 1931, that year Nacional Pescara dominated the competition to raise up the hill
Against this backdrop, the American looked remarkably like a 3-speed transmission with a long shifter on the center, the most common frame and semi-elliptical leaf springs. Consumers suggested several options for bodies. To reduce the weight of his own car exterior body panels made of an alloy of the electron. Therefore, the Spanish model was lighter than their competitors: she weighed less than 1.2 tonnes - a remarkable achievement for those years.
Just to take part in competitions produced a variant with a motor with two camshafts. Equipped with a compressor, he developed the power of 180 hp The maximum light two-seater weighs just over 610 pounds and played very well in the competition to lift the hill.
Interestingly, the Nacional Pescara promised to make a 10-cylinder version of its engine, which in the working volume of 3.9 liters planned to provide only a 2-speed transmission. But then the drawing board plans have not progressed. If not for the revolution in Spain, the world could see and more sophisticated models of this company to compete successfully with the Hispano-Suiza ("Hispano-Suiza").


Juan Zanella competitions near Prague (1931)

Characteristics (two camshafts, 1930)
Engine: P8, two camshafts
Bore and Stroke: 72x90 mm
Displacement: 2948 cm3
Maximum Power: 125 hp
Transmission: 3-speed manual
Chassis: the steel frame
Suspension: dependent on semi-elliptic leaf springs
Brakes: drum
Body: Sport or Roadster
Maximum speed: 185 km / h