Forza Throwback: Vintage Classics Added to the Forza Motorsport 7 Garage
Welcome to the second week of car reveals for the Forza Motorsport 7 Garage – also known as Vintage Week! Today, we’re showing off the depth of classic cars that are a part of Forza Motorsport 7’s mammoth 700+ car list, including pre-war racers that will challenge drivers of every skill level, post-war cruisers cars that changed the way the public thought of the automobile, and many more. The range of materials and technology on display here is as varied as the cars’ shapes, sizes and capabilities. From wooden frame cars to pre-war biasply tires, the ForzaTech engine recreates all the intricacies and nuances that make these legendary cars so special.
For example, the 1950 Alfa Romeo 158, or “Alfetta” was driven by some of the greatest drivers in motorsport history. Or consider the 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, an early VW sports car designed in Italy (yes, you read that right, Volkswagen is returning to Forza). Then there is the American game changer, the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, an automotive revelation that defined and influenced car design for generations.
Here’s a closer look at the vintage cars from week two of the Forza Motorsport 7 Garage:
1950 Alfa Romeo 158
Alfa Romeo has been building race cars since 1913. In fact, they started racing just after the company was founded. It wasn’t long after they found victory, and they went on to compete in nearly every form of motorsport with great success. The 158, or the Alfetta for “Little Alfa” as it is commonly known, has earned its way to reverence as one of the most successful race cars ever built, winning an astounding 87 percent of the grand prix races it and its subsequent model – the 159 – competed in. The 1,479 cc supercharged straight 8-cylinder engine in this model produced around 350 hp aboard its lithe tube-frame chassis. The great Juan-Manual Fangio along with Giuseppe Farina took the 158 to win every race but the Indy 500 during its post-war debut season. Fangio would of course go on to win the World Driver’s Championship five times making the 158 a storied piece of motorsport legend.
1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
“The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is the most economical sports car you can buy… it’s just not the most powerful,” says the announcer in the commercial introducing the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Although it’s true enough that it was never a powerful sports car, in the looks department the Karmann Ghia has character and style in spades. Automotive historian Jan Norbye called out its stylistic similarities to the Alfa Romeo 2500 S and the Lancia Aurelia. Those styling cues are no doubt Italian, as the Karmann Ghia was designed by Ghia, a prestigious Italian design firm. Karmann coachworks was under orders to design a sports car to build over the VW chassis. After several of their proposals were rejected, Karmann reached out to Ghia, who delivered a prototype that perfectly hit the mark. The car has seen more than 20 years of production and the only cosmetic changes were larger bumpers and head and taillights.
1953 Chevrolet Corvette
Most legends come from humble beginnings, and the story of the Corvette is no different. In an era where the only true sports cars were built in Europe, Chevy saw an opportunity. The company went about building a dream team to design a car that would appeal to a younger market, give the brand some flash and keep it ahead of Ford in sales. Harley Earl, GM’s then design chief, let fly with an idea he had been coveting for more than a year after watching European sports cars at Watkins Glen: a low to the ground, two-seat roadster. Driven by practicality, the 1953 Corvette uses mostly off-the-shelf components such as the “Blue Flame” 160hp, 235-cubic inch in-line six-cylinder engine and two-speed Powerglide transmission. The only options available were a heater (which cost $91) and an AM radio ($145). All 300 that sold in 1953 had both options. The 1953 Corvette didn’t even have roll-up windows. All the cars were hand-built, and all were Polo White with red interiors. The use of fiberglass was not only a weight-saving innovation but was a necessity due to the Korean War and a limited availability of steel. The 1953 Corvette’s dramatic and bold exterior was just what the public wanted and it forever changed the course of American car history.
Here’s the full list of cars we are announcing today. As always, stay tuned to ForzaMotorsport.net for the full list of Forza Motorsport 7 cars revealed to date.
1968 Abarth 595 esseesse
1934 Alfa Romeo P3
1950 Alfa Romeo 158
1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA Stradale
1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2
1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
1939 Auto Union Type D
1959 BMW 507
1957 BMW Isetta 300 Export
1953 Chevrolet Corvette
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
1960 Chevrolet Corvette
1964 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport 409
1966 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport
1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport 396
1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Super Sport Coupe
1969 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport 396
1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster
1967 Dodge Coronet WO23
1968 Dodge Dart HEMI Super Stock
1969 Dodge Charger Daytona HEMI
1969 Dodge Charger R/T
1969 Fiat Dino 2.4 Coupe
1952 Fiat 8V Supersonic
1932 Ford De Luxe Five-Window Coupe
1940 Ford De Luxe Coupe
1946 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon
1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe
1967 Ford Falcon XR GT
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302
1951 Holden 50-2106 FX Ute
1967 Honda RA300
1959 Jaguar Mk II 3.8
1961 Jaguar E-type S1
1956 Jaguar D-Type
1954 Jaguar XK120 SE
1945 Jeep Willys MB
1968 Lancia Fulvia Coupé Rallye 1.6 HF
1939 Mercedes-Benz W154
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR
1967 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
1949 Mercury Coupe
1965 MINI Cooper S
1969 Nissan Fairlady Z 432
1966 Nissan Silvia
1969 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds 442
1968 Opel GT
1958 Plymouth Fury
1965 Pontiac GTO
1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C
1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
1963 Volkswagen Beetle
1963 Volkswagen Type 2 De Luxe
1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
1967 Volvo 123GT