Zachary "Zora" Arkus-Duntov (born Zachar Arkus ; December 25, 1909 – April 21, 1996) was a Russian and American engineer whose work on the Chevrolet Corvette earned him the nickname "Father of the Corvette." He is sometimes erroneously referred to as the inventor of the Corvette; that title belongs to Harley Earl . He was also a racing driver , appearing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times and taking class wins in 1954 and 1955 .
147-546: Arkus-Duntov was born Zachar Arkus in Brussels , Belgium, on December 25, 1909, into a Jewish Russian family. His father, Yakov “Jacques” Arkus, was a mining engineer on contract in Belgium, and his mother, Rachel Kogan, was a medical student. After the family returned to their hometown of Saint Petersburg – then Petrograd – Duntov's parents divorced and his mother's new partner, Josef Duntov, an electrical engineer, moved into
294-537: A Habsburg Empire "on which the sun never sets" with Brussels serving as one of his main capitals. It was in the Coudenberg Palace that Charles V was declared of age in 1515, and it was there in 1555 that he abdicated all of his possessions and passed the Habsburg Netherlands to King Philip II of Spain . This palace, famous all over Europe, had greatly expanded since it had first become
441-599: A Talbot-Lago for the Indianapolis 500 in 1946 and 1947 , but failed to make the race both years. At this time Zora Arkus-Duntov got an invitation from a British company, while his brother decided to go into finances. Soon he left the United States for England to do development work on the Allard sports car, co-driving it at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1952 and in 1953 . His goal was to improve and prepare
588-518: A federal district . The Brussels-Capital Region is governed by a parliament of 89 members (72 French-speaking, 17 Dutch-speaking—parties are organised on a linguistic basis) and an eight-member regional cabinet consisting of a minister-president , four ministers and three state secretaries . By law, the cabinet must comprise two French-speaking and two Dutch-speaking ministers, one Dutch-speaking secretary of state and two French-speaking secretaries of state. The minister-president does not count against
735-479: A 350 cc motorcycle, which he rode at nearby racetracks as well as through the streets of Berlin. When his parents, fearing for his safety, insisted he trade the cycle in for an automobile, Duntov bought a cycle-fendered model from a short-lived German manufacturer called Bob [ de ] . The Bob was set up for oval track racing. It had no front brakes and weak rear brakes. In 1934, Duntov graduated from Technische Hochschule Charlottenburg (known today as
882-671: A few neighbouring municipalities have been merged into the City of Brussels , including Laeken , Haren and Neder-Over-Heembeek in 1921. These comprise the northern bulge in the municipality. To the south-east is a strip of land along the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan that, in addition to the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos , was annexed from Ixelles in 1864. Part of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)'s Solbosch campus
1029-567: A large heat transfer from the hot gases to the coolant that was eliminated in the overhead valve design. The Ardun heads allowed significant increases in power output from the Ford V8. Ardun grew into a 300 employee engineering company with a name as revered as Offenhauser , but the company later went out of business after some questionable financial decisions by a partner the Arkus-Duntov brothers had taken on. Arkus-Duntov attempted to qualify
1176-726: A level-crossing in Czechoslovakia in his Ford Cortina and retired. Allard's final outing in the Monte Carlo Rally came in 1965. In 1961 Sydney Allard, considered by many to be the father of British drag racing, built the Allard dragster, a supercharged Chrysler-powered slingshot. Constructed in 23 weeks between January and June 1961 at Adlards Garage, Clapham, in London, the car featured a 354-cubic inch Chrysler motor with front-mounted 6-71 GMC blower. Some speed equipment for
1323-537: A light chassis inspired the development of the Chevrolet Corvette and the A.C. Shelby Cobra. An article on page 140 of the book Eagle Special Investigator by Macdonald Hastings , features Sydney Allard in "Special Investigator Drives a Racing Car", published by Michael Joseph in 1953. In 1958 Allard built a Steyr-engined sports car for sprints and hillclimbs, the motor purchased from Dennis Poore : "This Allard Special can certainly step off. It covered
1470-481: A memo to his bosses. The document, "Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders and Chevrolet", laid out Duntov's views on overcoming Ford's lead in use by customizers and racers, and how to increase both the acceptance and the likelihood of success of the Chevrolet V8 in this market. In 1957 Arkus-Duntov became Director of High Performance Vehicles at Chevrolet. After helping to introduce the small-block V8 engine to
1617-568: A mid-1990s onsite design review of the then upcoming 5th generation Corvette to which the retired Arkus-Duntov had been invited. After reviewing the extensive changes in the new design, Arkus-Duntov notably observed: "The engine is still in the front". Six weeks before his death, Arkus-Duntov was guest speaker at "Corvette: A Celebration of an American Dream", an evening held at the showrooms of Jack Cauley Chevrolet Detroit. Arkus-Duntov died in Detroit on April 21, 1996, and his ashes were entombed at
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#17327831889201764-777: A national legislative act, in the field of the welfare powers of the communities: in the Brussels-Capital Region, both the French Community and the Flemish Community can exercise powers in the field of welfare, but only in regard to institutions that are unilingual (for example, a private French-speaking retirement home or the Dutch-speaking hospital of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel ). The Common Community Commission
1911-698: A number of NATO Summits have been held in Brussels, the most recent taking place in June 2021. The organisation's political and administrative headquarters are located on the Boulevard Léopold III / Leopold III-laan in Haren , on the north-eastern perimeter of the City of Brussels . A new €750 million headquarters building begun in 2010 and was completed in 2017. Sydney Allard Sydney Herbert Allard (19 June 1910 – 12 April 1966)
2058-425: A pleasure to work on such a beautiful car; he also included a technical paper which proposed an analytical method of determining a car's top speed. Chevrolet was so impressed, engineer Maurice Olley invited him to come to Detroit. On May 1, 1953, Arkus-Duntov started at Chevrolet as an assistant staff engineer. Shortly after going to work for Chevrolet, Arkus-Duntov set the tone for what he was about to accomplish in
2205-474: A s.s. ¼-mile in 11.54 sec, and he crossed the line at 147.77 m.p.h. at the end of the longer distance, which rather disposes of previous claims in the 170-190 m.p.h. bracket." In 1963 the Allard put two rods through the block on Madeira Drive in Brighton. The car turned out to be a fifties-style dragster at a time when dragster design was rapidly evolving. Tire technology, with wider purpose-built drag slicks,
2352-736: Is 57 m (187 ft) above sea level , varying from a low point in the valley of the almost completely covered Senne , which cuts the Brussels-Capital Region from east to west, up to high points in the Sonian Forest , on its southeastern side. In addition to the Senne, tributary streams such as the Maalbeek and the Woluwe , to the east of the region, account for significant elevation differences. Brussels' central boulevards are 15 m (49 ft) above sea level. Contrary to popular belief,
2499-577: Is a bilingual enclave in the monolingual Flemish Region. Regions are one component of Belgium's institutions; the three communities being the other component. Brussels' inhabitants deal with either the French Community or the Flemish Community for matters such as culture and education, as well as a Common Community for competencies which do not belong exclusively to either Community, such as healthcare and social welfare . Since
2646-739: Is also a national and international hub for rail, road and air traffic, and is sometimes considered, together with Belgium, as Europe's geographic, economic and cultural crossroads. The Brussels Metro is the only rapid transit system in Belgium. In addition, both its airport and railway stations are the largest and busiest in the country. Brussels is known for its cuisine and gastronomic offer (including its local waffle , its chocolate , its French fries and its numerous types of beers ), as well as its historical and architectural landmarks; some of them are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites . Principal attractions include its historic Grand-Place/Grote Markt (main square), Manneken Pis ,
2793-573: Is also increasingly becoming multilingual. English is spoken widely and many migrants and expatriates speak other languages as well. Brussels grew from a small rural settlement on the river Senne to become an important city-region in Europe. Since the end of the Second World War , it has been a major centre for international politics and home to numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants . Brussels
2940-473: Is also part of the City of Brussels, partially accounting for the bulge in the south-eastern end. The largest municipality in area and population is the City of Brussels, covering 32.6 km (12.6 sq mi) and with 145,917 inhabitants; the least populous is Koekelberg with 18,541 inhabitants. The smallest in area is Saint-Josse-ten-Noode , which is only 1.1 km (0.4 sq mi), but still has
3087-462: Is composed of the members of the regional parliament, and its board are the ministers—not the secretaries of state—of the region, with the minister-president not having the right to vote. This commission has two capacities: it is a decentralised administrative public body, responsible for implementing cultural policies of common interest. It can give subsidies and enact by-laws . In another capacity, it can also enact ordinances, which have equal status as
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#17327831889203234-524: Is important to note that the winners were the invincible Ferrari (6 places), Aston Martin (2 places) and Porsche (1 place), which did not have official development restrictions. In 1962, GM Corporate, under serious pressure from the US government, decided to discontinue support for motorsport. It was exactly the same contract as the AMA, concluded in 1957, but now GM had made policies mandatory for its brands. The reason
3381-477: Is one of the three federal regions of Belgium , along with Flanders and Wallonia , and has bilingual status. The yellow iris is the emblem of the region (referring to the presence of these flowers on the city's original site) and a stylised version is featured on its official flag. In recent years, Brussels has become an important venue for international events. In 2000, it was named European Capital of Culture alongside eight other European cities. In 2013,
3528-727: Is pronounced / s / , as in English , and the final s is silent) and in Dutch, Brussel is pronounced [ˈbrʏsəl] . Inhabitants of Brussels are known in French as Bruxellois (pronounced [bʁysɛlwa] ) and in Dutch as Brusselaars (pronounced [ˈbrʏsəlaːrs] ). In the Brabantian dialect of Brussels (known as Brusselian , and also sometimes referred to as Marols or Marollien), they are called Brusseleers or Brusseleirs . Originally,
3675-765: Is related to different conceptions in the two communities, one focusing more on the Communities and the other more on the Regions, causing an asymmetrical federalism . Because of this devolution, the French Community Commission can enact decrees , which are legislative acts. A bi-communitarian public authority, the Common Community Commission (French: Commission communautaire commune , COCOM, Dutch: Gemeenschappelijke Gemeenschapscommissie , GGC) also exists. Its assembly
3822-413: Is responsible for policies aiming directly at private persons or at bilingual institutions (for example, the centres for social welfare of the 19 municipalities). Its ordinances have to be enacted with a majority in both linguistic groups. Failing such a majority, a new vote can be held, where a majority of at least one third in each linguistic group is sufficient. Brussels serves as de facto capital of
3969-546: Is separate from the Flemish Region (within which it forms an enclave ) and the Walloon Region , located less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the south. Historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels saw a language shift to French from the late 19th century. Nowadays, the Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, although French is the majority language and lingua franca . Brussels
4116-659: Is the de facto capital of the European Union , as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions , including its administrative-legislative , executive-political , and legislative branches (though the judicial branch is located in Luxembourg , and the European Parliament meets for a minority of the year in Strasbourg ). Because of this, its name is sometimes used metonymically to describe
4263-547: Is why the American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) issued a recommendation to refuse to participate in races. However, several accidents over the next couple of years and, according to unconfirmed reports, the intervention of the US government led to the signing of the "Gentleman's Agreement" in 1957. By joining AMA, GM, Ford and Chrysler refused to participate in organized car racing and motorsport of any kind, which led to
4410-498: The Prescott Hill Climb on 13 September 1959, but is believed to have been broken up. Allard then turned his attention to a twin-engined Steyr four-wheel-drive prototype, of great complexity. "All this leads to 9 litres of motor car and a very brave Sydney Allard surrounded by chains, shafts and engines." The car featured a solidly-mounted rear axle to which he planned to mount American-type dragster slick tyres. This
4557-463: The Atlantic Ocean . Nearby wetlands also ensure a maritime temperate climate. On average (based on measurements in the period 1981–2010), there are approximately 135 days of rain per year in the Brussels-Capital Region. Snowfall is infrequent, averaging 24 days per year. The city also often experiences violent thunderstorms in summer months. Despite its name, the Brussels-Capital Region is not
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4704-680: The Atomium , and cultural institutions such as La Monnaie/De Munt and the Museums of Art and History . Due to its long tradition of Belgian comics , Brussels is also hailed as a capital of the comic strip . The most common theory of the origin of the name Brussels is that it derives from the Old Dutch Bruocsella , Broekzele or Broeksel , meaning ' marsh ' ( bruoc / broek ) and ' home, settlement ' ( sella / zele / sel ) or ' settlement in
4851-598: The Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS), but the sanctioning body balked at homologating a car with only 5 of the required 100 copies having been built. The car showed controversial results, but after some adjustments and improvements it won first place in the ACC championship in 1963. Driving chassis #004 was Dick Thompson, who earned the nickname "Flying Dentist," because of his original work. The victory in ACC became known to
4998-588: The Belgian Revolution began in Brussels, after a performance of Auber's opera La Muette de Portici at the Royal Theatre of La Monnaie . The city became the capital and seat of government of the new nation. South Brabant was renamed simply Brabant , with Brussels as its administrative centre. On 21 July 1831, Leopold I , the first King of the Belgians , ascended the throne, undertaking
5145-639: The Brighton Speed Trials in a Ford V-8. In April 1936 he won a 50-mile handicap race on the sand at Southport in his Allard V8. The Allard Special was put into limited production with Ford V8 and Lincoln V12 motors. A Ford-based special was supplied to a Mr. Gilson in 1937, while a four-seater was offered the following year. In 1937 Allard attempted to climb Ben Nevis , a mountain in Scotland, in his Allard car. The car crashed and rolled but Allard emerged with only bruising. Sydney Allard set
5292-567: The Brighton Speed Trials on 14 September; Church Lawford, near Rugby, on 21 September and Debden, Essex, 22 September 1963. Sydney Allard was awarded the SEMA trophy for his performances at the races. In January 1964 Sydney Allard launched the Dragstar Dragon, a low-cost dragster designed by John Hume, powered by a Shorrock-supercharged 1,500 c.c. Ford engine, costing under £500 in kit form. Several cars of this type were produced. Among
5439-609: The Brussels International Exposition of 1935 and the 1958 Brussels World's Fair ( Expo 58 ). During World War I , Brussels was an occupied city, but German troops did not cause much damage. During World War II , it was again occupied by German forces , and spared major damage, before it was liberated by the British Guards Armoured Division on 3 September 1944. Brussels Airport , in the suburb of Zaventem , dates from
5586-490: The Brussels-Capital Region (French: Région de Bruxelles-Capitale ; Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest ), is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities , including the City of Brussels , which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community , but
5733-627: The Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle II (CERV II) project. Duntov was made Chief Engineer for Corvette in 1967. " (Bill) Mitchell hated him (Duntov), because he felt that Duntov was getting all of the praise for the Corvette, consequently, Mitchell never allowed Duntov into the Styling Center." - Roy Vernon Lonberger Arkus-Duntov retired in 1975, and Dave McLellan became Chief Engineer of
5880-775: The Council of Ministers holds its meetings. The Court of Cassation , Belgium's main court, has its seat in the Palace of Justice . Other important institutions in the City of Brussels are the Constitutional Court , the Council of State , the Court of Audit , the Royal Belgian Mint and the National Bank of Belgium . The City of Brussels is also the capital of both the French Community of Belgium and
6027-434: The European Union (EU), and many modern offices were built. Development was allowed to proceed with little regard to the aesthetics of newer buildings, and numerous architectural landmarks were demolished to make way for newer buildings that often clashed with their surroundings, giving name to the process of Brusselisation . The Brussels-Capital Region was formed on 18 June 1989, after a constitutional reform in 1988. It
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6174-710: The European Union (EU), hosting the major political institutions of the Union . The EU has not declared a capital formally, though the Treaty of Amsterdam formally gives Brussels the seat of the European Commission (the executive branch of government) and the Council of the European Union (a legislative institution made up from executives of member states). It locates the formal seat of European Parliament in Strasbourg , where votes take place, with
6321-627: The Flemish Community . The Flemish Parliament and Flemish Government have their seats in Brussels, and so do the Parliament of the French Community and the Government of the French Community . The 19 municipalities (French: communes , Dutch: gemeenten ) of the Brussels-Capital Region are political subdivisions with individual responsibilities for the handling of local level duties, such as law enforcement and
6468-585: The French Community Commission (French: Commission communautaire française or COCOF) and the Flemish Community Commission (Dutch: Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie or VGC). These two bodies each have an assembly composed of the members of each linguistic group of the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region . They also have a board composed of the ministers and secretaries of state of each linguistic group in
6615-767: The Grand-Place/Grote Markt and Tomberg in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert , for example). During late antiquity , the region was home to Roman occupation, as attested by archaeological evidence discovered on the current site of Tour & Taxis , north-west of the Pentagon (Brussels' city centre). Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire , it was incorporated into the Frankish Empire . According to local legend,
6762-555: The Kingdom of Germany , Brussels became a commercial centre specialised in the textile trade. The town grew quite rapidly and extended towards the upper town (Treurenberg, Coudenberg and Sablon/Zavel areas), where there was a reduced risk of floods. As the town grew to a population of around 30,000, the surrounding marshes were drained to allow for further expansion. In 1183, the Counts of Leuven became Dukes of Brabant . Brabant, unlike
6909-712: The Royal Palace of Laeken , the official home of the Belgian royal family ). The Palace of the Nation is located on the opposite side of this park, and is the seat of the Belgian Federal Parliament . The office of the Prime Minister of Belgium , colloquially called Law Street 16 (French: 16, rue de la Loi , Dutch: Wetstraat 16 ), is located adjacent to this building. It is also where
7056-406: The Seventeen Provinces . After the death of Mary in 1482, her son Philip the Handsome succeeded as Duke of Burgundy and Brabant. Philip died in 1506, and he was succeeded by his son Charles V who then also became King of Spain (crowned in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula ) and even Holy Roman Emperor at the death of his grandfather Maximilian I in 1519. Charles was now the ruler of
7203-433: The Technische Universität Berlin ). He also began writing engineering papers in German motor publications. While in Berlin Duntov met the fourteen year old Elfriede "Elfi" Wolff, who was in the city to study ballet and acrobatic dance. The two kept in touch over several years while Elfi toured with dance troupes. She eventually settled in Paris as a dancer with the Folies Bergère . The two married in February 1939, just before
7350-452: The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, Spanish sovereignty over the Southern Netherlands was transferred to the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg. This event started the era of the Austrian Netherlands . Brussels was captured by France in 1746, during the War of the Austrian Succession , but was handed back to Austria three years later. It remained with Austria until 1795, when the Southern Netherlands were captured and annexed by France, and
7497-410: The World Customs Organization and Eurocontrol , as well as international corporations, have their main institutions in the city. In addition, the main international trade union confederations have their headquarters there: the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL). Brussels is third in
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#17327831889207644-416: The accident at the race at Le Mans in 1955 , which claimed the lives of 83 people, the attitude toward motor racing changed dramatically. Numerous protests forced many companies to withdraw from the race, the organizers to review the safety rules, and Mercedes, who was accused of causing an accident and decided not to participate in car racing until the 70s. Dissatisfaction gradually increased in America, which
7791-454: The boroughs in London or arrondissements in Paris , to keep politics close enough to the citizen. In the 2010s, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean gained international attention as the base for Islamist terrorists who carried out attacks in both Paris and Brussels . The Brussels-Capital Region is one of the three federated regions of Belgium, alongside the Walloon Region and the Flemish Region . Geographically and linguistically, it
7938-416: The largest in Belgium . It is also part of a large conurbation extending towards the cities of Ghent , Antwerp , and Leuven , known as the Flemish Diamond , as well as the province of Walloon Brabant , in total home to over 5 million people. As Belgium's economic capital and a top financial centre in Western Europe with Euronext Brussels , Brussels is classified as an Alpha global city . It
8085-428: The 1947 quota-list for early delivery of Open Two-Seater and Tourer models." Allard won the 1949 British Hill Climb Championship at the wheel of the self-built Steyr-Allard, fitted with a war surplus air-cooled V8 engine. He was third in the Championship in 1947 and 1948, winning in 1949, second in 1950, and third again in 1951, when the Steyr-Allard was converted to four-wheel-drive. In 1949 Allard cars won
8232-401: The 1965 Drag Festival. At the Woodvale event Alan Allard covered the standing ¼ mile in 9.30 secs-160 m.p.h. but in the qualifying run the Allard-Chrysler had reached 168 m.p.h." Sydney Allard died at his home Blackhills, Esher, Surrey on 12 April 1966. "He had been ill for several months. The cause of death was not disclosed." The Hissing Madman. That there was keen interest in drag racing
8379-447: The 23rd lap, the Corvette SS was forced to leave the track due to suspension and other mechanical problems. Despite the development setbacks of the SS, the new development of the Corvette attracted a lot of public attention, including setting a new lap record. But for Chevrolet, it became clear that with Le Mans would have to wait. Shortly after the race in Sebring, the situation for Duntov and his entire unit became more complicated. After
8526-420: The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951, 1952 and 1953 but did not finish. In 1951 he shared a works J2 with the American driver Tom Cole and retired with gearbox failure. In 1952 he and Jack Fairman drove the works J2X, chassis number 3055, fitted with a Chrysler hemi engine, where the car retired at 6.30 a.m. having thrown a rod. In 1953 he shared a Cadillac-engined Allard J2R with Philip Fotheringham-Parker , leading
8673-463: The AMA racing ban and soon after launched their "Total Performance" program, increasing factory participation in almost all major forms of motor racing. Right after Ford's declaration, Arkus-Duntov's Grand Sport program was approved. The intent was to create a special lightweight Corvette to race on international tracks against not only the Shelby Cobra and other GT cars, but also against racing prototypes from Ferrari, Ford and Porsche. The winning strategy
8820-419: The Allard dragster as a "gallant failure." The car was then invited to appear over the standing start quarter mile at an N.S.A. record meeting at Wellesbourne Aerodrome , near Stratford-Upon-Avon, on 14 October 1961. Denis Jenkinson writing in Motor Sport said: "Sydney Allard pointed the sleek blue dragster down the quarter-mile, let in the clutch, opened up and with a sound like a large bomber going down
8967-487: The Allard dragster with excitement reaching fever pitch. This only led to a huge disappointment when the fuel line ruptured on the line, completing the course on four cylinders in a time of 37.91 secs. The car continued to misfire on the second attempt. This was a blow from which the reputation of the car never fully recovered. Bill Boddy , editor of Motor Sport , called it a fiasco, saying the mechanical problems had also occurred in testing at Boreham. The Autocar described
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#17327831889209114-407: The Burgundian duke Charles the Bold perished in the Battle of Nancy . Through the marriage of his daughter Mary of Burgundy (who was born in Brussels) to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I , the Low Countries fell under Habsburg sovereignty. Brabant was integrated into this composite state, and Brussels flourished as the Princely Capital of the prosperous Burgundian Netherlands , also known as
9261-436: The Corvette in 1955, providing the car with much-needed power, he set about showcasing the engine by ascending Pike's Peak in 1956 in a pre-production car (a 1956 Bel Air 4-door hardtop), setting a stock car record. He took a Corvette to Daytona Beach the same year and hit a record-setting 150 mph (240 km/h) over the flying mile. He also developed the famous Duntov high-lift camshaft and helped bring fuel injection to
9408-411: The Corvette in 1957. He is credited with introducing the first mass-produced American car with four-wheel disc brakes . A conflict arose between Duntov and Chevrolet chief designer Bill Mitchell over the design of the new C2 Corvette "Sting Ray" model. Mitchell designed the car with a long hood and a raised windsplit that ran the length of the roof and continued down the back on a pillar that bisected
9555-475: The Corvette racing team being accepted with his promotion to the post of director of the high-performance car department in 1957. Duntov's new project was the Corvette SS with a magnesium body for the 24-hour Le Mans race. For preliminary testing of the car, the American counterpart, "12 hours of Sebring" was chosen. The difficulty was in the timing, since before the annual Sebring there were only 6 months left. According to rumors, in order to be in time, Duntov copied
9702-437: The Corvette. Following his retirement Arkus-Duntov remained active in the Corvette community. A member of the Drag Racing Hall of Fame, the Chevrolet Legends of Performance, and the Automotive Hall of Fame, he took part in the rollout of the one millionth Corvette at Bowling Green in 1992. He drove the bulldozer at the ground breaking ceremonies for the National Corvette Museum in 1994. In a 2024 interview, Tadge Juechter recalled
9849-496: The EU and its institutions. The secretariat of the Benelux and the headquarters of NATO are also located in Brussels. Brussels is the most densely populated region in Belgium, and although it has the highest GDP per capita , it has the lowest available income per household. The Brussels Region covers 162 km (63 sq mi) and has a population of over 1.2 million. Its five times larger metropolitan area comprises over 2.5 million people, which makes it
9996-572: The First International Drag Festival, a six-event series that did much to promote the sport of drag racing in the UK. The 1964 Drag Festival was held at the following venues: Blackbushe Airport , nr Camberley, Surrey, (twice: Sat 19 Sep, Sun 4 Oct), which was still an operational airport; RAF Chelveston , Northants, (Sun 20 September); RAF Woodvale , nr Southport, Lancashire (Sat 26 September); RAF Church Fenton , nr Tadcaster, Yorkshire, (Sun 27 September); RAF Kemble , nr Cirencester, Gloucestershire, (Sat 3 October). The Second International Drag Festival
10143-445: The GM bosses, who asked Duntov to return all the cars and not participate in races. Having received the cars back, Duntov improved the cars with chassis #003, #004 and #005, adding air vents and installing wider 9.5 inch wheels. Due to these changes, traction has increased, and lateral acceleration has decreased from 1.9G to the optimal 1.1G. After all the changes, Arkus-Duntov decided to send the Grand Sport to compete with Shelby Cobra at
10290-426: The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region. The French Community Commission also has another capacity: some legislative powers of the French Community have been devolved to the Walloon Region (for the French language area of Belgium) and to the French Community Commission (for the bilingual language area). The Flemish Community, however, did the opposite; it merged the Flemish Region into the Flemish Community. This
10437-531: The Korean War. Sydney Allard achieved international recognition by winning the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally in an Allard P1 , with co-driver Guy Warburton and navigator Tom Lush. Starting from Glasgow he narrowly defeated Stirling Moss , in a Sunbeam-Talbot 90, who finished second overall while competing in his first rally. The P1 was powered by a 4,375 c.c. Ford V8 side-valve motor. Mrs. Eleanor Allard, Sydney's wife, also competed in this event, accompanied by her sisters Edna and Hilda, but retired. Allard competed in
10584-739: The Nassau Trophy race (1954-1966) in the Bahamas. Officially, all three of the improved Grand Sports were on behalf of tycoon John Mecom Jr. They beat all competitors by 10 seconds. Both the Shelby Cobra, and even the Ferrari GTO were left behind. However, this was not the end of the Grand Sport program. Taking the previously unimproved chassis #001 and #002, Duntov removed the roofs making them roadsters to improve aerodynamics, and
10731-593: The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Pulitzer Prize winning columnist George Will wrote in his obituary that "if... you do not mourn his passing, you are not a good American." Despite Duntov's work on the CERV I and CERV II and many mid-engine design studies, the idea of a mid-engine Corvette was not approved by GM management until 2019 with the announcement of the release of
10878-734: The Parliament. Nowadays, the presence has increased considerably, with the Commission alone occupying 865,000 m (9,310,000 sq ft) within the European Quarter (a quarter of the total office space in Brussels). The concentration and density has caused concern that the presence of the institutions has created a ghetto effect in that part of the city. However, the European presence has contributed significantly to
11025-571: The United States as rolling chassis to be fitted with a motor on arrival. In the austerity period after the Second World War Allard struggled to source the raw materials for car construction, where the emphasis was on 'export or die.' It made no sense to import American engines and gearboxes only to turn round and export them again to the United States. Allard preparations for Le Mans in 1951 were delayed as Cadillac engines were in short supply, due to GM concentrating on production for
11172-558: The board of General Motors, and Duntov was ordered to close the project and destroy all the cars. The board feared that the antimonopoly department would require the company to be broken up. Duntov agreed to stop work, but handed over three cars to Texas tycoon John Mecom and hid the remaining two in a Chevrolet research garage. Before sending the cars with chassis numbers #003 and #004 to Texas, he handed them over for testing to two private racers: Chicago Chevrolet dealer Dick Doane and Grady Davis from Gulf Oil. Homologation papers were filed with
11319-534: The bombing in 1941: "Sydney and his family had a very narrow escape recently during a raid." In 1943 he had 225 employees and was renovating more than 30 vehicles a week. At the end of the war Allard soon returned to competition, taking part in the Filton Speed Trials on 28 October 1945. He restarted his car company, coping with petrol rationing , material shortages and export quotas. A 1947 Allard-dealer advertisement stated: "Vacancies still exist on
11466-426: The brakes. Also behind the rear window was an air intake. Lightening was further facilitated by the use of organic aviation glass. The wheels also became lighter, thanks to the magnesium alloy material employed. The result of all the work was a reduction in weight from the 3,199 lb (1,451 kg) of the standard model to 1,900 lb (862 kg) for the Grand Sport. News of the Grand Sport's development reached
11613-556: The capital of Belgium . Article 194 of the Belgian Constitution establishes that the capital of Belgium is the City of Brussels , the municipality in the region that is the city's core. The City of Brussels is the location of many national institutions. The Royal Palace of Brussels , where the King of the Belgians exercises his prerogatives as head of state, is situated alongside Brussels Park (not to be confused with
11760-509: The car was imported from Dean Moon in California. The dragster was first shown at Brands Hatch in July 1961 and then demonstrated on 24 July on the straight of the club circuit at Silverstone, sans bodywork. The gearbox failed on this occasion. The first competitive appearance was at the Brighton Speed Trials on 2 September 1961. There was talk of a new track record over the kilometre from
11907-699: The centre of activities, as the Commission and Council based their activities in what has become the European Quarter , in the east of the city. Early building in Brussels was sporadic and uncontrolled, with little planning. The current major buildings are the Berlaymont building of the commission, symbolic of the quarter as a whole, the Europa building of the Council and the Espace Léopold of
12054-527: The cessation of all explicit support for racing in Chevrolet. At the same time, almost none of the automakers stopped the development of sports cars. Many found loopholes: from the establishment of third-party engineering companies (SEDCO Co.), which issued instructions for improving production cars with detailed indication of the part numbers of the automaker and step-by-step instructions for the support of “individual enthusiasts” of individual racers, as well as
12201-759: The city became the chef-lieu of the department of the Dyle . The French rule ended in 1815, with the defeat of Napoleon on the battlefield of Waterloo , located south of today's Brussels-Capital Region. With the Congress of Vienna , the Southern Netherlands joined the United Kingdom of the Netherlands , under King William I of Orange . The former Dyle department became the province of South Brabant , with Brussels as its capital. In 1830,
12348-628: The city was the site of the Brussels Agreement . In 2014, it hosted the 40th G7 summit , and in 2017, 2018 and 2021 respectively the 28th , 29th and 31st NATO Summits . On 22 March 2016 , three coordinated nail bombings were detonated by ISIL in Brussels—two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem and one at Maalbeek/Maelbeek metro station —resulting in 32 victims and three suicide bombers killed, and 330 people were injured. It
12495-404: The company introduced their own aluminum, overhead valve, hemispherical combustion chamber cylinder heads for the flathead Ford V8 engine . Conceived by Duntov, the heads were designed by George Kudasch. The purpose of the overhead valve design was to cure the persistent overheating of the valve-in-block flathead V8. The flathead 'siamesed' the two center exhaust ports into a single tube, creating
12642-529: The company's cars for the race "24 hours of Le Mans." It is noteworthy that some of them were Ford V8, on which Duntov applied, among other things, his old achievements. The owners and at the same time Allard racers Sydney Allard and his wife Eleanor noticed the achievements of the engineer. In 1952–53, Duntov acted as a Le Mans racer on the Allard J2X Le Mans and Allard JR models. In the same years, Carroll Shelby raced in Allard machines. Soon, Duntov
12789-486: The council was subject to many difficulties caused by the linguistic and socio-economic tensions between the two communities. After the creation of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Brussels Agglomeration was never formally abolished, although it no longer has a purpose. The French Community and the Flemish Community exercise their powers in Brussels through two community-specific public authorities:
12936-583: The council, on the proposals made by the commission. However, meetings of political groups and committee groups are formally given to Brussels, along with a set number of plenary sessions. Three quarters of Parliament sessions now take place at its Brussels hemicycle . Between 2002 and 2004, the European Council also fixed its seat in the city. In 2014, the Union hosted a G7 summit in the city. Brussels, along with Luxembourg and Strasbourg, began to host European institutions in 1957, soon becoming
13083-534: The county of Flanders, was not fief of the king of France but was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire . In the early 13th century, the first walls of Brussels were built and after this, the city grew significantly. Around this time, work began on what is now the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (1225), replacing an older Romanesque church. To let the city expand, a second set of walls
13230-569: The destruction of the city walls and the construction of many buildings. Following independence, Brussels underwent many more changes. It became a financial centre, thanks to the dozens of companies launched by the Société Générale de Belgique . The Industrial Revolution and the opening of the Brussels–Charleroi Canal in 1832 brought prosperity to the city through commerce and manufacturing. The Free University of Brussels
13377-558: The development of the Art Nouveau style in the 1890s and early 1900s. The architects Victor Horta , Paul Hankar , and Henry van de Velde , among others, were known for their designs, many of which survive today. During the 20th century, the city hosted various fairs and conferences, including the Solvay Conference on Physics and on Chemistry, and three world's fairs : the Brussels International Exposition of 1910 ,
13524-723: The drivers were his son Alan Allard, Gerry Belton and Denis Jenkinson . Alan Allard and Belton demonstrated their dragsters at the 1964 Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 6 September. Allard founded the British Drag Racing Association, launched in June 1964, and served as its President. He followed this with the International Drag Festivals held in England in 1964 and 1965, featuring US dragsters and drivers. In 1964 Don Garlits , Tommy Ivo , Tony Nancy and Dante Duce participated in
13671-499: The eighth generation C8 Corvette. Rumors circulated that a high-performance version of the C8 could be named the "Zora". On a pre-production camouflaged version, observers noted small stickers that resembled the profile of Zora Arkus-Duntov. Brussels Brussels ( French : Bruxelles , pronounced [bʁysɛl] or [bʁyksɛl] ; Dutch : Brussel [ˈbrʏsəl] ), officially
13818-464: The end of the Brighton kilometre the Allard dragster had burst the pipe between supercharger and engine, a common problem with such an installation and the reason why the Americans bolt their blowers on the engine, eliminating a long induction pipe." Allard then went to Church Fenton "setting up the fastest s.s. kilometre achieved by a four-wheeled vehicle in this country" - 20.86 secs. "Allard also did
13965-531: The entire history of Brussels. The Grand-Place was destroyed, along with 4,000 buildings—a third of all the buildings in the city. The reconstruction of the city centre , effected during subsequent years, profoundly changed its appearance and left numerous traces still visible today. During the War of the Spanish Succession in 1708, Brussels again sustained a French attack , which it repelled. Following
14112-463: The frame for the new Corvette from the Mercedes 300SLR. To test the joint work of all the components, Duntov built a second car with a fiberglass body as a test mule. The results shown were positive, the team gained confidence in the victory. Later, the mule more than once proved its usefulness during the development and testing of new, improved versions. However, there was not enough time to fully test
14259-505: The headlights were introduced. According to the terms of the FIA GT races of those years, the wheels had to be "within the body", so the wheel arches were expanded, but barely passed according to the standards, since they also served to remove air from under the belly of the car, which gave its special shape. In order to use the oncoming airflow even more efficiently, near the rear window there were two air intakes (one from each side) that cooled
14406-616: The highest point (at 127.5 m (418 ft)) is not near the Place de l'Altitude Cent / Hoogte Honderdplein in Forest , but at the Drève des Deux Montages / Tweebergendreef in the Sonian Forest. Brussels experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) with warm summers and cool winters. Proximity to coastal areas influences the area's climate by sending marine air masses from
14553-400: The highest population density in the region, with 20,822/km (53,930/sq mi). Watermael-Boitsfort has the lowest population density in the region, with 1,928/km (4,990/sq mi). There is much controversy on the division of 19 municipalities for a highly urbanised region, which is considered as (half of) one city by most people. Some politicians mock the "19 baronies" and want to merge
14700-401: The household. Even after the divorce, Jacques continued to live with the family, and out of respect for both men, Zora and younger brother Yura took on the hyphenated last name of Arkus-Duntov. In 1927, the family moved to Berlin. While Duntov's early boyhood ambition was to become a streetcar driver, streetcars later gave way to motorcycles and automobiles . His first motorized vehicle was
14847-585: The imagination of the huge crowd. The high-pitched whine of his engine earned him the nickname of 'The hissing madman.'" An advertisement from 1950 for the Allard J2 stated: "Some overseas purchasers have preferred to fit the more powerful engines suitable for this chassis such as American Ford, Mercury, Cadillac, Ardun , Grancor etc." Sydney Allard raced an Allard J2 Chrysler in the Tourist Trophy at Dundrod Circuit in 1951. Allards were exported to
14994-562: The importance of Brussels as an international centre. Brussels has, since World War II , become the administrative centre of many international organisations. The city is the political and administrative centre of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO's Brussels headquarters houses 29 embassies and brings together over 4,500 staff from allied nations, their militaries, and civil service personnel. Many other international organisations such as
15141-486: The language quota, but in practice every minister-president has been a bilingual francophone. The regional parliament can enact ordinances (French: ordonnances , Dutch: ordonnanties ), which have equal status as a national legislative act. Nineteen of the 72 French-speaking members of the Brussels Parliament are also members of the Parliament of the French Community of Belgium , and, until 2004, this
15288-805: The last speed event to be held in England prior to World War Two. Having set the fastest time at the Horndean Speed Trials , his car overturned past the finish line. Both he and his passenger, Bill Boddy , were thrown clear and uninjured. During the Second World War Sydney Allard operated under the Ministry of Supply for the Army Auxiliary Adlards Motors' large repair shop in Fulham fixing army vehicles, including Ford trucks and Jeeps. During
15435-459: The marsh ' . Saint Vindicianus , the Bishop of Cambrai , made the first recorded reference to the place Brosella in 695, when it was still a hamlet . The names of all the municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region are also of Dutch origin, except for Evere , which is possibly Celtic or Old Frankish . In French , Bruxelles is pronounced [bʁysɛl] (the x
15582-608: The meantime, Duntov and Yura hid in a bordello. Five days later, Elfi met up with Duntov and his family and later they boarded a ship in Portugal bound for New York . Settling in Manhattan, in 1942 the two brothers established the Ardun Mechanical Corporation, the name a portmanteau of Arkus and Duntov. Ardun initially produced dies and punches for ammunition and later produced parts for aircraft. In 1947
15729-412: The municipalities under one city council and one mayor. That would lower the number of politicians needed to govern Brussels, and centralise the power over the city to make decisions easier, thus reduce the overall running costs. The current municipalities could be transformed into districts with limited responsibilities, similar to the current structure of Antwerp or to structures of other capitals like
15876-562: The new Cyclecar Club held a meeting at Brooklands where: "the first race was won by Sidney (sic) Allard's Morgan, at 73.37 m.p.h. from a couple of Austins." By 1933 he was competing in trials, retiring from the London-Exeter Trial that year in his Allard special, the Morgan converted by Allard to four wheels. He also retired in the London to Land's End trial. In 1935 he won his class, for unlimited unsupercharged sports cars, at
16023-516: The number of international conferences it hosts, also becoming one of the largest convention centres in the world. The presence of the EU and the other international bodies has, for example, led to there being more ambassadors and journalists in Brussels than in Washington, D.C. The city hosts 120 international institutions, 181 embassies ( intra muros ) and more than 2,500 diplomats , making it
16170-472: The occupation. After World War II, Brussels underwent extensive modernisation. The construction of the North–South connection , linking the main railway stations in the city, was completed in 1952, while the first premetro (underground tram) service was launched in 1969, and the first Metro line was opened in 1976. Starting from the early 1960s, Brussels became the de facto capital of what would become
16317-526: The origin of the settlement which was to become Brussels lies in Saint Gaugericus ' construction of a chapel on an island in the river Senne around 580. The official founding of Brussels is usually said to be around 979, when Duke Charles of Lower Lorraine transferred the relics of the martyr Saint Gudula from Moorsel (located in today's province of East Flanders ) to Saint Gaugericus' chapel. When Holy Roman Emperor Otto II appointed
16464-657: The outbreak of World War II. Following the outbreak of the war first Yura, then Zora, joined the French Air Force . When France surrendered, Duntov obtained exit visas from the Spanish consulate in Marseilles, not only for Elfi and himself, but for his brother and parents as well. Elfi, who was still living in Paris at the time, made a dramatic dash to Bordeaux in her MG just ahead of the advancing Nazi troops. In
16611-457: The production of “especially durable / long-life parts” Ideal for turning production cars into sports cars (Pontiac). Arkus-Duntov could not stop the new agreement. At his insistence, the driver Briggs Cunningham changed the three main Corvettes within 24 hours of Le Mans, each of which was equipped with an innovative 283-horsepower V8 fuel injected engine. Despite only achieving 10th place, it
16758-457: The pronunciations [bʁyksɛl] and [bʁyksɛlwa] (for bruxellois ) are often heard, but are rather rare in Belgium. The history of Brussels is closely linked to that of Western Europe . Traces of human settlement go back to the Stone Age , with vestiges and place-names related to the civilisation of megaliths , dolmens and standing stones (Plattesteen near
16905-406: The race at the end of the first lap, but on lap four he was the first to retire with collapsed rear suspension and a severed brake pipe. In 1952 and 1953 a sister car was driven at Le Mans by Zora Arkus-Duntov , a one-time Allard employee. Carroll Shelby also raced an Allard-Cadillac J2 in the United States early in his driving career. Thus the successful Allard formula of an American V8 engine in
17052-524: The racing Corvette. Therefore, having arrived in Sebring and joining the Corvette core team, SS pilot John Fitch still could not figure out the brake lock problem. The start of the race looked positive for the SS, but the problem with the brakes only intensified. By the end of the third lap, the pilot could no longer control the front axle of his car. After a quick tire change, Fitch continued to race, but already on
17199-494: The rear window into right and left halves. Duntov felt that the elongated hood interfered with the driver's view of the road ahead, and the rear pillar obscured the driver's view rearwards. The split rear window was widely criticized, and a one-piece backlite was put in its place the next year. The first sports Corvette was designed and constructed by Duntov in 1956, who built 3 copies. The SR1 and SR2 projects met with Harley Earl's approval, which led to Duntov's proposal to establish
17346-460: The reign of King Leopold II . The International Exposition of 1897 contributed to the promotion of the infrastructure. Among other things, the Palace of the Colonies , present-day Royal Museum for Central Africa , in the suburb of Tervuren , was connected to the capital by the construction of an 11 km-long (6.8 mi) grand alley . Brussels became one of the major European cities for
17493-670: The runway disappeared through the timing traps. Time : 10.841 sec., which made the motorcycle riders whistle a bit. There were no arguments about the dragster's performance this time and "sack-cloth and ashes" were handed out to all dis-believers and certain Editors! [Congratulations, Sydney Allard- but a kilometre is a long quarter-mile and I still maintain that the dragster didn't live up to Allard high pressure pre-Brighton publicity.- ED .]" Sadly few spectators witnessed this achievement. According to Jenkinson: "Allard's temperamental machine eventually did 10.48 sec on its best run," for
17640-547: The same Charles to become Duke of Lower Lotharingia in 977, Charles ordered the construction of the city's first permanent fortification, doing so on that same island. Lambert I of Leuven , Count of Leuven , gained the County of Brussels around 1000 by marrying Charles' daughter. Because of its location on the banks of the Senne, on an important trade route between the Flemish cities of Bruges and Ghent , and Cologne in
17787-534: The seat of the Dukes of Brabant, but it was destroyed by fire in 1731. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Brussels was a centre for the lace industry. In addition, Brussels tapestry hung on the walls of castles throughout Europe. In 1695, during the Nine Years' War , King Louis XIV of France sent troops to bombard Brussels with artillery . Together with the resulting fire, it was the most destructive event in
17934-402: The second centre of diplomatic relations in the world (after New York City ). International schools have also been established to serve this presence. The "international community" in Brussels numbers at least 70,000 people. In 2009, there were an estimated 286 lobbying consultancies known to work in Brussels. Finally, Brussels has more than 1,400 NGOs . The Treaty of Brussels , which
18081-540: The split of Brabant in 1995, the Brussels Region does not belong to any of the provinces of Belgium , nor is it subdivided into provinces itself. Within the Region, 99% of the areas of provincial jurisdiction are assumed by the Brussels regional institutions and community commissions. Remaining is only the governor of Brussels-Capital and some aides, analogously to provinces. Its status is roughly akin to that of
18228-493: The sports car record at the inaugural Prescott Hill Climb on 15 May 1938, driving Hutchison's V12 Lincoln-engined Allard Special in a time of 54.35 seconds. That year Allard, with Ken Hutchison and Guy Warburton in the "Tailwaggers" Allard-Special team, competed successfully in trials, sprints, rallies and races. On 15 July 1939, Allard took a class win at the Lewes Speed Trials in a time of 22.12 secs. Allard won
18375-496: The standing-start quarter mile, which took place at Debden, Essex on 14 April 1962. This was the fastest quarter-mile time ever recorded in the U.K. The car was demonstrated at the Festival of Motoring at Goodwood on 14 July 1962. At Brighton on 15 September 1962 the Allard dragster clocked two runs at 22.30 and 22.04 seconds. A respectable performance but no outright win or record. Motor Sport reported: "It appears that before
18522-704: The team prize in the Monte Carlo Rally (L. Potter 4th overall, A.A.C. Godsall 8th, A.G. Imhof 11th) with Sydney Allard finishing in 24th place. In 1950 Allard finished eighth in the Monte Carlo Rally, then raced in the Targa Florio in Sicily where his Allard car crashed and burned. He bounced back with a third place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year , partnered with Tom Cole Jr. A gearbox failure left Allard and Cole driving for hours with top gear only. "Allard's determination and fearless driving captured
18669-567: The tenure of the city's then-mayor , Jules Anspach , its entire course through the urban area was completely covered over . This allowed urban renewal and the construction of modern buildings of Haussmann -esque style along grand central boulevards , characteristic of downtown Brussels today. Buildings such as the Brussels Stock Exchange (1873), the Palace of Justice (1883) and Saint Mary's Royal Church (1885) date from this period. This development continued throughout
18816-536: The top section of the Brighton kilometre at 125 m.p.h. and won its class at Shelsley Walsh and Prescott, and two classes at Stapleford." He finished third in the unlimited sports car class at the Brighton Speed Trials that year, covering the standing kilometre in 25.99 sec. "Allard's air-cooled Steyr-Allard with Lotus front wheels and very compact body was third - although a sports car, it was started by means of an external battery." The car appeared at
18963-450: The upkeep of schools and roads within its borders. Municipal administration is also conducted by a mayor, a council, and an executive. In 1831, Belgium was divided into 2,739 municipalities, including the 19 currently located in the Brussels-Capital Region. Unlike most of the municipalities in Belgium, the ones now located in the Brussels-Capital Region were not merged with others during mergers occurring in 1964, 1970, and 1975. However,
19110-497: The written x noted the group / k s / . In the Belgian French pronunciation as well as in Dutch, the k eventually disappeared and z became s , as reflected in the current Dutch spelling , whereas in the more conservative French form , the spelling remained. The pronunciation / k s / in French only dates from the 18th century, but this modification did not affect the traditional Brussels usage. In France ,
19257-543: Was also the case for six Dutch-speaking members, who were at the same time members of the Flemish Parliament . Now, people voting for a Flemish party have to vote separately for 6 directly elected members of the Flemish Parliament. Before the creation of the Brussels-Capital Region, regional competences in the 19 municipalities were performed by the Brussels Agglomeration. The Brussels Agglomeration
19404-432: Was an administrative division established in 1971. This decentralised administrative public body also assumed jurisdiction over areas which, elsewhere in Belgium, were exercised by municipalities or provinces. The Brussels Agglomeration had a separate legislative council, but the by-laws enacted by it did not have the status of a legislative act. The only election of the council took place on 21 November 1971. The working of
19551-414: Was an early indication of the influence of American drag racing on his designs. The car was never successfully run and soon abandoned. In the sixties Sydney Allard continued to compete in rallies mostly accompanied by Australian navigator Tom Fisk. They won their class in the 1963 Monte Carlo Rally in a Ford Allardette. Starting from Glasgow they reached Monte Carlo unpenalised. In the 1964 Monte Allard hit
19698-407: Was appointed a director of Adlard's on leaving school. He married Eleanor May in 1936. Their son, Alan, drove Allard's first British-designed dragster with such success Sydney was made first president of the British Drag Racing Association . "Allard commenced racing in 1929 with a Morgan three-wheeler , later converted to four wheels," which he ran at Brooklands and elsewhere. On 31 August 1929
19845-477: Was based on firstly making an aluminum version of the "small block" V8, equipped with special spark plugs (At 377 °C, its power was 550 hp. at 6400 rpm.) and secondly, an unprecedented decrease in vehicle weight. A new ladder chassis with large diameter (4.5 in (114 mm)) tubular main rails was built. All body panels were of thin fiberglass with no gel coat, and the aluminum door handles were taken from an old Chevrolet pickup truck. Special attention
19992-451: Was beyond doubt as hundreds turned up at Blackbushe Airport on 25 September 1966, to see a non-existent race. In 1991 Sydney Allard was posthumously inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. In 2007 Sydney Allard was posthumously inducted into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame. There is a part of the course at Prescott Hill Climb known as Allard's Gap, sometimes shortened to Allard's. This resulted from an incident at
20139-400: Was erected between 1356 and 1383. Traces of these walls can still be seen; the Small Ring , a series of boulevards bounding the historical city centre, follows their former course. In the 14th century, the marriage between heiress Margaret III of Flanders and Philip the Bold , Duke of Burgundy , produced a new Duke of Brabant of the House of Valois , namely Antoine , their son. In 1477,
20286-421: Was established in 1834 and Saint-Louis University in 1858. In 1835, the first passenger railway built outside England linked the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean with Mechelen . During the 19th century, the population of Brussels grew considerably; from about 80,000 to more than 625,000 people for the city and its surroundings. The Senne had become a serious health hazard , and from 1867 to 1871, under
20433-418: Was held at Blackbushe Airport, Sat/Sun 25/26 September 1965, and RAF Woodvale, Sun 3 October 1965. The Blackbushe event was affected by torrential rain: "Unfortunately, the Blackbushe weekend was a financial catastrophe, and though Woodvale reduced the losses considerably, it was not enough to save Drag Festivals Ltd., who were forced to go into liquidation." A second Allard-Chrysler dragster "was constructed for
20580-412: Was invited to join the Porsche team. He drove an 1100 cc Porsche 550 RS Spyder at Le Mans in 1954 and 1955 , taking class wins both years. Arkus-Duntov joined General Motors in 1953 after seeing the Motorama Corvette on display in New York City . He found the car visually superb, but was disappointed with what was underneath. He wrote Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole that it would be
20727-425: Was paid to aerodynamics. The door handles were lightened and recessed into the body, and the headlights were hidden behind transparent plastic. However, aerodynamic lift tended to cause the Grand Sport's front axle to come off the ground at high speeds. To help alleviate windage, ventilation holes were added throughout the body: "gills" on the hood, openings behind the front and rear wheels, and even multiple openings at
20874-492: Was preparing to send them to the race in Daytona. But General Motors entered into an agreement with Duntov on the termination of any races, since the risks of the division of the company reached a maximum level. All 5 cars were handed out to private individuals and could no longer continue the competition due to the stop of design work. In 2009, the last surviving #002 chassis was auctioned off for $ 4.9M. The end of Grand Sport project did not stop Duntov, and in 1964 he began work on
21021-551: Was pushing speeds ever higher in the U.S. By the time Mickey Thompson showed up at Brighton in 1963 with his Ford-powered Harvey Aluminum Special the Allard dragster was looking distinctly dated. But this charismatic car was the true pioneer of British drag racing and a game-changer as UK racers adopted American methods and style. Allard was instrumental in bringing Dante Duce and Mickey Thompson to England in 1963 to demonstrate their dragsters. Duce appeared at Silverstone on 10 September (press demonstration); with Thompson joining in at
21168-463: Was signed on 17 March 1948 between Belgium, France , Luxembourg , the Netherlands and the United Kingdom , was a prelude to the establishment of the intergovernmental military alliance which later became the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Nowadays, the alliance consists of 32 independent member countries across North America and Europe. Several countries also have diplomatic missions to NATO through embassies in Belgium . Since 1949,
21315-433: Was that by 1961, about 53% of the entire US car market belonged to General Motors, which greatly interested the Department of Justice. In the event that the company's market were to grow to 60%, the antimonopoly department had promised to break up General Motors. Fearing this, management hoped to reduce auto racing revenues. But the most famous achievement of Arkus-Duntov was yet to come. In 1962 Ford officially withdrew from
21462-432: Was the deadliest act of terrorism in Belgium. Brussels lies in the north-central part of Belgium, about 110 km (68 mi) from the Belgian coast and about 180 km (110 mi) from Belgium's southern tip. It is located in the heartland of the Brabantian Plateau, about 45 km (28 mi) south of Antwerp ( Flanders ), and 50 km (31 mi) north of Charleroi ( Wallonia ). Its average elevation
21609-456: Was the founder of the Allard car company and a successful rally driver and hillclimb driver in cars of his own manufacture. Born in London, England, Sydney grew up a member of a family owning a substantial Ford dealership, Adlard Motor, in Acre Lane Clapham . Educated at Ardingly College in Sussex he became a staunch member of the Streatham & District Motor Cycle Club followed by his brothers Leslie and Dennis and their sister Mary. He
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