The A B C's of Designing a Benzomino.

The concept to build a car like this had been born during the 2004 M-100 Group Meet in St. Louis, while talking to Paul Bracq, designer of the Mercedes Benz Grand 600.

The seed germinated in the liking of a Chevy El Camino, 1969, SS 396 big block V-8 with high lift cams, racing exhaust headers, 440 transmission, and posi-traction rear

It took Paul Bracq two weeks, when back in France, to scratch up the various design renderings.

A donor Grand 600 was chosen for the project, and I started in September of 2004. In April, 2005, the Bemzomino went to the painter , and was finished it just before the M-100 Group Meet, to be driven on a trial run to Charleston, SC.

The Benzomino creates, at times, quite a stir while on the road, and often a camera phone appears while other drivers have to take a photo!

If everything goes per schedule, a second version, called "EL BENZO" should be ready next year, featuring a turbo, computerized fuel management system, and a modified GM 440 transmission with a true torque converter, etc.

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