Beta 1974 Detak Tay 210 1.0

It is beautiful, fun to drive, and affordable. Truly a dream car.

Specs:
Galvanized chassis
Front and back double wishbone suspension
102 HP, 145nm, 6000rpm, 2101cc, OHC Flat-4
Cast block, aluminum head, forged internals
Single double barrel carburetor
5-Speed manual gearbox
181KM/H top speed, 0-100(KM/H): 8.5 seconds
Open differential
15 inch Steel rims, Dunlop sport tires
Front disc breaks, rear drum breaks
Rack & pinion steering
Standard springs, gas monotube dampers
210mm ground clearance, 866kg weight

Features:
Central Locking
Heater system
AM radio
Deployable back seats (pretty small and tight though)
Cigarette lighters and ashtrays
Leather sporty seats
Padded leather dashboard
Wood steering wheel and gear lever
2-speed windshield wipers
Integrated fog lights
3-point seatbelts

Lore:
The DETAK Tay line was first introduced to the market in 1958. They were expensive, luxury grand touring cars created as display vehicles. They could be found in most DETAK dealerships as interesting pieces of cars to attract potential customers and bring excitement to the seemingly boring product line. They were critically acclaimed and were praised by anybody who used them. However, as with most expensive cars, they weren’t sold in great numbers. The line continued to be produced and updated until 1970, but the aging automobile that lost its appeal had to be put out of production. A renewal came in the form of the Tulpar TRS, a balls-to-the-wall, no-compromises hypercar clocking in at 468 gross horsepower with a hefty price tag. The car was again created not to bring in considerable profit but to help with the company's prestige and prove its engineering capabilities. Tulpar was again critically acclaimed and loved by the automotive press, but the Tay line was without successors to carry the name. In 1972 however, it was decided that the situation was to change.

DETAK’s chief executive officer, Orhan Alp, wanted to turn the Tay line into a budget-friendly, daily-driveable, fast, and agile sports car. He also emphasized the importance of designing the car motorsports-ready. In his vision, simply creating pieces that the average consumer could only see on TV or at a dealership wasn’t enough to break the company’s slow and boring image. A budget, agile sports car could be sold in great numbers and be seen by the public regularly, and its drivers would unintentionally participate in the marketing of the car by just driving around in it. Combining this with the potential motorsports visibility, Orhan Alp was convinced he had a winning idea. However, In 1972, there were only two cars that weren’t labeled boring or ordinary in DETAK’s product line. The Kedi TRS, a compact city car’s fun and sporty trim; and The Trakya 3.7L, a premium executive sedan. The Trakya was a success, but the Kedi TRS was mostly seen as a gimmick nonetheless. Consequently, not everyone was convinced a light sports car would get taken seriously and the premise was met with some resistance and controversy by the board, but Alp’s plan got enough approval to push on.

The first 2 design drafts looked promising to Orhan Alp. One was the budget consumer sports car, and the second draft was an expensive track-oriented vehicle, aimed to gain success in motorsports. However, Alp wasn’t pleased with the engine for the consumer prototype, which was a modified inline-4 4SYM engine used in DETAK’s family cars. Alp criticized the engine, saying “Technically It’s not bad, but I think this won’t excite anybody. It’s just a slightly larger version of our family car engines, it lacks allure. ” The team was somewhat disappointed with Alp’s criticism, but senior engineer Mehmet Nöker offered to develop a boxer engine to Alp. In 1944, DETAK developed a boxer engine for Nu.D-38 passenger aircraft built in Turkey and the engine was updated until 1959 for different projects. DETAK also manufactures various engines, from huge diesels to compact 3 cylinders, so developing a new flat-4 engine was an expensive but doable task for the team. Alp green-lit the project and development was on.

By the end of 1972, the B4/Alu was born. Even though it was clear that the engine needed refinement and improvement, it seemed promising and the team was excited with the project. The car itself was also taking shape. It was a 3.9 meter, 2 seater coupe, with a long and sporty engine bay. Years later, the sleeper car scene would fill the hood with huge V8s.

In 1974, the Tay 210 was launched. It was loved by the automotive press and the consumer base. The lively, sporty car was quick and agile, yet perfectly driveable, fairly practical, and comfortable. The engine was smooth and responsive and DETAK struck a deal with Dunlop to mass purchase sports tires to offer them as standard which helped massively with the driving experience. A Tay 210 rally version was also produced. It competed in the 1975 WRC and finished with 12 manufacturers’ points tying Porsche. The Tay 300 and its Rally edition were released in 1975. The Tay 300 rally edition was hugely successful and joined the 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980 WRCs, landing Detak in 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 3rd, and 5th place respectively.