Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 139: Concept to Reality

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 139: Concept to Reality

To tie in with the ongoing Letaran History Challenge on the Automation forums, another competition was introduced: the 1974 Letaran Auto Convention. It was here that I showed a car that would inspire my entry in the next round of the LHC proper. That car was the 1974Wolfram WLF-6. Powered by an all-alloy straight-six engine with multi-point EFI, dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, and built on a corrosion-resistant steel chassis with aluminum bodywork, this sports car concept had a full-on luxury interior and cassette tape stereo, as befitting its role as a technological showcase that would predict the future.

The 1974 Wolfram WLF-6 concept (above) inspired the 1984 Wolfhound production car (below).

I was sufficiently satisfied by the original concept that I decided to adapt it for my actual entry for the latest round of LHC: the 1984 Wolfram Wolfhound. This effectively overwrote prior lore stating that it was a cheaper 2+2 coupe, but given how different the 4.2 build of Automation is now compared to what it was at the time I made the original Wolfhound, I could easily justify it. The engine had grown to 3.6 liters and 300 horsepower (compared to the concept's 3.5 liters and 280 horsepower), but to reduce costs, only some of the bodywork was made of aluminum, and the interior and stereo were downgraded to premium level. Even so, the car had transitioned to the production stage mostly as-is. The only other differences were the color scheme (originally red with a tan interior, then white with a red interior) and the badging on the rear.

Overall, this was quite an enjoyable experience for me, and one that every Automationeer should try at least once as a forum-goer.