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Saab Festival 2010

June 28th, 2010 by admin

The Saab Festival in Trollhättan, Sweden will be held again from 15th to 18th of July, 2010. It is the world’s largest gathering of Saab enthusiasts.

Several thousands of Saab fans from around the world are expected to come to Sweden this year. Many of them will of course come with their own Saab car.

The focus of the festival will be on the history of Saab as well as on the new Saab 9-5, the most advanced Saab that was ever built.

And the 50th anniversary of the Saab 96 will be celebrated too. The Saab 96 is the car that took Erik ‘Mr Saab’ Carlsson to the first of a hat-trick of RAC Rally victories in 1960.

In the Saab museum visitors can get information about the history of Saab and there will also be factory tours, parades, presentations and automobilia sales.

Click here for more information.

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Early BMW Cars

June 23rd, 2010 by admin

In the car plant at Eisenach the British Austin Seven was built under license and was called  “Dixie 3/15 PS”.

After BMW had bought the car plant to start with the production of cars, the Dixie was modified and from 1929 on sold as BMW 3/15 PS DA. “DA” meant “Deutsche Ausführung” (German construction).
The little car was quite popular and helped BMW to overcome the depression.

The BMW 3/15 PS had a steel body and was not only very reliable but also a pretty economical car to run. Due to the price of only 2,200 reichsmarks and the fact that it won the “International Alpenfahrt” (Alps Rally) in 1929 it the 3/15 became really popular.

The last car was sold in 1932 and its successor was the BMW 3/20 PS the first “real” BMW. It also had the “AM 1” for “automobile construction Munich”. The BMW 3/20 was more up to date than the Dixie, with overhead valve cylinder head, four-wheel brakes and front swing axle.

More pre-war models followed: The 303 in 1933, the 326 in 1935, the 328 Roadster in 1636 and the 327in 1937. The 328 was not only well constructed but also a pretty successful race car. The car was built under license in the UK.
BMW also became popular as a manufacturer of 6-cylinder engines.

Before and during WW2 the production of flight engines became more important again so that less motorcycles and cars were built.

After WW2 the car plant in Eisenach was under Russian occupation and the plant in Munich was severely damaged. During the first years only motorcycles, cooking pots and brakes were produced.
In 1951 the BMW 501 with a pre war 6-cylinder engine was presented. It was the first BMW car to be built after the war.  Because of its shape it was called “baroque angel” (Barockengel). In 1954 the faster version of the 501, the 502, was available with a V8-engine, the first lightweight V8 engine in the world.
Financially the BMW 501/502 never was a success.

But as the V8-engine proved to be a suitable racing engine, the models 507 and 503 were built. They were presented on the IAA in 1955.
But even thought the 503 was one of the most beautiful sports cars of that time only 412 were built until the end of production in 1959.

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From Coachwork to Bodywork

June 18th, 2010 by admin

Classic cars certainly require more attention than new cars because of the way they were built.

There are great differences even between pre and post war classic cars.

In the years before WW1 cars were mostly built around a channel section chassis and the body was produced separately and then secured to it. At about the mid-1930s box section frames became popular.

The bodies were made by hand using coach building methods that reached back beyond the 18th century. The bodies mostly were aluminium panels covering a wooden frame, usually of ash. The coachwork was simple but well proportioned. Coach building was labour intensive and required skilled workers.

Until the mid-1920s open cars were more popular than saloons. If manufacturers didn’t maintain their own body shops, they relied on coach builders for the supplies. And as most towns had at least one coach builder, it was possible for customers to get their individual coachwork.

Change came from America, when in 1912 Edward Gowan Budd set up a plant in Philadelphia to mass produce pressed-steel bodywork for cars. The Dodge brothers were early customers, and after WW1 the steel bodies became more popular in the United States. The parts were quicker to produce and required far less skilled labour.
During the 1930s many British manufacturers adopted pressed steel bodies, but hand crafted coachwork also persisted.

A big step forward was the unitary body construction which first appeared in Britain on the Vauxhall Ten Four of 1938.

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Classic Car Events 2010

June 13th, 2010 by admin

20 June, 2010 – RWS Custom & Classic Car Show will be held at Ravens Wood School, Oakley Road, Bromley, Kent BR2 8HP, UK. With more than 450 custom and classic cars out it sure is a family fun day out. There will also be a craft fayre, BBQ, inflatable rides and autojumble. All monies raised got to the school and kids go free! www.rwscarshow.co.uk

20 June, 2010 – at the Senlac Classic Car Show more than 200 classic cars, military vehicles, commercial vehicles and motor cycles can be seen. There will also be craft stalls, falcony display, musical entertainment, arena events, children’s games, food, refreshments, BBQ, bar and interest stalls. The location is opposite Bodiam Castle, East Sussex TN32 5UA, UK. Email: carshow@eddiemccall.com

26 June, 2010 – the 8th annual “Peace Classic” Car and Truck Show will be held on the southside of Des Moines, Iowa, USA. . 5615 S.W. 14th, corner of S.W. 14th and Porter. Peace Lutheran church. It is an open show and 1900-2010 makes/models are welcome. The best kept car will be selected. Registration from 10am to 1pm, participant voting 1pm-2pm, awards at approx 3.30pm. Have a great time with great cars, great food, great music and great giveaways. Email: wrench57@gmail.com

26 June, 2010 – along with the Traditional Country Fair the Classic Car Treasure Hunt will be held at Midhopestones, UK. Entry fee £5 per car with half of it going to charity and the remainder will be paid out to the winner. The event starts at 10:30am at Mortimer Road, Midhopestones, across from Ye Olde Mustard Pot. S36 4GW, UK. More details on www.midhopegala.co.uk

27 June, 2010 – the Emmott Arms Car Show will take place at Emmott Arms Public House Carpark, St, Rawdon, West Yorkshire LS19 6PP (Just off A65). It is a pre 1990 car show and starts at 12 noon. Show vehicles should arrive between 11am and 12noon. It is limited to 50 show cars and entrants must reserve a space by emailing emmottarms@ntlworld.com (with details of vehicle and contact number) or phoning 0113 250 6036. Prizes for 1st-2nd-3rd place.

27 June, 2010 – the Pure Nostalgia Classic Car and Retro Show takes place at The Lawn, Hall Road, Rochford, Essex SS4 1PJ, UK. It is a revival and there will be classic cars, vintage fashions and apparel, automotive art, side shows and stalls, refreshments and music. It starts at 10:30am. www.thelawn.co.uk

27 June, 2010 – Minis on the Wreck is the annual show of the Brighton Mini Club. It takes place at Adur Recreation Ground, Shoreham- By-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5LT, UK. It is a free event classic and new Minis and Charity raffle, Show ‘n’ shine, club stands, entertainment, traders, autojumble and more. For more information click here.

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1958 Ford Nucleon

June 7th, 2010 by admin

The 1958 Ford Nucleon was a concept car built by Ford and there was only one ever constructed.

The car was supposed to be powered by a small nuclear reactor which was placed in the rear. The passenger compartment was situated close to the front of the car, extending beyond the front axle, to protect the passengers from the reactor.

The Ford Nucleon had a one piece windscreen with no pillar, a compound rear window and the aerodynamic styling looked very futuristic. Air intakes at the leading edge of the roof and at the base of the roof supports were meant to be part of the reactor’s cooling system.

The capsule with the radioactive core for motive power could easily be changed and it was said that the car could travel about 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometres) without recharging. That was depending on the size of the core of course. At the end of its life the core would be taken to a charging station. The reactor was similar to the ones used in nuclear submarines but of course much smaller.

A working prototype of the Ford Nucleon never was built but it is an icon of the Atomic Age and shows that designers thought everything was possible.

A mock-up of the car can be seen at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

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Karmann Ghia

June 2nd, 2010 by admin

From 1949 on the Volkswagen Beetle cabriolet was built by the German coach-builder Karmann in Osnabrück. It was a quite popular vehicle and easy to maintain.

During this time the coachbuilder Karmann had the idea of building a really racy car and Luigi Sere of Carrozzeria Ghia SpA in Turin was asked to design it.

The first concept car based on the platform of the Beetle was finished in 1953.

In July 1955 the new Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was introduced.

Against all expectations the presented car wasn’t a cabriolet but a coupé as it was easier to transform a coupé into a cabriolet than the other way round.

But thanks to the large windows you could already imagine what a cabriolet would look like.
The chassis was a modified Beetle chassis which had to be widened.
The Karman Ghia did not only look good, it also fulfilled people’s needs for luxury of that time and was affordable. It was also very popular in the USA.

In September 1957 the long expected cabriolet was presented in Frankfurt.

Of course neither the cabriolet nor the coupé were suitable as true sports cars but they were as reliable as the Beetle and very stylish.

Since the Karman Ghia used the same air cooled engine as the Beetle it also shared the engine development finally arriving at an engine displacement of 1584 cc.
And even though the Karmann Ghia outweighed the Beetle by 100 kilos the streamline shape compensated for this shortfall. And driving it was great fun.

All in all the Karmann Ghia was a typical Volkswagen which combined reliable technology and a stylish appearance. During the 20 years of production more than 440,000 cars were sold.

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Bird Droppings Cause Damage

May 28th, 2010 by admin

Especially now many classic car enthusiasts try to park their car in the shade to protect the paint from the sun.

And shade they find mostly under trees and that is where more danger for the paint is waiting. It’s droppings from our friends the birds.

The bird droppings are highly acid, which is bad enough for the paint of your classic car, but when you try to remove it with a wet towel, you will notice that it leaves scratch marks. Bird’s droppings are not only acid; they also contain gravel that birds use to digest their food.

The best you can do is to carry a bottle of water mixed with carbon dioxide with you in your classic car. Just water and carbon dioxide without any salt. The water won’t do any damage to the paint and when you shake it well when having a thumb on the spout, after having removed the lid, you can create a blast with which you can easily wash off the substance some bird left on your classic car. You should also wash away insect splatters as soon as possible by the way because the bodies of the insects also contain acid.

If you are worried about the effect that this can have on your cars, perhaps it might be a good time to have a look at your car insurance and see if you can get some good multi car insurance for your collection.

If you leave the droppings on the paint for too long you might have to polish your car to fix the damage.

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ABENTEUER & ALLRAD 2010

May 23rd, 2010 by admin

In Bad Kissingen, Bavaria, Germany Europe’s largest cross-country fair will be held again from 3rd to 6th June, 2010.

About 200 exhibitors and more than 45,000 visitors are expected at this year’s ABENTEUER & ALLRAD. Besides the whole range of 4-wheelers and cross-country vehicles products and services from the fields of cross-country, travelling and caravanning will also be presented.

Land Rover Germany will not only present new but also classic vehicles and of course Jeep, one of the world’s most important manufacturers of cross-country vehicles, will be present at the ABENTEUER & ALLRAD.
You can also attend shows and demonstrations of the vehicles presented on the ABENTEUER & ALLRAD and of course you can also purchase spare parts and accessories for your own vehicle.

For exhibitors and visitors a special camping site has been built. From there you can reach the fair free of charge by shuttle.

Opening hours and entrance fees

  • Thursday – Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm
  • Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm
  • Tickets for one day: 10 Euros
  • Tickets for all days: 18 Euros
  • Camping area for visitors per night: 10 Euros
  • Parking and shuttle are free.

For more information click here.

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Muscle Car Auction, San Diego, California

May 18th, 2010 by admin

There will be a Muscle Car Collection for sale at RM Auctions in San Diego, California, USA on June 19, 2010.

The auction is announced as Classic Muscle and Modern Performance sale with more than 80 cars and all offered at no reserve.

Most of these cars going under the hammer are the property of one prominent Southern California collector. There will be no fewer than 18 Corvettes, on of them a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88, fully documented, with low mileage and about 430bhp and another one a 1965 Chevrolet Fuel-Injected Corvette.

Other cars will be two 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28s, a 1970 Pontiac GTO Convertible, a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429, a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Convertible, possibly the only red/black model made and one of only 18 left throughout the world.

‘RM is delighted to have been chosen to present this outstanding group of cars at auction,’ said Ian Kelleher, RM’s chief operating officer.

Muscle Car enthusiasts who don’t live in the San Diego area don’t need to worry because RM Auctions will take written bids (submitted one week prior) and telephone and internet bids (registration required). So anyone will get a chance.

Location:

Town and Country Resort & Convention Center
500 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, California
92108

Preview:

June 18, 2010 9:00 am – 6:00 pm PST
June 19, 2010 9:00 am – 6:00 pm PST

Auction:

June 19, 2010 11 am – 6:00 pm PST

Admission:

Admission to this sale requires the purchase of the official auction catalog for $80. The catalog will admit two to the preview, reception and auction.

For more information click here.

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KLASSIKWELT BODENSEE 2010

May 13th, 2010 by admin

From 3rd to 6th June enthusiasts of classic vehicles meet again in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance for the KLASSIKWELT BODENSEE.

KLASSIKWELT BODENSEE is one of the most important classic vehicle events in the heart of Europe.

Besides classic cars you can also see classic boats, classic aircrafts, classic motorcycles and classic sports cars.
And this year even the great German brands Audi, Opel, Porsche and BMW will be there in one of the 12 exhibition halls. Classic vehicles will be for sale and you can also get spare parts and accessories.

On the circuit there will be a daily show of classic sports cars and motorcycles, you can attend the daily air show, you can go on a pleasure flight with the famous “Tante Ju” JU-52 and you can board one of the historical boats.

You can get to the KLASSIKWELT BODENSEE easily by plane via Friedrichshafen Airport, Zurich Airport or Memmingen Airport. Also by train or of course by car. The address is: Klassikwelt Bodensee, Neue Messe 1, 88046 Friedrichshafen, Germany

Opening hours and entrance fees

The KLASSIKWELT BODENSEE is open to the public daily from 10 am to 6 pm.

Entrance fees

  • Adults: 14,00 Euros
  • Adults online: 12,00 Euros
  • Two Day Ticket for adults: 22,00 Euros
  • Two Day Ticket for adults online: 20,00 Euros
  • Reduced Price for members of ADAC, Deuvet + Bäcker-Coupon: 12,00 Euros
  • Reduced Price (pupils, students, young people 12 – 18 years, pensioners, handicapped people, groups of at least 10 people, Rock ´n’ Roll-Clubs, Dancing Schools all with adequate documents): 10,00 Euros

Online tickets you can book here.

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