Three three-time Formula 1 world champions among themselves

Daniel Reinhard
11/30/2011

Drei dreifache Weltmeister der Formel 1 - Nelson Piquet, Nicki Lauda und Jackie Stewart

Three of the four three-time world champions met at the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo. The only one missing was Australian Jack Brabham (world champion in 1959, 1960 and 1966).

Jackie Stewart (world champion in 1969, 1971 and 1973) had a lot of funny stories to tell from times gone by. He made the other two, Niki Lauda (1975, 1977 and 1984) and Nelson Piquet (1981, 1983 and 1987) laugh again and again.

The truth is that Formula 1 has changed a lot in recent years and there are few things that make you want to laugh so hard again. In the "good old days", the drivers had much more contact with each other and always showed their positive or negative sympathies for each other. However, this picture clearly shows that these three get on very well.

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Will the engines be roaring again at Klausen in 2013?

Bruno von Rotz
11/29/2011

MG Monoposto am Klausenrennen Memorial von 2006

Who doesn't remember the years 1993, 1998, 2002 and 2006 , when racing cars from past decades thundered over the Urnerboden up to the Klausen Pass? Between 1922 and 1930 , the historic Klausen Race was one of the biggest motorsport events in Europe, and the Automobil Revue, for example, even reported on the training and racing races every day.

Alfa Romeo 8C am Klausenrennen im Jahre 1932

The last Klausenrennen Memorial took place in 2006, and there was to be a four-year break before the next event. However, no race took place in 2010 and the alternative date in 2011 also went unused due to a lack of sponsors, as Fritz Trümpi, who had been in charge since 2006, announced. No date was set for the next race.

The Klausen Race must not be allowed to die

"The Klausen Race cannot be allowed to die," said Karin Gaiser and began to take action. She gathered a small team around her and began to think about how this unique event could be saved. Negotiations with Trümpi to take over the trademark rights were initially successful, but for unknown reasons the talks petered out in the summer of 2011. By this time, Karin Gaiser had already spoken to the governments of the cantons of Uri and Glarus and could assume that she would get the permits.

Two competing organizing committees

However, Fritz Trümpi decided against handing it over and took the reins again himself, and suddenly there were two competing organizations for the Klausen Race. The dispute was even played out on television, the governments made things easy for themselves and instructed the two organizing committees to come to an agreement, as there would only be one permit.

An agreement was not possible - time is running out

As was to be expected, the two committees were unable to reach an agreement, the cantons demanded concepts and further meetings failed to bear fruit. Now Karin Gaiser had to pull the ripcord, as her own timetable had long since slipped.

According to the experienced organizer, the sponsorship funds had to be confirmed for the 2013 event by September 2012 at the latest. And detailed plans and concepts are needed for the negotiations, which can usually only be drawn up once approval has been received. Due to the delays that had already occurred, the organization's own schedule was no longer realistic.

On November 21, the "Historische Klausenrennen" association therefore decided to withdraw its application for a permit and let the Glarus OK Klausenrennen take precedence in the sporting sense and spirit.

All eyes are on Glarus

So now all the pressure of expectation is on Fritz Trümpi and his organization. According to information on the official website, a prologue is already planned for 2012, and in 2013 the hill climb is to take place again as in the past, supplemented by pioneering vehicles.

"Just as the first Klausen races in the 1920s served to demonstrate the performance of the vehicles of the time, the next Klausen race is set to take up this spirit of innovation. In addition to the historic racing cars, vehicles with new drive technologies will be competing in their own categories," can be read on the event website. I wonder if this new form will appeal to the public? The main thing is that the old cars are back on the track, many fans will think ...

Impressionen vom Klausenrennen Memorial 2006 - Rennwagen donnert über den Urnerboden

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The automotive world loses a magician of Italian coachbuilding - Sergio Scaglietti

Stefan Fritschi und Daniel Reinhard
11/28/2011

Ferrari 250 GTO von 1961

Sergio Scaglietti was born in Milan on January 9, 1920. He lost his father at the age of thirteen and from then on had to help support the family. He therefore learned the trade of coachbuilding in a workshop. As Scaglietti soon mastered this art to perfection and his workshop was not far from the entrance to Enzo Ferrari's car factory in Modena, he was also entrusted with repairing damaged Ferraris. Legend has it that the cars looked better afterwards than before.

Ferrari 410 America von Scaglietti

Ferrari's son Dino therefore brought him a 166 MM for reworking, which was to become the forerunner of many famous racing and sports cars with the "Cavallino Rampante". Scaglietti and Ferrari were thus closely linked from the early days of the Scuderia. Founded in 1951, Carrozzeria Scaglietti delivered masterpieces such as the Monza Spider Scaglietti and 500 Mondial from 1954 or the 250 GT California, GTO or Testa Rossa at the end of the 1950s and beginning of the 1960s.

Ferrari Testa Rossa von 1959

There is a myth surrounding the Testa Rossa that the famous model designation was the result of a mishap. During the production of the prototype, the black paint for the engines ran out and Scaglietti had to consult Enzo Ferrari about what to do in this situation. He asked what other color was available? The answer was "red". The Commendatore replied: "Then just paint the engine red and call the car "Testa Rossa"!"

Legendary magician of the art of coachbuilding

Scaglietti's ability to nail a mudguard over a sandbag or a piece of wood using only his well-trained eye and a hammer was also legendary. For many cars, he simply had the idea in his head, and it was turned directly into steel and iron or aluminum without paper or pencil. One example of this would be the Chevrolet Corvette Scaglietti, which was created around 1960.

Chevrolet Corvette Scaglietti - fotografiert von Marty Goddard

Carrozzeria Scaglietti was integrated into Ferrari in the 1970s and later also into the Fiat Group and still builds bodies today. Because Sergio Scaglietti was undoubtedly an important building block of the Ferrari legend, he was honored in 2004 by giving the new Ferrari 612 the nickname Scaglietti.

Sergio Scaglietti retired from active business in the mid-1980s and died on November 20, 2011 in Modena at the age of 91.

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Chopard for the mechanic

Daniel Reinhard
11/27/2011

Uhr an der Mille Miglia 2006

At the Mille Miglia, every participating team receives a unique Chopard watch. The design of the watch changes every year, so each watch commemorates a specific year of participation.
There are certainly some of the starters who are aiming to complete their Chopard watch collection with their participation. Others give them as gifts to their co-driver, their partner or their mechanic.

However, the young lady in the photo was certainly not the mechanic in the team. The Mercedes pontoon with its defect, directly behind my parked BMW, prevented us from continuing our journey. Luckily, I had a "chief technician" in the car with me, so the two of them (the pontoon driver and my friend) were able to clear the embolism from the spray supply in no time. The Mercedes was able to drive on again and we were also unblocked.

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The great Hans Stuck and the little automobile designer Emil Enzmann

Bruno von Rotz
11/26/2011

Dr. Emil Enzmann (Mitte), Franco Sbarro (links) und Frank Rinderknecht (rechts)

Today, country doctor Dr. Emil Enzmann (pictured in the middle between Franco Sbarro and Frank Rinderknecht) celebrates his 90th birthday, and we wish him a very happy birthday!

Over the last few days, we have reported extensively on the well-known Swiss car manufacturer Emil Enzmann and his most popular work, the Enzmann 506 . Today, however, we would like to focus on a lesser-known and earlier episode in Emil Enzmann's life. We look back to 1932 and let Paula Stuck tell the story (retold on the basis of a report that appeared in the magazine "Sport-Illustrierte"):

We had a flat tire in Schüpfheim, a few kilometers from Lucerne. While we were changing the wheels, a little eleven-year-old boy joined us and started a conversation of his own accord.
"Isn't that the 12-cylinder? Why doesn't it have a high gear? Personally, I think the eight-cylinder is better. I recently drove a model with front-wheel drive. But it's definitely outdated ...."
We listened intently and my husband (Hans Stuck) started a conversation with him.

"Oh, I've known YOU for a long time," he said, peering under the hood. "It's time for you to start racing again. When will your Porsche be ready?"

Naturally, we were very surprised. An eleven-year-old boy in Schüpfheim who talks like a mechanic? One word led to another and finally he invited us to take a look at his own constructions.

His father owned the Hotel Adler and a large garage. In the large dining room, there was a display case containing many shooting awards, football cups and trophies from car races. So the son had inherited his passions from his father - but first and foremost his passion for cars. And now little Emil Enzmann led us into his room and proudly showed us a whole wall of drawings.

Zeichung von Emil Enzmann, im Alter von ca. 11 Jahren gemacht

The sixteen-cylinder engines just ran into each other. Yes, there was even a 32-cylinder among them, but Emil thought it was too complicated to use. V-shaped engines and gearboxes, 4- and 5-speed transmissions - everything a car enthusiast could wish for. And my husband and Emil sank into heated debates. Hans noted down what Emil was saying and Emil listened intently to the racing driver's views.

Hour after hour passed, and finally Emil gave us three original design drawings as a parting gift. (Two of these were later to appear in specialist journals!)

"And when I'm 15 years old, won't I Mr. Stuck, I'll be your right-handman," Emil asked faithfully.
"When you're 15 years old, I'll be your right-hand man," replied big Hans, and little Emil agreed.

Hans Stuck mit Freundin Paula Reznicek

Later (1933), Paul and Hans Stuck thanked him with a picture postcard, which Klein-Emil must have loved.

Karte von Stuck an Emil Enzmann im Jahre 1933

Unbelievable, but true! Where did Klein-Emil get all this knowledge from? Perhaps from the Automobil Revue, which he still enjoys reading every week ....

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Alfa Romeu made in Brasil

Daniel Reinhard
11/25/2011

Alfa Romeu FNM-JK 2000 von 1968

The Alfa Romeu FNM-JK 2000 is a Brazilian licensed model. The cars were built from 1960 - 1973 in a state-owned factory.

Alfa Romeu FNM-JK 2000 von 1968 - Interieur

You probably don't see the four-door sedan every day. Yesterday I was lucky enough to discover a beautifully restored example in the middle of Sao Paulo. Unfortunately, I only had my cell phone at hand to immortalize this rare car. If we can believe the parking lot attendant, there are only eleven of them left.

Alfa Romeu FNM-JK 2000 von 1968 - Heckleuchte

PS: In Portuguese, you don't write Alfa Romeo, but Alfa Romeu!

Alfa Romeu FNM-JK 2000 von 1968 - Kühlergrill und Markenemblem

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Which cars are suitable as investment objects - perspective from 1982

Bruno von Rotz
11/24/2011

Triumph TR 7

In No. 21/1982, Automobil Revue tried its hand at being an oracle on May 20, 1982. It suggested some vehicles that could turn out to be good investments. Of course, the author of the article made it clear that it was all speculation, but he did produce the following list of potential value winners:

Triumph TR 7 (especially convertible)
MG B (coupé and convertible)
Jaguar XJ Coupé
Jensen Healey
Lancia Fulvia Coupé
Fiat 850 Sport Spider
Opel GT
BMW Coupé predecessor of the 6 series (as 3.0 CS/L, etc.)
NSU TT
NSU Ro 80
Chevrolet Camaro
Pontiac Firebird
Ford Mustang convertibles
Alpine-Renault A 110
Citroën SM
Matra 530
Volvo P 1800 S

He was not entirely wrong with this list, but apart from the Alpine A 110 (especially in the particularly sought-after 1600 S and Gordini variants), none of these vehicles has actually become a "high flyer". Certainly, well-maintained vehicles similar to those listed have at least retained their value and experienced a certain increase in value, but it was only the Alpine that was able to increase in value by factors (approx. 4-6), i.e. one of 17 proposed investment objects.

The author's additional commentary is therefore reproduced here:
"What all these models, mentioned only as examples, have in common is that they are still available today in "sufficient" numbers and therefore largely hover between second-hand and collector's item. Ultimately, however, the decisive factor as to which side they belong is their condition: it cannot be emphasized enough that only rust-free classic cars that are in excellent condition and true to the original have any prospect of increasing in value in the past or later."

At least with this observation he was right. And it must also be said that today, almost 30 years later, hardly any of the examples listed can be found in the used car segment.

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A throwback to the prehistoric era of motorsport? The 1981 Realp-Rotondo gravel mountain race

Bernhard Brägger
11/23/2011

Philippe Carron auf Porsche 911 SC im Jahre 1981 beim Schotterbergrennen Relp-Rotondo (Foto Reinhard)

A hill climb on a natural road - a crazy idea or a throwback to the prehistoric days of motorsport? No. Why shouldn't rally drivers, who love special stages on gravel, crushed stone and sand, compete in a hill climb on real Uri granite? This is what happened on July 11, 1981 on the mountain route from Realp to the Rotondo hut at the top of the Urseren Valley.

Streckenplan Schotterbergrennen Realp-Rotondo 1981

After the Valais cantonal police refused to allow two special stages on the Furka and Nufenen passes in 1981 for the Gotthard Rally - the former Uri Rally - which was part of the Swiss Rally Championship, and no suitable alternative routes could be found, the organizing committee decided at short notice to hold a gravel mountain race on the six-kilometre military road from Realp to the foot of the Rotondo hut.

Beat Muther auf Opel Kadett GTE beim Schotterbergrennen Realp-Rotondo von 1981

And they all came, the cracks of the Swiss rally scene at the time: Philippe Carron, Gerhard Möll, Jean Pierre Balmer, Chris Carron, Franco Cattaneo, Roger Krattiger, Herbert Besch and many others. They were opposed by a whole horde of people from Uri with the sole intention of avenging their defeats in numerous dust battles at the Rallye du Valais or the Coppa Liburna on their own soil. The Nager brothers, Beat Muther, Felix Strüby and Kurt Baumann. However, with their Group 1 cars, they were up against all the 2.7-litre Porsche, Group 2 and Group 4 Opel or the Fiat 131 Abarth, despite their excellent knowledge of the route, gained from the repetition courses with the Uri Battalion 87, but on foot up to the 2371-metre-high Rotondo hut, with a full pack and 57 assault rifle!

Programmheft Schotterbergrennen Realp-Rotondo von 1981

The mountain race was part of the Toyota Cup, which alone brought 23 drivers to the start. Around 5,000 spectators watched the spectacular race. Despite adventurous drifts on the loose gravel, the high speeds on the long straights followed by fast combinations of bends or the exposed sections with views of lower-lying alpine pastures, the race went off without the slightest incident. This was also appreciated by the Uri police commander: "I am impressed by the high level of skill of these drivers". Those were still extraordinary times when the small Uri section of the ACS had the courage to realize such unconventional ideas in addition to the internationally renowned Rallye Uri - later renamed the Gotthard Rallye - without much ifs and buts.

The gravel mountain race was won by Philippe Carron from Valais in a Porsche (2.7-liter), ahead of the then reigning Swiss Rally Champion Jean-Pierre Balmer (Opel Ascona 400) and Gerhard Möll (Opel Kadett GTE). The fastest driver in the Toyota Cup was Beat Lienhard (Toyota 1600).

A year later, the Valais authorities agreed to close the Furka Pass. The legendary Furka Pass - Realp special stage took place in the middle of the foggy night. Downhill!

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One year of Zwischengas (unofficial)

Bruno von Rotz
11/22/2011

Start der Beta Phase am 22. November 2010 - man beachte das alte Logo

Exactly one year ago, on November 22, 2010, we went live with the "beta version" of Zwischengas - note the beta sticker and a pre-version of the logo in the picture above.

Over the last 365 days we have not rested, publishing over 590 articles, over 400 blog posts, 53 newsletters, well over 15,000 images, several hundred brochures and other documents. At the same time, we have continuously expanded the functionality of the Zwischengas online platform, adding new prices, market prices (yesterday!), advertisements/marketplace, specialist/club profiles, picture magic, picture stories and many other things.

It takes a lot of work to provide our readers with this depth and breadth of information. It starts with lonely hours in the archive, where thousands of photos and documents are looked through and then digitized using scanners.

Daniel Reinhard bei einer der vielen Foto-Sessions im Jahr 2011

Vehicles need to be presented in the best light and driving or passenger experiences must not be neglected, as this is the only way to get to the heart of an automobile. The best photos have to be selected and, if necessary, edited, just like the digitized documents.

Bruno von Rotz am Lenkrad eines 'Grossen' Borgwards

Over the past 365 days, we have been on site at around two dozen events in Germany, Austria, England and Switzerland, reporting (almost) live and documenting them photographically.

Balz Schreier am Verbessern der Zwischengas-Plattform

But our helpers and supporters in the background, the freelancers and all the people who support us with advice, action and sometimes also photos, information and historical documents are also extremely important. Without people like Tashi, Martin, Georg, Stefan, Claudio, Bernhard, Rehne, Wolfgang, Geoffrey, Philip, Peter, etc. etc., new media initiatives like Zwischengas would hardly be possible.

But even more important are you, our readers, because without you the whole adventure would make no sense at all. Thank you for your trust, your interest and your loyalty!

We will celebrate our "official" first birthday on December 22, 2011, just before Christmas. On that day, we will close the beta phase and open Zwischengas to the general public, accompanied and supported by a major article in Automobil Revue.

Until then, we - Daniel Reinhard, Balz Schreier and Bruno von Rotz - wish all our readers continued enjoyment of Zwischengas!

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Current market prices/valuations on Zwischengas

Bruno von Rotz
11/21/2011

Bewertungen - Zustand 2 versus Zustand 4-5

One service that many people interested in vintage and classic cars attach great importance to is the valuation of a vehicle. Market prices are an important indicator when selecting a desired classic car, when buying, but also when selling.

Zwischengas works together with the well-known German Classic Data to determine market prices and can now provide market prices for vehicles in condition 1 to 5 for over 30,000 vehicle/vintage combinations. As an online platform, we will of course update these market prices on a regular basis so that they reflect the latest trends and developments.

Markpreise/Bewertung eines Fahrzeugs auf Zwischengas

The search for market prices works in exactly the same way as on Zwischengas. Simply enter the brand and type, narrow down the vintage range if necessary and off you go.

Market prices, no matter how precisely researched and meticulously tracked, are always only an approximation. Depending on the situation, history, market situation or other circumstances, an individual vehicle can fetch significantly less or more when sold. Market prices should therefore be taken as an aid and indicator, not as the final truth.

Further explanations of the intermediate gas market prices and the condition grades used can be found here.

And if you want to get started right away , select the market price search under menu item "Market", then "Current market prices".

Menüaufruf der Marktpreise und Bewertungen auf Zwischengas

Anonymous (unregistered/not logged in) Zwischengas users can only see a rough classification of values in price ranges, registered users receive a price indication (ZG-specific weighted average of the various values per condition grade), only Premium users have full access to the price database and can see the detailed market prices for conditions 1 to 5 for all stored vehicles.

Marktpreise/Bewertungen je nach Fahrzeugzuständen auf Zwischengas

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Zwischengas has been publishing a daily blog post here since 2010

For more entries, please use the navigation by year and month.