When the handbag doesn't go with you ... a not infrequently occurring mishap

Werner Bartholai
06/30/2013

Wenn die Handtasche auf dem Dach, statt im Auto mitfährt ...

Warnings were issued 50 years ago. It happened again and again that ladies put their handbags on the roof when opening the vehicle and then left them there. When driving away, they would then fall off and disappear.

Even today, many years later, these mishaps still happen, only now it might be a smartphone or another utensil of modern life that goes missing in this way. And incidentally, even men are not immune to leaving things on the roof ...

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100 class victories for Porsche and 45 category victories for the 911

Laurent Missbauer
06/29/2013

1951 - der erste von 100 Porsche-Klassensiege in Le Mans (© Porsche AG)

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Porsche 911 and in preparation for the LM P1 comeback in 2014, Porsche sent two works "911s" to the WEC this year. At Le Mans, the brand achieved maximum success: Porsche scored a double victory in the LM GTE Pro category and also won the LM GTE Am. "With these two successes, Porsche has won its class victories number 99 and 100 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans," said a delighted Romain Dumas and Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG, who also joined in the celebrations on site.

Dr. Wolfgang Porsche in Le Mans 2013 (© Laurent Missbauer)

With the class wins 99 and 100, Porsche has extended its record and opened a new chapter in the history of the world's most famous endurance race. The first class victory came with the Type 356 in 1951 (see picture above)

And since when do the drivers on the podium shake a bottle of champagne after the race? Since June 11, 1967, when Jo Siffert won the index classification for the second time in a row and had great difficulty uncorking the champagne bottle. It occurred to him that he could shake it and water the drivers who shared the podium of the 24-hour race with him! This tradition, which was started by Jo Siffert, continues to this day.

The Porsche 911 (including its derivatives) won its category 45 times between 1968 and 2013 (plus two overall victories):

1968: 1st GT/Porsche 911
1969: 1st GT/Porsche 911
1971: 1st GT/Porsche 911
1975: 1st GTS/Porsche Carrera RSR, 1st GT/Porsche Carrera RS, 1st GTX/Porsche 911 Turbo
1976: 1st GT/Porsche 911 Turbo Gr. 5/Porsche 935, 1st Gr. 4/Porsche Carrera, 1st IMSA/Porsche Carrera
1977: 1st Gr. 5/Porsche 935, 1st Gr. 4/Porsche 934
1978: 1st Gr. IMSA/Porsche 935, 1st Gr. 5/Porsche 935, 1st Gr. 4/Porsche Carrera
1979: 1st overall Porsche 935 (1st Gr. 5), 1st IMSA/Porsche 935, 1st Gr. 4/Porsche 934
1980: 1st IMSA/Porsche 935 K3, 1st Gr. 5/Porsche 935, 1st Gr 4/Porsche 911 SC (Ethanol)
1981: 1st Gr. 5/Porsche 935 K3, 1st Gr. 4/Porsche 934 (Carburol)
1982: 1st IMSA GTX/Porsche 935 K3, 1st Gr. 5/Porsche 935, 1st Gr. 4/Porsche 934
1983: 1st Gr. B/Porsche 930
1984: 1st Gr. B/Porsche 930, 1st IMSA GTO/Porsche 911
1986: 1st GTX/Porsche 961 4WD
1993: 1st Cat. 4/Porsche 911 Carrera RSR
1994: 1st GT2/Porsche 911 RSR GT2/Porsche 911 RSR
1996: 1st GT1/Porsche 911 GT1, 1st GT2/Porsche 911 GT2
1997: 1st GT2/Porsche 911 GT2
1998: 1st overall Porsche 911 98 (1st GT1)
1999: 1st GT/Porsche 911 GT3
2000: 1st GT/Porsche 911 GT3 R GT/Porsche 911 GT3 R
2001: 1st GT/Porsche 911 GT3 RS
2002: 1st GT/Porsche 911 GT3 RS
2003: 1st GT/Porsche 911 GT3 RS
2004: 1st GT/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
2005: 1st GT2/Porsche 911 GT3 RS GT2/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
2007: 1st GT/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997)
2010: 1st GT/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997)
2013: 1st GTE-Pro/Porsche 911 RSR (991), 1st GTE-Am/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997)

And one more thing. As the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2013, the Porsche Museum sent the Porsche 917 No. 23 from 1970 to Le Mans, which clinched the first overall victory for Porsche at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Allan Simonsen bewundert den Porsche 917 in Le Mans 2013, kurz danach verunfallte er tödlich (© Laurent Missbauer)

The picture also shows the sadly deceased Dane Allan Simonsen (right) admiring the 917.

Photo Copyrights: Porsche AG, Laurent Missbauer (2x)

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Vely, vely stlong engine ... from the Beijing-Paris rally

Daniel Reinhard
06/28/2013

Nissan Fairlady Z - Rallye Peking-Paris - auf dem Gotthard Pass (© Daniel Reinhard)

On its way from Beijing to Paris, the long-distance rally also passed through Switzerland. A special stage on the famous old cobblestone Gotthard road called Tremola was on the agenda yesterday lunchtime.

The photo is deceptive, it wasn't a vulture (like at the Panamericana-Mexico 1952) that was to blame for the somewhat damaged windshield of the Datsun Fairlady Z (240 Z).

Der Nissan Fairlady Z zeigt Spuren eines Überschlags in der Mongolei

The Japanese team Iwasaki and Akiyama did a roll to the left in the middle of Mongolia in honor of all the fans. The "Z" looked a little crumpled as a result, but the co-driver said with a laugh: "Vely, vely stlong and good engine! We vely, vely happy to see snow"!

The car runs and the engine is good, so what does appearance matter?

However, the Japanese were quite cold on the Gotthard Pass and had problems finding their way in the thick fog and light snow.

Dem japanischen Team wurde es kalt auf dem Gotthard-Pass (Rallye Peking-Paris)

"Whele is way Nufenen Pass?" From the road book, it was really not clear to a foreigner which direction to take here, Milan or Lucerne? I explained everything to them, but I wasn't sure if they understood. But in the end they disappeared with their Fairlady Z in the intended direction.

I met other teams, such as the Polish team in the Jaguar XK150 and the two French crews in the Peugeot 504 and Renault R4, later on in Andermatt in search of the Nufenen Pass. I would love to know how they found their way in the middle of China or Russia if they encountered such problems in well-organized Switzerland.

The exertions were written all over the faces of the participants. The interiors of the cars looked like pantries. The power-to-weight ratio had certainly doubled for some of the participants by now ...

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Wind, ship and automobile

Bruno von Rotz
06/27/2013

VW Passat mit Segelschiff gleichen Namens im Jahr 1973

When people interested in cars hear the word "Passat", they first think of the Volkswagen sedan, or the even more popular station wagon.

In fact, however, the name originally comes from a warm and constant wind that generally occurs in the tropics north and south of the equator.

Where there is wind, there is sailing and so one or two ships are called "Passat", including the four-masted steel barque shown in the picture above, built in 1911 by the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg. The technical data are impressive: 3,180 gross register tons, 115 meters long, 14.4 meters wide, 4,100 square meters of sail area and a draught of 6.7 meters.

The Passat from 1973 could not quite keep up with this, because at 4.19 meters long and 1.6 meters wide, it could tow a maximum of 1,310 kg, including its self-supporting all-steel body, which crouched just under 18 cm above the ground.

VW Passat GT Synchro G 60 1989

Nevertheless, thanks to four-wheel drive and more engine power, later models also managed to transport full-size yachts, as demonstrated by the VW Passat GT Synchro G60 from 1989.

And what does the lady in the picture above have to do with all this? Good question, let's assume that she was hired as a sailor ...

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Flying cars 60 years ago

Bruno von Rotz
06/26/2013

Well, of course they didn't fly completely independently, the French automobiles in Paris. As a promotion for the Paris Motor Show in 1953, the organizers had come up with a small car exhibition on the "second floor" of the Eiffel Tower. And for this purpose, the vehicles had to be hoisted up first, of course.

But the question is, what kind of car is in this picture?

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Cell phone in a classic car

Bruno von Rotz
06/25/2013

Telefon im Rolls-Royce Camargue

Slowly but surely, cars that were equipped with a - often not exactly compact - cell phone and sometimes huge antennas for reception are now also becoming classic cars. The installation of the extensive equipment has often left traces, so that dismantling is not always easy.

Should you simply leave the now worthless phone in the car? Of course, the devices from the first generation of mobile phones can no longer be used? What would the FIVA think about this, especially if the phone was part of the car's factory equipment?

Philips Mobiltelefon auf Porsche-911-Haube

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No one is too young to be a real classic car fan

Daniel Reinhard
06/24/2013

Kinderautos am O iO 2013

Organizers will soon also have to think about the little fans of historic cars. Not only will parking spaces for the "big" cars be in demand, but an area for the "little" vehicles will soon be necessary too!

The youngest fans will be driving vehicles that are based on the design of the big models, but are mostly powered by muscle power, but increasingly also by electric and petrol engines.
Whether Citroën or Bentley, they are definitely equipped with the right event badge.

The OiO (Oldtimer in Obwalden) meeting recognized the latest trend early on and also provided the right parking space! (see picture above)

And parents seem to want to provide their children with ever more exclusive vehicles, as the result of the Dolder auctionrecently showed, when a children's car modeled on the Ferrari 330 P2 by De la Chapelle was knocked down for CHF 14,000, well above the estimated price.

De la Chapelle 330 P2 Junior versteigert

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When someone loses a wheel

Bruno von Rotz
06/23/2013

Fiat Abarth 850 TC Nürburgring beim Zieleinlauf beim GP Brugger Schachen

It happened shortly after the finish of race 4 at the GP Brugger Schachen, the Fiat Abarth 850 TC Nürburgring had already reduced its speed.

Das Rad ist ab beim Fiat Abarth 850 TC Nürburgring

Suddenly there was a scraping noise, the little Fiat bowed a little on the left. A wheel had gone astray. The young driver quickly drove onto the grass and set about inspecting the mishap.

Teile der Bremstrommel

The wheel had fallen off, along with part of the brake drum.

Das abgefallene Rad

The bolts were nearby and the wheel was not far away either. No big problem, the tow truck was quickly on the scene.

Der Wagen wird angehoben, um eine Hilfsrolle zu unterlegen

To compensate for the missing wheel, an auxiliary roller was placed underneath, and two or three strong men were enough to lift the Fiat to place the auxiliary underneath.

Der Fiat Abarth 850 TC Nürburgring wird auf den Abschleppwagen gehievt

Then the Abarth was hoisted onto the tow truck ...

Abfahrt des Abschleppwagens mit dem Fiat Abarth 850 TC Nürburgring ohne linkes hinteres Rad

... and drove away on it.

Luck in misfortune, you could say, because there would certainly have been more uncomfortable places and speeds to lose a wheel beforehand.

We will be publishing a comprehensive report on the GP Brugger Schachen soon.

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XY file number warns of new scam involving classic cars

Daniel Reinhard
06/22/2013

Fahrzeuginserat im Internet als Basis für einen Betrugsversuch (Inserat zufällig ausgewählt ohne Bezug zu Vorfällen)

"Aktenzeichen XY....ungelöst", broadcast on ZDF since 1967, quickly became a cult show. Who isn't familiar with Eduard Zimmermann's show, in which unsolved criminal cases are brought to public attention and often successfully solved?

Last Wednesday's show featured a new scam that could certainly put one or two of us in a tight spot.

A car is sold privately over the Internet. A Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagoda (the picture shown here was chosen at random and has nothing to do with the program/scam) played the leading role in the show. Once the car is sold, the offer for sale is deleted from the Internet or stamped with the words "sold". This process is closely monitored by the fraudsters, who contact the seller just a few days later and claim that the engine has suffered expensive damage. The repair was said to cost 4000 euros and the seller had assured them that the car was in top technical condition. The supposed buyer then goes on to say that he is now unwilling to pay this sum.

Many sellers feel guilty to a certain extent, are prepared to contribute to the damage and transfer the amount requested by the fraudster without making any major inquiries, usually even abroad.

In such cases, Aktenzeichen recommends first asking the fraudulent buyer for precise details and asking questions that only the buyer and seller can know, such as details of minor defects on the vehicle or the exact method of payment. This can be used to check whether you are talking to the buyer at all. To be absolutely sure, the real buyer should be contacted and questioned. It is also advisable to ask for the caller's telephone number and to call back later about the payment details. Money transferred abroad is practically never refunded, even in the event of fraud.

Buying and selling classic cars is a business based on trust, so it is all the more important to exercise caution in unusual situations.

This blog should also help those who have missed the XY file. New scams like the one described here must be nipped in the bud at an early stage.

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Can anyone still recognize this vintage car?

Bruno von Rotz
06/21/2013

Two weeks ago, we published two pictures showing an unknown vehicle. We received a number of comments on Zwischengas and Facebook, but are still puzzling over whether the photos could really have been of a Ford V8 Tudor.

This time it's even more difficult, because what Thorsten Müller has photographed on the North Island of New Zealand is barely recognizable and the wooden spoke wheel is probably not necessarily from the wrecked vehicle portrayed.

"A place where everything remains and nothing goes to the scrap press," is how Müller describes this enchanted place.

Even if it is almost impossible to identify, perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide the crucial clue to the make and model? After all, you can still see the shape of the radiator and the torpedo.