The McLaren F1 as an investment wonder and the Bugatti in its footsteps

Bruno von Rotz
07/31/2014

McLaren F1 1995 (© Brian Henniker - Courtesy Gooding & Company

Gooding & Company is offering a 1995 McLaren F1 at the Pebble Beach auction( August 16/17, 2014) for an estimated price of USD 12 to 14 million - sometimes eight figures in euros and CHF.
This would not only be a world record for a road-going F1, but also a surprisingly high price for a car that is not even 20 years old and once cost DM 1.5 million new. The third owner in particular, who, like his predecessors, has probably mostly stored the car with 1617 km on the clock, but not driven it, is likely to make a good "return on investment" with his purchase, should the value actually level off at 12 to 15 times the new price. Ten times your money in just a few years sounds attractive.

And of course you could ask yourself whether you could achieve this with the Bugatti Veyron that RM is auctioning in Monterey on August 15/16. Estimated at USD 1.9 to 2.5 million, the 2013 model is a Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse "Le Ciel Californien", i.e. a one-off special version based on the color combination of the Type 37A in which Pierre Veyron raced. The car comes from a first-hand owner and has just around 5000 km on the clock.

Bugatti Veyron 2013 (© Robin Adams - Courtesy RM Auctions)

Who knows, maybe in 20 years' time we will be surprised that this very Bugatti Veyron is worth USD 20 million and a clever investor can laugh up his sleeve again. But maybe not ...

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Vignette collection as a sun visor

Daniel Reinhard
07/30/2014

Vignetten auf Windschutzscheibe

Vignettes have been compulsory in Switzerland since 1985. An annual fee of CHF 40 (originally CHF 30) must be paid for the use of Swiss highways and motorways (first and second class national roads).

The purchased vignette is affixed to the windshield and is valid from December 1 to January 31 according to the year printed on it. "The vignette correctly affixed to the vehicle is valid as proof of payment", according to the federal ordinance. It cannot be assumed that the vehicle pictured correctly fulfills the proof of payment requirement. These 13 vignettes probably already serve as a sun visor and the inspecting law enforcement officer will probably have problems finding the currently valid vignette quickly. Unfortunately, the vignette collection is not quite complete, otherwise the windshield could be the most valuable thing in the whole car.

Only in Germany can all roads still be used free of charge. But this generosity is likely to change soon and, as in Austria or Switzerland, you will have to obtain a driving license.

"Zwischengas" is looking for the windshield that still actively participates in traffic by 2030 and carries all previous vignettes from Switzerland, Austria and Germany. A gift is already waiting!

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Soon I'll be a classic car with a great patina

Daniel Reinhard
07/29/2014

When the strange new car arrived, they just left me here, now the first bushes are already coming and covering my exterior.

Worms and bugs are already crawling inside me. Birds are nesting all over me and inside me. They leave all their dirt behind. It stinks and itches, but that's a good thing, because I'll soon have a beautiful patina.

But it takes patience, a lot of patience.

Then, at some point, I'm sure I'll be rediscovered and lovingly kissed awake. But hopefully I can avoid excessive over-restoration, because I really want to win the Coppa d'Oro as Best of Show at the Concorso d'Eleganza in the Villa d'Este in 2048 in my patina dress.

You can find more pictures that tell a story almost without words in the specially created theme channel.

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No inappropriate colors!

Bruno von Rotz
07/28/2014

Farbwahl beim Oldtimer

Can you paint a classic car in the color you like best, regardless of whether the color even existed at the time and for a certain type of vehicle?

The Zwischengas readers who took part in our " Question of the Week" clearly say "No". Only 12% would consider it right to spray a classic car in any color, even a modern one. A clear 60%, on the other hand, are only in favor of colors that actually existed for the car type, but would at least leave the owner free to choose a color from that palette. A Pagoda could therefore be painted in ivory instead of silver metallic, provided the color matches the factory specification of the time.

However, 26% are in favor of the maximum possible originality in the choice of color, i.e. the color should be the same as when the car left the factory.

Auswertung P12 - Farbwahl beim Oldtimer

However, as readers have correctly commented, it also depends on the car. A car that was on display at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961 should certainly still be shown today in the livery it wore back then, whereas a VW Beetle might well be shown in a different color from that era.

We would like to thank all readers for their participation and are already asking the next question, namely what they think about classic carsbeing electronically optimized , for example with car radios with modern innards or with programmable ignition systems.

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Air conditioning or what?

Bruno von Rotz
07/27/2014

VW Bus T1

Nowadays, hardly any cars are delivered without air conditioning. It used to be quite different. Back then, air conditioning compressors were expensive and the fuel consumption was high. As a result, hardly anyone could afford one of these sophisticated systems.

Citroën 2 CV

And so car designers came up with other solutions to make things more bearable for vehicle occupants. There were flaps under the windshield (as in the Citroën 2 CV), flaps on the side for additional fresh air intake (as in the Fiat 2300 S) or even fold-out windows (as in the VW T1 Samba). And, of course, the famous fold-out triangular windows in the front doors and the hinged windows on the rear windows.

Fiat 2300 S

All these features have become obsolete and are now missing in modern cars. In contrast to the maintenance-intensive and sometimes fault-prone air conditioning system, however, they worked at all times and without much maintenance.

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Living beautifully à l'americaine

Bruno von Rotz
07/26/2014

When you go to an American car show, the interiors of US vehicles immediately catch your eye. In the fifties and sixties in particular, US designers went all out, mixing materials and colors to create a wild potpourri.

While there were still parallels to English interiors up until the 1940s, the Americans developed their own style after the war.
The trend towards lots of space, wide upholstery and bright colors prevailed.

The interior became a means of expression and a differentiating factor in the market

This does not necessarily mean that there was no room for tasteful luxury and elegant design, as a Chrysler 300 G Convertible from 1961 shows.

A fine selection of American classics with special interiors can be found in RM Auctions' offering on the occasion of the Motor City auction on July 26, 2014.

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Volkswagen meeting Stöckalp

Daniel Reinhard
07/25/2014

Not only Lake Wörthersee has its VW meeting, the Volkswagen scene also meets in Switzerland. On May 10, 2014, the "VW Friends of Stättersee" came to Stöckalp in the canton of Obwalden with old and new, conventional and futuristic.

Whether Karmann, Bully or Beetle, paired with Golf 1,2,3,4, etc..... True to the motto: Till death do you part!

In contrast to the meeting in Reifnitz am Wörthersee, everything here was much quieter and more informal.

Nevertheless, the group had a lot of fun and showed their colleagues and fans their old and well-known, as well as new and not yet shown, original and more or less tuned vehicles.

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Classic pearls of the future - Citroën BX 4TC

Bruno von Rotz
07/24/2014

This car is rarer than a Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing or a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, and it has real racing genes in its blood. Nevertheless, it may take more convincing to persuade someone to buy the Citroën BX 4TC than the downright popular BMW M3 E30.

On the one hand, this is due to the shape of the BX, which not everyone can relate to (Bertone had a hand in this). On the other hand, it was due to the lack of success that this rally evolution version of the Citroën BX suffered from, not least because of its withdrawal from Group B.

Everything had looked very promising. A 2.2-liter turbo engine with around 300 hp had been transplanted longitudinally (instead of transversely) into the front of the Citroën BX, all-wheel drive had been installed and the car had been lightened as much as possible. Wide tires were mounted on the sides.

The racing version was then probably a little more powerful and also equipped with a brute rear spoiler. Nevertheless, sixth place in the Swedish rally was the best that could be achieved. After all.
Despite its rarity, one of these cars changed hands at a Bonhams auction in 2005 for just EUR 14,950 or CHF 18,152. Would that still be so cheap today?

If you would like to admire one of these vehicles 1:1, please visit the Citroën exhibition at the Pantheon Basel, where one of the 200 BX 4TCs built will be on display until October 2014.

Further reports on classic pearls can be found in the dedicated topic channel "Classic pearls".

You can find out more about Citroën on our brand page.

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Paul Rosche in Hockenheim

Daniel Reinhard
07/23/2014

Exactly two hours before the German GP in Hockenheim on July 20, 2014, "Nocken-Paule" (Paul Rosche) and Frank Williams met up on Sunday for a chat between friends.

It was a very special birthday present for Rosche. For his 80th birthday (April 1, 1934), he received an invitation from Toro Rosso to attend the race in Hockenheim. Here, after a long time, he met many of his friends from days gone by. Together with the then Brabham team boss Bernie Ecclestone, he won the world championship title with Piquet and BMW in 1983.

Paul was the brains behind the fast BMW engines for many years. Whether in the 2002 or the E30, whether in the Brabham F1 or the McLaren F1 (Le Mans victory in 1995 in the McLaren F1 and 1999 in the BMW V12 LMR).

Whether 4 or 12 cylinders, even the powerful 4-cylinder turbo with around 1200 hp, they were all built under his direction. BMW and Paul Rosche share a twofold connection with Frank Williams: on the one hand, the BMW V12 LMR comes from Williams, and on the other, there is the five-year partnership (2000-2005) in F1 with BMW-Williams.

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When a steering wheel was still a steering wheel ...

Bruno von Rotz
07/22/2014

Lenkrad Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA von 1966

The other day, while driving in an older car, I wanted to change the volume of the radio and instinctively reached for the steering wheel to feel for the controls. But there was only a steering wheel spoke, without any buttons or dials.
Yes, that's how it used to be, because the steering wheel was used exclusively for steering and was not a multifunctional control instrument that allowed you to take phone calls, adjust the suspension or change the radio channel.

On the other hand, steering wheels used to look much more attractive and were works of art made of metal, wood and leather, as the example of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA impressively shows ...

Incidentally, there is also a detailed report on the GTA with lots of photos.

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