Death in F1 racing and the public expression of sympathy

Daniel Reinhard
07/31/2015

Der Unfall von Francois Cevert vor vielen Jahren

On Tuesday, July 21, 2015, just a few days before the Formula 1 race in Hungary, Frenchman Jules Bianchi, who was seriously injured in an accident at the Japanese Grand Prix on October 5, 2014, was laid to rest in Nice.

Jules Bianchi in Monaco (© Daniel Reinhard)

He lay in a coma with severe head injuries for a whole nine months until he and his family were finally released on July 17.

Jules Bianchi (© Daniel Reinhard)

An accident the likes of which could never have been imagined ended the Frenchman's young career. Around 20 years after Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, another Formula 1 driver had to pay with his life. This brings the number of people who have lost their lives in their passion to 33.

Abschiedsgrüsse auf der Rennstrecke werden fotografiert (© Daniel Reinhard)

The sympathy of everyone involved has never before been as great as it is now in Hungary for Bianchi. All the cars, including GP2 and GP3, were adorned with inscriptions such as "Ciao Jules", "Jules nei nostri cuori", "JB17", etc.

All the F1 drivers' helmets had an inscription on them. Most of their colleagues were also present at the funeral service in Nice. The sympathy was great, very great.

Anteilnahme der F1-Fahrer am Tod Jules Bianchis (© Daniel Reinhard)

That was not the case in the past. Even the exceptional Brazilian talent Ayrton Senna's name was only visibly immortalized on the car after the accident at Williams in 1994, although this is still the case today. Busts of the Brazilian still commemorate his undisputed driving skills at some racetracks today

In Montreal, the Canadian Ferrari driver Gilles Villeneuve, who was killed in an accident in Zolder in 1982, is still saluted today. The inscription "Salut Gilles" is an annual reminder of the likeable but crazy daredevil.

Trauer um Gilles Villeneuve (© Daniel Reinhard)

As there used to be far more fatal accidents, his colleagues preferred to ignore his death. Only the closest friends of the casualty met at the graves, but two weeks later the next adventure was started without any mourning.

Motorsport is still labeled as extremely dangerous. But safety has improved to such an extent that, despite a few spectacular accidents over the past 20 years (Robert Kubica's in Canada comes to mind), no driver has been killed or suffered a permanent disability. Felipe Massa was the only one to narrowly escape disaster when a lost screw from Baricchello's car penetrated his helmet visor above his right eye.

Jules Bianchi's accident was not entirely his own fault, as he was probably traveling too fast under these circumstances and under the yellow flag. But the fact that he had to crash into the crane truck of all things was extremely unlucky. Jo Siffert used to say: "Everyone is born with a checkbook. With every accident, a check is torn out of the book. Nobody knows how many checks he has and therefore doesn't know when he will lose his last one."

Bianchi lost it on October 5, 2014 in Suzuka, at the age of just 25.

The drivers who died in Formula 1 accidents

Driver	Brand/Team	Year	Place/track	Comment
Onofre Marimon	Maserati	1954	Nürburgring	in practice
Eugenio Castellotti	Ferrari	1957	Modena	during test drives
Luigi Musso	Ferrari	1958	Rheims
Peter Collins	Ferrari	1958	Nürburgring
Stuart Lewis-Evans	Vanwall	1958	Ain Diab
Harry Schell	Cooper	1960	Sil verstone
Chris Bristow	Cooper	1960	Spa
Alan Stacey	Lotus	1960	Spa
Ciulio Cabianca	Cooper	1961	Modena	during test drives
Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips	Ferrari	1961	Monza
Ricardo Rodriguez	Lotus	1962	Mexico
Carel Godin de Beaufort	Porsche	1964	Nürburgring	in training
John Taylor	Brabham	1966	Nürburgring
Lorenzo Bandini	Ferrari	1967	Monte Carlo
Bob Anderson	Brabham	1967	Sil vers tone	during test drives
Jo Schlesser	Honda	1968	Rouen
Piers Courage	De Tomaso	1970	Zandvoort
Jochen Rindt	Lotus	1970	Monza	in practice
Jo Siffert	BRM	1971	Brands Hatch
Roger Williamson	March	1973	Zandvoort
François Cevert	Tyrrell	1973	Watkins Glen	in practice
Peter Revson	Shadow	1974	Kyalami	during test drives
Helmut Koinigg	Surtees	1974	Watkins Glen
Mark Donohue	Penske	1975	Zeltweg	Warm-Up
Tom Pryce	Shadow	1977	Kyalami
Ronnie Peterson	Lotus	1978	Monza
Patrick Depailler	Alfa Romeo	1980	Hockenheim	during test drives
Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	1982	Zolder	in training
Riccardo Paletti	Osella	1982	Montreal
Elio de Angelis	Brabham	1986	Le Castellet	during test drives
Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	1994	Imola	in training
Ayrton Senna	Williams	1994	Imola
Jules Bianchi	Marussia	2014	Suzuka

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On the road with wood in the Opel Kadett City BiFuel

Bruno von Rotz
07/30/2015

Opel Kadett City von 1974

From the front, it looks like a normal Opel Kadett City 1200- hardly anything would give away its special status. But wait, what is this exhaust pipe doing in the radiator grille?

Rohr zum Austritt des Gases im Kühlergrill des Opel Kadett City von 1974

Exactly, this is not an air intake, but an exhaust. This is where gas produced by the wood carburetor in the rear but not needed in the engine comes out.

Gasaustritt während des Warmlaufends des Holzvergasers am Opel Kadett City

Viewed from the side, you immediately recognize the large, approximately 90 kg attachment dating from 1947, which makes this Opel Kadett City a car that can also run on wood. Of course, the developers of the system in the 1940s would never have thought of "BiFuel" as a term.

Opel Kadett City mit Holzvergaseranlage aus dem Jahr 1947 und Ersatztreibstoff für rund 120 km auf dem Dach

In the 1940s, elaborately designed wood carburetor systems were being built everywhere, which, when fitted to vehicles such as the Citroën Légèreor the Ford V8 , made them independent of unavailable petrol.

Holzvergaser am Opel Kadett City von 1974

However, driving with wood - the Kadett City preferred to eat dry hardwood, e.g. the waste produced during the manufacture of Davos sledges - was considerably more expensive than petrol-based transportation. After all, you were not filling up with a ready-made fuel, but a raw product that first had to be converted into a gas that the engine could use.

We were able to see what this means in practice with the Opel Kadett City. First, around 6-10 kg of wood is filled in, and the system also needs to be supplied with water. Then you can light the fire. It easily takes 30 minutes before you can drive off. But once the system is producing and filtering gas at a stable flow rate for the first time, the car can be started and driven almost like a normal petrol engine.

Zusätzliche Kontrollinstrumente im Opel Kadett City mit Holzvergaseranlage

However, it is advisable to keep an eye on the special control instruments at all times and to anticipate early drops in performance due to bottlenecks in the gas supply. A steady driving style is also called for, as the wood-powered Opel only likes pronounced braking maneuvers to a limited extent.

Überflüssig produziertes Gas wird beim Opel Kadett City mit Holzvergaseranlage abgelassen, wenn der Motor es nicht aufnehmen kann

It is estimated that the Kadett City loses around 40% of its performance compared to commercial gasoline, which leaves around 40 hp. On flat roads you can make good progress, but as soon as you start to climb a slope, the car slows down.

And after 20 or 30 km at the latest, you have to take care of refueling, i.e. you fill the next 7 to 10 kg of wood into the burner. You try not to burn yourself, because the system is now very hot. The pit stop takes about 5 to 10 minutes, then you are ready for the next 20 or 30 km, provided there are no blockages or interruptions to the supply in the burner or the downstream filters. Yes, such a car would probably be nothing for today's stressed managers, although in an emergency it can also be driven on gasoline.

A comprehensive article on the wood carburetor Opel and its background is being prepared for the next but one issue of SwissClassics Revue.

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Classic cars immune to hackers?

Bruno von Rotz
07/29/2015

Automobil, das im Wired-Video gehackt wird

A video and an accompanying report from Wired magazine are currently making the rounds, showing how two hackers "take over" a Jeep driving on the highway via computer. From the sofa, they can control the brakes, steering, entertainment electronics, etc. or prevent the driver from accelerating without the driver being able to do anything about it. Frightening.

Of course, this can't happen to a classic car, because the individual technical components cannot be influenced remotely, nor are our old cars directly connected to the Internet. Reassuring!

Of course, the manufacturers of modern vehicles make every effort to minimize the risk of hacker attacks, but the hackers are also getting better and better ...

Will government officials and movie agents soon switch back to classic cars to avoid the cyberwar?

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Spoilt for choice - what should you choose?

Bruno von Rotz
07/28/2015

Qual der Wahl 2015 - vier Autos aus den Achtzigerjahren

It's time again. There is some space in the garage and the desire for a new (old) car is great. A sporty car from the eighties with travel/touring characteristics is what I want and there are four quite different vehicles to choose from:

BMW 635 CSI 1985 (© BMW AG)

The BMW 635 CSI of the E24 series was built from 1978 to 1989; the series had already been presented in Geneva in March 1976. With its airy and classic design under the leadership of Paul Bracq, the E24 became the longest-built model series of all time, and when you see one of these coupés today, its elegance and charisma continue to impress. With the 3.5-litre engine, 218 hp was available at the rear axle, which ensured excellent driving performance in view of the kerb weight of less than 1.5 tons.

Alfa Romeo GTV6 1981 (© Alfa Romeo / FIAT Group / Werk)

Two years later, the Alfa Romeo GTV6 saw the light of day. The four-seater coupé was based on the Alfetta GT, but was able to shine with the V6 from the Alfa Sei saloon. Driving performance had taken a leap forward with the now 160 hp and the GTV6 was considered the last step before a Ferrari at the time. The sound was addictive and the handsome coupé also revealed many advantages in practice.

Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 von 1985 (© Daimler AG)

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 appeared somewhat later than the GTV6, which had been initiated as a basis for racing and was also able to prove for a few years in the DTM that it was conceptually correct. With four doors and a trunk suitable for families, it required hardly any compromises in terms of everyday usability, but like its competitor, the BMW M3 E30, it was also good fun on the racetrack. In contrast to the M3, however, the prices for the 190E with its Cosworth-developed sixteen-valve engine remained manageable, even for the rarer 2.5-liter version, which was available from 1987.

Porsche 944 S2 1989 (© Porsche AG)

And the last of the four potential garage fillers was the Porsche 944 S2 (or alternatively a 944 Turbo Coupé), which was introduced in 1988. With 211 hp, the pretty coupé almost rivaled the 911 Carrera of the time, but as a turbo with 220 hp, it was no cheaper than the classic six-cylinder boxer. Today, things are different, because while the 911 models seem to be steadily increasing in value, the 944 variants are stagnating at a comparatively low level.

So there are four vehicles to choose from, all of which have their charms. Alfa and BMW captivate with their six-cylinder engines, the Benz with its maneuverability and everyday racing flair, the 944 promises sports car pleasure without remorse. In terms of price, well-maintained models of these four types have little in common, all lying in the 12,000 to 25,000 euro/CHF price range. But the choice is a wonderful one to agonize over and who knows whether another alternative will emerge that beats the four vehicles described here? If something comes up, we'll be sure to report on it again ...

P.S.: And if anyone knows of a saleable and affordable example of the above-mentioned vehicle types with hopefully not too high a mileage, which is also fully documented and in good, maintenance-free condition, then I would of course be grateful for a tip ...

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The last duck exactly 25 years ago

Bruno von Rotz
07/27/2015

Citroën 2 CV von 1984

"On July 27, 1990, the last car (a grey 2CV6 Charleston) finally left the assembly halls at the Citroën plant in Mangualde (Portugal)." That's what Wikipedia says. So it was 25 years ago that the last Deux Chevaux - it was a Charleston version, the blue one in the photo dates from 1984 - was built, after 41 years of production, which hardly anyone would have thought possible for the original and simply designed car in the early post-war years, because the outrage about the supposedly ugly duckling was far too great.

Citroën 2 CV AZL von 1958

Not that the duckling turned into a proud swan, but it did find its purpose and delighted millions of satisfied buyers.

Even today, the duck is still one of the problem-free everyday classics and it exudes a great deal of joie de vivre, especially with the roller roof open.

Of course, we have also had a comprehensive report on it online for a long time, with lots of pictures, brochures and even the owner's manual. In addition, Swiss national radio (SRF1) is devoting a full-hour program to the iconic vehicle today (July 27, 2015) at 10:00 am.

Addendum: The one-hour program can be listened to at any time on the SRF1 radio website for those who speak Swiss German. During the broadcast, well over 100 listeners came forward with stories of their experiences and impressions. Interesting, for example, were the memories of a 64-year-old who drove a 2 CV from Switzerland to Nepal in 1976, where he sold the duck to another Swiss couple, who in turn drove back to Switzerland in a Citroën.

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Classic pearls of the future - Alfa Romeo 156 GTA

Bruno von Rotz
07/26/2015

Alfa Romeo 156 GTA als Stationswagen (© Alfa Romeo / Fiat Group)

Admittedly, the Alfa Romeo 156 GTA was only partially faithful to the legendary sequence of letters "GTA". While the "Granturismo" could still be left standing, the "Alleggerita" was not. At around 1.4 tons, the GTA produced from 2002 to 2005 was certainly not light, but thanks to the 250 hp developed by the transverse 3.2-litre V6, it was of course still fast. The 156 GTA, which was available as an estate or saloon, took a good six seconds to sprint to 100 km/h, with a top speed of over 250 km/h.

Alfa Romeo 156 GTA als Stationswagen und als Limousine (© Alfa Romeo / Fiat Group)

The engine was an old acquaintance for Alfisti, having celebrated its premiere over two decades earlier in the Alfa Sei. In the GTA, it could be shifted via a six-speed gearbox or the Selespeed box, but always drove the front wheels.

Alfa Romeo 156 GTA 2002 als Limousine (© Alfa Romeo / Fiat Group)

The suspensions had been thoroughly revised compared to the other 156 models and the exterior of the GTA also stood out clearly from the other models.

Alfa Romeo 156 GTA - Interieur (© Alfa Romeo / Fiat Group)

The sporty orientation was also continued in the interior. It was an appetizing and at the same time compact runabout that was definitely made to remind us of the glory days of Alfa Romeo. The engine sound alone was addictive.

Alfa Romeo 156 GTA - Sitze (© Alfa Romeo / Fiat Group)

4651 156 GTAs are said to have been produced, around a fifth of which were equipped with the Selespeed automated gearbox. The survival rate is comparatively high, as the oldest examples are only around 14 years old. Most of them are now in loyal hands.

Alfa Romeo 156 GTA 2002 als Limousine (© Alfa Romeo / Fiat Group)

All the articles in the "Classic Pearls" series have been brought together in a separate topic channel.

Alfa Romeo 156 GTA - Typenschriftzug hinten (© Alfa Romeo / Fiat Group)

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Old cars promote road safety

Bruno von Rotz
07/25/2015

BMW 318 der frühen Achtzigerjahre

Classic cars and youngtimers are often made the scapegoats of road safety because they were naturally designed to be less safe than today's cars, which are well prepared for front, side and rear impacts and all other types of accident.

In one respect, however, old cars, especially those from the seventies or eighties, are clearly superior to their modern descendants - in terms of "visibility".

Have you recently driven behind a modern estate car, a contemporary SUV or a modern saloon? And could you easily see the center-mounted brake light of the car in front? Probably not, because either the rear window of the car in front of you was too high (SUV), or it was too small to allow optimum visibility, or it was so darkly tinted that it was impossible to see through anyway.

BMW 324 TD E30

A BMW 318 from the 1980s, for example, offers much more; it is almost completely transparent above the waist.

That is also safety! All those additional high-mounted brake lights, which only became mandatory in the nineties, are useless if you can't see them ....

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The driver assistance systems of the past

Bruno von Rotz
07/24/2015

Tempomat beim Monteverdi Safari

Everyone is talking about driver assistance systems these days. Everything that takes some of the driver's work off their hands (or distracts them) is now called a driver assistance system, from lane departure warning to park assist to front assist.

However, there were similar systems in cars much earlier, they just weren't called assistance systems.

For example, the start assistant has been around for many years; it was called choke. Or the gearshift assistant, traditionally called automatic transmission. The windshield wiper intermittent system could also have been called windshield wiper assistant, the power steering system steering assistant. The anti-lock braking system, ABS for short, would probably be called a brake assistant in today's marketing literature, and the electric/hydraulic window regulator would be called a window closing assistant. The cruise control would be a speed stop assistant, the headlight flasher perhaps an attention-getting assistant.

Elektrische Fensterheber beim Oldsmobile Toronado

Of course, these suggestions are not meant seriously, but the point is that car manufacturers did a lot early on to support the driver in steering and relieve him of (physical) work ...

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When the door was still open ...

Bruno von Rotz
07/23/2015

Can you remember a time when there were no parking beepers? When a sense of proportion was still required? Yes, back then and it wasn't that long ago, maybe 15 years ago. If you wanted to navigate into a tight parking space, you used to open the door to look behind and check the distance to the next vehicle. In the Lamborghini Countach, opening the doors and leaning out was part of the freestyle anyway, otherwise you could hardly reverse.

And in a sports prototype such as the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Daytona, looking over the edge of the door also helps with fine adjustment, as Egon Zweimüller demonstrated at the Schloss Bensberg Classics . With the door closed, you can see almost nothing.

Oh yes, nowadays there are even cars that refuse to continue driving if the door is open ...

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The defacement of beautiful racing cars by cameras

Balz Schreier
07/22/2015

Have you recently been to a historic racing event? Did you enjoy the beautiful monoposti or sports prototypes? So did we, although our enjoyment was somewhat diminished by the ever-increasing proliferation of onboard cameras.

Despite the fact that film technology is actually becoming more and more compact, these recording utensils are becoming increasingly conspicuous. This is also due to the fact that some drivers are no longer content with just one camera (see picture above).

For some, even that was not enough and they mounted four cameras (or even more?).

Who is supposed to view all the footage? On a race day like the Solitude Revival, there are probably several thousandhours of film if you add up the output of the participants and the visitors. The good scenes are certainly fun to watch, but the majority of the material is boring at best, if not unusable. Even the Porsche factory in Stuttgart couldn't escape being filmed, with a GoPro enthroned on the rear of the 917 hatchback.

The downside of filming is the generally less coherent photos that can be taken of the racing cars of the time. And an authentic backdrop and look would be particularly valuable for demonstration drives such as at the Solitude Revival ...

Incidentally, the pictures were all taken at one event, namely the Solitude Revival. There is, of course, a comprehensive report about it here ...

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