The Opel Rekord and Italian fashion

Bruno von Rotz
03/31/2016

Opel Rekord Limousine 1966

When Opel introduced the Rekord C in 1966 , it was given a truly modern look.

Opel Rekord Kombi 1966

And as if to emphasize its fashionable appearance, the newcomer was photographed in the same year with the latest women's fashion, which came from a certain Gianni Baldini.

Opel Rekord 1966 mit Mode

The collection was aptly named "Corsa" and hardly anyone involved at the time would have imagined that an Opel model with the same name would appear a few years later.

Opel Rekord Sprint Coupé 1967

Today, 50 years later, both the type designation "Rekord" and the fashion designer are history.

If you would like to know more about the Opel Rekord C and enjoy it in pictures, we recommend our vehicle article .

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Are these the five classics you should buy now?

Bruno von Rotz
03/30/2016

Fünf Klassiker zum jetzt kaufen?

In its current main article, the British classic car magazine "Classic Cars" suggests five cars that you should buy now. And, you have to admit, it's an interesting selection.

Austin-Healey 3000 Mk II 1962 (© Daniel Reinhard)

The guys didn't go too far out on a limb with the Austin-Healey 3000 , because the big Healey has been a popular classic for years and the three-liter model is still affordable, partly because there are so many of them. However, the prices have not made any leaps so far. But this car is certainly fun to drive.

MG B GT V8 von 1973

The MG GT V8 is somewhat more unorthodox. Of course, the coupé in particular is a very pretty vehicle and with the Rover V8 engine, the sports car also moves forward really well, especially as the engine only adds a little extra weight to the front axle. And perhaps the editors are right and now would be the time to discover this car? In any case, the car is still reasonably priced considering its rarity and has upward potential.

Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC (© Daimler AG)

The next car that catches the eye is the Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC, which is recommended for purchase. Certainly, the coupé designed by Bruno Sacco is visually impressive and the large eight-cylinder engine is certainly not boring, but you could perhaps imagine even more exciting cars from the Daimler range that you could buy in 2016. In terms of value, the elegant coupés, which are also suitable for everyday use, are trending upwards in this country, albeit at a relatively leisurely pace.

Ford Escort RS Cosworth von 1992 (© Bonhams)

The fact that the Ford Escort RS Cosworth also made it into the article is certainly a typically British story. The islanders just love the Escort and the Cossies anyway. Of course, the Escort RS Cosworth is also an exciting car, but it is still quite young and not at all cheap, as its fan base is considerable. However, the prices are one thing, finding an original and unmodified example is another.

Alfa Romeo SZ von 1990 (© RM/Sotheby's)

And finally, an Alfa Romeo ES30 SZ by Zagato, the coupé with the technology of the Alfa Romeo 75, which even back then divided Alfa fans around the world into two groups, namely those who loved the design and those who hated it. Little has changed to this day. But its rarity and incomparability certainly guarantee the eye-catching Alfa a special status. Collectors have also discovered this and so prices tend to go up.

Zeitschrift Classic Cars Mai 2016

Would we recommend the same five cars for purchase in 2016? In part, perhaps yes, but there are of course many alternatives. We have already described some of them in our classic car pearls series , such as the Renault Clio V6, the Opel Speedster, the Citroën BX 4TC or the BMW M3 from the E46 series. And then there is also the Porsche 944 S2, the Peugeot 205 GTI, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3/2.6-16 or the BMW Z3 M Coupé as candidates, just to name a few more examples.

But we're sure you'll have your favorite too. Just name it as a comment on this blog, it's sure to be an exciting list! In any case, it gives us more ideas as to which cars we should definitely dedicate a report to in the near future ...

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Isn't winter over yet?

Bruno von Rotz
03/29/2016

Fiat 500 im Schnee (© Felix Hernandez)

Spring is coming, but maybe some people are already missing winter? At least that's how you could interpret the photo above. If you take a closer look, you might discover that the photo is not a full-size model of the Fiat 500, but a scaled-down version. Felix Hernandex is the name of the Mexican photographer who photographed this scene in his studio.

Inszenierung eines Fiat 500

These are veritable stagings that he sets up on his table and illuminates with studio flash units. He imagines a scene with great sensitivity and shapes it until it meets his expectations. Then he takes photographs and finally does some post-processing, whereby his aim is to do as much as possible with the camera. However, most of his artworks are not about cars, but are borrowed from films or fantasy scenes. Of course, we are particularly taken with the red Fiat 500. You can find the pictures here.

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Classic car drivers steer clear of bioethanol

Bruno von Rotz
03/28/2016

Frage der Woche 55 - Bioethanol im Tank des Oldtimers?

For some years now, oil companies have been adding more or less bioethanol, i.e. alcohol produced from biomass, to petrol at filling stations, depending on the legal situation or in connection with tax benefits. According to current standards, up to 5% bioethanol may be added to fossil fuels, usually called Euro95 and Euro98. For some years now, however, there has also been fuel with up to 10% bioethanol, known as E10 or SP95-E10. While according to experts, 5% bioethanol should not harm (classic) car engines that are not designed for it, there is less certainty about 10% and there are differentiated approvals from the manufacturers.

However, classic car drivers are skeptical and try to avoid adding alcohol to petrol. 87% of participants in the last question of the week stated that they would not fill up with E10 or SP95-E10. However, half of them (44%) do fill their tanks with E95/E98 (Euro 95 / Euro 98) with up to five percent bioethanol, while the other half (43%) try to fill up with pure fossil fuel.

Just 8% think that their classic car can also cope with E10/SP95-E10 with a ten percent bioethanol blend, while the remaining less than five percent opt for other solutions.
Here are the detailed answers to the questions:

Frage der Woche 55 - Bioethanol im Tank des Oldtimers - Antworten

We have already posed the next question of the week, this time asking whether classic car clubsare a discontinued model .

The results of the previous Questions of the Weekcan all be found in a dedicated topic channel.

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A beautiful butt

Bruno von Rotz
03/27/2016

Lamborghini Miura 1971 (© Lamborghini)

Most photos of cars are taken from the front at an angle, the most popular being the 3/4 view, in which you can see the front and side at the same time. Yet the rear end of many vehicles is the highlight or at least just as worth seeing as the front.

But if you start to think about which cars have a particularly attractive rear end, you quickly start to wonder.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 1955

After some thought, perhaps the Lamborghini Miura (above, a masterpiece from all sides) or the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL come to mind.

Chevrolet Corvette C2 1963 (© RM Auctions)

The rear of the Chevrolet Corvette C2 is certainly also outstanding, especially in the version with the two-part rear window, which was only produced for one year.

Bertone Alfa Romeo BAT 7 1954

The rear sections of the Bertone Alfa Romeo BAT models are something very special ...

Tatra 87

... and the Tatra 87, ...

Ghia Selene Seconde 1961

... but also the Ghia Selene from 1961.

Lancia Thesis

And in modern times, for example, the Lancia Thesis, which is not completely successful from the front, stands out with its very elegant rear design.

Which car rear ends do you like? Simply comment on what you particularly like! Happy Easter!

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Does it have to be? Neo-classic on a three-way basis

Bruno von Rotz
03/26/2016

Bilenkin (2015)

At first glance, the Bilenkin, presented in 2015, looks like a car from the late 1950s. But technically, the coupé is comparatively modern, as the drivetrain and other parts come from the BMW 3 Series (M3) of the E92 series (built until 2013).

Heck des Bilenkin (2015)

And the Russian manufacturer "Bilenkin Classic Cars" has actually done everything right. The design, which quotes elements of the Volvo P 1800 and various Ghia and Vignale creations from the 1950s, is coherent and even the interior has an attractive classic "touch".

Interieur des Bilenkin

Coupled with modern technology, this could lead to the ultimate retro coupé, although the price expectations above 100,000 euros already limit the clientele considerably.

Cockpit des Bilenkin

The Russians appear to be well equipped in terms of craftsmanship, as they have already gained a lot of experience with restorations.

So why not? In our view, the design and modern technology don't really go together. The balancing act is simply too great and, after all, it should be possible to build an attractive car with modern stylistic elements. But, as always, this is a matter of taste.

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One of the last great adventures: the rally from Beijing to Paris

Daniel Reinhard
03/25/2016

Chrysler 70 von 1930 (© Daniel Reinhard)

Clärenore Stinnes (21.1.1901 - 7.9.90) was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist from Mühlheim an der Ruhr. She could afford to be a racing driver and was relatively successful at it. Her dream of being the first woman to circumnavigate the world in a production car prompted her to order three untested, brand-new Adler 6s and set off on her great journey in 1927. Together with the Swedish cameraman Carl-Axel Söderström (two other companions had to abandon the journey early), they achieved the impossible and reached their destination in 1929: Berlin. They brought home brilliant film footage from the trip, of which a feature film was planned from the outset. However, the film was not finished until years later and therefore failed to reach its goal of a large audience. From today's perspective, the footage is absolutely sensational and reveals the huge problems faced by the troops as well as the incredible robustness of the Adler vehicles on their almost impossible journey.

The first rally from Peking to Paris started 20 years earlier in 1907. The idea for the 16,000 km race came from the Parisian newspaper Le Matin, which published the following invitation on January 31, 1907: "What remains to be proven today is that as long as a man has a car, he can do anything and go anywhere. Is there anyone who will undertake a journey by automobile from Peking to Paris this summer"?

40 teams registered for the race, 5 of which ultimately made the journey to Beijing. Although the race had already been canceled, it still went ahead. The "race cars" left the Chinese capital at 8:00 a.m. on June 10. There were no rules or maps for the race. The winner was simply the first car to reach Paris. The winner's prize, a magnum bottle of Mumm champagne, went to the Italian Prince Scipione Borghese with his two companions, chauffeur and mechanic Ettore Guizzardi and reporter Luigi Barzini from the "Corriere della Sera".

Six years ago, the rally from Beijing to Paris was revived for historic automobiles. Today everything is a little easier, thanks to roads and Google Maps, mobile phones and hotels. Nevertheless, it is definitely an adventure with more or less great feats of strength for all participants, as preparations have to begin at least a year before the start. A suitable car not only has to be found, but also prepared for the long journey on more or less bad roads. The spare parts logistics have to be planned and and and...

In the meantime, the participants' cars have already started their journey to Beijing. However, the race will not start for another three months, on June 12.

Among the 120 or so participants this year will be the Central Swiss team with Christian Dillier (58, pictured right) and Beppi Dillier (59, pictured left) from Sarnen in the canton of Obwalden. They will be making the long journey of around a month in their 1930 Chrysler 70.

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Jaguar builds and builds and builds ...

Daniel Reinhard
03/24/2016

The JaguarE-Type is now followed by the XKSS roadster. Nine original cars were completely destroyed in the fire on Browns Lane in 1957. They are now being built again and, like the Lightweight E-Type, distributed to selected customers at a price of around one million pounds.

At the time, the XKSS was built as a road-going homage to the Le Mans-winning D-Type. It was actually a D-Type with a little more comfort.

Jaguar XKSS 1955

On the one hand, it is nice that this car is not forgotten, but with today's confusion of replicas, specials and other inauthentic cars, vehicles are once again being released into the world whose age and authenticity will suddenly lead to discussions in a few years or decades.

Will the other manufacturers stand idly by and watch this goings-on? It is quite conceivable that other car manufacturers will also acquire a taste for it and perhaps a Ferrari 250 GTO or an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale will soon be available to order "normally" again, just like a Bugatti or Alfa Romeo from PurSang. There will certainly be no shortage of chassis numbers ...

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Are you still steering or are you already being steered?

Bruno von Rotz
03/23/2016

We are always on the road in pre-war cars and have the pleasure of gripping the large (and close to the body) steering wheel with considerable muscular effort. The development that steering and the steering wheel in particular have undergone is impressive.

Federspeichen-Lenkrad des Singer Le Mans Sechszylinders

Nobody really dares to think about autonomous cars yet, but even today's mid-range cars can park independently without steering intervention, keep the car in lane by correcting the steering or even follow the car in front in a traffic jam.

The steering wheel is small and has a thick rim, and power steering is hardly necessary anymore, as power steering is omnipresent today. Even the hydraulic assistance that used to be standard has already been replaced by electric systems.

Even 40 or 50 years ago, people had reservations about ordering even light power assistance because it gave them little feel for the road. These reservations were abandoned 20 or 30 years ago, and even sports cars - the Porsche 964 also had them - were now often ordered with power steering. And when electric power steering assistance arrived a few years ago, car testers mourned the classic power steering and complained about the poorer steering feel. And in the future, when the steering will have been taken over by the computer, we will remember the good times when we were still allowed to turn the round (or semi-circular) steering wheel ourselves.

We think the steering feel gives us an insight into the soul of a car and are already looking forward to the next vehicle with a steering column that goes right through to the track rod mechanism.

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Radio as weather protection?

Bruno von Rotz
03/22/2016

Radio als Wetterschutz - aus einer Blaupunkt-Werbung 1966

At first glance, you would think it was an advertisement for a navigation system, but of course such aids did not exist 50 years ago. Blaupunkt, however, was already building car radios back then and positioned these ultra-short-wave medium-wave long-wave receivers as a saving grace, because: "Your Blaupunkt car radio won't make the weather any better. But the danger will be less."

Finally, the warnings of bad weather came over the airwaves and could be received in the car. "For your safety and entertainment: a Blaupunkt car radio."

Yes, that's how it was 50 years ago and nobody would have dreamed back then that the plug-in radio would one day become a veritable data center that would eventually even be able to replace the driver (keyword: autonomous driving). And it would have been hard to imagine large screens and 10 to 20 loudspeakers with a 700-watt amplifier. Nor would anyone have guessed that 50 years later, the leading car entertainment electronics would be running out of steam.

Here is the entire advertisement, which can of course also be found in large format in our archive :

Werbung Blaupunkt - Radio als Wetterschutz (1966)

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