Why you shouldn't invest in a Porsche Boxster

Bruno von Rotz
07/31/2016

Porsche Boxster von 1996 (© Porsche AG)

We don't want to discourage you from buying a used Porsche Boxster , because they are a lot of fun to drive, cost little money and also look good. What's more, Boxsters are now making the transition to youngtimers and in 10 years they will be veritable classic cars.

The warning refers to the word "invest". Investing implies that you expect a return on investment. And despite four-digit prices, this is still likely to be difficult for decent Boxsters at the moment. This is because many have been built, the market is large and a shortage is not to be expected in the next few years. In addition, Porsche's water-cooled mid-engined sports cars have a long service life, so the stock is only slowly dwindling at best. Accordingly, prices will rise slowly at best.

On the negative side, there are also not inconsiderable maintenance costs if the Boxster is to be kept in good shape. And, if the specialists are right, this can become an expensive pleasure, especially if the engine causes problems. Around 20% of all Porsche waterboxes are said to have already been affected by defects that required the engine to be replaced, as was recently reported in the buying guide in the magazine Oldtimer Markt. The bill for this procedure can easily outweigh the original purchase price of the used Boxster. And if you then want to sell the car again, hardly any potential buyer will give you gold for this replacement engine; the engine replacement has hardly any effect on the selling price.

On the positive side, it can be said that the spare parts situation is good and the cars are extremely suitable for everyday use. You will certainly enjoy the Boxster, but it is not yet suitable as an investment ...

Share this article with your friends!

Mysteries of modern times - the Porsche 959 built in 1992

Bruno von Rotz
07/30/2016

Porsche 959

As a car historian, we are used to uncertainties arising when researching production figures in the 1920s or 1930s, and the output of British or Italian small-series manufacturers in the 1950s or 1960s always raises questions.

But when it comes to a well-known German manufacturer such as Porsche and the eighties or nineties, when computers had long since brought order, it should always be clear how many cars were produced at what time. Should be. Exactly.

There are a surprising number of questions surrounding the extremely innovative Porsche 959, as Chris Perkins elaborated on Road & Track in May of this year.

According to official figures, Porsche is said to have built 294 959s with comfort equipment and a further 29 sports models between 1986 and 1988. However, Jürgen Barth ("Das grosse Buch der Porsche-Typen") only comes up with 235 cars in his table, and that even includes the factory prototypes and racing cars.

However, it is at least certain that Porsche ended production in 1988, not least because it had to pay extra for each car. Homologation in the United States was even waived so that sales contracts could be canceled and the car did not have to be delivered. Porsche was doing badly at the time, sales figures were falling and it made little sense to produce cars that were already running at a loss.

So far so good. But now, in 1992, when Porsche was in an even worse financial situation, six or eight more cars (four red, four silver) are said to have been built, ordered by a businessman in Macao. He is said to have paid around twice as much per car as originally stated in the price list. These cars are not documented anywhere, Porsche apparently treated them as retrofitted 88 models, after all they were also made from leftover components from back then. Whether there were six or eight retrofitted cars is also not entirely clear.

In any case, the additionally built vehicles still exist, and some of them are apparently still in new car condition in the USA. Sooner or later, one of these exotic cars will surely turn up at auction and perhaps shed a little more light on this mystery.

Share this article with your friends!

Ford GT 40 glut in Monterey on the third weekend in August

Bruno von Rotz
07/29/2016

Ford GT40 P1061 von 1966 (© RM/Sotheby's)

Exactly 31 Ford GT40 Mk1s with road specification were built in the mid-sixties, a very manageable number. On the same weekend in August 2016, ten percent of this production volume will go under the hammer, specifically P/1028, P/1057 and P/1061.

Ford GT40 P/1028 von 1966 (© Mecum)

The most historically interesting of these three cars is probably the earliest, P/1028, which Mecum is trying to sell at its Monterey auction on Saturday, August 20, 2016 . This is the first road-going GT40 to arrive in the USA.

Interieur des Ford GT40 P/1028 von 1966 (© Mecum)

It was used as a press car and as a test vehicle and is now sprayed silver metallic again, whereas it was shown for years in the classic Gulf livery. Back then, it was equipped with air conditioning and all kinds of road comforts, but today it has been completely restored.

Ford GT40 P/1057 von 1966 (© RM/Sotheby's)

P/1057, a completely restored example that has been in the consignor's possession for 25 years, is presented in red.

And finally, P/1061 is painted black and yellow (pictured above), an example used by Ford for promotional tours at the time, which ultimately ended up in the Jim Click Ford Performance Collection and has been used in historic races ever since. Now P/1061, like P/1057, will be offered by RM/Sotheby's at their Monterey auction on August 19 and 20 .

Similar specifications, similar prices, you could say. At the highest, Mecum says P/1028 should be worth USD 4 to 5 million, while RM/Sotheby's estimates USD 3.25 to 3.75 million for P 1057 and USD 3.75 to 4.25 million for P/1061. It remains to be seen whether buyers will want to go that high in view of the generous selection. But anyone who is actually in the market for a road-going GT40 must feel like they're in a land of milk and honey in Monterey in August ...

Share this article with your friends!

Here we go, at the Ennstal-Classic 2016

Daniel Reinhard
07/28/2016

Ennstal-Classic 2016 - Jagura XK beim Trainieren (© Daniel Reinhard)

Today at exactly 7:15 the Ennstal-Classic starts for the 24th time in its history. For the first time without night stages, but it starts hours earlier than usual.

Ennstal-Classic 2016 - Startnummer kleben (© Daniel Reinhard)

After the cars had successfully passed the technical scrutineering, the start numbers were affixed to them, then ...

Ennstal-Classic 2016 - Hund verabschieden (© Daniel Reinhard)

... the dog had to be seen off and then it was off to the test drives.

Ennstal-Classic 2016 - Treffen beim Trainieren am Stoderzinken (© Daniel Reinhard)

They practiced and trained up, down and back up again to the Stoderzinken, the 13 km long mountain stage.

Ennstal-Classic 2016 - AC Ace (© Daniel Reinhard)

Only Peter Kraus ("What I like best is that the Ennstal Classic still excites me so much, even though I've taken part so many times. It is one of the toughest rallies ever." ) took it easy and drove alone and without any stress with his AC to the Rosemi-Alm hut for lunch.

On the subject of the AC, AC/DC singer Brian Johnson ("It's the friendly people here who fascinate me even before the start. I would love to be part of the Ennstal Classic every year. And it's the drivers who are prepared to actually drive their legendary cars instead of leaving them in the garage.") will be competing with his wife Brenda in an Alfa Romeo GTA.

Neel Jani, Mark Webber and Hans Joachim Stuck ("The Ennstal-Classic is one of the three most beautiful and best classic car events. I am delighted that it can be part of it again this year - even though the Formula 1 race at the Hockenheimring takes place on the same weekend. Jean Todt wasn't thrilled, but he understood." ) are also taking part and will each be driving a historic Zuffenhausen car.

Stirling Moss is also a frequent starter at the Ennstal-Classic ("The friendliness of the people and the fantastic landscape here in Styria are reason enough for me to come back every year. For us, it's a wonderful vacation among friends." ).

We can only wish all participants and the organizers "toi toi toi"!

We will be there live and will of course be reporting on the Ennstal in full.

Share this article with your friends!

Is the classic car glut coming?

Bruno von Rotz
07/27/2016

Warteschlange bei der Fähre Konstanz-Meersburg im Jahr 1955

The statistics seem to predict it. A veritable glut of classic cars is looming. Not only has the average age of cars on German roads been rising for years and has now reached 9.2 years, but the number of H license plates is also increasing by leaps and bounds, with 388,120 in 2015 compared to 349,633 a year earlier (source: VDA).

Even more important for predicting future classic car stocks, however, is a statistic that shows the cars that are more than 15 years old, i.e. in principle will become classic cars in 15 years. A whopping 7,861,499 cars on German roads belong in this category, compared to 7,395,389 in 2014 and 4,223,515 in 2007. Unfortunately, the statistics do not show the earlier years, but it can be assumed that there were probably over two million in 1992.

And apparently "only" just under 40,000 of these two million actually managed to survive another 15 years and then become classic cars with an H license plate.

It probably won't be that much different in 2030, when today's 15-year-olds will actually reach classic car age. A real flood of classic cars is therefore not to be feared.

Incidentally, the picture above does not show classic cars, but utility vehicles in 1955 queuing at the Constance-Meeresburg ferry. It can be assumed that of all the vehicles pictured, the VW Beetle dominated even then, at most one or two cars made it into the modern era.

Share this article with your friends!

Intermediate throttle again and again

Bruno von Rotz
07/26/2016

Pedale des Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Zagato von 1930 (© Daniel Reinhard)

In the early days of the automobile, shifting gears with an intermediate clutch and intermediate throttle was a matter of course; synchronizer rings had not yet been invented and gearboxes were usually straight-toothed.

Pedale des Chenard et Walcker T3 von 1924

Cadillac introduced the first synchronized gearbox in 1928, but for many drivers it was still common practice well into the 1960s to engage the gears (and especially first gear) with an intermediate throttle.

In the seventies, with helical gears and effective synchronization mechanisms, this was finally a thing of the past and only sports drivers who wanted to protect the gearbox and reduce the harmful drag model on the drive axle when downshifting, or the drivers of racing cars, who continued to use straight-toothed and non-synchronized gearboxes, gave the necessary dose of intermediate throttle.

Pedale des Austin Seven Special von 1930

And then came the automated manual gearboxes, and the torque converter automatic and the dual-clutch manual gearbox began to gain ground and replace the conventional manual gearbox. At the same time, electronics made new conveniences possible, one of which was automatic intermediate throttle application when downshifting, even with the torque converter automatic transmission, where it makes little technical sense. But at least acoustically, the good old intermediate throttle returned and has remained in many super sports cars to this day - at least in sport mode.

Pedale des Renault 4 CV von 1957

Classic car drivers, however, must of course still practise the well-kept intermediate throttle today when they are driving a pre-war car or a post-war classic that is not yet fully synchronized. And finally, this can also make life easier for weak synchronization mechanisms.

Share this article with your friends!

International Harvester - Rarity in search of contact

Thomas Andreef
07/25/2016

International Harvester IHC L110 von 1952

Since August 2015, I have owned the (International Harvester) IHC L110 from 1952, with an in-line six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 3.9 liters.

About two years ago, I had already seen a similar model at a local dealer, but it was in a poor and no longer original condition.

A little later, I came across another International Harvester from the L-series by chance and bought it because I really liked the look of it. I still love the look, but I'm still working on the technology.
My attempts to find other IHC owners of this series have so far been unsuccessful. Am I the 'only one' who drives such a vehicle in this country?

International Harvester IHC L110 von 1952

Editor's note: We would be happy to forward contacts to Mr. Andreef .

Share this article with your friends!

Diesel and two-stroke vehicles are not endangered as classic cars

Bruno von Rotz
07/24/2016

Poll 63 - Diesel- und Zweitaktautos gefährdet?

The current mood does not bode well for diesel passenger cars, not least triggered by the Volkswagen diesel scandal. German cities are even considering banning diesel in some cases, which makes you wonder how such trends will affect vintage diesel cars.

In a question of the week , we asked our readers for their opinion on whether diesel vehicles and, in their wake, possibly two-stroke vehicles are declining in prestige and becoming less popular classic cars (and youngtimers)?

The readers surveyed largely agree that current problems will only have a marginal effect on the popularity of two-stroke and diesel vehicles as classic cars, with 71% saying so.

However, 19% believe that diesel and two-stroke mass-produced vehicles in particular will disappear and that only exceptional rarities will survive.

However, only 5% see diesel and two-stroke classic cars as fundamentally endangered.

Here are the results in detail:

Poll 63 - Auflösung - Diesel- und Zweitaktfahrzeuge gefährdet?

We have already asked the next Question of the Week , this time asking at what distance classic car drivers load their classic onto a trailer/transporter or passenger train.

The results of the previous questions of the weekcan all be found in a dedicated topic channel.

Share this article with your friends!

Does the new cultural property protection law also apply to classic cars and how does it affect them?

Martin Schröder
07/23/2016

After the "Act on the Revision of Cultural Property Protection Law" was adopted by the Federal Council shortly before the summer break on June 23, 2016 and thus became legally valid, there was an outcry in the art world and in the international art trade. Georg Baselitz withdrew his loans from the Albertinum in Dresden, the Pinacothek der Moderne and the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Germany's most highly traded painter Gerhard Richter wants to do the same. They and many other artists fear that the international art trade is drying up.

As a result, the question quickly arose as to whether and to what extent this would also affect the collector's car sector and the international classic car trade.

Let's take a look at the legal text: cultural property within the meaning of this law is "any movable object or group of objects of artistic, historical or archaeological value or from other areas of cultural heritage [...]"
When Fangio's Mercedes Grand Prix car W 196 was auctioned at Goodwood in 2013 for 22.7 million euros, the international press predicted that the car was now about to move from the realm of value to that of art. The W 196 could therefore certainly be described as a "thing of artistic value".

Since Kurt Schwitters' "Typography can be art under certain circumstances" (1924), the definition of art has distinguished between "free" and "applied art". The judgment of the Regional Court of Stuttgart of December 9, 2010 (Ref. 17 O304/10), for example, declares the body shape of the 300 SL Coupé (Gullwing) to be "applied art" (p. 18). Following Schwitters, one could also say that an automobile can be art under certain circumstances.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

Carl Benz's Velociped from 1886 would fall under the definition of "movable object of historical value" if it had survived, which, as we know, is not the case.

There are also reports that the FIVA is planning something similar to the HVA (Historic Vehicle Association) in the USA, which lists cars on the "National Historic Vehicle Register" according to certain criteria, i.e. grants them the status of "cultural property".

Finally, there are reports in the press about the "Parliamentary Group on Automobile Cultural Heritage", which would like to register the automobile as a cultural asset with UNESCO. Indeed, a lot of the words art and culture in connection with the automobile.

It therefore came in handy that the author of these lines was able to have a clarifying conversation with the head of the parliamentary group, Carsten Müller, a member of the Bundestag, a few days after the Cultural Property Protection Act was passed.

Carsten Müller's comments summarized that the amendment to the law combines three existing regulations. Classification as a "nationally valuable cultural asset" and entry in the list required by law only takes place if a panel of experts [ ... ] comes to the conclusion that it is a nationally valuable object. Automobiles are not on this list. A further definition of the legislator is a value of more than €100,000, which applies to many collector's cars, and an age of more than 150 years, which will not apply until 2036.

Müller quote: "The revised Cultural Property Protection Act means that owners of historic vehicles have no cause for concern. [ ... ] We are a long way away from the export ban or even expropriation that has been circulated time and again."

In connection with the UNESCO initiative, Mr. Müller clarifies that this is about the recognition of the automobile as "intangible cultural heritage", not about the definition of a physically existing automobile. Examples of intangible cultural heritage in Germany are the Oberammergau Passion Play, the Low German Theater or the Swabian-Alemannic Carnival.

So the old car scene can rest easy, continue to devote itself to its hobby, drive along an avenue of trees and listen to Janis Joplin's "Mercedes-Benz" on the car radio ... but at the same time buy a Facel Vega from France or put an SSK up for auction in Goodwood.

Share this article with your friends!

The opposite of downsizing

Bruno von Rotz
07/22/2016

Motor des Mercedes-Benz 600 SL von 1992

In the eighties and nineties, downsizing was not yet an issue - on the contrary. The big car manufacturers outdid each other in terms of engine size and number of cylinders. In any case, a V12 was the order of the day.

Mercedes-Benzoffered it in the S-Class and the 600 SL, BMWin the Siebner sedan and the 850i.

Motor des BMW 850i von 1990

These were classic naturally aspirated engines with plenty of displacement, generous torque and smooth running. They were real luxury engines.

They were the pure opposite of the current downsizing trend, in the context of which even four-cylinder engines in luxury saloons can no longer be ruled out. Thanks to turbocharging and, if necessary, hybridization, the power delivery does not fall by the wayside, but the smooth running of the twelve-cylinder engines remains unmatched.

V12-Zeichen auf der Flanke des Mercedes-Benz 600 SL

And as even a high-ranking BMW technician said recently, the extreme downsizing with turbo engines is actually only due to the current emissions regulations, which simply allow a high proportion of partial load in the measurement cycle.

If standards and measurement methods were to change fundamentally, engine technologies would have to be completely revised ...

Share this article with your friends!

Zwischengas has been publishing a daily blog post here since 2010

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