Design, or the thing with the fuel filler flap

Bruno von Rotz
11/30/2018

Audi 50 von 1977 - Entlüftungsöffnung

Sometimes designers have good ideas, but the execution or rather the design leads to operating errors. An interesting example of this is the Audi 50. The designers gave it elegant round interior air vents, clearly visible and integrated into the C-pillar on both sides.

Inexperienced people who perhaps only borrowed the small car thought that this was the fuel filler flap. However, this could also be opened by using considerable force - and this is said to have happened.

Audi 50 von 1977 - Tankklappe

In fact, there was also a fuel filler flap in front of the right rear wheel, positioned surprisingly low. This was the only way to get fuel into the tank. But you had to know about it, or walk around the car at least once at the filling station ...

Audi 50 von 1977

A detailed report on the Audi 50 will follow soon ...

P.S. A similar problem, albeit in a slightly different form, also existed in the first Smart ForTwo ...

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The duel - Porsche versus Volkswagen

Bruno von Rotz
11/29/2018

VW Scirocco gegen Porsche 924 - Vergleichstest in Auto Motor und Sport im Jahr 1981 (© AMS)

Almost 40 years ago, Porsche and Volkswagen were fighting for the same customers, just as is the case today with SUVs, for example. Back then, however, it was all about coupé buyers and Porsche had the 924 and VWthe Scirocco (2nd edition) to offer them.

Because the two cars were quite differently priced, the question naturally arose as to whether the Scirocco could keep up with the 924. This was answered by a comparative test in issue 16/1981 of Auto Motor und Sport.

The VW offered more space, the Porsche more sportiness at first glance. 110 horsepower from Wolfsburg compared to 125 from Zuffenhausen. However, with a kerb weight of 1125 kg, the Stuttgart horsepower had considerably more to do than the VW's 917 kg; in fact, the Scirocco offered a power-to-weight ratio of 8.3 kg/PR, while the 924 only achieved 9.0 kg/HP.

And the VW actually sprinted from 0 to 100 km/h faster, namely in 9.2 seconds, while the Porsche needed 9.5 seconds. However, the 924 reached 180 km/h seven seconds earlier, and with a top speed of 204 km/h it had the edge anyway (Scirocco 191.5 km/h).

The VW converted its lower weight into lower fuel consumption and also showed better elasticity values.

All in all, the Scirocco GTI for DM 22,545 was actually quite convincing compared to the Porsche 924 costing DM 29,980, especially as the Porsche was not even better equipped.

So the conclusion was that the Scirocco was the better buy. But of course this result was qualified a little with the final sentence: "So a good car was beaten by a better one.".

No wonder the Porsche sales director said: "Our prices are a real problem for us", pointing in particular to the difference between the Porsche 924 and the Mazda RX-7. However, Auto Motor und Sport speculated that a similar difference in Germany between the Scirocco and 924 could lead to similar sales problems. But then again, that was 37 years ago and things would probably be judged a little differently today.

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Another Stratos?

Bruno von Rotz
11/28/2018

Alfa Romeo 4C - umgebaut zum Stratosferica - an der Milano AutoClassica 2018 (© Lara und Patrick Bischoff)

At the 2018 Geneva Motor Show , the "New Stratos" was on a stand ready for production and in black, and now another variation on the original Stratos theme was shown at the Milano AutoClassica.

At first glance, the car is reminiscent of the rally version that became a series winner in the 1970s with Sandro Munari at the wheel. The Alitalia color scheme is unmistakable, as are the additional headlights.

If you look a little closer, you will see that a modern car has provided the basis here, the Alfa Romeo 4C.

Alfa Romeo 4C - umgebaut zum Stratosferica - an der Milano AutoClassica 2018 (© Lara und Patrick Bischoff)

In terms of proportions, this is a fortunate choice and, together with the add-on parts and, above all, the attractive paintwork/decals, the illusion is almost perfect.

Responsible for the "Stratosferica" is the Italian conversion specialist Boldrin Auto, which is also responsible for a deceptively realistic replica of the Lancia 037 Rally based on the Lancia Beta Montecarlo.

Of course, the modified Alfa 4C is not a Stratos successor and it certainly blows a completely different horn acoustically, but visually an attractive transformation has been created here, which should appeal above all to those who could do little with the "insect eyes" of the original. However, we do not know whether it would be possible to obtain a license in this country ...

Alfa Romeo 4C - umgebaut zum Stratosferica - an der Milano AutoClassica 2018 (© Lara und Patrick Bischoff)

We would like to thank Lara and Patrick Bischoff for the photos from Milan.

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When the books are torn out of your hands ...

Daniel Reinhard
11/27/2018

Buchpräsentation "Passion Oldtimer" in Graz im Steyr-Puch-Museum (© J. Kernasenko)

Pages 30 and 31 of the Austrian Kronen-Zeitung newspaper of November 23 featured this article: Richard Kaan and photographer Daniel Reinhard have summed up just about everything the history-loving PS heart desires in "Passion Oldtimer". A guide through the world of classic cars, who is the target audience? "Especially the ladies," grinned Kaan on Thursday, November 22 at the presentation in the Puch Museum in Graz. Explanatory postscript: "It's a pretty perfect gift for men.... ."

All joking aside, men or women, this book is aimed at all drivers and friends of classic and vintage cars and those who want to become one.

Buchpräsentation "Passion Oldtimer" in Graz im Steyr-Puch-Museum (© J. Kernasenko)

In this tome, Richard Kaan describes in great detail "what an old car is, how you get it and what you do with it."

There would have been enough pictures and stories for three or four books - the book had to be shortened and restructured for days in order not to exceed the predetermined 280 pages with around 400 photos.

The first copies were already on sale in Graz and they sold like hot cakes. So well, in fact, that in the end not a single copy was left even for the authors. A good sign. However, we would have liked to present the book in more detail on Zwischengas now, but unfortunately that will have to wait. But it will come.

But if you already need a suitable Christmas present, you can order the 288-page, 26.8 x 28.9 cm book from Amazon (ISBN 978-3-95613-052-6) for EUR 69.00 and should actually receive it before Christmas ...

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Milano Autoclassica 2018 - an almost exclusively Italian affair

Marcel Widler
11/26/2018

Milano AutoClassica 2018 - Porsche (© Marcel Widler)

For three days, Milan and the Milano Autoclassica were the meeting place for the (mainly) Italian classic car scene. The range of cars on display was extensive and, from what I could see, of high quality. Compared to previous years, the trade fair in Milan has improved and can also be seen in comparison to the large German classic car fairs.

The prices were relatively high, but mostly commensurate with the quality. There were hardly any bargains to be had. Nevertheless, various "sold" signs showed that the valuable cars also met with solvent prospective buyers.

Milano AutoClassica 2018 - schon verkauft (© Marcel Widler)

Often, too many cars were presented in too little space, certainly also a consequence of the high prices per square meter.

The Porsche sports and racing cars had a strong presence, while the Ferrari cars were almost somewhat overshadowed.

Milano AutoClassica 2018 - Ferrari (© Marcel Widler)

The exhibitors were mainly from Italy, with a few dealers from France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.

A remarkable number of professional restorers showed that they understand the art of working with sheet metal and aluminum very well.

The parts market was well-kept and naturally very Italian-heavy.

Outside, cheaper cars from private owners and dealers were offered for sale, and people were happy to haggle over the optimistically high prices.

Milano AutoClassica 2018 - am Samstag (© Marcel Widler)

All in all, this year's Milano Autoclassica was a fair worth seeing with many high-quality restored vehicles, many visitors (at least on Saturday) and an improved organization compared to previous years.

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The ten most expensive cars of the last 12 months

Bruno von Rotz
11/25/2018

Ferrari 250 GTO 1962 (© RM)

Every year, we evaluate the results of the major auctions, which naturally results in one or two rankings, such as that of the most expensive cars.

With the Ferrari 250 GTO from 1962, there was of course a real high-flyer in the period from November 2017 to October 2018, even if the industry experts puzzled over whether a classic car auctioned with a bank guarantee is still a real auction result.

Duesenberg SSJ von 1935 (© Gooding)

Almost more surprising, however, was the 1935 Duesenberg SSJ, which made it to second place as a pre-war car. In view of the declining interest in this era, this was an excellent result.

Aston Martin DP215 (© RM)

The 3rd to 6th places were all taken by road racing cars from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Ford.

Ford GT40 (© RM)

They scored highly in terms of both design and palmares.

Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato (© Bonhams)

Sporty cars are in the majority anyway, as 7th and 9th place also show. The Peugeot L45 Grand Prix in 8th place is also a racing car.

Porsche 959 Paris-Daker (© RM)

In 10th place is a rally legend from Porsche, the 959 that drove the Paris-Dakar, which is also the youngest of the top 10.
Here is the list for sorting.

Rank	Vehicle	Year	CHF VP million	EUR VP Mio	Auction house
1	Ferrari 250 GTO	1962	47.9	41.6	RM/Sotheby's
2	Duesenberg SSJ	1935	21.6	18.9	Gooding & Co.
3	Aston Martin DP215 Grand Touring Competition Prototype	1963	21.2	18.5	RM/Sotheby's
4	Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB	1959	17.8	15.3	RM/Sotheby's
5	Aston Martin DB4 GT ZAGATO ('MP209' - "2 VEV")	1961	13.4	11.4	Bonhams
6	Ford GT40 Mk II	1966	9.7	8.4	RM/Sotheby's
7	Ferrari 275 GTB Speciale	1965	7.8	6.6	Gooding & Co.
8	Peugeot L45 Grand Prix	1914	7.2	6.2	Bonhams
9	Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta	1958	6.5	5.7	Gooding & Co.
10	Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar	1985	5.9	5.2	RM/Sotheby's

More evaluations of the past auction year can be found in our printed annual magazine 2019!

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Final spurt - the last corrections to the 2019 annual magazine

Bruno von Rotz
11/24/2018

Balz arbeitet am Jahresmagazin 2019

The print deadline is fast approaching and the final corrections are now being incorporated. By and large, the 2019 annual magazine is finished . 260 pages have been filled, a total of 30 extensive articles and some additional information have been included. There are also around 400 images that had to be selected and inserted. It is understandable that mistakes can happen. In the last round of corrections, we are now trying to find and eliminate as many errors as possible. This is almost detective work and a good eye is just as important as a reliable memory. After all, there's no time to look up all the facts and figures now. Queries are quickly clarified with authors, layout adjustments are made, additions are made. It's a lot of work!

But we're confident that we'll get it all right and the printing presses will be allowed to rotate next week. The magazine should be with our readers by mid-December, at least those who ordered in advance.

Pre-orders are still possible until the beginning of December 2018 ...

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Porsche versus Ferrari

Bruno von Rotz
11/23/2018

Ferrari vs Porsche

Anyone asked to name the most famous sports car will usually answer Porsche or Ferrari . The two brands have been "part of it" for over 70 years. The huge selection of books shows just how important they are. Porsche has over 750, Ferrari hardly fewer.

Porsche was ahead of the pack when it was founded, with a design office established as early as 1930/31, followed by Ferrari in 1947, but Enzo Ferrari was first when it came to presenting a sports car bearing his name: the Ferrari 125 C Sport appeared as early as 1947, while the Porsche 356/1 was presented a year later.

While Porsche has since pulled far ahead in terms of unit sales, the profitability per car presented by Ferrari is incomparably higher than that of any other sports car brand.

There were also major differences in philosophies. While Porsche built road-going sports cars that would also prove their worth on the racetrack, Enzo Ferrari liked to focus on racing cars that could also be driven on the road if necessary. However, while Porsche relied on inexpensive production parts from Volkswagen, Ferrari built its own (twelve-cylinder) engines right from the start.

The great importance of the two brands is also evident on Zwischengas. If you enter Ferrari in the search, you will find 34,320 results , compared with 52,586 for Porsche . So Porsche has the longer end of the stick here.

Things look different when you analyze the auction results of the last 12 months. Ferrari sports/racing cars were traded 340 times and sold for an average of EUR 812,436, while Porsche cars went under the hammer 468 times, but were "only" valued at an average of EUR 325,080. The most expensive Ferrari was a 250 GTO from 1962 for EUR 41.6 million, while the most valuable Porsche was the 959 Paris-Dakar from 1985 for EUR 5.2 million. But the "race" continues ...

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What does a car engine have to do with a mechanical movement?

Bruno von Rotz
11/22/2018

Porsche 356 Motor zerlegt

The art of watchmaking is significantly older than the automobile, but it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that it was possible to miniaturize gear collections to the extent that a watch could be worn on the arm. Things really took off with the First World War, because for pilots the watch, which was cumbersome to take out of their pockets, was not an option; a wristwatch was much more suitable. And they needed the watch to navigate and coordinate their attacks.

A lot has happened since then: the car engine experienced energy crises and "Diesel Gate", the watch industry experienced the quartz crisis in the seventies and eighties, when battery-powered electronic watches almost buried the mechanical movement. But the watch industry recovered and buyers remembered the charms of the mechanical movement.

Even today, precision wonders are still being built from the smallest gear wheels and metal parts. A complete movement can consist of 400 or more parts. This is not far removed from a car engine, which of course also consists of a wide variety of components and easily comprises several hundred parts, as the disassembled Porsche 356 engine photographed here impressively demonstrates. This could be admired yesterday evening at the "Classic Talk" in the Porsche Center Zurich , alongside some mechanical masterpieces from watch brands Blancpain, Rolex and Co, shown by watch specialist Beyer.

Porsche 356 Motor - Nockenwelle

Cars and watches go well together, as you can see from the magnificent chronographs on the wrists of many classic car drivers ...

Porsche 356 Motor - Blick durch den Motorblock

And there is another parallel between car engines and watches. Both need to be serviced from time to time, even overhauled, and in both cases the work is not cheap.

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When a Porsche still took 21 seconds to reach 100 km/h

Bruno von Rotz
11/21/2018

The Porsche 356 was first presented to the general public in its final form as a 2+2-seater coupé (or cabriolet) and with a rear engine at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1949. The first vehicles had already been built in 1948, such as the car shown here with chassis number 004, the oldest surviving example of the 356/2.

The light-footed Porsche quickly won friends, even though it was expensive and actually had little power compared to its sports car competitors. Initially, 40 hp had to suffice, compensated for by an aerodynamically shaped body and relatively low weight.

It took until 1951 for the first comprehensive test reports to appear. Automobil Revue published its impressions from its long-distance test in September 1951. This was already a 1.3-liter model with 44 hp, which had been produced in Stuttgart, while the first examples had been built in Gmünd.

The AR testers needed 21 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, the average top speed was 143 km/h, and the best value was 148 km/h. An average of 10.9 liters ran through the two downdraft carburetors.

"Only very few cars produced in the world today combine the highest level of technology, driving safety, conscientious manufacturing and economical operation to the extent that the Porsche offers," said AR, summarizing their findings after the drive in the 13,900 Swiss franc coupé.

The publisher of "Das Auto + Motor und Sport", Paul Pietsch, also wrote a test reportin 1951. His 356 was even faster, reaching 100 km/h in 19 seconds and top speeds of up to 157 km/h were recorded. The coupé cost DM 9980 in Germany.

"All in all, the Porsche is an inspiring vehicle for anyone who sees a car as more than just a means of transportation. I can perhaps best underline my verdict by saying that in the short time I drove this car, I had become so accustomed to it that I no longer wanted to do without it and bought the test vehicle from Porsche-KG myself," Pietsch concluded his test report.

If you would like to read more about the first Porsche 356, please refer to our upcoming 2019 annual magazine , which profiles the oldest two surviving Porsche 356/2 models.

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