Two men, one destiny

Daniel Reinhard
07/31/2021

Mansour Ojjeh und Niki Lauda im Gespräch mit Jean Todt in Bahrain am 17.3.2002 (© Daniel Reinhard)

Mansour Ojjeh and Niki Lauda share a world championship title, but also the same fate.

Ojjeh had been a partner in the McLaren F1 team since 1984. He played a decisive role in Lauda's third world championship title, as he financed a pioneering engine with his company "TAG" (Techniques d`Avantgarde) and the partnership with Porsche.

The Saudi Arabian businessman died at the age of 68. The son of a Syrian father and a French mother, he came into contact with motorsport purely by chance as a guest of the Saudi royal family, who supported Frank Williams and his team at the 1978 Monaco GP.

He joined Williams with "TAG" and won the 1979 British GP with Clay Regazzoni, followed by the world championship titles of Alan Jones (1980) and Keke Rosberg (1982).

Then came the switch to McLaren with the "TAG-Turbo by Porsche", with which Lauda and Prost won three world championship titles.

Ojjeh, who is also known from "TAG Heuer", had to struggle with serious health problems in 2013: he was dependent on a transplant of both lungs.

Niki Lauda also had a lung transplant. "That was certainly the worst experience of my life," said Lauda about his stay in hospital from the end of July to the end of October. "It was crazy. Just lying in bed for months, surrounded by staff who somehow kept me alive."

The new lung initially worked perfectly. "I didn't have time to read. I got up at eight o'clock in the morning, then my training program started, breakfast with the children and then it was off to the tennis court," says Lauda.

Niki Lauda passed away on 20.5. 2019, Mansour Ojjeh on 6.6.2021

The photo was taken in Bahrain and shows Mansour Ojjeh and Niki Lauda in conversation with Jean Todt on March 17, 2002.

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What happened to character and distinctiveness?

Bruno von Rotz
07/30/2021

Alfa Romeo Giulia Nuova 1978

When we recently sat behind the wheel of a modern Alfa Romeo Giulia, we were somewhat disappointed. The dashboard could have belonged to any other car, the former Alfa character is barely visible.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Q4 2021

Or would you have immediately recognized this dashboard as an Alfa Romeo? If the Alfa symbol had been missing in the center of the steering wheel, probably not.

Things were different in the past, when designers and interior designers were still allowed to let off steam and they also came up with solutions that may not always have had optimum ergonomics, but certainly had character.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti 1964

To underline our point, we show the dashboard of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Nuova from 1978 at the top, then the beginning of the Alfa Romeo Giulia TI from 1964.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Super 1600 1968

And finally, the cockpit of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Super from 1968. Nobody would have thought of sitting in a Citroën, Mercedes-Benz or Ford, even if all the brand emblems had been missing ...

P.S. Of course, we have already published driving reports on the Giulia of the sixties, one on the 1300 ti and one on the Giulia Super.

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The dream of a Postbus

Daniel Reinhard
07/29/2021

Alvis Silver Eagle von 1934 an der Ennstal-Classic 2021 (© Daniel Reinhard)

"432 parcels full of surprises on board" is the slogan of Austrian Post. Unfortunately, for obvious space reasons, this quantity can hardly be delivered with the beautiful Alvis Silver Eagle 16/95 from 1934.

"Driving in the last paradise" has been the slogan of the Ennstal-Classic for decades. The two slogans and the 100 hp 2.5-liter Alvis could well tempt us to deliver each of the packages individually.

P.S. We have just published an extensive event report on the recently concluded Ennstal-Classic ...

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Forgotten movie cars: the Chevrolet Bel Air from "Return to Macon County"

Paul Krüger
07/28/2021

Chevrolet Bel Air 1957 aus dem Film Wild Drivers

8.7 seconds! That's the astonishing time the sun-yellow Bel Air on its skinny, low-traction bias-ply tires ran on the quarter mile – hand-timed in front of the camera. A mysterious toggle switch under the dashboard made it possible. What exactly Harley McKay (Don Johnson) activated with it, however, remains his secret. A bang and a burst of sparks from the exhaust must be enough to make viewers believe that Lizzy is now partying under the hood.

In the summer of 1958, driver Bo (Nick Nolte) and mechanic Harley make their way from Georgia to California to take part in the "Grand National Championship" in drag racing. Of course, the trip across the USA goes anything but smoothly. After the crazy waitress Junelle gets on board, they get into a fight with a group of thugs and a vengeful small-town policeman during the course of the trip.

The whole thing is certainly not Oscar-worthy, which is what Amercian International Pictures stands for with its name. And apart from the cars and the great rock'n'roll soundtrack, everything in the film – from the hairstyles to the clothes to the cans on the supermarket shelves – corresponds to the year it was made, 1975. Nevertheless, the nonsense is entertaining. One of the two movie Chevys has survived in surprisingly good condition. It is waiting for better times in a barn in Kentucky.

What the yellow hardtop coupé actually has under the hood? Unfortunately, only an ordinary small-block V8. But at least it's the hottest that was available in the Bel Air in 1957: the 283 with Rochester fuel injection and 283 SAE horsepower, for the film also force-fed by a Paxton supercharger and spruced up with a portion of chrome. Coupled to a manual three-speed gearbox, the Chevy should be able to cover the quarter mile in a good 14 seconds. Oh well.

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Is waiting also part of your job?

Daniel Reinhard
07/27/2021

As a photographer, you are usually at the desired location far too early, but the action is a long time coming. And so you stand in the landscape and wait and wait and wait. You start playing with bugs and flowers, collecting plastic and garbage in the immediate vicinity, or dreaming of times gone by.

Then suddenly the sound of engines. The first car. A hectic pace quickly sets in. With the camera at the ready, we wait for the vehicle, but oh dear, it's not a rally participant. It's usually just a small truck or an agricultural vehicle. Occasionally, however, it is a fan on a private mission.

Fiat-Abarth mit Wolf (© Daniel Reinhard)

Here, the wolf and his master enjoy a hot drive in the little Scorpio (Abarth). Fresh air is needed in the heat. All the openings are open. The wolf enjoys the fresh air supply from the side window, the engine breathes through the slightly open hood and the driver enjoys the open sunroof.

Haflinger mit Familie (© Daniel Reinhard)

The Haflinger (Häfi) is on a family trip and only carries just what it needs to survive. Father, mother and the two sons in the back seat race towards the evening sun and enjoy the start of the weekend.

Then, finally, the rally participants arrive.

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The Alpenbrevet 2021 - Rütli oath and serpentines

Thomas Suter (Text), Claudia Steinegger, Fredi Schneider, Georg Dönni (Fotos)
07/26/2021

Alpenbrevet 2021 - Besammlung auf dem Rütli (© Claudia Steinegger)

Small prize question: Alpenbrevet - Rütli report - Jacques Dutronc - is there a connection? At least 40 teams wanted to solve this mystery.

We are talking about the 19th edition of the Alpenbrevet, which took place on July 23, 2021. Georg Dönni, a well-known figure among Jaguar owners with the Dönni Classic Car, hosted the annual "Alpenbrevet".

Alpenbrevet 2021: Rütliwiese (© Claudia Steinegger)

The start last Friday was not just anywhere, but on the sacred Rütli meadow on Lake Lucerne. It was unbelievable how Dönni managed to guide 40 vintage cars, some of them real gems, from Seelisberg to this sacred meadow for the Swiss people, through driving bans and over goods roads (and to the annoyance of one or two hikers!).

Unterwegs auf Güterstrassen (© Fredi Schneider)

While a social worker at the back wanted to explain the significance of the Rütli and Switzerland to "her" refugees from Eritrea, Dönni invited them to report. Not quite like General Guisan almost exactly 71 years ago and above all not against such a threatening and dangerous backdrop. It was impressive to see how the participants listened to Dönni's explanations next to their cars on the Rütli meadow. This has probably never happened before in the 730-year history of this place...

Alpenbrevet-Organisator Georg Dönni (© Claudia Steinegger)

Every year, the Alpenbrevet is held in a different format. This year there was even a four-hour rest break in the hotel at night, a first in the long history of the event.

Alpenbrevet 2021: Innocenti I5 von 1971 (© Fredi Schneider)

Well: Friday was all about taking the route from Rütli via Brünig, Grimsel, Furka, Gotthard under the wheels, ...

Alpenbrevet 2021: Stimmung am Alpenübergang (© Georg Dönni)

... to arrive at the hotel in Lugano between 21:00 and 22:00 at the latest.

Alpenbrevet 2021: Unterwegs (© Claudia Steinegger)

Dönni considered it a point of honor to leave the highway out of the equation "and drive our cars on roads that they had already rolled on back then.

Alpenbrevet 2021: Innocenti I5 von 1971 am Gotthard (© Fredi Schneider)

It turned out to be wishful thinking. The heavy Friday traffic with Sunday drivers, cars, motorcycles and cyclists caused so many delays that from Airolo or shortly afterwards, the timetable could only be adhered to by switching to the expressway. Dönni made sure that it didn't become a relaxed coffee ride with the final bouquet from Vira-Gambarogno.

Alpenbrevet 2021: Bergfahrt (© Claudia Steinegger)

There was no respite: the route to the stage finish was a never-ending meander over (very) narrow and steep mountain roads and unguarded customs crossings.

Alpenbrevet 2021: Enge Strassen ohne Asphalt (© Georg Dönni)

This posed an almost insurmountable challenge for the driving skills of many an oncoming SUV driver: In any case, their skill at the wheel did not grow in proportion to the size of the car...

Alpenbrevet 2021: VW Karmann-Ghia (© Fredi Schneider)

After a little more than six and a half hours of driving, a delicious buffet beckoned before we were glad to be able to dive into bed for at least a brief moment. At 03:00, the alarm clock woke the participants from a deep sleep. An espresso had to suffice, the restart was at 04:00. And now Jacques Dutronc, the French chansonnier with his song "Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille", came into play. The Frenchman was an hour behind the Alpine Brevet's marching schedule, waking up in Paris at 05:00, and it wasn't Paris, but Lugano. It was always impressive: traffic lights in flashing light mode, not a soul on the road, all the streets on which masses of cars struggle from red light to red light during the day, unimaginably empty! On the way to Montceneri, the brutal reality became apparent: the highway running parallel to the main road was already packed with cars at the crack of dawn. The start of the vacation and the urge to head south was showing its face in all its glory!

Alpenbrevet 2021: Ospizio (© Claudia Steinegger)

We had until 10:00 a.m. to cross the San Bernardino and Splügen from Lugano on normal roads. This was followed by a nasty additional loop along Lake Como from Argegno, which was particularly tough for the car. The roads over the San Bernardino were empty and the villages of the Misox were still sleeping the sleep of the righteous. Fog was the companion over the San Bernardino and Splügen passes, and from Chiavenna and a little later from Gera l'Ario, the desolate column driving began along Lake Como. From Argegno onwards, Dönni had come up with something special again. The route around Monte Pasquella and Monte Luria led back to Switzerland via poor goods roads and dirt tracks, paved with an abundance of potholes.

Alpenbrevet 2021: Trophäe (© Claudia Steinegger)

And the Alpenbrevet participants finally arrived at the hotel on time, fortified themselves with a large brunch buffet and collected the gemstone with the engraved "Alpenbrevet badge" from Georg Dönni. It goes without saying that these hardened rally drivers are already looking forward to next year.

"I am delighted to see and experience the spirit and commitment of the participants," concluded Georg Dönni. It went unmentioned that such classic car events are only possible thanks to the spirit and commitment of the organizer and his crew.

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People's cars don't have to be called Volkswagen (car connoisseur quiz)

Bruno von Rotz
07/25/2021

Lada Nova (disguised)

The VW Beetle became the people's car in many countries and not just in its home market; no wonder over 20 million units were produced. But millions of other cars were also built and were real people's cars in the country of manufacture, such as the Lada pictured above (without the trademark), which was based on the Fiat 124.

However, while we seem to know the VW Beetle inside out, we often don't remember other popular cars.

We have collected some of these popular cars and searched for photos in the extensive Zwischengas picture archive for the new car connoisseur quiz. Of course, it would be too easy to show all the cars for identification. Instead, the aim is to recognize popular cars from different countries by their details.

If you want to give it a try, click here for the latest car connoisseur quiz ...

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Nothing is impossible ... Corona

Bruno von Rotz
07/24/2021

Many of you will remember the TV and magazine advertisement "Nothing is impossible ... Toyota", sung by two monkeys. Back then it was about models like the Corolla or Carina, but this week we were reminded that perhaps nothing is really impossible when a car comes from Toyota.

There was actually a Toyota Corona Mark II from 1976 in year-old condition in front of us. We hadn't seen one of these limousines for a long time. The fact that the car still had a lot of originality and a robust disposition for the test drive surprised us and the passers-by who happened to be passing by. It was built to last (almost) forever.

Nowadays, it would probably never occur to Toyota to launch a car under the name "Corona", but back then, of course, this term had no negative connotations.

We will, of course, devote an extensive report to the strapping Toyota Corona Mark II, but we wanted to remind our readers that "Corona" can also mean something other than this troublesome virus ...

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Memories of a time when only flying was more beautiful ...

Wolfram Hamann
07/23/2021

The classic car hobby means that you can easily transport yourself back to times gone by. I still remember the end of the 1950s, when the Ruhr area - an urban agglomeration with 5 million inhabitants - began to die out as a result of the collieries and new jobs had to be created through restructuring. A short time later, the Ruhr University Bochum was founded as the first German university after the war and began teaching in 1965 with 1215 students - 3000 students were expected for the second semester. Today, 43,000 students study there.

I was also enrolled there in the early 1970s and drove past Opel Plant I almost every day. Opel plants I and II/III were newly built on old colliery land in Bochum in response to the coal crisis.
The Kadett A had been produced in this flagship plant since 1963 as a serious competitor to the Beetle. People in the Ruhr region were proud not only to have universities, but also to build cars!

At peak times, 20,000 people worked at Opelin Bochum. In 52 years, almost 14 million cars with the famous Blitz rolled off the production line there. And exactly 103,463 of them were sporty two-seaters based on the Kadett B, known as the Opel GT.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, the print media reported in passing that a monument to the Opel GT was recently erected in Bochum. This was actually overdue. After all, there is a sandstone Trabi memorial in front of the Horch Museum in Zwickau and why shouldn't there also be a monument to automobile production in Bochum? We will not go into the history of the Opel GT or its relationship to the "Coke-Bottle Corvette" again at this point. However, it should be noted that this car, built from 1968 to 1973, was sensational at the time and was certainly not expected by Opel, a company considered to be rather conservative. And the accompanying, catchy slogan: "Opel GT. Only flying is more beautiful" is still familiar to many today. Yes, the Opel GT can certainly be described as a cult car.

But how did this monument to the GT come about? The two friends Klaus Altfeld and Konrad Goretzka had acquired an Opel GT from a former soccer colleague for the purpose of a thorough restoration. After sandblasting the bodywork and removing several kilos of body filler, they were sobered to realize that it would have been pointless to rebuild the vehicle due to the desolate condition of the sheet metal. However, as disposing of it carelessly was also out of the question, the two decided to create a sculpture. To this end, they brought semi-professional artist Annemieke Schade on board and came up with the concept of combining the body shell with the brand-typical Blitz. However, the path from the idea to the result was laborious, as there was a lot to consider and calculate. From the angle of impact of the Opel lightning bolt and the inclination of the body to the statics and the material to be used, there were a number of hurdles to overcome - details can be found on the project website. The corrosion of the bodywork was artificially accelerated in a brine. After this had been washed off, the sheet metal was preserved with anti-corrosion oil so that it now resembles Corten steel. Contrasting stainless steel from local manufacturer Thyssenkrupp was used for the lightning bolt as a load-bearing element.

The sculpture measures 4.2 x 1.7 x 4.4 m, weighs almost 1000 kg and was presented to the public on the occasion of the Opel GT's 50th birthday. The search for a suitable location then began. With municipal support, this was finally found in Bochum-Langendreer.

The sculpture now stands on the Bundesstraße 235 next to a DIY store in the middle of a large traffic circle. It is a reminder of the great days when exciting cars like the Opel GT were still being built in the Ruhr region and only flying was better. And finally the circle is complete. Because in the immediate vicinity of the monument there is also one last remnant of days gone by, the Opel goods distribution center. This is still located in Bochum - deep in the west, where the Opel GT was once built.

Further details can be found on the sculpture's website .

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Almost everyone was already there ...

Daniel Reinhard
07/22/2021

The Ennstal-Classic starts today for the 29th time after a one-year break. If it hadn't been for the corona pandemic, we could be celebrating the 30th anniversary today.

There will be plenty of celebrities to meet in the Ennstal again from today, because with Mark Webber, Timo Bernhard, Dieter Quester, Rauno Aaltonen and Niki's cousin Max Lauda, there are many personalities at the start again.

In any case, the list of those who have been there before is extremely long and varied. Patrick Dempsey, Tobias Moretti, Gerhard Berger, Walter Röhrl, David Coulthard, Nigel Mansell, Jochen Mass, Bryan Johnson, Stirling Moss, Mark Webber, Franz Klammer, Jost and Klaus Wildbolz, Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart, Michele Alboreto, Emerson Fittipaldi, Peter Kraus, Karl Wendlinger, John Surtees, Adrien Newey and Hans Hermann can all be seen on the screen.

However, Niki Lauda, Sebastian Vettel, Hans Stuck, Derek Bell, Erik Carlsson, Arturo Merzario, Maria Teresa de Filippis, Nino Vaccharella, Jo Vonlanthen, Peter Sauber, Mario Illien, Mario Theissen, Hermann Mayer and last but not least Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) are certainly still missing. Presumably one or two others have been forgotten.

Nevertheless, the list is long and those who were always there and collected autographs diligently have amassed quite a collection over the years and can also claim to have met them all in person.

P.S. We will of course be there again this year and are preparing a big photo report ...

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