Alford Escoromeo - The Milanese Nose Part Two

Paul Krüger
11/30/2023

Ford Escort (1971) mit dem Kühlergrill eines Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider

No idea is crazy enough not to find a copycat - whether by accident or by design. No sooner have we been amused by an Opel GT with an Alfa Romeo radiator grille than we stumble across a Ford Escort with a very similar face correction in a 1971 issue of mot. But while the "Scudetto" still looked reasonably coherent on the racy Rüsselsheim coupé, it blends far less harmoniously into the angular lines of the Cologne saloon. What's more, the foreign part here appears to come from an older Giulietta. So perhaps the Escort owner didn't want to increase the overtaking prestige of his good Ford - but simply to preserve the memory of his previous car.

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How much more valuable have our classic cars actually become in the last ten years?

Bruno von Rotz
11/29/2023

Bugatti EB110 von 1994 (© Daniel Reinhard)

As you know, you can also look up the current market values of over 5000 vehicles on zwischengas.com. As we regularly do, we have just carried out a comprehensive update of the valuations and took this as an opportunity to delve a little deeper into the figures.

We compared the current prices for states 2/3 with those of 2013. Across the almost 5600 vehicle type/vintage combinations, the increase in value was 91% on average, i.e. the vehicles have become almost twice as expensive. A small comment in passing: the comparison does not take inflation into account, so cars that have increased in value by 10%, for example, may actually have lost slightly in value when adjusted for inflation.

However, the differences between the various cars are large. Around five percent of vehicles have lost value, on average around 10%. This includes many British post-war saloons, but also cars that were once so popular, such as the MG TC or variants of the Austin-Healey 3000.

Jaguar XK120 OTS (© Daniel Reinhard)

The segment of cars that have increased in value by up to 20% is larger, accounting for as much as 11% of the stock, including VW Bus T1 variants, the Jaguar XK120 OTS and the Fiat 124 Spider 1800 (CS1).

Facel Vega HK500 (© Bruno von Rotz)

The list of vehicles whose value has increased by 20 to 50 % is even more extensive, namely 21 % of the stock. These include cars such as the Lancia Stratos, the Facel Vega HK500 and the AC Ace Bristol.

Citroën SM (© A. Martin / Citroën)

29 % of all listed cars even increased in value by 50 to 100 %. These include vehicles such as the VW Beetle Export (1960-1965), Citroën SM, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (R107, cat) and Mazda RX-7.

Opel Kadett GT/E

The air becomes somewhat thinner again for cars with increases in value of 100 to 200%, although 23% of the stock can be found in this segment. It is probably no coincidence that these cars are also younger on average; the higher the average increase in value, the lower the average age. Cars with a 100 to 200% increase in value include the Honda NSX, the Opel Kadett GT/E and the BMW 850i.

Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II (© Mercedes-Benz AG)

This leaves the manageable segment of cars that have increased in value by more than 200%. The average is 295% and this is still 10% of all the cars surveyed. It should come as no surprise that a Lamborghini Miura P400 S, a Ferrari F40 or Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II fit into this group, but some may be surprised that a Peugeot 205 GTI, a Saab 9000 or Mazda 626 Diesel also increased in value so much. However, this is also due to the fact that 10 years ago such vehicles were hardly noticed and were also considered classics.

However, the winner in terms of value appreciation, if you exclude the Toyota Corolla Liftback or Opel Kadett E GSi, which operate at a comparatively low price level, is the Bugatti EB 110 (pictured above) with an impressive 780.6% increase in value.

Of course, these comparisons can also be viewed from different angles. For example, Opel brand vehicles have increased in value by 113%, Ford (D) by 117%, Volkswagen by 153% and Audi by 146%. The increase in value for Mercedes-Benz (75%) or Fiat (74%) is significantly lower and Porsche "only" increased in value by 85%, which is certainly also due to the fact that prices had already developed strongly by 2013.

It is interesting to note the rather high average price increases among the Japanese, e.g. Mitsubishi (164%), Mazda (134%), Nissan (154%) and Honda (127%). And Ferrari has not let itself be outdone in the last ten years either, with the sports cars from Maranello gaining an average of 130% in value.

It is surprising that estate cars and SUVs have increased in value the most, although not as many vehicles are listed here. Saloons, which make up half the stock, increased in value by an average of 99%, coupés by 81%, while convertibles and roadsters only increased in value by 54% and 31% respectively, presumably because they were already trending upwards in the early 2000s.

All new valuations can of course be found online .

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Yesterday is not today and today is not yesterday

Daniel Reinhard
11/28/2023

Neel Jani im Porsche 917 (© Daniel Reinhard)

At the "Swiss Classics Awards" ceremonyin Lucerne on November 25, 2023, Neel Jani compared the automobile of yesterday with the automobile of today, quite simply:
"A modern car needs speed to be fun. Technical perfection, coupled with software that is perfectly tuned for every situation, brings no emotion in the lower speed range. For me, the Porsche 550 Spyder is the epitome of a car that offers great fun even below the legal speed limit. But it's a completely different story in a racing car, because firstly, the seating position in the 917 takes a lot of getting used to and can't be compared with the 919 Hybrid. When I sat in the 917 at Goodwood, I really wondered how a Siffert could sit there for hours and still drive fast. A racing car today is simply absolutely perfect in all areas."

Neel Jani an der Verleihung der Swiss Classic Awards in Luzern 2023 (© Daniel Reinhard)

But I'm going to go even further out on a limb and say that a pre-war racing car is the measure of all things and offers the greatest possible driving pleasure. Where else does the permitted 80 km/h suddenly feel like 180? What could be more exciting than the unfiltered wind and weather in your face, mosquitoes and flies as raw food in your mouth and the crazy feeling of being in the middle of the Mille Miglia from the very first few meters on a warm summer evening?

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How much should a racing car be worth?

Bruno von Rotz
11/27/2023

Lotus 79 versus Mercedes-AMG F1 W04 (© Bonhams/RM/Sotheby's)

As an observer, you sometimes wonder how estimated values, and even more so the results of auctions, come about.

A number of F1 cars that have gone under the hammer in the last 10 days offer an interesting perspective. We would like to take a closer look at two of them.

Lotus 79 von 1978 (© Bonhams)

On the one hand, there was the Lotus 79 from 1978, in which Mario Andretti won the Zandvoort Grand Prix. The F1 monoposto was used many times and secured the F1 World Championship with its successes.

The Lotus looks attractive with its JPS paintwork and the car works, as Dario Franchitti proved at the Bonhams auction in Abu Dhabi .

Mercedes-AMG F1 W04 von 2013 (© RM/Sotheby's)

Significantly younger than the Lotus is the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04 from 2013, in which Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix and which was also entered in several races. RM/Sotheby'swas able to offer the car in Las Vegas.

While the Lotus was estimated by Bonhams at USD 6.5 to 9.5 million, the Mercedes-AMG was expected to fetch USD 10 to 15 million according to RM/Sotheby's.

However, while the Lotus remained at USD 3.4 million and could not be sold, the Mercedes-AMG changed hands for USD 18.815 million.

So although the F1 with the star is hardly more significant than the Lotus in black, it was valued at least five times more by the bidders. One factor in this was probably the fact that the Mercedes-AMG was the only example of this type in private hands, while Lotus F1 cars from the 1970s are "easier" to find.

But is this really enough to justify this huge difference in value?

Moreover, the Lotus can be kept drivable with a manageable amount of effort, whereas the Mercedes-AMG requires a whole crew of specialists and engineers in addition to a truck full of computers and other aids. Shouldn't this also count as an argument for the pricing? And do aesthetics really not play a role?

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Opel Romeo GT

Paul Krüger
11/26/2023

Opel GT mit Alfa-Romeo-Kühlergrill (1970) – @ mot

Somehow the Alfa Romeo GT looks different, many a road user will have thought when looking in the rear-view mirror. Of course, it is not the Giulia coupé that the whole world calls "Bertone". Nevertheless, the name is correct in its own way. Because a humorous owner from Offenbach ennobled his Opel GT with the Milanese "Scudetto" in 1970. Perhaps there was even more to it than a mere visual joke. Did he also transplant the famous Alfa double cam under the Opel hood?

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Thinking around eight corners (car connoisseur quiz)

Paul Krüger
11/25/2023

MG EX-E (1985) auf dem Genfer Salon 1986

The car manufacturer MG was founded 100 years ago in Oxford. Since then, the brand with the octagon has enriched the world with a large number of different vehicles. Racing cars, record-breaking cars, sporty saloons - MG has always been fast. However, the main business was the small, affordable sports cars, which soon gained a reputation around the world as speedy fun makers.

One of the concepts that did not go into series production was the MG EX-E presented at the IAA in Frankfurt in 1985. Under the shell designed by Roy Axe and Gerry McGovern was the technology of a Group B car with a mid-engine and all-wheel drive. A designated successor to the MGB also remained stuck in the experimental stage in 1965.

Despite the decline of the British car industry in the 1980s, MG has remained with us to this day. Not every car brand is lucky enough to live to see its 100th anniversary. Reason enough for us to dedicate a special car connoisseur quiz to the English with the octagon - even though MG has been in Chinese ownership since 2005. Would you like to give it a try?

Click here for the car connoisseur quiz 156

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Once upon a time ... the minivan

Paul Krüger
11/24/2023

Fiat 600 Multipla (1956) – beim Campingurlaub

They offered the elevated seating position of a truck and could transport the luggage of a family of five for three weeks of summer vacation in the space of a modern compact car: Minivans - the classless all-rounders for all those who need three cars but don't want three cars. Families, in particular, enthusiastically grabbed one when the estate car had become too small.

The Fiat 600 Multipla from 1956 is generally regarded as the first, if you don't include non-series experiments such as the Stout Scarab. However, Renault Espace, Citroën Evasion, Fiat Ulysse, Peugeot 806, Lancia Zeta, Opel Zafira, VW Sharan, Ford Galaxy, Seat Alhambra, Chrysler Voyager, Pontiac Trans Sport, Nissan Serena, Toyota Previa, Mercedes-Benz V-Class and the like did not reach their heyday until around the year 2000.

And today? All that remains of the once popular MPVs are vans designed for passenger cars, such as the VW Multivan and the Mercedes-Benz Vito. The Opel Zafira is now also based on the PSA van platform. The Renault Espace has recently even mutated into an SUV. Only in the USA are there still plenty of them: Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey - in the land of unlimited wasted space, of all places.

Fiat Ulysse (1995) – beim Familienurlaub

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The premonition

Bruno von Rotz
11/23/2023

VW Jetta - Zeichnung aus dem Jahr 1977 (© mot)

It was February 1977 when Volkswagen presented the Derby . It was a notchback version of the Polo. Only a short time later, the German car magazine "mot" suggested that a notchback version of the Golf was also conceivable if the Derby was successful (picture/drawing above).

In fact, a lot of time passed before the VW Jetta was produced from August 1979. It differed more clearly from the Golf than the Derby did from the Polo. The modified front had been brought a little closer to the Passat with rectangular headlights.

VW Jetta GLi Zweitürer

The stumbling block, however, was the attached rear end, which led to the nickname "Rucksack Golf". Compared to the Polo, the adaptation was much less elegant and the third volume really did look like an appendage.

VW Jetta - Zweitürer

However, this was even more noticeable in the two-door model than in the four-door model.

Nevertheless, the Jetta found many friends. It was also available as a GLI, a cheaper version of the Golf GTI, so to speak. In Switzerland, you could save around 1,000 francs if you did without the sports seats and other sporty accessories of the Golf GTI and opted for the two-door Jetta instead. It was hardly any slower on the road and you could load over 500 liters into the trunk. Incidentally, the four-door Jetta GLI only cost CHF 15,840 in Switzerland in 1980, which is a price worth remembering ( test in Automobil Revue in 1980).

VW Jetta GLS von 1979

Of course, it was even cheaper with a much more modestly powered GLS.

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Almost like a blue Mauritius - the GT40 for the road

Bruno von Rotz
11/22/2023

There are said to be 31 (or 30) Ford GT40s built for use on normal roads. Some of them were already sold as part of the first "series" in 1966 and 1967, they were called Ford GT 40 Street (Mk1). They were very expensive, significantly more expensive than the racing cars that were built for use on closed tracks.

At the time, a street GT40 equipped with Borrani wheels cost 60,000 DM or 85,000 Swiss francs, making it the most expensive car on the market alongside the Mercedes-Benz 600 (and in retrospect probably still a good investment). As you can imagine, it was not a great sales success at the time and some of these road cars were soon converted for racing.

Only a few have survived in their original configuration, one of which will go under the hammer at Mecum's Kissimmee auction in Florida in January 2024.

The car was formerly owned by Umberto Maglioli, a three-time winner of the Targa Florio. He apparently only used it sporadically, as the speedometer of the right-hand drive and right-hand gearbox GT40 shows 13,442 miles.

RUF Automobiles has restored the almost-racing car and it still appears to correspond to the original configuration. The car is now coming onto the market for the first time in 30 years; there is no estimate yet. Determining the estimate is unlikely to be easy, as original road-going GT40s are rarely traded.

Similar to the "Blue Mauritius" stamp, original GT40 Street cars are very rare today. There are said to be 12 examples of the stamp left, and there won't be many more of the GT40. However, while the Blue Mauritius is valued at up to one million euros, the GT40 is likely to fetch several times that amount.

Nevertheless, someone will be able to fulfill their dream of owning an original GT40 in January 2024. We are already envious of him or her. If you're dreaming, you can find more pictures in higher resolution here.

P.S. The GT40 was auctioned on January 12, 2024 for USD 6.93 million .

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Progressives punish conservative customers

Bruno von Rotz
11/21/2023

Car manufacturers don't have it easy. In the pursuit of aerodynamically optimized and stylistically convincing (all a matter of taste) solutions, vehicles are launched on the market that are not always accepted by their own regular customers.

Mercedes-Benz is currently having to recognize this, as the EQS and EQE models are currently selling significantly less well than planned. Apparently, customers are annoyed by the design, which is not typical of the brand, and the compromises that have to be made when getting into the back.

However, Mercedes-Benz is not the only car manufacturer to experience such dissonance. In the 1930s, for example, Chrysler (pictured above) was hit by the Airflow model, which looked extremely streamlined for the time and was a commercial failure. Obviously, Chrysler's customers were (also) rather conservative.

This does not necessarily mean that innovatively designed and forward-looking cars cannot meet with healthy demand, as demonstrated by the Peugeot 402 or the Citroën DS, for example. But you just have to have the right customers ...

We have taken a closer look at some aerodynamic milestones in the forthcoming Zwischengas annual magazine 2024 .

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