My first ride in a really old car

Leandra Sahli
01/31/2025

Erste Fahrt mit dem Austin A30 Van

In my mind, cars that were built in the year 2000 or even later were also ancient, because they are often older than I am. At least that's what I thought before I started my internship at Zwischengas.

Last week, I realized that cars like our 2009 Peugeot are far from being ancient. Because I had the opportunity to drive a car that really was very old. As part of the photo production of the 1958 Austin A30, I was able to take the van for a spin in the old town of Bülach.

I generally find the look of British cars very appealing and so I also liked this van, especially the many chrome applications, particularly the radiator grille. I was particularly struck by the fact that the side mirrors were positioned so far forward on the hood. This was new to me, as I am not familiar with this on modern cars.

As I only got my driver's license two months ago, I must admit that I had a lot of respect for driving such an old car. Above all, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to reach the pedals and that the seat wouldn't be adjustable. Incidentally, I found the seats a lot more comfortable than the seats in modern cars. My editorial colleague Martin then positioned the seat in such a way that I had a more or less good all-round view.

I then had all the buttons explained to me, as I couldn't understand them at first glance. I was particularly struck by the blinker, which reminded me of a knob on a stove. I also found the long gearshift, which reached down to my feet, very interesting. After the brief instruction, I was ready to go.

Instruktion mit Martin

Surprisingly, my suspicion that I wouldn't succeed in starting off and would stall the car anyway was not confirmed, as the grinding point was easy to find and I rolled off without much jerking.

With Martin's support, I then did several laps around the old town hall in Bülach at 15 km/h, which incidentally matched the color of the van perfectly. I first had to get used to the dimensions of the car, as it was unusually narrow. To my surprise, the van turned very well, the car was maneuverable and could be guided smoothly through the little streets. I forgot to take out the blinker several times, as I was used to the clicking sound of modern cars that alerts you to take out the blinker again. It was only when I looked through the pictures that I realized that the Austin still had indicators as well as the indicators as they did back then. I had never thought about the fact that the various elements of the car used to work differently and so I learned something new.

Afterwards, I was allowed to go for a spin on my own for the photo production. I noticed how much attention such an old car attracts and that many people enjoy it. During the whole photo session, people kept stopping for a moment and looking at the cute car in a friendly way.

Oldtimerfahren mit Martin

Once all the photos had been taken, I had a little driving lesson with Martin on the way back to the garage. He wanted me to learn how to shift gears properly in an old car so that it didn't screech when changing gear. And finally, he taught me how to give intermediate throttle. So now I know what intermediate throttle is all about, even outside the office.

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Triumph and Ducati – Divorce in Italian

Paul Krüger
01/30/2025

Triumph Spitfire 4 (1962) – auf einer Weihnachtspostkarte von Ducati Meccanica SpA Bologna

About two and a half years ago, we told you about the myth-enshrouded assembly of Triumph automobiles at Ducati and wondered how many vehicles had been completed there. After lengthy research, we now believe we have the answer: most probably none at all. How can that be, given that we keep reading about it? Here is the whole story.

After the Italia 2000 fiasco, which was incredibly pretty but denied its technical pedigree, Leyland-Triumph was no longer on good terms with Salvatore Ruffino. A new importer including a wide service network was needed – because Ruffino had also failed to fulfill the last point adequately. The British found their new partner in motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, which was already planning to enter the automotive segment.

The new business relationship was publicly announced at the Turin Motor Show in October 1962. What's more, Ducati had not only been the general importer of Triumph vehicles in Italy since September 1, but would also soon begin assembling entire automobiles and producing spare parts. Of course, Ducati would continue to operate its motorcycle business without restriction, reported German and Italian magazines.

Ducati Managing Director Giuseppe Montano suggested building the assembly plant in the south of the country, as funds from the "Cassa per il Mezzogiorno" – a state support fund for expanding the industrial infrastructure in Lower Italy – could then be used. The factory was not only to assemble kits supplied from England, but also have its own department for their further development.

Triumph TR4 und Triumph Vitesse im Ducati-Hauptsitz Borgo Panigale 1962

Contract negotiations between Leyland-Triumph and Ducati, led by main shareholder Ernesto Breda, began in early 1963. The Italians' demands were not immodest. Instead of just 30 percent (as envisaged by Leyland), the British were to acquire a 49 percent stake in the company. In addition, Ducati demanded the chairmanship of the board as well as the right to sell its own products abroad.

The negotiations dragged on until late fall, with opinions differing widely on the duration of the partnership as well as the financial support from England. After numerous draft agreements, which were only ever considered worthy of signing by one side, the matter finally came to nothing at the end of 1963.

As a result, Ducati limited itself to the import of Triumph vehicles and spare parts as well as maintenance and support from over 200 authorized dealers – including its own fleet of breakdown services. In addition to adaptations to the legal requirements (such as rear lights with separate indicators for the Triumph Spitfire), all cars were given the "Meccanica Ducati Bologna" badge, which today often leads to the assumption that the car was also assembled in Italy.

After the merger with BMC at the beginning of 1968, Leyland's connection to the motorcycle manufacturer from Borgo Panigale was hushed up, but initially continued to exist. The former competitor and current merger partner had been cooperating with Innocenti since 1960. The old Triumph contract with Ducati finally expired at the end of 1970, so that from 1971 both branches of the company operated under the newly founded British Leyland Italia.

Schriftzug "Meccanica Ducati Bologna" an einem Triumph TR4

And where does the estimate that around 20 Triumph TR4s were assembled by Ducati come from? Of course, it is possible that Leyland sent a box of "pre-production examples" to Bologna for testing purposes. However, it is more likely that it was simply a misinterpretation of the (nowadays still very rare) dealer's badge on the trunk lid. It's a bit like saying that Auto Becker assembled Facel Vega cars in Düsseldorf from 1958...

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Ever seen one? Brasinca 4200 GT

Bruno von Rotz
01/29/2025

Brasinca 4200 GT im Jahr 1964

The Brasinca company in Brazil actually focused on bus bodies and truck cabins, as well as vehicle components, but at the beginning of the 1960s they saw an opportunity to be successful with a complete passenger car.

Chassis des Brasinca 4200 GT im Jahr 1964

Rigoberto Soler Gisbert was commissioned to design a sports car body which, depending on your point of view, is reminiscent of the Jensen Interceptor or the Studebaker Avanti. The body was made of sheet steel and mounted on a specially designed, robust chassis and supplemented with suspension elements from Chevrolet van production. The engine also came from Chevrolet and produced 155 SAE hp at 4000 rpm as an in-line six-cylinder engine with 4271 cm3 and three SU carburetors. The power was transmitted to the rear wheels via a three- or four-speed gearbox.

Wilson Fittipaldi, the older brother of the later F1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, was organized to drive a few laps in Interlagos and apparently respectable lap times were achieved. According to the factory, the top speed was around 185 km/h.

Brasinca 4200 GT im Jahr 1964 auf dem Autosalon von Sao Paulo

At the end of November 1964, the production version was presented at the Sao Paolo Motor Show (see also report in the AR) and a dedicated assembly line was soon set up, which promised an output of 20 cars per month.

The Brasinca 4200 GT, which was also called the Uirapuru, was quite expensive at CHF 34,000 at the time, but demand was limited in any case, which is why the adventure came to an end in 1966 after 77 hand-built examples (including three convertibles).

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The operating competence

Martin Sigrist
01/28/2025

No, the term was not coined by me, but by the German transportation historian and author Kurt Möser. He brings it into play in his book "The History of the Automobile". Many years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Möser at a conference of the International Association of Transport Historians T2M (Transport, Traffic and Mobility) at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne. At the time, I was in the middle of preparing a book about the Swiss electric car pioneer Johann Albert Tribelhorn. Yes, electromobility, I have to admit that the explosive nature of the topic was hardly really recognizable back then, in 2009, when I started the work. The future was still a long way off and most of the e-cars available at the time were rather crudely modified small cars with large lead batteries in the rear, only two seats and ranges that could barely exceed 100 kilometers.

I well remember how we went to an e-car meeting on the occasion of the vernissage of the book "Johann Albert Tribelhorn and his legacy at EFAG and NEFAG: Pioneering history of the electric automobile" Zurich: Verein für wirtschaftshistorische Studien 2011, in the same year were amazed to welcome an early owner of a Tesla Roadster to the Swiss Museum of Transport who had made the journey from southern Switzerland over the Gotthard to Lucerne without recharging - a true pioneer, indeed a hero in the eyes of the other guests present whose main topic was how long they were able to keep a battery pack alive or how far they had already driven without recharging. It goes without saying that there was hardly a charging station to be found anywhere at the time. In order to guarantee a carefree journey home for those present, a normal power distributor, such as those found on building sites, supplied the necessary "juice".

The first public charging station in Switzerland around 1912 in Zurich's Selnau district

The stay of most of those who arrived was somewhat longer. What they all had in common was that, as experts, insiders and "knowledgeable" people, they were able to answer pretty much every question from the public and knew how to operate their charging installation inside out. The people demonstrated operating competence. Kurt Möser uses the term in connection with the first, early automobiles, in which men wanted to compete with each other in the traditional way and used to show off their knowledge of how to control the machine. According to him, the car was not used to perform a necessary task, but as a means of fighting out archaic hierarchical battles in a more cultivated manner. However, the early electric car was able to contribute very little to this.

After all, apart from handling the hand controller, the steering system and the brakes, an "Electro" hardly needed any in-depth knowledge. As the picture of the snow-covered Tribelhorn from around 1908 (above) shows, an electric car started immediately when the toggle handle on the main switch was turned, even in the bitter cold. Tribelhorn had already fully automated the charging process at that time, with a drop switch that released a magnet when the charging current dropped below a certain level, which ended the charging process. Charging was carried out using an alternating current machine that drove a direct current generator; the charging rectifier was not yet commonly used to generate the necessary direct current from mains power. Such a Tribelhorn simply drove as long as it was charged, in wind and weather, sun or cold, not fast, without spectacle and therefore without any great social status. The early membership lists of the Automobile Club of Switzerland contain hardly any electric car drivers. However, the silent cars were soon said to be "suitable for women". And in industry and commerce, the magazine operator in Feldbach was trained as a driver of a Tribelhorn truck in a two-day course, which was considerably cheaper than hiring an expensive and better unionized mechanic, as is usual for combustion engines - operating skills!

But let's be honest, it is precisely this pride that still drives us to drive old technology, to bring the carburetor engine to life in wet and cold conditions by skillfully using the choke, to shift gears without scratching, to make some smoke and noise and spectacle instead of leaving the scene unnoticed. Yes, operating competence really does play a role in cars. Whether this is particularly masculine, or even archaic, remains to be seen. But what we do know is that the combustion engine has prevailed, despite numerous disadvantages compared to the electric car, which were still real problems at the time - sensitivity to frost, unwillingness to start, recoiling cranks, oily fingers. For us, that's a good thing and we want to maintain this legacy for as long as possible, just like our operating expertise! There will still be time enough to drive an electric car...

Image © Swiss Museum of Transport VA-50468 and VA-49627 from: " Johann Albert Tribelhorn and his legacy at EFAG and NEFAG: Pioneering history of the electric automobile". Zurich: Association for Studies in Economic History 2011

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Trade fair visit at the top of the priority list (question of the week)

Bruno von Rotz
01/27/2025

Frage des monats 262: Welche Veranstaltung werden Sie 2025 ganz sicher besuchen?

The year 2025 will once again offer a dense and varied calendar of events for classic car and youngtimer enthusiasts. Of course, the big and sometimes international events dominate the action, but we wanted to get a feel for what Zwischengas readers prioritize most, i.e. which event they definitely want to attend. Accordingly, the " question of the month" was posed as "Which event will you definitely visit in 2025?", so that readers had to choose the most important event.

The analysis of the 250 or so responses shows that the major classic car fairs are clearly in the lead, led by Retro Classics Stuttgart (18.8%), followed by Techno Classica (10%), Bremen Classic Motorshow (7.9%), Rétromobile Paris (7.5%) and Auto e Moto d'Epoca (7.1%)

Driving events such as the Belmot Oldtimer Grand Prix (3.3 %), the Goodwood Revival (4.2 %) or the Le Mans Classic (1.3 %), but also meetings such as the Classic Days (4.6 %) had to be content with the lower ranks.

Only 35.1% stated that they would not attend any of the nine proposed events or none at all. This is certainly a positive signal for the organizers, as there are of course many classic car fans who attend several events and there is certainly still time for the more local events.

Graphically, the result looks like this:

Auswertung der Frage des Monats 262: Welche Veranstaltung werden Sie 2025 ganz sicher besuchen?

The next "Question of the Month" has already been published. Now we want to know whether, from the readers' point of view, the American registration model, according to which classic cars (e.g. after 25 or 30 years) should be registered in their own country in accordance with the regulations of the country of origin.

And of course you can read the results of all previous "Questions of the week and month" in the corresponding topic channel.

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Another world (view of the Barrett-Jackson big event)

Marcel Widler
01/26/2025

Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

If you commute back and forth between the Scottsdale auctions, you are immersed in two completely different worlds, although the intention behind the different events is actually the same.

Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

While Barrett-Jackson is primarily a public festival at which a large number of modern cars are auctioned off, Bonhams or RM Sotheby's are about selling carefully selected cars in a cultivated and distinguished setting - without drinks, hamburgers and curly fries. What all the events have in common is that there is no shortage of celebrities, with baseball legend Reggie Jackson and stand-up comedian Adam Ferrara appearing at Barrett-Jackson on Thursday, for example.

Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

This year's Barrett-Jackson auction will attempt to sell 400 cars a day at the huge WestWorld site in Scottsdale from January 20 to 26, 2025. Only around 15% of these are non-American.

BMW M3 an der Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

In typical American fashion, prices are driven upwards by the auctioneer in an almost incomprehensible vibrato and interested parties are motivated to bid with drinks and encouragement from the numerous employees.

Maybach 53 an der Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

What is astonishing this year is the almost complete absence of pre-war cars. Instead, there is a large number of newer luxury cars from Bentley, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini and Maybach among the Europeans. Where else can you find a well-maintained 2004 Maybach 57 with less than 100,000km on the clock for 24,000 US dollars!

"Ghostbuster"-Cadlliac an der Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

The Ghostbuster sets the daily record on Thursday. However, the 1959 Cadillac Miller & Meteor "Ghostbusters Ectomobile" is a re-creation and not the original movie car, but is still worth USD 297,000 to one collector.

A De Lorean DMC12 from 1983 as a "back-to-the-future" recreation also sold well, fetching USD 132,000.

Junge Sportwagen aus Europa an der Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

In any case, many expensive vehicles are "custom cars", all with engines with 400 or more horsepower. So they are no longer original vehicles. Of course, the young vehicles, of which there are many, many, are much more true to the original.

Hummer in Reih und Glied an der Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

The Americans also have to cut back on popular cars. The four Hummer H2s on offer on Thursday are priced between USD 14,000 and USD 23,000, but a few original US classics still score high, including many so-called restomod Americans.

At Barrett-Jackson, it is good to see that more and more classic cars from the USA are being offered in beautifully restored condition with modern, high-performance engines from Ford or Chevrolet. In fact, significantly more than half of all cars sold at auction would have no chance of being registered in this country due to a lack of originality.

Mini von 1979 bei der Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

So it is all the nicer to find an original Mini, a beautiful Porsche 964 or an (almost original) Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider, which is also paid for with a decent price.

Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider bei der Barrett-Jackson Versteigerung Scottsdale 2025 (© Martin Widler)

And if USD 154,000 is paid for a 1964 Amphicar 770, then there must be a lot of love for multimodal transportation.

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Blue is a real blessing in the sun and rain

Paul Krüger
01/25/2025

Pontiac Chieftain Four-Door Catalina (1957) – in der Farbkombination Chevron Blue / Lucerne Blue

Driving to the sunny south in a limousine with a black exterior and interior? That would be just as inappropriate for the occasion as turning up at a funeral service in a bright red convertible. But unlike shoes or jackets, you unfortunately don't have a suitable car in your wardrobe for every occasion. So what to do?

The solution is "dark blue". Just like air, which neither boils nor freezes, dark blue is neither too boring nor too obtrusive. Dark blue doesn't stand out, but dark blue doesn't go under either. Dark blue is colorful enough to be cheerful and informal, yet restrained enough to be dignified and elegant.

That's why three quarters of my fleet is - that's right: red. Fortunately, I don't often have to go to funerals.

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The refinement of a series model

Bruno von Rotz
01/24/2025

Ghia Mark I von 1973

Carrozzeria Ghia produced some of the most beautiful and extraordinary car models of the 20th century, but by building up considerable production capacity, it had not done itself a good service in the medium/long term. And so Ghia first went to De Tomaso in 1967, then to Ford in 1970.

Ford used the new opportunities to establish Ghia Operations in Turin in 1973 and integrated the styling center of Ford Italiana.

The Ghia Mark I was presented in March as one of the first fruits. The aim was to create a medium-sized luxury saloon.

Ghia Mark I von 1973 beim Bau

The prototype was based on the chassis of the Ford Granada, equipped with a three-liter (Essex) engine and automatic transmission. The front end was inspired by the Lincoln Continental Mark IV.

Ghia General Manager Jack Head was quoted at the time as saying:
" With the Mark I - our first product to be shown to the public on a Ford stand - we aimed to combine the quiet, smooth and comfortable driving characteristics of the Granada with the high standard of Italian coachbuilding. The interior is based exclusively on Ghia ideas. I believe that this creation could secure a place in the market in the future."

At the time, no mention was made of a possible series production and, as we know today, it never happened. Whether this luxury version of the Granada would really have had a chance on the market is, of course, open to speculation today. So: comments welcome!

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Once upon a time ... the insurance vending machine

Paul Krüger
01/23/2025

Versicherungsautomat an einer Tankstelle in Frankfurt am Main

It's a silly situation: you spontaneously have to give a business friend a lift in your own car, but the insurance only covers car owners and their families. And of course, as always, it has to be quick. If there is no telephone at hand and, in the worst-case scenario, even on a Sunday, accidents at the wheel can be quite expensive.

From the fall of 1951, there was a solution to this unfortunate set of circumstances, at least in Frankfurt am Main: the insurance vending machine. For DM 1.50, the square-shaped savior in an emergency issued a policy valid for 14 days, which covered the spontaneous passenger against accidents in someone else's car.

So much for the theory. In practice, most drivers were probably of the opinion that their liability insurance should be sufficient. In any case, the extra insurance cover to take along did not catch on.

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Do you know Helphos, the car eye?

Martin Sigrist
01/22/2025

One accessory that I, as a 6-volt-limited classic driver, would not want to do without are the Helphos searchlights, which I bought at classic car fairs or from the showcases with the gold pieces from my favorite parts dealer.
The principle is amazingly simple, but the details are astonishingly ingenious. But first of all, the most important reason why I got hooked on this tool is that in the 1950s and 1960s, every self-respecting globetrotter traveling in a VW bus or similar apparently relied on the help of a Helphos. Another reason is that the installation of the Helphos does not require any holes in the bodywork or changes to the wiring harness. This is because it is "popped" onto the windshield using a vacuum. The core is a ring with a very soft rubber lip that can be pre-tensioned using small levers. The glycerine supplied ensures that the lip lies flush on the glass so that the headlight is not thrown off on the washboard track when the headlight is placed on it after the ring has been fitted and tensioned. However, this works better on a flat glass pane than on curved glass.

The searchlight can now be swiveled in its hemisphere as well as rotated completely around the retaining ring while illuminating the road through the windshield. Why do I need something like this? The Helphos helps to better illuminate junctions and forest entrances when "getting lost" in the forest, for example when looking for a place to sleep in a VW camper van. It is also ideal for illuminating signposts in the dark in the often pitch-black French villages. The Helphos can also be removed from its holder and used as a hand lamp.

This way or that way? When the 6-volt sparklers reach their limits, the Helphos - here mounted in the windshield - also helps to illuminate the edge of the bend.

And: it looks like an adventure! In my Bulli ambulance, the only model of the T1 - a Type 27, a socket was standard. It took about 30 years just to find it. After all, why should you look for something if you don't even know it exists? It was only a reference in a forum that made me realize that the extra in question could be found right at the front, virtually at the top under the dashboard shelf. It was used here, for example, to connect a searchlight.

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