(Some) tradition at Auto Zürich

Bruno von Rotz
10/31/2025

Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider an der Auto Zürich 2025 (© Bruno von Rotz)

Since yesterday and until Sunday (November 2, 2025), Auto Zürich is open to the public. Since the end of the Geneva Motor Show, this new car show has increasingly moved into the spotlight and even world premieres, but above all many Swiss premieres, are celebrated in Zurich. For some years now, the Auto Zürich Classic has also been part of the trade fair concept. In Hall 6, selected dealers display and sell beautiful and desirable classic cars (see picture above).

Wednesday belongs to the press and invited guests. In the morning, new products and special features are presented on the "Media Stage", strictly in five-minute cadences.

Auto Zürich 2025 Media Stage - BMW iX3 (© Bruno von Rotz)

Given all the great features that make up new cars today, it is quite understandable that tradition can be somewhat neglected. A successful car for the mass market today seems to need at least 23 assistance systems, 18 loudspeakers, three drive engines and at least 600 hp. An "iconic light signature", ambient lighting or an LCD screen that is larger than the TV at home just a few years ago are also part of the package.

There is little time for reminiscences of the past if you want to explain all these benefits, which incidentally do not include a manual gearbox. There is even no time for technical details such as the number of cylinders in the petrol engine, especially as there would almost always have been four anyway.

Auto Zürich 2025 Media Stage - Honda Prelude Generationen (© Bruno von Rotz)

At least there was always a picture in the background of the media presentations that also delighted fans of historic cars, such as the earlier generations of the new Honda Prelude ...

Auto Zürich 2025 Media Stage - Renault Clio (© Bruno von Rotz)

... or the first Renault Clio ...

Auto Zürich 2025 Media Stage - Nissan Micra (© Bruno von Rotz)

... or the past of the newly launched Nissan Micra.

Auto Zürich 2025 Media Stage - Mazda CX30 zieht Cosmo Sport (© Bruno von Rotz)

And yes, the Mazda Cosmo Sport in tow with the revised CX30 was of course a particular delight.

Auto Zürich 2025 Media Stage - Jaguar D-Type (© Bruno von Rotz)

But when a real Jaguar D-Type drove onto the stage at the end of the media presentation, all the journalists once again enthusiastically pulled out their cameras. As is well known, the car will go under the hammer at the Broad Arrow auction at the Dolder Grand on Saturday, November 1, 2025.

However, even the new car halls are not completely devoid of classics. Some examples?

Citroën ID19 "sur ballons" an der Auto Zürich 2025 (© Bruno von Rotz)

At Citroën, for example, you can marvel at the "ID19 sur ballons", which was once intended to impressively demonstrate the superior driving comfort of the "goddess".

Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV an der Auto Zürich 2025 (© Bruno von Rotz)

At Stellantis, you can see an Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV and a Fiat Nuova 500 ...

Audi Sport quattro an der Auto Zürich 2025 (© Bruno von Rotz)

... and an Audi Sport quattro at AMAG.

Porsche 911 S neben modernem Nachfolger an der Auto Zürich 2025 (© Bruno von Rotz)

Finally, at Porsche, a 911 S from the F generation will show how the model series has evolved. And yes, in Hall 6 there is almost exclusively automotive tradition to admire, so let's go there ...

P.S. Oh yes, before I forget, of course we also have a stand at Auto Zurich, logically also in Hall 6. You are welcome to visit us there!

Stand von Zwischengas und SwissClassics Revue an der Auto Zürich 2025 (© Bruno von Rotz)

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Sharknado - the NART Zagato

Paul Krüger
10/30/2025

NART Zagato (1970) – Einzelstück auf Basis des Cadillac Eldorado, gezeigt am Turiner Salon 1970

When new emissions regulations threatened to make the import and sale of European luxury sports cars in the USA more difficult at the end of the 1960s, Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti had the idea of offering his customers a car that was at least as exclusive and domestically produced.

He chose the Cadillac Eldorado as the technical basis, whose 400 HP 8.2-liter V8 was moved in front of the rear axle, which it was now to drive instead of the front wheels. Chinetti received technical and financial support from General Motors, which even made one of its studios available for the construction of the clay model.

The body design itself allegedly came from Chinetti's son Luigi Jr. and was turned into sheet aluminum at Carrozzeria Zagato. In terms of its own aspirations, it was a kind of American Lamborghini Espada, but visually and technically the result was more of a somewhat unfortunate cross between an Oldsmobile Toronado and a Monteverdi Hai.

With the name of Chinetti's North American Racing Team on the front, the 2+2-seater mid-engined coupé was finally presented to the public at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. But by then General Motors had already lost interest and Chinetti had lost the foundation for his planned series production. The NART Zagato remained a one-off.

NART Zagato (1970) – Einzelstück auf Basis des Cadillac Eldorado, optisch eine Mischung aus Oldsmobile Toronado und Monteverdi Hai

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Much(er) is better!

Martin Sigrist
10/29/2025

In the past, when my daughter wanted to name the ultimate, even greater quantity, or when she wanted even more of something, she didn't ask for more, but for "many". I suspect that this made it easier for her to imagine when more was to be added to many. Well, at a Bonhams auction - online from October 30 to November 10, 2025- there is a whole lot of automobilia: spare parts, accessories, models, literature and garage equipment. But everything revolves around just one brand: Jaguar! If you are still looking for an original E-Type steering wheel, a set of smokers with the Leaper - the leaping cat - on it, a winglet from a Jaguar F1 racing car or a bundle of rusty wrenches from the original on-board tools of many Jaguar models: voilà!

151 lots are stored in a warehouse near Le Bourget airport near Paris, waiting to be picked up by buyers after a successful bid. It is interesting for our language group that a lot of the literature is in German. However, the numerous manuals and workshop books, starting with the Mark V, are in English - what else? The compilations of the lots are topic-related. There are some on the XJ, others on the XK 120, still others on the XE and XF. Most, however, seem to range from the 1960s to the 1990s.

For fans - or more importantly for friends and acquaintances of fans of the brand - this is an exciting auction. Christmas is not far away. And for those who already own (too) much Jaguar, this is a wonderful opportunity to turn a lot into "many"! All I can say is: good luck with the bidding! How? Yes, but I also have my eye on this and that.

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The perfect Lexus LFA does not exist...

Paul Krüger
10/28/2025

Lexus LFA (2011) – im Hintergrund ein Toyota 2000 GT

Me and my exclusive taste. Why can't I be satisfied with plain white like 157 other customers? Especially as it is the whitest white. Because that really was the name of the most ordered color for the Lexus LFA: Whitest White. It was followed by the not-so-white Pearl White with 58 orders, closely followed by black 56 times. This means that more than half of the 500 cars built fall into this binary scheme.

So if you like colors that are as neutral as possible, you have a more or less free choice on the used car market. At some point, a combination with the right interior color will turn up. There aren't many options for the engine or gearbox. However, I missed my chance to get an LFA in my desired configuration when production stopped on December 17, 2012. It does not exist. And it will never exist.

Lexus LFA (2011) – alle verfügbaren Lackfarben

Because I'd have the V10 screamer only in two colors. Option one: Lapis Lazuli, which has only been sprayed on a single car (no. 265) in Motomachi and which I would have combined with cream-colored upholstery. The Texan first and only owner of the unique paintwork, on the other hand, considered it more tasteful to contrast the very dark blue with a white-black-violet triad. Taste is a matter of...

Hence my second option for the aggressively calm CFRP dress: Lavender, a soft pastel pink violet – which nobody wanted to have on their LFA ex works. However, the atypical (and in this case quite subjective) absence of perfection for this car also has a good side. At least I'm not tempted. However, if I could afford an LFA, I would probably also have the money to have it repainted...

Lexus LFA (2011) – das einzige Exemplar (Nr. 265) in der Farbe Lapis Lazuli

You can read more about the Lexus LFA and its ideal predecessor, the Toyota 2000 GT, in the 2026 zwischengas annual magazine from mid-December.

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All plastic in Bremen?

Rolf Binnemann
10/27/2025

GFK-Treffen Bremen 2025 - TVR Taimar (© Rolf Binnemann)

For the eighth edition of the only GRP meeting "All plastic or what?" in Germany, we had serious doubts as to whether the topic was still in demand.

On the morning of September 14, 2025, uncertain weather was to be expected. However, the weather conditions improved over the course of the day and turned out to be very good, inviting and sunny. The year before, on September 1, 2024, we had been negatively surprised, as only fifteen pure GRP cars came. Our hopes for 2025 were therefore somewhat dampened.

GFK-Treffen Bremen 2025 - Lotus Elan (© Rolf Binnemann)

But in the end, many cars, including many rare ones, arrived at Schuppen Eins in Bremen-Überseestadt. Accordingly, there were many opportunities for interesting discussions, in which the topic of GRP was naturally central. A number of classic and vintage cars without GRP bodies also arrived. We were just as pleased to see them. A good catering service from "Coffee Bike" also contributed to the good atmosphere.

GFK-Treffen Bremen 2025 - Wiesmann (© Rolf Binnemann)

To our surprise, rarities and one-offs also turned up. We were delighted to see one of the rare Wiesmann Roadsters. A Rudolph Spyder with an Audi five-valve four-cylinder turbo engine, heralded at the time by Auto Bild as a Porsche Boxster killer, also made an appearance. A Westfield GTM with a Honda VTEC-K20A engine was much admired.

GFK-Treffen Bremen 2025 - Thurner RS (© Rolf Binnemann)

You don't see the Thurner RS every day either, nor a Pilgrim with a two-liter Ford four-cylinder or a Merlin with a 1.6-liter Ford engine.

GFK-Treffen Bremen 2025 - Reliant Scimitar (© Rolf Binnemann)

The Reliant Scimitar GTE or the TVR Taimar (pictured at the top) with a three-liter Ford Essex V6 are somewhat more common, but nevertheless attracted a lot of interest.

GFK-Treffen Bremen 2025 - Lotus Europa als Projekt (© Rolf Binnemann)

The company Seiffert de Sign from Hamburg presented a restoration project for the Lotus Europa. And that was by no means all.

This meeting gave us the courage to try again next year.

We would like to thank all visitors to the event, with and without GRP cars.

I would also like to thank all the helpers and those responsible at "Schuppen Eins" in Bremen. The classic car center is the perfect "location" for an event like the GRP meeting.

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And another winter project

Martin Sigrist
10/26/2025

It's actually been with me for a while, the - or that? - Höhm. It looks a little naked, in fact it only has a small hint of bodywork at the front. Its freedom of movement is easily explained, because the Höhm company built driving school models. I discovered it some time ago, the 1/4 scale car chassis was kindly sold to me by Steffi Musfeld, owner and manager of the Pantheon in Muttenz near Basel. I still don't know whether he really took it to sell or rather as decoration for his stand at the Swiss Classic World 2024. In any case, I was just in the mood to afford such an impressive object - and he was obviously in the same mood to sell it to me.

As is so often the case with such things, I had hardly any idea at first, neither about the manufacturer nor about all the functions. And there are a lot of functions that such a model has to offer. In principle, all the essential parts of a real car can be seen in the model. According to the extremely informative website www.fahrschulmodell.net, the Höhm company was founded in 1939.

Although my model, built by Höhm in 1961, was no longer up to date in all areas, it still has a rigid front axle, but this is sprung with real leaf springs and they work. The same applies to the rear axle. The engine is made of plastic and is transparent. Behind it is a clutch, which can be correctly disengaged using the corresponding pedal. The gearbox has three forward gears and one reverse gear. Unfortunately, mine is missing the gearshift, the only defect worth mentioning, but there is said to be a company in Germany that can still supply all parts new. I have made initial contact, but unfortunately I have not received a reply since I sent the requested components. However, I am confident and have followed up.

The whole model is also very dirty, but as I have now discovered, the mechanism works. There is an electric motor hidden in the wooden base that drives the dummy motor. The plugs spark when the pistons move up and down. The valves are opened and closed via pushrods and tiny rocker arms. The wheels are fitted with mechanically operated, real drum brakes. The lighting also works, and there is even a hazard warning blinker. The only thing I haven't discovered yet is a horn.

Now I'm going to freshen this model up a bit over the winter, which primarily means cleaning and completing it - then I just have to convince my wife that it should definitely be somewhere in the apartment instead of the railroad cellar.

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What exactly is a bikini?

Bruno von Rotz
10/25/2025

Bikini 500 Zagato von 1965 an der Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2025

Of course, we don't mean the garment, but an automobile. After all, we're talking about intermediate throttle. But we actually came across the Bikini 500 Zagato from 1965 for the first time at the "Auto e Moto d'Epoca" classic car show in Bologna, which runs until Sunday (October 26, 2025).

Bikini 500 Zagato von 1965 an der Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2025

According to the stand description, the Bikini is a car that was developed and built by Milanese engineer Luigi Piatta at Zagato. The engine came from a Fiat 500 Giardiniera, but it was fitted at the front with the help of Mini parts.

Bikini 500 Zagato von 1965 an der Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2025

The bodywork is reminiscent of a mixture of Mini Moke and buggy, and was certainly intended for fresh air enthusiasts.

Bikini 500 Zagato von 1965 an der Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2025

The car was shown as a prototype at the Turin Motor Show in 1965. The compact car did not cause too much of a stir at the time, at least the magazines in this country did not report on it.

Bikini 500 Zagato von 1965 an der Auto e Moto d'Epoca 2025

The Bikini was not a commercial success either, as this single example was all that was produced.

If you are interested, you could buy it now in Bologna.

P.S. We will of course be reporting in detail on the Auto e Moto d'Epoca classic car fair in Bologna.

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Petrol, alcohol and no iron

Paul Krüger
10/24/2025

MGA 1600 (1960) – in einer Werbeanzeige für Agip Supercortemaggiore

Just over two years ago, we published an article about the popularity of the MGA in advertisementsfrom the 1950s, although at that time it was mainly focused on the USA. Since then, we have come across some new motifs with staffage from Abingdon, so that we can now publish a sequel - as a kind of "Mark II".

MGA (1958) – einer Werbeanzeige für den Autorock aus Diolen

For example, the racy lady on the cover prefers to fill up her roadster with Agip Supercortemaggiore. In the Diolen advertisement, however, she prefers BP. The skirt made of crease-resistant synthetic fiber must have been particularly suitable for roadster drivers. After all, four different motifs show a slender pair of legs and an MGA advertising the easy-care polyester.

MGA (1959) – in einer Werbeanzeige für Lejon Vermouth

The couple who want to enjoy a bottle of Lejon vermouth under the Golden Gate Bridge don't have to worry about weatherproof clothing. Rather about who will get up again to fetch the bottle from the hood...

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From adding to omitting

Paul Krüger
10/23/2025

Plymouth 'cuda (1973) – Rückleuchten und Schriftzug

Are you familiar with the "heavy metal umlaut"? In principle, it is exactly what the name suggests: a trema placed on any vowel in the name of a US hard-music band to give it an extra dose of "Nordic heaviness". In the otherwise umlaut-free native language, it has no effect, but in more umlaut-rich regions it results in an occasionally amusing pronunciation.

What does this have to do with Zwischengas? The small but crucial similarity that there was a similarly meaningless punctuation in the naming of automobiles. There, however, the apostrophe has established itself as the symbol of choice. After humble beginnings in the USA with Chrysler d'Elegance and Plymouth 'cuda, the Latin ellipsis established itself as a fashionable name suffix, especially in Japan.

Nissan R'nessa (1997) – Eines der wenigen Autos mit Apostroph im Namen

From 1981, the Isuzu Faster was sold on the US market as the Isuzu P'up. Nissan offered the Silvia coupé from 1988 in the J's, Q's and K's versions. From 1997, the Nissan R'nessa could also be found in the showroom. The highlight, however, came in 2002 in the form of the Honda That's, which was fortunately only available in Japan. It's hard to imagine how many "Who's on first"-type dialogues it would have triggered in English-speaking countries.

The most recent bearer of the automotive apostrophe was the Kia Cee'd from 2006, until South Korea came to its senses in 2018 and dispensed with the curious special character in the third model generation. The Peugeot Darl'mat from the 1930s, however, occupies a special position. They are not an overambitious neologism – but simply the surname of the designer.

Honda That's (2002) – Eines der wenigen Autos mit Apostroph im Namen

There also is at least one example of the heavy metal umlaut in automotive history: Asüna – a brand founded by General Motors in 1992 to sell Japanese cars as "domestic" on the Canadian market. But the Canadians were not so easily fooled. After just two years, the brand disappeared again. Perhaps it would have been more successful as A'suna...

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Honor the craft

Bruno von Rotz
10/22/2025

We are already used to seeing copies of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL or "recreations" of the Aston Martin DB5. But a new Toyota 2000 GT?

And yet the Tuksedo Studio in Bali is producing completely new Toyota 2000 GTs (picture above). They are built by hand, down to the last detail. And almost everything is done in-house.

But new 300 SL Gullwing, BMW 507, Aston Martin DB5 or Porsche 356 and Porsche 550 Spyder are also reproduced in the workshop in Indonesia. The reason for this was not the desire to counterfeit, but sheer necessity. Obviously, it is impossible to import classic cars to Indonesia. So the only way to own a Toyota 2000 GT there is to build it yourself.

One could imagine that a plastic body, an available chassis and a few 3D-printed parts would be enough. However, the Tuksedo Studio still practises traditional craftsmanship. The bodies of the 2000 GT are created on the "English wheel" and are elaborately welded together. Even the smallest parts, such as the door openers or instruments, are reproduced by hand. Construction plans, photos, design drawings and the like serve as the basis.

This is how the first Porsche 356 Speedster was created around 10 years ago, which started out as a hobby and then became a business. A replica 300 SL costs around USD 300,000, while a Toyota 2000 GT is available for USD 200,000. That's a lot of money in Indonesia, but not much compared to the originals. Compromises have to be made with the drivetrain, as engines are not reproduced, not even for registration reasons. The basis is always a donor vehicle, in the case of the Toyota 2000 GT a Crown. For a Porsche 356, a Beetle has to give up its life, while a BMW E36 was used for the Aston Martin DB5. However, the chassis is built from scratch, so in the case of the 300 SL it is a tubular frame like the original. It is understandable that the construction process can take two years and that only five cars are built per year in the Tuksedo studio .

Hagerty shows just how impressive all this is in a recently published video, which is a little long but reveals a lot about the work ethic of the self-trained craftsmen at Tuksedo Studio.

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