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Dry air, and a temperate climate, combine to make southern California a vintage vehicle mecca. On a recent trip, after about a year locked down by the Pandemic, the contrast between home on the east coast, and life in the west were more sharply defined, so of course we had to make a list….
- Car culture is apparent everyday. From my unscientific count on one day, 50% of the vehicles driving around have some visible modifications. This ranges from wheels on a Chevy Caprice to a tricolore Ferrari, to a slammed vintage Datsun pickup. This does not even count the inumerable sportbikes and cruisers with wild paint jobs and matching helmets. A Walmart parking lot on a Saturday could be some kind of strange eclectic car/bike show back east.
- Air-cooled Volkswagens are still vintage cool, but they are also still viable daily transportation. The VW Bug in particular is not at all rare on the streets and even on the freeways. They appear in all conditions from pristine, to “how-is-that-still-running?”. Type 3s and 4s are also spotted here and there, parked on the street, or cruising in the slow lane. Buses are less often sighted as daily transport, but they seem to emerge on weekends. They are joined by Beach buggies and Baja buggies, and Things.
- Vintage anything is still viable transportation. VW aside, in a week we saw 2 Volvo P1800s, 4 BMW 2002s, 2 vintage Lambretta scooters, too many vintage Datsun and Toyota pickups to count, 4 BMW K1100s, 8 Mercedes Pagodas, 2 Porsche 356s, 2 BMW /5s, 3 vintage Toyota LandCruisers, 2 Corvairs, 4 70s Corvettes, too many 60s and 70s muscle cars to count, and the list goes on….
- A cool drive or event for your vintage vehicle is close by and frequent. A run through the canyons, or along PCH, or a track day, or a run across the desert, is no more than a few hours away. Pickup trucks full of vintage dirt bikes, and trailers carrying show cars were all common sightings, on their way to a ride or an event. No effort is needed to immerse yourself in the vintage iron culture.
These pages generally cover the world of German cars and motorcycles from the postwar period through to the 1970s with occasional forays into the 1980s. However, it is rare to reach into the late 1940s, as not much was happening other than recovery from the war. Alex von Falkenhausen had a prominent role before the war as a BMW engineer, but also for tuning and racing BMW 328s. This includes success at the Mille Miglia in 1940. following armistice, Alex von Falkenhausen Motorenbau (AFM) immediately returned to racing with a prewar BMW 328 in 1946. He then opened a garage in Munich, and continued tuning 328s while developing his own chassis. In 1947, that chassis was first powered by a 328 engine with a 326 rear axle in an offset single seater "Intertype" configuration. The revised chassis was a spaceframe design, which was innovative at the time, and predates the better known Mercedes spaceframe.
Later modifications included a switch to a De Dion rear axle with two pinions for gearing flexibility. Von Falkenhausen also utilized dual circuit hydraulic brakes. The first official outing for the AFM marque was at Hockenheim where von Falkenhausen himself drove the car to a second place finish. It was later campaigned in Formula 2 with none other than Hans Stuck at the wheel.. AFM experimented with a number of engines from Bristol, Kuchen (of Zundapp motorcycle fame), and Fiat creating entries in 1.1 liter, 1.5 liter, and 2 liter events. There was also a supercharged 750cc version. Despite some very good performances in shorter races and heats, further wins eluded the car as engine failures caused retirements in many competitions. Most were attributed to low quality materials in postwar crankshaft bearings at BMW and elsewhere. Regardless, various efforts by von Falkenhausen, Stuck, and others continued into 1953 as the cars became less competitive and then there was the demise of Formula 2 in 1954 which effectively ended AFM.
As an important aside, AFM developed 2 prototype sports coupes in 1951 which were reportedly commissioned by the Brazilian government. That project was cancelled and left AFM in financial difficulty.
To wrap up 2020, here is a collection of BMW motorcycle winter images, and a video….
Credits include Classic Velocity, Snowbum, Bike Exif, Classic Motorbikes, thearsenale.com, Butler&Smith
The Covid virus continues to take a horrendous toll on lives and livelihoods, so our sympathies go out to those who have had personal and financial losses. In the midst of this, it is human nature to cling to the few bits of normalcy that are possible, and to find renewed therapy in our areas of passion. For me, the garage is one such therapeutic place. It has a seemingly endless number of things that need to get done. The reassembly of the R26, the pushrod tubes on the Toaster, tidying up the wiring in the R60 headlight bucket, etc. In the Pre-Covid time, I had to (a) have time, and (b) be in the mood to tackle those jobs. They got delayed and procrastination ruled. Suddenly, in the midst of a global pandemic, time is not the issue. Neither is motivation. It feels good to tackle things that you can address and put right, in contrast to just about everything else. There is a problem you can see, a plan to address it, some work to execute the plan, a few parts, and voila, you have a successfully implemented solution. Even the steps along the way are enjoyable. Disassembly, cleaning, gasket replacement, etc. Each one is its own tiny problem/plan/work/solution cycle.
It also helps that this is time spent in a positive direction toward an outcome that directly benefits you. You can get back to riding that bike, or having it function as originally intended, or complete the rescue of something destined for the scrap heap. Returning an old BMW back to running and riding condition produces good karma. It produces smiles and waves from people on the road, and appreciative comments from strangers (even if uttered through a mask). Riding solo out on the backroads is a slice of normal in a sea of abnormal. It summons the endorphins and quells anxieties.
But wait, there’s more….In rifling through tubs of parts, I discovered some parts purchased long ago to perform worthy tasks which had somehow fallen off the todo list. Some rubber for the bottom of the battery tray, a new footpeg rubber. The todo list was suddenly shorter by one, but longer by two. It is one of the few times in life when this was actually a welcome development. Oh well, more time in the garage. Rinse, repeat.
Over the years, this blog has featured German cars that with motorcycle underpinnings (see BMW 700 Heart of a bike, body of a car and Zundapp Janus), fully enclosed motorcycles that were more like a car (see 2 Wheels 200 mph, and Framo), and 3 wheeled vehicles in a class of their own (see Tempo). However, our focus today is on a vehicle that was a scooter marketed as a single-track car! The vehicle comes from Bastert-Werke in Bielefeld, and it was introduced in 1952.
The thinking was simple. Capitalize on car-like styling and features, but package it in a vehicle suitable for the frugal post-war environment. This manifested itself in a light metal body scooter with a single cylinder two stroke Ilo motor of 150cc and subsequently 175cc, producing 6-7hp and speeds up to a max of 80kph. Quite adequate at the time for the intended purpose. In order to lean toward the concept of a car, it featured generous protection from the elements via the chrome accentuated wide body and windshield. French designer, Louis Lucien Lepoix also give it a very car-like headlight nacelle and 13” wheels. It had a sealed and lockable luggage compartment, rubber floor mats, and electrically operated turn signals. The dashboard featured a gear indicator. It had twin tail lights, engine bay lighting, and a swivelling drivers seat with backrest.
With this impressive list of features, it was marketed as Das Einspurauto (Single Track Car), and was obviously aimed at the upper end of the scooter market. Unfortunately, that same impressive list of features made it very expensive to produce, and even when priced at a loss, it was an expensive vehicle to buy compared to the competition. Only about 1200 Das Einspurautos left the factory during its’ production run from 1952-1956, before it drove Bastert to abandon vehicle production. As you might imagine, the few survivors are highly collectible.
Goliath was a subsidiary brand of Bremen-based Borgward (See The Many Faces of Borgward). Although Goliath had produced passenger cars before WWII, it was best known for its three-wheeled delivery vehicles. That is what it returned to producing in 1949. However, in 1950, it introduced the GP700 at the Geneva Motor Show, which was a small four-wheeled sedan. The GP700 was a 2-door sedan featuring a ponton-style 3 box design well ahead of Mercedes adoption of this design. The engine was a very basic 688cc 2 cylinder 2 stroke configuration befitting the basic needs of the vehicle’s target audience. However, it weighed just 1991 lbs. It produced 25hp, and critically for advertising, that made it good for more than 100KPH (102KPH to be exact). The engine was mounted transversely in the front, along with the gearbox, and drove the front wheels. This was direction-setting for a production vehicle in 1950. It also allowed for more room in the cabin.
By 1952, a cabriolet, an estate version, and a Sport Coupe, had joined the GP700 family (see Goliath GP700 Sport). The Sport Coupe had Bosch fuel injection in 1952, and the rest of the range followed suit. The four-speed gearbox was also fully synchromeshed in 1952. In 1955, a larger more powerful GP900 was introduced, and then in 1957 the GP1100 was introduced as a complete replacement for the GP700. There was plenty of innovation represented in the Goliath brand, and its’ contributions heavily influenced larger brands and later thinking.
The term GS, short for Gelande Strasse, when applied to motorcycles, has become synonymous with large and imposing swiss army knife bikes from BMW. The original BMW GS was 800cc, and they have only gotten larger and more sophisticated since then. However, the origin of GS bikes was very different. Scrambles/Cross Country/Enduro machines from the 1950s and 1960s had to be light but durable. They typically competed in multi-day trials over varied terrain and needed to be simple and easily maintained. That rugged reliability and light weight resulted in the development of small displacement go anywhere, do anything machines for the public to purchase. To be fair, many of these were little more than a street bike with a high pipe, but they all offered the promise of competence on the trail (Gelande) and on the street (Strasse).
By the early 1960s, Zundapp was operating from Munich, having moved from Nurenburg in the 1950s. They were concentrating on producing small 2-stroke machines (both two-wheeled, and four-wheeled). However, they seized upon the opportunity to enhance the brand by competing in the International Six Day Trials (ISDT which later became the ISDE using the E for Enduro), which were the ultimate test for a european machine at that time. While other marques were entering machines close to showroom stock, Zundapp carefully prepared the chosen machines for competition, and soon began to feature prominently in any West German podiums. Given that German teams won almost every year throughout the 1960s, Trials/Enduro machines emerged as a strong point for Zundapp as they continued to excel in motocross/enduro events across Europe. Although they also had some success with larger bikes, the small 2-stroke machine was their sweet spot. Simultaneously, the motocross/enduro scene was exploding in America, and the USA sent teams featuring the likes of Steve McQueen to compete in the ISDE.
"Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" was heartily embraced, and a line of machines were produced for the public. Like all of the German marques, Zundapp had an eager eye on the lucrative US market. For that important market, Zundapp offered the 125cc version in three formats: the MC 125 (motocross), GS 125 (enduro) and KS 125 (street). They were single cylinder 2 stroke machines producing 18-20 hp, and weighing just 210-240lbs. They featured a Bing carburetor, had 5 speeds, and were capable of a top speed of 71mph. If you wanted a much sought-after Rickman 125cc in the early 1970s, it came exclusively with this Zundapp engine and gearbox. Zundapp went on to win World Motocross Championships in 1973 and 1974 in the hands of Andre Malherbe and cemented its place as a producer of premier motocross machines.
Despite their success and quality, sales were never robust in the US where there was fierce competition and better distribution from the Japanese brands. There was also further competition from fellow German marques Maico, MZ, and Spanish entrants like Bultaco, etc. Zundapp paid the price for clinging to 2 strokes as the world rapidly went 4 stroke. Sales declined, and they finally closed the doors in 1984. The name was later sold to a Chinese manufacturer. However, the GS125 remains a vintage favorite. Of course, much later in the 1980s, the GS label was reintroduced on another German production motorcycle.
Originally posted back in 2011, and now updated…
Depending on who you believe, the BMW 1500 was simultaneously the father of the performance sedan, the father of the Neue Klasse (New Class) cars, the father of the 2002, the father of the 5 series, and the father of former BMW design chief Chris Bangle ;-) It may be some or all of those things, such was its' groundbreaking significance in 1961 when it was introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show along with the 3200CS (See Beginning With An Ending). Those automotive companies that survived the late 1950s were poised to take advantage of an emerging middle class in Germany, and a boom period worldwide. At the time, BMW was recently rescued from the jaws of death by the Quandt family, and was optimistic about its products and its future.
Nothing said middle class quite like a roomy sedan, and the 1500 fit the bill perfectly. It sported a single overhead cam 4 cylinder engine producing 80 HP in a vehicle weighing less than 2400 lbs. It had macpherson struts up front and trailing arms with coil springs in the rear to form a thoroughly modern suspension. The engine was slanted 30 degrees from vertical to allow for a low hood line, another clear contrast to the products of the 1940s and 1950s. It is the first BMW to utilize the famous Hofmeister kink, which is the "c" shape at the base of the rear pillar. This distinctive feature was introduced by Wilhelm Hofmeister who did design work on the 1500 It graced BMWs for decades, and is much imitated in other marques. Another big name working on this project was Alex Von Falkenhausen, the famous motorcycle engineer, racer on any number of wheels, and founder of the Motorsports company AFM. Given the "A" team working on this car, one can understand the effective combination of style, handling, and performance that emerged.
The BMW 1500 was certainly an impressive departure from the Isetta and the BMW 700 that preceded it (see BMW 700, Heart of a Bike, Body of a Car) , and the introduction of a new design language. The distinctive features present such as the Hofmeister kink, the grill treatment, the beltline, the greenhouse, and the low hood, went on to grace BMWs for the next decade and beyond. The motor was also a foundation for many future cars. It can be argued that the basic 4 cylinder engine block in the 1500 served all the way into the 1980s. It is certainly the basis for the 1600, 1800, 2000, and 2002 motors.
The 1500 proved so popular that the factory could not keep up with demand producing 50 cars per day. Waiting lists and backorders ensued. Despite the sales success, the rush to produce cars resulted in some quality issues with axles and a few other components. This hastened the need for revisions and a successor, the 1600. All in all, the 1500 was far more significant than the 23,807 cars produced in the short 2 year run. It was the beginning of the modern BMW that we know today. It was also the beginning of the idea that a family sedan could be a stylish and sporting vehicle, an idea that we take for granted today.
Fritz Klager was first and foremost, a motorcycle racer, but in the 1950s, he built engines and gearboxes for himself and for friends. He was in the top ten German riders several times, and became a factory rider for Horex in the mid 1950s. He finished 2nd in the 350cc championship in 1957. He went on to race Moto GP for Horex, where his best finish was 15th at the French Grand Prix in 1960.
Perhaps it was the many DNFs that were suffered on the Horex, that convinced him to start Fritz Klager Spezials in the mid 1960s. He produced 3 variations, a 250cc twin, a 350cc triple, and a 500cc triple. His last victory before retirement was in 1969 at Schauinsland aboard one of his own machines. FKS ceased building racers in 1970.
As the story goes, driver Karl Kling failed to notice a group of vultures at the side of the road during the 1952 Carrera Pan Americana race. As they dispersed, one crashed through the passenger side windshield knocking co-driver Hans Klenk momentarily unconscious. As he recovered, he ordered Kling to maintain full speed, and only stopped to clean himself up at the next stop, where bars were welded in front of the windshield to protect against a repeat occurrence. They went on to win the race, averaging 102mph, and the incredible story has been told many times. Behind the famous human story though, is the story of the W194 itself.
It represented a return to racing for Mercedes, but without tremendous resources, they focused on weight and reliability as areas where they could gain an advantage in sports car racing. A new engine was not on the menu at the time, so it was powered by a single overhead cam 3.0 liter straight 6 cylinder engine which came from the relatively sedentary Adenaur sedan (W189). Chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut equipped the car with a tubular aluminum space frame, pretty advanced at the time, which weighed around 180lbs. However, the frame made conventional doors impossible, and so very short versions of the iconic gullwing doors were developed to get around that obstacle. Clear plastic was used instead of glass for all of the windows. Holes were drilled in the shock and spring supports, and finned aluminum (bonded to steel liner) brake drums were used to further reduce weight and dissipate heat. 15” wheels were chosen over 16” wheels to reduce unsprung weight. The W194 became the first machine to gain the coveted SL designation for super lightweight.
The car had independent suspension at all four corners, although the swing axle design in the rear made it a challenge on rough terrain. Another obstacle was the desired low hood line. This was overcome by slanting the engine, using a dry sump arrangement, and by creating a slanted head to create greater clearance for the bank of triple solex carbs. The finished engine produced 175hp, which was not a lot until you put it in a vehicle weighing 2500lbs total. The engine was tuned/detuned depending on race objectives, and the Pan Americana car was actually 3.1 liters. The gearbox was a fully synchromeshed 4 speed, with an oil circulation pump to help deal with the additional stresses. Trim was avoided in order to gain aerodynamic efficiency. Only 10 W194s were built, although technically, an 11th car was created with early Bosch fuel injection.
The results were impressive. 2nd and 4th in the Mille Miglia, a sweep of the podium at the Bern sports car race, a one-two at Le Mans (almost a 1-2-3), one-two-three-four at the Nurburgring, and a one-two in the Carrera Pan Americana. All of this just in 1952 ! Mercedes was officially back as a top tier competitor in international racing, and the entire brand gained great benefit. This did not escape the attention of famous New York importer, Max Hoffman, who convinced Mercedes to build a street version. This of course turned out to be the more well-known Mercedes 300SL Gullwing.
Today, one of the most iconic classic motorcycles is the BMW /5. You can probably find one within an easy drive of anywhere in the USA. Around 69,000 of them were produced, which is a very healthy number for a premium machine back in the early 1970s. BMW mastered the art of varying displacement and aesthetics, around a single chassis to leverage investments in tooling. A great success story. But it very nearly wasn’t. In fact, it was the result of a key moment when BMW stood on the brink of halting motorcycle production altogether.
It is well known that the Quandt family rescued BMW from being purchased by Mercedes in 1959. The company then introduced the 700, and the Neue Klasse cars which are generally credited with returning the company to health and then market leadership. However, at the same time, motorcycles were not on such secure footing, and there were discussions about ending motorcycle production just as many other brands had done once cheap cars were available. In 1963, Helmut Bonsch convinced management to allow a pilot project to replace the /2. Key to this pilot were 2 former Porsche engineers, Claus von Rucker, and Hans-Gunther von der Marwitz. They replaced the Earles fork with telescoping forks, and developed a cradle loop frame similar in concept to the then already famous Norton Featherbed. Helmut got the green light, and the new machine was designated Type 246.
However, that did not mean instant production. Resources were lean in the motorcycle division, and the /2 was still doing fairly well. An early Type 246 prototype was built as more of an enduro machine with a high pipe. It entered a few competitive off-road events for testing. Many view this as the true birth of the BMW GS machines. Meanwhile, Alex Von Falkenhausen was head of engine development at the time, and they had been working on a new boxer engine with some shared concepts from the automobile division to reduce costs. Plain bearing crankshaft, camshaft below the crankshaft, duplex chain driven camshaft, electric start, etc. Reliability was valued over outright performance. It was fitted to the chassis and tested. In 1967, motorcycle production was jettisoned to Spandau to allow for increased car capacity in Munich. Telescopic forks made their way onto the now aging /2.
The new /5 was finally introduced at Hockenheim in August 1969. Production began a month later with the R60/5, followed by the R75 and the R50. They were very well received. Another ground-breaking change for BMW motorcycles was the introduction of color. Black with white pinstriping was retained as one option, but by the time the /5 era was ended, they could be had in Police White; Avus Black; Rennsport Red; Gendarmerie Blue; Feather White (Creme); Granada; Bright Minz Green; Algerian Blue, Monza Blue; Green Metallic; Polaris; Golf; Riviera; and Nuerburg Green. The /5 put BMW motorcycles on a stable road of progress that extends to today. The engine continued with relatively minor changes through 1996, a truly remarkable time span given what was happening in the motorcycle industry over that time period.
Some 50 years ago, Porsche introduced a new vehicle to fill the bottom end of their range. To do so, they collaborated with parent VW to contain costs and to appeal to another audience. That vehicle was the 914, introduced as a Porsche in North America, but as a VW/Porsche elsewhere. It was a brilliant no-frills lightweight perfectly balanced mid-engine sports car. The Classic Velocity garage was also smitten with this formula more than once. Now, rumor has it that Porsche is once again looking to introduce a basic machine at the bottom of the price range. Actually, it is more than just rumor, as design boss Michael Mauer has hinted that a 914 successor may already be in the design studio. Porsche Club America has weighed in on the case. We shall see….But it may be quite a bit different than the old 914
For an outdoor weekend event complete with camping in November, Florida sounds like the right place. And so it is every year that thousands make their way to Dade City for the annual Bug Jam event. It is billed as the largest VW event in Florida, which is saying something, because FL is probably 2nd only to CA in terms of an active air-cooled VW scene. The weekend takes place at a fairgrounds complex, so space and amenities are good.
The weekend has something for everyone if you like air-cooled Vdubs. There is a formal camping area where Westfalias from all generations were most prevalent. However, there were a fair number of other travel trailers housing sand rails, dune buggies, and other variations of on-street machines.
The standout machines for us at this event were two different Type 3s. Type 3s don’t often get much love in a sea of Bugs and Buses and Things, but these two were worthy of praise. The first was a silver Fastback. Modified, but in a quality fashion. The second was a green Squareback in an exceptional state. It was great to see such great examples.
However, you have to appreciate the ingenuity that goes into some of the vehicles, and even into the swap meet area where vintage suitcases get transformed into booming stereo systems that look great in an old vehicle.
The Durkopp brand started in 1867, and has been covered here before (see DURKOPP - MOTORIZED CYCLES TO MOPEDS ). Motorcycles were produced into the second half of the 20th century, and reached a peak of sorts with the MD200. It was their largest displacement motorcycle and was produced between 1952 and 1954. It was a more powerful version of their popular MD150 which sold over 17,000 units. The MD200 had an actual displacement of 198cc and produced 10.2hp from a 2 stroke single cylinder powerplant. That was good for a top speed of 96 kph (59.6mph). The transmission was a three speed foot shift. The engine sat in a tubular frame with a telescopic fork up front. The higher displacement MD200 commanded a premium of 60 deutsche marks. It was short-lived, as Durkopp ended motorcycle and moped production in 1964, leaving only scooters to continue forward. None the less, over 10,000 machines were produced.
The production Porsche 911 did not appear until the mid 1960s, but as early as 1959, work was beginning on the successor to the popular 356. The prototype with the most direct visual linkage tjo the eventual 911 is the type 954, or the t7. It was styled by Butzi, and had the front end that we all recognize. The rear however was more like the notchback. Reportedly, Ferry Porsche preferred the fastback styling of the 356, and Butzi returned to the drafting table to come up with the iconic shape that continues to this day. In the process, the vehicle also lost the true rear seats in favor of the jump seats. To power the new model, Porsche truncated a version of its racing flat 8s into a flat 6. An overhead cam and a dry sump system was developed to complete the power plant. The result is the iconic design and layout that went on to last for 3 decades before water cooling changed the power plant. Even then, the basic shape survives to this day.
Although we have covered Hoffmann in general here before, the flagship Hoffmann Governeur S300 had very bad timing. to say the least. It was the larger displacement successor to the S250, and was part of the continued march of Hoffmann toward larger motorcycles. However, it came at the tail end of the company’s short life in a declining market. Hoffmann was sustained largely by a license to produce Vespa scooters. This funded the small motorcycles it went on to produce. However, they were expensive and often suffered from overheating due to enclosed carbs and intake tracks.
The S300 was introduced in 1953. It produced 17 hp and was good for a top speed of 70mph. It was a flat twin housed in a pressed steel frame, and featured telescopic suspension and shaft drive. It was produced in green rather than the routine black of the prior models. It was a handsome machine but the engine development costs were significant. Unfortunately, Hoffmann also lost the Vespa license in 1953, and were battling a patent infringement suit from BMW. The combination forced the company into bankruptcy, making the S300 a grand finale.
We have previously featured collections and museums that are hidden, or that perhaps have surprising content, but we at least went looking for them. We can add another type to the list; those that we did not expect to find at all. In this case, a trip to Luray Caverns in Virginia. This was a last minute detour on a family trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway since we were in the area. The billboards drew us in like moths to a flame, and I was determined to suffer through it, but it was surprisingly interesting. Particularly the fact that there are no bats dwelling in what seems like a perfect habitat. But I digress. The more relevant surprise was a small automobile museum next to the Fudge shop, included in the price of admission, and right on the grounds.
It purported to feature the development of the automobile through time, and it started with the Conestoga horse drawn wagon of the early 1800s and a Wells Fargo stage coach from a bit later.. A bit before our time of focus. It progressed to the dawn of the automobile with an 1898 Benz Vis-A-Vis featuring revolutionary “king pin” steering, and an 1899 Peugeot. Jumping ahead a couple of decades, there was a 1928 Mercedes Benz Model S Tourenwagen which you might say was the beginning of the S Class. A tremendous vehicle in size, designed by none other than Ferdinand Porsche. It weighed over 5500 lbs and had a 220 horsepower supercharged 6 cylinder engine capable of propelling this behemoth to 110 MPH !
Another surprise was a 1932 Rolls Royce Shooting Brake complete with wood body. By comparison, its’ non-supercharged 6 cylinder engine was only able to push the vehicle to 50 MPH. Not that it mattered in a Gentleman’s hunting vehicle. The diminutive 1931 Morgan next to it went 60 MPH with a 2 cylinder engine. A beige 1932 Bugatti Type 40A managed 75 MPH from its 4 cylinder engine. Power to weight, then and now. Twas ever thus.
This brief but enjoyable sideshow was completely unexpected, and therefore all the more of a pleasant surprise. It re-affirms the contention that there are all manner of cool and rare and valuable machines in the strangest places.
On this labor day, we thought we would publish some pictures of classic work vehicles previously featured in the blog. Enjoy…
If you normally sell your vehicle via a high-end concierge auction service, where your only knowledge of the transaction is an eventual slight bump in your bank balance, you may not relate very well to this post. For most others, there is a commonality of experience that hopefully makes some if not all of this resonate. No names are used, but I have to thank friend-of-the-blog Bruce for prodding the topic into a post.
The ad was crafted with care. It had many clear photos. The mechanical and cosmetic condition was described. The few flaws of significance were noted in words and photos. The mileage was listed. The year was listed in the title of the Ad and in the body of it, indicating that it was 40+ years old. It was described as an unrestored “driver”. It said no trades. It said clear title in my name. It was listed in a few places that cost nothing, as you might do first for vehicles not particularly rare or valuable. The following describes a series of real interactions via voice, text message, and email. In true Classic Velocity style, we have to categorize.
The Scammers
“I really like your great machine and I am agree on your price so we can send bank check to your rapid attention. I do not call right now because I work on oil rig at sea making great money. It is no problem to pay and pickup your greatest machine after.”
“I can help you sell your bike for even more than you are asking for it.”
The Lonely
“Hello, I saw your beemer for sale, I used to have one just like it that I bought new in ‘76. I rode that thing everywhere cross country east west north south. One time I got caught in this storm in Kansas…………(15 solid minutes later)……and so I never went back to that scum-sucking dealer again. Where are you? I have a dental appointment on Wednesday, but I sure would like to come take a look. Do you know Mike? He is somewhere near you, and he likes Brit bikes. I had a Triumph once, before I discovered Beemers, but then I saw the light, you know (chuckles). What do you want Bo?…Sorry, that was Bo, our short-haired Terrier. He is blind in one eye, and the other is not too good either (chuckles). I was gonna get a sidecar for him but, you’ll get a real kick outta this, the guy I was gonna buy it from……..
The Visually Impaired
“I am calling about your Ad. What year is it? What is the mileage? Does it run? Is it like show quality? Do you have a title?”
“Would you trade for a snow plough, a pallet of chewing tobacco, and some cash?”
“That’s a nice airhead. I’ve got a 2009 RT for sale if you are interested.”
“Hey man, that is a seriously ssswwweeeeeet set of rims. Bottom Dollar. What do you gotta have for the set?”
The Hearing Impaired
“I know you said your absolute bottom line was X, so I want to offer you X minus $1000.”
“I know you said you wouldn’t drive any 40+ year old vehicle that you had not gone through across country, but could I take this one?”
The Low-Ballers
“Would you take $1500 for it?”
“Are you negotiable on price? I was thinking about (insert a number half of what you are asking here)”
“I really love your bike, I have been searching for a while and it is exactly what I am looking for, and it is a fair price, but I only have (insert a number half of what you are asking here)”
The Researchers
“I looked up sold prices on Ebay, 17 Craigslist Ads, and The Motorcycle Brown Bible. Then I asked my buddy who knows these bikes, watched 14 YouTube videos, and read 137 forum posts. I think your final drive could be about to fail and the frame might be cracked, and you know about the shifter spring issue right? Do you have all of the documentation back to new? Are you running German points or the repro crap? Do you have a picture from underneath the gas tank? I will probably have to strip this thing down to the crank. How about (insert a number half of what you are asking here).”
“The left mirror is not correct for that year”
The Almost Buyers
“I’m seriously interested, let me discuss with my wife and give you a call back”
“I know this is the third call, but I just have a few more questions before I drive out to you. What extra parts come with it? Will you be home around 6pm? Ok, I’ll call you when I leave the house.”
“Can my shipper pick it up on Thursday afternoon? Great let me confirm with him.”
“Lookout for a Paypal deposit”
The Buyers
So here’s the crazy thing. Over 30 years, many of the eventual buyers start out just like the categories above. We have sold to an eastern european man with a thick accent who could only text for a week using his friend’s phone. We have sold to the lonely. We have sold to Researchers. And truth be told, on the buying end, we have gone as far as making arrangements with a shipper, only to decide not to move ahead (this was prior to any firm verbal commitment, and we called the buyer of course and let him know). We have quizzed a seller extensively over more than one call/email. I am sure that we have made an offer along the way that was considered a low-ball by the seller even if we thought it was fair. So while we poke fun, it is also at ourselves.
The combination of companies that were brought together to form Audi have been well covered here before (see A Most Important Failure, Audi F103, NSU R080, Design Number 22, etc). When the Audi 100 was introduced to the press in late 1968, Audi as a brand was still fairly new. The 100 already had an interesting history, as it was not officially commissioned by leadership, and when discovered, was first designated to be a Volkswagen. Political maneuvering in both instances eventually got it sanctioned as an Audi. The first Audi 100 was a large 4 door sedan, designed by Rupert Neuner, and clearly aimed at upper echelon buyers currently shopping for Mercedes W108 and BMW E3 alternatives. Like those competitors, it had a generous greenhouse, and a good drag coefficient of 0.37. Unlike them, it was a front-wheel-drive car, continuing the innovation started by DKW. It also launched the C1 chassis, designed to handle a number of different configurations. The power plant was a 1760cc OHC inline 4, capable of producing 100 HP (which gave the Audi its name). Not a big or powerful engine, but the car only weighed 2400 lbs, and did 0-62mph in a respectable 11.9 seconds.
The interior was well appointed with light wood and bright metallic trim around guages. Thin pillars made it appear even more bright and roomy. The car got off to a great start with brisk sales. US sales started a bit slowly at 10,000 the first year, but quickly tripled. In 1969, a 2 door coupe was introduced, along with a 100 LS Cabriolet by Karmann. Sadly the cabriolet never saw production. In 1970 a lovely fastback coupe dubbed the Coupe S was introduced, but unfortunately never made it to the US. In 1973, a facelift modified the grille and headlights. The rear torsion bars were dropped in favor of coil springs and shocks. For 1974, fuel injection helped get power back up to 95hp, but came with safety bumpers. In all, more than 827,000 units of the Audi 100 in various forms were sold between 1968 and its finale in 1976 when it was replaced by the Audi 5000. It was by far the most successful vehicle in company history up to that point.
Hexe produced mopeds and small motorcycles in Duisburg Germany, from 1955 to 1966. There had been a previous Hexe in the 1920s which was unrelated. The name is a strange one, as it translates to Witch in English, and it would not seem to be a good association for a motorcycle in any language. This is perhaps why they were also branded as Amelung, after founder Carl Amelung. By the late 1950s, Hexe was producing both Touring and Super Sport versions of its premier 50cc machine. The touring version featured a more comfortable quasi step-through configuration and a luggage rack. The Super Sport was more of a traditional single seat layout. Both featured Sachs engines, telescopic forks, pressed steel frames, and premium fit and finish. Although the Hexe brand ended in 1966, Carl Amelung Fahrzeugfabrik continued to produce Mopeds until 1973.
Today it is pretty commonplace to see a 4 door Porsche on the road, and it is not uncommon for even ardent Porschephiles to accept, and even own one. This is a far cry from what was once considered a heretical thought. Porsche worked very hard in the early days to become a world leader in competition-derived sports cars. And it succeeded. Like Ferrari and Lotus, road cars were more of a funding source for competition, so more practical transportation was not the goal. However, once there was a modicum of success, it was inevitable that discussions about more practical variations would take place to varying degrees of seriousness. They always begin with cabriolet and fastback versions, but eventually the conversation turns to 2+2 or true 4 seaters or 4 doors. Porsche did all of the above, but like other true competition-based marques, 4 doors was not in the DNA.
Type 530
Type 932
There was a Type 530 prototype that Porsche produced in 1952 which had a longer wheelbase, proper rear seats, and a higher roof line. It never went further than the prototype. The most well-known early Porsche 4 door was actually a conversion of a 1967 911. It was commissioned from Troutman-Barnes for Texas Porsche dealer William Dick. Not exactly a factory effort. Discussions surely took place in the 1970s, but nothing made it to prototype stage. The first official factory effort to see the light of day was the Porsche 928 which was a birthday present for Ferry Porsche. It featured two miniature rear doors, and was more of a shooting brake in appearance. At the time, the 928 was thought to be the future, and several concept variations were developed. None made it to production, but we covered it here in our 2018 trip to the Petersen Museum where it is on exhibit. The 989 prototype of 1988 was an official effort at a large platform front-engine sedan, that was cancelled due to slumping sales of the 928.
Type 989
In 2002 Porsche produced the Cayenne, which is technically the first 4 door Porsche to reach production, but it is an SUV. 20 years after the 989, in 2009, Porsche finally launched the Panamera as the first production 4 door Porsche sedan. DNA eventually evolves.
Panamera
5:07am Lebanon, TN. I am standing in darkness that has a tinge of the coming dawn. It is a cool if not slightly chilly 63 degrees farenheit. Dew covers the grass and every other surface that resists moisture. A droplet hangs from a leaf, while another sits content in the valley between a few blades of grass. In a slow 360 degree sweep i see no other human being. I smile. What i do see is a subdued multi-colored sea of tents and motorcycles. Hundreds of them. It is as if some strange infestation has beset the normally green meadows. They are all uniformly blanketed in dew. And it is silent, but for a few birds who are trying to explain this strange phenomenon in song. It helps that the entire serene landscape belies the day to come, and the very reason for the invasion.
Regular readers will know that the BMW MOA Rally is an annual pilgrimage to a different part of the USA for the gathering of blue propeller devotees (see 2018 coverage or even 2009 coverage). It is three or four days of seminars, rides, shopping, music, beer, and general comraderie. For our part, we got a Rox handlebar riser installed on the GS (free installation rally special), and got another Sena speakerless mount. We attended interesting sessions on Airhead restoration and on travelling South America. Three riders who we met randomly walking around, joined us on a great unplanned ride in the area. There was also a surprisingly good stunt show due to the use of a stock BMW 310 ! Suffice it to say that rider skills are highly underrated. We spent a few days camped beside guys from Massachusetts and Connecticut on the one side, and Alabama on the other. More importantly, a new F850GSA, an R1150R, and an K1600GT. With the diversity in personalities, machines, and storytelling, the entertainment probably surpassed that onstage. It helps that riders tend to travel with samples of their favorite social lubricant.
The vintage display is a rally staple, and always a favorite. Since the rally moves around the country, you get to see the best examples within striking distance of a given area. This year allowed for some great examples from the southeast. The lobby of the main exhibit hall provided a nice setting. With the majority of vintage BMW models (pre 1970) being black with white pinstripe, models of any other color tend to standout. This year that was more evident in the mix of machines. Dover white machines always look good and there was a very nice /2. Even more unusual was a red /2 US. Our favorite however was an ultra rare grey /2. An overall people’s choice favorite for the entire event though was a metallic blue /2 with matching Stein sidecar which was parked just outside the exhibit hall. Back inside, two even older machines stole the vintage show for us. The first was a 1938 R61 in red and black post office livery and equipped with sidecar. It is a reminder, that these were ultimately practical machines used for work and transport at the time. The second, was Craig Vechorik’s 1921 Victoria. Before producing its own machines in 1923, BMW produced engines for others.. Victoria was one of them and this model sported a horizontally opposed engine mounted longitudinally in the grey Victoria frame. It helps that this is a museum quality restoration.
Beyond the vintage display, there are thousands of bikes in attendance. 99% are BMWs, but there are probably no two alike. Such is the culture of this event that it is no accomplishment to turn up on a new machine having ridden 1000 miles to get there. Showing up after 1000 miles on an airhead or a /2, however, gets you major cred. Showing up on a machine not initially designed for long distance touring also gets you some cred. The guy with the Hayabusa equipped with large metal panniers (true attendee) gets some cred....and a go-fund-me for pain relief. The BMWMOA has made two key changes designed to improve the national rally and respond to repeated member feedback. First, they moved the Rally to June from July. Weather is a bit cooler for most of the USA, as was in evidence this year. Father’s Day weekend was not the best choice, so next year it moves a week later. They also just adopted a process for national rally locations which divides the country vertically into thirds. It is an attempt to provide equal opportunity for all members to attend if they do not have the time or the interest to cross the country. This year was the eastern zone. Next year is in the west in Great Falls, Montana. However, for a marque that prides itself on riding long distances, the rally location is just an excuse for a good long round trip. True for us once again. It helps that there is a big well-organized family reunion at the halfway point.
A Grom gets the GS treatment....
There are a lot of great-looking cars that never made it to production throughout the history of the automobile. The Mercedes Benz SL-X is one of the best looking in our opinion. It is a stunning vehicle now, as it was then. It is the result of an effort in 1965 by designers Paul Bracq and Georgio Batistella to develop a sports coupe at the top of the Mercedes range. It was a low and sleek mid-engined coupe with bulging side scoops, bulging fenders, pop up headlights, and massive hood vents. The cockpit enclosure had a generous greenhouse, and gullwing doors. In case you were inclined to mistake it for an Italian supercar, for which you might be forgiven, it was silver and there was a giant three-pointed star on the nose. The view from the rear is equally voluptuous, with angled rear pillars on the greenhouse, and an implied diffuser. This might have been an image-changing car for Mercedes who at the time had largely conceded the supercar space to others. It was never equipped with an engine, but Mercedes had a few good candidates at the time in six cylinder and eight cylinder guise. Ultimately, the prototype never went any further and we (and when I say we, I mean very well heeled sports car enthusiasts) were all denied a production version.
However, the vehicle did become the basis for another prototype in the form of the C101 (which was forced to become the C-111 due to Peugeot’s patent on model numbers with a zero in the middle). The C111 was unveiled at the Geneva show in 1969, but it was also never to see production. In this case, it was intended to be a test platform for a host of ideas and technology that Mercedes was experimenting with at the time.
Photos by Ronan Glon
It has often been our experience, that you visit someplace that you think will be of some interest, and discover that it has hidden gems. And so it was on our visit to the Motorcyclepedia Museum in Newburgh, NY. When the website highlights Indians, Harleys and Choppers, we were thinking that this would be an interesting but short visit given our declared focus on machines from Germany. First of all, Motorcyclepedia is an impressive facility from the outside. It is large, and has generous grounds and parking. This is no small hole-in-the-wall establishment. Upon entry, it continues to impress. It is a large space organized around themes. The current centerpiece is a Chopper exhibit, so Easy Rider bikes and machines by Indian Larry and Arlen Ness and Ed Roth abound. Off to the side is another large hall with what is billed as the most complete collection of Indian motorcycles year by year from the beginning to the end of the Springfield MA production. The one more relevant motorcycle on this floor was a 1975 Hercules with its’ signature Wankel engine (see A Herculean Effort).
With low expectations for our particular focus, we headed down to the lower level. It was there that we encountered a completely different world of motorcycles. A large area was dedicated to British and other European machines of the mid 20th century. Sunbeams and Triumphs mixed with a Vincent Rapide, and a Black Shadow. A distinctive yellow Nimbus with sidecar sat near a beautiful silver DKW RT250 Twingle. A Puch 250 occupied a place of prominence above a corral containing a BMW R69S in Dover white. Another large area was dedicated to carnival attractions and full-size Wall-of-Death arenas. Among a collection of miniature single seaters used for wall-of-death attractions was one by BMW. A smaller area had a large number of Excelsior machines including board trackers.
The highlight of the lower level though, is a collection of the earliest motorcycles, including a reproduction 1885 Daimler. This section had some European and American turn of the century marques previously unknown to us, such as Orient, Steffey, Styria, Marsh-Metz, Brutus, Terot, and Manson. The list goes on. There were also more familiar marques such as De Dion Bouton, Thor, FN, Hildebrande and Wolfmuller, and there was a lovely Bohmerland with sidecar. We are leaving out a lot, as for fans of the very earliest machines, this museum is a must-visit.
Returning upstairs is like returning from a trip on a time machine. The machines, activity level, and lighting are all very different. Leaving the facility is also a transition back to a large relatively non-descript building that could be anywhere. You are eased back into the current world after immersion in the complete history of motorcycling. Motorcyclepedia is aptly named indeed.
It is a rare fan of vintage iron, that does not also possess a few other items which indicate that they are a fan. Who do you know that is a fan of a marque and yet does not have a t-shirt or a key fob, or a baseball cap? It is almost required. And for the serious fan, books and wall art and more logo wear and a scale replica, are likely to be owned. However, at the level we are calling passion, the items and accessories lean to the more obscure. At this level, money is not the key criteria. With enough money, you could purchase a Mercedes dealership, but it would not necessarily prove passion for the marque. Rarity is more of a key criteria. There are other key criteria as well. The extent to which your passion has invaded other areas of your life, for instance. In true Classic Velocity fashion then, here are three levels of passion.
LEVEL 1 - Unique items in a space you control.
Exhibit A is this paper towel dispenser. Somebody went to a great deal of trouble to transform this utilitarian item, into something worthy of a Porsche garage. There are extra bonus points here, because as you can see if you look carefully at the lower right of the picture, there is a routine paper towel dispenser close by. So the Porsche dispenser is essentially now just a ceremonial piece of artwork. After all, it just would not do to have greasy finger prints on such a piece. It certainly satisfies this level to have an item that you cannot necessarily purchase, and one that took time and effort to create.
LEVEL 2 - Spillage into other areas of life.
Exhibit B1 is the VW Bus Birdhouse. It is nicely adorned with a flower motif suitable for your garden. It is a fine example of your passion extending to unrelated areas of your life. The birdhouse has a thoughtful drainage hole, and a keyring on the roof so that it can be hung. Lastly, it is a Bay window camper model, so it is entirely appropriate for a residence. Nicely done.
Exhibit B2 is this Audi Birthday Cake. Besides the obvious artistry, and good taste (you see what we did there) of the item, it says that friends and family obviously recognize your passion and decide that there is nothing better for your annual celebration of time on the planet, than to incorporate your favorite marque.
LEVEL 3 - Personal commitment.
Exhibit C are these tattoos. You just can’t get much more passionate than a permanent modification to your person. Assuming this did not happen after a wild night in Vegas of which you have no recollection, this is the ultimate way to say I identify with this marque. The BMW ripped skin tattoo earns extra bonus points, as it implies that your passion goes much more than skin deep. When people are arguing about how much they love their marque, you display either of these and end the argument.
Today, you can walk into most major motorcycle dealerships, and purchase a motorcycle that will do 200 MPH. You even have your choice of options from among multiple brands. These are not super exotic homologation specials, they are standard production machines, available to anyone. Back in the 1950s, it was difficult and expensive to find a production machine that would do half that speed. The world was recovering from WWII, and Germany in particular was just getting back into producing cars and motorcycles of higher speeds and displacements. BMW, Zundapp, and NSU were competing in the showrooms and on the racetrack for dominance. At that time, success on the track was the primary advertising material to get buyers into the showroom. And it worked. One area left dormant since before the war was the motorcycle land speed record. It was still held by a BMW from 1937. NSU siezed an opportunity and established a new record of 180.10 MPH (289.85 KPH) in 1951 with Wilhelm Herz aboard blasting down the autobahn. With 200 MPH in sight, there were several attempts by a variety of manufacturers over the next 5 years, but they all fell short.
Until 1956. The 1951 record had stood for 4 years before being eclipsed by a Vincent, and then by a Triumph in 1955. NSU decided to go all out in reclaiming it in 1956, and sent a well-equipped team of machines, spares, and mechanics to the Bonneville Salt flats that July. They brought 6 machines with engines all based on their very successful GP racing RennMax and RennFox machines. The 500cc (actually 499cc) machine was dubbed the Dolphin III as the most recent version of the original Delphin that broke the land speed record back in 1951. The 350cc and 500cc models were supercharged parallel twins, but with an interesting historical twist. The superchargers used a troichordal rotor on a fixed shaft in a figure 8 style chamber. If this sounds familiar, it is because it was the precursor of the wankel engine. The engine was an overhead cam with bevel-drive, fed by a single Amal carburetor. Soichoro Honda himself had been by the factory the prior year to take a look At what NSU was doing with production machines given their performance in the lightweight classes in GP racing.
Back to Bonneville. The Delphin (Dolphin) moniker was due to the streamlined shape of the fairing which produced a miserly 0.19 coefficient of drag. In fact, the major challenge was keeping the machine on the ground at speed, and weights were added strategically for this purpose. The seating position placed the pilot low, and was dubbed the “hammock” position. On the salt flats, it was a difficult couple of weeks. Conditions were windy, and NSU had a crash during the 250cc attempt with H.P. Mueller aboard. In fact Mueller was the pilot for all of the record-breaking runs except for the 500cc class. Several crashes or aborted runs took place in other classes as well. However, early in the morning on August 4th, 1956 with Wilhelm Herz once again in the pilot seat, and the winds finally calm, NSU was able to achieve a stunning 211.4 MPH, shattering the previous record by 26 MPH !! NSU had convincingly reclaimed dominance in the land speed arena, and returned home poised for continued success on the track and in the showroom.
For 19 years, the Mid America 02 Fest has taken place in Eureka Springs, Arkansas with a brief departure to Hermann Missouri some time ago. For the last 10 years, we have made plans to attend. We even got underway once, but was derailed and had to turn back. Part of the challenge is the logistics of getting to and from the event in a time window. It is a 2 day drive in the 02, and the event is 2 days (3 if you count the arrival evening festivities) so 6 days total. So it was a grand achievement to finally make it to the event. It was achieved partly by a combination of towing, and an all nighter to get back.
Eureka Springs is a Mecca for car clubs and motorcyclists. It is in northwest Arkansas in the heat of the Ozark mountains. The roads and the vistas are spectacular and very reminiscent of the smoky mountains. Curves and switchbacks and sweepers and elevation changes every few hundred yards. The area is referred to as the Pig Trail, or the Tail of the Pig, or various other pork-related names. Call it what you will, but put it on your list of places to go in your more sporting car, or on your bike. But just like Tail of the Dragon and WV 50 and Beartooth pass, you want to sample them when it is not prime time! We did.
A lovely drive allowed us to exercise the cars a bit and to sample roads that are all the stuff of movies. Narrow ribbons of unbroken undulating serpentine asphalt twisting off into the distance making you press the right pedal and smile even more broadly in anticipation. But you better pay attention to the more immediate future as well. Runoff is taken literally here. You could plunge a long way off the side of a mountain, or a short way into a deep drainage ditch. Either will ruin your day, and we were regaled over lunch with stories of a Ferrari that was a recent reminder. Big power can be a liability here. It is more Monaco than Monza. Which makes it perfect for a good handling, good power to weight car like the 02. We are happy to report that the big group returned unscathed.
Planned Tech sessions enlightened the group, while informal tech sessions broke out spontaneously all over the host hotel parking lot. It seems inevitable that 02 owners want to share a unique or just a well done solution to the challenges of maintaining 40 to 50 year old vehicles. And then there are the upgrades. Engine swaps were fairly common among the group, turbo flares, euro bumpers on squarelight cars, adjustable coilovers, and various schemes for getting fuel into the engine. Several of us had a spirited…uuhhmmm….discussion (yes, that’s it, discussion) on the merits and demerits of the 38/38 single carb setup. The opinions ranged from :
“Just run a GARDEN hose from your gas tank to the intake, same effect!” And yes, they were shouting, to
“This is a sublime setup for the well-informed once you get jetting set. Much better than twin DCOEs, and you can get decent mileage if you control your right foot”
As we continued over dinner, we discovered that there is nothing like alcohol to enrich (pun intended) a spirited debate, and launch it into other combustible (pun intended) areas such as oil and tires. Of course, it was all among friends, and a good time was had by all. We missed the last bit of the rally, as we faced a long drive back to meet a prior committment. As a complete bonus though, we won a door prize! What better way to cap off a great weekend.
When last did you see 4 Bauers parked together? Pretty cool.
It has been mentioned before on these pages, that behind many of the events that we have witnessed and enjoyed, is a person with a vision of seeing others have a good time around vintage machines. Whether it is a Ride (see Classic RS Rally) or a museum (see The Moto Museum), or some other event, we are always surprised and appreciative of the mountain of work that it takes to help people enjoy themselves. And so it is with Bill Dwyer. The story goes that Bill was disenchanted with a prior show that was short on substance but long on ticket prices. He set out to prove that you could have a great quality event without charging attendees very much. 8 years later, the show continues to expand, and most of it is free !! You heard correctly, F R E E.
There is a host campground, and although you are not compelled to stay there, the main events are all within walking distance. There is a Thursday open house with a local air-cooled parts warehouse. Free. There is a beach event where you have to pay $20 (charged by the city to anyone, not a fee from the event) for beach access, but we got a free t-shirt and sun screen from the VW crew as compensation. There is a Bulli-Brigade event simultaneously at a public beach. Free. There is a Bay Window Rally at the main campground. Free. There is a Saturday night pre-show party at Guiseppe’s Pizza complete with DJ. Free, but you buy your own food if you want. The event has grown too large for this venue, and probably needs to move. And then there is the big show on Sunday. Free.
The show on Sunday is the crown jewel. The location is picturesque, as VWs of all kinds ring the municipal lake. In Port Orange. There is a swap meet area, a new vendor area, and the DJ returns to entertain the crowd. But the stars are the continuous circle of vehicles lining both sides of the ring road. It is whiplash city for fans of air-cooled Vdubs. We had a recent post on the Platform as Canvas, and this event personifies the concept. No two vehicles are alike, there are no real rules for what can be done, and everyone is ok with everything.
To say that Bill Dwyer has succeeded in the quest to provide great quality and substance for little or no money, is an understatement. My guess is that T-shirt sales, the only obvious attempt to recoup some costs, are all the more robust because of the format. It is almost your duty to purchase one. We did.
IThe Zundapp Citation was clearly a derivative of the Horex Imperator, and was reportedly only branded a Zundapp in order to work around the legal restrictions of the US importer Berliner Motors. The Imperator was a 400cc twin produced in the waning days of Horex before it was purchased by Mercedes (see Horex Motorcycles). The Zundapp version created an oversquare bore and stroke, and overhead cam to reach 452cc and to produce 40 hp. This was enough to market the it as a 500, and claim 100+ mph speeds. Not bad in 1958. It was named the Citation after the triple-crown winning horse.
Despite good quality, performance, and design, timing could not have been worse. The bike was introduced into the teeth of a worldwide recession. On top of that, a series of marketing and legal issues impacted sales in the important US market. The Citation was limited to a 2 year life span from 1958 to 1960.
Somehow, the cars of mid-20th-century Germany lend themselves more than the products of any other nation, to become platforms for Art. Why? I do not know, but there are few production cars from France or Italy, or England, or Japan, or America, that have found themselves used so much as a conceptual or a literal canvas. Contrast this with the Janis Joplin Porsche 356, the Andy Warhol BMW M1, or the political-environmental-philosophical platform (wanted or not) that is the VW Bus. This is an ongoing tradition with Porsche RSR Pink Pig, with Audi commissioning an RS4 art car back in 2007, Opel Adam art cars, and even a Mercedes Benz Metris van!. While BMW deserves credit for the long-running official commissioning of art cars, all other German manufacturers seem to have embraced the concept. And long before the manufacturers, people were doing the same as an expression of their individuality, or as experimentation with a new mobile medium, the car. For a country so well known for its engineering prowess, it is an interesting contrast.
Few would argue, though that as a platform for art, the VW Beetle is king. Perhaps because it is ubiquitous with over 21 million sold. The Toyota Corolla has sold twice as many, but it is not known as a platform for art.. Perhaps it is because the Beetle is universally understood and transcends languages and continents. Perhaps because it makes everyone smile. Perhaps because they are as cheap and available as actual canvas. Perhaps because from the beginning, they were the basis for many different manifestations.
Almost all of the VW air-cooled vehicles came from the Beetle. The Bus is famously a lengthened and reinforced Beetle chassis. The Thing, the Fastback, the Notch, the Ghia, the Fridolin, etc were really all modified re-bodied Beetles. Then there are the variations made by VW and other manufacturers. The Amelia Island Concours recently had a class just for this category. It featured versions by Rometsch, Dannenhauer and Stauss, and Hebmuller. What was not featured, was a Porsche 356, which is perhaps the most obvious variant, owing to their common designer, Ferdinand Porsche. Then there are the later variations on the platform like the Puma and the Beach Buggy, and inumerable kit cars. The list goes on.
But back to art. Commercial art has long taken notice of the Beetle as well. It is often turned into a mouse or a Bug or spider by exterminators, or into a taxi, or a unique delivery vehicle of some kind. It gets used positively and negatively to depict a slower pace, or hippies, or simplicity, or a bygone era. The headlights get eyelashes, the bumper becomes an accentuated smile, or the whole thing becomes a Transformer. I won’t even delve into the many applications of the Beetle that Hollywood has found, except for one word. Herbie.
For the more commonly used canvas, you need go no further than your regional VW show. You will still see variations you have not seen before. In a field of dozens or hundreds of cars, few if any will have an identical twin. Structure, drivetrain, paint, interior, and wheels, seem to create an infinite number of permutations. You laugh and grimmace and admire and stare slack-jawed at the pieces in this outdoor gallery. It is truly an art show with the VW as the canvas. The people’s choice award is as much about artistry as it is about anything else.
The Beetle is a universal canvas in the way that a BMW 3.0CS could never be. You can probably find a disintegrating one to use as sculpture somewhere near you. You can use just the shape, or a rear decklid, or a fender, or a hubcap, and everyone will know what you mean. It works as a stick cartoon, and as a fine art oil painting. It can evoke an era, or it can evoke a whole drag-racing class. Usually in art, you want to stay away from an icon, but in this case, a new VW Beetle based car could be driving around your town, or screaming down your local drag strip tomorrow. And a new VW Beetle art car could easily be in the world’s finest museums that same day.
Recently we offered a post that was titled Old is the New New. Well nothing says old like a BMW boxer. A basic design from 1923, that even eschewed water cooling until 2014. However, the new machines are packed with modern technology, and compete with the best the world can produce. Indeed, with the RNineT, BMW itself is mining its past and producing retro machines. They are inspired by artists and artisans that, much like Harley Davidson’s knucklehead community, see the boxer as a timeless platform that can be forever re-imagined. We recently had the opportunity to spend some time around two excellent samples. The heart of the machines is pure BMW, but the creations come from Japan, and America.
“Nostalgia” states its’ case with the name, and was created by NMOTO Studio. It pays direct homage to the BMW R7 of 1934, which was shown as a prototype, but never actually produced. It is considered by many to represent the pinnacle of Art Deco motorcycle design. Nostalgia is based on the new RNineT platform, but it is all about the beautiful bodywork. NMOTO has done a great job of incorporating most of the design elements from the R7. In particular, the fenders and the tank side panels and the exhaust, combine to fool the casual observer into thinking a priceless prewar motorcycle was on display. The headlight nacelle and the paint are similarly convincing. The big disc brakes and valve covers are the main visual cues that this is a modern creation. Other than that, it successfully evokes the pressed steel frame and Art Deco aesthetic that the R7 represented. The best part is that you can have your own Nostalgia. It is in limited production and is sure to stop traffic and dominate your local bike show.
“Departed” takes a different approach. It is a custom built one-off commissioned by BMW Motorrad, and created by Uichi Yoshizawa and Yoshikazu Ueda of Custom Works ZON. It is all about the engine, which is reportedly a BMW Motorrad prototype. If the engine is a mere accessory to the body on Nostalgia, then the rest of the bike is an accessory to the engine on Departed. It dominates the motorcycle, and the duo uses the valve covers and alternator cover and the rear wheel center, to evoke its own Art Deco theme. This is complemented by tank and side covers and a breast plate all in metal finish, and reminiscent of a WWII fighter plane. Even the stubbed exhaust and trellis frame add to that image. This is a good thing, as it is designed to be a land speed racer, complete with rear sets, minimalist seat, and no lighting. And in case you think the large wheels create a more modern feel, the fabulous swingarm, the beautiful girder fork and exposed drive shaft will pull you right back to the prewar era. Ironically, Departed has a diminutive front disc brake that would fit inside that of Nostalgia.
A fellow rider joined me in admiring the machines, and at the end asked which one I would have if forced to make a choice. I said Departed because I could see it getting ridden and dirty and still looking every bit as cool. He chose Nostalgia because he said he would not survive the riding position of Departed for very long, and his wife would allow Nostalgia in the living room when not being ridden. We agreed to swap periodically....
Who can pass up a weekend of vintage racing at a historic track? Not the Classic Velocity crew. The weekend is organized by SVRA, whose motto is “Some people collect art, we race it”. And that motto was in full bloom in early March as competitors and fans converged on the heart of Florida. Perhaps it is the venue, or perhaps the entry fees, but this particular event tends to have more fly-and-drive participants and more expensive cars. There were a lot of “race management” outfits in the paddock, and fewer DIY solo competitors. However, this in turn resulted in more high-end and historic art that was raced. Porsche was by far the most popular marque, but Ferrari and Aston Martin were also well represented.
As always, it is the people that make these events so enjoyable. I had a chance to speak with the owner of the lovely 914 pictured here. The owner did all of the work himself other than paint, trailered it from Phoenix, ran it, wrenched it, and still had time to tell me all about it and swap 914 stories. Commendable indeed. At the other end of the spectrum, I got to spend some quality time with one of the Audi suspension technicians for the WEC LMP car of Tom Kristiensen and Alan McNish. I got up close and personal with the car and changes they had to make to the suspension for the relatively bumpy Sebring circuit. Suffice it to say that there was not a lot of suspension travel on those cars, and not much seat padding either!! It gives you new appreciation for what it must be like to do a multi-hour stint in a car like that. Oh, and the rear suspension arms cost more than the 914 !
There was also a car show sponsored by Hagerty which included an eclectic mix of vehicles from an Austin A35 to a VW Westfalia, to a Ferrari to a Pontiac Grand Safari (one of the largest of the behemoth station wagons of the 1970s). There were enough items of interest to keep any gearhead engaged over a few days, and the access and approachability of those in the paddock made this a special event.
The Bitter SC was the successor to the Bitter CD chronicled here before (see Sweet Bitter). It entered the market in 1979, even as CDs were still available. Although it was based on the largest of the Opel platforms, the styling was very Italian, and it could almost be mistaken for the Ferrari 412. This was not a bad thing, as it is clearly a handsome coupe. Much of the car was built in Italy, first at OCRA, and then at Maggiore, but eventually by Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria. All cars then came back to Schwein, Germany for final assembly or for inspection. The car was powered by a 3.0 or a 3.9 liter inline 6 cylinder., and produced 180hp. or 210hp respectively. It used Bosch fuel injection. Weighing 3500lbs, they used that power to propel the car to an 8.3 second 0-60 time.
Bitter went to great effort to create a premium car, with a luxurious interior including leather and woodgrain. A sedan, and a cabriolet were added in 1981. Just 488 were built, and only a handful came to the US, where they were carried by a few Buick dealers due to a deal with GM. That placement did not help, and US sales were tepid. However, demand was outstripping supply elsewhere, hence the move to Austria for much of the manufacturing. In an interesting twist, Bitter had difficulties with US emissions despite using a US vendor to handle that area. They eventually used a Porsche catalytic converter to solve their issues! They were also up against the rise of the BMW sedan, and other premium offerings. Lastly, the idea of a rebodied car was now primarily the domain of the supercar. No matter how nice it looked, and no matter how well executed, a rebodied Opel was going to be a challenge. Today, the SC from this period remains popular, and the wedge styling has stood the test of time.
There are some lessons that I cannot seem to learn. There are many instances on these pages of the CV garage returning over and over again to the same vehicle. My beloved 2002 is a repeat offender, the early 911 is a repeat offender, the BMW GS is a repeat offender, Norton Commandos are repeat offenders, and the BMW RT may be the most offensive of the offenders. 2 R100RTs, an R80RT (still here), 2 R1150RTs, and now a 2nd R1200RT. The only reason that the R1100RT has not made an appearance, is that it is the one RT that I do not care for aesthetically. I like the RT a lot. At least the R bike versions ;-)
Part of the appeal is the mile-munching capability. They are reknown for racking up mileages in the hundreds of thousands. Few cars can say that, and even fewer bikes. Second, they are reliable. which permits the first point. Occasional valve adjustments and quality oil are the primary requirements. Not that they have not had recalls and other issues in the modern era, but few compared to other marques. Third, they are comfortable, which also permits the first. Fourth, they are sporty enough. There are others in the segment that are sportier, but better riders than me have yet to know the limits of a modern RT on a twisty road. They handle well. Fifth, is storage capacity. You have to move to a true luxo-barge like the Goldwing or the K1600 to get any more storage. Sixth is weather protection. A generous fairing protects lower body. The hands are protected by the mirrors which have excellent visibility. They always had a large windshield, but the adjustable ones in the modern area can shield your upper body to the point of staying mostly dry in light rain. Seventh are the electronics. They are more and more sophisticated, but even on my R80RT, the alternator and the accessory plugs were intended to allow the rider to use heated gear and to power radios and auxiliary lights. In position 8 is the headlight. In my opinion, he RT has always had a good enough headlight to leave the machine stock. My R80RT has a pretty good headlight for a 35 year old machine. The R1200RT has a really good headlight, stock. Ninth are passenger accommodations. Once again, true to its roots, the RT shines with a wide comfy passenger seat and rubberized pegs. The top box doubles as backrest. Last at number 10, is suspension. Between reasonable weight that disappears once underway, paralever, and good suspension when loaded with passenger and luggage, the RT never feels unbalanced. In fact, my R1150RT seemed to feel better two-up!
So there you have it. Ten reasons the RT is a fantastic motorcycle from any generation, and the reason that it remains in, and returns to, the Classic Velocity garage.
If this seems like a good model name for a motorcycle, you are partially right. The BMW 700 was a very important vehicle for the company and we have previously covered it (see BMW 700). In that article, we pointed out that it was a successful combination of a car’s body wrapped around a motorcycle engine. We also mentioned that it enjoyed some racing success with the GT and RS models.
The 700RS was built specifically for hillclimbs, and featured an aluminum space frame chassis bearing little resemblance to the production 700 that shared part of its name. In true testament to the racing ethos of the time, it retained the 697cc motorcycle engine but managed to produce 70 hp from that unit. With a curb weight of just 1213 lbs, it had 100 hp per liter of displacement, and 127 hp per ton. Amazing numbers at the time, and very much aligned with racers like Lotus. It also handled very well given that it was mid-engined, and low and sleek.
The 700RS went on to numerous victories in the early 1960s, piloted by such racing luminaries as Alex Von Falkenhausen, and Hans Stuck.
Regular readers will know that Zweirad Union was the parent company for several brands, most notably Victoria, Express and DKW, and has been featured several times in these pages. The late 1950s saw the death of many German motorcycle producers, and Zweirad had acquired an ailing Victoria in 1957, a dying Express in 1958, and a castoff DKW in 1959. The idea of the new Director Dr Odilo Burkart, was to leverage models and tooling in Nuremburg to produce models for all three brands.
One result of this approach was the avant-garde Zweirad Union Type 115/155, produced from 1960 to 1963. The 115 was a Victoria model, and the 155 was the almost identical DKW. They were aimed at younger buyers in an attempt to keep them on a sportier looking two-wheeler rather than going to one of the many affordable small cars that were on the market. The first thing that jumps out at you is the futuristic styling, evoking images of jets and space-age conveyances. The body lines suggest forward motion even standing still, and the chrome finned engine cover contribute a sense of speed. All of this is ironic, given that this is a 50cc 4.2 hp machine. Styling was polarizing at the time, but sales were fairly solid with 13,551 Victorias to 13,345 DKWs over the production span.
The machines became affectionately known as “Blechbanane” or Tin Banana.
The late 1940s and the early 1950s represent one of those periods where the automobile and the motorcycle world were experimenting with hybrids. In this case, a hybrid is referring to a machine which was in part motorcycle, and in part car. A car was a relatively expensive item to purchase, and motorcycles were still mainstream reliable transportation in Europe. Manufacturers understandably wanted to find a combination of these two that would produce an inexpensive reliable machine which would protect the driver and occupants from the weather. One manifestation of that combination was the micro car, and we have covered a few variations of that in this blog such as the Messerschmidt (see The Other Microcar) and the BMW 700 (see Heart of a Bike, Body of a Car).
One particularly interesting variation was The Zundapp Janus. It was produced in 1957 and 1958, and was the only car ever produced by Zundapp which of course specialized in motorcycles (see Volksmotorrader and The Green Elephant). The Janus got its name from the Roman god who also gave us the month of January. The distinguishing feature of Janus was that he was two-faced and could look backwards and forwards at the same time. The Zundapp Janus was similarly almost symmetrical front to back, and were it not for brake lights and turn signals in the back versus the headlights up front, you might have trouble distinguishing which way the vehicle was going from a side profile. This extended to the seating in the car with one bench seat facing forward and the other bench seat facing backwards. Both seats folded down to form a flat head when needed. A clamshell door opened either end of the vehicle further adding to the symmetry.
The car was powered by a single cylinder two-stroke motorcycle engine of only 245 cc. It was positioned in the center of the vehicle between the two seats, and would only propel the vehicle to a maximum speed of 50 mph. Zundapp did also produce more powerful versions with 400 cc 2 cylinder two-stroke motors and eventually 500 and 600 cc versions. Some 6900 examples of the Janus were built in all. The short life of the Janus was due to three main factors. First, it was rust prone primarily due to water leaking around the symmetrical quarter windows on the car. Second, it was expensive compared to the BMW Isetta, and other competitors in the Microcar space. Lastly, it was slow compared to competitors and it was probably a terrifying view out the back window as vehicles rapidly approached ! Production ended in 1958 and Zundapp returned to its motorcycle roots. Of course, the Janus has returned for a curtain call with the character Professor Zundapp in the movie Cars...
The Zundapp Sport Combinette was produced from 1962 to 1966, and fit into a special new class of Vehicle at the time in Germany. It was based on the prior Combinette which was a single seat step-through model. Starting in 1960, a Moped without pedals but with kickstart was introduced as a new category. It blurred the lines between motorcycle and moped, although displacement limitations kept it closer to the latter. Zundapp took advantage of this by introducing the Sport Combinette. It had two seats, a tubular frame, telescopic fork, 21” front wheel, atraditional tank layout, and even a clutch (of sorts), all consistent with motorcycles. However, the single cylinder 2 stroke engine was only 50cc and top speed matched the new category limit of 40kph.
The local BMW club, FSCBMWCCA, organized an outing to the Sebring Historics, and we tagged along. Sebring is a historic track with a rich legacy. The Historics event is an opportunity for historic and vintage sports cars to enjoy a race weekend in the central Florida “fall” weather. This translated into foggy mornings with sunny days with highs in the low 80s. The event also features a vintage aircraft fly-in with most from the WWII era. The display area for these machines was interesting by itself. Radial aircraft engines in particular are fascinating for their simplicity and reliability. And that brings us back to endurance racing where both of those virtues can help you to emerge victorious.
The racing portion of this event is organized by Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR). In the sprint races, a couple of Porsche 914/6 cars dominated group 2 and 3 with a BMW E36 sandwiched in between. A Porsche 911 RSR was on the podium in group 5 and 7, and there was a Classic RS race. A couple of 2002s were sprinkled among the field, but none managed to run at the front. The highlight is the Classic 12 hour, and a pair of Lola’s finished 1-2. The entire field was interesting with Ginettas and GT40s and Elans and longhood 911s and Cobras battling it out.
Like all historic events, the pits provide an opportunity to get up close and personal with some very cool machinery. Owners, drivers, and mechanics are all very tolerant of onlookers and questions. We had a great conversation around a BMW M Coupe, and got to climb inside an RSR. Very cool. Back at the club corral, there were some interesting machines as well. Not one, but two Z8s graced us with their presence, along with a couple of nice original M5s and an M2. Cool people, cool cars, cool competition. Not a bad way to bring in December.
The Petersen Museum is routinely regarded as one of the world’s best. From the building itself, now with an artistic exoskeleton, to the contents, it sets high expectations. We have visited before (see A Visit to the Petersen), but it has been a while. The Petersen is large enough to have multiple exhibits going on within its walls at any given time. It keeps it fresh for return visitors, and they have a ridiculous inventory of vehicles to rotate through and to borrow. This is, after all, Southern California, and Hollywood is a stone’s throw away. This visit was special because the museum was running a Porsche exhibit. Dubbed “The Porsche Effect”, the exhibit chronicles the history of Porsche from beginning to modern times. This is a challenge that the Porsche Museum struggles with, so the Petersen had to have an interesting approach.
That approach was centered around a strategic sampling of machines, augmented by some storytelling posters and placards. If you are a stickler for chronology, you could proceed in a roughly anti-clockwise direction on the first floor. If not, you could just move easily from perfect examples to prototypes that never saw production, to race cars. This show could fill the entire Museum, but it was all housed in a portion of the first floor. Despite this, it did a good job of creating a journey. An entire wall was dedicated to the memorable and iconic race cars from the 550 to LMP. A 356A started the road car story, but along the way you got to see a 904, the early 911, the 914, a slant nose, a 4 door 928 birthday gift to Ferdinand, a Ruf right in the lobby, and the last of the air-cooled 993. And, in the style of the Petersen, you could get right up close with all of the cars.
This alone would have been worth the price of admission, but there are two more floors of the Petersen filled with interesting vehicles.....
If a particular model lives for 16 years, it is pretty remarkable. It is particularly remarkable if it was launched in 1953, at a time when “new and exciting” caused manufacturers to replace or upgrade models every few years. But from the launch of the 250 SGS (Schwing Gabel Sport), Puch found a formula that worked, and stuck with it. Puch was formed in 1890 by Johann Puch in Graz, Austria, and began like so many others producing bicycles before moving on to motorcycles in 1903. Fast forward to 1923 when they first introduced the innovative split single. Essentially, it was two pistons in a shared combustion chamber. The idea would later be reborn or licensed in other marques, as Puch supplied engines as well. The twingle did not take long to achieve success success, as a supercharged version won the German Grand Prix in 1931 with Alvetio Toricelli aboard. By this time they had become part of the larger Steyr-Daimler-Puch corporation.
Fast forward again to 1947 when Puch resumed production of the 250. Then in 1953, they launched new 125cc, 175cc, and 250cc motorcycles including the 250 SGS. Exports soon followed, and in the USA, Puch was rebranded as an Allstate motorcycle sold by Sears with the moniker of “Twingle” to describe the piston/cylinder arrangement. It was famously sold through the Sears Roebuck catalogs. Pricing and catalog sales resulted in this being the first motorcycle for a lot of riders in America. The engine of the 250 SGS was a 248cc 2 stroke unit mated to a four speed gearbox. It produced 16.5hp and 12.5 ft/lbs of torque combined with a weight of 309lbs, for a top speed of 68mph. Brakes were drum front and rear. Suspension was twin shock swingarm in the rear, and telescopic forks up front. A respectable set of features in the beginning, but Puch made few changes and by the 1960s it had fallen behind competitive 4 stroke offerings.
The SGS retained its appeal to new and younger riders, and soldiered on until production ceased in 1969. During its lengthy tenure, 38,584 units were sold worldwide, making it a success for a firm like Puch.
Check out this period article on a strip down of the 250 engine….
https://berniesbikeshed.wordpress.com/puch-250-sgs-engine-strip-down/
As a blog dedicated to Classic German machines on two wheels and four, there are certain events that are legendary and represent the high point of the year. Regardless of where you are geographically, the Orange County Transporter Organization event twice a year is in that category if you own a 1967 and earlier VW Bus. California is a Mecca for Aircooled Vdubs in general, and buses in particular (with all due respect to the Pacific Northwest, New England, and Florida). The OCTO event was happening before Buses were cool again, and persists regardless of auction prices and celebrity collectors. It is rain or shine, and this year, in a freak of Southern California nature, it rained! Even with the weather as a factor, this event dwarfs gatherings of Splitty buses elsewhere in the country. Almost all are driven to the event. Almost all are driven regularly. Many are daily drivers.
Every configuration was represented at the show. Kombis, Deluxe in 13 15 21 and 23 window versions, single and double cabs, panel vans, Campers with all configurations of tops, and even a fire truck. No two buses alike, just like the owners. The swap meet was the area most impacted by the weather, as few wanted their oxidized parts further oxidized. Which brings us to patina. Patina is in. There were a lot of buses with engine, suspension, and brakes up to relatively modern standards, but with the body in various states of decay. That decay was often clear coated to preserve it, or in some cases, an aging process was used to create the decay or the appearance of decay. Logo panel vans were similarly treated to reveal an old logo, or create one that looks period correct. Some real artistry was on display along with a good deal of time, effort, and money.
The following day was the Pomona Swap Meet. Although there is a swap portion which is all VW, this event is huge, and the show field isy acres of vintage iron from low rider 50s Cadillacs to Audi Foxes, to Delorean Back-To-The-Future replicas, to a wild shorty Beetle. Everything at this show was cool even if not always your particular cup of tea. The wild and wacky share space with the concours queens. There are plenty of YouTube videos that can help you grasp this better than words. What they can’t help you to appreciate is the vibe in the air. It is a giant cars-n-coffee meets carnival meets swap meet. It is sensory overload. If your car is “special”, and by that we mean special as in concours level or special in modifications, or special in patina, or special in paint, or special as in custom, or special as in weird, this is the place to be. There were plenty of “regular” examples present, but this event is much more spectacle than it is subtle appreciation society. Make sure you have good lubrication for your human neck bearing, as it will be swiveling a lot. The best part is that this show happens 6 or 7 times a year! I am told by devoted attendees that every show is just as crazy and vibrant as this one.
Between the two events, we laughed, we wept, we coveted, we scratched our heads, we were shocked and awed, we stood slack-jawed, we marveled at craftsmanship, and we expanded our understanding of what is possible, and we gained a greater appreciation for the sheer diversity of thoughts on the automobile as an art canvas. With two events like these (and there were many other events in South/Central California that weekend), and good weather year round (except Saturday ;-), you can understand how many consider this to be one of the global centers of car culture.
Yes, your eyes do not deceive you....
Tornax was a motorcycle manufacturer from Wuppertal, Germany that was founded in 1922 by Ernst Wewer, but began motorcycle production in 1926. Wewer was a racer, and recruited other racers to help quickly build a name for Tornax (a play on the word for Tornado). Like many manufacturers at the time, they did not produce their own engines, instead using British JAP (J. A. Prestwich) engines of various capacities. Their first machine was a 600cc single called the I-26. In the beginning, Tornax used the year of production in their model names rather than displacement or catchy names. Also unlike other manufacturers, Tornax started with large machines and later went to smaller displacement models. peaking with the 1,000 cc four stroke III-31 SS, which produced a claimed 76hp, and was claimed to be the fastest machine in the world. It was a large impressive machine, but an expensive one with bad timing in the market given the depression. Tornax survived the 1930s by first producing smaller machines, and then reducing its output to a single 600cc model using an engine from German supplier, Columbus. It also moved away from alphanumeric model names and adopted catchy names like Tornado, and Rex (which interestingly utilized a DKW engine), and Schwarze Josephine.
The factory was destroyed in WWII, but Tornax resumed production in 1948. Ironically, they resumed with a 125cc two-stroke single cylinder model. This was followed by a 175cc, a 250cc and then a twin cylinder 250cc Earles Fork model producing 15hp. A far cry from their 1,000cc 76hp peak! Then in 1954, Tornax purchased the rights to german engine-builder Opti’s four stroke machines to eliminate contracts with ILO, Columbus, and others. Effectively moving engine building in-house. This transition was problematic, and proved to be financially debilitating. At the same time, small enclosed vehicles like the Isetta, Messerschmidt, Heinkel, and Lloyd were emerging to challenge the motorcycle market in general. These factors proved to be overwhelming, and within a year, Tornax ceased production in 1955. A thriving club of enthusiasts remains today in Germany.
One of our favorite cars of all time is the Porsche 959 Rally Car (see Porsche 959 Paris Dakar). Partly because it is so far from the intent of the production car, partly because it is a rally car, and partly because it looks great in Rothmans livery. Even the replicas are cool and expensive. Porsche was always pretty good at keeping track of its race cars, so we guess it just waited for a special occasion to let one of these machines change hands. And this is why the Porsche 70th Anniversary auction included one of the 1985 Paris Dakar cars, and then it sold for $5,945,000 ! And this was not a winning car, just one of 3 that all retired with issues. There are four more of the seven produced in the Porsche Museum. We were narrowly outbid, but maybe next time ;-)
Friend of the blog Ed Solomon snapped a bunch of great pictures while on a tour of Cuba. A few of the German ones are pictured here along with others. All had great exteriors and interiors, but had surprising engine bays equipped with small transplants, displaying the ingenuity (or is that enginuity) needed to keep these cars on the road...
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If you are a fan of old motorcycles, there is no better place to be in October than the Barber Vintage Festival. It grows each year and has seen more than 70,000 attendees. The reasons are simple. A best-in-the-world vintage motorcycle museum. A well-designed race track. Vintage racing. Beautiful grounds. Great camping. Thousands of vintage gearheads, ensuring tremendous variety and great discussions. It is all here in one place.
The museum has been covered here before (see Bowing to Barber), so suffice it to say that it is worth a road trip or even a plane trip by itself, and you should find your way there. The fact that it is just part of the reason to go to the festival makes this an even greater event. Like the Goodwood Festival (see The Revival), it is a multi-day event which surrounds the perimeter of the race track. The racing, which is part of the AHRMA series, involves several vintage classes including sidecars, novice classes, lightweight, heavyweight, and more. A stroll through the pits is an experiential history of motorcycle racing. And craftsmanship. Solutions often need to be invented and/or fabricated.
Vintage clubs of all stripes also make this event a formal gathering. You can hangout on Norton Hill, or join the VJMC contingent or the AMCA encampment, or the Airheads, to name a few. The Ace Corner catered to a lively gang of grey-haired rockers! If you can’t find members of your tribe at this event, they may be on the verge of extinction ;-) The larger gatherings had judged shows and their own mini festival. Manufacturers and vendors are also there in abundance. You could test ride a new Harley, KTM or BMW, you could enjoy an Enfield, or use a Ural. But you could also pickup some cafe racer parts or a vintage style helmet.
If, however, you were after original bikes and parts, the swap area was the place to do it. It is now expanded due to growth, so there are two separate areas. This is nowhere near as large as Mid Ohio, but there is a significant array of machines and parts in every condition from NOS to COBAR (corroded beyond all recognition). Every other stall seemed to have a Honda Trail or a Cub for sale. And speaking of original, just like Goodwood, the parking lot can be as interesting as the show field. I have not seen so many Laverdas in one place in a long time, and not one, but three BMW R1200STs! The interesting choices for touring machines, and the innovative storage solutions in the camping area could be its own article.
This is a must-do event for anyone in North America who is into vintage motorcycles. Whether you like racing, or concours, or touring, or swap meets, or just walking around for days looking at old bikes, this is a worthwhile event. Oh, and in case I forgot to mention it, there is the world’s best motorcycle museum with close to a thousand on display.
Rows and rows of interesting motorcycles from near and far
Zundapp parts
Signed by Kenny Roberts
A Meticulous Munch
Gorgeous Guzzi
A Norton awaiting its racing class
A Birmingham Small Arms in Birmingham
Globe circling BMWs in the museum
What is your tribe?
I’m betting that you have not seen a Tornax in the flesh recently !
An Adventure Scooter ?
A beautiful Indian
DKW with a pillion seat way off the rear….
Artwork was interspersed among the vintage iron..
Honda Cubs and Trails were everywhere….
This Classic Velocity post is brought to you by Motocron : For Enthusiasts By Enthusiasts
It's official, we have run out of ideas. Electric cars, not new. Medicinal herbs, not new. Organic food, not new. Driverless cars, not new. Faded jeans, not new. And there is such an absence of new ideas in entertainment, that sequels, remakes, and recycling are the norm. For our more relevant space of vintage iron, there is also a movement these days to make new stuff old, and to keep old stuff…..well….old. This too is not new, as the rat rods of the mid 20th century had the same ethos. Take something old, and make it serviceable (or high performance), but leave the aesthetic looking like it was when found (or abandoned). There have even been schools within the movement that have taken something in good cosmetic shape, and distressed them, aged them, or otherwise altered them in order to look like a barn find. The spectrum is broad, so we thought that in true Classic Velocity style, we would categorize them. We did a related post on how close you are to being a purist a few years ago (see Tiers of Authenticity), so you can check that out as well.
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Preservation. This school is pretty straightforward. You alter nothing (or the minimum possible) to make the vehicle operate as it did when it last operated.
- There is even a market for non-operating preservation, where even the cobwebs remain undisturbed.
- Practication. You take an original vehicle as found, and make it practical to operate on a limited basis. This might involve more modern non-period-correct tires, corrosion inhibitor applied to the undercarriage, an LED bulb or two to replace the stock 1157, etc. The vehicle is not modified in any way, and the cosmetic patina is natural and continuing to evolve.
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Performication. Not to be confused with per-fornication. Different blog for that. This school might do any needed metalwork and then preserve the resulting aesthetic with a clear coat of the patina, so that it will not evolve further. There may be more extensive less visible structural work, suspension upgrades, engine upgrades, brake upgrades, etc to make the vehicle competent with, or superior to, today's vehicles.
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The closer you get it to looking like category one or two, the more impressive it is.
- The better the performance, the more impressive it is.
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Oldification. This school takes something new and typically high performance, and makes it look old aesthetically. We are not talking here about the many retro and homage vehicles produced by manufacturers.
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We are talking about putting a modified early 911 body on a modern 911 chassis and drive train, or putting a new BMW 1200 (now 1250) motor in a modified R60/2 chassis, or somehow using a current Mustang platform for a Model A hotrod, or a Hayabusa engine in your Isetta.
- There are some pretty expensive paint jobs and interiors out there that look like they are old, distressed, corroded, sun bleached. Aircooled Vdubs (which are already old) have members of this school. A variation are motorcycle tanks with faux bullet holes painted oxidation red, and aged brown leather seats.
- Technically you could consider Chip Foose, Kindig-It, and their ilk to be a variation on this theme. We could also argue though, that they represent the opposite, Newification.
So where do you fall on the spectrum? Did we miss a category? Best comment wins a Motocron subscription.
The annual pilgrimage to Limerock Motorsports Park is always great for vintage racing, and a lovely drive through bucolic northwestern Connecticut. This year, Bugatti was the featured marque, and it was unique to see so many in one place.
A Brace of Bugattis….
Photos courtesy of Edwin Solomon.
It has been a long time since I have gotten really and truly soaked while riding a motorcycle. Years in fact. It happened now and then back when I had no rain gear and had to press on in the rain. The topic is also no stranger to these pages (see Rain , Squandering the Attention Budget , and The Rain Machine). But this was different. I have plenty of rain gear. Good stuff, too. I have jacket liners and a full set of Frog Togs and rain covers for the tank bag, and even a set of rain gloves. But on this day, I had none of them.
It was a beautiful sunny morning with a few puffy clouds here and there. It was the best part of what was to be a hot and humid summer day. I enjoyed the cooler morning air and the curvy undulating unoccupied country roads. After a while, I stopped to grab coffee. While inside, a trio of joggers came in dripping wet. I went outside to see a glistening parking lot, puddles of water, and a soaking wet bike. This had been no light sprinkle. The rain squall had already moved on, and the sun had never stopped shining. I looked up to see a single light grey cloud amid the azure and cotton ball sky. I checked my weather radar app. Nothing. There were no visible signs of rain in any compass direction. Strange, I thought. I wiped off the seat, shook the remaining water off the soaked tank bag (and put on its’ now unnecessary rain cover), put on my mesh jacket, helmet, gloves, and headed toward home in the opposite direction to the light grey cloud.
I was on the lookout for a fast moving grey cloud, but there were none visible. I rounded one of my favorite long sweepers, and a few splats hit the windshield. Big wet splats as if they came from raindrops in some land of the giants out of all proportion to planet earth. Before I could even fully assess my options, there was a torrent of splats. A full downpour while in full sun and with good visibility. The visor fogged, and I was soaked within half a minute. There were no options for shelter anyway, so the choices were to stop and stand in the open to get further soaked, or ride on to get further soaked. I took my mostly wet leather gloves off, and rode on, still looking for the cloud that could produce such a deluge. A minute later, it ended. There was a pretty well-defined line in the road where you emerged from the sunny waterfall and into sunny dry road. No change in sky, no discernible change in temperature, just a Hollywood-like transition. I looked back in disbelief, but there was not much to see. It should have looked like a waterfall, but it didn’t. The whole episode was less than two minutes.
Even in warm temperatures, soaking wet clothes are cold. Denim in particular has qualities which allow it to absorb 19.7 times its weight in water, and to simultaneously cool and stiffen. A mesh jacket allows the rain and cold to pass through to the layer against your skin. Brilliant. You try to minimize movement in order to prevent new cold wet areas from touching warm skin. It is futile, particularly on a motorcycle where everything seems to function as a funnel toward the area you would least like to be wet and cold. The fact that it is warm and the air begins to partially dry areas that you are least concerned about being wet and cold, makes it worse. Give me a good solid long-lasting downpour where everything remains soaked. 7.3 miles is a long way in these conditions, but eventually the destination is reached. You slowly climb from the machine as if you are in a full body cast, and quickly liberate yourself from the clothing.
10 minutes later, warm and dry, I looked up at the sky. The same brilliant azure now with fewer white puffy clouds. I consider myself a lifelong learner, and I like to find the lesson in every experience. The toughest part about this soaking is that, try as I might, I could not at first find any lessons to be learned. I was not about to carry full luggage and rain gear for every 1 hour joy ride with no weather indicated. I did not gain some insight about reading a summer sky. I would not change anything on the motorcycle. I finally concluded then, that the lesson was about predictability. Even as a motorcyclist where you accept some elevated level of unpredictability, we like predictability. Despite being somewhat non-conformist, we like rules. Even in a pastime driven by passion, we like logic.
The lesson is that certainty only applies a certain percentage of the time.
We covered the Konig marque previously in these pages (see Konig Watercraft to Motorcraft and A Cancelled Combination), but Iron and Air just published a nice piece on New Zealand Kim Newcombe and the Konig 500cc racer. It is worth a read....
Nashville, Tenessee naturally brings to mind Country Music and the Grand Ole Opry, Whiskey, and the smoky mountains. A great automotive museum ? Not so much. Which is why the Lane Motor Museum is such a surprising discovery. Not that it is unknown in museum circles, as it is another of those Family-owned marvels that we the public benefit from immensely, and which are fairly well known among gearheads regionally. The museum is a 501c3 established by Jeff Lane in 2002 around his personal collection. Now there are three aspects of the Lane Museum that make it particularly attractive to Classic Velocity. First, it specializes in European vehicles. Second, every vehicle is a running, driving specimen that gets some usage. This is no small feat, as you will see. There is a real mix of near showroom cars, and many with a healthy patina. Third, the museum is housed in a 132,000 ft2 former Sunbeam Bakery complete with brick walls and maple floors. It compliments the collection and vice versa.
If there is a theme for the museum, it is probably "interesting cars" as our basement tour guide described it. The main floor is 40,000 ft2 of those cars along with a history of the bicycle exhibit, which was interesting in its own right. The vehicles (they include a smattering of motorcycles and scooters) are roughly, but not entirely, grouped by the region of Europe. Scandinavia included Volvos and Saabs. A highlight of this area was a Saab 92 from 1950 which only came in aircraft green because that paint was surplus from the war. Next on my circumnavigation of the floor was an impressive collection of micro cars which crossed all geographic boundaries. Well known Isetta, and Messerschmidt shared space with a Zundapp Janus, a Heinkel and a Hoffman. Hondas and Berkeleys and Subarus were intertwined. The French and the Italians were not to be outdone with entries from Renault (a dauphine Henney electric car from 1959!), Citroen, Fiat, and a delightful Vespa. DAF, Daihatsu, and an American Davis were also included. A well executed Tata Nano from India was also present. A truly "interesting" group.
Back to the regions, Italy blurred into France which was dominated by Citroen, but had an iconic Renault 5 Turbo. At this point I need to jump back over to a small group of race cars to highlight the bright orange Citroen DS Ice Racer, complete with snorkel and studded tires. Enough said. The next section was dedicated to Tatra from the Czech Republic, so technically it was regional. However, there were about a dozen Tatras on display, and more in the basement. They are a theme of this museum, and run from a 1925 car to a 1994 truck. Interesting design, interesting engineering, interesting history. Eastern Europe continued with a Polish FSO, Skodas, and then into Russia via Zil and ZAZ.
I left Germany for last, given the focus of this blog. This was a great opportunity to see vehicles in person that have been covered on these pages, from marques which went away decades ago, and are not normally seen even at vintage events. Perhaps my favorite was back in the race car section where there was a 1 of 1 Shirdlu powered by a BMW 700 engine. Minimalist at 1000 lbs and top speed of 127 mph. Designed and built by 3 Californians. The collection included a couple of Hanomags, a Hansa, a few Lloyds, a Steyr, several DKWs (including a lovely Monza), a Wartburg, several NSUs, a Goliath, and more. Incredible, and knowing that all of them were or soon would be running driving examples made it all the more impressive.
If you are anywhere near Nashville, you owe the Lane Motor Museum a visit, but pay the extra for the basement tour. It is well worth it.
With all due respect, the state fair grounds in Des Moines, Iowa would not be on the top 10 list of places to go see in the USA in July. However, it is the 2018 location of the annual pilgrimage for the 2 wheeled BMW faithful. The BMW MOA Rally. An excuse to travel somewhere relatively far away, and to weave in interesting roads along the way. An excuse to take a machine not purpose built for the constant drone of the interstate highway system or the speed of the autobahn, but which never the less is intended to circumnavigate the world. A 1992 BMW R100GS Paris Dakar. Long before BMW had an “Adventure” version of the GS, they had the PD version of the GS. A more Gelande version of the Gelande Strasse. Bigger fuel tank, a bit more suspension travel, high fender (which went on to become the segment-defining “beak”). It was the dawn of the big bike dual sport movement. The R80G/S before it was the original adventure bike, but it did not have the girth and the sheer presence of its’ 1000cc offspring. Sort of like an NFL tackle next to his normal sized mom and dad. The machine has no electronics, and no fuel injection, although it does have upgraded lighting, and luggage.
Time did not allow me to completely avoid the interstate, so there was several hundred miles of it on the round trip. I used the throttle lock cruise control, which worked adequately for resting your wrist. The PD handles it well even if the tachometer is between 5k and 6k in doing so. It never feels strained, but it seems to be asking you why you are continuing to do this. Good question. Once off onto the divided highways and B roads, the machine is happier. It accelerates well, passes well using roll on throttle, and stops well. It is obviously not a modern motorcycle, so it draws attention and invites questions. What year is that? How far are you going? You can often see the next unasked question on their faces. Why? Others have looks of obvious envy. Others clutch their smiling curious children to them as if you might infect them with some strange global traveling disease.
I never cease to marvel at the variation and beauty of the landscapes in all parts of the USA, and the Midwest is no exception. What others describe as monotonous is just a different kind of beauty. How is it that you can travel down a tunnel of corn that is almost unbroken in 20 miles? When did the last person leave that little abandoned town, and who has captured that history? Why are these 90 degree turns placed seemingly arbitrarily in this billiard flat landscape? Why is there a speed limit on this road? Why did the city form at this particular point on the river? Why don’t we make more things out of corn? Why isn’t this the best place on the continent to view a sunrise or a sunset? How many places actually claim to have the best barbecue? You have time to ponder these and other questions when you travel more slowly, and you have a large fuel tank.
The MOA rally is a gathering of 7000 plus people and their machines with a common love of the blue and white propeller on a two-wheeled conveyance. With that said, any gathering of humans this large will immediately subdivide into tribes. Geographic tribes, and time period tribes (I see you Airheads), and specific model tribes (I see you chromeheads), and genre tribes (I see you GS Giants). All different, all able to poke fun at each other, all able to share the same beer tent. Many different origins, many different walks of life, many different faiths, many different world views, united around one company’s approach to combining metal and steel and plastic and rubber. Surely we can find a way to emulate this on a more important level. But I digress.
Seminars educated and informed, test rides informed and even surprised, vendors offered solutions, attendees showered wisdom on each other. Friends reunited. I attended a particularly informative session on lighting and conspicuity. Motorcycles were admired. Oh yes, the motorcycles. Whatever model you rode, many examples of your bike were there. Like the parking lot at Goodwod, you could be well entertained for hours by walking around the grounds looking at machines. Unlike a concours, you are not looking for the most pristine example. The sheer variety of interpretation and personalization is fascinating on this scale, and every machine is a participant. I stopped to admire an R1200ST. Styling only a mother could love, and a rare sighting even at this event, but this machine was well loved and well travelled. The vintage display had a nice assortment as usual of machines from an R32 to an R90S. Green and Red and Grey and Dover White machines broke up the stellar traditional black examples. There was much to discuss at the beer garden that evening.
The journey back took a different path, and more interstate, with a good bit of rain here and there. The rain washed the bike, and cooled the cylinders and the rider. It somehow feels good to put on rain gear and keep going rather than retreat to wait it out. Riding in the rain can even be fun as I found out some time ago in Nova Scotia. Drying out was quick, and was accompanied by a welcome end to interstate travel. Rolling hills and lush green woods lined the road rather than corn. Place names became more familiar, and the journey came to a close. A lot had happened in a week, and a changed rider stood in an unchanged driveway next to a brilliantly unchanged machine.
Like many of you who have more than one vehicle to keep track of, the Classic Velocity garage used a combination of paper folders, a whiteboard, some yellow pad pages, and even a spreadsheet at one point. However, as the vehicle count grows, or as time passes, it becomes increasingly difficult and inconvenient to find information by rifling through thick folders. And sometimes, the answer is in a folder that you have since archived or given to the new owner. Even if you only own 1 or 2 vehicles, and do none of your own work, you would probably like to keep track of what was done when, how many miles/hours you traveled, what events you participated in, and be able to recall details and photos anyplace, anytime.
The Classic Velocity Vehicle Log (CVVL) is an app that keeps track of all of the activities and costs (at whatever level of detail you choose to track them) over time associated with all of your vehicles. It will even let you go back in time and paint a complete picture of vehicles you already own. It lets you track todo items and deadlines. It lets you It adds even greater value by providing a series of reports on activity, costs, mileage/hours, and locations, to help you easily search and find answers. Reports can be filtered by vehicle, timeframe, type of activity, etc, and viewed in a variety of formats. Lastly it lets you do this wherever and whenever you want on whatever device you want. $10 per year gets you unlimited entries for up to 10 vehicles.
Use code CVVLAUNCH at checkout for a discount and help the Log to fund the Blog!
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The Simeone Foundation Museum is not one of those that has an entirely new collection periodically. It focuses on a core group of sports cars with fenders that are rare and famous. Just about every vehicle in the main exhibit hall is a multi-million dollar vehicle. They do host some special events such as the vintage motorcycle event, that happen during the course of the year, and which bring in other vehicles (see Simeone Motorcycles). On this visit I simply returned to revisit the collection itself. You can read the original post for background, but for newer readers, it is a great venue that presents the cars in context via grand period settings. A board racer on a section of Brooklands track, or a Mille Miglia winner going through a quintessential Italian village, or a series of Le Mans competitors along a recreated pit lane complete with refueling rigs! It is this kind of atmosphere that resulted in the facility winning museum of the year once in 2011, and then for the second time in 2017 from the International Historic Motoring Awards.
it is very hard to declare the “star” of the Simeone collection. The museum has many cars which are one of six or one of three or one of one. The Shelby Daytona Coupe would have to be on the short list, but so would the Porsche 917 and the Mille Miglia winning Bugatti. All of the cars run from time to time in the rear parking lot, so you can see and hear them in action. Many also participate in events around the world. If I were a retired high performance sports car, I think this is the life I would want.
On this particular visit though, a surprise was in store. The museum was almost empty but for a few staff, and as I wandered toward the back, the Mercedes SSK was sitting outside alone! In a nanosecond, I was circling it in a way that would not normally be possible. Up close, it is a magnificent giant of a car, and you can readily see why it spawned an entire replica industry. Great performance, a great body, and a great interior.
August Rabeneick started a manufacturing company near Bielefeld (which was the origin for multiple bicycle and motorcycling manufacturers) in 1930. Initially he produced grinding machines, and then went on to producing bicycles. It did not take very long for him to transition to motorcycles in 1933. Like many others, he transitioned the ability to make steel frames into a motorcycle business using engines from other companies such as Fictel&Sachs and Ilo.
The first machines were small displacement at 75cc and 98cc. Post war, that transitioned to 125, 175, and eventually to 250cc two stroke machines. Rabeneick further developed the relationship with Ilo to one that allowed him to brand their engines as his own. As the 1950s began, Rabeneick also went to smaller 50cc mopeds to make sure that the segment of the market needing very basic and efficient machines wa covered. They also produced a line of scooters which they rebranded as Binetta in the UK (sounds very Italian, si?).
Keeping with the theme of rebranding, Rabeneick struck a deal to produce the shaft driven 500cc boxer twin from a company called....wait for it.....Universal, out of Switzerland, as his own. This gave him a complete range of machines from sub 50cc moped to the largest popular displacement at the time. Diversification was an attempt to stave off a declining market. The strategy was good enough to attract the attention of Fichtel&Sachs who then purchased Rabeneick in the late 1950s. However, the factory eventually closed, and was sold to Hercules, although the brand lived on into the 1960s on a few mopeds.
In the course of the average human life, you don't get to celebrate too many 50 year anniversaries that happened entirely on your watch. Even fewer for products that you still use and enjoy! A few years back, the Porsche 911 celebrated 50 years, and since the model is still in production, it allowed for a grand time-lapse of evolution, memories, and memorabilia. In 2018, the BMW 2002 celebrates 50 years of production. Two German icons, two vehicles that have fortunately inhabited the garage, and two vey different automobiles. The 02 is a very different celebration, as the last ones left the factory in 1976! They justifiably get labeled as a "cult car", and there is a famous book on the car with that title. Inevitably the factory and a variety of organizations throw grand birthday parties, and this year was no different. The best way to celebrate a big birthday is with a group of passionate fans of this single model. As David E Davis famously said in his 1968 review, "Now turn your hymnals to Number 2002 and we'll sing two choruses of Whispering Bomb . .."
So where to find a group of passionate fans ? Hhhhmmmm.....Well there are probably a few hiding in your general region, but it just happens that a group of said fans have been heading to North Carolina, USA every year for over a decade. Scott Sturdy has given us rabid fans a great excuse to drive first to his vineyard when the group was small, and then to Winston-Salem which the group also outgrew, and now to Asheville. It is no longer just an 02 event, but it started that way, and the 2002 remains the core of the event. This gathering and the cars have been featured on these pages many times (see Proper Procrastination and Of Propellers And Cobblestones), but this time is a bit special.
At the front end of the event, the BMW CCA Foundation hosted a special sold out open house at their facility in Greer, SC near the US manufacturing facility. It was a celebration of the 2002 with cars, memorabilia, speakers, and merchandise. Effectively, the facility became a BMW 2002 museum for the day. Among the many special cars including a Bauer and a Cabriolet, was a better-than-factory Ceylon car. They should have put it on a rotisserie so that you could marvel at the underside as much as the top side. An immersive sensory overdose for the 02 addict, complete with music from 1968 into the early 1970s. I hate to keep using the drug analogy, but we are talking 1968.....The written word (at least our written words) simply cannot do justice to such an event. It is like writing about Woodstock. Imagine getting to attend a private Jimi Hendriks concert for about 200 people. Then imagine that the attendees included rabid fan friends of yours going back a decade or two. Now imagine that you are perfectly sober for the whole thing and can remember it!
But wait, there's more. That evening, the entire host hotel parking lot was turned into a BMW pre-show that went on well into the night. I think the only non-BMW in the parking lot was the hotel shuttle. On behalf of the entire BMW 2002 community, I apologize to any guests that were not part of this event. On the other hand, you will have stories for your grand children!
But wait, there's much more. The official show is always the next day, Saturday, now at a picturesque park in Hot Springs, NC. As always, 02s have a field unto themselves, this year including a few lovely Neue Klasse cars, and several of the immediate precursor to the 2002, the 1600. It is in this setting that you could readily appreciate the many individualized creations that make up the community. It is nothing if not diverse. The foundation event was the curated version, but the park was a canvas for everybody. The album will do the talking here, but suffice it to say that just about every color and variation was present in treatments from mild to wild. And almost all driven to the event from far away. Oh yeah, there were other cool BMWs there as always, but this one was about the icon. The cult car.
As a true driver's sedan, you can pay no greater tribute than to drive these cars., and after a great long weekend, they were driven back home hundreds of miles away. A fitting 50th birthday party if ever there was one.
Classic Velocity BMW 02 50th Anniversary at The Vintage 2018
Your eyes do not deceive you. You may be asking, what could the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing possibly have to do with a blog about classic and vintage German vehicles, and why is a Karmann Ghia the lead photo? Good questions, I am glad you asked.
First, it has been our experience that museums in general often have surprising content despite their main theme. In fact, we have yet to visit a car or motorcycle museum that did not have some unusual items related in some way to this blog. Check out this link to museum posts, and you will see what we mean. Second, it is a museum about cars going fast, so there is an automatic interest. With that said, we did not have very high expectations about this unplanned stop. Going as fast as possible in a very short straight line, is not exactly where our motorsports interests lie. It is the conceptual and philosophical opposite of the Dakar, Formula 1, Moto GP, and World Rally. However, it is serious business, the speeds are ludicrous, it is dangerous, and the machines are incredible manifestations of brute force.
The main theme of the museum is to provide a chronicle of the life and times of Don Garlits, who is probably the most famous drag racer period. From the late 1950s into the 1980s, he created and refined the most dominant machines in the sport. He started with a repair and service shop in Tampa, FL but soon started to build hot rods and that naturally lead to faster quarter mile machines and drag cars. "Big Daddy" as he came to be known, and his "Swamp Rat" machines as they came to be known has a long and colorful history, and his personal and political views have often been controversial. Like all forms of Motorsport, the early days had crude machines and astounding levels of risk. Steel frames from 2 street cars welded together to create length, highly volatile fuel mixtures running through rubber hoses secured by hose clamps, an exposed engine 12 inches from your face, overalls and goggles for safety gear, etc. Garlits began in those days and moved with the sport into the modern era. However, he paid a price in losing half of his foot in an accident where his transmission exploded and cut the car in half. He went rear-engined after that and continued to race!
The dragsters are the most ungainly looking masters of speed. They have massive engines originally in front of and now behind the driver. They have a 25ft wheelbase. Today they are estimated to generate north of 10,000 hp in top fuel form. In order to put that power down to the ground, the massive 3ft wide slicks run at 5-7psi !! The top fuel runs are over in 3.7 seconds or less, but the driver is subject to 5.5g at the peak, 4g sustained, and speeds exceed 330mph !! Fan, or not, you have to respect the engineering and marvel at the spectacle that such numbers represent.
Tucked into one small area amidst two buildings of pure Americana, are a Volkswagen Beetle, a beetle chassis cutaway, and a pristine 1974 Karmann Ghia. The Beetle is one that Garlits restored, but the 1974 Ghia was purchased from a bank auction of a new car dealership, driven for 27 dealer test miles, and has never been titled ! Arguably, the best example in the world, located in a museum dedicated to the exact opposite of an under-powered non-american street legal air-cooled basic transport. Who would have guessed?
For those of us that believe we need to have a well-equipped electronically-assisted modern touring machine in order to contemplate a cross country trip, Kim Scholer begs to differ. He is taking a 1970 East German 250cc MZ pulling a Czech trailer ! And this is an upgrade compared to his last such trip !!
Kim's Blog MC Classics Article Classic Velocity MZ Blog Posts
This year, for the first time in many, we missed the Martin Moto Classics show. It always coaxes local, and now with growth, regional owners to bring their classic treasures out to share with the public. There is always an assortment of German machines on hand with BMW featuring prominently, but accompanied by things less common.
This year, there were nice examples of machines featured in these pages or formerly inhabiting the garage, including MZ, Kreidler, DKW, Condor, and Victoria. I have picked a few machines consistent with the theme of this blog, but thanks to Todd Trumbore and Images from Walter Barlow, you can still enjoy a larger variety of impressive machines via the album link below.
Martin Moto Modern Classics 2018
Even from the official launch, the E36/8 has produced polarizing reactions. Love it or hate it. It is hard to believe that these cars are now 20 years old and already considered a classic, but there it is. At the time, the swoopy styling quickly gave rise to knicknames like the bread van, and then the clown shoe. Not flattering. However, just like the BMW GS, 2000 CS, and many other BMWs over time, this was an example of the engineers winning over the accountants and the sales people. The legend maintains (with plenty of evidence to back it up), that a group of engineers led by Burkhard Göschel, worked after hours an on weekends to turn the Z3 platform into a vehicle which would realize its full potential. They toiled away into the night, and developed a car with more than 3 times the torsional rigidity of the roadster, and with the M3 engine shoe-horned into the engine bay. They then asked BMW for permission to produce it. The answer was yes, with two big caveats: First, in order to control costs, it would have to share as much as possible with existing cars. Second, it could not outperform the mighty M3.
The engineers were thankful, and with a wink and a nod, went off to figure out production. The result is a true driver's car worthy of the purist M label. The wink was that it did in fact outperform the M3 due to a superior power to weight ratio, and so gearing was altered to slow it down a bit. The nod was that from the nose to the A pillar, it shared sheet metal with the Z3, so costs were saved. Mission accomplished. The result is patently unique, and for some people, beautiful in its own way. Rear wheel drive, 0-60 in 5.3 seconds, top speed electronically limited to 155 mph, and a beast not easily tamed. Three engines were used over the short 4 year production life, eventually producing 321 hp and 253 ft/lbs of torque from a 3,130 lb car. The design of tokyo-born Joji Nagashima is officially designated a "shooting-brake", although it can also be considered a hatchback. Almost immediately upon production, the M Coupe began to rack up both design and performance awards and accolades. Road & Track, Automobile, Car & Driver, Top Gear, etc. All placed it in the top 5 or top 10 M cars of all time. All acknowledged a future icon.
As is often the case however, sales were not as kind. While the regular Z3 enjoyed robust sales, the M Coupe struggled. It was already aimed at a narrow slice of the market, and the styling was enough to further limit appeal. 6,318 M coupes were produced over the 4 year production span from 1998 to 2002, with 2,870 of those being the US market version. It was replaced by a much less polarizing, and less insane, Z4 M Coupe. Regardless of how you view these cars, they represent perhaps the last time in modern times that the engineers at BMW were left in charge. As a driving enthusiast, however that happened, I am very glad it did.
- ECE S50 (LHD): 2,178 built from 04/98 thru 06/2000
- ECE S50 (RHD): 821 built from 08/98 thru 06/2000
- NA S52 (LHD): 2,180 built from 07/98 thru 06/2000
- ECE S54 (LHD): 281 built from 02/2001 thru 05/2002
- ECE S54 (RHD): 168 built from 02/2001 thru 05/2002
- NA S54 (LHD): 690 built from 02/2001 thru 05/2002
Innovation in frames and platforms was the norm in the early days of the internal combustion engine, and many companies were simply trying to find the most efficient means to accomplish a task. One such company was Framo, founded in 1923, the same year as BMW. Although founded in Saxony, Germany, it was started by Dane Jorgen Rasmussen, who also founded DKW. The main idea was to use Framo to produce components for DKW motorcycles. After 3 years, that lead to the production of a commercial motorcycle-based vehicle, Basically, it was a trike with a cargo platform. This TV300 model emerged as a Framo vehicle in 1927. Variations for Framo included a single wheel at the front driven by an engine directly above it, a single wheel at the rear, enclosed cockpits, and open trikes with a covered rear. In other words, many permutations and configurations were tried. Three-wheeled experiments in turn lead to the 4-wheeled Piccolo and Stromer models in the 1930s. All models were powered by 200cc-600cc 2 stroke motorcycle engines. Sales were simply ok in many instances, and weak in others, with no real sales successes.
Postwar, the factory was dismantled and shipped to Russia. Production resumed however in 1949 with what was essentially a pre-war model. Although there were further attempts at passenger vehicles, commercial applications were the only consistent sales. Even this was not to last very long, as the company became VEB Barkas and then concentrated on compact passenger vans. But that is a story for another time....
In visiting museums and collections, I would always be intrigued and amazed by those who were very focused in their acquisitions. Just one marque, or just one model of one marque, or all of the models of one marque for a single year, or all of the yellow Ferraris. These curators have a specific theme or quest, and set out to achieve a focused goal. I always thought of these as rather eccentric collectors. I imagined that they were bored with gathering the usual suspects like Gullwings and Vincents. Perhaps they just wanted to outdo a fellow collector by saying "I have every shade of green BMW 2002 ever offered" or "I have every model of the Norton Commando ever offered for sale". This is the "Inch wide and mile deep" approach to contrast the mile wide and inch deep collectors.
In a recent conversation, I realized that I am not immune to this tendency. I was speaking with an inch-wide enthusiast friend about the new Goldwing. This is relevant because he has 12 Goldwings (13 if you count the Silverwing). This is impressive just based on the space required, but also based on the dollars. He can spout chapter and verse about the nuances between model years. Three of them are yellow. He even has a model that is widely regarded as bad. It is the mark of a true inch-wide enthusiast, that they even have the bad version of the vehicle. He also has models that the ordinary motorcycle enthusiast would consider to be the same. He has special editions, and first-version-to-have-X models. He knows his Goldwings. And then, he pointed to a couple of my airheads and we had the following conversation.
"Those look identical to me. Those are your Goldwings." He was pointing to an R75/6 and an R75/7.
"They are not, see the tank on this one and the instrument cluster....." I fell right into the trap and was explaining nuances between the models that only airheads would appreciate, and probably just a subset of them at that.
"They are both the same blue." Hhhmmmm, he did have a point there as they were the identical blue. Although, one was far more faded than the other.
"Yes, but see the spoke wheels versus the cast wheels, and the switchgear is totally different......." He was smiling now, and I was digging a deep hole.
"Was there a big performance jump between these, or some big functional improvement?" He was honestly asking this question, fully expecting to find the rationale for having both.
"Well......not really." I did not want to tell him about the few horsepower difference, or the infamous $2000 o-ring. That could easily be considered the bad version. I quickly ran through the years of knowledge and the memorized contents of the Ian Falloon book on Airheads. There was nothing of substance to offer a motorcycle enthusiast not pierced by one of cupid's horizontally opposed arrows. Nothing.
"Is one more of a touring model that goes with that fairing?" He was pointing to the color-matched blue Vetter fairing that I had removed, and had no intention of reinstalling on the /6.
"Well......not really." He was now fawning bewilderment.
"Is either one super rare or collectible then?" His knowledge of BMW Airheads was like my knowledge of Goldwings; an inch wide and a half inch deep. I could easily have lied.
"Well this one has fairly low miles, but.........no" He was now implying that I was even worse than him, since I had no redeeming special editions or rarity cachet.
"This one says R75 as well. Why would you have multiple versions of the same bike?" It was the /5 toaster tank. Beautiful and so different, but he had scored a knock down blow. Yes, I had gathered all three versions of the R75 over time, quite intentionally. This was a great motor for BMW, and I appreciated the subtle nuances between iterations of this platform from early 1970s to late. It goes even further if you include the R80RT. Yes, I was an inch-wide enthusiast. But when you have no substantive retort in a debate, when you have no defense, you must turn to offense. You must attack a flank where you at least have some advantage.
"Oh yeah, well I can park all three of these in the space taken up by one of your behemoth Goldwings!".
With the Dakar underway, long distance endurance rallies are on the mind. Going back in time, these rallies were really extended reliability trials. If you finished on Sunday (winning was even better), it went right onto a poster for the sales department to use on Monday. Even today, I wonder how many manufacturers would send a bone stock production sedan vehicle off to race across sub Saharan Africa, wth just a couple of tires and a gas can strapped on the back. But I digress.....
The East African Coronation Safari was first run in 1953 crossing Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika. It was initially held to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, since She was in Kenya and became Queen, when King George died. It became widely regarded as the toughest Rally on the circuit, if not in the world. 3000 miles, punishing terrain, and unpredictable weather, all combined to cement the reputation of this Rally. However the first two instances of this Rally really set the stage. The initial rally had three starting points, although the majority started in Nairobi. It wound its way around Lake Victoria. Performance on the cars was required to be showroom, meaning no mods. Four classes were determined based on vehicle price. There were only 57 entrants for the first Rally, including DKW, Ford, Mercedes, Peugeot, Tatar, and Volkswagen. There were only 27 finishers, with the top spot (least penalties) going to the split-window Volkswagen Beetle of Alan Dix and Johnny Larsen. In 1954, Volkswagen triumphed again but this time at the famous hands of Vic Preston and D P Marwaha. Average speed decreased due to the increase in mandatory rest stops and control points. The following year, the Rally adopted FIA rules and an RAC permit was required, effectively ending the initial minimal regulations approach.
A bit of recycling here from 2012, but it became relevant once again due to this quote we stumbled across this holiday season in Santa Fe, NM. "Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.”
The car sat under a tree, wedged in between a rusted out Plymouth Valiant and a tractor-trailer that was being used as storage. It was covered in that grayish greenish brown mix of pollen and dirt that renders all of the glass opaque. It also made it hard to tell exactly what color the car was. The final top had split in several places due to the ravages of sun and rain and tree sap. The engine compartment had more acorns and leaves than the tree under which it rested. The tires were remarkably round and still held some amount of air, but were dry and cracked on the side walls. The driver's seat was shot, and someone had cut the dash for a more modern stereo. The chrome was mysteriously pitted in random places as if to emulate some strange rash. It was a mess, and I had to have it. I mean, who would let such an icon just sit outside and deteriorate? This was a not inexpensive sportscar that was desired, acquired, and pampered at some point. Now it was just another case where eminent domain should apply (see The Theory of Eminent Domain)
I had stopped by a few weeks earlier and left a note, but no call. This time, I caught the shop owner, Steve. It was a typical case of a customer who had brought the car in for some repairs, and found that those repairs were going to be more expensive and extensive than he bargained for. The car sat. Steve vowed to contact the owner that night, and I left once again. Two days later I got a call. Yes it was for sale, but for more than it was worth. Today it would sound ridiculously cheap, but at that time, things were different. We haggled a bit, but the owner was sticking to his guns. I wondered if he had seen the car recently. No deal.
A few days later, I was about to call and up the offer, such was my craving. Before I had a chance, the owner called and accepted my initial slightly low offer. He had been to see the car and was surprised at the condition. He told me that Steve had promised to keep it inside, finish the work, etc, etc. I was at his place with the money the next day, even though it would take a few weeks to pick up the car. Then, with title in hand, I returned to the shop and took a more complete inventory. A lot of work, but doable. It even turned over with the battery from the shop, although it did not fire. I hauled my gift home and began the discovery process.
Three weeks and an awful lot of work, diagnostics, and a few parts were required in order to get the car running. That first time it fired and ran was a gift worthy of a sacred garage celebration. Too bad nobody was around to see it. It became a rolling restoration, although I hesitate to use the word restoration as the intent was to make it a driver. The body and interior cleaned up remarkably well, and over the years, the ailments have been mostly addressed, while delivering the gifts of wrenching and the parts hunt, and the community of like-minded madmen. The stock 2.2 litre flat six engine has been solidly reliable and has taken the car on many trips and many hundreds of miles with nothing but oil changes and tuneups along the way. It has gone around the track at LimeRock and Watkins Glen. It has toured New England in the fall with a rebuilt targa top stowed in the trunk. It has attended many a club event with two small children in the back. It has given the gift of joy and laughter.
And more than a decade later, on the way to a breakfast one weekend, the car delivered more gifts. While I was getting gas, a woman smiled and said "That's a lovely car" as she walked inside to get coffee. On the way out she asked what year it was and we chatted for a minute. She never stopped smiling. A few minutes later, the car flew down a lonely section of interstate at 120mph. The speedo wavered back and forth between 120 and 125 as I kept going. The car always begins to feel good above 80mph, and it sees triple digits on occasion, but it is not usually up in the 120mph area. We were only there for about a minute, but the car did not feel strained, and I had more tach to go. I was not far away from the top speed of the car when new, and this car is 43 years old. Stock points and ignition, stock Zenith carbs, stock motor, stock wheels, stock steering wheel. I never stopped smiling, and I am pleased in this Holiday season to once again receive a gift from a vehicle which keeps on giving.
As seen through the eyes of a vintage enthusiast, this annual pilgrimage is a chance to see what is new and trendy, and to lay eyes on what has heretofore been the stuff of articles. This year, there was an impressive number of “standard” motorcycles. This means relatively upright seating position, handlebars rather than clipons, very little bodywork, no winshield. Among them were the Yamaha MT09 and 07, the MV Agusta Rivale, Kawasaki Z900, BMW RNineT, etc. Nice looking machines that can be versatile as well. Everybody now has an “Adventure” bike, including Royal Enfield with their new Himalayan. Honda and BMW now offer “Baggers”! There is plenty of coverage of the event on major magazine sites, so here is a select sampling of images through the Classic Velocity lens.
Goliath was founded by Carl Borgward in Bremen, and has been mentioned in these pages before (see The Many Faces of Borgward and Maintaining Tempo). They are perhaps most well known for their three-wheeled vehicles with commercial applications. After the war, three wheeled production restarted first. Their first postwar four-wheeled vehicle was introduced at the Geneva show in 1950, and it was a small 2 door coupe called the GP700. It sported a 688cc two-stroke engine producing 25hp in carburetor form, and 29hp in fuel injected form.
At the Berlin show in 1951, Goliath introduced the GP 700 sport. The sport was front-engined, and front wheel drive! It featured an enlarged 845cc engine, capable of 32 hp and 44 ft/lbs of torque, but it only weighed 1753 lbs. It was equipped with Bosch fuel injection prior to the Mercedes which is often thought to be the first. Top speed was 78mph, and you did not get there quickly, but this was adequate performance at the time. The GP700 also featured a 4 speed synchromesh gearbox, which was again advanced for the time. The swoopy body was from Karosserie Rometsch, and had similarities with the Porsche 356 and the Borgward Hansa. In particular, the cabin profile, the wheel arches, the hood, and the sloping rear with a small trunklid, could easily lead you to believe that this was a Porsche product. The interior was elegant, with a painted dash and luxurious VDO gauges.
The Sport was a true hand built car, and was very expensive. offered from 1951 to 1953 in model years, but was really only in production from Mid 1951 to mid 1952. It's low production numbers (only 27-30 were believed to be produced) and unique features make it rare, and few survived. However, it introduced a number of features which went on to become standard in automobiles for the latter half of 20th century.
Neckarsulm Strickmaschinen Union (NSU) emerged from producing knitting machines and bicycles to motorcycles and cars. By the mid 1950s, NSU had grown to become one of the largest motorcycle producers in the world. It directly translated great success on the racetrack with the Rennfox and Sportmax machines into showroom sales, as they amassed victories in sidecar, 125cc and 250cc world championships (see Of silver dolphins and blue whales). One of the best translations was the NSU Supermax.
The Supermax was introduced in 1953, and was designed by Albert Roder who had worked on the supercharged racing motors. It was a 250cc 4 stroke single, producing about 18hp at 6500rpm, and weighing just 384lbs. The innovative features introduced included a new "calm" air filtration system, and a chain driven overhead camshaft. At the time, these were somewhat ground-breaking on a production motorcycle. It also featured a four speed gearbox which propelled the machine to 78mph. Very respectable for a 250cc thumper. Brakes were drum front and rear, on 19 inch wheels. Other innovations included the monocoque pressed steel frame, and a short rocker front suspension.
The Supermax enjoyed very good sales, helping to propel NSU to become the world's largest motorcycle producer in 1955. They also held world speed records in 1951, 1953, 1954, and 1955, including breaking the 200mph mark for motorcycles at Bonneville. The Supermax model continued until it was replaced in 1961.
I was searching for items for a swap meet which was only a day away. As usual, this had turned into a last minute need to rummage through plastic crates in storage. As mentioned in Hoarding for Gearheads, this should be pretty straightforward, but over time the organization system gets corrupted. So there I was, searching for a particular item that I knew I had new in a box, but which so far had eluded my grasp. However, the search had given rise to a number of sudden utterances ( to no one in particular since I was alone) like "Oh, so that's where this was", or "Why would this be in this crate", or "I forgot I had one of these". And then I was easily diverted and took long trips down memory lane as I came across parts for vehicles I had not owned in years, vehicles I had no intention of ever owning again, and in some cases, vehicles I am pretty sure I never owned at all. I was struck by how many times I must have purchased items just because I could not find them, or because I forgot I had one. But that was not the most interesting discovery on this journey. and in some cases, vehicles I had no intention of ever owning again.
If you really want insight into the diseased mind of a vintage gear head, then you need to examine the used parts. There should be a full advanced academic degree devoted to the understanding of this sub culture by way of the stuff in their garages and basements and storage units. I call it Anthropologic Vehicular Archeology. If we can discern the workings of ancient civilizations by way of a few fragments of a clay pot and some cave paintings, imagine what we can reconstruct from the 40 year old vintage parts stored by a modern human. There are already esteemed faculty who can determine your right foot reflexes just from reading a fouled spark plug! Imagine what could be done with a used oil filter, a crank journal bearing, and exhaust pipe discoloration. It is a rich field of exploration. Oh, the secrets that would be revealed, the new buildings on academic campuses, and the passionate doctoral candidates, not to mention the insights gained for all of humanity. But I digress.
The parts and supplies of interest fell into several categories. The rationalization is followed in parentheses by (the more realistic translation) :
- I may return the vehicle to 100% stock one day, so I need to keep this. (this will never get back on the vehicle during my ownership, but will be good for the online posting and for the new owner)
- I have an extra one of these because they will be hard to find soon and I may need it one day. (they will not be that hard to find in my lifetime, so it will probably be in this crate when they sell it all at the estate sale)
- I got this in a box of parts at a swap meet. (I will forget how I got this and be periodically perplexed as to what this fits)
- I replaced this with a new one, but I keep this as a spare. (I will never use this and will always buy another new one because I will forget why I relegated this to a spare)
- I don't need this, but I hear they go for good money online. (If I ever got around to finding this again, cleaning it up, and putting it online, I would make $7)
- I have a good one of these, so I can modify this one. (The modification went horribly wrong, and now it is worth nothing so I keep it)
Ignition coils are one of my favorites. There were several among the crates with masking tape and words like "reportedly tested good", or "suspect", or "R50/2??". I have no idea under what circumstances I would ever put one of these into a vehicle, and it would be unethical to even offer them to someone needing a coil, so why keep them? Answer; There is something about the weight and substance of a coil, along with the fact that they can look brand new even when bad, that makes me reluctant to throw them out. I left them right where I found them. But the jewel in the crown, the icing on the cake, the capstone of this outing, was a pair of brake pads, lightly used, on which was written in big permanent marker, the words "WRONG PADS". They were in a crate of mixed items, so there was no telling what vehicle, what year, front or rear, etc. I actually sat down and laughed out loud, which startled a blackbird on a nearby fence. There was no clue as to whether I inherited these in a box of parts, purchased them myself some time ago, or removed them from a vehicle. Were they wrong for a particular vehicle, the wrong type of pads for the correct vehicle? I had no idea other than I had obviously decided to keep them. In the end, I put them right back where I found them, still chuckling to myself. I know I should just throw them out along with the coils and other suspect items, but perhaps I will wait for a better time to go through all of this...yeah, that's it....another time soon. And if not, it will at least confound the vehicular archeologists.
As covered here before, (see the rise of the type 3), Volkswagen was among the first automakers to really leverage a single chassis for multiple variations on a large scale. This was certainly true for the Type 3, where the Notchback, the Fastback, and the Squareback, were all manifestations of the same base. And that base, was the beetle chassis. The Variant (Squareback) was the Estate model, or the Station Wagon model in the USA. It answered the basic need for more room to carry people and/or goods. Just like the VW bus, variety was provided by two variations of the variant (ok, I promise to end this now). There was a two door passenger version, and a two door panel van version, which only had front seats with a large cargo area behind them. While the Type 3 was launched in 1961 with the 1500 Notchback, the Variant first saw production in early 1962, but did not make it to the US until 1966.
Of course, the key to the Type 3 cars was the flattened version of the 4 cylinder air-cooled engine. That engine weighed under 300 lbs, and was only 18 inches tall. The cooling fan was lowered and relocated, the gerator was relocated, and the oil cooler was repositioned. In total, it was a brilliant repackaging of the standard beetle engine. In fact, it came to be called the pancake. Power was not the forte of this engine, as it produced a mere 50hp, and was good for a top speed of 77mph. In later years, it gained the dual carburetor setup and then got the landmark Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection. Back to packaging, the engine fit below the floor in the rear allowing for a usable trunk. Coupled with a front trunk compartment, storage capacity was very good. With the additional vertical room provided by the "Squareback" body, it was excellent. The interior was relatively luxurious by VW standards. Pleated vinyl, headrests, full carpeting, an attractive gauge pod, more than spartan door panels, the option of an automatic, etc.
Although sales were small in comparison to the mighty beetle, more than 1.2 million Variants were sold between 1962 and 1973, and that number climbs to 1.45 million if you include Brazilian production as well. This is well over half of the entire Type 3 production. The Variant remains popular today among air-cooled VW enthusiasts and is well represented on sites like www.thesamba.com and www.type3.org .
In 1963 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, NSU introduced the world's first production car with a Wankel engine. The Wankel Spider was designed by Bertone, but up front it had a passing resemblance to the Pinninfarina-designed Alfa Giulietta Spider. The car was basically an NSU Sport Prinz Coupe with the roof cut off, and a rotary engine mounted over the rear axle. This allowed for two trunks while maintaining the sporty shape and appearance, but the front trunk was small in order to make room for the radiator and gas tank. The rear sheet metal was modified from the coupe to allow for storage of the folding top, and the rear engine compartment. The two-seater interior was elegantly trimmed in two color leather.
The 500cc engine made just under 50hp, which was adequate at the time, given the 1500lb weight, but the high revving engine sounded like nothing else on the road. It was good for a top speed of 98mph. However, the materials used in building these first generation engines caused more rapid wear than anticipated, and problems began to surface once the cars were in the field. Engine rebuilds were common at 30,000 miles, although it took a while for most cars to get there. Handling, however, was superior. according to Autocar at the time, "The Spider is really most enjoyable on minor roads with lots of twists and turns, where its exceptional stability and cornering powers, together with the quick reactions of its rack-and-pinion steering, allow very fast averages to be maintained."
Only 2375 were built, and only a paltry 215 made it to the US. Ironically, one of those 215 became the first Wankel race car, competing in SCCA H Modified. It is believed that the relatively high price, and low production numbers were evidence that NSU introduced the car more as a test bed for the rotary engine. An improved version was introduced in the NSU R080 sedan in 1968 (see NSU R080).
It is hard to imagine, but the original BMW R100RS was launched in the fall of 1976 as a 1977 model, and is now 40 years old. There have been many variations and iterrations since then, but the original production vehicle still defines the model. At the time of its launch, the RS was a radical departure from other machines of the time. It was a fully faired machine compared to naked machines, it offered bold futuristic styling, and relatively luxurious accommodations to envelope the pilot as he consumed miles by the hundreds each day. A top speed of 108 mph, and 70 hp in a 535 pound machine was a very good performance package at the time. It was a true "Gentleman's Express".
The RS started with a recognition by BMW Motorrad that their bikes were sort of....well...dated, and were in danger of appealing only to an older demographic. Their solution was to employ stylist Hans Muth to spruce up the line, and get younger customers excited. He used the wind tunnel to design and then test a multi piece fairing that would look modern if not futuristic. The result was a 5.4% reduction in drag, and a 17.4% reduction in front wheel lift. To put this in perspective, lots of riders of all marques were buying and attaching Windjammer fairings to their machines for touring at the time. However, the R100RS was considered the first production model to come fully faired off the showroom floor. At the time, Motorcyclist's Bob Greene said "In one bold move the Germans have advanced motorcycle styling several years". More than that, the bike offered great protection from the elements. Many consider this motorcycle to be the birth of the Sport Tourer. A special Motorsport edition was later launched with a signature red nose on the fairing, and many RS machines including K bikes and R bikes to the present time, occupy BMW showrooms and enthusiast garages.
Which brings us to Todd Trumbore, and the 40 year celebration of the RS. Todd has been a guest author for Classic Velocity, a great motorcycle enthusiast in general, and is well known for his annual rides. He is also known for his R90S 40 year celebration a few years ago. Once again, he has gone above and beyond in bringing Hans Muth to anchor a celebration of his design. The lineup of silver blue 1977 RS machines was spectacular, including serial number 001. The collection of attendee machines was impressive as well, including a million mile R100S. Camping and tech workshops and lectures, and the Airhead Store, and food and drink, made this a true Rally worthy of the BMWMOA organization. But it was essentially the work of one man. Great guy, great machine, great event.
The Limerock Vintage Weekend has long been a great destination for a motorcycle ride. It is set in bucolic north western Connecticut, and is surrounded by upstate NY and western MA. When the Berkshires and the Catskills are neighbors, you are in great riding country. At the track, a motorcycle parking area on a hill above the swap/paddock area has emerged over time that is always interesting, and the infield camping area often has a smattering of motorcycles. It always delivers a surprise, such as the year when a Vincent was casually parked among the commuter and touring machines on the mound. There was also a Crocker one year inside a vendor tent!
This year, all of that was enhanced by a display of BMW machines from Philip Richter and his Turtle Garage. In addition to a few of Bruce Meyer's hot rods on display, there was an elegant line of BMWs from pre-war to the 1990s. A most welcome surprise to us, and a delight for the crowd of attendees who appreciated vintage machinery in general. It was particularly amusing to listen in on some of the conversations of others admiring the collection. There were comments such as "They all look the same", or "Black must be his favorite color, since he has so many of them".
However, a few folks who knew their BMWs would also stop to spend time looking at the subtleties between models. They would comment on handlebar controls or frame gusseting. They were always pleasantly surprised to find someone who wanted to share in the conversation. There is a particularly strong bond that is formed between geeks who discover each other at an event not intended for them as a primary audience. You now instantly have 2 things in common. But I digress...
The machines included a Dover white R60/2, an R69S with a Hoske tank, a superb ISDT bike, and a pristine K1. All in superb restored condition. However, the favorite bike of the collection's owner is a 1938 R51 which is cosmetically unrestored. It has been mechanically restored, but the paint and bodywork has not been touched. It is in remarkably good condition, and has a patina that you simply cannot purchase. Sharing the same year, 1938, was an R71. Judging by the interest in German cars and motorcycles, it is easy to see why Limerock voted Philip collector of the year. The Turtle Garage is on our list st of places to visit soon....
For us, Labor Day weekend is synonymous with the Limerock Vintage Motorsports Weekend. The event has graced these pages many times before (see Lapping Limerock or Limerock 2014), and always delights. This year represented an abbreviated visit, as we were going to miss Monday racing (the circuit has a long time noise ordinance which effectively bans racing on Sundays), and the remnants of hurricane Harvey drowned out the Sunday car show. The auction that has now become part of the weekend took place under tent as the rain came down on all sides.
However, Friday and Saturday were perfect, with temps in the seventies and a mix of sun and clouds. We have been to this event when the sun was blisteringly hot, and we have been to this event when everyone was huddled up in winter clothing. Saturday's blend was great for walking around the paddock, and for watching the racing from multiple vantage points around the track. Indicative of the variety that you find at Limerock was one of their last run groups, which was an eclectic mix of machines together on track. It included a Ford GT, a few MGBs, a Lotus Elan, a few Porsche 911s, and a Tatra!
Of course like any great event, the parking lot can be almost as interesting as what is inside. No disappointment here. Something about New England brings out the anglophiles, so the early Jags, and Healeys, and Land Rovers were abundant. Even a nice Rover TC graced the grassy parking area. Clubs also showed up in force, so Porsches and BMWs were everywhere. A few interesting Italian cars were there, in addition to the Ferraris and Maserati ( is the plural of Maserati, Maserati?), including a rare Fiat 130. The Fiat was large and wide, and could have easily been a product of Detroit Rather than Italy.
The paddock continues to expand, with the two areas now consuming most of what was the swap meet area. Sadly, there is less of a swap meet these days, but it is due to increasing numbers of on-track competitors. This makes the paddock more interesting, and the chance to see your favorite marque and model, greater. Limerock's mix of elevation changes, esses, and a long straight, ensure that you need a well sorted machine to dominate, and that the racing stays interesting each lap.
Want to browse through our photos from the event? View the Full Limerock Vintage Weekend Album
Lancia ready to race
Green on green
An impressive tape job on the headlights!
A classic beauty in Motorsport livery
Renault Alpine
Beetle with a Porsche engine at the auction
Ford Angelia with a Cosworth inside..
An Auto Union 1000 for sale
Mercedes Benz has always been a premier luxury marque, but they have also been a producer of basic workhorse transportation. Pick a movie from the sixties and seventies set in Europe, the Middle East, or the third world in general, and you will note their legendary role as the taxi cabs of the world. That legend started with the W110 in the early 1960s, and in particular with the Diesel variant. Mercedes was never the cheapest sedan, but in the case of the 190D and 200D, they quickly built a reputation for running millions of kilometers, tolerating heavy loads, and being generally indestructible. Those are the key attributes of a commercial vehicle, but in this case, they were embodied in a sedan.
The W110 series began in 1961 with the introduction of the 190 cars., replacing the W111 series and confounding the once logical Mercedes nomenclature. They were part of the Heckflosse (Fintail) series covered here before (see The Heckflosse Champion), and had the signature appendages in the rear. In the front, they looked like the preceding Ponton cars (see Ponton Production) with the round headlights and the snub nose. Inside, wood was replaced with Bakelite, and luxury seats were replaced with fixed back items. But the key gamble that Mercedes continued to take was in promoting the Diesel engine. At the time, diesel engines were noisy and visibly produced soot out of the tailpipe. They also had extremely sluggish performance. The press was not kind to these machines, and the traditional Mercedes customer did not view them positively either.
However, the taxi cab industry had quite the opposite view. These were robust, relatively fuel efficient vehicles with enough comfort to be the ideal conveyance. If it was good for taxicabs, then it was good for others desiring rock solid transportation, and sales grew along with the reputation. Between 1961 and 1965, the diesel variant outsold the gasoline version by over 95,000 units. In 1966, a second series of the W110 was introduced. The inline 4 diesel in the 200D now had a 5 bearing main crankshaft, twin carburetors, and increased bore to yield 1988cc. This produced a whopping 60hp, and a top speed of 130kph in a vehicle weighing 2794 lbs. This was not a performance sedan! However, it also went on to outsell the gasoline variant by over 51,000 units between 1966 and 1968.
Overall, over 387,000 of the W110 diesels were produced by the time they were replaced by the W115 series in 1968. They cemented the legendary status of the Mercedes Benz Diesel engine, which also became popular in marine applications. It also provided a reputation for reliable, durable vehicles to complement the image of premier luxury automobiles. Remember the 600 Pullman was produced in the same timeframe, as were trucks and vans. No other manufacturer at the time had such an effective grasp of both ends of the spectrum.
Ernst Neumann Neander of Duren, Germany was a man of many talents. He was known as an artist, with works in sculpture, painting, and poetry. However, he reportedly built one of the earliest motorcycles in 1886. He later returned to motorcycles in 1926 when he designed the machine seen here. It had many signature features, the most prominent of which was the box section frame made or Duralumin. But for the headlight, you would be excused for thinking this was a machine from 30 years later. The frame looks like a modern twin spar, the tank could be postwar, etc. The frame went on to be licensed by Opel, which used it with some success in racing. It also featured a unique articulating fork. Neander used several different engines in his machines including JAP, Villiers, and MAG. Although some small displacement machines were created, the majority were either 500cc or 1000cc machines. Overall, the look was very modern for the time, and it was thought to be both artistic and innovative. However, they were not to everyone's taste. Only about 2,000 Neanders were produced over almost a ten year period, and they went out of production in the 1930s. They also produced tricycles and quadricycles, which never appealed to the public and were short-lived. Neander also produced several very interesting cars during this time, but that is a story for another post. The name has been resurrected in recent times to be used on a turbo diesel motorcycle.
I grew up driving on the left. In fact, I'm not even sure at what point I learned that there was an alternative. I also grew up on very narrow roads that were pockmarked with potholes and peppered with patches. And they were all twisty roads. My father used to joke that the road builders must have been paid by the corner. I am not sure at what point I came to know that these were not normal roads. I can remember being surprised and delighted at a long smooth stretch of road, and then promptly using it to pass everything that I could. So did everyone else, leading to a kind of crazy no man's land in the middle of an already narrow road. Exciting times ensued, but as I recall, there was rarely an accident from this scenario. Accidents came from top speed trials and misjudging the limits around mountain roads with no guardrail, and from a general excess of testosterone over wisdom.
Fortunately for me, I had no access to speed, although I wanted it very badly. The 10 year old clapped out 175cc Honda trail bike, and the even older Land Rover that I learned to ride and drive on, were both philosophically and physically opposed to speed. Several of us tried to make them go fast, but all we could do was paint a racing stripe on the Honda's tank, and get a running start downhill on the Land Rover. The Land Rover in particular was hilarious, as it was geared in a way that the top speed could only be reached downhill coasting with the clutch in! The Honda was just done at about 47mph. By experimentation, we discovered that both could "feel" fast by going across a bumpy field at anything over 40mph. Fast forward some decades, and the billiard smooth highways of the USA make speed a mundane necessity. Driving on the right is the norm, and speeds over 80mph are routine and uneventful. Of course, countries and cultures have changed, but there is still a desire for some excitement getting from A to B. Exceeding the limits of the roads and the machines in this environment is relatively hard to do. Little or no challenge, little or no fun.
A recent visit back to a place that drives on the left recently shook up the norms again however briefly. There were warnings for visitors who might normally drive on the right, but I was instantaneously back in my natural habitat and needed no signs. There were roundabouts again, and shifting with the left hand, and overtaking on narrow roads, and no guard rails on mountain roads, and no time (nor need) to glance at the dashboard, much less a mobile device. It rekindled that original need to pay full attention to the act of driving, and to be challenged to do it well in a somewhat unpredictable environment. And it rekindled that original fascination with probing the limits and trying to go fast. It was not about the absolute speed, it was all relative. Blind corners, and using your horn, and 1st gear hairpins, and maintaining momentum, all returned to center stage. Driving was brilliant fun, even in a small economical non-descript compact car, on the way to nowhere in particular. BMW often used the term Freude Am Fahren in marketing campaigns to invoke The Joy of Driving. Man and machine in perfect choreography. We have explored it here before (see One and Moonbathing), but it bears repeating....
Whatever it looks like for you, go drive on the left.
Victoria as a marque has been covered before (see The Victoria Ventures). The word Bergmeister dates back some time, and refers to the Foreman of a mine in Germany and Austria. However, in the context of Victoria, it is intended to translate to Mountain Master. The model was introduced in 1951, and was quite remarkable at the time. It featured a 4 stroke ransversely mounted 80 degree V-twin reminiscent of a Moto Guzzi. It was air-cooled, and had pushrods activated overhead valves. A single Bing carburetor served the 350cc motor, which produced 21hp, The engine is also noted for its streamlined Art Deco appearance. The cases are smooth, and enclose the aforementioned carburetor, giving an appearance common to today's no-visible-cables custom bikes. Elegant body panels and frame paint added to the blend of old and new.
The transmission used chains rather than gears which reportedly produced a quieter ride. The 4 speed fed a shaft drive system. Total weight of the bike was 398 lbs, and it was often used in combination with a sidecar. Suspension was telescopic forks up front, and a plunger rear end. It took until 1954 for the Bergmeister to make it into production. It was very expensive to produce into a market with good competition from NSU and BMW. However, it did well in hill-climbs and other trials at the time to become well regarded. Reportedly, only about 5,000 Bergmeisters were produced until Victoria merged with DKW in 1958 to form Zwierad Union.
Some summer recycling here with a post from 2010 made relevant again due to a current S mall repair that turned into a much bigger bill. It also points out how prices have changed ;-)
The project started innocently enough. One of the CV boots on the Porsche 911T was torn and had sent grease all over the heat exchanger and everything else. Like many ailments to the early 911, a keen sense of smell is critical to early detection. With the pre-war VW heating system in these cars, you tend to develop a sense of what your engine smells like under normal circumstances. This is useful because by the time you actually see the flames shooting through the grill on the rear decklid, it is often too late. I detected burning grease, and shut things down. Satisfied that it was the boot, I nursed the car home.
Someday, I hope to hear a satisfactory explanation for this design, which is common to so many different vehicles from this era and well beyond. A complex and expensive flexible joint which has high speed rotating parts, which is under the car exposed to dirt rocks, etc, and which must remain lubricated, is protected by a $6 (probably 50 cents back then) rubber boot fastened by metal or hard plastic hose clamps. Anyone?……anyone?…..Bueller?…
The next day, I ordered some boots. A CV boot for an early Porsche 911 costs about $6, and I had ordered 4 just to be safe, and to get to the $20 free shipping limit. $6 and a few hours should have me back on the road. The next weekend I launched my assault. I got the rear of the car up on jackstands, and spent a good while cleaning up the mess. I had boots, tools, a can of grease to repack the axle, and I was all set. Except, I wasn’t. While cleaning up I discover that the driver's side heat exchanger has several holes and the outer housing is basically detached from the exhaust header. This would explain the rattling sound heard on occasion. Although work continues on the cv joints, thoughts have already shifted to heat exchangers.
I do want to maintain heat in this car, so headers are eliminated. The next day, I search the forums, Ebay, and Pelican. I find a pair of heat exchangers in good shape from a fellow owner about 130 miles away. I decide that the budget will not withstand new SSI units, to I drive a few hours and come back fairly pleased with the parts, and fairly displeased with the magnitude of the unplanned expenditure. I also remember that I have a pair of heater control valves form the prior year’s Hershey swap meet. Better tackle them now as well.
During the following week, I remove the heat exchangers, and notice that one of the oil tubes is leaking. Well, with the heat exchangers out, now is the time to address them, and since we are tackling oil leaks, I need a pair of valve cover gaskets as well. So I order the items to arrive before the weekend. That weekend I dig in again. I quickly discover that a couple of the heater control valve nuts are rusty and seized. I leave them soaking overnight in penetrant. Of course, these two nuts are in the most inaccessible locations, so the next day it takes heat and a couple hours of contortionist positioning to finally get them off. I celebrate like I won the lottery.
During the next week, I finally get things back together. $800 and almost 3 weeks later, the $6 cv boot with 2 hours of labor is successfully replaced. Saturday afternoon I go for a drive. The glorious aroma of hot metal and a little paint seeps into the cabin when I open the heater control valve. Having your engine smell just right as you fly down a country road…..priceless.
From 1952 to 1957, Fahrzeugwerke Kanneberg produced stylish scooters featuring "Jet Age" design. The key design element was a jet turbine looking feature beneath the seat, but they also had side air scoops and a smooth front end profile. The scooters were very well regarded from a quality and styling perspective, but they were high-priced. They also produced a three-wheeled commercial vehicle with a front-wheel mounted engine.
Eventually, the high pricing killed sales, and production ended in 1957.
In 1962, BMW broke even for the first time since the war thanks to a strategic infusion from the Quandt family, and some surprising success with a few models (see Birth of the Bavarian Sports Sedan and The Halo and the Hail Mary). This allowed them to introduce the Neue Klasse sedans in 1963 which immediately began to sell well. A 1500 model was introduced in various trim levels, all using the now famous "3 Box" design, and the M10 engine. The 1500 gave way to a 1600 model (except in countries where 1500cc was an important tax limit), and the a 4 door 1800 was eventually introduced.
A homologation special, the 1800 TI/SA, was introduced in 1964. It was produced to support the factory works effort, and took the TI (Turismo Internationale) production version and upgraded it to SA (SonderAusführung) specifications. This involved higher compression (10.5:1), twin Weber carbs rather than the twin solex TI, larger brakes upfront and rear disc brakes, a 5 speed gearbox, and a hotter camshaft. In the cockpit, there was a special tachometer and sport seats. On the exterior, there were no bumpers, and plain wheels without trim or covers. The end result was 150 hp compared to 120 hp in the TI. Only 200 of these specials were produced, and they were sold only to race teams.
The TISA was successful in competition, winning the German national championship in the hands of Hubert Hahne in 1964, and coming second at the Spa Francochamps 24 hour race. In 1965, the TISA won Spa in the hands of Pascal Ickx (yes, father of Jacky Ickx). Today, you can still find the TISA at events like Goodwood and the Monterey Historics, but they are mostly tucked away in private collections and museums.
One of the sure signs that we are back in the riding/driving season, is that the gatherings of the clans become routine once again. Breakfast meetings, and after work gatherings, and weekend outings begin to fill the calendar. These always compete with work and family schedules, but at the beginning of the season, motivation is high to make the first events. The eclectic Moto Hang group is always welcome and interesting, because there is no rhyme or reason to the machines and the people that show up.
There is a world traveler on a Suzuki DR, a Triumph Street Triple, a Ducati ST4, a BMW R75/5, a Piaggio scooter, and a Fuji bicycle with a Whizzer motor next to a new BMW R1200GS. Talk about eclectic !
The weather forecast was not helpful. Not that this is unusual for an April event in Pennsylvania. We have attended this event in snow flurries, hail, 80+ degree heat, and torrential downpours (see Hounds of the Basketweave or Hooked on Hershey). However, as the value of the cars rise, the willingness to drive them in less than perfect conditions plummets. A shame really for arguably the best handling machines of the 20th century, and even the beginnings of the 21st. The weather also seems to have impacted the swap meet vendors. There were noticeable gaps in the rows and rows of vendor spots. Were they just no-shows on this gray day, or did less people actually sign up?
In any case, none of this stops the die-hards. Hershey is an annual gathering of friends not seen since before the winter, or since the last Hershey. It means that spring is here in the mid-Atlantic region, and cars are back on the road. It was great to see members of the crew out and about, shopping, searching, browsing. As shocking as it is, it was great to see that the hobby supports $2800 tool kits and a $1200 seat that needed a complete refinishing. On the other hand bargains were still to be found on a nice 944 for $5000, and an early 911 deck lid for $200. This is the magic of Hershey, friends, bargains, non-bargains, and French fries.
And then there are the cars. Despite lower than usual turnout, there were great examples of the marque from its' earliest models, to the latest. Between the show field and the Porsche-only parking area, you could find whatever you loved. A Reuter-bodied 356 Coupe, to a few weeks old GT3. As always, you could find many examples of any given year and model. 968, 912, 928, 993, etc. If you like the vintage models, this is still the place to be in April, although there is increasingly more for the newer cars. We were reminded that 911SCs, and 944s, and even 928s are now 30 years old. 20 year old $80k supercars with reasonable mileage are now under $30k. Time marches on, old classics remain timeless, new classics are emerging, but the place to see it all is still Hershey Pennsylvania in April.
See the full 2017 photo album
Simplicity is good. Few moving parts, a basic electrical layout, black paint, no frills. This could be a description of the Ford model T, but it is not. It is a description of our BMW R26. A 1956 single cylinder, single carb, 6V standard motorcycle. It does not get much simpler, no matter how far you go back. The motto of the Airheads (of which we are members) is "Simple by Choice", and this machine beautifully embodies that motto. It is a beautiful machine built for a purpose, at a time when quality efficient transportation was key. It even has points for sidecar attachment, despite having just 15hp at its' disposal. If you have ever been dragged along the ground by 15 horses at a gallop, you will know that it is more than adequate power. So with such a simple and well-built machine, what tale do you have to tell ? Glad you asked.
It started with the smell of fuel n the garage. It took a while to trace it to the R26, but there was definitely a more pronounced smell around that machine. There was no visible stain or wet spot, just a lingering smell of fuel. The usual suspect on machines like this is the float bowl of the carb being faulty, and failing to shut off the fuel supply leading to a leak. The bottom of the float bowl was suspiciously moist, and the engine casing below it was suspiciously clean, so it seemed like an open and shut case. Upon examination, the float had trapped some moisture, and so a new one was sourced (ridiculously expensive for a brass float compared to plastic, but this bike is nice enough to warrant original). A new float bowl gasket was ordered as well. Once received and installed, I went for a test ride and all seemed well.
Next morning, faint smell of fuel. there was a droplet of fuel forming at the same spot on the bottom of the float bowl. At this point, I began to see if there was a route to the bottom of the float bowl coming from some other part of the carb or the fuel hoses. There was nothing obvious, although at one of the fuel hose connection points, the fabric-covered fuel hose was definitely damp from fuel. Since this motorcycle is just gravity-fed for fuel, there were no clips on any of the connection points. Despite not liking the look, hose clamps went onto every connection point. There was no other place where fuel was evident, so I took a brief test ride and checked. And then I checked again an hour later. The problem looked solved.
Next morning, faint smell of fuel. I laughed the kind of laugh that pokes fun at oneself, but which really indicates that the situation is not really funny anymore. Upon examination this time, there was no longer a droplet at the bottom of the float bowl, but there was a clean spot on the engine case right below where one of the hose clamps now lived. Well I was planning to do a carb rebuild anyway, and so I did. Then, climbing a diagnostic ladder toward the fuel tank, I encountered a moist area right at the petcock lever. Aha ! A notorious spot for problems due to the disintegration of the o-ring gasket. Not content to stop there, I also ordered the petcock gasket for the attachment to the tank. Parts arrived a week later, and took only a few minutes to install. I sat watching the petcok with the fuel turned on, and the machine off. No detectable leakage. I waited an hour and checked again. No detectable leakage. I took a test ride. No detectable leakage. I waited 2 hours and looked again. The petcock was moist with fuel.
From what I could tell, the fuel began right where the petcock threaded on to the tank. But it had a new gasket that I had just installed! I drained and removed the tank and concentrated my attention on the petcock flange. Nothing detectable. I put the petcock on it, plugged the cross connection, and threw in a little fuel. Nothing detectable. I then put the tank in its normal position, and taped some paper towel to the tank encircling the petcock flange. I let it sit. An hour later, Bingo ! The paper towel was moist with fuel. Not much, but certainly enough to form a drip over many hours. I repeated the experiment. Same result, a small fuel leak from the tank itself.
I emptied the tank and began to lightly sand the area around the flange. It was built up with solder, so someone had been here before. I could not find the specific point of the leak, but there were a few suspect areas once the paint was removed. After some days of drying, and then work with a wire wheel and dremmel tool, most of the solder was removed, revealing a hairline crack. It was clear then, that vibration was probably the key ingredient to making it leak and find its way through the solder patch job. Once cleaned up, it was properly welded, and the the paper towel test was repeated. Bone dry.
So what did we learn? A repeated lesson shared before in To Fuel or not to Fuel, and in On Getting Grounded and in To Spark or Not to Spark. Obvious solutions, and the usual suspects sometimes mask the culprit. I did not go to the tank first, because carbs and petcock are notorious for fuel leaks, and I thought I found the problem with the float bowl (which did have an issue, just not the main one). In this case, the simplicity of the machine contributed to a sense that the solution must also be simple. It was, that is once I found the root cause....
Being in the midst of building a street car that can go to the track and pass tech inspection, I am struck by the contrast of what this process was like when I last did it 20+ years ago, and what it was like 20 years before that. First a few obvious contrasts, so that you know this is not just another luddite diatribe about how much better things were back then...
Racing is safer today. Despite having fewer tracks today, there are probably many more track miles driven per year, and with far fewer injuries and deaths per mile driven. Cars are better today. Even in the arena of vintage racing where my interest lies, we are running better tires, better brakes, and better lubricants than the original cars ever did. Tracks are better today. I ran the new Watkins Glen, and the new Lime Rock Park in recent years, and the historic sharp edges of those tracks have been removed. It is very hard to run into a stand of trees these days, or hit Armco barriers that have no energy absorption. The new tracks such as Thunderbolt in NJ are designed so that Indy cars are safe, much less your 1969 BMW 1600. That is not to say that vintage racing is completely sanitized. There are accidents every season, and there was an unfortunate fatality at Lime Rock in the last 2 years. Things are better on all fronts, but this remains a sport with risks.
In order to participate in this safer arena for a few weekends per year, the current project car has to have some significant modifications. It must have a roll cage of specified thickness, which rises above head height, and which has an inspection port so that the thickness can be validated at tech inspection. It must have a cutoff switch and a fire extinguisher. It must have no leaks of any kind, a multi-point safety harness, and must have catchment bottles, etc, etc. In order to be competitive at the sharp end of the field, the car would have to be made virtually unusable as a street car.
There was a time, in the heyday of sports car racing, when you could drive your street car to the track, and race it after doing little more than placing a taped "X" over the headlights. Certainly a low barrier to entry, and the sport grew tremendously. The SCCA general competition rule (GCR) book for 2017 is 986 pages, up from 963 pages in 2016, and it is updated monthly! In 1985 it was 786 pages. Thankfully, vintage is only 542 pages today, up from 533 in 2012, but this covers machines which were last produced 40 years ago! Time marches on, and the SCCA is just one of many organizations that are in a constant battle to close loopholes, and improve safety, while not killing the racing. Not an enviable balance to strike at all.
The perception that even the most basic form of amateur racing is expensive and complicated may not be entirely true, but a 1000 page rule book, and a paddock full of trailers doesn't help dispel that perception. In a litigious society, it is probably a pipe dream to expect cheap, easy, and legal competition, but it sure would be nice to have an option of driving to the track with just a roll of electrical tape, a helmet, and a 1 page disclaimer....
A very nice article by Curbside Classics about the opportunities and challenges associated with BMW's postwar V8 evolution.
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/automobile-history-german-deadly-sins-the-bayern-cycle-part-1-bmws-brush-with-death-the-v8-cars/.
Joshua Tree National Park is thousands of miles from home. It does not look like home. It does not smell like home. It is dry and dusty brown and filled with scrub brush. But then, it has spectacular small rocks and massive geologic formations that burst with colors and form fantastic sculptures against a brilliant azure sky. What kind of strange and wondrous place is this that spawns such giant structures out of nothing ? You have certainly left the shire Frodo Baggins.
Traveling solo on two wheels in the western USA, you get a very visceral understanding of space. Endless prairies and deserts go on for hours. Mountains and canyons take miles to ascend or descend. Towns and cities seem to appear and disappear leaving little trace. Highways fade into the distance. You do not have a sense that you are always close to civilization. Great well-paved deserted roads snake through the desert, connecting nothing to nothing, leaving you to wonder why they even exist, but leaving you eternally grateful that they do. The average campground is spectacular in setting, if not in amenities, but that is as it should be. Who would want to be shuttered in a motel with a night sky like this ? The tent seems the right abode, and open flame, the right heat.
These roads, these places, force you to contemplate big things, big questions. You can see time in these places in a way that is difficult in lush green places where perhaps a few hundred years is evident. Here, thousands of years are visible in rock formations, and cave paintings, and even in the brilliant simplicity of the homes of native peoples. You can see in canyons stretching for miles, how you are riding on what was once the bottom of an ocean. You can see how water has carved rock, how wind has shaped the mesa.
Riding and camping through these places implants the experience in a unique manner. You have to smell the air and get the dirt first on, and then under your skin. Slowly, over a few days, with nothing familiar around, it sinks in. This is why we should all go far away periodically. Physically, and mentally, you need to abandon the familiar for a time. You need to gain or refresh another perspective, to disturb a comfort zone that is probably deceiving you into thinking that you have figured something out. Your idea of far away may not be anything like mine, but I can only hope that it is as powerful as a motorcycle, a tent, and a few days in the southwest.
Mercedes had been slowly rebuilding its manufacturing capacity after the war, but in July 1953 they really regained that capacity with the production of the "Ponton" cars. These cars were so named because of the external body styling which resembled pontoons. They were really the first true postwar vehicle from Mercedes, as machines such as the 170D were really just postwar versions of prewar cars. The cars and the styling are thought to be the work of Freidrich Geiger who was later responsible for the 300SL. First up were the 4 cylinder W120 sedans, which were dubbed the 180 models. The following year a 180D model was introduced to provide a diesel model, and the legendary straight 6 was introduced to create the 220a sedan.
1955 introduced the 190SL coupe and then the roadster, and a year after that, new versions of the 6 cylinder were introduced dubbed models 219 and the 220S. There were also new versions of the 4 cylinder cars, the W180 II. A handsome cabriolet was introduced to round out the Pontons. Finally, 1958 saw the introduction of the 220SE, and production fuel injection. In 1959, a third and final generation of the Pontons went into production, which technically lasted until 1962. Overall, there were over 580,000 Ponton cars produced, firmly returning Mercedes to high volume production, and putting them in position to attempt a purchase of BMW in the late 1950s. But that is another story....
Here in the wintry northeast USA, we have invented a number of great ways to break the grip of winter on our 2-wheeled hearts. Among them are trips to warmer climes, maintenance and restoration, researching the next great ride, winter riding, and shows. This last one, shows, is welcome, but cruel. To walk around amongst fine classic motorcycles, any of which you would love to ride today, makes it painful to leave and confront salty icy roads. But such is the pain inflicted by The Modern Classics show in Boyertown, PA. I have ridden to this show in past years, but not this time. There were only 2 bikes in the parking lot, and with temperatures below 30 degrees, their riders were made of strong stuff.
The show always manages to find interesting examples of machines from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. European, Japanese, and American brands are most prevalent. The theme of the show is modern classics, so you would expect to see the more iconic and popular models rather than the obscure. With that said, it is great to see a nice unmolested example of a Kawasaki 1100 Eddie Lawson replica, or a Vincent Black Lightning, or a rotary-engined Suzuki RE5, or an MV Augusta or a BMW R100RT. All indoors, all a few feet away from each other.
There is a people's choice award, so in addition to admiring the machines, you get to vote for your favorite. It is always hard to single out just one machine in this show. If you choose according to rarity, then it has to be the Rex, even more than the beautiful Munch on display. For artistic jewelry, you would have to pick the Ducati 175. For value, the Vincent. For oddity, the MV Agusta monocycle. However, my ultimate choice was the Bultaco Sherpa almost overlooked on the fringe of the display area. It captured the essence of the machines of the era. It was simple, light, well-designed, good looking, and performed well. Simple fame, simple engine, simple everything. There was absolutely nothing on it that was not functional, and it was ironically, in a room full of desirable machines, the one I most wanted to jump on and ride. Of course, starting it would have filled the room with 2-smoke and killed all the attendees.
At the dawn of the 1970s, as the Porsche 914 was in production in both 4 and 6 cylinder variations, Ferdinand Piech ordered the development of a 914/8. Yes, as if the well-balanced lightweight chassis of the 914 was not enough in 4 and 6 cylinder configurations, a flat 8 cylinder car was commissioned to see if it would be viable for production. Piech, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, was responsible for the 914 platform at the time, but was also responsible for Porsche's racing program which was very successful, and which was on the eve of an outright win at Le Mans.
Just 2 of the 8 cylinder cars were built. The first was predominantly a test mule, used to prove the concept. It used the 3 liter racing engine from the Porsche 908. At 300+ hp, it must have been a challenge to drive. The second was a 60th birthday present for Ferry Porsche. The cars featured modified wheel arches, a front mounted oil cooler, and dual headlights to differentiate them from the regular 914s. Reportedly, Ferry was not impressed by the car, and it never made it to production. Instead one sits in the Porsche museum.
The Classic Velocity crew considers the postwar period from the late 1940s to the late 1970s to be an era. Why? Because it is a time when the engineers and the stylists often triumphed over sales and marketing, when the engineer's stopwatch beat the accountant's calculator. Is there any rationale to support why we might define this as an era? No, it is entirely arbitrary and capricious. It starts with recovery from World War II, and ends when chrome bumpers ended. Dictionary.com defines an era as "a period of time marked by distinctive character, events, etc". So there it is, we have defined and declared the Classic Velocity Era.
But wait, hold on a minute, what if there are eras within eras? what if eras overlap? What if we have defined an era in error? Take Porsche for example. Within the classic velocity era, Porsche clearly has a 356 era and an early 911 era. So is an era equivalent to a model run? What about the 914? BMW had Baroque Angels, the Isetta, and the fabulous 507 all overlapping in the late 1950s. These could not have been further apart in character or in customer. Do they each have an era, or do they belong to the same era? Does the air-cooled VW Beetle define an era lasting half a century? Audi was about 4 different companies during the Classic Velocity era. Are these sub-eras, defined by ownership? Auto Union, Volkswagen Audi, the NSU-merged Audi?
Periodically, you talk with friends who chop eras into very thin slices. They may say things like "The only true early 911s were the short wheelbase cars" or "The roundie 2002s are not the same as the squarelight cars", These fans of slivers would have a really hard time with something like the Paleolithic era which lasted a few million years! Mercedes attempts to sort out this mess by the use of chassis numbers. The W113, or the R107 are clear identifiers of a model era. But wait, they also refer to the era of the Fintails, which spans the W110, W111, and W112. The Ponton cars preceding them had even more chassis numbers included. Just when you thought it was safe...
And then there are eras defined by people. The Quandt family at BMW, Albert Roger at NSU, Ferry Porsche designs, the Bertone era, the Max Hoffman era, etc. What about the whole era of the "3 box design"? What about engine configurations like the flat four VWs and Porsches, or the straight six BMWs? How about the era of the ragtop sunroof ?
You see how erroneous this error business really is. Is it an error to even define an era?
25 years of BMW - An Airhead Retrospective
A nice tribute to the airheads by Union Garage in NYC.
There are significant pros and cons to some aspect of your passion becoming cool. In the pro column, parts can become available again, magazines run articles, beautiful examples appear at shows, and more people appreciate the realm. In the Cons column, prices double seemingly overnight, your cult niche becomes mainstream, and barn finds disappear. All of this was evident this year at the Potomac Vintage Riders York vintage show and swapmeet.
There is no denying that the bike show part of this event gets more impressive each year. It is also commendable that the PVR manages to find a different crop of excellent machines each year. While the focus is clearly on vintage dirt or enduro machines, there were some cool street bikes as well. Among them a brilliant green BSA cafe racer, and a rarely seen BMW R80ST, along with a nice Guzzi, an NSU Supermax, and a classically faired Triumph road racer. The real stars, though were the vintage enduro machines from Bultaco and Greeves, and Maico, and MZ. The favorites included a very nice R80G/S in Dakar trim, and a beautiful Montesa 360 Cappra resplendent in orange.
At some point, we will need to drop the word "swapmeet" as a description of events like this. Nothing has been swapped at a swapmeet in several decades. At this event, the vendors inside are more established places, along with the odd private citizen with a bunch of spare parts. Outside, however, the parking lot has more of a flea market feel (another term that has aged out of relevance). Pickup beds filled with "Field Finds" (I am introducing this new term), and trailers festooned with home made for sale signs. Fancy a Fantic ? Pining for a Penton ? Oscillating on an Ossa ? Stroll the lot. Chances are, they will not be as nice as those inside, but good examples and plenty of parts can be found.
Familiar faces are mixed with a sea of nouveau fans. Familiar old parts are mixed with New Old Stock. There is something strange about a pristine Enduro bike. It begs to be ridden, to be sullied, but it wants to be admired in showroom condition. Even more than a street bike, it doesn't belong inside. It looks like it is on vacation, but will soon return home to its natural environment. York in January may not be on the list of vacation destinations, but it is the place to be for the region's vintage 2-wheeled gear heads.
What comes to mind when someone asks you about an automobile manufacturer from Stuttgart that produced rear engine cars? Porsche would be the most obvious answer, but there was another manufacturer that would also be a correct answer. Gutbrod. Actually, they were in Feuerbach, which is a suburb of Stuttgart, but close enough. What comes to mind when someone asks you about a German company that first started producing motorcycles in the 1920s and then went on to produce cars starting in the 1930s? BMW would be the most obvious answer, but there was another manufacturer that would also be a correct answer. Gutbrod. They produced motorcycles under the brand "Standard" beginning in 1926, and went on to produce their first car under the same brand in 1933. The cars were small basic rear-engined machines. The fact that we are not all riding or driving around in Gutbrods today, tells you that their story is very different from Porsche or BMW.
Wilheim Gutbrod started out high quality producing motorcycles in 1926 and immediately grasped the value of racing to publicize the brand. Gutbrod was both active and successful with machines ranging from 250cc to 1000cc in the late 1920s. They had particular success with the 1000cc sidecar class. Gutbrod purchased the Swiss motorcycle company Zehnder in 1930, which was ironically what enabled the production of cars. The company transitioned to son Walter and motorcycle production ended in 1939.
Postwar in 1950, a new small car now called the Gutbrod Superior was introduced using a 593cc or a 663cc front-mounted two-stroke engine. It was developed by former Mercedes engineer Hans Scherenburg (who later returned to Mercedes). This link with Mercedes is probably responsible for the Gutbrod being the first production fuel-injected car in the world, a few years before Mercedes introduced theirs. Models included a ragtop, a station wagon, and a sedan. There was also a sport roadster. The car only weighed 1433 lbs, and top speed was around 62mph (100kph). In 1954, Gutbrod was forced to close its' doors for auto production, but lived on via the sale of engines and farm/lawn equipment. The Norwegian Troll car company produced cars using the Gutbrod chassis for a brief period as well.
Right there, between the doors of the two door garage, in a pair of cubby holes designed to fit them, were a pair of Krausers. This is one of the irrefutable signs of an interesting garage. Someone was using every available space. Someone had taken the time to adapt or construct something in an unused space, to house luggage for a vintage motorcycle. You don't do that unless you care. Someone cared. If you cast your eye about the suburban garage, you would glimpse a Wixom fairing, and red Brembo brake calipers behind Fuchs wheels, and a 2 into 1 exhaust for a /5, and a 2 into 2 exhaust for a 911 SC, and 2 R100RS tail sections, and DOT race tires hanging from the ceiling, and a 915 gearbox, and lots of other stuff. Stuff that someone might need if he really liked machines from Germany of a certain era, that had air-cooled horizontally opposed engines. He does. The number of wheels that touched the ground could be 2, or 4. Either is fine, some of both is better. This is our kind of someone.
These things are scattered around 2 Porsche 911 SC cars parked nose to tail with one punched through a wall at the back of the garage so they could fit, and a BMW R1200GSA. And lest you think that is the only "encroachment" into the house, there is more. A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I had a VW beetle engine in my kitchen. I rebuilt it over a month in the winter. A few years later, I had a slash 5 I was repairing on a tarp in my apartment for the entire winter. Both were before marriage. Since then, efforts have been redirected toward getting adequate heat in the garage. Not someone. He has managed to put 6 motorcycles into a carpeted fully climate-controlled room of the house, and his wife is fully aware. We don't know what kind of a deal had to be cut to get this to happen. Better not to know.
The lineup includes an R69S, an R100RS, a /5 toaster, an RT cafe conversion, and an R90S. All are nice, none are pristine. Some high mileage, a few need work. A few have unique tail racks, or fairings. All have a story. One took a very long time to find. Another was owned, sold, and then owned again. We can relate (see repeat offenders and recidivism). The walls are adorned with posters and pictures. If all the bikes were show quality, this would be an eccentric arrangement. Since they are mostly "riders", this space is a real coup. We met many years ago, at a 2 wheeled event, and neither of us had any idea that there was more than BMW motorcycles in common, until we met again at a 4 wheeled event. This is our kind of someone.
Back to the garage, one of the SCs is being transformed into a street legal "Driver's Education (DE)" car. It has the engine out, roll cage in, rear seats out, coilovers in. It is the winter project. Another set of wheels is the rear of the garage next to the drill press and the miniature lathe. The SC has a Wevo shifter, modified guage package, dual oil coolers, 5 degrees negative camber, Kirkey seats, 5 point harness, etc. It will feature a Kronenburg engine management system from the Netherlands. Cool stuff. A year ago someone did his first DE event. Someone is on the slippery slope. This is our kind of someone.
I had passed the shop many times before, but never during regular business hours. It had been an automotive repair shop, and then unoccupied for a while, and then this new sign appeared. Intriguing, and worthy of a stop, but the opportunity just did not present itself for over a year. And then one day, I passed by pretty early, but there was a car outside. I actually passed the shop, and then decided to make a U-turn and head back. The side door was wide open, and I stuck my head in and yelled hello. No response. I ventured a few feet inside the dimly lit space, to gaze upon a super beetle and what looked like a barn find early beetle next to each other. I yelled hello again. "Be right there", yelled a voice from some other part of the building.
The voice was Andy, and it was accompanied eventually buy a graying mustached man in a hooded sweatshirt. "How can I help you?" I told him of my longtime desire to stop by and my long love affair with air cooled German machines. His face transformed into that of a man who had just been reintroduced to a good friend from long ago. "Come on in, let me show you the shop".
The shop was really a series of one car garage bays that had obviously been added on one or two at a time over years. Different levels, different entrances, and different time periods judging by the construction. Andy has arranged the areas by project and by function. An assembly area with organized shelves filled with labeled bins, a paint booth, a repair area with lifts, and a storage area through which I had entered. He is semi-retired and only takes in enough projects to allow for reasonable progress. At the moment, he is about at his limit with three cars. "Oh, and I only do Beetles", he said with a smile. It does not take long to get the sense that he only likes to do things "right". That is not to say he is a purist, or that he scoffs at modifications. Clearly not, based on the work he has taken in and the Subaru conversion project he is contemplating. But this does not seem like the place to take your quick and dirty project.
We spoke of rare machines, of Notches and Buses, and trafficators, and Porsche 356s, and longterm projects, and heater boxes, and other wondrous things. Time flew by. What was just a few minutes turned out to be a few hours in earth time, and I was now officially late. We emerged from the dim shop into a bright wintry outdoors, cold, with icy patches on the ground. I had the sense that I had visited a strange but wonderful place, that I now knew how to find again. We exchanged coordinates. I would be back. Soon.