Other Car Cultures

[CSL177]

Yes, many of us live and breathe blue & white, but I'd think that just as many have other automotive fetishes. Mine are wide ranging, from cyclecars to JDM wonders of the '60s-80s.

So even though my first of many BMWs was a 2000CS, there have always been other (mainly German) cars in our garage. What's been in yours, and is now?

Anyone like VWs? This is our second bus, purchased in '94. Second shot shows I need to finish it! 275,000 miles on the original engine & transaxle, new top end, case never split.

It's my favorite car, BTW. Goes everywhere with a smile.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

The only other collector car I have right now is the 77 MGB that I backdated and installed a 3.5 Rover aluminum V8 and world class T5. The V8 weighs 40 pounds less than the iron 4 cylinder it replaced.

I took this car on a 2,000 mile road trip a couple of years ago.

 

[Jon B]

What's been in yours, and is now?

My two old cars, collecting dust at the back of my shop :-(
I've had the Porsche for 45 years, and the BMW for almost 30 years.

 

[deQuincey]

Yes, many of us live and breathe blue & white, but I'd think that just as many have other automotive fetishes. Mine are wide ranging, from cyclecars to JDM wonders of the '60s-80s.

So even though my first of many BMWs was a 2000CS, there have always been other (mainly German) cars in our garage. What's been in yours, and is now?

Anyone like VWs? This is our second bus, purchased in '94. Second shot shows I need to finish it! 275,000 miles on the original engine & transaxle, new top end, case never split.

View attachment 122486
View attachment 122487

It's my favorite car, BTW. Goes everywhere with a smile.

the combination of colours is delicious

 

[SamiA]

Oh I just have to comment here. I go also to VW. Here is my Karmann Ghia. The one I drove to office even today.

My E9 is from late -73 while the VW is from June -74 ( a month before the production ended). So I tend to think that at least some parts of these two cars have been in Karmann factory in Osnabrück simultaneously.

 

[deQuincey]

Oh I just have to comment here. I go also to VW. Here is my Karmann Ghia. The one I drove to office even today.

View attachment 122498

My E9 is from late -73 while the VW is from June -74 ( a month before the production ended). So I tend to think that at least some parts of these two cars have been in Karmann factory in Osnabrück simultaneously.

that is a beauty
in the ghia i prefer the coupe, but if you need space in your garage i will host it here anytime

 

[Arde]

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The wheels on the VW bus seem too small .
Two cool VWs I just ran into this week:

 

[adawil2002]

My parents had VWs until I was 7. My dad owned a 1970 Orange Wagon, Mom had 1968 Light Yellow Karmann Ghia, last ne was Dad's 1973 Blue Super Beetle. The had horrible American cars until the New Beetles came out. My mom bought a Bright Yellow Beetle which died a horrible death when she was T-boned, she walked away somehow. Then a Light Green Turbo Beetle was her last car.

I also grew up with Prewar cars & going to car shows almost every weekend. The first ones I remember were around 1970. My grandfather collected cars.

He owned this 1932 Twin Six Victoria by Dietrich from 1962-1979 when he sold it to a man in Atlanta Georgia who repainted it shown at the Packard Centennial in Warren Ohio & he sold it to "Chip" Connors who had RM restore it and took Best in Class & was in the running for Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 2017.



When he sold the Twin Six he received a 1933 Packard Twelve Convertible Coupe Roadster in partial trade. I inherited the car from my grandfather & sold it in 2017. It's currently being restored to perfection in Connecticut & will make its way to Pebble Beach.



in 1959 My grandfather bought this 1914 KisselKar 4-40 Touring in Old Saybrook Connecticut. I inherited it in 1999 & still own it today. It's currently in the Hartford Auto Museum in Hartford Wisconsin. There are only 2 of these cars in existence & were first together in 2016 at the Kissel 110 Anniversary Meet at the museum. The other one was owned by Coker Tires' Anne Klein for 60+ years. In 2006, Lynn Kissel bought the car & resides in Cameron Park California.



I also own 8 BMWs. Veronika-1968 1600 Cabriolet, Vern-1973 2002Tii, Athena-1973 3.0 CSi, Rodney-1988 M5, The M3-1997 M3, Julia-2007 Z4 Coupe,The Unincon-2007 X3 6-speed & Ophelia-2014 X3.

 

[CSL177]

Fantastic MG, Dick. Isn't it odd that it took an enthusiast to push MG to install the Rover V8 in their car, but only the GT?

If only... I mean, Triumph did a V8 with the Stag, but used the wrong engine. The TR-8 wasn't much better.

@Arde: What IS that? The 'fridge I get, what's the other "bus"?

@SamiA, there are photos of the Karmann assembly line showing 914s and KG Type 1s side by side. Pretty sure E9 construction was given extra rust to start with.
There are photos of the Type 3 GK along side. Here's ours, a '63 sunroof, wanted one for years and finally added it a few years ago.

Mmmmmm, Packards. Especially coachbuilt examples, that Victoria is fantastic! When I was 17, I had the opportunity to trade a 1934 1101 convertible coupe for my BJ8 Healy.
So tempted, but no. Still love pre-war cars though, and someday might succumb. More likely a Salmson or Amilcar, though.

BTW, that's a very impressive group of Bimmers. A friend had a cabrio long ago (wish he'd sold it to me) but I've only seen three in the flesh, ever.
And I read about Kissel when I was a kid in Automobile Quarterly... seem to also remember a piece written by Ralph Stein in one of his books.
It's very cool you're directly connected to those cars, soon they'll be far removed from the people that drove them every day.

 

[Stan]

 

[Jon B]

Playing with old cars.

At my shop in the 80s/90s. The one Porsche I still have is in the upper corner.
The McLaren, ex-Fittipaldi, we ran for ten years. I'm in the red cap in photos below.

 

[CSL177]

Playing with old formula cars is special fun, Jon... same car, different livery? And is that Quick Vic with you in front of the 904? Yours at the time?

Nice Convertible D BTW, definitely a keeper, but use it once in awhile!

 

[Mot27cars]

Wow!!!!!
You guys have been tremendously blessed to have and have owned all these….. amazing

 

[bmw2800cs]

View attachment 122557View attachment 122558

Love e30's!

 

[Jon B]

Playing with old formula cars is special fun, Jon... same car, different livery? And is that Quick Vic with you in front of the 904? Yours at the time?
Nice Convertible D BTW, definitely a keeper, but use it once in awhile!

No, LOL, the 904 and F1 cars belonged to customers. Only the 356s and BMW were/are mine.
The Warsteiner car is an ex-Patrese Arrows.
The Tyrrell below is the F. Cevert '71 US GP winner. The McLaren won the '74 Canadian and '75 Spanish GPs.

My grey Porsche is a '60 Roadster, my old blue coupé was a '56.

 

[CSL177]

Gotcha... a fun but expensive hobby. I was fortunate to play for several years in historic sports cars until seasonal budget considerations prohibited it.

If we ever get back to vintage racing it won't be in Porsches, much as I love driving them.

 

[Gazz]

This is my 1990 Australian spec Honda VFR750R aka RC30. I've had it from new. It's essentially a race bike and though you will hear of people riding them on the road it's really only for open fast road riding. A real pig in traffic so mine has only 240 klms on the clock. Still has the original tyres which are now very hard and shiny. By the time I acquired it I had ceased track racing on bikes.

Current daily is an AMG C63 507. A bear in wolf's clothing and approaching collectible status. Project garage queen is a 73 CSi nearing completion of a 7 year restoration.

Sold my BMW 1M and now regret it so looking for another. Also a perfect late edition Peugeot 205 GTI. Both fun cars to drive.

 

[JMinPDX]

Though I don’t have one currently, I’ve always been a Triumph guy. I’ve had Spitfires, a TR4A and a couple of Heralds.
Not coincidently All Giovanni Michelotti designs.

 

[JFENG]

won't be in Porsches, much as I love driving them

ok, I’ll bite.Why not, as they are fabulous historic race cars.

john

 

[Gazz]

I'm not sure if fetish is the appropriate word but - my brother has a thing for the dullest most mundane cars. "Workaday cars" as he calls them. In his stable are

Hillman Hunter sedan - this is the English version of the Toyota Corona and fortunately there are few remaining. It is 70s English!
Toyota Corona sedan - this is the Japanese version of a Hillman Hunter and is so well built that unfortunately there are still plenty on the road.
Morris Minor utility - my brother is quite large and he barely fits into the cabin in this thing. His son won't fit at all, which doesn't matter because he refuses to be seen in it.
Toyota Corolla - great - as a point A to point B car that you can depend on. That's it. No really, that's it.
Mitsubishi Scorpion - Hmmm. The delusional person's sports car.

All devoid of charm, ( well to me anyway ), each embedded with the antithesis of driving enjoyment and each successful in their failure to provide any type of chick magnetism.