The Magazine

Putting on the Ritz?

We are not so sure if the lady at the wheel is having a great day out. The expression on her face is not exactly begging for another 100 miles of Edwardian motoring fun. The set-up (click main pic for larger version) is clearly posed for the photographer. Perhaps she’s just getting bored. Anyway, the scene depicts a typical well-to-do family, or maybe it’s the other way around and is it the photographer who created a rather cliché scene of how other people looked at high society. What we do know is that the voiturette is a 1903 (?) De Dion-Bouton. Let's try to cheer her up with a song . To be honest not a veteran hit, but vintage Yes!

Friday, 03 September 2010

Tour of the End of the Holidays (Update: more photos)

By Paul Linster: After last year's 25h anniversary tour of Veteran Car Club Grand Ducal Pre-war Car Club, we had a more modest edition this year: 17 teams from Great Britain, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg joined in the little town of Echternach (Luxembourg) to have a most convivial two-day tour through the bordering German Eifel to "Schloss Hamm" and the Château of Beaufort in the Grand-Duchy. Oldest car was a Citroen A type from 1919, youngest a 1938 Morgan 4-4. Among the fleet were an Overland Whippet, 1927 Pontiac Torpedo, Packard 833 tourer, two differently bodied 1933 Plymouth, 2 and 3 litre Lagonda (i.e. the entity of "Luxembourg Lagonda Club ...), Daimler Straight 8, a superb and powerful Delahaye 135S and a BSA threewheeler. An excellent atmosphere, acceptable weather thanks to some friends' relationship to the weather god, excellent food and wine - in short a most pleasant feast of pre-war cars and good friends in Luxembourg highly appreciated by many spectators and admirers of true classic cars.

Update by editor: click here for more photos of the Tour.

Thursday, 02 September 2010

Big Wheels keep on Turning

An auction in Auburn, Indiana should contain some Auburns and indeed Worldwide Auctioneers have several in their Main Event on September 4. But we also noticed this attractive Highwheeler made by the International Harvester Company, of agricultural fame. The company’s idea behind the production of a buggy-type automobile was that the people of the US had been used to driving these kind of buggies for years and years and they saw no reason why an automobile should look different. An argument that overtook the company several years later when they added a model with pneumatic tires. This one is a 1908 model D that has been with the same owner since the mid-1940s. (photos courtesy WWG)

Wednesday, 01 September 2010

The Massachusetts Benz Mystery (UPDATE VI: White movie star?)

Hey "Look what I found", writes Tom Laferriere and sends a set of photos showing this awesome looking brass era Speedster hiding in the right location. The radiator reads Benz, so wow, this must be the find of this still young century! Yet, we know that we can't deceive you prewar experts for long. What in fact did Tom find? And maybe if you are truly into this, what may have been the exact purpose of this neat looking piece of machinery? ( photos courtesy Tom Laferriere )

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Today, 125 years ago (Update II: oldest patent 1884)

A good 125 years ago, on August 29 1885, Gottlieb Daimler filed the patent for his so-called ‘riding car’. It was built in Gottlieb Daimler's workshop as a test unit to prove the suitability of Daimler's and Wilhelm Maybach's gas or petroleum engine for everyday use. The idea seemed to work as shown by this picture of Wilhelm Maybach astride the machine. The original doesn’t exist anymore, but as today the ‘riding car’ is seen as the world’s first motorcycle, a replica has been constructed using the old patents. (photos courtesy Daimler AG)

We are very well aware of earlier patents like the French Lenoir of 1860(?), the Austrian Marcus and the American Selden (1877) and we still hope to find "pics in action" of all these famous three. You are most welcome to report any trace of real life of these cars.

Monday, 30 August 2010