Thomas Ulrich from Berlin is looking for surviving motorcars with a Kellner body. Yes, we know there are lots of remaining Kellner bodied cars. But not with bodies by ALEXIS(!) Kellner of Berlin (!). Thomas wrote us: "I am researching for a book the history of the coachbuilding firm Alexis Kellner of Berlin. I am looking for history and (maybe) surviving cars. At the moment I know of a Rolls Royce, a Graham Paige and an Austro Daimler. I like to get in touch to anyone who has a car with a Alexis Kellner body. The firm has nothing to do with Kellner in Paris. Here are two pictures of a Maybach. It's from 1925 and it is said that this car was delivered to a British minister. Kellner were well known for there Cabriolet coachworks." Info@PreWarCar.com
UPDATE by Hans 'Hispano' Veenenbos:" You may be interested to know that the Swiss coachbuilding company Langenthal took out a license from Alexis Kellner. They built several bodies under this license. More information and photos can be obtained through the Swiss Car Register (Urs Ramseier)."  

The Geneva Motor Show has always been famous for its special exhibitions. It’s the place where automobile manufacturers bring their dreams of the future and where coachbuilders show off their special bodywork. But there’s also room for the past. This year the Geneva Motor Show celebrates that exactly a century ago the famous Swiss car magazine Revue Automobile was first published. An exhibition will be put together of about fifteen historic vehicles, that have marked the journal’s first hundred years. Don’t miss it. (RB) 

When we make this quiz, we never know if it’s going to be difficult or not, because there’s so much knowledge among our readers. This one proved really tough as no one guessed right. We received suggestions like Maxwell or Empire, but the right answer should be 1919 Stork-Kar. It was made in Martinsburg, West-Virginia by the Norwalk Motor Company as a badge-engineered version of their own Norwalk Model 4-19. (Norwalk even made two badge-engineered versions of this model, the other the Marshall from Chicago). The Stork-Kar was marketed as a five-passenger touring-car. It had a 4-cylinder Lycoming engine (click) that was slightly overpowered for a car like this. It was sold by Ch.T. Stork & Co. in New York, and even exported. It was quite a common motor-car, but a contemporary road-test described the Stork-Kar as having several outstanding qualities, like the powerful engine, good springing and good road holding. See you all next week; hopefully it won’t be that difficult again. (RB) 

Peter Kaus, the German collector and founder of the famous Rosso Bianco Museum has closed the gate of probably the largest collection of two seater sports and competition cars. After five years of negotiating with various candidates from primarily Germany the Louwman Collection from Holland has won this Grand Sports treasure. The massive collection is focussed on what was to be seen at Le Mans over 7 decades. This according to the Louwman Museum general manager Ronald Kooyman who also explains that the collection will be a perfect match with the current Louwman Collection. The 'marriage' of the two top collections will be realised in the new planned premises of the Museum in The Hague. (photos courtesy Rosso Bianco) We found one gallery showing part of the collection.  

Joe Lemke is writing us 'I am at a point I don't know where else to ask.' Well Joe, finally you have landed in the right place, this is the place where the worlds experts show their knowledge. However the photo you sent does not seem very hard to identify. The Teutonic Mass you are presenting can hide its identity as good as Marlene Dietrich could. Without too much knowledge of the make we are quite sure this is the mighty twelve cylinder (?) Maybach Graf Zeppelin from around 1935. Please go and check Maybach.de to find out more about this superior saloon that like Voisin - but then in a German manner - sprouted from aviation. Don't forget to check on Maybach.de de 'Stromlinie' department! The experts are invited to tell the details of coachwork, exact type and year Info@PreWarCar.com (family album Joe Lemke; click photo for second larger shot)
UPDATE IV Josef Kubista sends a photo which was the subject of Quiz # 150 ; a Tatra T 80 12 cylinder.. ! ; we think Josef is very much right ! Compare the T 80 Saloon in this this Czech Tatra gallery.
and the T80 Drophead Coupe restored by the Prague Classic Car Centre.  Read more

Probably well known to most of our US visitors are both car and driver. At the wheel we see Elliot Ness (SunNews.com) himself. But his car? (click photo for full view). The radiator, the mascot, the artillery wheels, they all look familiar. Is it a 1927 Studebaker President Six (Sandiegohistory.org) ? Probably it will take less than seconds to some of our highly esteemed jury members. To us so far one thing is sure, the car Mr. Ness is driving has very little to do with the Cadillac V16 that currently is advertised widely on the net as 'Elliot Ness his car'. Of course he has owned many cars. Who knows about the automotive life of the famous detective, writer and safety inspector? Info@PreWarCar.com
UPDATE IV by Kit Foster. After hearing about the doubts on the issue, he writes:'I agree Studebaker-like at first glance, but a number of subtle differences. I'm now thinking 1926 Jordan."
UPDATE III: an anonymous source - well educated in Studebakers - is sure the car involved is NO Studebaker....
UPDATE II by Mark Dawber:"Studes of the '20s are notoriously difficult to put an exact date on because the factory introduced new models as they saw fit. Each of the three main series was introduced at different times and so there was often overlap of models. I have a 19281/2 third series Dictator sedan on wire wheels and have done some research on them. I have a copy of the Crestline Studebaker history but even that contains many errors particularly in the 1920s cars....  Read more

Brian Joseph in the US is asking assistance regarding this Delage with parallel opening doors (click) : "I am trying to obtain original images of this 1939 Delage D8-120. This car was ordered by the French government for the 1939 Paris auto show. Because the show was canceled, the car was never displayed at any auto show. During the war it was stored at the Saoutchik facility. After the war it was used by the French government and Charles de Gaulle until about 1948. It was then sold to a Mr. Henon who built trailers. He modified the radiator shell, hood and widened the cowl....  Read more

Another mystery sent to us by Rain Vaikla from Estonia. This car was pictured in the summer of 1936 near a small lake in Estonia, but Rain hasn’t got a clue what make it is. The front reminds us a bit of a BMW. The roof seems to be "chopped" Streetrod style, in which case there is a small chance that it's a locally built body on some older chassis. Rain Vaikla (and we of course) would very much like to know more about this car. Mail your ideas to: events@PreWarCar.com (RB)
UPDATE III: by editor, we also checked Skoda and Opel and GAZ without succes. Very interesting that a seemingly high volume car from relative recent years finds no recognition...!
UPDATE II by Kit Foster who doesn't know the answer, but is quite sure it is no German Ford Either(check:autogallery.org.ru)
Update by Stuart Penketh: “This car looks typically like a Ford, albeit modified somewhat, possibly, the Ford-V8 Type G48, made in Germany, March 1935-August 1936. This car came in several body types. This one looks like the 4-door 6-light Limousine version.”  

In 1943 the US government stopped issuing license plates because due to World War II, aluminum had to be conserved. Instead a sticker was made that had to be applied to the windshield (click the image for an enlargement). Many were of course put on cars and did not survive, but some did. We have no idea as to how many were made but we do suspect that they have now become extremely rare. Vance Wing owns this 1943 sticker and also a differently shaped one dating from 1944 (click!). events@PreWarCar.com (RB)

UPDATE IV by ALCPA member (click) Kit Foster:" Actually, except for certain government and military vehicles, the US Government has never issued license plates nor stickers - they are almost entirely the responsibility of the various states and territories. That's why we have so many different ones to collect and inspire thriving groups like ALPCA. Over the years, the states have adopted all sorts of 'plating' schemes, in response to war,   Read more

This American car had, judging from contemporary reports, excellent road-holding capabilities. The well-sprung seat-cushions of this five-passenger touring were given a special mention. It also had a powerful four-cylinder engine but, contrary to its name, this car was no highflier. It was no more than an attempt at badge-engineering by a better known manufacturer. Enough clues to solve this problem? Then write to us mentioning 1. the make; 2. the year(s) it was made and 3. the make it was based on. events@PreWarCar.com (RB)  Read more