The largest gathering of Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts ever, took place on Saturday at the Rolls Royce head office and manufacturing plant at Goodwood, West Sussex. More than 60 of the historic motor cars, built between 1907 and 1926, were displayed before they embarked on a 17-day, 2000-mile tour. The event marks the centenary of a reliability trial that established the reputation of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in 1907 as the world’s finest car. The commemorative cross-country tour includes stopovers in Derbyshire, the Lake District, Inverness, John O’Groats and Dundas Castle in Edinburgh. The tour has been organised by the 20-Ghost Club, which encourages the restoration, maintenance and use of Rolls-Royce cars built before 1945. Members of the club have brought cars from as far away as the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and India. The vehicles represent some of the finest examples of their type, including the car that carried out the actual endurance test in 1907. (text and photo courtesy Rolls Royce Motor Cars)

Read also the recent update on our Centennial Mystery (click) from March 2004!  

Bernie Jacobson from Australia recently acquired a Dixie Flyer, probably one of the later production cars. Dixie Flyers were built by the Kentucky Wagon Manufacturing Company in Louisville Kentucky USA from 1917 until 1922. Now he is desperately searching for at least one other surviving car as he cannot grasp the idea that he may own the very last survivor... So far his efforts to locate a second Dixie Flyer (owner) have been in vain. A posting on the AACA's forum has failed to bring forth any response. Likewise advertisements in a number of local Australian Old Car Club magazines has proved fruitless. E-mails to both Michael Ware and Michael Worthington Williams have sparked their interest and while MWW can confirm that Dixie Flyers were imported new into England no surviving examples have been discovered. There is a rumour of another example believed to be in either Denmark or Norway but to date this is unconfirmed either way. Is anybody of our readers aware of other Dixie Flyer somewhere on this globe? Either in sad or shiny condition? In a short websearch we found at least one, that is to say one other Dixie Flyer badge.... photographed by Inga Rannveig (DPCprints.com). But where is that car, or should we say: Where is Inga? Info@PreWarCar.com

UPDATE by Inga Rannveig from Iceland who has seen the car there and wrote us this is a 1919 car. More to follow later after we have heard from the Iceland ... 'Akureyri' Car Club   Read more

During the forthcoming Greenwich Concours d’Elegance on the 2nd and 3rd of June, it will be interesting to watch Christie’s sale of Exceptional Motorcars. One of the cars on offer will be this 1938 Bugatti Type 57C that comes from the collection of Mr. John W. Straus. The car was originally bodied by Gangloff with a Stelvio cabriolet coachwork, but just after the war a later owner replaced it with this stylish Atalante body that had been on display at the 1939 New York World's Fair French Pavilion. In the early fifties the car was bought by Mr. Straus and he drove it until about 1962. He then parked it in his garage alongside a 1949 Jaguar Mk V saloon, which will also be auctioned. The unique two-tone black and yellow Bugatti has remained in the garage, out of sight, ever since. It now carries an estimate of 300,000 to 400,000 US dollars. (photos courtesy Christie’s) (RB) 

"My neighbour let me scan the two pics from her family album, showing her father, Dumitru Vasiliu, proudly posing sometime around 1930 in his newly acquired car from Paris. It’s the most striking Renault I’ve ever seen. The superlong 40CV (45?) chassis with a sporty coachwork. While some features are in the 20's sportscar fashion, others seem strange, like the lack of the passenger door with step-access on a post-1925 car (losange logo). Also the unusual proportions and the beautiful sweeping line just midway between a speedster and a phaeton. Windshield wiper? (editor: this seems the hand-operated 'clip-on' type) My neighbour remembers the father had told her the car was bought from a movie-star. The striking one-off body and the egocentric star over the losange seem to be some strong arguments. May someone help us to find who made this unique body and who might have been the first owner (the movie-star?). It might be somewhat easy as -while the pictures were taken in Romania- the car still bears the original French number plates." Radu Comsa, Romania
For more detail Click Here. Response is welcome at Info@PreWarCar.com
UPDATE by Evan Ide:"The car has many features similar to Labourdette coachwork (the shape of the fenders and location of head lights). As far as the star over the Renault emblem this is a factory item. The star was used on many Renault cars to signify the upscale version of a model. These were the Stella series cars. For example the upscale version of the Monasix fitted with chrome wheels was the Monastella. Prior to the Stella range it adorned the top 45cv chassis. Not all have 45cv I have seen but most of around 1925 or later seem to have the star. The large Renault chassis often received unusual bodies perhaps due to their unusual front ends they attracted eccentric clients."  

When you click on this advertisement for Johnny Walker you’ll see a painting on an easel in the background. The painting is called Speed Demons of 1904. Both painting and advert were made by famous artist Peter Helck. When in 1944 Esquire Magazine published a calendar with a series of racing scenes painted by Peter Helck racing, his career as a motoring artist really took off and nowadays a Peter Helck painting will fetch a high price at an automobilia auction. The car in the foreground with number 16 was also owned by Peter Helck. It was a Locomobile (ddavid.com) which he bought it in 1941. The car was never restored and still carries the original grey paint and racing number from the 1908 Vanderbilt race. It went to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn after Peter’s death in 1988. (With thanks to Timothy Helck, Peter’s grandson, who built a website celebrating his grandfather’s work) (RB)  

There is no reliable written documentation available which could tell who was the first private person to own a car in Finland. First automobile advertisements were published in 1899 and from that same year are reports of automobiles driving on the road and scaring horses. One of the first car owners in Finland, if not the first, was a wealthy landowner Hjalmar Linder who owned several manors both in Finland and abroad including Mustio manor. Persistent rumours say that Linder owned a car already in 1898. Fortunately there are several photo documentations available of his first car. Examining the picture indicates that the car is certainly not older than 1900. There is still not 100% certainty what was the make of his first car. It is generally believed to be a Mors or some other chain-driven French car. French chauffeur "Achille" and his wife were part of the deal and they would follow Linder in his trips to foreign countries. Linder always preferred expensive cars. In 1904 he bought a Mercedes-Simplex which had a 9,2 -liter 60hp engine. In 1909 he purchased a Leon Bollée and in 1910 a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. He had also several other cars in his garage e.g. Fiat and Hudson. Unfortunately Linder was a gambler and as a result of several problems in his private life he died without his fortunes in 1921. From all of his expensive cars the only part remaining is a clock from the Silver Ghost." (article by Raul Valkila from Finland)

UPDATE III by John Peirson:"I looked up Mr Linder in the book "The Edwardian Rolls-Royce" and found that Mr Linder owned two early Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts, a 1912 (chassis 2214) and a 1914 (chassis 53RB). Alas there is no mention of a 1910 car."
UPDATE II by Rick Ford:"
...(there)is a photo of the Linder 1912 (not 1910) RR Silver Ghost in John Fasal's "The Edwardian Rolls-Royce" Page 580. (Still available) Quote "Chassis 2214, engine 8.T, Tourer by Rothschild, on test 5.12. 1912. Supplied via Autos R-R, France to S Nicholajeff, Lubeck, Finland.then to Baron Linder, Swarta, Finland. Illustrated RROC, 'Flying Lady' 71-3 page 1347."

UPDATE by Mark Dawber:"I can't find a pic the same but I think the car in Finland is a 1901 Mors - my guess is about 12hp. Berliet of the same era looked similar but I would go for Mors."  

"If you live in the Midwest of the US you know that winter often lasts a long time and the car season is short. For those who are dressed up for a car show but with nowhere to go I would highly recommend a trip to the Antique Car Museum of Iowa (see also PreWarCar.TV). The collection is impressive and unexpected with cars ranging from a 1899 Haynes-Apperson, the 1911 Elmore that was a Chickasha in March has found a home here, there is a wonderfully original 1910 Model T touring and many other highly original, unrestored cars. Here, one can see a 1903 Ford and a 1903 Cadillac and can marvel at their similarities. There is also an original 1907 Economy high wheeler! So, should you find yourself on I-80 passing by Iowa City take the time to get off at Coralville." So far Thomas Edfors who was kind enough to send us his photos and comments on this very special museum. Alas, nobody was succesful with this quiz. That is to say, most competitors were delured by our hints and the car's design... (see Read More)
(text & photos Thomas Edfors)

UPDATE by David Green:"The Economy Motor Buggy Company had a short life, 1907-1911, and in that short life its motor buggy was built at two sites. It appears it started out in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where it was subject to the litigation you refer to. According to the Joliet web-site, it moved to Joliet, Illinois where a new factory began operating on January 13, 1909. The following is taken from the Joliet web-site: "According to the late John Whiteside, "The Economy Motor Buggy started manufacturing its vehicle in Fort Wayne, Ind. in 1907. But because of infringing on patents held by a St. Louis company and resulting lawsuits, Economy quietly closed its Indiana shop and moved to Joliet, where they opened a building on Bissel Street."" This may have been a new incorporation in Illinois, designed to escape the litigation. A date of 1907 is entirely consistent with the evidence of John Whiteside, but, short of finding a manufacturer's plate with Fort Wayne on it, it will be difficult to prove. Stylistically, one might hazard that the upright steering wheel predates the tilted one seen in the 1909 buggy, for which there is an advertisement on the Joliet web-site."   Read more

Last weekend was Holland's largest oldtimer event with some 400 participating vintage cars and motorcycles. They all make the big 11-city tour (in the past only done on skates) in the province of Fryslân. Prewarcar fan Jan van de Berg sent out this two daughters (Eva 19 & Floor 22) plus friends to keep in training his 1929 Peugeot 190s. ( departure: 7.45 hrs. arrival 18.30 hrs.) They performed quite well on the 233 kilometer tour with average of 21 km per hour over the full day. Of course they made a quick stop for a photo at the village 'Vroubuurt' (Womansparish (click). As you may understand mr. Jan van de Berg stayed close...; see the full Vanden Berg team .  

The 'Trofeo Automobile Club di Como' is awarded to the car driven from the most distant location to the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. This year it was given to Per Viberg of Norway, owner of this 1940 BMW 335 Autenrieth Cabriolet. The restoration shot is showing the car in the state he started with back in 1998. He wanted to drive the car all the way to the event from his native town, Finnsnes, north of the Polar Circle, but when he had to decide how to leave home, it looked like this....! He was by no means short of solutions and made the first leg by 'Hurtigruta ferry' along the Norwegian coast. Embarking in Trondheim, he drove totally 2100 kilometres one way, with a Munich 'pit stop' at BMW Mobile Tradition. There the mechanics just had to change oil and a slightly leaking gasket on the radiator cap before Mr. Viberg could continue the drive to Como. After the weekend there, the car was driven back to Munich, where Mr. Viberg will participate in 'Die Grossen Alpenrally' later this summer before driving it back to Norway. The trip is not the first time Viberg has taken on a great effort with this car. (many thanks to Ivar Engerud from Norway for text and photos)  

An old problem asks for a modern solution ....the next step and the final verdict ....







(artwork Kim Koffman)