Video: Vorsprung durch Technik
Looking through the Guardian's series of articles on Germany I happened to stumble across a very interesting a video here for those that have an interest in advertising, and in this case advertising cars. Now we've all heard the Audi slogan 'Vorsprung durch Technik,' but how come it became a catchphrase even in the english-speaking world and became synonymous with German prowess as whole in the 1980s? Sir John Hegarty, the British ad man responsible for dusting off the slogan, which he found on an old poster during an Audi factory visit, rekindles how the campaign came to fruition. Further down on this page the original video ad that made the campaign such a success. What strucks me is the apparent ease with which narrator Geoffrey Palmer talks his way through the ad, effortlessy explaining in a few sentences and with little words that actually have nothing to do with the technical advancements of the car why an Audi is so much better technically than competitors. Closing with a cheeky: "If you wanna get on the beach before the Germans, you better buy an Audi 100. Vorsprung durch Technik as they say in Germany." Hear, hear as they say in British parliament.
Photography: The 1969 Italian Grand Prix
With the 2012 Italian Grand Prix underway this weekend, it's a good time to look back at a previous edition of this traditional F1 race. With Hamilton and Alonso being particularly strong this weekend, the 1969 edition saw Jackie Stewart and Jochen Rindt go head to head. It was in this race that Jackie Stewart claimed his first F1 title with three races still to go by finishing first. It wasn't a walk in the, admittedly beautiful, Royal Villa of Monza park for Stewart though, the first 4 drivers finished within a second of one another. Rindt crossed the line just 0.08 seconds after Stewart while Frenchman Beltoise and New Zealander McLaren where right on his heels. It is no surprise that this race is the closest 1-2-3-4 finish in GP history with lead changes almost every lap. Best of all we have some photos of this momentous occassion!
Add a commentShed or Minter: 1957 OSCA Barchetta Vignale
This time an unlikely candidate for an internet auction. On Ebay in France we found this splendid OSCA Barchetta with a Vignale body. We say splendid but other evidence points at this listing not being quite what it seems, simply because it has been listed thrice on three different websites each stating different countries as location. Here one in Sweden and here one in Belgium (with the tel. number leading us to classicscars.com). This 1957 OSCA was listed on the other two websites as MT4-2AD. Interestingly the seller states that this car has the same Vignale body as the Ferrari 225S, which is a bit odd as that one saw the light in 1957, why would an innovative and creative company like Vignale shape an already retro body for a new chassis in 1957? More likely it is a rebodied car. By the way, underneath a photo of what seems to be the same car. Story doesn't end here as the 'Sweden-based' seller of this car also has another OSCA (and many other cars) for sale, listed on the same day here. It all sounds a bit fishy, but what do I know. Of course it's possible this 'Claus' guy has multiple cars to sell, and yes perhaps he's a global traveller living in Sweden, France and Belgium. But why then, put only one of those priceless cars on Ebay on an account which previously hasn't sold anything else than a few video games, U2 concert tickets and lots of toothpaste? To me it is a mystery, to others it is not much of an issue.
Ed. Went for $250,000 in the end!
Add a commentVideo: Lotus Elan vs Mazda MX-5 Super 20
By lack of home-made car reviews by TheRetromobilist (as I can't see anyone granting us an Elan to test at the moment, or is there anyone who's kind enough to do so?) we feature one hell of an interesting duel between the classis Lotus Elan and the brand-new Mazda MX-5 Super 20. Well, I say duel, it's more of a huge laudation to the Elan really. In addition to that, the guys from American magazine 'Car and Driver' have chosen an equally legendary track (Laguna Seca) to test these cars as well. Motoring journalist Sam Smith guides us through both cars with much passion and knowledge. Unsurprisingly, the concept MX-5 Super 20 (or any MX-5) was inspired by the Elan which is why his choice for these two cars and his opinions make so much sense. Make sure you watch it!
Add a commentShed or Minter: Audi 60
Outside or inside of Germany, it doesn't matter, you won't see many of these Audi 60s on the streets today. The question here should be; why? Problematic to maintain perhaps? Not very pretty perhaps? Or don't they have enough snob value compared to ubiquitous Mercedes-Benz cars of the era? These Audi / Auto Union cars certainly weren't badly built though, when you do see one come along the bodies are most of the time in great shape. Built in both 2-door and 4-door versions the Audi 60 was the successor to the DKW F102 and marked a new era for the Auto Union factory, while the DKW still had a 2-stroke engine, the Audi powered into modernity with a brand-new 4-stroke engine (with 4 cylinders). Its boxy yet somehow curvaceous body was an instant hit (or at least a bigger hit than the DKW F102 which was a commercial disaster), especially the Coupes looked and look just right. Instead of finding one for sale, we found two of these little stormers for sale, in Germany, look here. Both of them need a LOT of work though but with a starting price of €700 this still looks like a good deal. But it's obvious buyers will need some guidance, so read with us and find out more about these classy German cars.
Preview: The Goodwood Revival - Flying A Racing
As it's less than a month until the Goodwood Revival 2012 (14-16 September) takes place, I thought it would be a good moment to introduce you to some of the teams and the stuff one can expect at the Revival. It might give you that little push to go and plan a trip to what is probably the greatest classic car event in the world (I'm still biting my nails here whether I will be granted press accreditation!). In this post we dive a bit deeper into one of the teams partaking in the St. Mary's Trophy for saloon cars from 1950-1959. Flying A Racing will be present with some Austins, we concentrate in this post on the A35 which will, in the celebrity race on the Saturday, be driven by Martin Brundle. While an A40 of the same team will be driven by touring car ace Rob Huff. The owner of the A35 kindly sent us some pics of the car in preparation. Now, this particular A35 is no stranger to the Revival, it took part 3 times before and is in fact a bit of a giant killer. At the 2010 Revival it was running strong in the hands of Martin Brundle until Brundle managed to bang it into another Austin driven by Tom Kristensen. This year though the A35 is raring to go and in tip-top condition as the photos underneath illustrate.
