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Saturday, June 30, 2018

KdF Wagen Revenue Stamps


I can't believe I had an opportunity to buy a filled KdF Wagen stamp savings box at the Vienna Naschmarkt years ago and passed because I was too cheap. Below is a description of this pane of stamps.

KdF Wagen savings
stamps.  

To help finance the war effort and to encourage the German people to save for an automobile, people were encouraged to purchase these stamps from their pay and to put them in a savings booklet.  Once the booklet was full of stamps as required, the Germans would trade the VW savings card in for a new Volkswagen.  Since Germany lost the war, no cars were actually delivered under this program.  
Kraft durch Freude (German for Strength through Joy, abbreviated KdF) was a large state-operated leisure organization in National Socialism Germany. ] It was a part of the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, DAF), the national German labour organization at that time. Set up as a tool to promote the advantages of National Socialism to the people, it soon became the world's largest tourism operator of the 1930s.
Another less ideological goal was to boost the German economy by stimulating the tourist industry out of its slump from the 1920s. It was quite successful up until the outbreak of World War II. By 1934, over two million Germans had participated on a KdF trip; by 1939 the reported numbers lay around 25 million people. The organization essentially collapsed in 1939, and several projects, such as the massive Prora holiday resort, were never completed.



What the Funk? -- What Makes Funk Music Funk? Rose Royce - Car Wash





A faculty member organizing a symposium on Funk has asked me to explore the relationship between Funk Music and automobiles. Frankly, I am out of my league here, as I know nothing of Funk music and even the vaguest notion of how to define it and recognize it. I do know there is a connection with Dayton (The Ohio Players) and also New Orleans music in the 1960s and 1970s.  And I lived in New Orleans  in the 1970s when Funk down there was strong.  I have been given  couple of songs the supposedly are Funk titles. One is "Car Wash." Funk, disco, it is all the same to me right now.

Here is a descriptor from Wikipedia of some help --

Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid- to late 1960s when African American musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of soul music, jazz, and rhythm and blues (R&B). Funk de-emphasizes melody and chord progressions used in other related genres and brings a strong rhythmic groove of a bass line played by an electric bassist and a drum part played by a drummer to the foreground. Funk songs are often based on an extended vamp on a single chord, distinguishing them from R&B and soul songs, which are built on complex chord progressions. Funk uses the same richly-colored extended chords found in bebop jazz, such as minor chords with added sevenths and elevenths, or dominant seventh chords with altered ninths. Like much African-inspired music, funk typically consists of a complex groove with rhythm instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass, Hammond organ, and drums playing interlocking rhythms. Most funk bands have a horn section of several saxophones, trumpets, and in some cases, a trombone, which plays rhythmic "hits" and "punches". Funk originated in the mid-1960s, with James Brown's development of a signature groove that emphasized the downbeat—with heavy emphasis on the first beat of every measure, funky bass lines, drum patterns, and syncopated guitar riffs. Other musical groups, including Sly & the Family Stone and Parliament-Funkadelic, soon began to adopt and develop Brown's innovations. While much of the written history of funk focuses on men, there have been notable funk women, including Chaka Khan, Labelle, Brides of Funkenstein, Klymaxx, Mother's Finest, and Betty Davis. Many of the most famous bands in the genre also played disco and soul extensively. Funk derivatives include funk rock (e.g., Red Hot Chili Peppers); boogie (or electro-funk), a form of electronic music; electro music, a hybrid of electronic music and funk; funk metal (e.g., Living Colour); G-funk, a mix of gangsta rap and funk; Timba, a form of funky Cuban popular dance music; and funk jam (e.g., Phish). Funk samples have been used extensively in genres including hip hop, house music, and drum and bass. It is also the main influence of go-go, a subgenre associated with funk.


Below are the lyrics for "Car Wash," -- 1976. Can you provide any insights?




Car Wash
Car Wash
Rose Royce 
Ooh ooh
You might not ever get rich
But let me tell ya it's better than diggin' a ditch
There ain't no tellin' who you might meet
A movie star or maybe even an Indian chief
(Workin')
At the car wash
Workin' at the car wash, girl
Come on and sing it with me
(Car wash)
Sing it with the feelin' ya'all
(Car wash, girl)
Ooh!
Some of the work gets kinda hard
This ain't no place to be if you planned on bein' a star
Let me tell you it's always cool
And the boss don't mind sometimes if you act the fool
At the car wash
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Talkin' about the car wash, girl
Come on, ya'all and sing it for me
(Car wash)
Oooh oooh oooh
(Car wash, girl)
(Work and work)
Well, those cars never seem to stop coming
(Work and work)
Keep those rags and machines humming
(Work and work)
My fingers to the bone
(Work)
Can't wait till it's time to go home (?)
(Hey, get your car washed today)
Fill up and you don't have to pay
Come on and give us a play
(Do the wash, right away)
(The car wash)
Talkin' 'bout the car wash
Car wash, girl
Come on, ya'all, let's sing it with me
(Car wash)
Sing it with feelin', ya'all
(Car wash, girl)
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
(Car wash)
Never seem to stop comin'
What'd I say
Keep those rags and machines hummin'
(Car wash)
Let me tell you, it's always cool . . . 
(transcribed by NormalGuy)
Songwriters: NORMAN JESSE WHITFIELD
© Universal Music Publishing Group

Friday, June 29, 2018

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Grandma's 1985 Toyota Corolla LE

Hi folks -- below are a few photos of what has been my daily driver to school the past few years -- a 1985 Toyota Corolla LE with now 52,000 miles on it.  Grandma bought it new in the fall of 1985 and owned it until she passed in 2014. I can't remember the mileage then, but my guess is that it was in the 30k range.

With the exception of one small rust hole on the front left fender due to a drain blockage, the car is near perfect. I get compliments on this car all the times many as when I drive my 1071 Porsche 911T Targa and 1982 Mercedes 380 SL.

It runs great. I just recharged the A/C and changed two belts. I have never tracked its gas mileage, but I suspect it is quite good.




OK, the steering wheel cover is a bit tacky, but it was used in my 1990 Mustang  convertible when daughter  Lisa  drove it to high school.

Mercedes-Benz SL Sports Cars at Silveretta Classic Rally, July 5-7, 2017

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198), 1000 Miglia 2018, stage from Cervia to Rome on 17 May 2018.

Mercedes-Benz 230 SL “Pagoda” (W 113). Sports car in the style of the rally vehicle of Eugen Böhringer from 1963.




Mercedes-Benz will be represented at the Silvretta Classic Rally Montafon 2018 from 5 to 7 July 2018 by no fewer than four SL sports cars. The line-up will be completed by four further classic cars with the star on their bonnet. Particular attention will no doubt be paid to a red 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198): Magnus Walker will be at the wheel, “Urban Outlaw”, fashion designer, sports car collector and author. Walker will celebrate his 51st birthday during the rally on dream Alpine roads in Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Stuttgart. Sportiness is in the DNA of each generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL. This was demonstrated by the vehicles from the outset with their successes in the world of motor sport. At the Silvretta Classic Rally Montafon, Mercedes-Benz Classic will recall this tradition with four very different sports cars: a 300 SL “ Gullwing” (W 198), the racing version of the 190 SL (W 121), a 230 SL (W 113) in the style of the rally vehicle of Eugen Böhringer from the early 1960s and a 500 SLC Coupé (C 107). The Stuttgart brand will line up with a total of eight classic cars from the company’s own collection and from ALL TIME STARS, the vehicle trading platform of Mercedes-Benz Classic.
The birth of the SL tradition from the spirit of racing was marked by the 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198). The coupé with the characteristic doors made its debut in 1954. Based on the 300 SL racing car (W 194) from 1952, the production version ranked at the time as a super sports car. The racing triumphs of the “Gullwing Coupé” include a class victory in the 1955 1000 Miglia. Fashion designer, sports car collector and author Magnus Walker will contest the Silvretta Classic Rally Montafon 2018 in a black 300 SL. This will be a big coup for Mercedes, as “Urban Outlaw” Walker, who now lives in California, is a famous Porsche fan.
Racing driver and Mercedes-AMG brand ambassador Karl Wendlinger will drive a racing version of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W 121) at the Silvretta Classic. The vehicle is based on the rare racing version of the 190 SL from 1955 with windowless aluminium doors, a smaller windscreen and other modifications.
The 230 SL (W 113) dates from the 1960s. Nicknamed “ Pagoda” by the fans, the sports car recalls the legendary victory of Eugen Böhringer in a vehicle of this model at the Spa–Sofia–L iège long-distance rally of 1963. One year later, Eugen Böhringer finished third.
Christian Boucke, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic, will compete in the rally at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 500 SLC (C 107). The 500 SLC, which was built only from 1980 until 1981, is the top-of-the-line model of the coupés based on the SL roadsters of the R 107 model series. At the Silvretta Classic, the vehicle will also represent Mercedes-Benz’s rally successes of the late 1970s with various models of the C 107 series.
Vehicles from more than six decades
Two very different Mercedes-Benz high-performance sports cars are the SSK (W 06) from 1928 and the E 60 AMG from 1994. Racing driver and Mercedes-Benz Classic brand ambassador Jochen Mass will be at the wheel of the legendary supercharged SSK sports car in the Silvretta Classic Rally Montafon. The vehicle belongs to the family of “white elephants” (S, SS, SSK and SSKL models). With these super sports cars from the late 1920s and early 1930s, Mercedes-Benz was exceptionally successful on the track in that era. These models are also popular among discerning customers as sporty vehicles.
Six decades later, the E 60 AMG will be present as the top-of-the-line model of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class model series 124. It was one of the early performance automobiles that were developed by direct cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and AMG and which were sold through the sales organisation of the Stuttgart company.
At the Silvretta Classic Rally Montafon, two other classic models will point to the wide range of vehicles available from ALL TIME STARS, the vehicle trading platform of Mercedes-Benz Classic: both the exquisite open-top luxury-class 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet (W 111) from 1971 and the rugged off-road classic 230 GE (model series 460) from 1985 are part of the current range on offer from ALL TIME STARS.
Set up in 2015, the vehicle trading platform of Mercedes-Benz Classic has its showroom directly at the Mercedes-Benz Museum and offers classic cars, both modern and vintage, of the brand with the star. Every vehicle is inspected by the ALL TIME STARS experts according to a 160-point checklist. The wide-ranging offer includes the categories “Concours Edition”, “Collectors Edition” and “ Drivers Edition”. In this way, the dream of owning a classic Mercedes-Benz becomes a reality.
Dream cars on dream roads
The Silvretta Classic Rally Montafon is an especially attractive date in the classic car calendar. It is one of the Motor Klassik rallies staged by the magazine of the same name. Having been held since 1998, the Silvretta Classic is now well on the way to becoming a classic itself. This year, some 180 dream cars will line up on the grid. From 5 to 7 July 2018, they will explore heavenly Alpine roads in Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The programme kicks off on 3 and 4 July with accreditation, technical inspection and a rally course covering theory and practice. The start for all rally stages beginning on 5 July is in Partenen. The finishing line is in Partenen (5 July), Gaschurn (6 July) and Schruns (7 July). The route highlights include Bieler Höhe, the Albula pass, Faschinajoch and the Flexen pass. 
Silvretta Classic Rally Montafon 2018: Mercedes-Benz Classic brand ambassadors
Jochen MassBorn on 30 September 1946 in Dorfen near Erding, Germany
Jochen Mass, originally a trained seaman, began his varied career in motor sport in 1968 in touring car races for Alfa-Romeo and as a works driver for Ford from 1970 to 1975. During this period, he won the 24-Hour Race at Spa-Francorchamps in 1972. At the same time, he also took part in Formula 2 racing (1973) and competed in 105 Formula 1 Grands Prix (1973/74 with Surtees; 1975 to 1977 with McLaren; 1978 with ATS; 1979/80 with Arrows; 1982 with March). In 1984, Mass drove a Mercedes-Benz 500 SLC (C 107) in the Paris–Dakar Rally. After winning the German Sports Car Championship in 1985 and a stint as a works driver with Porsche until 1987, he joined the Sauber-Mercedes team as a works driver in 1988. He drove in Group C for the same team until 1991. In the new Silver Arrow, the Sauber-Mercedes C 9, Jochen Mass triumphed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989 in the same team as Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens, going on to finish runner-up in the world championship in the same year. Three years later, Mass joined the team management of the DTM. Sir Stirling Moss once described him as a “soul mate” and as “a driver with an enormous feeling for racing cars and a great deal of expertise who is familiar with the racing history of every era”. It is therefore not by chance that Jochen Mass can nowadays be seen at the wheel for Mercedes-Benz Classic at historical events. From the W 125 Silver Arrow to the Mercedes-Benz SSK – Jochen Mass knows and drives them all.
Karl WendlingerBorn: 20 December 1968 in Kufstein, Austria
Karl Wendlinger’s motor sport career began in karting at the age of 14. In 1989, he won the German Formula 3 Championship. In 1990 to 1991, the Austrian was a member of the Mercedes Junior Team, along with Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, and competed in the sports car world championship. In 1991 he graduated to Formula 1. From 1994 Wendlinger drove for the Sauber-Mercedes team together with Heinz-Harald Frentzen. This was followed by outings in DTM, Formula 3000 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. His main successes on the track included winning the FIA GT Championship (1999), finishing first in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GTS class (in the same year), overall victory in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2000 and second place in the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring (2003). From 2004 to 2011, Karl Wendlinger competed for various teams in the FIA GT Championship. With Jetalliance Racing, he finished runner-up in 2007. Since 2012, Karl Wendlinger has been a Mercedes-AMG brand ambassador and instructor at the AMG Driving Academy.
Silvretta Classic Rally Montafon: Mercedes-Benz Classic vehicles
Mercedes-Benz SSK (W 06, 1928 to 1932)
Of the high-performance sports cars of the Mercedes-Benz S-series launched in 1927, the SSK (W 06) was the most exclusive and fascinating model. The model designation of this supercharged car with a 7.1-litre six-cylinder engine stood for Super-Sport-Kurz (Super Sport Short) and featured a shorter wheelbase alongside its particular sportiness. Following numerous victories achieved by the Model S as the first model in the series, the succeeding SS and SSK models continued the success story. In the summer of 1928, works racing driver Rudolf Caracciola won the Gabelbach Race on the first attempt as well as the races to the top of the Schauinsland Mountain and the Mont Ventoux with the brand-new SSK. In 1930, he won the European hill racing championship driving an SSK. In the same year, the supercharged sports car also took part in the 1000 Miglia for the first time. Rudolf Caracciola and Christian Werner took sixth place in the overall classification in a time of 17 hours and 20 minutes. With reduced weight and another power increase to  220 kW (300 hp), the 1931 version, also known as the SSKL (Super Sport Short Light), achieved a spectacular success in the 1000 Miglia: in April 1931, Rudolf Caracciola was the first non-Italian to win this demanding road race from Brescia to Rome and back – in a new record time of 16 hours and 10 minutes.
Technical data Mercedes-Benz SSK (production version)Production period: 1928 to 1932
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 7,065 cc
Output: 125 kW (170 hp), with supercharger 165 kW (225 hp)
Top speed: 192 km/h 
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198, 1954 to 1957)
In February 1954, the 300 SL standard-production sports car (W 198) celebrated its world première at the International Motor Sport Show in New York. The coupé was called the “Gullwing” or the “Papillon” (butterfly) owing to its distinctive roof-mounted doors, which resembled a gull’s wings. The high-performance sports car was based on the legendary 300 SL racing car (W 194) from the 1952 season. It was the first standard-production car with a four-stroke petrol injection engine. With an engine output of  158 kW (215 hp) – a good 25 per cent more than the carburettor motor racing version of 1952 – and a top speed of up to 250 km/h, the W 198 was in the top echelon of production sports cars in its day, which also predestined it for racing. One legendary triumph was the triple class victory of the 300 SL “Gullwing” in the 1955 1000 Miglia. John Cooper Fitch and his co-driver Kurt Gessl won fifth place in the overall classification in the car bearing race number 417, which represented their starting time at 4:17 am, and led the class of production sports cars over 1.3 litres displacement ahead of two more “Gullwings”. Between 1954 and 1957, a total of 1,400 vehicles of the 300 SL “ Gullwing” were built, no fewer than 867 of them in the year of its 1000 Miglia class victory in 1955.
Technical data Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing”< br />  Production period: 1954 to 1957
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 2,996 cc
Output: 158 kW (215 hp)
Top speed: Up to 250 km/h 
Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W 121, 1955 to 1963)
Together with the 300 SL “Gullwing” high-performance sports car, Mercedes-Benz in February 1954 unveiled the prototype of the elegant, compact 190 SL (W 121) roadster. The open-top two-door model was designed as a sporty, elegant touring and utility vehicle for two persons and, especially in the revised standard-production vehicle, was closely based on its “big brother”, the 300 SL, on the stylistic front. Designed from the outset as a roadster, the 190 SL established the tradition of SL sports cars with a roof that could be opened. The roadster, for its part, was more closely related at a technical level to the Mercedes-Benz 180 “Ponton” Saloon (W 120), copying the latter’s shortened floor assembly. The 1.9-litre petrol engine rated at 77 kW (105 hp) was newly developed. The four-cylinder engine featured an overhead camshaft and became the forefather of an entire family of engines. For outings on the track, there was a racing version with windowless aluminium doors, a smaller windscreen and other modifications. A 190 SL (start number 347) also competed in the 1956 1000 Miglia. All in all, 25,881 vehicles of this model were built between 1955 and 1963, with some 10,000 of them going to the USA.
Technical data Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (production version)
Production period: 1955 to 1963
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 1,897 cc
Output: 77 kW (105 hp)
Top speed: 171 km/h
Mercedes-Benz 230 SL rally vehicle (W 113, 1963 to 1967)
The 230 SL made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1963. It replaced two models from the previous sales range: the 300 SL “Gullwing” super sports car (W 198) and the elegant 190 SL touring car (W 121). Known internally as W 113, the 230 SL maintained the balance between the principles of its predecessors as a comfortable, two-seater touring car, offering high performance along with optimal driving safety. The 230 SL was a trailblazer, being, among other things, the first Mercedes-Benz sports car to feature the safety body developed by Béla Barényi (rigid passenger cell with deformable front and rear sections). The removable coupé roof was of concave design. This avant-garde feature made the roof especially strong along with a lightweight construction. And, as a characteristic design attribute, it earned the model series the nickname “Pagoda”. Heavily based on the production car, versions of the 230 SL were successful in motor sport. For example, Eugen Böhringer, driving a rally version of the model, was victorious in the long-distance Spa–Sofia–Liège Rally of 1963. The 250 SL of the W 113 model series replaced the 230 SL in 1967. It, in turn, was replaced in 1968 by the 280 SL (W 113).
Technical data Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (production version)
Production period: 1963 to 1967
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 2,306 cc
Output: 110 kW (150 hp)
Top speed: 200 km/h 
Mercedes-Benz 500 SLC (C 107, 1980 to 1981)
Mercedes-Benz unveiled the luxury-class coupés of the C 107 model series at the Paris Motor Show of 1971. They went into production in 1972, replacing the 280 SE and 280 SE 3.5 Coupé models. Unlike previously, instead of being derived technically from the respective luxury-class saloons, the high-end coupés were based on the SL roadsters of the 107 model series. Apart from the fixed roof of the SLC, both variants of the 107 model series were identical as far as the rear edge of the doors. Conversely, there were significant differences when it came to the rear half of the vehicle: the wheelbase was 360 millimetres longer in comparison with the SL roadster. This gave the vehicle a considerably larger interior as well as allowing it to be designed as a fully fledged four-seater. The 350 SLC and 450 SLC were initially powered by a V8 engine. The 280 SLC with six-cylinder in-line engine was available from 1974. The top-of-the-line model of the C 107 was the 500 SLC, which went into production in 1978, initially as the 450 SLC 5.0 and, from 1980 to 1981, as the 500 SLC. In total, 2,769 units of the luxury coupé were produced.
Technical data Mercedes-Benz 500 SLC
Production period: 1978 to 1981 (including 450 SLC 5.0)
Cylinders: V8
Displacement: 4,973 cc
Output: 177 kW (240 hp)
Top speed: 225 km/h 
Mercedes-Benz E 60 AMG (W 124, 1993 to 1994)
The top-of-the-line model of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class model series 124 was one of the early high-performance automobiles to be produced in direct cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and AMG. These three letters stood for the engineering office founded in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher. The initial focus was on the production of racing cars based on Mercedes-Benz standard-production vehicles. From 1990 onwards, Mercedes-Benz and AMG engaged in direct cooperation. The first model to appear was the C 36 AMG, unveiled in 1993, as a top-of-the-range version of the C-Class. That same year, this was followed by the E 60 AMG high-performance saloon in the upper mid-class. Production of the vehicle, which had the key technical data of a super sports car, was confined to just under 150 units. The suspension and tyres were adapted to the increased performance, while the four-speed automatic transmission guaranteed high ease of operation.
Technical data Mercedes-Benz E 60 AMG
Production period: 1993 to 1994
Cylinders: V8
Displacement: 5,956 cc
Output: 280 kW (381 hp)
Top speed: 250 km/h (electronically limited)
Silvretta Classic Rally Montafon: Vehicles from ALL TIME STARS
Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet (W 111, 1969 to 1971)
The Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet was the flagship model in the W 111 Cabriolet range built between 1961 and 1971. In terms of design and style, the family of luxurious open-top cars is based on the “Tail Fin” saloons of the W 111 series unveiled in August 1959. The coupé and cabriolet models featured the same safety body with crumple zones that had been introduced as a world first for the saloon models. Alongside the 220 SE and its successor, the 250 SE, the particularly exclusively equipped and powerful 300 SE (W 112) complemented the range of luxury two-door models. Mercedes-Benz introduced the 280 SE in early 1968, followed in September 1969 by the 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, which was a far more powerful version with an all-new 3.5-litre V8 engine. The flagship model was exceptionally refined while also offering sports car-like performance. There were also slight stylistic modifications to the cabriolet. For example, the radiator grille was lower and wider, while the bonnet was flattened at the front. Production of the eight-cylinder cabriolet, which came with automatic transmission as a standard feature, did not exceed 1,232 units. Today, it is among the particularly sought-after classic cars of its era.
Technical data Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet
Production period: 1969 to 1971
Cylinders: V8
Displacement: 3,499 cc
Output: 147 kW (200 hp)
Top speed: 205 km/h 
Mercedes-Benz 230 GE (model series 460, 1982 to 1991)
In February 1979, Mercedes-Benz entered completely new territory when it unveiled the G-models. Designed on the one hand as an exclusive means of transport with the emphasis on leisure, the off-road vehicle was conceived equally for tough everyday use, such as in the industrial or municipal sector. The G-series, as the model series was initially known, came in two different frame lengths and wheelbases, four engine variants and five body variants. The 230 GE was an example of the continuous further development of the G: powered by the efficient 2.3-litre injection engine M 102, it replaced the previous 230 G with carburettor engine in April 1982. A year later, the 230 GE was fitted with power steering as a standard feature. From 1986, a controlled three-way catalytic converter became available, initially as an optional extra. To mark its tenth anniversary, the G appeared in 1989 in the guise of the 230 GE Classic special model, limited to just 300 units.
Technical data Mercedes-Benz 230 GEProduction period: 1982 to 1991
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 2,299 cc
Output: 92 kW (125 hp)
Top speed: 147 km/h

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Cars & Coffee, Austin Landing, Dayton, OH, June 23, 2018

That is me beside my 1971 Porsche 911T Targa

Behind the wheel of a 1974 BMW  3.0 CSi. Note the floor mats!

You have to like those fog lights!

Behind the wheel of a 1960 Corvette. My favorite year!


Don beside his car.

A classic rat rod and owner that reflects his car!


A cool morning, cloudy after a night of rain.  I needed the coffee this morning to get me going.  Two favorite cars on display today were the 1974 BMW 3.0 CSi and 1960 Corvette.

Monday, June 18, 2018

EYES ON DESIGN: AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN INSPIRATION AND INFLUENCES 2018


A contribution from Ed Garten.  thank you, Ed!


Sight Impaired Judges

Roadster powered with a 49 Ford V-8




Edsel Ford Mansion

EYES ON DESIGN: AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN INSPIRATION AND INFLUENCES 2018 
While I'm attended many high-end and concours level automobile events over the years, I'd have to say that this one was something special and held each year in a spendid venue -- that of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Estate at Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, overlooking Lake St. Clair. Vehicles are chosen based on the year’s theme by invitation only, and between 200 and 300 vehicles are at the show on Father’s Day. In addition, Eyes On Design features special exhibitions and concept and production vehicles which debuted during the previous year’s auto show circuit, including ones which were awarded at Eyes On Design at the North American International Auto Show.  Quite a few current and former stylists and designers were present this year and I met a couple of them.
Eyes On Design receives its support from both domestic and foreign vehicle manufacturers, as well as automotive suppliers and other loyal companies. Judging is facilitated by active and retired exterior and interior designers from leading automotive and supplier companies. Moreover, a few of the judges are folks who are legally blind and judge by feeling, with white archival gloved hands, the contours and lines of the vehicles.  See photo of a few of these judges.
Having lost most of the sight in my right eye fifteen years ago and now only cautiously being able to drive at night due to lack of depth perception and the effects of headlight glare, I've become especially sensitive to those who are either blind or have limited vision.  They too should be able to appreciate what many call rolling sculpture.
The annual Eyes On Design show is the only concours quality event to focus exclusively on styling and design and benefits the state-of-the-art research conducted by the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology part of the Henry Ford Health System.  Each year the show recognizes the importance of  of design in the automotive world while raising awareness for the visually impaired.

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Car Show at Disalvo Deli, Kettering, OH, June 17, 2018 -- One nice Lowrider!







A terrific lowrider at Disalvo Deli car show today.   A small turnout due to high temps, but the organization of the event was first-class. In my opinion, the above car was the best of show.

Friday, June 15, 2018

LeMans and the Sounds of Ten Porsche 911 RSRs








Hearing it once will leave it etched in your mind—the inimitable sound of the current 911 RSR. The sharp, ecstatic scream of a four-liter, high-speed flat engine whose combustion acoustics are unfiltered by any turbocharging as it cuts through the Le Mans night at more than 300 kmh. Goose bumps of the purest sort. Unmistakable. To the ears of true Porsche fans, a bewitching symphony in six cylinders. The fastest race car in the more than fifty-year history of the 911 model series is an acoustic revelation.

Largest GT contingent of all time

The hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who will flock to the high-speed extravaganza of Le Mans at the Circuit des 24 Heures on June 16 and 17 of this year can look forward to a special auditory experience. Ten 911 RSRs seek to turn the highlight of the endurance year into a festival of speed. Four Porsche factory cars will face five other manufacturer teams—Ferrari, BMW, Ford, Corvette, and Aston Martin—in the GTE Pro class. This explosive lineup promises exciting action at the classic twenty-four-hour contest. In addition, six professional customer teams will each enter an RSR in the GTE Am class, most with a Porsche factory driver at the wheel. This is the Swabian carmaker's largest-ever GT contingent in Le Mans.
911 RSR, 2018, Porsche AG

Porsche will field ten 911 RSR at Le Mans 2018

Porsche first entered the famous long-distance race at the Sarthe in 1951. The 356 SL with starting number 46, driven by Frenchmen Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche, promptly won its class. Since then the company has posted another 136 class wins plus nineteen overall victories. Most of these triumphs were achieved by the Porsche 911, the backbone of the brand, then as now. Its history is inextricably linked to racing. The continuous and ambitious development work for Le Mans has also helped shape the character of Porsche’s standard series cars—to this day.

Exploiting the tiniest of liberties

The current RSR, which is based on the 911 GT3 RS, stands at the cutting edge of this evolutionary process. The core element of its steel chassis rolled off the production line in Zuffenhausen—standard series production. Specialists at Porsche’s racing center then devoted painstaking manual labor to its superstructure. They exploited any liberties left by the GTE regulations down to the tiniest detail. 
For example, many parts of the aerodynamically sophisticated body are made of lightweight carbon fiber, while a steel safety cell welded onto the body gives the race car greater stability and the driver the best possible protection. 
Nothing was sacred to the designers, including the placement of the approximately 510 hp naturally aspirated engine. The assembly is no longer in the rear of the car but in front of the rear axle. This creates space for the larger diffusor, which generates downforce without any significant impairment of the aerodynamics. The RSR can therefore take fast curves even faster while the all-important drag at top speeds remains essentially constant—a particularly important advantage on the long full-speed stretches in Le Mans. Additional downforce on the rear axle is generated by the top-mounted rear wing. This also notably improves the aerodynamic efficiency.
911 RSR, 2018, Porsche AG

The 911 RSR entered its second season

In 2018 the 911 RSR is already entering its second season, which will be an extraordinary one as far as the FIA World Endurance Championship is concerned. The first race will take place in May of 2018 and the last in June of 2019. That means the season will feature two twenty-four-hour races in Le Mans, in addition to the twelve-hour race in Sebring, Florida, plus five six-hour contests. Aside from their guest appearance in Le Mans, two of the four factory RSRs will enter all twelve races in the IMSA WeatherTech series in North America instead of the World Endurance Championship.

Improvements for standard series models

Given this marathon program, Porsche’s traditional strengths of efficiency and endurance are more crucial than ever. Its top GT athlete is starting its second season in even more reliable condition. The engineers compiled large amounts of data last year, giving them a baseline setup for all the courses. This also benefits the customer teams.
No matter how the current season turns out for the 911 RSR, one thing is already clear: the insights that Porsche gains under the heightened conditions of tough races will soon be channeled into improving the carmaker’s standard series models—and will therefore also benefit its customers. The latest example is the new 911 GT3 RS, which celebrated its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March. A lot of expertise from the 911 RSR has flowed into its same-sized (four-liter), 520 hp naturally aspirated engine with rpm levels of up to 9,000. 
2018
May 5: 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps – BEL
June 16–17: 24 Hours of Le Mans – FRA
August 19: 6 Hours of Silverstone– GBR
October 14: 6 Hours of Fuji – JPN
November 18: 6 Hours of Shanghai – CHN
2019
March 16–17: 12 Hours of Sebring– USA
May 4: 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps– BEL
June 15–16: 24 Hours of Le Mans– FRA


A Class-Winning 356 SL Porsche at the 1951 LeMans Race


In 1951 a 356 SL with starting number 46 was the first Porsche to enter Le Mans—and it promptly drove to a class victory. This aerodynamically optimized Gmünd Coupé weighed just 640 kilograms, in contrast to today's 780, could hold sixty-eight liters of fuel rather than fifty, and was accelerated up to 160 kmh by a 1.1-liter four-cylinder engine with 46 hp instead of 40. The average lap time for a modern 911 RSR is around 70 kmh faster.