I have always placed these 1959-62 Corvettes way up on my list of favorite cars.
Saturday, June 29, 2019
1959 Fuel-Injected 290 HP Corvette
I have always placed these 1959-62 Corvettes way up on my list of favorite cars.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Mercedes-Benz and the 2019 Silvretta Classic
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| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing (W 198) from 1955, start number 417 as had been the case with the car driven by John Cooper Fitch at the 1000 Miglia in 1955. Photo from the 2019 1000 Miglia. |
“Dream cars on dream roads” – this phrase summarises the Silvretta Classic Rallye Montafon, one of the most renowned regularity rallies for classic cars. In the 22nd rally from 4 to 6 July 2019, Mercedes-Benz Classic will be participating with six vehicles from the corporate collection and ALL TIME STARS, the brandʼs own vehicle dealer for classic cars. The Stuttgart-based brand is a premium partner of the Silvretta Classic Rallye Montafon in 2019.
One of the vehicles is a Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II (W 201) from 1990. On board this classic car will be Mercedes-Benz Classic brand ambassador and former DTM champion Klaus Ludwig, reverently called “King Ludwig” by his fans, accompanied by influencer Shareen Raudies. The budding engineer is known as Shareen Queen especially on Instagram (@shareenqueen), where she also regularly brings her own black Mercedes-Benz 190 E to the forefront. The saloon accompanies her in her everyday life as well as on social media. The “Queen” and “King Ludwig” are sharing the cockpit of the “ EVO II” during the rally – a truly royal team.
In connection with the 125 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsports anniversary, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing (W 198) is commemorating a legendary highlight of the 1955 motorsports season: at that time, a production sports car of this type with start number 417 (driven by John Cooper Fitch and Kurt Gessl) won the class award for GTs with engines over 1.3 litres in the Italian 1000 Miglia road race from Brescia to Rome and back. Fitch also clinched fifth place in the overall standings. Two more 300 SL Gullwings followed in second and third places in the class classification.
The standard-production sports car 300 SL Gullwing launched in 1954 was directly descended from the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194) used in 1952. It was with this vehicle that the brand staged a successful return to motorsports after the Second World War. The unique sporting tradition of the Gullwing, with its characteristic gullwing doors, was continued from 1957 onwards by the 300 SL Roadster. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS racing version derived from this open sports car was driven by Paul OʼShea to win the 1957 SCCA National Sports Car Championship in the USA in the D category. Mercedes-Benz Classic will be taking part in the Silvretta Classic Rallye Montafon with a 300 SL Roadster from 1958.
The fascination of the 1970s
The wide range of sporting characteristics in Mercedes-Benz cars is illustrated in the Silvretta Classic by two very different classics from the early 1970s: on the one hand, there is the C 111-II experimental vehicle built in 1970, which was then equipped with the M 116 V8 engine for comparative tests. This gave the engineers the ability to compare the Wankel engine, which was then being tested in the C 111 (1969) and C 111-II (1970), with a state-of-the-art reciprocating piston engine in a similar experimental car.
Despite considerable public interest in the breathtaking coupé with the lines of a super sports car, the C 111-II never went into series production. However, the Stuttgart brand later derived a number of record-breaking cars from these experimental vehicles in which the rotary engine was tested: in 1976, the C 111-II D kicked off and was then followed by the C 111-III (1978) and C 111-IV (1979). All three of these vehicles set numerous records on the Italian high-speed test track in Nardò.
The Silvretta Classic 2019 features a 280 SE 3.5 cabriolet (W 111) from 1971 as a representative of the culture of luxurious sporting travel in open-top vehicles. This premium class cabriolet in metallic blue with parchment-coloured leather is one of the classics available through ALL TIME STARS, the Mercedes-Benz Classic car dealership (www.mercedes-benz.com/alltimestars), which has its own showroom in the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Its history: the four-seater was delivered to a buyer in Munich in 1971 and later became part of a collection of Mercedes-Benz classics. The vehicle is accompanied by comprehensive documentation of its heritage with maintenance logs and other supporting documents. The 280 SE 3.5 cabriolet is offered in the Collectors Edition of ALL TIME STARS.
G-force and EVO II
The high-altitude roads in the Alps with their passes and breathtaking views are a feature of the Silvretta Classic. Also up in the mountains, but off the beaten track, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class was born 40 years ago in February 1979. A short-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz 300 GD cabriolet from 1989 acts as a reminder of this special chapter in the history of the brand during the rally. This rare open-top version of the off-road classic with a five-cylinder diesel engine was built between 1979 and 1991.
One real highlight from Mercedes-Benz Classic at the Silvretta Classic Rallye Montafon is the high-performance 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II (“EVO II”) saloon, which Klaus Ludwig and Shareen Raudies are taking out on the road. This 173 kW (235 h.p.) top-of-the-range version of the 1990 W 201 compact class was rebuilt by Mercedes-Benz Classic in 2013 for historical motorsport events. The DTM racing rally cars of the same name from the early 1990s served as models for this one. The “EVO II” is reminiscent of highlights from 125 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsports such as the triple victory in the DTM overall standings in 1992: on that occasion, Klaus Ludwig won the championship, followed by his teammates Kurt Thiim and Bernd Schneider.
The stars shine over the Alpine dream roads
Mercedes-Benz Classic is a premium partner of the Silvretta Classic Rallye Montafon in 2019 which will, once again, be exploring breathtaking, high-altitude roads in Austrian Voralberg. By participating in this outstanding event in the automotive classic calendar with six vehicles from the corporate collection and ALL TIME STARS, the brand is also supporting public appreciation of the regularity drive that is headlined as “dream cars on dream roads”. A total of around 180 historically important classics, built up to 1999, are taking part in the rally.
On Thursday, 4 July 2019, at 3 p.m., the “Montafon” first stage will set off on the 118-kilometre run from Partenen via Gargellen, Schruns and Sankt Gallenkirch on the Silvretta High Alpine Road to the dayʼs destination at Bielerhöhe. On Friday, 5 July 2019, the teams will take the second leg of the “ Silvretta” and set off early at 7:30 a.m. This leg runs 330 kilometres over the Bielerhöhe and Silvretta High Alpine Road to Ischgl, Landeck, Piburg, Lech, Zürs and Kappl to the destination in Gaschurn. This dayʼs section includes the passes Hahntennjoch (1,894 metres), Flexenpass (1,773 metres) and Arlbergpass (1,793 metres). The third and final stage of the Silvretta Classic, the “ Bregenzer Wald” (Bregenzer Forest), will start on Saturday, 6 July 2019, at 9 a.m. and cover 178 kilometres from Partenen to Schruns. The route includes the Faschinajoch pass (1,486 metres).
Alabama Ford Dealer Offers a Free Shotgun with the Purchase of a Vehicle
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Sales Manager Koby Palmer holds a 12-gauge shotgun and Bible while standing in front of Ford truck draped in an American flag as he poses for a photo as part of Chatom Ford's Fourth of July promotion in Chatom, Alabama. (Photo: Chatom Ford)
Ford Motor Co. has asked a Ford dealership in Alabama to stop giving out certificates for free 12-gauge shotguns to anyone who buys a new or used vehicle.
The automaker told the dealership late Wednesday that the promotion was inappropriate after three people died Tuesday evening during a mass shooting at a California Ford dealership. There, a man who had been fired from his job at the dealership in the San Francisco Bay Area fatally shot two employees, then himself, according to local media reports.
"So it’s done. They’ve ended our promotion. I’m very disappointed," Colin Ward, general manager of Chatom Ford in Chatom, Alabama, said Wednesday.
Chatom Ford's advertising offered a shotgun, a Bible and an American flag with a car purchase. The offer drew hundreds of calls from across the country, including Michigan, from people wanting to buy cars to get the shotgun.
"Ford said we can fulfill our commitments to the customers that we've made up till now, but we have to cease it going forward," Ward said.
Popular promotion
Ford spokesman T.R. Reid said that leaders in Ford's regional office asked Ward to cease and desist the promotion in light of the California shooting.
"This is a local promotion. It is not something Ford developed and the dealers are independent businesses," said Reid. "But if a dealership is (altering the promotion) in light of the tragedy, that seems appropriate.”
From the start, Ward was overwhelmed by the response he got from the promotion that he and a buddy devised earlier this month. Some gun control advocates objected, but Ward insists the offer was not intended to offend anyone. He only wanted to sell more cars in the tiny rural town of Chatom.
A video that Ward posted June 21 on Facebook, called "God, guns and freedom," went viral.
"All our phone lines are jammed up and it’s an overwhelming response," Ward told the Free Press on Tuesday morning. “We only have three salespeople. They’re overwhelmed right now."
In a promotion that was set to run until July 31, Ward was giving customers a $200 gift certificate for a 12-gauge shotgun good at any gun store, as well as a Bible and an American flag with a new or used vehicle purchase.
"This was not a political ad to offend anyone or exclude anyone," said Ward, who added he would give equal value gift certificates for other items to those who didn't want a shotgun.
Little video, big reaction
One customer asked Ward for "a different kind of flag" and Ward offered him an Amazon gift card of equal value to select what he wanted.
"If you want a Torah, I’ll buy you a Torah. If you want a Koran, that’s fine. I don’t discriminate against anyone," said Ward. "We just didn’t have that on hand because 90% of our customers here are Southern Baptist."
Ward's dealership sells about 360 new and used cars a year, mostly F-150 pickups. In the past, he said, he has given away Microsoft Xboxes, Apple iPads and television sets. He wanted to do something different this time.
"We were catering to our local community," he said. "With dove (hunting) season around the corner, the Fourth of July is the American flag, so we thought we’d combine both."
Chatom is about an hour's drive north of Mobile, Alabama. Largely rural, it has a population of about 1,200 people.
In the video, Chatom Ford sales manager Koby Palmer stood in front of a red pickup, draped in an American flag, holding a Bible, and pitched the deal intended only for "our little local community," said Ward.
"We're a small dealer, we just made a video on Facebook, it wasn’t even a TV ad, so I have no idea why it’s getting this reaction."
New customers
Chatom Ford was not prepared for an influx of business from other states or the diverse new customer base.
In one case, a Hispanic man from Miami called to buy a new F-250 pickup, but the man only spoke Spanish.
“I had to look around and my service manager speaks Spanish," said Ward. "So I turned him into a salesperson today."
Chatom sold a used Ram pickup to a customer in New York state, Ward said. He has received calls from Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, Canada and Europe, he said.
"They’re literally coming from everywhere," said Ward before hearing from Ford. "We can’t handle any more than what we have happening right now.”
He said the store sold about half a dozen cars in two days.
No sales gimmick
While Ward was emphatic that his promotion was not political, other gun gimmicks at car dealerships were indeed political.
One in southern Oregon at Earnest Auto Sales ran around this time last year.
The dealership in Roseburg, Oregon, erected a sign that read, "Buy a car, get a gun." The sign went up the same day that 200 people rallied at the county courthouse in support of the Second Amendment, local media reported.
In November 2010, a truck dealership in central Florida took the promotion to a new level with a "Buy a truck, get a free AK-47" deal, upsetting some gun control advocates.
Nations Trucks in Sanford, Florida, offered $400 vouchers to truck buyers to redeem at a nearby gun store.
In July 2009, Max Motors in the tiny city of Butler, Missouri, about 50 miles south of Kansas City, offered a gift certificate for a Kalashnikov AK-47 rifle to anyone who bought a pickup. The dealership's business slogan was “God, Guns, Guts, and American Pick-Up Trucks."
Iconic symbols
But the appropriateness of a gun giveaway depends on geography, auto industry experts say.
"In my 15 years here at the association, I cannot recall a Colorado new car dealer running any kind of a gun promotion as a sales effort (or any other other effort)," said Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.
"Frankly, in most areas of Colorado (and the country), this would not be a good idea due to the controversial nature of guns. Though, geographically, there are areas of the country that may be an effective program."
On the East Coast, such promotions are rare, dealership association heads say.
"Not in New Jersey," said Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers.
But Chatom Ford appears to have the blessing of his state.
Tom Dart, president of the Automobile Dealers Association of Alabama, said the promotion was a good marketing move.
"Those are iconic symbols in the patriotic Deep South that would resonate with many consumers," said Dart. "It seems to be a pretty effective promotion given the coverage it has received."
Contact Jamie L. LaReau: 313-222-2149 or jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter.
Friday, June 21, 2019
Legal Street Racing Comes to Detroit's Woodward Avenue
he smell of burning rubber that signals the start of Cruise Week will get a head start this year as Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge expands to Friday, Aug. 9.
Legal amateur drag racing on Woodward Avenue will continue to be a Saturday event, but Dodge Thrill Rides, where average Joes and Janes get to experience the G-forces possible in a 717-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat or 707-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat (driven by professional drivers, of course), will also be open on Friday.
Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge will mark its fifth year when it returns to Pontiac on Aug. 9 and 10, a week ahead of the Woodward Dream Cruise. The event, which includes kids activities, racing simulators and lots of auto eye candy, draws thousands of people to the M1 Concourse.
But the big draw remains the legal street drag racing and a chance for those who enter to win $5,000 out of the $40,000 purse ($10,000 goes to United Way). MotorTrend’s “Roadkill” co-hosts David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan are to be among the celebrities on hand for appearances and racing on Saturday, according to a news release.
“Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge continues to grow each year since we introduced this event five years ago, so we’re answering enthusiast demand by adding a day of fun so even more people can participate in the celebration of America's muscle car culture,” Mark Malmstead, head of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Dodge/SRT, said in the release. “It’s also a great opportunity for participants to race in a sanctioned environment on historic Woodward Ave.”
8 Generations of the Porsche 911 on a Road Trip
With the launch of the eighth-generation Porsche 911 comes a time not just to reflect on the soul of this timeless machine, but also a time to celebrate its future. And what better way to celebrate than by gathering a representative from each era of 911 for an ultimate weekend road trip — dubbed the “Soul of Porsche”.
Whilst in some places early and collectible 911 models are viewed simply as museum pieces, in Thailand, many owners take a rather different approach, using their 911s to explore the country’s demanding and highly varied driving routes. That made it the perfect location to bring all eight generations of 911 together on public roads for the first time. And because of the event’s historic nature, it only felt right to have the occasion documented by different generations of photographers, all of whom were supported by another iconic German brand, Leica.
Stefan Bogner, a long-time Porsche enthusiast and publisher of Curves Magazine — which brings together his passion for Porsche, design, and driving — is a designer by profession. He picked up a camera five years ago because the photographers he was hiring were too slow for the reportage style he wanted, and it didn’t take long before his unique style gained worldwide recognition — Curves Magazine is now published in two languages and is as popular in Seattle as it is in Stuttgart.
While on the other side of the photography spectrum is Yik Keat, a young Singaporean urban street photographer and videographer with almost 300,000 Instagram followers. Having always dreamed of owning a Porsche, he was unfazed by the 280 km journey, savoring the opportunity to capture the evolution of the 911’s iconic silhouette.
And there were plenty of examples to photograph, thanks to the surprising number of rare and unusual Porsches that have made their way to Thailand over the years.
Joining the drive with the new 911 Carrera S (type 992) was a truly eclectic mix of predecessors, namely: a 912, 911 Club Sport and 964 Speedster — the trio belonging to Porsche collector Isarin Chaleiysilpa — a 996 GT3 RS with just 800 km on the odometer, a pristine 997 Turbo and a 993 RS. The latter thought to be the only one in the country.
Maetup T-suwan, whose father has owned a range of 911s over the years, also brought along his 991 GT3, a car that sees daily use, while the first 992 in the country was provided by AAS Auto Service, Thailand’s sole authorised Porsche importer and distributor.
The journey started in the southern city of Surratthani, on the Gulf of Siam, and wound across the Kra isthmus, through Krabi and on to Phuket on the Andaman coast. From bustling Surratthani the roads scrawl through vast plantations, dense tropical jungle, past vertiginous limestone karsts, and stands of rubber trees impenetrable to midday light, before arriving at the dramatic vistas of Phang Nga Bay — made famous by the iconic James Bond film, “The Man with the Golden Gun”.
The kinship between drivers was palpable over meals of spicy southern Thai food, with lively conversation and plenty of laughter; a true 911 family formed by a cross-generational passion.
Maetup T-suwan took possession of his GT3 late last year. His father has had a number of 911s, and had said, “believe me son, Porsche makes the best car in the world.”
“At first I wasn’t sure, but I think he’s right,” said Maetup, in a refreshing case of generational accord – something that seems all too rare in today’s world.
Isarin Chaleiysilpa could have chosen to drive any of his three vehicles, but instead spent a lot of time behind the wheel of the 912, enthusing about its amazing poise and effortless speed, and marveling at the capabilities of a car the same age as him.
Unsurprisingly, Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak, fresh from a race win in his Panther/AAS Motorsport GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia, favoured the more modern machinery: “I’m a motorsport man, so I like the technology of the newest 911s. When you drive the GT2 RS, you’re going to get the adrenaline levels up. It is faster than my race car!” He also praised the everyday usability of the newer 911s, echoing the consensus of the rest of the group.
And while all the participants clearly had an appreciation for the newer cars, it was the younger members of the group that were more noticeably enthralled by the modern tech on offer. Natthapon Sahawat, a 21-year-old travelling with his father, was all smiles after driving the 992. “I love the interior,” he enthused, “but I like the exterior design too, it looks amazing. My generation likes the wider body.”
However, after giving himself a brief moment to consider what he’d just experienced behind the wheel of the 992, he explained that the real lure of the 911 remains with its usability. “I want an everyday drive. Something that’s sporty but not hard to drive” — an attribute that is attractive to all generations.
Indeed, whether it is the new 992 Carrera S, Speedster or any of the sportier Club Sport, RS or GT3 models, the soul of the 911 shines through. And while each generation improves on the previous one, with eight generations of 911 together on real roads, it is obvious that it is in the DNA of the 911 to be not only sporty, but also to be genuinely useable day-to-day — a conclusion, that even on the exotic coast of the south of Thailand, is quite frankly, inescapable.
Porsche Design Elements Reconsidered
Equipped with cutting-edge sports car technology, these special models introduce the “Lifestyle” dimension, representing particularly emotive concepts with references to history within Porsche’s product strategy.
The 911 Speedster with Heritage Design Package that Porsche showcased in mid-April at the New York Auto Show gives an initial outlook on the design of these “Lifestyle” vehicles. Additional special models will follow as of next year – at certain intervals and in limited numbers. Selected elements from the corresponding decades will also be available for 911 models as part of “Heritage Design Packages”.
“To us it is vital to transport the brand’s values into the future. Heritage Design models represent an intentional addition to contemporary hybrid and electric vehicles as part of which technical innovations are in the focus”, says Boris Apenbrink, Director Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles at Porsche AG. “Porsche set benchmarks in terms of design and styling from the outset – vehicles from different eras are style icons nowadays. We bring back these iconic looks and thus prove that Porsche will stay true to its roots, even in the age of electrification”, Ivo van Hulten adds as the Director Interior Design Style Porsche.
Heritage Design models put special colours and materials in the spotlight. In addition to special paintwork and liveries, they characterise the special models’ iconic appearances. “Old colour and equipment cards, museum vehicles, design elements from the corresponding era – we took all this as our inspiration to reinterpret the design language of the past”, van Hulten explains. The interior textiles played a particularly vital role in this process. Stylistically dominant elements, such as corduroy, the Pepita pattern, the Pasha pattern or tartans are redesigned, comprehensively tested and produced with cutting-edge material characteristics for the special models.
“Individual memories that are brought back to life by certain colour schemes, a feel or patterns – this is a trend we are also witnessing in fashion or interior design and it forms the fundamental idea of our approach”, van Hulten adds. An example of the opposites between tradition and innovation will be positioned centrally on the bonnet: the first special model that will be presented next year will bear the traditional Porsche logo dating back to the 1960s.
Porsche Design is also developing matching timepieces exclusively for the owners of Heritage Design vehicles. True to the spirit of Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the designer of the 911 and founder of Porsche Design, iconographic designs are being brought back to modern times. “The different ways of processing titanium and the corresponding, individual, Porsche Design-like chronograph function are characteristic for this series. In conjunction with specially interpreted patterns, such as Pepita or tartan, this results in a unique timepiece collection that pays tribute to the brand’s history”, says Gerhard J. Novak as the General Manager at Porsche Design Timepieces.
Monday, June 17, 2019
1970s Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV) Developments at Mercedes-Benz
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| Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle ESF 03 from 1971 |
Since 1971, Mercedes-Benz has designed more than 30 experimental safety vehicles. In doing so, this manufacturer conducts research on numerous automotive safety systems, refines them and makes them fit for series production. The ESVs are embedded in the long history of continuous safety development at Mercedes-Benz.
Some early milestones of this tradition are:
- Door locks that prevent doors from bursting open after an accident (1949, 1959)
- Safety body with energy-absorbing crumple zones (1959)
- Injury-attenuating interior construction (1959)
- Systematic crash tests (1959)
- Accident research: Evaluation of real accidents and systematic application of the results to enhance safety development (1969)
From the 1970s onwards, the ESVs paved the way for a large number of other innovations, some of which could not be mass-produced until years later. These include the anti-lock braking system (ABS) (1978), belt tensioners (1981) and belt force limiters (1995), airbags (1981), passenger airbags (1987) and side airbags (1995).
As part of the 1970s ESV programme, Mercedes-Benz presented the following four ESVs to the public:
- ESV 05, based on the 114 model series (“Stroke/8”) presented at the 2nd International ESV Conference from 26 to 29 October 1971 in Sindelfingen
- ESV 13 as a revised version of ESV 05, presented at the 3rd International ESV Conference, held in Washington (USA) from 30 May to 2 June 1972
- ESV 22 based on the S-Class (116 model series), presented at the 4th International ESV Conference from 13 to 16 March 1973 in Kyoto (Japan).
- ESV 24 as a modified S-Class (116 model series), presented at the 5th International ESV Conference from 4 to 7 June 1974 in London (UK)
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| Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle ESF 22 from 1973. |