Archive
20/04/2020
Metropolis cars, nipped in the bud. In the film by Fritz Lang the last two Tropfenwagen
The Rumpler A4, with its innovative design and technical features, failed to win over the public when it was introduced in 1921. Despite attempts to make it more conventional, sales never took off and production stopped at just 90 cars.
19/04/2020
Moss, many memories except one: the blue Ferrari that remained silent
Stirling Moss was a symbol of British style motoring and his death was celebrated in various classic car magazines. He had an impressive career driving for many different car brands, including Ferrari.
17/04/2020
Robert Opron
The Citroen SM, designed by Robert Opron and powered by a Maserati engine, was a revolutionary two-door sports car introduced at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show.
16/04/2020
Pandemia + Online Auctions = Deal Time
Classic Car Auctions is a "low-cost" auction house that appeals to a market that is often snubbed by traditional auction houses. At their recent auction, only two cars exceeded £50,000. Highlights included a 1981 Ferrari 308 GTS Carburettor that sold for just over €38,100, a 2001 Renault Clio V6 for around €24,900, and a 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition for the same price. The next auction is scheduled for mid-June.
15/04/2020
Tom Tjaarda. American passport, Italian heart
Tom Tjaarda was an influential car designer born in Detroit in 1934. He worked with Ghia, Pininfarina, Fiat, and Rayton Fissore, and designed more than 80 car models.
14/04/2020
Thesis, the last true Lancia
The Lancia Thesis was a flagship concept car launched in 2002 with a mix of past and present stylistic features. It failed to reposition the brand and only 16,000 examples were produced, but its rarity and unique design make it a potential future classic.
13/04/2020
Rumpler Tropfenwagen. From the seaplane to the road
The Tropfenwagen, created by mechanical genius Edmund Rumpler, was inspired by the floats of seaplanes and presented in 1919 as a five-seater torpedo prototype with aerodynamic shape, horizontal mud wings, swing-axle independent rear suspension.
12/04/2020
Ranking the Royal household? Not the done thing…But for cars, The Queen and Lady Di are head to head.
The CCA auction was set to offer Princess Diana's Audi 80 Cabriolet but was cancelled due to COVID-19. However, a list of cars owned by four members of the British royal family was compiled. Princess Margaret's 1975 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow sold for ÂŁ21,850 in 2011, an increase of 178%. Lady Di's 1994 Audi 80 2.6 Cabriolet sold for ÂŁ54,000 in 2016, a 9.8 times increase from the standard model's price. Prince Edward's Rover 75 2.5 Connoisseur sold for ÂŁ3,960 in 2014, double its value. The Queen's 2001 Daimler Majestic 4.0 sold for ÂŁ45,360 in 2012, an 886% hike from the average price.
11/04/2020
Classic cars: a great way to take your mind off things, free of charge!
TCCT is giving away its annual magazine "The Key - Top of the Classic Car World" for free in digital format. The publication features over 200 pages of text and photos, and readers are encouraged to provide feedback for future issues.
10/04/2020