Tag Archives: Birmingham

Maintaining A Motorbike – Wartburg 353 W

While a student and a devotee of the form follows function philosophy of industrial design Carl Klaus Dietel experimented with aerodynamic shapes of cars at the Weissensee College of Art in Berlin in 1961. Later he was transferred from the Central Research Center in Chemnitz, then called Karl Marx Stadt, to the VEB Automobilwerk Eisnach where his hatchback / notchback design was given to Wartburg 311 designer Hans Fleischer with instructions to get rid of the NATO jeep like grill and add a proper boot.

Wartburg 353, Classic Car Show, NEC, Birmingham

Fleischer did as he was instructed and also raised the waste line from bumper level to the mid point of the now square specified headlights. Power for the new 353 model came from the 3 cylinder 2 stroke engine inherited from the 311 model but now giving 55 hp. These motors had only 7 parts and so the saying came that one could drive a 353 car while maintaining a motorbike. It was a nippy performer too with of 95 miles an hour and thanks to the high revving engine could reach 62 mph from rest in 12 seconds.

Wartburg 353, Classic Car Show, NEC, Birmingham

Design of the interior of the 353 was shared between Dietel and Lutz Rudolph. Upon launch in 1966 the 353 immediately out performed it’s eastern block rivals from Lada / Zhiguli and Moskvitch in every way including safety, acceleration, top speed, thanks to a free wheel function economy, ergonomics, handling, space and all important off road capability, despite being saddeled at the behest of the Soviets with only a two stroke motor.

Wartburg 353, Classic Car Show, NEC, Birmingham

This particular 1984 Wartburg 353 served as a taxi for ten years before being imported to the UK. The current owner acquired it as a non runner with a snapped off column shift and substantial damage to the bonnet and both front and rear wings. After the panels were repaired and or replaced and a new sill was welded in the car was resprayed it’s original flame red colour.

Wartburg 353, Classic Car Show, NEC, Birmingham

Before the collapse of the Eastern Bloc a single 353 was fitted with a Volkswagen 4 stroke motor in 1988. However a combination of political events and globilisation over took production and VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach closed it’s doors in 1991 for good after just 152,775 4 cylinder Wartburg 1.3’s and 1,225,190 353’s had been produced in two series; 353 from ’66 – ’75 and 353 W ’75 – ’88.

Thanks for joining me on this “Maintaining A Motorbike” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Christmas Came Early – Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

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Last weekend I joined my friends from the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club in the back of a Ford Transit and headed for the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham where the Classic Motor Show was in full swing.

Oldsmobile Curved Dash, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Amongst my favourites in the seven halls packed with cars was this 5hp single cylinder 1903 Oldsmobile Curved Dash a regular runner despite spending 50 years in the USA from 1950 to 2002 virtually unused.

Austin 1800 UTE, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Austin was a well known British manufacturer which got swallowed up in the British Motor Corporation empire, to meet demand for a pick up in the Antipodes the Australian BMC plant devised the Austin 1800 UTE (Australian for Pickup) based on the front wheel drive ‘Landcrab’ ADO 17 platform. This was the first time I had seen such a vehicle.

Aston Martin DBS V8 Ogle, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Bristol

The Aston Martin DBS V8 Ogle was a concept car commissioned by WD & HO Wills to promote the then new brand of Sotherby cancer sticks, it was first seen at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show. Among the many interesting features were an array of no less than 22 rear lights which included sequential lights for indicating, the number of brake lights showing varied according to the brake pressure applied. So far as I can discern this is one of three Wills ordered a second car in Red and White to promote it’s Embassy brand and a middle aged lady is reputed to have paid £30,000 for a third.

ISO Rivolta Fidia, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

John Lennon is known to have been a somewhat reluctant driver, but he knew what he liked in a car and that was summed up in the Iso Rivolta Fidia, the one above is the second of three that he purchased. This one is unusual because it has a Chevrolet V8 motor in place of the standard Ford V8.

Vauxhall Cavalier Sportshatch, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

In the late 1970’s and 1980’s Vauxhalls and Opels became increasingly similar above is a Vauxhall Cavalier Sports Hatch which had much in common with the second generation Opel Manta. This particular one has body kit which makes it look even more like the Chevrolet Monza that inspired the design and a non standard turbocharged motor to improve it’s performance.

Anadol A8, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

News to me at the motor show was that Turkey had an indigenous motor industry not only building vehicles from knock down kits but having a manufacturer Anadol who made cars initially to a design by the same Ogle who designed The Sotherby Special. For 1981 Anadol felt confident enough with it’s own design capabilities to launch the Ford Kent powered A8 model. Only 1013 were built when the plug was pulled in 1984. This one was driven over 5000 reliable miles to the UK from Turkey.

Daimler DS420, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Bristol

Sadly the Daimler DS420 limousine launched in 1968 was mostly made up of parts from the Jaguar parts bin including the XK engine. In fact the model was the last to be manufactured powered by the XK engine when production closed in 1992. The example seen here is from 1986/87.

Lamborghini 25th Anniversary Countach , Classic Motor Show,

Celebrating 50 years of Lamborghini production was Lamborghini Club UK who’s display included this 1988 Lamborghini 25th Anniversary Countach.

Ginetta G33, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The Ginetta G33 continues to grow on me, ever since I saw one competing at Gurston Down earlier this year I have had a real yearning to try the model.

Bristol Fighter, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The undisputed high light of the day for me however came when Bristol Owners Club member Mr Gibbs owner of this 210 mph Bristol Fighter, the last Bristol to be completed to date, invited me to try the drivers seat for size, wow !, what an experience at 6′ tall I do not fit comfortably in many cars, especially those with any kind of performance credibility but the Bristol fitted like a glove. After posting this blog next on my to do list is write a nice letter to a big chap with a white beared and a red and white outfit, Dear Santa …..

Thanks for joining me on this “Christmas Came Early” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a Falcon Station Wagon. Don’t forget to come back now !

Anything Except Grey – Wartburg 311 De Luxe (311/6)

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Wartburg is the name of a Castle in Eisenach, Thuringia which first lent it’s name to a motor vehicle in 1898. The Wartburg name was dropped when Automobilwerk Eisenach the manufacturer changed ownership in 1904, and briefly made a reappearance on BMW’s first sports car the 1930 BMW 3/15 DA-3 Wartburg after BMW had taken over Automobilwerk Eisenach, which had been selling vehicles under the Dixi brand, in 1928.

Wartburg 311, Classic Car Show, NEC, Birmingham

After the 1939 – ’45 war the newly nationalised VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach resumed production of pre war DKW designed IFA F9 car in 1950 and in 1956 VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach revived the Wartburg name for the 311 model designed by Hans Fleischer.

Wartburg 311, Classic Car Show, NEC, Birmingham

Fleischer had been an apprentice at the BMW Eisenach works before the war and rejoined the staff at the renamed VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach after his release from a prisoner of war camp. Mechanically the 311 was developed from the IFA F9 with a 900 cc / 54 cui 3 cylinder 2 stroke motor and completely new monocoque / unitary chassis and body.

Wartburg 311, Classic Car Show, NEC, Birmingham

This particular 311 was built in 1965 and delivered to the UK in early 1966, note the wipers are set up for left hand drive. It has been repainted VW Polar Grey to closely match the original, almost all East German vehicles of the 50’s and 60’s were painted utilitarian pastel light colours of beige, grey and light blue and East Germans visiting the West often remarked how colourful vehicles from the West looked by comparison.

Wartburg 311, Classic Car Show, NEC, Birmingham

The 311 was built with 13 different body styles from 1956 to 1965, the 311/6 designation denoting the 4 door De Luxe right hand drive saloon / sedan option of which 450 examples are thought to have been sold in the UK between their UK introduction in 1964 and the end of production 1965.

“Thanks for joining me on this “Anything Except Grey” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Split Screen Forward Control Pick Up – Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) Pick Up

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This month’s monday blog sees a return to the pick up theme, today’s featured pick up is a 1963 Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) seen at last years Classic Motor Show held at the NEC in Birmingham.

01 Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) Pick Up,

The pick up version of the Volkswagen Type 2 was not introduced until 1952 three years after Type 2 production commenced. The pick up variant had the fewest changes of all the Type 2 (T1)’s until the introduction of the bigger Type 2 (T2) in 1968.

02 Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) Pick Up,

1963 saw the introduction of the 51 hp 1500 cc / 91.5 cui flat 4 cylinder air cooled motor which replaced the 40hp 1200 cc / 72 cui unit first seen in 1959.

03 Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) Pick Up,

Sales of Type 2 (T1)’s are often incorrectly thought to have been adversely affected in 1964 by the so called Chicken Tax introduced by the United States on imported panel vans and pick ups, a response to the on going trade tariff war between the US and Europe after West Germany had introduced trade restriction on imported US Chicken. In fact President Johnson appears to have applied a 25% tax on imported panel vans and pick ups in order to avert a strike by the United Auto Workers before the 1964 Presidential election and it was the UAW’s President Walter Reuthner who wanted the reduction on such imports.

04 Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) Pick Up,

Volkswagen pick ups were ready made for transporting racing cars without the need for a trailer, perhaps the single most famous example of such a transporter was run by Fife, WA Volkswagen dealer Pete Lovely who was frequently seen pulling into the Formula One paddock in his VW Type 2 (T1) pickup with his Lotus 49 on the back.

Split screen forward control VW Pick Ups today are highly collectible, I have seen examples in good condition being offered for €22,000, GBP £18,000, US$ 30,000 which is probably a bargain when one takes into account the amount of time and effort it requires to keep one in good condition.

Thanks for joining me on this “Split Screen Forward Control Pick Up” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow for the first in a series of two stroke Tuesday’s. Don’t forget to come back now !

Claudes Concept – Aston Martin Atom

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In 1939 Aston Martin constructed a working concept called the Atom designed by Claude Hill which is seen here at last years Classic Motor Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

Aston Martin, Atom, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

The car was built around a spaceframe superstructure of square section tubes with an aluminium paneled body.

Aston Martin, Atom, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

The Atom was originally powered by a 15/98 2 litre motor, but in 1944 this was replaced by a new 2 litre pushrod motor designed by Hill.

Aston Martin, Atom, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

Apparently the futuristic Atom was tested extensively during the course of the war, the chassis formed the basis of most subsequent Aston Martins up to the DB Mark III in 1957.

Aston Martin, Atom, Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham

When Sir Arthur Sutherland offered his “High Class Motor Business” for sale in 1947 the companies future owner, David Brown tested the Atom and afterwards decided to purchase Aston Martin which would remain in his hands until 1972.

Thanks for joining me on this “Claudes Concept” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

It’s Not A Pick Up Truck – Ferrari 150° Italia

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Having snatched World Drivers Championship defeat from the jaws of Victory at the Abu Dahbi Grand Prix in 2010, where Fernando Alonso went into the last race of the season with a 15 point lead over third placed Sebastian Vettel but left 4 points in arrears to the German in the final Championship standings, Ferrari regrouped for 2011 building a new vehicle with the design credited to Aldo Costa and Nicholas Tombazis which was known at its launch as the F150 in celebration of Italy’s 150th unification anniversary.