Category: Museums

InterClassics Brussels 2025 was an absolute hit…

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In the vast “palaces” of the iconic Brussels Expo, the 10th edition of this event proved quite popular, with no less than 29.472 enthusiasts admiring the four-wheeled classics. Special theme of the show was the celebration of the looks, fury and sound of the V12 engine, which is of course at home in many supercars. The good news is that these wonderful engines are here to stay, as our Brussels EU politicians are going to allow combustion engines to live on after 2035…

The festival of supercars: a Koeningsegg was admired by many…

The show also focused on the 75th anniversary of Formula 1. Many supercars were therefore to be seen on the show, and this inspired the organiser MECC Maastricht to provide a special “Supercar Foyer” at the InterClassics Maastricht, which is to be held from 15 to 18 January in Maastricht.

International character

Organiser Erik Panis also mentions the international character of the show, and indeed, it is becoming one of the hallmarks of the Brussels event. It has now grown to the biggest indoor classic car event in the Benelux. Also, if you look at the number of cars which changed hands on the show, one notes that the classic car sector is still growing…

BEHVA promotes youth education…

One of the important partners of MECC is the Belgian Historic Vehicle Association (BEHVA). They worked actively to support students and teachers in car maintenance, repair, and service. Indeed, without the (specialized) professional mechanical and service know-how in repair and workshops and classic car care centres, the classic car industry and sector simply cannot survive and have a good future.

Many beauties were to be found on the show, and our beloved Royal Historical Vehicle Club Belgium, which had put up a beautiful stand at the InterClassics show, won a special prize with a well-preserved Lincoln Continental Mark II built in 1957. The club also celebrated its 50 years of existence…

The body, interior, and chassis of this Continental are totally original; of course, the mechanics underwent a thorough overhaul to make it roadworthy and reliable. For Emmanuel de Menten, (here far left in the photo), the proud owner of this Lincoln with classic “European” and Latin/Italianate styling language, hence the name “Continental”,  owning this car is the fulfillment of a child’s dream…

On the photo below you see the counselor and member of the executive committee of Autoworld Brussels, Leo Van Hoorick, handing over the Special Price of the BEHVA Jury to RHVCB President Michel Van Eesbeeck.    

Celebrating 50 years of VW Polo…

Your servant vividly remembers driving the Audi 50 as a test car, and soon after I sat behind the wheel of the first Polo, a more dressed down version of the Audi sister model, launched in 1975. The original Polo 1 was sold in not less than 1,1 million units, and was built, including a facelift, until 1981. Of course, the history of the Polo merits a special article by itself and we will come back on this.


 

We limit ourselves here to the remarkable Polo models on the VW stand of the show, the Polo Harlekin and the Polo R WRC.

The story of the “Harlekin” is a special one. When the third generation of the Polo was introduced in 1994, Volkswagen also launched its modular production system. This allowed some parts to be exchanged with other models and brands within the group.

To highlight this approach, a small group of production engineers decided to fit ten Polos with body parts of different colours, and the Wolfsburg marketing department liked the idea and decided to make a limited production run for the German market. In total, from 1995 to 1997, 3.806 units were built, with 103 extra right hand drive Polos for the UK market.

The Polo R WRC is an icon of the World Rally Championship! Over four seasons, this car ensured that Volkswagen Motorsport and its beloved duo Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia won four world titles for manufacturers, and the same number for drivers and co-drivers. Of the 52 rallies in which the Polo R WRC participated, the car won 43 (or 82.7%) and at least one of its drivers finished on the podium 50 times.

The Polo R WRC, which is showcased at the Belgian VW Club stand during InterClassics, is the car that Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia used in 2013. The 1.6-litre turbo engine produces around 315 hp, a power that is transmitted to all four wheels via a sequential gearbox. Good for a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in less than four seconds!

You can write the next InterClassics Brussels in your agenda: it is scheduled from 20 to 22 november next year!

Hans Knol ten Bensel  

Autoworld has grown to be (much) more than just a museum…

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On February 21 I attended an interesting dinner conference organized by the Royal Historical Vehicle Club Belgium, where Sebastien de Baere, managing director of Autoworld Museum Brussels presented the impressive turnaround he achieved for this iconic museum, which is now more popular than ever. 

Michel Van Eesbeek, president of the Royal Historical Vehicle Club Belgium, introduced the speaker Sebastien de Baere…

This evening conference was of course held in the restaurant of the Autoworld museum.

Sebastien told us at length about the very positive evolution the museum went through since he became its Managing Director in January 2011. His previous professional experience as event organizer (he was Director of SAP Lounge, situated in the historic setting of the ‘Tuchthuis’ in Vilvoorde, which offers a high class meeting and event facility to catalyze business interaction) helped him to revitalize and effectively transform the museum.

“I first started to transform the sleepy, dusty image of this museum in its stately premises at the Cinquantenaire, also literally”, Sébastien starts his conference. I drew up a five year plan, and indeed started with removing unnecessary old artifacts which did not contribute to the essence of the museum and then we began to restructure the collection of exhibits and display areas.

2024 started already magnificently with the end-of-year exhibition “Porsche – Driven By Dreams,” from December 8th 2023 until February 25th 2024. We reported about this outstanding exhibition on our pages…

Then we got to work on improving the image of the museum with a new logo, introduced up to date marketing and last but not least started organizing events, at a very frequent rate. (Not less than 150 annually). These events established close ties between the museum and companies and industry in the automotive sector as well as the whole Belgian and international car world.

The results are there: In 2023, the museum welcomed no less than 235,000 visitors, a spectacular achievement especially if you take into account that this number doubled in a mere five years.

The 2024 events calender will be very busy indeed…

The year started already magnificently with the end-of-year exhibition “Porsche – Driven By Dreams,” from December 8th 2023 until February 25th 2024. We reported about this outstanding exhibition on our pages…

Autoworld further honors 50 years of the Volkswagen Golf from March 1st to April 28th. The most successful European car is now in its 8th generation, having received a facelift again this year. 

Many members of the Royal Historical Vehicle Club Belgium attended the conference…

It will be followed from  the 60th anniversary of the legendary Ford Mustang, a retrospective on the history of Formula 1, and, of course, a few more surprises that Sebastien de Baere would like to keep secret until further notice…

Soon we will visit the VW Golf exhibition at Autoworld – stay tuned!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Unique historic Porsches to be seen at Brussels Autoworld…

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Autoworld, the impressive car museum at the Brussels Cinquantenaire, holds now an exhibition ”Porsche, driven by dreams” celebrating the 75th anniversary of the brand. You can already read about it in our columns. Some 50 Porsches are displayed, many of them brought to the capital of Europe by the Stuttgart Porsche museum, with some of them never seen before on public display in Belgium.

It ranges from the 984 to the “Mission E” prototype, the latter which was a harbinger of the alternative future coming to us all.

The show was presented by PR manager Porsche Belgium Liana Picard, General director Autoworld Sebastien de Baere and last but not least car expert and curator of Autoworld Leo Van Hoorick, who showed us around the exhibition and offered us his expert comments and insights. (See photo here and further in the article).

Hans Knol ten Bensel

The 911 is now already 60 years among us, and your servant still remembers driving these 911’s with sporting abandon in the early seventies. I just loved to take these genuine drivers’ cars to the limit, their handling needed an expert hand, but they never betrayed me and on the contrary, it was a pure delight to master them. The flat six engine was then still air cooled, and the echo of their roar and hiss at high revs still echoes in my ears. Just look a bit further in our columns, click the following link: https://autoprova.be/2021/03/27/some-early-photos-from-my-automotive-beginnings/


Besides the iconic 911, of which we still found an absolute classic early version in the Museum, on display outside the specific Porsche show, just look at the photo here  above, there were indeed some very dramatic Porsche Museum Cars, and the most stunning for me was the Carrera GT with its V10 engine.  It is a stylish classic sportscar, breathing the “Zeitgeist” of two decades ago, with its clean, fluent lines, inspired by the bolides at le Mans.

It’s a carbon-fibre, mid-engined super car, and made its debut at the 2003 Geneva International Motor Show. It came three years after its debut appearance at the Paris Motor Show in prototype form – an event itself which caused such an explosion of interest that Porsche knew their dream needed to be made a reality. The birth of what is today considered one of the greatest of modern classic sports cars, says Porsche. We can only agree…

Pushing technical boundaries 23 years ago…

The Carrera GT is a car that pushed technological boundaries beyond any supercar of that time. Its beautiful profile encompassed a staggeringly powerful 612PS V10 engine that was a direct descendant of the 10-cylinder race engine developed for the Le Mans 24-hours of 2000. The only modifications the race engine required were those to meet worldwide emissions and noise regulations for road legal cars. In keeping with its push for innovation, the Carrera GT also pioneered the use of pure carbon fibre for its monocoque and subframe.  Performance is – considering even today’s standards – quite impressive. It can reach 100km/h in just 3.9secs and roar on to 200km/h in 9.9secs. The top speed of the Carrera GT is officially 330km/h.

The racing engine needs of course a fair amount of cooling. The huge air intake along the car’s flanks, along with the three radiators are five times larger in area than that of the Porsche 911 Turbo of the time.

Then there are the purposeful contours of the Carrera GT. It was designed by a team headed up by legendary Dutch car designer, Harm Lagaay. He already worked since 1971 for Porsche, and designed the 924. He moved to BMW in 1985, and designed for them the BMW Z1. Also purposeful and elegant. This purposefulness is found also in this GT. He returned to Porsche in 1989 as head of the “Style Porsche” department in Weissach, and oversaw the design of the Porsches of the period – the 968, 989 (the stillborn four door Porsche), 993 (the 1993-1997 generation of the 911 for which Englishman Tony Hatter is also credited), Boxster, 996 (the all-new 911 of 1997), last but not least the Cayenne and one of his absolute masterpieces, the Carrera GT.

General director Autoworld Sebastien de Baere…

Some 1270 units of the Carrera GT were made in total over its production life (manufacture ended in May 2006). Today, the Carrera GT Type 980 is an official member of the Porsche Classic family, which means both owners and those Porsche Classic partners and Porsche Centres who maintain the cars have access to an extensive supply of genuine parts. As you might expect, many of them are still on our roads and retail at around the $1 million range for a reasonably good example… Mind you, it cost close to half a million Euros when new…

Italian blood: the Carrera Abarth

Can you believe, looking at the picture above, that this car was built in 1960? Three years before the 911, as the dust sheet was pulled back on this brand-new Porsche model at the 1963 Frankfurt International Motor Show. Looking in profile, it is quite reminiscent of the overall proportions of the 911. Just a bit more muscular, racier, more pur-sang even. It is officially called the Porsche 356 B 2000 GS Carrera GTL Abarth, and for me, it is one of the “purest” Porsche street cars.

We go back to the early sixties here. To remain competitive in Grand Touring (GT) racing, Porsche needed lightweight versions of the 356 B. They looked south for help, and found it in the Italian-Austrian sports car builder and Porsche representative Carlo Abarth. He has enjoyed a good relationship with Zuffenhausen since their collaboration with the Type 360 Cisitalia Grand Prix car in 1947. Abarth now commissions Ugo Zagato in Milan to build 20 lightweight coupés. The handcrafted aluminium bodies featuring the characteristic air scoop on the rear are compact and streamlined. It is a true beauty with wonderful proportions, in our opinion a forerunner of what the 911 was to be.

Gave us expert information about the Porsches in the exhibition, connaisseur and Autoworld curator Leo Van Hoorick…

. The 356 B Carrera GTL Abarth weighs almost 120 kilograms less than the standard 356 B. The “marriage” of the chassis and body takes place in Milan, with the GTL receiving its finishing touches at Abarth and Porsche. The list of successes of the 356 B Carrera GTL Abarth includes class victories at the Targa Florio – in 1960 with a 1.6-litre engine, 1961 with a 2-litre Carrera unit – plus outright victory at the Lyon-Charbonnières Rally of 1960 as well as class wins at Le Mans.

Driving the Abarth GTL, racing drivers such as Hans Herrmann, Herbert Linge, Edgar Barth and Paul Ernst Strähle win world championship titles in 1961 for Porsche for GT cars with a displacement of up to 2 litres. Further international titles in 1961 include Heini Walter’s fourth victory at the European Mountain Championship and Hans-Joachim Walter’s win at the European Rally Championship.

Even with the 1,588 cc flat four, developing 135 hp or 99 kW, the 778 kg Carrera was 220 km/h fast…

There is a lot more to see in this Porsche exhibition in Autoworld, and we will come back on this in following reports, where we will delve more in detail about the Porsche prototypes and the iconic Gmünd Coupé. Stay tuned!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Exclusive exhibition “Porsche, driven by dreams” at Brussels Autoworld

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Porsche has been making people dream for 75 years, and Autoworld, the iconic automotive museum in Brussels, joins in on that dream with the end-of-year exhibition “Porsche, Driven By Dreams”.

The exhibition runs from December 8, 2023 to February 25, 2024.

After the exhibition ‘Porsche – Electric to Electric’ in 2013 and ‘Porsche 70 Years’ in 2018, Autoworld continues its successful collaboration with Porsche Belgium and the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. With a never-before-seen collection of exclusive Porsches, collected thematically in a unique setting, you are taken into the overwhelming dream world of Porsche.

The storytelling goes much further than just the cars…

In addition to the beautiful cars, the exhibition also focuses on the people behind the brand. People who, just like Ferry Porsche, have always believed in their dreams, achieved great things and realized great ideas. The stories of international and Belgian personalities are highlighted in the various theme groups. Examples are Jacky Ickx, Johan Dirickx, Thierry Boutsen, Laurens Vanthoor, André Lotterer…

Unseen: from Concept to Model

Reality often starts with a dream, and every Porsche starts life as a concept. Autoworld collected 9 Porsche concept cars that have never before been exhibited in Belgium and shows them side by side with the production model.

From the 984 that would become the 914 to the prototype of the Taycan that dreams of an alternative future, via the 989 (the Panamera project), the 959 group B study, the 911 Vision Safari and many more models.

911  celebrates its 60th birthday…

Naturally, the 911 forms a separate theme within the exhibition “Porsche, Driven By Dreams” with another unique collection spanning 8 generations of the “Neunelfer.”

Art and Heritage

“Porsche, Driven By Dreams” is more than just presenting dream cars. The renowned Belgian street artist Vexx, known for his Porsche Vision Gran Turismo that can be viewed until January 8, 2024, will be present exclusively for Autoworld on December 7 and 8 with an animation about Porsche.

Another artist, renowned photographer Bart Kuykens, will exhibit his works, in which the Porsche 911 always plays a prominent role.

Ferdinand Porsche fulfilled his absolute dream 75 years ago by building his own dream car. His very first 356 ‘Gmund,’ built in a barn in the village of the same name in Austria, to other classics that helped turn Ferdinand Porsche’s dream into reality are on show.

Motorsport

The 991 RSR, 991 GT1, 919 Hybrid and Formula E Gen 3 are just some of the racing cars on display that have made Porsche the most successful racing car brand.

Of course, the Belgian contribution is not forgotten with racing cars driven by legendary drivers such as Jacky Ickx, Thierry Boutsen and Laurens Vanthoor.

The world of the Dakar Rally

It was Jacky Ickx who made Porsche dream of the famous Dakar rally. A dream that once again became reality with, among other things, the 959 with Rothmans colors.

Porsche honors the successful Dakar models with the recent 911 Dakar, the 911 GT3 Rally in D’Ieteren colors and the 953 Dakar. Autoworld honors Porsche’s successful Dakar past in a separate, sandy universe of the expo.

Kids Corner

The youngest visitors can attend workshops in the separate room where they can build the Porsche of their dreams. For inspiration, a life-size Porsche in Lego is on display. And who knows, the next Belgian Le Mans winner with Porsche will be discovered on our racing simulator.

Permanent collection

Autoworld’s permanent collection will continue to be admired during the three-month exhibition “Porsche, Driven By Dreams”. The ‘Bagnole’ restaurant will of course remain open to the public, as will the museum shop with an extensive Porsche collection, ideal for the holidays…

Autoworld is located in the beautiful Parc du Cinquantenaire (French) of Jubelpark (Dutch). Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 10-17 h,  Saturday and Sunday 10-18 h.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Alfa Romeo presents heritage program…

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The Alfa Romeo SZ

At the 39th edition of “Auto e Moto d’Epoca”, one of the most important events in Europe for vintage car and motorcycle enthusiasts, Alfa Romeo presents the “Alfa Romeo Classiche” heritage program, a range of services with the precise aim of protecting and promoting the history of the iconic Italian brand.

For the first time in Stellantis, the brand’s top management is personally involved in all the activities that make up the whole range of its dedicated services. In fact, the certification committee is chaired by Alfa Romeo’s CEO and the Head of Heritage department, with the support of the Alfa Romeo Museum. This support is crucial, as this museum houses the production registers and all the technical documentation used by the committee to analyze the information on the examined cars.

Abarth is also incuded in the overall Stellantis Heritage program…

Jean Philippe Imparato – Alfa Romeo CEO: “we are enhancing our historic heritage”

When presenting the program, the CEO stated: “Alfa Romeo is going through a key phase in its history. The historical period we are going through is a genuine evolution. The brand’s future includes very ambitious goals aimed at redefining the concept of sportiness in the 21st century, while remaining faithful to its DNA. While planning for the future, our heritage is always our main source of inspiration. For us, the Alfa Romeo Classiche heritage program aims to enhance our historic automotive heritage by certifying the authenticity of vintage Alfa Romeos and giving new life to marvelous examples that still captivate and excite car enthusiasts around the world.”

The program…

Parts for the Lancia Delta Integrale are also provided…

 The Alfa Romeo Classiche heritage program consists of the Certificate of Origin – which has been offered for Alfa Romeo cars since 2016 – together with the Certificate of Authenticity and the Restoration. The Top management of the brand personally chairs and intervenes in the committee that evaluates historic cars and issues the certifications with the support of the Heritage team and the experts in Alfa Romeo history.

Issuing a Certificate of Origin…

Alfa Romeo offers the opportunity to discover the history of each car through its chassis number. The service provides for an accurate document review at the Brand’s production registers and the issue of a certificate certifying the car’s year of production and original configuration: model specifications, engine serial number, original exterior and interior details.

… and a Certificate of Authenticity.

Historic gems are kept and restored by the heritage department…

After analyzing in detail the historic car taken under consideration and verifying its production data and technical specifications at the company archives, Alfa Romeo, with the support of the Heritage department, certifies the authenticity of the classic car. To obtain this certification each car goes through a rigorous inspection and evaluation process which is carried out by the specialized team, verifying the authenticity of the car and its components and the functioning of the main mechanical parts. The vehicle can be examined at the Officine Classiche in Mirafiori or directly at the customer’s home, if he prefers, or at the Stellantis & You sales and service dealership in Rome and Palermo.

A fully fledged Restoration service.

Furthermore, the same team that takes care of the’ historical collection is available to private clients, with services ranging from simple maintenance to complete restoration: from diagnosis to exterior restoration, repair of individual mechanical and aesthetic components, and final testing.

A dedicated area on the official Alfa Romeo website…

The brand will introduce an area dedicated on its website to the new “Alfa Romeo Classiche” heritage program that allows lucky owners of historic cars to make use of programs dedicated to Certificates of Authenticity and Restoration. It will therefore be possible to receive all the information and support necessary to start a dedicated and personalized program directly from the brand’s website.

To put you in the mood, just look at the accompanying photos…where you don’t see only Alfa’s, but also Lancia and Abarth, which are also taken under the wings of the Stellantis Heritage depoartment…

Hans Knol ten Bensel  

Come and see Alfa Romeo Storico at Autoworld Brussels this summer!

Posted in Automobilia, Automotive drawings and art, Car Events, Car Shows, Classic and Vintage Cars, Lifestyle, Manufacturer's Classic Centers, Museums, Pre-War ClassicsLeave a comment
Autoworld Brussels is during the summer filled with iconic Alfa’s

On the first day of July – for many of us the start of the summer holidays – the mythical Milanese brand Alfa Romeo stands in the spotlight in the iconic Autoworld-Brussels museum, and this until the 28th of August.

So plenty of time for you to come to Brussels, and see the more than 50 of the most emblematic Alfa’s, celebrating the 112th anniversary of the brand.

This stunning show is the result of a close collaboration with the Club Quadrifoglio Belgio, the National Automobile Museum of Mulhouse, private collectors, the Italian collector of prototypes Corrado Lopresto and Stellantis Belux (Alfa Romeo).

There is more for you to see, as this exhibition will start on Sunday 3 July with a event organized by the Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio Belgio Club: a beautiful ride starting in front of the Royal Palace of Brussels and ending on the Esplanade du Cinquantenaire, in front of the Autoworld Museum, where a Concours d’Elegance will be held with nearly 150 cars.

On the first floor of the Autoworld museum are more than 50 historical Alfa’s: pre-war, commercialized, competition and special cars. These include a Giulietta Sprint and a Spider, the 2600 Sprint & 2000 Spider, a Montreal, a Giulia Sprint GT Veloce, a Spider Coda Tronca, a GT 1600 Zagato, a Giulia GT 1300 Scalino, a GT 1300 Junior, a 2000 GTV, an Alfasud, an Alfasud TI and an Alfasud Sprint, a Giulietta Turbodelta, an Alfa 90, an Alfa 75 2.5 QV, an Alfa 6, and many others…

The Musée Nationale de l’Automobile de Mulhouse owns a beautiful 1936 Alfa Romeo 8C Pininfarina, which is said to have won the Mille Miglia that same year. In addition, part of the exhibition will be devoted to five exceptional prototypes from Corrado Lopresto’s magnificent collection.

The Lopresto collection is one of the most important collections of Italian prototypes in the world from 1901 until today. Many of the cars are unique, custom built with special features (rare copies, special series, number 1 chassis, cars with famous owners). Most of these cars have collected awards at Villa d’Este and Pebble Beach. Showcases with scale models show the same cars in subtle dioramas.

One of the absolute highlights of the exhibition is of course the new Alfa Romeo Tonale, the first electrified compact SUV in its history. In addition to the new Alfa Romeo Tonale, the dynamic Giulia and the Stelvio, the brand’s sporty SUV, will of course also be on display.

We would say, you have the whole summer to see this unique collection on display, and who wouldn’t visit the capital of Europe in the meantime, where there is so much to see, and excellent Belgian haute cuisine to enjoy?

Until soon, and I all wish you a fantastic (automotive) holiday. Your servant will be travelling to France at the wheel of his personal Audi A5 Cabrio… soon more about my trip!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Alfa Romeo  enters an exceptional crew in the 2022 “1000 Miglia”

Posted in Automobilia, Car Events, Classic and Vintage Cars, History in photos, Lifestyle, Manufacturer's Classic Centers, Museums, Sports and RacingLeave a comment
Christina Posta at the Nardi wheel of a 1900 Super Sprint

Alfa Romeo has launched an exceptional initiative at the 40th edition of the re-enactment of the “Mille Miglia”, the “most beautiful race in the world” in the famous words of Enzo Ferrari.

It features a truly exceptional crew, let us present it here for you:

Francesco Pirozzi, a member of body shop at the Giambattista Vico plant in Pomigliano, and Cristina Posta, an assembly line employee at the Cassino plant, will represent Alfa Romeo Manufacturing at the race on board a 1900 Super Sprint.

Francesco Pirozzi is 46 and has been gaining professional experience in the body shop at the Pomigliano d’Arco plant since 2005, especially on the geometry of the Alfa Romeo 147 and 159 models. An avid fan of the Alfa Romeo brand, today he is entirely dedicated to the Tonale project, which he has followed since its inception.

Father to a nine and seven-year-old, he is passionate about cars, electronics and mechanics.

Cristina Posta was born in Pontecorvo (FR) in 1984 and has worked on the assembly at the Cassino plant since 2018.

Due to her family ties, she had an emotional connection to Alfa Romeo even before working there and always wanted to be part of the Group.

Outside the factory, Cristina loves to wake up early, spend time in the kitchen and garden, and help her parents with the family agricultural business.

This crew embodies the inclusive spirit of this brand, which can rely on a cohesive and passionate team in every department.

We can only applaud this initiative. Alfa Romeo wants to engage its customers just like its own employees, offering visceral experiences like the “1000 Miglia” and remaining faithful to the Italian sporty DNA which has made it an icon since 1910.

The brand invites its fans to “Join the Tribe”…

Alfa Romeo’s 50 vehicles once again make it the most well-represented brand at the race. These include models from the brand’s private collection which are normally on show at the Alfa Romeo museum in Arese: the 6C 1500 Super Sport from 1928, the 1900 Sport Spider from 1954 and the 1900 Super Sprint from 1956.

Your servant has very fond memories of this iconic Mille Miglia. Years ago, I was invited now years ago together with my father by Mercedes Benz to form a crew at the wheel of the brand with the iconic star… it was legendary, to be then in the same team with the legendary Mille Miglia winner, Stirling Moss!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Immerse yourself online in 160 years of Opel’s history…

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In 2022, Opel is celebrating the company’s 160th birthday. To mark this anniversary, Opel Classic has a special gift for all fans and friends of autobile history: they can now indulge themselves in the company’s history in the new “160 Years of Opel” theme tour at opel.com/opelclassic.

Automotive buffs as we are, we certainly love everything historic about cars. So we applaud this initiative, meaning that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home a virtual tour back to the beginnings of the company and enjoy numerous highlights from 160 years of Opel engineering.

This Opel Classic tour will take you on a varied tour from the first sewing machines and bicycles “made in Rüsselsheim” to the current “Golden Steering Wheel” title holder Opel Mokka-e1.

Of course, this 160 year anniversary tour was developed with great attention to detail. The team first had to meticulously archive and document all the exhibits and precisely align them for filming so that online visitors can view the vehicles from all sides. The ‘160 Years of Opel’ tour is bilingual, offering some completely new Opel perspectives. “It’s really worth clicking on and taking the tour,” says the new Opel Classic Director Leif Rohwedder, looking forward to numerous online visitors.

“160 Years of Opel”: Virtual tour from its early beginnings to the present

This new 360-degree tour takes visitors virtually into the “hallowed halls” of the Opel Classic Collection in Rüsselsheim. Here, the brand with the Blitz shelters a veritable treasure trove of 600 historic vehicles and studies as well as 300 other exhibits ranging from Opel sewing machines to aircraft engines. The highlights of the “160 Years of Opel” tour include a look at the beginnings in the 1860s as well as the following decades. By clicking on the yellow info points, Opel Classic reveals important information about the selected exhibits – short and sweet, right to the point.

The “Wanderjahre Adam Opels” (Adam Opel’s wandering years) are discussed as well as historically valuable exhibits such as the “Quintuplet” – a five-seat bicycle – on which the five sons of the company founder had themselves photographed for publicity purposes at the end of the 19th century.

The pioneer among Opel automobiles can also be seen for the first time in a virtual tour: the Patentmotorwagen “System Lutzmann” from 1899, which marked the beginning of car production in Rüsselsheim.

Then interested visitors can continue on various paths through the historic halls. They will not only encounter numerous Opel icons and bestsellers, but also innovative record-breaking vehicles such as the Opel Elektro GT. Five decades ago, this car demonstrated at the Hockenheimring what is possible with zero emissions. The tour through 160 years of Opel history leads to further groundbreaking developments such as the first fully electric vehicle suitable for everyday use, the Opel Ampera, and the battery-electric Opel Mokka-e. The current e-car with the Blitz won the “Golden Steering Wheel 2021″1 with its convincing driving performance as well as its very own style and rounds off the journey through time in the Opel halls.

The “160 Years of Opel” tour now complements the Opel Classic online tours that were successfully launched in 2021.

Finally, we want to tell you here that visitors can also explore and enjoy more subjects Opel Classic has online in store for you: what to think of subjects like “Alternative Drives”, “Rally Racing”, “Roaring Twenties” and “Mobility for Millions”?  I would say, get tuned for an unforgettable online Opel session!

We just let you enjoy some photos here, but I suggest you grab your mouse and start a journey into history!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

2021 was another exceptional year for the Mercedes-Benz Museum…

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Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

You servant is truly fond of car museums, and unfortunately, the present times are truly difficult. Also for the wonderful Mercedes-Benz Museum…

As in 2020, it was marked in many respects by the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. “We look to 2022 with optimism, but also due caution, because the pandemic is not over,” says Bettina Haussmann, Director of the Museum. “Nevertheless, a suitable programme is already in preparation: under the motto ‘Take your mind off thingsʼ, we would like to provide distraction in stressful times and invite you to visit the Museum free of charge in the first week of March. And of course we are especially looking forward to the warmer season with a wide range of outdoor events, the relaunch of ‘Stadtkulturʼ (Urban Culture) and Classics & Coffee. The open-air cinema and the Mercedes-Benz Concert Summer are also scheduled to take place again this year.”

“Given the overall difficult situation worldwide, we are nevertheless satisfied with 2021. The number of visitors was hardly any different from 2020,” says Museum Director Haussmann.

Currently until 15 February at the Mercedes-Benz Museum: Presentation on the hill of three championship cars from the 2021 motorsport season.

245,232 people visited the Mercedes-Benz Museum from June to December 2021 under the conditions of a well-thought-out hygiene concept. Despite a longer pandemic-related closure period than in 2020, this was only 1,573 visitors or 0.6 per cent less.

We list here for you the important dates (subject to change)

Champions@Mercedes-Benz Museum (until 15 February 2022) Special presentation on the hill of three championship cars from the 2021 motorsport season: Mercedes-AMG GT3, Mercedes-EQ Silver Arrow 02, Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E-Performance.

Special exhibition “The Fascination of the SL – a dream car for 70 years” (until 9 October 2022).

Mercedes-Benz Museum, special exhibition “The Fascination of the SL – a dream car for 70 years”, 22 October 2021 to 9 October 2022.

 “Take your mind off things” (1 to 6 March 2022): Free admission to the permanent exhibition and special exhibition. Free guided tours daily at 4 p.m. (prior reservation recommended).

Hands-on exhibition for children aged 4 and over (29 March to 24 April 2022): “The whole world on one page – international hidden object books”.

Classics & Coffee (from mid-April): The popular classic car meeting every Sunday and from mid-May “after work” on numerous Thursday evenings.

Night of the Stars (mid-May 2022): The gastronomy event in a class of its own.

Long Night of the Museums (21 May 2022)

Concert Summer at the Mercedes-Benz Museum (7 to 10 July 2022).

Urban Culture (14 July to 14 August 2022): A diverse cultural programme on the open-air stage with partners from the region.

Open-air cinema (18 Ausgust to 4 September 2022)

Hands-on activities for children (every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Let’s hope the spring and summer will bring better times!

Soon we will also bring you more news about the Porsche and BMW museums!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

New special exhibition at the Porsche Museum: 50 Years of Porsche Design

Posted in Automobilia, Car Events, Car News, Car presentations, Classic and Vintage Cars, Fashion, Manufacturer's Classic Centers, Museums, New Models, WatchesLeave a comment

Here you see the new Porsche 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design. This exclusive special edition is a limited run of 750 cars…

The Porsche Museum is honouring the brand’s 50th anniversary with a special exhibition. Until July 10th 2022, visitors can find out how Porsche Design became what it is today.

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the son of Ferry Porsche, founded Porsche Design together with his brother Hans-Peter in Stuttgart in 1972. Porsche Design has long since become an internationally renowned lifestyle brand.

Alongside a presentation of the life and work of F.A. Porsche, his design philosophy and his great creative influence, various exhibits from five decades of Porsche Design will also be on display.

The 911 S 2.4 Targa from the Porsche Design’s founding year of 1972 is in the background, viewed from the cockpit of the new 911 edition 50 yr. Porsche design…

If one thing symbolises the beginnings of Porsche Design, it is the Chronograph I, a milestone in the art of watchmaking. This is why the centrepiece of the special exhibition will be two different versions of the legendary timepiece: the Chronograph 1 – 1972 Limited Edition and the Chronograph 1 – 911 Edition 50 Porsche Design.

The anniversary exhibition also includes style-defining cars that F.A. Porsche created or which come from his private collection. Among them is the 904 Carrera GTS, which he himself once described as his masterpiece. A 911 (993) Speedster from his estate will also be on display. The 911 S 2.4 Targa from the Porsche Design’s founding year of 1972 that has been restored by the Porsche Classic department as part of the special request program will join the vehicle show, as will the new Porsche 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design. The exclusive special edition is a limited run of 750 cars with numerous features reminiscent of the iconic designs of F.A. Porsche.

In addition to the plain Black exterior, the nods to the past include the classic check-patterned Sport-Tex centre panels of the seats and the red second hand of the Porsche Design Subsecond clock in the Sport Chrono Package, which comes as standard.

The quintessence of Porsche Design

“Good design must be honest,” F.A. Porsche always emphasized. He designed the legendary Porsche 911 and founded the design studio in 1972. Today, Managing Director Roland Heiler and his team still follow that philosophy. Using authentic materials, they design carefully thought-out, functional and durable products with a purist aesthetic. As the in-house design team of the Porsche Design brand, their inspiring high-quality products include watches, sunglasses, luggage and leather goods.

With locations in Zell am See, Berlin and Ludwigsburg, Los Angeles and Shanghai, the design office also offers its services to international clients. This results in first-class consumer goods, household appliances and industrial products – for example in collaboration with Elan, KEF, LaCie, Morita and Panasonic.

The choice of materials plays a decisive role in Studio F. A. Porsche’s products. Titanium and carbon can turn them into lifetime companions and add new, unexpected functions. The combination of traditional, honest design approaches with ambitious innovations turns the products into genuine luxury items.

The Porsche Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Information on the Porsche Museum’s current hygiene regulations can be found at http://www.porsche.com/Museum.

Hans Knol ten Bensel