In 1939 Ferdinand Porsche designed an aerodynamic sports car based on his earlier sketches for the KdF-Wagen (the Beetle we all know). Called Type 64, three prototypes were made to take part in a long-distance race from Berlin to Rome. However, due to the outbreak of WW II the race was cancelled. One prototype was destroyed during the war and another was wrecked by American soldiers in May 1945. This one survived and by looking at it from the rear (wikimedia), it’s not difficult to see why this Type 64 is regarded by many as the first ‘real’ Porsche. Known today as the "Ur-Porsche" or "Porsche Prototype" it will be on display at Retro Classics this coming weekend. The Porsche is not far from our “PreWar Plaza”. Do come and meet us! (photo courtesy Retro Classics).

Update by Michael Hortig: "This car was sold by Porsche to austrian race-driver (one-armed) Otto Mathe. At the end of the 80`s he wanted to give the car to Ferry Porsche as a present. He drove the car on a trailer to Stuttgart, but at the door he was told that Porsche don`t want spontaneous visits and the company has enough old junk...! Now the car is owened by a private collector in Austria."  

Read the story on PostWarClassic.

 

No dirty parts, no rusty chassis nor a cobwebbed old gearbox for you to identify on this Monday. Instead we present you with two elegant ladies passionately discussing the intricacies of an early engine to remind you that today is International Woman’s Day! Annually on March 8, hundreds of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements to mark their economic, political and social achievements.
(The image is a front cover from the magazine 'La Vie au Grand Air', the 1907 Paris Salon edition, found by Malcom Jeal at last month’s Retromobile.)

Update by Bruno Costers from Belgium: "This illustration was by René Lelong, other artist in the same catalogue: C. Faroux, François Peyrey, Paul Hamelle, René Riondet, Robert Dieudonné de saint-Fégor, F.A. Wheel, O'Connor, Darragon, Gougoltz, Rutt."  

When the first Coppa Milano-Sanremo was organized in 1906 it was a test for -mostly- Milanese drivers who wanted to head south to the sunny floral coast of Italy after a long winter on the Po Valley Plains. Back then it was an endurance test, but today’s revival of that historic race is a leisurely event, with the pleasant atmosphere of a promenade through Italy’s most beautiful parts, only to be interrupted by fierce speed tests to provide the competitive aspect. Last year over 130 cars, prewar and postwar, gathered on the Piazza del Duomo in Milano for the start. The first day was hindered a bit by mist in the Apennine Mountains, but this made for great pictures! The Sunday saw more glorious weather as the crews drove along the coast to Sanremo. Winners of the seventh revival of “The Coppa” were Mario Passanante and Francesco Messina with their 1938 FIAT 508C. (Photos courtesy MAC Group - organizers of the Coppa Milano-Sanremo) 

Who makes long vacations? A Tourist of course! And that’s exactly the make of last week’s quiz car. Tourist automobiles and trucks were manufactured in Los Angeles by the Auto Vehicle Company between 1902 and 1910. It was California’s most popular car of the pre-WW I period. According to the information we received ours is a 1907 model K that was restored by John Walgamott about 30 years ago, owned by Wes Buck for about ten years and now belongs to Kenny King. However, our trusty Standard Catalogue doesn’t mention a roadster being made in 1907, so we are not exactly sure about the year. Correct answers came in from Dave Brownell, Johan Larsson, Eric Jacob, Alex Brown and jury members Chris Paulsen, Ian Hayhurst, Lars-Göran Lindgren, Kit Foster, Peter Ransom and Mike Turner. From the non-jury members only Eric Jacob mentioned the Model K, so this week’s prize will go to him. Congratulations Eric! See you all next week with a new quiz. (photos courtesy Robb Stewart)

Update by editor RB: Our quiz car is indeed a 1906 Model K, not 1907. This has no effect on results of the quiz, as we didn't take the year into consideration. 

Toby Ross recently bought a Hispano that was discovered in India about 25 years ago. It’s one of the last J12’s made. Bodied by Gurney Nutting it was supplied to the Maharaja and Marharini of Indore. It has a long chassis, with rear seats upholstered in tiger skins that makes them -according to Toby- just perfect for a back seat hanky panky ;-) The Hispano is half way through restoration, with the body in primer, sitting on its wheels, but otherwise in boxes. The interior has wonderful restored cabinetry in Pallisandre, very art deco. The top of the car was in a lighter color, saffron orange. Red and blue lights are incorporated in the front edge of the roof. Red light lit meant that the car was transporting the Maharaja, blue, the Maharini. Tony is now bolting the Hispano back together but would love to hear from readers who can help with info. If you’re really interested, Toby might be persuaded to sell the Hispano, but do think of the problems you’ll face procuring tiger skins for re-upholstering the seats!

Update by Harit Trivedi from India who knows more about the Hispano’s history: “That car was one of two identically bodied cars, the other was a Rolls Royce PIII which also survives. The Royalty were known as the Holkars of Indore. This Hispano was also one of two J12's which had made their way to India, the other was with Royalty in Gujrat and left the country before the ban on export of vintage cars was introduced in India, sometime early 1970's. Among the famous cars which were smuggled out was the Farman, Swan, Bharatpur 20HP Rolls and quite a few others. By the present owners admission, this car was also smuggled out of India, obvious since it was "discovered" 25 years ago. But it has been common knowledge in the Indian collector car circle all along.”  Read more

‘Hei’ is Finnish for ‘Hi’. The greetings come from Juha Kaitanen, who reacts to a story about a 1911 NSU that we published at the end of last year. Juha sends us this photo of another NSU. Before WW I it served as a taxi in the town of Turku, south-west Finland. Did you notice the bald tires? The photo was taken in a park called Kupittaa which is in the center of the city. However, today the park can look much different ;-) Anyway, Juha would like to know what model this NSU is. Can we help? 

Bas van Genderen tells us of a rather special vehicle that he recently bought. “Sometime after WW II a French farmer used his cycle car to make it into a tractor. He kept the chassis but shortened the rear. He also kept the 1200 cc CIME engine and gearbox. He reversed the rear axle and coupled that through a chain to a second gearbox. The original front axle was shortened and mounted under the chassis instead of the front. Unfortunately this ’racing’ tractor wasn’t too stable. When the farmer used it for towing a trailer, the vehicle jumped up and the farmer didn’t survive the accident. After that catastrophe the tractor hasn’t been used again. But what makes this monster rather special is that it has been a real E.H.P.!” (Editor: compare it with the photos of this one (click). We do urge Bas to be very careful with it! 

No need to panic if you own a Rippon bodied motorcar. No failing doors, brakes or gas pedals. Some time ago we wrote about a booklet by Jonathan Wood about coachbuilding companies in the UK. One of them was Rippon from Huddersfield who have been in the business since 1555! They started building car bodies in 1905 and continued to do so until 1958, mostly on luxurious automobiles like Rolls Royce and Daimler. Now Jonathan wants to expand his knowledge about Rippon into a book that deals solely with the history of this interesting company. It is Jonathan’s intention to list every surviving Rippon-bodied car in the book and also he would like to hear their owner’s stories. He therefore asks our help. If you have a Rippon-bodied car do tell us! Also, any other information on Rippon will be most welcome. We’ll be glad to pass on the information. Mail us!

Update II: Hugh Nutting tells us that the Rippons built a Railton Limo for their own use. It is one of the best looking closed Railtons ever built and has survived.
Update I: Terry Cook owns a 1935 Rippon sports saloon with twin sun roof 

Judging by the number of unidentified chassis, we can expect lots of newly restored cars in the future. But only if we can identify them properly! Therefore we ask you, Chassis Detectives, to help Stig Larsson with this one. He bought it in Sweden a year ago and believes it’s from a French cyclecar. It is small indeed, its wheelbase is 200 cm and the track 105 cm (6’7” and 3’5”). Stig first thought it was a Salmson from 1922-23 because the rear axle is Salmson. However, the rest is not. And even more confusing, the gearbox is an Eclipse, made in the USA. Probably there has been a motorcycle engine in front of the gearbox? Maybe the gearbox is not original? Maybe both engine and gearbox have been put in later? Stig is rather sure the chassis is factory built, because everything is so well done, he thinks it cann't have been done in a backyard shed. Over to you, Chassis Detectives! Mail us your suggestions!