Mystery car...

[PaulKanters]

Let's keep you all on your toes and play a little game! Every week I will be posting a picure of a mystery classic car, and I want you all to guess what car it is, and tell me anything you know about it.
Here is the first one. It's an easy one, to start off with:
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~pkanters/mysterycar1.jpg

Come on, let's hear it from ya...


------------------
Paul Kanters
Nothing beats Classic Motoring! welcome.to/classiccarsireland (http://welcome.to/classiccarsireland)
--------------------

[BeCos]

Excellent idea Paul,

Mmmm.....looks Italian......may have a foreign heart.....am I on the right track?

[ICCC]

Too easy Paul - Fiat Dino Coupe..

------------------
Drive Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar & more...join the ICCC - www.irishclassiccars.com (http://www.irishclassiccars.com)

[PaulKanters]

Told you it was an easy one,
now don't go spoiling all the fun Clement ;), because I know you'll know them all...

But to give you something to think about, I'll give you this one here:

http://homepage.eircom.net/~pkanters/mystery2a.jpg

http://homepage.eircom.net/~pkanters/mystery2b.jpg

What do you think?




------------------
Paul Kanters
Nothing beats Classic Motoring! welcome.to/classiccarsireland (http://welcome.to/classiccarsireland)
--------------------

[Chancer]

I'd say that's a VW Beetle, but then again that would be too easy, wouldn't it?!

[PaulKanters]

that would be too easy indeed, so it's not a Volkswagen. But there is a certain heritage involved!
Try again...

------------------
Paul Kanters
Nothing beats Classic Motoring! welcome.to/classiccarsireland (http://welcome.to/classiccarsireland)
--------------------

[Chancer]

An old Skoda perhaps?

[BeCos]

Is it a KDFWagen?? :)

I knew the Dino too, but is it a 2.0 or the later 2.4

[This message has been edited by BeCos (edited 13 April 2000).]

[PaulKanters]

Chancer, it's not a Skoda, and Becos, you are getting warmer but it's not KDFwagen. But as stated earlier, the heritage is the giveaway. Because of the similarities, you by now must know the designer...
The car is from 1931.

With regards the Fiat Dino, Clement was right, and I could spot in your reply Becos that you were on it too. It is indeed the Fiat Dino.
The cars were built from 1967 to 1973 as a Coupe designed by Bertone, and a Spider designed by Pinninfarina. The most interesting feature of the car is the engine, which is a 2.0 or 2.4 litre Ferrari Dino engine(straight in the front whereby the dino had it oversquare midships). Ferrari had just been bought by Fiat, and they needed to make a lot of engines to be able homologate the engine for racing. Knowing they would never sell so many Dino's, Fiat stepped in and decided to take over amount of engines to fit into their newly developped sportscar, which was then shockingly named the "Fiat Dino".

The engine was a 2 litre unit, with 160bhp at 7200rpm, top speed 125mp/h. In 1969 the engine was replaced with the 2.4 lump and the intricate rear suspension of the Dino was revised. The engine was now offering 180bhp at 6600rpm. Top speed only marginally better at around 130mp/h

The spider has always had trouble with the "poor man's Ferrari" image, but now they command high values. The bertone is not as favorite as the Spider, but has a very distinct following, as the car is really very pretty. A real understated gem, with a sweet, but termperamental engine.

The car in the photograph is a 1973 LHD 2.4 litre car, with 123,000km (76,000mls) on the clock, and is for sale. It's currently in the Netherlands and is in immaculate condition with a complete service history (essential for those tricky engines) and is yours for 9,500 pounds (all inclusive, except the VRT).

So what are ye all waiting for!!!

Don't forget, we're still looking for answers on the other mystery car...

------------------
Paul Kanters
Nothing beats Classic Motoring! welcome.to/classiccarsireland (http://welcome.to/classiccarsireland)
--------------------

[ICCC]

That's more like it Paul.. I haven't a breeze!! There is definitely Beetle in there - that bonnet and headlamps are unmistakeable. Is it some sort of prototype?
Or a special limousine based on Adolf's "peoples car"?

------------------
Drive Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar & more...join the ICCC - www.irishclassiccars.com (http://www.irishclassiccars.com)

[PaulKanters]

You're all very close, and I keep hearing the VW Beetle, KDF-wagen and the 1930ies Germany. Now is there anybody that can put all these three together with one man, and then try and filter out the make of the car?

------------------
Paul Kanters
Nothing beats Classic Motoring! welcome.to/classiccarsireland (http://welcome.to/classiccarsireland)
--------------------

[ICCC]

Ferry Porsche...DKW...


------------------
Drive Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar & more...join the ICCC - www.irishclassiccars.com (http://www.irishclassiccars.com)

[Toad]

[/i]It's really bugin' me I saw a mint one about a year ago at a classic car show in the U.K.

[PaulKanters]

Ferry Porsche is right Clement! He is the designer of the car. It has the typical hallmarks of the Ferry Porsche design, rear engined and styling cues from his great example Tatra designer Hans Ledwinka.

Now all we need to know, who did he work for in those days...


------------------
Paul Kanters
Nothing beats Classic Motoring! welcome.to/classiccarsireland (http://welcome.to/classiccarsireland)
--------------------

[ICCC]

NSU or one of the Auto Union companies. Before he designed a prototype for NSU he worked as consultant to Auto Union among others. Is it one of the NSU Type 32 prototypes?


------------------
Drive Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar & more...join the ICCC - www.irishclassiccars.com (http://www.irishclassiccars.com)

[PaulKanters]

fraid not. It's not actually even prototype. There were about 4000 of these car built, in differently styled front ends. If you look closely to the right of the car, in the back is another one, but I can't show you a closeup as the badge will give it awat then.

If nobody gets it by tomorrow, there will be no T shirt winners this time!!!


------------------
Paul Kanters
Nothing beats Classic Motoring! welcome.to/classiccarsireland (http://welcome.to/classiccarsireland)
--------------------

[BeCos]

Wasn't there a guy called Augustus Horch mixed up in all the Auto Union/NSU/Audi/VW take over amalgamation.Does he have something to do with it?.
Maybe not as you mentioned a badge that might be a clue.Don't know if Horch had a badge but I'm pretty sure nobody would recognise it even if they did, unless it is a big H!!!.
Don't spill the beans yet.....give us 'till tomorrow am!!!

[PaulKanters]

Horch was certainly in there at the time, and fabulous machines they were, but the car in the photo's is not a Horch I am afraid.

I'm sure you will all be very surprised at the outcome, as I was, when I first spotted this car.

------------------
Paul Kanters
Nothing beats Classic Motoring!
welcome.to/classiccarsireland (http://welcome.to/classiccarsireland)
--------------------

[This message has been edited by PaulKanters (edited 18 April 2000).]

[smokie]

Is it a Daimler-Benz?

Wasn't Ferry's father Technical Director of Daimler-Benz around this time?

[PaulKanters]

Well Smokie,
You've hit the jackpot because the car is a:

Daimler Benz 130 H from 1935.

Here is a pic of a 130H from 1936, and if you look carefully you can see the star on the bonnet, so I couldnt use this pic really.

http://homepage.eircom.net/~pkanters/mystery2c.jpg

Ferdinand Porsche worked for Daimler Benz in the mid twenties and had designed a small, rear engined car for them, which ended up in the drawer. After the recession, DB thought it might be an idea to put a smaller car on the market: and there was the 130H.
It's a 1300cc car, the smallest ever Benz, and the "H" stands for "Heckmotor" (rear engine). The engine is watercooled, and the car has independent suspension, unique for the time it was built! Engine, Gearbox, Radiator and Tank was placed in the back, putting all the weight 65% over the rear axle. This was a tricky handling car, to say the least. There were 4,298 of these cars built.

I will have to double check this with Ciaran, but the winner of the Mystery car competition will receive a eforecourt Tshirt. But you can only win a T-shirt once.

Tomorrow, I'll have a new mystery car for you all, so stay with us...

------------------
Paul Kanters
Nothing beats Classic Motoring! welcome.to/classiccarsireland (http://welcome.to/classiccarsireland)
--------------------