Franz-Peter Hudek Tops and flops from the editorial team - Franz-Peter Hudek
18.04.2015
B beloved and affordable Standard classics such as Alfa Spider, 2 CV, MG B and Mercedes W 123 are even a rarity on the open-air grounds and among the private offers. The basement hall 1A, which was previously reserved for US vehicles and some clubs, has been renamed a 'Top Salon Exklusiv' in order to bring 911, E-Type and Co. to women or men for most of the expensive money.
Money does not protect against bad taste
In return, vehicles in the high-price segment predominate, but this is not always a guarantee for Quality and above all for good taste is. This is shown by the three flops I have selected. First and foremost here is a genuine, fire-brigade red Bentley super sports car in the style of the late 30s, but which was screwed together in 2003 by an unscrupulous Bob Peterson. A Bentley Continental R chassis from 1953 and a 6.5-liter in-line eight-cylinder Bentley engine from an army truck that develops 195 hp at 3,750 rpm are really historic. The purchase price for this embarrassing bullet is 562,860 euros.
Flop number two is a modern, open super athlete. This is of course not a Saturski, as the photo suggests, but a Koenigsegg CXX from 2007 with 817 hp, top 398 km /h. Inside it looks like a mix of Renault Clio and Smart. A used car that is supposed to bring in a slim 570,000 euros, but not even reach 400 km /h!
Behind the third flop is a famous name: David Brown. But like the car that goes with it, it is not entirely authentic either. The British businessman, who is not at all related to the new founder of Aston Martin, David Brown, has a new DB5 built on the base of a Jaguar XKR. Wide, huge and as charming as a leopard tank. Spoked wheels and woods from 'sustainable forestry' do not help either, as the German-language prospectus assures.
Many, many colorful Smarties
The fact that most of the highlights I have selected have really great, bright colors is due to this year's Techno Classica. A surprising number of yellow, red and blue cars are shown here. The appalling black and silver, it seems, has luckily finally found its way into the realm of classics and oldtimersobsolete.
Top 1: A Bugatti rarely comes alone
The first top. My favorite Bugatti, the long-forgotten EB 110 of the Italian investor Romano Artioli, can be admired twice in Essen: in blue and yellow. Even Volkswagen is now committed to its Veyron predecessor, which had been abandoned for years and whose production ended in bankruptcy in 1995. The blue car is parked at the official Bugatti stand.
Top 2: Is that possible? A yellow Aston Martin?
Oh yes. It's a terrific appearance, this DB 2/4 from 1956 (the year I was born!), Which was delivered in this color to the British Formula 1 racing driver Richard Attwood has been. So you can enjoy this great color and at the same time say: It wasn't me!
However, I wouldn't want to drive a modern pink Bentley Continental GT from 2004 all the time. I wouldn't give it to my wife so that she could drive to Netto in it. Maybe just about yoga. In any case, I think the car is absolutely great inside too. The tuning company Mansory designed the car “in the Paris Hilton design”. And it's even cheap: New price 350,000 euros, now after 85,000 kilometers for 99,000 euros.
Top 3: And always The Mustang gallops again
The only American model that stands around in large numbers at Techno Classica is the Mustang. And it's basically the only Ford. Even on the Ford stand there are only a handful of cars, including Ford Transit and Ford GT 40 replicas (!). In addition to the huge, chic halls in which BMW, Mercedes and the Volkswagen Group present their treasures at IAA level, the appearance of other well-known brands appears extremely modest. My top Mustang is a ready-to-use, dented Shelby racer with an H license plate for an incredible 285,000 euros. Incidentally, it does not park on the Ford stand.
Top 4: The Maserati design boomerang
Axel Schütte's Maserati Boomerang by Giorgietto Giugiaro is a unique design piece. This razor-sharp mid-engined racing car from 1972, which was generously glazed and designed only with a ruler, was the model for almost all sports cars from that time to the end of the eighties, from the Lotus Esprit to the Matra-Simca Bagheera. A real trade fair discovery that makes you happy.
Top 5: Red Porsche killer from Hungary
Seven more top cars can be found in the photo show. Just click into it! As a warning: No 911 and no R107, the huge number of which in the exhibition halls makes it extremely difficult to form an opinion. In addition, you neglect all the other, much more interesting cars.
