I’m not sure if William Clayton simply was tired of being asked, "Are we there yet?" or if he was just an observant fellow, but in any case he and his fellow wagon train buddies gave birth to the modern odometer, where a separate gear controls each digit, all the way back in 1847.
Mr. Clayton noticed that 360 revolutions of a wagon wheel equaled approximately a mile, so he attached a red flag and counted its revolutions. Anyone who has been stuck in a "time out" and forced to count to some insanely high number (my son would argue that 10 would qualify) can tell you that such a task gets old very quickly. Mr. Clayton discussed things with a few of his wagon train buddies and the roadometer was born!
Porsche’s old museum at its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany used to follow the maxim "Small but good", and a visit there proved it. The whole museum and gift shop was located in a space that was about the size of most company’s boardrooms. The clear benefit to the small area was every piece featured was significant. The huge drawback was that everyone who saw that museum knew there was huge piece of the company’s history missing.
Porsche did not ignore this problem. It spent over two years building the new museum, which opened its doors on January 31, 2008. When we made the visit earlier this month it still had the new museum smell.
This is the ultimate destination for any Porsche fan. It not only houses all the significant pieces from the company’s history, but also concept cars that have been long forgotten. Ever wonder what Butzi’s original design was for the 911? (pictured right) Or what a long-wheelbase 911 would look like? (orange car in the picture gallery)
The new museum gives Porsche the room it deserves. The multi-story complex features road cars, racecars and even an observation area into the restoration facility. Porsche is a celebrated carmaker, and its finally got the showcase it deserves.
Of course anyone taking the time to travel to Stuttgart wants to see the factory complex surrounding the museum (trust me, it’s worth it). Unlike the Leipzig facility, Porsche’s home factory is not available to everyone and takes some planning ahead. A good start is making friends with the local Porsche dealer.
Plenty more pics in the picture gallery after the jump.
Bad news for those who were hoping to get a rock-bottom price for the Shelby Daytona Coupe going to auction: it won its class at Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance over the weekend.
The economy may be slowing down, but a best in class win for Race Cars at the prestigious show will definitely add some extra bucks to the hammer price. Then again, this is also the car that brought Shelby Racing the World Manufacturers Championship title in 1965, so the price was never going to exactly be “affordable”.
This one of six ever will be a part of Mecum’s Spring Classic auction in Indianapolis Auction this May.
Mecum will auction off a rare one of six 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupes (chassis no. CSX2601).
A quick history lesson for those who don’t recognize this legend. Before Ford took on Ferrari with the GT40, Shelby went after the Italians in the GT class with the Ford-engined Shelby Daytona Coupe. In 1964 and 1965 full bodies were added to six modified Shelby Cobra drivetrains. The improved aerodynamics allowed the cars to be quicker and have a higher top speed.
This car is a sibling to the infamous CSX2287 — it was the first prototype for the other five coupes, set a land speed record at Bonneville, owned by record producer Phil Spector, and went missing for decades. While CSX2601 doesn’t have as sorted a past as the prototype, it did clinch the 1965 World Manufacturers Championship title for Shelby in the GT class by winning on July 4th in Reims, France.
The Daytona Coupe will be auctioned off on Satuday, May 16th at Mecum Original Spring Classic Auction in Indianapolis.
Remember the Gulf One 1963 Z06 Corvette we reported on earlier this month? Well now there is a new owner.
The ultra-rare Corvette racer was the feature car at Mecum’s Kissimmee, FL Auction last weekend. While Mecum had many cars that sold at prices for multiple hundreds of thousands, the Gulf One ventured where very few cars go, seven figures. When it was all over, #1 had a hammer price of $1,050,000.
While the 1963 Z06 production was already small at only 199 examples built, the Gulf One has a celebrated racing history established by Dr. Dick Thompson AKA "Flying Dentist". This Z06 features a 360-bhp V-8, four-speed transmission, Positraction rear axle, heavy-duty shocks and springs, and cast-aluminum finned wheels.
This weekend when it’s time to go see that touching (i.e. sappy) movie with your girlfriend (or boyfriend) you may finally have an option for the auto enthusiast. Flash of Genius follows the story of Robert Kerns, the inventor of the motor for the intermittent windshield wiper. He shopped his invention around to the Big 3 in Detroit, but instead they made their own motors, without paying Kerns licensing fees.
Greg Kinnear plays Kerns, who is on a quest that is more about recognition than money. Although Kerns actually had lawsuits against Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and possibly multiple import makers, the movie mainly focuses on Ford. Flash of Genius follows Kern’s entire ordeal: from the invention, to his eager pitch to auto companies, to the pain of a legacy stolen and eventual long drawn out court battles. I won’t go in to more details of the real story (or else there would be no point in seeing the movie,) but remember this is a Hollywood drama – tears work well for girlfriends.
So this movie is about the motor in windshield wipers, eh? If corporate intrigue in the automotive industry isn’t interesting then maybe you aren’t really “car material”. Besides it’s better than the latest Matthew-McConaughey-can’t-commit-until-he meets-some-somewhat-popular-actress-in-an-unreal-situation mild comedy that’s playing in the theater next door.
Phil Hill, the only US-born driver to ever win the Formula One title, has passed away at 81 years of age. Hill died at Community Hospital in Monterey, California, on Thursday from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Hill won the 1961 Formula One title for Ferrari, as well as the first American to win the 24-hour at Le Mans—a three time winner in all. He also won the Sebring 12-hour race three times. “I had an amazing amount of luck to race for 22 years and not a drop of blood or a broken bone,” Hill once said. “Maybe I wasn’t trying hard enough.”
“Phil was a very special guy and had a love for the automotive age,” said Dan Gurney, a teammate with Ferrari. “He was always a potential winner when he sat in a race car. He was both a competitor and a close friend and a fellow I could look up to.”
Today’s history lesson courtesy of Mercedes. This video shows not only the new SLR 722 edition, but also what the designation "722" means to the company. So remember, you’re not wasting time watching videos...You’re learning!
Sometimes technology isn’t a blessing. Not only did video kill the radio star, but also General Motor’s travailing showcase know as Motorama.
Motorama used to travel all around the U.S. in a caravan of specially built “Parade of Progress” busses, all used to showcase GM’s new cars and new innovations. But once television was in every household, the Motorama changed. It was still a grand spectacle, but the Motorama no longer came to your doorstep. By the mid-50s Motorama would only set up in the major cities but could be broadcast to homes nationwide through TV. The last one was held in 1961.
Enjoy as GM’s Vice President of Global Design, Ed Welburn reminisces about the Motorama and the dream cars of GM’s past before they are showcased next week at Pebble Beach (including the Chevrolet Biscayne.)
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the ultimate automotive show. For a true enthusiast having a car on the lawn at Pebble beach can rank higher than the birth of a child. To be one of the rare winners may be the single greatest moment in an enthusiast’s life. The showcase has traditionally been reserved for automotive time capsules that are restored to a condition as if they were factory fresh. But now intruding on this automotive aristocracy are unrestored riffraff.
Pebble Beach is starting to understand that history is preserved in the unpolished automotive gems, and no car shows this better than the Porsche No. 1.
As the name would suggest, it was the first car built under the Porsche name, and it will be featured this August at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
No. 1 has obvious ties to the entire Porsche bloodline. From the 356 to today’s 911, it shows that Porsche’s cars never changed; they just evolved.
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