Oliver Herbolzheimer is well known in the Messerschmitt community. He restores cars for a living in Germany. He makes replacement parts, his daily driver is a Tg500 replica that has a Trabant 601 powerplant. Take a tour of his shop with these two videos. (had to break the 30 min show into 2 pieces for YouTube)
Note to non-German audience: the video is from German television. It is all German, there are no subtitles, nor is there an “English” version, so don’t ask. Just watch and enjoy.
Part 1:
Pixar put all the characters in CARS 2 on a turntable so you can see them from all sides.
This is the 1958 Zündapp Janus that appears as “Professor Z”
The Janus is sort of like the BMW Isetta, but it has a door that opens at the front AND the back.
It looks the same coming or going. Hence the name of the Roman God: JANUS
The green/green color scheme is actually a period-correct one and would be found on an original car.
This piece from ITV IOM (Isle of Man) news has Ernie Leece discussing the “new” replica Peel P50s and Tridents that are being made and allegedly sold in the UK. Now it’s time for the perspective of someone who worked at the actual Peel Engineering Co on the Isle of Man.
In addition, here is a link to the episode of DRAGON’S DEN broadcast on the BBC that is referred to in the video. Watch the hosts of the show rip their business plan to shreds.”Half-Baked” is what they call it. Also- while you watch the Dragon’s Den episode note how they try to make it appear as though they “bought the company” from the Isle of Man, just as Ernie Leece says in the news video.
See if you can spot the Zündapp Janus in the trailer for the new CARS movie from PIXAR.
Unlike the previous film this is not a “blend” of several microcars, it seems to be a rather accurate depiction of the vehicle (except for the addition of the monocle….). Oh and the Janus also appears to be a “bad guy”. Whoo Hoo! Hope they find a use for the rear door. Perhaps he is “two-faced”? Hat Tip to Larry Claypool for the heads up.
cheaters can click here for a pic of the car
The following Vintage Microcars to be auctioned in St. Charles IL over the September 16-19 weekend by MECUM: click pics to go to detailed listings for cars,
ALL sales will have a sliding scale Buyer’s Premium added of $300 to 6% of Hammer Price.
John Hollowell of Ann Arbor Michigan with his Goggomobil TS400
Nice profile piece from AnnArbor.com about Microcar collector and enthusiast John Hollowell.
Even nicer is that they spelled GOGGOMOBIL correctly!
Link to article HERE
Link to John’s website: ISETTAGARAGE.COM(where Goggomobil is NOT spelled correctly! *sigh*…)
From the Orange County Register, this really nicely done profile piece about Dave Raab,
Microcar Enthusiast and Collector from Tustin California. There is an ad at the beginning of the video, but the video is worth it.
There is a print story that accompanies this, read that HERE.
Make sure you read down to the first comment, it is hilarious!
Unless you are OK with them ending up on their sides.
Perhaps the owner of this 3-wheeled Reliant was told in advance that this was going to happen, as the host WAS wearing a helmet while driving so they did seem to anticipate that “something” could go wrong.
Or maybe this was planned all along, it is just a TV show after all.
This episode was being filmed for the next season, more on the “story” at the DAILY MAIL
Vintage Microcars are scheduled to make an appearance on the TV Show MODERN MARVELS (History Channel)
Thursday May 6
7 pm Mountain
8 pm Central
9 pm Eastern
10 pm Pacific
The Club provided video and archive material to the production company back in January 2009, you will probably see something on the Peel P50 and…? The entire episode is not about microcars it looks at extremes of… well, BIG & SMALL.
This is great, they can’t stop laughing when introducing the car.
The poor model just looks so embarrassed. I am serious! The host does a good job of holding it together though.
NOTE: This event is OVER! It was March 26 2010
Also, don’t trust the info from the Reporters/NewsReaders, one person says it happens TWICE A YEAR, wrong – it is normally EVERY OTHER YEAR.
The annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is one of the world’s biggest trade shows devoted to cellphones, smartphones and mobile gear. Wired covered the show and found that devices apparently don’t seem to sell themselves, they need Microcars!
That is a nice Spanish ISO Isetta on display (note the oval sticker in the corner of the rear window: Vintage Microcar Club!)
GARMIN seems to have an affinity for using microcars to help attract attention, they also have a BMW Isetta on display in the front window of their flagship store on Michigan Ave in Chicago.
read more about the show at: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/02/gallery-mwc/all/1
Apparently Vintage Microcars are a hit at Auto Shows (after the April 2009 NY Auto Show where we had 4 cars).
The Montreal Auto Show contacted us trying to get some Vintage Microcars for display at their show January 15-24 2010.
They were very insistent about having a Peel P50 in attendance so we hooked them up with Jeff Lane at The Lane Motor Museum. Mario Palma Jr from the Toronto area also agreed to supply some vehicles and now they will have 8 models for the public to view over the course of the show:
1949 Rolux Baby – Mario Palma Jr. 1956 P.Vallee Chantecler – Mario Palma Jr. 1957 VELAM Isetta – Mario Palma Jr. 1958 FIAT Multipla – Mario Palma Jr. 1959 Frisky cabriolet – Mario Palma Jr. 1965 Peel P50 -Lane Motor Museum 1965 Peel Trident – Lane Motor Museum 1975 Mini Comtessa – Mario Palma Jr.
photos of the cars, but not really the show itself here: www.SalonAutoMontreal.com/en/microcars/
update: Mario Palma Jr. just sent some photos from the show!
IEEE.org, the world’s “leading professional association for the advancement of technology” has put up a rather nice 6 minute long video/slideshow/interview that was culled down from about 2 hours of phone interview.
It is part of the online version of their SPECTRUM magazine.
I think they did a good job, what you do you think?
Take 6 minutes and go HERE to see what engineers think of Vintage Microcars.
Unless you are OK with them ending up on their sides.
