NSU Prinz 30 -- Winner at Sebring

According to Racing Sports Cars, the NSU Sport Prinz, driven by Fred Fischhof came in 1st among GT600 cars at the 1961 Sebring 4 Hour race. (It came in 13th overall.)

Shortly after the race, Fischhof was interviewed by representatives of Gulf, and provided this response in the advertising they ran later that year:

RED BARBER: (to Fred Fischhof, Class 3/4 winner in NSU Prinz) "As another driver who ran on Gulf, and won, what do you have to say, Fred?"
FRED FISCHHOF: "Like you say, Red, Gulf Crest really burns clean and keeps the carbon under control. The car didn't miss a lick. It picked up quickly out of the curves and hit peak power on the straights. Maybe I have a little extra reason for saying so."
RED BARBER: "What do you mean by 'a little extra reason,' Fred?"
FRED FISCHHOF: "Well, I drove the smallest car in the race at Sebring. So it was a most responsive one. I could be sensitive to even minor differences in performance."

OK -- now you've heard it from Red and Fred.

(NB: We suspect this is a "file" photo, since Fred's winning car was number 34.)

ALDEN staRRcar

From the Museum of Learning:

The Alden staRRcar, for "Self-Transport Road and Rail Car", was a design for a personal rapid transit PRT system designed by William Alden in the 1960s. It originally envisioned small electrically powered cars suitable for short distance trips at low speed within urban areas, which could optionally merge onto tracks that would provide power and guidance for high speed travel over longer inter-city distances. It was one of the earliest "dual-mode vehicles" to be proposed, and one of the earliest to be actually built.

Over its lifetime the design changed dramatically, originally a four-person vehicle with dual-mode operation but eventually emerging as a much larger people mover for 20 people. In this form, Boeing Vertol was awarded a construction contract in 1970. It holds the distinction as the only PRT system to enter commercial service, as the basis for the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system. The Morgantown system first opened for service in 1975, and with the exception of a closure for a major expansion, has remained in service since then.

Racing Messerschmitts

This clip is described as part of a Finnish musical comedy - Iskelmäprinssi.

We've always been fascinated with the idea of racing microcars -- particularly Messerschmitts. (See the post from June 26.) While a Tiger is probably a better choice for racing, it's great to see these cars going wheel-to-wheel.

Crosley at the New York World's Fair (1939)

Crosley was a major manufacturer in the late 1930's -- making everything from radios to refrigerators -- and, of course, minicars.

The picture above is a publicity shot, taken in front of the Crosley Pavilion in the World of Tomorrow section of the fair. Rides were given to guests of the fair on a short course just outside the pavilion.

There is a brief clip showing the cars and the pavilion twelve minutes and fifty seconds into this amateur film: http://www.archive.org/details/Medicusc1939_5

How many people can you fit in your minicar? (Renault Estafette)

This schematic is dated 1960 -- making this a Renault Estafette R2130/31. According to Wikipedia, that model was manufactured from 1959 to 1962, and was powered by an 845cc engine.

An interesting question to ask is...with seats for nine people, how can this car manage with a payload capacity of 600 kg (1,323 lbs)? Unless you include children, I don't know nine Americans who collectively weigh less than 1,323 lbs (that's an average of 147 lbs/person).

All In The Family

This is an Austin 7 that means more to me than most. It is a 1929 or 1930 RK Austin Seven Saloon -- but what's significant to me, is that my uncle is behind the wheel.

Petrol and new cars were hard to come by after the war (WWII), so an aging Austin Seven was the perfect car to have -- particularly on the Channel Islands, where there was little need for long distance trips.

A clearer drawing of the RK can be found on Austin Seven Clubs Association website.

Did her car come out of his trunk?

We haven't a clue what this picture is all about -- but it almost looks like the little car could fit in the trunk of that Continental.

Maybe he's upset that her car has a "Continental Kit" and his doesn't.

Hot? How about a "Cream-O-Pop"?

5¢ "IT'S Cream-O-Pop TIME"

Yes, it's time for delicious ice cream coated with Hershey's Cream-O-Pop pure milk chocolate.

And this guy looks quite proud of his Cream-O-Pop mobile. It's an Austin Bantam. We can't read the year, but the plates identify it as coming from Memphis, Tennessee. (Certainly a hot location -- good for a cool "Cream-O-Pop".)

Triumph Ten Sedan

The Triumph Standard 8 & 10 (and the Triumph 10) were manufactured from 1953 to 1960. The 8 was powered by a 803cc engine, while the 10 sported a 948cc powerplant generating 40 bhp.

Although they don't seem to be very common here in the States, almost 10,000 sedans were produced (and another 7351 wagons).

Those Wacky Little Shriner Cars

Maybe this should have run yesterday -- because we're pretty sure that a bunch of these Shriner cars were participating in Fourth of July parades across the country.

Believe it or not -- there is even a website devoted to a company that makes these little guys -- Shriner Mini Cars.

What do you suppose started the tradition of grown up guys, in tiny cars, wearing unusual headgear?

Happy Fourth of July!

We dont' know anything about this little car -- but it certainly is patriotic.

This car is a little bigger, but equally appropriate for the Fourth of July. (It is parked in the garage at the Petersen Museum.)

Crosley Road Trip (part 5)

We come to the close of our Crosley Roat Trip in Lucasville, Ohio.

Our intrepid travelers are spending a fine December day with their trusty Crosley. And it looks like the weather was in their favor -- warm enough to venture outside with short sleeves (or with sleeves rolled up), and sunny enough to require shades. (It looks like the young man on the left has taken off his dress shirt to expose suspenders and a t-shirt.)

"Kenny, Malverne &
Red Haney
Lucasville, Ohio
Dec. Day - 48"

That's the last of them. Anybody know who they are?

Crosley Road Trip (part 4)

Perhaps it is time to take a dip in the waters of Lake White. But, by the looks of it, only one of our young adventurers is getting ready for a swim. The other two are still in shirts and ties -- and keeping in the background.

"Red Haney,
Kenny,
Malverne and Crosley --
Lake White
Waverly, Ohio
May 48"

Sometimes we forget that a shirt and tie was "casual dress" in the late 1940's. But -- boys being boys, nothing keeps them from "hamming" for the camera.

Here too...who is taking the picture?

Crosley Road Trip (part 3)

It is a little clearer now. Jimmy Dwight (J.D. in most of the photos) didn't drive the Crosley to Portsmouth, Ohio by himself. He came with his Daddy.

"JD and Daddy
Day JD got lost in
Portsmouth, Ohio.
May -- 48"

Well...despite having gotten lost in Portsmouth, J.D. seems much happier with his Daddy than he was in the earlier photo (part 1).

At first we wondered who took the picture. Daddy clearly took the picture that was on yesterday's post -- but we don't know who took this one. But, looking closer, we realize that this looks like a lot of the pictures we have taken -- when no one was around to help. Our guess is that the camera is propped up on a rock or a flat spot (though perhaps not too flat) and the timer was used. (It looks too crooked to have been taken by anyone else.)