Small, cute and agile - those are the attributes that helped the Autobianchi A112 lay the groundwork for a new model segment.When it was introduced in the fall of 1969, car lovers got more than just an Italian version of Britain's Mini. Produced by Fiat subsidiary Autobianchi, the A112 was the first truly driveable supermini. We hit the road with an A112 with a 44 horse power, transversely mounted four-cylinder engine.
Vintage: Citroen SM | drive it
When the Citroen SM was first presented in 1970, it looked like a car from a different planet. No carmaker had ever built a mass-production vehicle with such striking lines or aerodynamic contours. And the 170hp Maserati engine under its hood rocketed the SM to 225 km/h. Georg Johannes from Düsseldorf is a big fan of the model.His 1971 SM has 250,000 km on the odometer, and he still takes it touring.
vintage: Mercedes C111 | drive it!
More than forty years ago, car lovers the world over watched as the Mercedes C 111 rounded the track. Presented in 1969 as a two-seater with a fiberglass body and Wankel engine under its hood, the C 111 created a real stir in the motor world. True to the Mercedes motto"only the best is good enough,"it was developed almost to the point of going into series production.The C111 was widely praised for its unusual design, but the 1973 oil crisis blocked it from getting onto the road. The Wankel engine was thirsty, not thrifty, so the car was sent out to the track instead. drive it! recalls a much-loved model that never made it into the showroom.
vintage: The 1968 BMW 1600 ti touring sedan | drive it
The souped-up 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engine produces 150 horsepower. Not a great deal by today's standards, but out on the track this 42-year-old car shows its special qualities.A tight suspension, excellent balance and precise steering keep the rear-wheel drive steady through the tightest turns. drive it! tests whether the car can live up to modern standards.
Vintage! Porsche 911S | drive it!
The 911 is THE iconic sports car and the raspy note from its air-cooled engine became its trademark.Two years after the 911 hit the showrooms, Porsche came out with the even more powerful 911S. Under the hood was a 2 liter motor pumping out 160 PS. It was enough to take car and driver to a top speed of over 220 km/h. The original design from 1963 was the work of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, who was just 28 years old at the time. The car's timeless silhouette still catches the eye today and provides the blueprint for all 911s that followed.
Slideshow Part5 Kaufdorf car graveyard Spring 2010
Kaufdorf Autofriedhof - Switzerland's vintage car graveyard.
It was the biggest graveyard of its kind in Europe -- a vast metal jungle of more than 1,000 rusting vintage cars including forgotten British Wolseleys, "sit up and beg" Ford Prefects, rotting Porsches and even the wreck of a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud.
The collection of decaying old-timers, which go back to the late-1920s, sits in makeshift corrugated iron garages and among trees on the edge of Kaufdorf some 10 miles south of Switzerland's capital Bern.
After surviving for 75 years, the authorities have declared that the collection is an environmental hazard and decided to clear it by court order. But the plan has provoked uproar among concerned Kaufdorf locals and more than just a few other Swiss residents. A campaign to preserve the site was started when an open day was held. The organisers expected about 50 people to attend, but 10,000 turned up. Franz Messerli, whose father founded the car cemetery, said: "We never expected such interest. Our aim is to preserve it for posterity as a national work of art."
Mr Messerli's father, Walter, opened what was originally intended as a vehicle breaker's yard in 1933. A part-time racing driver and scrap-metal dealer, he was fascinated by cars and even taught himself to be a mechanic. At its peak, his collection numbered about 2,000 vehicles.
Autobianchi A111 avviamento dopo fermo di 20 anni e sostituzione pompa alimentazione carburante!
Ecco cosa produceva l' Autobianchi oltre alla A112...A111, derivata dal pianale aggiornato della "Primula" (gli stessi gruppi meccanici equipaggiavano, con pochissime modifiche, anche il furgone Fiat 238), auto di classe media con finiture superiori e con soluzioni tecniche all'avanguardia per l'epoca....tanto che può ancora oggi competere nel traffico di tutti i giorni senza problemi (scocca a deformazione differenziata; quattro freni a disco con doppio circuito incrociato; servofreno a depressione e regolatore automatico di frenata al retrotreno; carburatore doppio corpo sincronizzato -ogni corpo alimenta in parallelo due cilindri- ; sterzo a cremagliera con ammortizzatore di sterzo; allestimento con selleria in panno; rivestimento in radica su plancia e portiere; sottoplancia con imbottitura di sicurezza; tergicristallo a due velocità con intermittenza; vetri atermici di serie; fari alogeni); motore derivato dalla Fiat 124 Sport/special..1438 cc,70 Hp, velocità oltre 160 Km ora; anni di produzione 1969-'72 in due serie. Colori di carrozzeria: blu turchese, blu notte, verde Scozia, verde palude, rosso Etna, bianco aurora, giallo Autobianchi, marrone fiammingo. 57144 unità prodotte. Al 31/12/2010 risultavano ancora registrate al Pubblico Registro Automobilistico Italiano 636 unità.
English
Here's what produced the 'addition to the Autobianchi A112 ... A111, derived from the updated platform of the "Primula" (the same groups mechanical equipment, with very few changes, including the van Fiat 238), middle-class car with superior finishes and solutions advanced techniques for the time .... so much that can still compete in traffic all day without any problems (body forming differentiated, four disc brakes with dual-circuit, vacuum servo controller and the automatic braking rear, double-barrel carburetor feeds every body-synchronized parallel two-cylinder, rack and pinion steering with a steering damper, set up with cloth upholstery, burl finish on the dashboard and doors, padded safety sub-cross, two-speed wipers with intermittent , tinted windows as standard, halogen headlamps); Sport/special..1438 engine derived from the Fiat 124 cc, 70 hp, speed over 160 km hour, year 1969-'72 production in two series. Body colors: turquoise blue, midnight blue, green Scotland, Marsh Green, Etna Red, White Dawn, Autobianchi yellow, brown Flemish. 57144 units produced. To 31/12/2010 were still recorded at the Public Registry Italian Automotive 636 units.
Rétromobile 2011 : Autobianchi A112 Abarth 70 HP de 1975
A l'occasion de l'édition 2011 du salon Rétromobile, l'Autobianchi Club de France fête les 40 ans de l'A112 Abarth. Matthieu revient sur l'histoire de cette petite bombe à travers l'A112 Abarth série 3 exposée sur le stand du club.
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Rétromobile 2010 : Autobianchi A112 Elegant série 2 de 1973
Matthieu de Cagny, secrétaire général de l'Autobianchi Club de France, présente l'Autobianchi A112 Elegant Série 2 de 1987.
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vintage! Mercedes 280 SE 3.5 convertible | drive it
A big V8, four plush leather seats and a fold-back roof. In the early 1970s, the Mercedes 280 SE 3.5 Cabrio represented the pinnacle in luxury convertibles.The understated elegance of Mercedes' flagship convertible had no real rivals. A Jaguar E-type was too cramped; a Rolls too stuffy; a Ferrari too exotic. And with its 3.5 liter V8, the car was exclusive. Just 1,232 units were built. Today the model is a coveted collector's item worth many times its original sticker price.
Autobianchi Bianchina
Can you afford more than a Fiat but not a Ferrari? How about a Bianchina? Lance Lambert, host of television's "Vintage Vehicle Show" visits Mike Malamut's collection and learns about this tiny and flashy car. Mike doesn't even get upset when Lance refers to it as a cartoon car! More information about the "Vintage Vehicle Show" can be found at www.vintagevehicletv.com
vintage! Mercedes 170 flatbed truck, year: 1948 | drive it
Under the toughest of circumstances, Daimler Benz took up production again after the war in 1946. Above all, transport vehicles were in demand. To that end the Mercedes 170 V flatbed truck was similar to the 1936 pre-war model.This could seat up to six people on the benches. The four cylinder engine with a capacity of 1.7 liters produced a gentle 38 horse power from 3600 revs. From 1949 there was also a diesel engine of the same size and strength. Soon after, the 170 Mercedes was also available as a box van, limousine and cabriolet. drive it! takes a look at a real piece of post-war automobile history.
