The vicar’s Messerschmitt

During the 1950’s in Flanders, faith still held a strong positon in local societes. So strong, that vicar’s lead a very busy life, and regularly required the help of so-called “coöperating vicar’s”. In the small town of Wildert Hubert Van Geen – born in 1889 – took on that role. As a former missionary and […]

The Prince of Bel-Air

This story is about what Chevrolet urged it’s clients to do in the 1950’s: “Pick your favourite model of America’s favourite car”. Rockstar Seasick Steve wouldn’t find it hard to choose. During his guest appearance in Top Gear he confessed to having owned hundreds of cars. Asked by presenter Jeremy Clarkson which of those had […]

Family reunion

“What will you be dreaming about?” Every night my father asked me the same question when he tucked me in as a small boy. My answer was the same every night. “About your car.” Like many petrolheads it all started for me with my fathers car. At the time my mind became concious of “cars” […]

Renaissance

Possibly, it is the most beautiful Ferrari ever to grace the start of a Grand Prix. It made Phil Hill World Champion and cost Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips his life. The Ferrari 156 “Sharknose” is a legend. During the Belgian Grand Prix at spa, the Belgian Olivier Gendebien raced it to one of his […]

The Lada of dreams

Vaztaztic. That’s how a drunk would sound, trying to pronounce “fantastic”. It’s a nice reference to AvtoVAZ. That stands for Avtomobilny Vozhsky Avtomobilny Zavod, but it’s a little too complicated. Plus, it is something of a pleonasm, because when you translate it you get “Automobile Wolga Automobile Factory”. Right. Apparently them in Togliatti, Russia, found […]

The Ducks are coming!

The Citroën 2CV – “Duck”, as we lovingly call it in Holland – remains one of the most loved classic cars around. So you’d assume everything about it has been written by now. Wrong. Deep in France, a group of jolly people brings the “Duck” back to its roots: the water. The “Aquadeuch”, as they […]

Barnfinds without a barn

Some stories remain unwritten, or in part at least. That sometimes stings a little, because they are simply too beautiful to not be told. Like this one, in Susteren in the province of Limburg. There you could find this somewhat tragic combination of a car dealership and a car graveyard. Dozens of cars, most of […]

To GTO or not to GTO?

Jim Carpenter, a Ferrari specialist from Phoenix, Arizona, put himself on the radar in the 1980’s with the way he converted Ferraris 308 and 328 to a 288 GTO. That “Grand Turismo Omologata” assumed the mantle of a legend the second it was introduced in 1984. All 272 examples were not only formidably expensive, they […]

The Dreamer

“Dreams are to be chased”. It’s something a lot of people say, but only a few actually do. Sport aces like F1-drivers, yes, they have achieved their dreams, but in normal life dreams tend to end behind a desk or in a dreary factory. Belgian Noël Roegis however, proves that it is never too late […]