The #Opel Corsa A GSi, marked Opel’s entry into the world of sporty superminis. This was a time when small, lightweight cars with potent engines and agile handling were capturing the hearts of almost everyone.

The Corsa A GSi, also known as the Vauxhall Nova GTE in the UK, quickly became a cult classic for those looking for an exhilarating driving experience in a compact package. It was powered by a 1.6-liter, 8-valve engine, capable of producing around 100 hp. In its heyday, this output was impressive for a car of its size. The lightweight design of the Corsa A GSi allowed it to accelerate rapidly and reach a top speed that was more than satisfactory for the time.

Outside it featured a distinctive and sporty design compared to the standard Corsa models. It had a lower front spoiler, body-colored bumpers, side skirts, and a rear spoiler, which not only enhanced its appearance but also improved aerodynamics. The iconic “GSi” badge was prominently displayed almost everywhere. The three spoke alloys wheels where sort of like the cherry on top. Inside it wasn’t as flamboyant as it was outside – but yes, a sporty three spoke wheel, and some red touches here and there in a sea of good old grey. The only thing super annoying driving this, is the rather odd off center position of the steering wheel. While it is not my favourite #supermini with a bang, I absolutely like this one.

And luckiliy, this was for sale at www.mondaenmobil.com

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Der Beitrag This Opel Corsa GSi hails from the 1980s – and it’s awesome erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.

When I realized what’s possible, I asked the AI for modern interpretations of classic cars. Sometimes it went well, other times, spectacularly badly.

Here, for example, is a Fiat Panda according to AI’s taste. Not too shabby, with a pretty strong VW Up vibe. The rear view, though, is a bit off. Well done, AI!

Can’t complain about the Alfasud, Citroen SM, and Ford Capri either. However, I don’t understand why the Capri needs two Ford badges.

Let’s stick with Citroen for a moment. So this is how the AI imagines the Dyane, a DS, the Mehari, and the 2CV. Phew – okay, I could live with the Mehari. Don’t even ask me what the AI is up to in the background with those cryptic messages.

If the Tesla Cybertruck is too much, the AI would offer it in a retro look. More likable than Musk’s wedge for preppers. Also available are a Lada Niva and the little Subaru 360.

My personal favorites are these shooting brake versions of a Porsche 912 and a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. They make no sense at all, but they look cool.

Der Beitrag Playing with Ai in the classic car world is nuts erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.

Buckle up, folks, as we rev up the time machine to the era of rad hairdos and cassette tapes – the glorious 80s – where the Volkswagen Scirocco II was one of the rockstars of the roads!
Picture this: it’s like the Volkswagen designers took a DeLorean, merged it with a sporty spaceship, and out popped the Scirocco II. This car was the definition of automotive cool. Or was it? It never been a huge success for vdub.

You had engine options that ranged from zippy 1.3 to zooming 16V. Some of them would hit 100 faster than you could say “mixtape.” Okay, I’m a bit overexcited.

Inside – sure, the dashboard might have been more geometric than a Rubik’s Cube, but it was all part of the charm. And don’t even get us started on those colorful seats that embraced you like your favorite pair of leg warmers.

Now, let’s talk about the rear of it – a trunk so big you could fit more neon windbreakers than you’d ever need. And if you folded those rear seats down, you had enough room for a whole era of nostalgia. Sadly, like all good things, the Scirocco II’s production eventually came to an end. But fear not, because it left an indelible mark on the hearts of car nuts almost everywhere.

This 42k km marvel is the V8, uhm I mean 8V GTX. And luckily it is for sale right now at www.mondaenmobil.com

Selling the Scirocco was a tough job. And that’s why VW had some brilliant ideas. The Scirocco came as “White Cat” and later as “Scala”. Both featured the Kamei X1 body kit as well as the Zender rear wing. While the cat was exclusively white, the Scala was available in some more colors. But white is my favourite by far.

And last but not least, the TR, the Scirocco T-Roof was a prototype, made by #VW in 1983. It had a proper T-top Targa roof. Volkswagen used a 1.6 for it, and made a fantastic looking design. Btw, in contrast to the Sciroccos I’ve shown the last days, this has a clean look, without any body kit involved. And it shows even more, what a good looking car the Scirocco MKII was. I wish the TR would have made it into production. And note, it has colorcoded alloys at one side, and regular ones on the other.

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Der Beitrag All hail to the Volkswagen Scirocco MKII erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.

A car, so strange and rare, you’ve might never heard of. And it’s not a Renault Dauphine. It’s a electric Henney Kilowatt!
In the 1950s and 1960s, some European car companies tried to sell their comparatively small cars in the USA. And apart from the Beetle, the success was modest. Renault tried with the Dauphine, and while selling quite a few in the beginning – Renault withdrew from the US market, but the umble Dauphine aroused a completely different kind of interest. The reason: electric power. First of all, I have nothing at all against electric cars. I find it extremely interesting. Since the invention of the automobile, the electric drive has always played a role. But back to the Dauphine, uhm, the Henney Kilowatt. Russell Feldman is not only president of the National Union Electric Corporation, where Exide batteries are built, he also owns Henney Coachworks – Henney built ambulances and hearses, typical coachwork business. Feldman’s Idea: An electric car from Henney, with the electric heart from Exide.

The Dauphine was chosen, obviously because Renault had some remaining stock in the US but also for two important reasons: it was much lighter than other cars on the market, and the rear-mounted engine compartment was ideal for fitting an electric motor, usually a General Electric unit. Between 1957 and 1961, Feldman ordered between 100 and 250 Dauphines from the Renault company, without any mechanical parts. Oustide it’s a Renault Dauphine. One small detail though. The side air inlets, which are no longer needed, are blocked by a fine mesh. And there is neither a “frunk” nor a trunk. Because of the batteries. They are here in the front, and here in the back. Originaly this had s General Electric 5BT1344A10 electric motor with a whopping 7.1 HP.

The Batteriepack, originally with Excide KSC9 batteries, is at the front and at the rear. So there is no need to look for a place to put one’s luggage! More batteries here at the rear compartment above the electric motor. So no rear seats. The Henney is a real two-seater for shopping.

But there is plenty of space. Available colours: Montijo red or grey. Only 47 of these were converted in two versions. Welcome to the slower variant, the 72 volt Henney, with 12 x 6V batteries. Speed? Yes something up to 60 kmh. The range was up to 60km.

It recharges in about  8-10 hours. List price was $3995 – almost double of a Dauphine. The whole story now in the latest episode of „Horseless Carriage“ on Youtube – first I’m gonna take you through the collection of classic EVs at the www.ps-speicher.de, and then I take you for a ride in the awesome Henney Kilowatt.

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Der Beitrag The Henney Kilowatt is the Renault Zoes grandfather. erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.

This is the mighty and beautiful Glas 2600 V8. The most Italian German car ever. And there is a lot to talk about!

Back in the 1960s there were a lot more than the usual german suspects – there were LLoyd, NSU, DKW, lots of small car manufacturers and of course Glas. In 1880, Glas began building farm machinery in Dingolfing, Bavaria. And the path from seed drills to the high-end GT market is quite remarkable. We know this from Lamborghini. Spoiler alert: In the end, things went much worse for Glas. That’s the history of the Glas company in a nutshell.

But the success was initially due to the #Goggomobil, which was sold between 1955 and 1969; over 280,000 units. Inspired by the success of the Goggomobil, new models followed every two years from 1959 onwards – it went up to the middle class (E-segment) to sportscars and finally a real GT. At the beginning of the 1960s, Pietro Frua came into the picture – so let’s take a look at the Glas V8 from the outside. Not much bigger than a Golf or an Astra. It’s unmistakingly a classic GT, and by the way, Frua had drawings for a stunning fastback coupé, well, in typical Frua fashion, if you will. And then there’s the wheelbase, which is somehow too short – the long overhang at the rear, which is somehow too big. That’s because the floor assembly of the Glas 1700, also by Frua, was used for the V8. The car was not unjustly nicknamed the “Glaserati”, because it certainly reminds one somewhat of the Quattroporte I from Frua. The large rectangular headlights that Frua liked to use certainly contributed to this.

Let’s move on to my area of expertise. The engine – and here, too, Glas reverted to what was there. The 2580cc, with a new iron block, alloy head V8 was nothing more than a pair of Glas 1300GT engines on a common crankshaft. In fact, they were thinking of a 6-cylinder engine, but word got around at Glas that BMW wanted to axe 3200 V8 Bertone Coupe. And of course, a V8 creates a completely different sensation. The goal: the magic 200 km/h – but only with 3 Solex downdraft double carburettors was this almost achieved. Glas was already working on a 3 litre version, but this could only be realised after the takeover by #BMW. I don’t know how you like it, but these cars have a certain fascination for me. This also applies to the smaller Glas Coupés. It drives well, but not necessarily in a refined way – almost everything is possible in fourth gear. It’s not a tire smoker. But it’s great fun to drive, although it does have a strong V8 roar. And inside it’s all you want from a GT. It feels fantastic – and I have a soft spot for red interiors.

But because of a shortage of money, Glas how did it went for Glas? They failed to make a permanent start in the production of larger cars. The Glas works were taken over by BMW in November 1966 for 9.1 million Deutschmarks, and the last Goggo was built on 25 June 1969. The Glas V8 finally got a 3.0 V8, a larger version oft he 2.6 – and BMW badge, but not the famous kidney grille. Production ended already in 1968 – only 657 have been built, 264 with the 2.6, and 393 with 3.0. After that the Dingolfing plant was modernized and became the production line for BMWs new 5 series.

Was there a “Linea Frua”? That’s debatable, but apart from the angular headlights, there are other typical Frua details. The one vertical rectangular rear frame (which is framed at the edges by a stiffening, finger-wide bead (ital. coda tronca angolata). And this tiny Hofmeister-kink, which is also found on Frua in many designs. This is debatable, as this design feature can be found early on in Michelotti’s designs. Whoever it was, at the C-pillar the „Creazione Pietro Frua“ badge.

It is also remarkable how many parts came from other cars. I already mentioned these large and beautiful headlights – they actually come from a #Mercedes O302 coach. Turn signals, tail lights, door handles (exterior and interior), window cranks (Happich company; also: Glas GT), quarterlight turn handles, heating from the Glas 1700. Even the Mercedes Pagoda was a donor – the window lifters, multifunction steering column levers (turn signals, high beam, headlight flasher, multi-stage windscreen wipers, windscreen washer system). The door locks are said to be from the original Porsche 911 model.

The production process was, lets say difficult – and far from cost effective. It’s a largely hand made steel body. But hand made in Turin, Italy, than taken over the alps by road back to Dingolfing. It already burnt all possible profit on the road between Italy and Germany.

This car is from the lovely PS.Speicher Museum in Einbeck/Germany www.ps-speicher.de

See my whole video about the Glas 2600 V8 now on YouTube. Comment, like, share, subscribe.

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Der Beitrag The Glas V8 was the most italian german car erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.

Time for the probably most unique #W126 conversion. I call it the “Kusama 126“. And it takes us to the studio of Yayoi Kusama, one of the most important artists of modern Japan. In the hot Japanese summer of July 1982, Kusama herself buys a work of art. It is by Bruno Sacco, and is a dark blue #MercedesBenz 500SEL. The car becomes one of Kusama’s sources of inspiration in her studio. And soon it will become part of her art.

According to her own ideas, the car will be completely rebuilt in Japan. Something between a estste and a liftback. Practicality was no measure for Kusama. Nothing is left untouched. The interior will be changed from grey leather to red.

The exterior is painted in China blue (code 943). The final result is of top quality. It still has its original rear window btw. The boot is partially fitted with wooden parts. After the conversion, the work of art usually stays in Kusama’s studio. And at some point it arrives in Germany – and can now be admired from time to time at events. Absolutely unique in all its details. And it’s probably my favourite #W126 built ever!

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Der Beitrag The Kusama Mercedes W126 station wagon is rad! erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.

Imagine if the #Volvo 240 series were the Spice Girls. Then the #Volvo242GT would be something like Sporty Spice. Welcome to the coolest Volvo of the 1970s!

The 242GT is above all one thing: a real 240. Between 1977 and 1980 Volvo allowed itself this flamboyance, took the basic 240, the two-door 242, gave it a slightly better suspension – but the real party was visually. The 242GT was only available in silver (on some markest in black), and only with real go faster-stripes, the familiar and cosy 2.1 and 2.3 litre redblocks were not changed.

But there was more to distinguish the 242GT from the 245 estate of the neighbour (geography teacher). From the accessories there was a grille with two Bosch auxiliary headlights, painted in the colour of the car. The car was completely dechromed, except for the door handles. Instead, there was a lot of matt black. The front spoiler was accompanied by a pair of 14″ alloys.

To make sure you didn’t forget where you were, the “speed stripes” continued inside the car. The red/orange stripe ran down the middle of the black fabric seats and across the entire dashboard and doorcards. Otherwise, the dashboard remained as bold as ever, looking as if it had been carved out of rock. After all, a 14″ sports steering wheel was not to be missed.

The huge switches have the feel of farm equipment, and all of this together makes the 242GT so incredibly cool.

By 1980, this had already come to an end – and unfortunately the 242GT was only available in a few markets (including the USA, Canada, Australia and Switzerland). In Europe, a GTX package could be purchased as an accessory, which significantly upgraded the 240’s appearance. With the Turbo models, there were real racehorses in brick format in the 1980s.

This rare and stunning 242GT is currently for sale at www.mondaenmobil.com

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Der Beitrag The Volvo 242GT was the 240 series Sporty Spice erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.

And it begins in the 1970s at Matra, the French industrial giant with an obscure car division. The oil crisis meant that hardly any Bagheera sports cars were being bought – so an idea was born in Spain. The Spanish Simca dealer Talleres Panades develops a kind of utilty vehicle based on the Simca 1100, the 1200 Campero. At a time when SUVs, and Cross and Crossover are out of the question, this idea reaches Matra. Why not develop an affordable “small” Range Rover. And in order to save costs directly, they reach into the company’s shelf. The basis: the Simca 1100 pick-up. This resultetd in the project P12 – and in 1977 the Matra Rancho was born. Let’s take a look at it right now.

So that’s him in all his glory. The whole front-end of the Simca was employed, including the front doors – the rear section is a glassfibre body, crafted on the Simca 1100 Pick-up chassis. And then there is a lot of plastic to make the car look more massive. Lots of black plastic around the wheel arches, with massive wheel arch extensions, massive bumpers and a thick protective strip all around. And the same goes for the windscreen. The car was so unique that it had its own niche.

Okay, you know I have no idea about engines. We’ll keep it short. A 1.4 four-cylinder from the Simca 1308 with 80 hp. In the German prosect, they talk about a beefy engine that can take you anywhere. And even though the Matro Rancho is more of a soft-roader, Matra added an underride guard and a reinforced chassis.

In Germany, the Matra Rancho was available in three versions: Rancho, Rancho X and Grand Raid. And there was also a kind of open version, the Rancho DC  (Decouvrable)- which I have never seen. There was a commercial version, the AS, probably only sold in france.

Btw, thanks to Christian from FineCarBrochures on Instagram, who provided me with brochures and information.

Our Rancho is missing a few important extras, for example a front winch that could tow 1200kg – but above all the iconic searchlights on the windscreen. You can’t have everything. I like this luggage rack on the roof – by the way, there was also a spare wheel on the roof. It has a really huge window area with sliding windows. And a split tailgate at the back, one opens upwards, one downwards. It’s a great place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea or a Coke.

Inside it’s really all Simca 1100, so a bit spartan. typical Simca/Talbot steering wheel, and everything you need. The access to the rear is good, by the way, there was also a third bench seat and a bed….

How does the Rancho drive? Unspectacular – but it feels surprisingly heavy. Of course, there is no power steering, no electric assistants. But the all-round visibility is good, and I love this feeling of space.

Despite the niche, the Matra Rancho was well received. Matra expected to sell 25,000 cars, but in the end it sold twice as many. But of course the Rancho was also a problem case. It could not really be classified. Not a real off-road vehicle. Matra planned a four-wheel drive, but the project was too expensive. Yet it was astonishingly expensive. In Germany it cost more than a Ford Granada Turnier, in Great Britain more than a Volvo 240. But its success was certainly due to the unique space it offered.

In 1978 Simca was swallowed up by Peugeot, the Matra Rancho became the Talbot Matra, and production finally ended in 1984. The Rancho spawned an unlikely successor: the Renault Espace. Peugeot (who controlled Matra at the time) deemed the project too expensive and not promising enough. Determined to take its design to production Matra knocked on Renault’s door and they quickly adopted the project, one that upon its launch in 1984 arguably became the first European minivan.

Der Beitrag Before all was SUV, there was the utterly cool Matra Rancho erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.

And the “New Class” was followed in 1966, somewhat smaller, by the 02 as a replacement for the #BMW700. Just one year later, there were the “ti” (Turismo Internazionale) and “tii” (Turismo Internazionale Iniezione or “Injection”) models, as the 1600 ti, 2002 ti, and 2002 tii. And apart from the Turbo introduced in 1972, it is arguably these cars that gave BMW its sporting place in the mainstream, a place BMW would retain for years to come. This excellent example was at @MondaenMobil until recently.

Der Beitrag The BMW legend – BMW 02 erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.

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For years at the top of all Opel models, the Kapitän was suddenly demoted to the entry-level model of the KAD range. Instead, the new Admiral and Diplomat now ranked above it. Formally, it was even more dramatic. Large Opels already had a distinctly American flavour in previous years. The design of the new one came from Leo Pruneau and Dan Laski, who took particular styling cues from the Chevy Nova II. Angular, trapezoidal, even the headlights rectangular – the window and roof sections, the so-called “greenhouse”, with the front and rear windows at almost the same angles.

Behind this design was the view that round shapes convey emotionality, while angular ones stand more for rationality and reason. And this rationality was countered by the size of the car. In his book about the great Opels, Alexander F. Storz hits the nail on the head: Opel confused size with prestige. A #Mercedes of the W108/109 series was pure understatement compared to the massive KAD. The first generation is called the KAD-A. In the picture an Admiral from the collection of the PS-Speicher in Einbeck/Germany, where there are lots of interesting Opels. The Admiral was basically an upgraded Kapitän. The engines were in-line six-cylinder 2.6-2.8 litre displacements. The top of the range were 4.6 and 5.4 litre Chevrolet V8 engines. As a 5.4, a Diplomat could chase Porsches on the Autobahn – in 1969, that was the end. The new KAD-B was much more European, but still very big.

Now, let’s end this feature with a special treat. The insane car chase from the 1972 movie The Master Touch. A Opel Admiral and a 1957 (?) Plymouth chasing through Hamburg, involving a poor Citroen ID estate. One of my favourite details in this scene is, that the 2-door Plymouth transformes into a 4-door Dodge from one moment to the other. Enjoy as the ladies in the video!

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Der Beitrag Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat – talking big Opels …again erschien zuerst auf petrolpunx.