There’s a running joke here at GCFSB regarding Volvos and SAABs. Without exception, every time we post one someone comments either here or on our Facebook page that those two manufacturers aren’t German. It doesn’t really matter that we explain nearly every time that though we know this, we still enjoy to look at a super Swede from time to time since – let’s face it – a majority of people on Facebook don’t actually read the articles that are posted, but rather just react to the headlines. Now, we could actually get into a discussion about how the Swedes are actually a Germanic based tribe if you go back far enough, or how many of their engineering principles fall in line with those of their Southern neighbors. We could mention that many of the newer Volvos and SAABs actually utilized German derived chassis from either Ford Europe or GM’s Opel division. But that would be pointless since those arguments don’t apply to today’s example, the P1800ES. You see, Volvo is mostly regarded as builders of very slow moving, very safe and very conservative boxes – but go back a few generations, and Volvo threw a few curve balls as the plate. None were more curvy than the P1800, a pseudo-sports car with stunning looks available in coupe version or the more rare 2-door wagon:
Month: April 2015
Mk1 GTIs are getting harder to come by, so those enthusiasts looking for the affordable, tossable treat that it’s always been are going to have to start accepting some flaws to get behind the wheel. Today’s Giugiaro masterpiece comes in daily-driver form with 167k miles and some considerable blemishes, but it’s getting harder to find GTIs under $4k that aren’t basket cases. Yes, a few rust spots could use some attention, but it comes with a new sunroof to repair one of the glaring issues. The Mk3 leather seats are an attractive addition and the new wheels and tires look decent if overstretched. It’s going to be a project, but isn’t that what old VWs are supposed to be?
Click for details: 1983 Volkswagen GTI on eBay
3 CommentsIf you’ve been following my 6-part documentary on the Silver Arrows, you’ve seen the four rings of the Auto Union pop up. Now synonymous with Audi, the Auto Union was in fact four different companies that banded together, much like the Volkswagen Group of today. Like the Volkswagen Group, they had a range of cars; Horch for ultra-luxury, Audi was the sportier gentleman’s car, Wanderer covered the middle range and the entry level products and motorcycles were covered by DKW. All of the companies, independently, had significant history, but as we’ve seen in the Silver Arrows documentary, the depression years in the 1920s and 1930s meant that just like Daimler and Benz, the Auto Union was a partnership formed out of necessity for survival in a market where few cars sold. However, as we’ve also seen, the massive investments in infrastructure and breaks on taxes meant that the automobile industry was experiencing a big push by the mid 1930s, coupled with new technology and aerodynamic designs. One of the most promising designs for the Auto Union was the DKW F9; a versatile, aerodynamic small car, it resembled the KdF “Volkswagen” (Beetle) prototypes but was more refined. However, the outbreak of the war stalled the project, slated to launch in 1940. As with other similar projects by German automobile companies, the remnants of the company picked up the project in the late 1940s, and the “new” DKW F91 project rolled out in 1953 as the DKW 3=6 “Sonderklasse”. With a .9 liter two stroke inline-3, the performance wasn’t going to shock you but it was a cleverly packaged car and sold well. It was replaced in the late 1950s by an updated version, now named the Auto Union 1000; updated lightly and with more power from the now 1.0 liter motor, it was available in 5 different configurations and was the basis for the much loved but rarely seen 1000SP roadster – the mini-Thunderbird. Today’s example is an interesting 1962 coupe that apparently was converted into a cabriolet at some point:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1962 Auto Union 1000S Cabriolet on eBay
1 CommentSome cars will always hook me. Through a combination of a good leading picture and a particular model that, whether I realize it or not, happens to be just the sort of thing I’m looking for, certain ads draw me in and lead to further investigation. Sometimes the joy ends there. With others, like the car we see here, it ends up deserving the extra attention. Here we have a Black 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, located in California, with 53,115 miles on it. Black and Tan (or in this case, Black and Champagne) remains one of my all time favorite combinations and on a Cabriolet it works particularly well since the contrast is made more apparent once the top is dropped. This isn’t a striking combination so much as it is a classic combination. And on the 3.2 Carrera it’s a combination that shows really nicely. With warmer days nearly at hand now is just the time to get into an open-top car!
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet on eBay
Comments closedInexpensive, but not cheap. That’s how BMW marketed the 318is when it debuted in 1991 and I think that sentiment has stood the test of time, just look at the new 2-Series. Of course the E30 market has become anything but inexpensive thanks to the internet inflated bubble we’re all sitting on but there are still models that you can acquire for a reasonable price. While most sellers will be looking to squeeze every penny out of their car, in the end reality sets in and you see a-lot of E30 auctions end with a price that’s not so outrageous as one might assume. I would hope that this particular car will end up going for under well $8k, helping set the bar for what a very clean, very high mileage 318is will go for. It’s hard enough to swallow the 200,000 mile pill with any vehicle purchase, let alone one that comes with a $5k plus price tag but you see people do it all the time these days. Are E30s really such great little cars that they warrant all the fuss? Honestly I can’t say as I’ve only driven one and it was a heavily modified M3 that I would drain my hypothetical families’ savings to own. I don’t think that’s a very good barometer of what these cars should be worth but I think it is indicative of the market. People are really emotional when it comes to these cars and that’s no surprise as they were many folks first taste of German automotive culture. The E30 3 Series was the car that all the cash flush yuppies of the 80s went out and got for themselves and then handed down to their silver spoon sucking offspring when they stepped up to a 5 or 7 series. Of course I’m over simplifying this, lots of perfectly nice people bought these cars as well but it’s more fun to paint the picture of them being the weekend toy for Teddy Rothshound III and his wife Vivian.
Anyhow, the 318is has gotten a bad rap for years as being the “starter Bimmer” by those with their heads firmly planted up their posterior region. This is a car enjoyed by people in the know since day one and now (thanks to the power of the internet) is fawned over by a whole new generation of BMW fans, myself included. I know it’s underpowered and requires a whole lot of revving to really be enjoyed, I’m ok with that and you should be too. It’s been said before and I’ll say it again, more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. I mean really, unless you’re a track rat, how often do you get to enjoy all the horses stuffed under your hood? These cars feel quick where it counts, in the corners and I’ll take that over onramp racing supremacy any day.