Techno Classica attracts car manufacturing companies from different corners of the globe; the collection of classic cars displayed here is much vast compared to another yearly event taking place in Essen, the Essen Motor Show. Visitor’s to this year’s Techno Classica saw vintage models of cars from eminent vehicle producers like Volkswagen Group, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The cars from these companies came not only directly from company, but also from a number of enthusiast clubs.

The Mercedes Benz stand had the best cars manufactured by the company till ate. There were vehicles that are privately owned, majority of which were exotic vintage models. The stand of Volkswagen Group on the other hand has exhibits like the 1988 show models of Asgard, Aspid and Aztec. The other famous vehicle-line in this year’s event was Opel. Opel came with a series of famous classic models. The most attractive among them were rocket powered cars belonging to the 1020s and 30s. Ferrari also participated at the recently concluded edition of the Techno Classica. The highlight of the Ferrari stand was the company’s 250 GTO. Two other attractions of the show were the Alfa Romeo-164 Pro-Car and a prototype of Volvo P1800 (it was launched around fifty years ago).

How can a classic car show be perfect without the participation of Aston Martin? One of the most crowded stands at the Techno Classica belonged to Aston Martin. The stand had a partially restored model of the Vignale-bodied DB2/4. The original owner of this Aston Martin car was the King of Belgium.

A restorer of Swiss origin came with two frua-bodied models of Maserati A6 cars. One of them was restored completely and the restoration of the other was partially complete. The Porsche stand also had some electrifying classic models. The most notable one among them was the wild-bodied Porsche 935 K3.

The Tiffany Classic Elite Coupes were the car models which got excellent feedbacks even from the car critics. The final production of the car occurred in 1988 and since then the company has decided to discontinue this car model. We will be discussing about the most upgraded version of these vintage coupes i.e. the 1988 models.

What are the most notable features of the 1988 models of these Tiffany classics? These cars were among the most technically advanced vehicles available in the market during the 80s. They were equipped with advanced features like power sunroofs, carriage opera roofs, fog lamps. Automatic deeming mirrors etc. The designers working at Tiffany made sure that the car’s interior attracts the buyers. They used pure red leather for the doing the upholstery of the comfortable seats of the car. An exclusive trim of these series of Tiffany cars were also launched by the company; it was referred to as the Tiffany Elite. The Tiffany Elite cars came with gold plated grilles, luggage racks equipped with trunk straps made from high quality leather, power moon roofs etc. All the trims of this series of Tiffany classic vintage cars had fuel injected V-8 engines having fuel capacity of 5.0 liter. The engines included in all these vehicles were multi ported.

What are the other highlights of these car models manufactured by Tiffani Cars? There are many and it’s hard to mention all the features at one go. It can be said that the cars of this series were among the most advanced vehicles available during the 80s due to features like high end air conditioning, cruise control, wheelbase of 145 inches, gas tank with capacity of holding a up to 25 gallons of fuel etc. Another admired model manufactured by the company was the Tiffany Flatback.

From the 3rd to the 5th of June, 2011 London, Ontario, Canada will be hosting the Fleetwood Country Cruize In. It is rated as the largest outdoor car show of the country. The creator of this show, Steve Plunkett describes this event as the incomparable automotive extravaganza. People who have been to this show in the previous editions of the show agree with the words of Plunkett. The show is organized at Steve Plunkett’s estate. It is basically a charity event presented by Plunkett Foundation. More than 3,000 classic vehicles will be taking part at the event along with a number of specialty vehicles and hot rods.

The month of June will witness occurrence of another famous car show, History Road: The Ultimate Car Show. This is a two day event to be held on 11th and 12th June, 2011 at the Reynolds- Alberta Museum. The exhibits of the show will include vehicles from the collection of the museum. Many classic car owners living in Alberta will also contribute to the splendor of the show by displaying their classic pieces. According to the estimates of the organizers, over 350 classic trucks, cars and motorcycles will be showcase at this event. Two of the biggest attractions of the show would be the Chasse high wheeler of 1912 and the Gray Dort of 1919; both these vintage models are from the collection of the museum.

Stratton Mountain, Vermont will be hosting a classic car show from the 15th to the 17th of June, 2011. The show is called the New England Concours d’Elegance. The program will be organized by the famous Hemmings Motor News. This year’s event will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Chevrolet cars. However, there will also be other brands of classic vehicles, like the Pierce-Arrow, Aston Martin etc. There will also be station wagons manufactured and marketed in the 50s.

The Concours d’Elegance will be held on the 13th of August, 2011. The vent will be organized by the Antique and Classic Car Club of Canada. Finally, on the 18th of September, a car show will be organized at the Toronto Triumph Club. There will be over 1,000 classic vehicle taking part in the show.

The Tornado was the 2-oor classic coupe manufactured by Oldsmobile. The first Tornado was marketed in 1966; Oldsmobile continued manufacturing this car model till 1992. The Oldsmobile Toronado also has an historical significance. It is the first front wheel drive vehicle manufactured in the USA after the phasing out of Cord in the year 1937. The structure of the Oldsmobile Tor0nado was quite similar to that of the 1966 Buick Rivera; however, this Buick model was a rear wheel drive vehicle. Te first generation of the car continued from 1966 to 1970. The car stepped into its second generation in the year 1971 and the second generation Tornado was manufactured till 1978. The third and fourth generations of this Oldsmobile model were respectively from 1979 to 1985 and from 1986 to 1992.

Now let us get familiar with the other popular series of Oldsmobile classic vintage cars, the Oldsmobile 88. This full-sized car from Oldsmobile was manufactured first in 1949. The company continued with this model till the model year of 1999. The car was designated as the best selling creation of Oldsmobile from 1950-1974. The most popular models of this series were the entry level pieces and the Dynamic 88. It is still rated among the vintage car models with best performance. These cars were light in weight and petite in size which enabled it in generating high performance. The Oldsmobile 88 was released in the market in different trims; for instance the Oldsmobile Super 88, Delta, Delmont, Dynamic, Starfire, Jetstar, Holiday, Royale, Celebrity, LSS and L/S.

Peter Antel in his introductory speech of the event says that they have decided to organize this event in UAE as the number of Rolls Royce fans was always high in this part of the world. Peter Before this, Antel’s organization ‘Faircount Media’ has arranged two similar events for other car brands. One was held at the Le Montreux Palace on Lake Geneva’s shore and the other was at Goodwood of United Kingdom. However, Antel believes that UAE fits this type of show more naturally.

Antel mentioned that the event is displaying the finest makes from Bentley and Rolls Royce. The exhibits included the most alluring RR models that one can think off. There was a 1930 model of the Phantom II. The visitors could the vintage model, the 20/25 Gurney made in 1935. Another classic make of the Rolls Royce, the Silver Dawn of 1951 was also exhibited at the event. The collection included cars made by the company till the mid 80s. The Phantoms and Corniches drew quite a few admiring ogles.

The cars participating at this event were collected from different corners of the UAE. The two persons who were most active in arranging the great collection of rare and antique automobiles were Gaurav Dar and Mathias Doutreleau. Both of them are true fans of classic cars and are extremely enthusiastic about sharing the pleasure with other classic car lovers.

The people’s choice award of this show was given to the Mohammad Al Redha’s Silver Spirit of 1981. He owns two more pieces of the same car model and came to the show with only one. He mentioned that many people think that classic vehicles are only boxes with leaking engines; however, that’s not true. It’s about how you care your loved possession.

Lotus Elise is basically a 2-seat car first manufactured by Lotus in the year 1996. However, the company planned the design of the car in early 1994. The car was named so after the name of Elisa, who was the granddaughter of the then Lotus chairman, Romano Atrioli.  This series of Lotus classic vintage cars included cars with rear-wheel drive that were categorized as mid-engined roadsters. The two specialties of the Lotus Elise are its hand finished body made from fiberglass and an aluminum chassis offering the car a rigid platform. The designers and craftsmen involved in the production of the Elise carefully kept the production cost and weight of the car in check. The highest speed achieved by this roadster is 150mph or 240 K/hour. The series-1 of this car continued from 1996 to 2000. The series-2 of these Lotus cars was announced in the October of 2000.  Some of the special editions of the Elise cars were the Zytek Lotus Elise and Exige.

Now, let us move into the details of the other series of Lotus classic cars, the Lotus Esprit. It is sports car model manufactured by Lotus. The car was in production from 1976 to 2004. The company is currently planning a fresh release of the Esprit for the year 2013. The Esprit is basically the production version of one of the company’s concept cars, silver Italdesign. The Turin Motor Show of the year 1972 witnessed the unveiling of this series of Lotus classic vintage cars. Initially, the company decided to name the car as ‘Kiwi’; however, the plan was changed for sticking to the Lotus tradition of using ‘E’ as the initial letter of the car models. The company also launched a Lotus Esprit Special Edition under the name of Essex Turbo Esprit. One of these Lotus Esprit Special Edition cars featured in a James Bond Movie of 1981.

The car rally was organized by Heritage Motor Club of India. It is for the second consecutive time they have arranged the drive along with Nizamuddin East Colony Association. Some of the esteemed participants of the drive were classic car models like Chevrolet Belair, Fiat Millicanto, Volkswagen Beetle and some members of the Dodge and Pontiac family. Other than these breathtaking timeless beauties, there was the 1930 Ford model, the Woody. The Ford Woody was the real start of the event. According to the president of Heritage Motor Club of India, K. T. S. Tulsi, the organization have planned the drive to make sure that vintage car becomes a matter of passion of more people around the world. There was a special Austin model taking part in the rally. It was a 1934 model of Austin that was purchased by Lucknow’s Nawab against a sum o Rupees 1,920; this amount was significantly big during that era. Tulsi himself came with this vintage vehicle. He mentioned that this 1934 Austin was first shipped to Kolkata from London and then reached Lucknow by road.

K. Kashyap, one of the participants of the rally came with his vintage Renault Dolphine. He claimed that the Renault Dolphine, which he bought in 2000, is the only piece that India has. He said that he was attracted to this car primarily because he used to drive a similar vehicle when he was studying in Germany. For him, the Renault Dolphine was a piece of pleasing memory. Diljeet Titus, a classic car aficionado taking part in this vintage car rally mentioned that some may think that the items having historic value only attracts people of young generation, but it’s wrong. He said that events like this prove that these items charm people of all age groups. Diljeet Titus himself is a proud owner of 82 classic vehicles.

The path of the rally was also selected perfectly. The colorful vehicles from yesteryears ran through the historical streets in Nizamuddin East. They covered about 4Km. Joyrides were also offered to kids. The area looked quite busy with the children running across the colony for selecting the vintage car of their choice. Heritage Motor Club of India was founded in the year 2001. Since then, the organization has arranged several events like this throughout the year, especially from the month of October to March. The weather during these months is ideal for the vintage cars to cover long distances.

The Studebaker classic vintage cars may get out of production, but their used versions are still extremely popular among the fans of vintage vehicles. Majority of the reputed used car dealers sell the used versions of the popular models of Studebaker classic vintage cars. Two of the most admired classic cars manufactured by the company were the Studebaker Champion and the Studebaker Commander.

The Studebaker Champion was first produced in the year 1939. This model continued to be manufactured by the company till 1958. The 1957 model year witnessed the introduction of a stripped down version of the Champion named as Champion Scotsman. However, later it was designated as the Studebaker Scotsman.

History of the company reveals that the Champion helped Studebaker to recover the slump faced by the company during the model year of 1938. The year 1939 witnessed extreme success of the Champion, which eventually helped the company to come out of the losses procured in the 1938 model year. Unlike many other car models of that generation, the Champion boasted a fresh design. There was no older part included in this Studebaker model. The car belonged to the category of midsize vehicles and was one of the lightest car models available during those days. The Champion was powered by a straight-six engine that generated impressive power. The car was also priced pretty low, which made it one of the best selling Studebaker classic vintage cars. The car boasted a unique an attractive pontoon styling. This style was the creation of the Raymond Loewy, the famous industrial designer. Raymond Loewy was responsible for designing majority of the Studebaker vehicles.

The other popular Studebaker make to be discussed here is the Studebaker Commander. It is another car model manufactured at the South Bend factory of the company. The car was also manufactured by the Canada branch of the company located at Walkerville and Hamilton. The Commander name was first used by the company in the year 1927. Studebaker manufactured cars of the Commander series till the year 1964. In between the years 1927 and 1964, the car was out of production only in 1936 and between the years 1959 and 1963.

Accompanying the 1959 Jaguar will be another car of British make belonging to the same era. It is a Fixed Head Coupe from MGA. This one is also a 1959 model. The car is finely restored and comes with an estimated auction price between £15000 and 16000.

The biggest collection of cars taking part in the auction is from Mercedes. The most notable piece of them all is the 1968 250SL. The car looks extremely pretty in its cream color and the Pagoda Hardtop. The estimated auction price of the 1968 Mercedes 250SL is between £20000 and 24000.

For people who want to travel in vintage vehicles, this auction is the place to be. The Sprig Sale will play the host to an outstanding selection of classic vintage cars. Some of the other promising pieces are: a good looking J2 Midget of 1933 estimated to be sold at a price between £19000 and 23000m, a gorgeous Rover Sports Saloon of 1935 estimated to be sold at a price between £11500 and 12500 and an Alvis car of 1936 estimated to be sold at a price between £18000 and 20000.

People who want to buy commercials form the auction will also come across a number of thrilling options. Some of these vehicles are: a 1969 model of Bedford van having an estimated price between £5750 and 6750, two vintage Morris Minor Vans of 1971 and Pick-up Trucks from Ford’s 1960 Thames 400E series etc.

In the mid 60s, there was a change in the automotive trend. During this time all the automobile manufacturers were looking to make compact sporty vehicles. The Plymouth division of Chrysler had the responsibility of offering the company a car following this trend. This was the history behind the launch of the Barracuda.

During its first generation that continued from 1964 to 1966, the Plymouth Barracuda had a wheelbase of 106 inches or 2,692 mm borrowed from the another model of the company, the Valiant. The other attributes of these Plymouth classic vintage cars that were taken from Plymouth Valiant were the headlamp bezels, hood, vent windows, windshield, bumpers and quarter panels. The glad and sheet metals used other that the features mentioned above were freshly designed for the Barracuda. Why did Plymouth decide to go for a hybrid design for the Barracuda? The primary reason behind this was reducing the tooling and development costs of the car, in which the company was significantly successful.

The fastback shape of the car’s body could be achieved due to its giant backlight. The Chrysler designers formed collaboration with the famous Pittsburgh Plate Glass for making the rear window of the Barracuda. The rear widow of the car had a dimension of 14.4 sq. ft or 1.33 sq. m, which at that time was the largest to be ever used in a regular production car. Valiant also borrowed a few features of the Barracuda for its 1965 model. The tail lamps and fenders of the 1964 model of the Barracuda were included in the 1965 Valiants.

When the Barracuda was redesigned in the year 1970, the designers made sure that the new Barracuda model will not have any resemblance with the Valiant. This generation of these Plymouth classic vintage cars did not have the fastback design. The fastback design got replaced by convertible and coupe models. The new Barracuda was styled and designed by John Herlitz. The car was made on a wider and shorter version of the B platform of Chrysler, which was then termed as the E-body. The generation of Barracuda was marketed in 3 versions. They were: a sports model called Plymouth Cuda or BS, the luxury car Gran Coupe or BP and base Barracuda or BH. High performance Barracuda models were introduced as the Plymouth Cuda. These models were manufactured from 1970 to 1974.

The company planned the launch of the 1975 model of Barracuda during the end of its previous model cycle. However, they had to drop the idea due to the rapid changes in the automotive market. As a result, the year 1974 saw the abolishing of the Barracuda.