Hua Hin Vintage Car Parade
Thanks to Pattaya Classic Car Club member
Jerry Coffey, we have a short report and some photographs
taken at the December 2009 parade in Hua Hin. The event was
staged over two days and was held at the Sofitel Centara
Grand Resort and Villas with around 50 vehicles
participating. There was a charity gala dinner as well as a
buffet from the kitchens of Hua Hin’s five star resorts and
hotels.
Darracq
For many spectators the highlight was being able to ride as
passenger in some of the more notable vehicles, such as the
1904 Darracq, a similar car to the famous Genevieve, star of
the 1953 movie of the same name, and the Gull-Wing Mercedes.
Interestingly, the French-built Darracq auto was created by
Alexandre Darracq, a man who did not like driving cars or
being driven in them. Born in Bordeaux, France, of Basque
parents, Darracq preferred making bicycles, but in 1896, he
wanted to develop an electric car, which he later dismissed
as being “worthless.” (Wrong again, Alexandre!) After
running into financial problems, his company was reformed
with British capital, ultimately merging with Talbot and
then Sunbeam (known as STD) before going to the wall in
1939.
Amongst the other cars in Hua Hin, was an MG TC, but
probably not a factory color to my recollection, and a
Morgan, also in a pleasant color but not quite stock, I
believe. Morgans have featured in this column many times,
and are notable as having a sliding pillar front suspension,
pioneered in the early 1900’s.
Gull-Wing
Mercedes 300 SL
MG TC circa
1949
Morgan sports
What makes a ‘classic’
car?
With the lead article this week being on the Hua
Hin Vintage Car Parade, it brings up the question, just what
is a “classic” car? In Pattaya, we have what was originally
called the Classic Car Club which meets once a month at
Jameson’s Irish Pub. Over the years, it has expanded to
become more of just a ‘car club’ and forget the ‘classic’
side of motoring. This has, in itself, produced some very
interesting debates as to what is “classic” and what is not.
A couple of years back I was approached by someone trying to
work out how many classics there were down in fun-town
Pattaya. My reply was, “Not many” as you very rarely see any
vehicle with classic history or pedigree sitting at the side
of the road, and a quick query amongst the monthly car club
natter night enthusiasts revealed that very few of them
owned anything which, in my opinion, were classics. The
Honda Jazz, whilst being a great little car, is hardly a
classic!
For me, a classic is a car which has had significant impact
on motoring history. It is also a vehicle which has been out
of production for a number of years, so that the
manufacturer’s advertising claims and slogans have been
forgotten. “Safety Fast” was on all the brochures about MG
cars, but when you think about it, very few were ‘fast’ and
even fewer were ‘safe’.
I believe there is a tendency in countries such as Thailand
to confuse ‘old’ and ‘classic’. For example, Fiat must have
sold very well in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s judging
by the number of battered old Fiat 1100’s that are still
around. Some of these are now half a century old – but does
that make them a ‘classic’? Were the Fiat 1100’s of that era
special motor cars in some way or other? Were the later Fiat
1100 D Riviera’s with the finned tail lights some
technological breakthrough?
The simple answer has to be a resounding “no” on all counts.
They were just mass-produced utilitarian transport, the
Italian equivalent of similar motor cars built by BMC,
Renault or even Nissan/Datsun.
In Thailand, these older cars have also suffered from the
fact that to keep going, there has been no manufacturer’s
spare parts pool, and when you lift the bonnet on one of
them, you will find that the original in-line four has been
replaced by that from a Toyota Corolla, or even more
shuddersome, the ubiquitous Isuzu diesel!
I have never thought of myself as a purist. When I bought my
1973 911T Porsche, the first item I bought for it was a 1976
Porsche Turbo whale tail. It increased the impression ratio
as I used to say. However, a Fiat 1100/Corolla is a
different matter. For me, neither the car nor the power
plant is classic.
For interest, here are some of my entries for a classic car
category (and I am sure you can add more): 1973 Porsche RS
Carrera (the forerunner of the ultimate Porsches), 1964
Mustang 289 V8 (the first of the really powerful Mustangs),
1966 Morris Cooper S (the first of the mass market pocket
rockets), 1946 MG TC (first introduced sports cars for the
masses to America - but ‘safety fast’?), 1958 Ferrari LM 250
(what a shape, what a noise, what a car), 1936 Cord 810
(classic Gordon Buehrig design with the coffin nose and
hydraulic shifter), 1931 Mercedes SSKL (the first road car
you could race and win) and the 1955 Citroen 2CV complete
with canvas seats (? First car made from roofing iron!).
Of course there’s lots more, but there are not too many in
Thailand, I’m afraid (though there used to be a V8 Tatra in
Chiang Mai).
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I mentioned that since Michael
Schumacher is the flavor of the month, I asked what year
did Schumi stand on the podium for every race? The
correct answer was 2002, and not a difficult question.
So to this week. Which American auto maker manufactured
bodies “in house”, but claimed they were built by an
“outside” body builder? Clue: it is not Le Baron.
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first
correct answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
Natter Nosh and Noggin
The monthly car enthusiasts meeting will be
at Jameson’s Irish Pub on Soi AR next to the Nova Park
development. The car (and bike) enthusiasts meet on the
second Monday of the month, so this time it is Monday
(January 11) at Jameson’s at 7 p.m. This is a totally
informal meeting of like-minded souls to discuss their
pet motoring (and motorcycling) loves and hates. Many
interesting debates come from these evenings. Come along
and meet guys who have a common interest in cars and
bikes, and enjoy the Jameson’s Steak night special,
washed down with a few beers.
Can the world afford
expensive electric cars?
Perhaps I should have begun this item by asking
whether the world will be able to afford expensive oil?
Price per barrel is going up once more. The sandy countries
need a cash injection, and all they have to sell is
underground, remember.
However, some detractors are saying that the price of an
all-electric vehicle is too high for them to become the
majority, and undoubtedly they are (currently) expensive.
However, I always use the analogies of mobile phones and
personal computers. Both initially so highly expensive, they
were playthings only for the rich. Now? Everyone has at
least one of each. Electric cars will be the same.
Lohner-Porsche
with four in-wheel electric motors
The volume car makers are all now starting the roll-out of
their electric vehicles, with the latest being the Nissan
Leaf and the Mitsubishi i-mev. General Motors have the Volt,
which does have a small gasoline engine to act as an
on-board charger for the batteries. Incidentally, this was
exactly the approach done by Dr Ferdinand Porsche in the
Lohner-Porsche in 1902. Yes, 108 years ago. He was ahead of
his time.
Not only are the major manufacturers producing electric cars
for the mass market, but they are also producing cars for
the specialized vehicle market, such as the forthcoming
electrifying (sorry about the pun) supercar Mercedes-Benz
SLS AMG Gullwing with AWD. It is not just by chance that
Mercedes-Benz has recently forged links with the American
electric supercar manufacturer Tesla.
The electric SLS is powered by four in-wheel electric motors
(just as Dr. Porsche did way back then), and is almost as
fast as the 6.2 liter V8 gasoline version. Mercedes claims
the four electric motors generate a combined total of 392 kW
of power and 880 Nm of torque. This should return zero to
100 km/h in roughly 4.0seconds, says AMG.
Volker Mornhinweg, the CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, was upbeat
about the performance levels of what could the first
all-electric Mercedes production car.
“With the SLS AMG with electric drive, we wanted to redefine
the super sports car. For us, it is not just about
responsibility. We attach just as much importance to
excitement and classic AMG performance,” stated Mornhinweg.
According to Mercedes, the SLS AMG’s initial pilot phase
will use a liquid-cooled high voltage lithium-ion battery
that has an energy content of 48 kWh and a capacity of 40
Ah.
Mercedes has not stated how recharging will be done, but
plug-in technology, and aided by KERS (kinetic energy
recovery system from braking), is well within the technology
information available to the manufacturer, being used very
effectively in the McLaren Mercedes F1 racing car.
As the sandy nations put the squeeze on the motorist’s
pocket at the pumps, this will further drive the world’s
automakers towards electric power. You will be buying one
before 2020, believe me!
All-electric
AMG SLS
