Posted on 30/03/2007 at 13:33
Juan-Les-Pins, 50's...
Yet another vintage postcard found on eBay... I've been seeking it for a while, and I finally got it! A pure marvel, with a shiny Karmann-Ghia Low-Light as guest star...
Having a closer view to the picture, I discovered it was black and white, then colorized added later on. The sky, so perfect, is a fake : under high magnification, it appears that the original sky has been cut off and replaced by this blue shaded background! The vintage Photoshop retouching...
There's no indicated date, but referring to the ID plates (most recent is DL 06) I assume it's been taken around 1956. The poster on the Casino announces the election of the Reine des Fleurs de la Riviera (the Riviera's Queen of Flowers) on Saturday June 23rd. In 56 only, June 23rd was a Saturday, which confirms the year. Due to the light and the way people are dressed, we can guess the picture was taken in May-June 1956...
Half a century later, the Crystal bar is still at the same place, the book store as well... The Eden Beach Casino, on the right, unfortunately turned into a huge glass-covered building, throwing shadow on the street from the middle of the afternoon...
In the far background, the Hotel Provencal was still in activity ; the yellow-earth color of the top is a colorization mistake, it was pure white. This beautiful, huge building was built in 1927, and was one of the most important palaces on the Riviera. It then was abandoned in the mid-seventies, and it's nothing but a giant ruin today. A renovation project has been set up to turn it into luxury lofts, but there's been so many projects already... wait'n'see...
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Posted on 30/03/2007 at 01:17
1965 Albatross Sports Runabout and Continental Handbook
But fortunately, I've got in my hand a photocopy of a Albatross Sports Runabout & Continental 1965 manual...
So here we go, some scanning action, and I share it with the community!
Hope you've find it useful!
A world of thanks to Richard who provided me with the photocopy of this precious document...
Posted on 23/03/2007 at 00:58
Pantone in 1949...
On the VW forums, and more generally on any forum about mechanics, there's a topic which comes around on a regular basis : the Pantone ngine, a.k.a "water engine" or water injection engine.
At the end of the day, it's more or less like the Loch Ness monster : everybody has heard of it, or knows the neighbor - of - a - cousin - of - a - mate - of - a - friend who made it, and it worked. But in fact, very few have actually seen one of those.
Anyway : here is a gem dating from 1949 :
This is an add, scanned out from a HotRod Magazine (June 1949 issue), promoting the virtues of water injection in the carburetor.
It doesn't bring any actual answer, but proves that the idea is pretty old!
Only $24.95, delivered...
At the end of the day, it's more or less like the Loch Ness monster : everybody has heard of it, or knows the neighbor - of - a - cousin - of - a - mate - of - a - friend who made it, and it worked. But in fact, very few have actually seen one of those.
Anyway : here is a gem dating from 1949 :
This is an add, scanned out from a HotRod Magazine (June 1949 issue), promoting the virtues of water injection in the carburetor.
It doesn't bring any actual answer, but proves that the idea is pretty old!
Only $24.95, delivered...
Posted on 19/03/2007 at 15:40
Neo Solex, Back to the Future...
After the VW Beetle becoming the New Beetle, after the Mini becoming BMW, after the Fiat 500 soon to become Trepiùno... And I forget some more on purpose, like the Renault Fifty... Here is one more proof that the Fifties Design remains ageless!
So, this is a modern evocation of the mythic Solex (designed by Pininfarina), the e-solex!
Aesthetically, the relation is obvious, but this time, the engine is electric (!), and driving the rear wheel (!!)... Two disc brakes stop the beast. Times change...
Some might see it as sacrilege. I'd rather see it as a tribute...
[via Nostalgi'Art]
So, this is a modern evocation of the mythic Solex (designed by Pininfarina), the e-solex!
Aesthetically, the relation is obvious, but this time, the engine is electric (!), and driving the rear wheel (!!)... Two disc brakes stop the beast. Times change...
Some might see it as sacrilege. I'd rather see it as a tribute...
[via Nostalgi'Art]
Posted on 14/03/2007 at 11:35
GM FuturLiner
Huuuumm, the fifties, the Streamline design, Raymond Loewy (see raymondloewy.com)... Such an era, that gave the very firt concepts cars, in the after-war euphoria, a time of shining chromes, when nobody was thinking economy and global warming...
Here is a great example of this period, a monster I discovered a few month ago : the GM Futurliner (hence the name!):
Twelve of those vehivles where built by General Motors, for the "Parade of Progress" : a tour of 300 cities, from 1953 to 1956, to show the know-how of GM and their latest technologies... The very beginnings of the "avionics era" of US cars. Each Futurliner contained a diorama, a display...
A group of enthusiasts is restoring one of those monsters : futurliner.com, you must have a look at this...
More pictures can be found on Thrilling Wonder.
At the end of the day, the real question is : how many tons of chrome polish does it take to clean one of those beasts?