Tag Archives: car

Citroen Style

I must not be a typical Brit because I seem to have an affinity for things French.  This is something I have acquired over the years (and may be the reason I was driven from the UK!).  The French do things their own way and it results in some really interesting stuff.  The Citroen DS is just such an interesting thing.  I first noticed one when traveling on a ferry and was fascinated when it started up and the suspension inflated.  I had never seen something like that before.

The looks didn’t appeal to me then because I was used to the more familiar vehicles of the time.  Now I have come to appreciate it for being a stylish looking vehicle.  Sure, it has quirks that might make it a nuisance to own but it certainly looks very swish.  One was on display at Exotics@RTC and I was drawn to it.  It certainly didn’t hurt that the owner had applied hubcaps that looked like some sort of hypnosis device.  What a fantastic addition to the day.

BMW M1

Another supercar at the opening weekend of Exotics@RTC was a BMW M1.  This one was slightly away from the center of things but still in the premium area.  However, I suspect it wasn’t getting as much attention as some of the other cars.  I ended up chatting to the guy that owned it.  He was from Sarf London but now lives out here and was a fun guy.

The M1 came out a while before I went to university and I recall that one of my aero professors had been involved in the design team.  It has the look of a supercar from that era but that doesn’t stop it looking cool.  I was particularly taken by the wheels which were made by Campagnolo – the manufacturer of the group set for my road bike!

Cars like this showing up are what makes Exotics@RTC such a fun event.  There will always be a lot of super expensive cars on show – many of which are brought along from dealers – but there will be some unusual and interesting vehicles that are a bit out of the ordinary.  For someone that knows their cars better than me, it would be a particular treat.

Multiple Minis

Exotics@RTC has attracted a few Minis during the 2021 season.  Having learned to drive in a Mini and used one a lot in my teenage years, I am always happy to see the original versions.  Sure, the modern Minis are fun vehicles but the originals are more interesting, even if they would not provide much protection in the event of doing something silly.

The one I drove was powered by an 850cc engine.  The 1275 engines were far more exotic.  Coopers were something else.  Here the focus is mainly on the Coopers but that is fine.  Finding one turned in to a convertible was a bit of a surprise.  It is fun to see that plenty of people still find the Mini fun and keep them going and in great condition.

Electric Karman Ghia

The Karman Ghia is a car that is rightfully considered a classic.  People spend large sums of money on keeping them in working order and as close to or better than the condition in which they left the factory.  One I saw at Exotics@RTC had taken things a different way.  It had been converted into an electric vehicle.

The owner had everything open to inspect with the batteries and control electronics fitted in to the available space within the car.  I would imagine that a car as light as a Karman Ghia would, when given the power and instant torque of an electric drivetrain, go like stink!  It was certainly attracting a lot of attention.  Getting a photo of it without people all around it proved impossible.  After a while of waiting, I concluded that the attention was really part of the story so accepted that it should have a lot of people in the photo.

The S4 Was A Beast

A while back I posted some shots of a Lancia Delta Integrale.  The Integrale was the road homologous on version of the rally car that came about when the Group B rally cars were closed out.  However, the Group B cars were the really crazy ones.  The S4 was the Lancia that competed in Group B.  It replaced the Lancia 037 and, at Chateau Ste. Michelle, the two were on show together.  Both were road versions for homologous on but they were both beasts.

The S4 was the pinnacle of crazy rally cars.  A huge engine and four wheel drive in what was really not a road car.  They built some to meet the rules and this was one of them.  It was surprisingly nicely finished on the interior given what type of car it was.  However, the way in which the body looked like it was different pieces bolted together made you know this was not a car designed for consumers.  I was designed with a single purpose in mind.  However, it looked like it could eat anything else on the road.  What as absolute monster.

The Supercar That Kind Of Wasn’t

One of the more interesting vehicles (among a ton of interesting vehicles) at the Avants event in Woodinville was a Jaguar XJ220.  This was something that was developed in the early 90s and was supposed to be a big impact in the super car world.  Intended to get to about 200mph (which it almost did), it was a huge vehicle with a twin turbocharged V6 engine (not the V12 which was originally considered).  It was long, wide and very fast.  It was also very expensive costing something like GBP400k at the time.

Unfortunately for it, the super car market took a bit of a dive at that time with the economy not being great.  Also, McLaren introduced the F1 which was fast and light.  (It also did not seem terribly well because of the same market conditions but did turn a small profit when the racing versions were sold.)  Production of the XJ220 never reached the intended numbers and the unsold vehicles at the end of the line ultimately were sold for some pretty low prices.  It just didn’t really arrive at the right time.

It is a hell of a car to see in person.  It is very big.  The width of the vehicle head on is impressive but the length of it is something else.  It also seems quite unusual compared to more modern cars in that the wheels are a long way in from each end of the car.  The wheels themselves are strange too with quite a small wheel compared to the tire unlike a modern super car with low profile tires.  It’s a shame that it never really had the impact that was intended but it was cool to see one out on display.

Jaguar Details

During the British day at Exotics@RTC, there were some old Jaguars taking center stage in the shopping area.  I was checking out the grill on one of them and looked at the headlights.  There was a little logo in the middle of the lights that I had not noticed when looking at previous cars.  I guess it is an original feature but it could be an aftermarket thing.  That seems out of keeping with the way these vehicles are maintained so I hope it is original.

Renault 5 Turbo 2

Exotics@RTC provides cars of many vintages but I always find myself drawn to cars from the 80s.  Since I was a teenager in that decade, they were the cars that I was paying attention to – assuming they were available in Europe at the time.  US cars of that vintage are generally a mystery to me.  The appearance of a Renault 5 Turbo 2 was a really nice surprise.  The Renault 5 was not a particularly wonderful car.  I drove one for a while and, while it could go quite quickly in a straight line, it didn’t have great grip.

However, the similarities between that car and the Turbo version were basically the name and nothing else.  The Turbo was a monster of a vehicle in comparison.  It went like stink and it was so wide, it was basically a different car.  There wasn’t even a back seat because the engine had been put there instead.  The owner happened to open up the engine cover while I was walking by which was a lucky break.  It showed up again at a following meet so I was able to get a few shots of it from various angles.  I was back to being a teenager dreaming of a hot hatch.

Liquid Carbon GT40

This car was getting a ton of attention at one of the Exotics@RTC meets.  It actually took me a while to realize that it was a Ford GT40.  It was called Liquid Carbon and was carbon fiber everywhere.  I don’t know how much a normal GT40 is carbon fiber, but I didn’t think it was too much.  This was very different.  Everything from the body panels to the wheels was carbon.  It was quite an impressive looking machine.  I imagine it takes a lot of weight out of the car.  No doubt it also takes a lot of weight out of your wallet.

I Learned Something About Karmann Ghias

The Karmann Ghia is a vehicle that I have known of since childhood.  A teacher at my primary school had a white example and it looked amazing to me as a small boy.  They turn up at car event pretty regularly and I occasionally see one out on the road.  However, I was caught out at Exotics@RTC recently when I saw another car parked next to a Karmann Ghia that was also badged with that name.  I had to google it when I came home and found out that there was a different platform used for a newer design during the 1960s.  These are apparently known as the Type 34 whereas the original version is the Type 14.  I had no idea until this visit.  I guess that makes my excursion and educational exercise.