Operation Market Garden Route North, 22 September 2019. We were with the T57K only a very small part of the memorial rally of one of the biggest operations in WWII, but it was extremely interesting to cross all the bridges on our way to a bridge too far at Arnhem. The public was present in thousands and showed their gratitude by dressing up in contemporary clothes, children dressing up as soldiers, people parking their veteran cars on the kerbsides and not at least, they were yelling, singing and waving.
https://www.oypo.nl/nl/40890f7a079941a7
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davydutchy/albums/72157711149449448 All photos by Peter Visseer
Here is a message for our Dutch fans.
The Concours dÉlegance Soestdijk 2019 invites cars from behind the iron curtain for their National Concours. They organise a “Wallflowers” category for all cars from behind the wall. If you own a Dacia, IFA, Lada, Melkus, Moskvitch, Olctit, Polonez, Polski Fiat, Scaldia, Sachsenring, Skoda, Syrena, Trabant, Tatra, Volga, Wartburg, Yalta, Zaporozhets, ZIM or ZIS or any other similar brand, please do not hesitate to contact the organisers.
I do not know how many cars are welcome and if your brand is already presented, but give it a try if you would like to attend. According to an e-mail i received today, some Eastern-Bloc cars are still welcome. ADRESS: tonroks@octanemagazine.nl
Please spread the message to Eastern-bloc car fans.
https://www.octanemagazine.nl/octane-met-eigen-concours-naar-soestdijk/
The Tatra Freunde International organzied a rally in Czech Republic this year. Start and finish were in the spa resort Tree of Life in Lázně Bělohra, near Hradec Králové, in Northern Bohemia.
All competitors arrived safely on Thursday, May 30th.The next day we set off for Mlada Boleslav and vistited both the Skoda Museum and the Skoda works where we could witness its car production.
A little bit hidden, on the top floor of Skoda Museum, amid sculptures presenting Czechoslovak history, there was a surprising Hanzelka Zikmund sculpture, presenting Czech adventurism.
From the Skoda car museum we went to the Metodej Vlach aircraft museum with several nice aircraft, though my personal highlight was to see a 1909 Grade aircraft taking off, flying, landing and taxiing.
Full collection: http://www.letecke-muzeum-metodeje-vlacha.cz/exponaty/letadla-letuschopna/
On saturday, June 1st, we continued to Josefov Fortress (Czech: Pevnost Josefov, German: Josefstadt or Josephstadt), a large historic defence complex of 18th-century military architecture, built between 1780-1790, in Jaroměř, eastern Bohemia. Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josefov_Fortress
Lunch was used in the centre of Hradec Kralove after which a small sightseeing trip through the centre by steamboat and tourist train was offered.
Returning to Lázně Bělohra, we used part of the track of the road race circuit where between 1952 anf 1976 the international Prachovské Skály races were held. Though known from its motorcycle races, the Tatra works team competed here succesfully in the early ‘fifties with T 607s (Alois Mark on the photo) In the ’sixties Tatra Delphins competed in the Formula Junior class here.
We further visited the battleground of the famous 1866 battle between Prussians and Austrians and a sculpture park before returning to Lázně Bělohra.
Over thirty Tatras competed. One T 12, two T 54s, several T57s of the models a and b, a T 75, two Tatraplans, 9 T 603s, one T 603 powered T613, four T 613s and several TFI members with private transport or other classics.
Next year’s TFI event will be held in Eastern Austria.
For more pix, please visit the Facebook Page of Tatra Freunde International. https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Tatra%20freunde%20international&epa=SEARCH_BOX
Last sunday, the “How I lost my beetle” Josef Ganz documentary debuted at the Louwman Museum in the Hague. https://josefganz.org/documentary-release-ganz-how-i-lost-my-beetle/ Video (Trailer) https://youtu.be/6W5ZbDN9df4 Unlike Schilperoord’s publications on the Ganz-VW priority battle, the documentary solely tells the personal story about Ganz’ (controversial) claim loosing his designs to the Nazis. A technical comparison between Ganz’ designs and the VW beetle isn’t part of the documentary. The documentary however pays attention to the restoration of an early Standard Superior, found in the former GDR. The absence of a technical discussion puts the documentary regrettably in a victim famework. It is the Nazis against Ganz. Herbie versus the Shoa as the documentary producer put it.
Paul Schilperoord, Lorenz Schmid and families
The Tatra Register Deutschland showed the Gail family owned 1937 T57a. With its bonnet open, it attracted lots of vattention, people asking the stand staff about its peculiar construction. But even more, Tatra owners visited the TRD stand in hall 8 to share experiences and have a drink.
Dutch classic car firm Nico Aaldering offered a nice T 87 at E 230.000
Video where Nico Aaldering tells his audience the well-known juicy nonsense about Tatra, Nazi Germany and VW. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqquL0BUEIM
Where the Aaldering T 87 was experienced as expensive, an immaculate Ecorra restored T 87 topped the Aaldering one by another E 110.000 resulting in an asking price of E 340.000. Luckily, most classic car traders at the show, experienced that prices of classic cars are dropping at the moment.
