Cars| page 1 | (go to cars page 2 or go to cars page 3) |
Ever since I was a very little child I was fascinated by cars. Every year from 1977 on my father gave me a large book of hundreds of pages, filled with pictures and technical data of all cars that were available in that year in the Netherlands. For a few years I even bought these books myself. By reading these and many other books about cars almost letter by letter, I got to know ridiculously many details about cars.
When I was around seventeen years old, I thought my political ideas conflicted with my fascination for cars. Cars take up a bizarrely large space (try to imagine how beautiful the centre of an average city would look like without cars, or the country-side for that matter), they make irritating noise and a dirty smell, and everyday they kill animals and people. It took me a while before I realised that it isn't wholly bad to enjoy the view of a beautiful car.
And automobiles are an important part of who I am. Whether I want that or not, they belong to me. Since around the beginning of 2006 I regularly surf the world wide web in search of pictures of beautiful automobiles. On these pages I show some cars I think are beautiful or just special. I hardly know a thing about them (that was completely different twenty years ago), but despite that I try to say a few words about each of the automobiles I show. There's a total of around 90 pictures, spread out over 3 pages, arranged by brand and within the brand by year.
To me the most interesting period of automobile-building was from around 1919 until around 1955. And to me the most interesting of the well-known car-brands are Bugatti, Talbot, Delage, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, Alfa-Romeo and Citroën.
I have always thought Bugattis were very beautiful, and I loved the history of the brand, that was owned by the eccentric founder of it, Ettore Bugatti, an Italian who migrated to France. Bugattis were built in the village of Molsheim in Alsace, and when in 1947 Ettore died, the history of the brand ended with his life (although there have been many attemps to revive the brand). This picture, judging by the background, was made at the Pebble Beach concours, at the west coast of the United States. I think there really is no door on the driver's side.
This picture's background reveals this car is in the Schlumpf museum in Mulhouse, the biggest car-museum in the world. A large number of Bugattis is there. I think the combination of subtly drawn lines with the big wheels and thick-profiled tires is really beautiful. I once knew someone who owned a Bugatti 46, and was restoring it. On the outside the car had been covered with dark red leather (and would be again).
A classical design. It's a shame there's this rope in front of the car, and also the mirroring of the bright lights. But one should really see this car in side-view. It's not easy to find good pictures of cars, taken from the side. It appears there's a general preference for pictures taken from the front.
I stole this picture from the well-know Bugatti-site The Bugatti Page by Jaap Horst. I think the little sun-shades and the terrace make the picture extra beautiful, because they add something of a French feel to it.
I especially like the closed rear mud-guard and the fact that it ends in a sharp point (just like with the previous car). Ventoux is the name of the company that built the coach-work (and I guess designed it as well). I stole this picture from The Classic Car Club Of America, a website of car-enthusiasts. The picture's quality leaves some to be desired.
There's remarkably little space for the occupants. I think behind the chairs there's no space at all, not even for a small briefcase. I think the side window in the shape of a drop is very beautiful.
Another classical design. Only three of these cars were built. One (I think this one) is owned by Ralph Lauren, who won the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance once with it. An other also won the concours once. I myself am the proud owner of a scaled model of this car.
Beautifully curved lines, I think, especially for a four door automobile. Sentimental value: I remember seeing a scaled model of this car in a shop once when I was little, but I decided not to buy it. Galibier is the name of the coach-builder. I stole this picture from The Auto Collections, sellers of old cars in Las Vegas.
Such a voluptuous car. And definitely special. Talbot was a French car-brand, called Talbot-Lago from 1935 on. Also in Britain Talbots were made. This car acquired somewhat of a cult-status. It sells for enormous amounts of money these days. Replicas of it are also being built (and this might just be a picture of a replica). Some call the car 'Teardrop.' Figoni et Falaschi is the name of the coach-builder.
Isn't it beautiful? I myself think this is one of the most beautiful automobiles in these pages. The subtle simplicity of its design attracts me very much. I conclude from the fact that the name of the car lacks the addition of a name of a coach-builder, that this is a design by Talbot itself.
The front of this car looks so agressive but the rest looks stylish and slender. I used to be more interested in British and Italian cars and not so much in French cars as I am now (not taking Bugatti into account). But brands like Delahaye and Talbot have since acquired a high status, and on American websites are being offered for horrifying prices. Saoutchik is the name of the coach-builder. I stole this picture from the Blackhawk Collection, American car-sellers.
I think I understood correctly that Record is a special version of the type 26. Antem is the name of the coach-builder. But I could be wrong. Maybe Record is the builder and Antem the designer of the coach. Or the other way around, or something different. If I were twelve years still, I would have kept on reading and searching until I had the correct answer.
This car signalled the end for Talbot-Lago. It was way too expensive, and only a few dozen were sold. I stole this picture from Hyman Ltd., sellers of old cars. It's a nice website, with only beautiful pictures. They have a special page about how to make beautiful photographs of cars.
Delage was a French brand of automobiles, building luxurious and fast cars in Paris. This one is filled with nice details. The step between the front and read mud-guards for instance is, seen from the top, in the shape of a drop (which in this picture can hardly be discerned). This picture too comes from Hyman Ltd.
This car has a sturdy look (if that's the correct English word to use here). I think those big headlights are really beautiful. Note the big light next to the driver's seat. I guess the car was put here on purpose for the picture, with those bright yellow stripes on the street and the yellowish wall behind it. The design looks somewhat like that of this Jaguar SS 1 at the top of cars, page 2. Freestone and Webb is the name of the coach-builder.
Large, yet slender. An impressive combination of style and power. Letourneur et Marchand is the name of the coach-builder. This one appears to be the only surviving example. I stole this picture from Bonhams Auctioneers.
Gosh, how beautiful this one is. Note the leather strap over the hood, the door that opens backwards, the small fin-shape on the back and the small windows in the back that can be opened. Figoni et Falaschi is the name of the coach-builder.
What a special, remarkable car. This car won the Pebble Beach Concours in 2006, where this picture was taken. Modernity from the thirties can be so beautiful. Pourtout is the name of the coach-builder.
Lagonda was a British brand of cars that had its seat in Staines near London. It was taken over by Aston-Martin in 1947. Quite an impressive automobile, also thanks to the angle this picture was taken from, the roof hanging over the wind-screen, and those high head-lights.
This automobile has an aluminium coach, entirely covered with wood (and brass). The wood is fastened to the coachwork, using thousands (!) of brass rivets. Nine 'boattail' Rapides were built with a body like this one (it has a tapering back with a brass end), only one of which is made of wood like this one. This picture comes from Hyman Ltd. They asked a price of $ 650.000,-.
This automobile looks very chic to me, and I guess it is built on the same chassis and with the same engine as the previous one, above. I'm also very much charmed with the colour of this one. Note the knobs to open the hood for the spare tire with.
Now this is a strange car. Such an odd front. But it's got something. I think again (as with so many of the cars on these pages) what attracts me to the design is the combination of fierceness and slenderness. This model was an attempt by Aston-Martin to revive the brand Lagonda. Afterwards the name Lagonda was only used for models made by Aston-Martin.
Delahaye was a French factory that built automobiles in Tours. In 1954 the brand was taken over by Hotchkiss. Automobiles built by Delahaye often had an extravagant look to them, and this one comes very close to it. But I am convinced by the luxurious look of it. I also very much like the colours, red with black beneath. I do not know who built this coach, maybe even the Delahaye-factory itself. This picture is from E. Thiesen, Rare Automobiles, car-sellers in Germany.
This Delahaye I think even has modest chic. A beautiful and unobtrusive design, with simple lines. Guilloré is the name of the coach-builder. I stole this picture from ACCLC, a seller of old cars in France.
Rolls-Royce was a British automobile-factory, named after the founders of the firm, the gentlemen Rolls and Royce. Until the second world war the firm had its seat in Derby. So big and still slender and beautiful. What a lot of work, a machine like this. In those days most of the cars were entirely built by hand, Rolls-Royces especially. Windover is the name of the coach-builder. Until 1959 Rolls-Royce did not build any coaches, but delivered all its automobiles as a driving chassis.
I very much like those wide mud-guards, and of course this striking back. The window for the passengers in the back can I guess be folded downwards, no exception in those days. I guess that Jarvis is the name of the coach-builder. I really should mention Rolls-Royce and Bentley here, a beautiful fansite about both the brands.
I think the way in which the car's major line slowly drops downward, beneath the side windows, is very beautiful. The first owner of this car was a prince of Nepal. Figoni et Falaschi is the name of the coach-builder. Pillarless implies that the doors open to eachother's opposite sides in one and the same door-post. This picture is from Blackhawk Collection.
Park Ward is the name of the coach-builder, that during the years between the two world wars was the major coach-builder for Rolls-Royces. A beautiful, slender automobile with a trunk that protrudes strikingly far to the back. This picture is from The Auto Collections.
Isotta-Fraschini, just like Rolls-Royce named after its two founders, was a famous Italian automobile-factory, with its seat in Milan. I seem to remember in 1910 they were the world's first brand to build a car with brakes at each of the four wheels, but I haven't been able to verify that information anywhere. Cesare Sala is the name of the coach-builder. I stole this picture from Platinum Classic Motorcars, sellers of old cars.
Oh, those colours. And the smooth forms of the mud-guards. The interior is also wholly in purple. Cesare Sala is the name of the coach-builder. I can't remember where I found this picture, but Hyman Ltd later had this car for sale too, and asked $ 550.000,- for it.
This automobile is a real colossus. It has a wind-shield that if I'm not mistaken can be opened. Its luxury fits the mansion in the background. Seemingly this car too has coachwork by Cesare Sala.
