Brussels Autoworld Museum 2013 Porsche Photographs
Brussels Autoworld Museum 2013 Porsche Photographs Photos and Stories.
AllCarCentral's Photos Bugatti Display at the Brussels Autoworld Museum 2013, Brussels, Belgium
Photos and story provided by Patrick Wheeler Contact Photographer for Information.
GALLERY 2010 - Bugatti
GALLERY 2012
GALLERY 2013 - Porsche
GALLERY 2014 - Maserati
Brussels Autoworld Museum 2013 Porsche Photographs
I do like the Autoworld Museum in Brussels, grand architecture on a grander scale (mirrored here is the twinned military museum). And sufficient content to fill it, for such a small country we have an incredibly proud motor racing heritage and the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium is still very active, and we have a cool Auto Museum that really pulls some excellent exhibits ... a few winters back we had a massive Bugatti exhibit and this year it is Porsche's turn ... but please, would someone tell Volkswagen ('new' owners of Porsche) that the whole 'Brand' thing is _so_ over?
But enough of business skullduggery and marketing, lets get to the cars and shiney bits! Something about the gold coloured Fuchs wheels that tell you this is a Porsche, as if you were not guessing already ...
There is a whole art and history to the go-faster stripes and the markings of fast cars, the Martini livery is well known and the colour combo is instantly recognizable, less so our local Belga cigarettes off to the left, but may I please be more entranced by the VW transporter with a little beastie in back? Sigh, fantasy time, a little setup like this, touring the classic European race circuits, pitching a tent of an RV (pats have to come from somewhere) alongside ... would make for a good season ...
Ooops, how did that slip in? still, pretty engine! Did I mention the Autoworld also has nice motorcycles?
And a decent Porsche exhibit during normal days, here is one of our police forces 'specials' ... drat, wish could see this running around the streets and hiways and byways ... one other special thing about this museum is that almost all of these cars still move, so on classic days you might actually have this car part of the parade event, how cool!
OK, ahem, but most of this exhibit is dedicate to the Porsche family ... old man Porsche did a lot of auto work well before forming Porsche motor co (OK, and built a few tanks as well, but we gloss over that history) and the cars he helped build, sigh ... love the white ghost ... a whole line of Austro Daimler's from back in the day ...
You can really sense the coachbuilder's art ... and something about the gauge set into the floorboard just tickled my fancy ... and yes, that is one of the fames Sasha's in the background lightweight and fast, he had already carved out a niche for himself early on ...
Auto Union V16 Stromlinienwagen 1937
Aaah, a streamliner, such lines, are we sure this is a surface craft? How come I see this in the latest Marvel Comic based superhero story transporting between stars or at least planetary objects? It is an Audi (also owned by VW) before it was Audi so the tag says "Auto Union V16 Stromlinienwagen - 1937 16cyl 6010 cc 520 hp 400kmh" wow, this thing _moved_ ... and in 1937 no less ...
Volkswagen Schwimmwagen 166
Sigh ... but oh, I am a sucker for the lil' guys ... and seeing the inverted bathtub next to a normal bathtub (swim wagon?), well, the conservators (curators?) were grinning when they made this pairing , and I am happy to grin along with them ... note the flexion and damage on the lower front of the lil racer, the wheel covers are slightly off, the nose is lifting up ... no excessive restoration here ...
Porsche Model 64
We've got some real race patina here, you could imagine her following hard and fast around a rocky road on the Liege - Breschia- Liege route, not afraid of a few rocks en-route and willing to dice it up hot and heavy when the competition gets stiff .. love that the name badge is just riveted on the top of the grooves, the 'branding' taking a distant second place behind the style and lines ... oh man, and the license tags are artfully obscured so the modern speed cameras cannot get a good read ... hmmm ....
Porsche Model 64
Nice, just loving the bug's eye view ... it is in a great place, the museum is in one of those big turn of the other last century riveted early industrialization buildings combining stone and steel and rivets, such a piece needs to be in such an ambiance ... is not the same as if it were in the MOMA or other modern location ...
Porsche Model 64
Yeah, no over restoration here, I am thinking this is not so much fun in the inclement weather, those wipers look like they would not do much good at all ...
Volkswagen Schwimmwagen 166
But the rubber ducky is great fun! OK, is an amphibious military / (rescue?) vehicle ... thin and light seats, not a lot of cushion .. but then is meant to me utilitarian ... love the wooden floorboards, OK, I am guessing this is a heavy restoration ... but that is OK ... not every bit of patina can be kept ... oh, I guess that folded bit is meant to be a weather protection ... hmmmm..... naah, I still go for the Model 64 behind it ...
Heh, the little PTO (power take off) to feed the propeller when you hit the wet stuff ... now _this_ is a good Belgian car ... if only they had thought to put a top on it ...
Cisitalia Type 360 1946
Ho-hummmm a nice exposed wheel racer ... skinny rubber ...
Cisitalia Type 360 1946
Interesting power delivery and suspension bits of pressed metal ... big drum brakes! Lots of fins to dissipate the heat ....very period tread on those tyres ...
Porsche 718 W-RS sn-718-047 1962
But what's this? Oh my, what a little doll ... not sight lines I usually associate with older Porsches, you can see the spyder history in her though, the mid-mounted engine intakes, big humps behind the pilot, monster megaphone exhaust out the tail an lots of cool air intakes behind the doors and hot air exits out the grill in the rump ... a long rear deck and she is sitting slightly back, needs some weight up front to balance her out, maybe in the pilot's seat? Hmmmm.....
Porsche 718 W-RS sn-718-047 1962
Sweet pilots cabin, nice gauges and woodie wheel, large one, seems may have some stiff steering, but love the blinker arm with the touch of white bakelite, very delicate ... I am seeing myself sitting here, definitely!
Porsche 718 W-RS sn-718-047 1962
Oh my, I do fall in love too easily, sweetest little thing, those headlamps, delicious! I am seeing myself re-doing that alpen tour over to Italy and the riviera... not fast mind you, just cruising ... the wind in my
Oh! But this is just RUDE!! Such a sweet little doll and tagged with a name like "GROSSMUTTER"?? for SHAME... oh, but then again, this was 1960 and for Porsche an 8 cylinder 210 HP was maybe, well, maybe sorta a big motha? Maybe something is lost in the literal translation... please tell me something is lost, she is so sweet!
I mean, like really, I know I am fond a substantial .. well ... maybe I should not say it that way ... but really? Look at these lines, she is not hippy at all, she is lower than some of the open wheeled racers ... that is just rude! Oh, Ooops, right, interwebs tell me her name is 'grandmother' because this chasis was so long lived as a racer all over the world with many different engines ... I guess I was confusing the French 'gros' and the german 'gross', what a difference an 's' makes ....
Porsche 904 Carrera GTS
Moving right along, sorry for that detour, but really, aharumph! ... but oh I do like the 904 GT, there is a fella who makes a nice replica of these, drive it to the track, street legal and all, race it a bit, then drive it home, as this video shows, many smiles per mile ... reminds me of this fabulous couple met a few years ago at Le Mans, they tour Europe in their GT40 replica ... luggage space is a bit tight, but no need for a transporter ... and _such_ fun on the good roads and relatively docile on the normal ones , meet up with friends at the classic car events and a garden show or two ... roughing it, but enjoying the simple pleasures of life I say ... ok, next time, after the lottery (note to self, start buying tickets) ..
Aww, I love the old branding of the 914 pairing of VW and Prsche, wonder if they might come back with a stripped down sporty minimalist go fast car again? Naah, not likely, they are too busy cranking out sport utility and crossover vehicles ... and the sporty small racer market is so owned by mazda and their great little roadster and all the others ... no margin in it for a 'brand' and the potential for brand - dilution ... but for an engineering company? Well, the good old days are just that
Bugatti Type 35 1926[
Oh, yes, there is still the rest of the Auto Museum to visit , yes, I have seen this Bugatti on other exhibits ... but still, love love love them ... note the kitty litter catch basin underneath, she still has a full load of oil in the transaxle and is ready with some small attentions ti fire up and start running ... I do like this museum ... not a bit of pin-striping to be seen and not a garage queen in the lot ...
Living in the land of comic books, well I had to buy a classic version of Michel's episode where he raced the streets of San Francisco ...
Have met a new friend during the exhibit, get to talking cars, as one does, and we spend the rest of the afternoon posing for each other and taking silly snaps with the autos ... but I did think this picture worked well with a Formula racer ... she did some work for Santander when they were sponsoring the Ferrari team and had fond memories of sitting in a Formula vehicle that came with steering wheel intact ...
But as for me? Put me in a racer's paddock with an older Porsche with the sweetest little curves and you are seeing a _happy_ boy!
Patrick Wheeler Having a day
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