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 Traduction Française |
 Deutsche Übersetzung |
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CAR COLLECTION BY COUNTRY |
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 Czechoslovakia |
France |
 Great Britain |
Germany |
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 Japan |
 Netherlands |
 Sweden |
 United States |
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AUSTRIA Austria - Steyr and its various partners have enjoyed a long history as Austria's leading vehicle manufacturer. An industrial giant with roots in engineering and armaments, Steyr has been producing vehicles since the 1920s. Their history includes associations with Daimler, Porsche, and FIAT, among others. Today, they are best known for their commercial and military vehicles, and as a contract builder of the Mercedes G Wagen and BMW X-3. Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG is represented in the collection by the Haflinger, a light 4X4, and a Pinzgauer in 4X4 form. The history of Steyr dates back to 1820 and the manufacturing of sporting and military rifles. Hence, the concentric circle of the Steyr badge represents a target. The terms of the Versailles Treaty after WWI took away all Steyr's business except for bicycles. They soon decided to enter the car business. Their first car went into production in 1920,and their last car was produced in 1977. Although they are no longer making cars, Steyr is very active in the commercial vehicle field and is today best known for commercial and military vehicles. Steyr is a contract builder of the G series of 4x4 vehicles for Mercedes-Benz. The Haflinger gets its name from a breed of robust mountain pony of Austria.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA Czechoslovakia - The Tatra mountains surrounding the Moravian town of Nesselsdorf were the proving grounds for Tatra (nee Nesselsdorfer Wagonbau) cars and trucks. An innovator in engine and vehicle design, Tatra, under the leadership of Hans Ledwinka, produced the world's first serially produced air cooled, rear-engined aerodynamic automobile, the T-77. The evolution of the T-77, the T-87, is represented here, as well as what may be the largest Tatra collection outside Europe. Tatra began experimenting with car aerodynamics in the early 1930s and began work on an automobile design on which decades of future Tatras were based. The Tatra T-77 was the world's first serially produced aerodynamic-styled automobile powered by an air-cooled rear-mounted engine. The T-87 seen here began production in 1936. With the outbreak of WWII, Tatra was forced to produce military vehicles. The T-87 was allowed in limited production because it is rumored that this car was favored by Hitler for its high speed, remarkable traction in bad weather, and reliability on the cold Eastern Front. It is also rumored that so many German officers were killed behind the wheel, they were forbidden to drive the car. Notice how the windshield is flanked by small windows at the A-pillars, giving the driver exceptional visibility. There is a smooth flow of body lines from the three headlights on the front hood to the elegant dorsal fin. The intake scoops allow air to flow into the engine compartment.
FRANCE France - The two leading French auto companies, Citroën and Renault, have been great rivals for nearly 100 years. The Renault brothers produced their first cars in 1899, while Citroën released their first model in 1919. One of the most recognizable designs of the twentieth century, the Citroën 2CV, opened the French market to affordable, practical transportation. The "Duck" was a huge success, produced for over thirty years. Of similar concept but different execution, the Renault 4CV was similarly popular, and it and its derivatives carried on for decades. Both pre- and post-war, each marque has enjoyed considerable success, both in general transportation and in competition; unfortunately, neither was ever particularly successful in the United States, although both thrive today in the European market. The Citroën D series was the sensation of the 1955 Paris auto show. With its streamlined silhouette and its hydro-pneumatic suspension (no springs), this car had many features that were ahead of its time. The D series was produced in the ID series, which had a manual transmission, and the DS series, which had a shift lever, but no clutch (called Citromatic). The D series rides on four struts that are filled with a mixture of hydraulic fluid and nitrogen gas. When the car is started, the hydraulic pump pressurizes the system and the suspension raises up. There is a lever in the cabin that lets you select different ride heights.
GREAT BRITAIN Great Britain - Americans can thank soldiers returning from WWII England for their love of the sports car - in particular, many people's first exposure to a sports car was the MG TC. The collection includes the MG TC, TF, Midget, and MGB-GT. The economic climate and the legal system drove the designs for many of the scooter-based three wheel designs, such as the Scootacar and Reliant; examples of both are represented in the collection. Arguably one of the most recognized autos of the twentieth century, the Mini was revolutionary in design, engineering, and packaging. Launched in 1959, it is still in production today. The Scootacar was designed to be a weatherproof alternative to the motorcycle. By 1960, with the car gaining in popularity, a deluxe version was announced. It had a completely remodeled body and is referred to as the Mark II. This car is a very tall (5 feet), narrow, fiberglass bodied, 3-wheeled microcar. It has a more bulbous front end and a more elongated tail than the earlier MKI. The seat was re-designed to allow, in addition to the driver, two passengers to sit on either side of the engine.
GERMANY Germany - A nation of engineers. Many storied marques are represented in the collection–Auto-Union, BMW, DKW, Porsche–as well as lesser known but interesting makes such as Fuldamobil, Messerschmitt, and NSU. Driven by the need for post-WWII affordable transportation and restrictions placed by post-war agreements, the microcar was largely born here. This post-war need led to the great proliferation of unique, if sometimes a bit odd, engineering solutions represented by the German auto industry. Examples from all these manufacturers are represented in the collection. The Messerschmitt was one of the first and among the most successful of the many microcars that hit the motoring scene in the 1950s. Although it bears the name of the famous aircraft builder, Willy Messerschmitt, he had little to do with the car's design. Fritz Fend designed the car, and it was built at Messerschmitt's factory, which was restricted from building airplanes after WWII. This car appealed to motorcyclists who wanted more weatherproof transportation and to customers who found it cost half the price of a Volkswagen. The monocoque tub forms the lower part of the body. The sheet metal upper body is topped with a canopy hinged at the side which opens to allow the driver and the passengers to enter. Notice the handlebar steering wheel and the "Augsburg Eagle" symbol on the nose.
ITALY Italy - The collection bookends the Italian spectrum–on one end, the wildly popular FIAT Nuova (New) 500 and its derivatives; on the other, the rare and exotic Maserati Bora. The 500 has been the basis of everything from race and rally-winning competition cars to the Ferves, a compact all-terrain vehicle. A nation of drivers, the Italians have always had a love affair with their autos. Whether you consider the microcars of the urban areas like the Casalini Sulky, or the big-bore exotic cars, Italian style is unmistakable. Vincenzo Lancia was the youngest child of a wealthy Turin soup manufacturer and became involved with automobiles at a relatively early age. At nineteen, he became chief inspector and test driver for FIAT. In 1906, he founded his own company which built 16 cars the following year. The Lancia DiLambda Dual Cowl Phaeton sought to be a luxurious version of the Lambda. The handsome coachwork is by Viotti. Entry to the rear seats is achieved by folding the front seats down and raising the rear cowl, allowing passengers to sit behind the dual folding windscreens. The stunning vehicle seen here recently underwent a coucours quality restoration overseen by the Lancia Club of North America and was awarded the Road & Track trophy at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
JAPAN Japan - While their cars were virtually unknown here until the 1960s, the Japanese auto industry has been thriving since the early 1930s. Densely populated cities, along with an oppressive taxation system, spawned tiny cars such as the Subaru 360–"the most unsafe car on the market" as reported by Consumer Reports. Many of these tiny cars were never imported to the United States, the dealers here fearing failure and embarrassment. As an example, the 1965-67 Toyota Sports 800 was test-marketed here–41 left hand drive variants were brought in. The dealers deemed the cars unsaleable, and no more were imported. The name Subaru is Japanese for the Pleiades, a cluster of six stars in the Taurus constellation. The six stars of the Subaru log represent the six companies which make up Fuji Heavy Industries. The Subaru van has the same chassis and engine as the Subaru 360 sedan. A true "mini" van, this car's engine is 356cc because in Japan there is a substantial tax break for having an engine size less than 360cc.
NETHERLANDS Netherlands - With a short but interesting span of but 18 years, DAF produced some truly innovative vehicles. Known for their Variomatic transmissions, the cars and trucks had a simple forward and reverse lever and no clutch, making them among the easiest of cars to drive. Essentially absorbed by Swedish giant Volvo in 1974, the DAF 66 was the last of the line, although it continued production under Volvo for some time. The Göbel brothers of the Netherlands established Duck Hunt Car Design in 1993. Dimitri is the engineering genius, and Ivan has the business expertise. This company specialized in servicing Citroën 2CVs. With their passion for car design and technology, combined with their love of the 2CV, Dimitri designed the car of his dreams - the Burton. This car has beautiful lines, careful attention to detail, and the highest quality fit and finish, while using reliable, easily available Citroën 2CV components. The Burton offers superior performance and comfort. Production began in 2000. The success of this vehicle led to the company being renamed in 2002 to Burton Car Company.
SWEDEN Sweden - Volvo was born of the desire (and personal money) of two former SKF engineers to build a Swedish car. With successful prototypes shown in 1926, SKF granted them the name Volvo (a trademarked name for ball bearings), a factory, and start-up capital. They have been building cars and trucks ever since. SAAB, on the other hand, was created out of the need to utilize available capacity at idle airplane manufacturing plants post-WWII. Both manufacturers today are known for their safety records, if not their sometimes quirky approach to automobile design.
The Saab 96 was presented at a Stockholm press conference on February 17,1960. It was well-received and proved popular. Compare this custom 96 model with the stock 95 model displayed in this same area. This convertible roadster may be the only two-stroke Saab 96 roadster in the US. It was built by associates of the firm which would later build the prototype Saab 900 convertible. UNITED STATES United States - Hundreds, if not thousands, of automobile manufacturers have come and gone in the U.S. While the focus of the collection is aimed squarely at European and Asian autos and motorcycles, the U.S. is represented, either in models produced here, or models aimed at the American market. From the tiny, yet advanced for the time, Crosley to the hulking Dodge M-37, American autos are offered as a comparison to similar vehicles from other countries. The Farm O'Road was in keeping with Crosley's philosophy of offering minimum cost vehicles. It has a wheelbase of only 63 inches and an overall length of 91.5 inches. Crosley aimed the 1,100 pound vehicle as the small farmer, who could not afford both a car and a tractor. The Farm O'Road was advertised as a vehicle that not only would do the work of a tractor but could be used on the highway for pleasure driving. Crosley even offered accessories like plows, cultivators, and harrows. The front end resembled a military Jeep. While it only weighed 1,100 pounds, it had power enough to pull a 10 inch plow through tough soil. This was accomplished by the 26.5 hp engine and special gear equipment which provided six speeds forward and two in reverse. Crosley ceased car production in 1952.
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