Car Lust

The Parade of Trabants - this Sunday

Car Lust readers in the Washington, D.C. area with an interest in one of history's more unusual and interesting bad cars might want to visit the International Spy Museum this coming Sunday, November 9, for the "Parade of Trabants."

The Trabant is a pathetic little vehicle produced in the late, unlamented East Germany as "Scientific Socialism's" answer to the Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle. The "Trabi" was powered by a smoky, gutless two-stroke engine, and featured body panels made of a plastic-like material ("Duroplast") fashioned from industrial waste.

It was the sort of consumer product only a police state could produce and sell. The Trabant was a relatively primitive vehicle in 1959 when it was introduced, and there were no meaningful changes in the design over the next thirty years. It cost the equivalent of a year's salary, but since it was the only car available in East Germany, a customer who didn't have the proper "connections" with the Communist Party (or enough bribe money!) could be on the waiting list for up to twelve years before getting the opportunity to purchase one. Used Trabis actually sold at a premium over new, because you could take immediate delivery!

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, many East Germans simply abandoned their Trabis in the West. Since then, they have become something of a collector's item--a cheap collector's item, mind you--for much the same reason that homely little dogs occasionally get adopted from the pound.

The Parade of Trabants will take place on F Street, NW just outside the Museum from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and is free to the public. While you are there, you may want to check out the Museum itself, which is one of the most fascinating I have ever seen. (There is an admission charge for the Museum.) The permanent exhibit includes a few items of particular interest to car buffs: a couple of Trabants, and the Aston Martin DB5 that James Bond drove in Goldfinger and Thunderball.

Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?

--Comrade Cookie the Dog's Owner

Rinspeed sQuba

Okay, so late last night we covered the early Lotus Esprits and their fictional white submersible doppelganger. The submarine Esprit in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me was obviously fictional--a creation of late 1970s special effects. But what if an actual vehicle could be made to convert seamlessly from car to submarine?

Swiss tuning company Rinspeed, inspired by Bond's Esprit, tackled this intriguing challenge and displayed its sQuba concept car earlier this year. It's a fascinating vehicle, but a close look at the finished project reveals just how difficult it is to create a vehicle adept both on pavement and underwater.

Naturally, Rinspeed started with a white Lotus--in this case, the Elise. The Elise's gasoline engine was replaced with three electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack. On dry ground, a 54-kilowatt electric motor drives the car, while while two smaller electric motors power small propellers underwater. Two front fender-mounted blow jets pivot to provide directional control. Other technological pieces of gingerbread include an onboard air supply, a salt-water-resistant interior, and a laser sensor to allow driver-less operation (think KITT of Knight Rider fame).

1978-79 Honda CBX

Thirty years ago, my father brought home a new baby. This one didn't eat and fill diapers; it drank fuel and breathed fire. This baby could make you leave brown stains in your tighty-whities but still leave you smiling. It was first vehicle I ever fell in love with, and it only had two wheels. 

Growing up, my dad ran a motorcycle shop and spun wrenches as needed, so that probably explains a lot about me.  Most kids went to amusement parks to ride the fast rides. I, on the other hand, hopped on behind my dad and held on for dear life as he fired the rocket I came to know as the Honda CBX 1000. In the late 70's superbike war, it was like showing up to a rock/paper/scissors contest and pulling out the nuke.

The CBX was the first Honda motorcycle with 6 cylinders--a 1047cc, 24-valve, twin-cam air-cooled inline-6 with six carburetors. It conservatively produced 105 horsepower out of the box, and it's not hard to get more power out of this engine. The bike covered the quarter-mile in 11.36 seconds when stock.  The one drawback to the bike was its heavy 680-pound weight, meaning it didn't corner as well as some of its vintage competitors such as the Suzuki GS1100.

Point/Counterpoint: Harley-Davidson

Two of our Car Lust contributors, Rob the SVX Guy and David Drucker, have a difference of opinion on the lustworthiness of Harley-Davidsons, and so we're convening this point/counterpoint to debate the relative merits of their cases.

Rob is a Harley cynic, while David is a Harley true-believer. I doubt either will change each other's opinions, but I do expect a very interesting and thought-provoking debate.

Gentlemen, to your corners, and remember--nothing below the belt. Rob, you're up.

Rob: Harley what? Oh, sorry, I can't really hear that well. More on that later. My name is Rob, and I live in a city called Milwaukee. This city is home to one of the most iconic American companies of all time, a company that represents America, freedom, patriotism, and adventure. So why does it deserve any disgust whatsoever?

It seems upon purchasing a Harley-Davidson, you receive a packet that informs you on the next steps to becoming a true Harley-Davidson fan. The first thing you must do is make your bike as loud as humanly possible. This isn't to increase the performance of your bike, or save gas, it's simply to be obnoxious. Once you have gutted any remnants of sound dampening from your exhaust system, you can then cruise down the road blaring your Harley ownership at 110 decibels to everyone within eight blocks.

". . . Tastefully Overdone."

I saw this ride in a restaurant parking lot a couple weekends ago. It's a 1955 Buick Special that has been, shall we say, aggressively customized into a hot rod.

Every square inch of the vehicle has been pinstriped--by hand. The patterns are intricate and complex. As you can tell from the closeup of the hood below, it took some serious time and a lot of talent to do this. (The swooping Spirograph raptor is cool enough, but it's the little golfer hitting a cartoon bomb with a 1 wood that really sets it off!)

The owner of this machine clearly has a sense of humor.  Along the bottom of the left rear quarter window is an inscription: “Nothing Is Too Much . . . If It’s Tastefully Overdone.”

Words to live by.

- Cookie the Dog's Owner

Mean Machine

 

Picture courtesy of The Ridge, an off-road riding park in Alabama.

Not all four wheeled fun comes with doors and a steering wheel…

Gentlemen, you will have to redefine the word ‘fast’ after you take a drive on this torque-y Polaris 800 Twin EFI. This beast is a mover in the thick and thin of it. Enjoy THE smoothest ride you will ever experience with front and rear independent suspension and (if you like to be seated while riding) a very cushy seat. Climb rocky mountain sides in low gear or get to the finish line first in high gear. Polaris boasts versatility.

 

 

With too many attachments to name, this machine tempts the imagination. Plow deep snow from your driveway or pull a fallen tree out of the way with your winch. Mow the back pasture or pull a ton and a half on a trailer; it doesn’t matter.

 

 

As for the ladies, go out and get yourself one of these mean machines. It is my wife’s most recent acquisition and she loves it. She uses it daily to tend to her horse farm, but has found a new passion for off-roading. I have become a Polaris widower. Sigh.