All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Auctions

A rare 1957 Porsche 356 Carrera 1500 GS Speedster is for sale

A rare and highly desirable variant of Porsche’s legendary 356 A Speedster is up for auction, the 1957 Porsche 356 Carrera 1500 GS Speedster.

The Speedster had been wildly successful in North America, and in the desire to bring its sporting success to the region, Porsche launched the Carrera GS. Back then, this model was powered by a four-cam engine designed by Ernst Fuhrmann. The same engine powered the 550 Spyder that conquered some of the biggest endurance races in the world, such as La Mans and the Carrera Panamericana.

This car was purchased new in 1957, when it was finished in Silver Metallic. It was recently subjected to a full restoration and is powered by a later replacement Typ 692/1 four-cam Carrera engine with 100 hp (74 kW), paired with automatic gearbox. The car is in excellent condition and the five-digit digital odometer shows only 366 miles. The seller did not state if this is the true mileage.

Inside, the coupe seats are upholstered in black leather that also covers the dash and door panels. It is equipped with a black folding roof.

This rare example, eligible for major motoring events around the world, is an ideal addition to any car collection. It will be offered at an auction that will take place on January 31, 2024, and the estimated value is €750,000 – €850,000 EUR.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

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A rare 1957 Porsche 356 Carrera 1500 GS Speedster is for sale
News

Germany will not use scanning cars to control illegal parking

The number of cars is growing year by year, so a large number of cities have the problem of how to provide a sufficient number of parking spaces. Some cities, such as Paris, are considering higher prices for SUV owners, and some are using scanning cars to check if drivers have paid for a parking space. Whether this constitutes a violation of citizens’ privacy is a question that troubles the German government.

Brussels has 13 scanner vehicles that patrol the city monitoring 30,000 registered parking spaces. That’s 5.3 million scanned license plates of parked vehicles annually, and there are always those that violate regulations. On average, about 450,000 fines for unpaid parking are issued annually, thanks to which the income is almost three times bigger than before.

“Someone buys a ticket at the parking machine or via SMS. A car that passes and scans between parked vehicles takes photos, including license plates. This information is forwarded to the database and if it turns out that parking has not been paid, the fine is sent to the car owner. Our parking officers check about 500 vehicles a day on foot, while we can check 1,000 cars per hour with a scanner vehicle. Given the increasing pressure around parking in Brussels, it is necessary to check more often,” said Eric Dubois from parking.brussels.

The German government was close to introducing this method of checking parked vehicles, but due to opposition, the decision never came into effect. Also, there are other models like the one used in Amsterdam, where the police have introduced an automated mobile system that sells parking tickets. Thanks to this, incomes are higher than before, and car owners in densely populated cities are motivated to use public transport or bicycles.

Source: DW

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Germany will not use scanning cars to control illegal parking
News

Sketches of the revised VW Golf Mk8

At CES Las Vegas, which was held at the beginning of the month, Volkswagen showed the public a camouflaged example of the redesigned VW Golf Mk8, which should soon be premiered. Now we have official sketches of how the car should look in the end.

For now, VW has not released details about the Golf, which will undergo a redesign in all versions (basic, GTI and R). What is known for now is that the standard version will retain the manual gearbox, while the GTI will only be available with a DSG gearbox. The four-wheel drive Golf R will also be equipped with an automatic transmission and will be the last version of this model with ICE. Sketches of the revised Golf Mk8 were published on his Instagram profile by the head of Volkswagen design, Andreas Mind.

Like the rest of the VW fleet, from the end of the decade, the Golf will only be available with an electric powertrain. It will be built on the SSP platform and will be produced at the VW plant in Wolfsburg.

Source: Andreas Mind via Instagram

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Sketches of the revised VW Golf Mk8