The Louwman Museum

The Louwman Museum in the Netherlands is home to the world's oldest private collection of motor cars. Started in 1934 and complied by two generations of the Louwman family, the collection boasts 250 antique and classic cars.

Architecturally, the museum is astounding. The purpose-built infrastructure was opened in 2010 and was designed by one of the renowned 'New York Five' architects, Michael Graves. Graves specialised in maintaining a pure form of modernism in the buildings he designed, and is the architect behind a huge number of outstanding structures, from the Riverbend Music Centre in Cincinnati, to the Team Disney building in Burbank, with many more credits to his name around the world. 

Our company accountant, Amanda, picture outside the museum

With a plethora of cars in the collection, it has listed its own Top Five cars in order to show the scope of vehicles that they own. So, best take a look...

Jaguar D-Type XKD 606 (1956)

This car happens to be the 1957 Le Mans winner, crewed by Flockhart and Bueb. The XKD 606 achieved a hat-trick of consecutive Le Mans wins, covering a record 4397km at an average speed of 183km/h; a record which remained unbroken for four years. After Le Mans, the D-Type ended up on the club racing scene, and then, following a crash, was split in two: body and rear-wheel suspension and front sub-frame and engine. The museum managed to acquire both halves of the car, and after a lengthy – and historically accurate – restoration project, the car was returned to the condition it was in during it's successful run in 1957.

Lagonda M45R (1935)

This Lagonda M45R won Le Mans in 1935, despite running low engine oil and suffering a collision that damaged the steering earlier in the race. This car is displayed in completely original condition, right down to the upholstery; an impressive feat for a car over 80 years old!

AC Racing Special (1924)

Englishman Gordon Rossiter used money gifted to him on his 21st birthday to convert an old 1924 2.0-litre six-cylinder AC into a racing car. AC stands for Auto Carrier, the name of the three-wheeled delivery van launched by the Weller brothers in 1904. Rossiter set a new class record at the Blackwell hill climb in his converted AC, and, while racing at Donington Park, clocked a top speed of 105mph.

Spyker C4 All-Weather Coupe (1922)

This particular Spyker C4 is upholstered in simulated snakeskin, and the luggage rack has a jagged edge to discourage one from hitching a ride on the back. The reliability and luxurious design of this car led to it being known in England as the 'Rolls-Royce of the Continent.' In 1922, Selwyn Francis Edge headed to Brooklands in a C4 for the 'Double Twelve.' The record attempt was held in two 12-hour stints, and Edge set a new speed record of 2860km at an average speed of almost 120km/h.

Renault 40CV Type JP Touring Wiederkehr (1922)

With a six-cylinder engine that has a nine-litre capacity, this is one of the largest Renaults every built, and the one on display at the Louwman museum is the only one still in existence. The 40CV soon became a firm favourite in high society, and was delivered as just a motorised chassis, with the choice of bodywork being left to the customer. In 1925, a 40CV won the Rally Monte Carlo, and in 1926, a special single-seat bodywork 40CV participated in the Montlhery endurance event. 

Fellow Velocista, Amanda, recently visited the Louwman museum, and brought back with her numerous images of the vast collection. Now, aside from the very conventional looking cars that make the museum's top five, here are five cars that stood out for their unique and striking designs!

Brooke 25/30-HP Swan Car (1910)

Created by the eccentric Scotsman Robert Nicholl 'Scotty' Mathewson, the bodywork represents a swan gliding through water, and on the rear is an elaborate lotus flower design in gold leaf. The swan's eyes are even fitted with electric bulbs! Fully restored by the museum in 1991, the car went on to win the Montagu Prize at the 1993 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, held in California.

Fiat 1100 Boat-car Carrozzeri Coriasco (1953)

Despite how it may seem, this is not an amphicar! Coriasco, a bodywork manufacturer in Turin, built this in the '50s to promote the Scuola Nautical Scarani sailing school in Bologna. Lots of nautical details were included, such as portholes, lifeboats and a varnished wooden deck, with the mudguards representing the waves of the ocean.

Lincoln Sedan Delivery Deco Liner & Harley Davidson Sportster Deco Scoot (2008)

Inspired by the bodywork designs of Saoutchik and Figonie et Falaschi in the 1930s, and the art deco movement, Terry Cook and Frank Nicholas of Deco Rides, New Jersey, designed this vehicle based on the 1939 Lincoln Zephyr T. Completed in 2008, the car is powered by an eight-cylinder, 5.7 litre Chevrolet 'small block' engine, and the Chevrolet Blazer four-wheel chassis has an extension to allow for a 1992 Harley Davidson Sportster to be stored in the car.

Taruffi Italcorsa/TARF II

Designed by Italian racing driver and engineer Piero Taruffi, this car is powered by a 1.7-litre 290HP supercharged Maserati engine, and is driven using control sticks, as there is no room for a steering wheel. Achieving a top speed of just under 300km/h on the flying kilometre and flying mile, held on the Via Appia near Rome, it went on to break records over longer distances at Montlhery and Monza over the following years. 

Darracq 12HP 'Genevieve' (1904)

Ah, Genevieve... Those who are regular followers of all things Veloce will recall that we published a book on Genevieve at the end of 2016. Written by Rodney Laredo, A Darracq Called Genevieve is the biography of this 1904 Darracq's life on and off the silver screen. Coincidently, we recently received a review of this fabulous book, which you can read here:

"An enjoyable insight into the Genevieve legend"

"Genevieve, as revealed in the 1953 classic British comedy movie was, and is, a credible tale of veteran motoring mayhem. Veloce has recently published A Darracq Called Genevieve. It's a 154-page hardback detailing the story of the car, the film, and the multifarious and multi-talented characters involved.

"We've got a copy of the book right here in the office and we've been enjoying reading it. New Zealand author Rodney Laredo writes from the heart; this tale reads like a very personal account of his lifelong involvement with the Genevieve story.

"Laredo was just a boy when he became entranced with the film and the 1904 Darracq at the centre. His developing interest led to numerous letters, articles, conversation and finally meeting the late Dinah Sheridan.

"Laredo and family eventually became good friends with Sheridan and other personalities involved in the wider story. Therefore, it was natural enough for the author to also explore the very interesting history of Darracq cars, which is still a largely overlooked- or even unknown- chapter in the annals of motoring history.

"Packed with numerous artifacts from the film, it's hard to see why any hard-core Genevieve fan would not want a copy of this book. But even those with a more casual interest will find this enjoyable.

"If you haven't seen the movie for a while and want to re-view it, you'll be sure to watch it in a much wider light and context after you leaf through this publication. And if you simply want to know something about Darracq cars, here's a pretty good place to start."

–Sump

All of this just scratches the surface of what the Louwman has to offer! Maybe this post has inspired you to plan your own trip over to the Netherlands to see the museum for yourself, and if so, rest assured you will not be disappointed! Visit the Louwman Museum website: https://www.louwmanmuseum.nl

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A Female First at Beaulieu!

The automotive world is a very male-orientated one, and as a woman working within industry, the following story was a great one to come across! The first ever female workshop apprentice has been appointed at the National Motor Museum. For more on this fascinating story, I'll hand over to the people from Beaulieu to tell you all about it.

The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu has appointed a new workshop apprentice as an investment in the future of its historic vehicle collection at a time when few specialist workshops are taking on trainees. The National Motor Museum was founded in 1972, and has a policy of keeping its vehicle collection in the best condition to preserve them, which means that many exhibits are in roadworthy condition and are used throughout the year.

New apprentice Emily Leese, aged 18, joins the museum's experienced workshop team to help maintain and restore its collection of more than 250 historic vehicles. A young woman in an industry traditionally dominated by older men, Emily's training will help to keep alive the essential skills needed to look after and preserve the museum's remarkable machines.

When she completes her apprenticeship, Emily will become the first to do so since Museum Manager and Chief Engineer Doug Hill finished his apprenticeship 40 years ago.

Classic car fanatic Emily, who has been a volunteer at the National Motor Museum since the age of 14, is starting a four-year apprenticeship, which is being generously funded by a small group of Beaulieu One Hundred members. The Beaulieu One Hundred membership is committed to supporting the work of the National Motor Museum Trust to preserve Britain's motoring heritage for future generations.

Emily's training will be overseen by apprenticeship provider Heritage Skills Academy, which specialises in enabling trainees to work towards industry-standard qualifications as part of its Heritage Engineering Apprenticeships programme, tailored to the specialist automotive restoration industry. 

Further to gaining the vital hands-on experience in the workshop, Emily will also study the skills of the trade with Rolls-Royce and Bentley specialist P&A Wood in Essex, working towards her Level 2 and 3 Diplomas in Classic Vehicle Restoration. Her training will be funded by the Automotive Apprentice Bursary awarded by the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers of London, a charitable association which promotes excellence in the automotive, aerospace and rail industries.

Draper Tools has generously donated a comprehensive tool kit and chest to Emily from its Draper Expert range, which will be indispensable to her over the course of her apprenticeship.

National Motor Museum Manager and Chief Engineer Doug Hill [editor's note: Interesting Fact! Doug Hill

is the son of Veloce author, the late Ken Hill] said: "Ever since Emily first visited us for work experience four years ago, I have been impressed by her enthusiasm and determination. I was the last apprentice to complete my training here at the National Motor Museum 40 years ago, so it makes me exceptionally proud to offer this opportunity to a new recruit by employing Emily as our apprentice in the workshop. We can make a huge step forward in ensuring our legacy of knowledge is safe for the future."

Motor Museum Trust Chief Executive and Beaulieu Managing Director Russell Bowman said: "We are delighted to welcome Emily to the workshop. In her previous role as a volunteer, she has already proven herself to be a very dedicated and hard-working team member. By learning specialist maintenance and restoration skills from our experienced engineers, she will be helping to safeguard the museum's vehicle collection. We wish her a very long and happy career at Beaulieu."

By assisting and learning from the museum's experienced team of five workshop engineers, Emily will help to maintain and repair a staggering variety of vehicles including prestigious veteran cars, classic racers, luxury limousines, vintage motorcycles, Land Speed Record-breakers and even the famous Beaulieu Monorail.

Emily said: "At school, I chose to study Design Technology Resistant Materials rather than, say, cookery. I was the only girl on the course. Then when I finished school I found the Motor Vehicle Engineering course at Sparsholt College, which gave me a direction to go in although I was one of only two women on the course. My friends aren't into cars but they think my career path is pretty cool.

"It's good fun being in the workshop. Fixing things is my passion. I get involved in whatever projects are being worked on. Recently, I helped to re-fit the engine to our 1930 'Blower' Bentley, helping to steady the engine and to line everything up."

After spending the day working on old machinery, Emily drives home in her own modern classic, a Rover 100 – the later incarnation of the successful Austin Metro. Her true motoring passion lies with the legendary Morris Minor. "Years ago, I saw one and thought 'that's a really nice car'. Then I saw how easy they are to work on and I thought I'd like one of those." When space allows, her plan is to one day have her own Minor to restore. 

Emily is adamant that maintaining and restoring historic vehicles is a viable career. "I don't know what the future of the classic car movement will be or what will be considered a classic in years to come but with so much going on in the workshop all the time, I'm hoping to stay here at Beaulieu for a long time. However, I would like to see more youngsters given the same opportunity that I have."

Emily is launching a blog to follow her apprenticeship. To read the first post with a Q&A with Emily, see www.beaulieu.co.uk/news/.

And there you have it! What an amazing – and progressive – step for not only the classic car industry, but for the working climate as a whole. I personally wish Emily all the best in what is set to be a very interesting and rewarding career path! – Siân

McKay, McShane, and McRae

You probably all know that we're massive rally fans at Veloce Publishing, and with our recent release of Ford Focus WRC, this story from the official WRC website was particularly noticeable …

Rally fan Mark McKay has just raised almost £1000 for charity, after completing a marathon 24-hour charity drive around Scotland's senior football clubs, in memory of the legend of WRC, Colin McRae.

Mark, a bus-driver, covered almost 1400km, with his co-driver Lisa McShane, and they did it all in a £200 Ford Focus, converted into a replica of the iconic Martini-liveried Focus of the WRC car that McRae campaigned.

The drive was in aid of the charity Who Dares Cares, founded by two former soldiers to help those affected by PTSD, and started from Ross County FC, Dingwall, at 16.15 hrs, 15th September – 10 years to the minute after Colin McRae tragically died in a helicopter accident, along with his son Johnny, and two of his friends.

Meet Colin, the McRae Ford Focus WRC replica.

In typical rally fashion, it wasn't all smooth running, with gales, torrential rain, and rear light failures in 'Colin,' the name affectionately given to the replica Focus, that saw an hour's worth of frantic scrabbling with wiring, in darkness and pouring rain.

A year of planning isn't something to be dismissed lightly, so Mark came up with a cunning plan …

"I wired up the offside tail-light to the interior boot light, and screwed a camping head torch into the rear Ford badge on the tailgate and aimed it down onto the registration plate.”

Even though they slipped behind schedule by 95 minutes, they made-up time overnight, and made it through to an understandably emotional end at Paisley, welcomed by family and friends.

Mark is already planning an even more ambitious challenge … possibly a European stadia challenge, taking in clubs across Spain, France, Italy, England and Scotland. We can't wait!

You can find out more about Mark's inspiring efforts, over on the official WRC website: http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/september-2017/mcrae-charity/page/4869--12-12-.html

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Buried Automotive Treasure!

How about this for a whole different kind of buried treasure? Whilst excavating a site on Salisbury Plain, archaeologist discovered the chassis of an MG J2 car!

Photo curtesy of Wessex Archaeology

As part of the on-going development for the Army Basing Programme, WYG Environmental Planning came across this classic MG whilst surveying the Larkhill site in Wiltshire.

The MG J2 is an extremely rare car, as only 2,083 were ever produced. The two-seater J2 was the most common choice in the J-line. Back in 1932 when the car was first rolled out, it had a top speed of 65 mph, and would have cost you £199; that's almost £10,000 in today's money!

It is believed that this particular car would have been used up until the early 1960s, when it is possible that it was dismantled for repair by a local solider, only to be seemingly abandoned. The discovery also shows another side to life in the barracks, away from the soldiers' military duties.

As this is such a rare car, there isn't much published material available, but we already have a number of great books on the other MG models of the era. Check out MG's Abingdon Factory or our Essential Buyer's Guide on the MG TD, TF & TF1500 to learn more about these great cars.

Who knows, maybe we could publish a book on the rare MG J-series in the future... Perhaps you have an idea for such a book? If so, drop us a line on info@veloce.co.uk.

Never say never...

The Oliver Winterbottom Diaries – June

Oliver Winterbottom has been busy self-promoting his new book A Life in Car Design, and has been keeping a record of all the places he visits and people he meets along the way. In today's blog post, we have June's instalment. Haven't read the first part? You can catch up here. 

1 June  – Front page of the Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury as the only feature. Continued on all of pages two and three. Local paper delivered free to many (but not me!).

2 June – Buy Mercury. Visit Ketts Books, Wymondham, with my copy of book and info flyer. Thibault of Club Lotus France asks me to bring a book to Dijon for him to buy.

8 June – Chateauneuf en Auxios, France. Sell one book to Sonya, proprietor Le Bistrot du Port, and one to Julian, proprietor L'Auberge de Marronnier.

10 June – Deliver/sell one book to Thibault Venisse, Club Lotus France, and sign for him. One copy to Christian Roy, proprietor Le Hosteller du Chateau.

18 June  – Daughter Anne tells me that Jerrold's, Norwich, has three books on the shelf, front cover showing. Waterstones didn't have it and thought it was not in print yet.

21 June  – Emma from Veloce has advised Waterstones that the book is available.

25 June – Tom Smith (Texas USA Amazon review)
"As the title says, covers the career of Oliver Winterbottom's experiences, both the ups and the downs, in designing cars for many manufacturers. I am a long time Lotus owner and so I was mostly interested in his stories about Lotus and dealing with Colin Chapman. The author's candour about dealing with Chapman and others was insightful. About half the book was dedicated to Lotus. There are plenty of color pictures and the style is very easy to read. I especially liked the drawings and photographs of concept  cars he worked on, as well as modified one-off production cars that I hadn't seen before (e.g – a Europa with clear 'sails'). I'm guessing they were documents from his personal collection and thus, not previously published.
"All in all, I highly recommend this book for any Lotus enthusiasts as well as TVR, Jaguar and anyone else with a general automotive interest. Oh, and there's a chapter on his design work for Chapman's boat business which was very interesting!" Five Stars.

26 June – To Steve Cropley, Editor in Chief, Autocar. "Hello Steve, I guess you are very busy but I wondered if you had a chance to look at my book A Life in Car Design. I would love to know what you think of it."

Reply: "It's fab. Ran a piece about it in my column three weeks ago, including half-page pic pirated from the book of you, Kimberly and M90. Enjoyed your forthright opinions, which will fascinate other Lotus and former types, for sure."

"So glad you enjoyed it. Teaches me not to buy the hard copy of Autocar! If it is possible to get a copy of your words to me, I would appreciate it. Seems its not available online. Best regards, Oliver."

Ask Cropley for a copy as I do not get the magazine. It is not shown on their website. Edition probably Wednesday 7 June. As of 28 June, no response!

27 June – Email from Dave Sunter, Jaguar ex-apprentice now living in the USA.
"Oliver, I have just read the last page of your book. I have found it fascinating to say the least and have enjoyed reading all about your life's escapades in and around the car business. The shortage of money is nothing new when it involves building or even selling cars. Witness Barry's book on DeLorean, or the TVR story or almost any of the others. I do remember Stewart Halstead of TVR, formerly of Jaguar and of my home town of Burnley where his father worked as a mechanic at the same dealership as my father. I seem to remember something perhaps untoward about Stewart and his days at Jaguar. Maybe not. Best regards, David."

Sign book for Roger at Queen's Head, Hethersett. Met John Ashley (ex-Kings Heas) but have already signed his book.

28 June – I ask various folk if they can find a copy of the Autocar. Emma at the publisher, Veloce, comes up a winner and sends me the scan, below.

Web search unearths two reviews. It amazes me that some are totally inaccurate with facts supposedly taken from the book!

You can purchase your own copy of A Life in Car Design here, and make sure you check back in soon to read July's instalment of Oliver's diary!

Dog vs Machine

Man versus machine is a topic that is often discussed, but what about mutt versus machine? Not so much. Land Rover recently pitted their Discovery Sport against a team of champion sled huskies, and we have all the details of what went on.

• Discovery Sport takes on a dog sled team in a unique race at Vesileppis Ski Tunnel in Finland, pitting their 286HP Ingenium 4-cylinder power against champion sled 'dog power'
• Intelligent all-wheel drive technology, Terrain Response system¹ and advanced Ingenium^®  gas engine to help the Discovery Sport handle the slippery Arctic weather conditions
• Land Rover helps sled dogs resume cold-weather training during the Finnish summer
• Versatile Discovery Sport is now Land Rover's best-selling model, with 75,000 customers taking delivery globally so far in 2017
• Watch the full race here: https://youtu.be/AUz01Cgr-ac

August 25th, 2017

With an estimated 50 percent of Land Rover customers globally owning or regularly traveling with a dog, Land Rover has put its canine capability to the test by transporting a team of sled dogs to an underground snow tunnel in Finland for a unique training challenge.

This year's warm summer had left much of Northern Europe without snow. Land Rover took a team of husky dogs in need of training ahead of winter championships to the Vesileppis Ski Tunnel in Finland, for a much-needed sprint around a snow track.

The Discovery Sport SUV provided stiff competition for Finnish middle distance champion, Laura Kääriäinen and her team of six sled dogs. They went head-to-head in Vesileppis Ski Tunnel, Finland, in a unique 1km sprint around a dedicated underground tunnel.

The undulating tunnel is carved into the bedrock 115-ft below ground level and kept at a constant 28.4°F  to maintain a blanket of snow 8-in deep through the summer, making it the perfect place to put the Discovery Sport vehicle's all-terrain capability to the test.

Setting off in opposite directions, the dogs had a straightforward task. Once they had negotiated the first incline they were able to pick up and maintain speed – typically around 22mph. In contrast, the path of the Discovery Sport was blocked by a set of ice blocks, which put its wheel articulation to the test, on one of its laps. 

Over two laps of the tunnel, the sled team and Discovery Sport were closely matched but the Land Rover, which was forced to negotiate a set of unique obstacles along the way, won the challenge by a nose. 

Driver Karl Richards, Lead Engineer for Stability Control Systems at jaguar Land Rover, said "Snow is one of the most demanding surfaces drivers will encounter during winter around the world and Discovery Sport proved to be as comfortable in these conditions as the dogs. Land Rover's advanced Terrain Response® technology and intelligent four-wheel drive system ensure our premium compact SUV is in a class of it's own when it comes to off-road driving – whether you've got two legs or four.1"

Before the race, the dedicated accessories in the Discovery Sport ensured that lead husky Jami was safely transported to the now tunnel to join his snow-starved pack. An optional full height luggage divider from land Rover prevents pets from accessing the passenger compartment and easily fits into anchor points inside the vehicle, while and available rubber trunk mat protects the trunk floor and even contains minor spills.

Available convenience features including Land Rover's Gesture Tailgate made easy work of getting Jami in and out of the premium compact SUV while the surround camera system, accessed through the 10-inch central touchscreen1, allowed driver Richards to keep an eye on the dogs when manoeuvring inside the tunnel. 

1These systems are not a substitute for driving safety with due care and attention and will not function under all circumstances, speeds, weather and road conditions, etc. Driver should not assume that these systems will correct errors of judgement in driving. Please consult the owner's manual or your local authorised Land Rover Retailer for more details. 

²Driving while distracted can result in loss of vehicle control. Do not operate, adjust or view the navigation or multimedia systems under conditions that will affect your safety or the safety of others. Only use mobile phones and other devices, even with voice commands, when it is safe to do so.

About Land Rover

Founded in 1948, Land Rover designs, engineers, and manufactures its vehicles in the United Kingdom. For almost 70 years the brand has built a reputation for providing its clientele with some of the most luxurious and capable vehicles in the world; whether driving through the heart if the city of traversing the countryside on- and off-road. Today's Land Rover lineup includes the Discovery and Discovery Sport; Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and range Rover Evoque. Land Rover is fully engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For more information, visit the official Land Rover website at www.landroverusa.com.

About Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover is the UK's largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world's  leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world's premier luxury sports sedan and sports car marques.

The company employs over 40,000 people globally, with 330 in the US and supports around 275,000 more through our dealerships, suppliers and local businesses. Manufacturing in centred in the UK, with additional plants in China, Brazil, India and Slovakia.

At jaguar Land Rover we are driven by a desire to create class-leading products that deliver great customer experiences. The largest investor in R&D in the UK manufacturing sector, we have invested £12 nylon (USD $15.7 billion) in the last five year and in the current year alone will spend over £3.5 billion (USD $4.5 billion) on new product creation and capital expenditure. Last year Jaguar Land Rover sold over 583,000 vehicles in 136 countries, with nearly 80 percent of our vehicles produced in the UK being sold abroad.