Article: Saab 96 at the Langenburg Historic Races in Germany

[rpiereck]

Today I went to Langenburg, a city about an hour from here, where they hold an annual race weekend. I found out about it late Saturday, and only made it there for Sunday afternoon, so I missed all the action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. On Friday night they had a night race that is more a parade of cars, Saturday there was a regularity rally, then Sunday morning there was a tourist rally, and Sunday afternoon a hillclimb. I was there for the hillclimb. The hostoric races are for cars and motorcycles over 40 years old, but they make exceptions for newer cars of historical value.

There were a lot of cars there, and they varied from Fiat 500s to Ford GT-40, Porsche factory race cars to old Rapiers and Lagondas, as well as one beautiful SAAB 96 V4. My favorite car of the day was a DeDion Dutton made in 1908, a 104 year old race car, the car had 45 horsepower, brass all over, wooden brakes, and once stopped the radiator leaked water all over the place.

I took 2749 photos today, so I am sorting through them and will be uploading the best, in the meantime I chose a few ones to do a quick upload and share with you guys.

The vehicles doing the race were parked in public, you could touch them, and if you asked nicely they would let you get in them. Here is a sexy Alfa Romeo. Alfa was surprisingly the most popular brand there, there must have been a dozen Alfas.


Open park with all the cars up for perusing


104-year old DeDion Dutton race car


The side cars were a sight to see!


Dude got his wife hanging on for balance




One single SAAB representing the brand. Talking to a few of the car guys on site they all think SAAB is the next classic brand now that they're gone




This bike stuntman was doing tricks on trikes and bikes in between the race heats


The street up and down the village was lined with spectators


Another oldie, this one a Napier


An oddly interesting Franch car


SAAB 96 on the end of its hillclimb run


Next time the race is held is in April 2013, and now that I know about it I will put it on my calendar, being so close to home I'll try to make it all three days if able.

I am in the process of sorting through all the photos, once I have them uploaded I'll post a link to the gallery.

More info here (in German): Langenburg-Historic.de

[Hirsch]

Thats pretty cool. Esbjerg had a couple of car shows a year. Usually one during the fall and one in the early spring.

Nothing special and they were very informal and the collection of cars was an odd mixture. Everything from 70's Italian supercars to American muscle cars from the same era.

[rpiereck]

The weekend of May 3 there is a big yearly rally at the Bodensee in the border with Austria and Switzerland, it's organized by Autobild, Germany's biggest car magazine, I'll be headed down there to check it out too.

[nordwulf]

The weekend of May 3 there is a big yearly rally at the Bodensee in the border with Austria and Switzerland, it's organized by Autobild, Germany's biggest car magazine, I'll be headed down there to check it out too.

Buying Saabs, touring Europe, going to all these fun events. Can you slow it down a bit because you're making me jealous!

[Golfhunter]

Thanks for the photo report

[rpiereck]

Buying Saabs, touring Europe, going to all these fun events. Can you slow it down a bit because you're making me jealous!

I am cramming, because I soon leave Germany and will spend the rest of my summer in exotic Afghanistan as far from automotive fun as possible.

Thanks for the photo report

Je ne suis que heureux de partager!

I have been slowly going through the photos, here are a few more.

1970 NSU TT


1979 Mercedes Benz 380 SLC. This car sounded awesome!


1976 Opel Kadett, uysed to be Walter Röhrl's car (his signature is on the hood)


1976 Simca Rallye 3


1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS


1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super


1992 LCR Suzuki, it has three wheels and a seat like a car, but has a side car-like platform on the left side. This thing must be very fast




1975 Autobianchi A112


1959 Auto Union DKW 1000, had a two stroke engine. Much like a two stroke SAAB this car made more noise than speed, and was an awesome sight to see at full throttle! My mom apparently learned to drive on this car and remembers the two stroke engine


1965 Fiat Abarth OTS Coupe


1960 Fiat Abarth 1000 Monomille


1974 SAAB 96 V4 again




1967 NSU Brixner Spyder 1300


1971 Fiat Abarth 500 L


1959 Austin Healey 3000 Mk I


1964 Rene Bonnet Aero B-Jet


1972 Fiat Abarth 695 Esse Esse




1975 Alfa Romeo Alasund-Cup Car


More to come later!

[rpiereck]

I uploaded over 80 pictures last night, and I still have much more to go through.

Click this link for the gallery: https://picasaweb.google.com/1133845...eat=directlink

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint 1958


Alvis 12/70 Speed 20 1938


Lagonda Rapier 1935


Alvis 4.3 liter Vandenplas 1938


Porsche 924 Monte Carlo 1980


Porsche 804 Formula 1 1962


De Dion Bouton Gran Prix Car 1908






Lining up for the down hill drive, then they race up hill


Fiat Abarth 100 Monomille 1960


That orange 96


Alvis on the end of its hill climb race


Lagonda


Another Lagonda


Fuchs Formula V Protoype 1964


NSU Brixner Spyder Typ 1300 1967




Rain coming in, the race started at that village below, and they wound uphill, maybe about two or three miles long


Van Diemen RF-79 1979


Porsches coming in in the rain. The blue 911 E is substantially slower than the yellow 911 RSR coming up behind it, so the yellow car was up the blue one's tail pipe


Porsche 911 SC RS Group B rally car


Steyr Puch 650 1968, an Austrian-made Fiat 500 with a larger engine


Fiat 500 L Abarth coming in in the rain


Fiat Abarth 1000 OTS Coupé 1965


Fiat Abarth 100 Monomille 1960


Fiat 128 Coupe 1978


Fiat 128 Rally 1972


Got lights? BMW 1600 Ti Alpina 1968


Lancia Delta Integrale HF 1988


NSU Wankelspider 1964, powered by a rotary, came from the Audi museum in Ingolstadt


Porsche 914/6 GT 1970


Rene Bonnet Aerojet 1964


Fiat Abarth 695 Esse Esse 1972 followed by an Alfa Romeo Alasund-Cup 1975


That's it for today, more to come later.