We all know how challenging trials are. The mud flying around your ears and the fabulous bouncers trying to prevent the car from getting stuck in the mud. Compared to the trials we used to see, I guess this one is a bit more extreme… The Dodge Brothers having a bumpy ride in the oilfields in the 1920s, I believe as a commercial. This is how it all started, and you mist admit that those guys are real professionals. It seems they know exactly what they do, especially when… Continue reading
POTW
POTW-OLDSCHOOL LIMERICK TIME
‘Twas mild enough, though damp and rainy,
When I left my car with Bogue & Slaney.
They changed all the gears
Whilst downing some… Continue reading
POTW-A LIMERICK BREAK FROM NYC
Lets take a short break before we go home from Paris with this great limerick and magnificent photograph with probably a T23 Bugatti Brescia. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Whoever invented that jack
Knew it would work front and back
A quick… Continue reading
POTW – ALFISTI DREAM MACHINE WITH MARIO TADINI AT THE GAISBERGRENNEN IN 1933
Today we will forget all the trouble and look at this gorgeous and breathtaking Alfa Romeo – Scuderia Ferrari. This masterpiece is accompanied by the heroic Mario Tadini. As you might have heard, CHB had some trouble with FB and due to this CHB will not be able to share stories, except on www.crankhandleblog.com and the CHB FB page until Wednesday. This is probably the work of FB and has to do with money, which sadly can destroy great initiatives. I hope that all the CHB readers will continue to support the work of team CHB : ) Please support by sharing this link as much as possible in FB groups, your own FB page, or any other great place you know: https://crankhandleblog.com/news/pic-of-the-week/potw-alfisti-dream-machine-with-mario-tadini-at-the-gaisbergrennen-in-1933/
Let’s make sure CHB is exploding all the social media…
Luckily I became good friends with the one and only Brooke Swan Car and she will go and visit to the FB headquarters to steam them all out with hot water, perhaps even… Continue reading (there is some fine Scuderia history to be found…)
POTW–LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGTHER
Let me first wish you a HNY, now that we are in 2016! Today I like to share with you a photo I absolutely love… why? It shows a Hispano-Suiza, an Amilcar and a fierce racer which could perhaps be a Mors? This year I will definitely be on the road in a number of rallies with Amillion (my Amilcar CGS), but there is one more thing I wish for this year. I hope my dad will accompany me in his, hopefully finally completed, Hispano ‘Grand Sport’, so that we can both have fun in our prewar beasts, one of which is a small beast ; ) Hispano Senior and Amilcar Junior, or as Simon, one of CHB’s writers told me, Hispano the elder and Amilcar the younger. These terms are used in the art world and as I call vintage and classic cars art as well, the elder and the younger it is! Or as we say in Dutch, like father, like daughter (although it would usually be son instead of daughter, obviously…).
Also a good moment to show my appreciation for my parents for giving me this most incredible name Atalante, and for my dad for passing on this great automotive passion, which is FORMIDABLE! To come back to a question raised by Simon, my dad started at young age with… Continue reading
POTW-TRAVELING 1950s STYLE
It is mid winter (at least in Europe), although it looks and feels like spring this year. Normally this is a time when people start making plans for their next summer holidays. This German couple traveled to their holiday destination by Messerschmitt KR200, a lovely period shot. Note the Goggomobil in the background. And note the almost… Continue reading
DARE YOU?
A great Bull Mastif guarded this rare Delahaye,
Just daring some car thieves to drive it away.
They’d sure better pause… Continue reading
VOTW-WHO DOESN’T REMEMBER ‘THE GRADUATE’?
Specially for the babyboomers among CHB readers, here is the final scene from that Oscar winning 1967 movie THE GRADUATE, starring Dustin Hoffman in his shabby Alfa Duetto 1600.
He also races into a black tunnel, just like the Miura in THE ITALIAN JOB, but this time he is not alone on a deserted mountain road and… Continue reading
CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THE WORKSHOPS!
Sorry for my radio silence again… As I already announced, I am in my learning process about mechanical things, restoration and revision. One of the jobs I also have to do is to make sure some car parts are delivered at special workshops for modifications or specialized work. This is one very interesting thing to do, because I get to see so many great places where real craftsmanship is delivered. So for now I will send a series of POTWs about workshops that are specialized in a specific field.
The first workshop I visited was Nuyts, located near Antwerp. They are an engine overhaul/repair company and have some very impressive and monstrous machinery! Their workshops looked just great and I was lucky enough to get a tour around the premises. They showed me some very special engines they are now working on, like a Delage, a Bugatti T37 and a Rally… Continue reading
POTW – A FAMOUS FRENCH AUTOMOTIVE MOVIE-STAR ; )
This time a POTW session of our 1938 135M Delahaye Chapron cabriolet. As you may already have seen, our Delahaye has a role in an upcoming Dutch war movie with my dad as the chauffeur! : ) So today will be all about this automotive actor! The 135M is already getting the manners of a famous movie star, so it demanded to be featured in a POTW of its own… (in a special scene as a kind of dirty trials racer) ; )
As you can see, after recordings, the Delahaye needed a beauty treatment as it was very DIRTY! This is how stars want to be treated… Like I said before, some classic cars need to shine like a diamond, such as this piece of eternal elegance designed by that master coachbuilder Henri Chapron! So remember this face, it will be on screen as of next year 5th of May, the day of the première of this movie! Click here for more POTWs!
POTW – THE FREDERIKSEN AUCTION THRU ANOTHER EYE!
Just some other POTWs! Denmark was a wonderful trip for me and to return some of those lovely memories… We take a look at the Frederiksen collection that was to be auctioned by Bonhams in some more detail! For sure the automobiles were looking very Pebble Beach worthy, but if we look at those cars thru a different eye… the eye of my camera, the lens! To me, when I look back at the pics I made, the best ones are those of the details! To get to the point, details can make or break a car!
Of course this is something that has to do with personal taste. In my opinion… Continue reading (see much MORE lovely POTWs!)
POTW – VANVOOREN COACHWORK PARADISE!
I just added one more photograph of the Volante museum… Martin Waltz sent it to me and I was amazed, it looks like some VERY fine art! Another reason to start your engine and pack your bag and head to Kirchzarten ASAP! And when you are on the road, why not make a short detour to Denmark to the Strøjer Samlingen in Assens! Oops, almost forgot the Louwman museum in The Hague. There it is… a short European automotive museum tour! Any suggestions for other great museums that you would like to read about? Let me know! For sure there are other magnificent automotive museums to visit, e.g. Mulhouse.
POTW PHOTOREPORT – THE AFTERGLOW OF THE BCN RALLY!
Last report I told you about the magnificent BCN weekend and to raise those great memories I thought it was a nice idea to do a POTW photoreport as addition to the extended report! I took some nice pics of details that I like. So enjoy my artful photographer skills : P The afterglow is for those that can’t get enough of the Bugattis, like me! Stay tuned because some highly interesting stuff is on its way! Click here for more stunning pics!
POTW – DONT MESS WITH THE BEETLE!
Like I know as a horse enthusiast, never mess with the little ponies, they are the fiercest of all horses! I guess the same applies to small cars like this Beetle! Look at this petite race monster! 
POTW X5 – SOCIALIST RESTORATION PROJECT!
For those looking for a restoration project from the Polish Socialist days… Look at this nice original 1952 Chevrolet Deluxe Sedan! This American was found in a garage in central Warsaw after having been locked and sleeping for 27 years! The car carries quite some history with it as it was ordered new by the Polish State and used for many years by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Poland. The Chevy goes under the hammer on the 17th of September by Ardor Auctions in Warsaw. Bid EUR 9 500 – 11 500 (listed) and it might become yours. With its Socialist history it might also be a great contender for the preservation class.
Tomorrow we head off to Chantilly which of course will be reported! During the Chantilly concours you can also follow CHB on Instagram! Click here for more pics!
POTW X2 – CHAPRON BONUS
Just couldn’t resist to put out one more POTW with some awesome pics of a Chapron Delahaye. Apparently this poor car raised a lot of interest, especially inside, so I wonder what was going on… do you know? My best guess is that this was one of those street markets where second hand cars were traded. Never trust such markets where more than once a car was sold with one or more wooden pistons in the engine to make it run for a couple of minutes until the deal was done and the seller had taken to his heels. For sure these are magnificent historical pics! Click here for the other pic!
POTW X5 – TALKIN ABOUT COACHBUILDERS!
With this week’s topic being coachbuilders we just can’t ignore this flashy Art Deco masterpiece designed by Jacques Saoutchik! This 1949 Delahaye Type 175S Saoutchik Roadster must be one of the most outstanding coachwork designs, honored at the time at many prestigious concourses! A massive body that is titled ‘the most beautiful car in the world’ by many! One of them was English actress and sex-bomb Diana Dors, who once owned it.
In 2010 the masterpiece Roadster was sold for $3,3 million at the RM Sports & Classics Auction at Monterey in California. One POTW is just not enough for this wonderful piece of ART so POTW X5! I probably don’t have to… Continue reading
POTW – AN EXTRA 5X – TOUR OF THE MIURA PRODUCTION LINE!
Today the Miura production line tour continues, including some pics of engine development and brainstorming by the men behind the Miura engine… at least that’s what it looks like. Just look at that powerful monster of an engine. This is what makes my day and probably yours as well.
One of the pics shows this HP beast with, I believe, Ferruccio Lamborghini himself in the center and to the left Gian Paolo Dallara. I am not sure about the person on the right, he is either in awe about this beauty of an engine or very pensive about a particular problem. Off we go to the next piece, part 2 of yesterday’s article! For sure CHB is in the Miura vibe! Click here for more POTWs!
POTW X4 – MIURA PRODUCTION LINE TOUR!
This week not just one POTW, but four! Since the theme is the Miura, I like to do a little tour around the Lamborghini factory where this piece of automotive art came alive! Bravo for the team that was in charge of assembling these supercars. Look at all those brand new V12 engines, those were the days! If this would still exist with the actual Miura parts etc. like in the pics, it would be heaven on earth! The men in the last pic together with the 700th Miura are legends. Thank you guys for making this beautiful supercar which now belongs to the true historical heritage of Lamborghini, deserving the terms supercar and classic high class car!
Lamborghini is a brand for which I have great fascination, like Ferruccio Lamborghini was fascinated with fighting bulls… He named some of his cars after the legendary fighting bulls, like I named my horse after his brand and the Miura… Famborghini Miura! By the way, it is a great horse which proudly bears that name; a powerful, intelligent, graceful and fierce piece of HP he is : ) Tomorrow the dream car continues! Click here for the other three POTWs.
POTW – THE CHESHIRE CAT APPEARING ON A CADDY THIS TIME!
To get back to the amazing Maharajas, here is a POTW with a kind of ‘Cheshire Cat’ (re Alice in Wonderland) sitting on a 1930 7-passenger V8 Cadillac hood. Wondering if this is the Caddy of The Queen of Hearts… ; ) If so then better run for yr life! Like me this Cheshire Cat is just a crazy madhatter! So a very suitable POTW that represents the CHB concept; cars, jokes and fun with a touch of seriousness. Let me surprise you next time, who knows what I have in store then, of course after you became famous in de the Dutch WW2 movie… Missed that one? Make sure to check it out NOW!
POTW ‘CHALLENGE’ – AS IF HE JUST WALKED OUT OF A FAIRYTALE
I thought let’s do kind of a ladies issue this time and I have good news for you female CHB readers. If you have been dreaming of a prince on a white horse, then I just found him, on a cute little white pony! This little Indian prince with his pony is quite fairytale-like, don’t you agree? The question is who is this young prince? I defy you to tell me his name! Let me know in the comments below if you happen to know who he is.
Of course this blog is about cars, so let’s return to that subject. Although this POTW doesn’t feature a Maharaja car, this is how a young Maharaja got started… with just 1/2HP! Until they were capable of handling a 40HP. I did this myself as well, from 1HP to 135HP : )
I look forward to lots of answers!
See more CHB pics by clicking this button! 
POTW – A TRUE HISPANO-SUIZA PALACE FIND!
Alwar 2, the long wheelbase Hispano-Suiza eight-liter (H6C, chassis 11744), showing pure Indian Royal history. This pic of the ceremonial 1926 Hispano was taken around 1994 in the courtyard of one of the Alwar palaces. As you can see, by this time it was bereaved of its wheels and all its typical Alwar ornaments. Behind languishes Alwar 1, the extended Lanchester chassis, with its unusual landau coach (the Lanchester is also mentioned in yesterday’s article ‘THE INDIAN LANCHESTER CAR HYPE’).
Today Alwar 2 still exists in this stunning unrestored condition at the palace of Alwar! Some people will spend a fortune to patinate their car to get this kind of patina!
Click here for more pics of Alwar 2, taken earlier in its life (before 1981) when still more complete!
See more CHB pics by clicking this button!
POTW – HELP! ANIMALS ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD!
I showed you a car that is supposed to be a dolphin (GUESS WHAT THIS IS! NO… NOT A REAL FISH, NOR NEMO). It seems there are also animals which are good drivers, like the dog with goggles in this pic! I am not so sure if the woman sitting next to him will be so happy with this driver…! This funny dog looks very confident of himself, but she looks as if she is going to take revenge on the person who has put her in this car with such an unusual driver!
Who knows, if it is possible to learn dogs to guide blind people or to trace drugs, cash, ect., so why wouldn’t it be possible to learn them to drive a car?! : )
The BONUS is on its way for this evening! And for tomorrow, I have a very rare car for you in store so stay tuned! 
See more CHB pics by clicking this button!
POTW – PININFARINA’S FASHIONABLE X FISH : P
Who doesn’t know the blue three-wheeled Reliant Robin of comedian Mr. Bean? This special three-wheel Pininfarina is even more fun! Oh snap … it is a four-wheel! Forget what I just said, the fourth wheel is a little bit hidden in an unsuspected place… under the boot! Anyway, this aerodynamic 1960s X Concept is a design of Pininfarina and without doubt 50 years ahead of its time.
This little fish – just another joke of mine again : ) – has an unusual arrangement of its four wheels. They are arranged in a kind of diamond shape. The tiny aerodynamic four-seater Pininfarina-X had a drag coefficient of just 0.23, indicating that the Italian design house Pininfarina was a long way ahead of the rest of the world in exploring the critical area of aerodynamics!
Now the best part… Continue reading
See more CHB pics by clicking this button!
POTW – OLD SCHOOL CAR-SHIPPING
I found this Mercedes-Benz photograph while searching for 500K Special Roadster pics. This one I could not use for the article of ‘the butcher’s car’, but a very good one for this week’s pic! The Mercedes-Benz (I believe it is a 380K A-Carbiolet?) has such a nice background, that shows how cars were hauled onto a ship in the good old days.
See more CHB pics by clicking this button!
PIC OF THE WEEK
CHB is expanding with a ‘pic of the week’! ‘POTW’ is all about nice or special photographs, if you have a precious photo that needs to be seen, let me know! The best pics are the ones that look like they are alive or those that tell a story without words… Enjoy!
See more CHB pics by clicking this button!
CRANKHANDLEBLOG 