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utwo:3th Century Monastery in the hills of Deiá, Mallorca Spain©...

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3th Century Monastery in the hills of Deiá, Mallorca Spain

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For Sale: Jerry Seinfeld’s 1964 Volkswagen Type 2 EZ Camper

Actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld is well-known for his love of Porsches, but his passion for air-cooled motoring extends further than that – he’s owned a number of Volkawagens including an unrestored 1960 Beetle that sold for a new world record price of $121,000 USD in 2016.

The 1964 Volkswagen Type 2 EZ Camper you see here was owned by Seinfeld for a number of years, there’s no word on whether he went camping in it, though he did feature a later model Type 2 camper in an episode of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee with Jim Gaffigan.

Fast Facts – Jerry Seinfeld’s VW Type 2 EZ Camper

• This is a first generation Volkswagen Type 2 that has been converted to camper specification by EZ Camper of America in Littlerock, California.
• The VW Type 2 is better known as the Bus, Microbus, Kombi, or Bulli, depending on where you’re from. It was released by the German automaker to accompany their earlier production model named the Type 1 – better known as the VW Beetle.
• The Type 2 was released over six generations from 1950 to the present day, the most desirable are there first generation “split window” Type 2s however the second generation Kombis also have a strong enthusiast base.
• The first generation Type 2 has a steel ladder frame chassis and a stamped steel body, it’s powered by a rear mounted flat-four engine mated to a manual transmission driving the rear wheels. Van, minivan, truck, ambulance, and many other sub-variants were built, some of which are now worth over $100,000 USD.

The Volkswagen Type 2 “Kombi” Van

The Volkswagen Type 2 was originally conceived by Dutch Volkswagen importer Ben Pon when he visited the factory in 1946.

He saw a simple open topped transporter they had built on the Beetle platform which gave him an idea – he sketched out a van design based on the transporter which set the wheels in motion for the creation of one of the most beloved vans of all time.

This is s 1960 VW Type 2 making it a first generation “split window” example that is highly desirable to collectors and enthusiasts.

Over the course of its history this van would be built over six generations and counting from 1950 to the present day. Of course there are no interchangeable parts between the modern vans and their early predecessors, but their family heritage is unbroken.

The Type 2 would become most famous as the vehicle of choice for many members of the hippie movement of the 1960s. The vans would double as both transportation and accommodation, pre-dating the modern “Van Life” trend by over 50 years.

For many years the first generation Type 2s had low values and many were scrapped or rusted into oblivion, surviving examples can now fetch sums in the low six figures depending on variant and there’s a global enthusiast community dedicated to keeping them on the road.

The Ex-Jerry Seinfeld Volkswagen Type 2 EZ Camper Shown Here

Comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld is well-known in the classic car community for his love of air-cooled German vehicles, though they’re typically from Stuttgart rather than Wolfsburg and carry Porsche badging rather than Volkswagen.

That said, Seinfeld has owned a number of fascinating non-Porsches over the years including a BMW 300 Isetta microcar, a Fiat 500, a Morgan Plus 4, a Cadillac Eldorado Seville, a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, a Austin-Healey 3000, and a number of others.

Above Video: A clip from season eight, episode six of Seinfeld titled “The Mom & Pop Store” in which the act of buying a vehicle because of its celebrity former owner is lampooned.

Seinfeld bought the 1964 Volkswagen Type 2 EZ Camper you see here back in 2010 to add it to his collection, he kept it until 2016 when it was sold at auction. There’s no word on whether he went camping in it but as mentioned above, he did do an episode of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee with Jim Gaffigan driving a second generation Type 2.

Celebrity former owners can have a significant impact on the valuation of classic vehicles when they come up for auction, a fact that was famously lampooned by the Seinfeld TV series in episode eight of season six, titled “The Mom & Pop Store.” George ends up buying a 1989 LeBaron convertible because it formerly belonged to Jon Voight (see the clip above).

This van was acquired by the current owner six years ago who is now offering it for sale on Bring A Trailer. Under their ownership they have given the vehicle compression and leakdown tests, a brake fluid flush, clutch adjustment, carburetor cleaning, they replaced the battery, a fuel line, and all four tires.

The accommodation in the rear of the van includes a Mobilaire ice chest, a sink, three fold-away tables, storage cabinets, two electrical outlets, folding bench seats trimmed in patterned brown vinyl, a fire extinguisher, a tiled floor with a rug, and wood paneling on the roof, door panels, and sides.

If you’d like to read more about this well-presented Type 2 with its A-List former owner you can click here to visit the listing on Bring A Trailer.

Images courtesy of Bring A Trailer

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Full Documentary: The History Of Land Rover

This documentary tells the story of the humble Land Rover, from its origins immediately after WWII as a four-wheel drive farm tractor replacement right up until the late 1990s with the release of the latest and greatest Range Rover.

The first Land Rover was built using many pre-existing parts from the Rover Car Company, it was never intended to be a long term production model, but rather a limited production vehicle to fill a need in post-war Britain for a tough Jeep-like vehicle with a power takeoff (PTO) that would be able to fill in as a tractor.

The Land Rover was given a simple steel ladder frame chassis, a four-cylinder engine, and a body made almost entirely out of aluminum – steel was in short supply but there was an oversupply of alloy sheeting that had been used for making bombers and fighters.

A wide array of unusual Land Rovers were built over the years including tracked examples, a Land Rover hovercraft, and all manner of other off-beat creations.

Much to the surprise of Rover, the Land Rover became a major sales success not just in Britain but around the world. At one point in history it was estimated that for more than half the world’s population, the first car they ever saw was a Land Rover.

Today the Land Rover nameplate builds a slew of four-wheel drives, accompanied by the closely related and more luxurious vehicles from Range Rover.

The above film gives a great introduction into Land Rover history, if you’d like to read more about the fascinating history of the first Land Rovers you can click here.

Thanks to the choice between low and high range gearing, even the relatively small Series I Land Rover could pull a bus through mud – albeit slowly.

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For Sale: David Carradine’s Alligator Car From “Death Race 2000”

 

This is David Carradine’s car from the 1975 dystopian sci-fi cult classic Death Race 2000. The film stars Carradine alongside Sylvester Stallone and Simone Griffeth, it centers around the Transcontinental Road Race – a race across the United States with no rules where many drivers don’t survive to the checkered flag.

Though this car looks like a custom rear-engined C3 Corvette it’s actually based on a Volkswagen chassis, and it’s powered by a Chevrolet Corvair flat-six which is hidden underneath the dummy engine visible in the rear.

Fast Facts – Mr Frankenstein’s Car From Death Race 2000

• This is the original Mr Frankenstein car from the 1975 film “Death Race 2000”, a dystopian sci-fi cult classic that may have influenced a number of films that have been made since, including “The Hunger Games” and “Death Proof.”
• Interestingly, “Death Race 2000” provided Sylvester Stallone with one of his final roles before he became a global celebrity after the success of Rocky a year later in 1976.
• The plot of “Death Race 2000” centers around the Transcontinental Road Race, a cross-country car race in which the drivers and their cars assume WWF wrestling-style personas and attempt to kill pedestrians for bonus points during the race.
• The car itself was designed and built by James Powers, Dean Jeffries, and George Barris. It’s based on a VW Beetle chassis and it’s powered by a rear-mounted Corvair flat-six engine. The fiberglass body somewhat resembles a C3 Corvette and it has a large faux engine atop the rear.

Death Race 2000 And The Transcontinental Road Race

Death Race 2000 became a cult classic almost as soon as it was released, it’s a film that was clearly not meant to be taken seriously and it’s permeated by dark humor, gratuitous gore, and some nudity – earning it an R-rating at the box office.

Above Film: This is the official trailer for Death Race 2000, the full film is available to watch on YouTube for free however be warned that it is R-rated and it includes nudity and plenty of violence.

Although this film isn’t particularly well known outside of film enthusiast circles it is notable for a number of reasons, and it likely had a significant influence on later films like “The Hunger Games” and “Death Proof.”

It would include Sylvester Stallone’s final performance as a little-known actor before he shot to fame in the 1976 film Rocky, which he both acted in and wrote the screenplay for. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for the film including Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay.

Death Race 2000 enjoyed no such awards, having received mixed reviews from period critics and only moderate success at the box office.

Mr Frankensein’s Alligator Car

The car you see here was built alongside the other four, making five in total. They were designed and created by James Powers, Dean Jeffries, and George Barris with unique fiberglass bodies designed to complement the WWF wrestling-type persona’s of their respective drivers.

The design team gave each of the five cars in the film its own character, this one is an “alligator,” with a large faux-V8 in the back over the top of the real engine – a Corvair flat-six.

At first glance, the “Alligator Car” driven by Mr Frankenstein appears to be a modified C3 Corvette with a truncated wheelbase, however it’s actually based on a VW Beetle platform – though it appears that some modified Corvette body parts have been used in the construction of the custom fiberglass body.

The original Beetle flat-four engine was deemed insufficiently powerful, so it was replaced with a Corvair flat-six feeding power into a three-speed manual transmission.

A faux-V8 with a supercharger was created and fitted over the Corvair engine extending up above the rear trunk lid, in order to give the illusion of considerably more power.

This car is used extensively in the film, it’s been well preserved over the intervening years and it’s now being offered for sale through Mecum in mid-March with a price guide of $30,000 to $50,000 USD.

If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

Images courtesy of Mecum

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For Sale: An AC 3000ME Turbo – A Rare Mid-Engined British Classic

This is a 1980 AC 3000ME Turbo, it’s a rare car with only 100 or so produced in total. It’s powered by a mid-mounted 3.0 liter Ford V6 which sends power to the rear wheels via a 5-speed transmission, and the example you see here benefits from turbocharging.

The 3000ME was developed by Peter Bohanna, one of the engineers from Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations in the UK who had worked on the Ford GT40, working alongside an experienced race mechanic and Lotus dealer named Robin Stables.

Fast Facts – The AC 3000ME

• The name of the 3000ME stands for “3000cc Mid-Engined,” in reference to the mid-mounted 3.0 liter Ford V6 that powered the car. In stock tune the engine made a relatively sedate 138 bhp, however turbocharging boosted this up to 200 bhp.
• The car was built with a monocoque perimeter steel chassis with bolt on front and rear sub-frames, a lightweight fiberglass body, and independent suspension and disc brakes at each corner.
• The 3000ME was developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s and first shown to the public at the 1973 Olympia Racing Car Show, here it was seen by Keith Judd of AC Cars who worked out a deal with Bohanna and Stables to produce the car.
• Ultimately the car would be in production for six years between 1979 and 1985, it’s believed that slightly over 100 were built in total and today they remain surprisingly affordable, with prices typically in the $20,000 – $30,000 USD range.

Bohanna Stables

The Bohanna Stables company was founded by former Lola and Ford GT40 engineer Peter Bohanna with racing mechanic and former Lotus dealer Robin Stables.

The interior of the car is well-appointed by the standards of the 1970s, it even has a gated shifter for the AC 5-speed gearbox.

The two men set out to develop an advanced yet affordable mid-engined sports car that would be far more attainable to regular people than mid-engined vehicles usually are. They developed a tubular steel chassis, a fiberglass body, and they sourced the 1.5 liter engine and gearbox from the Austin Maxi.

Once their prototype was complete they showed it to both TVR and AC Cars, however neither manufacturer would commit to the project.

Not long after this they displayed the car at the 1973 Olympia Racing Car Show in London where it received much interest – Keith Judd of AC Cars managed to convince the AC board to acquire the project and they did shortly thereafter.

Both Peter Bohanna and Robin Stables were brought onboard as consultants as the car was reengineered to make it better suited to mass-production at a planned rate of 10 – 20 cars per week.

AC Cars And The 3000ME

The original tubular steel frame was discarded by AC Cars engineers who realized how time-consuming it would be to produce en masse. It was replaced by a monocoque perimeter steel chassis with bolt on front and rear sub-frames.

This car is fitted with the popular Robin Rew turbo upgrade, taking power from 138 bhp up to 200 bhp.

The Austin Maxi engine was deemed unsuitable due to lack of power and potential supply problems from Austin, so it was replaced with the tried and tested 3.0 liter Ford Essex V6.

The development process took years and several serious hurdles were overcome, including a partial redesign to pass the front 30 mph UK crash test. By the time the car was ready for mass production it was 1979 and the price had risen from the initial estimate of £3000 – £4000 up to £11,300 – out of the reach of many buyers.

AC Cars would keep the 3000ME in production for 5 years and sell fewer than 80 cars before selling the rights and tooling to a newly registered company named AC (Scotland) plc in Glasgow run by David McDonald.

The new Scottish company would build an additional 30 or so cars before they too shut down in 1985. Plans were afoot for a third company to take on the car however they only built a single prototype.

The surviving examples of the AC 3000ME now have a cult following in the UK, it’s not known exactly how many have survived but they do attract plenty of interest when they come up for sale.

AC 3000ME Specifications

The AC 3000ME is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.0 Ford Essex V6 mid-mounted transversely behind the passenger cabin. Power is sent through a chain drive to a 5-speed gearbox designed by AC to the rear wheels.

Wedge-shaped styling like this was popular in the 1970s and beyond, thanks in large part to designers like Gandini and Giugiaro.

The engineers at AC developed many of the components of the car in-house rather than buying them in, one reason for the car’s long development cycle.

AC built the chassis tub, front and rear sub-frames, the suspension wishbones and uprights, window frames, fiberglass body shell sections, aluminum gearbox case, clutch housing, and the chain case assembly. They fitted the car with Girling calipers over AC rotors front and back.

Many 3000ME owners desired more than the stock power output of 138 bhp, as a result of this demand an engineer named Robin Rews developed a system that used a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger blowing through a 1½ inch Reece Fish carburetor, with the engine’s compression ratio dropped to 8.0:1.

Though somewhat simple this forced induction set up increased power substantially, from 138 bhp to 200 bhp with a similar increase in torque. This additional power made the car far more lively, and it’s been estimated that up to half the surviving 3000MEs have had the conversion done.

The 1980 AC 3000 ME Shown Here

The car you see here that still belongs to its second owner. It has 47,935 miles on the odometer and it has five servicings on its record.

The mid-mounted Ford Essex V6 offers reliability and they’re easy to source parts for – unlike many other more exotic engines.

This car is one of those that benefits from the Robin Rew turbo upgrade, and it’s accompanied by its handbook, manufacturer’s brochure, some magazine articles, some expired MoTs, and a V5C Registration Certificate.

The seller notes that the car does have an issue with the chain drive to the gearbox currently though they’re working on getting it rectified. It’s clear that the car will require some level of recommissioning before regular driving is undertaken.

The 3000ME does have a small but highly active owners group who are happy to offer advice and assistance with sourcing spare parts etc, making the recommissioning of this car far easier than it might otherwise be.

If you’d like to read more about this unusual mid-engined AC you can click here to visit the listing. It’s due to cross the auction block with Bonhams on the 10th of April with a price guide of $16,000 – $20,000 USD.

Images courtesy of Bonhams

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