A Vintage Dutch Rijkspolitie (State Police) Porsche 911 SC Targa

This Porsche 911 SC Targa is a little more special than most, it’s a retired Dutch Rijkspolitie (State Police) highway patrol vehicle, and it remains in its original service specification.

The 911 SC Targa might seem like an unusual vehicle to choose for police duties. It was ultimately chosen because it was ideal for high-speed pursuits, it had room in the back to store police equipment, and when directing traffic the officer could stand on the seat, giving them a good view over the surrounding traffic.

Fast Facts – A Dutch Rijkspolitie Porsche 911 SC Targa

• The Dutch Rijkspolitie, or Highway Patrol, were tasked with constantly monitoring the nations highways and byways for the usual problems – drunk drivers, speeders, breakdowns, and accidents.
• The Porsche 911 SC was released in 1978, its 3.0 liter engine was a notable upgrade over the oftentimes troublesome 2.7 liter-powered 911 that had come before it.
• The Rijkspolitie ordered a number of 911 SC Targa models in white, with a passenger-side mirror, a rear wiper, and front and rear fog lights. One the cars arrived in the Netherlands they received the other parts necessary to turn them into police cars.
• The original Porsche 911 SC Targa Rijkspolitie shown here was given a comprehensive restoration between 2021 and 2022, and it’s now being offered for sale.

The Dutch Police And The Porsche 911

In the 1960s there were no speed limits on Dutch highways, and the police needed something that could keep up with the quickest sports cars while also offering some level of practicality.

The front of the car is equipped with police sirens and additional fog lights, some cars also had spotlights added.

They ultimately settled on the Porsche 356 Cabriolet, using them from 1962 until 1966 painted in white with the distinctive orange and black Rijkspolitie livery over the top.

When Porsche unveiled the notably faster 911 Targa model in 1967 the Dutch police switched their preferred model, and began ordering them – always in white and always with the Targa roof.

The Targa roof was chosen for a very simple reason, it allowed the police officers to stand on their seats (with the roof removed of course) to get an elevated view over the surrounding traffic, and to direct that traffic of needs be.

The cars arrived from Porsche with white paint, and a small number of optional extras including a passenger-side mirror, a rear wiper, and front and rear fog lights.

The interior is largely factory stock, with the exception of the police radio, the switches for the police light and sirens, and the lockers installed on the back seats for storage.

The police department then had them modified, a pillar was added to the Targa bar with a flashing blue light, high visibility orange livery was added on the front, sides, and rear, a rear mounted loud speaker was installed as well as sirens and additional lights, and storage lockers were added on top of the rear seats.

In total, the Dutch police would buy 507 Porsches, including the 356, 911 Targa, 914, 924, and 964. Today the surviving cars are sought after by collectors, and well-known within the Porsche community.

The 1980 Porsche 911 SC Targa Rijkspolitie Shown Here

The car you see here is an original 1980 Rijkspolitie Porsche 911 SC, it benefits from a comprehensive restoration between 2021 and 2022.

The design of the back seat lockers changed over time, they included all the of the equipment that highway patrol officers might have needed and they were permanently installed – they couldn’t be removed and so the back seats weren’t used for transporting suspects.

The car is powered by the classic 911 SC 3.0 liter air-cooled flat-six, which is paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox sending power to the rear wheels.

It’s fitted with all of its original police equipment, not to mention that eye-catching Rijkspolitie livery. The car rides on original 15 inch “hackmesser” or “cookie cutter” alloy wheels wearing Vredestein Sprint Classic tires.

The car is accompanied by its original Dutch title, plus a Porsche “Geburtsurkunde” (birth certificate) confirming its factory equipment and delivery to the Rijkspolitie. It’s now being offered for sale on Collecting Cars and at the time of writing there are a few days left to bid.

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

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

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Vintage Film: Ford’s Experimental “Wrist Twist” Steering System From 1965

This short film from Ford is focussed on their “Wrist Twist” steering system from 1965 – a way of steering a car that required far less space and physical effort than a more traditional steering wheel.

It’s worth remembering that in 1965, most of the cars on the road didn’t have power steering, in fact some people had never even driven a car with power steering. With this in mind you can only imagine how futuristic the “Wrist Twist” system must have seemed to the American public.

The car that the experimental controls are fitted to is a 1965 Mercury Park Lane convertible, it’s powered by a 400+ cubic inch V8 (~7.0 liters) and it tips the scales at approximately 4,211 lbs or 1,910 kgs.

The “Wrist Twist” system was designed with twin dials, which are essentially small steering wheels. They’re mechanically linked and turn at the same time, hydraulics then operate a relatively standard power steering system.

The Park Lane convertible is 215 inches (5.4 meters) long and 81.1 inches (2 meters) wide. Given the sheer physical size and weight of the car, it’s no surprise that engineers were looking at ways of making the vehicle controls as easy as possible to use.

The “Wrist Twist” system consisted of two small dials, essentially small steering wheels with one for each hand. Due to the different ergonomics the driver had arm rests on either side that they rested their arms on while using the dials to control the vehicle.

The lack of a steering wheel opens up a lot of space in the car, particularly when you consider the size of the wheels that were typically used before power steering became commonplace.

Ultimately the “Wrist Twist” never caught on and was never put into production. It’s one of many new steering systems that have been experimented with over the years, only for the traditional steering wheel to win out in the end.

Perhaps the one exception to this is the Tesla Steering Yoke, an aircraft yoke-like steering device being fitted to many modern production Teslas, and it’s said to be the only steering system on offer in the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck slated for 2023 production.

Images courtesy of Bob McVay and the Ford Motor Company.

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For Sale: A Factory-Built Ford Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch”

In order to celebrate the fame brought by the Starsky & Hutch TV series Ford released a Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch” limited edition car for the 1976 model year. 1,305 were built, they all featured the iconic red paint scheme with the white “vector” stripe down each side.

Starsky & Hutch first appeared on TV screens in 1975, it quickly became a cult classic with stars Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul in the leading roles. The show follows police detectives David Starsky and Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson around the streets of the fictional Bay City in Southern California.

Fast Facts – The Ford Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch”

• Interestingly the car that was originally going to feature in Starsky & Hutch was a green and white Chevrolet Camaro, as the show’s creator William Blinn had owned one previously and loved it.
• The Ford Motor Company’s Studio-TV car loan program was the lease supplier for Spelling-Goldberg Productions that year, the producers eventually chose a bright red two-door Gran Torino with a white “vector” stripe to make it unique and memorable.
• After the custom paint work was complete, the cars used for filming were also given rear air shocks to give the car its nose-down stance, as well as “U.S.” brand five-slot aluminum alloy wheels with larger rear tires.
• A number of cars were created for filming, Ford released a “Starsky & Hutch” version of the 1976 Gran Torino and sold 1,305 of them – one of which was used as a backup car during filming.

The Ford Gran Torino

The model name “Torino” was almost used as the name for the Ford Mustang. For whatever reason it was on the shortlist at Ford and its time finally came in 1968 with the release of the Ford Torino – originally developed as an upgraded version of the Ford Fairlane.

Above Video: This is the intro and outro for the original TV series from season one. The Ford Gran Torino makes a number of appearances, it became wildly popular with viewers and is today referred to as the “third star” from the series.

The Torino would be sold by Ford over three generations between 1968 and 1976. It was available in a variety of layouts with the most popular two being the four-door sedan and the two-door hardtop coupe.

A number of engines were offered over the Torino production run starting with the 200 cubic inch (3.3 liter) straight-six, sizes kept increasing all the way up to the 427 and 428 cubic inch (7.0 liter) Ford FE V8s.

Although the Torino was discontinued after the 1976 model year its underpinnings lived on until 1979, providing the platform for the Ford LTD II, Ford Thunderbird, Ford Ranchero, and the Mercury Cougar.

The Ford Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch” Shown Here

The car you see here is one of the 1,305 examples of the factory-built Ford Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch” limited edition model – one of which was used as a backup car during filming.

The screen-used stunt cars from Starsky & Hutch were given a slew of modifications for filming, the white “vector” stripe is the most famous, but they also had air shocks mounted in the rear to lift the back of the car up to give it its unique stance.

“U.S.” brand five-slot aluminum alloy wheels with larger rear tires were also added, and a chrome tip was added to the exhaust pipe.

Starsky & Hutch starred Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul playing David Starsky and Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson respectively.

Ford didn’t include these modifications into their own Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch” models, they were essentially just given the vector stripe, but many owners in the years since have modified their cars to look and perform more like the cars used on screen.

The c ar you see here is one such custom, it started out as an original Ford-built Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch”  but it’s been given a well throughout range of upgrades to get it performing as good or better than the cars in the series.

The original engine was replaced with a 409 cubic inch high-performance crate V8, it’s been given an upgraded radiator to keep it cool, and an Edelbrock fuel injection system. It has a custom exhaust, cross-drilled disc brakes, uprated dashboard instrumentation, and upgraded suspension for improved handling.

The car is now due to roll across the auction block with RM Sotheby’s in late March with a price guide of $44,000 – $50,000 USD.

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

Images: ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

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The Impossibly Beautiful Delahaye 135M

The Delahaye 135 was one of the most important French performance cars from the 1930s. In racing trim the 135 won the illustrious Monte Carlo Rally in 1937 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1938, taking a slew of other wins and podium places in races as far away as Australia.

As was common at the time, Delahaye made the powered rolling chassis for the 135, it was then sent out to have a body fitted. The companies who built 135 bodies are a veritable who’s who of French coachbuilding – names like Figoni & Falaschi, Marcel Pourtout, Jacques Saoutchik, Henri Chapron, Faget-Varnay, and many more.

Fast Facts – The Delahaye 135

• The Delahaye 135 was conceived along with the Type 134 and Type 138 in the hopes of reviving the French automaker’s flagging fortunes.
• First released in 1935, the Delahaye 135 was powered by a 3.2 liter straight-six with overhead valves and a four-bearing crankshaft. Depending on the state of tune, this engine could produce well over 100 hp for racing applications, and 95 bhp in road trim.
• The 135 was developed with a steel chassis, independent front suspension and a live axle rear, with a front-mounted engine powering the rear wheels. The transmission was either a partially synchronized four-speed manual or a four-speed Cotal pre-selector unit.
• The Delahaye 135 would become the canvas upon which many of the greatest coachbuilders in France would work their magic, creating some of the most beautiful cars in history.

Émile Delahaye

Delahaye was founded back in the early days of the automobile in 1894 in the city of Tours in central France. The company was named for its founder, Émile Delahaye, a French engineer who had a particular interest in automobile racing.

This 135M is finished in black with a cognac interior and a brown folding cabriolet top.

The formative years of the company were focussed largely on racing, Émile Delahaye entered his four-wheeled creations into early events like the 1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris race, the 1897 Paris–Dieppe race, the 1898 by the Marseilles–Nice rally, the Course de Perigeux, and the Paris–Amsterdam–Paris race.

Within a few years the company moved their manufacturing operations to Paris, and released a number of production automobiles, early examples of which featured rear-mounted engines and tiller steering.

Émile Delahaye retired in 1901, selling his shares in the company that carried his name. It was around this time that the company left the world of racing behind and chose to instead focus on the manufacturing of heavy duty commercial vehicles like trucks, along with a limited number of automobile chassis.

By the early 1930s Delahaye was in dire financial straights, they embarked on a return to their racing roots with the development of a new line of cars – let by the Delahaye 135.

The engine is the more powerful 135M specification inline-six, with overhead valves, a four bearing crankshaft, and a displacement of 3.6 liters.

The Delahaye 135

When the Delahaye 135 was released in 1935 it proved immediately successful, and it helped to launch Delahaye back to the forefront of the performance motoring world.

Both racing and road-going versions of the 135 were offered, and buyers could choose from a long list of iconic coachbuilders to create bodies for their new cars to their own specifications.

The engineering that went into the Delahaye 135 wasn’t particularly groundbreaking and yet the car managed to become more than just the sum of its parts. The company’s experience building heavy duty trucks resulted in over-engineered powertrains that were remarkably reliable, making them particularly well-suited to endurance events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The first Delahaye 135 from 1935 was powered by an inline-six cylinder engine with overhead valves, a four bearing crankshaft, and either a four-speed manual transmission with partial synchronization, or a four-speed Cotal pre-selector unit.

The body was created by famed French coachbuilder Henri Chapron, it’s a great example of the kinds of beautiful bodies that French coachbuilders were turning out at the time.

The 135 used a steel chassis with independent front suspension on leaf springs and a live axle on leaf springs in the rear. Brakes were cable operated drums fitted at each wheel.

The car would be quickly nicknamed the “Coupe des Alpes” after its success in the Alpine Rally, it also enjoyed wins in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1937, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1938, the 1949 Australian Grand Prix, and a slew of other races.

Production ceased during WWII, it was restarted after the war and continued until 1954. Approximately 2,000 examples of the 135 (and its related models) were built and today they’re highly-prized among collectors.

The 1947 Delahaye 135M Shown Here

The car you see here is a desirable post-WWII 1947 Delahaye 135M, it’s fitted with a cabriolet body that was built by legendary French coachbuilder Henri Chapron.

The shape of the front grille is a distinctive Delahaye trademark, making them easy to identify from across a concours lawn regardless of who the coachbuilder was.

Little is known about this car’s early history, it was exported from Europe to the United States 20+ years ago and it’s wearing an older restoration now that is showing come signs of light patina.

The original engine is long gone, replaced instead by a single-carbureted version of the same 3.6 liter 135M engine which had been offered from 1936 onwards as an upgrade over the original 3.2 liter unit. Power is sent to the rear live axle by way of a four-speed Cotal preselector gearbox.

This Delahaye is scheduled to roll across the auction block with RM Sotheby’s on the 26th of March with a price guide of $225,000 – $275,000 USD.

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

Images: Jasen Delgado ©2022 Courtesy of RM Auctions

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A Giant 1:3 Scale R/C Scammell Pioneer Artillery Tractor

The Scammell Pioneer is a 6×4 truck designed released in 1927 as an artillery tractor, recovery vehicle, and tank transporter. It was developed long before the Willys Jeep or the Land Rover as an early solution to mechanized off-road mobility.

As World War II erupted across Europe in 1939 vehicles like the Scammell Pioneer suddenly became invaluable. Before the war the British War Office had only purchased one, but by the end of the conflict they had bought almost 2,000.

Fast Facts – A Remote Control 1:3 Scale Scammell Pioneer

• This is a remotely controlled 1:3 scale Scammell Pioneer was built from scratch over a period of eight years, it shows remarkable attention to detail throughout and it comes with the R/C controller which allows it to be driven around at shows and events.
• The original Scammell Pioneer was first produced in 1927, it remained in production through WWII and became an invaluable logistics tool for recovering vehicles, transporting tanks, delivering fuel, and towing artillery.
• The rear four wheels of the Scammell Pioneer were driven, making it a 6×4 drive vehicle. Both petrol and diesel versions were built and they were fitted with a power take-off driving a Scammell winch.
• The one-off Scammell Pioneer scale model you see here is now for sale, providing a unique opportunity to buy a functional 1:3 scale Scammell for shows and exhibitions.

“You Can Take A Scammell Almost Anywhere”

When the Scammell Pioneer was released the company marketed it by saying “You can take a Scammell almost anywhere,” and they weren’t wrong. The Pioneer was one of the most capable off-road trucks in the world at the time, years before the release of Willys Jeep, Land Rover, Unimog, or Land Cruiser.

A Matilda tank equipped with AMRA Mk 1a (Anti-Mine Roller Attachment) being loaded onto a transporter, 28 August 1942. Image courtesy of the British Imperial War Museum.

The Pioneer was originally developed by engineers at Scammell for use in Britain’s colonies and overseas territories where roads often didn’t exist, or were frequently impassable to normal vehicles.

Despite the proven off-road prowess of the Pioneer the British War Office ordered just one of them for evaluation. By the time the Second World War broke out it became clear that the Scammmell was going to be invaluable, and the War Office was placing orders for them hand over fist.

During the conflict the Scammell Pioneer was used mostly in Europe, its roles varied but it was most commonly used as an artillery tractor, pulling the 60 pounder, 6 inch Howitzer, 4.5 inch gun, and the 5.5 inch Howitzer.

Other uses included tank transporting, some versions of the Pioneer had a tank trailer permanently attached and they were used frequently in this role. They could also recover damaged and broken down tanks thanks to their winch.

Above Image: This is a period instructional film on the Scammell Pioneer, it was used to instruct recruits on all of the major functions of the vehicle including the use of the winch and power take-off.

By the end of the war in 1945 Scammell had built almost 2,000 examples of the Pioneer. Very few of them remain today, there are a few in museums and private collections, but the vast majority are lost to history.

The R/C 1:3 Scale Scammell Pioneer Shown Here

The Pioneer you see here looks like the real thing at first, but it’s actually an incredibly detailed 1:3rd scale model that was built from scratch – not from a kit as no kit in this scale has ever existed.

The project took the builder over eight years to complete, the final product has electric motors and onboard batteries, allow it to be driven remotely.

Due to its size it needs to be transported in a trailer or truck bed, however it can be driven up and down the loading ramps, making it relatively easy to load and unload.

If you’d like to read more about this unusual remotely controlled vehicle you can click here to visit the listing on Car and Classic. It’s being offered in a live online auction and at the time of writing there are still a few days left to bid.

A Scammell Pioneer tows an 8-inch howitzer of 1st Heavy Regiment, near Calais. Image courtesy of Davies (Lt), War Office official photographer.

A Universal carrier of 53rd Division being hauled out of a stream by a Scammell breakdown lorry of No.2 Recovery Section, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, near Ore in Sussex, 3 June 1941. A gaggle of small boys watches with interest from the bank. Image courtesy of the British Imperial War Museum.

Images courtesy of Car and Classic.

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