I’ve caught enough blue rides from Germany to bring you a colour-coded edition of In Motion Classics. First up is this absolutely delightful W112 300SE. It is one from the collection of avid curbside classicist jim and was captured before we actually met. Lovely hue, and I’ve always preferred the earlier tall grilles on these superb grand coupes. Styling, jim.
This W113 is a 280SL to my recollection. Of course these things are rising and rising in value; I was talking to a woman who was considering one, and when she mentioned that dealers were quoting her over AUD$100k, I took a pause. I thought these had topped out at about $70k, but then again I haven’t looked at W113 prices for nearly a month. hehehe.
Lovely VW Karmann Ghia. I’ll let the CC commentariat let us know what year and engine (if possible). As far as I can see, it’s the most desirable; a thin bumper convertible. I do prefer the coupé lines, though. That’s one happy owner.
This one’s for Paul and Perry. A real-live NSU Ro80 that’s used as a daily driver. Seen this example quite often, but this is the only time I’ve had my phonecamera primed. It lets out a rather distinctive clatter from the engine bay, so I don’t think it’s hiding a Ford V4 or Mazda 13B. Love seeing it around; hopefully one day I’ll get to have a conversation with the owner.
Wow. Blue is about my least favorite car color, but these all look great. And +1 for the art history reference in the headline.
That Karmann Ghia photo made me gasp. Gorgeous photograph. I love the lines on those NSU Ro80’s.
Blue is actually most people´s favorite color. It somehow makes people feel happy.
My wife & daughter loved the shade of blue available in the 2010 Civic, and so did I, but I opted for white because dark colors can be very hot in the Arizona summer. And they aren’t as durable; metallic varieties in particular get well-oxidized.
‘Karmann Ghia plates/say “Lost in Space”‘ — “Airhead” by Thos. Dolby (from album “Aliens Ate My Buick”)
True; it’s my favorite color, although not generally on more recent cars. Although I do love some of the blue used back then, like these.
My favorite Car Color is also blue.
The deciding factor in purchasing my current Lincoln Town Car was it’s seldom seen (on this body) blue exterior paint job.
Definitely fill us in on the Ro80 if you ever get the story!
The first picture, is that a 250C?
My “father-in-law” (actually, Heather and I weren’t married, just lived together, but I thought the world of her dad) had one like that back in the mid-90’s. The glassed over Euro headlights, and a four speed. He offered to sell it to me, but it needed some rust taken care of where the differential bolted up to the floor pan, plus the car was in Bellingham, WA and we were living in Johnstown, PA. That’s one hell of a drive in a car that I barely know.
He said it was a relatively rarer 300SE, which is identifiable by the horizontal chrome trim along its flanks. The lesser models didn’t have that.
The 250C is on the smaller W114 platform and a generation newer than the W111/112s.
300SE 2 doors ran from Feb 62 until Dec 67, 2419 coupes and 708 cabriolets were built of which 270/92 were RHD. Just 56 coupes found their way here when new. The bright arch moulds are model specific too, however the aftermarket suppliers saw an opening and they are more widely applied, and typically not chrome over brass like the factory items.
Yes; I wasn’t sure he meant the actual 250C or meant the 250SE. Folks sometimes mix them up.
Wonderful; it’s nice to see some glorious blue on a very foggy and gray morning here.
What a great collection of cars; all of them among my favorites. I actually got semi-close to pulling the trigger on a W113 a few years back, one of my all-time love objects. But it just didn’t happen. And due to a serious issue with my ears, realistically top-down motoring is not viable for me anymore.
Don, I’m trying to make sense of your description of the engine sounds emanating from the Ro80. Are you suggesting the ” distinctive clatter” is from the original rotary? Because it’s a bit hard to imagine a rotary clattering. Or maybe you mean something else? Or maybe they do under some circumstances.
I can’t say I’ve heard many Ro80s in action, but this one drove past me the other day and there was a sound coming out of the engine bay that was a sort of a clatter. It didn’t sound like tappets; now I really want to have a chat with this guy.
The V4 Ford Transit motor was optional for these once the rotary showed how short lived it could be. But by now anything could have been fitted to keep it mobile.
NSU Ro80 + clattering = VAG 1.9 TDI swap.
I’ve never seen a Ro80 before. I’ve seen pictures of them, but I’ve never seen one in person. It’s too bad it never made North American production or market sale. I think it would’ve made a better looking Volkswagen than the Dasher (Passat) at the time.
It was sold in the US, starting in 1969 for a couple of years. But it sold in very small quantities.
Ate Up With Motor did a history of the Ro80 a while back:
http://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/nsu-ro80-history/
I took some of the photos for the article. Only one I’ve ever seen up close.
I just read the article in Ate Up With Motor. The car with Washington plates was purchased new in Seattle. Here is a blurb about the car that appeared in the Seattle Times.
http://blog.nwautos.com/2012/05/his_1970_nsu_is_a_mystery_to_most.html.
An old derelict building on a major thoroughfare (Lake City Way for the locals) had a NSU sign on the front until maybe five years ago. My guess is this is the original selling dealership.
The Benz W112 is absolutely my favorite Personenkraftwagen of this Blaue Reiter collection.
My art teacher from high school (we’re talking late seventies) has a few NSU Ro80s. Here’s his very comprehensive NSU Ro80 website: http://www.ro80.nl/
And his driveway:
That’d be enough to make even me choose art an as option!
My art teacher walked to school, and got duller as the day went on.
You’ll probably also like his other Wankel-engine favorite, the Mazda RX-7 Convertible.
His website: http://www.rx-7cabrio.com/
Blue is my favorite color as well, I had a 2003 Audi A4 in “Denim Blue” Beautiful car and color. Sold it off when the 4 year full warranty expired, as the little expensive to fix gremlins started to occur (failed power windows etc). I sold it to my UPS driver who still has it, with packing tape holding the windows up. Great driving car though.
Wow, four blue angels in one article! I’ve always loved the W113 Mercedes sports, right from the time they were introduced, but any of these cars would be welcome at my house. Beauties, all of them.
Der Ameriken Blue Lincoln
Zeeze ~
A few years ago (5 ~ 8) I was looking at a clean 280CL Roaster in a used car lot in Pasadena , Ca. ~ one owner Lady Doctor , ran well , current tags & title , never wrecked , the AC was kaput but it had the removable hard top and the rag top & seats was in decent shape .
$21,000.00 asking price , I demurred , maybe that was a mistake ? .
My Son tells me my old 1963 356B Porsche Coupe I gave him (two owner , So. Cal. car of course) is now worth close to $25K and it’s O.K. , has one low quality re spray on it , same color , decent original upholstery .
Too bad as they’re meant to be driven and enjoyed , when ‘ serious collector ‘ jerkhoffs run up the market they all disappear off the Public Roads .
I like that first M-B Coupe a lot , the color is good and the European headlights look great and illuminate far better than U.S. seal beams .
-Nate
I love old Mercedes Coupes .
-Nate
I bet you do.
Gorgeous cars–I love that W112 best but I’d gladly have any of them. Sometimes, getting the blues can be a good thing.
Well, you’ve taught me something Don – I never knew the grille height changed on the W112 coupes. A little googling reveals the difference; very interesting. I’m going to kick myself for asking no doubt, but what’s the red car to the left of the Karmann Ghia?
The grille was the same for the early W111/112 coupes. I think around the time they put the V8 under the bonnet, they widened and flattened the grille. Absolutely no idea what the red car is, Mazda or a modern MB maybe?
Looks like some kind of modern-ish Merc to me.
Yep. I’m thinking it might be that little FWD sedan they recently released.
It’s definitely a 2015 Mercedes C class. Quite lovely cars.
My old 230SL was a darker shade of blue.
The one car I’ve owned on which I liked the shade of blue was my 300L hardtop.
“Avid curbside classicist”…a diagnosis at last.
I never saw the stealthy Don taking that photo, and there’s no cover there beside the railway line. He’s a CC ninja!
I love that old Mercedes!
This got me thinking: Why don’t I like blue cars? It must be related to childhood exposure to things like this:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/12/curbside-classic-1980-chevrolet-citation-gms-deadliest-sin-ever/
The best thing for a blue car is an orange interior…
…
Agreed!
Your namesake looks especially nice in blue.
Scorsese agrees.
Oh sure, play THAT card. 🙂
Was that De Niro’s or Keitel’s car? I forget. I do remember it acquires some, ah, extra ventilation by the end.
Keitel’s IIRC
And this…
This year Escort shows that Dearborn finally got the message that Europe already knew: It didn’t need a fat B-pillar!
And dear lord, so friggin’ many of these:
http://www.roadsmile.com/images/volvo-240_blue_8.jpg