A couple of weeks ago, I posted
some pictures from Germany’s Sinsheim Auto and Technical Museum. A few of you wanted to see more, so here you go.
There’s probably enough for a third installment if there’s continued interest.
Above is the Blue Flame, the rocket-powered vehicle that set a land speed record in 1970 with an
average two-way speed of 622 MPH. It would hold that record for 13 years. There was no explaination how it got to
Germany, but I suspect it?s an interesting story.
I believe this is a Messerschmitt propeller car, but I?m not sure (speak up if you know something about this
vehicle). It presumably did not set any land speed records.
Where as the official Mercedes-Benz museum failed to acknowledge certain ?aspects? of their history, the Sinsheim
had this beautifully-restored limo that at one time was used by Hitler. The invoice displayed nearby indicated a price
of DM25,000 in 1933. Even with the rabid inflation in Germany during that period of time, I?m sure it was still a
substantial amount of money.
A beautiful Lamborghini Miura is shown above. In person, it appears amazingly low and wide.
This is the Kainsinger-modified Yamaha Vmax that appeared in Cycle World several years back. Sort of
an ultimate streetfighter, I recall that it has a radically altered frame (to decrease rake and trail), Ohlins fork and
rear dampers, a chain-drive conversion, big Brembo brakes, and about 180 HP of V4 power. The picture doesn?t do this
justice; it looks absolutely badass in person. As a Vmax owner, I feel that Yamaha needs to build something like
this as a production bike.
The infamous Vector W2. I never got excited about this car as a kid, and it doesn?t do much for me now. Located
among the Italian supercars, it looked out of place.
Back over to the military exhibit, we find this amphibious VW Schwimmwagen. Looks like it?d be a fun off-roader.
I?d never seen a chainsaw exhibit at a museum before. Like any proper power-tool geek, I was amused.
This Ford Taunus wasn?t at the museum, but instead was spotted at a small informal car show in a nearby town that
same afternoon. I don?t know much about this car, but the name amused me for its resemblence to the Taurus name (if I?m
not mistaken, the Taunus nameplate was replaced in 1982 with the Sierra badge).