Carfreax

CARS & CHAMPAGNE

Hills filled with concrete architecture that is far from "now". Narrow streets with steep inclines. I never travelled a complete country in one afternoon, ...by feet that is. The silence, the wealth. Somehow so passe that it starts be cool again, like the tiles in your grandparents bathrooms many decades ago. Monaco, you can repaint it, but it will never be as fresh again. On the other hand, the mellow breeze and the warm champagne light that bounces of the facades feel really good this time of year. Magic hour at the Mediterranean Sea.

-Matt.

SCHLUMPF COLLECTION

Molsheim, Muellheim, Monsheim, Mulhouse, our navigation was lost in the Elzas. Late. Too little time and so many cars. We have entered a Walhalla and the clock is ticking. Time stands still in the old textile factory. Endless rows of exotic metal from different epochs, fantastic craftsmanship, a feast for the eye. Icons and strange experiments. An automotive historic overview with a french touch. The Schlumpf Collection, a hobby of a local manufacturer that turned that into an obsession. I have lost oversight, but will come back one day.

-Matt.

HELLO MOTO

Barcelona with a surprise. We zig zag through the narrow streets of the Barri Gotic and are rewarded with the discovery of the Museo Moto. A neat place full of two wheelers from Catalonia. A historic overview with cruisers and cross. Brands I have never heard of. Museo Moto, a refreshing change to our Gaudi program.

-Matt.

TOKYO EAT

Tokyo Eat, Paris, one of the hot spots on our tour. Food and art. A friendly and bright eatery near Trocadero with a minimal design.  An inspiring end of a long day, salut! Keep it mind for your next visit!

-matt.

GARAGE FOCH

Paris, Place Charles de Gaulle, the point of gravity of this metropole. History meets modern times. Look right and one can feel Versailles, look left to spot la Defense on the horizon. A collection of landmarks on a string. Around the Arc de Triomphe the traffic hectically turns its cycles like a never ending washing program. So what is mobility like in this town? We are here to find out what makes the parisians tick.

During our hike up to the old arc we have spotted a street full of dealerships. Motorcycles and scooters that is and everything that can be put into this niche. Mp3 anyone? This city is made for it. Scale up the product and you end up with a smart before things get serious. Our final conclusion after three days in the french capitol: you better be smart over here. We wonder why the French did not invent this micro car.

La France, think of cars and you think of bumps and scratches. How does big and beautiful fit in this picture? We make a turn into the Avenue Foch to search for an answer. We have heard that somewhere beneath this broad street Paris rich park their cars. It takes a little while, but finally we step into an underground walhalla. The floor is oily and the atmosphere petrol-esque. Garage Foch, something between a barn full of forgotten exotics and louis vuitton on wheels. A changing collection of cars, old and new, its size overwhelming.

Tuck in your car or let it rust away in the dungeons of Paris, here you will find both ends of the spectrum. And yes, someone with a very soft spot for de Tomasos must live just around the corner. Some high lights. Garage Foch, definitely worth a re-visit some day.

-matt.

DUTCH DESIGN WEEK - PART TWO

Day two in Eindhoven is fully programmed. We start at the far corner of the event map. Striijp T. Slowly we roll through an old industrial complex. Lots of glass and early morning activity behind it. This place is one of the hot spots of the DDW. Piet Hein Eeks facility has opened exactly one year ago. Our first impression: things are still under development. "Living close to design". Film and Design. What will be next?

This is not your usual studio or furniture shop. This place is a world. A world according to the man we are about to meet. At ten o'clock we enter the building and ask for our host. A few moment later he turns up with a warm cup of tea, followed closely by a bunch of colleagues. "I will be right with you". Some instant decisions have to made first. "Take that bolt instead of the other one, use it and keep it simple". Eek in a nutshell. Straight forward and honest.

"That cup of tea has to wait at my desk, let's start". Our little group from Germany gets the personal walk through. For almost a hour we follow the designer through his self created paradise. A story about the big picture, the small details that matter, transparency and efficiency. Most of all it is about passion and a strong motivation to hang on to your own vision. Its is also a personal story about scaling up and staying flexible at the same time.

The thing that ties this place together is the mindset that abundance should be banned and there are no such things as left overs. The designs of Eek are reflected in the architecture of the building. Simple and elegant, transparent with a personal taste. A smile on our faces turns up when we find out the difference between the 99.3% and the 99.7% metal shelve. "The bigger one has the same amount of stamped holes, but proportionally seen we have less waste in production because these holes have the same dimension".

Piet Hein Eek, he was the first and is still the original. His design method can be learned, but the feeling is hard to copy. The story behind the objects is crystal clear, the proportions, subtle changes in color, The contrast between rough an subtlety, the whole composition of this world, it is highly unique. When you walk in this place for a couple of hours you feel at home, comfortable and inspired, somewhere between past and future. Your brain does the thinking, your heart will be way ahead of it.

- Matt.

AMERANG AUTOMOBIL MUSEUM

With a group of colleagues and a bunch of cars we are on our way to Salzburg. Traveling the b roads of Bavaria, swapping cars every half an hour. Know your product.

Lunchtime in Amerang, a green and sleepy village east of Munich, close to Chiemsee. After a good meal we take a dive into history at the local car museum. The collection is bigger than I thought. Some lost tourists and a group of designers. The museum is under reconstruction. Cars are being moved across the different halls. A good chance to get up close with some classics.

A big section is reserved for long forgotten brands of the early years. Normally not my favorite material, but I have to admit the simplicity and innovative construction methods are fascinating. Interior essentials, minimalist luxury.

Micro cars and sport coupes in bright colors or shades of white. Beautiful steering rims. Everything on display is pre airbag and in immaculate condition. Worth a visit if you are on your way into the Alps.

-Matt.

PORSCHE MUSEUM

A saturday in may. Dashing the autobahns in a TT RS. Four automotive cities in one day: Ingolstadt, Muenchen, Stuttgart, Zuffenhausen. The short list for a museum trip through Germany. That concept is on another page though. Today we head towards the 125 Jahre Auto Event in the center of Stuttgart. Nevertheless we manage to visit one of the museums to top of a fantastic day.

We still have a little hour left after finishing the concours down town. Porsche or Mercedes, let's toss a dime. Shortly after we stand in front of a white geometric crystalline building. A nice contrast with the cars inside. The place is empty. The final hour. And yes, some of the cars have left their podium for tomorrows event. 

The escalators upstairs and then a jaw dropping scene. An immaculate collection, cars in a more than perfect condition, presented in a black and white scenery. This is insane! A string of high lights. Little time to think, carfreax in the candy store, kneeling down for each icon, trying to grasp the spirit. Martini and Rothmans, Pig and Sunoco. A landscape of 917's with accompanying soundscapes and historical graphics.

A short and intense visit. This place should be your Mecca if you are into cars. Within 60 minutes you will experience that Porsche is a religion.

-Matt.

BAVARIA

 

There is more to see in Bavaria than one would think.

DERRICK MEETS EAMES

A quick hit and run to Berlin. This time for business reasons. After our arrival my colleague Torsten and I drop of our bags at the hotel. It is located near the Kurfuerstendamm, the famous shopping mile known for its exclusive flagship stores. After work has been done we decide to hit that road for an late night breeze. It is early december and it turns out to be a tat colder then we expected. Walking and window shopping keeps us warm. A strange mix of luxurious shops and those who pretend to be. This translates to the cars that are curbed near the ultra wide board walks. The spectrum ranges from a charging Tesla to an over the top pimped up Beamer. Ku-Damm, not hip but worth taking a hike and a curry wurst.

 

After breakfast we leave our four star hotel. It is a derelict from the early eighties. Once spot on taste, now the perfect, because hopelessly outdated, decorum for a "Derrick" remake. Miniscule TVs included. Before we return to headquarters we pick up some Berlin vibes in Prenzlauerberg. Colorful and arty, lots of design shops with second hand furniture. If one wants to buy an original Eames or just enjoy a warming coffee in one of the many down to earth bars, Prenze is your place.

 

 

PIMA AIR MUSEUM

 

After living for almost two years in California there were still unticked boxes on my to-do list. Unseen places and events. Just a couple of months after my return to Germany I decided to go back to the States for unfinished business. This time as a tourist, packed with a new camera, fresh out of the box.

Prepping up for the big trip. Hovering over Arizona on Google Earth. Patterns of abandoned planes in the dessert . The Aircraft Boneyard near Tucson is set as one of the many milestones during our three week long trip through the States. The expectations are high and reality has a hard time living up to it as we found out.

The Pima Air museum has its ups and downs. The light is fantastic. Baking aluminium sculptures in a dusty environment. Cliche reflection studies in reality. And yes, this museum proudly presents an original SR71. Childhood poster in the flesh, what a piece of art! Outside the planes are carefully protected against climatic influences. Canopies are covered with paint, air intakes closed with wood. The contrast with the Gatow Museum near Berlin could not be bigger. Ivo and I decide to leave the touristic tour around the boneyard for what it is: a too comfortable ride in an air-conditioned bus with tinted windows. Ten points for content, a few less for the experience. Nevertheless a quick and inspiring visit.

 

MEILENWERK

Meilenwerk Berlin is located close to the center of German's capitol. An old bricked stone building that once functioned as a service station for local trams has been transformed into an auto-couture walhalla. This is the center of gravity for Berlin car aficionados, an oasis of classic cars and more. The place truly is an insider tip for anyone who wants to do an 24 hours trip around town. A couple of Carfreax was there to sniff some petrol.

A really relaxed atmosphere. No entree fees, just plain passion. Car owners can park their babies in garages made out of glass. This place is the perfect mix between a private garage and a museum. A long row of unseen combinations. What is that SL Gull wing doing next to that Aston shooting Brake? One can stroll around this complex for hours, take a sneak at the "ateliers" or visit the well equipped  model shop. Meilenwerk Berlin, a must see!