CLASSIC CARS GALLERY

 

Several generations of Porsche 911s dating from the 1970s to the beginning of the new millennium, as well as three generations of models with a transaxle concept with a gearbox at the rear axle - 924, 944 and 968. The Engine Group collection includes both the classic Carrera version and the top Turbo version with wider rear fenders and a distinctive rear spoiler, here in a modernized form with a 3.3-liter engine. The upcoming model 964 is exhibited in both coupe and convertible versions, while the latest air-cooled model 993 in the Carrera 4S and Carrera S versions. The youngest is the facelifted model 996 in the Turbo S version (black). Compact models with a front-mounted engine are available in all generations, with the 924 Turbo (green), 944 Turbo (gold-brown) and 968 Tiptronic (dark purple) versions.

 

 

The early production period of the Porsche 911 in the Engine Group collection is represented by the silver-painted version S and the orange-painted version T from the late 1960s. Another model on display is the 964 in the Carrera 2 and Carrera 4 versions, which was equipped with all-wheel drive for the first time (the brand's first all-wheel drive road car was the top Porsche 959). For a change, there are several copies of the intended successor to the 911 - the Porsche 928. It is worth mentioning that the Czechoslovak emigrant, constructor and designer Jiří Kuhnert (1941-1979) from Brno also took part in its design. The most important exhibited specimen for a change is the personal car of another Czechoslovak emigrant - a successful car racer, businessman and inventor Jaroslav Juhan (1921-2011). The Model 928 eventually remained in production for 17 years. However, the 911 model it was supposed to replace survived, and its total production in 2017 exceeded 1,000,000 cars produced of all generations.

 

 

The oldest model of the Porsche brand in the Engine Classic Cars Gallery is the yellow-painted model 356 90 S from the third series marked with the letter C. It represents the top version of the first serial car of a separate brand bearing the name of Ferdinand Porsche, born in Vratislavice nad Nisou. An interesting use of the engine from the 356 model is the American kit-car Fiberfab Avenger GT-12, built on the chassis of the VW Beetle with a laminate body evoking the Ford GT40. A completely different era is represented by the red Lancia Delta Integrale Evoluzione - a homologation version of an extremely successful race car, with which the Italian carmaker won 6 consecutive branded World Rally Championship titles. In the rear rows is then the Fiat Dino Coupé in a modernized version with a 2.4-liter engine. In addition to the Dino 206 GT / 246 GT, the six-cylinder fork from Ferrari also appeared in the open Fiat Dino Spider. The Bavarian sports school is represented by a red-painted BMW M3 E30, which is one of the most successful racing cars of all time.

 

 

Facilities of vehicles that are part of the portfolio of the investment fund Engine Classic Cars. In the foreground is a six-cylinder Fiat 130 Coupé, a convertible with a fixed folding roof Ferrari California T from the limited 70-piece edition for the 70th anniversary of the Ferrari brand and the original Shelby GT-350 coupe. Next up is the iconic Citroen DS 21 in the top luxury version of the Pallas, the twelve-cylinder Ferrari 512 TR - an evolution of the legendary Ferrari Testaross from the 1980s, and the result of a joint Volkswagen and Porsche project - the 914/6 in a top-of-the-range version with a 911 Last but not least, the first-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI and the eight-cylinder Ferrari 360 Modena. Other, original racing cars of the investment fund are displayed directly in front of the showroom - Lancia Stratos HF, Fiat 131 Abarth and Renault-Alpine A110.

 

 

The Italian carmaker Fiat is famous especially for its compact models, which have gained not only popularity among customers, but also a leading position in the European Car of the Year poll. The older of the exhibited models is the Fiat 128, the basic version of which was the first car of the brand with front-wheel drive. In 1970, it won the European Car of the Year title. In the Engine Group collection, it is represented in an attractive coupe body variant, available with 1.1 and 1.3 liter engines. With a total of 9 pieces, this is the most numerous group of these models in the Czech Republic. Equally successful was the successor to the Fiat 128, the Ritmo model, which won second place in the European Car of the Year poll in 1979. The modernly shaped hatchback was available in three- and five-door versions. The collection includes both its early design with a pair of headlights, including the top, silver-painted version of the 125 TC Abarth, and a modernized version with four headlights, again not excluding the top version of the 130 TC Abarth.

 

 

Fiat's diverse range of vehicles also included lower-middle-class models and luxury cars in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The oldest of this group is the Fiat 124 Special T in the Engine Group collection. One of the latest upgrades to this popular model is on display in a 1.6-liter engine-driven version with two camshafts and a five-speed transmission. Its successor and another no less successful model is the Fiat 131 Mirafiori, in a modernized design known as the Supermirafiori. Specimens are represented by his second series in sedan and station wagon versions, here under license from the Spanish brand Seat. Very interesting are the two-door, sporty models - in racing gray metallic and in silver Volumex Abarth. The youngest in terms of mileage is the 2500 Diesel version purchased in the collection with only 27 kilometers. A completely different category is a pair of six-cylinder Fiat 130 coupes designed and manufactured by the Pininfarina body shop, which at the beginning of the 1970s represented the top of the offer of the manufacturer based in Turin.

 

 

One of the most famous Italian brands famous for their sporty cars is the Alfa Romeo. The Engine Group collection is represented by a number of successful models. First of all, it is worth mentioning the pair of coupes of the top version of the 2000 GTV Bertone from the 70s of the last century. Equally interesting is the brown lacquered Alfetta sedan. The company makes them a coupe of the same name in an early version with chrome bumpers and its modernized design powered by the famous six-cylinder Busso with a volume of 2.5 liters. As a result of a major modernization of the Alfetta sedan's skeleton, the Alfa Romeo 90 became an interesting digital dashboard, for example, in the 1980s. The six-cylinder jewel also appeared under the hood of the Alfa Romeo 75 sedan, here in the top version 3.0i V6 America. The flagship of the turn of the 1980s and 1990s is also missing - the Alfa Romeo 164, the result of the Type Four project (Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma, Lancia Thema, Saab 9000). The romance of open cars is then captured by the trio of Spider models in the latest version from the 1990s. The yellow-painted specimen in the original period design of the German company Zender is especially rare.

 

 

When designing its cars, the Bavarian carmaker has always kept in mind the joy of driving. Probably this construction approach is most evident in the 1970s. The Engine Group collection includes a large group of three- and four-door models, the current successors of which are the 3 and 5 series. It is exhibited in the little-seen Touring body variant. The real legend is then the first serial European car with supercharging - the 2002 Turbo model. The exhibited specimen in white lacquer and in its original condition still bears some design elements characteristic of its brand, such as the undercut mask or the so-called Hofmeister curve (the bent shape of the rear pillar of the body). The successor to these models became the first generation of the 3 Series, codenamed E21. It is represented in the collection in several copies, represented by both ends of the offer - a four-cylinder version 318 with two headlights and the most powerful is a six-cylinder version 323i. However, the first generation of the 5 Series, internally marked as E12, is also missing. Both of its models are powered by the famous in-line six-cylinder, in this case versions 520 and 525. Very rare is then a gray metallic clothed her successor internally marked E28 - the car originally based on the model 528 underwent a complete modification of the German company Hartge, which turned it into Hartge H5s.

 

 

French cars excel in comfort and unmistakable charm. In the Engine Group collection, these advantages are represented, for example, by the silver Renault 16 from the 1970s, which is a pioneer of the hatchback body, and the Renault 20 with a liftback body, dating from the 1980s. At the same time, the compact coupe Renault Fuego was also in great demand. It is exhibited in a pair of specimens, one of which boasts a driveway slightly exceeding 7,000 km and the other represents the top version of the Turbo. The new generation of Renault models from the 1980s is then captured in the blue-painted R21 model, in its original preserved condition. Another previously successful and famous French brand, which disappeared after its purchase by the PSA concern (Peugeot, Citroen), is Talbot. Model 1510, represented in two copies, was also on display on Czechoslovak roads.

 

 

The Engine Group collection also includes several Czech-made cars, which are undoubtedly dominated by the T603 model of the Czech brand Tatra. The elegant car, first introduced in the mid-1950s, is the last with a jet body; their development began in Kopřivnice in the early 1930s. The original design by Zdeněk Kovář, Vladimír Popelář and František Kardaus is the closest to the first series with three headlights. The exhibited specimen in its original state dates from the early 1960s. The first owner of a black-painted limousine was the Czechoslovak Ministry of Agriculture. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the interior is decorated in green. However, the silver sedan of the Swedish carmaker Volvo also deserves attention. The legendary model 244 is on display in the top, sportier version of the Turbo.

 

 

The mid-1980s were an important moment for the German brand Mercedes-Benz. The successor of one of its most commercially successful models W123, known in our country as "Piano" - W124, nicknamed simply "four" for a change, entered the market. The moderately elegant look, free from unnecessary embellishments, was designed by the legendary Bruno Sacco, whose goal was not only to bring the Stuttgart representative of the upper middle class into a new era, but also traditionally to its forefront. In the Engine Group collection, this popular range is represented by sedan and station wagon versions after the first (door trim instead of the original moldings) and second upgrade (new mask, headlights and white turn signals), with which it was newly offered for the first time as E-Class. Similarly robust and practical There are also cars of the Swedish brand Volvo represented by an exceptionally well-preserved pair of 850 models with a station wagon body. They are exhibited in a top, sporty version of the T-5R, which has successfully elevated the rather sedentary image of its manufacturer. This ambition was also supported by a completely new pastel yellow color called Cream Yellow. An older representative of the Nordic design school is the modernized version of the successful Saab 900 model, in the top version of the Turbo. A separate chapter is the supersport gran turism Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR with a carbon body frame and a twice-supercharged eight-cylinder with an output of over 600 hp reaching speeds of over 320 km / h.

 

 

The Mercedes-Benz brand is considered to be the oldest car manufacturer in the world, and during its blessed existence it has claimed countless firsts, which, together with the renowned quality, have brought it to the very top. The Engine Group collection contains a number of its successful models from the 1960s to the beginning of the new millennium. The oldest representative is the iconic SL roadster "Pagoda", in this case in the most sought-after version of the 280 SL, popular with mobile clients from all over the world, including European and Hollywood stars on the silver screen. A somewhat more ready-made, but not less refined, model is the W123 nicknamed "Piano", exhibited in all three body variants - sedan, station wagon and coupe, moreover in the same green color. The top of the range from the turn of the 1970s and 1980s is the W126, according to brand historians, the first representative of the S-Class. ) and a peak 560 SEC (white). The first representative in the middle class then became the 190 E (W201), nicknamed "Baby Benz" in the early 1980s. It is present in several copies, interesting either for the low number of kilometers traveled (in gold slightly over 28,000 km) or for the limited version (red lacquered Avantgarde Rosso, 2,300 pieces). This predecessor of today's C-Class introduced, among other things, a new multi-element rear suspension, used a few years later also in the upper middle class - the W124 model. The W124 model is exhibited in an open design, interesting not only for the top six-cylinder 3.2-liter cylinder, but also for the original AMG period body kit.

 

 

The American carmaker Ford has also successfully established itself in Europe. It achieved this through production plants in Germany and the United Kingdom, which aimed to supply models designed for the old continent. Among other things, the British branch gave birth to the very successful Cortina line, produced in five generations for 20 years. The Engine Group's collection includes its third generation, known as the Mark 3 (Mk 3), introduced in the early 1970s as the first project of the newly established multinational Ford Europe division, in two- and four-door versions. The sought-after model was also the elegant and affordable Capri coupe, produced from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s as a European variation on the American Ford Mustang. During its production, it underwent a number of modernizations divided into three series. The exhibited specimen comes from the last of them, he left the production line in the early 1980s. Both the Granada sedan and the Capri coupe are world-famous for their participation in the British series Professionals. However, the Capri coupe also left a significant mark in circuit sports companies, in the top versions 2600 RS and 3100 RS.

 

 

The independent track of the pioneering Italian brand Lancia ended in the late 1960s, when it became part of the Fiat Group. The first line introduced after its acquisition was the Beta model, the aim of which was to achieve a long-lost profit through a varied and technically related range of versions bringing this prestigious brand closer to a wider range of interested parties. In close cooperation with Lancia and Fiat designers, six models were prepared in record time - a four-door fastback sedan (Beta Berlin), a four-door sedan (Beta Trevi), a three-door coupe (Beta Coupé) and a derivative version with removable roof panels (Beta Targa). ), a three-door station wagon (Beta HPE) and even a sports model with an engine in the middle (Beta Montecarlo). The Engine Group's collection includes three of these cars - a blue Trevi sedan known for its avant-garde dashboard, a silver-painted, unique Beta HPE station wagon and a gold Beta Montecarlo with contrasting blue upholstery that perfectly captures the atmosphere of the 1970s. It is also not without interest that the Beta Montecarlo model later became the basis of a successful special for rally competitions known as the Lancia 037, which replaced the iconic Stratos model at special stages.

 

 

The German brand Audi has a firm place in the Engine Group collection. A number of cars based on the modernized model 80 internally marked B4, introduced in the early 1990s, are very numerous. Most of its body variants are represented, with the exception of the station wagon. While the sedan bears the designation 80, the technically related coupe and convertible, traditionally higher in the model family, were sold under the lapidary names Coupé and Cabrio. Virtually all exhibited cars are powered by six-cylinder engines, with a capacity of 2.6 or 2.8 liters. The only exception is the most interesting of them, which is the pearl white version of the S2. The top design is powered by a characteristic in-line five-cylinder volume of 2.2 liters. It is especially famous for the square coupe Audi Quattro from the 80s of the last century, which was one of the first production cars equipped with 4x4 drive. It has made history with its numerous successes in the World Rally Championship, which has completely dominated for several years. In the rear row there is a bronze-painted specimen in the design before modernization, whose additional equipment includes a collector's highly valued, fully functional digital instrument panel.

 

 

During the 1980s, the Audi brand relied on wedge-shaped bodies with low air resistance, technically refined Quattro all-wheel drive (imaginatively presented by the legendary exit to the ski jump bridge in 1986) and five-cylinder engines with unmistakable sound. Exactly this definition in the Engine Group collection corresponds to the 200 models with a station wagon body called the Avant, moreover in the supercharged Turbo variant. The specimen, painted in golden color, represents the technical and aesthetic level of the period offer of the German carmaker with four connected circles in the emblem. Another highlight, introduced in the late 1980s, is the luxury V8 model, powered by a 3.7-liter and 4.2-liter eight-cylinder fork. The first in its class was the standard all-wheel drive Quattro. Although the market did not meet the expected response in the end, it laid the foundation for its very successful successor - the first generation of the A8 model.