WARNING! LOADS OF BIG PICS SO MAKE SOME COFFEE WHILE YOU WAIT.

Before anyone else says it - yes it was the cars that were Old Timers in Germany NOT the drivers......... Well OK some of us were a bit retro I admit.

So then the Classic Car trip to Nurburg - all sorted and planned for me to take the Perana - after all I've owned it for nearly 2 years so it should have been ready shouldn't it?? Another story for another day and another page or two on this site.

Therefore, I would go in one of my 280's. Which one? The low miler or the Turbo Technics? Decisions, decisions. Who wants to put 1500 miles on the low miler? Not me. So it's the Turbo then - er, no - who wants to get stone chips all over a new paint job? Not me, so................

In the end common sense prevailed and I opted for the Skoda vRS - good old German technology and reliability ( plus no stone chips on the front of my 280's ha ha!)- good choice actually - an incident free journey there and back with Air Con, CD player and Sat Nav - methinks I'm getting too soft. I really missed the 280's leather seats, mighty exhaust note and all those admiring glances (for the car, for the car!).

The Old Timers Grand Prix is the second biggest motoring event in Germany (F1 being the biggest in terms of crowds) but this event is a 3 dayer with races, heats and demo runs all day Friday Sat and Sun. You get ticket entrance to the paddock area, pit lane (well not really, but who was there to stop me?) Plus you take any seat in any grand stand you want.

There were cars from every era including the 40's road racers, 50's and 60' sports saloons, Special GT's, historic F1 cars and Mini Challenge. In fact a ClassicFest of ginormous proportions. Well WURTH a visit any day. (Who gets it eh?)

What was absolutely missing was a Capri worth seeing. No Perana's, no 280's, no Tickfords, no Capri's......... except for two. There was the monster Capri Mk1 3 litre race car pictured below and an orange standard 3.0 litre in the demo procession.

 

The Number 2 Capri was the quickest car out there. It blitzed the rest and would have won hands down on Saturday and Sunday if the full race engine hadn't let go both days - what a shame - it had the crowd really excited.

Rebuilding the Capri with less than an hour to go before Race 2 on Sunday.......... alas it would all end in tears.

The highlight for me was finding out where the Zakspeed Capri was hidden. 23 miles away at Neiderzissen at the Zakspeed factory and museum.

Asked the Zakspeed guy at Nurburg why the Zakspeed Capri wasn't at this event - which was a perfect place for the greatest race Capri ever - and he agreed and said that it shouldn't be locked away and may come out to play next year.

So on Monday the morning before we left to drive home - got my Sat Nav out and programmed in "Zakspeed" fully expecting the device to say "Zakspeed, yes Doctor B, just follow me to Zakspeed" -In reality I just input the street and town and it took me straight there.

At the factory I blagged my way past the locked electric gate by speaking fluent 'grovel' to the lovely young female receptionist on the other end of the intercom. Told her I was wishing to buy several Zakspeed Capri's (there's only one of course but it must have worked coz the gate clicked and I was in).

Here I was about to enter motoring history - the very home of Herr Erich Zakowski and his brilliant team of designers and the showroom of their best and most famous work. I was in!

Surrounded by more trophies than Michael Schumacher has in his front room - I was amazed by the cars and the awards littered everywhere. The lovely frauline went to fetch a 'proper person' to escort me and make sure I didn't drive off in the object of my desire. Now where is it? Ah, something lurking at the far end of the museum (I hate that word museum - it's intended for dead and defunct artifacts of history and legend - it's NOT a place for a fully race prepared work of art called the Zakspeed Capri) Could hardly see it as it was lower than Tony Blairs popularity rating.

Anyhow, whilst still waiting for Herr Zak to appear - I thought it might be rude not to amble down and get some shots of the beast - I thought I could hear it calling my name at one point??

Just me and Zakspeed Capri alone in the showroom - oh what bliss and quickly wiping the saliva from my chops and start to walk around it, touching it even - was the door open? er Yes. Dare I open it and sit in?? Er NO! Little thoughts like, 'Ist Verboten Englisher Swinehund' and 'You will never see your family again Britisher dolt' kept springing to mind.

But a few pictures and big grins later a Herr appears. By now I've walked out to reception to see if Olga is around - no sign. But this posh looking CEO type comes breezing through and is very polite "How did YOU get in ja?" I says, 'The lovely Eva let me in' He looks half miffed and Eva/Olga still doesn't appear so I'm guessing her job is now vacant - I never forced her to press the button and let me in honest.............

The CEO is actually quite friendly and says he'll take some pics of me with the car - Result! So the Doctor tries this approach, "Is the car open then?" "Ja". "I don't suppose I could sit in for a photo?" CEO "How about we take a picture of you standing alongside the Capri?" Hmm, no sound of Doberman in the vicinity yet, so being quite reasonable I says, "Ja, goot!" All lies, his English is better than mine. But he still won't let me sit in this priceless gem.

Got my photo's and I spy about 5 other wannabees waving through the electric fence and pointing to the gate. I said, "Tsk, tsk - holidaymakers eh? try to get in anywhere they do.........." "Ja, no chance - do you know them?" "Never seen 'em before" says I and I bid my farewell trying to scam toys, models and anything else to record my visit but CEO had no toys to part with. Got my pics though.

And this time next year the Zakspeed might well be at the Nurburg Ring where it belongs. (Or in my garage where it doesn't belong - I saw the code to the gate...............................)

 

Here's a few miscellaneous shots for yer:-

 

ps - if you want any of these pictures just email me for permission.

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