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Saturday July 8, at the height of ‘Summertime’ – the latest poetic song in the Dorfzeitung! – the grass was no longer high on the meadow alongside the new cemetery in Inzing: it had been mown on the Friday afternoon to prepare for parking for the Oldtimer Club annual meeting. The ‘Oldie Box’ was set up on the road.
The popular ‘Oldie 1:1 Box’ invited drivers to show off their ‘model’ and be photographed. The 1950 Buick Eight only just fitted in!
Biggest car on the site was the massive black almost 7-metre long American Ford hearse/ Leichenwagen (originally Belgium-registered), with four large ‘silver’ lamps on the roof: this baroque vehicle was big enough for a dead Gulliver and was suitably parked alongside the cemetery!
All types of vehicles appeared: from American muscle cars, a Willys World War 2 ‘Jeep’ (named as such, because they were for ‘general purposes’ ….. sorry, Americans cannot spell words properly!), five Beetles, several Porsches, and a British corner, with the white Jaguar Mark 2, the black MGB-GT, and – for sale! – the Rover 75….still for sale at only 3500 Euros!
Visitors were invited to start up the Jaguar … but under one condition! The sign read:
“ An offer not to miss! Polish a section of the car (eg. door, wing, boot, bonnet, etc.) and…….? Yes! You can start her up! (under supervision….) “ A dozen people came forward with the polishing rags and cleaning wax: mainly teenagers and a few children, but also Caroline of the Club was game! The comments from unwilling adults? “It’s too hot today….”, “I’m only here to look at the cars….”, “That’s an old Scottish trick….”
Citroëns were well represented: with the oldest car on the site (the 1924 5cv ‘Trѐfle’), as well as all three types of glistening black Traction-Avants (the 11 Légѐre, the 11 Normale, and the ‘Reine de la Route’ in 1950s France: the 15cv/ 6 cylindres. The revolutionary front-wheel ‘Tractions’ from 1934 onwards were the so-called ‘Gangsterlimousinen’ favoured by hit-and-run bank-robbers because of the Traction-Avant’s speed and road-holding capacity.
(On Monday October 30, from 19.00, the Inzing Oldtimer Club is holding an evening devoted to the cultural history of the Traction-Avant Citroëns. Do register with the Club by Friday October 27 if you wish to attend.)
At the Show, Citroën also sported two absolutely divine DS (‘Déesses’) – one of them the Chapron-inspired Convertible), two 2CVs (‘Enten’ – their horns going ‘Quack! Quack!’), a rare Ami 6, and an open Méhari – fit for a summer day’s outing!
Johann Kofler brought his Healey Silverstone down from Schönberg, while Herr Kremmel – a genuine ‘oldtimer’ and regular visitor from Lustenau – drove his Opel all the way over the Arlberg Pass to arrive for 10 am.
By midday the main parking on the upper field by the cemetery was ‘dead’ full, so we needed to fall back on reserve space. The Tractors were out in force, all parked down by the large marquee tent. Our thanks to the Inzing Musikkapelle organizers for allowing us to use the area for the tractors and to share the excellent catering facilities.
On this stifling hot summer’s day, the beer flowed freely. By midday the whole area was teeming with thirsty visitors and swarming with hungry guests! During the day we were entertained by 1960s music. It was great that the 4-day Music Festival coincided with our Saturday!
Thanks must go to the hard-working Oldtimer Club Committee, now under the Coreths (Florian and Matthias), with Bernd Hirschberger and Fabian Schatz, Caroline Stärz and Andreas Coreth. Diethard Gstir continues to offer his sterling support!
Diethard ‘s son David used his father’s ultra-rare, red-white-red, unique to Austria Lappländer C202 VHT (Version Hard Top) 4 x 4, originally from Sweden, to drive around several kids.
Great fun was had by all! Even by passing visitors in wheel-chairs, genuine ‘oldtimers’.
For all Inzing Oldtimers:
- August 3 -5: the 25th (!) Oetztal Classic (www.oetztal-classic.at)
- Sunday August 6, from 10 am to 1 pm: the Oldtimer Sonntag Tirol Meeting at the Metro Parkplatz on the East side of Innsbruck. Diethard Gstir goes regularly (mobile: 0664 8268881). Do join him in convoy! (www.oldtimersonntag.com)
- August 26 – 27: Käfer- und Oldtimertreffen, Gasthaus Sonne, Tarrenz (www.kaefer-oldtimertreffen-tirol.com)
- Monday October 30, from 19.00 to 22.00: an Evening with the Citroën Traction-Avant, at Brechtenweg 28, Inzing. (Do register by Friday October 27)
Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’, Keep them Oldies Rollin’!
All photographs: Andrew Milne-Skinner
