Despite the popular saying, history cannot simply repeated. So, when faced with the possibility of losing the entire classic collection of cars that had made up the official Saab museum in Trollhättan after the officials in charge of the automaker’s bankruptcy proceedings threatened to break it up, a few organizations stepped up to the plate to keep it together.

According to a report from Autocar, the city of Trollhattan, SAAB AB and The Wallenberg Foundation came up with the .05 million required to purchase the entire collection outright. A total of 120 cars are included, including the Ur-Saab, which is the first automobile built by the Swedish company.

Trollhättan buys entire classic Saab collection to preserve museum originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s plenty you could say about the Mercedes-Benz 190 series. It’s built like a tank, for starters. You might even call it an enduring icon of the 1980s. And considering that it ended production – replaced by the first C-Class – in 1993, the fact there are still scads of them out on the road speaks to its reliability. We wouldn’t exactly call it Pimpin’, though the cousin that proudly inherited our grandfather’s 190D might beg to differ. As would these two hip hop impresarios.

Follow the jump and you’ll be treated to “The Mighty 190″, a rap video tribute to the soon-to-be classic Benz sport sedan. In what we can only assume is somewhat tongue-in-cheek tribute, rappers Jan Emil Wathne and Ivar Kjetland lay it down, old school, with the wheels to match. (The result, however, is not strictly safe for work, so proceed with caution.)

Continue reading “The Mighty 190″ gives props to an underappreciated Benz classic [NSFW]

“The Mighty 190″ gives props to an underappreciated Benz classic [NSFW] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saying the Toyota 2000GT holds a special place in our hearts is akin to calling oxygen and water kind of important to our survival. The long-nose two-door was envisioned as a suitable competitor to the likes of the European sports cars rolling out Italy and the UK at the time, and in many ways, the Toyota was far superior. Built at a time when Japan Inc. wasn’t exactly known for beautiful automobile designs, the 2000GT may have been influenced by European cars of its day, but it has stood the test of time as one of the country’s all-time design greats. The low-volume coupe is a piece of automotive legend, which is exactly why choosing to use a 2000GT as a platform for an electric conversion strikes us equal parts blasphemous and awesome. But that’s exactly what Japan’s Crazy Car Project has done.

The engineers behind the exercise ditched the standard 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine in favor of a 161-horsepower electric motor. A 35kWh lithium-ion battery provides the system with power, and the hood has been covered with photovoltaic cells to help keep the car going. Likewise, the back glass is covered in a transparent solar panel. All told, the system can propel the vehicle to around 124 mph.

Inside, the 2000GT SEV features a modernized interior with plenty of tech-laden gadgets. The vehicle was built in cooperation with Toyota and debuted at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon. Let’s hope they started with a real basket case, eh? Hit the jump to see a video of the car in action.

Continue reading Classic Toyota 2000GT turned into solar-powered EV

Classic Toyota 2000GT turned into solar-powered EV originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The funeral of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il triggered a suitably elaborate procession in Pyongyang. Immense crowds in the tens of thousands braved freezing temperatures to bid the leader farewell as a parade of classic Mercedes-Benz and Lincoln limousines rolled through the city’s snow-covered streets. According to news reports, citizens were enlisted to help clear the 40-mile parade route of deep snow ahead of the carefully choreographed procession. Only a few military vehicles were on hand flanking the leader’s funeral hearse. An additional artillery salute is scheduled for Thursday alongside a three-minute moment of silence followed by the nation’s trains and sea vessels sounding their horns in unison at noon.

Kim Jong-il’s youngest son, Kim Jong-un, is expected to take control of the country with his aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, and his uncle, Jang Song-thaek serving in advisory roles. Kim Jong-un is expected to continue to push his father’s military-first policy as the country moves toward becoming a legitimate nuclear power. Hit the jump to watch videos of the procession and check out our gallery below.

Continue reading Classic cars lead funeral procession of Kim Jong-il [w/video]

Classic cars lead funeral procession of Kim Jong-il [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It takes a lot to stand out at SEMA, but while we were walking through the endless halls of the Las Vegas convention center this 1959 Chevrolet Corvette easily caught our eye.

Dubbed the Corvette ZR59, the car has been given a complete Pro-Touring makeover with a custom Art Morrison chassis and a hand-built metal and fiber glass body. Under the hood is a Corvette ZR1 LS9 V8 producing 750 horsepower, and additional modern components include a Corvette C6 suspension, Wilwood disc brakes and Tremec T56 six-speed transmission. The interior is just as impressive with a hand-fabricated dash, center console and gauge cluster.

You can check out the Corvette ZR59 in detail in the high-res gallery above.

Chevrolet Corvette ZR59 mixes classic styling with ZR1 power originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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