Last Saturday, while Bibi was in Denmark, I went shopping in Carrefour, Nice. Actually, I look a "little" detour into Gorges du Verdun since I was in France anyway, it would be silly not to. And taking the Boxster seemed sensible, since I wasn't going to do much shopping anyway. It was a glorious day, with perfect weather and largely empty roads, and I added 460km to the modest annual total on the Porsche
21.11.2022
For obvious reasons we haven't been to AutoClassica in Milano for the last couple of years. This year we queued for more than an hour, but once in there were three halls filled mostly with cars but also some bikes, boats and an autojumble. Prices of classic cars seem to have peaked, and some offers seemed quite reasonable. Notable exceptions include Jaguars, that are very expensive in Italy (63.000euro for a 2005 4.2 XKR Convertible with 100.000km anyone?)
02.01.2022
"What's going on with the Boxster?" I hear you say. Well I'm glad you asked. We had a couple of good trips this year not least to Provence. I got some improvements done, most noticeable the new soft top. And we're planning to meet up with Lars & Helle and their Mercedes SLK for a 2022 summer holiday road trip. I just replaced the stalk assembly as the indicators didn't self-cancel which was annoying ...as was the 290 euro the new Porsche part cost!
08.09.2021
I collected my new company car on Monday. It's an Audi Q3 35 TFSI (150hp petrol, 48v mild-hybrid) with a 7speed DSG gearbox (automatic) and some very nice standard features. I added quite a few optional extras: heated sport seats with lumbar support, leather steering wheel, full digital dash, Audi Sound System, adaptive cruise control, rear-view camera, keyless entry and electric tailgate. The eye-catching colour is called Pulse Orange and the interior is black cloth
02.08.2021
There was a small annoying hole in the passenger side door card on the Boxster, that I really wanted to get repaired. I met local man Riccardo Ferro at last year's Mercatoretro in Imperia and made an appointment with him. In addition to fixing the hole, he also cleaned the interior of the car, including steam cleaning the carpets all for a very reasonable price. The car looks and smells a lot better now. Next job is to replace the stalk assembly, since the indicators no longer self-cancel
29.06.2021
We went to Tappezzeria Gambriazio in Brescia to get a new soft top for the Porsche Boxster. We choose a high quality Sonnenland - the original Porsche supplier - with a colour change from blue to black and an upgrade to glass window (originally available for the 2003 model year). It really looks good and should last many years, so worth the 775km round trip. You can see the original blue soft top - which lasted almost 19 years - in the post below
10.05.2021
The Milano-Sanremo classic car rally - not to be confused with the more famous bicycle race with the same name - was the first event we planned to attend since 2019 that didn't get cancelled. We took the motorbike (also a "first") to Porto di Loano, where the cars where due to stop for a short lunch. We have been at much bigger events, but just getting on the motorbike and out of Imperia seem like something of an adventure after more than a year of on/off covid lockdowns
03.05.2021
The original 19 year old soft top on our Boxster is in fair condition, but the plastic window has gone brittle and has cracked on both sides. Unfortunately, a repair is not economically viable, so we need a new soft top. With a glass window upgrade the new soft top should last many years, and can be folded without getting out of the car. The best price was from a shop in Brescia, so we'll combine it with a weekend trip to Lake Garda in late June, now covid restriction seems to be easing
07.09.2020
Although the weather is still nice, it's the end of summer and the big yachts are returning to Imperia for winter. I have closed up to pool (which is still a respectable 23C) and started up the heated bubblebath instead. Bibi is in Denmark for Anker's christening, and since my arm is still not strong enough to ride my motorcycle - first summer in 25years with 0km on the motorbike - I took a trip to France in the Boxster - only the second trip in 2020, it's been a crazy year!
09.06.2020
I have done a little more work on the Boxster. First job was to lightly sand and then polish the headlights, where the UV coating had gone opaque and yellowish. During a recent aircon overhaul someone broke the windscreen wiper cover, so I had to repair that and fix the loose windscreen trim. At the same time, I cleaned up the front underhood compartment. I had already hand polished the car, but I decided to go over it again with my new polishing machine, and the result is so much better
01.02.2020
Just in case you thought that I still hadn't done much to our Boxster, here's a quick update. I'm currently cleaning, sanding and re-varnishing the red brake calipers that have gone matt, cleaning the wheels and replacing the centre caps. Already completed is: "S" logo on the back, exhaust pipe, aircon display and hydraulic trunk struts (front and rear). I have also replaced the redundant cassette tape holder (yes, really!) with a phone tray, cleaned the carpets and replaced the windscreen wipers.
01.02.2020
I think my favourite car from this year's Automotoretro was the top-restored yellow 1971 Porsche 911 2.4T, but as always there were lots of nice cars. Have you ever seen an American Crosley, pink Mini Moke, 139.000euro BMW 2002 Turbo, Moretti 750 Spider or Talbot Lotus 2.2? Me neither. I bought a 50mm orbital sander and a bunch of mechanics gloves, but couldn't find a fabric Porsche logo for the Boxsters indoor cover (so I can see which is front and back)
14.12.2019
Our Porsche Boxster S is a 2002 pre-facelift car with a 3.2litre 6-cylinder 252hp engine and 6 speed manual transmission. The car was originally specified with some really nice and expensive options: Electrically adjustable/heated Sports Seats, full leather interior, sports suspension, Porsche Stability Management and 18" Sport Classic wheels (sadly no longer with the car). It has done 80.000km and needs some cosmetic attention, which is just the sort of project a perfectionist like me enjoys
26.05.2019
On the last day of the Marcello Gandini exhibition we visited the Museo dell'Automobile to see two very special prototype cars in particular: the golden orange 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo and the green 1970 Lancia Strato's HF Zero. It's almost unbelievable that these cars are now 40years old, and it was amazing to see them side by side. You can clearly see where the inspiration for the legendary Lamborghini Countach came from
02.02.2019
Automotoretro - which takes place every year in the world famous former Fiat factory in Lingotto - always turns up a few surprises and cars you haven't seen before. Some of my favourites from this year included a Tuxedo Black 1970 Chervolet Camaro S/S (my granddad had a green S/S with vinyl roof), a handful of respectable Fiat 124 Spider's (I want one) and a Lancia F1 car with outboard fuel tanks (crazy by todays standards)
24.11.2018
Milano Autoclassica was scheduled for the weekend of my birthday. I took Friday off to visit along with Bibi, and that seemed like a good choice as the show was reasonable quite. There were many nice and interesting cars including a surprising amount of Zagato's. The once that were for sale were priced quite high, with the few exceptions mostly private sales, like the nice orange-red Fiat 124 Spider that was parked outside
19.09.2018
The Gran Premio Nuvolari is like a mini version of the more famous 1000 Miglia classic car rally. So, you might miss some multi-million dollars Ferraris, but you gain a much more intimate and accessible event. In fact, I was right up against the finishing podium all through the finishing ceremony in Mantova, with perfect views of the cars. Mantova itself - as I've said before - is certainly worth a visit, with lots to see and enjoy
21.05.2018
In 2016 we went to Bergamo to see the 1000 Miglia, this year instead we went to Parma. Here the 450 classic cars (and 130 modern Ferrari's and MB's) arrived late on Friday evening, which gave a completely different experience of the cars. Parma turned out to be a nice little cozy and relatively quiet town (once the 1000 Miglia had passed) and we spend a relaxing weekend there walking around and enjoying the weather
03.02.2018
The 2018 Automotretro brought highlights from a Simca 1100 - in the exact same colour as my Mom used to have - to a 2-3m euro Alfa Romeo 8C, and lots of interesting vehicles in between. Prices seemed more reasonable this year, with "nice" Fiat 500's at 5-8k and several Fiat 124 Spider's below 20k, or how about a '97 Ducati Monster 900 for just 2.800 (if Bibi hadn't gone along, that bike was now mine). There was even a Proteus build Jaguar C-type replica (not for sale) and a few XK120's
29.05.2016
Mille Miglia is one of the greatest and most famous classic car rallies. We went to Bergamo to see the 450 classic cars and 100 Ferrari's on the last day of the race. Bergamo is an interesting town divided in an older Citta Alta (High Town) and a more modern Citta Basso (Low Town) connected with a cable tram. On the very top of the city is an old castle with wonderful views over the surrounding landscape.
14.02.2016
Automotoretro 2016 was a pleasant surprise. There were loads of interesting cars and bikes - many of them for sale - and a lot less people than we're used to from classic car shows in the UK. All the cars we were interested in (Fiat 500 and Fiat 124 Spiders) were too expensive, but there were some attractive prices as well: Ducati 996 (5.300), Alfa Romeo Duetto (18.000) and Maserati Sport GT (33.900)
06.02.2016
Torino has a rich automotive history - not least in automotive design - and it's no surprise to find a beautifully presented Automobile Museum. It's also no surprise that the majority of cars are Italian, and the collection contains some rare cars, such as the gorgeous 1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante (6cyl, 3.5l, 246hp @ 6500rpm). There is also a wonderful display of rare Italian racing cars, and a good selection of classic mini cars.
14.06.2015
Torino hosted a very special car show this weekend, with an open air exhibition of concept cars, supercars and more accessible cars in Parco Valentino. In addition there was a (mostly supercar) parade on closed roads through Torino, which unfortunately suffered a bit from the rain. Ferraris' and Maseratis' were out in force along with a long line of Pininfarina designed concept and production cars. But the most impressive was a gathering of 12 Pagani supercars.