WHEELS & TRACKS No. 6

I won’t wright many words it would be an insult to Mr. Vanderveen, just enjoy his love to these vehicles. 

Throwback to the early years when the legendary Bart H. Vanderveen visited us (and the Iron Curtain still existed for another 10 years :D ). He was one of the most influencing historians about military vehicles. My father is still collecting according to his books to complete his collection. He always mentions that these are the holy grail/ the bible if you want to know which vehicle/type it actually is. Here Bart wrote an article for his Wheels & Tracks magazine No. 6:

All rights reserved by WHEELS & TRACKS / Bart H. Vanderveen 

Almost 40 years later we are still thankful for your great and lovely article about our collection! 

The story about our Morris Commercial C8 4x4 GS - Maybe you can help us find Nick?

Two weeks ago we posted a video on our YouTube channel when we started our Morris Commercial C8 4x4 GS (1944) for the first time after almost 40 years. Without any problem! Just a new batterie, fuel and cleaning the ignition and spark plugs.

My father bought that vehicle in England in exchange for some other cars. The previous owners name was Nick Wright. According to my Father he was a great guy, a really world war car lover and a genius mechanic. He had so much passion for these vehicles! When he visited my fathers collection with some friends, he was so impressed that he quit his job in England and came to Vienna to work on our cars for more than a year! He left his picture under the driver seat as a memento.

Nick Wright's picture he left under the seat of the Morris

Sadly we lost contact when he went back to England. In that time without internet, Facebook... not that easy! So maybe someone knows him or got his contact? It would be great if you can help us to find him!

Nick Wright in the 70s 

My father brought several cars from the British island, and drove with them and some friends as drivers to Paris and visited the Liberation de Paris ceremony. Back in Vienna my dads friend, lovely called "Rüsseltier" (trunked animal), who drove the Morris didn't find the breaks at a crossroad and destroyed the Zentralsparkasse (Bank in austria) chairman's brand-new Mercedes.

After 1800km on his own wheels it became a place (well preserved) in our collection.

Before the first start after 40 years

As mentioned it took us 40 years to use him again. The British Film Company approached us if we can spend our service for there new movie "Trautmann". A true story about the german P.O.W. Bert Trautmann (David Kross, the reader) who managed to be the first german football player of the year in England. He won the first ever title for Manchester City F.C. as well  

They won the FA Cup final in a penalty drama and goalkeeper Bert Trautmann achieved to be the game winner with a broken neck in 1956.

Sculpture of Bert Trautmann in the Museum of Manchester City. (Source: wikipedia)

During the movie shoot a headlamp broke. Of course without having any chance to buy an old english headlamp... Suddenly my father said to me: "Uh that was Nicks car, I bet one's shirt on a horse that anywhere in the car Nick hid some important spare parts!" 

And guess what...? 

The Morris a Jeep Willys and a Fordson are waiting for action. 

Technical Data:

Length: 4.57 m (180 inches)
Width: 2.08 m (82 inches)
Height: 2.16 m (85 inches)
Weight: 4.027 kg (8.950 lb.)

Engine: Own 4-cylinder, type EHB, 3.519 cm3 (214 cubic inches) displacement, carburettor, liquid cooled

HP: 70 @ 3.000 rpm

Transmission: 5-speed gearbox

Transfer case: Single-speed transfer-box with front axle disconnect (except 1st and reverse)
Electrical system: 12 volt.
Brakes: Hydraulic.
Tyres: 9.00 - 16
Fuel type: Petrol
Fuel capacity: 2 x 50 liter (2 x 11 gallons)
Range: 384 km (240 miles)

Pictures 

Interieur  

Original 73 year old engine  

Front view while preparing  

Front detail

Side view

Original World War II paint

Original World War II paint II

Type plate  

Body type plate

Rim detail

Front

Typical English engineering... intake air filter in the cabin

Typical English engineering... intake air filter in the cabin II

On the set with the Fordson

Panorama on the set with our Karrier K6 and a Fordson

Keep smiling!

One year ago I was on a movieset in Vienna and it turned out to be a very special day. Apparently not only for me...!

I was preparing our Dodge WC57 Command Reconnaissance and myself to be ready for action. I didn't notice that a father and his children have been staring with wide eyes on the car. After a while the father asked if it is okay to take pictures from the car and me - very politely! I was wearing an U.S. Military Police uniform for the shot already. Of course I didn't had a problem, so I took the boys that they were on the pictures too. I felt how happy the boys were, so I decided to look on my watch if there is a little time left before the action starts. After that I asked if they want to sit in the car. Their smile got even bigger. So I helped the father with his one son to get into the car because he was sitting in a wheelchair. The father was taking further pictures and my heart felt that I have to make an unforgettable day for them. Therefore I went to the driver seat and asked the father if it is okey to take them for a small ride!

I can tell you there is no better feeling to bring joy in the eyes of children. They enjoyed the small ride and we couldn't stop smiling. I think it is a very hard fate to sit in a wheelchair, especially at that age. In my mind it is a duty to do good things for people with impairments.

Finally I invited them to our museum, hopefully one day they come and I can give another smile! 

The children and me in the U.S. uniform. 

Keep smiling!  

Die Kinder der Villa Emma - Free TV premiere

On March 23rd 2016 a project that I really liked will be broadcasted for the first time in free TV on ORF2. The movie is called "the children of Villa Emma". It is a true story and took us to very beautiful locations in Austria, Slovenia and Italy. Especially it was an honour to drive our vehicles in the region of Modena (Italy) the home of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and my favourite car manufacturer Pagani. Furthermore we have been welcomed also very nicely in a small hilly region of Slovenia and in the city center of Ljubljana. 

We used several German cars like the Opel Blitz, Steyr 1500A, Mercedes-Benz L3000, Phänomen 1500A, VW Typ 82 "Kübelwagen" and our Russian ZIS 5 as well. As you can see in the pictures below our main site of the film in Italy was a very old, huge and stunning horse breeding ranch. 

"Die Kinder der Villa Emma" was a group of Jewish children which tried to flee from the Nazis in 1941. Their existential adventure took them from Austria via Slovenia to the "Villa Emma" in Nonantola, Italy. 

ZIS 5 in Slovenia

Opel Blitz and ZIS 5 rear view

Opel Blitz in front o an old farm in Slovenia

awesome view from the farm

another old farm by night

another old farm by night and our Opel Blitz

stunning hilly side in Slovenia

vineyard in Slovenia 

our cars in Nonantola

VW type 83 "Kübelwagen, Steyr 1500A and Phänomen 1500A

VW type 83 "Kübelwagen, Steyr 1500A and Phänomen 1500A rear view

Steyr 1500A and the sunset

Steyr 1500A and the sunset

"Kübelwagen", Steyr 1500A in front of the sunset  

 "Kübelwagen", Steyr 1500A in front of the sunset  

Main building of the horse breeding mension

stairs in the main building

side view of the main building

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch - stables

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch - stables

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch - cellar

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch - stables

inside of the stables

horse breeding ranch - stables

hay storage

another building on the ranch

another building on the ranch

ZIS 5 in Lubljanas city center

ZIS 5 in Lubljanas city center

ZIS 5 in Lubljanas city center

Hope you enjoyed our pictures! Please like our new Facebook page too: www.facebook.com/militarymuseum.at

Maikäfer flieg - Cinema premiere

On March 11th 2016 an Austrian production called "Maikäfer flieg" autobiographical written by novel author Christine Nöstlinger celebrates its theatre premiere in Graz. And two days later in the Viennese Gartenbaukino. 

We made this movie last Summer in South Tyrol and Vienna with Russian and Austrian/Russian vehicles like the ZIS 5, GAZ 67 "Chapaev" , Studebaker US6 (lend and lease) and Steyr 1500A. 

Here you can watch the trailer with some of our cars (German):

We will add it to our REFERANCES area as soon as possible.  

The story takes place when the Russians came to Vienna in 1945. A 10-year old girl doesn't know a life without war, and the whole family fears the comming invaders...

Our Russian vehicles for the movie

Russian GAZ limousine

The vehicles in front of the incredible beautiful movie mansion

Black and white photography of our GAZ cars

Thank god a pause!  The shooting days have been really hot, almost 40 degree Celsius. 

Studebaker US6 and the GAZ 67 "Chapaev" in the background  

Detail picture of the Studebakers typical straight mudguard 

Studebaker US6

Taking a selfie with the Russian "soldiers" 

Steyr 1500A

Woman in Gold Blu-ray/DVD

I would like to promote our main summer project in June 2014. The movie took place in front of many famous buildings in Vienna like the Rathaus, Schloss Belvedere and other city center locations. In the leading role marvelous oscar-winning Helen Mirren is featured as Maria Altmann, beside the talents  of Ryan Reynold as her lawyer Randol Schoenberg, Katie Holmes and Germanys most famous actors Daniel Brühl and Moritz Bleibtreu. 

Woman in Gold Poster   Source: http://www.amazon.com/Woman-Gold-Ryan-Reynolds/dp/B00VU4YO7K

The motion picture is about the history of Gustav Klimts most famous portrait Adele Bloch-Bauer I or just "The Woman in Gold". It is less a anti-war movie than a historical drama about cultural goods based on a true story. The portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I was sold for US$ 135 Million to Ronald Lauder in 2006. 

Portrait of Adele Bolch-Bauer I   Source: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele_Bloch-Bauer_I#/media/Datei%3AGustav_Klimt_046.jpg

Here are some pictures of our vehicles in the film and during the making of. You find the Trailer in our REFERENCES area.

Steyr 1500A at Burggasse

VW 82 Kübelwagen in the first district

Opel Blitz and Phänomen Granit 1500 in the Semperdepot

Opel Blitz in the Semperdepot

Shooting in front of the Viennese city hall

Steyr 1500A at the city hall entrance 

Steyr 1500A inside the city hall

Watching the movie

Phänomen Granit 1500 in the movie

Parade infront of the Viennese city hall in the movie

Kleine große Stimme - Free TV premiere

Today ORF2 (20:15) broadcasts the new Karl Merkatz movie about a small kid who wants to become a Sängerknabe for finding his father. 

You find the trailer in our REFERENCES area.  

Picture during the shoot in front of the academy of fine arts (Vienna).  

Happy Birthday Karl Merkatz

In honour of one of the greatest Austrian actors who celebrates his 85th birthday on November 17th I'd like to mention that you can watch his most famous role as Karl Bockerer in our REFERENCES area. You just have to scroll down to the movies "Der Bockerer 1-4" and click on the preview picture. 

PS:  "Kleine große Stimme" premiere will be shown on December 8th, 20:15 o'clock on ORF2. 

Altes Geld - Free TV premiere

I'm writing our first ever blog on occassion of last years project "Altes Geld" (Nicholas Ofczarek, Robert Palfrader, Ursula Strauss) . David Schalkos series about avarice and curroption was only availaible on German pay TV and video on demand. But ORF 1 will broadcast all 8 epsisodes starting tomorrow evening. (20:15, November 2nd 2015)

Live stream:

http://tvthek.orf.at/live/Altes-Geld-1-Folge-Buschtrommeln/10885894. 

Waiting for "Action"

One of the main characters movie car