WHEELS & TRACKS No. 6

April 13, 2018 Sascha Gill

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:

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?

July 27, 2017 Sascha Gill

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!

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.

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

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

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

Panorama on the set with our Karrier K6 and a Fordson

Source: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Traut...

Keep smiling!

April 21, 2016 Sascha Gill

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.

Die Kinder der Villa Emma - Free TV premiere

March 18, 2016 Sascha Gill

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.

Opel Blitz in front o an old farm in Slovenia

another old farm by night and our Opel Blitz

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

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

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

Main building of the horse breeding mension

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

Source: http://www.graffilm.com/de/filme/14-die_ki...