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User / PeteMartin / Sets / Louwman car museum, Den Haag.
Pete Martin / 6 items

N 5 B 613 C 1 E May 25, 2024 F May 29, 2024
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Louwman Museum, den Haag.
Brooke 25/30-HP Swan Car. 1910.
A bizarre appearance, this Brooke 'Swan Car'. It is the idea of an eccentric person, Robert Nicholl 'Scotty' Matthewson.
This wealthy Scotsman lived in Calcutta, the capital of what was then called British India, later India, in the early twentieth century. Matthewson wants to shock the local elite with his car. And that works.
The bodywork represents a swan gliding through the water. The reverse shows motifs of a lotus plant, an ancient symbol of divine wisdom. In addition to the normal lighting, there are lights behind the swan's eyes, which glow eerily in the dark. The car has an eight-tone Gabriel horn that works on the exhaust and can be operated with a keyboard in the rear. You can communicate with the driver by means of a ship's telegraph. The wheels have brushes mounted to wipe off elephant droppings. The driver can spray a cloud of steam from the swan's beak, which is connected to the engine's cooling system, to clear the road. Whitewash can be poured onto the road via a valve at the back to make the whole thing look even more like a real swan.
During its first ride, the car causes panic and chaos, prompting the police to intervene. Matthewson then sold the Swan Car to the Maharaja of Nabha, in whose family the car remained in his family for over 70 years.
Years later the car was found in its original, but poor condition. The precious Indian silk covering has been eaten by the rats. In 1991 the car came to the Louwman Museum and was completely restored. The upholstery is remade by an Indian weaving mill based on the original pattern after remnants of the original material were found under the seats. All equipment is also put back in order. In 1993, the swan won the Montagu Prize at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California.

Tags:   art automobiles cars india indian museum swan transport Den Haag Netherlands

N 9 B 467 C 1 E May 25, 2024 F May 29, 2024
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Louwman Museum, den Haag.
Graham Blue Streak Coupe and Curtiss Aerocar Land Yacht. 1932

A rather unusual vehicle for commuting, but not for the American banker Hugh McDonald, who had this luxurious combination driven from his estate on Long Island to his office in New York and back in the early 1930s.
The trailer is reminiscent of an airplane and was also built according to the then principles of aircraft construction by the Curtiss Airplane Company in Florida. A frame of lightweight metal tubes is kept under tension with steel cables. The nose of the Aerocar is reminiscent of a cockpit and is equipped with, among other things, a compass, barometer, altimeter, speedometer and rotating spotlights. Inside there are also lightweight wicker chairs and a writing table. There is also a galley and a toilet with running water.
The towing car is a Graham Blue Streak with a four-litre engine. The spare wheel is located in the place of the 'dickey seat'. The trailer's coupling engages in a lock in the wheel hub, causing the tire to act as a kind of damper while driving.

Tags:   aeroplane american automobiles bank banker cars finance museum transport vintage Den Haag Netherlands

N 3 B 243 C 0 E May 25, 2024 F May 29, 2024
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Louwman Museum, den Haag.
Panhard et Levassor X19 Labourdette Skiff Torpedo. 1912.

Boat-shaped bodies on cars were very popular before World War II and this is the car that set the trend. It is a so-called 'skiff' body.
The body was made by Jean-Henri Labourdette: “In 1912 I built my first skiff body on a Panhard & Levassor chassis.”
In the 1970s, the Louwman Museum acquired a neglected 1912 Panhard & Levassor and decided to reconstruct the skiff body on this chassis according to the original model. The work will be carried out by a Dutch shipyard, which still masters the craft of making a hull from mahogany planks.
Then it turns out that Jean-Henri Labourdette is still alive; He is now in his eighties and is no longer in good health, but is very willing to give advice. None of his creative skills have been lost and he provides valuable support, especially when customizing the bodywork.
Unfortunately, he will not live to see the end result. He dies shortly before the car is ready.

Tags:   automobiles boat cars museum skiff transport vintage wooden

N 3 B 298 C 0 E May 25, 2024 F May 29, 2024
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Louwman Museum, den Haag.
Fiat 1100 Boat Car Carrozzeria Coriasco. 1953.
This 'boat on wheels' certainly cannot sail. It could be seen as a car in boat guise.
In the early 1950s, coachbuilder Coriasco from Turin created this striking vehicle based on a Fiat 1100 to serve as a publicity object for a sailing school in Bologna, the Scuola Nautica Scarani. Coriasco provides the car with all kinds of nautical features such as portholes, lifebuoys and a varnished wooden deck, while the fenders function as the 'water' that is cut through by the boat.

Tags:   advertising automobiles boat cars italian museum transport Den Haag Netherlands

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Louwman Museum, den Haag.
Corbin Sparrow Electric Single-Seater. 2000.
'Jelly bean', as the Corbin Sparrow is sometimes called, after a colorful, bean-shaped candy that is mainly known in Anglo-Saxon countries.
Officially it is called PTM, Personal Transportation Module. It is a fully electric three-wheeled car, actually more of a covered motorcycle. In America, this car can be driven with a motorcycle license and can drive in the carpool lane during rush hours.
The door of this single-seater is on the right side. The Sparrow has a low center of gravity, so it is quite stable. The lightweight body is made of very sturdy composite material. The car is specially made for commuting: the range is approximately 55 kilometers. The Sparrow is capable of reaching a speed of 120 km/h.

Tags:   automobiles bubble cars museum orange sparrow transport Den Haag Netherlands


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