by The largest technical festival OldCarLand will start very soon. It will take place on September 17-19 at the O.K. Antonov State Aviation Museum on Medova Street, 1.
Among hundreds of aviation equipment, more than 500 retro cars will be placed. We offer to get acquainted with 5 extraordinary cars that can be seen at the event.
1. Opel P4, which stood in a barn for 70 years, will be demonstrated
The 87-year-old Opel P4 will be shown in its original form for the first time at OldCarLand. The car was found in Irpin, Kyiv region in the Special Limousine version.
Since the late 50s, the car was stored in a barn near a private house. The body, chassis parts, interior, and even documents have survived.
At one time, the Opel P4 was brought from Saint Petersburg. Despite the fact that the car was not used for a long time, it is in excellent condition – even the cooling system pipes have survived.
In the interior, the upholstery, steering wheel, and mats have been perfectly preserved. The short period of use is indicated by the good condition of the gear shift lever. The odometer shows 32,484 km.
The entire suspension is original – the brakes are mechanical, not hydraulic, and are cable-operated. Under the hood is a four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 1-liter displacement and 23 hp, paired with a four-speed gearbox.
Opel P4 was produced from 1935 to 1937. During this time, 65,864 units were manufactured.
2. A DeSoto 1949 with “native” brake pads will be shown
The American DeSoto S-10 car was produced from 1946 to 1952. The name Custom referred to the more expensive trim of the model. The DeSoto brand existed from 1928 to 1961 and belonged to the Chrysler Corporation.
The 1949 DeSoto Custom is the second series of the S-10 model. The 5.2-meter sedan is distinguished by typical design for those years with a large amount of chrome. It is equipped with a 4.1-liter six-cylinder engine with 112 hp. It has an unusual two-speed semi-automatic Fluid Drive transmission. Gears are shifted without a clutch pedal. DeSoto has an extremely soft and comfortable suspension.
This particular DeSoto Custom will arrive at the festival from Chernivtsi. Two years ago, it was brought from the USA to Ukraine. Car enthusiasts from Chernivtsi repainted it in a bright color and updated the interior. The sedan is almost completely original, even has native brake pads. At the spring OldCarLand, the car won in the “Legend Debut” category.
3. The only “Tavria” in Ukraine in a landau body will be presented
The car was designed at the scientific and technical center “ZAZ-autotechnics” in the 1980s and was produced in a limited series at AvtoZAZ.
To preserve the model’s rigidity, a roof with a sunroof was made over the driver’s and front passenger’s area. The back is retractable. This type of body is called landau.
In the early 1990s, two “Tavria” with retractable tops were sent to Greece for testing. They were about to order a batch of models with such a body there. However, the deal fell through. One of the cars was returned to Ukraine. It is currently the only one here.
The 1995 model shares most components and units with the standard ZAZ hatchback body. Under the hood is a 1.1-liter engine.
4. The favorite Mercedes-Benz of the first Chancellor of Germany will be brought
Mercedes-Benz 300B Cabriolet D 1954 was the flagship model of the brand, analogous to the present-day S-Class. The car was distinguished by exceptional comfort and high price at that time. In some configurations, it could be equipped with a dictaphone, telephone, Becker radio receiver. The interior had leather or velour seat upholstery and wooden trim. The owners of this model were mainly state officials, ambassadors, and high-ranking officers.
The model was produced from 1951 to 1957 in sedan, limousine, convertible, and landau bodies. The modernized version of 300B, which will be presented at OldCarLand, appeared in 1954. It was equipped with a vacuum brake booster and power increased from 115 to 125 hp.
Mercedes-Benz W186 is also known as Adenauer — after the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Konrad Adenauer.
5. A 1960 Dodge with a monocoque body will come for the first time
Dodge Dart is a full-size American model produced from 1960 to 1976. The festival will present a first-generation sedan.
For its time, the Dart was the cheapest model in the Dodge lineup, but even it impressed with American aero styling and a large amount of chrome.
The Dodge Dart has a monocoque body, although most American cars were still frame-based at the time. From 1960, the model had three trim options – base Seneca, mid-range Pioneer, and top-level Phoenix. This particular car is in the Pioneer version and is equipped with a 3.7-liter six-cylinder engine with 145 hp. The TorqueFlite automatic transmission uses buttons instead of a shift lever (this scheme was borrowed by Soviet engineers for the “Chaika” GAZ-13).
