Flashback: Cal Look Survivor

80's Looker photographed in 1995 VW Expo. It appears to be very stylish representative of it's era.



Same car 12 years later in 2007 VW Open. Lot of work and dedication both from the current owner and the original builder.

Very cool that the car survived and got rebuilt instead of being abandoned after it wasn't so fashionable any more. Have met some people (this reminds me of especially couple ex-colleaques at work) who have got hooked on Volkswagens and Cal Look after the Tekniikan Maailma article and started projects that were never finished or if finished have gotten scrapped after the couple of summers of (ab)use.

Finding 80's Looker like in the picture above would be pretty cool, for guy like me who would never de-trim/de-chrome a ride it would give an option to built that Cal Looker in spirit of Feb 1975 issue of Hot VWs that I would no way in hell do otherwise :-) Different stance, T-bars and Fuchs would have worked nicely too on that ride, with or without colour change..

Flashback: Ari's Variant

Ari Laakso built this Cal Lookish Custom Variant in mid 90's, photographed here in 1996 American Car Show.

Flashback: Oskari's Looker

Oskari Vuojolahti built this '58 Sunroof in mid 90's. Photographed here in 1998 Bug Run.

Flashback: Custom&Speed Parts Racer

Custom & Speed Parts's racing car photographed here by Kotten Tallgren in Alastaro early 90's in West Coast Aircooler's VW Championships event.

2006-07 BMW 5 & 3, Mercedes CLS & SLK

Car 1 (Left): 2006 through 2007 BMW 3 Series Sedan
Car 2 (Right): 2006 trhough 2007 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 Coupe
Date: 05/14/2007
City: Shomal (Mazandaran / Tabarestan)
Story: Nooz is on vacation and saw these cars close to the beach.



Car 1 (Front): 2006 through 2007 BMW 550i Sedan
Car 2 (Behind): 2006 through 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLK280 Roadster
Date: 05/14/2007
City: Shomal (Mazandaran / Tabarestan)
Story: Nooz is on vacation and saw these cars close to the beach.

2003-2007 Lamborghini Gallardo 5.0

Car: 2003 through 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo 5.0
Date: 05/14/2007
City: Shomal (Mazandaran / Tabarestan)
Story: Lady in the first picture is named Nooz. She is on vacation and saw this car.



Car: 2003 through 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo 5.0
Date: Unknown
City: Unknown
Story: It is unclear whether this is the same Gallardo as the first two pictures above, since they have different license plate tags.

2004 Lamborghini Murci�lago Roadster (modified) - Gold

Car: 2004 Lamborghini Murci�lago Roadster (modified)

Date: 08/14/2006

City: Tehran (in front of "Cup" coffee house)
Story: This gold roadster has been modified with a black rear spoiler, front headlight covers, and side Lamborghini logo emblems. Both owners of the red and gold Roadsters are rumored to either be friends or from the same family. One rumor says they are the sons of Mullah Aghazadeha. They apparently own other vehicles such as: Mercedes-Benz ML SUV, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (not available in the US), Audi A4 and Hummer H2.

Shah's Car Collection Found

A classic car enthusiast's untouched paradise - 140 vintage and classic vehicles belonging to the former Shah of Iran - sits undisturbed in a warehouse outside Teheran.

Little work has been done to restore them to their former glory because the foundation in charge of their upkeep is struggling to raise money.

Among the star pieces, blanketed by a thick layer of dust, is a bulletproof 1953 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV which was used by the Shah to parade the newborn Crown Prince Reza Shah from hospital to his palace.

A Mercedes 500K coupe, the only one left in the world out of six made, is rumoured to have transported Hitler to review his troops shortly before the Second World War. "A private collector offered us $3 million [�1.7 million] for the 500K last month," said Mr Jaffari. But the Foundation of the Deprived and Martyrs, which confiscated the cars after the 1979 Islamic revolution, will not sell any of the irreplaceable vehicles. They believe that as they were bought by the car-obsessed monarch with the public's oil money, they should be displayed to the public and not allowed out of the country.

The Imperial Pahlavi family ruled Iran for most of the 20th century before being overthrown amid intense public distaste for their profligacy. Older people talk of nights when the Shah raced against his twin sister with their Lamborghinis and Ferraris into the early hours on newly built Tehran highways.

A 1974 Lamborghini Countach displayed in the public museum section of the warehouse was given to the Crown Prince by his aunt for passing his driving test. "We rely heavily on museum ticket sales for our restoration budget, and we have started to loan the cars as advertisement tools to production companies," said Mr Jaffari.

Shah's two 1971 Lamborghini Miura

1971 Lamborghini Miura SVJ "Jota"





The 1971 Lamborghini Miura SVJ, chassis #4934, was built for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The Shah stored this car under armed guard with a Miura P400 SV in Royal Palace in Tehran. After he fled the country during the Iranian Revolution, his cars were seized by the Iranian government. The SV/J was sold into Dubai in 1995. In 1997 this car was sold via a Brooks auction to US actor Nicolas Cage, at US$490,000, becoming the model's highest ever price sold in an auction. Cage sold the car in 2002. Now owned by a collector in London, England.

More information and pictures: http://www.lamborghiniregistry.com/Miura/MiuraJota/4934.html

1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV



The 1971 Lamborghini Miura SVJ, chassis #4870, was specially ordered by Shah Reza Pahlavi. Neither the Pope, nor the President of the United States, nor the President of the Soviet Union have ever owned a Miura. Factory sources states that the Shah personally visited the factory in Italy briefly in early 1971, accompanied by his wife Queen Farah Diba, en route from his winter home in St Moritz, Switzerland to the Royal Palace in Tehran. The Shah's Lamborghini's were delivered via S.E.A Automobili in Rome, as was #4870. After security clearance, this SV was flown to Teheran, Iran, and stored under armed guard at the Royal Niavaran Palace with the Shah's collection of several hundred cars. By account of both the Shah's family and the caretaker of his collection, the Shah adored this Miura SV and often drove it, with armed SAVAK security guards in tow in a Mercedes 600.




On January 24th 1991, the car was imported into Italy after being 'rescued' from Iran. It was refurbished in 1991 to 1993. The Italian owner kept the car until 1998, when he sold it privately to its next owners Joe and Margaret Sackey via a European Broker. The car also has its original Teheran Government licence plates TEH-88540 (fully restored in green on white) as came with the car.

More information and pictures: http://www.lamborghiniregistry.com/Miura/MiuraSV/4870.html

National Car Museum of Iran

(Above: The entrance to the Museum)

The National Car Museum of Iran opened in Karaj, Iran in 2001. Inside the museums are classic cars owned by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. There are two parts to the complex. There is a large museum which is open to the public and there is a restoration center in the back where no visitors can enter.

There are many cars in the museum, ranging from sport cars to limousines and carriages which carried the royal family. Some of these cars include:

• Lamborghini Countach
• Ferrari 365GT BB
• Ferrari 500 Superfast
• MPV Tehran Type (specially designed by Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen for Reza Pahlavi)
• Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
• Rolls-Royce Phantom III
• Rolls-Royce Phantom IV
• Rolls-Royce Phantom V
• Stutz Blackhawk
• Mercedes-Benz 500K (owned by Hitler and driven from Iran to Russia to check on his troops)
• Mercedes-Benz 190SL
• Maserati Ghibli Coup�
• Ford Model A

(Above: Mercedes-Benz 500K inside the museum)

After the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the Shah of Iran fled the country and leaving behind most of his possessions. He was famous for his love of sports cars, and he was known for taking out one of his many cars late at night and racing through the highways of Tehran. After he fled the country, many of his cars were put into hiding: either stored in garages, hidden underground, or even pushed into water. Following the revolution, these cars have been recovered, restored, and put into the museum. On rare occasions, these cars are actually driven.

Wheel Guide Updates: BWA, FPS and unidentified wheels

BWA wheels with 4-lug Volkswagen bolt-pattern. Thanks Michel!



FPS wheels with 4-lug Volkswagen bolt-pattern. Thanks Marin!



Unidentified wheels with 5-lug bolt-pattern. Thanks Andr�!



Unidentified wheels with 5-lug bolt-pattern. Thanks Kevin!

Link: Torque Thrust Central

Photo from Terry Vaughan's patio..

Jyri's movie from 2007 VW Open

Jyri Er�maa's movie from VW Open held last weekend in Kiikala Airfield.

VW Open 2007

Added some photos from the event to the site.

Day before VW Open

Almost all of the runnable contents of our garage were on the street getting in or out.

Link: Mike Zanell's Type 34 Blog

I have started to like Type 34 Karmann's seriously and Mike's blog is good source for them. That red Danish one above seems to be owned by dude called Gustav who also has VW-related blog. IMHO, Ghias looks better when it is lowered equally in all corners and Gustav's car is something that you should find in encyclopedia under "perfectly lowered Ghia".

Flashback: Henkka's racer

Henry Forsgren's old racing car that he raced around 10 years in various classes. At the fastest car performed steady 10 second times.



Henkka's racer in 1999 American Car Show.




Henkka's racer in 1999 VW Open. Photo by Jyri Er�maa.



One respectable side of this team is kind of a professional attitude. I am not sure whether there is any Volkswagen racer in country who has progressed to this level in all aspects including transporters, how the pit looks in races etc.





In 2005 car became one of the fastest local street legal Volkswagens in Jussi Jyr�nk�'s hands and got nominated in Top20 of CalLook.com's rankings.

Flashback: Jaska's Oval

Jaska S�il�'s Oval from the beginning of this Century, one of the most innovative cars in the Helsinki scene combining California Look and Hot Rodding.

Flashback: Pro Bug Racing

Antti Lehmussaari's beautiful drag racing Beetle. One of the few Finnish racing Volkswagens that looked as good as their counterparts in Volksworld or Hot VWs magazines. Just noticed that there's Kotten's bay-window too in the background..



American Car Show, 1997 I think. Photo by Jussi Jyr�nk�.

Vintage Sticker

Wonder when this sucker is getting reproed now that everything gets reproed from vintage parts to Hankkija-caps.. I should have that glued to my toolbox as my motto.

Old Speed @ Kuplapaja

Cool Theo Decker engine sold forward by Kuplapaja. Along with the engine came interesting bunch of Vintage hi-performance parts, the owner had been into rallying this Sea Blue '65 had OG wider steelies, Speedwell adapters to widen track, Speedwell short shift kit etc.

There was also interesting correspondence with the car.



Jussi's own 34-hp based �ttinger/Okrasa-engine.

My '63

My ex-1963 Beetle (literally Export model :-) in harbour waiting for boat to UK along with Split Screen Panel. L390 Gulf Blue is one of my favourite OG colours and still like how that colour turned out.

Volkswagen parts in strange places

No, nothing kinky, just couple of photos from the Technical Museum of Warsaw.



Very cute looking electric car, tail-lights looked familiar.

Link: Photography by Andreas Reinhold

I am glad to see Andi decided to continue sharing his unbelievable photos after shutting down his excellent nose-down.de website some time ago.