Today, the Technik Museum Sinsheim is welcoming two special guests! Hughie Walker and Jim Edwards (both 24 years old) are two adventure freaks par excellence from England. Hughie’s dream of a Russian ZAZ 1973 came true a few days ago in the Ukraine. On first glance, it is noticeable that the vintage car has had a long life but seen from the technical point, the rear-wheel-drive car is still in good condition. Getting hold of a quirky classic like this one at first hand is pretty rare anyway. Sending back the car to the United Kingdom at high costs via air freight was not an option for Hughie and his friend Jim.
They wanted it to arrive in his new home country on its own wheels. Via Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Alps, it was brought to the Technik Museum Sinsheim. During that ride, the two Englishmen first got to know the technical particularities of this exotic car. The ZAZ not having external mirrors is one thing, but the fact that it is not capable of heating up its inside to a comfortable temperature due to its rear engine is a real problem in winter. A rock-hard Siberian from the tundra might not care about that but the heat-spoiled West European probably does. In order for their feet to keep warm, both drivers were wearing three pairs of socks during their ride. The brake system turned out to be pretty meagre as well. Especially while crossing the Alps, the drivers had to drive foresightedly. Additionally, the previous owner had come up with yet another particularity. In front of the passenger seat, it is possible to open the bottom of the car – this allowed him to do ice-fishing without freezing. The two freaks are planning to arrive in England with the small four-cylinder the next day. We wish them the best of luck and that the rest of their adventurous journey may be trouble-free. For now, they can relax. After sleeping in the car three days in a row, it is now time for a real bed and a hot shower.
If you would like to see more of those rustic beauties on two, three or four wheels, please note the following date in your calendar: June 16th, 2019. This Sunday, the colourful Ostalgia Convention takes place in Sinsheim. This is where it becomes obvious that Eastern European vehicle manufacturing has more to offer than just Trabants and Ladas. This year, as in previous years, we are expecting numerous communities of interest and hundreds of Eastern European vehicles. After all, the event has become one of the largest Eastern European vehicle conventions in southern Germany.
The stories and reports represent the opinions and perspectives of the respective authors. Please note, especially while reading articles about our events, that binding information (e.g. opening hours, admission fees and programme) is only published on the museum's official website www.technik-museum.de.
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