F O
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NYA
THE V
eMag August 2011
L C ASS IC C A R
Hollywood’s Biggest Car Collector…
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Automobile Engineers, Panel beaters & Spray Painters
OFFICIAL DEALERS FOR NISSAN & MERCEDES BENZ
P.O. Box 72283, 00200 City Square, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 – 20 – 555692, 557562, 550178 Fax: +254 – 20 – 530596 Email: cms-workshops@africaonline.co.ke , cms-admin@africaonline.co.ke
From Start…
To Finish
Vintage or Classic car restorations, mechanical repairs, panel beating and spray painting, we do it all!!
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In This Issue
Page 4.............................................................Committee Contacts Page 5.............................................................Chairman’s Desk Page 7..................................................................Editor’s Desk Page 8……………………………………………………………………….Forthcoming Events Page 9……………………………………………………………………….Committee Meeting HRH Prince Michael Of Kent Page 10 & 11………………………………………..Outings – Chairman’s Breakfast Page 12 & 13………………………………...................Outings – Club Barbecue Page 14 – 16…………..International Article aaaaaaHollywood’s Biggest Car Collector Page 17…………………………………………Sokoni Page 18 & 19……….’Hapa Kwetu’ – aaaaaaaaaa Restoration of a Citroën 2CV Page 20………………………….Chill Out Corner
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Committee Contacts Chairman
Monte Singh Vice Chairman
chairman@vccck.org 020 – 555692 PO Box 72283 – 00200 Nairobi
Treasurer
vicechair@vccck.org 020 – 552854 PO Box 18381 – 00500 Nairobi
Nitin Pandit Membership
treasurer@vccck.org 020 – 4440772 PO Box 20497 – 00200 Nairobi
Secretary
Brian Nicol
membership@vccck.org 0729 – 984376 PO Box 15184 – 00509 Nairobi
Cilla Young Editor
secretary@vccck.org 0722 - 738069
Merchandise
Raju Chaggar
James Dyson
editor@vccck.org + 44 7889 125 782 4 Caxton House, Oxted Surrey, RH8 0TE
Peter Young Events
merchandise@vccck.org 0720 - 740821
Pavi Panesar
events@vccck.org 0734 – 600541 0728 - 600541
Reciprocating Clubs Vintage and Classic Club Of Matabeleland Vintage and Veteran Club
Old Auto Club Border Vintage Club
Club Sponsors Chequered Flag Ltd Nanak Car Parts Ltd Unifilters (K) Ltd Domaine Kenya Ltd Arun’s Auto Ltd
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Central Motor Service Ltd Davis and Shirtliff Ltd Westlands Secretarial Services Ltd Nimrod (A) Ltd
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Chairman’s desk: desk: Our biggest challenge in the Committee has always been getting a Magazine published regularly. Our Editors have always been faced with the daunting task of gathering relevant information to publish – material that covers the local as well as the International scene. Despite our asking Members to send in information about their experiences in the past or their restoration projects, we hardly get any input and this leaves it mostly to the Editor and partly to the Committee to try and put together a Magazine. The current Committee has had it’s share of problems with James leaving the country and trying to get the Magazine published from the UK, in addition to working at the new School he has joined. We have now appointed a new team to try and help James put together a Magazine and this is the first eMagazine they
have
done.
I
can
only
give
them
all
my
encouragement and support. Our last two Outings namely the Chairman’s Breakfast and the Maanzoni BBQ were well attended and it was refreshing to see Alexander Braunmuhl again in his Morris. As you know the Concours is just around the corner and we have managed to work out an acceptable arrangement with the Organisers and will therefore have our normal Hospitality Tent to which our Members are most welcome to visit and have a few bites and refreshments and rest their feet. We are planning to re-introduce our Annual Run in November and already have several takers on this. We are debating whether to have a one-day event or an overnighter and would welcome your comments on this. See you at the next Outing,
Monte Please be aware that the contents of this magazine reflect the opinions and experiences of members of the Vintage and Classic Car Club of Kenya and are not to be used as legal advice. Whilst we attempt to ensure the enclosed information is as reliable as possible all matters relating to motoring law, or any other legal / official matters should be pursued with the relevant legal authorities. We cannot accept any liability for loss or damage based on of the following advice as it is given in good faith only.
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Editor’s desk: desk: Dear Members, Welcome to the August edition of the VCCCK Magazine. First and foremost, apologies for the inconsistencies in the publishing of the magazine. I happened to be present at a meeting between Brian Nicol & Monte Singh discussing the problems facing the magazine, when I volunteered to help out. I hope that I will be able to publish the magazine regularly as it used to be. This month’s magazine includes the past May and June outings (the Chairman’s Breakfast and the Barbecue at Maanzoni), the VCCCK Committee meeting Prince Michael of Kent, Hollywood’s biggest car collector in our International article and a local restoration of a Citroën 2CV while new additions to the magazine include the leisure page, classic spares and the Club page. Lots of changes have been made to this month’s magazine which we hope you enjoy. Any comments or feedback will be greatly appreciated and can be emailed to my email address which is at the bottom of this page. On the leisure page, there is a chance for members to win a club polo shirt so please email us and stand a chance to win! Lastly, we would like to encourage members to send in any articles, local restorations, photos, jokes or anything that we can include in the club magazine in order to make it more interesting. Please email us no matter how small the article is! I hope you enjoy the magazine,
Karann karann_kalsey@yahoo.co.uk
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Forthcoming Events Save These dates… September 25th – Concours D’elegance November 6th – Annual Run December 12th – Christmas Lunch
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His royal highness, Prince Michael of Kent On 11th May 2011, the VCCCK Committee was invited to a dinner at Haandi Restaurant with His Royal Highness, Prince Michael Of Kent GCVO who is a patron for the commission for Global Road Safety. The Commission for Global Road Safety, led by Rt. Hon. Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, was established as an independent commission by the FIA Foundation in 2006 with a remit to examine the framework for, and level of, international cooperation on road safety, and to make policy recommendations. After the dinner on 11th May, Chairman Monte Singh presented HRH Prince Michael Of Kent with a Club polo shirt, pen, lapel badge and key ring as well as an honorary membership to the VCCCK. Chairman Monte Singh presenting Prince Michael with some Club memorabilia
A Brief History of HRH Prince Michael Of Kent He was christened Michael George Charles Franklin, with President Franklin D. Roosevelt as one of his godfathers. His father, Prince George, Duke of Kent, was the fourth son of King George V and his mother, Princess Marina, was the daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and of Grand Duchess Helen Vladimirovna of Russia. Prince Michael is a cousin to both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and was a page at their wedding. Prince Michael was educated at Sunningdale School and then at Eton College.
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Outings Chairman’s Breakfast: This year the chairman’s breakfast was held at Hopcraft’s Acacia farm at Athi River on the 22nd of May. This event has been held every year at various locations for around 5 years. The committee got there early as usual to help set up the tents as well as to start the cooking but some cooks were brought along to help out.
Preparation of the breakfast before the members arrive
Immediate Past Chairman Brian l
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Outings
The buffet table
The event went really well with everyone enjoying a very heavy breakfast after which all members went and had a look at the Hopcraft collection of vintage and classic cars that have been stored at the farm for many years. Although the cars were not in very good condition, it was good to see such a large and diverse collection. Unfortunately, we were prohibited to show any photos of the cars in our magazine.
Members enjoying their breakfast
As a whole, there was a good turn out at the outing and everyone had an enjoyable day.
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Outings Maanzoni Barbecue: Barbecue: On Sunday 17th July the club barbecue was held at a dam in Maanzoni. The committee members got there slightly early to help prepare the barbecue as well as to try their hand at catching a few slightly sleepy fish.
Members relaxing after a delicious lunch At around 11:30, members and guests started to arrive and the smell of lunch at about 1pm drew the unsuccessful fishermen back to the lunch tables! A delicious menu of pork chops, barbecued chicken and sausages was prepared by Brian Nicol’s cooks whilst various pastas, garlic bread and salad were available on the vegetarian menu prepared by the committee.
The Maanzoni Dam where the barbecue took place
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Outings Left – Paul Chemngorem’s Toyota Celica Below – Alexander Braunmuhl’s Morris minor
The weather was good and everyone had an enjoyable day with a few members even seeing some game on the way to the dam. At around 5 in the evening the last members began to leave as the sun began to set over the dam providing excellent views. This was a very successful outing (except for the fishing) with around 34 members attending and the committee looks to repeating it again next year.
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Hollywood’s Biggest Car Collector: Collector: Jay Leno’s Car Collection
Welcome, to the ‘Big Dog’ Garage:
Leno on the Tonight Show in 2005
Welcome to Jay Leno’s ‘Big Dog’ Garage. Located in Southern California, two low slung buildings house his approximately 300 cars and 60 motorbikes making it one of the world’s greatest car collections. Custom built from the ground up this garage keeps every one of Jay Leno’s cars and bikes running in tip-top shape. Since you can't exactly go down to the local auto shop for parts for vintage cars, the garage is geared up to fabricate parts and do just about all required work in house. The garage includes a CNC Mill, a water jet cutter, sheet metal equipment, a lathe, a regular mill, and welding equipment from Tig and Mig to name some shop highlights. The Collection First and foremost, the garage is not a museum. Jay Leno makes his purchases not as museum pieces, but because he enjoys driving the cars and motorcycles… all of them! From Stanley Steamers to Duesenbergs to McLarens, Jay and his collection are fixtures in the Southern California area and can often be spotted out for weekend rides – and the occasional breakdown on the side of the road. Stanley Steamers may be fun to drive, but 1906 technology isn't the most reliable in the world! The collection spans 100 years of automotive history. The oldest cars are a 1906 Baker electric car and a 1906 Stanley Steamer, while the newest is a 2006 Corvette. Overall, Jay’s collection consists of 11 Bentleys, 8 Bugattis, 25 Corvettes, 9 Duesenbergs, 20 electric cars, 6 hybrids, 6 hot rods, 37 custom built cars, 21 muscle cars, 36 sports cars, 15 steam cars, 47 super cars, 10 trucks, 28 classic cars and 18 vintage cars. The collection also includes a number of rare cars, such as a Monteverde, a Bugatti Atlantic, and a turbine motorcycle. But perhaps the most special car in the collection is a 1955 Buick. Not only is it the first car Jay purchased, it was the car he came to California in. On top of that, it was also his apartment on wheels. As a struggling comic in Los Angeles, Jay often slept in the car in alleyways next to comedy clubs. He never sold the car and, like all the other cars in his collection, he takes it out for a spin from time to time. And why wouldn't he? A couple of years ago, Jay’s mechanical A 1906 Stanley Steamer
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whizzes ‘hotrodded’ it with a hot motor, a big-block engine and Corvette suspension. Not too shabby for a struggling comic. Keeping Things Humming To keep everything in proper running order, Jay employs a crack team of mechanical wizards who are Jay and his 1955 Buick adept at fixing, restoring, and customizing just about every type of vehicle imaginable. Bernard Juchli, a Swiss-born raconteur whose first ambition was to fly airplanes, heads the team. In 1965, he moved with his parents to Southern California where he went to high school and became immersed in the local car culture, racing both cars and motorcycles. For years, Bernard owned a Jaguar shop in the Bay Area. He's an amateur, and sometime professional, racer with a reputation for speed. When he was getting ready to semi-retire and sell his shop, he received a call from Jay Leno and has been Jay's head mechanic now for over six years. Rounding out the crew is an engineer who fabricates most of the parts and an expert body man who does all the bodywork, metal work, finishing work, and paint. Inspired by their own love of cars and Jay's incredible collection, these men are three of the automotive world's unsung heroes. To paraphrase an old saying… it's a great job and someone has to do it! Baker Electrics A Brief History on one of Jay’s Oldest Cars Logo - 1912 1906 Baker Electric Baker Motor Vehicle Company was a manufacturer of Brass Era electric automobiles in Cleveland, Ohio from 1899 to 1914. The first Baker vehicle was a two seater with a selling price of US$850. One was sold to Thomas Edison as his first car. Edison also designed the nickeliron batteries used in some Baker electrics. These batteries have extremely long lives with some still in use today. Early production The model range was expanded in 1904 to two vehicles, both two-seaters with armored wood-frames, centrally-located electric motors, and 12-cell batteries. The two models available were the Jay Leno in his 1906 Runabout which had 0.75 hp (0.6 kW) and Baker Electric weighed 650 lb (295 kg). Also available was the Stanhope which cost US$1,600, weighed 950 lb (431 kg), had 1.75 hp (1.3 kW) and a three-speed transmission. It was capable of 14 mph (23 km/h).
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In 1906 Baker made 800 cars, making them the largest electric vehicle maker in the world at the time. They bragged that their new factory was "the largest in the world" in advertisements. The company also made a switch from producing Baker Electric Carriages to automobiles. According to the company promotionals; "We employ the choicest materials in every detail of their construction and finish, producing vehicles which in every minute particular, cannot be equaled for thorough excellence."
Above, right and below – Photos of Jay Leno’s Car Collection
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Baker’s former showroom and service facility on Euclid Avenue
sokoni For sale
To advertise for any parts or cars for sale or wanted, please email the product as well as a picture to karann_kalsey@yahoo.co.uk
Wanted
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‘Hapa Kwetu’ – chairman’s citroen 2cv restoration project
In our local restoration this month, we have the Chairman’s Citroën 2CV. This car was purchased from a Ugandan gentleman who had purchased it from the Swiss Embassy. It was brought for an engine overhaul to Central Motor Service Ltd which the customer could not afford and eventually sold it to the Chairman. We show it in various stages of its restoration.
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Chill out Corner
When I went to get my driver's license renewed, our local motor vehicle bureau was packed. The line inched along for almost an hour until the man ahead of me finally got his license. He inspected his photo for a moment and commented to the clerk, "I was standing in line so long, I ended up looking pretty grouchy in this picture." The woman beside him peered over his shoulder, then reassured him, "It's okay. That's how you're going to look when the cops pull you over anyway."
Find the one car not on the list and win a VCCCK Club Hamper!!! Email the car make and the row it’s in to karann_kalsey@yahoo.co.uk.
Alfa Romeo Audi Cadillac Chevrolet Chrysler Citroen Corvette Daewoo Daihatsu Ferrari Fiat Ford Honda Hyundai Jaguar Lamborghini Lancia Lexus Lotus Mazda
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Mercedes Mini Mitsubishi Morgan Nissan Opel Peugeot Porsche Renault Rolls Royce Rover Saab Seat Skoda Smart Subaru Suzuki Toyota Volkswagen Volvo
Club Page
Item
Kshs
Tee – Shirts Lapel Badges Polo Shirts – White (Small) Polo Shirts – White (Medium) Polo Shirts – Green (Medium) Polo Shirts – Green (Large) Polo Shirts – Green (X Large) Polo Shirts – Green (XX Large) Polo Shirts – Green (XXXL) Shirts – (Green Medium) Baseball Caps Key Rings Pens Engraved Plates Engraved Mugs
200/50/300/300/300/300/800/800/800/750/300/100/100/700/700/-
Karibu Sana Mr John Sawers: On behalf of the VCCCK Committee, we would like to welcome on board Mr John Sawers who has joined the VCCCK Committee as Club Secretary.
New Caps & Car Badges coming soon!!
Ad Size ¼ 1/4 Page ½ 1/2 Page Full Page *per annum rates
Please support our club and your business by advertising in the VCCCK magazine.
Mr Alexander Braunmuhl We would also like to welcome Mr Alexander Braunmuhl who rejoined the VCCCK Club as a member after a few years of absence.
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Price 4500/9000/15000/-
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