US classic cars: the techno DJ and his love for American sledges

Menus

The techno DJ and his love for American sledges
Why the sports car trade is booming in the USA
The reactions are 99 percent positive
At top speed over the salt lake
Dashboard as long as a beer counter
Franzi and her old Manta

The techno DJ and his love for American sledges

1 of 13

New cars are too boring for Torsten Zarth. The Berlin DJ prefers to drive striking vintage cars, preferably American models.

Source: Haiko Prengel

Not infrequently he finds messages from passers-by under the windshield wiper. ">

2 of 13

No matter where he parks his cars – in this case a Plymouth Fury Suburban and a Chrysler Threehundred – people stop and admire the vehicles. Not infrequently finds …he messages from passers-by under the windshield wiper.

Source: Haiko Prengel

3 of 13

His classic cars should not only be admired, but also driven. When Torsten Zarth is out and about as a DJ, he uses the 5.72 meter long Fury as a tour bus.

Source: Haiko Prengel

4 of 13

When the rear seat is folded down, a two-meter-long mattress easily fits into the giant station wagon.

Source: Haiko Prengel

5 of 13

The love of classic cars is one thing, the ability to be able to fix something on them is another. For such cases, Torsten Zarth always has the right literature in the car.

Source: Haiko Prengel

6 of 13

And the matching stickers on the rear of the car.

Source: Haiko Prengel

7 of 13

Another gem in Torsten Zarth’s fleet is the Chrysler Threehundred, built in 1971.

Source: Haiko Prengel

8 of 13

The car is in fantastic condition. Even the paint is still original.

Source: Haiko Prengel

9 of 13

Due to the lack of a B-pillar, the entire window sides of the 5.71-meter-long Chrysler can be lowered, creating something like a convertible feeling.

Source: Haiko Prengel

10 of 13

Everything about this car seems huge: the dashboard, the steering wheel and the fuel consumption. In city traffic, the 335 hp V8 swallows up to 30 liters.

Source: Haiko Prengel

11 of 13

The leather interior is also extremely luxurious. Both front and …

Source: Haiko Prengel

12 of 13

… three people can sit in the back.

Source: Haiko Prengel

13 of 13

The two classic cars can also be rented. Torsten Zarth has recognized how well old cars are received for special occasions, and with the classic car rental “Just Carried” he has two…test pillar built.

Source: Haiko Prengel

Torsten Zarth’s Plymouth Fury Suburban used to be a hearse. Now the Berlin techno DJ is using the huge station wagon as a tour bus. Its bubbling V8 makes the most beautiful music anyway.

E.There are cars that don’t even have to drive to be popular. It is enough if they just stand on the side of the road. Torsten Zarth’s Plymouth Fury Suburban is such a car.

If the sparkling chrome Ami sledge from 1976 has been standing in the neighborhood for a few days, the East Berliner can be almost certain that little notes will be stuck to the car again. Sayings like “Great car” or “I would like to drive one of them” are written on it.

Torsten Zarth is always happy about the expressions of sympathy from his neighborhood. “It’s nice when I can share my love for classic cars with others,” says the 35-year-old, who works in film and as a DJ. When you put on records, it’s also about making people happy. A matching glittering disco ball hangs on the inside mirror of the Fury.

Why the sports car trade is booming in the USA

The prices for noble speedsters like Ferrari, Porsche or Lamborghini are exploding in the USA. Investors see this as an alternative to stocks and commodities. Rare models in particular achieve record prices. Source: The World

Zarth plays electronic music in clubs like “Zur wilden Renate”. In summer he often plays at techno festivals in the Berlin area. The 5.72 meter long Fury Suburban will then be converted into a tour bus.

With the rear seats folded down, a two-meter-long mattress easily fits into the giant combination. This turns the American sledge into a camper van in no time, even for vacation trips. The front bench is continuous. "Put your girlfriend in your arms and head to the sea," says Zarth.

His girlfriend is a psychologist – and maybe that’s a good thing, because Torsten Zarth is pretty crazy about cars. It all started in kindergarten: even as a small toddler, he was able to differentiate between the various makes and models of cars. Even his first word was “car”, which is said to have crossed his lips before “mom” and “dad”.

The reactions are 99 percent positive

“My mom was shocked,” says Zarth and laughs. When he got older and was allowed to watch television, he watched American series such as “A Colt for All Occasions” or “Knight Rider”, in which powerful cars played a leading role.

Why this special love for old cars from America? “It’s the driving experience,” says Torsten Zarth – driving these things is more like steering ships. “And the infinity of displacement,” he adds. The Plymouth Fury has 5.8 liters.

At top speed over the salt lake

1 of 13

Like “Mad Max” in the eternal ice. The vehicles that Alex Lier photographed for her book "The World’s Fastest Place" are works of art. The "Bombshell Betty" donor car is… a 1952 Buick Super Riviera. The conversion creates a top speed of 266.72 km / h and holds the record in its class.

Source: Alex Lier

2 of 13

Since 1999, the Hamburg photographer has been traveling to “Speed Week”, which has been held for decades on Lake Bonneville, a dry lake in the western United States.

Source: Alex Lier

3 of 13

The set of rules for “Speed Week” is a science in itself, it includes around 1000 classes for four-wheeled vehicles and around 2000 classes for two- and three-wheelers.

Source: Alex Lier

4 of 13

The conditions cannot be compared to any other racing event in the world: The heat, the nature of the ground and the incredible speeds make it hard to beat…menses ability, regardless of whether you are chasing records with a two-, three- or four-wheeled vehicle.

Source: Alex Lier

5 of 13

Much is different on the salt lake than in the rest of the world. This Ferrari, for example, does not have a Ferrari engine: the 288 GTO from 1985 was replaced with a 540 cubic inch Big-Bl instead of the original V8…ock with biturbo installed. After the renovation, the unique specimen has more than 1000 hp; the car manages 443.21 km / h.

Source: Alex Lier

6 of 13

Alex Lier has been traveling to races on the Bonneville Flats for more than 15 years. During this time, many friendships were formed, as well as the opportunity to share their impressions in one …Bundle photo tape.

Source: Alex Lier

7 of 13

The special thing about Lier’s photographs are not only the unusual vehicles on the salt, but also the portraits of the people who live for these races.

Source: Alex Lier

8 of 13

The lawn on the salt seems addicting. Don Biglow has been racing since 1996. He has already set three world records. That all were broken is for… just an incentive to keep going.

Source: Alex Lier

9 of 13

Steve Hope is also a veteran. He came to Bonneville for the first time in 1968, and his workshop is a reflection of his personal Bonneville story. With his self-made …1929 Roadster with supercharging, it reached a top speed of 352.45 km / h.

Source: Alex Lier

10 of 13

Jack Costella is also a kind of institution in Bonneville. Alex Lier visited him in his workshop in San Jose, California. He has been building vehicles for them there for decades …"Speed Week"; 105 world speed records have been set with them so far.

Source: Alex Lier

11 of 13

Few of them are rich who take part in the races. Most Bonneville veterans build their own cars at home in the garage.

Source: Alex Lier

12 of 13

The photographer is also allowed to drive over the sacred salt. She doesn’t set a new speed record, but she’s still proud.

Source: Alex Lier

13 of 13

The eight-time record holder from Ferguson Racing is shown on the cover of her illustrated book. The vehicle reaches a speed of 486.77 km / h.

Source: Alex Lier

With a turn of the ignition key, the massive V8 starts to bubble. Then set the automatic steering wheel to D for Drive and really accelerate: Then the colossus starts moving with a roar, as if a turbine airplane were taking off.

Giving other people joy with cars might sound absurd to many. If you live in the city center of Berlin, it is above all exhaust fumes and noise that you get home free.

Classic cars, on the other hand, seem to enjoy a special sympathy bonus: Most people are happy to see classic cars in traffic. Many associate it with childhood memories, similar to the Berlin DJ. “The reactions are 99 percent positive,” says Torsten Zarth.

Dashboard as long as a beer counter

And so at some point he had the idea of founding “Just Carried”, a rental company for American classic cars. If you are looking for a historic American sledge for a wedding or other special occasion, you can book a car from Torsten Zarth. For example the Plymouth Fury Station Wagon.

Or the Chrysler Threehundred, which Zarth bought as a second car. He bought the sedan with the 7.2-liter big block from a certain Jack from Wisconsin firsthand, the almost 45-year-old car is in a dream condition.

First paint, luxurious leather seats for up to six people and a dashboard as long as a beer counter. The engine is also good to drink: In city traffic, the Chrysler approves between 25 and 30 liters.

Franzi and her old Manta

1 of 16

Franziska Imruck chose a Manta A (built in 1972). At the time, she was only 16 years old when she bought the old sports coupe…e.