The last month has been occupied with (almost) one single activity : transferring my archives to my new home. An enormous task, but then so very rewarding. One rediscovers old memories, old photos, and other oh so sweet things, like cameras for example. So finally I rediscovered in one forlorn corner the very camera I was looking for since ages, and which I thought was lost, but here it is: a Leicaflex SL with a Leitz Canada Summicron – R  F1:2/90 mm lens.

It was used for many years by my father, and I show you here also some photos taken with it, where he photographed me in some very fine cars.

Of course, I also cherish his Rolleiflex with the F2,8/80 mm Schneider lens. With that camera, the picture you see here above is taken. It shows me at the wheel of “our” very first Mercedes, a gleaming black 1954 ponton 180 D. We just had washed together the car on Saturday afternoon carefully, as we did almost every week. So driving and caring for the cars with the three pointed star is a thing we have done almost all our good life…

With the Leicaflex, my father took the picture some years later, in 1972, of me behind the wheel of the Porsche 911 S, which we happened to drive on the motorway at some good 250 kph. I show you the photo of this feat in the next editorial…

I still love the 911, the rather tricky handling of the early cars never got me into trouble, I found them delightful, and still do, and I drove them many times to the limit. Quite frankly, I cannot think of a better drivers’ car, ever.

As an enthusiastic driver, even when going on a business appointment with shirt and tie, and the jacket neatly hung on the pillar, it was a good occasion to take the awesome 911 to the limit... (see lifted right front wheel off the ground) Motoring could be well and truly enjoyed in these days! The Leicaflex with the fast 90 mm lens was up to the task here for taking this shot, we show you the camera again with its big lens...

The love for Italian cars was also instilled at a very early stage. Barely 18 years old, I drove together with my father and my nephew to the F1 Gran Premio d’Italia at Monza in a Alfa Giulia 1600 Super test car.

What a drive this was. Cruising on the autostradas with the speedo needle between 160-170 kph, driving down the San Bernardo amidst a flock of Laverda’s, Moto Guzzi’s, with the brake disks white hot, this was what GT motoring was all about, and made me love ever since the sound and fury of these four cylinder Alfa’s …

I just show you here the photo taken on the San Bernardo with me standing next to this Alfa and my nephew next to me. Leica photography of course.

Besides all this, old press material and catalogues and brochures were found again. More on this also soon…

In the meantime, interesting things have happened, like the ZOUTE GRAND PRIX  for example. We also tested some very nice cars, and witnessed interesting presentations and press conferences. We are catching up on this now, so you will read a lot about this soon… stay tuned on these pages!

Hans Knol ten Bensel