CAFÉ RACER 76

From Tintin to Michel Vaillant: Comic fever at Artcurial

Think comics are for children? You’ll think again once you see the estimates at Artcurial’s 16 November 2013 comic auction, with one Tintin book expected to fetch €15,000 – 20,000. Better break open that piggy bank…

Of course, it isn’t any old Tintin book, but rather a 1960 edition of ‘Tintin in Tibet’ signed by Hergé and numbered as the sixth of 100 printed – complete with a red imitation leather box. Or perhaps a 1930s black and white edition of ‘Au Pays Des Soviets’ (estimated at €9,000 – 12,000) is more to your taste? Those with a lower budget are also well catered-for, with a wide selection of Tintin figurines carrying estimates of a few hundred euros each.

Elsewhere in the catalogue, there’s a selection of erotic sketches from the likes of Roberto Baldazzini, as well as some early editions of racing comic Michel Vaillant.

Photos: Artcurial

Urban music: Singer Porsche in New York

Californian dream factory Singer knows not only how to ‘reinterpret’ a classic 911 with a well-measured dose of subtlety, but also how to showcase its creations against the perfect backdrop. The latest car has recently been shot in New York…

The shoot comes a fortnight ahead of the L.A. Auto Show, where Singer Vehicle Design will hold an exhibition in honour of the 911’s 50^th anniversary. The event will take place at The Palm Restaurant on November 20 – more information can be found at singervehicledesign.com.

ROUGH CRAFTS ‘STEALTH BULLET’ SPORTSTER

The rise of Winston Yeh and Rough Crafts in the custom world is nothing short of meteoric. Any remaining doubts that he’s one of the world’s top Harley builders were erased when he took home a trophy at the last AMD World Championship at first attempt.

This is Stealth Bullet, the 2008-model Sportster that won the Modified Harley-Davidson class by a convincing margin. Completed too late to be wheeled into a studio, it has spent much of the past six months in transit—and only now do we have good images. Here they are: enjoy.

Stealth Bullet is more obviously a ‘show bike’ than Yeh’s previous creations, but the Rough Crafts hallmarks are all there. The look is monochrome, the stance is low and the componentry is factory-grade—if not better.

The Sportster has been converted to oil-in-frame mode, and up front is a minimalist girder suspension with a single spring behind the custom headlight. Out back is a custom swingarm and the bike rides on wheels from Performance Machine, 21” at the front and 18” at the rear (shod with M&H dragbike rubber). Finding it impossible to fit a conventional lithium ion battery in the triangular midsection under the seat, Yeh had a battery custom-made in trapezoidal format to fit.

As with all Rough Crafts bikes, the detailing is a joy to behold, from the finned engine covers to the snake-like exhaust system, which terminates right alongside the custom seat unit. The rocker and cam covers are also custom, along with the rearsets, and the open primary is a modified item from Evolution Industries.

Stealth Bullet is a relatively restrained build by AMD championship standards. But the judges in Essen, Germany, recognized good taste when they saw it. This is one show bike that I bet a lot of riders would like to put in their garage.

To see more Rough Crafts work, head over to Winston Yeh’s website or check out theRough Crafts Facebook page.

It’s T-time! Brace of Mercedes-Benz 200Ts offered for sale

Mercedes’ first estate car, the 200T, pioneered not only every Mercedes station wagon to this day, but also the ever-popular European estate-car segment…

The successful W123 series still proves exceptionally popular today, especially in classic car circles. Introduced at the 1977 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Touring model – Mercedes’ first station wagon – played a pioneering role in defining the ‘lifestyle’ segment that has become so vital to the European car industry.

The ‘T’ in the name stood for Touring and Travel

The first ‘proper’ estate with a star on the bonnet possessed characteristics that quickly won over the public, making it a real must-have: namely the vast space in the boot, covered in exquisite velvet carpet, rendering the saloon and coupé models practically pointless. Why wouldn’t you choose the wagon? The ‘T’ in the name stood for Touring and Travel, distancing it from the rest of the model range and pitching the car directly at busy families in need of a car for every situation.

Elegant space-saving

With the rear seats folded flat, there’s even more whopping great volumes of bootspace – and those fine chrome rails on the roof aren’t there just to look pretty: more luggage can be hefted around up there, too. It is this well-coordinated mix of practical space and elegant appearance which makes the 200T so popular. Top-condition examples are becoming increasingly rare, and prices reflect that. Hallier Classic Cars is offering these two exceptional four-cylinder 200Ts for sale. Their durability and strength mean they should remain tight as a drum, regardless of what you throw at them. Besides, in a 200T, no matter how tough the journey is, you’ll always arrive in style.

Photos: Jan Richter