Volez, Voguez, Voyagez – Louis Vuitton at the Grand Palais in Paris

Louis Vuitton is celebrating its great heritage from 1854 to the present day, with a major exhibition in Paris. Entitled ‘Volez, Voguez, Voyagez’, it can be seen until 21 February at the Grand Palais…

Logo that defines a global brand

The 1900 World’s Fair in Paris was arguably the highlight of the Belle Époque – a stunning spectacle where some 48 million visitors flocked to the Seine to marvel at the latest cultural progress and achievements. There, in the newly opened Grand Palais, the leather specialist Georges Vuitton curated the leather and travel goods section, in which the luxurious wares of his father’s eponymous company were exhibited. They featured the now iconic LV logo, created to protect the brand from imitators, which is used to this day. 

Return to the Grand Palais

Now Louis Vuitton will return to the Grand Palais with ‘Volez, Voguez, Voyagez’. Curated by Olivier Saillard, the exhibition tells the story of the brand in nine chapters, based around some of the most important items of luggage from its archives. Beginning with Louis Vuitton’s most famous design, a vintage case from 1906, the journey continues through the brand’s more curious and unique pieces, helping to explain how the ‘Maison’ became the prestigious hallmark of fashion that it is today. 

Photos: Louis Vuitton Malletier, Patrick Demarchelier, Julia Hetta

‘Volez, Voguez, Voyagez’ runs until 21 February 2016, at the Grand Palais in Paris. You can find more information here. 

2016

Can-Am 2016 X mr

Expedition Overland: Alaska/Yukon Ep12

After plunging into British Columbia the crew sets out on their most ambitious adventure yet. The Alexander Mackenzie heritage trail! Almost extinct the trail proves to be a major logistical challenge. Ty takes a serious injury and the team operates with one man down. Fuel, navigation, breakdowns, and the elements all come into play on this epic final leg.

Dakar 2016 : la première étape annulée à cause du mauvais temps / Stage 1 cancelled due to bad weather

Les organisateurs du Dakar ont décidé d’annuler la première étape de l’édition 2016 du Dakar suite aux pluies diluviennes qui se sont abattues dans le Nord de l’Argentine. Si la météo le permet, les concurrents disputeront la première épreuve demain, lundi, entre Villa Carlos Paz et Termas Rio Hondo.

Tous les espoirs de voir évoluer les stars du WRC, Carlos Sainz, Sébastien Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen et Nasser Al-Attiyah sur les pistes du Rallye d’Argentine, près de Villa Carlos Paz, ont été anéantis lorsque la decision a été prise ce matin d’annuler la première étape du Dalar 2016.

De fortes pluies la nuit dernière entre Rosario, sur la rive droite du Rio Parana, et Villa Carlos Paz, à 30 km à l'ouest de Cordoba, ont contraint Etienne Lavigne, le directeur du Dakar, a annulé cette première épreuve pour des raisons de sécurité. En effet, les orages et la couverture nuageuse extrêmement épaisse et basse ont empêché l'ensemble des moyens aériens de décoller.

Les concurrents ont pris la direction de Villa Carlos Paz en liaison. Sur un parcours imposé, les catégories motos et quads ont roulé en convoi alors que les voitures ont été autorisées à rouler librement. Les camions, qui n'avaient pas encore quitté le bivouac de Rosario, se  sont dirigés vers l'arrivée du jour directement par la route des véhicules d'assistance.

Demain, Joan Barreda (Honda-Michelin) et Bernhard Ten Brinke (Toyota) s’élanceront  respectivement premiers des motos et autos entre Villa Carlos Paz et Termas Rio Hondo.

The Dakar organisers have elected to cancel the first competitive section of the 2016 event due to the heavy rain that has been sweeping over northern central Argentina. Weather permitting, the opening stage will consequently be Monday’s run from Villa Carlos Paz to Termas Rio Hondo.

Any hopes that WRC experts Carlos Sainz, Sébastien Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen and Nasser Al-Attiyah might have been nurturing this morning to take advantage of their knowledge of the terrain near Villa Carlos – home of the World Rally Championship’s Rally Argentina – were dashed when the decision was taken to cancel the first stage of the 2016 Dakar.

Heavy rain between last night’s host town Rosario, on right bank of the Rio Parana, and Villa Carlos Paz, around 30km west of Cordoba, compelled Race Director Etienne Lavigne to cancel the originally-planned stage (cars: 258km / bikes: 227km) for safety reasons, since the helicopters required to cover emergencies were unable to fly.

Thunderstorms led to the stage being delayed initially but its outright cancellation became inevitable when the organisers reported that heavy rain had turned parts of the run into torrents of water.

As a result, the quad, motorbike, car and truck competitors were instructed to travel to this evening’s ‘bivouac’ by an alternative route.

The Gilera Milano Taranto Has a Special Meaning

What comes to mind when you hear the words "Italian motorcycle"? Ducati? Moto Guzzi? What about Gilera, Benelli, or Laverda? Italy has a rich motorcycle history and has been producing unique and beautiful bikes for years, but here in the United States many people aren't familiar with Italian brands outside of Ducati and Moto Guzzi—many are not even familiar with the smaller single-cylinder offerings of these two brands.

Southern California's Hugo Gallina, owner of Vintage Italian Restoration, has been building and restoring Italian bikes out of his garage for years. Specializing in single-cylinder motorcycles, Hugo works on bikes that aren't a common sight in the U.S. For instance, the Gilera his father had back in the '50s and others like Aermacchi, Bianchi, and Maserati. These bikes may be small, but they make up for their size with their styling and nimbleness, and they generate an incredible amount of interest from those around him while out riding.

With a small community dedicated to racing small vintage Italian motorcycles, Hugo, along with his friends and clients, regularly participates in rallies such as the Giro D'California and other timed motorcycle races.

THE FLYING NINJA – KAWASAKI NINJA 250 ’10

Written by Donny Ariyanto

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s two big trends currently taking the custom bike scene by storm: the re-emergence of the scrambler and limited-run customs by well respected workshops. And now from our latest features with a honor we are introducing THE FLYING NINJA that we built from 2010 Kawasaki Ninja 250. And because being back with a bang is so much better, here is, without any further ado, THE FLYING NINJA, a scrambler the likes of which you’ve never seen before.As the main purpose of a scrambler is to tackle both road and dirt with pretty much the same ease, Kawasaki Ninja is the best choice for light bike, to say the least. An unexpected one, nevertheless, but, by all means, a spectacular and functional one.

We knows that The Ninja 250 have a good engine and can make peoples feel easy to ride. But for this built we only need to released an original body and the legs sectors. Crafted a piece of 1.2 mm-thick galvanized plate sheet that integrated with the frame to perfection, and that looks 100% factory. Both fenders have been custom crafted manually for perfect visual integration. The rear one is short and perky, protruding from under the slender tail section. With no plastic body parts, this bike looks more aggressive and compact, showing us that, underneath the boxy bodywork, it is a beautiful bike. The front fork was changed from Yamaha R6 Upside Down together with Fatbar handlebar and beautiful 5 inch headlight to make it simply looks. For wheel sectors absolutely we choose TK Japan spoke wheels 18X3.00 inch and 18X3.50 inch with Shinko E705 120/80-18 and 150/70-18 for front and back. Look at the paint on the body! beautiful painted by Komet Studio with a silver color based and he made a design like a Flying Fortress Bomber Jet Fighter.

Inspirational stuff, yup? How’s that famous poem go? “To watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools. And lose, and start again at your beginnings, and never breathe a word about your loss.” But to put mere words to a feat of this magnitude would be damning it with faint praise.

Specification :

• Body Custom by STUDIO MOTOR
• Painting & Airbrush by KOMET Studio
• Yamaha R6 Upsidown
• TK Japan Wheels 18X3.00 Inch & 18X3.50 Inch
• Shinko E705 Tires 120/80-18 & 150/70-18
• 5 Inch Aftermarket Headlight
• Fatbar Handlebar
• 360 mm YSS Z-Series Rear Shock
• Custom Exhaust System by STUDIO MOTOR
• via STUDIO MOTOR Custom Bike

Market Finds – Variety is the spice of life

In this week’s edition of Market Finds, we’ve everything from a controversial Anglo-Italian collaboration, to a humble French 1980s hatchback…

1975 Alfa Romeo Montreal

The Alfa Romeo Montreal is a quintessential 1970s sports car, comprising a svelte Bertone fastback design, a big, high-revving V8 and an ultra-stylish interior. In fact, many of the more interesting design cues such as the eyelids above the headlights and the sole triangular bonnet vent (of which we’re sure the same can be found on the Ferrari FXX) are quite captivating. This gorgeous gold right-hand-drive example is for sale at DD Classics, along with a comprehensive history file and freshly re-trimmed tan interior. 

1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato

Like it or loathe it, the Zagato-bodied Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a highly collectable example of Anglo-Italian engineering at its most quirky. When it was revealed at Geneva in 1986, Aston Martin placed one of its three show cars on top of the lakeside hotel, which may or may not have been a ploy to keep the passing public from seeing the controversial design up close. We love the car here at Classic Driver, and this ultra-rare left-hand-drive example – currently for sale at Thiesen in Germany – boasts a 7.0-litre engine upgrade carried out by marque specialist RS Williams. 

1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’

This is one well-travelled Ferrari Daytona. After being delivered as a road car to Australia in 1973, it’s since been expertly converted to Group IV specifications and raced all around the world. We love the blend of gentleman’s Grand Tourer and all-out racer, particularly in this stunning shade of blue. It’s now returned Down Under, and is listed for sale by Dutton Garage, complete with FIA certification. 

1985 Renault 5 TC

The Classic Driver Market is a versatile automotive marketplace. Take, for example, this humble, (almost) ‘as new’ Renault 5 TC advertised by Radius GmbH this week…

1982 Renault 5 Turbo 2

…and, at the other end of the scale, there's this superb R5 Maxi Turbo replica, based on a R5 Turbo 2. Utilising parts sourced from leading European Renault 5 specialists, it can be used either on the road or as ‘a basis for a competitive historic rally car’, according to its vendor Cheshire Classic Cars. Of course, we don’t recommend emulating Jean Ragnotti and doing pirouettes around your local mini roundabout.

Numerous classic and modern cars, including a broad selection of historic racing cars, are added to the Classic Driver Market every week. You can find them all listed here.

This is the only pen you’ll ever need

Away with your disposable biro! The EDC Grafton pen by Everyman is a thoughtfully designed, affordable pen that, allegedly, should last a lifetime….

A pen for life

Said to take the best elements from a number of popular pens, the all-aluminium EDC Grafton takes common refills, boasts optimum weighting and, perhaps most importantly, doesn’t cost the earth. Revealed as a Kickstarter project that is now fully funded, the minimal pen could be on your desk in a few short months. You can purchase the Grafton EDC pen via Everyman’s Kickstarter page. A good pen is among the most important accessories you can own – happy writing…

Photos: Everyman

You can find hundreds more accessories – ideal for Christmas gifts – listed for sale in the Classic Driver Market. 

couverture...........

Dakar ; le prologue

Moto
Joan Barreda (Honda) n'a donc pas trainé pour afficher clairement ses ambitions sur cette édition 2016. Auteur du meilleur chrono en 6 minutes et 27 secondes à égalité de temps avec Ruben Faria (Husqvarna), le pilote officiel du HRC signe donc une entrée remarquée au sein de l'équipe du premier constructeur mondial.
Si Barreda a le sourire, en revanche son coéquipier Paulo Goncalves, lui aussi parmi les prétendants à la victoire finale, n'a pas vraiment réussi l'entrée en matière espérée. Relegué au cinquantième rang de l'étape à une minute de Barreda, Goncalves a du composer durant la spéciale avec des problèmes techniques qui l'ont obligé à s'arreter à plusieurs reprises. Parmi les contre performances du jour signalons également la 16e position de Toby Price qui termine à 18 secondes du vainqueur du jour. Coté français Si Pierre Alexandre Renet et Antoine Meo ont joué la carte de la prudence pour leur première spéciale sur un Dakar, ils terminent respectivement 119e et 106e, Adrien Van Beveren signe une très belle performance pour sa première spéciale sur un Dakar. Longtemps crédité du meilleur temps, il s'octroie la quatrième place du classement.

Auto
Voici donc la première surprise de ce 38e Dakar. Bernhard Ten Brinke sur son Toyota pick up s'est offert la spéciale du prologue, son premier succès sur l'épreuve. En couvrant les 11 kilomètres en 6 minutes et 8 secondes le néerlandais s'impose devant Carlos Sainz (Peugeot) et l'Espagnol Xavier Pons sur Ford Ranger, ce qui constitue également une belle surprise. Du coté des autres têtes d'affiche, Nasser Al Attiyah (Mini) termine à la quatrième place à 5 secondes du vainqueur du jour.
Nani Roma et Mikko Hirvonen, toujours pour Mini, pointent respectivement à la sixième et septième place de ce classement, alors que Giniel De Villiers (8e) sur son Toyota Hilux partage le même chrono que les trois autres pilotes Peugeot Peterhensel (9e), Loeb (10e) et Despres (11e).
Grâce à cette victoire de Ten Brinke, Toyota s'offre une cinquième victoire de spéciale sur le Dakar.

This BMW 2002 Is A Carved Pumpkin

“A lot of people can say they bought their dream car,” says Carter Kelly Kramer. “Not a lot of people can say they built it.”

Kramer’s 1976 BMW 2002 is an example of how persistence can pay off. He bought the car at 16, from Ebay, with a tiny budget—and the car was far worse than described. Worse, he soon hooned off the road and punched it through a fence.

The repairs took a long time, as Kramer was determined to do it himself. “I had a pair of garden shears, I had a hack saw, I had a crowbar, and a sledgehammer…” he says.

“I slowly learned by taking the car apart how the car goes together,” Kramer says. “Don’t worry, I got this,” after his mom began to question why the 2002 was, again, in pieces.

Over time, it was decided to get rid of the project before college—after the car had inspired his successful entrance essay. Inevitably, Kramer suffered from seller’s remorse and eventually got the car back: “It was like a dog that ran away,” he says.

“I realized I took [a] nightmare and turned it into a dream…it’s taught me about cars, and driving, and fixing things. You can’t put a price tag on that.”

Expedition Overland: Alaska/Yukon Ep11

At the top of the world the crew continues their way back to Inuvik by boat. Stopping at a whaling village and engaging in conversation with the locals. After their return they make a hard push down to Hyder, Alaska. Some 39 hours of drive time to the South. Trouble finds them but it turns out to be a tremendous move! In the end, the guys travel from the Arctic Ocean to the edge of the Pacific in just three days. Stopping at the most spectacular location of the trip!

Dude, that's Mexico!

Make Your Bones contributor Fraser Byrne cashed in on a Groupon offer and went for a blast in the desert near Ocotillo Hills, CA. Good times.

Dude, that's Mexico! from Make Your Bones on Vimeo.

SunRide2015

Snapshot, 1968: How not to cool down a Ferrari 250 LM

Is this really a Ferrari 250 LM sleeping beneath a layer of snow in the Italian city of Aosta? The staff of the restaurant in the background must have plied the car’s owners with some exceptional red wine for them to forget about their precious cargo out in the cold…

Shocking as it seems today, obsolete Ferrari racing cars weren’t exactly treated with care in the 1960s and 1970s, as recently confirmed to us by Alain de Cadenet. He told of his exploits in no fewer than six 250 GTOs that, at the time, were cheaper to replace than to maintain. Making a stopover in the Italian city of Aosta on his way back from Maranello, we imagine the value of the beautiful black Ferrari 250 LM was the last thing on sports car concessionaire Don Parker’s mind. 

Photo: GP Library/UIG via Getty Images

Relive the good old days with our series of vintage snapshots.

No Name Design – The nameless staples of everyday life

Behind every successful design is a famous designer – but of the many everyday items you use, could you name the people behind them? The Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg has dedicated a special exhibition to such items, entitled ‘No Name Design’…

The Braun alarm clock by Dieter Rams, the glassfibre chair by Charles and Ray Eames, the kitchen lamp by Konstantin Grcic, and the Apple iPhone by Jonathan Ive. For many products we know and love, the designers behind them are well known to us. But what about the countless other items that enrich our lives every day? ‘No Name Design’ at the Museum for Arts and Crafts in Hamburg is exhibiting more than 1,000 such objects from the collection of Swiss designer Franco Clivio. 

The exhibition is a sort of declaration of love to all those items that aren't included in the great canon of design culture. A real chamber of wonders, the exhibits are divided into 30 showcases photographed by Hans Hansen. A visit to ‘No Name Design’ might well make you appreciate those lesser-known products a little more.  

‘No Name Design’ runs until 3 April 2016 at the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg. For more information, click here.