Cycle Hiroshima City

Cycle Hiroshima City
Peace Memorial Museum. Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Japan

President Lyndon B. Johnson of the United States

C Bremer/Johnson

Country cavalcade: Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson of the United States in northern Finland, 1957

C Bremer/Urho Kekkonen

Bear and bare: President Urho Kekkonen inspects the guard of honour on a visit to Great Britain, 1961

Russian dogs by Pentti Sammallahti

Russian dogs by Pentti Sammallahti (Solovki, White Sea, 1992)

How does he do it? The dogs pose in Pentti Sammallahti’s photographs like professional models who know how to keep still.

Sammallahti admits sausages and sardines sometimes help communication.

In 1998, in the old, printed version of Books from Finland, we published a selection of Sammallahti’s photographs, together with some written impressions by the British photographer and essayist John Berger. According to him, people who first see the selection of Sammallahti photographs he has, ‘usually gasp at first, and then peer closer, smiling,’ as they seem to remember something they knew as children, but which they have forgotten how to see – from the times ‘we talked to the dogs, listened to their secret and kept it to ourselves.’

Russian dogs by Pentti Sammallahti

A Helsinki dog by Pentti Sammallahti (1882)

Sammallahti (born 1950) is one of the pioneers of the Finnish photographic art and fine art printing, which he has also taught at the University of Industrial Arts and Design in Helsinki.

Specialising in black-and-white photography of people and their environment, Sammallahti has travelled extensively throughout Russia and Siberia, France and Finland.

President Woodrow Wilson-Pierce-Arrow limousine

President Woodrow Wilson used to love to ride in his 1919 Pierce-Arrow limousine, which awaited his return from the Treaty of Versailles ceremonies in Paris that ended World War I.  His friends later bought the car for him.  (Carol M. Highsmith)

President Woodrow Wilson used to love to ride in his 1919 Pierce-Arrow limousine, which awaited his return from the Treaty of Versailles ceremonies in Paris that ended World War I. His friends later bought the car for him. (Carol M. Highsmith)

Salvadoran President Tony Saca

Salvadoran President Tony Saca
Salvadoran President Tony Saca, right, and Salvadoran Defense Minister General Otto Romero review the troops at the military school in Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador during celebrations for Day of the Soldier, Sunday, May 7, 2006. (AP PHOTO/Edgar ROMERO)

Jets45 Shows a Martin P4M-1

Jets45 Shows a Martin P4M-1
This undated black and white photo provided by Jets45 shows a Martin P4M-1 "Mercator" in flight. A Martin P4M-1Q Mercator, carrying Lt. James B. Deane, Jr., and 15 other men, was shot down over the East China Sea shortly after midnight Aug. 23, 1956. The remains of four crew members were recovered, but the status of the other 12, including Deane, was never determined. (AP Photo/Jets45)

French President Jacques Chirac

French President Jacques Chirac
French President Jacques Chirac stands in the command car during Victory Day ceremonies in Paris, Monday May 8, 2006. Military official at right is unidentified. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

President Putin's car during

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President George W. Bush take a spin in President Putin's car during a visit Sunday night, May 8, 2005. White House photo by Eric Draper

Collection of Classic Automobiles

collection of classic automobiles,
Adolf Hitler in his Mercedes surrounded by Sieg Heiling crowds in 1937. Photograph: © Bettmann/CORBIS

Showing off his stunning collection of classic automobiles, Dmitry Lomakov explains why Russians love Nazi cars. "They are symbols of Russia's victory,'' he says. "For Russians the second world war isn't a historical event. For us it happened yesterday.''

President William Taft

President William Taft (1909-1913) was the first to make the "horseless carriage" the president's official mode of transport. For his part, Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) understood the importance of this method of transportation. In order to quickly respond to any State emergency, he insisted that the official cars always be available in under three minutes. At that time, though, the White House cars were still nothing more than expensive standard models.

When in 1933 a man failed in his attempt to assassinate president Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945), the United States Secret Service realized the risks the president was exposed to in an automobile. The car he had ridden in was rebodied and put back into service in 1939, heavily armoured.

President William Taft
Instead of using the official White House car, the 1950 four-door Lincoln Cosmopolitan convertible, Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961) chose a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado for the parade following his presidential inauguration ceremony. It was one of 532 units of the new model produced that year.

Seater Bicycle Soldiers Ride 5

Seater Bicycle Soldiers Ride 5

Original caption: Americans at a West Country depot have solved the problem of after duty transport to the nearest town and country tours in the manner shown in the picture. The five seater cycle was made by two of the men in their spare time from an ordinary "G.I" cycle. The five seater is by no means a freak and handles extremely well on corners or in traffic, and owing to the high man power, has a remarkable performance on hills.

Presidents William McKinley

Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) was nicknamed "Cautious Cal" because he never drove faster than 25 km/h! He also had a soft spot for the Pierce-Arrows. In fact, during his term he signed an agreement with the manufacturer in order to lease five new cars instead of buying them. The photo shows him in the middle Pierce-Arrow during a parade on March 4, 1925.

Very early on in its history, the automobile insinuated itself into the stables of the White House, at the onset only occasionally replacing the carriages and other horse-driven vehicles. Presidents William McKinley (1897-1901) and Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) often used automobiles during their respective terms of office.

The "Sunshine Special" was the first White House car to be considerably modified for safety reasons. This 1939 Lincoln Special K was often used by Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) before World War II. Before being rebodied and serving the president of the United States, this was Al Capone's personal car!

President Roosevelt Near Martin

President Roosevelt Near Martin
President Roosevelt Near Martin B-26 Bomber

President Franklin D. Roosevelt Pictured

President Franklin D. Roosevelt Pictured

President Franklin D. Roosevelt Visiting Fort Clayton
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt (center) pictured in his car with Major General Daniel E. Van Voorhis (left), Commanding General of the Canal Zone, and Rear Admiral Frank D. Sadler (right), Commandant of the 15th Naval District at Fort Clayton, during a six hour tour of army posts on the Canal Zone on February 18, 1940, They are shown visiting Fort Clayton. The president was on a fishing vacation aboard the USS Tuscaloosa, which took him to the Canal Zone in Panama.

President Urho Kekkonen

C Bremer/Johnson

Country cavalcade: Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson of the United States in northern Finland, 1957

C Bremer/Urho Kekkonen

Bear and bare: President Urho Kekkonen inspects the guard of honour on a visit to Great Britain, 1961

Extraordinary cars president V

7,7 liters 6 cylinder in line .
One built in Belgium in the 30s. Bought at auction by a Japanese for 1,5 million US $ .
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Voisin C20 'Mylord' Demi-Berline
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4.9 liter V12 engine.
One built in 1931.
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Talbot-Lago T150 C Figoni et Falaschi 'Goutte d'Eau'
4 liter 6 cylinder in line engine.
Only 16 units built.
Valued at 3 millions US$.

Extraordinary cars president IV

Delahaye 145 Chapron Coupe
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4,5 liters V12 engine
5 units were built between 1938 et 1946.
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Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK Trossi Roadster
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Extraordinary cars president III

Inline 8 cylinder engine 3,3 liters
Unique car, built in1939.
Wedding gift to Xá from Persia from the government of France
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Daimler Double-Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupé
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7,2 liters V12 engine. Unique car, built in 1931.

Extraordinary cars president II

Bucciali TAV 8-32 Saoutchik 'Fleche d'Or' Berline
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V12 engine of 4,9 liters.
Built in 1931.
One of the first front wheel drive.
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Bugatti Tipo 57C Van Vooren Cabriolet

Extraordinary cars president


Extraordinary cars president

Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Corto Touring Berlinetta
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In line 8 cylinders 2,9 liters engine
Only 20 cars were built between 1937 abd 1939.
The model shown won the 2008 “Concours d'Elegance” at Pebble Beach.

Extraordinary Cars

Daimler Double-Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupé 7.2-litre V12 engine. Unique car, built in 1931.










Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK Trossi Roadster in-line 7.1-litre 6-cylinder, unique, built in 1931. Won the concours d’élégance of Villa d'Este en 2007.









Talbot-Lago T150 C Figoni et Falaschi "Goutte d'Eau" 4-litre 6-cylinder in-line engine. Only 16 units built; valued at US$3 million














BMW Type 328

P90058343 highRes 285x198 BMW Wins 1940 Mille Miglia   A Victory of Passion and Precision

BMW is a marque that may appear relatively young in terms of motorsports accomplishments to many here in North America, but whose four wheeled racing efforts actually began just before the Second World War with what is perhaps today seen as one of the most quintessential small bore sports cars ever to run in anger, the Type 328.

In the mid 1930s, BMW saw itself growing at a tremendous rate; both as an aviation engine component supplier, and especially in the realm of motorcycle technology, where BMW was further developing what has come to be known as its signature boxer twin engine for the two wheeled market. The car market for BMW was growing steadily for the German manufacturer from Munich, and in late 1935 the firm passed out literature to those select customers who were thought to have the ability to help the marque make a full entry into the world of sports car racing. The press was deliberately left out of the loop and the information that select “friends of the company” received was meant to be nothing more than an appetizer of sorts, for the main dish was yet to come.

WWII Harley Davidson

WWII MotorcycleCome enjoy the past by visiting the Urbana VFW Post 630 this weekend. There is no cost to attend this display where you will be able to see military displays from the Civil War, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam along with a WWII Jeep, WWII Harley Davidson, and a WWII Cushman plus much more

BSA, 1861, Great Britain

descriptions of legendary motorcycles: BSA
Helmut Krackowizer on BSA, at the 1st-May-Race at Salzburg-Liefering

BSA, 1861, Great Britain, Birmingham Small Arms had been called this factory first, which was a loose merger of 14 master armouries at Birmingham, founded 17th July 1861. At the beginning they produced weapons, but due to the lack of enough wars they had to look for other products. And this had been bicycles first, and later, in 1910 the first BSA-motor cycle.

In the year of anniversary of King George V, 1935 - he celebrated his Silver-reign-year - BSA launched the "Empire-Star" models on the market. It was the 30th June of 1937 when the famous English motor cycle racer Wal Handley, who already had announced his retreat of racing, entered with one of this models for an unimportant club race at Brooklands. And even he had to start with a handicap of 9 seconds in comparison with the other participants, he overtook the whole starter-field within the three laps of race and won with an average speed of 102,27 mph (164,55 km/h), having the fasted lap with an average of 107,57 mph (173,08 km/h). It was the hour of birth of the "Gold Star" model, so called after the golden star, which each rider got, succeeded in having a lap on the Brooklands race course faster than 100 miles (160 km/h).

After the Second World War the “Gold Star” model was the most successful motor cycle for private racing riders at the TT: in 1950 had been 41 BSA among 93 riders at the “Clubmann TT”; 1952: 71 “Gold Stars” among 92 riders and the occupied 16 places among the first 20 riders. In 1961 the production of “Gold Star” models finished, allegedly in favour of the “Triumph Tiger 100”.
1964 and 1965 BSA was again two times successful with Jeff Smith in Motocross World Championship. 1971 even a BSA won the famous “200 Miles of Daytona”. But then it followed the financial decline ending 1973 in the sale to the Norton-Villiers-Triumph-group.

My father was a BSA-merchant in the early 50ieth in his hometown Vöcklabruck (Upper Austria) and enthusiastic rider of one.

Motor Cycle Factory

motor cycle factory
Bianchi Sport 1927: 350 cc

Bianchi, 1897, Italy, one of the oldest motor cycle factory, Bianchi, closed its doors in 1967. Eduardo Bianchi the founder, constructed in 1897 a kind of small engine for bicycles, 1900 his first Bianchi-car and finally in 1903 his first motor cycle. Famous drivers had been Tazio Nuvolari, Dorino Serafini or the Scottish Bob McIntyre, which helped the company to great success.

William Eduard Brough,

descriptions of legendary motorcycles: Brough
Brough 1928: 4 cyl. 900 cc aircooled

Brough, 1902, Great Britain, William Eduard Brough, mechanics and electronics engineer, constructed his first car already in 1898. Followed by a tricycle with a french De-Dion-engine and finally in 1902 his first motor cycle "All Brough". Between the wars the Brough had been countered as one of the most expensive and of course best motor cycles until the end of its production in 1940. His son founded in late 1919 his own factory producing the famous "Brough Superior", the "Rolls Royce" among the motor cycles. The probably most famous owner of one was T. E. Lawrence of Arabia. And in 1929 Herbert Le Vack claimed world record with 207,73 km/h, in 1937 Eric Fernihough renewed this record with 273,244 km/h on a Brough. In Austria there were two famous riders in the 20ies: the later on famous sports photographer Lothar Rübelt and the later on "engines-professor" Robert Eberan Eberhorst. As well as the Viennese Prof. Dr. Konrad Lorenz (behavioural research of animals).

first Adler-Motorcycle 1903

first Adler-Motorcycle 1903
the first Adler-Motorcycle 1903

Adler, 1886, Germany, established in Frankfurt/Main in 1886 by Heinrich Kleyer as a bicycle-factory (nearly all motor cycle makes derived from bicycle-factories). The first Adler motor cycle had be created in 1901, at first still with French engines, which had been replaced by their own since 1903. The essential breakthrough succeeded after the Second World War. In the Fifties the Adler models had been very popular for the "Six-days-Trials" ect. But already in 1956, already part of the Grundig-Group, Adler had to get into sales-community with Hercules and Triumph, before its history ended in 1958 definitely.

Ariel V-2 Sidecar 1923

descriptions of legendary motorcycles: Ariel
Ariel V-2 Sidecar with 6,7 h.p. 3 gears of 1923

Ariel, 1902, Great Britain, the probably most unusual and most popular model of that factory, producing from 1902 until 1966 at Birmingham, was the "Square Four": this was that 4-cyclinder-model, which was constructed for the first time not as common - four cylinder lengthways - but arranged in square! That is why the model got by on a shorter wheelbase. Originally the factory had been established in 1892 and had been grown out of a fusion of several smaller factories. The production had been stopped in 1965.

The Irish man Sammy Miller took care of great sports successes in Trial towards the end of relative long history of the mark. He won on the Trial-500-cc-ohv-one-cyclinder five times one behind the other the British Trial Championship and had been two times the overall winner of the Scottish Six Days Trial

George Brough - Engineer, Sporting Motorcyclist



The Army officer....and Aircraftsman above!!! - is of course the legendary T.E. Lawrence - "Lawrence of Arabia"

...while the SECOND man is the equally legendary (in some circles) George Brough - engineer, sporting motorcyclist....and interwar manufacturer of one of the world's most respected brands of luxury/sporting motorcycles, the Brough Superior - one of who's machines Lawrence was eventually killed riding - one of three Brough Superiors he owned in his lifetime!

The Vehicle Presidents Collection