PaulGerard.bsky.social
@paulgerard.bsky.social
240 followers 280 following 460 posts
Anglo-German. Living on Italy/France border. Enviously snapping other people’s old cars Talk to me about movies; basketball; opera. I’m here for a break from talking about politics.
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paulgerard.bsky.social
TIL that while the Peugeot 202 has a front-mounted radiator, 1930’s Renaults had the cooling radiator mounted behind the engine, which doesn’t seem very logical.
Apparently they do overheat very quickly.
paulgerard.bsky.social
Albert - owner of the Aiguës-Mortes Auto museum - proudly showed us each of his cars in turn, opening the doors, lifting the hoods.

A self-taught mechanic, he did all the restoration work himself. He also claimed to be 90.

Quite a character!

Mainly older cars, but some moderns too.

#weirdcarBS
Albert proudly showing the engine of a 1936 Rosengart
paulgerard.bsky.social
Calling #weirdcarBS!
ottoenglish.bsky.social
Historical accuracy nerds should probably look away now.... although

Marks will be given for spotting what's wrong!
paulgerard.bsky.social
I can’t think when I last saw a Fiat Coupé. Chris Bangle’s controversial design still looks quite fresh.

#weirdcarBS #CarBluesky #FIAT
Reposted by PaulGerard.bsky.social
slowberlin.bsky.social
Before | After

#tagderdeutscheneinheit
paulgerard.bsky.social
With analog version of Tesla Sentry mode.
Reposted by PaulGerard.bsky.social
paulgerard.bsky.social
My colleagues in Germany used to call weak coffee Blümchenkaffee.

(from the days when coffee cups had floral patterns inside and the coffee was so weak it was transparent)
paulgerard.bsky.social
I only had one more - I was trying to get the idea of the elegance of the French street together with the Mercedes, but I’m not sure it worked.
paulgerard.bsky.social
David Attenborough voice:

“In late summer each year the Magill climbs into his trusty Fiat and begins the arduous journey to warmer climes…”
paulgerard.bsky.social
The perfect car for late summer touring, the Mercedes W114/5’s elegant lines catch the early evening sunlight.

#weirdcarBS #CarBlueSky
Mercedes W114/5 (or Strich-Acht) street parked (front three quarter view) 1970’s Mercedes 280CE parked street side
paulgerard.bsky.social
The French really love Tintin!
Exhibition of the real cars of the Tintin cartoon stories in Mulhouse, France
Reposted by PaulGerard.bsky.social
princetonupress.bsky.social
Now in #paperback, The Emperor and the Elephant by @samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social is a new history of Christian-Muslim relations in the #Carolingian period that provides a fresh account of events by drawing on Arabic as well as western sources.

Learn more: press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
The Emperor and the Elephant: Christians and Muslims in the Age of Charlemagne by Sam Ottewill-Soulsby
Reposted by PaulGerard.bsky.social
samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social
The elephant rides again! 🐘 Join us on a journey from the palaces of Baghdad, through the streets of Córdoba and all the way to the forests of Aachen #medievalsky
princetonupress.bsky.social
Now in #paperback, The Emperor and the Elephant by @samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social is a new history of Christian-Muslim relations in the #Carolingian period that provides a fresh account of events by drawing on Arabic as well as western sources.

Learn more: press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
The Emperor and the Elephant: Christians and Muslims in the Age of Charlemagne by Sam Ottewill-Soulsby
paulgerard.bsky.social
Oh no! Now I have to take a cold shower…
paulgerard.bsky.social
BMW X4 like this one.

I never thought I would like a car like this - all style and no substance - but this was a great cruiser for a long distance trips in Italy and France.

Plus, it was the only car I owned that my daughter said she thought was cool.🤣
BMW X4
paulgerard.bsky.social
Citroen 2CV.

I was on the way to a shop to buy a sun shade for my house & thought this would be a good color. So I showed it to the shopkeeper.

Spoiler alert: my wife wants green.
Citroen 2CV
paulgerard.bsky.social
Time was, when you had tickets for Newcastle, you were hoping for an asteroid to hit the earth in advance 😳
paulgerard.bsky.social
Even 50 years later, I can still remember this scathing takedown of the Cortina advert in Car magazine almost word for word.
paulgerard.bsky.social
There was a very rare Alfa Romeo 1600 Zagato at the Autogiro d’Italia this week.

Its fastback styling seemed to be a forerunner of the Alfetta GTV (also at the Autogiro).

#weirdcarBS
Alfa Romeo 1600Z in dark blue Alfa Romeo 1600 Z Dark blue Alfetta GTV
paulgerard.bsky.social
Cue stampede of young academics racing to find the mythical pot of academic funding at the end of the rainbow.
paulgerard.bsky.social
It’s amazing how the blue skies of the Côte d’Azur make even a 1930s concrete church look beautiful.
Church of Sainte Jeanne d’Arc in Nice
paulgerard.bsky.social
This Porsche just took my breath away!

#weirdcarBS #Porsche #CarBluesky