WHEELS & TRACKS No. 6

I won’t wright many words it would be an insult to Mr. Vanderveen, just enjoy his love to these vehicles. 

Throwback to the early years when the legendary Bart H. Vanderveen visited us (and the Iron Curtain still existed for another 10 years :D ). He was one of the most influencing historians about military vehicles. My father is still collecting according to his books to complete his collection. He always mentions that these are the holy grail/ the bible if you want to know which vehicle/type it actually is. Here Bart wrote an article for his Wheels & Tracks magazine No. 6:

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All rights reserved by WHEELS & TRACKS / Bart H. Vanderveen 

Almost 40 years later we are still thankful for your great and lovely article about our collection! 

Keep smiling!

One year ago I was on a movieset in Vienna and it turned out to be a very special day. Apparently not only for me...!

I was preparing our Dodge WC57 Command Reconnaissance and myself to be ready for action. I didn't notice that a father and his children have been staring with wide eyes on the car. After a while the father asked if it is okay to take pictures from the car and me - very politely! I was wearing an U.S. Military Police uniform for the shot already. Of course I didn't had a problem, so I took the boys that they were on the pictures too. I felt how happy the boys were, so I decided to look on my watch if there is a little time left before the action starts. After that I asked if they want to sit in the car. Their smile got even bigger. So I helped the father with his one son to get into the car because he was sitting in a wheelchair. The father was taking further pictures and my heart felt that I have to make an unforgettable day for them. Therefore I went to the driver seat and asked the father if it is okey to take them for a small ride!

I can tell you there is no better feeling to bring joy in the eyes of children. They enjoyed the small ride and we couldn't stop smiling. I think it is a very hard fate to sit in a wheelchair, especially at that age. In my mind it is a duty to do good things for people with impairments.

Finally I invited them to our museum, hopefully one day they come and I can give another smile! 

The children and me in the U.S. uniform. 

The children and me in the U.S. uniform. 

Keep smiling!  

Keep smiling!  

Die Kinder der Villa Emma - Free TV premiere

On March 23rd 2016 a project that I really liked will be broadcasted for the first time in free TV on ORF2. The movie is called "the children of Villa Emma". It is a true story and took us to very beautiful locations in Austria, Slovenia and Italy. Especially it was an honour to drive our vehicles in the region of Modena (Italy) the home of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and my favourite car manufacturer Pagani. Furthermore we have been welcomed also very nicely in a small hilly region of Slovenia and in the city center of Ljubljana. 

We used several German cars like the Opel Blitz, Steyr 1500A, Mercedes-Benz L3000, Phänomen 1500A, VW Typ 82 "Kübelwagen" and our Russian ZIS 5 as well. As you can see in the pictures below our main site of the film in Italy was a very old, huge and stunning horse breeding ranch. 

"Die Kinder der Villa Emma" was a group of Jewish children which tried to flee from the Nazis in 1941. Their existential adventure took them from Austria via Slovenia to the "Villa Emma" in Nonantola, Italy. 

ZIS 5 in Slovenia

ZIS 5 in Slovenia

Opel Blitz and ZIS 5 rear view

Opel Blitz and ZIS 5 rear view

Opel Blitz in front o an old farm in Slovenia

Opel Blitz in front o an old farm in Slovenia

awesome view from the farm

awesome view from the farm

another old farm by night

another old farm by night

another old farm by night and our Opel Blitz

another old farm by night and our Opel Blitz

stunning hilly side in Slovenia

stunning hilly side in Slovenia

vineyard in Slovenia 

vineyard in Slovenia 

our cars in Nonantola

our cars in Nonantola

VW type 83 "Kübelwagen, Steyr 1500A and Phänomen 1500A

VW type 83 "Kübelwagen, Steyr 1500A and Phänomen 1500A

VW type 83 "Kübelwagen, Steyr 1500A and Phänomen 1500A rear view

VW type 83 "Kübelwagen, Steyr 1500A and Phänomen 1500A rear view

Steyr 1500A and the sunset

Steyr 1500A and the sunset

Steyr 1500A and the sunset

Steyr 1500A and the sunset

"Kübelwagen", Steyr 1500A in front of the sunset  

"Kübelwagen", Steyr 1500A in front of the sunset  

 "Kübelwagen", Steyr 1500A in front of the sunset  

 "Kübelwagen", Steyr 1500A in front of the sunset  

Main building of the horse breeding mension

Main building of the horse breeding mension

stairs in the main building

stairs in the main building

side view of the main building

side view of the main building

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch - stables

horse breeding ranch - stables

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch - stables

horse breeding ranch - stables

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch - cellar

horse breeding ranch - cellar

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch

horse breeding ranch - stables

horse breeding ranch - stables

inside of the stables

inside of the stables

horse breeding ranch - stables

horse breeding ranch - stables

hay storage

hay storage

another building on the ranch

another building on the ranch

another building on the ranch

another building on the ranch

ZIS 5 in Lubljanas city center

ZIS 5 in Lubljanas city center

ZIS 5 in Lubljanas city center

ZIS 5 in Lubljanas city center

ZIS 5 in Lubljanas city center

ZIS 5 in Lubljanas city center

Hope you enjoyed our pictures! Please like our new Facebook page too: www.facebook.com/militarymuseum.at

Source: http://www.graffilm.com/de/filme/14-die_ki...