Report from Richard Sloman
Eventually, we set off for the Overloon War Museum in Overloon. It is an extraordinary place if you have any interest in big bits of machinery painted in khaki drab!
From Overloon, we set off for Cologne. Steve, who we were convoying with used to work for the MOD in Germany, and we were passing close to where he used to live so we went to try and find his old house….
We found the nearest town and pulled in to check maps.
While we were parked up, a local classic car run seemed to be underway, with many old cars driving past – a Taunus was relevant to our interests.
Maps consulted we set off following Steve, down single track roads through fields which quickly became rutted forest tracks:
Rob’s concours Mk2 Savage was getting an experience it wasn’t used to!
We eventually found some houses – not exactly where Steve lived but close – the whole massive housing estate has been left to re-wild. Abandoned to nature. We met a head teacher from Dusseldorf who lived next to the former military housing estate, who was very friendly and interested in our trip and happy to chat about the area, having seen the transition from an active community to a ghost town.
I would think in the UK a place like this would be vandalised and burnt out – but it seems in Germany it is simply decaying on its own!
After that we got on the road to Cologne, heading for the V8 Hotel – which is in the former airport buildings and contains a car museum, car storage plus car sales alongside restaurants and the hotel itself.
OK, a bit about the V8 Hotel.
It’s got a massive car park – so plenty of space for old cars – it seems to attract car people!
This was in the hotel lobby. Not just a Porsche 356, but a prototype 2+2 356.
The Michael Schumacher Private Collection
There was a Michael Schumacher exhibition on in the museum, with the cars he raced, plus all his race suits, balaclavas, paddock passes, socks….. (only joking about the socks).
We had dinner (spaghetti and meat balls) in the restaurant in the main hall so it felt like eating in a car showroom.
It was an excellent trip – thank you to Graham and Claire for organising!
All photos © Cortina MkII Owners Club LTD unless otherwise stated
