{"id":48250,"date":"2021-02-24T12:58:55","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T12:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.museum-aarschot.be\/xxvi-les-belges-aiment-la-bagnole\/"},"modified":"2021-02-24T12:58:55","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T12:58:55","slug":"xxvi-les-belges-aiment-la-bagnole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.museum-aarschot.be\/en\/xxvi-les-belges-aiment-la-bagnole\/","title":{"rendered":"XXVI. Les Belges aiment la bagnole"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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The images of the cars offer a special glimpse into Aarschot\u2019s automotive history.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Garage Minerva Aarschot – source: Aarschot weleer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arthur<\/strong> (photo: 3 September 1939)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arthur\u2019s quintessentially Belgian Minerva is one of the first cars in Aarschot.<\/strong>
Next, Arthur acquires a Dodge in the Jozef II-straat in Brussels, with which he and Clementina visit the wholesalers in fashion fabrics every week (including where the comic strip museum is now located). If an oncoming vehicle approaches on the Brusselsesteenweg, Arthur quickly pulls over to the side to prevent an accident!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A black Beetle with two separate rear windows is Frie\u2019s first car<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PORSCHE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Antoine Dufilho – technique: aluminium & stainless steel – 80 x 36 cm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1962) \u201cThey can\u2019t even afford a house yet and they drive a Porsche.\u201d – Jos VK complains to mother Tineke<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe white (really white, not \u2018ivory\u2019 white) Porsche (with a \u2018W\u2019 number plate, I remember) was admittedly not the hyper-rare and hyper-fragile racing version 356 Carrera GT 2000GS. It was the 356 C (judging by the flattened hubcaps and the two exhausts in the rear bumper) with a 1600 engine and 95 DIN hp, and disc brakes. It already moved along wonderfully well, because the weight was just 900 kg.\u201d – Arie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI still remember this Peugeot 404 well: it was an \u2018Injection\u2019 as stated at the rear to the left of the number plate in discreet but elegant letters. It was light blue, non-metallic, in Frie\u2019s words called \u2018lark blue\u2019.\u201d – Arie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Leyland Princess<\/strong> (1975-1981)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the corner of the Elisabethlaan and the Pastoor Dergentlaan, next to the notary\u2019s office, Maria Walschaerts runs a Gulf petrol station. As a little boy Pieter comes to the garage almost daily. He likes the smell of petrol. Benzene, the substance that plays an important role in the smell of petrol, provides the sweetness in his nostrils. The drunken gravedigger Jef Kist comes to fill up with his hearse with a corpse in the back. Around the petrol pump it is a meeting place that prompts spontaneous conversation. At the same spot Maria\u2019s husband is the British Leyland dealer. Garage owner Cyriel is also a volunteer fireman. The annual open-door week grabs Pieter from the first second. Godfried lends Cyriel his large underground garage so that he can park the new cars there at night: Mini-Coopers, Allegros, Princesses, TR7s … . During a purchase price negotiation a prospective buyer asks \u201cfor a bit more off\u201d. Cyriel answers drily: \u201cWell, for you I\u2019ll take a bumper off…\u201d At night street races are occasionally organised in Aarschot. The souped-up Mini-Coopers, Simca 1000 Rallye 2s and Renault 8 Gordinis gather in front of Cyriel\u2019s garage because his son Robbie joins in with a Mini-Cooper. Pieter peeks from the window at the street racing. Residents who are completely fed up with the situation sound the alarm. \u201cThe Elisabethlaan is used at night as a race circuit. That leads to life-threatening situations.\u201d But fortunately the street racing simply carries on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mentions of garage owners\u2019 names are removed. If Frie has the top version of a type, the number plate has to be taken off. With an entry-level model he leaves the plate on. Incidentally, in Aarschot you must not be seen with branding on carrier bags either. When shopping, the bag is first turned inside out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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