The Vintage Car Rally of Sitges 2011

Car rally: Back to the 1920s

The first Vintage Car Rally was held in 1959 in Sitges, Spain. The rally was an initiative to promote the tourism during the winter months. There was a need to start social events during the winter months. The first edition took place on February the 8th 1959 and 23 cars were involved. The race was so popular that was held continuously until today. In its early years the rally was played during Carnival, but since 1988 the date was set to the first Sunday of March.

Nowadays the rally is traditionally one of the most important social events during the winter in Sitges. The start is on Plaza San Jaume de Barcelona. Many people are watching with great admiration all the vintage cars. Not only Spanish people are attending the race, but there are participants from all over the World, including United States and United Kingdom.

50 years ago only 23 participants were attending the race, but nowadays this number increased to over 80. Some of the cars are museum pieces that roll back for a few hours without complexes and face the challenge. The race is not only about the fastest car, but many drivers are dressed like a driver from the 1920s. The first price of the rally is called the Grand Prize for Elegance. Prizes are trophies offered by the municipalities, government and the provincial council of tourism development of Sitges.

The next race will be held in the middle of March 2011. The vintage cars will drive from Plaza de San Jaume in Barcelona, along the old seaside road, to Sitges. The route is an old one used for many eras along the Coast of Garraf. Some of the real vintage cars stop at the Marina on the way for a lunch. Most of the drivers wear classic outfits.

Sitges is a small Spanish town about 35 kilometers southwest of Barcelona. Other famous events in Sitges are the yearly Film Festival and the Carnival. The economy of Sitges is mainly based on tourism and culture. If you want to see the start of the race you might want to stay in Barcelona. To visit the car really have a look at the Web site of apartments Sitges for affordable accommodation in Sitges. If you'd like to watch the old vehicles you can go to Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona the day before the race. You could attend the start on Sunday at Plaza de San Jaume and take the train to Sitges to see the finish. The Sitges Vintage Rally is not a rally about who's the fastest. Drivers get extra points for dressing up appropriately.

Harriet Freeman,

Tourist specialist and general interest in Barcelona, Spain. Have a look at the website of Barcelona apartments for more information about Barcelona.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Freeman

Classic Vintage Car Buying Tips

If you find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere, the new Land Cruiser, with its combination of go-anywhere ability and Toyota reliability, is the SUV of choice to get you home. Of course, with a massive V8 under the hood, it goes without saying that you would also require an unlimited supply of fuel.

To ensure that you get home even from the ends of the earth, the new Land Cruiser has active height control and adaptive variable suspension, a full time four-wheel drive system that features a limited slip center differential, crawl control, and hill start assist control. As well as numerous safety features, such as vehicle stability control (VSC), active traction control, multi terrain ABS, electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and brake assist. God forbid, should all the preventive systems fail, it also has 14 airbags as standard.

In the urban environment, if you can get over its considerable dimensions, which do provide unparalleled interior space, the new Land Cruiser shows great versatility by working brilliantly on city streets as well. As part of its evolution, the latest generation has a beautifully crafted and luxurious interior with all the electronic gizmos you could wish for.

From the Outside

In keeping with today's styling trends, the new Land Cruiser has a striking and imposing front grille. It's a very clean overall design that isn't likely to polarize opinion. On the whole, the styling does work well and manages to mask its substantial size.

From the Inside

It's a somewhat high step getting into the cabin, where you're greeted by enormous amounts of space and comfort - with an easy to stow third row of seats. The straightforward design theme carries forward into the cabin, which offers very high quality materials, as well as a sliver of matte faux-wood trim that runs the length of the dashboard and provides a touch of understated elegance. It's easy to find a comfortable driving position with the combination of an electrically adjustable seat and a power tilt and telescoping steering wheel. In the rear, you not only get massive legroom but also AC controls mounted on the back of the front central armrest.

Again in keeping with the trend these days, the Land Cruiser has a key fob that only needs to be in the cabin in order to fire up the engine courtesy of a start/stop button mounted on the center console. This particular car also features a remote starting system. The interior also has Blue tooth compatibility and a 6 CD/DVD changer. The equipment levels and quality of the interior do make you wonder what else could possibly be on its more up-market Lexus counterpart.

The only downside of the interior on this particular car imported from Japan is that the interface and some buttons on the center console are in Japanese, as is the owner's manual. As you can imagine, it'll take a little getting used to and some trial and error trying to figure out certain functions. If you want all the controls in English, you'll have to opt for the 4.5-liter diesel V8 imported from the UK market - although is prepared to shell out substantially more.

About the Author

Priya Singh wrote this article on behalf of http://www.autox.in/sitemapautox.html">Car Portal. For more information on car Used Cars car market tips for visiting car magazine you can visit at autox.in

How to Care for your Vintage Car

The desire to own a vintage car is a dream that is held dear by many. If you are fortunate enough to have attained that dream, then it is important to know how to care for your vintage car properly in order to provide it with the longest life possible.

First, it is important to ensure that you have the right protection for your vintage car. Just like any other vehicle or you've owned, it is critical to make sure that you have insurance. In the case of a vintage car, you should consider finding a company that specialises in vintage car insurance. Vintage car insurance is different from traditional forms of car insurance because it is specifically meant to protect your investment of a classic or vintage car. Regular car insurance does not typically provide adequate coverage for a vintage car because such insurance is based on the market value of the vehicle. As all vintage car owners know, the value of a vintage car cannot be classified in the same manner. This is precisely why vintage car insurance is the best option to consider. You will be able to ensure that you pride and joy is adequately protected in the event of an accident or a disaster.

Secondly, make sure that you actually drive your car. Many owners make the mistake of allowing their vehicle to sit still in garages for extended periods of time, thinking this is the best way to maintain them. The problem with this method of storage is that when you allow your vehicle to sit for long periods of time it causes the seals to dry up, the gasoline to stag and the lubricants begin to break down. Ideally, you should try to drive your vehicle every couple of weeks.

Make certain that your car is always clean and free from corrosive debris, sea salt ocean spray, sand, road dust & even bird droppings! One of the worst things that you can do for your car is to allow it to become dirty and leave it that way. Not only should the exterior be cleaned on a regular basis, but it is also important to make sure that the interior and engine bay are cleaned from debris, dust and dirt.

Finally, as with any other vehicle, it is important to make sure that you have service it regularly. This can help you to avoid engine problems later on and ensure that your vehicle runs as smoothly as possible. Remember that even if you do not drive it far on a regular basis, it is still important to change the oil every six months.

Maintaining and caring for your vintage car need not be difficult when you understand what is required. Along with driving your car on a regular basis, keeping it clean and changing the oil regularly, you can protect your investment by covering it with car insurance policy meant specifically for vintage and classic cars.

About the Author

This article highlights the importance of getting car insurance for your vintage car - a must for car enthusiasts.

The Pros and Cons of Antique and Vintage Cars

Ever seen a vintage car guzzling through the road between all the modern age marvels? A vintage car is a way to look into the past from the eyes of the present. Some people consider these cars a piece related to their ancestors and help its restoration. For many these cars are a status symbol and help them work up the social circles. On the other hand many believe that a vintage cars are not environmentally safe and cause too much pollution, thus its restoration and participation in rallies should not be allowed. Some pros and cons of a vintage car are:

Pros:

• Historical importance: Antique and vintage cars are of great historical importance, they serve as a proof of human advancement though generations. A vintage car restoration involves restoring an historical genius to its original form.

• Ancestral pride: For many people vintage and antique cars serve as a proof of their ancestral pride and honor. These cars signify the rich cultural and social history that is passed through generations in a family. Restoring and using such a car is of utmost importance to such people and a wise thing too.

• Status symbol: Since the dawn of time antiques are regarded as a status symbol, from vintage furniture and rare paintings to relics related to a lost civilization, these pieces of art and history have forever been in the books of the high class shoppers. Vintage and antique cars, like other historical collectables, are also taken as a status symbol for their classic and suave appeal.

• Hobby: Although, considered as hobby of the riches, collecting and restoring vintage and antique cars is a very addictive hobby. People have gone from buying really expensive pieces of history's junk and converted them to a celebration of historical glory and recognition of human advancement done through centuries of hard work.

• Social cause: Vintage car rallies help raise money for many social purposes.

Cons:

• High on maintenance: Maintaining an antique is not everyone's cup of tea. Proper care is needed to maintain an antique and vintage car.

• Space requirements: Antique and vintage cars need a lot of space for proper parking and body care. Antique care, usually being large in size are have to be driven carefully to park, closed and constrained spaces would cause a lot of trouble and may harm the cars body.

• Difficulty to find spares: The most important and difficult step in restoring an antique and a vintage car is to find the required spares. Many times the spares are not available and could only be bought with special requests to the company. Many times spares and parts are made custom made to fit the structure of the vintage car.

The facts mentioned above will give you a good idea whether you will like to add a vintage car to your stable. In case you feel confident of your choice then do go ahead and bring a priceless beauty into your home.

About the Author

Article written by Richard Crittendon of Automobile.com. For related information, see the recent article on the 2008 Toyota Tundra review.