Aero Cars on Display at Lane Motor Museum

When founded in 1925, Aero mainly produced airplanes. After a decline in sales, they began producing cars from 1928-1947; introducing their first car, the Aero 10, in 1929. The Type 10 was a low-priced car that the factory workers could build yet also drive themselves.

While many of the Czechoslovakian vehicles are rarely seen outside of Europe, there were eight passenger car manufacturers in Czechoslovakia between the mid 1920s to the late 1940s: Aero, Jawa, Praga, Skoda, Tatra, Walter, Wikov, and Z. Aero was the fourth largest Czech auto manufacturer. Aeros were imported to Austria, Germany, Poland, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria. They participated in Monte Carlo rallies and other prestigious international competitions.

After WWI all important industrial works were nationalized and the government implemented a plan for three classes of autos to be manufactured, based on engine displacement. Those companies were Jawa (smaller than 1000cc), Skoda (1000cc-2000cc), and Tatra (above 2000cc). As a result, Aero cars ceased production in 1947.

It was not until after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 that a new free-market environment emerged. 2005 saw a record number of passenger cars produced in the Czech Republic, with Skoda producing 500,000 and the Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile plant producing 100,000.

A display of the following Aero cars can now be seen at Lane Motor Museum:

1931 AERO 10
The Aero 10 was their first production car and it was a very simple cycle car with a single cylinder 500cc water-cooled engine driving the rear wheels. The Aero 10 had brakes on the rear wheels only, and electric start was extra. If a consumer did not order the electric start, there was a long rope that came through the dashboard with a wooden T-handle to give the car a pull start. Another interesting feature of the Aero 10 is that the gearbox is located in the rear axle instead of being mounted on the engine. This configuration was used in the 1970-2000 time period in many sports cars in hopes of evening out the weight distribution on front engine cars.

1931 AERO 18
After three years of production of the Aero 10, Aero introduced an updated version of this car in 1931. The new car was called Aero 18. From the exterior appearance nothing had changed, but the motor size was increased, and HP was increased substantially from 10 to 18.

1934 AERO 30
With the introduction of the Aero 30 in 1934 Aero took a giant step forward in its car business. Aero’s previous cars, the model 10 and 18, were pretty basic with technological and styling features that were very common during that time for manufacturers. The Aero 30 changed all that. The styling was dramatic and beautiful for its time, and even now, 75 years later the car still has great lines. Underneath the great styling, Aero went to front wheel drive, which was a very novel technology in the 1930s. Engine size was again increased to 998cc and HP was raised to 28 – giving the Aero 30 good acceleration and a very respectable top speed.

1936 AERO 30
When introduced, the Aero 30 made a big impression. These front-wheel drive cars used all-independently sprung platform frames with mechanical brakes and friction dampers. The longitudinally mounted engines were two-strokes, water-cooled, with light alloy deflector-type pistons. Production ceased during the war but the A30 was briefly revived–about 500 cars with redesigned grilles and a synchromesh gearbox were produced in 1946 and 1947. Annual sales in the late 1930s were around 1000 cars; they were exported to France, Belgium, Hungary, and Romania. The Aero 30 was produced from 1934-1947 with approximately 7,780 produced during this time.

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February 1
Bobby Rahal, Brian Redman, and Bob Garretson drive a Porsche 935 K3 to victory in the 1981 24 Hours of Daytona – the first IMSA GTP race. (image Rahal Redman…)

Brian Redman finishes both 1st and 2nd in the 1970 24 Hours of Daytona when two Porsche 917Ks he co-drove take the top two spots on the podium. 1st place was shared with Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnunen, while 2nd was split with Jo Siffert. (image Rodriguez.Redman…)

February 2
The very first Cobra roadster prototype reaches the shops of Carroll Shelby in southern California – 1962.

Al Holbert, Derek Bell, and Al Unser Jr. drive the famous #14 Lowenbräu Special Porsche 962 to the 1986 24 Hours of Daytona win. (image #14 Holbert…)

February 3
Paul Goldsmith, driving a Smokey Yunick-prepared Pontiac, wins the last stock car race run on the beach at Daytona – 1958. (image Paul Goldsmith…)

February 4
Sir Malcolm Campbell drives “Bluebird” to a land speed record of 174.833 mph at Pendine Sands, Wales – 1927. (image sirbw27)

Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood drive their lightweight 2.8 liter Porsche 911 Carrera RSR to victory in the 1973 24 Hours of Daytona, besting the 3 liter entries from Ferrari, Matra, and Mirage-Ford.

February 5
Derek Bell, Bob Wolleck, and John Andretti give the Porsche 962 its 50th win in the United States at the 1989 24 Hours of Daytona.

February 6
“The Little Mexicans”, brothers Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez (ages 12 and 15, respectively), take part in their first automobile race in Mexico, 1955. They were already accomplished motorcycle racers.

The BMW M1c, modified for IMSA GTP competition, rolls out of the March factory, 1981. (image hobbs81b)

February 7
Bruce McLaren wins the Argentine Grand Prix in Buenos Aires in 1960.

February 8
A revised Ferrari GTO Series II is granted homologation papers by the FIA thanks to some “creative” chassis numbers assigned by Ferrari, 1964. 3 cars were produced, along with 36 Series I cars – a far cry from the requisite 100 cars required by the FIA.

February 9
Carl Fisher, James Allison, Arthur Newberry, and Frank Wheeler form the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation in 1909.

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It was a fun time with the morning DJ’s Greg, Eugene and Tex!  If you missed it, click on either of the text links below to hear the audio files for part I and II of the interview.  Many thanks to our new friends!

Interview on Nashville’s Solid Gospel 104.5- February 4, 2010, Part 1

Interview on Nashville’s Solid Gospel 104.5- February, 4 2010- Part 2

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Everybody Pays Kid's Price of $2 Sunday February 7

For one day only, this Sunday, February 7th from 10am-5pm, Lane Motor Museum will allow kids of all ages to view its collection of rare and unusual vehicles at the regular Kid’s Price of only $2 per person. Kids age 5 and under will remain free! Don’t miss this great chance to see the museum for the kid’s admission price of $2- no matter what your age!

January 20
Major corporate sponsorship of professional international racing begins as Team Lotus repaints its familiar British Racing Green cars in the red/white livery of Gold Leaf Cigarettes for the 1968 Tasman Series in New Zealand.

January 21
Emil Jellinek, whose daughter Mercedes’ name graces the now-familiar Mercedes-Benz, dies in Geneva in 1918.

January 22
The legendary Porsche 959s finish 1st, 2nd, and 6th in the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally.

January 24
Ken Miles drives his R-1, an MG special, to victory in the Palm Springs CA Desert Trophy race, 1954.

January 26
PL Newman, racer (aka Paul Newman, actor) is born in 1924.

January 28
Bernd Rosemeyer, 1936 European Driver’s Champion, is killed during a record attempt, driving an Auto Union on the autobahn near Frankfurt, Germany. He was attempting to best the earlier record, set that day, of Rudy Caracciola, whose Mercedes achieved 268 mph just minutes earlier. (1938)

Emil Jellinek, Photo courtesy Mercedes-Benz Mexico

Paul Newman, Photo courtesy Nissan NA

Fred Marriot, Photo Courtesy www.birthplaceofspeed2006.com

Bernd Rosemeyer, Photo Courtesy Audi AG

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Photo By: David Yando

Among its members are Sunday drivers, vintage racers, concours competitors, mechanics, original owners, and those yet to acquire a 356.

The Tennessee Tubs Bar-B-Que, the club’s signature event, is held the Saturday before Memorial Day Weekend. This year’s event will be on May 22. Visit www.tennesseetubs.com for more information.

Jeff Lane with Elliott Bambrough, Host of Treasure Hunters Roadshow

What do you think? Does this sound like a fun show that you would enjoy tuning in for?

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Don’t forget that this weekend, Dec. 10-14, will be the last chance for you to turn in your Toys for Tots Donations in exchange for FREE admission to the museum!

As we have done in the past, we have encouraged donations to this great cause by offering FREE admission to the museum in exchange for your donation. This can be redeemed when you come to make your donation or we will even give you a voucher for a complimentary visit at a later date. If you are a member who already visits frequently, this would make a great stocking stuffer or thank you gift for a loved one, friend or even a co-worker. After all, we know you’ve been trying to tell them that they “need to see this museum!” : ) Give them the chance to come see our great exhibits!

The only requirements to receive this great incentive is that all toys need to be new, unwrapped, and valued at $5 or more.

Remember, this offer is only good until next Monday, December 14 (the museum will close at 5pm). We hope you’re able to take advantage of this opportunity while giving Christmas to the less fortunate children in our area.

Thank you for your generosity.

Happy Holidays to all!

Your Friends at Lane Motor Museum

1919 Leyat Replica

Marcel Leyat was a degreed engineer who designed, built, and flew his first airplane in 1909. Leyat developed the belief that propeller-driven vehicles were the wave of the future, and in 1913, built his first propeller-driven car. He tested this 1913 car extensively, and in 1919 Leyat began production of the model you see here.

There were other people who also shared Leyat’s belief about propeller power, but Leyat spent years trying to develop a viable propeller-driven car. His theory was that the cars would be simpler (no transmission, rear axle, or clutch) and lighter, therefore they would be able to obtain better fuel economy. If you look at the Leyat closely, you can see how exquisite the engineering is. Leyat paid very close attention to aerodynamics and weight. The body, resembling an airplane, is fully streamlined – as is the front axle – to reduce drag. Instead of using traditional wheels, Leyat built his own with aluminum discs, and integrated the brakes to further reduce the drag. Weight was also reduced to a minimum by using a full monocoque chassis and many aluminum parts to obtain a total vehicle weight of 625 lbs.

Leyat showed his car at the 1921 Paris Auto Show and claims to have received 600 orders. Unfortunately, Leyat was never able to get funding to go into large-scale production, but he continued to build propeller-driven cars until about 1926, with a total production of about 25 cars.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: Marcel Leyat
Country of Origin: France
Drivetrain Configuration: Front engine, propeller-driven
Engine: Harley-Davidson J Model, V-twin, air-cooled, 1000cc, 18 hp
Transmission: Direct drive
Top Speed: 50 mph
Years of Production: 1919-1921
Number Produced: 6
Original Cost: Unknown

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Lane Motor Museum is proud to announce that we are now displaying our newest propeller-driven vehicle; the 1919 Leyat Replica!

Marcel Leyat was a degreed engineer who designed, built, and flew his first airplane in 1909. Leyat developed the belief that propeller-driven vehicles were the wave of the future and, in 1913, built his first propeller-driven car. He tested this 1913 car extensively and in 1919 Leyat began production of the model you see here. There were other people who also shared Leyat’s belief about propeller power, but Leyat spent years trying to develop a viable propeller-driven car. His theory was that the cars would be simpler (no transmission, rear axle, or clutch) and lighter, therefore they would be able to obtain better fuel economy. If you look at the Leyat closely, you can see how exquisite the engineering is. Leyat paid very close attention to aerodynamics and weight.

The body, resembling an airplane, is fully streamlined -as is the front axle- to reduce drag. Instead of using traditional wheels, Leyat built his own with aluminum discs, and integrated the brakes to further reduce the drag. Weight was also reduced to a minimum by using a full monocoque chassis and many aluminum parts to obtain a total vehicle weight of 625 lbs.

Leyat showed his car at the 1921 Paris Auto Show and claims to have received 600 orders. Unfortunately, Leyat was never able to get funding to go into large-scale production, but he continued to build propeller-driven cars until about 1926, with a total production of about 25 cars.