Hour Rule

"Jobjoris" (Jobjoris) 05/07/2015 at 03:18 • Filed to: Hour Rule, Gatso 4000 Aero Coupe

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Jonee > Jobjoris 05/07/2015 at 18:53

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The great Gatso! Dutch auto design at its finest. I absolutely love it. It’s kind of amusing that Gatso still exists and makes speed cameras.

Jobjoris > Jonee 05/08/2015 at 03:36

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Well, it’s finest... I prefer the Gatso 1500 ‘Platje’.

But that 4000 Aero should be quite a ride!

Jonee > Jobjoris 05/09/2015 at 02:26

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Yeah, I love that one.

It probably gets hot under that bubble, but it does look fun. They made some good cars, apparently.

Jobjoris > Jonee 05/09/2015 at 05:12

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They made very, very few.

During college I worked part-time at an accountancy firm, the managing partner used to drive the first Gatso, the ‘Kwik’ (also with a V8), in his younger years (1950s). Not knowing how special it would become he sold it when he was starting his company. He still had pictures all over the office of it.

Gatso initially was named Gatford but Ford wasn’t all too happy about it so he had to change it. Maybe another topic for a piece from you!

Jonee > Jobjoris 05/11/2015 at 00:48

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That’s amazing he had one. Didn’t they make like 12 cars? I didn’t know about the Ford thing. Pretty weird they’d pick on someone so small. Gatso is a better name anyway. I would love to learn more about them, actually, so maybe it will become a Weird Wheels post. It’s right up our alley.

Jobjoris > Jonee 05/11/2015 at 02:29

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Yeah, one Kwik, one 1500 (Fiat 1500cc I6!) ‘Platje’ (which also is slang for some venereal disease over here!), rest of them the 4000 IIRC. There were supposed to be 200 ordered from the US alone but Maurice never could live up to producing that amount of cars...

‘Maus’ Gatsodines was a great rally-driver, would become factory driver later in his career. Maybe his fame and reputation was too great a threat to Ford?

Jonee > Jobjoris 05/12/2015 at 00:01

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He would have beaten Daf here. Sounds like an interesting story. It could be Ford felt threatened on the racing front. Or it was that idea of exporting them.

Jobjoris > Jonee 05/12/2015 at 03:00

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Exporting 200 to the US wouldn’t have cost Ford that much I suppose. However, interesting story. Let me know if you want to do something more on this one.

How’s the Wimille-piece going for you?

Jonee > Jobjoris 05/13/2015 at 01:06

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I think we should do a Gatso piece. There’s a bit online. I wonder what you can uncover being close to the source.

I haven’t had much time to work on Wimille, but I’ve done most of the research. I just have to finish writing it down. He and Robert Benoist were so closely connected, it’s hard to just focus on Wimille. Someone actually wrote a novel based on their exploits with this other British spy/racing driver who kind of organized their little resistance group. It would make a fun movie, actually, only they didn’t really accomplish much in terms of spying and sabotaging except get themselves caught. Wimille made a daring escape, but he forgot to bring his wife with him. Typically French, I guess.

Jobjoris > Jonee 05/13/2015 at 02:52

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Well, mr. Harterink died on us several years ago already so he won’t help us a lot... But I’m sure we’ll be able to talk to someone over here in the Netherlands ;-)

Haha, forgot to bring his wife? Being a man he probably just was fed up with her and this gave him an excellent excuse. Mais non!

Now I wonder, next to developing a car with multiple Wankel-engines (or 8-stroke piston), writing an automotive article to sell to international car magazines, we’re starting our own film-production company? This is going to be some wicked summer...

Jonee > Jobjoris 05/14/2015 at 01:02

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Did he have any kids?

I think Eisen-Verbeeten Enterprises will be a cross-platform global conglomerate that will revolutionize the auto and entertainment industries. We should start looking for venture capitalist investors before Torch steals all our ideas.

Jobjoris > Jonee 05/14/2015 at 01:49

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None if I remember correct. He was married to a Brenninkmeier heiress, a famous Dutch entreprenureal family. I’ll contact some people from back then anyway soon, announcing the change off address.