Because I work for years Auto Motor Klassiek – an annual subscription only costs €49,50, so why not? – As an employee, I receive the magazine at the same time as the subscribers receive it: about a week before it hits the shelves.
That was once good marketing, because subscribers saw the advertisements for all those classics and parts for sale a week earlier than the single issue buyers.
In addition to the magazine, www.amklassiek.nl runs, and that is even cheaper than a subscription. It is free. But the February paper issue tells about a one-off Frua Lancia and why emergency vehicles use blue lights.
To create a bridge between the magazine and the site, here is the story about the only (?) Frua BMW and why red cabin light was linked to eating carrots.
The Frua BMW
André Kout is a phenomenon from the Far North. It is named after his company Kout Automobiles and is in the more exclusive segment. Not necessarily in terms of price, but in terms of taste and models.
During a trip to Spain he found a strange looking BMW that smelled like Frua. The car looked very worn and had a diesel that certainly did not belong there. Because he liked the price, he bought the free-range BMW and shipped it north.
After further investigation, the neglected Spaniard turned out to be a one-off built by Frua. And it turned out that BMW had been looking for that car for a while. As they say in England “Happy Days!”.
Carrots are good for your eyes
You can read in AMK number 2 how the flashing lights turned blue. But those red cabin/cockpit lights? During WWII, the British discovered that night fighter pilots could see outside much better if the instrument lighting was red. The British were terrified that the Germans would find out and came up with a plan. They gave the night fighter pilots carrots to eat before every flight. “Because scientists discovered that eating carrots improved night vision.”
The results of the British night fighters with red dashboard lighting were considerably better. Downed pilots who were heavily interrogated could only say that their successes were based on eating carrots.
Additional news in February's AMK. Did I mention that such a subscription is so cheap?
Is the article about the Frua BMW still available somewhere?
It is striking that no account was taken of the fact that (especially men) are color blind on red and green and then only see gray...
Many men even only see black and white
Red light works well, just like green light. Both colors appear to have less influence on the sensitivity of the eyes, which is fine for looking outside at night from any vehicle. My old VW Golf had an extensive extra instrument panel. All VDO meters had been given green lighting for that purpose. Our current descendant of that type has console lighting that shines from above with light from red LEDs. Identical result and absolutely great
And I want a De Havilland Mosquito!
Another story from England about pilots and night vision in WWII is that they had blueberries on their menu because it was said to contribute positively to better eyesight
Better than blue beans!