Rhinebeck Spring Dust Off Preview: The Foreign Cars

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If you’re in New England this weekend, and you’re sick of the extended winter that we’ve been treated to and need a quick summertime car show fix, you’d be hard pressed to find a better car show than the Rhinebeck Spring Dust Off. Situated on the right bank of the Hudson River, the town of Rhinebeck, NY is just a couple hours north of New York City. And every year Rhinebeck hosts a wonderful “variety show,” which is a weekend mix of hot rods and custom cars on Saturday, and original unmodified cars on Sunday. The 42nd Annual Rhinebeck Spring Swap Meet and Car Show will take place May 3rd, 4th, and 5th at the Duchess County Fairgrounds.

Last week we took a look at the domestic cars that had made the trip to Rhinebeck last year. And this week, just a few days before the show itself, we’re going to take a look at the foreign cars that were on display last year. The foreign car contingent is not particularly huge every year, as the Rhinebeck Spring Dust Off tends to showcase rare American machinery from the 1950s through the 1970s, but there are definitely some great foreign cars to be seen. Let’s take a look at some highlights from last year, after the jump.

ren 20

One of the best surprises of Rhinebeck 2012 was this 1968 Renault R10. Needless to say, not a common car to see in the US, especially in this condition. Vintage Renaults are not all that plentiful even at foreign car events, and it’s hard to find any in concours condition as most stateside examples tend to be drivers. This brilliant example is owned by Duane Allen of Saugerties, NY.

veedub

Another surprise at Rhinebeck 2012 was this VW Quantum GL 5 wagon, a car often overlooked even by VW enthusiasts. I honestly did not expect to see this type of machine even at Carlisle, and Carlisle thrives on this sort of thing. A great example all around, and one of my personal favorites from last year.

opel gt

One of several Opel GTs at Rhinebeck last year, this one appeared to be in good condition inside and out.

triomphe

One of several Triumphs at Rhinebeck, as the show typically has a good turnout of British cars.

mgb

A nice blue MGB in RHD, last seen at Lime Rock Sunday Concours in 2012.

190 sl

One of a couple 190SLs at Rhinebeck, and perhaps one of the more valuable cars at the show.

pagoda

A sharp Pagoda Merc, in a charming color scheme. As you’ve probably guessed by now, Mercedes-Benz SLs make up a sizable chunk of all German machinery at Rhinebeck.

series two

A nice Land Rover Series II, in a color you don’t often see these in. This one appeared to have been very nicely restored, though perhaps the exterior color isn’t for everyone.

cxa

One of several Citroens at Rhinebeck, this CXA-imported example has been making the rounds at various classic car events around the northeast, even appearing at the 2011 Greenwich Concours.

635i

A sharp-looking 6er E24 with European-spec bumpers, this one was in great condition inside and out. Obviously a gray import that was never fully messed with.

capri

And last but not least, here’s an extremely tired Mercury Capri that looked like it had been raced at some point, and hung out in the foreign car section of the show. Capris are surprisingly tough to find now, despite the fact that they were sold for a total of 8 years badged as Mercury Capris. All North American versions were produced at the Cologne plant, and this example features the 2.8 liter Cologne V6 good for 105bhp. The differences between German Capris and the stateside variants will be apparent to anyone familiar with the European versions, but the most noticeable ones include the urethane 85mph bumpers, quad sealed-beams, and turn signals placed in the grille.

The 42nd Annual Rhinebeck Spring Swap Meet and Car Show will take place May 3rd, 4th, and 5th at the Duchess County Fairgrounds.

Full gallery from last year below:

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10 responses to “Rhinebeck Spring Dust Off Preview: The Foreign Cars”

  1. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    I really like the R10, but the wide whites aren't period correct.

    1. Jay_Ramey Avatar
      Jay_Ramey

      Yeah, that's what I thought as well, but you have to admit they look ridiculously good on this example nonetheless. If the car was any other color, they would look like rubbish.

  2. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar

    105hp from a Cologne V6 makes me sad. Europeanistically that mill was worth 135 horses with a carb, 160hp with the Bosch injection. Plus we didn't have to suffer that front bumper that reminds me of Rachel in Friends before she had her nose reduced.

  3. racer139 Avatar
    racer139

    My grandparents had a capri in that same color in the mid eighties. In a rush to make my Mother and stepfathers wedding and as he left the driveway and shifted into second the shifter cane apart in his hands.Aahhhh memories

  4. Slow_Joe_Crow Avatar
    Slow_Joe_Crow

    Not everybody has forgotten the Quantum wagon, although I prefer the Syncro models with 4000 Quattro running gear. Car once called it the best getaway car ever because it was invisible.
    The Red Landrover may be factory correct, while it was special order in most markets Poppy Red was a standard color in the US so this could have been Red rather than the far more common Pastel Green or Marine Blue. BTW the large turn signals identify it as a US spec vehicle rather than a later grey import.

    1. Jay_Ramey Avatar
      Jay_Ramey

      Those VeeDubs poofed out of existence pretty quickly, this was a true time warp car. Where else are you gonna see a concours condition Quantum wagon anyway?
      Yeah, that Series II was pretty sharp I recall, had all the right goodies too.

    2. quijoteMike Avatar
      quijoteMike

      I agree with the colour and US version. But of course when it left Solihull the red would not have been so red nor as shiny.

  5. Philipp of FloorMats Avatar
    Philipp of FloorMats

    I'd love to have the Series II especially if its exterior color would be black! i'd also customize the interior part and get a durable Floor Mat 😀

  6. salguod Avatar

    There's a guy here in Columbus who evidently uses a Quantum Wagon much like the one here, except without the nice wheels and generally well worn, as a daily driver. I see it in he driveway every Sunday on the way to church and it moves frequently.
    His other DD seems to be an 80's vintage 911. I want to stop someday and shake his hand.

  7. Sean Avatar
    Sean

    Had a Renault 10 in New Zealand for about three years, just after I started driving (in those days, at 15). Had a tendency to slide out at the rear since that was where the engine was. The boot (trunk) was in the front, which made it very light to steer. And of course you could hear it rusting…