By Antti Kautonen
As I said in my earlier Lada post, I’ve spent a couple of days in Amsterdam this weekend. The city is surprisingly nice in terms of car spotting: there’s a bunch of Amsterdam street sightings in supply in the near future.
But as a weekend post, I’ll show you how they park around here. Or the thing is: I don’t know how they did this. See for yourself.
Not only are the parking spots around Amsterdam usually dangerously close to water (just like Amstel beer, hur hur), but they’re also surprisingly tight. The owner of this Alfa Romeo 156 has done the seemingly impossible, and managed to get his car in the spot only millimeters longer than his car. With a drop into the canal right there next to it.
The rear end is right next to the pole.
So is the front.
Everybody I showed these photos said the guy probably employs a jack and dollies and pushes his car sideways onto the spot. There’s no other explanation, unless you like doing 50-point turns to park your car and get your car out every day.
[Images: Copyright 2013 Antti Kautonen/Hooniverse]
Mercedes Lilienthal 
Kamil Kaluski
No other explanation?
[youtube 7PtnLrA1M-o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PtnLrA1M-o youtube]
I hope this is the right answer. Doing it next to the canal would take some giant brass ones.
Let's ask Antti if the carpets were wet.
That 800 fastback is the spitting image of mine. I can't watch that video for fear of the inevitable happening.
I was actually thinking about that – if that ugly Uno would have been replaced by, say, a Peugeot 205, three quarters of the Hooniverse followers would have had one car to stare at with love for the entire length at this film.
HAHAHA! But that Fiat Uno is actually the "Golf-size" Fiat Tipo.
<img src="http://autocognito.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/1988-fiat-tipo.jpg" width="650/">
I stand corrected. Wouldn't touch neither though, and that means a lot from a box admirer.
Or
[youtube iLKR9tCiwvA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLKR9tCiwvA youtube]
There are many scuffs on the bumpers. This is my vote on how they got there.
Invent-a-space is a fun game.
Maybe it was dropped from the davit of a canal boat.
"Park Car" using the spare tire.
[youtube C5Y5b7aBhwY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Y5b7aBhwY youtube]
I have seen a car with a hydraulic motor attached to a hydraulic ram salvaged from a dismantled factory.. The driver can lower it, which lifts the rear wheels off the ground. and then the back end can be swung around using the hydraulic motor. I didn't see it in operation, but all the parts were installed, and the owner said it was malfunctioning when I saw it, but had been working earlier that day.
I'd love to see that in operation.
It's Alfa. Known for its nice cornering ability. What's the problem?
Impressive.
<img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/7/6/4/130764.jpg">
If I owned the Smart car behind it, I'd be worried that a frothing pack of drunken Brits out on a weekend pass would shove it into the canal.
I'm not British, but I'd be tempted.
Clearly that's a plastic lamp post. They sell them in Italy as an anti-theft device, to be employed just so. Only the thieves have caught on in Italy, so this Italophile has imported the device to Holland. The man in the pub told me.
I've seen those. They come with real-looking plastic brick surroundings in a nice pattern to make the lamp post look even more realistic.
<img src="http://hooniverse.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/alfa_dam3.jpg" width="600">
Apparently everyone on the other side of the canal has caught on.
It's do-able, you just have to be very skilled…at martial arts.
[youtube Rt8-S_R3C98 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt8-S_R3C98 youtube]
Although, with the canal right there, the driver must have exceptional finesse…
This was great! But don't do that to a car with SIPS, curtains or whatever side impact pillows… =8^)
Color me impressed, and I pull this kind of parking bullsh— all the time. However, I drive a vehicle extremely well suited to the task (mine is 18" shorter, high ground clearance and no bodywork hanging past my wheels).
One other possibility: The owner doesn't have dollies, but his soon to be not friends do.
Do I see a silver Neon parked on the other side of the canal,in the first picture? The taillights look like a late model Neon.
Good eye! I'm also seeing what appears to be an E46 Touring and some unremarkable Nissan(?).
Yes, the Nissan Micra, it could be the limited edition "Wave", get it, Micra Wave… Okay, I'll let myself out!
The strange thing about these pictures is the weird collection of cars,it doesn't reflect the car sales in Hollands at all!
The Top 10 in order is: Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot, Ford, Opel, Toyota, Kia, Citroën, Hyundai and Audi…
The only VW is a Polo hiding behind a tree and the white Opel Corsa is an old model which is rare due to rust.
Cars like the Chrysler Neon and the Maserati Quatroporte are most definitely not the most common sited cars!
You gotta admire innitiative. Make the world your oyster.
[youtube VzCWnY8StUs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzCWnY8StUs youtube]
I'm pretty sure that's an ACME product.
In the catalog, right next to the self-throwing anvils and paint-on tunnel openings.
Too bad the cameraman didn't zoom into the space, hop out, and walk away quickly.
Er, it's Amsterdam. It floated in there on a giant cloud-o-weed smoke.
Not only are the parking spots around Amsterdam usually dangerously close to water, but they’re also surprisingly tight.
I like my Amsterdam parking spaces like I like my women – tight and wet.
With a FWD car, they could back in, maybe toss a rubber mat between the rear bumper and the light and nudge up against it, set the parking brake, crank the wheel all the way to the right and dump the clutch in reverse to swing the front end in. I've done this before when its wet/snowy (but just with the parking brake, since it's strong enough to keep the car from moving back much). The car just pivots around the back wheels