Upload
others
View
4
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
“Frankestein” vehicles after 2nd World War Vehicles that changed the social-economic situation in a country
• Knjazevac is a city in Eastern Serbia. Before the Second World War, Knjazevac had some 5,000 citizens,
more than 50 restaurants and very few automobiles. Some of the automobiles were extremely luxurious,
such as the 1930 Packard 7th series or the 1932 Willoughby Lincoln KB V12.
• In October 1944, there was a battle around Knjazevac between the German Army, the Combat Group
‘Grattenauer’, led by Friedrich Grattenauer, Corvette Captain, Naval Commander of Transnistria on one side,
and the National Liberation Army and the Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia on the other.
• The battle was won by the Yugoslav Army; Corvette Captain Grattenauer lost his life and the war ended in
Knjazevac on 10 October 1944.
• The Yugoslav Army’s spoils of war were almost 100 vehicles, most of them trucks. Not long afterwards,
the Army drove the trucks to other parts of the country to use them in military operations.
• After the War, one of the main problems in Knjazevac was the transport of people and goods. There were just a few vehicles left and these were largely inoperable.
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
• Ingenious car mechanics and masters of other
trades assembled vehicles from the working
parts of incomplete vehicles, motivated by the
dire situation facing the people of the city.
These vehicles became known as ‘Frankenstein’
vehicles after Mary Shelley’s novel.
• This example remains a mystery. Our research
to date has been unable to identify the make
and model of the car in the photo.
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
• Mile Milutinovic (nickname Holandija), a driver in Knjazevac at the local authority office, and his best friend Vasilije Vale Nikolic, photographer, found the very damaged body of a pre-War Ford with the German Army’s (Wehrmacht) insignia on the door.
• They then found a pre-War Chevrolet engine, paid for it with a bag of corn, and installed it in the Ford body thanks to their mechanical skill.
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
• They repaired the axles but it was not easy
to find tyres and wheels. With appropriate
modifications, they installed wheels from
a Volkswagen VW Kubelwagen and small,
non-original lights.
• The two friends used it for their family needs
and, from time to time, as a primitive taxi.
Passengers paid for this service with food,
lard or other goods.
• Borislav Paunovic (nickname Bora Seceni) was a well-known local truck driver and mechanic. He repaired one passenger vehicle, which he converted into a truck. The cargo box was handmade by a local carpenter. The make and model of the base vehicle have not been identified.
• Photo: driver Zelimir Sibinovic Zela
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
• The family Djergovic from the nearby Kraljevo selo (King’s Village,
today Minicevo) was well known for its taxi owners, drivers and
mechanics. The family started a taxi service and car repair shop
in the mid-1920s. Father Dragi and son Dobrivoje found a very
old Fiat 501.
• They had experience as mechanics and repaired the Fiat with parts
from other vehicles, different wheels, etc.
• This old Fiat was reborn like a phoenix and driven around Knjazevac. • Photo: In front of the Knjazevac Gymnasium
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
• Ljubisa Jovanovic (nickname Vaganar) trained as an aeroplane pilot for the IL-2 Sturmovik at the end of
WW2. After the War, he left the Army, came to Knjazevac and started working with his own truck.
• Vaganar bought a non-working S.P.A. (Italian Army truck). He was a very talented mechanic and engineer
and repaired the S.P.A. He installed the engine of a Prague truck manufactured under licence in
Yugoslavia. He transported wood and coal by truck on Tarmac and dirt roads in and around Knjazevac.
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
• At that time, Vaganar and his
friends could not afford cars.
• They travelled and went on
family trips by truck with their
wives, children and other
family members.
• Later on, Vaganar assembled another truck, even bigger
with greater carrying capacity. • The chassis was from a U.S. Army truck GMC 6x6, the cab
was from a Skoda truck. • Vaganar didn’t need front-wheel drive on this 6x6 for it to
work... • Hence he removed the original front axle and suspension,
and installed the front axle and steering mechanism from an
unknown truck, with the steering wheel on the
right-hand side. With the necessary modifications, Vaganar
installed a six-cylinder Perkins diesel engine and
a Dodge truck gearbox. It’s interesting that this vehicle still
exists, in working condition. Up until a few years ago,
Vaganar’s grandson still used it to transport wood from the
forest.
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
• These were strange but wonderful times, when the citizens of Knjazevac, blessed by a little luck and a great
deal of mechanical knowledge, talent and the help of friends, managed to assemble and run vehicles to
meet the city’s urgent needs.• The memory of these ‘Frankenstein’ vehicles lives on, thanks to people’s personal memories and treasured
photographs.• However, only one ‘Frankenstein’ truck miraculously survived and still exists today.
FIVA «Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens”
Aleksandar VidojkovicCulture and Youth Commission Member
• Photos and data from the book:
• “Automobiles in Knjazevac 1920-1970”
• by Aleksandar Vidojkovic
• Publisher “Narodna biblioteka Njegos”
• Knjazevac
• Published 2014.