Two Car Shows On Two Continents In Five Days

Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force

Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force

Wolfgang Würth, smart electric bike

smart electric bikes, Niketown, Beverly Hills

The Jim Henson Company, smart forjeremy

Jet-lagged and tipsy: Mathias "MC Winkel" Winks and some muppet

James Bond Aston Martin DB5 Coupé, LA Auto Show 2012

Decadent lunch with Marcel Winatschek (Amy & Pink), David Fischer (Highsnobiety) and Mathias Winks (Whudat)

"A brand is your friend" — Word.

Slammed W108 with mascara (caption borrowed from Clemens Gleich)

Now, with a Chromjuwelen branding, this Opel Kadett is worth over a million. No — wait: Five millions.

Bon appétit!

Yes, you can. You can visit two car shows (LA Auto Show, Essen Motor Show), three world premieres (Mercedes-AMG SLS AMG Coupé Black Series, Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force, smart forjeremy) and several parties in five days. Here's a quick journal:

• Tuesday, November 27th (early): HAM-FRA-LAX

• Tuesday, November 27th: Arrival Los Angeles

• Tuesday, November 27th: Beverly Hills on smart electric bikes

• Tuesday, November 27th: Presentation Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force

• Tuesday, November 27th: Presentation smart forjeremy at the Jim Henson Company

• Wednesday, November 28th: LA Motor Show

• Wednesday, November 28th: Santa Monica

• Wednesday, November 28th: Departure (LAX-MUC-DUS)

• Tuesday, November 29th: Arrival in DUS

• Tuesday, November 29th: Dinner with Chem-Tools

• Friday, November 30th: Essen Motor Show 2012, meetings

• Friday, November 30th: AUTO BILD Race Night

• Saturday, December 1st: Essen Motor Show 2012, meetings

• Saturday, December 1st (late): Back in Hamburg

• Sunday, December 2nd: BRAINDEAD

• Monday, December 3rd: BRAINDEAD

What I learned: You need a really good condition (err ... really?). And some good friends, who help you.

I would like to thank Mercedes-Benz/smart for the hospitality, Klaus Rasch for saving me from the police in Santa Monica, Thomas Backe and Dieter Hofem for picking me up in DUS, Manfred Prescher and Stefan Müller for the wonderful Race Night — and DOTZ/AEZ for gallons of coffee.

And not to forget — thank you David Fischer (Highsnobiety), Mathias "MC Winkel" Winks (Whudat), Marcel Winatschek (Amy & Pink), Michael Kaune (QVEST) and Matthias Arens (Quality) for teaching me lessons in "Lifestyle, Ego-Blogging and Fashion"!

Chromjuwelen Électrique: Trailer

We had a blast. Thanks to smart & Mercedes-Benz Classic for letting this happen!

The "Director's Cut" will be released September 2nd. In the meantime – here is our (German) Travelogue and a full loaded gallery.

Chromjuwelen Motor Öl: Pre-Order Now!

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to our first Chromjuwelen product: Chromjuwelen Motor Öl — specially formulated for classic cars!

Anyone who drives a classic is familiar with the question of which oil is the best one for his engine. Nowadays even the least expensive products are of such high grade that they are superior in quality to the top motor oils of the past. But because most classics are taken out on the road only a few months per year they experience long periods of inactivity. Base motor oils are not made for this; they do not adhere long enough to provide a protective coating on critical parts such as cylinder liners, camshafts and crankshafts and end up flowing back into the oil pan. This makes the next cold start a material killer.

Chromjuwelen Motor Öl is custom tailored for classic engines operated only a few months per year. Formulated by Mathé® Classic, the oil provides wear and corrosion protection precisely tailored to the needs of historic engines and ensures long-term adhesion to metallic surfaces. This mitigates potential damage that may ensue following long periods of inactivity such as winter storage or museum exhibitions.

Based on a mildly alloyed, mineral-based multigrade oil, Chromjuwelen Motor Öl is ready for immediate use and can be mixed with all standard brand name mineral-based, HC synthetic or synthetic motor oils. According to SAE classification, Chromjuwelen Motor Öl is suitable for vehicles of all types: cars, motorcycles and utility vehicles. 

Chromjuwelen Motor Öl is specially formulated for vehicles only used occasionally and tolerates long periods in between use.

Order in advance — you’ll be glad you did!

The official sales launch is scheduled for September 1, 2012. Chromjuwelen Motor Öl is available for purchase at http://chromjuwelen.com and select outlets. Initially, two viscosities are available: SAE 15W-40 and SAE 20W-50. MVG® Mathé-Schmierstofftechnik GmbH will be handling the shipping.

Advance orders will be taken from the beginning of August 2012 – with substantial customer benefits! For the purchase of a 5l canister by September 1 the shipping and handling fee of EUR 5.95 will not be charged for delivery within Germany. The customer will also receive a free one-liter bottle of the selected viscosity at no charge. Ordering 5 liters thus saves the customer EUR 24.85!

Pre-order now: Chromjuwelen Motor Öl 15W-40 (1 Liter): EUR 18,90

Pre-order now: Chromjuwelen Motor Öl 15W-40 (5 Liter): EUR 79,90

Pre-order now: Chromjuwelen Motor Öl 20W-50 (1 Liter): EUR 18,90

Pre-order now: Chromjuwelen Motor Öl 20W-50 (5 Liter): EUR 79,90

Delivery starts from September 3, 2012.

Chromjuwelen Motor Öl: Made by people with a passion for classic cars for people with a passion for classic cars.

Chromjuwelen Motor Öl was jointly conceived by MVG® Mathé-Schmierstofftechnik GmbH and Chromjuwelen, is based on the needs of the various groups of classic car aficionados, and its premium standard of excellence and formulation with Mathé® Classic make it unique.

Chromjuwelen Motor Öl is manufactured by MVG® Mathé-Schmierstofftechnik GmbH in Soltau, Germany. The additive specialists can look back on a long tradition. Since the mid-80’s they have been carrying on the legacy of racing legend Otto Mathé. To improve the performance and lubrication of his motor oil, Mathé developed his own additive. This resulted in his engines running more reliably than the same types of engines being used by his competitors.

Whether in his "Ahnherrn", the Berlin-Rome car developed by Ferdinand Porsche, a Porsche 356 or his "Fetzenflieger" (scroll to 1952) adorning the Chromjuwelen Motor Öl logo, Otto Mathé (1907-1995) was a legend in his own lifetime and dominated racing in Austria. Although he steered using only one arm (his right arm was paralyzed in an accident), he went from one victory to another. Niki Lauda still says that "Otto Mathé was the idol of my childhood".

The oil was named after Chromjuwelen ("chrome jewels"), the magazine for motor culture, since 2005 publishing issues related to classic vehicles at http://chromjuwelen.com. Like practically no other medium it is familiar with the needs of the individual car cultures, including everyday classics, exclusive unique specimens and high performance vehicles from international car racing. Chromjuwelen.com is a reference frequently quoted beyond the borders of German-speaking countries, especially when the topic is "Motorkultur".

Download: 

Press release and details (English)Press release and details (Deutsch)

Chromjuwelen Électrique: Are Friends Electric?

Not all that long ago we made a self-attempt: we eBay-ed a 1964 Imperial Crown and drove it from Los Angeles to Las Vegas – and back to Los Angeles. As you can imagine, we had a blast.

Now it is time for another self-attempt. But this time we will change to the other extreme: We will travel in a smart fortwo electric drive from Paris to Le Mans (Classic). Yup. Battery-driven.

Of course – we know this electrified fellow isn't made for long distances. Even worse – we know it will not be easy to find enough charging stations. But hey, that exactly is the challenge.

Our aim is to shoot another "Chromjuwelen En Route" video. This is why we are accompanied by our friends faust & heisler. If anybody of us speaks fluent French? Er ... no.

Our first appointments will be with our French soulmates from the Blenheim Gang – since we are in France, we have to learn more about "Français Moteur Culture". And if you do not follow the Blenheim Gang yet – do it now.

Btw, "follow" – stay in contact with us via Twitter, Instagram (Chromjuwelen), Tumblr or the time-waster social network!

(Image borrowed from Mercedes-Fans.de)

Continental Extreme: Chromjuwelen En Route Road Movie

And finally — here it is. Our "Continental Extreme" video. The latest Chromjuwelen En Route road movie starring five German blokes on a Motorkultur-expedition. Intention: To draw an analogy between Las Vegas (SEMA) and Dubai (Motor Show).

Co-starring among others not only our 1964 Imperial Crown, but also family and friends like Klaus Rasch (race-dezert.com), Mike Musto (ridelust.com), Ryan Friedlinghaus (West Coast Customs), Sven Gramm (BRABUS), Bear Garcia (Hooligan Customz), Frederik Faidhi (Select Nano), Sam Badawi (1000 Dunes), David Mitri (1000 Dunes) and Phil McGovern (crankandpiston.com).

Thanks to everyone who joined our film premiere at the EAST Hotel in Hamburg. We had a blast!