More pleasure thanks to technology: suspension upgrades for classic cars
For purists, it may sound like sacrilege. But from a driving point of view, it is a pleasure: classic and vintage cars gain in comfort, dynamics and safety with a suspension update, without changing the beautiful design.
Around 180,000,000 classic cars - just those over 30 years old, not counting all the youngtimers - are on Swiss roads and it feels like the number is increasing, especially in spring and when the weather is nice. The Swiss love this cultural asset on wheels: 44 percent of all Swiss people are happy to meet veterans. Hundreds of well-organized clubs, tens of thousands of enthusiasts and many classic car events contribute to this, as do club outings and trade fairs.
The lines of the old classics are so elegant and the emotions they evoke when they rattle past are so beautiful: In terms of driving, these gems are sometimes a challenge. Although the concept of power steering was invented back in 1876, it has only been standard in cars since the 1990s, for example. A lot has also happened in the history of the car when it comes to the chassis. Some purists may long for the wooden, imprecise handling of their car and see it as part of the classic car experience. However, there is often a growing desire for more contemporary comfort and safety, especially in youngtimers, which are much more active in terms of driving dynamics.
This is made possible by new coilover suspensions specially developed for classic cars. Because so much has happened in terms of driving dynamics over the last 50 years that retrofitting a modern suspension or vibration damper also provides a big plus in safety. The large German suspension and damper specialist KW Automotive from Fichtenberg, known primarily from motorsport, recognized this early on with its products in the company colors purple and yellow.
For years, KW has been offering dampers and complete suspensions for numerous legendary classic and, above all, modern classic cars, such as the Audi Sport Quattro, BMW 2002, Ford RS200, Jaguar E-Type, Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3, Porsche 911 or 944 Turbo or even the Ferrari Testarossa and many other models. After installation, you can drive with the ride comfort of today and significantly increased safety in a car from yesterday. The set-up is carried out on the KW driving dynamics test bench. In a complex tuning and adjustment process, the appropriate target values are achieved without having to drive the precious vehicle. If desired or required by the regulations for a classic car rally, the suspension can also be converted to a non-adjustable damper variant after evaluation and customer approval.
Depending on the vehicle-specific application, coilover struts or damper housings are manufactured from aluminum, steel or tempered stainless steel and combined with the optimal KW damper valve technology (TVR-A, TVC-A and TVCLH-A). KW offers the right suspension for every classic and modern classic car and for every requirement. The advantage: The automotive cultural asset receives a modern suspension with the latest damping technology and the option of individual lowering.
And because KW Automotive is very proud of the brand colors and their recognition value, but also knows that many classic car owners want to keep their vehicles as visually original as possible, the kits for the classics are also available in neutral black on request. Further information at: kwsuspensions.ch.
