Just thought I would send this for people on this list that don't peruse the
other lists.
"From: Alan Richer - aricher@lotus.com on 30/9/1998 17:12
Speaking of Sprites - I was recently in Berlin and visited
the Checkpoint Charlie museum (about 10 meters
down the street from Checkpoint Charlie), and I was scanning
the display that talks about escapes (and escape attempts).
About halfway down the wall I am surprised to see a familiar
pair of headlights and a winged badge staring at me! Turns
out this West Berliner wanted to break out his girlfriend
and her brother. He surreptitiously measured the gates, then
shopped West Berlin looking for a car low enough to fit
underneath.
Once he found it (a late-60s Sprite) he drove into East
Berlin on a 12-hour visa, removed the windshield, top and
vent windows, loaded up his passengers (one in the boot and
one behind the seats), and took off through the barriers and
tank traps like the proverbial bat out of Hell.
All made it out, though the Sprite collected a bullet or two
on the way.
They showed a picture of the Sprite under a barrier on the
US side and the spacing was interesting - the distance
between the top of the steering wheel and the bottom of the
barrier was less than 3 inches. Steering bent over into the
passenger seat must have been amusing, especially when being
done at high speed through a narrow tank trap.
And who says brit sports cars serve no useful purpose? 8*)
ajr"
Larry Miller (bugiiis@yahoo.com or millerls@msn.com)
59 Bugeye (Being Painted, Building Wiring Harness)
59 Bugeye "BUGIIIS" (948, 5-Speed,1-Wire Alternator, and still Willie
Nelson)
78 911 SC (Faster than a Bugeye but not as much fun)
Home Page http://members.xoom.com/bugiiis
|