Scrap Metal on Travel: The Tiger Duck has landed

In 2004, the four of us made a great journey with two ducks: across Eastern Europe, through Russia, to Lake Baikal and back. It was six months with many beautiful, exciting moments and a few repair days, but the cars did not let us down. Only back in Germany, the engine of the green duck stopped chugging, it ended as a partial donor.

The yellow-black duck, much more robust, went on for several more years. Until my dad picked her up in his garage. From the planned one, two winters were eleven years. For the end of 2018 he gave us an ultimatum: He needs space, the now rusty tiger duck must go out until New Year's Eve.

"Who takes our duck?" We asked in mid-December on a day. About 100 helpers and helpers came within a few days. We were thrilled - with so many letters we had not expected.

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Great was the mail from Charlotte, who sent us a photo of her barn in Cata (Romania) and pictures of possible roommates: a rabbit, a goat, a dog, two cats. Also from Australia, a reader came in: "I have a home for your duck, my garage is in Adelaide!" As great as the appeal was to quit the job, fetch the duck and drive off again, we wistfully rejected offers from abroad.

Bribery with the favorite cookies

There were also many duck lovers from Germany reported. Torsten offered a place in his Duesseldorf castle, Josch a garage with his mother. We especially liked the idea of ​​Sabine: "Tiger ducks contribute to recovery and they would be in best hands until the next trip in a showcase in front of the Heidelberg Children's Hospital."

Several times, readers of PS-Speicher, a mobility museum in Einbeck, Lower Saxony, wrote to us with cars and motorcycles. The Einbecker halls host the world's largest collection of historic small and micro cars, we read on Wikipedia. And Karl-Heinz Rehkopf, who is now the museum's 82-year-old initiator, is said to have cycled up and down the village street at the age of twelve in an Opel P4. Even the village policeman closed his eyes.

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We liked the desire to travel of the young deer head and the idea of ​​the museum, so we decided for the PS memory as a new domicile. I sent my father his favorite cookies, negotiated a final ten-day deadline, and drove to my parents the night before pickup to prepare the tiger-duck for transport with Micha.

A TV editor of the SWR wanted to be there and rang shortly after my arrival at home. Carefully, he inquired after my father, after all, it was already 23.30 clock. I said, "If he shoots with the air rifle out the window, then he does not sleep yet" - joke, later my father brought us beer outside.

Tiger duck beside Sahara duck

When the editor asked him what he was thinking at the time when his son wanted to go on this crazy journey, he confidently talked about cutting and discovering the world. At that time, I did not often report, a postcard had to last for a few weeks, but I never heard reproaches.

On Thursday, January 11, the duck was picked up, and the next day we pushed her through the main entrance of the store. Also Daniel D. from Berlin had come. The only traveling companion was missing Daniel S., who could not skip a conference as a teacher.

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Editors of local newspapers and two television crews (here the contributions from NDR and Sat.1) recorded the duck's arrival. This reminded us of stops in the big Siberian cities: On our trip through Russia, camera crews had regularly interviewed us. Today our tiger duck is rusted, the seats smell like a damp garage, but it's still a ramp-down, and a piece of automotive history is such a Citroën 2CV anyway.

Karl-Heinz Rehkopf told the assembled press that our Tiger Duck will be fine in a hall next to a Sahara Duck. I explained why there are so many signatures, phrases and quotes on the car - people who were kind to the duck and us on the journey were allowed to sign. Mr. Rehkopf wrote by Edding on the left front headlights: "I understand that he wants to stand in PS.Speicher."

In 30 years it starts again

A walk through the halls explains that: more than 2500 classic cars are gathered there, an elusive number. The lights come on, you see hundreds of motorcycles or automobiles, as well as on the floor above. With their bizarre designs, they now afford our duck - Rehkopf called them drakes - society, as well as exhibits such as the BMW motorcycle, with the Jutta Kleinschmidt participated in the Paris - Cape Town Rally, or the vegetative wreck of a NSU prince, who fused with the bog floor was and is also issued.

In the evening, we all sat down at a bar, drank ginger brandy and planned our trip in 30 years. Because, so the intention, shortly after retirement, we want to make the trip to Siberia again. If one of us then complains of sciatica or incontinence, he will still be taken.

We also talked about celebrity loyalists of the Tiger Duck - such as the DeLorean, this Northern Irish coupe with the chic gullwing doors, which we know from the 80's movie "Back to the Future". The Delorean was in the museum's own workshop. There, mechanics had recently checked our duck.

"It will eventually be seen on the screen, that's for sure," said one of us. We toasted each other. Most certainly!