Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Classic American

It looks like David Hasselhoff wants to make space in his loft and garage, judging by the auction held on his behalf on the LiveAuctioneers website. Items included everything from signed merchandise, scripts, clothing, photographs and life-size cut-outs to a reproduction Kitt, Knight Rider’s black Pontiac-based talking car. The car in question, not used in TV production, is in the UK and sold for a whopping $300k – not bad for a 32-year-old F-body Pontiac! The new owner will have to pay for delivery costs, according to the listing, but the Hoff pledged to drive the car to its new owner if the hammer price was more than 25% above the reserve price. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to his charitable organisations.…

China’s automotive sector has long had a reputation for… how shall we put this… a ‘relaxed’ attitude towards intellectual property, trademarks and copyright. A decade ago it was the head of GM going head-to-head with Chinese car company Cery, who were producing a vehicle so similar to its GM equivalent that the two cars could be dismantled, mixed up and reassembled using parts from the other vehicle – they were, effectively, identical. There’s no question of that happening with the Songsan SS Dolphin however, which bears more than a passing resemblance to a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette and which will probably leave Corvette lovers the world over spluttering into their cornflakes in horror. There’s certainly a nod to the hallowed Corvette which inspired it, with the Dolphin making a splash at…

When Chrysler’s 1955 C-300 swept the field at Daytona, many would argue that was the moment when the whole muscle car phenomenon began. It would set the mould for the big, powerful American two-door coupes that would follow, with its ‘million-dollar look’ styling and rich interior appointments, including Chrysler New Yorker spec leather interior. All these typical big American sedan credentials however were offset with heavy-duty suspension, dual exhausts and most crucially its 300bhp FirePower V8. It was, at the time, the most powerful car in America, matching its cubic inch displacement with horsepower. To the untrained eye the C-300 may well have looked like a regular Windsor, but enthusiasts knew different… that 150mph speedometer which replaced the original 120mph unit was a clue to start with! What precipitated the…

THE OTHER BOND Dear Classic American, I read the article on the upcoming sale of the James Bond Cobra Jet Cougar with quite some interest as I also owned one of the three cars used in the film way back in the Seventies along with an old mate of mine, Carl Denhart (who sadly is no longer with us). He was pretty well-known in the American car circles, which in those days was much smaller, and between us and a few other people we mainly bought and sold our cars among ourselves. This was around 1974 or so – I don’t remember exactly – but I do remember lighting up the original Polyglass tyres on a lovely sunny day with the top down outside another mate’s house in Strood, leaving…

Most car owners use and abuse their cars, then pack them off to the scrapyard when they’re no longer fit for purpose. Then there’s a breed of enthusiasts who treat their cars with affection and respect, but distinct from them stands an extreme minority of owners for whom a car comes to be cherished almost as a member of the family. The fact that Roger Thornton has owned, run and carefully maintained his 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee for no less than 47 years leaves no doubt as to which category he fits into. The Super Bee name probably doesn’t need any introduction, but most people will recognise it as a version of the Coronet. Introduced in 1968, the Super Bee represented affordable performance. The instant muscle-car formula was simple:…

The Bonneville name played a big part in Pontiac’s success over almost half a century, with this stylish third-generation B-body model being offered to the public from 1961 to 1964. At the time it was Pontiac’s costliest and most luxurious model with a higher specification than its Catalina and Star Chief sisters. Instrument and door panels featured walnut trim, while the lower door panels were carpeted too. Power windows, power brakes, power seats, cruise control and air conditioning were all popular options at the time, along with power steering. By 1964, the Brougham package was made available, which introduced an even more luxurious interior. The third-gen Bonneville also benefited from Pontiac’s distinctive protruding grille, harking back to their models from the Thirties and Forties, such as the Torpedo. The dramatically…

It’s the question on every American car enthusiast’s lips… there’s only one way to find the answer, so Classic American spoke to the organisers of some of the most important events of the year on the classic American calendar for their thoughts on this burning question. Here’s what they had to say…. Nigel Hole, Stars & Stripes organiser: “The general consensus of the events industry is that things will start around the beginning of June with, as Boris said, a fair wind. Our intention is to run Stars & Stripes as we would do normally however; we are already adept at running Covid-safe events as we have done in 2020. Government policy will dictate the provisions we will need to put in place but hopefully we will be as close…

The post-apocalyptic movie Mad Max has stood the test of time as a cult classic and, suffice to say, the vehicles used in the movie have spawned their own individual stardom as well. Among them, the 1973 Ford Falcon XB Interceptor, or Pursuit Special, used in the 1979 film is easily the most recognisable and perhaps popular. Thus, we imagined there would be quite a bit of interest in this replica when it crossed the block at Mecum’s Kissimmee, Florida auction, and there absolutely was – it sold for a whopping $96,250!. The car is a real-deal Australian Falcon XB Interceptor built to mimic the one driven in the movie by Max Rockatansky, a police officer played by Mel Gibson seeking revenge on a motorcycle gang that murdered his family.…

The precise backstory behind the creation of the car pictured here is sketchy at best. It rather depends on whose version of history you believe. What is clear is that the origins of the Rambler Palm Beach can be traced back to a chance meeting on an ocean liner between motorsport ace turned car manufacturer Donald Healey and George Mason, president of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. Back in 1949, they found themselves aboard the Queen Elizabeth. Both men shared a keen interest in photography, Healey displaying a fascination for Mason’s new 3D camera. And thus a firm friendship was forged. By the end of the voyage, the duo had shaken hands on a deal whereby Nash engines would be dropped into the Healey Silverstone sports car. However, that scheme came to…

If Marco Molino went to see a doctor specialising in classic car addiction, the man in the white coat would spot a lot of familiar symptoms. Does he look at old cars in Classic American when he can’t get to sleep? Check. Has he often owned more cars than he has room to store? Check. Has he taken a friend to view a car and ended up buying another one himself? Again... check. Marco has even bought a car, immediately found an even better example and then bought that as well. He has the means to chase these dreams because he’s worked hard for a lot of years in a famous family business. Marco’s father, Mario, came to London from Naples in 1962 and in 1965 joined with a gentleman…

It’s been an interesting few months at Carrot Town Garage, but despite another lockdown they have stayed open. They understand everyone is trying to follow the rules, so have been collecting customers’ cars, carrying out all repair work and servicing on them, then delivering them back in tip-top condition. This is a service they will continue offering, no matter what is happening around the country. But right now, here’s an update on a couple of projects that have been under way at Carrot Town Garage recently. Workshop update The ’67 Plymouth Fury is progressing nicely. All the suspension parts have been painted, they’ve replaced the bushes and these are all back on the car. The car was sent off to be painted, including the bulkhead and the wheel arch liners.…

The Fifties was famously the most creative period for American car design, and the pursuit of novelty was responsible for some highly unorthodox thinking. While this was mainly limited to show cars, every now and then a new concept was carried through to the production stages. It’s a pity no one recorded the discussion at Ford when someone said: “Do you think there might be a gap in the market for a stylish, comfortable car that’s also a practical pick-up?” – but it evidently met with the boardroom’s approval as it entered the market in December 1956 as the Ranchero. There must have been some nail-biting at Ford, as a vehicle that attempts to fulfil two functions can too easily fail to perform either of them to any useful degree,…

Classic American’s classifieds are the best way to sell your American car, truck, parts or vehicle and best of all, they’re completely free! With restrictions on movements to be lifted in the near future hopefully, now’s the time to consider advertising your American car, truck or parts in the private classifieds section of Classic American. Advertising your car, truck or parts is completely free and incredibly easy to do; you can simply log on to the Classic American website at: www. classicamerican.com and upload your ad on the easy-to-use form, or if you prefer to do it old school you can fill out a paper coupon, attach a photograph and mail it in – turn to page 91 and get cracking! We’ll run your ad for three months for you…

One of the most important decisions by the Ford Motor Company took place 107 years ago on January 5, 1914. That was the day Henry Ford, along with his vice-president James Couzens, announced that the company would henceforth pay newly hired employees at the Ford Model T assembly plant five dollars per day for eight hours of work. The move was undoubtedly a history-making event as well as a boon for the Ford factory workers who would receive it. The introduction of the Ford Model T heralded the era of the affordable automobile and the dawn of mass production, two aspects of 20th century life that are still very much with us today. But the assembly line production process that enabled Ford to churn out 200,000 examples of the Model…

In line with the US rejoining the Paris Climate Change Accord, President Joe Biden will ask US agencies to revise fuel economy standards and emissions restrictions for passenger vehicles, according to Reuters. It said that Biden’s presidential transition team has indicated that the new president will reverse Trump-era energy legislation, including rolling back US Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, fulfilling a campaign promise to revise fuel economy standards established under the Trump administration. The Trump administration previously set a 1.5% annual fuel efficiency increase through 2026, revising the 5% increase established under the Obama administration. The standards rollback was estimated to result in an increase in oil consumption of two billion additional barrels and 867 million metric tons of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, according to the Trump administration.…

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which took place virtually from January 11-14 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic (it’s normally hosted at the Las Vegas Convention Center), the opening keynote address came courtesy of an automaker, in this case, General Motors. GM chairman and CEO Mary Barra presented what ultimately became a glimpse into the future for the company – an all-electric future, no less. And while the audience was dazzled with far-out concepts such as the Cadillac eVTOL, single-seat personal aircraft and Cadillac Halo self-driving pod, they were also presented with a number of vehicles that are close to production, such as the highly touted GMC Hummer EV, the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq luxury crossover and the Chevy Bolt EUV (electric utility vehicle) with Super Cruise technology. Besides…

Marco has an interest in another car, and a very unusual one. He’s formed a friendship with Derek Drinkwater, a gifted engineer and car builder who’s known for creating mobile catering devices from memorable vehicles – the Fire Engine Bar was the first. Derek’s other great passion is historic motorsport, and after an adventure at the 2016 Le Mans Classic with a Cadillac coupé, he came up with an ambitious idea: why not replicate the 1950 Le Mans racer built for Briggs Cunningham on a Cadillac chassis, and nicknamed Le Monstre? Amazingly, Derek accomplished this in time for the 2018 Le Mans Classic, making a huge impression on everyone who saw this bizarre slab of a car on track. Derek has looked after many of Marco’s cars and Marco has…

For some people it’s the American car scene which gradually grows on them. As we all know, attending a car cruise regularly can become irresistible. Karl Cordwell has been a regular visitor to the Leeds cruise at its various locations since the age of 17, as we’ll find out. In that time, his love of all things petrol-powered has varied dramatically over the years. “Back when I was 17, I used to attend the cruise in my first car which was a Vauxhall Magnum,” Karl remembers. “All my mates were running about in Minis. The insurance for the Magnum cost me more than the car was worth, even back then.” Karl always owned and rode motorbikes too and when the time came for mortgages and marriage, his car was the…

When Lincoln decided to ‘out-Cadillac’ with the ’58-’60 models, they succeeded in terms of producing bigger, heavier cars which were eye-catching to the motoring public, but not always for the right reasons. The cars were controversial in terms of their styling and size and were held up by critics as representing everything that was wrong with the American car industry and – most crucially – they were losing the Ford Motor Company an astronomical amount of money ($60 million in losses between 1958-1968). Robert McNamara, the wire-rimmed glasses wearing, bottom-line-obsessed vice-president at Ford, was so disenchanted with these Lincolns (and more particularly their losses to the company) that he had threatened to kill off the Lincoln division altogether. Fortunately for Lincoln, McNamara was dissuaded by his colleagues at the meeting…

1929 Ruxton Model A Sedan Estimate: $400,000 – $500,000 Not sold. Asking: $400,000 It’s that time of year again – when stunning classic American cars gather in Scottsdale, Arizona for the biggest auction season of the year. This year, we decided to look at one particular auction house, Gooding, which had an eclectic collection of vehicles, not just American but European and exotics too – although even its American offerings represented very different ends of the automotive spectrum. Bearing in mind the auctions were in full swing when we went to press, some of these vehicles were sold, while others hadn’t yet gone under the hammer… The Ruxton is one of the rarest automobiles of the classic era, combining innovative front-wheel-drive engineering with bold, avant-garde styling. Today, nearly three-quarters of…