Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Classic American

Deemed innovative in period, the AMC Cavalier’s innovations had little lasting worth. Nevertheless, this four-door saloon was an interesting – and practical – concept car; one that was styled under the firm’s endlessly resourceful design czar, Dick Teague. The central theme of the car was interchangeability: the wings could be swapped around: left-front to right-rear, and right-front to left-rear. The bonnet and boot lid were also transposable, while the bumpers and doors were symmetrical, too. While not an original idea, the firm having previously exploited interchangeable parts on the prior Metropolitan under the Nash nameplate, it was thoughtfully executed. AMC claimed that should the Cavalier enter production, the number of steel pressings would be greatly reduced, while the cost of tooling and production would be reduced by as much as…

‘Attention to detail’, ‘points win prizes’… these are just a couple of the aphorisms which could apply to Steve Sullivan’s approach to restoring the 1958 Cadillac Sedan DeVille pictured on these pages. As we sit in a pub having lunch, we flick through the pictures he’s meticulously taken to record every stage of the car’s resurrection into what he was ultimately aiming for: a brand-new Cadillac, just as it would have appeared when it rolled off the production line or into the showroom in 1958. In fact, not even that, better than any new Cadillac of the time. “You’re trying to create something better, rather than something they couldn’t or didn’t have time to make.” He explains: “I think the guys that designed this car would have wanted it to…

Shirley was a highly successful, fiercely competitive stock car drag racer who went by the name of Drag-On-Lady. She even had a dragon painted on her crash helmet, albeit a rather cute one. She is now 84 years old and it’s been 50 years since she hung up her helmet. I couldn’t believe that she was a dragon as, in all the photos I had seen of her, she looked lovely − a smiling, stylishly dressed, petite blonde. You certainly wouldn’t have thought of her as someone capable of racing brutish, powerful muscle cars. Well, I was pleased to discover when I spoke with her that she was friendly, sharp, informative, extremely modest and had a good sense of humour. After a life in the fast lane she said: “I…

Ewbank’s Auction House recently offered a veteran classic car that played a landmark role in bringing motoring to the masses – ‘the Runabout’ beat Henry Ford’s Model T by two years to become the first car for the masses, thanks to its young designer. The 1909 10 Brush 6bhp two-seater Gentleman’s Runabout, which went to auction on December 6, is a truly historic rarity. Made by the Brush Runabout Company in Detroit, Michigan, the aim was to have a reliable car that was easy and cheap to maintain. The company first achieved this in 1907, two years before Henry Ford first unveiled his Model T, the vehicle generally credited as bringing motoring to the masses. As a result, the 1907 Model B Brush is seen as the first ‘Everyman’ car…

Every five minutes, it seems, there is a new announcement about how EVs are going to change the world, or how an OEM is stating that profitability is just around the corner. Recently, General Motors declared that its line-up of battery electric vehicles will be profitable by 2025. I will go out on a limb and say that I’m still very sceptical about the whole idea of mass-market adoption regarding electric vehicles. Charging infrastructure investment and reliability is still far short of achieving any sustainable model for widespread EV use and then of course, there’s the ability to source raw materials. Geopolitical tensions and supply chain issues still remain a huge barrier to large-scale battery production and while there has been growing investment and development in producing batteries here in…

The Chevy Blazer is one of the most iconic American SUVs of all time, launching in 1969 and maintaining prominence in modern times with new iterations still popular among many automotive enthusiasts. Originally conceived as Chevrolet’s answer to the Bronco, the Blazer ended up establishing a legendary reputation of its own as a powerful and durable SUV. The K5 Blazer is globally renowned as one of the most celebrated versions of the vehicle, differing from other similar SUVs of the time with more size and power than most in its class. Last year Retro Designs was thrilled to breathe new life into a 1984 K5 Blazer with a stunning restomod configuration built to last in modern driving conditions. Intricately blending the Blazer’s classic retro style with the latest in automotive…

February 24-26 LONDON CLASSIC CAR SHOW Olympia, London. The London Classic Car Show is making a welcome return to prestigious Olympia in Kensington, West London in 2023. Staged between February 24-26 and entering its ninth year, the capital’s premier celebration of automotive culture and history will again be the must-attend season-opener to the year’s flourishing classic car scene for all classic car owners, collectors, experts and enthusiasts. Olympia is steeped in motoring history having hosted blue-riband automotive shows for more than a century. The spectacular Grand Hall was home to the International Motor Exhibition from 1905 to 1936 and has accommodated an array of similarly distinguished car-themed events ever since… most recently The London Classic Car Show in 2020. With restrictions on indoor venues, the show was forced to innovate…

Chevrolet Performance has released the naturally aspirated 6.6-litre V8 L8T as a new crate engine. For those readers who may be unaware, the naturally aspirated 6.6-litre V8 L8T is the same engine utilised by petrol-powered variants of the Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD heavy-duty pick-ups. The L8T is the largest-displacement engine in the LT family available from Chevrolet. Peak output is 401bhp and 464lb-ft of torque. The L8T block is made from cast iron and utilises six-bolt nodular main bearing caps, with a forged steel crank. The pistons are made from hypereutectic aluminium, while the connecting rods are made from forged powder-metal. The compression ratio is 10.8:1 and other notables include oil-spray cooling for the pistons and production-style exhaust manifolds. The L8T crate engine package also includes the…

SEMA ‘22 Las Vegas, Nevada November 1-4 The Specialty Equipment Market Association annual show at Las Vegas Convention Center is pure automotive aftermarket heaven for all who attend, and for 2022 the scene was alive and well, even without GM and Ford Motor Company being there. Dodge and its Direct Connection performance division, and Toyota/Lexus, made up for it and as in previous years, everywhere you looked there were cars, trucks, SUVs, 4x4s, competition vehicles, prototypes and ‘in-build’ examples. These photos recap the top vehicles and activities and although 2022 SEMA is over, there’s an even bigger, all-new event planned for 2023! The announcement came on the last day (Friday) that SEMA is changing. Next year it’s going to be called SEMA Week which will evolve into an all-city experience,…

1. Judging by the gaps in the field, Jim’s Vintage Automotive of Mountain Home, Idaho, used to have a lot more stock than it does now. But what survives is a fantastic collection of rare classics in various states of disrepair. This 1936 Plymouth doesn’t have a lot going for it, although those doors and boot lid might be of use to someone. I’m intrigued as to what animal has been burrowing under the car. 2. Meanwhile, in Hartford, South Dakota, I found another sorry-looking classic from a similar era. It’s a 1941 Buick Sport Coupe, which was more commonly known as a Sedanette. Although it’s hard to visualise it now, this was once an attractive body style, which was reflected in its sales – with close to 88,000 of…