Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Classic American

Ben KlemenzsonViewpoint … Well, I hope it will be soon, what with the NSRA Southern Swap Meet and Wheels Day barrelling down on us imminently, it certainly feels like it’s time to come out of hibernation and get out on the road. For that very reason, we’ve got a feature this month starting on page 67 about taking your car out of its winter resting place and the do’s and don’ts if you’ve laid it up over the colder months. There’s an eclectic mix of cars in this month’s magazine too, everything from the pre-war Art Deco beauty that is the 1936 Cord Westchester sedan on page 28, right up to a disco-era 1979 Pontiac Trans Am on page 44 – unusually both cars are yellow, so there’s no missing…

“WE CAN SAY FOR SURE THAT JOHN’S AMBITION OF OWNING AND DRIVING AN ICONIC CLASSIC CHEVROLET HAS AT LAST BECOME A REALITY.” hen they first met at the age of 19, John McDermott told his wife to be, Angie, that one of his ultimate goals was to one day own a classic Chevy. It may have been a long time coming, but this fully restored and truly stunning 1954 two-door sedan Bel Air really has been worth the wait. Even from an early age, John would be often found helping his dad out on the driveway or in the garage fixing cars and thanks to those valuable skills gained, he soon began to repair his own cars too. “I really got into it when I hit 18,” John recalls. “Shortly…

Over the last decade overland-style vehicles, designed to take everything but the kitchen sink into the backcountry, have zoomed in popularity. Auto manufacturers and aftermarket outfits alike have been offering these vehicles, equipped with oversized tyres, raised suspensions, skid plates, winches, builtin storage and food/drinks coolers, power outlets and off-road lighting among other things. General Motors’ Chevrolet brand has capitalised on this trend by partnering with off-road aftermarket parts and accessories manufacturer American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). The first collaboration was the Colorado ZR2 Bison and more recently, its larger cousin, the 2023 Silverado ZR2 Bison. Taking its name from Chevrolet’s big, Class 8 over-the-road conventional truck (offered from 1976-80), the Bison builds upon the factory Silverado ZR2 for an even more capable overland-style vehicle. Although both trucks share the same…

Something a bit different this month. American car magazines, rather than books, plus a new British model car mag for good measure. I was talking to my friend Dave the other day, who is a prolific reader of automotive books and magazines. I was bemoaning the loss of a large number of long-established American car magazines which seem to have been terminated in recent years, some of them in entirety, others abandoning printed issues in favour of online-only digital editions. Street Rodder Magazine, which I had bought since the early Seventies, ceased production in 2020, along with another 18 titles, many of which had been going for decades. Only Motor Trend, Four Wheeler and Hot Rod from this publisher survived the cull. There are a few others still around, notably…

Shows highlighted in white are Car of the Year events April 7 WHEELS DAY Surrey Street Rodders' annual season-opening extravaganza to raise money for charity and kick off the UK car show season takes place on Good Friday, which this year is on April 7. Expect to see Americans, hot rods, custom cars, British classics, VWs – basically anything interesting on four or two wheels. John Price will be on the P/A and there will be many traders and autojumble, with plenty of activities for kids and the whole family, as well as food and drink retailers. For more information and to register to enter, go to www.surreystreetrodders.com or see their Facebook page. Registration is necessary to enter, you cannot just turn up. 23 MIDLAND AMERICAN AUTO CLUB ALL AMERICAN…

Classic American advertiser Kingstown Shipping has again agreed to undertake sponsorship of this year’s Car of the Year competition. The sponsorship will secure the UK’s only American concours series of its kind and heats will be held at five of the UK’s biggest and best American automotive events over the coming months, with the grand finals being held at the NEC Classic Motor Show, Birmingham in November. The dates are: ■ 1. April 7 – Wheels Day, Aldershot, Hants. ■ 2. June 18 – Beaulieu Rod & Custom, Hants. ■ 3. July 1/2 – Stars & Stripes, Tatton Park, Cheshire. ■ 4. July 30 – Rally of the Giants, Stonor Park, Henley, Oxon. ■ 5. September 15-17 – Isle of Man American Extravaganza. ■ 6. November 10-12 – Classic Motor…

Fords from both sides of the Atlantic and from all eras took to Bicester Heritage en masse for the second Scramblers Assembly of 2023 on Sunday, February 26. More than 150 Blue Ovals lined the picturesque avenues of the restored Second World War site, with modern performance hatches mixing with Model Ts, Seventies Capris and the odd hot rod. A T laundry van from The T Service was the oldest car on show, more than a century older than some of the recent Mustangs elsewhere around the site, while a 1936 coupe that has competed with Bicester Heritage resident HERO-ERA was also a highlight. Not every car brought a Ford badge on its bonnet, either, with a beautiful Sunbeam Tiger celebrating the venerable V8 and an SSC Stylus arrived with…

STAR Letter CAR OF THE YEAR CHARISMA Dear Classic American, As a long-time subscriber, I’ve followed your Car of the Year competition for a couple of decades now and I have to say that the Cadillac which won the most recent competition must be the highest-quality vehicle to ever win and yet, amazingly, the restoration was all undertaken by the owner. I realise some may say he has an unfair advantage, being a car restorer by trade, but I had the pleasure of meeting Steve and seeing the car at last year’s NEC Classic Motor Show and what struck me when we chatted was how his background was not in American cars, but was largely self-taught from speaking to other owners and going to shows and online…

To pre-order your next issue of Classic American, head to classicmagazines.co.uk/pre-order-ca Alternatively, scan the QR code on this page and order your next copy today. We will send it directly to you! 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS 396 Along with the Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Camaro is one of the most popular and recognisable muscle cars ever made. Entering the fray two years after the Mustang, it soon made its mark, tapping into the unending Ford versus Chevy rivalry. The Camaro was instantly popular, selling nearly 221,000 examples in the first year of production. Contrast that with the 24,652 sixth-generation Camaros sold in 2022 and it’s no wonder GM execs hint that production could cease before too long. Much of the initial success was down to the huge variety…

KEITH HARMAN CONTRIBUTOR, NORTH DORSET 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe hot rod 1929 Ford Roadster hot rod 1939 Ford pick-up (modified) 2000 Ford F150 Harley-Davidson pick-up After seven years’ ownership of a reliable UK-spec Jeep Cherokee CRD as my daily driver, I finally bit the bullet last year in favour of this Ford F150 Super Cab flareside pick-up. I’d long fancied a proper truck as a daily, but like many, was a little concerned about the overall running costs of an American V8. Many adverts for cool-looking later-model Dodge, Ford and Chevy trucks were viewed, but in the end, my truck found me. I was at a local show and talking to a guy about his Fifties Chrysler as a possible Classic American feature car, when he casually mentioned he was…