Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2023 i Classic American

The ultimate expression of British engineering endeavour, creativity and ingenuity, John Dodd’s The Beast was recently offered for sale by auction through carandclassic.com, Europe’s largest classic car marketplace. In highly original condition, 19ft long and powered by an ex-aircraft 27-litre Merlin engine, the car’s legendary history is wholly intertwined with that of its creator, Classic American advertiser John Dodd, who died aged 90 last December. The Beast’s rolling chassis, however, started life in 1966, built by Paul Jameson as a road-going car originally powered by a 27-litre Meteor Rolls-Royce engine. John Dodd, who built the car’s gearbox, eventually acquired it and sent it to Santa Pod Raceway owners Fibre Glass Repairs to be bodied. It was then that it gained a Rolls-Royce grille and mascot, in a nod to the…

From here to obscurity The ‘clap door Lincoln’ was – and remains – an American styling great. It changed the face of car design in Detroit following its introduction in 1961. It acted as an antidote to the gilded cars of the Fifties, being slab of side, less adorned with chrome tinsel (all things being relative) and conspicuously devoid of tailfins. Attributed to Elwood Engel, the outline was much garlanded in period. It received a Bronze Medal from the Industrial Design Institute of New York, which rarely dished gongs out to anything vehicular, while Car Life bestowed it with its Engineering Excellence Award. Even now it routinely features in ‘most influential car designs ever’ listicles (leave, Richard’s being funny…). However, that didn’t stop designers within the Blue Oval from…

Nowadays, when motor manufacturers bring out a new model, their advertising bumf bangs on about internet connectivity, powerful multi-speaker sound systems, electric charging times and range between top-ups, exciting new colours and how many cup holders it has. They portray vibrant young things whizzing around the city (no doubt between coffee shops) or partying at the beach having fun. What they don’t portray is the anxiety of running out of electricity when stuck on the motorway on a cold, rainy night with the lights, heater, wipers and demister on, or the misery of the bumper-to-bumper crawl on the morning commute, or the monotony of the twice-daily school run. That’s not glamorous and doesn’t sell cars even if it is the reality for many. You’ll also barely find the cash price…

1. This 1969 Rambler American two-door sedan has hints of ‘bustleback’ Cadillac Seville about it, which is the result of rear-end collision damage. This was the final year for the Rambler, which had sold incredibly well, notching up 4.2 million sales over 12 years. The secret to its success had been its price, and the “Either we’re charging too little for our cars or everyone else is charging too much” marketing slogan that accompanied it. 2. Ernest Auto Wrecking & Truck in Colorado is where you’ll find this 1960 Ford Galaxie. According to the badge on the boot lid, it was supplied new by Ford dealer Dave Craig Inc of Alamosa, Colorado, which is just 15 miles from its present location. 3. I found this 1940 Chevrolet, and several other…

American auction house Gooding and Company is widely held to be one of the most prestigious in the business, so it should come as no surprise that it was chosen to handle the sale of the collection of Mark Smith, an enthusiastic collector who amassed hundreds of cars. He principally collected ‘classic era’ cars, although the 87 lots going under the hammer show a varied and interesting selection of cars from every era up to the Fifties. Probably one of the most stunning cars is a 1932 Chrysler CG Imperial custom roadster with coachwork by LeBaron, which has an estimate of between $800,000 and $1,200,000 without reserve. The car was bought new by ear, nose and throat specialist Dr William F Whelan in Pennsylvania, who made the car his ongoing…

News What more, you might think, is there to be said about the Edsel, Ford’s unsuccessful – and still notorious – attempt to create a new line of cars, perhaps because, if GM could have five marques, why not Ford? However, I hope to highlight in this piece an aspect of Edsel history. New to me at least, but also to the editor – the Edsel wrecker! Since the launch of the Edsel in autumn 1957, and now more than 60 years later, interest in the marque has been shown by American car enthusiasts and Edsel owners – it is almost as if we are more fascinated by failure than success. But more widely, the Edsel is regarded as a textbook example of a commercial flop and consequently, a great…

Across the pond Several years ago, my daily driver was a pick-up truck. I ended up selling it as I needed something more practical to cart my then seven-year-old son to and from school (I lived an hour away from his learning centre at the time). I ended up with a small car, albeit a semi-sporting one, complete with a lowered suspension, manual gearbox and tuned exhaust. Truth be told, I miss having a truck, not so much for its stature but the practicality of having a bed in which to put stuff. Today, trips to Home Depot or Lowes (think stateside version of B&Q or Homebase) just aren’t the same. Purchasing large, bulky items requires thinking ahead, especially when it comes to logistics. There is definitely a truck…

North Weald, Essex March 5, 2023 While we might think of Wheels Day as the event that kicks off the year’s car show season, the NSRA is the event that drags people blinking and coughing into the cruel, cold, harsh daylight of winter. Although March 1 is technically the start of meteorological spring, the bundled-up masses, lining up for their annual dose of ‘carnucopia’ and Aladdin’s cave of car treasures, revealed it was in fact still deepest, darkest winter! Still, at least the bone-chilling wind of last year didn’t make a return and there were plenty of interesting parts, bits and bobs and ephemera for everyone to browse at what must be the biggest and best car swapmeet in the UK, especially with its significant American content. There were plenty…

1968 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible I think it’s clear that the future of the vintage plastic model kits produced by Round 2 Corp LLC, of South Bend, Indiana, is in safe hands. The company is clearly keen to maintain the standards for which it was famous. Along with AMT, Hawk and Lindberg, it is also a custodian of MPC’s back catalogue. It was therefore heartening to learn that not only is the company re-releasing many of the old kits, but also retooling some, one of the latest being this 1968 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible. Furthermore, while the kit retains the 3-in-1 customising parts that enable the modeller to build it stock, as a drag racer or customised, it also includes the trailer that accompanied its original release back in 1968.…

News “I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by American cars as my father, John Dodd, was the first person in the country to start up an automatic gearbox repair business and would often bring a Chevrolet, Cadillac or Buick home on roadtest to our little road in south London. Starting literally with nothing, as he was an orphan, he joined the RAF as soon as he was old enough, but not considered to be of the ‘right stuff’, so they wouldn’t let him near an aircraft and he ended up in the motor pool where he learnt mechanics. “He started up his business with a ‘threepenny bit’ Commer van that he converted into a mobile workshop, before sharing a garage with a friend until he was earning enough…

NEC, Birmingham March 24-26, 2023 You might not immediately assume that there would be enough American content at the Practical Classics Restoration Show to justify a show report, but you’d be wrong: there’s plenty! This show in many ways is a scaled-down version of the big November show at the NEC, where Classic American traditionally has one of the largest stands in the American area, with finalist cars from the show season’s Car of the Year competition. Unlike that show, Classic American doesn’t have a stand at this event, but there is plenty of American stuff to keep one interested, even if some of it is a little ‘left field’. A Volvo in Classic American? Yes, but a left-hand-drive, Bertonestyled American spec coupe that actually looks almost like something GM…

Close-up on Classifieds Vendor: Tony Webb Tel. 07784 731205 Price: £27,750 It’s unusual to see big Eighties American sedans in such ‘cream puff’ condition. These were the early years of electronics on American cars (feedback carbs etc) so often when the electronics pack up they fall at the first hurdle. This car, however, has obviously been very well looked after, with all the paperwork and provenance to back it up, including the original dealer invoice. Almost $3500 worth of options were ordered on the car (on top of the $14,412 list price) including rust and paint protection for $297, which must account for its excellent appearance today. The car comes with a clean Carfax report, showing regular servicing and authenticating the mileage. The current UK owners had a ‘Lemon Squad’…