Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i Classic American

This month I wanted to do something a little different. Even though Classic American is largely focused on passenger cars and light commercials, there are many of us in this hobby who, no doubt, have at least a passing interest in big, over-the-road American trucks. With their long hoods (bonnets), chrome exhaust stacks, bumpers, fuel tanks and wheels, traditional large American trucks are imposing beasts and distinctly different from those we see on European roads. Like anything else, however, the path of progress means they are becoming an increasingly rare sight on North American highways, as cost-conscious fleets look to fuel efficiency, aerodynamics and telematics – resulting in a spate of rigs with tapered hoods, integrated fenders, cabs and sleepers, typified by models such as the Freightliner Cascadia and Volvo…

“The minute you get in, turn the key, and get into gear, you know you’re in a living, fire-breathing machine, and it’s beyond doubt one of the most exciting and easiest driving cars that I ever handled,” stated Carroll Shelby in his 1965 book The Cobra Story. He was referring to the Shelby Mustang GT 350, not the standard version but the racing version. “It’s almost unbelievable, but we can take a GT 350 around any circuit where we test it faster than the best Corvettes in full racing trim! You just can’t very well accept that fact, I know, until you drive the car.” Lee Iacocca is credited with asking Carroll Shelby the question of what it would take to race the Mustang. And the reply was: build 100…

I went to California with my girlfriend Stacey in on holiday. I had some spending money in case I came across a car, but it didn’t take long for this idea to turn into the main mission of our holiday. At the time I really fancied a ’64 Ranchero, or even a Falcon of the same era. But, even after looking at loads, I never managed to find one in the sort of condition I wanted. I also considered bigger trucks like F100s or stepside Chevys and ended up looking at all sorts. In doing this we met lots of fun and interesting people and visited places we otherwise wouldn’t have visited. It was while we were in Palm Springs that I found the first Mustang I wanted to look…

News AUCTION WATCH This 1969 Chevy Chevelle SS convertible was owned by rock legend Bruce Springsteen from 1981 to 1987 and crossed the block at Mecum’s recent Indianapolis auction, hammering for $302,500. Apparently, Springsteen gave the car to recording engineer Toby Scott who had mixed over 18 of Springsteen’s albums for Christmas in 1987. The car had undergone a decades-long restoration, spanning from 1988 to 2020, building the car to match the lyrics of the Springsteen song Racing in the Street. And the car was even displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame beginning in August 2020. As part of the resto’ the car was returned to the original Le Mans Blue with white side stripes (Springsteen had painted it black previously) and it sports a white convertible…

Few marques have stood the test of time across the world as well as the ever-celebrated Jeep. While the vintage Jeeps are legendary for incredible presence and styling, the fondly remembered rigs from the 1963-1991 era present challenges when driven on modern-day roads. Enter Vigilante. First founded in 2017 as a pure restoration business, Vigilante now breathes new life into vintage Jeeps such as the company’s new incredibly reimagined 1966 Gladiator custom, artfully blending the vehicle’s original aesthetic with the best in modern technology. Designed as custom commissions, each Vigilante Jeep build is re-engineered to perfection for clients to fully enjoy. “Our goal at Vigilante is to breathe new life into a celebrated vehicle from the past, bringing each one into the present, while still delivering an authentic driving experience…

Weybridge, Surrey Sunday, May 28, 2023 I’m glad I gave the Charger a wipe over on Saturday and loaded up the gazebo and supplies rather than leaving it until Sunday morning, as when I went to lock the garage up on Saturday night I could smell fuel... So, there I was, at nearly 7pm, jacking the Charger up to see where the smell was coming from. I must have overtightened a jubilee clip when I put a new fuel hose on, as it had cut into the hose. Luckily, half an hour later, I had it sorted. I was glad that I’d made that discovery on Saturday night, rather than Sunday morning before the show! Bright and early Sunday morning, we cruised up the A3 in the sunshine and arrived…

Mustang News We’ve been lucky in this country in recent years to be able to walk into our local Ford dealer and buy a Ford Mustang straight off the sales floor, with all the advantages that offers – everything from a manufacturer’s warranty to specialised servicing and excellent parts supply and customer service. Even second-hand Mustangs are trickling through the car market now and are also available from Ford dealers with all the back-up and peace of mind that buying from a main dealer can bring for those who worry about such things. For 2023 the Mustang range now comprises a coupe and convertible, as before, although the only engine available is the Gen IV 5.0-litre V8, with either 10-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual ’box. There are…

Carroll Shelby. Much has been written about the Texan hot rodder, race car driver, automotive designer and savvy businessman. Indeed, Shelby left his marks on automobile history in a number of ways – his involvement kept him busy and alert until he died in 2012 at the age of 89. Most will remember him for the AC Cobra he developed in 1962, followed by a series of Shelby-badged Ford Mustangs. Fuelled by a love for motorsports, he became a talented pilot too, winning the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans behind the wheel of an Aston Martin, among other accomplishments. Of course, we can’t forget his association with the GT40 programme during the 1960s, leading to Ford finally winning at Le Mans. The great movie blockbuster Ford v Ferrari, released…

May 13-14, 2023 Spring seems to have taken an awfully long time to arrive this year. We are fast approaching summer and yet I can count the warm sunny days we have had so far this year on one hand. However, the sun kindly put his hat on for this year’s Spring Autojumble at beautiful Beaulieu. All the cherry trees were in full blossom and they looked a picture set against deep blue skies. It was enough to put a spring in your step and a toot in your flute and that’s the vibe that ran through the 13,000 or so folk who attended over the weekend. Whether they bought anything or not was somewhat academic (although maybe not for the traders). Many seemed happy to mooch about eating ice…

And the winner of the most inelegant car name ever goes to… See past the wince-inducing nomenclature and this one-of-a-kind creation was once quite the attention grabber. Echoing The Big Three’s symbiotic relationship with leading customisers during the Sixties, here GM’s Cadillac division teamed up with California Street Rods of Huntingdon Beach, California, to create a modern-day lead sled in time for the big reveal at the 2000 Los Angeles International Auto Show. Dubbed EldoRODo, it garnered plenty of ink in period, the basis being a front-wheel-drive Eldorado Touring Coupe. GM vice-president and Cadillac general manager John Smith said after the unveiling: “The EldoRODo is Cadillac’s way of celebrating the creativity of the hot rod culture in Southern California. For years the flair of these vehicles has expressed personalities of…

Pete Wolfe had never intended to buy an American car; he already had a beautifully restored 1972 Jaguar E-type V12 roadster and that was enough. “But in 2017 I was at my friend Gary Denham’s place, Executive Cars in Essex. Gary previously restored my Jaguar, and I saw the Firebird in his showroom. I’d always liked American cars, I used to go to Brands Hatch and watch the saloon car races and there was one racing Camaro run by Malcolm Gartlan and Wiggins Teape that I especially loved seeing. Plus of course I watched all those films and TV shows; Bullitt got me in love with muscle cars and my brother had a mechanic business in Norfolk so I even drove a few Yanks in my teens. But I’d never…

Most of us are now only too aware of the benefits of air conditioning after the hot summer months in the UK over the last few years. You may have been tempted to buy a convertible, but for those of us lucky enough to own cars with air conditioning, closing the windows and switching it on is the cool way to go. For others, the only relief from the heat comes in the form of shopping centres where air conditioning is taken for granted as part of the shopping experience. It’s only now that European manufacturers have started to take it seriously and have begun to offer factory-installed systems on even basic models (air-conditioned Fiestas, of all things!); that attention is finally focused on air conditioning. The irony of all…

Classic American Events, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR June 17/18 AMERICAN SPEEDFEST 10 Brands Hatch, Kent. Live Action Arena, 70 years of Corvette celebration, Speedfest Country – two days of live country music. Hollywood replica vehicles, trade village, country fair and mini monster truck rides. Also featuring NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, full programme of racing all weekend, as well as grid walks and start line signing. Plus, classic car displays, US-inspired food, family fun and kids go free! Book online to save, tickets Sat: £25/Sun £30. Kids under 13 go free. Discounted advance booking closes Thursday Jun 15. See: www.brandshatch.co.uk or call: 0344 225 4422. 18 BRISTOL AMERICAN CAR SHOW This well-established show has grown considerably over the last 23-years, so much so we had to move…

Vendor: Malcolm Springham/DanTel. 07377 088926or Dan: 07767 824224Price: £16,950 This car is being sold by Malcolm Springham, retired proprietor of MAG American in Bishop’s Stortford and is what might be referred to as a ‘cream puff’ of a car! The 1973 model year was the second year of the Continental Mk IV and features the larger, Federal mandated 5mph impact-resistant front bumper, although it still has the slim, wraparound rear bumper. It also had a slightly higher roofline over the ’72 supposedly in response to complaints of insufficient headroom in the previous year’s model. This Lincoln boasts exceptionally low mileage and hails from the golden era of the battle of the personal luxury coupes, when Cadillac’s Eldorado duked it out with Lincoln’s Mark series. The car has been resprayed and…

Chances are that if you want to get your hands on a Shelby Mustang, then you’ll probably have to source it via auction, as that seems to be where most of them end up for sale and quite possibly an American auction house at that. Periodically they do come up for sale here in the UK, as we discovered with one rather lovely example we tracked down at British auction house H&H’s recent sale. We take a look at a couple of the tasty morsels that have gone under the hammer in just the last few months; these cars are often changing hands and many consider them to be better than money in the bank… although you might need to have a chat with your bank manager first about this…