Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2026 i Classic American

As you settle down to read this month’s magazine, we’ll be in the midst of winter here in the UK. As the temperature plunges, January and February are seen by many as the worst months, with cars tucked away in garages – well away from wintry weather and road salt – and the show season in a moribund state. You could be forgiven for thinking the scene pretty much grinds to a halt, but that’s not necessarily the case. This is also the time when thousands of enthusiasts are tinkering with their classics, whether that means putting the finishing touches to a restoration or simply getting their cars serviced and ready to hit the road again once spring arrives. Clubs and event organisers, meanwhile, are busy planning their 2026 shows…

In its 1961 sales brochure, Chrysler introduced its Newport model with the caption “It looks like a million, but the Newport is the lowest-priced member of the Chrysler family”. Starting with a base price of just $2964 for the four-door sedan, it undercut the equivalent top-of-the-range New Yorker model by a whopping $1169, helping it to contribute an impressive 57,102 of the overall 100,000 sales achieved by the division in its home market that year. Even if you looked closely at a 1961 Newport, it was hard to guess how the apparent savings had been achieved. Yes, it had a smaller base engine and the wheelbase was four inches shorter (122 versus 126 inches), but its interior dimensions – like for like – were virtually the same. Admittedly, automatic transmission,…

If you fancy owning an American car and you live in the UK, there’s an obvious place to look for one – and it isn’t South Africa. But then Alex Holme’s route towards ownership of this 1937 Buick Special Series 40 Sports Coupe was anything but direct, as he explains: “I’ve always loved the cars, the history and the style of the Art Deco period and saw this Buick advertised in South Africa around 15 years ago. Although I wanted to buy it, we had young children and no time or money for something like that. Still, I kept an eye on the advert, and the car sat around unsold for some time before disappearing.” Alex didn’t really think much more about the Buick until it came back on the…

The Wrangler TJ that was produced between 1997 and 2006 is powered by a choice of two petrol engines in European spec – a 2.5-litre four-cylinder or a 4.0-litre straight-six. Here we’re following what’s involved in servicing the larger of these engines, in this case on a 2003 model. Most of the aspects of servicing the Wrangler are traditional and straightforward. For instance, there is a selection of grease nipples to help lubricate the suspension and steering. There’s one large ribbed auxiliary drive belt fitted at the front of the engine, which drives the alternator, power steering and water pump. The front brakes feature single-piston calipers with discs, whereas the rears are drums. And the spark plugs are no more awkward to renew than on any other engine that has…

MOST POWERFUL PICK-UP Following the return of the Hemi V8 to the 2026 model year Ram 1500 line-up, plus a major shift in US emissions regulations, Stellantis has announced a relaunch of the Ram 1500 SRT TRX – this time pushing the supercharged 6.2-litre Hellcat V8 to a mighty 777bhp. The original 1500 TRX – which produced 702bhp – debuted in 2021 as the flagship of the Ram truck range, enabling the brand to take the fight to the Ford F150 Raptor. It was discontinued as early as 2024, however, as Stellantis focused on more efficient powertrains and electrification for its global range of products. Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis has made no secret of his desire to bring back the TRX, but he needed to make sure any reinvention of…

As this issue of Classic American goes to print, Geoff Allen – the proud keeper of the ’69 Mustang Mach 1 featured here – is only just over 18 months into his period of ownership. It’s a stunning looking example thanks to his recent extra expenditure. But even when Geoff acquired the Mach 1 from a friend and fellow American car fanatic, who’d had it since 2010, it was in impressive condition. “I’d always admired the Mach 1 in his collection,” explains Geoff, “and liked the idea of eventually buying it, although it wasn’t until 2024 that it became available. During the wait I’d bought myself a 1970 TransAm, but I was willing to sell that to get my hands on the Mustang.” It’s easy to see the appeal of…

VANISHING POINT A cult film from the moment it was released in 1971, Richard C Sarafian’s existentialist opus nevertheless bombed in the USA. The studio execs at 20th Century Fox had no faith in the movie to the point that it was only shown in a few cinemas prior to being withdrawn. It was a much bigger hit in Europe, however, and was eventually re-released in its homeland in a double bill with The French Connection. It isn’t necessarily an easy film to get your head around, mind, not least because of the non-linear story and the red-herring flashbacks. Star Barry Newman seemed to be a staple of any early 1970s American flick with a car chase element. Here he plays Kowalski, a Vietnam War veteran and washed-up former motorcycle…

Estate cars, station wagons, shooting brakes… whatever you choose to call them, ‘longroofs’ have become an increasingly popular classic choice in recent years – and it’s easy to see why. As highly practical alternatives to two- and four-door sedans, they offer the same classic looks, similar comfort and performance options, as well as the added versatility of being family haulers, business vehicles, race support cars, plus a multitude of potential other uses. The compact Chevy II series was introduced in 1962 as GM’s answer to Ford’s Falcon range, and was available in five different body styles comprising two- and four-door sedans, a two-door hardtop, a convertible and a four-door wagon. Only two options of powerplant were available – a 2.5-litre four-cylinder and GM’s 194cu.in (3.2-litre) straight-six, later increased to a…

The UK’s American car scene has changed hugely since the very first issue of Classic American, way back in 1988. Earlier that decade, aided by an exchange rate of $1.80 to the pound and cheap ‘roll-on, roll-off’ shipping, it was growing at an impressive rate, with countless enthusiasts importing their own American vehicles. You might have got a ‘Q’ plate, but you could have your Smokey and the Bandit TransAm, Starsky and Hutch Ford Gran Torino, or Cannon Lincoln Continental. Meanwhile, events like Notts Americana, Rally of the Giants, Ringwood and others were attended by thousands of cars and their owners. Back then, the older cars – from the 1950s and ’60s – usually came with crossply tyres. Vehicles from the mid-1970s usually had bias tyres or radials, and most…

I always felt rather sorry for the Chrysler Corporation’s Plymouth division. It was an open secret that Ford would be offering a new sporty and reasonably priced car to appeal to the American youth, with mechanicals based on the Falcon, and this galvanised Plymouth’s engineers to produce their own fastback based on the Valiant. Badged as the Barracuda (a suitably aggressive name), it was attractive, had a variety of engine and transmission options, plus the largest curved rear window of any production car of the time. Nevertheless, due to superb marketing and a dollop of luck, the Mustang overshadowed the Barracuda, outselling it five times over in the first year despite the Plymouth’s release two weeks before Ford’s Mustang. The Barracuda was not overlooked in miniature, however, as AMT soon…