Hemmings Classic Car January 2017

“The more technology invades our lives, the more people will long for the simple things, which is why there will always be a demand for books.” Regarding my automotive book and magazine collection that I wrote about in HCC #146, I received many replies from readers offering suggestions about what should be done with my library. Many readers said that because I can read most of what I have on the Internet, to simply recycle it all. I guess a lot of people simply don’t know the value of certain old books; more than that, if everybody sent their car books to the recycling bins, there would be a shortage of books for future generations to read. Now, if you’re one of those people whose life is connected to the…

“Mr. Cannonball” Brock Yates, 1933-2016 EDITOR, SCREENWRITER AND CANNONBALLER BROCK YATES PASSED AWAY October 5, 2016 at the age of 82 from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease. The former Navy officer authored books on topics ranging from Harley-Davidson to the Indianapolis 500. Best known as the executive editor of Car and Driver magazine for nearly four decades, Yates was also an on-air analyst for televised automobile races in the 1980s. In defiance of the highway safety standards of the 1970s, Yates and some friends hatched an idea for a no-rules cross-country race. The result was the Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, with the first official running taking place in November of 1972. Brock and Dan Gurney won the race in a Ferrari Daytona. Brock later raced…

Bluega INSPIRED BY THE GO FAST NASH SUBMARINE CAR (see Lost & Found, HCC #145), reader John Corey sent along a photo of the 1950 Hudson Commodore that his son, Ethan, similarly modified for the Enchanted City Steampunk Festival in Troy, New York. “Notably, the dorsal fin was linked to the steering so it moved as a rudder!” John wrote. “The periscope was omitted due only to a shortage of dry ice to make it ‘steam.’” Other vehicles that participated in the festival include a Viking golf cart, a pedal-cranked Strandbeest-ish walker, a pulse jet-powered locomotive and a diwheel. Piperbaker Custom DESPITE HORDES OF AMATEUR and professional automotive archaeologists scouring every barn and garage across America, there remain a good number of unique cars either still…

Auburn AUCTIONS AMERICA FINISHED ITS ANNUAL AUBURN, INDIANA, auction August 31-September 4, with a 79 percent sell-through and a total haul of more than $21.5 million. The auction coincided with the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival, and over 840 vehicles crossed the block over the four-day selling period. Two Duesenbergs led the way with a 1931 Model J Convertible Sedan selling for $880,000 and a 1933 Model Sunroof Berline by Franay hammering home at $715,000. The top-selling non-ACD car was this 1931 Cadillac V-12 Convertible Coupe (above). The restored car was a CCCA 100-point winner and it’s unknown how many are left today, but this was one of just 362 built back in 1931. It sold for an impressive $368,500. For more details go to www.auctionsamerica.com. Motor City Results LEAKE AUCTION COMPANY’S INAUGURAL…

Make Driving Fun Again 805-481-2574 • WWW.KINGMIDGETSWEST.COM  • $43, PLUS $7-12 SHIPPING The pint-sized King Midget automobiles were a surprising successful postwar phenomenon and represented a simple-yet-revolutionary concept in personal motoring: why follow the herd, wasting fuel and space while using an oversized vehicle to accomplish solo short trips around town, when you could do the same in a small and economical, fun-to-drive runabout? The International King Midget Car Club has championed this ideal for decades, and president Lee Seats, aided by Randy Chestnutt and Bob Vahsholtz, created the Club Special, an updated version of the King Midget Model 2 for the 21st century; modern takes on the Model 1 and Model 3 are also discussed. This carefully designed, spiral-bound book illustrates just how to build such a car for roughly…

Powerful Penlight Flashlights are an important and useful tool when working on your car or diagnosing a problem. Coast Products offers a variety of penlights, and the company’s new HP3R model provides 245 lumens of focusable light on the high setting and 26 lumens on the low, casts a beam up to 305 feet and will last for 1½ to 6 hours. A mere 1.8 ounces and only 5.8 inches in length, it will easily fit into your pocket, ready to throw light in hard-to-reach places. It’s powered by a Lithium rechargeable or two AA alkaline batteries (included). Cost: $94.99. COAST PRODUCTS 800-426-5858 COASTPORTLAND.COM Sullied to Spotless Tub O’ Towels gives you a solution to cleaning up after a long productive day in the shop. The towel wipes…