Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i Hemmings Classic Car

Lost Kitty AS WE CLOSE OUT THE 50TH-ANNIVERSARY YEAR OF THE MERCURY COUGAR, IT’S worth taking a look at its namesake that, as Kustomrama recently pointed out, hasn’t been seen in 45 years. Technically, the second Ford concept to wear the Cougar name (the first, a 3/8-scale model, debuted in 1956), the 1962 Cougar, featured gullwing doors, concealed headlamps, and a 406-cu.in. V-8. Dean Jeffries built it for Ford, and it appeared in both the Ford Custom Car Caravan and the 1964 Cavalcade of Custom Cars. Nine years later, it appeared for sale in Hemmings Motor News; a private individual in Southern California owned it at the time and seemed not to know much about the car or care much about its condition. One of Kustomrama’s readers saw it in…

Chevrolet Bowtie Clock 800-423-5525 • WWW.CALCARCOVER.COM  • $34.99 The bold black-and-red Bowtie symbolizes modern Chevrolet performance, and it makes a powerful statement when hung on the wall in the form of this logo clock (item GBC5508). Made of durable, powdercoated steel that catches the eye with its high-gloss finish, this officially licensed timepiece by GOBOXES sports metal hands and quartz accuracy, and the clock runs on a single AA battery, not included. It’s generously sized at 23.5 x 10 x 1-inches, has a single, central hanger, and will quickly become a favorite of the Chevy faithful. Mechanical Ignition Handbook 800-423-4595 • WWW.BENTLEYPUBLISHERS.COM  • $22.95 Your favorite classic car breaks down on you. You can tell the engine is getting fuel, but it also needs spark to run. Vehicle electrical systems can seem…

How do you modify a legend without removing the qualities that make it legendary? One of the perils of modifying a car — any car, from plebeian to posh — is that it’s too easy to mask or dial out some of the personality of that car. Whatever the goal is — quicker, rides nicer, corners flatter, looks tougher — six decades of technological progress means that goals are easily reached. Yet the fundamental character of the car often changes in the process. As an example: radial tires. Few who have experienced bias-ply tires can refute the stability and handling prowess of a modern radial tire, even on an old car. They’re available, they’re cheap, and they offer peace of mind. Putting aside the personal question of whether radials “look…

While you’d think that not using a car keeps it in a state of suspended-animation perfection, the opposite is true: Static automobiles experience insidious degradation, and require as much maintenance as those regularly exercised. Museum staffs are trained to conserve items in their collections, and the cars of Heritage Museums & Gardens have benefitted from care by knowledgeable, capable employees and volunteers for decades. This Simplex, Crane developed problems that required methodical work to correct, but it was recently made fully operational again, a triumph for all involved. We spoke with the men who volunteer their time and talent to maintaining this museum’s fleet: Jon Elmendorf, Elliot Friend, Jon Capistron, and Craig Smith. Jon Elmendorf told us that half of the museum’s 41-car collection is currently static, and they “re-activate”…

When James Chilton, his wife, and their daughter Mary first arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620, they had no idea what their futures held. Both James and his wife were early casualties of the severe New England winter, but Mary survived and prospered, going down in legend as the first European woman to set foot in Massachusetts. Almost 300 years later, she was memorialized in Boston’s Chilton Club, established in 1910. Some six years before it was appropriated by Boston socialites, the Chilton family name was chosen as a suitably Yankee-sounding moniker for a publishing company. The Chilton Company of Pennsylvania was incorporated March 31, 1904, in West Philadelphia, by George Buzby, C.A. Musselman, and James Artman. The constituent company of Chilton initially consisted of only the Trade Advertising and…

CHRYSLER HAD ITS CORDOBA, ITS smallest car in a generation, and to top it off, the automaker had Ricardo Montalbán espousing its virtues. No wonder it was a hit. But, what of our friends at the performance division, Dodge? Thanks to rising insurance rates, emissions tuning, and the energy crisis, muscle cars had pretty much disappeared from the landscape in the mid-1970s, so Dodge introduced America’s first cross-over vehicle. It applied a muscle-car moniker to a personal luxury car. Yeah, I know it’s a stretch. Say hello to the 1975 Dodge Charger. The name says “fast” while the execution says “cushy comfort.” “The new 1975 Charger Special Edition. A new personal luxury car for the discriminating driver.” “Its style is pure, personal and refined. It’s luxurious without being pretentious.” Was…

Russo and Steele Results OVER $8.6 MILLION IN SALES WERE RECORDED BY RUSSO AND STEELE’S MONTEREY AUCTION, which had over 150 lots available. Among the supercars and Ferraris that reined in the highest bids, there was a fine selection of classics, including this 1942 Lincoln Continental. This was clearly an older restoration and needed a little work, but it was equipped with all the factory options of the era, among them a gold-plated instrument panel, a rear seat heater, and a Columbia overdrive. The full CCCA prewar Classic sold for an amazing $26,400. Visit www.russoandsteele.com for full results. Look for them at Scottsdale this upcoming January. Gooding at Pebble Beach GOODING & COMPANY SAW AN impressive turnout of consignments at Pebble Beach this past August that resulted in more than…

By the time the sixth-generation Thunderbird debuted for the 1972 model year, any traces of the original sporty two-seater from 1955 were long gone, the model having bulked up on a steady diet of steroids. Weighing as much as two-and-a-half tons, Thunderbird went big for 1972. That move paid off big-time for Ford, too, with sales increasing from 36,055 to 57,814. The Thunderbird grew again for 1973, with a heavily revised front end, once again resulting in higher sales. At 87,269 cars sold, the 1973 model year was Ford’s hottest yet for its “personal luxury coupe,” as the industry had dubbed it. Ford was clearly doing something right. While the decade came in with big power in the form of Boss Mustangs and Cobra Jet engines for seemingly every model,…

Chrysler’s venerable 170-, 225-, and 198-cu.in. Slant Six engines were endearing and enduring. They motivated millions of the corporation’s cars from model year 1960 through 1983. Trucks were equipped with them through 1987, and they continued in other capacities for years after. During their production run, Slant Sixes were also employed in export, fleet, commercial, marine, and industrial applications, but this article will concentrate on cars built for the U.S. market. Chrysler developed the G-series overhead-valve, 101-hp, 170-cubic-inch Slant Six to be the standard engine for the new 1960 Valiant and 1961 Dodge Lancer, which were created to compete in the burgeoning, hotly contested-compact car market. The entirely new engine replaced the antiquated 230-cu.in. flathead six. A larger 145-hp 225-cu.in. version was standard in the lower-line larger Plymouths and Dodges…

There are few cars approaching 80 years of age that have not passed through many sets of hands. Those that have remained in the care of one or two owners, who have doggedly held on to them through multiple decades, must have special qualities that make them sentimental favorites. The 77-year-old Packard touring sedan on these pages is such a special car, only in its second home through all that time, and beloved for its history, competence, and peerless style. Poestenkill, New York, resident Ken Gypson was driving a pair of Austin-Healey roadsters in 1977, when his grandfather told him and his father, Kenneth, about an interesting old car he’d heard of, tucked away in a garage, near the Canadian border in Vermont. The most senior Gypson lived in nearby…

In 2004, John Cote was attending an evening social at an Antique Automobile Club of America meet in Maryland. Looking for a place to sit, the Guilford, Connecticut, resident eyed a fellow member who happened to be wearing a similar car-themed shirt. That little factoid seems insignificant; however, John’s fortuitous decision to sit next to the gentleman, in hopes of talking about cars they enjoyed, took a surprising turn. “I learned that he and his son were really into Fords, but he mentioned having a lone Mopar,” John recalled. “It immediately interested me because at the time I owned a 1961 Chrysler Newport nine-passenger hardtop station wagon. When I asked what he had, the reply was a 1961 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country nine-passenger wagon he purchased through an…

“I like all the detail, such as the little Thunderbird emblems all over the car, like right on the dashboard and right in front of the steering wheel. Just the luxury of it. Even the luxury in today’s luxury cars is a different style, so the detail work that is in and around the car is kind of unique compared to today’s cars. I’ve always liked that. When you sit in the car, you feel like you’re wrapped in luxury. You feel enclosed in the car, but at the same time, there is good visibility when you drive it.” —Jim DeNunzio (Original owner Jimmy DeNunzio pictured here picking up the Thunderbird new in April of 1973.)…

The volunteers move around the car carefully, leaning over the exposed engine as the six brass priming cups are filled, their levers turned, and checks are performed of the choke and throttle positions; additional fuel will come from a hand-held jug. There’s little conversation, as months of intense preparations have led to the moment when the Simplex, Crane Model 5 will come back to life. The starter is engaged, gears cranking in a syncopated rhythm. There’s a determined mechanical whir, and then the engine catches, bursting into a cacophony of breathy, ticking revs. The silence is further broken, voices coming from different spots around the car: “Yes!” from the driver’s seat. Alongside the engine, “Oil pressure?” The reply: “10 pounds… 14 at idle!” Up front, “That’s good, in range of…

During the early decades of the 20th century, manufacturers of production and semi-production automobile bodies experienced years of frenzied activity. With production at its peak, the factories expanded and thousands of workers were hired. Sometimes rapid expansion to meet the production demands specified by the contract signed with an automobile manufacturer would be wrongly interpreted as something that would continue for an extended period of time. Credit sought and obtained for expansion would have to be paid off in a timely manner on a regular basis, which was all well and good if there were also solid long-term contracts to supply the coachwork they could create. Despite having management with considerable experience, two body companies that saw a strong flurry of activity in this era fell victim to economic woes.…

1952 Kaiser NEW ’52 KAISER BRINGS YOU THE WORLD’S SAFEST FRONT SEAT Is one car safer than another? Kaiser-Frazer says YES . . . and for 1952 brings you the first truly safety-engineered automobile — the Kaiser MANHATTAN — with the World’s Safest Front Seat . Kaiser Anatomic Engineering has combined this new 7-point front seat protection, with the lowest center of gravity, more effective brakes and Curve-Master Control Steering to make the most beautiful car in America the World’s safest car, as well! SEVEN-POINT PROTECTION! 1. Narrowest corner posts in any car eliminate “blind spots.” 2. Exclusive Safety-Mounted One-Piece Windshield is designed to push outward in case of severe impact, and only in case of impact. 3. World’s…

THE MOON RISES AGAIN WITH THE NEW TOURLUX MODEL NOW AVAILABLE IN THE 6-40 LINE. The six-cylinder California-type-topped auto features a fixed roof with 3/8-inch glass windows to protect you from harsh environmental conditions. When the weather improves, the California side curtains store out of the way in the roof, allowing the normal curtains to be used. The Tourlux is available for as low as $1,145. OLDSMOBILE OFFERS ITS LOWEST PRICE for its four-cylinder touring car in 18 years — the model’s last. With multiple improvements and increased quality, the 40-horsepower engine easily motivates the all-metal-covered body, giving you performance and durability at a reasonable price. Four-cylinder Oldsmobiles come in seven different body styles, with the five-passenger touring model available for $975. NATIONAL’S 6-31 BOASTS SUPERIOR design, the best materials,…