Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i Hemmings Classic Car

Palm Springs Results MCCORMICK’S PALM SPRINGS NOVEMBER AUCTION CAME TO A CLOSE TOTALING MORE THAN $6.1 million in sales with a sell-through rate of 64 percent. The three-day auction featured an unusual car that once belonged to Charlie Chaplin: This 1936 Packard V-12 LeBaron All Weather Cabriolet was just one of 622 produced and is believed to have only 11,057 original miles. It had recently been repainted, but needed a little restoration as evidenced by some dents in the right rear fender and running board. When the smoke cleared, the old Packard saw a final bid of $89,250. McCormick has an auction every February and November at the same location in Palm Springs, California, so be sure to visit www.classic-carauction.com for more information. Amelia’s March Madness AS THE NCAA WHITTLES…

Imagine the disappointment of the postwar car buyer when he discovered that all he could find in showrooms were slightly facelifted automobiles from 1942. Sure, some bodies looked new, like the 1947 Studebaker, the 1948 Hudson, and the offerings of the new Kaiser-Frazer Corporation, but if you lifted the hoods, what you found were the same old conventional mechanical components going back to the start of the Great Depression. Of course, the savvy suits in Detroit knew that what mattered in the postwar seller’s market was quantity, not quality or innovation, but there were many dreamers out there who believed it was time to give the consumer a taste of the future. The foremost among them a man from Ypsilanti, Michigan, named Preston Tucker. Tucker’s love of automobiles went back…

We’re all born with our own, individual set of personality traits that may be readily expressed or remain latent, hidden under the surface until an experience draws them out. As a reader of this magazine, you’re obviously now a keen enthusiast; did you love cars from the time you could crawl, or can you pinpoint a particular car that later sparked your passion? It was Miss Sohigian’s Thunderbird that galvanized a nine-year-old Steve Calautti’s automotive interest. That 1964 Ford, belonging to his third-grade teacher, became an object of fascination that would influence his automotive tastes for a lifetime, and would lead to an adult Steve becoming the decades-long caretaker of this 1963 Thunderbird. “We would have recess outside, and the teachers’ cars were parked nearby. Miss Sohigian’s was beautiful: medium-blue…

Roughly a decade ago, a West Coast collector-car enthusiast bought a 1957 Nash Ambassador Custom Country Club. The top-of-the-line two-door hardtop — still sporting styling from Farina — represented the last of the big Nash models; all but the Rambler series was discontinued after this model year. Powered by a new 225-hp American Motors 327-cu.in. V-8, just 997 Country Clubs were built during the 1957 model year. Whether the car’s owner was driven by its rarity or his affinity to the once-proud company is unknown; however, its restoration was commissioned in short order, and Fred Ingle, proprietor of Fred’s Custom Wiring & Hot Rods in Ontario, California, was hired for the task. The Nash appeared both complete and devoid of obvious corrosion when it was delivered to Fred’s facility. In-depth…

IN 1977 I WAS EMPLOYED AT THE old Delco Moraine Division of General Motors in Dayton, Ohio, as a utility floor inspector in their Packaging Department. This entailed making sure the correct parts were put in the correct box, printed with the correct part number. We packaged not only the Genuine GM Parts brake components, engine bearings, and transmission plates that we manufactured, but also ACDelco’s full line of brake parts. This meant that we packaged and had inventories of older GM, Ford, Chrysler, and other manufacturers’ brake components. This was a restorer’s heaven that more than one GM executive took advantage of. The minimum order of these purchased OEM parts from other companies seemed to be 500 or so. Every year we were stuck with inventorying and paying taxes…

Ford was dealt a one-two punch in 1931 as rival automakers pounded away at the Model A’s dominance and the Great Depression pummeled new-vehicle sales. Ford was still the low-cost leader, but Chevrolet, Essex, Pontiac, and Willys were offering six-cylinder engines at competitive prices. Moreover, Chrysler’s fledgling Plymouth brand had emerged as a serious threat to the A, with a higher-horsepower four-cylinder engine and other advanced features: hydraulic brakes and shocks, “Floating Power” engine mounts to reduce harshness and vibration, and automatically controlled vacuum spark advance. Over the winter of 1931, Chevrolet overtook Ford in domestic automobile sales and never looked back. Ford finished the year in the number-two position behind Chevrolet, selling nearly 50,000 fewer cars. Where the plucky Bowtie division couldn’t top Dearborn, however, was in the commercial…

Tuckered In THE PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE HAS ANNOUNCED THE CLASS LISTINGS for the 2018 event, and they are proud to include Tucker as part of the festivities to celebrate the car’s 70th anniversary. The rise and fall of the Tucker is perhaps one of the better-known stories of independent automobile production that captured the headlines back in the day. It will be a rare occasion to see some of the world’s best Tuckers all together in one place. It’s never too early to plan for Pebble Beach; this year’s Concours will take place August 26. Visit www.pebblebeachconcours.net for more information. Sooner Swap Meet MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR MARCH 16-17 for the Chickasha Pre-War Swap Meet. Located near Oklahoma City, this event has become a must-attend for locating hard-to-find parts…

Dependable Dodges 800-230-3030 • WWW.SUMMITRACING.COM  • $24.99 You don’t have to be a “Mopar-or-no-car” enthusiast to appreciate the retro-themed beauty of this new, authentic-looking LED marquee sign. Sized 16 x 10 inches, the lightweight, easy-to-hang unit (item 158872) offers the appearance of an original Dodge dealer service sign, but takes less energy to power, thanks to its modern LED rope lighting. Indeed, it can run off four AA batteries (not included), or through an 18-inch-long mini-USB cord with an on/off switch. You can order this sign for home delivery, or pick it up in a Summit Racing store in Ohio, Nevada, Georgia, or Texas. Streamline Aluminum Trailers: Restoration & Modification 800-551-4754 • WWW.CARTECHBOOKS.COM  • $29.95 In recent years, interest in vintage trailers, especially the sleek aluminum models, has gathered steam as a…

For anyone in America looking for a good economy car in the 1950s, the Aero Willys was an excellent choice. For any Brazilian looking for a good luxury car in the 1960s the Aero Willys was an excellent choice. It was simply a case of same car, different day. And different markets. Willys-Overland’s Aero Willys debuted in America for the 1952 model year to a very promising reception despite prices that were high for a small, somewhat austere automobile. Sales grew in 1953, lagged in 1954, and collapsed in 1955, at which time the company, now part of Henry Kaiser’s empire, withdrew from the U.S. automobile market. Frugal man that Kaiser was, he saved the Aero tooling in the hopes of someday using it again. A progressive thinker, Kaiser took…

CLASSIC ELEGANCE TAILORED TO YOUR TASTE. If ever a car was built to tempt you, this is it. First, Monte Carlo catches you with style. Strong, instantly recognized style that sets it above lesser cars, from its elegant formal roof line to its crisply sculpted rear deck. Monte Carlo’s classic elegance has made it one of America’s most distinguished personal cars. Then Monte Carlo wins you with performance. This year’s edition brings even more excitement, with its new standard Electronic Fuel Injection 4.3 Liter V6 engine. It’s so sophisticated that you get effortless power with the advantages of a V6 design. This advanced new engine powers the standard 3-speed automatic transmission (4-speed automatic available), while computer-tuned suspension grips the road. The result is comfortable, confident driving and precise responsiveness that…

THE CHRYSLER WINDSOR RETURNS WITH A REDESIGNED GRILLE, BUMPERS, TAILLAMPS, and roof. Now powered by the Golden Lion 383-cu.in. V-8 and a pushbutton TorqueFlite transmission, the Windsor moves with grace and power. Interior upholstery is available in 14 different color and fabric choices, and swivel seats are offered on all six body styles except the station wagon. The brawny Windsor can be had starting as low as $3,204. FORD’S BRILLIANT RESTYLING ACCENTUATES the beauty and class of the offerings of the venerable automaker. The long and low Ford now has a flatter hood with less chrome trim. The grille and bumper have been completely restyled, with the rear fenders forming a housing for the backup lamps and curving around the new round taillamps. Also look for the Galaxie, the new…

Winged One-Off REAR GULLWING DOORS? TESLA’S MAKING WAVES WITH THE FEATURE ON ITS Model X SUV, but it’s not an entirely novel idea, as we can see from this photo that dream-car collector Joe Bortz sent us. According to Joe, he spotted the prototype in a Chrysler facility while buying the AMVan concept car from the company, and was even offered the SUV, but declined it. “To me, it was just a showoff item,” he said. Joe didn’t have any more details on the SUV — not even a name — and said he didn’t believe it was ever shown to the general public. We’re just as curious about the doors as we are about the existence of a four-door Blazer/Explorer-size SUV skulking around Chrysler design study halls during the…

“New rocket bodies, new personalized interiors, concealed running boards, and new airfoil lights! It’s a car with the look of tomorrow…new today to make your dollars buy more in style — in performance,” so read De Soto’s ad copy touting the advanced styling of its new 1942 models. The company was immensely proud of the automobile it had created, with a look that really stood out from all the other cars on the road. The 1942 De Sotos began being manufactured in August 1941, but due to the outbreak of World War II, the line was shut down the following February. With not even a full six months of production, just 24,771 De Sotos were built for the 1942 model year. Compared to the 99,999 cars that rolled out of…

There is no history of the automobile that does not mark the 1908 introduction of Henry Ford’s Model T, the revolutionary car that offered an affordable and reliable option for the common man and ushered in the century of the automobile. But there were other influences at work as well that same year. The American people elected William Howard Taft president in November of 1908, yet before he entered Washington for his inauguration four months later, he lobbied for a small fleet of cars for the White House. Taft’s desire to formally adopt the automobile came across as controversial. His predecessor — and later political rival — Theodore Roosevelt was no fan of cars and considered them dirty and noisy, as did many other people. Of course, Roosevelt, the former…

“I alienated the automotive industry, by saying that cars should be lightweight and compact. I’d also kill chrome forever, or any other applied junk.” It’s tough to imagine today how a single voice and vision could have such a singular impact on American culture. Raymond Loewy had that voice and vision. Set aside the hundreds of thousands of Studebakers that famously bore Loewy’s imprint. He designed logos for Shell, Exxon (formerly Esso), BP, and Quaker State, which dispensed gas to Studebakers and every other car out there. He streamlined locomotives, and designed interiors for passenger trains and space stations alike. He penned Coca-Cola vending machines, Coke’s iconic contoured glass bottle, the Lucky Strike cigarette logo, the U.S. Post Office’s eagle logo, the International Harvester “man on a tractor” IH logo,…

SCHOOL WAS OUT FOR THE SUMMER, and my dad didn’t want me to be left home alone. How much trouble could a freshly minted 16-year-old boy get into? Much to my dismay, my dad made me go to work with him. This meant sitting in the car all day because he was a food service salesman. We were on the road between Tulsa and Coweta, Oklahoma, and I was acting as cold and unhappy as possible to show my disapproval, and my dad likely not concerned in the least that my day wasn’t going as planned! I happened to glance out the driver’s side of the windshield at just the right time to see an old used-car lot come into view — Rocket Motors. They had a big vintage sign…