Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i Hemmings Classic Car

EDITOR’S NOTE: In light of recent events,Lost & Found will showcase oddities investigated from the Hemmings Daily until further notice. Pedestrian Grinder FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS’ WEBSITE CAME THIS MYSTERY PHOTOGRAPH with little context other than a date of October 11, 1922. From a car nut’s perspective, the only immediately evident aspect of the photo would be the Hispano-Suiza engine driving the propeller. Just about everything else, including the nature of the wagon, we put up for guesses at HMN.com/contact. The only real consensus about the vehicle is that it likely wasn’t meant to be propelled by the propeller, à la Marcel Leyat’s propeller cars. The lack of a visible steering apparatus means this thing was probably fixed to one spot while in operation. And besides, as Bill Hegerty…

Drip Defender SPLATTERGUARD • 833-801-9334 • WWW.SPLATTER-GUARD.COM  • $24.99-$39.99 Keeping the garage or shop floor clean is always a challenge, as messy splatters and leaks are difficult to avoid. These new durable drip mats can help protect your floors, as they boast an absorbent protective layer and are available in a variety of designs. Each mat can be used multiple times, they are lightweight and repositionable, and easily cleaned. Three sizes are available: 24 x 24 inches, 34 x 52 inches, and 34 x 120 inches. For custom sizes, the mats are easily cut with scissors and won’t fray or tear. Socket Stuff DANCHUK • 800-648-9554 WWW.DANCHUK.COM$36.95/PAIR Rewiring your classic Chevrolet is easier than ever with this new wiring harness for 1957 Chevrolet models. These headlamp socket harnesses are manufactured to original specifications and…

Crossing the finish line after traveling 3,310 miles from Los Angeles to Boston in the 1966 Mobil Economy Run, this Plymouth Belvedere I won Class C: Intermediate-Size Sixes, posting 23.10 miles per gallon. Despite being set back by a slow leak in a tire, it still bested a Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, Mercury, and an AMC. By 1966, the Mobil Economy Run had been illustrating the fuel efficiency potential of new cars in real-world driving conditions for numerous years, and had also served as a marketing tool for the company and the automakers. Cars were purchased from dealers by the United States Auto Club, the event’s sanctioning body, and precautions were taken to ensure that the cars were stock and remained that way. Yet actions by some of the manufacturers’…

When I first saw the Lincoln, my immediate reaction was that it reminded me of the original Batmobile. I think that’s what comes to everyone’s mind when they see one of these cars, just because of the show’s popularity and the obvious link to the company. It’s not my favorite color, but I decided to buy the Premiere because it was an original, unrestored local car that really didn’t need any work, all of which is pretty unusual. This probably would not be the first car I would use to drive around town in, but it’ll start any time I need it to and function perfectly. And, you really can’t help but hum the Batman theme when you do drive it.…

Compared to Ford and General Motors, in the world of the Big Three, Chrysler always did things a bit differently from the rest. Be it cylinder heads with hemispherical-shaped combustion chambers, or cross-ram manifolds with unusually long intake runners, or something as simple as the distinctive sound of its starter motors, it’s no wonder Chrysler Corporation-built cars attract unconventional-thinking enthusiasts who prefer engineering principles that are not run-of-the-mill. And who but Chrysler would place a 23.5-inch-tall wing on the back of its Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars? Remember, it was Chrysler that created rubber engine mounts in 1925, to reduce vibrations. More importantly, the automaker introduced four-wheel hydraulic brakes the year before. Chrysler also pioneered the first use of disc brakes and introduced power-assisted brakes, to ease the driver’s braking…

Corporate ads — ones paid for by the car company, rather than out of one of the division’s ad budgets — aren’t just a way for a company to boast about its wide-ranging lineup. Ads are also a way for it to link its most expensive cars to the least expensive: By suggesting commonality, there’s also the inference that the thriftiest models were designed and assembled with the care of a car costing three, or more, times the amount. You’d think that a corporate ad for an entire range of cars, from the lowliest stripper to the plushest luxury model, would be at odds with itself — as if it was advertising the notion that the company was building the same basic automobile in multiple guises, as an ingenious plan…

If it had not been for the success of Henry Ford’s first regular production car, the Model A runabout introduced in 1903, the Ford Motor Company conceivably could have folded just as easily as Henry’s prior, short-lived ventures. The fledgling auto industry was wrought with tumultuous endeavors, but the Model A left an indelible impression upon motoring journalists and consumers alike, and the Ford paved the way for the letter series of cars that followed, culminating with the wildly popular Model T. Yet even the affordable Tin Lizzy was bound to get long in the tooth, struggling to remain relevant in an era of rapid advances during the latter half of the Twenties. Simple restyling and minor mechanical updates weren’t going to be enough to maintain the company’s sales supremacy,…

Museums Come to You THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC TEMPORARILY CLOSED MANY BUSINESSES IN MARCH and April and classic car museums were no exception. The good news is that many museums now offer digital programs allowing for virtual visits through the internet. Among the institutions that are viewable and featuring interactive programs during social distancing are: The Henry Ford, the Mullin Automotive Museum, the Gilmore Car Museum, the Petersen Automotive Museum, the National Corvette Museum, the Lane Motor Museum, the AACA Museum, the World of Speed Motorsports Museum, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Editor Matt Litwin summed up each museum’s virtual programs at www.hemmings.com/stories. Hudsons in Vermont MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR JULY 27-31 AS THE HUDSON-ESSEX-TERRAPLANE club hosts its 2020 International Meet in Burlington, Vermont. The New England Chapter invites you…

RM Sotheby’s Online SLATED TO TAKE PLACE IN PALM BEACH PRIOR TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, RM SOTHEBY’S completed its March auction as an online-only event. The lots and bidding were staggered from March 20 to 28 with a sell-through of 69 percent at a total of $13.7 million in sales. Delving deeper into the numbers, American classics sold at 53 percent, with 36 cars changing hands at a total just short of $1.6 million. Among the top sales was this 1934 Packard Eight Dual-Cowl Sport Phaeton. One of just 40 built, this Depression Era Packard received a body-off restoration in the late 1970s and still remains in nice condition. Equipped with dual side-mount spares, wide whitewall tires, wind wings, dual chrome horns, spotlamp, rear luggage rack, and cormorant hood ornament,…

From its inception, Chrysler was engineering-led, and its multiple divisions (Plymouth, De Soto, Dodge, Imperial) were for many years satisfied to case its numerous technical advances — hydraulic four-wheel brakes and Hemi V-8 power to name just a few — in car bodies that were decidedly workaday. Chrysler’s strength was good solid engineering to advance the cause of the automobile, and to help it last longer than you might have thought worthwhile in those days of trading up every three years. Traditionally, styling wasn’t part of Chrysler’s makeup. In an era of longer, lower, and wider, Mopars were styled so drivers could continue to wear their hats as they drove. Meanwhile, GM and Ford competed for the sexiest designs, and the best sales. In the 1950s, once Chrysler finally figured…

Ford’s squared-off, first-generation Broncos are hot today but, by the early 1970s, they’d lost their edge. The all-new 1973 Chevrolet Blazer, which was larger and more luxurious than the original Bronco, found 44,841 buyers in its debut year, versus 21,894 for the Ford. By 1976, Blazer production soared to 74,389 while Dearborn made just 13,265 Broncos. The handwriting was on the wall: Ford needed a sport utility based on a full-size, half-ton truck like General Motors’ Chevrolet Blazer/GMC Jimmy twins and Chrysler’s Dodge Ramcharger/Plymouth Trailduster, or the International Harvester Scout II. The original Bronco made its debut in 1966 as a fun, go-anywhere counterpart to the Mustang. A compact, four-wheel-drive utility was a departure for one of the Big Three, but it followed a path already blazed by the Jeep…

FOR HIS “WORK CARS,” MY DAD favored cheap, second-hand Fords. There was a 1947 coupe, a sturdy little German Ford called a “Taunus,” and, my favorite, a 1966 Mustang with a four-speed and a rare front bench seat. But for the family car, it was nothing but the best, and for Dad that meant General Motors. He was utterly loyal, even after a 1955 Oldsmobile 98 taught him a sharp lesson in humility. Dad was the son of a German immigrant and, like his father, could build or fix nearly anything. He had an eye for quality and hated slipshod work. Over the years, he worked his way up from machinist to production engineer at a large computer peripherals firm in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Although he never went to college, he…

FORD INTRODUCES THE NEW MODEL A DESIGNED TO MEET MODERN CHALLENGES. With its 40-horsepower engine, the Model A will run smoothly up to speeds of 65 miles per hour. Other features include mechanical four-wheel brakes, hydraulic shock absorbers, and standard selective sliding gearshift, which will all contribute to easy and steady handling. Four colors are available across eight different body styles; prices begin at $460. PONTIAC IS BACK with more sweeping body lines and a new crossflow radiator, one of the many technological advancements available in the Pontiac Six. Faster and more powerful, the new Pontiacs feature engine, running gear, and drivetrain advancements, making them suitable for country roads and city avenues. Seven body styles are available, with the least expensive starting at $745. THE CHRYSLER IMPERIAL 80 BRINGS POWER,…

CAR 1957 Oldsmobile Fiesta Wagon AUCTIONEER RM Sotheby’s LOCATION Palm Beach, Florida (online) DATE March 20, 2020 LOT NUMBER 231 RESERVE None AVERAGE SELLING PRICE N/A SELLING PRICE $33,500 THE FUNCTIONAL AND SPACIOUS FIESTA wagons were capable of easily accommodating six passengers and featured nearly 65 cubic feet of cargo space with the versatile rear bench seat folded down. Styling included a wraparound windshield, split rear-opening tailgate, crisp lines, and well-lit and ventilated interior. These wagons were the first ones built after a seven-year hiatus. This Fiesta was powered by the vaunted Rocket V-8 and was mated to a Hydra-Matic transmission. The interior was complete and equipped with air conditioning. The odometer showed just under 98,000 miles on the classy oval instrument display. There were some minor imperfections in the…

YOU MAY COLLECT PERCOLATORS, rotary phones, AM clock radios, cabinet TV-stereo consoles, kitchen appliances, etc., but chances are you collect the items from your youth. The same can be said for old cars. And this hypothesis holds most truly when we speak of the cars from the 1970s, especially the land yachts. Yes, one can argue that there are those in their 20s who would love to own a 1974 Buick Electra, but not as many as those who are middle-aged. If someone wants one of these heavy, gas-guzzling, but oh-so-luxurious cars with a boulevard ride from the disco era, chances are they already have one, which is why in the last few years, the values have either flattened, or in some cases dipped slightly. It’s simple economics — supply…

Conventional wisdom says that with all the resources the Ford Motor Company had at its disposal, the upscale Lincoln division should have been a viable contender in the luxury car market during the Fifties. In one regard, Lincoln was certainly that: a contender in terms of accoutrements and styling. But it didn’t dominate the segment like Cadillac, which outsold Lincoln with ease from 1950-’55. Packard managed to outperform Lincoln during those years as well, except in 1954 when the Independent sold 6,028 fewer cars. Instead, Lincoln — on paper — had a more exclusive vibe, much like Chrysler’s low-production Imperial, and even Lincoln outsold that cross-town rival by a consistently wide margin. History’s raw numbers are hard to ignore, yet they don’t tell the whole story. There certainly wasn’t a…

If you wanted a station wagon in 1953, the odds were against your purchasing a Chrysler New Yorker. Oh, the New Yorker was an excellent choice, with its traditional outstanding Chrysler Corporation engineering, the universally respected FirePower Hemi V-8, and its restrained yet handsome styling. It’s just that the New Yorker Town & Country was very expensive — with a base price of $4,077 versus a $3,254 starting cost for a Buick Roadmaster, or just $2,591 for a Mercury Monterey. Small surprise, then, that only 1,399 examples were produced (alongside 1,242 Chrysler Windsor Town & Country wagons, which utilized the 119-horsepower, 265-cu.in. Spitfire straight-six engine). Who, then, bought these cars? In the absence of period studies on Chrysler customers, it’s hard to say with any exactitude, but some random snapshots…

When embellishing certain models with extreme paint colors and graphics schemes to enhance their visual presentation initiated in the late 1960s, Chrysler Corporation’s divisions quickly proved to be particularly adept at the practice. During the 1969 model year, Dodge announced Bright Green Metallic, Bright Red, Bahama Yellow (aka Bright Yellow), and Hemi Orange “High Impact” colors for specific models. Plymouth did the same with its Rallye Green, Performance Red, Bahama Yellow, and Vitamin “C” Orange “Performance Colors.” For 1970, a host of exceptional new hues arrived (see chart), some others carried over from 1969, and a few were discontinued. Plymouth also used the term “High Impact” in a bulletin for the later-released Moulin Rouge and Sassy Grass Green, and again in other instances. High Impact paint was primarily offered for…

A pioneer in every area he turned his mind to, Andre Citroën was served by his inquisitiveness, determination, and willingness to take risks. He established one of the most remarkable automakers the world has ever seen, and rose to become one of history’s most successful industrialists. In 1991, he was voted “car entrepreneur of the century” by a panel of automotive journalists. Though Andre Citroën would lead the company for just 14 years, he set Citroën on a path it still follows today, a century and a year after its founding. Innovation, unmistakable individuality, a refined artistic sensibility, and engineering brilliance have combined to create some of the most memorable vehicles ever offered to the motoring public. Citroën was born in Paris on February 5, 1878, the fifth child of…

When it comes to restoring old cars, perfection is just about impossible; there are simply too many variables involved for that lofty goal to be realized. But when the Triumph Register of America held its national convention in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, in 2018, history was made when this stunning 1961 TR4 won best in show by achieving a perfect 100-point score. It was the first time since the club was founded in 1974 that not a single point was deducted during the judging process. Perfection had indeed finally won the day. Of the extensive range of cars that Standard-Triumph once produced, there’s no question that the TR4 is the favorite of them all. Enthusiasts who own one are enamored with them, and many of those who once owned a…