Hemmings Classic Car March 2021

“The car truly did seem to float down the road in a way that seemed magical at the time.” In assembling our issue this month with a spotlight on Cadillac, I had plenty of opportunity to reflect on what the storied brand has meant to me through the years. When I was a young kid in the ’70s, Cadillac still maintained its status as one of the most aspirational automobiles in America, even as premium European makes like Mercedes gained ground. There was just something special about a Cadillac. I got my first real dose of what made GM’s top-tier cars stand apart when my uncle purchased a slightly used 1975 Coupe de Ville when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I was already infatuated with cars of…

Donation to National Corvette Museum Honors Vietnam Vets THE NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM HAS ANNOUNCED THE DONATION OF A 1970 Corvette by a Vietnam veteran, to honor all Vietnam veterans. “Between 1954 and 1975, around 2.7-million Americans served in the Vietnam War,” shares Derek Moore, the museum’s curator. “Approximately 600,000 of those Vietnam War veterans are still alive today. Dr. Harry and Anne Rumzek approached us to donate their Monza Red 1970 Corvette in honor of Vietnam veterans.” Major Harold Rumzek served in the USAF from 1959 to 1979. The highly decorated veteran saw 158 combat missions and, in 1970, he purchased the brand-new Corvette. The first of many memories forged during his half century of ownership was a 399-mile trek across Nevada to Reno —in four hours. “I went through…

4-7 • Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Amelia Island, Florida • 904-636-0027 ameliaislandconcours.org 7 • AACA Ontelaunee Region Swap Meet and Car Corral • Hamburg, Pennsylvania 610-823-4656 • aaca.org 7 • Sumter Swap Meets • Bushnell, Florida 727-848-7171 • floridaswapmeets.com 17-20 • AACA Special Winter Nationals San Juan, Puerto Rico • 717-534-1910 • aaca.org 18-20 • Norman Swap Meet Norman, Oklahoma • 405-651-7927 normanswapmeet.com 19-20 • Chickasha Pre-War Swap Meet Chickasha, Oklahoma • 405-224-9090 pre-war.com 19-20 • Corvette Expo in the Smokies Pigeon Forge, Tennessee • 865-687-3976 corvetteexpo.com 26-28 • Daytona Turkey Run • Daytona Beach, Florida • 386-767-9070 • turkeyrun.com Please note that these events are active as of press time despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend you verify the status before making plans to attend.…

Brooks Stevens Lincoln IT’S NOT EXACTLY CORRECT TO SAY THAT THE BROOKS STEVENS Lincoln Continental has been found —the car has never been hidden away or lost track of. But, an integral part of the Continental recently reunited with it: the Brooks Stevens connection. According to Todd Lockwood, he and his father, Carter Lockwood, always knew of the Continental as Henry Uihlein II’s car. “Carter was in his early 20s when the Lincoln first arrived in Lake Placid, New York, with then-owner George Holley. Every summer, he saw the car cruising around Lake Placid. In the early 1950s, Holley sold the Lincoln to Henry Uihlein II, who had made Lake Placid his new year-round home.” Not until 1954 did Uihlein ship the Continental off to Stevens to have the Milwaukee-based…

Mecum Madness THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF AUCTIONS AT MECUM THIS PAST MONTH, with three events taking place. The venues included Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and Kansas City, and highlighted vehicles of all eras. The three auction events saw a total of more than $33 million in sales with a 76-percent sell-through. In total, 1,000 cars and vehicles changed hands, and among those to sell was this 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible. Part of the Etzel Family Collection, sold at the Kansas City Auction, the Biarritz was one of 1,800 produced and featured a 365-cu.in. V-8 mated to an automatic transmission. The car had undergone a complete body and drivetrain restoration, and came with factory air conditioning, wide whitewall tires, and parade boot. The Cadillac sold for a fee-inclusive $110,000. One…

CAR 1939 Cadillac Series 90 AUCTIONEER Mecum LOCATION Las Vegas, Nevada DATE November 14, 2020 LOT NUMBER S157 RESERVE None AVERAGE SELLING PRICE $64,000 SELLING PRICE $68,200 MINIMAL CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE 1939 SERIES 39-90, SUCH AS the addition of chrome strips to the running-board edges and fully chromed spears on the fender skirts and hood. Other subtle differences can be seen in the taillamps and bumpers. The V-16 era was coming to a close for Cadillac and the 1939 models were available for factory prices ranging from $5,315 to $7,295 for the Town Car. This Cadillac was said to be one of 136 V-16s made in 1939. It had CCCA Full Classic status and was fitted with many features including woodgrain interior window surrounds, banjo steering wheel, dual…