Hemmings Classic Car January 2022

A few years before the muscle car era officially kicked off, the Big Three auto manufacturers in Detroit were already competing in the horsepower wars. The full-size cars of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s brought along large-displacement engines that rocked the automotive world with stout compression ratios, solid-lift camshafts and multiple carburetors. The example shown here is a 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air, which is actually one of Chevy’s lower trim models, compared to the highly-optioned Impala. These stripped-down cars were often equipped with six-cylinder engines, but a select few left the factory with Chevrolet’s top-performing engine, the illustrious 409. This beautifully restored 1962 Bel Air bubbletop features a set of 14-inch OE steel wheels, which are painted body color and equipped with original dog dish caps. The tires come…

“The idea is not to transform a vehicle into something entirely different…” I recall driving a friend’s 1968 Chevy Chevelle in the mid-’80s and being struck by how unpleasant the experience was. I was a fan of the early Chevelles and owned one myself at the time — a ’72 model. I’d driven others examples as well, so it seemed odd to me that two cars with the same chassis architecture could be so different. What was it that made the ’68 nearly a chore to drive? For one, it had a lot less power than my car — the ’68 was an inline-six, while my Chevelle had a 350-cu.in. V-8 with a four-barrel and dual exhaust. Mine was no rocket, but it was more than amply powered for the…

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HAS AWARDED the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum a $500,000 matching grant through the Save America’s Treasures program, to restore the museum’s National Historic Landmark building. The grant will be used to replace the leaking roof, seal the top half of the building, and install new HVAC equipment before exterior and interior restoration takes place. In 2018, the museum launched a capital campaign with a fundraising goal of $5 million to address the needs of the building. The Park Service grant will help the funding effort reach the halfway point of its goal. “Through the generosity and support of our local, regional, and national donors and partners, we have reached a critical milestone in our campaign to save our landmark building,” states Brandon J. Anderson, executive…

A FULL 2022 CALENDAR HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED BY THE MODEL A CLUB OF AMERICA with events running all year, including the national convention in Texas, which was supposed to take place in 2020. Model A fans and owners from all regions are encouraged to attend the various events, held around the nation. The national convention will take place June 12-17 in Kerrville, Texas, with hosts The Alamo A’s welcoming enthusiasts to the San Antonio area. Here is a rundown of scheduled 2020 events: • January 8: 37th-Annual Winter Swap Meet, Shepherdsville, Kentucky• April 5-6: Central Coast Regional Group Jamboree, Paso Robles, California• April 15-16: 16th-Annual All Model A & Model T Parts Swap Meet, Greenwood, South Carolina• April 24: Model A Ford Swap Meet, Columbus, Indiana• June 2-7: Midwest Regional Meet,…

2 • Sumter Swap Meets Bushnell, Florida 727-848-7171 • floridaswapmeets.com 14-16 • Auto Mania Indoor Collector Car Flea Market & Corral • Allentown, Pennsylvania 717-243-7855 • carlisleevents.com 22-23 • Autoparts Swap ’n Sell West Springfield, Massachusetts 860-871-6376 • apswapnsell.com 28-29 • Winter Carlisle Auto Expo Carlisle, Pennsylvania 717-243-7855 • carlisleevents.com 28-30 • Grand National Roadster Show Pomona, California 877-763-7469 • rodshows.com 28-30 • Motorcar Cavalcade Miami, Florida 305-725-3096 • motorcarcavalcade.com 29-30 • Turlock Swap Meet Turlock, California 209-571-1232 • turlockswapmeet.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.…

DURING THE EYESON DESIGN CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE, HELD AT the Edsel and Eleanor Ford house in Grosse Point, Michigan, in mid-September, the Studebaker National Museum was recognized with the “Preserving the Vision” award. The award is given out annually to a museum or individual who preserves and restores historic and significant examples of automotive designers’ art. The theme for this year was “Marques of Extinction: Significant Designs of Bygone Brands.” The museum put together an exhibit of three automobiles at the EyesOn Design Concours: a 1924 Studebaker Light Six demi-coupe with coachwork by the Shanghai Horse Bazaar & Motor Company of Shanghai, China; the 1956 Packard Predictor concept car; and Brooke Stevens’ Studebaker Sceptre concept car. Each exhibition is judged exclusively by automotive designers from various car makers. The Studebaker National Museum…