Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Hemmings Classic Car

High Wireless Act AT FIRST,THE 1955 ELECTRONIC APPEARS TO BE JUST ANOTHER FIBERGLASS- bodied postwar pie-in-the-sky attempt at breaking into the already consolidating American automotive market. After a press release that got a modicum of traction and exactly one prototype, nothing more was heard from the effort. But there may have been more to the car. To begin with, the Electronic Motor Car Corporation was based in Salt Lake City, far from any major car-making concern, though it used the Detroit-built fiberglass La Saetta as its basis. Also, as implied by the name, it was an electric car — or more appropriately, a series-hybrid electric with “a small gas- or diesel-powered turbo-generator” charging an 80-cell silver-zinc-peroxide battery system. The “dual-torque” electric motor and the limited-slip “electromagnetic” differential would both provide…

When Mr. Wiley ordered his Convertible Phaeton from Illinois’ Bauer Buick in the fall of 1940, he selected a newly released, short-run “Spring Color” hue, his chosen warm, terracotta-like Sienna Rust body paint a striking contrast to the rich green leather inside.The open-top four-door Super was built in Flint in February 1941 and delivered through the suburban Chicago dealership in late March or early April. Over the next 80 years, it would have four additional long-term owners, two of whom preserved it for the latest, who then returned it to its prewar glory. “I found this car in 2004, in Wisconsin,” Michael Stemen remembers. “The ad said, ‘Very original; one of 467; runs, drives; last of the four-door Buick convertible sedans.’” The avowed marque enthusiast, then living in New York’s…

Vintage 4x4s are a bit of a conundrum. Using the vehicles as they were intended tends to be rather rough treatment. It also frequently results in modifications to counter the issues unique to exploring increasingly arduous terrain. On the other hand, with overbuilt chassis, low-geared differentials, and no factory overdrive, they aren’t exactly road-trip machines either. Jack and Stephanie Gosselin, of North Stonington, Connecticut, seem to have hit on the perfect solution with their 1973 Land Rover Series III Short Wheelbase. They treat it as a durable driver suitably unfussy to use for unhurried drives with their golden retriever, Etta. “We found a car that fits into our lifestyle,” Jack explains. “Our kids are local. We also have a classic catboat sailboat. We like these slower-paced lifestyle recreation opportunities.” In…

As the decade of the 1960s opened up, Studebaker-Packard appeared for once to be in pretty good shape. After losing money steadily since 1954, the company recorded its largest profit ever in 1959, some $28.5 million, while boasting calendar-year production of 153,823 cars and 7,737 trucks. This surprising success was the result of introducing its new Lark compact. So, heading into 1960, Studebaker seemed to have the right momentum. The company’s passenger-car range was limited to just the Lark series and the aging Hawk coupe. The truck model lineup also was not extensive, but for 1960 it offered plenty that was new. Studebaker’s basic truck cab had been in production since the 1949 model year and was looking rather dated by 1960. To correct this problem, the company introduced more…

Dick Sindlinger wasn’t looking for a collector’s item back in 1980. He needed a basic pickup, something reliable that could get him back and forth to his job at Borg Warner Air Conditioning (later York International) in York, Pennsylvania, during the week, and cart stuff around as needed at any other time. Today, the Sunburst Yellow ’74 International that he bought used more than four decades ago is retired from daily service, and is now winning shows and turning heads. It’s the old truck he could just never seem to part with, and it all began with a casual mention from a co-worker. “A friend of mine and I were walking into work together and he said, ‘You oughta buy my Dad’s truck — he has it for sale’,” Dick…

Some projects take an exceedingly long time for myriad valid reasons, but many are worth the wait. This Ford’s restoration ranks as one of them. Foster Blose purchased the ’32 Model B for his son, L. Eugene “Bud” Blose, in 1954 from a Hillsdale, Pennsylvania, dealer. Bud was just 17 years old at the time and he recalls, “It was runnable and complete. My plan was to drive it for a few years and then restore it.” He remembers cruising in his Tudor sedan to high school and having some fun driving through snow drifts with it alongside a friend and his ’34 Dodge. The ’32 even stood in as his father’s daily driver for a five-week period after the family car was in an accident. However, the Ford went…

HEMMINGS AUCTIONS IS OUR LIVE, ONLINE AUCTION SITE STAFFED BY customer service professionals ready to help bidders and sellers with any questions. A wide variety of classic and specialty vehicles from all eras are up for bid. Auctions run for two weeks, and qualified bidders place their bids electronically. Once a vehicle is accepted into the auction, the seller pays only a $99.95 listing fee. The winning bidder is responsible for a 5-percent fee on all completed auctions. The following are examples of auctions that transpired during the month leading up to press time. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, email Director of Auction Operations Terry Shea: terryshea@hemmings.com. 1959 MERCEDES-BENZ 220 S Reserve: $87,000 Selling Price: $106,167 Recent Market Range: $83,120-$109,550 Mercedes-Benzes were sold in small numbers in the…

IN READING ALL THE RESTORATION stories over the years, I have a question that has never been answered. Most work includes a total body restoration and cleaning and painting (or powder coating) the frame, but does anyone ever look inside the frame, or clean and coat the frame inside? Does the tin worm only affect “tin” and not the metal frame? I recall reading about ’60s Corvettes suffering frame failure in front of the rear wheels, but does no other frame suffer from metal rot of the frame? Al Field Phoenix, Arizona The tin worm does not discriminate and will attack all ferrous metals. Frame sections tend to be made from heavier gauge steel than body panels, but certainly a vehicle’s frame may also be susceptible to rot. We’ve seen…

The 1950s were an exciting time for the U.S. automotive industry. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler dominated domestic sales, and their postwar production runs witnessed their highest output in years. With this renewed confidence, manufacturers were willing to take risks and test the market by adding models, options, colors, and even all-new vehicles. Although passenger cars continued to receive many improvements, innovations, and fresh designs, trucks were still seen as “utilitarian,” with few changes implemented from year to year within a platform’s generation. As such, the “working truck” remained largely unchanged and lacked anything remotely exciting for the potential buyer. In 1954, the tide was about to change. Up-and-coming automotive designer Chuck Jordan presented the design for a new “luxury” truck to executives at Chevrolet; it was based on the…

When you’re a mid-level car division without a ton of excitement happening, what do you do to spur sales? One popular answer: Move downmarket, make a go of it with the plebes, and hope that a rush of sales makes up for whatever suffering of reputation your company may endure. There are plenty of examples, but the most prominent two are Packard and Cadillac/La Salle. In an era when Packard sales were unsustainably low, they dreamt up the lower-line 120, a smaller, less expensive car that got the rub from Packard’s good name. Short-term, the ploy worked: For 1937, Packard sold 122,000 cars, the bulk of them the 120-series — enough to vault Packard all the way into to eighth place in the year’s sales figures. (Whether this staved off…

I kept my ’32 for all this time because it was my first car; I wanted to restore it decades ago but wasn’t able to do it until many years later. When reading Hemmings magazines, I often see people who tried to go back to find the car they had when they were young, but I only had to look as far as my home shop. I never considered selling it, as I knew that someday I’d get it finished. I’m happy that I finally did, with lots of help from Gary. Now it’s a weekend cruiser. My wife, Becky, (pictured here) says that she enjoys riding in the Model B, but she can’t drive it.—Bud Blose…