Hemmings Classic Car December 2023

Desktop Laptop Phone Tablet GET YOUR FIRST ISSUE IN MINUTES! Subscribe to our digital titles and have access to issues on your iPad or Android tablet, desktop, laptop or phone. You’ll receive monthly email alerts that the latest edition of your subscription is available to view/download. Save 85% off the newsstand price: Hemmings Motor News . . . . . . . . . . . . $14 Hemmings Muscle Machines. . . . . .. $10 Hemmings Classic Car . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 ALL 3 FOR ONLY $20.00 Subscribe online at: www.hemmings.com/digital…

“ Enticing next-gen owners is simpler than most assume. Exposure.” ASIDE FROM, “How can I sneak this vintage car into my possession without my spouse finding out?” there are two questions that arise more than any other at the events your Hemmings Classic Car team attends. “How do we entice the next generation of owners?” and “What’s going to be the next hot collectible vehicle?” Let’s address these in order. Unless you’re a master illusionist, like David Copperfield or Doug Henning, your spouse will discover any new purchase that exceeds 80 inches of wheelbase. Even if the vehicle is in, say, another town, intuition and/or a slip in conversation will be your undoing. There will be a confrontation that will mandate an explanation. Ideally, a well-thought-out rationalization for the monetary…

What Inside: VETERAN READERS may recall the days of yore when copies of our parent publication Hemmings Motor News was delivered to mailboxes and newsstands wearing brown covers emblazoned with renderings of the company’s three panel delivery trucks—a Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge—all finished in matching green livery. Under Hemmings’ ownership, each truck accumulated massive travel portfolios brimming with notes from local, reg ional, and national events, as well as several stints in what is now called the Great Race. Local parades and regional tours were also part of their annual schedules. They were also used to retrieve mail from the post office. Roughly two decades ago, however, the terrific trio was retired, mothballed to the realm of permanent display at our Bennington, Vermont, edifice. Only once was their slumber interrupted…

LIKE SOME OTHER YOUNG boys of my generation, my car lust was fueled in part by a book published in 1954 titled The Red Car, authored by Don Stanford. The novel was about a relatively poor kid growing up with a love of cars who, by a series of happenstances was able to buy a partially wrecked MG TC—a small British sports car with two seats, wire-spoke wheels, and a racing heritage—and repair it. Of course, the car was red and by the end of the story it brought the kid happiness, success, and a pretty girl. Of course, my car lust started prior to reading the novel. Family lore has it that my first word was “automobile,” and long before I could read The Red Car, I could identify…

EMAIL YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS TO: mlitwin@hemmings.com I WAS HEARTENED to see your September 2023 article on the Averill Park High School car show hosted and judged by volunteer students. For some folks, their main exposure to vintage or performance cars comes from seeing exotic six-figure examples in magazines or from the parade of unaffordable cars crossing the auction block on TV screens. Who would think that a young person would have a chance to join in such a hobby? When I saw that the nearby Averill Park HS was hosting a car show, I jumped at the chance to join in and encourage their effort. The show advertised that the show’s judges were students, trained in show scoring in a Hemmings judge’s workshop. During a chilly afternoon with on-and-off…

1967 FORD FAIRLANE 500 The midsize 1967 Fairlane 500 hit a sweet spot for Ford buyers, blending comfortable accommodations, neat styling, and ample power from a 289-cu.in. V-8. This car’s engine had minor oil leaks but was said to drive well with the help of a rebuilt automatic. The body appeared straight and free from rust, with shiny burgundy paint and nice brightwork; correct hubcaps and slender whitewall tires enhanced the 500’s period appeal. A light-colored vinyl interior was a bit timeworn in spots but looked clean and intact, and a modern stereo hid in the glovebox. Underneath, the chassis enjoyed recent service, and the all-drum brakes operated as designed. Eight time extensions were needed to win it. Reserve: $19,000 Selling Price: $26,775 Recent Market Range: $17,110-$28,550 1962 AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000…