Hemmings Classic Car April 2024

“Back then, my restoration ambition was vastly larger than my budget, and to an extent, still is today.” AT THE TIME of this writing, we’ve just celebrated another holiday season. It’s hard to believe it was my 51st and, fortunately, I’ve yet to be visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past. That’s not to say I haven’t racked up my fair share of slightly regrettable, misguided shenanigans (such as the parking brake speed test in a rented minivan while navigating a New Hampshire mountain road after a hike nearly 30 years ago). Or that I haven’t been visited by the Ghost of Project Past. It’s happened plenty, and not just during the panic-stricken gift shopping weeks that follow Thanksgiving. Frequent visits from the Ghost of Project Past started as soon…

RESTORING A VINTAGE vehicle can be broken down into a handful of basic steps, beginning with its acquisition. Thereafter, it progresses through disassembly, repairs, paint, and reassembly. Sounds easy, but most are aware that undertaking a restoration requires time, money, patience, and persistence. Going from start to finish isn’t a snap of the fingers. So, imagine restoring the same car twice. Sort of. “My dad, Tom, started working at Hahn & Sons Studebaker [which later switched to Dodge] in Leighton, Pennsylvania, while in high school. In the mid-Sixties, this 1956 Packard Patrician was traded in. I’ve heard that it had transmission trouble. Another story was that it was used as a parts hauler for a few years. Whatever the case, the Packard was parked until the late ’80s when the…

MY STORY BEGINS when I moved to Richmond, Virgina, to earn my degree from dental school. I was driving borrowed family cars to use; essentially whatever was available from a motley collection. One was an ancient Mercedes-Benz 220. I was fairly knowledgeable about cars and had already had a lively and intimate history when I met Marybeth. I knew she was special, and she seemed to be interested in me too, but various distractions prevented us from getting serious with each other—by the fall of that year, things had changed, and we were practically living together. The feeling surprised me a little, but I had no doubt she was the one. Marybeth and I had had multiple adventures with the Mercedes, including just keeping it running. As it became more…

EMAIL YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS TO: mlitwin@hemmings.com THANK YOU FOR THE RECENT Classic Car issue featuring the Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon on the cover. I got great pleasure out of reading the article. There is always a lot of focus on the Corvette-engine models, but the very earliest wagons didn’t have that engine and usually writers forget they exist. I am the lucky owner of a 63,000-mile 1991 version equipped with a 5.0-liter. By the size of the oil filter and some other parts it appears it is a 305-cu.in. engine and not a 307. In any event, it isn’t speedy. It is a Plain-Jane 9-seat version in silver blue with no wood sides, with a dark blue velour interior and tilt wheel. It has power windows and air conditioning, but…

1966 FORD BRONCO The utilitarian appeal of the original Ford Bronco has never dimmed, and nowhere was that more evident than bidders’ reaction to this single-familyowned 1966 Bronco Wagon, whose honest presentation and unimpeachable provenance proved irresistible to the tune of more than doubling the reserve. For the winner’s money, they got a functioning inline-six engine, column-shift three-speed manual, and four-wheel drive with a leaking transfer case. Oxidation covered the factory Rangoon Red paint, and some rust was noted on the sheetmetal and undercarriage. Inside the cabin, the materials had held up well. The truck came with service records and extra wheels, and it promised a fine base for restoration. Reserve: $15,000 Selling Price: $38,325 Recent Market Range: $15,200-$25,000 1949 OLDSMOBILE 98 A cream-yellow, V-8-powered postwar convertible was the ultimate…

If you were to guess which market segment dominates today’s new vehicle sales, we’re betting most of you would answer sport utility vehicles. The question, however, is what percentage of sales have SUV captured? North of 30 percent? Perhaps 40 percent? A May 2022 report issued by JATO Dynamics stated SUV sales accounted for 53.5 percent of the market. Pickups accounted for 19.4 percent. Put into perspective, when combined, truck and SUV sales accounted for a whopping 72.9 percent after the first quarter of 2022. At year’s end, that figure had jumped to a smidge over 80 percent. That percentage would have us believe the SUV market came out of the gate white hot, each vehicle festooned with luxury trappings that rival presidential suites at tropical island resorts. How quickly…