From the Leader Info: CUSTOMS AND CLASSICS DRIVING FORWARD
The Classic and Custom car scene is buoyant on the Costa Blanca. With three local International Car Clubs, more than a dozen Specialist clubs, two regular monthly winter events and four in the summer months, the classic car scene is booming. From humble beginnings in 2006 when Club Torrevieja first started, if you have the desire, space and funds, there are now plenty of good reasons to own a second car to have some fun in the sun.
Events around the Costa Blanca
The first event of the new year is just that as on Sunday 01 January 2012, there is the Ace Cafe Meeting at Hotel La Torre, Los Montesinos, where from 11.00 onwards you can have a drink and a chat with friends whilst showing off your car. An open and informal event where the organisers, the Phoenix Car Club welcome anyone with a classic car or just an interest, to drop in and browse around the cars. http://www.phoenixcarclub.com
The Ace Café event is held on the first Sunday of every month at the same venue.
On the last Sunday of every month attention turns to Torrevieja and the Sunday Drivers Club, which takes place outside St. James's Gate Pub, located close to the heart of Torrevieja in the Torreta II commercial centre. The next event is January 29 and what an event it will be. The first 20 cars or bikes will all be receiving a complimentary T-shirt with all cars and drivers given raffle tickets with the possibility of winning a Weekend Away for two, thanks to Alicante Hotels, photo mugs, car/bike tracker system to name but a few. For early arrivals there is a Sunday Drivers Breakfast for just €2.50 and free BBQ Baguettes for all drivers and their guests. The event starts around 10.00 and finishes at 15.00. For more information visit www.MostOnTheCoast.com or call Dave 603142786.
During the longer days and warmer evenings, Noche del Coche returns on the last Friday of every month and the Custom and Classic Nites will happen on the first Saturday of each month with the local car clubs generally organising their monthly runs and outings on the weekends during the middle of the month.
There are three International Classic Car Clubs that all have local monthly meetings. Club Torrevieja Classics and Specialists Cars are the Southern Costa Blanca's original International Car Club and invite all owners and aficionados of Classics, Future Classics, Specialist, Exotic, Kit plus interesting cars, trikes, vans and fun vehicles to join them for their monthly meetings and activities. Meetings are in English but they have members from Germany, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Scandinavia, Italy and even Spain, to mention but a few. They meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 7.30 pm (1930 hrs) at the Cafeteria Club Marina, inside Torrevieja's International Harbour and everyone is welcome. In January, because of the Three Kings Celebrations, their meeting will take place on January 18, 2012. More information on www.ClubTorrevieja.com or by calling Ron on 622381242.
Phoenix Car Club’s home base is the Castillo de Conesa at San Miguel de Salinas and Club nights are held on the second Wednesday every month, which these are a mix of informal meetings, social activities and information sharing. They organise the Ace Café meeting every month plus have regular outings and social events. More info from
www.phoenixcarclub.com/
The Costa Blanca’s newest club is the American Car Club Costa Blanca, This club was started for everybody who has, had, or maybe will have an American car, or just likes them. Their web site says “It is like a virus; once you have it you can’t recover and then your blood turns to fuel and your brain is rumbling like a V8!” The club meets on the second Saturday of each month at The Kiosko in Daya Neuva. For more information contact Kristof, www.amcccb.com, email: acccb01@gmail.com, Tel: 672-287-040 and on Facebook at: Costablanca Americancarclub
Not a club but just a group of likeminded enthusiasts who enjoy going on runs, attending shows and driving their cars, they are the Freewheelers. Their web site is www.torreviejainformation.com/freewheelers and to find out more about them, if you would like to help organise a trip or just wish to join this happy band, contact Derek by email: freewheelers08@yahoo.co.uk, mobile 686 765 297 or 965 971 433.
Last but not least we have Hot Rod Espana who have a number of custom and classic nights and exhibition in the planning stages for 2012. They are a Hot Rod, Custom and American Car specialist who also buy, sell, rebuild, source and customise classic and American cars. Visit www.HotRodEspana.com.
For more information about custom and classic car clubs and events, please check out;
Club Torrevieja Classics and Specialists Cars: www.ClubTorrevieja.com or Ron 966791212, American Car Club Costa Blanca: www.amcccb.com, or Kristof 672287040 Jaguar Enthusiasts Club through Eric 609931647, Freewheelers email freewheelers@yahoo.co.uk, Catral Custom and Classic email hotrodspain@gmail.com, oval racing at www.velocity-racing.eu, Phoenix Car Club, www.phoenixcarclub.com plus Sunday Drivers Club and Noche el Coche at www.MostOnTheCoast.com.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Collectible Classic: 1935-1936 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe
From Automobile Magazine: Collectible Classic: 1935-1936 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe
You'd probably never expect this pretty green 1936 Chevy to have a horn that sounds like that of a diesel train locomotive. Tap the button at the center of the steering wheel, however, and the thundering noise startles just about everyone within earshot. When the double-hinged, passenger-side hood panels are raised, the source of the sound becomes obvious: two huge trumpetlike horns hang prominently above the six-cylinder engine, which isn't much longer than the horns themselves.
Chevrolet was justified in building cars with such swagger in 1936. America had begun to recover from the worst of the crippling Great Depression, and the automaker would sell 930,250 cars that year, besting its previous top performance, in 1929, by more than 150,000 units and marking the seventh time in ten years that the bow-tie brand outsold the once-untouchable Ford.
Despite all the cars that were sold in that very good year, it's difficult today to find a 1936 Chevy -- or any domestic car from the 1930s, for that matter -- that hasn't been heavily hot-rodded. That's why Johnny Capps's '36 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe coupe stood out among dozens of prewar automobiles at a recent car show in Clinton, Michigan. Its clean lines, green and yellow paint combo, and great condition didn't hurt, either.
When Capps bought this car in 1997, it had already been restored to the original condition that you see here. The "five-window" body style (with small side windows behind the doors) and the willow green color are what initially attracted Capps, since most of the older cars he saw while growing up in western Virginia in the late 1940s and '50s were black or maroon. Capps has owned numerous vintage cars, and his fleet currently includes a '37 Chevy and a '39 Oldsmobile, also five-window coupes. Why own multiple General Motors coupes that were built several years before he was born? "My dad always drove cars that were ten or fifteen years old -- mostly Chevys -- so that's what I rode in," Capps shrugs. He hasn't done much to the '36 since he bought it, other than adding some 15,000 miles to its odometer. That distance equates to a lot of time, since Capps has never driven it faster than about 50 mph. "Back then, the roads wouldn't really allow you to go that fast, anyway," he notes.
When we took our turn at the controls of the Master DeLuxe, we got it up to maybe 45 mph. You don't pay too much attention to the speedometer when the huge steering wheel has a few inches of slop before affecting the car's direction of travel and when the manual drum brakes are so inferior to the binders on modern cars. Chevy fitted its vehicles with hydraulic brakes for the first time in 1936, though, so we're thankful for that.
Capps's green coupe also features GM's Knee-Action independent front suspension, a leading-arm Dubonnet setup that debuted on Chevrolet and Pontiac models in 1934 and required less maintenance than the control-arm systems on Buick, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile products. The brochure for the 1936 Chevrolet lineup claimed that "Knee-Action is the most important single factor employed to give Chevrolet its gentle, gliding ride," which is actually a pretty accurate description of our experience over imperfect back roads. Still, Capps notes that Knee-Action -- an expensive $20 option -- was very unreliable. "They didn't last more than six months when they were new," he says.
The cabin heats up quickly on this warm morning, so Capps opens the cowl vent and the vent windows, creating a pleasant driving atmosphere. The five-window design offers good visibility. The wool upholstery is a bit scratchy, and the seat cushions are springy. From inside, the long, winged hood ornament looks like a bayonet on top of the slender upper portion of the hood. Red jewels on top of the headlight lids tell you if the lights are on and whether the low or high beams are shining. Other unexpectedly modern features include a dome light, door locks, an electric starter (albeit activated by a button at the bottom of the accelerator pedal's travel), and a radio -- AM only, of course. The first radios specially built for cars appeared in 1929, but the one in Capps's Chevy is just for looks. "I disconnected it because I was afraid it'd start a fire," he says.
Although not as silent as the inoperative radio, the 207-cubic-inch straight six sounds quiet, if somewhat agricultural. It produces only 79 hp yet is torquey and responsive. It's mated to a three-speed manual transmission actuated by a two-foot-long lever. First gear is only to start the Master Deluxe coupe's 3000 pounds moving, and the vague shift action is rewarding when you find your gear. Second and third are synchronized, so gear grinding isn't much of a concern, as it is in many prewar cars. Still, the lack of seatbelts and turn signals constantly reminds you that you're driving a seventy-six-year-old car that's pretty slow compared with today's traffic.
It's easy to see why so many people have decided to modify and drastically improve the performance of cars such as this '36 Chevy, but it's incredibly refreshing to drive an example that remains true to its original specifications. It gives an idea of how satisfying it must have been to own a new car in the years of Depression-era austerity. It must have been pretty amusing to scare the hell out of unsuspecting pedestrians, too.
THE SPECS
ENGINE
3.4L OHV I-6, 79-80 hp, 155-156 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
3-speed manual drive
Rear-wheel
SUSPENSION, FRONT
Leading arm, coil springs or rigid axle, leaf springs
SUSPENSION, REAR
Live axle, leaf springs
BRAKES
Drums
WEIGHT
3000-3250 lb
THE INFO
YEARS PRODUCED
1935-1936
NUMBER PRODUCED
846,300
ORIGINAL PRICE
$560 (five-window coupe)
VALUE TODAY
$15,000-$35,000 (three-window "sport coupes" are worth the most, two-door "coach" sedans the least)
WHY BUY?
Unmodified cars from the 1930s are amazing timepieces that are drivable on modern roads. 1935 Master DeLuxe models were the first Chevys to sport a two-piece, V-shaped windshield and the streamlined "Turret Top" roof panel. The base-level Standard models received these advancements in 1936 and were basically the same as '36 Masters except that they lacked decorative chrome and a second taillight, had a four-inch-shorter wheelbase, and offered a rumble-seat cabriolet model instead of a three-window coupe (the only Master with a rumble seat). 1935 Masters had suicide doors; '36s switched back to front-hinged doors. A full range of body styles includes two- and four-door sedans with or without enclosed trunks as well as coupes with or without rear-three-quarter windows.
What makes a classic car?
Minneapolis Star Tribune: What makes a classic car?
Seventeen models will be retired at the end of 2011. All of them have a shot at becoming classic collectibles.
Seventeen vehicle models have un-met their maker this year. From the locally familiar (Ford Ranger) to the universally obscure (Nissan Altima Hybrid), from commercial duds (Buick Lucerne) to hugely popular lines (Mitsubishi Eclipse), these cars and trucks have come to the end of the assembly line in 2011.
And every last one of them might be considered a "classic" a few decades from now.
But what makes a classic?
"If someone wants one because they had one as a kid, that's what makes it a classic," said Dan Wilkin, owner of Dan's Old Cars in Miltona, Minn. "If it was their grandpa's car and they loved it, that's all it takes."
Unless laws change, any of these wheels can have a "Collectors" license plate slapped on them 20 years after their model year. But those who are serious about these matters tend to use a different gauge.
"I don't feel a '91 [Ford] Taurus is a true collector," said Scott Ellingson, owner of the Ellingson Car Museum in Rogers. "Thirty [years] is generally what I've always worked on, and even then, what 1981 cars are classics now?"
Good question. Compared with the big fins, chrome grilles and other "looky"details of mid-century cars, the past 30-plus years have seen fewer flourishes and more homogenization from producers.
"Most of newer cars are considered throwaway cars," Wilkin said. "But 30 years ago, people thought the 1950s cars were throwaway cars."
At local "classic car" gatherings, the benchmark goes beyond three decades, said Cavan Lasch, who has helped run West St. Paul's Downtown Beat Classics and other shows. "Most hot-rodders believe in 1975 on down [in years]," Lasch said. "If you have a car that's 1975 and older, you can go to all shows except for 'Back to the '50s,' which is 1964 and older.
"But you're going to get different opinions, absolutely."
The same goes for surmising which of the models being phased out now might become coveted items when somebody's grandkid gets nostalgic. The closest thing to a consensus for a future classic was the Ford Crown Victoria, which has been around so long that an earlier model already is a classic.
Also in its favor: widespread use by local law enforcement: "You see a lot of old police cars at our shows," Lasch said. That's especially true at an annual confab called (wait for it) "Cops and Rodders."
Local car buff Ken Goff said the rear-drive Crown Vic also has "a popular platform," which it shared with the Mercury Marquis and Lincoln Town Car. "This is not just the end of a model, but the end of an era," Goff said.
Those assets could help overcome one drawback -- massive production, which Ellingson said would relegate the Dodge Dakota and Ford Ranger to non-classic status, at least for a half-century or so. "They made too many of them," he said. "Rarity does mean value."
There are a lot of Mazda RX-8s out there, too, but that import has a shot at being a collectible, Goff said, because it is "the only Wankel [rotary engine] car around. Some thought 30 or 40 years ago that this might be the future."
He and Ellingson differed on the sportiest of the models meeting its demise this year, the lightweight Lotus Elise. Ellingson said it "just doesn't have enough exposure. Classics have to be something people see."
But Goff said that could work to its advantage. The Elise will become a classic "because it's a Lotus, and there are very few, relatively speaking, compared to anything else in the under $50K range.
"Of course this is just my take. The others will not much be missed, though the [Honda] Element was a fine vehicle, practical in the extreme."
"Practical" might not be high on the list of attributes for classic-seekers come the middle of this century. The safest prediction: One man's classic will be another man's clunker.
Seventeen models will be retired at the end of 2011. All of them have a shot at becoming classic collectibles.
Seventeen vehicle models have un-met their maker this year. From the locally familiar (Ford Ranger) to the universally obscure (Nissan Altima Hybrid), from commercial duds (Buick Lucerne) to hugely popular lines (Mitsubishi Eclipse), these cars and trucks have come to the end of the assembly line in 2011.
And every last one of them might be considered a "classic" a few decades from now.
But what makes a classic?
"If someone wants one because they had one as a kid, that's what makes it a classic," said Dan Wilkin, owner of Dan's Old Cars in Miltona, Minn. "If it was their grandpa's car and they loved it, that's all it takes."
Unless laws change, any of these wheels can have a "Collectors" license plate slapped on them 20 years after their model year. But those who are serious about these matters tend to use a different gauge.
"I don't feel a '91 [Ford] Taurus is a true collector," said Scott Ellingson, owner of the Ellingson Car Museum in Rogers. "Thirty [years] is generally what I've always worked on, and even then, what 1981 cars are classics now?"
Good question. Compared with the big fins, chrome grilles and other "looky"details of mid-century cars, the past 30-plus years have seen fewer flourishes and more homogenization from producers.
"Most of newer cars are considered throwaway cars," Wilkin said. "But 30 years ago, people thought the 1950s cars were throwaway cars."
At local "classic car" gatherings, the benchmark goes beyond three decades, said Cavan Lasch, who has helped run West St. Paul's Downtown Beat Classics and other shows. "Most hot-rodders believe in 1975 on down [in years]," Lasch said. "If you have a car that's 1975 and older, you can go to all shows except for 'Back to the '50s,' which is 1964 and older.
"But you're going to get different opinions, absolutely."
The same goes for surmising which of the models being phased out now might become coveted items when somebody's grandkid gets nostalgic. The closest thing to a consensus for a future classic was the Ford Crown Victoria, which has been around so long that an earlier model already is a classic.
Also in its favor: widespread use by local law enforcement: "You see a lot of old police cars at our shows," Lasch said. That's especially true at an annual confab called (wait for it) "Cops and Rodders."
Local car buff Ken Goff said the rear-drive Crown Vic also has "a popular platform," which it shared with the Mercury Marquis and Lincoln Town Car. "This is not just the end of a model, but the end of an era," Goff said.
Those assets could help overcome one drawback -- massive production, which Ellingson said would relegate the Dodge Dakota and Ford Ranger to non-classic status, at least for a half-century or so. "They made too many of them," he said. "Rarity does mean value."
There are a lot of Mazda RX-8s out there, too, but that import has a shot at being a collectible, Goff said, because it is "the only Wankel [rotary engine] car around. Some thought 30 or 40 years ago that this might be the future."
He and Ellingson differed on the sportiest of the models meeting its demise this year, the lightweight Lotus Elise. Ellingson said it "just doesn't have enough exposure. Classics have to be something people see."
But Goff said that could work to its advantage. The Elise will become a classic "because it's a Lotus, and there are very few, relatively speaking, compared to anything else in the under $50K range.
"Of course this is just my take. The others will not much be missed, though the [Honda] Element was a fine vehicle, practical in the extreme."
"Practical" might not be high on the list of attributes for classic-seekers come the middle of this century. The safest prediction: One man's classic will be another man's clunker.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Scores of local car fans own Chevrolets built decades ago and cared for since
From The Post and Courier: Scores of local car fans own Chevrolets built decades ago and cared for since
Chevrolet rightly chose to look forward in celebrating its 100th anniversary last month. But the carmaker also took time to focus on its loyal customers.
That’s a good thing, at least judging from greater Charleston. Local enthusiasts own Chevys dating back to pre-Depression days. They’re owned them as long as 58 years. Some were birthday presents, others bought for as little as $250. There are Chevelles, Malibus and Impalas; Corvairs and Bel Airs, and, don’t forget, Corvette.
In all these cases, the owners still possess the vehicles. They’ve tenderly restored the models and some of them are driven to this day.
Earlier this fall, The Post and Courier invited readers to tell their stories and send pictures of their classic Chevrolets in a bid to find who has held the same Chevy the longest.
To tell the truth, there’s no single winner, each writeup and photo tells a unique story. The email and penned comments from enthusiasts were edited slightly but kept as close to the original as possible.
So here they are, in order of the vehicle’s age. As it turns out that owner, Tom Jameson of West Ashley, is renowned in local circles for heading up the monthly car show at Bessinger’s Bar-B-Q. Not as well known is the story of his 83-year-old Chevrolet.
1928 Chevrolet
Owner since ’53: Tom Jameson, West Ashley.
The car was bought new and ran for 5 years and then placed in a barn for 20 years by original owner. I am 76-years-old and still have the first car I ever bought. I paid $75 in West Virginia. I drove to high school and was in many parades. My late wife, Alice, and I would go to drive-in movies and go on double dates.
In 1953, General Motors had a convention at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.; they offered me any Corvette for my car. Needless to say, I turned it down. I felt having a sports car that would go 120-plus miles per hour in the mountains of W.Va., that I probably wouldn’t live very long. After driving for two years, it was stored at my in law’s barn for 30 years. In 1985 I had the car restored from the ground up. After the restoration it was delivered to my home in Charleston.
I contacted General Motors; they researched the car and thought it was built in Atlanta, but upon further research it was built in Norwood, Ohio. They asked me to bring the car to Atlanta for the celebration of the 1 millionth car built in Atlanta. We showed the car at many local shows and won four National AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) awards.
1953 Chevrolet 210
Owner since ’80: Joseph “Pete” Kinloch, Hanahan
I purchased this car from its original owner, 21 years ago. The price was $250 “as is.” The Chevy was running and had all of its original parts.
In need of restoration, I drove the original six-cylinder around for five years, restoring her inch by inch. Exterior looks original, but under the hood she can run with “Vetts.” Open her up and you will see a 350 (cubic inch) Chevy V-8, 400 (hp) Turbo automatic transmission, ’69 Nova rear end, dash odometer 160 mph, AC, power seats and radio/CD player with little BOOM.
All modification was done with my tender loving hands to this U.S.A. icon (what … a baby), only in America. The gorgeous paint was done by a friend.
I can drive her anywhere, so if you see me on the road honk, for America. Made in America 58 years ago and still humming.
(Kinloch signed it, ’53 Chevy Enthusiasts).
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Owner since ’74: Robert Newman, Mount Pleasant
I purchased the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible in 1974. I have owned and driven the car for almost 38 years. This Chevy was used as our family car for several years. Today we drive it for fun, to car shows and for weddings.
My daughter was born the year I bought it, and now her children love to ride in it.
The car was originally sold new by Wannamaker Motors, which was a Chevrolet dealer in Orangeburg. The original Wannamaker Motors license plate frame from 56 years ago is still on the car, and a picture of the license plate frame is attached. Many people from the Low Country drove to Orangeburg to purchase their Chevys at Wannamaker Motors over the years.
The car has not been restored, but it was repainted 25 years ago. We live in Mount Pleasant, and we take our Chevy to the Bessinger’s Bar-B-Q car show and the Anchors Away car show several times per year.
The Chevy has 98,000 original miles on it. I purchased the car from Mr. Fred Felder Sr., who is the founder of The Orangeburg Pecan Company. Mr. Felder was in the Battle of the Bulge during WWII, and wrote a book about his experience there. Mr. Felder now lives in a nursing home, and Fred Felder Jr. and I took Fred Felder Senior for a ride in “his” car a couple of years ago. He had not seen the car for 37 years, and it was a thrill for us all.
The car has spent a lot of its years in the Low Country with our family and at the Felders' vacation home in the early ’70s on Sullivan’s Island.
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Owner since ’77: Clarence Cherry, Georgetown
This 1955 Bel Air two door hardtop has been garaged since 1977. Two years ago (underwent) complete restoration. It’s beautiful yellow, off white top.
The way I got the car, I started working on the dredge in Jacksonville, (Fla.) I always wanted a ’55, that’s the year I was born. I saw (one) at a race car body shop. I (paid) $300. Work since 1978 (includes) total restoration of the chassis. (The recent restoration) finished April 25 on my birthday. In the middle of all that, got married and raised a family. This car has really meant a lot to me. Never been outside, always in a garage.
I want to take it out, “so it can be in a show;” go to drive in movie theaters in Beaufort, Monetta and Greenwood and drive up restaurants; and make “a pilgrimage to Jacksonville.”
1957 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
Owner since 1971: Rev. Donald O. Clendaniel, West Ashley
My wife bought the car for $900 and gave it to me for my birthday 40 years ago. It has a 283 cubic inch (engine), 3 speed (transmission). There are 123,000 miles on the car. Most of the chrome is original and has been triple chrome-plated. I drive the car to Bessinger’s the first Wednesday of each month for their car show.
1958 Chevrolet Corvette
Owner since 1982: Myles Glick, Charleston.
I have had my 1958 Corvette for 29 years.
1960 Chevrolet Bel Air
Owner since 1960: Glenn Horne, Hanahan
This 1960 Chevrolet two-door hardtop Bel Air was purchased Nov. 1960 (new) from Fort Sumter (Chevrolet), Charleston.
Picked up the car on Nov. 11, 1960 — also picked wife and first baby from hospital. Parked the car after driving for 13 years. I restored the Chevy about seven years ago and now show the car. It has 88,000 miles; and a 283 (cubic inch) engine.
I have all the original registration, title, cover protection and owners guide.
1964 Chevrolet Corvair
Owner since 1971: Frank Lux, Ladson
Regarding my 1964 Chevrolet Corvair … It’s a four-door Monza. They made just under 2 million of them starting in 1960 thru 1969. The cheaper model was the 500, then the 700 and finally the 900 (Monza).
I bought it with 112,000 miles on it and now have 379,000 on it. I overhauled it in 2007 (2nd time) and painted it several times over the years. It gets driven almost daily and runs great. Corvairs did get some negative publicity in earlier years and the claims were proved wrong.
MAACO of Summerville recently painted it. About 12 years ago, we found it (upside down) one Sunday morning in my front yard. A friend told me that was the new fad for bored kids. I added 4 quarts of oil, pushed the roof up enough to drive and went to work.
We Corvair owners have a club and meet on the 2nd Thursday each month at Ryan’s on Rivers Avenue.
1965 Chevrolet Impala
Owner since ’65: Frank Metzger, Summerville
This is my 1965 Impala Super Sport 327 with four-speed and factory air. I bought it new on April 4, 1965 from Black Chevrolet in Walterboro.
1966 Chevrolet Malibu
Owned since ’70: Reese Ward and father
I recently bought my 1966 Malibu Chevelle back from a neighbor after 20 years.
This nice Malibu was originally purchased by Dr. Harper in Atlanta. He moved next door to my parents on James Island around 1969. Around 1970 my father, Gerald Ward, purchased this car for him to be a daily driver. My father drove the car for many years before opening L & W Auto Sales. As I was growing up I admired the car and my father asked me if I wanted it to be “my first car.” I wasted no time in answering yes.
In 1983 the car was repainted with the original color, some upholstery was repaired, new trim parts were ordered and the engine was painted and worked on as well. I got my license and began to drive the car. Unfortunately, since my father owned a used car lot, I began to see other cars with AC, electric windows and nice stereos that caught my eye. I only drove the Chevelle for 1-2 months before moving on to a newer car. The Chevelle sat in our driveway with little use for many years.
Our neighbor, Gary Whitehead, would knock on our front door about every six months to see if we wanted to sell the car. Our answer was always the same, no not interested. Well, when I graduated Winthrop College the Chevelle was looking pretty bad. Rust, cobwebs, water on the floor board, flat tires … you get the picture. So, one day in 1991 Mr. Whitehead knocked on the door at the right time and we agreed to sell the Chevelle to him.
We have seen many other cars he had restored and we knew it was in good hands. Most importantly, he also agreed to sell the car back to my father or myself if he ever decided to sell, which he said he never would.
For 20 years, I would drive by to visit my parents and see the Chevelle being restored and finally being completed. I would stop by Mr. Whitehead’s home and look at the Chevelle, take pictures and listen to the engine just purr. I always said I wanted to be able to get the car back some day.
Well, in May 2011 the day came that Mr. Whitehead gave me a call and was ready to sell. My father passed away in 2006 and there was no way I was going to let this car slip through my hands. This car was just too sentimental to me!
I felt bad that I never really appreciated the car like I should have at first and like I do now. When I made the purchase and picked the car up on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, my wife, two children and my mother made a short trip to Holy Cross Cemetery to show my father that we finally got it back. Dad, it’s back in the family!
My 1966 Chevelle MaliBlu (my Dad used to call me Blue).
1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
Owner since 1968: John Stewart, James Island
May 23, 1968 (bought) 1968 Chevelle SS (from) Dick Flick Chevrolet. Sales person (was) Mickey Livingston.
Special order, 396 (cubic inch) special high performance - 375 hp. Four-speed close ratio, 3:73 post tract rear axle. Butternut yellow, black vinyl top and interior, rear antenna AM radio, tinted windows.
No power steering, power brakes or AC. All original documents (including) owners manual, buyers order, bill of sale, warranty, Protect-o plate and key knockouts.
1969 Chevrolet Impala
Owner since 1969: Wayne Howard, Hanahan
I bought my 1969 Chevrolet Impala, new, in Moncks Corner, and have owned it ever since. It still looks pretty good and runs well, including the air conditioner and has only a little over 200,000 miles on it.
Chevrolet rightly chose to look forward in celebrating its 100th anniversary last month. But the carmaker also took time to focus on its loyal customers.
That’s a good thing, at least judging from greater Charleston. Local enthusiasts own Chevys dating back to pre-Depression days. They’re owned them as long as 58 years. Some were birthday presents, others bought for as little as $250. There are Chevelles, Malibus and Impalas; Corvairs and Bel Airs, and, don’t forget, Corvette.
In all these cases, the owners still possess the vehicles. They’ve tenderly restored the models and some of them are driven to this day.
Earlier this fall, The Post and Courier invited readers to tell their stories and send pictures of their classic Chevrolets in a bid to find who has held the same Chevy the longest.
To tell the truth, there’s no single winner, each writeup and photo tells a unique story. The email and penned comments from enthusiasts were edited slightly but kept as close to the original as possible.
So here they are, in order of the vehicle’s age. As it turns out that owner, Tom Jameson of West Ashley, is renowned in local circles for heading up the monthly car show at Bessinger’s Bar-B-Q. Not as well known is the story of his 83-year-old Chevrolet.
1928 Chevrolet
Owner since ’53: Tom Jameson, West Ashley.
The car was bought new and ran for 5 years and then placed in a barn for 20 years by original owner. I am 76-years-old and still have the first car I ever bought. I paid $75 in West Virginia. I drove to high school and was in many parades. My late wife, Alice, and I would go to drive-in movies and go on double dates.
In 1953, General Motors had a convention at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.; they offered me any Corvette for my car. Needless to say, I turned it down. I felt having a sports car that would go 120-plus miles per hour in the mountains of W.Va., that I probably wouldn’t live very long. After driving for two years, it was stored at my in law’s barn for 30 years. In 1985 I had the car restored from the ground up. After the restoration it was delivered to my home in Charleston.
I contacted General Motors; they researched the car and thought it was built in Atlanta, but upon further research it was built in Norwood, Ohio. They asked me to bring the car to Atlanta for the celebration of the 1 millionth car built in Atlanta. We showed the car at many local shows and won four National AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) awards.
1953 Chevrolet 210
Owner since ’80: Joseph “Pete” Kinloch, Hanahan
I purchased this car from its original owner, 21 years ago. The price was $250 “as is.” The Chevy was running and had all of its original parts.
In need of restoration, I drove the original six-cylinder around for five years, restoring her inch by inch. Exterior looks original, but under the hood she can run with “Vetts.” Open her up and you will see a 350 (cubic inch) Chevy V-8, 400 (hp) Turbo automatic transmission, ’69 Nova rear end, dash odometer 160 mph, AC, power seats and radio/CD player with little BOOM.
All modification was done with my tender loving hands to this U.S.A. icon (what … a baby), only in America. The gorgeous paint was done by a friend.
I can drive her anywhere, so if you see me on the road honk, for America. Made in America 58 years ago and still humming.
(Kinloch signed it, ’53 Chevy Enthusiasts).
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Owner since ’74: Robert Newman, Mount Pleasant
I purchased the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible in 1974. I have owned and driven the car for almost 38 years. This Chevy was used as our family car for several years. Today we drive it for fun, to car shows and for weddings.
My daughter was born the year I bought it, and now her children love to ride in it.
The car was originally sold new by Wannamaker Motors, which was a Chevrolet dealer in Orangeburg. The original Wannamaker Motors license plate frame from 56 years ago is still on the car, and a picture of the license plate frame is attached. Many people from the Low Country drove to Orangeburg to purchase their Chevys at Wannamaker Motors over the years.
The car has not been restored, but it was repainted 25 years ago. We live in Mount Pleasant, and we take our Chevy to the Bessinger’s Bar-B-Q car show and the Anchors Away car show several times per year.
The Chevy has 98,000 original miles on it. I purchased the car from Mr. Fred Felder Sr., who is the founder of The Orangeburg Pecan Company. Mr. Felder was in the Battle of the Bulge during WWII, and wrote a book about his experience there. Mr. Felder now lives in a nursing home, and Fred Felder Jr. and I took Fred Felder Senior for a ride in “his” car a couple of years ago. He had not seen the car for 37 years, and it was a thrill for us all.
The car has spent a lot of its years in the Low Country with our family and at the Felders' vacation home in the early ’70s on Sullivan’s Island.
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Owner since ’77: Clarence Cherry, Georgetown
This 1955 Bel Air two door hardtop has been garaged since 1977. Two years ago (underwent) complete restoration. It’s beautiful yellow, off white top.
The way I got the car, I started working on the dredge in Jacksonville, (Fla.) I always wanted a ’55, that’s the year I was born. I saw (one) at a race car body shop. I (paid) $300. Work since 1978 (includes) total restoration of the chassis. (The recent restoration) finished April 25 on my birthday. In the middle of all that, got married and raised a family. This car has really meant a lot to me. Never been outside, always in a garage.
I want to take it out, “so it can be in a show;” go to drive in movie theaters in Beaufort, Monetta and Greenwood and drive up restaurants; and make “a pilgrimage to Jacksonville.”
1957 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
Owner since 1971: Rev. Donald O. Clendaniel, West Ashley
My wife bought the car for $900 and gave it to me for my birthday 40 years ago. It has a 283 cubic inch (engine), 3 speed (transmission). There are 123,000 miles on the car. Most of the chrome is original and has been triple chrome-plated. I drive the car to Bessinger’s the first Wednesday of each month for their car show.
1958 Chevrolet Corvette
Owner since 1982: Myles Glick, Charleston.
I have had my 1958 Corvette for 29 years.
1960 Chevrolet Bel Air
Owner since 1960: Glenn Horne, Hanahan
This 1960 Chevrolet two-door hardtop Bel Air was purchased Nov. 1960 (new) from Fort Sumter (Chevrolet), Charleston.
Picked up the car on Nov. 11, 1960 — also picked wife and first baby from hospital. Parked the car after driving for 13 years. I restored the Chevy about seven years ago and now show the car. It has 88,000 miles; and a 283 (cubic inch) engine.
I have all the original registration, title, cover protection and owners guide.
1964 Chevrolet Corvair
Owner since 1971: Frank Lux, Ladson
Regarding my 1964 Chevrolet Corvair … It’s a four-door Monza. They made just under 2 million of them starting in 1960 thru 1969. The cheaper model was the 500, then the 700 and finally the 900 (Monza).
I bought it with 112,000 miles on it and now have 379,000 on it. I overhauled it in 2007 (2nd time) and painted it several times over the years. It gets driven almost daily and runs great. Corvairs did get some negative publicity in earlier years and the claims were proved wrong.
MAACO of Summerville recently painted it. About 12 years ago, we found it (upside down) one Sunday morning in my front yard. A friend told me that was the new fad for bored kids. I added 4 quarts of oil, pushed the roof up enough to drive and went to work.
We Corvair owners have a club and meet on the 2nd Thursday each month at Ryan’s on Rivers Avenue.
1965 Chevrolet Impala
Owner since ’65: Frank Metzger, Summerville
This is my 1965 Impala Super Sport 327 with four-speed and factory air. I bought it new on April 4, 1965 from Black Chevrolet in Walterboro.
1966 Chevrolet Malibu
Owned since ’70: Reese Ward and father
I recently bought my 1966 Malibu Chevelle back from a neighbor after 20 years.
This nice Malibu was originally purchased by Dr. Harper in Atlanta. He moved next door to my parents on James Island around 1969. Around 1970 my father, Gerald Ward, purchased this car for him to be a daily driver. My father drove the car for many years before opening L & W Auto Sales. As I was growing up I admired the car and my father asked me if I wanted it to be “my first car.” I wasted no time in answering yes.
In 1983 the car was repainted with the original color, some upholstery was repaired, new trim parts were ordered and the engine was painted and worked on as well. I got my license and began to drive the car. Unfortunately, since my father owned a used car lot, I began to see other cars with AC, electric windows and nice stereos that caught my eye. I only drove the Chevelle for 1-2 months before moving on to a newer car. The Chevelle sat in our driveway with little use for many years.
Our neighbor, Gary Whitehead, would knock on our front door about every six months to see if we wanted to sell the car. Our answer was always the same, no not interested. Well, when I graduated Winthrop College the Chevelle was looking pretty bad. Rust, cobwebs, water on the floor board, flat tires … you get the picture. So, one day in 1991 Mr. Whitehead knocked on the door at the right time and we agreed to sell the Chevelle to him.
We have seen many other cars he had restored and we knew it was in good hands. Most importantly, he also agreed to sell the car back to my father or myself if he ever decided to sell, which he said he never would.
For 20 years, I would drive by to visit my parents and see the Chevelle being restored and finally being completed. I would stop by Mr. Whitehead’s home and look at the Chevelle, take pictures and listen to the engine just purr. I always said I wanted to be able to get the car back some day.
Well, in May 2011 the day came that Mr. Whitehead gave me a call and was ready to sell. My father passed away in 2006 and there was no way I was going to let this car slip through my hands. This car was just too sentimental to me!
I felt bad that I never really appreciated the car like I should have at first and like I do now. When I made the purchase and picked the car up on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, my wife, two children and my mother made a short trip to Holy Cross Cemetery to show my father that we finally got it back. Dad, it’s back in the family!
My 1966 Chevelle MaliBlu (my Dad used to call me Blue).
1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
Owner since 1968: John Stewart, James Island
May 23, 1968 (bought) 1968 Chevelle SS (from) Dick Flick Chevrolet. Sales person (was) Mickey Livingston.
Special order, 396 (cubic inch) special high performance - 375 hp. Four-speed close ratio, 3:73 post tract rear axle. Butternut yellow, black vinyl top and interior, rear antenna AM radio, tinted windows.
No power steering, power brakes or AC. All original documents (including) owners manual, buyers order, bill of sale, warranty, Protect-o plate and key knockouts.
1969 Chevrolet Impala
Owner since 1969: Wayne Howard, Hanahan
I bought my 1969 Chevrolet Impala, new, in Moncks Corner, and have owned it ever since. It still looks pretty good and runs well, including the air conditioner and has only a little over 200,000 miles on it.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Review: McKlein Motorsport Classic calendar
From MaxRally: Review: McKlein Motorsport Classic calendar
Do you hanker after the good old days of motorsport, when sex was safe and racing was dangerous, as the legendary Sir Stirling Moss inimitably put it? Do you believe that the two biggest evils facing society at the moment are the terrible twins of 'health' and 'safety'? If so, the McKlein Motorsport Classic calendar is for you. In fact, it's for you even if you just like looking at beautiful old racing cars and don't particularly care about the nanny state.
Rather than purely a rally calendar, this collection of photographs harks back to the golden era of circuit racing as well. Reinhard Klein has been around for quite a while, but even he will gratefully admit that he wasn't there to photograph Fangio in his prime, so this is instead a calendar that mostly uses shots from McKlein's extensive photographic racing archive: an important element to the Cologne-based business that many people don't even know exists. Well, they do now.
What strikes you about this collection is the sheer variety of the images, having been taken by a number of different photographers and assembled through a wide range of sources.
An overriding theme is the fragility of life at the time: the drivers are piloting volatile, but achingly beautiful, death traps – while an essential accessory for refuelling, for example, seems to be a cigarette. There are some rally images too; from the happy era of motoring when speed and drink-drive limits were a figment of the imagination. Some rallies even ended on Fridays, to give the hard-working teams and media the weekend off.
Yes, those were the days. And now you can relive them whenever you like by perusing the 25 images that form the calendar. In typical McKlein fashion, you can choose which images you'd like displayed. Free up your wall space now – Patrick Depailler is coming through in a six-wheeled Tyrrell.
That's just one of the images: you can also see how a Lancia Stratos copes with the mud on the East African Safari Rally (badly, we suspect) and find out what a pit stop on the 1952 Carrera Panamericana was like (fraught with risk, essentially).
Underneath each image, there's a brief explanation of what is going on, allowing the reader to really get under the skin of each photograph. It's astonishing, provocative, and unashamedly sentimental. Get it while you can.
The calendar costs €39.90 or £34.90 and it's available from the Rallywebshop: McKlein's official outlet. Visit http://www.rallywebshop.com or call +44 (0)20 81 33 0605 in the UK or +49 (0)2203-9242570 in Germany.
Do you hanker after the good old days of motorsport, when sex was safe and racing was dangerous, as the legendary Sir Stirling Moss inimitably put it? Do you believe that the two biggest evils facing society at the moment are the terrible twins of 'health' and 'safety'? If so, the McKlein Motorsport Classic calendar is for you. In fact, it's for you even if you just like looking at beautiful old racing cars and don't particularly care about the nanny state.
Rather than purely a rally calendar, this collection of photographs harks back to the golden era of circuit racing as well. Reinhard Klein has been around for quite a while, but even he will gratefully admit that he wasn't there to photograph Fangio in his prime, so this is instead a calendar that mostly uses shots from McKlein's extensive photographic racing archive: an important element to the Cologne-based business that many people don't even know exists. Well, they do now.
What strikes you about this collection is the sheer variety of the images, having been taken by a number of different photographers and assembled through a wide range of sources.
An overriding theme is the fragility of life at the time: the drivers are piloting volatile, but achingly beautiful, death traps – while an essential accessory for refuelling, for example, seems to be a cigarette. There are some rally images too; from the happy era of motoring when speed and drink-drive limits were a figment of the imagination. Some rallies even ended on Fridays, to give the hard-working teams and media the weekend off.
Yes, those were the days. And now you can relive them whenever you like by perusing the 25 images that form the calendar. In typical McKlein fashion, you can choose which images you'd like displayed. Free up your wall space now – Patrick Depailler is coming through in a six-wheeled Tyrrell.
That's just one of the images: you can also see how a Lancia Stratos copes with the mud on the East African Safari Rally (badly, we suspect) and find out what a pit stop on the 1952 Carrera Panamericana was like (fraught with risk, essentially).
Underneath each image, there's a brief explanation of what is going on, allowing the reader to really get under the skin of each photograph. It's astonishing, provocative, and unashamedly sentimental. Get it while you can.
The calendar costs €39.90 or £34.90 and it's available from the Rallywebshop: McKlein's official outlet. Visit http://www.rallywebshop.com or call +44 (0)20 81 33 0605 in the UK or +49 (0)2203-9242570 in Germany.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Car from comedy flick "The Hangover" on sale
From 680 News: Car from comedy flick "The Hangover" on sale
You can now be a member of the 'wolf pack' too, for about $100,000, that is.
The 1965 Mercedes-Benz used in the 2009 comedy, The Hangover, is now up for sale on eBay.
The classic car is being auctioned for charity. The Mercedes is one of five cars during the filming process.
It currently has a "buy-it-now" price of $95,000 USD, with a minimum starting bid of $85,000.
The convertible is in great condition, according to the owner, who said the interior was refurbished after the filming of the movie.
You can now be a member of the 'wolf pack' too, for about $100,000, that is.
The 1965 Mercedes-Benz used in the 2009 comedy, The Hangover, is now up for sale on eBay.
The classic car is being auctioned for charity. The Mercedes is one of five cars during the filming process.
It currently has a "buy-it-now" price of $95,000 USD, with a minimum starting bid of $85,000.
The convertible is in great condition, according to the owner, who said the interior was refurbished after the filming of the movie.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Me and My Car: It's a woodie like no other
From Mercury.news: Me and My Car: It's a woodie like no other
Is there a car more elegant than an old woodie? There is something about woodie convertibles and station wagons that car enthusiasts covet.
Partly, I suppose, it's because real woodie cars are not available anymore, or maybe it is the special craftsmanship that went into building them and the beauty of the wood used. Today's woodies don't use real wood.
That may be part of the reason why Danville resident Jim Ashworth is into woodies. He offered another possible reason, "When my brother and I were growing up, we wanted a woodie station wagon, but our parents would never buy one."
Ashworth has become an expert on classic cars, including woodies, even teaching classes on investing in and restoring classic cars at UCLA and UC Berkeley. A collector since the 1970s, he has owned some great woodies, including a 1940 Buick wagon that was once owned by Bette Davis, a 1947 Chevrolet wagon, a 1953 Buick wagon and a 1947 Ford Sportsman, in addition to this beautiful baby blue 1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Country Club convertible.
Here's the surprise. Chevrolet didn't make a woodie convertible in 1947-48. Not good for Chevy. Ford and Chevrolet have always been like the Hatfields and McCoys, fighting for sales leadership and trying to outdo each other. Ford had the Sportsman, a popular model, but Chevrolet only had the ordinary metal convertible.
As Henry J. Kaiser said, "Find a need and fill it." So it was that Engineering Enterprises Inc. in Detroit noted the need to produce wood panels to make the Chevrolet Fleetmaster convertible into the woodie they called the Country Club convertible. The kit was an aftermarket product to be installed by local Chevy dealers and sold for $149.50 plus an installation fee.
Ashworth bought his 1947 Chevrolet in 1989 from a homebuilder in Stockton who was having financial challenges. It was already restored and parked in a warehouse, but it did not have the wood paneling. Ashworth had some paneling from other restoration projects plus two original pieces that came from Engineering Enterprises. Using those two pieces and a Chevrolet advertising picture postcard, Ashworth's father, a retired engineer, was able to calculate the exact specifications and build the Country Club woodie kit. The completed kit was then installed by Ashland Wood Products in San Leandro.
Ashworth believes his Chevy is the only stock 1947 Chevy convertible with the Country Club woodie package in the United States. Two years ago, he was invited to bring his rare Chevy to The Woodie Show in Pebble Beach, a significant honor.
Back in 1947, the country was just recovering from World War II, and the population was starving for new cars. Chevrolets (and others) were basically carry-over models from 1942. Chevy offered two trim levels. The standard series was Stylemaster, and the deluxe series was called Fleetline.
There was no need for an engine option, as they sold everything they could build and couldn't keep up with demand. Chevy used the tried-and-true overhead valve, 216.5 cubic inch, straight six-cylinder engine rated at 90 horsepower.
A unique feature of the car was the manual three-speed vacuum booster transmission. According to Ashworth, "One could shift the transmission with (his) fingertips, and the vacuum shift would suck up the transmission from one gear to the next."
According to a Hemming Motor News publication, the 1947 Chevy convertible had a top speed of 90 mph and could go from 0 to 60 mph in 20 seconds. Gas mileage for the 3,340-pound car would probably average about 14 miles per gallon.
This 1947 Chevy is one of Ashworth's all-time favorites. He's down to two collector cars, the other being a 1988 Ford Mustang used as a trainer car for the California Highway Patrol. But, alas, Ashworth and his wife, Mary, are empty nesters and are thinking of downsizing. That could mean selling off his last two prizes, but at what price?
"I never reveal what I pay for a car or what I sell it for," he told me.
But I suspect the beautifully restored 1947 Chevrolet Country Club convertible's value is more than the original selling price of $1,628.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Motor-Sport - Mdina Classic Grand Prix 2012 between 11 and 14 October
The Malta Independent Online: Motor-Sport - Mdina Classic Grand Prix 2012 between 11 and 14 October
The 2012 Mdina Grand Prix is to be held between 11 and 14 October.
This was announced last week by the organisers after the success achieved this year.
Throngs of people lined up the streets to watch the 60 participants including stunning classic cars and their international celebrity drivers, glamorous stars and global brand owners.
The Valletta Grand Prix Foundation announced that the two days of racing will now be extended to four days of activities given the quality of the Mdina venue and racetrack, culminating on Sunday October 14, 2012.
The 2012 Mdina Grand Prix and Classic Car Event organised by the Valletta Grand Prix Foundation will feature races and exhibitions of historic and classic cars and incorporates a racetrack stretching from Mdina through Mtarfa and into Rabat, over a distance of 2.2 kilometres. This race circuit gives the public many good spots in Mdina, Mtarfa and Rabat from which to follow the race. This street race is the only one of its kind in this part of the Mediterranean and attracted huge crowds of local and international visitors in 2011 to the racing heart of Malta. The 2011 Mdina Grand Prix, was a classic car event like no other with action, drama and full speed to thrill the large crowds.
The main event is a street race, with Malta increasingly seen as the Monaco of the Southern Mediterranean. Past entries have included sports cars, two-seater racers and other classic cars built between 1910 and 1975 as well as single-seater racing cars dating between 1930 and 1960. Several celebrities are expected to attend after the success of the 2011 event. Some of the 2011 celebrities were Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons’ grandson, Michael Quinn, along with fellow racers John Burton in a beautiful E-Type and Guy Broad in his world-beating “bubble” XK, the fastest XK in history. They were joined by Gemma Hunt from the BBC who hosted the race and performed the duties of master of ceremonies for the official prize-giving, actress Nathalie Pownall who breezed in for race weekend to add an extra touch of glamour and objectivity as a judge for the Concours D’Elegance. There was also swashbuckling global luxury brand owner of Bremont, Giles English, as well as Mark Dixon, from cult UK motoring magazine Octane, and Kari Hautala and Mikkonen Ilpo from Moottori, the oldest automobile magazine in Finland, indeed a heady mix.
The 2012 Mdina Grand Prix is to be held between 11 and 14 October.
This was announced last week by the organisers after the success achieved this year.
Throngs of people lined up the streets to watch the 60 participants including stunning classic cars and their international celebrity drivers, glamorous stars and global brand owners.
The Valletta Grand Prix Foundation announced that the two days of racing will now be extended to four days of activities given the quality of the Mdina venue and racetrack, culminating on Sunday October 14, 2012.
The 2012 Mdina Grand Prix and Classic Car Event organised by the Valletta Grand Prix Foundation will feature races and exhibitions of historic and classic cars and incorporates a racetrack stretching from Mdina through Mtarfa and into Rabat, over a distance of 2.2 kilometres. This race circuit gives the public many good spots in Mdina, Mtarfa and Rabat from which to follow the race. This street race is the only one of its kind in this part of the Mediterranean and attracted huge crowds of local and international visitors in 2011 to the racing heart of Malta. The 2011 Mdina Grand Prix, was a classic car event like no other with action, drama and full speed to thrill the large crowds.
The main event is a street race, with Malta increasingly seen as the Monaco of the Southern Mediterranean. Past entries have included sports cars, two-seater racers and other classic cars built between 1910 and 1975 as well as single-seater racing cars dating between 1930 and 1960. Several celebrities are expected to attend after the success of the 2011 event. Some of the 2011 celebrities were Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons’ grandson, Michael Quinn, along with fellow racers John Burton in a beautiful E-Type and Guy Broad in his world-beating “bubble” XK, the fastest XK in history. They were joined by Gemma Hunt from the BBC who hosted the race and performed the duties of master of ceremonies for the official prize-giving, actress Nathalie Pownall who breezed in for race weekend to add an extra touch of glamour and objectivity as a judge for the Concours D’Elegance. There was also swashbuckling global luxury brand owner of Bremont, Giles English, as well as Mark Dixon, from cult UK motoring magazine Octane, and Kari Hautala and Mikkonen Ilpo from Moottori, the oldest automobile magazine in Finland, indeed a heady mix.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Time Keeps On Slipping Into the Future
Sorry for the dearth of posts recently...I've been working on a project, wanted to devote all my time to it, and kept telling myself...it'll be done today so I can get back to blogging here tomorrow.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Dec 7, UK: Classic cars going under the hammer
From Carloan 4U.UK: Classic cars going under the hammer
A total of 36 classic cars are to be put up auction at an event in London next week, with the motors said to be valued at a combined sum in excess of £6 million.
Coys has announced that its True Greats auction has attracted a high-quality list of lots.
Among the vehicles set to go under the hammer on Wednesday (December 7th) are an Aston Martin DB5 owned by former Beatle George Harrison and a Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster.
Other lots will include a Cord 810 Phaeton owned by Dragons' Den star Duncan Bannatyne and Jimmy Page.
Managing director of Coys Chris Routledge said: "We are delighted to offer for sale George Harrison's first "important" car, bought new and delivered to him personally in 1965 at his Kinfauns estate in Esher, Surrey, England."
When it comes to selling a car at auction, its value could be affected by whether a previous owner has smoked in it, Autorola recently warned.
A total of 36 classic cars are to be put up auction at an event in London next week, with the motors said to be valued at a combined sum in excess of £6 million.
Coys has announced that its True Greats auction has attracted a high-quality list of lots.
Among the vehicles set to go under the hammer on Wednesday (December 7th) are an Aston Martin DB5 owned by former Beatle George Harrison and a Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster.
Other lots will include a Cord 810 Phaeton owned by Dragons' Den star Duncan Bannatyne and Jimmy Page.
Managing director of Coys Chris Routledge said: "We are delighted to offer for sale George Harrison's first "important" car, bought new and delivered to him personally in 1965 at his Kinfauns estate in Esher, Surrey, England."
When it comes to selling a car at auction, its value could be affected by whether a previous owner has smoked in it, Autorola recently warned.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Sergio Scaglietti, Sculptor of Sleekly Tailored Ferraris, Dies at 91
From the New York Times, Nov 26: Sergio Scaglietti, Sculptor of Sleekly Tailored Ferraris, Dies at 91
Sergio Scaglietti, who used intuitive genius and a hammer — seldom blueprints or sketches — to sculpture elegant Ferraris that won Grand Prix races in the 1950s and ’60s and now sell for millions of dollars, died on Nov. 20 at his home in Modena, Italy. He was 91.
Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari’s chairman, announced the death.
Ferraris, with their hair-raising acceleration and sleek lines, bespoke postwar modernity in the manner of the Color Field paintings of Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko or the architecture of Eero Saarinen. Mr. Scaglietti in the 1950s designed the blood-red skin of the 375MM sports car that the film director Roberto Rossellini, the master of neo-realist cinema, gave to his wife, Ingrid Bergman.
In August, Mr. Scaglietti’s 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold for $16.4 million, said to be the most ever paid for an automobile at auction. His 250 GT California Spyder was the vehicle in which the teenage heroes of the 1986 film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” cavorted. (The Ferrari in the movie was actually a fake: the producers couldn’t afford a real one.)
Mr. Scaglietti (pronounced skahl-YET-tee — the “g” is silent) lacked the kind of formal education acquired by his patron and best friend, Enzo Ferrari, the race driver-turned-automotive-impresario. Both believed in speed, power, utility, superb craftsmanship and sleek, sensuous beauty, and they abhorred mass production. By craft Mr. Scaglietti was a “coachbuilder,” but others use loftier descriptions.
Leslie Kendall, curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, compared his cars to couture clothing. “They were individually tailored, and achingly beautiful,” he said in an interview after Mr. Scaglietti’s death.
Mr. Scaglietti’s method was to receive a prototype from the legendary designer Battista Farina or one of his associates and “interpret” it in aluminum, rarely using a drawing. He made a wire frame, then hammered the metal into the shape he envisioned. He did this on bags of sand, because wood proved too hard. He did everything, he said, “by the eye.”
He followed the designers’ concepts to varying degrees. Many sources give him considerable personal credit for the overall look of the 250 GTO in 1962-63. Just three dozen were made, and Mr. Ferrari, who died in 1988, approved every sale personally. The car was one of the last front-engine cars to remain competitive at the top levels of sports car racing. (Most racing cars today have the engine behind the driver.)
Motor Trend Classic in 2010 called the car the greatest Ferrari of all time, and some people consider it the most beautiful automobile ever made. There have been reports that one sold for $50 million during the classic car boom of the 1980s, and the Web site Supercars.net called that figure not “entirely unrealistic.”
In their 2007 book, Ferrari: Stories From Those Who Lived the Legend, John Lamm and Chuck Queener said Mr. Scaglietti got his inspiration for the GTO by “looking at cars.” Mr. Scaglietti said, “If you use your head, knowing the car has to go fast, you make it smaller and lighter.”
Sergio Scaglietti was born into the family of a poor carpenter on Jan. 9, 1920, in Modena. Four of his five brothers became carpenters, but Sergio aspired to work with metal. When he was 13, his father died, and he dropped out of school to work in a local garage specializing in damaged cars. His brother had gotten him the job, and four years later, the brother and a partner bought the business. At 17, Sergio became one of their first employees. He met Mr. Ferrari when Mr. Ferrari asked him to fix a mud flap on a racing car.
After World War II, Mr. Scaglietti opened his own shop. Mr. Ferrari, who had also started his own business, noticed Mr. Scaglietti’s work repairing a bashed-up racing car and told him he had done a good job. By the mid-1950s, he was doing much of Ferrari’s bodywork at a business he named Carrozzeria Scaglietti. He is credited with coming up with the design for headrests on Ferrari racing cars.
He drew broad praise for the pontoon fenders on the 250 Testa Rossa, of which 34 were built from 1956 to 1961. The fenders’ design allowed cool air to flow into the brake area to prevent overheating. On a visit to Allentown, Pa., in 2000, Mr. Scaglietti told the newspaper The Morning Call that the Testa Rossa got its name almost by accident.
“The chief of production came to Mr. Ferrari and said, ‘We have to stop production because we have no black paint to paint the engines,’ ” he said.
Mr. Ferrari asked what color paint they did have. The answer was red. Mr. Ferrari said, “Paint the engines red and we’ll call it the Testa Rossa,” which means redhead in Italian.
Mr. Scaglietti greatly expanded his business in the 1950s after Mr. Ferrari co-signed a loan. He sold the business to Fiat in the late 1960s, then continued to manage it until his retirement in the mid-1980s. In 2004, Ferrari named a four-seat sports car the 612 Scaglietti.
Information on survivors was unavailable.
Mr. Scaglietti owned only one of his own cars, a California Spyder, which he bought after a friend told him he could make money on it. He lost $1,000 when he sold it.
Sergio Scaglietti, who used intuitive genius and a hammer — seldom blueprints or sketches — to sculpture elegant Ferraris that won Grand Prix races in the 1950s and ’60s and now sell for millions of dollars, died on Nov. 20 at his home in Modena, Italy. He was 91.
Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari’s chairman, announced the death.
Ferraris, with their hair-raising acceleration and sleek lines, bespoke postwar modernity in the manner of the Color Field paintings of Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko or the architecture of Eero Saarinen. Mr. Scaglietti in the 1950s designed the blood-red skin of the 375MM sports car that the film director Roberto Rossellini, the master of neo-realist cinema, gave to his wife, Ingrid Bergman.
In August, Mr. Scaglietti’s 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold for $16.4 million, said to be the most ever paid for an automobile at auction. His 250 GT California Spyder was the vehicle in which the teenage heroes of the 1986 film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” cavorted. (The Ferrari in the movie was actually a fake: the producers couldn’t afford a real one.)
Mr. Scaglietti (pronounced skahl-YET-tee — the “g” is silent) lacked the kind of formal education acquired by his patron and best friend, Enzo Ferrari, the race driver-turned-automotive-impresario. Both believed in speed, power, utility, superb craftsmanship and sleek, sensuous beauty, and they abhorred mass production. By craft Mr. Scaglietti was a “coachbuilder,” but others use loftier descriptions.
Leslie Kendall, curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, compared his cars to couture clothing. “They were individually tailored, and achingly beautiful,” he said in an interview after Mr. Scaglietti’s death.
Mr. Scaglietti’s method was to receive a prototype from the legendary designer Battista Farina or one of his associates and “interpret” it in aluminum, rarely using a drawing. He made a wire frame, then hammered the metal into the shape he envisioned. He did this on bags of sand, because wood proved too hard. He did everything, he said, “by the eye.”
He followed the designers’ concepts to varying degrees. Many sources give him considerable personal credit for the overall look of the 250 GTO in 1962-63. Just three dozen were made, and Mr. Ferrari, who died in 1988, approved every sale personally. The car was one of the last front-engine cars to remain competitive at the top levels of sports car racing. (Most racing cars today have the engine behind the driver.)
Motor Trend Classic in 2010 called the car the greatest Ferrari of all time, and some people consider it the most beautiful automobile ever made. There have been reports that one sold for $50 million during the classic car boom of the 1980s, and the Web site Supercars.net called that figure not “entirely unrealistic.”
In their 2007 book, Ferrari: Stories From Those Who Lived the Legend, John Lamm and Chuck Queener said Mr. Scaglietti got his inspiration for the GTO by “looking at cars.” Mr. Scaglietti said, “If you use your head, knowing the car has to go fast, you make it smaller and lighter.”
Sergio Scaglietti was born into the family of a poor carpenter on Jan. 9, 1920, in Modena. Four of his five brothers became carpenters, but Sergio aspired to work with metal. When he was 13, his father died, and he dropped out of school to work in a local garage specializing in damaged cars. His brother had gotten him the job, and four years later, the brother and a partner bought the business. At 17, Sergio became one of their first employees. He met Mr. Ferrari when Mr. Ferrari asked him to fix a mud flap on a racing car.
After World War II, Mr. Scaglietti opened his own shop. Mr. Ferrari, who had also started his own business, noticed Mr. Scaglietti’s work repairing a bashed-up racing car and told him he had done a good job. By the mid-1950s, he was doing much of Ferrari’s bodywork at a business he named Carrozzeria Scaglietti. He is credited with coming up with the design for headrests on Ferrari racing cars.
He drew broad praise for the pontoon fenders on the 250 Testa Rossa, of which 34 were built from 1956 to 1961. The fenders’ design allowed cool air to flow into the brake area to prevent overheating. On a visit to Allentown, Pa., in 2000, Mr. Scaglietti told the newspaper The Morning Call that the Testa Rossa got its name almost by accident.
“The chief of production came to Mr. Ferrari and said, ‘We have to stop production because we have no black paint to paint the engines,’ ” he said.
Mr. Ferrari asked what color paint they did have. The answer was red. Mr. Ferrari said, “Paint the engines red and we’ll call it the Testa Rossa,” which means redhead in Italian.
Mr. Scaglietti greatly expanded his business in the 1950s after Mr. Ferrari co-signed a loan. He sold the business to Fiat in the late 1960s, then continued to manage it until his retirement in the mid-1980s. In 2004, Ferrari named a four-seat sports car the 612 Scaglietti.
Information on survivors was unavailable.
Mr. Scaglietti owned only one of his own cars, a California Spyder, which he bought after a friend told him he could make money on it. He lost $1,000 when he sold it.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Cruise-in aims to raise awareness of DUI dangers
This event took place last weekend, but it will doubtless be an annual thing. Mark it on your calendars.
From : Cruise-in aims to raise awareness of DUI dangers
GULFPORT -- Sponsors of the Tie One On Cruise-In and Candlelight Memorial on Saturday expect to draw hundreds of classic cars, street rods, muscle cars and vintage vehicles for an event aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving.
The free cruise-in will be at Gulfport Premium Outlets from 4 to 8 p.m. The mall is at 10000 Factory Shops Boulevard, off Creosote Road just south of Interstate 10.
The cruise-in will feature an array of antique and collectible cars, live entertainment by the Doin’ Time Band, and drawings for prizes. The cruise-in will pause for a candlelight service to remember those who have lost their lives or been injured by drunken drivers.
The sponsors are Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Gulfport Police Department, Waffle House and Gulf Coast Motorsports magazine.
Prizes include $50 and $100 gift certificates from Coast stores and restaurants -- but there’s a catch. You must be present to win, and you must sign a pledge card vowing to drive sober through 2012. Entry slips must be turned in by 7 p.m.
There’s also a 50/50 cash drawing. The winner of that prize splits the cash with the local MADD chapter.
MADD will hold its ceremony at 6 p.m. and will set up a “remembrance circle” to display pictures and memorabilia of victims of drunken drivers.
Bill Downs, who leads the MADD chapter of Harrison, Hancock and Stone counties, said several people have contacted him who want to honor their dead or injured loved ones at the ceremony.
“I’ve also heard from people who have been injured and want to light a candle for themselves,” Downs said.
Downs lost his son, daughter-in-law and a family friend in a 2007 collision with a drunken driver, who also died.
Gulfport Police Chief Alan Weatherford said his department is a co-sponsor because of its long working relationship with MADD.
Weatherford’s daughter was killed by a suspected drunken driver in March, but Weatherford said his department’s participation has nothing to do with his personal tragedy.
“We are proud to support this effort to raise public awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving and to encourage drivers to plan ahead to designate a sober driver or arrange for another safe ride home before they drink alcohol,” he said.
Gulf Coast Motorsports is calling on car buffs from near and far to turn out. The magazine is promoting the cruise-in on its calendar of events.
From : Cruise-in aims to raise awareness of DUI dangers
GULFPORT -- Sponsors of the Tie One On Cruise-In and Candlelight Memorial on Saturday expect to draw hundreds of classic cars, street rods, muscle cars and vintage vehicles for an event aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving.
The free cruise-in will be at Gulfport Premium Outlets from 4 to 8 p.m. The mall is at 10000 Factory Shops Boulevard, off Creosote Road just south of Interstate 10.
The cruise-in will feature an array of antique and collectible cars, live entertainment by the Doin’ Time Band, and drawings for prizes. The cruise-in will pause for a candlelight service to remember those who have lost their lives or been injured by drunken drivers.
The sponsors are Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Gulfport Police Department, Waffle House and Gulf Coast Motorsports magazine.
Prizes include $50 and $100 gift certificates from Coast stores and restaurants -- but there’s a catch. You must be present to win, and you must sign a pledge card vowing to drive sober through 2012. Entry slips must be turned in by 7 p.m.
There’s also a 50/50 cash drawing. The winner of that prize splits the cash with the local MADD chapter.
MADD will hold its ceremony at 6 p.m. and will set up a “remembrance circle” to display pictures and memorabilia of victims of drunken drivers.
Bill Downs, who leads the MADD chapter of Harrison, Hancock and Stone counties, said several people have contacted him who want to honor their dead or injured loved ones at the ceremony.
“I’ve also heard from people who have been injured and want to light a candle for themselves,” Downs said.
Downs lost his son, daughter-in-law and a family friend in a 2007 collision with a drunken driver, who also died.
Gulfport Police Chief Alan Weatherford said his department is a co-sponsor because of its long working relationship with MADD.
Weatherford’s daughter was killed by a suspected drunken driver in March, but Weatherford said his department’s participation has nothing to do with his personal tragedy.
“We are proud to support this effort to raise public awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving and to encourage drivers to plan ahead to designate a sober driver or arrange for another safe ride home before they drink alcohol,” he said.
Gulf Coast Motorsports is calling on car buffs from near and far to turn out. The magazine is promoting the cruise-in on its calendar of events.
A Proud Owner Of Classic Car Doesn't Mind To Spent RM50K For Modification
From Bernana.com: A Proud Owner Of Classic Car Doesn't Mind To Spent RM50K For Modification
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Syed Ibrahim Al-Sagoff, a proud owner of a 1966 Dodge Dart 270 convertible 2.8 litre car, does not mind to forking out nearly RM50,000 just to modify the car including its interior design.
The former aviation engineer designer said the car had high sentimental value to him and his family as he inherited it from his late grandfather who died in 1984.
"Although many people have come to me and offered to buy this car at a high price, I keep on rejecting them because my passion for vintage cars is very strong," he told Bernama when met at the Royal Selangor Club's (RSC) annual motorsports carnival and charity drive at Dataran Merdeka, here Sunday.
The event was launched Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) president Tunku Mudzaffar Tunku Mustafa.
More than 80 vintage, classic and exotic cars as well as superbikes were displayed at the annual event organised by the RSC.
Prior to the launching, 15 ultra-modern or fast cars, including Lamborghinis and Ferraris and 15 superbikes were also paraded up to the Sungai Besi Camp where the organiser also brought along 100 children from four selected shelter homes.
The event, which entered its fifth year, was also supported by several non profit organisations from around the Klang Valley.
At the event, Tunku Mudzaffar also handed over contribution of RM2,500 each to four shelter homes.
Trophies and certificates will be awarded to the winners of the vintage, classic and modern categories segment at a dinner at RSC tonight.
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Syed Ibrahim Al-Sagoff, a proud owner of a 1966 Dodge Dart 270 convertible 2.8 litre car, does not mind to forking out nearly RM50,000 just to modify the car including its interior design.
The former aviation engineer designer said the car had high sentimental value to him and his family as he inherited it from his late grandfather who died in 1984.
"Although many people have come to me and offered to buy this car at a high price, I keep on rejecting them because my passion for vintage cars is very strong," he told Bernama when met at the Royal Selangor Club's (RSC) annual motorsports carnival and charity drive at Dataran Merdeka, here Sunday.
The event was launched Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) president Tunku Mudzaffar Tunku Mustafa.
More than 80 vintage, classic and exotic cars as well as superbikes were displayed at the annual event organised by the RSC.
Prior to the launching, 15 ultra-modern or fast cars, including Lamborghinis and Ferraris and 15 superbikes were also paraded up to the Sungai Besi Camp where the organiser also brought along 100 children from four selected shelter homes.
The event, which entered its fifth year, was also supported by several non profit organisations from around the Klang Valley.
At the event, Tunku Mudzaffar also handed over contribution of RM2,500 each to four shelter homes.
Trophies and certificates will be awarded to the winners of the vintage, classic and modern categories segment at a dinner at RSC tonight.
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