Back on track Wednesday

My mom's having some health issues, which I have to take care of. Will be back to blogging on Wednesday.

Park this in your vault: Classic car returns outpaced gold

Market Watch: Park this in your vault: Classic car returns outpaced gold Classic cars showed an impressive performance in 2011 — one that outpaced gold, according to the Historic Automobile Group International (HAGI), an independent research house and think tank specializing in the rare classic motorcar sector. Gold futures saw a return of around 10% in 2011. By contrast, the HAGI Top Index, which measures the performance of 50 key collectible classic cars, advanced by 13.89% last year. The return of the Top Index, excluding Ferrari and Porsche, achieved 21.65% growth that year. “We’ve discovered that classic cars move independently of any other investment area, and that’s a very attractive attribute for collectors and investors alike in this day and age,” said Dietrich Hatlapa, founder of London-based HAGI. “The figures demonstrate very clearly that this is not a uniform market; performance varies from marque to marque and from model to model,” he said. “Choice and timing are key, and that’s what makes it so fascinating, applying a judgement call on a model or marque you consider is due for rotation.” Hatlapa pointed out that the classic car sector “has many attractions in this day and age,” with supply broadly finite. “They’re not making Bugatti Type 57SC Atalantes anymore; the market is global; the asset class is uncorrelated with other investment classes,” he said. “Historic cars are a tangible asset with real asset characteristics, a highly sought-after feature since the financial crisis of 2007-2009 [and] once a model has become collectible, it’s never become uncollectible.” Of course, you’d have to be able to afford one of these rare autos, plus store and insure it. A 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540Z Cabriolet-A purchased in October 2007 for £660,000 ( $788,295) sold for £848,500 in December 2011 – for a return of 28%, according to Dave Selby, a senior analyst at HAGI. Gold investments, in contrast, don’t require such thick wallets — for less than $200, you can buy a share of the SPDR Gold Trust, an exchange-traded fund backed by gold. But it’s arguably a lot less fun to look at.

Reinventing Lincoln

From Bloomberg Business Week: Reinventing Lincoln

On his very first day as the new chief designer of the Lincoln line from Ford Motor (F), Max Wolff had, in his words, an “oh, shit moment.” Touring Ford’s design studio in Dearborn, Mich., last January, Wolff made his way to the latest model of the MKZ, Lincoln’s top-selling car, which Ford hopes will finally reverse decades of decline at Lincoln and catapult it into a pantheon with Audi (VOW:GR), BMW (BMW:GR), and Lexus (TM). Trouble was, the MKZ was a dud. The boxy, narrow model had doors identical to the Ford Fusion, the carmaker’s family sedan for the common man. Its prominent grille with cascading chrome ribs had the look of your grandfather’s mustache, and its boxy headlights evoked Milton Berle’s eyeglasses. Wolff, a 39-year-old, faux-hawk-sporting Aussie, turned to the car’s designer, Solomon Song, and asked: “What were you thinking?”

As Wolff recalls, Song said: “We’ve sort of been waiting for you to turn up so that we can do something different.”

They did. One year since his arrival at Lincoln, Wolff is unveiling the redesigned MKZ on Jan. 10 at the Detroit Auto Show. The car, expected to start at about $35,000, bears little resemblance to the homely model Wolff encountered last January. Wolff, whom Lincoln hired away from Cadillac at General Motors (GM), has retooled the car to make it lower, longer, and wider. The most striking change comes on what Wolff calls the car’s “face,” which he contends can make or break a design. Gone is the geezer grille. In its place are side-by-side sleek chrome apertures, bisected by horizontal ribs that stretch like eagle’s wings into swept-back headlights that flow into the front fenders.

Whether or not car buyers go for the sexier, sleeker Lincoln remains to be seen, but there’s no question that Lincoln needs a hit, if not a miracle. The car was the epitome of cool when JFK was in the White House and the Rat Pack was headlining in Vegas. From a sales standpoint, Lincoln reached its zenith in 1990, when 231,660 were sold. As recently as 1999, the heyday of Lincoln’s behemoth Navigator SUV, the line ranked first in U.S. sales among luxury car brands. Today, Lincoln stands eighth, its image defined largely by the black Town Cars that transport people to and from airports. (Ford stopped production of the Town Car in September.) The average Lincoln driver is 65 years old. Lincoln says it sold 85,643 cars in 2011, down a breathtaking 63 percent since the 1990 peak. The latest indignity came last month, when a 1970s-era Lincoln Continental was used to carry the coffin of deceased North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il. “Lincoln’s image is as an old person’s car or a taxi,” says Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst with researcher IHS Automotive.

A succession of designers have tried to recapture Lincoln’s faded glory, with little success. In 2001, Gerry McGovern, now chief designer at Land Rover (TTM), crafted a slab-sided concept car in homage to the classic ’61 Continental in which President Kennedy was riding when he was assassinated. After that, Peter Horbury, who went on to become Volvo’s design director, sought inspiration from the split-bow grilles of 1940s’ Lincolns. Neither paean to the past worked.

“We’re well past the window on Lincoln of being able to relive the glory years,” says J Mays, Ford global design chief. “We’re in a situation now where we need to reinvent the brand.”

Doing so involves transforming consumer expectations about what a Lincoln looks like. “Lincoln is a brand that’s got authenticity and credentials,” says Leslie Butterfield, a luxury car specialist with Interbrand, a consulting company, and author of Enduring Passion: The Story of the Mercedes-Benz Brand. “But it’s important that the design be a break with tradition. I don’t want to feel I’m buying Old Lincoln, I want to feel like I’m buying New Lincoln.”

That’s where Wolff comes in. He grew up in Melbourne, a car nut and compulsive scribbler who began writing to GM about a design job at age 12. An indifferent student who preferred pool halls to the classroom, Wolff was accepted into design school at age 22, after having been rejected twice for his poor high school grades. This time, though, he excelled in school, winning awards and leading teams of students on design projects for industrial clients, including a Japanese automaker. In 1998, he began designing for GM’s Holden brand in Australia before moving to the automaker’s South Korean studio, where he helped craft the hot-selling Chevy Cruze. In 2006, GM transferred Wolff to Detroit, where he designed Cadillac’s futuristic flagship, the XTS, which is on display at the Detroit Auto Show and goes on sale this year.

Wolff was lured to Ford in late 2010 by Mays, who himself had left Audi 14 years ago to shake up Ford’s staid design culture. He wanted Wolff—who drives a black Mustang and would never be mistaken for a typical Lincoln buyer—to do the same. “Max looks a little disruptive,” Mays says. “He’s got that trendy haircut and the shoes that turn up on the end that aren’t ever quite polished and just the right amount of stubble to make sure you know he’s a designer. He’s probably the best thing that could happen to Lincoln.”

Lincoln insiders say the remake of the MKZ reflects how much the company is leaning on Wolff’s talents. The new-look MKZ had been set to make its debut at the New York International Auto Show last April, but after seeing the prototype, Wolff immediately went to his new bosses and told them their supposed game-changing car would be a game-over car unless it underwent radical surgery. Getting approval to delay the rollout required sign-offs from Mark Fields, the top North American lieutenant to Ford Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally, and from Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s global product development chief.

“What he was asking for wasn’t easy to deliver,” says Kuzak, who gave Wolff the green light for an emergency overhaul. The New York intro was scotched and the car’s mid-2012 on-sale date was pushed back a few months to allow time to reengineer parts of its mechanical skeleton.

Wolff started by asking Song what he would have done differently if he hadn’t been shackled with under-the-skin engineering that required such a square-jawed face on the car. Song walked Wolff over to his drawing board, where he pulled out earlier designs that were sleeker and made the car look faster.

“Maybe we could try to get back to that,” Wolff said.

The two designers immediately sat down at a drawing board and begin a marathon sketching session, pushing their scratched-out solutions across the table to each other. When they hit on looks they liked, they took them over to another designer who converted their drawings into 3D computer-animated images they could take for a virtual test drive.

The most complicated feature of Wolff’s design was the front grille of the new MKZ. The car’s avian headlights necessitated an engineering tear-up. To accommodate the headlights’ dramatic wingspan, Lincoln’s engineers had to change the spot where the headlights plug into the frame. That may sound simple, but it requires moving what engineers call “hard points” in the car’s mechanical architecture. And it set off a cascade of changes that the engineers began calling “the Max Change option.” All the underbody parts that connect the headlights to the frame had to be redesigned. The robots and factory tools used to install the headlights had to reprogrammed or replaced to enable a new way of building the car. The massive presses that stamp out body parts had to be equipped with new dies to make those soaring fenders that the headlights now flow into.

Wolff has already put his pretty new car to the test before owners of Audi, Lexus, and Cadillac models. At secret consumer clinics in California last March, he revealed his new design but kept the Lincoln logo off the car. By nearly two to one, the rival luxury car owners choose Wolff’s new look over the cars they drove. They also thought the Lincoln looked $6,000 more expensive than a Lexus ES350 and created a better first impression than an Audi A4, renowned for its stylish front end.

Neither Wolff nor his bosses at Ford will disclose how much they spent on redesigning the new MKZ. All told, Ford is putting about $1 billion into the effort to revive Lincoln, according to two sources familiar with the plan. That’s still just one-third of what GM spent a decade ago to turn Cadillac’s grandpa-mobiles into racy rides inspired by stealth fighters. For now, Wolff’s job is to perform triage on the seven new models Lincoln has coming in the next two years. The real test of Wolff’s vision will come when the Lincolns he designs from the ground up start hitting the streets, though that won’t happen until mid-decade at the earliest. “All of us want Lincoln to be seen as a top-tier luxury manufacturer, spoken about in the same breath as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi,” he says. “I think it’s possible to do that. How quickly that happens is still up for debate.” Lincoln doesn’t have much more time to lose.

Florida: Downtown New Smyrna car show rides again

This is an article from the Daytona Beach News Journal. It's talking about a car show that has already taken place in January - however the car club apparently holds this show monthly - so if you're in FLorida, check it out.

Downtown New Smyrna car show rides again
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Auto buffs will be heading downtown to Canal Street this weekend for the monthly classic car show staged by the East Coast Cruisers car club.

The event, which takes place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, attracts thousands of car enthusiasts from around the state, according to Pat Teehan, vice president of the car club founded in 1991.

Some attendees come for day while others make a weekend of the event, Teehan said. "There is one car club from Tampa that we know stays in an area B and B (bed and breakfast)," he said, adding the event typically attracts several thousand people.

The show, which takes place on the second Saturday of each month, attracts between 400 and 700 vehicles depending upon the weather, Teehan said. There is no fee to enter a vehicle and, of course, spectators are not charged to view them.

"We get everything from original 1913 Model Ts to brand new performance vehicles including sports car and trucks," he said.

Besides attracting car buffs, Teehan is hoping to attract new members to the local club whose membership has dwindled to 20 from a high of 120 at one point.

"You don't need a car, just be an enthusiast," he said Monday in a telephone interview.

The car club stages the show in conjunction with the Canal Street Historical Association. "We get to play with our cars and the merchants get to keep their shops open," he said.

Cindy Jones, president of the association and owner of Southern Trends Home Furnishings, said the event is a great partnership between the merchants and the car club.

"It (Canal Street) provides them a wonderful venue to display their cars and for the businesses, it brings a high quality crowd to enjoy our stores," Jones said. "We (members of the association) have found numerous customers that found out about our stores" during these shows, she said.

Teehan noted that residents can start the day at the Farmers Market, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., in front of Old Fort Park.

The park is located within the historical district at 210 Sams Ave. Local farmers offer fruit, vegetables, herbs, flowers, plants, juices, dairy, seafood and grass-fed meats. Organic and pesticide-free produce, quality handcrafted items, and baked goods are for sale, too.

For more information about the car show, call 386-547-7319.

My Scrabble Books Took Precedence

Hello, all my faithful readers out there in computer land.

I've missed several days of posting and I apologize for it. I've been working on two Scrabble books (Eve Le QiNu's Flashwords) which help people to learn the 2 and 3 letter Scrabble words.

I won't provide links here since this is an apology not a sales pitch - but if you do like to play Scrabble, go to the Kindle Store (or the Nook Store) and type in Eve Le QiNu and my two books will be brought up. (Eve Le QiNu is an anagram.... see if you can unscramble it. Bear in mind my publishing name is Magic Mirror Press)

Anyway, I finished volume 2 yesterday, and today I'm chilling out...so regular posting resumes tomorrow.

Thanks again for your patience.

Travel advice: can we hire a classic car to relive our honeymoon?

From the Telegraph (England): Travel advice: can we hire a classic car to relive our honeymoon?

Years ago, my wife and I honeymooned by touring the West Country in our old MG. Is it possible to hire a true “classic” car, to relive the experience?
L M Drinkwater

David Williams replies
It is indeed and there are numerous firms out there waiting to help, but there are important guidelines to bear in mind.

Older cars – such as that MG – look fantastic and can be rewarding to drive. But motorists used to the comfort, convenience and performance of a modern hatchback may be in for a surprise. You will find old-fashioned gearboxes slow, the brakes even slower and the suspension less forgiving. You’re unlikely to find power steering and don’t expect air-conditioning or anti-lock braking, so you might not want to plan too ambitious a journey.

Rental prices range from around £165 a day (most firms allow you a 24-hour “block”; you choose your starting time) for fun classics such as an MGC Roadster, a convertible Alfa Romeo Spider or a Morris Minor, up to around £550 for something more imposing such as a Jaguar E-type or Aston Martin DB6. Most firms have more favourable day rates if you wish to hire for a week or so at a time.

A glance at the Classic-Car Hirers Guild map (hchg.co.uk) shows that there is a good geographic spread of firms specialising in classic car hire, and there are many other organisations out there, too (enter “classic car hire” into your search engine), although without the Guild’s stamp of approval. One of the best-known rental firms is Classic Escapes, near Bodmin in Cornwall (cornwallclassiccarhire.co.uk). It is currently changing hands but outgoing owner Rob Constant – who established the HCHG – has this advice after 10 years in the business:

“Driving a classic car is a great experience, but if you are planning a tour around Britain, hire from firms in different regions. Motorway miles in an old car aren’t fun and most firms will meet you from the local station if you book. Your car will then be close to base in case there is a problem.”

Some firms also organise tours or hotels for you. Vintage Classics (vintage-classics.co.uk) in Melksham, Wiltshire offers a tour of National Trust properties in Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, for example. You can rumble between each at the wheel of a 1965 Austin Healey (£250 a day, £625 for three days, £175 for each additional day thereafter), a Jaguar E-type (same prices as the Healey) or an Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV from £165 a day.

But before getting carried away with your vision of classic motoring, check the terms and conditions of your chosen firm. As with modern hire cars, insurance is included in the price but you must still pay a deposit (typically £500) against damage. You could forfeit this unless you can prove that any damage was caused by someone else and can identify them, in which case repairs will be covered by insurance. Many rental firms will take a photograph of you with the car, too, as an additional safeguard.

Before signing for the car, check it carefully for damage and ensure that any scrapes or dents are logged by the owner. You usually receive the car with a full tank of fuel and should return it in the same condition, as fuel is not included in hire packages. Ask if there is a mileage limit; some firms allow no more than 100 a day, others allow a more reasonable 300 but most have penalties for exceeding this.

“Hiring is straightforward and not unlike any other car rental,” says the owner of Vintage Classics and HCHG member, Phil Rowe. “Take to the back roads, put on some music, then sit back and enjoy the journey. That’s what it’s all about.”

Some 36 years after last Dodge Dart rolled off production line, classic car is back

From the Alaska Dispatch: Some 36 years after last Dodge Dart rolled off production line, classic car is back
The Dodge Dart has long held a place in automotive lore for its sleek, space-age design and 16-year run as Chrysler’s ultimate compact car, ending in 1976.

Thirty-six years after it ceased production, it’s back. On Monday at the North American International Auto Show [NAIA] in Detroit, Chrysler unveiled a resurrected Dodge Dart, which is now a compact, four-door sedan designed to target pragmatic buyers interested in low upfront costs and long-term fuel savings.

The refurbished Dart is a sign of shifting priorities set by the domestic US auto industry. While two bankruptcies and rock-bottom sales appeared to shake the foundation that General Motors, Ford Motor Co., and Chrysler once stood for – a reliance on large, gas gulping trucks and SUVs – the automakers appear to be directed to a steady comeback that is sustainable and tailored to what cash-strapped consumers ultimately want.

The combined sales of all three companies in 2011 increased US market share, the first annual increase since 1991. While all three enjoyed double-digit sales bumps, Chrysler had the greatest rate increase, jumping 26 percent over 2010, resulting in 1.4 million vehicles sold in the US alone.

The year-end numbers, released last week, are buoying this year’s NAIA, the largest in North America. It opens to the public Saturday and runs through Jan. 22 at the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit.

“The mood of the show is a lot better than it has been in the past. There’s a pretty strong sense of optimism,” says Jessica Caldwell, a senior analyst for Edmunds.com.

Foreign manufacturers’ market share shrank last year, primarily due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March and the flooding in Thailand in November, resulting in production shutdowns for Toyota, Honda, Subaru, and other automakers. Since then, the domestic three in Detroit have unveiled vehicles they promise to market heavily this year with hopes to maintain their market strength.

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How is this happening? Through an emphasis on having strong models in the compact and midsize segments, as much as the luxury, large trucks, and SUV segments that have sustained the industry for years.

“Today the automakers are intent on having big complete model portfolios, more than they had in the past. So if gas prices go to $4 a gallon, they are ready with cars that fit that need, and if gas prices go to $1 a gallon, you can still compete and not have to worry so much on external factors,” says Ms. Caldwell.

By the end of this year, all three automakers will have unveiled a range of compact and midsize vehicles.

Examples include the revamped, luxury-minded Ford Fusion, Chevrolet’s hybrid model of the Malibu Eco, and the Cadillac ATS, a compact sedan designed to compete with luxury brands from Mercedes and BMW. The hope is that the new models launched at NAIA will take advantage of slipping sales of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, two of the best-selling vehicles in the US market.

The US market is expected to continue growing this year. According to economists presenting at the annual Society of Automotive Analysts conference in Detroit Sunday, unit sales for light trucks and cars are expected to total between 13.5 million to 14 million; last year sales reached 12.8 million, a 10 percent increase from 2010.

Even though sales are growing in Brazil, India, and China, as well as in Europe, the US market is poised for the most significant growth due to pent-up demand, stiffening used car prices, and rising gas prices

Classic car showcase: Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

From Herald Wheels: Classic car showcase: Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
For many decades the British Rolls-Royce called itself the best car in the world. Although that claim may have been open to question, the Rolls could certainly be numbered among the best. The model that originally established that vaunted reputation was the Silver Ghost.

In 1904 Royce Ltd. of Manchester, England, manufacturer of electric motors and generators, decided to venture into making gasoline engine cars. Henry Royce was a meticulous, self-taught engineer whose cars reflected that care and attention.

But he was a hands-on craftsman, more comfortable designing and improving his cars than marketing them. He needed an enthusiastic salesman to convince buyers of his car's engineering excellence.

Charles Stewart Rolls was that kind of man. Born to the aristocracy, the third son of Lord Llangattock, he was an intrepid adventurer. Rolls was an early balloon pilot and one of the first to welcome the Wright brothers' airplane to Europe (he was destined to die in a plane accident in 1910 at age 32.) Cars were another of his passions and he became a prominent European automobile racer.

Rolls was selling French Panhards in London and at the urging of a friend, travelled to Manchester in 1904 to meet Royce and see what he had built. Rolls was so impressed with the cars that he immediately suggested they join forces. An agreement was reached: Royce would build them and Rolls would sell them.

In trying to find its way as a motor manufacturer Rolls-Royce built several four and six cylinder models, and even a V8. Then for 1907 the company decided that a one-model policy would be preferable, allowing it to concentrate its resources rather than spreading them over several models. It was the principle that propelled Henry Ford to success with his venerable Model T.

The model 40/50, popularly known as the Silver Ghost for its ultra-quiet running was chosen. It made its debut at the Olympia Motor Show in November, 1906 as a 1907 model. The Ghost was a large vehicle with a 3,429 mm wheelbase and weight of 1,671-kg. Power came from a 7-litre inline, side-valve six-cylinder engine developing 48 horsepower at only 1,200 rpm. An ultra-high fourth gear combined with large wheels permitted the big six to loaf along at a mere 1,000 rpm at 76 km/h, a figure rarely achieved by modern cars.

To demonstrate the new model's engineering quality it was taken on a 3,220 km reliability run which included driving from the south coast of England all the way to the top of Scotland in high gear. The test was conducted under the strict scrutiny of the Royal Automobile Club.

The Ghost completed the run successfully, but to further demonstrate its durability it was immediately sent on a 24,150 km test with Charles Rolls as one of the drivers. This, too, was completed without involuntary stops except for tire changes, breaking the world's record for reliability and long distance. RAC engineers then stripped the Silver Ghost down to determine how much deterioration it had suffered. Amazingly, their micrometers could detect no wear in the engine, transmission, brakes or steering gear.

These exploits established Rolls-Royce's reputation almost overnight and the Silver Ghost began selling well. The Ghost was built from 1907 to 1925, with more than 6,000 produced, including some made in Springfield, Massachusetts.

While the Ghost was built for many years, it is generally conceded that Rolls-Royce's reputation as the maker of the best car in the world was established by those built between 1907 and the beginning of the First World War in 1914.

Incredible as it may seem, the original Silver Ghost test car is still running. The car was used by various company officials during 1907 and part of 1908 and then sold to one of Rolls-Royce's travelling inspectors, A.M. Hanbury. He proceeded to accumulate something in excess of 805,000 km.

Hanbury eventually retired and in 1947 Rolls-Royce received a message from his son-in-law that some spare parts were needed for the Ghost. Hanbury died before the transaction was completed, but Rolls-Royce, now aware of the location of the car, acquired it from the heirs.

Much repair and restoration was required, of course, but Rolls-Royce got it back on the road. It has been serving as a "working car" goodwill ambassador for the company ever since and has covered more than 966,000 km.

Rolls-Royce is now owned by Germany's BMW, and is fortunate in still having the first Silver Ghost. BMW is committed to keeping the faith, and keeping the venerable Ghost roadworthy, not just sitting in a museum as a static exhibit. I'm sure Henry Royce and Charles Rolls would have expected no less from the car that launched the legend of "The best car in the world."

Canton, OH: Postcard from Alliance: Dining at Doug's Classic 57 Diner

From CantonRep.com: Postcard from Alliance: Dining at Doug's Classic 57 Diner
ALLIANCE —

Cars and crooners of the 1950s are your companions at Doug’s Classic 57 Diner in Alliance.

Photos of automobiles and singers grace every wall in the eating establishment. No doubt those who grew up a few decades ago will recognize many of the faces and fenders, and those who don’t can become acquainted with them during the time they spend at Doug’s.

Oh, and Doug, you’ll get to know him, too.

“I don’t forget anybody,” said Doug Wright, owner of Doug’s Classic. “I know people from back in the ’80s, who stopped in after watching their sons play football.”

Wright, who lives but a mile from his small restaurant, can be found at the diner during some part of every day — except for winter vacation in Florida.

“I’m supposed to have Wednesdays and Thursdays off, but I stop in,” he said, between conversations with nearby customers and employees. “You can’t run a business unless you’re there.”

Wright has run Doug’s Classic 57 Diner, first with his wife, Norma, and now with his daughter, Tina Marsh, and manager, John Lerario, since he bought it in 1977 from the previous owner, Fred Bolt.

“Well, 1978, I guess, is when it became official,” he corrected. “I spent a year learning from him.

“I’ve been here 35 years — been in the food industry since I was a kid.”

In those days, the diner was a Stewart’s Root Beer franchise called Fred’s Drive-In that had opened in the mid-1950s. There once were several Stewart’s stands in Stark County, said Wright. The owner still serves Stewart’s on tap.

Wright changed the name to Doug’s Classic 57 Diner in 1986. The meaning becomes clear if you look under the number in the sign at the corner of W. State Street and S. Rockhill Avenue. You’ll see the hood ornament for a ’57 Chevy.

“A kid working for me said, ‘You’ve got a lot of old cars,’ and I did. I had a ’57 Chevy, and I was driving it that night. He said, ‘Why don’t you call it Doug’s Classic 57?’ ”

Though the name changed, the decor from Fred’s Drive-in stayed much the same until his landlord provided him with a new building in 1993.

“I told them I really would like it to look like a diner,” he recalled. “We were closed for six months. I was worried we’d lose our customers. We reopened Dec. 20, 1993, and people stood outside waiting. It was snowy, and we still were busy.”

What the customers found inside Doug’s Classic 57 was a diner with its distinctive ’50s motif — decor that serves up nostalgia with food that is not all diner fare.

Oh, Doug’s Classic 57 offers burgers and fries. But meals are on the menu, too.

“We have a double pork chop dinner for $8.29 and a single pork chop dinner for $6.99,” he said. “And now we have a 1-pound porterhouse steak for $8.99.”

Those prices seem quite reasonable. But they’re nothing compared to those found on the antiques that are spread throughout the diner. A Gulf gas pump behind the diner counter prices its product at 339⁄10 cents per gallon and registers a 5.9-gallon sale. “This sale,” it says, “$2.”

Lighted advertising globes hanging from the ceiling advertise Gulf, Mobil, Sinclair, Esso and other gasolines. Auto memorabilia is spread throughout the dining room. Decades-old diner stools and chrome napkin and straw dispensers add to the 1950s look.

Neon signs you can see as you enter say “Time to Eat” and “The Fabulous 50s.”

During the time you spend inside Doug’s Classic 57 Diner, it sure seems the signs are right.

Australia: Vintage cars stand the test of time - and weather

From the Standard: Vintage cars stand the test of time - and weather
THE south-west welcomed motoring enthusiasts yesterday at the Warrnambool and District Historical Vehicle Club’s display and Port Fairy’s 30th annual show’n’shine.

One hundred years of Chevrolet were dampened by wet weather at the Warrnambool club’s Lake Pertobe display.

But keen Chevy fans ignored the wind and rain to celebrate the car brand’s birthday at the annual event.

More than 100 cars, motorbikes and stationary engines, including Bristols, Austins, Holdens and Citroens, were also entered.

Club publicity officer Bill Poynton said people had visited the display in bursts despite the disappointing weather.

“The inclement weather had us running for shelter for a little while,” he told The Standard.

Club members had been looking forward to celebrating the Chevrolet brand at the annual display, saying it was remarkable it had survived so long.

“Chev owners have responded very well,” Mr Poynton said.

“There are a lot of pre-World War II Chevs and of course a lot of later Chevs. There are also several Corvettes.”

Mr Poynton said vehicle club members and Chev owners made up the bulk of entries but there were also enthusiasts from Ballarat, Colac, Portland and Hamilton.

A range of unique vehicles from the 1950s to the 1980s proved popular among visitors to the display.

“There’s a Blitz truck ... (with) living quarters at the back that is attracting a bit of interest,” Mr Poynton said.

“There is a Maserati and a Hupmobile. We have a 1924 fire engine doing pumping demonstrations every hour.”

About 500 classic street cars and hot rods were on display at Port Fairy’s Southcombe Park for the annual show’n’shine.

Entrants enjoyed a lunch at Koroit’s Victoria Park before returning to Southcombe Park for a rock ’n’ roll concert.

This blog back on the road Monday

The New Year and events going on have really played havoc with my postings.

Apologies!

Back on a daily schedule tomorrow.

My Ride: Cars become social hobby for Eads man

From the Memphis Appeal: My Ride: Cars become social hobby for Eads man
Eads resident Gary Gallimore is a member of the Memphis Classic Chevy Club and Corvette Memphis.

As a car enthusiast, Gallimore values the camaraderie shared with other club members.

His best advice to other car enthusiasts out there is to, "Join a car club for the invaluable help and encouragement you will receive."

What car(s) do you own: I own a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and 2000 Corvette convertible. My favorite car is the '57 Chevy. It's a turquoise and white two-door hardtop with the original V-8 motor, factory air conditioning, overdrive transmission, tilt wheel, power disc brakes and steering.

Does your car have a unique history: I bought the car ('57 Chevy) in 1988 after it had been completely disassembled for restoration. I had never seen the car assembled, but the owner assured me it was all there in the paper sacks and boxes I brought it home. It took about 10 years to restore the car, working in my spare time. My son, Mark, and I did all the body work and painting in the garage in my backyard.

What is the make and model of the first car you ever owned: The first car I ever owned was a 1946 Ford.

Do you compete in car shows: I have entered the '57 in several car shows and won several first-place awards.

Does your car have its original exterior/interior: My car is painted the original Tropical Turquoise, and the interior is a reproduction of the original.

What advice would you give someone thinking of buying his first classic car: My advice is to buy a car you really love. Realize you need a large space to work, lots of patience, time, and money.

Custom 1960 Cadillac Convertible is sure to start a debate

From Jalopnik: Custom 1960 Cadillac Convertible is sure to start a debate
Whether you think classic cars should all remain stock as the day they rolled off the assembly line or you love all things custom, this custom 1960 Cadillac convertible is almost guaranteed to leave everyone who sees it with something to say.

Starting with the body of a clean 1960 Coupe the builder of this long black Cadillac cut the car "into 1000 pieces" and altered the body in a subtle but significant manner. By the time the top was chopped, metal had been added to fenders, a new hood was fabricated and the fins were lengthened and raised the bill for the metal work alone was $30,000.

As you can see from the pictures, the modifications only got more extreme from there. The frame was dropped and airbags were added so it can sit on the ground at shows and return to cruising height. Massive 22 inch wheels, 454 V8/Turbo 400 transmission and a custom interior complete with bright red leather and ostrich interior are just a few of the more obvious changes to this custom Caddy from the long list of modifications.

Currently this Cadillac is listed on Ebay and with a little more than a day left the bidding has reached $59,100. We aren't sure what the reserve is on this long and low cruiser but the seller estimates it would cost at least $100,000 to duplicate—a claim we have a hard time doubting.

Love it or hate it, the result is visually stunning to say the least—good enough to take the title of "BEST GM VEHICLE OF SEMA awarded by GENERAL MOTORS". We want to know what you guys think—Is this Cadillac a well executed custom cruiser or a big wheeled waste of a perfectly restorable example of vintage luxury?