What Happens When You Pair Classic Cars With Their Namesakes?

See the link here for more photos.

From Japonik: What Happens When You Pair Classic Cars With Their Namesakes?

 Ever wondered what it would look like if Abe Lincoln stood by a Lincoln, or if Queen Victoria ever met a Ford Crown Vic? Two guys decided to find out. This is Namesake Motors, a series of photographs from Jim Lasser and his friend Ray Gordon in costume. Their pictures are fantastic. Finally, classic cars are paired with the people they're named after.
On the website you can see Homer with his Odyssey, Chief Pontiac with his Pontiac, Queen Victoria with her Crown Victoria, Abe Lincoln with his Lincoln Continental, the Lone Ranger with his Ford Ranger, Alice Cooper with his Mini Cooper, and Adam Carolla with his Toyota Carolla. Okay, those last few just share names with each other, but we're not faulting anyone for it.
Lasser explained to us how the shoot came to be.

I work in advertising, and I worked for the last four years on the creative side of Dodge and Chrysler accounts. I did the Dodge Charger and Challenger campaigns; the Chrysler Eminem and Clint Eastwood campaigns. During that time, as you might imagine, I got interested into cars. I have always been interested in history, and began to wonder about the origins of some of the names of the cars. It raised a lot of questions for me: who was Chief Pontiac? Would Lincoln drive a Lincoln? What would Queen Victoria think of all these cops driving a car named for her?
I had the idea of staging these characters in classic (or un-classic) cars of their names. A photographer friend of mine in Portland, Ray Gordon, was someone I immediately thought of to capture this kind of thing. He loves cars and loves weirdo ideas like this. When I pitched him on it he loved it, but told me he didn't want to just "talk about it", he wanted to do it...so we did.
He had a few contacts through being a photographer in Portland for people to help with creating the characters. Katherine Ross had been doing hair and makeup for years in Portland, and Kristin Lane was really scrappy at putting together great costumes. I ended up being the talent for each of the shoots, which was an experience in itself. I shaved myself bare to become Chief Pontiac (I haven't had no hair on my chest since I was 17), and stood in public for an hour dressed like the Queen with makeup on (not my happiest moment). As for the cars, I would ask friends, look on craigslist, or Ray would have some contacts through his network of friends. We staged them all around the Portland, Oregon area. Fitting all of this into these four people's busy lives was a feat onto itself. I am still amazed they all put so much time and dedication into my crazy idea. And they all want to do more! So we are planning to do another round of these next spring.

 

Paris mayor proposes ban on old cars

From MSN.com:  Paris mayor proposes ban on old cars

Parisians are bracing for a new law that would require them to retire their classic cars, beaters and all vehicles made before 1997. Mayor Bertrand Delanoë has proposed the legislation in an effort to comply with European emissions regulations by 2014.

Classic-car enthusiasts are distressed at the thought of their Peugeots, Citroëns and Renaults being garaged. “For me, the [Citroën] 2CV is part of French heritage, of Parisian heritage,” Xavier Audran, owner of multiple Citroëns, told The New York Times. “I wouldn’t be able to leave my home with my vehicles.”

Others are concerned about the cost of upgrading, and they say less affluent suburbanites would be hit hardest by the ban, which would affect 367,000 vehicles.

The mayor's proposal, which would require approval by the French government and the Parisian police department next year, does address the cost factor. Subsidies to help car owners get rid of old cars would come in the form of free subscriptions to the city's electric-car rental system or rebates for those trading in old vehicles for newer, more fuel-efficient ones.

Paris wouldn't be the first to enact such a ban. Calcutta, India, outlawed older vehicles in 2008, and since 1990, drivers in Singapore have been required by law to scrap or export their cars after 10 years of ownership. Two years ago, Berlin began prohibiting diesel vehicles that don't meet the standards passed in 2005.

But other cities have taken different approaches to the problem of emissions-related pollution. In 2003, London began charging drivers who failed to comply with emissions standards a daily fee, and it upped the ante in 2008 by instituting a so-called low-emission zone for heavy diesel vehicles. A 2012 study by researchers at the University of Sydney showed the system to be effective in curtailing car emissions, but still not necessarily a success with commercial vehicles.

Several Latin American cities, including Mexico City; Bogota, Colombia; and São Paolo, Brazil, have attempted to cut emissions by restricting drivers from using their cars one workday each week. But Parisians won't want to emulate that tactic, according to researchers who conducted a study at the University of Michigan. "There is no evidence of an absolute improvement in air quality during any period of the week for any pollutant," they concluded.

 

If only my great-grandfather could see his classic car now

From This is Somerset (UK):  If only my great-grandfather could see his classic car now

When Alan Bartlett inherited his great-grandfather's car he vowed to restore it and keep it roadworthy – and now it has driven off with a top award.

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The little Jowett Long Saloon, dating from 1934, was one of five finalists for the title of Classic Car of the Year 2012, at the Classic Motor Show at Birmingham's NEC this weekend, and yesterday it was announced as the winner.
Mr Bartlett, 23, of Chard, South Somerset, is thrilled to think the car his great-grandfather bought when it was just a year old has survived to win the votes of classic vehicle enthusiasts nationwide.
Surprisingly he had no idea of its background when he inherited it from his father. Nor did he have the skills which have since won him a job with Wheelpower, MG specialists over the Dorset border at Mosterton.
As he put the car through its paces this week he explained: "I always knew my father had an old car in the garage but I didn't know how much connection with the family there was until my dad died six years ago and I inherited it.
"I had the choice to keep it or sell it and I decided to restore it, learning as I went, and as I researched it I realised our connection with it.
"It had been off the road for eight years. I was a media student, but working on the car has made me change direction and now I work in vehicle restoration."
Mr Bartlett started a blog detailing the restoration, and it won fans as far as Australia. A typical blog, from last August read: "I've had the body off, repainted the chassis, powdercoated the wheels, and embarked on a full repaint via brush.
"I've also finally got the engine up and running after its long-awaited rebore."
For a time Mr Bartlett was using the car regularly, but now he says he uses it just for shows. It has 400,000 miles on the clock, probably far more than the Jowett factory ever imagined.
The Jowett was up against two more 1930s cars, a Morris and an Austin, as well as a 1960s Aston Martin DB5 and a rare 1970s Bristol. As the winner of the contest, organised by Classic Car Weekly, Classic Cars and Practical Classics magazines in association with Lancaster Insurance, Mr Bartlett received a prize worth more than £3,500.
He said: "My great-grandfather and my dad would be proud."

 

How Dare They? On Banning Old Cars in Towns

From AutoRevolution:  How Dare They? On Banning Old Cars in Towns

Once, people used to be proud to have stylish automobiles gracing the streets of their towns, yet in recent years, with the push towards a ‘greener’ future, car culture has begun to meld with eco awareness, and this will make cars lose the acceptance they have acquired over their history, and we will be back in the 19th century, riding bicycles and walking.

Of course we want cars which don`t emit noxious gases, yet this does not have to change our lifestyle that much to do so. This brings us neatly to the problem of old cars in towns, what they represent and what I say should be done about them, in order for us not to lose a very important part of what makes the world’s great cities great.

I`m talking about the old bangers you see parked up on sidewalks across Europe’s major cities, all of which have become really posh in the last two decades, even cities in poorer countries now have a ‘certain air’ about them. Recently we posted an article about the idea thought up by the Mayor of Paris to ban all cars which are more than 17 years-old to enter the city.

Can you picture that? Paris with no rusting Citroen 2CV parked on the sidewalk, no spotless Renault 12 Gordini sitting outside an expensive hotel, making bystanders ignore the Ferraris and Lamborghinis parked alongside? This idea is truly outrageous, and it would do a lot more damage to Paris, and other cities which may be planning on introducing similar measures.

I shall elaborate on that. People from all across the world come to Paris to ‘see the sights’ and prove to themselves that the myth about French people not shaving their armpits is just that – a myth. However, while most of them may not realize, a lot of what makes the French capital great has to do with the multitude of diverse old cars which power down its main aventues.

They set the stage for one of the most interesting sights in the automotive world. Let’s say, hypothetically, that you have a lawn chair at your disposal and you are in Paris. If you were to place the lawn chair in a position of maximum visibility, near an intersection, and sit on it, you would discover after a very short time that despite the year being 2012, Paris has a lot of classic cars being used as daily drivers.
The people who drive them are heroes, who want to preserve the history of Paris, and while their cars may pollute more than other cars on the road, there are simply not enough old cars per city to really make a difference. Not even Paris has enough old cars to make banning them worthwile, let alone other cities where there are not as many of them.

Now, while this may not be something which we would want, there is a possibility that it will happen, as some smaller European cities have already adopted the measure. So, I must refer to an older editorial, which covers the idea of converting an old classic to run on electricity, thus keeping everybody happy. The engines of these old cars are really not up to modern standards, anyway, and most would truly be better off without them – complete originality may go, but at least we will still get to drive our classics to the pub, or the supermarket.

In the future, we run the risk of becoming shunned, those of us of a petrol-powered inclination, and some boundaries need to be set, in order not to let ‘eco activists’ dictate what we have to do. People are still free to do what they want (sort of) and this should also reflect in the choice of cars they have, as nowadays people are being brainwashed by ad campaigns which are just a little bit smarter than they are, and they buy cars they don`t want or need, yet they must have them because the girl in the commercial had a presentable clevage.

Cars are a part of our history, and they are part of the era when man made more technological advances in two centuries than in the rest of our known history, and we have learnt to live with them, we have adapted our life styles, our cities, our houses, our fast food restaurants, and even our cinemas to accommodate them, and classic cars are our link to the past, and they must never be taken off the road. It would be akin to some large corporation decidin that Westminster Abbey, or Notre Dame are too old and out of place and need to be torn down to be replaced by a gleaming glass and metal office building. 

 

Malay: Vintage cars on display

From the Star.com :  Vintage cars on display

Old gold: A car enthusiast admiring a vintage Bentley at Straits Quay Promenade in Penang.

GEORGE TOWN: Classic car enthusiasts were treated to a rare display of timeless vintage automobiles parked along the scenic Straits Quay Promenade.
The half-day showcase yesterday, organised by the Malaysia and Singapore Vintage Car Register (MSVCR), saw more than 50 vintage vehicles of various models such as Lagonda, Jaguar and Mercedes Benz on display.
Visitors to the event, held from 2pm to 6pm, were seen admiring the automobiles while owners provided a brief history of their respective cars.
Among the owners was Datuk K. Kumaraendran, who has a dark blue 1954 Jaguar XK140 Drop Head Coupe which he bought in 1981.
“This car, which has a right-hand-drive system is extra special, as there are only two individuals who own such a model in Asia.
“One belongs to me while the other belongs to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah,” said Kumaraen-dran, adding that his car had also been driven before in the Singapore and Johor Baru rallies, back in the 1950s.
MSVCR coordinator Marlene Fox said all cars on display were models dating from the 1930s to the 1960s.
“We will also be having a round-the-island event that will be flagged off at the Victoria Clock Tower at 11am today,” said Fox.
She added that besides the display of the automobiles, 20 other vintage cars will take part in the Tiger Rally, which would start from the E&O Hotel here at 9.30am today.
Penang was chosen as the starting point for the Tiger Rally's Southeast Asia tour, bringing in drivers and cars from countries like Australia and Norway.
The rally is organised by H&H Classic Rallies in England

 

Antique car museum takes its final ride

From Delmarva.com:  Antique car museum takes its final ride

WEST OCEAN CITY — “I don’t know how many times, nor would I want to count, that I have driven past this place over the years and never stopped,” blogged Tara M. on Yelp in 2010.
“I’ve heard that over and over,” recalled Doug Trimper.
That opportunity has now passed as the Trimper’s Wheels of Yesterday Antique and Classic Car Museum closes its doors for good.
Since 1996, anyone driving on Route 50 into the resort passed the low-key Wheels of Yesterday Museum on the right. Visitors stuck in summer traffic may have fondly recalled Greyhound’s “leave the driving to us” slogan evoked by the big 1956 double-decker Scenicruiser bus parked out front.
This past summer, a sign quietly went up at the museum announcing the cars inside were for sale, and the property itself was listed with Coldwell-Banker Real Estate. Granville Trimper’s personal automobile collection was being sold off car by car.
Trimper, who died in 2008 at age 79, is well know in the coastal community as patriarch of his family’s Boardwalk amusement park, former Ocean City council president, former Worcester County commissioner and lifetime volunteer firefighter.
What many didn’t know is Trimper was also an avid car collector who loved to hunt for old autos and restore them to their former glory.
Trimper’s car collecting passion began 40 years ago when son Doug presented his father with the gift of a 1931 Model A Ford coupe. “He had always liked Model As and Model Ts,” recalled Doug Trimper, “and every time he’d see one, he’d point it out.” Granville spent a year and a half taking apart the old Model A and putting it back together. A new hobby was born, which soon outgrew Trimper’s garage.
“We needed a place to store them,” said Doug Trimper. The huge I. Villani & Sons furniture store on the main highway in then-undeveloped West Ocean City was available, and the Trimper family acquired it in 1996.
“When we started, we only had about 12 cars,” Doug Trimper recalled, “so we contacted local car collectors to help fill the building. As our collection grew, they took out their cars and we put ours in.”

 

Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe seeks to ban gas-guzzling classic and antique cars

From New York Times:  Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe seeks to ban gas-guzzling classic and antique cars
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Some of the most famous cars in French motoring history would be banned from Paris under a law intended to hit gas-guzzlers, but which is being criticized as a blow to the poor and classic car fans.
The proposal to ban pre-1997 cars from the city center is the brainchild of Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who was behind the popular Velib' bike-rental scheme but has been accused of turning the city of lights into a playground for the rich.
Under the plan, such classics as the stylish Citroen DS, one of which was painted by Picasso; the Citroen 2CV, sometimes described as a tin snail; and the boxy but durable Renault 4L, along with less iconic models driven by ordinary Parisians who can't afford to trade up, would have to go.
"This is for our citizens. It's a public health battle and we've been fighting since 2001 to try and make the air here more breathable," the left-wing mayor told councillors in Paris.
Claude Fauconnier, vice-president of the French Friends of the 2CV Club, called the measure "another harebrained idea" to please ecologists and wealthy Parisians, that ignores the day-to-day reality of the less-well-off.
"If you're driving a 17-year-old car there's usually a reason and it's certainly not for fun," he told Reuters.
"It's often people struggling to make ends meet at the end of month and they're the ones who can't afford a modern car."
The proposal, which needs government endorsement and will be submitted to a ministerial council in January, would outlaw cars built before 1997 from the city and nearby suburbs from 2014.
The Paris Town Hall's press office said about 365,000 cars would be affected and pre-'97 models were chosen because that was the year strict anti-pollution rules took effect in Europe.
Delanoe has been fighting for more than a decade to cut pollution in Paris and says his efforts - ranging from more road lanes for buses and bikes and wider pavements - have cut traffic by 25 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 9 percent.
The Velib' bicycle renting scheme was followed up with a similar Autolib' car-hire scheme, and, more recently, by plans to close off part of the city's riverside expressways to traffic and turn them into pedestrian boulevards.
If accepted, the proposals also would ban trucks that are more than 18 years old, and motorbikes built before 2002.
Other ideas include cutting the speed limit on the busy ring road around Paris and introducing a congestion charge, or eco-tax, for trucks passing through the city.
Paris would not be the first city to ban old clunkers from its streets. The Indian city of Calcutta ordered cars older than 15 years off its roads in 2008.

Auto enthusiasts remember Chris Davis in Wetumpka

From Montgomery Advertiser:  Auto enthusiasts remember Chris Davis in Wetumpka

WETUMPKA — Though it was a Saturday, the parking lot at Wetumpka High School was full of cars — as well as trucks, motorcycles and even tractors.
The 5th annual Chris Davis Memorial Car, Truck and Bike Show was hosted by Faith Baptist Church on the grounds of the high school. Classic cars and pickups lined up next to antique tractors, with motorcycles thrown in at the event, with funds raised going toward the church.
Pastor Gerald Wood inspected the cars during the morning in preparation for giving out the Pastor’s Choice Award, a job he admitted was tough.
“Seeing some of these cars bring back memories,” Wood said.
While there was plenty of admiration shown for the lineup of automobiles, there was also a feeling of remembrance. The show was started in honor of Chris Davis, a former church member who, at the age of 24, died from kidney failure five years ago.
“His dad asked about having a car show and letting the money go toward the church,” Wood said. “It was great. The whole church just bonded over it.”
Davis’ parents were both at the show and his mother said doing the event for the church was a show of appreciation.
“It’s great to give back to the church that stood behind us when we lost Chris,” Kay Davis said.
Her husband, Jack, said it’s what their son would have wanted.
“He loved cars and he loved the church,” he said.
The father and son duo worked for four years on rebuilding a yellow 1955 Chevrolet — a vehicle that was on display at the car show. While Jack Davis said the show is done to keep his son’s memory alive, driving the Chevrolet is a way to do it as well.
“When I get in that car, I can still see him sitting in the front seat,” he said.

 

Classic car fans take part in London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

From London24:  Classic car fans take part in London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

 
  Participants in the London to Brighton run were affected. Picture by Keith Larby

Eighteen classic car enthusiasts from London have taken to the road today for the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

They are making their way down to Brighton on Sunday. Picture by Keith Larby

They will be among more than 500 pre-1905 vehicles making their way from Hyde Park to Madeira Drive on the south coast for the event.
The capital’s entries include a rare 1900 New Orleans Voiturette, entered by Douglas Pope from Kensington, and a De Dion Bouton Vis-à-vis built the same year, entered by Dr Shaun Crofton from Ealing.
Nigel Batchelor, from Wimbledon, will once again jump behind the wheel of his 1903 Cadillac Tonneau.
He bought the car at the annual Bonhams auction the day before the 2007 Run.

Some of them have been restored to their former glory. Picture by Keith Larby

He successfully reached the finish the next day and has done so on four subsequent years. The car was previously in a museum in California.
Peter Watters Westbrook, from Poplar, is making his debut.
He drives a 1903 Renault Landaulette which has five seats, a 10 horsepower engine and unique spring wheels.
This year, the event will support the Royal British Legion.