ClassicCars.Com Partners with instaVIN(TM) to Bring Vehicle History Reports to The Classic Car Market

Press Release: ClassicCars.Com Partners with instaVIN(TM) to Bring Vehicle History Reports to The Classic Car Market

PHOENIX, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- ClassicCars.com, the world's largest online marketplace devoted to classic and collector vehicles, and instaVIN(TM), a leading provider of vehicle history reports, announced a partnership that provides the availability of instaVIN vehicle history reports for ClassicCars.com dealers, buyers and private sellers. By partnering with instaVIN, ClassicCars.com, already an industry leader with a collective inventory worth in excess of $1 billion at any given time, becomes the first major classic car classified site to integrate vehicle history reports. ClassicCars.com has also been named as an affiliate for the instaVIN service. 

"ClassicCars.com is always on the lookout for premium services to add to our portfolio that will benefit our entire audience, dealers, buyers and private sellers," said Roger Falcione, Founder and CEO of ClassicCars.com. "The availability of instaVIN vehicle history reports is a great resource that helps buyers buy with more confidence and allows sellers to provide more vehicle transparency. We selected instaVIN to be our classic car vehicle history reporting partner because of their superior history data, report quality and overall service." 

instaVIN is the only major history reporting service that provides vehicle history reports for classic cars (vehicles older than 1981). instaVIN reports provide title history, junk and salvage events, insurance total loss events, open lien status and historical sales and listing data. A free record check and free VIN check are provided prior to purchase and reports are just $6.99. 

"We are excited to work with the industry leader in bringing the only history report of its kind to the marketplace. They are working with us to provide a superior product at a competitive price to the channel," said Jim Irish, CEO of instaVIN. "The ClassicCars.com team is highly professional and will represent our product well to the dealer and consumer markets." 

Of particular value for dealers in the ClassicCars.com Dealer Network is the ability to link a ClassicCars.com account with an instaVIN account and purchase reports in bundles that can be applied towards the vehicle listings of their choosing. 

"This is one of the reasons that we list all of our cars on ClassicCars.com," said ClassicCars.com dealer Harry Clark, of Classic Promenade in Temecula, CA. "The ClassicCars.com team is always forward-thinking, adding valuable services to its site for dealers. Until now, we couldn't provide our customers history reports; through ClassicCars.com and instaVIN, this information can be accessed, protecting and informing both sellers and buyers." 

About ClassicCars.comFounded in 2007 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, ClassicCars.com is the premier marketplace for pre-1991 vehicles. With a catalog of more than 30,000 vehicles at any given time collectively worth in excess of $1 billion, ClassicCars.com is home to the world's largest selection of classic vehicles for sale. ClassicCars.com has industry partnerships with Hemmings Motor News, Cars.com, TraderOnline, the National Street Rod Association, JamesList, instaVIN and several top-tier auction companies. Visit www.classiccars.com for more information. 

About instaVIN(TM)instaVIN is an authorized provider of the most comprehensive Title and Brand data available, through a partnership with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). Unlike other major vehicle history services, instaVIN data is available for modern and classic passenger cars and light trucks, recreational vehicles (RVs), motorcycles, and heavy trucks. instaVIN works with domestic and international distributors and the data can be customized to an organization's specific needs. To learn more about instaVIN Vehicle History & Title Reports go to www.instavin.com . For business development and reseller inquiries, please contact instaVIN at 888-98-'INSTA' (46782) or sales@instavin.com.

 

New Jersey: Classic cars revved up for Hammonton cruise

From the Hammonton News: Classic cars revved up for Hammonton cruise
HAMMONTON — Hundreds of classic cars will fill the streets of Downtown Hammonton in one of the most unique and family oriented classic car shows in the state. Mainstreet Hammonton presents the 19th Cruisin’ Mainstreet: Remember Friday Nights beginning at 5:30 p.m. on May 18. The rain date is May 19.

Cruisin’ Mainstreet offers a nostalgic glimpse of yesteryear by celebrating the ’50s with bubble-gum blowing and hula-hoop contests. There will be food, in-store specials and fun for the entire family.

The show is supported by Cruisin’ Classics Auto Club with sponsorship by Susquehanna Bank, Action Auto Body and Al & Rich’s.

Jerry Seinfeld pitching reality show about classic cars

From Zap2it.com: Jerry Seinfeld pitching reality show about classic cars

Jerry Seinfeld could soon be back on your TV screens and this show is most definitely not about nothing. The Daily reports that Seinfeld is pitching a new reality show around Hollywood based on his love of classic cars.

Tentatively titled "Comics and Cars," the show would feature Seinfeld and pals like Alec Baldwin, Ricky Gervais and Larry David test-driving cars from their past, reminiscing and cracking jokes.

A source says, "The show is about funny conversations between funny people. This is Jerry-driven. It's a personal project, a laboratory experiment that he cooked up."

Seinfeld has been tweeting about the project recently, posting Twitpics of himself and Ricky Gervais in a classic car, strolling down the street, and himself and Larry David with a 1952 VW bug. We wonder if he has any kind of relationship with Jay Leno, because it's well known that Leno is a huge classic car fan and collector.

A source also tells The Daily that Seinfeld may not be looking at long-time partner NBC. It's more of "a niche concept" that is suited for something like the Speed Channel.

What do you think, Zappers? Would you watch Jerry Seinfeld and pals be funny and drive around classic cars?

Classic car tour kicks off Art of the Automobile event today

From Daytona Beach Journal (Friday): Classic car tour kicks off Art of the Automobile event today
More than 30 cars and 70 years of automotive history pulled out of the News-Journal Center's parking lot Friday morning.

The classic-car aficionados were driving in the Fields Classic Motorsports Tour, a group drive from Daytona Beach to St. Augustine. The tour marks the start of today's Art of the Automobile -- A Lifestyle Event, now in its second year in downtown Daytona Beach.

"We see it as a nice little kickoff to the event," said Matt Hoffman, organizer of the tour.

Hoffman, of Fields BMW of Daytona, said he hopes to see the tour become an annual car rally.

The cars ranged in age from a 1939 Ford Deluxe, hot-rodded up in red with yellow flames, to the lead car, a sleek 2012 Fisker Karma hybrid. They ranged in muscle from a clutch of burly, candy-colored Corvettes from the '60s through the '80s to a bronze 1976 AMC Pacer.

Gill Pepitone, Coral Springs, said the oft-maligned economy car has only 40,000 miles on it and sees the tour as a shakedown run for a planned summer cross-country trip.

The longest, widest, most-photographed car was a red-and-white 1960 Buick LaSabre convertible belonging to Tony Cassata of Ormond Beach.

"There's more steel in the front fender of this car than there is the whole of a 2012 car," he said. Restoring it was a two-year labor of love.

Cassata said he was looking forward to driving the car to St. Augustine with the top down all the way. "You wouldn't believe how this car drives," he said. "It floats."

After the tour, many of the car buffs dressed up and returned to the News-Journal Center to party with other car enthusiasts at the Thunder Ball gala. A crew from "Muscle Car Workout" was slated to film at the event.

FL: First Coast Gears: Annual Rev It Up for Wounded Warrior Car Show

From FCN: First Coast Gears: Annual Rev It Up for Wounded Warrior Car Show
FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. -- If you love classic cars, you had plenty of eye candy you could check out Saturday.

The Third Annual Rev It Up for Wounded Warrior Car Show was held at Fleming Island Presbyterian Church.

Sponsored by the church and the Clay County Cruzers, 40 trophies were given out along with door prizes and raffles. Proceeds benefitted the Wounded Warrior Project.

Among the cars on display was Franklin Wolf's 1968 Mercury Cougar. He's the original owner and bought his baby on March 9, 1968. Total price out the door: $3,242.84.

"We were living down in Melbourne and had decided we were going to buy a Chevy and were on our way to buy a Chevy when we stopped by and talked by the Mercury people and the salesman said: 'what do I have to do to put you in this car,'" said Wolf, who had planned to buy a Camaro.

"We drove it as a family car for 20 years, stored it for 20 years, then when I retired we pulled it out of and restored it." These days Wolf only drives the Cougar to shows and even though it is in pristine condition, as Wolf points out, a restoration is never really finished.

Meanwhile, Chevys ruled on the Southside at the Vette's in the Spring Car Show at the Plaza at St. Johns Town Center. The two shows ran concurrently. The Vette's show was put together by the Jacksonville Corvette Club and Whisky River.

UK: Classic cars in charity run

From Bexhill Observor: Classic cars in charity run
SIX splendid cars from a bygone era aim to prove they are still very much part of the present with a 300-mile charity run from East Sussex to West Yorkshire next month.

Their owners are all members of the Bexhill Classic Car Association, though two hail from Rye and it was outside the Sue Ryder charity shop in High Street, Rye, that they assembled this week prior to their intended journey north over the period Thursday, May 10 to Monday, May 14.

Due to make the journey are a brace of Armstrong-Siddeleys, a Morris Minor, a Renault Estafette van, a Datsun and a Humber Super Snipe, all of which are pre-1972 vintage.

Keith Robinson, who helped found the BCCA some six years ago, said: “In the past we have supported the Irvine Unit at Bexhill Hospital, but this year our chosen charity is Sue Ryder Care and it is to the charity’s home at Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, that we’ll be driving.”

Sue Ryder Care, named after Baroness Ryder, the late wife of Leonard Cheshire, himself founder of a charity to provide homes caring for disabled people, provides compassionate care to those with end-of-life and long-term needs.

Keith said: “We’ve had great support from the Bull Inn at Glyne Gap, where the association meets on the third Wednesday of every month, and we’re hoping others will back Sue Ryder Care with donations in recognition of our trip.

“At the same time, six classic cars from Stirling, Scotland, will be journeying south to rendezvous with us in Yorkshire, so we hope that this, too, will help raise both the profile of the charity and much needed funds for the work it does to help those in need.”

Gearheads Rev Up Main Street For Classic Car Show

From Los Alamitios Patch: Gearheads Rev Up Main Street For Classic Car Show
Nothing says Seal Beach like sun, surf, and classic cars. Today, the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce’s 25th Annual Classic Car Show had all three.

The smell of car exhaust masked the smell of the ocean and marked the beginning of today’s event.

At 10:45 a.m. this morning, nine dragsters lined the Seal Beach pier and took turns firing up their eight-cylinder engines as the crowd plugged their ears and cheered.

Ed Oe, who supplied the show with several Ford F100s from 1953-56, summed up the event: “Nice vendors. Nice cars. Nice crowd.”

Main Street virtually glimmered as the sun gleamed off more than 500 perfectly waxed classic cars. There were roadsters and dragsters, muscle cars and even one Indy race car. Three bands set up along the strip provided classic rock ambiance to the spectators, who were never far from a variety of food and art vendors.

Always surrounded was the crowd favorite--an original Helms Bakery truck. Diane Thomson was one of many on-lookers who stood reminiscing by the car.

“Good memories,” Thomson said. The Helms truck would drive down her street when she was a kid and pulled out those long drawers in the back so she could pick out her 10 cent donut.

“And they were darn good donuts, too,” added Thomson.

Legendary drag racer Shirley Muldowney’s 1977 Top Fuel Dragster was another highlight of the show.

Behind each car were the proud owners sitting in their fold-out chairs. Mark Demers, Gary Ulmer, and Bob Barker are three car show veterans.

Mark, who has six show cars, chose to show off the purple 1969 Camaro he bought several years ago and restored.

Gary, who has known Mark for 30 years, decided four years ago to buy the red 1960 Ford Mustang he’s always wanted so he could join the guys in showing off his classic car.

“It’s a guy thing,” Gary describes of the car show experience.

Don't tell that to the hundreds of women who turned out Saturday to indulge their inner gear-head.