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 Monday, September 10, 2007
Orange walls on the Duesenberg Special?!
Posted by Angelo
Check out these pics of Harry Yeaggy’s Duesenberg from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club Reunion, held over Labor Day weekend. Yeaggy’s car won the “Lombardi Trophy” of car shows – “Best of Show” at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – but he did it with black walls. Following Pebble Beach, Yeaggy installed these orange-wall Firestones made specifically for this car and debuted the orange-tired car at Auburn. The car is now extremely close to how it appeared when Ab Jenkins raced it in the 1930s to numerous long-standing speed records. As a note, this car was formerly known as the "Mormon Meteor." In its “Mormon Meteor” configuration, it carried all of the modifications performed to make it streetable by Ab Jenkins following the speed trials on the salt flats. Yeaggy recently restored the car to its original configuration, under which it set those speed records, so it is now proper to call the car the “Duesenberg Special” again. The top two pics show the car at Auburn, Ind., during the ACD Club Reunion. The middle photo shows the car in an original Herb Newport drawing hanging in the ACD Museum in Auburn.   
Monday, September 10, 2007 9:46:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00) 
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Wednesday, September 05, 2007
What's worth more: 1957 or '58 Eldorados?
Posted by Angelo
A reader asked that, because 1958 Cadillac Eldorado production numbers are lower than those for 1957 Eldo models, are 1958s worth more than 1957 Eldorados? Here's what I think:
For a long time, 1958 Cadillacs were the “black sheep” of 1950s Cadillacs, because many people found them to be very heavy-looking in a time when cars were getting lighter and more airy. Tack on the extra chrome and other trim of 1958 Cadillacs (mainly Series 60 and 62 models), and 1958 Cadillacs looked as heavy as the Queen Mary herself when parked next to more lithe Chrysler and Ford products from the same year. As a result of this prevailing negative attitude towards 1958s, those fans of 1958 Cadillacs formed their own chapter to the Cadillac LaSalle Club many years ago.
Today, of course, 1958s have become cherished collectibles for their part in the excess that was GM styling in the late 1950s. As far as comparing the 1958s to 1957s, it’s a close call, but the 1957s still seem to have the edge for their slightly cleaner styling. Either way, Eldo convertibles seem to be back on their way up the price ladder and both are equally appreciated.
What do you think?
Wednesday, September 05, 2007 4:07:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, September 04, 2007
A new Shelby GT California Special?
Posted by Angelo
While in Monterey, Calif., for Pebble Beach, I saw a TV commercial for a special-edition Mustang Shelby GT California Special. According to the ad, only 200 were built exclusively for the northern California market. The car pictured was black with silver stripes. Carroll Shelby was mentioned, but I am not sure to what extent he was involved with the creation of these cars. The cars have 319 horsepower and a unique gauge cluster. This was the first I heard of these cars. Does anyone else know more? Here’s the site mentioned on the ad for more info: www.YourCaliforniaFord.com.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007 4:21:38 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Aston Martin DBS debuts at Pebble Beach
Posted by Angelo
At Pebble Beach, home of the world’s most elite car show (and, apparently, an expensive round of 18 holes), Aston Martin debuted its latest hole in one. There, the company presented its new super car, the DBS, which will replace the Vanquish that ended production in July. Vanquish sales totaled 2,600 super cars. With an expected sale price in the $268,000 range, according to a company spokesman, the new DBS’ debut on some of the world’s most valuable real estate was wholly appropriate. Production of the DBS will begin in November and will be the first Aston Martin to make extensive use of lightweight carbon fiber. Apparently concerned with weight, Aston Martin designers even battled the pounds down to the DBS’ lightweight cabin carpet, thereby maximizing the car’s performance abilities. Ironically, the car will feature a new electronic starting device made of glass touted as “heavy,” a reaction to customer complaints that the supercar used a traditional key, evidently a faux pas in the world of super-expensive, super-stylish automobiles. That key will turn over a 6.0L, 500-hp V-12 backed by a six-speed transmission. Halting duties are provided by quadruple carbon-ceramic brakes. All of these attributes are enough to hook the new DBS in supercar territory, but in the world of thick wallets and matching egos, a car has to have beauty on the outside, too. And this isn’t a player that wears plaid to the course. “We deliver with our engines what our bodies promise,” said the spokesman. It’s a weighty promise. Fortunately, the design of the DBS closely resembles its popular Vanquish predecessor. The traditional Aston Martin grille remains up front and the tail lamps aren’t too different in shape from the Vanquish. Between are voluptuous curves, also very similar to those of the Vanquish. “This is a beautiful car. If you don’t see it, you don’t deserve it,” the company rep said. But even if you do deserve it, you’d better have a Master’s Cup win in your past. 
Tuesday, September 04, 2007 4:17:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Check out this garage!
Posted by Angelo
A regular reader of "Under The Hood" sent me this great info about his Corvette collection. I hoped to fit it in Old Cars Weekly, but we ran out of room. I couldn't let a great treat like this go to waste, so check out what reader Michael Brown had to say about his love of Corvettes. And be sure to check out the link to his site showing his incredible collection!
Michael wrote: If you love Corvettes, that says it all. You just love Corvettes. There’s no explaining it further, and frankly, there’s no need to. With so many great choices in Corvette’s six generations (so far), it was hard to narrow down a theme for a collection I started more than two decades ago. But I did. My goal throughout was to assemble a "mini-history" of America’s only true sports car. The first Corvette I ever saw in person was the ‘63 split window. It hit showroom floors during the fall of my junior year in high school. Hugo, Oklahoma, would never be the same for me after that car came to town. Oh, I’d fallen in love with pictures of 'Vettes long before that and had watched "Route 66" on TV. But seeing that ‘63 changed everything for me. It would be 22 long years after that before I would have one of my own, but a ‘63 split window became the cornerstone of my collection...and it still is. My son was 10 when I bought it and now he’s in his early 30s and has a 4-year old who thinks Papa’s Corvette collection is pretty cool. I'm pleased to say my son is doing his part to carry Corvette love forward. Other cars followed on an irregular basis, and each one was welcomed into the fold. Though they have sometimes been crowded, none has ever spent a night outside a garage after I acquired it. Finally, I was able to build the garage last year for the collection I’d wanted to construct for a long time. My first ever visit to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green during construction (well worth the trip from anywhere!), and it gave me the inspiration for my collection’s garage and website slogan: "The Best Little Corvette Museum West of Bowling Green." Check out www.hookedonvettes.com. Agreed, I’m not very objective. Some may think it’s far from the second best, but that’s OK. I’ll admit a complete lack of objectivity. Still, it’s a fair representation of Corvette history with at least one car from each of the six generations of Corvette, heavily loaded in the C1 and C2 generations. And out of only 10 'Vettes, all silver, black or a combination of the two exterior colors, you’ll find four milestone anniversary cars, two fuelies, a big block ‘67, a couple of Z06s, coupes, convertibles, a T-top, a glass top, a Pace Car, bookends for a whole generation (C2) and a six-cylinder "putt-putt" ‘54. And, oh yeah, three of my four high school years are represented. Grow up?!! What’s the fun in that? This Baby Boomer plans to leave the world the same way he entered: kicking and screaming. But hopefully, not for a long time. After all, when GM adds another generation of Vettes, I’m going to need to be around to figure out how to add on to the garage! Michael Brown Arlington, Texas
Wednesday, August 29, 2007 4:11:19 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Follow the trail to Auburn!
Posted by Angelo
I found out from Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club member Jim Davis that the trail several of his club members are taking to Auburn can be tracked on the web site http://cordcrew.squarespace.com/journal . These members are taking their Cords across the country to get to Auburn, Ind., for the ACD Club Reunion, ACD Festival and all of the other automotive activities going on during the weekend. Those members include ACD Club "Newsletter" editor Josh Malks in his 1936 Westchester named "Moonshadow," Gail Shaw in a 1937 Beverly, Don Wohlwend in a 1937 Cabriolet and Barrie and Karen in a 1937 Beverly. According to Davis, "The caravan will attract a fair amount attention as they travel across the Northern US and Southern Canadian back roads." Sounds like a great time to me!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 11:00:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 20, 2007
'Mormon Meteor' wins 'Best of Show' at Pebble Beach
Posted by Angelo
The recently restored 1935 Duesenberg speedster "Mormon Meteor," owned by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio, took the hobby's biggest award Aug. 19 when it won "Best of Show" at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach, Calif.
Yeaggy recently had the car converted to its original configuration, so it now more closely resembles the condition it was raced in (and in which it set speed records) by Ab Jenkins.
The car was purchased in the last couple years by Yeaggy at the Gooding Auction at Pebble Beach for approx. $4 million, before it's restoration.
Stay tuned for more info and pics in the near future!
Monday, August 20, 2007 3:24:05 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Saturday, August 18, 2007
Monterey Auction Action Begins!
Posted by Angelo
Monterey is already a beautiful place, but throw together nearly a dozen automotive events into one long weekend, and Monterey becomes even more beautiful with lush automotive scenery.
At least for the weekend, Priuses along Central California’s coast cities have been supplanted by what looks like the United States’ entire population of red Ferraris and black-and-gold Hertz Mustangs. And that’s a wildly cool thing.
I started off the Monterey weekend registering for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and at several of the auctions. While getting all of the press credentials out of the way, I had a chance to check out some of the sweet machines already at these events. Here’s what I like so far:
Concours d’Elegance
-The Blackhawk Expo was already raring to go. The expo was set up with loads of Classics (including the Judkins coupe I like so much) and several really sweet street rods. I was also impressed with a 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Seville with quadruple headlamps. Richie Clyne and Don Williams of the Imperial Palace Auto Collections and Blackhawk Collection were tearing around the grounds on a Duesenberg chassis, and obviously had a good time doing it!
Russo & Steele auction
There’s lot of great muscle and 1950s cars at Russo & Steele’s sweet spread, but the event’s kickers are a 60-mile Boss 429 (yup, that’s less than 100 original miles!), the First Shelby King of the Road and a 1957 Eldorado Brougham in black – the best color to dress these suits. There’s also a resto-modded 1937 Lincoln-Zephyr coupe with a modern powertrain but a stock look. All tasty, and all available.
RM Auctions
Again, some of the best of the best are presented here. Surprisingly, there were lots of street rods in the RM Auction area, including the Khougaz 1932 Ford roadster featured earlier in Old Cars Weekly, and the Tommy Lee roadster with the Cord-style front end, soon to be featured in Ken Gross’ “Speaking of Hot Rods” column. There were also several historial race cars, including a Penske 1969 Camaro, which was rumbling around RM Auction’s outdoor display while I walked around, and not one but two Matranga-style Mercs going up for auction.
Gooding auction:
I like Classic Cadillacs and Duesenbergs, but the coolest things I saw at the Gooding auction were a six-cylinder early-1930s Alfa Romeo roadster in unrestored condition and a likewise original Ferrari transporter that appears to date to the 1960s. These finds were so sweet, I almost missed the V-16 Cadillac aerodynamic coupe!
This is all just the start. The finale will be Sunday, during the concours, but before that happens, there’s a lot to look at every where you turn. I’ll keep you posted!
Saturday, August 18, 2007 6:01:48 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 13, 2007
More on skirts...
Posted by Angelo
If you remember my blog from several weeks ago shunning fender skirts, particularly on 1955-57 Chevrolets, I have an update for you. More information came in the mail today when we received a copy of "Generator and Distributor," the publication of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America, at the Old Cars Weekly office. According to Gene Schneider's article "A Little History about Fender Skirts," 1955-'66 Chevrolets were not available with fender skirts. Period. Schneider noted that since many 1955-'57 Chevrolets, in particular, are fitted with fender skirts, that many people (including myself) believe fender skirts were a Chevrolet accessory. However, Schneider said they were not a Chevrolet accessory. Rather, every set was an aftermarket accessory during the period from 1955-'66. Schneider also notes that skirts should be removed for VCCA judging on 1955-'57 Chevrolets (and, presumably, 1958-'66 Chevrolets). The article covers 1949-'77 Chevrolet fender skirts (or lack thereof) and is extremely informative, whether you like fender skirts or not. Find out more about the VCCA and its club publication at: VCCA Membership Secretary PO Box 5387 Orange, CA 92563-5387 -OR- Click on one of the links above.
Monday, August 13, 2007 8:02:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, August 10, 2007
The green rolls into Iola...
Posted by Angelo
I was shuttling around car parts between my home and a storage place in Iola, Wis., last night when I heard the rumble and saw the high headlamps of what had to be a military vehicle. There were two in tandem, and I still am not sure what they were, but it made my heart skip a beat. At first, I thought the U.S. military was preparing for an invasion in the little village of Iola. After the shock passed, I realized, they were going to the Iola military vehicle show! Here's the official word on the military show from the editor of Military Vehicles Magazine, Old Cars Weekly's sister publication: The Iola Vintage Military Gun Show with Vintage Tractors and Equipment is occurring this weekend (August 11-12, 2007) on the Old Car Show grounds. Collectors will display an array of heavy iron including WWII jeeps, deuce-and-a-halfs, amphibians, tractors and even antique “hit-and-miss” stationary engines. WWII reenactors create scenes of camp life, displays of Vietnam MASH units, radio-controlled airplane acrobatics and parades of vehicles complement the more than 150 vendor booths and gun show.
Staff from Military Vehicles Magazine and Military Trader will be active all weekend in the re-badge Old Cars trailer selling subscriptions and gathering video, audio and print resources for our readers. The show is open to the public 8-5 on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children, 6-12.There was also a special military issue of Old Cars Weekly to commemorate the event. Does your interest in vintage vehicles extend to military vehicles? Do you like military vehicles? Let me know what you think! The photo below by John Adams-Graf, editor of Military Vehicles Magazine, was taken of a few jeeps from Old Cars Weekly founder Chet Krause's jeep collection. These beaut's showed up early, allowing John Adams-Graf to shoot them before the crowds showed up. Enjoy! 
Friday, August 10, 2007 6:01:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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