Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i Classic American

Sad news reached us here last week of the cancellation of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show. In some ways it was a surprise, as the organisers had gone to such lengths to ensure it was safe; in other ways it wasn’t, as so many events have been cancelled and things look to be becoming more restrictive again. The NEC show is usually for Classic American (and many of its readers) the last event of the year. And while we had come up with new and interesting ideas on how to source cars to display on the stand (there was no Car of the Year competition as there were no shows at which to hold heats), the fact that most of the club stands are almost entirely supported by usually…

Following the unfortunate cancellation of the Pendine Sands Hot Rod Races, anyone needing their traditional hot rod kick at least had the second annual VHRA Swapmeet to look forward to, set in the atmospheric environs of Holme Village, built for the accommodation of US Army troops during the Second World War. Members of my party needed some parts for a Model A coupe, and browsing the stalls it soon became apparent that, provided you had a body shell and rolling chassis to start with, it was probably entirely possible to build an entire Model A from parts sourced at the swapmeet. Some sellers had some real bargains on offer; perhaps the lockdown had finally given them a chance to get round to a garage clear-out. Between the tables selling mechanical…

MARMITE MYSTERY MOTOR Dear Classic American, I would like to introduce myself as the crazy person driving the silver car on page 53 of the Chelsea Cruise feature. Thank you for your comment “Dunno what it is but we love it” – it is definitely a Marmite car, but I love it and smile every time I go near it. In fact it is an almost completely handbuilt 1968, 350 Chevy-powered Morris Minor, pretty much all has been done by hand, no machinery… although I did use a welder! I thought I would fill you in on a few of the details of my Warbird Morris Minor. I bought it many years ago and truthfully was ripped off; I just had to have it as it had that ’41 Willys-based…

Incredibly, the Lincoln Continental has been around since 1939 with a production run of 59 years and counting, admittedly with a couple of interruptions. It’s one of the longest-lived name plates in the automotive industry. That iconic badge disappeared from the showrooms for a brief time during the early Fifties and again in the early 2000s, but it seems Lincoln’s flagship Continental is always ready and waiting to make its comeback. Lincoln’s current offering is the 10th-generation Continental, but it was this fifth-generation 1979 model that caught Stuart Wilkinson’s eye when he was on the lookout for an American classic a few years back. Its sheer size and presence, along with those cool hidden headlamps, ensured that this car was bound to turn heads. Make no mistake, the fifth-gen Continental…

As the editor of Classic American, I attend 20 or so car shows and events each year. This year is the first time since 1995 that I’ve not had every other weekend jam-packed with car-related activities. It’s been a bit strange really and means that a lot of the material which makes up the content of Classic American just hasn’t been available. Covid really has impacted on every aspect of life and car shows are no exception. It was with some relief then that I heard that the Cheshire Classic Car and Motorcycle Show was going ahead at Capesthorne Hall, near Macclesfield, Cheshire over the last August bank holiday. It was effectively to be the only car show I would attend this summer and, while not an American car show,…

Drag racing kinda lends itself to the current social distancing requirements; you’re in a car, at least five metres away from each other (well, at the start line anyways), you’ve potentially got a mask built into your helmet and your pit crew is your family/bubble! All this, and this season’s starvation of motorsportbased gatherings means this year’s MOCGB members’ day at Santa Pod was fully subscribed almost instantly, with strict and clear guidance that – no, you can’t bring a friend for the ride, the numbers were the numbers! While the extreme heat did hamper ETs and terminal mph, some blistering times were still laid down, split into the categories Classic Mustang, Modern Mustang and, you guessed it, Non-Mustang... Allan Matthews of Mustang Maniac fame took home two trophies with…

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has debuted the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer Concept, which will serve as a direct rival to the line of General Motors full-size SUVs. This new three-row SUV will be available in standard Jeep Wagoneer guise, or as a premium Grand Wagoneer. The regular Wagoneer models will compete with the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL, while the Jeep Grand Wagoneer will be positioned to take on the Yukon Denali, Yukon Denali XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV. While only a concept for now, the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are slated to go into production next year as 2022 model-year vehicles. Both models will be built in Detroit at FCA’s Warren Truck Assembly Plant, which currently builds the Ram 1500 Classic. The…

It doesn’t seem that long ago you couldn’t watch any American crime series or even news report from the US without the ubiquitous black and white police-liveried Crown Vic popping up. These rugged, utilitarian vehicles much beloved by American cops have slowly but surely been retired by police departments across America, replaced by Ford’s Police Interceptor Utility, based on the Ford Explorer. In more recent times these retired cop cars have popped up in the UK, sometimes still looking like cop cars, other times returned to more civilian-looking appearance; so popular here were they, that there was even a UK dealer specialising in the import and sales of American cop cars. California Highway Patrol has been using these full-size Ford sedans for an amazing 36 years (since 1984) when the…

Although 2020 won’t likely go down in the history books as a banner year for the automotive industry, one of the few bright spots – here in North America at least – has been the reintroduction of the Ford Bronco (as a 2021 model). As you’ve probably already seen, the new version comes in three distinct flavours: a traditional two-door model, a four-door version of the same vehicle and the Bronco Sport, a smaller machine aimed primarily at the softroader crowd. The two- and four-door Broncos take their inspiration from the early first-generation (1966-77) models, but are no nostalgia throwbacks. Underpinning them is a version of the same separate frame used on the current Ranger pickup and while there is a solid Dana 44 axle out back, up front is…

There is something really special about America’s automobile output in the first half of the Fifties. While not so memorable as the second half of the decade, the earlier designs enjoyed a real elegance, rather than being ‘in your face’ and brash. However, when Dodge revealed its new designs for 1949, their looks proved to be a turn-off for the car-buying public. Rather than elegant, critics turned on the Dodge for being too boxy, dated and plain. “IT SAT IN A BARN FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND WAS LOOKING QUITE SORRY FOR ITSELF, SO I BOUGHT IT AND PUT IT BACK ON THE ROAD. I JUST CHECKED IT ALL OVER AND EVERYTHING WAS PRETTY GOOD.” The 1949 Dodges were undeniably smart and good-looking, well-proportioned and understated, but they hit…

My love affair with American cars and all things American started at a very early age and looking back at my earliest sketches they all look like drawings of 1959 Cadillacs with huge fins. To me it was more than just the cars, it was the whole lifestyle experience. Images of the Pacific Coast Highway, surfers, palm trees, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, perfect weather, it all looked a lot better than a cold grey day here in the UK. Then there were the movies: Bullitt, Vanishing Point, American Graffiti, to name just three, and when you combined these with the TV shows like Starsky and Hutch and The Dukes of Hazzard, this all added to the American interest and got me hooked. The icing on the cake was their cars;…

1960 to 1970 1960 ‘Daringly New! Dramatically Different!’ was how Dodge described the all-new 1960 models. The question, as the Sixties dawned, was what to do with the fins. Dodge, like Ford and Chevrolet, chose to take them sideways – after all, they’d gone as high as they could on most American cars by 1959… 1960 We’re not sure whether Dodge is the ‘quick’, the ‘strong’ or the ‘quiet’ one in this ad, or all three. However, fellow Chrysler marques Plymouth and Imperial make an appearance too on this corporate ad. 1960 In this ad, Dodge proclaims its 118-inch wheelbase and unibody construction, considered something of technical wonder at the time (although later it would be cited as a reason for the cars’ propensity to rust). Unibody construction enabled the…

The annual Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show won’t now be going ahead this year. The show’s organisers said in a statement that the decision had been made “with great sadness”, despite them pulling out all the stops to try and make the annual season finale happen. They said: “Having been given the green light by government for organised events to resume from October 1, we were so excited at the prospect of bringing the community back together, with all our Covid-secure measures in place to create a safe and controlled environment for all involved. “Although this hasn’t changed since the latest government update, it is currently under review and has created uncertainty for both our exhibitors and visitors. Add to this the prospect of local lockdowns still being in place…

Fifty years ago, the 4-4-2 finally became Oldsmobile’s best-performing car ever – some will even argue the finest-looking muscle car of the era, period. So, what is the meaning of 4-4-2? It originally stood for four-barrel carburettor, four-on-the-floor manual gear change and twin exhausts; however, as the car evolved so did its character. The 4-4-2 didn’t have a 400cu in V8 to start with, the four-barrel carb sat on a 330cu in V8, with a four-speed manual and then twin exhausts. Replacing the 330 with a 400cu in and switching to ‘dual exhausts’ gave the car a more recognisable presence for the rest of its life. The 4-4-2 became a standalone model in 1968, known as the second generation; before then it had been an option package on the F-85…

Having launched the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1993 at his West Sussex home, Goodwood House, Lord March ran the first Goodwood Revival meeting in 1998 on the old Goodwood race circuit a mile down the road. He told me at the time: “I was trying to do the circuit first. It took me seven years to get planning permission and we were worried that we might never get it, so we started the festival in the meantime.” Both events became a huge success, but neither took place this year due to the ‘Chinese virus’, as President Trump calls it. I was at that first Revival in 1998 and have attended every one since. It is so much more than just a race meeting for old cars. It is a…

There was a buzz of excitement when invitations started being sent around at short notice for the Redhill Dream Cruise, the event deliberately being kept under the radar to ensure that it wouldn’t attract the wrong sort of attendees. Organised by Classic American advertiser and local business Dream Cars, the inaugural cruise drew at least 150 cars – but with all the parking spaces taken and cars driving every which way around the town, it’s difficult to make an accurate guess as to the total. From 7pm, Redhill Station car park was a hive of activity, with cruisers turning up left, right and centre. Once it was all under way, there was a real eclectic mix of classic Yanks, British cruisers, hot rods and customs, plus a handful of classic…

Out of this world – Apollo AstroVette Following the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings last year, Greenlight Collectibles released this Apollo-related special 1969 Corvette Stingray. One of three produced by Chevrolet for the Apollo XII crew who made the second lunar landing, each one was slightly different and specific to each crewman. This marketing coup was arranged by Florida dealer and former Indy 500 winner, Jim Rathmann. The three astronauts had a year-long lease for just $1. Furthermore, they contributed to the unique paint job of two-tone Riverside Gold and black which was designed by Alex Tremulis. Much has been written about the cars, named the AstroVettes, but this article is particularly entertaining: https://www.motortrend.com/news/1969-chevrolet-astrovette-classic-drive/Suffice to say of the cars produced for Pete Conrad, the Mission Commander, Dick Gordon,…