Innehållsförteckning för August 2022 från Classic American

News We are thrilled to see that the Rhythm Riot is back after a three-year gap and is all set to pick up from where it left off, with thousands of people from around the world descending on Camber Sands for a non-stop, all-action weekend of 1950s music and dancing, and a full-on celebration of classic cars, clothes and mid-century style. Moving to new dates in October, there’ll be more daylight, and warmer weather can be expected, which is great news for classic car owners and the crowds who gather for the cruise into Rye on Sunday afternoon. The biggest Rhythm Riot line-up ever will feature a spectacular international array of 26 bands and more than 85 hours of DJ sessions. Particular highlights include a five-hour session on Thursday night,…

Across the pond I know there are probably a good number of us who like to spend our time scouring the classifieds for our next classic American car or truck. And if we’ve got a limited budget, chances are the vehicle in question will need work. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve come across vehicles where the seller says: “Needs just a little TLC to get back on the road”, or: “I would have MoT’d it, or done the safety inspection, but I just don’t have the time...” Sometimes it’s true; but often, I’ve found, cars like this, while sometimes looking good in the ad, end up being a big disappointment. I still remember the days when I would drive miles to look at a…

1966 Dodge Coronet 500 Should there ever be a gameshow where contestants must guess which owner goes with which car, Vince Donald would have a great chance of winning. Few might expect this modest, quietly spoken retired computer engineer to be driving a race-inspired 1966 Dodge Coronet 500 with a Keith Black Hemi under the bonnet. An engine, incidentally, which Vince built himself. “I saw the Dodge advertised online in 2005 and flew over to Canton, Ohio, to see it,” explains Vince. “It was the right colour and specification, so after agreeing the price I had it shipped back to the UK. I prefer to see cars in person first for peace of mind. That way there are no surprises when they arrive and you suddenly realise you’ve bought a…

I first met Lyn at the 2001 Goodwood Revival where she was racing a mighty Ford Galaxie and a potent Shelby Cobra. This happened to be her first foray into historic racing and the first of many visits to Goodwood, following her decision to retire from top-level professional racing at the age of 53, her last outing being the 2000 Indianapolis 500. Yes, you read that right. The Indy 500. Lyn raced in arguably the most famous race in the world seven times. Her debut was in 1992 and she was only the second woman to have ever qualified and made the start. She finished in 11th place and became the first woman to be awarded Rookie of the Year. Even today, there are only nine women who have actually…

News Despite apocalyptic weather forecasts of torrential rain, it actually held off and was even sunny at this year’s Beaulieu Hot Rod & Custom Show, where the second heat of the Kingstown Shipping Car of the Year competition was held (you can read our full report on this event starting on page 73). Finding a winner wasn’t too difficult with lovely vehicles like this 1967 Dodge 440 dotted around the show field. And if you think this car looks familiar, that’s because we featured it back in our December 2019 issue (CA344). Owner Mike Nash had been contemplating selling it (we all know that itchy-car-feet feeling right?!) but will definitely be hanging on to it now that he’s got to the grand finals at the Classic Motor Show held at…

Carrot Town’s show’s back! The show that will feature anything American, as long as it has an engine, is back for 2022! The American Car Show 2022, in association with Carrot Town Garage, will hold its ever-popular clubs’ and private owners’ showcase day on Sunday, July 24 (10am-4pm) at Stonham Barns Park – one of Suffolk’s premier leisure, retail and holiday destinations. The show is all about American cars with muscle, power and fabulous paintwork. Stuart Davies, who founded classic American car dealership Carrot Town Garage, which sponsors the show, said: “We are delighted to be back at Stonham Barns Park for this second show. We search America for cars that we would want to own ourselves and import them ready for sale in the UK.” Offering facilities to suit…

Part IV - Final assembly & carpet Cheshire Accident Management of Cheadle (www.cheshireaccidentmanagement.co.uk/Tel. 0161 428 7660) who specialise in painting American and prestige vehicles did a great job prepping, repairing and painting the Olds, while also understanding that what I was aiming for was a sympathetic ‘preservation’ job where possible. My aim was not to create a brand-new 1970 car, but one that was in very good nick, retaining as many of the original features as possible. Although cars like this don’t have the parts availability of, say, something like the Mustang, you can pretty much get most things, so theoretically you could virtually build a ‘new’ car from parts alone, but that was never the aim. Things like the front indicator lenses had become cracked and damaged and filled…

Theoretically this should be the first year of shows without the shadow of Covid hanging over them. While shows started up again last year, there was still nervousness on the part of a lot of people and the vaccine programme hadn’t completely kicked in. Disappointingly for this event the weather forecast, right up until the night before, predicted heavy rain from the get-go and through the day. However, Sunday came and the forecast had completely changed and the day was dry, bright and warm and even sunny occasionally. Sadly, that dire weather forecast seemed to have put off a lot of people from further afield. Nevertheless, it was a good turnout with all the usual attractions this event has to offer. There were some familiar local faces; Richard Biggs with…

With torrential rain forecast – that thankfully never arrived – a number of owners evidently weren’t prepared to risk getting their classic cars wet to attend Pre-’50 American Auto Club’s event, instead opting for moderns. But for the many who did take a classic they found a friendly, well organised and still busy show held at a new venue, Keynsham Rugby Football Club, that’s easier to get to and has arguably better access for larger vehicles. The show field was almost full by mid-morning with a few stragglers rolling in at midday. While there were some familiar faces – and a few cars previously featured in Classic American – a handful of cars also debuted at the event. One such was Paul Wells’ 1958 Oldsmobile 98 (watch out for a…

From here to obscurity The name’s double meaning is enough to make you cringe, but, if anything, it was more amicable to the car that bore it. The Chrysler Howler was the factory hot rod that the smallest of Detroit’s Big Three should have made instead of the Plymouth Prowler which was a missed opportunity if ever there was one. With its wild styling and perfect stance, the Prowler represented an incredibly bold statement from a mainstream manufacturer. Nevertheless, performance was anaemic thanks to it packing a decidedly ordinary 3.5-litre V6 rather than a snarling bent eight. It was allied to a four-speed automatic, too. Quarter-mile times of 16 seconds didn’t exactly scream road scorcher, but then there was the small matter of practicality. Nobody ever…

Maintaining the tradition stretching back many years, the Mopar Muscle Association descended on Brooklands on the last Sunday in May, along with plenty of friends from the wider world of American cars. This year’s event suffered a little bit from the feeling that it was smaller, which could possibly be attributed to clashes with other big events like the National Hot Rod & Custom Show and an American car day at Bicester Heritage, but I think it was actually an illusion caused by Brooklands simultaneously hosting the (non-London) start of the London to Brighton Classic Car Run, so all the Mopar attendees were crammed somewhat uncomfortably into a reduced space. Even so, there was plenty to see. All the regular Mopar stalwarts were there, joined by a handful of lesser-seen…