Elvis Presley, what about his Cars

Elvis Presley, what about his Cars

Herewith an apology to the millions of Elvis Presley fans around the world. I never cared for your hero. I didn't approve of his Elvis-Pelvis stage mannerisms, hated his bouffant hair style, had no taste for his singing. This was not a generational thing for I was only slightly older than Presley during the height of his popularity. I was also part of the culture of the period, a renegade in some respects, definitely not a prude. So to understand my animosity you need to appreciate that musically I was dedicated to modern jazz, with a low tolerance level for pop and rock and a dislike of country music. By my standards Elvis was a third-rate guitar player and couldn't sing any better than most of the boring crooners of the day.

However I'm now willing to concede a grudging respect for Mr. Presley, for I've just learned that he was (gasp!) a car guy. Yes, Elvis Presley purchased more than 200 vehicles during his lifetime, including some real collectibles. Of course I knew that he'd owned a pink Cadillac Fleetwood because my ad agency art director Ray Fry recalled spotting the car in Pasadena when Ray was a student at the Design Center, leading to a brief "car guy" chat with the rock legend. But I didn't know that Elvis also owned, among others, the red MGA from "Blue Hawaii," a purple 1956 Eldorado Convertible, and a 1973 Stutz Blackhawk.

The cars from Elvis' garage will be on display during the inaugural Elvis Motor Classics International Car Show at Graceland from May 27 to 30, 2010. Many other collector cars will gather on the 70-acre grounds to celebrate the anniversary of his 75th birthday. The family-friendly four-day event will also feature music, competitions and tours. Classic car enthusiasts will be able to experience the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, tour Graceland and other Memphis highlights, and enjoy special discounts and accommodation rates. "Elvis was passionate about collecting cars, so Graceland is the perfect place for car enthusiasts to celebrate his 75th birthday" said Walt Hollifield, world-renowned collector and event organizer. "We've received calls from clubs and individuals from as far away as Colorado and Canada who are bringing their classic cars to Graceland."

My friends at Hagerty Insurance will be on-site, assisting with event registration and presenting trophies on Sunday.

For more information about attending or exhibiting at The Elvis Motor Classics International Car Show, you should visit ElvisMotorClassics.com or call (704) 455-1564. I won't be there unless Elvis is, but if that should happen I'll say to him "hey man... your guitar playing may not be cool but your cars are." I'm sure he'd appreciate the compliment.

Read more »

MG Dreaming

MG Dreaming

Imagine, if you will, acquiring a professionally restored example of the vehicle that first turned America on to sports cars. Then imagine that all you paid to own this 1949 MG TC (shown above) was $100.00. Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? But it could be yours if you participate in a charity draw organised by the New England MG 'T' Register, an international organization dedicated to the maintenance, preservation and enjoyment of T-Series and Vintage M.G.s. Tickets are just $100.00 each and with only a limited number being sold you have a very real chance of winning. This, by the way, is an outstanding TC that features dual spare tires, a luggage rack, seat belts, temperature gauge, all the right lights, Alfin drums, and a walnut dashboard.

It was owned by the late David O. Hakanson, who was a very enthusiastic member with a TC, TD, and a TF in his collection, along with an MGA. According to the Register, Dave took great pride in his cars, and all of them were in great condition. Chuck Troast of New England Classic MG restored the TC about eight years ago and it probably has fewer than 2,000 miles on it since then. Dave's wife Liz has decided to let the Knudson Churchill Scholarship Trust use the 1949 TC as a fund raiser with a share of the proceeds going to the Hakanson Family Trust. The drawing takes place at 5PM, Friday, May 7, 2010. You needn't be there to win but you will have to pick up the car in Oneonta, NY, and drive it home. Not exactly a hardship.

Read more »

Woodrim Steering Wheel

Woodrim Steering Wheel

Back in my sports car days one of the most desireable accessories was a Nardi woodrim steering wheel. It could make an ordinary car seem special and told the world that its owner was a person of discerning taste. Nardi wheels were not inexpensive, which is why you didn't see them on every MG or Triumph Spitfire, and they were also standard equipment on several high-end automobiles, such as Ferrari. Of course, Nardi wasn't the only company to manufacture such wheels but the design was so elegant, so perfect, that a Nardi wheel remained apart from the others, as a Tiffany lamp or Saarinen Tulip chair would do.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of the thick-rim steering wheels of today, even though they have their origins in race car design. I know some drivers claim to get a better grip but those wheels make me feel like I'm steering with a pair of boxing gloves on my hands. In my humble opinion there's nothing to match a slim woodrim, not only for its appearance but because it seems to provide a closer connection with the road. Unfortunately modern safety regulations requiring an air bag in the hub would seem to prevent swapping a production steering wheel for a hand-made custom job so we're stuck with what we get. The girl you bring to the party is the one you dance with.

That said, owners of sports and vintage cars from model years preceeding the air bag rules should have no problem fitting a woodrim wheel. And in that respect, the handcrafted steering wheels of RichCraftedWheels.com stand apart, even from the Italian Nardi wheels which, by the way, are still in production. Only a limited number are made each year. Average time to make a standard wheel is 70-80 hours with some custom wheels requiring up to 100 hours. The Web site explains that "each piece of wood is hand fitted, hand filed, hand sanded, hand finished. The wood is then sealed in an automotive two-part epoxy that resists acids and UV rays. Because the wood grain has it's own signature and with the multiple wood combinations no two wheels will ever be exactly alike."

Exotic woods like teak, walnut, and even rosewood can be chosen. Company owner Paul Rich adds "I have made steering wheels for almost every kind of automobile you can think of, including boats and a John Deere tractor," so obviously whatever you have sitting in your garage, by your dock, or on your farm, will not intimidate him. As for me, I'm stuck with that big fat rim on my Focus ZX5 but when the day arrives that I finally buy a vintage automobile, you can be sure that very little time will pass before it has a handsome woodrim steering wheel gracing its interior. It just feels right.

Read more »

Used Car Parts

Used Car Parts

No one can argue that collecting cars isn't one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the world. I think there are a number of reasons for this. For one, the computerisation of the modern automobile, together with its associated gadgetry, has turned people off. That's not just older folk who still remember what it was like to drive an automobile without such aids; young people often tell me they wish cars could be more involving. As well, the modern car makes owner repairs difficult, if not impossible. Consequently more and more enthusiasts are turning to older cars as a hobby.

Once they make that commitment all sorts of opportunities open up. The thousands of collector car clubs worldwide welcome new members, offering a novice owner social involvement, with a chance to make new friends. There they exchange information on repairs and restoration and can participate in events that range all the way from local shows to major concours, and from club tours to international rallies. Those with an urge for track competition can even take up vintage racing, assuming they have a suitable car.

For the first-time buyer, many questions arise, not the least of which is defining the difference between an "old" car and a collectible automobile. That's often a tough one to answer but generally speaking, 25 years is the cut-off most licensing agencies and insurance companies use. Thus, any vehicle registered as a 1985 model and earlier qualifies. Don't hold me to this as it varies from state-to-state and province-to-province but you can try that as a guideline.

Finding a suitable car is another quandary, one that requires research online and in classic car publications. You also need to be careful about condition. A car that is cheap to purchase but demands long and costly repairs may not be the bargain it seems to be, thus you'll never get your investment back. Which is important because a collector car is normally a safe investment, often worth as much as you paid, and more.

The good news for the would-be restorer, or anyone who wants to keep an old car running, is that inexpensive used car parts can be easily purchased online. Forget about crawling through junkyards; buying online gives access to premium used parts suppliers all over the country. So if you've ever thought about becoming a car collector there's nothing to stop you providing you stay within your budget. Join a club, do your research, and be ready to have some fun.

Read more »

The Moon Car

The Moon Car

Joseph Moon was one of five brothers of an Ohio farming family. When each one of the boys turned twenty one, they were given a horse, saddle, and bridle and told to make their own way into the world.

In 1871, Joseph took his horse to St. Louis and set up a buggy business. While at a carriage makers' convention in 1902, he saw the potential of the automobile industry, and realized that was the direction his company needed follow.

While other carriage makers where just motorized their buggies, Moon went straight to car production with a design by Louis P. Mooers, formerly of Peerless. It was a five-passenger touring car with 30/35 hp Rutenber engine, three-speed sliding gear transmission and shaft drive.

The 1906 Moon was called "The Ideal American Car". Forty five were built and sold for about $3000.00. In 1908 the Moon Company also sold their four-cylinder 25 hp Moon to Hol-Tan of New York. These cars were shipped to New York where they were fitted with a new standard coachwork or special bodies. These Hol-Tan cars were produced for only one year.

The Hol-Tan Company must have believed for a moment that the Moon was "The Ideal American Car" because they entered it in the Great Race of 1908 New York to Paris. But three weeks before heading to the starting line, they backed out and the race was won by another American car, the Thomas Flyer.

By the twenties, the Moon was a fine, well-built car carrying such refinements as demountable rims on detachable wheels, balloon tires (introduced in 1923), Lockhead hydraulic brakes (which followed in 1924). The company's peek production year was in 1925; approximately 13,000 cars were built.

In 1929, the Moon Motor Company decided to drop the Moon name and produce a brand new straight-eight named Windsor, and then the Ruxton. But neither car was able to save the company during the depression. The factory which was appraised at $1,250,000, was sold during the early thirties for only $72,000 cash to the Cupples Company for the production of matches.

Read more »

The Mini - A Little Car with a Big Job

The Mini - A Little Car with a Big Job

Necessity was the mother of invention and the motivation behind the creation of the Mini. After the Suez Crisis in September of 1956, the United Kingdom’s oil supplies were reduced and gas rationing was imposed. The sales of large cars, with high fuel consumption, plummeted and the British public turned to the economical “bubble cars” being manufactured in Germany.

The British Motor Corporation (BMC), which was formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organization (parent of the Morris car company, MG, Riley and Wolseley) in 1952, needed a small fuel efficient car and they needed it quickly. BMC put their chief designer, Alec Issigonis, to work on the project. Issigonis was the genius behind Morris Minor and the obvious choice build a lightweight, four-passenger car that would take up minimal space.

By October of 1957, Issigonis and his team produced a prototype that was nothing short of revolutionary. The car used a conventional four cylinder water cooled engine, but it was mounted sideways, near the front wheels, and drove the front wheels. This design not only increased passenger space, it gave the car more stability when taking tight turns.

Some of the other innovations produced in the Mini were:

The radiator being placed at the left side of the car so that the engine mounted fan could be retained

Its gears were in the engine's sump and oil was shared by both.

The tiny 10 inch wheels placed at the farthest end of the body like a go cart.

Its compact all independent suspension with rubber elements.

The boot had the hinges at the bottom and could be left it open when driven to increase luggage space.

Mounting the carburetor at the back of the engine.

Sliding windows in the doors which replaced the window mechanisms for storage pockets.

The use of exterior welded seams to permit the car to be built more cheaply using manual labor.

The end result was an inexpensive, nimble little car that packed an 848 cc engine in ten percent of a ten foot car that could reach a respectable speed of 72 mph, and still seat four passengers comfortably.

The production version was available in August 1959 and marketed under two of BMC's brand names, Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor – the only recognizable difference was the badging. The name "Mini" started being used in 1961.

Sales were slow at first, but soon the versatility and charm of the Mini made it a favorite with the jet setters of the swinging sixties. The Mini became a pop icon with celebrity owners such as the Beatles, Peter Sellers and Princess Margaret, and was featured in the 1969 movie, The Italian Job. The car was a fashion statement.

After forty years, and 5.3 million cars being manufactured and sold all over the world, and receiving the European Car of the Century award, the final Mini was produced in October 2000. Will the new BMW MINI have the same success? Only time will tell.

Read more »

The Hupmobile - a Lesson For Today's Car Makers

The Hupmobile - a Lesson For Today's Car Makers

The Hupmobile may not be a familiar name among classic car enthusiasts, but it was one of the many respected and beloved marques that fell victim to the 1930s Depression after 30 years of building cars.

Robert Hupp, a former employee of Oldsmobile and Ford, and his brother Louis Hupp founded the Hupp Motor Car Co. in Detroit, Michigan. They introduced the Hupmobile Model 20, a two-passenger runabout with a four-cylinder engine and a two-speed transmission, at the 1908 Detroit Auto Show. It was very well received and their first year sales were more than 1,600.

The Hupmobile did very well into the 1920’s and established a solid reputation which allowed them to attract good engineers. The Hupmobile moved from a four-cylinder to a straight eight and produced a variety of models. By 1926 the Hupmobile Six was added and Hupp’s earnings skyrocketed.

It was the success of the stylish 1928 model that helped the Hupp brothers afford to increase plant capacity by buying the Chandler-Cleveland Corp. of Cleveland. 65,862 Hupmobiles had been produced by the end of that year.

Encouraged by the previous year’s strong sales, Hupp made the mistake of increasing the Hupmobile power plant to a 70-horsepower Six and a 100-horsepower Eight in the 1930 models after the stock market crash. With sales dipping 23% and a depression looming, Hupp forged ahead with a 133-horsepower Eight in an economy that couldn't afford additional gas consumption.

Hupp reduced prices on the 1931 models, but this didn’t stop their sales from plummeting. Hupp decided to collaborate with Raymond Loewy (famous for the creation of Studebaker's groundbreaking "coming-or-going" design) to introduce a stylish new model for 1932. Because the front fenders of the '32s followed the contour of the wheels, they were referred to as the "cycle car" Hupmobiles.

With only 10,500 of the new model Hupmobiles sold, there was not enough cash to make any significant changes for 1933, but the bold designs for the 1934 Hupmobile received public attention and approval. It had an aerodynamic body, faired-in headlamps and a three-piece "pilot house" windshield with its end sections slightly bent around the corners.

The increased sales didn’t ease tension in the Hupp boardroom resulting in Archie Andrew, one of the corporation's largest shareholders, filing a law suit. Opposing shareholders successfully countersued and had Andrews removed from the company; all of which created a lack of public confidence.

Hupp’s last attempt for a recovery produced what many consider the best looking Hupmobile of all, the Skylark. It used the body from the front-wheel drive Cord 810-812 model and Hupp's conventional rear-wheel drive. Unfortunately, the new Skylark was not enough to turn things around and the Hupp Motor Car Corp. wound up its automobile operations late in 1940.

The lesson here is that car makers need to build cars that coincide with the demands of the economy, not their egos.

Read more »

Volkswagen - The Peoples Car

Volkswagen - The Peoples Car

Did you know that the first Volkswagen was a Porsche design? Ferdinand Porsche, who had been chief designer for Daimler-Benz, Auto-Union, and now had his own engineering consultation firm, was put in charge of designing the Volkswagen – “The Peoples Car” by Adolf Hitler.

Hitler wanted a small four seater car, with an air cooled and durable engine that would get 40 miles to the gallon, and could be bought for less than 1000 Marks (about $250.00). Ferdinand Porsche had already been in the design stages of an affordable small car years earlier, but had never been able to bring it into production. Between 1935 and 1937 Porsche built a total of 50 Volkswagen prototypes with the flat four air cooled engine designed by Franz Reimspeiss – a unit very similar to that used throughout the car’s production.

Politically, an affordable car such as the Volkswagen, was a strong platform for Hitler to win the public support that he desperately needed for his military adventures. Hitler wasn’t about to let anything get in his way, and he clamped down on iron and steel allocations to other manufacturers and used Nazi financing for the project. He also took over the private estate of Earl Von Schulenberg at Wolfsburg to build a factory. This became, and still is, the biggest car factory of automobiles in the world.

The Wolfsburg Factory never produced a production Volkswagen because by the time the factory was completed, Hitler had already annexed Austria, and invaded Czechoslavakia and Poland. Consequently, the factory was redirected and taken over by the German air traffic ministry and the total production was converted to meet the war demand.

It was only after the war in 1946 that the Volkswagen finally became the “Peoples Car”. The Wolfsburg plant was located in the British zone of occupation and became a repair depot. The British selected Major Ivan Hirst as responsible for the factory. He wanted to start producing Volkswagens since the war had created a huge demand for a small cheap car. Using the discovered blueprints, they put the Volkswagen into production - but this time it was really for the people and now we, the classic car hobbyists, to use and enjoy.

Read more »

The Edsel – A Legacy of Failure

The Edsel – A Legacy of Failure

"Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it," warned philosopher George Santayana. Ford, are you listening?

Ford Motor Company decided it needed another car line to compete against General Motors and in the spring of 1957, they began what was thought to be a highly successful ad campaign, "The Edsel is Coming”. But nobody could see this mystery car, just a glimpse of a hood ornament. Anyone involved with the Edsel was sworn to secrecy not to leak a word about what was being claimed to be a radically new and innovative motor car.

Dealers were required to store the Edsel undercover and would be fined or lose their franchise if they showed the cars before the release date. All the hype brought a curious public in record numbers to see its unveiling on “E-day” September 4, 1957. And then they left without buying.

Car buyers didn’t purchase the Edsel because it was a bad car, it was just that it didn’t live up to the expectations that the company created in the prior months. This was their first failure.

The Edsel actually had some great innovations for its time such as a "rolling dome" speedometer and its “Teletouch” transmission shifting system in the center of the steering wheel. Other design innovations included ergonomically designed controls for the driver and self-adjusting brakes.

In addition to the car not living up to the marketing hype, the United States was in a recession and Edsel offered its most expensive models first while other car makers were discounting last years models. This was their second failure.

And for those who did buy an Edsel found that the car was plagued with shoddy workmanship. Many of the vehicles that showed up at the dealer showroom had notes attached to the steering wheel listing the parts not installed.

Ford launched the Edsel as a brand-new division, but they didn’t give the car line its own manufacturing facility. Edsel relied on Ford to produce their cars and Ford workers resented assembling "someone else's" vehicle and took little pride in their work. Not having a dedicated work force to build their cars was Edsel’s third and biggest failure.

The Edsel’s quality control issues were compounded by Ford’s mechanics and their unfamiliarity with the car’s state-of-the-art technology. The biggest problem was its automatic “Tele-touch” transmission, whereby the driver selected the gears by pushing buttons on the center of the steering wheel. It was a complicated system that the mechanics didn’t know how to fix – failure number four.

With Ford wanting Edsel to be a separate division, they made sure there was nothing that tied this car line to Ford. The word Ford couldn’t be found anywhere on the car. That was failure number five because without an established customer base, like Ford, it’s no surprise Edsel sold only 64,000 units in its first year.

One thing that comes to our mind about what might have been the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back” is the car’s name. Yes, it was named after the first child of Ford’s founder Henry and his wife Clara, Edsel Bryant, but it’s just not a name that rolls off the tongue easily.

Frankly we love the look of the Edsel and feel that in a different economy, with a good support system, and an honest marketing plan, the Edsel would still be with us today rather than only lasting three years in production.

So we will say again, Ford, GM and Chrysler "those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it.”

Read more »

Renault - How It All Began

Renault - How It All Began

When we attended the RM Auctions in Scottsdale 2008, a 1912 Renault Type CB Coupé de Ville really caught our attention as it drove up on the block. Its extraordinary design and distinctive front shape, caused by positioning the radiator behind the engine to give a so called "coalscuttle" bonnet, was the impetus for us to research the history of the car maker.

Like other auto manufacturers that are still around today, such as Ford and Fiat, the Renault Corporation was created due to the initiative and genius of one man, Louis Renault. Louis was born in February 1877 and was the youngest of five children. His father made his fortune in the trade of fabrics and buttons and his mother was the daughter of wealthy merchants. Louis Renault had a passion for mechanics and new techniques at an early age that made him neglect his studies and spend most of his time in the workshop where Léon Serpollet used to build his racing steam cars.

After his military service, Louis turned a De Dion-Bouon cycle into a four-wheeled small car equipped with one of his inventions: a universal jointed propeller shaft that included a three-gear box with reverse, with the third gear in direct drive. He patented this principle in 1899. This little car, soon to be named the Renault Type A, was the inspiriration for Louis Renault to become an auto manufacturer when he won a bet with friends that it could drive up the slope of Lépic Street in Montmartre. Afterwards, he received twelve orders for the car.

In 1905, Louis Renault went from a niche car maker to a mass producer with an order of 250 taxi cabs. In two years time, Renault had over 1,500 taxi cabs on the streets of Paris and exported a good number to London, New York, and Buenos Aires. Renault’s luxury cars, like the Type CB Coupé de Ville, were expensive for the average worker, so it was the taxis, buses, and commercial vehicles they produced that made the company the largest automaker in France.

Today, Renault is a privately held company well known for numerous revolutionary designs, security technologies, and motor racing. It’s also Europe’s number one brand for cars and light commercial vehicles.

Read more »

Morris Garage - Better Known as the MG Car Company

Morris Garage - Better Known as the MG Car Company

Maybe the MG car company was built by the Brits, but it was kept alive by the Yanks! William Morris (later known as Lord Nuffield) founded Morris Garage (later known as the MG Car Company) in 1928. Lord Nuffield, with the help of his managing director Cecil Kimbeirst, built the MG marque to become well known as the “everyday man's sports car”.

On June 19th, 1936 the MG Car Company announced to the world its T-type. It was the first of a new series of MG’s that would last into the 1950’s. The MGTA sported the famous radiator design, the swept wings, running boards, folding windscreen, and large accessible bonnet. It was a two seater sports car with a foldable hood and side curtains.

The MGTA sales suffered because of its poor performance from a pushrod 1250cc four-cylinder engine, subsequently only 3000 were produced. In 1939, the MGTB was introduced with the XPAG engine (1250 cc fitted with a Y type camshaft) which improved its power range, but with onset of World War II, only a few were produced. The war ceased all production of MG’s and the company was put into service for the war effort making military items.

But the war did bring one good thing to the MG car company - American soldiers. Yanks stationed in England came to love the handling and good looks of traditional British roadsters exemplified by the MG, and started importing them to the US after the war. The United States had much more cash available to spend on cars than war torn Britain. This was the motivation for the MG Car Company, run under the Nuffield Organization, to change their marketing strategy and focus on North America.

The MGTC, produced from 1945 to 1949, was fitted with many elements to make it more US friendly. It had front and rear bumpers, twin horns, and dual tail lamps. But that wasn’t enough to handle American road conditions and only 10,000 cars were produced. What was really needed was a total redesign for the America market.

The MGTD, produced from 1949 to 1953, had better brakes, adjustable steering column, and an interchangeable dashboard for left or right hand driving. The TD adopted rack and pinion steering and front coil springs and wishbones. This, and a change in rear end suspension, allowed for a smoother ride and better handling. The wheel size was reduced to fifteen inches and the tire width increased to 5.50. A larger frame increased the body width five inches, and an optional radio and heater were part of the package. All of these changes made the MGTD a more comfortable and a superior riding car compared to the MGTC. Almost 30,000 TD’s were produced in four years.

One thing buyers didn’t like about the TD was that it no longer sported the wire wheels that where standard on previous models. In 1953, the MGTF was introduced with a chassis almost identical to the TD, a redesigned interior, and wire wheels were added as an option. Still the MGTF never captured the success of the MGTD in the US and was replaced by the MGA within two short years.

Read more »

Maybach - The Luxury Car

Maybach - The Luxury Car

When the father and son team of Wilhelm and Karl Maybach took the first car bearing their name to the 1921 Motor Show in Berlin, Maybach became established as a luxury brand which exploits all technological possibilities to the fullest. Their cars would not be cars for the common man, but for those of great wealth and discriminating taste. And the design genius behind the Maybach, was a homeless orphan.

It was in the summer of 1865 in Reutlingen, Germany, at an institution with adjoining production facilities built and run by orphans and the homeless, for orphans and the homeless, that Wilhelm Maybach caught the attention of the workshop manager, Gottlieb Daimler. Daimler, who founded Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), a company which later merged and became Daimler-Benz, watched the nineteen year old Maybach produce an endless stream of design drafts for manufacturing machines, scales and farming implements.

The close bond between Maybach and Daimler was fueled by Wilhelm’s need for a father figure after being tragically orphaned at ten, and Daimler recognizing Maybach's potential as a designer. This was the beginning of a partnership that would last thirty five years and bring about many automotive innovations, like the four stroke engine in 1876 and the first fast running engine with a vertical cylinder run on petrol with Maybach's float carburetor design. In 1889, Maybach developed a water-cooled, two-cylinder, V-type engine and then a four-seater belt-driven car by 1899. In 1900, the same year of Daimler’s death, Maybach designs the Mercedes, which many have claimed was the first “real car”.

By 1907, Maybach had left DMG and he, and his son Karl, became interested in airship travel after the 1908 crash of the LZ4 Zeppelin, powered by a Daimler engine. When the Maybach men presented their ideas of a new engine to Count Zeppelin, the Count's response was to start his own engine firm, with Karl Maybach as technical director.

After ten years with many successes and innovations in engine design which enabled airships to make regular passenger flights that covered greater distances, Wilhelm and Karl Maybach acquired a forty percent stake in Zeppelins company and turned their interest back to automobiles. They changed the company’s name to Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH and began designing a car based on a Mercedes-Benz chassis. Within two years the car evolved into the Maybach Type W3 and made its debut at the Berlin Motor Show in 1921.

It was in 1929 that the Maybach Type Zeppelin DS 8 was unveiled. It was powered by a twelve cylinder engine with the same basic configuration as the Maybach engines used in the 'Graf Zeppelin' airships, and was capable of reaching a top speed of 93 mph. But it wasn’t just the power plant that made these cars so special. Maybach crafted each car by hand and set the highest standards of luxury for every car they produced. About 1800 Maybachs were built in their twenty years of production. In 1941, the company shifted its focus and began manufacturing engines for military, marine and rail purposes to support the war effort.

Building on Maybach’s tradition of quality, DaimlerChrysler resurrected the Maybach brand in 2003 for its new line of ultra luxury vehicles. Ordering a Maybach can be compared to the purchasing of a yacht. Each vehicle is hand made to the customer’s specifications with over one million possible configurations.

We saw a 2006 Maybach 57S powered by a 6.0 litre V12 biturbo engine for sale online the other day for $380,000.00 – makes you wonder what the car sold for when it was new.

Read more »

It's A Doosey - The Duesenberg

It's A Doosey - The Duesenberg

What classic car combines luxury, style and elegance with the mechanical precision of a Rolls-Royce and the amazing acceleration and blinding speed of a Bugatti? You guessed it - the Duesenberg. Because of the Deusenberg's amazing attributes, the phrase “it’s a doozy” emerged in the 1930’s to describe something that had the best of everything.

The Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc. was founded 1913 by the Duesenberg Brothers, Fred and August, in St Paul, Minneapolis. Born in Germany, the two brothers were self-taught engineers and built their cars entirely by hand. Although they didn’t design their cars to be racing machines, a Duesenberg set a Land Speed Record of 156 mph at Daytona in 1920. In 1921, Jimmy Murphy became the first American to win the French Grand Prix driving a Duesenberg to victory at Le Mans. As late as 1960, the Duesenberg was still the only American car to win a European Grand Prix race. In 1924, 1925, and 1927, it was a Duesenberg which won at the Indianapolis 500.

Their numerous victories on the race track didn’t help them sell their first mass produced vehicle - the Model A. Although this model was considered extremely advanced, with features such as dual overhead cams, four-valve cylinder heads and the first hydraulic brakes offered on a passenger car; the company went bankrupt and closed in 1922. In 1925 Errett Lobban Cord, the owner of Cord Automobile, bought the company for the Duesenberg Brothers' engineering skills and the brand name to produce luxury cars - the Models J and SJ.

Quickly the Duesenberg became one of the most famous cars in America, owned by the rich and famous - Clark Gable and the Duke of Windsor to name a few. Duesenberg advertised itself to be the best car in the world without much opposition, but unfortunately had to cease production in 1937 after Cord's financial empire collapsed. Of 481 models produced between 1928 and 1937, 384 are still around - 4 of them being owned by Jay Leno.

Read more »

How The AC Cobra Was Born

How The AC Cobra Was Born

AC is the oldest British car manufacturer with continuous production of cars since 1901. When car enthusiasts hear the name AC Sports cars, the first thing that might come to mind is amazing speed, performance and stylish bodies – the AC Shelby Cobra. But you may be surprised to learn that prior to 1970, many cars built by AC were anything but sexy speed demons.

In 1904 the founder, John Weller, named the business Autocar & Accessories Limited and started production of a small delivery vehicle called the Autocarrier. It was a 3 wheeled vehicle with a 5.6 hp air cooled, single cylinder engine and became very successful as a delivery van for commercial businesses. The Autocarrier was a common sight on the streets of London; almost a “must have” if you wanted your business be seen as fashionable. The company eventually changed its name to Autocarriers Limited and used the abbreviation, AC.

Like all car manufacturers, AC saw its ups and downs due to WWI, WW2 and the stock market crash of 1929. But they still managed some great success stories with their light weight, four wheel vehicles like the AC Ace and Aceca. Surprisingly, the cars they produced in bigger numbers from 1953 to the early 1970’s were their three wheeled vehicles, the "Invalid Carriage" for the Ministry of Health.

It wasn’t until 1961, when Carroll Shelby entered into negotiations with AC Cars with the backing of The Ford Motor Company, that big changes started happening with AC’s four wheeled models. It was the proposed installation of a large Ford V8 engine in the current lightweight AC Ace that resulted in the AC Cobra; arguably one of the fastest and most brutal sports cars ever produced.

Read more »

Crosley, Buy One for the Garage and Kitchen

Crosley, Buy One for the Garage and Kitchen

What does a radio, a refrigerator, a car and the Cincinnati Reds baseball team have in common? It's Powel Crosley, born in Cincinnati, Ohio in1886. At thirteen, he and his younger brother built an electric go-kart, and at twenty one, he formed a company to sell an inexpensive 6 cylinder car called the Marathon 6. It failed for lack of money.

Crosley worked at a variety of different ventures that offered better success than his car company, but the turning point for Powel’s career was when his young son asked for a radio in 1920. Appalled by the high prices, Powel Crosley built his son’s radio by developing a five-tube receiver. He marketed this invention and sold millions turning Crosley Radio Corporation into one of the worlds largest.

It been reported by his friends, that once the creative phase of an operation was completed, Crosley would preoccupy himself with other interests. In 1922, Powel Crosley became a disc jockey on his own radio station, and by 1934, it was blasting out 500,000 watts of power. When the radio business started getting old to Crosley, he hooked up with an inventor with an idea for a refrigerator with shelves built into the door. The inventor had been turned down at Frigidaire and Kelvinator, but Crosley liked the idea of a "Crosley Shelvador" and sold four million of them. He also bought the Cincinnati Reds during the thirties which saved the franchised and they named the ball park Crosley Field in his honor.

Crosley gave his first love, automobiles, another go in 1939 with Crosley Motors building mini-cars and distributing them through filling stations and auto repair shops. After WWII, Crosley sold all his other interests, except for the Cincinnati Reds, and focused on making his cars. He turned his economical mini-car into the first postwar sports car.

The Crosley Hotshot had its distinctive “Cobra” single overhead cam, four-cylinder engine and disc brakes, both highly unusual at the time. Its 26.5 horsepower came at more than 5000 rpm, an almost unheard of speed for an American engine, and it would rev beyond 6,000. In 1950, a Crosley’s won at Sebring, the Grand de la Suisse in 1951, and placed second in Tokyo Grand Prix. A Crosley almost took a victory in its class at Le Mans in 1951 until its voltage regulator went out late in the race.

Racing enthusiasts weren’t the only ones that fell in love with the Crosley. As a passenger vehicle, it was a comfortable, light weight, inexpensive, fuel efficient, zippy little car. Over 70,000 Crosley automobiles were built by 1952 when production ended and the company was sold to General Tire Corporation.

Read more »

Bugatti - Is it an Auto or is it Art?

Bugatti - Is it an Auto or is it Art?

There’s something about a Bugatti’s body design and mechanical precision that makes us think of them more as a work of art rather than a car. So it came as no surprise to discover that the man behind this marque, Ettore Bugatti, studied to be an artist and came from an artistic family. Ettore was born in Milan in 1881 to Carlo Bugatti who worked as a silversmith, sculptor and painter. Ettore’s younger brother, Rembrandt Bugatti, became a sculptor - his work can be found in private collections and museums around the world.

Ettore Bugatti studied at the Brera Art Academy until the age of seventeen when he decided he would be more successful as an engineer. Within a year, Bugatti designed and built a three wheeled car with two engines that won eight out of ten local races. At the age of nineteen Bugatti produced his first four wheeled car with a four cylinder overhead valve engine, contact battery ignition, chain drive, and a four-speed gearbox – very innovative features at that time. Bugatti was making a name for himself, and was getting contracts from all over Europe to build his unique cars.

In 1909, the twenty nine year old Bugatti set up a factory on a large piece of property at Molsheim in Alsace, France, which is still in use today. At Mosheim, Ettore built the first car to bear his name, and a small, lightweight racing machine that took second place at Le Mans in 1911. It didn’t take long for before car orders increased and the factory started to grow.

Read more »