Apr
23
Tin Woodies replaced real woodies when manufacturers figured out it was easier to build cars out of steel. Woodies are beautiful works of art but they were difficult to maintain when new and very expensive to restore. We surmise that after tin woodies came the vinyl woodies that many more of us are familiar with. Read More
Apr
23
If you want to know everything about John Fitch, you need to go the Wikipedia page to see just a glimpse of what this man accomplished in his life. We know him best as an A-list racing driver who raced for Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Cunnigham and Chevrolet. But that is not all. He was a champion of auto racing safety and invented the Fitch barrier that we see on American highways across this country. He had an uncanny ability to evaluate a car’s performance and instinctively knew how to make it better. He drove the the 300SL prototype for Mercedes Benz, the first American racer to join the team we believe, and helped make that car the icon it is today. So it isn’t surprising for him to take a shot at upgrading production cars that he felt needed his touch. Read More
Apr
23
We will never fully understand what motivates people to be attracted to a particular vintage car. For buyers of new cars, it doesn’t really matter that much. That decision is probably based more on need and budget. With old or vintage cars, there is some siren call that helps seal the deal. Case in point – there was an article about Ralph Lauren in Vanity Fair or some other magazine of similar literary integrity. One of the best images has Mr. Lauren behind the wheel of heavily patinated Jeep in powder blue where in fact there was any powder blue paint. We know he has the keys to one of the world’s best curated collections of classic cars. But he knows when he is on the ranch he needs something different. He could afford a new Jeep or Landie D-90 painted in any custom color with exotic interiors. But he chose this tired but happy old bulldog of a Jeep. Read More
Apr
23
In 1957, Chrysler execs called upon Virgil Exner and his team to redesign the Chrysler Windsor. They started off by switching to a larger chassis, probably to accommodate the large rear tail fins that begin their upsweep at the B-pillar. Chrysler began advertising their car’s engines as “Golden Lions” and the cars as “Lion Hearted”. Lions were used in the advertising, and the cars had lion emblems on the fenders. You can see the lion emblems on the leading edge of the front doors of today’s Craigslist find. Read More
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