Showing posts with label rare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rare. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

A LOT of Americans made automobiles in 1900-1930, here are a some, a couple of them I've never heard of

1895 Electrobat II... and for the trivia buffs, it was the winner of the first car race in America

Geronimo's Cadillac is how it was presented, but I doubt that he owned it... it's probably a photo op planned picture

Teddy Roosevelt in a Fawick Flyer at the Sioux Falls Railroad Depot. Only 5 were ever built
A Moosejaw Standard

A Saxon

1915 Monroe

1916 Woods Mobilette

1917 Apperson Jack Rabbit

This is a 1917 Geronimo

1920 Barley Roamer roadster

1923 Arkansas Climber

1952 Maverick

A Powell, made in LA
All of these are only a fraction of the interesting defunct manufacturers on the Jalopy Journal thread that challenged car guys every where to post photos and information about car makers that went out of business long ago: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397594

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Rare duece type 18 with a custom coach-built cabriolet body


The car varies from the American-made convertible sedan styles; the top has no side rails to slide on.

The car was originally purchased by a high-profile German official. In 1938 or 1939, the car was hidden, actually walled up in a basement in Austria, to prevent military confiscation. In 1947, the car was shipped to England. It arrived stateside in 1964, as the possession of a Wisconsin antique dealer. From there, it was sold to the current owner in Jacksonville.

The bodywork is from Deutsch of Koln, the chassis assembled by the Ford Werks A.G. Koln. Unusual features abound such as an underhood siren, dual flag shafts, a Bosch driving light and spotlight, and trafficators. This is the only known example by this coachbuilder and one of five German-built convertibles known.

Former Staff Car for the Third Reich. Owner was a non-Nazi and hid the car from confiscation by the German Army.

The car has all of its original parts, with the exception of the engine (now correct) that was lost during long ago restoration. There are currently only seven of this body type known in the World.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397594&page=61

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Heather's rare Rambler. She wanted a cool unusual car to go to car shows with !

That's the happy owner. Isn't it shocking to find a college age woman so enthusiastic about cool cars that she saved one from neglect, and gave it a new life !








One of about 2000 Deluxe models made, this came with the overhead valve engine, instead of the common flathead, and Heather became interested in finding something like a red Rambler she looked at during a Clairemont car show about a year or two ago. It cost about 6 thou on EBay, the second time it was listed (the first time the reserve was not met during bidding) and since then, almost everything has been rebuilt or replaced... and all for under 20 thou. Closer to 18 for the car, total upholstery at Jim's on Armour in Kearny Mesa, engine and trans rebuilt, and lots of paint (I've got to ask again who did the paint so well and at a good price) and chrome.

Future improvements (not that you or I could tell any are needed) will be some exhaust, and trim.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Bugatti Royale for sale through Bonhams

above: Bugatti T41 Royale Coupé Napoleon via http://americanshaft.tumblr.com
I know these are two different cars, but getting good photos isn't always easy images via: http://supercars.net/

When built, nobody could afford them--production began right at the start of the Great Depression.
A mere six Royale's were produced and two were never sold, staying instead with the Bugatti estate.
This car, the 1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Kellner Coach (or 'Coupe') was one of those cars (bricked up behind a false wall during World War II). It stayed with the family until 1950 when both cars were sold to American multimillionaire Briggs Cunningham, who was himself a sports car constructor and Le Mans 24-Hours racing driver.
After more than 30 years of ownership, Cunningham eventually sold the car to fellow American auto connoisseur Miles Collier, who placed the Kellner Coach up for auction in 1987. The car sold for a record £5.5 million at London's Royal Albert Hall before an audience of 4,000 enthusiasts. Now the present anonymous owner--believed to be Japanese--has commissioned Bonham & Brooks in London to offer the Bugatti Royale for resale to anyone willing to pay the asking price.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Dual Ghia in the classifieds, and Hoagy Carmichael was selling it

More on Dual Ghia's later, but quickly, they were Chrysler Fire Arrow's offspring, built in Italy the slow way, by hand, and imported for sale into America by the Dual Motors company which had been making military vehicles during WW2.

But what caught my eye was Hoagy. John Lennon called Hoagy his favorite songwriter.
Hoagy had composed a lot of great stuff and lived for decades on the royalties. Georgia On my Mind (famous for Ray Charles), Stardust(famous for Bing Crosby), and my fun favorite: the 1943 song "I'm a Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank on the Streets of Yokohama with my Honolulu Mama Doin' Those Beat-o, Beat-o Flat-On-My-Seat-o, Hirohito Blues"

Yeah, the stuff that clanks around in my head waiting for something to loose it, no wonder I can't recall a thing, too many odd bits already have filled my memory ability to absorb anything new.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

The rare supercharged Graham

Looks mundane, packs a punch. You would admire the old car, think some old guy has a cool 4 banger or maybe a flatthead under the hood, but drool to see an original supercharger if the cowl came up

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

they only made one, the 1906 Pungs Finch

Above via: http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/gallery/13142/Pungs-Finch-Finch-Limited-Touring.html



Discovered by Long Island Auto Museum owner Henry Austin Clark Jr, it is possibly the earliest hemi combustion design, and was Guaranteed to do 55 mph... that is remarkable for 1906. It was a nearly 650 cu in engine, and 4 cylinders.

Monday, December 21, 2009

What is rare? A 426 max wedge in a Dodge truck as a factory install

The 426 Wedge was part of the $1300 High Performance Package and could be ordered on its own from the separate and distinct $235 Custom Sports Special trim package.

The HP Package was only “officially” offered in 1964 and 1965 on D100 and D200 LWB trucks. The Custom Sports Special trim package was offered from 1964 thru 1967 and could be had on D or W 100, 200 Sweptline, Utiline or chassis cab in LWB or SWB trucks.

Dodge management only authorized 50 trucks could be built with the 426 Street Wedge High Performance Package — according to former Dodge truck engineer Bruce Thomas of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum, who said that far fewer than 50 examples were actually produced. Currently the registry recognizes 31 trucks with these packages or combinations of them.
For a great story about them, and a family restoration: http://www.cssregistry.com/css/stevebell.html

Friday, December 11, 2009

Austin Bantam 60's dragster... wow

in the staging lanes at the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion
This sixties-built dragster was at one time a thirties-built Austin. Washington’s Duke Cornell first constructed this Bantam bodied drag coupe in 1961. Duke claims he ran 10-second quarters at the drag strip with alarming regularity using an injected small block Chevrolet for power.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Johnny Eck Special

Above via: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346099
Johnny was born with a truncated torso and appendicular legs as the result of a rare condition, and joined the circus side show in his teens.

Eck loved all things mechanical, especially automobiles. With his circus earnings along with pay from odd jobs, Eck purchased a midget racecar and converted all the foot controls to hand operation. He even went so far as to have the car licensed for operation on the streets of Baltimore. Not only did he buzz around Baltimore in this crazy contraption, he raced it all over the eastern seaboard. The car was one of Johnny's greatest joys and although he went on to own others, his first was still somehow the best, much as it is for the rest of us.

My Zimbio