1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk

1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk, click picture to enlarge.

In 1956 I had just gotten out of the army after a tour of duty during the Korean War. I was working at an International Harvester Truck parts company saving a little money to go to college with. The IH dealership was owned by the Dixie Oil Company in Brunswick, Georgia. As things turned out I must have been a fairly good looking young man and everybody there at the parts supply place was trying to get me paired up with the owner's daughter but I was not taking the bait. Wouldn't you know that I was just a POOR ex-GI trying to go to college to make something out of myself but the owner's daughter was a super-rich girl so we were worlds apart in our cultural standings. It just wouldn't work. No way Hose' (pronounced ho-say). Anyway the point is that the girl owned one of these Golden Hawks. Here's the "Rest Of The Story".

These Studebaker's were styled by the industrial designer, Raymond Loewy and were considered trend-setters in their day. This vehicle has been restored in its tri-level Studebaker original colors of Mocha-Doeskin, one of the most popular colors for the Golden Hawk. The automobile was shipped new to Franklin, In. In 1972 a poll of stylists representing the Big Three Automakers voted Raymond Loewy's design of the Studebaker Starliner Coupe the predecessor of the Golden Hawk an 'industry best'. Mr. Loewy was also named one of the most influential Americans by 'Life' magazine.
This car received a full restoration that was completed in the year 2002.The Studebaker Golden Hawk was produced from 1956 through 1958. The styling was influenced by Raymond Loewy's design studio who used the shape of the Champion and Commander of the early 1950's as its beginning point. The Golden Hawk had an eggcrate grille and a pointed front end nose. In the rear were tailfins with integrated tail lights. The brake light and backup-light were stacked in the rear. The rear window was wrap-around. There were a variety of colors to select from, including the popular two-tone color schemes. Under the hood was a Packard 352 cubic-inch V8 engine rated at 275 horsepower. With its low body weight and powerful engine, the Golden Hawk could race from zero-to-sixty in around 7.8 seconds and reach top speed at 125 mph. A McCulloch supercharger was later added which raised horsepower to 275. A fiberglass overlay on the hood was added which provided extra room for the supercharger. In 1956 there were four Hawk models to select from, the Golden Hawk, Flight Hawk Coupe, Power Hawk Coup, and the Sky Hawk hardtop.
A two-door pillarless hardtop coupe type vehicle, the Studebaker Golden Hawk was produced in South Bend, Indiana from 1956 through 1958. This was the final Studebaker until the introduction of the Avanti that had its styling influenced by industrial designer Raymond Loewy's studio. The Golden Hawk featured the basic shape of the 1953-55 Champion/Commander Starliner hardtop coupe but featured a large, nearly vertical eggcrate grille and raised hoodline rather than the previous vehicles swooping, pointed nose. The rear of the vehicle featured a raised, squared-off trunklid instead of the earlier sloped lid and new vertical fiberglass tailfins were added to the rear quarters.
To give room for a larger engine, the raised hood and grille were added to allow for Packard's large 352 in³ (5.8 L) V8 which delivered 275 bhp (205 kW). Because the Golden Hawk was so light, this big, heavy engine gave the vehicle an amazing power-to-weight ratio for the time period. The Golden Hawk was second only to the Chrysler 300 B in 1956 American car production, and the pricy Chrysler was a road-legal NASCAR racing car. Much like the Chryslers, the Golden Hawk could be considered a precursor to the muscle cars of the 1960s.
The Golden Hawk with its heavy engine came with a bad reputation for poor handling and being nose heavy. Many of the road tests were done by racing drivers, and found that the Golden Hawk could out-perform the Chevy Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird in both 0-60 mph acceleration and quarter mile times. The fastest reported time in magazine testing was 7.8 seconds while top speeds were quoted at 125 mph.
A large variety of colors that included two-tone were available for this year. Initially two-tone schemes involved the front upper body, while the roof and a panel on the tail were painted the contrasting color while the rest of the body was the base color. For 1956 the upper body above the tail-line, including trunk were painted the contrast color with the tail panel in 1956 while the roof and body below the belt line trim were painted the base color.To keep the prices down, an increased options list and reduced standard equipment were used in comparison to the earlier year's Studebaker President Speedster which was replaced by the Golden Hawk. Turn signals were even an option, technically.
In 1956 the Golden Hawk was matched with three other Hawk models and was the only Hawk not technically considered a sub-model within one of Studebaker's regular passenger car lines. The Flight Hawk coupe was a Champion, the Sky Hawk hardtop was a President and the Power Hawk coupe was a Commander.For 1957 and 1958 the Golden Hawk continued on with minor changes. Eventually sold to Curtiss-Wright, Packard's Utica, Michigan engine plant was leased during 1956 and marked the end of genuine Packard production. For two more years, Packard-badged vehicles were produced, though they were basically dolled-up Studebakers. The Packard V8 was no longer available and was replaced by the Studebaker 289 inch (4.7 L) V-8. A McCulloch supercharger was also added to the lineup and gave the same 275 horsepower 205 kW) output as the Packard engine. The cars maximum speed was improved and now the best-performing Hawks (before the Gran Turismo Hawk) was improved and was now available with the Avanti's R2 supercharged engine for the 1963 model year. For the 1957 model year, the Golden Hawk featured some updated styling. A new fiberglass overlay was added to the vehicle and now covered a hole in the hood that was needed to clear the supercharger.

Blue 1956 Thunderbird

Blue 1956 Thunderbird, click picture to enlarge.

There is already one other 1956 Ford Thunderbird on this blog, a red one. I found this one and said Iwould put it on the blog too. Hey, hey there might be somebody out there that likes blue better than red. At any rate, I don't see where it can hurt anything to have two of them as long as there is a difference between them. I have dug up a little bit more information to put on this one too.

You still see two-seat 1956 Ford Thunderbirds on the boulevards of Beverly Hills, which is only fitting. Ford might have been inspired by European sports cars, but the Thunderbird ended up an all-American boulevardier convertible designed for comfort and smooth, powerful straightline performance. That the "Little Birds" were also uncommonly handsome only hastened their climb to "instant classic" status, one reason so many survive today.A sturdy steel body and amenities like roll-up windows were other appealing T-Bird virtues. As proof, the debut '55 outpolled Chevrolet's fiberglass Corvette by 23 to 1 at 16,155 units. The '56 slipped to 15,631, but that was hardly bad for a specialty car in a "fall-back" sales year.
The 1956 Ford Thunderbird offered up to 225 horsepower with its V-8 engine.

The '56 T-Bird was much like the '55, but a standard "continental" spare tire opened up needed trunk space, front-fender ventilator doors enhanced cockpit comfort, and the available lift-off hardtop gained distinctive "porthole" windows that helped visibility. Typical of the time, the '56 also offered more power, courtesy of a new 312-cubic-inch V-8 packing 215 horsepower with optional stick-overdrive or 225 with self-shift Fordomatic. The previous year's 292 continued with the standard three-speed manual, but was upped to 202 bhp. Handling took a step backward, as springs and shocks were softened, but buyers loved the resulting smoother ride.
The 1956 Ford Thunderbird's sleek styling has kept it popular even to this day.

A deft restyle and even more power lifted sales to 21,380 for 1957, but any two-seat T-Bird is a car for the ages. Just ask those happy owners in Beverly Hills.

1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator

1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator, click picture to enlarge.

Hey people, wouldn't you really love to own one of these sweet cars? I never did own one of these big engine heavy muscle cars myself but I had a secretary that worked with me on the job for a while and she had a bright red Cougar that was the pride of her life until she rolled it over a few times on the way to work and totaled it out. She didn't get hurt physically but it hurt her real bad to lose that car, that's how much she liked the cougar. This info on the ca is excerpted from a website called, "How Stuff Works" and there is much more info on that site. I highly recommend this site because it is a good one for a lot of things. There is even a page about how nuclear reactors work which is into the line of work that I retired from.

Mercury raised its muscle car profile with the introduction of the 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator. Taking its cue from such rivals as Z28 and SS Camaros, as well as Ford's own Boss 302 and Mach 1 Mustangs, Ford introduced the Eliminator in April 1969. The Eliminator came with a range of engines, from the Trans Am-inspired solid-lifter 302-cid small block to the 428-cid Cobra Jet big block.

©2007 Publications International, Ltd.Mercury Cougar received its first restyle for 1969, and Mercury answered the Boss 302 and Mach 1 Mustangs with the striped-and-spoilered Eliminator. See more muscle car pictures.
Mercury had introduced its sporty coupe in 1967 as a luxury-touring alternative to the pony-car herd. It had mature styling and upscale interior appointments and was built on a Mustang chassis stretched by three inches to provide a longer, ride-enhancing wheelbase.
Mercury in these years was deeply involved in racing. It backed a variety of record-setting Comet and Cougar drag specials, as well as NASCAR-winning Cyclones. Its street image was tamer, though not for lack of trying. Cougar contributed with the '68 GT-E, which like the Mustang, opened the year with an available 390-horsepower 427-cid V-8, then switched to the 428 Cobra Jet. The image was still more Euro luxury touring car than American muscle, though. It wasn't until the release of the 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator that Mercury was able earn a reputation for muscular Detroit iron.
Not all 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminators were that powerful. In all-out acceleration, the available 290-horsepower 302 was overmatched by the Cougar's weight, but the 428 Cobra Jet benefited from the relatively generous wheelbase. Grip was slightly better off the line than in the shorter Mustang, and quarter-mile times were every bit as good.
Like Mustang, the Eliminator offered the 428-cid CJ with and without Ram Air, as well as in Drag Pak guise with an oil cooler and a 4.30:1 gear-ratio Detroit Locker rear axle. The Eliminator didn't use the shaker hood; its standard scoop was functional only when Ram Air was ordered. A blacked-out grille, side stripe, and front and rear spoilers enhanced the muscular look, and Mercury offered the Eliminator in a palette of "high-impact" blue, orange, and yellow exterior colors.
More impact could be obtained over dealer parts counters, which offered not only headers and dual-quad carburetors, but such exotic hop-up components as deep-sump oil pans and quadruple Weber carburetor setups. From the factory, or with these available parts, the 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator was true American muscle.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.The 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator blended American muscle car attributes with an upscale European flair.

Plymouth Street Prowler

Plymouth Street Prowler, click picture to enlarge.

Hey, people...this is one that I don't know beans about. If I ever saw one I don't remember it. It sure looks and sound like it would have really been fun to own and drive. The following information comes from the Wikipedia site and there is a whole lot more on that site in case you want to read up a little more on this car. Enjoy this one and all the rest o them too by sticking around and using the newer posts and older posts links on the site. You can also tell your friends on Twitter or Google Friend Connect or Facebook about this old car blog.

One of the most striking design features of the Prowler are the open, Indy-racer-style front wheels. The design of the Prowler was said to have been inspired after Chrysler engineers were given free rein to create whatever they wanted in a "hot rod" or "sportster" type vehicle.
The Prowler featured a powertrain lifted from Chrysler's LH-cars, a 3.5L SOHC V6 producing 214 horsepower (160 kW). For the 1999 model year the engine was replaced with a more powerful 253 hp (189 kW) version of the engine. Both engines were coupled to a 4-speed Autostick automatic transmission. The transmission is located at the rear of the vehicle and joined to the engine by a flexible driveshaft that rotates at engine speed; this arrangement is similar to that used by the C5 Corvette and Alfa Romeo 75, and helped to facilitate a desirable 50-50 (percentage, front-rear) weight distribution. The Prowler was the first rear-wheel drive Plymouth since the 1989 Plymouth Gran Fury and was based on the 1993 concept car of the same name.
The car prominently featured aluminum in its construction, chiefly in the chassis. In many cases, the components were adhesively-bonded. The body was produced in Shadyside, Ohio, USA and the car was assembled by hand at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant (CAAP) in Detroit Michigan.

1966 Ford Mustang GT

1966 Ford Mustang GT, click picture to enlarge.

I have never owned a Mustang so I can't write about one with any experience so this article is excerpted from one of the many 'Stang websites I found. Read and enjoy this one and all of the other old cars on this blog.

The Ford Mustang is an American automobile, originally based on the Ford Falcon compact named after the Southern Methodist University Mascot. The first production Mustang, a white convertible with red interior rolled off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964. Introduced to the public at the New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964, and via all three American television networks on April 19, it was the most successful product launch in automotive history, setting off near-pandemonium at Ford dealers across the continent. The original Mustang inspired the term pony car and prompted many imitators. The Mustang's combination of sporty design, low price, and overall performance allowed it to sell over one million units in its first 18 months on the market. After a number of different generations and redesigns, the Mustang remains available today.
Though the Mustang features equine artwork throughout, it was named after the World War II-era P-51 Mustang.
Engineering
Surprisingly, for all its style and well-marketed sporty design, the Mustang was based heavily on familiar, yet simple components. Much of the chassis, suspension, and drive train was derived from the Ford Falcon and Ford Fairlane. The car had a unitized platform-type frame from the 1964 Falcon, and welcoming box-section side rails, including five welded crossmembers. Although hardtop Mustangs were the majority in sales, durability problems with the new frame led to the unusual step of engineering the (necessarily less rigid) convertible first, which ensured adequate stiffness. Overall length of the Mustang and Falcon was identical, at 181.6 in (4613 mm), although the Mustang's wheelbase at 108 in (2743 mm) was slightly shorter. With an overall width of 68.2 in (1732 mm), it was 3.4 in (86 mm) narrower, although wheel track was nearly identical. Shipping weight, about 2570 lb (1170 kg) with six-cylinder engine, was also similar. A full-equipped, V8 model weighed about 3000 lb (1360 kg).

1963 Buick Riviera

1963 Buick Riviera, click on picture to enlarge

'America's Bid for a Great New International Classic Car'

Ad copy for the 1963 Riviera proclaimed it to be 'America's Bid for a Great New International Classic Car.' Authors Gustin and Dunham, in their definitive Buick book, state, 'It became a modern classic the day it was introduced.'

GM's answer to the 4-seat Thunderbird was originally intended to be named LaSalle and offered by Cadillac. Developed under the design leadership of Bill Mitchell, the 1963 Riviera was inspired by the classic lines of the Rolls-Royce.

The boldly understated styling featured a crisply-sculptured roofline, low profile, and frameless side glass. At 117 inches, its wheelbase was a full nine inches shorter than that of the flagship Electra. A stiff base price of $4,333 included substantial standard equipment such as bucket seats, console, 401 cubic-inch 'nailhead' V8, power steering and Buick's traditional Turbine Drive (Dynaflow) automatic transmission. Production was intentionally limited to exactly 40,000 units, in order to ensure exclusivity.

1957 Chrysler Imperial Crown Coupe

1957 Chrysler Imperial Crown Coupe, click picture to enlarge.

I have always thought of the big Chrysler cars as being some of the best and most luxurious cars made. I still think of the ones made in those years as being some of the finest cars on the road.

I do have a little story to tell about one of them that I still chuckle about when I think about it. I had already been discharged from the army in 1956 so it must have been around 1957 or 58 . I was going home from Atlanta to Cairo, Georgia and was driving a big engine 1956 Ford Fairlane Victoria on Geogia highway 27 when a new looking Chryler Imperial came up beside me, passed me, and acted like he wanted to race against that Ford. Now the story begins to be "non-typical" or "atypical" because I floored the gas pedal and soon re-passed that Chrysler with the speedometer needle on that Ford hidden down behind the dash, well past 120mph and still climbing. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw that Chrysler setting on the side of the road with the hood up and smoke just boiling from the engine. Well, as it was I was young and somewhat foolish about some things like that but I just laughed and slowed back down and went on home like I was going to do to start with. Now, I said this story is non-typical because the Imperial Chrysler had a large hemi head V-8 with twin four barrel carbs and so could normally have outperformed a stock Ford with a single two barrel. That makes me believe that the Chrysler had not been maintained and cared for like it should have been which was the reason it blew out on that race.

This information came mostly from the Wikipedia encyclopedia about the car.


The Chrysler Imperial had been the company's most luxurious model, and in 1955 when the company decided to introduce a separate luxury brand, Imperial was the natural choice for the nameplate of the new spin off vehicle line. The Imperial became a separate marque and division within the corporation. Imperial would see new body styles introduced every two to three years, all with V8 engines and automatic transmissions, as well as technologies that would filter down to the lower rungs of Chrysler corporation's sister offerings.

1955-56: A separate make In 1955, the Imperial was launched and registered as a separate marque, apart from the Chrysler brand. It was a product of the new Imperial Division of Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler introduced Forward Look Styling by Virgil Exner, who would define Imperial's look (and the look of cars from the other four Chrysler divisions) from 1955 to 1963.
The 1955 models are said to be inspired by Exner's own 1952 Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton show cars. The bodyshell was shared with that year's big Chryslers, but the Imperial had a wide-spaced split eggcrate grille (also used on the Chrysler 300 "executive hot rod") and "gunsight" taillights mounted above the rear quarters. Models included a two-door Newport hardtop coupe (3,418 built) and a four-door sedan (7840 built). The engine was Chrysler's first-generation Hemi V8 with a displacement of 331 cu in (5.4 L) and developing 250 brake horsepower (186 kW).
The 1956 models were similar, but had small tailfins, a slightly longer wheelbase, a larger engine displacement of 354 cu in (5.8 L) with 280 brake horsepower (209 kW), and a four-door Southampton hardtop sedan was added to the range.
1957–1959 Imperial Crown from 1957 Trunk lids featured an imitation continental tire bulge.1957 saw a redesigned and larger bodyshell available, based to an even greater degree on Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" styling (also used on other full-size Chryslers of the period). It featured a complicated front end (very similar to Cadillacs of the period) with a bulleted grille and quad headlights, tall tailfins, and Imperial's trademark gunsight taillights. The Hemi engine was available for the first two years that was enlarged to 392 cu in (6.4 L). For 1959, the third and final year of this bodystyle, a 413 cu in (6.8 L) Wedge-head engine replaced it. A convertible was available for the first time on an Imperial and available in the mid-range Crown series. Sales were helped by Exner's "ahead of the competition" styling, with 1957 becoming the best-selling Imperial year ever.
Starting from 1957, Imperials were available in three levels of trim: standard Imperial, (also known as Imperial Custom) Imperial Crown, and the new, super-luxury Imperial LeBaron (the latter named after a coachbuilder, bought out by Chrysler, that did some of the best work on prewar Chrysler Imperial chassis, and not to be confused with the later, cheaper Chrysler Le Baron). Through the late 1950s and into the early 1960s styling would continue to become "Longer, Lower, Wider", with the addition some of the wildest fins ever put on a car.

1957 Chevrolet Corvette

1957 Chevrolet Corvette, click picture to enlarge.

Hey all you Vette Fans and Vettettes too, this one is for you to drool over and fantasize about. Have a long look and enjoy.

Chevrolet pulled something amazing out of the hat for 1957: Fuel Injection. First run in 1956 at the Sebring race, the Rochester Ramjet injection was an answer to Mercedes-Benz which featured fuel injection in the 1954 300SL. The innovation solved a fuel starvation problem caused by sloshing while cornering with carbureted engines under race conditions. The fuel injection system also enabled Chevrolet to boast of 1 hp per cubic inch of displacement with the 283 cu. in., 283 hp engine. To keep this development in perspective, consider this. Almost all of the high priced supposedly advanced competition -- including Jaguar, Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini -- did not go with fuel injection until the 1970s or later.

The new system was complex and costly however. At $484.20, the one option added over 15% of the price of an entire Corvette. Buyers found it irresistible however, with 1,040 checking the box on the order form. The complexity also resulted in a high maintenance reputation. Not up for debate is the way the market treats fuel injected Corvettes of the era. Corvette enthusiasts went for it in a big way in 1957 and more so 50 years later as a collectable; the price premium for a "Fuelie" as they are often called is significantly higher than their more mundane carbureted cousins.

There was more good go-fast news for Corvette buyers in 1957. Just south of the clutch, a new four speed manual transmission became available as of April 9, 1957. 664 1957 Corvettes were so equipped at an extra cost of $188.30. Special four speeds had been installed in some race cars, so apparently the "More is Better" philosophy applied. Also available in 1957: RPO 684, a racing suspension intended for serious racers. The cost was $780.10 and was installed on only 51 Corvettes in 1957.

So there you have it all. Enjoy....

1957 Chevrolet Belair

1957 Chevrolet Belair Sedan, click picture to enlarge.

The 1955,56 & 57 Chevrolet has historically been the most coveted and sought after of all of the classic collector cars ever made. I missed some of the excitement though ecause I have always been a Ford man myself, especially keen on the 1956 Ford Fairlane Victoria.

The ’57 Chevy is one of the most recognized icons in the Automotive industry. Stylish and Sporty the there’s no doubt that it’s one of America’s best and most loved cars. The 1957 Chevrolet a few different trim levels; the base-model "150" series, the mid-range "210" series, and the upscale Bel Air series. An upscale trim option called the "Del Ray" was also available for 210 2-door sedans, and there was a limited production two-door station wagon called the "Nomad" and also even scarcer was the "El Morocco", a custom hand-built series that mimicked the Cadillac.
Under the hood Chevrolet had achieved an engineering milestone, Ed Cole worked magic developing Chevy’s small-block V8 engine. The original edition was enlarged to 283 cu, with several optional power packages available, pushing it up to 283 hp. The Super Turbo-Fire 283, a $550 option, produced the advertised 283 horsepower with the help of Ramjet continuous-flow fuel injection. On the outside the Bel Air was distinguished with more chrome and featured a golden grille set off with a heavy chrome bar that included parking lights. The rear fins were capped with chrome moldings and highlighted with anodized aluminum side trim panels. The fuel-filler door was concealed in the left rear chrome fin trim, a small but convenient detail that helped clean up exterior lines.
The 1955-57 Chevrolets remain a favorite with hot-rodders and classic car enthusiasts

1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible

1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible, click picture to enlarge.

There is no special reason for showing two pictures of this car and one picture of the others. I just have two views of the same car and put both of them here for you to enjoy.

I had a seargent in the company that I was in during 1955 that bought one of these cars brand new. His was a nile green and ivory white and it was a beautiful car.

Duing those years there was a group of owners that were called the "Rocket Club" after the name Rocket 88 Olds. These people had a strong sense of cameraderie similar to that of the present day Harley Davidson clubs.

'Make a date with a Rocket 88' - The full size Oldsmobile 88 was introduced in 1949 and produced until 1999. The 88 was produced in Wentzville, MO, Flint and Lake Orion, MI, and became a top seller for 24 years. The 202 horsepower engine is a lightweight overhead valve, high compression Rocket V8.
Styling features for the 1955 Super 88 included a one-piece windshield, rocket badges and a bold new grille. 1955 also marked the 5 millionth Oldsmobile produced since the company was formed in 1896.
1955 was also a key year in history for another event. The first solar automobile was demonstrated in Chicago, IL. ConvertibleChassis Num: 225K21523 Oldsmobile's 'Rocket' engine was introduced in 1949. For 1950, sales had doubled versus 1947 and then doubled the 1947 results yet again by 1955. Oldsmobile set sales records by 1955 with well over 580,000 cars being built. They were ranked fifth overall in the completive American car market.
Oldsmobile offered only two convertibles in its 1955 lineup - the Super 88 and 98. The Olds Super 88 powered by the same 324 cubic-inch Rocket V8 that came with the 98 offered power and performance that rivaled the Cadillac and other more upscale marques at a price of a comparable Buick.
The typical factory gear fitted on the Super 88 included turn signals, bumper guards, stainless steel trim moldings, dual trumpet horns, cigar lighter, front and rear carpeted floor mats, and dimmer rearview mirror.

1954 Kurtis Kraft 500 S Roadster Convertible

1954 Kurtis Kraft 500 S Roadster Convertible, click pictureto enlarge.


I don't know anything about this car personally so This information is excerpted from another site that discusses the Kurtis Kraft:

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z12458/Kurtis-Kraft-500S.aspx

Frank Kurtis infatuations with automobiles began at an early age. His father owned a blacksmith shop located in Pueblo, Colorado that repaired automobiles and horse-and-buggy. The family later moved to Los Angeles, CA where Frank got a job working with Don Lee Cadillac, after lying about his age. By the 1930's, Frank was designing, building, and repairing racers in his four car garage located behind his house.
In 1941 he had created a car to be entered in the Indianapolis race which was driven by Sam Hanks. Near the mid-1940's, he had created two other racers designed for Indy. The first was for Ross page and the second was the Novi Special. The Novi V8 Specials were racing cars designed to compete at Indianapolis from 1941 through 1965. These were very fast and powerful machines that had a reputation for their handling, which had claimed the lives of two drivers.
During the 1940's, Kurtis fostered a reputation for his midget and Indy racers. In 1946, the Kurtis Miller Ross Page Special had been created and was ready to compete in the first Indy 500 after World War II. The rear faring was constructed of Plexiglas and powered by a 183 cubic-inch Offenhauser engine. It competed in the 1946-1948 Indianapolis 500 races.
By 1947 he had created the Kurtis-Kraft Special, his personal entrant in the 1948 Indy race. This one-off was built specifically to Frank Kurtis's specification and desire. During the 1948 season, it carried Frank to a 9th place finish at Indy and 12th in points. For the 1949 season, under the name of Wynn's Oil Special, it was driven by Johnny Parson and wearing the number 1 on its side, to a first overall finish at Indianapolis. The vehicle was later sold to Jim Robbins who drove it in the 1951 Indianapolis race where he finished with an impressive 2nd overall.

Since I don't know anything about the Kurtis Kraft I wanted to give you an insight into a similar car that I do remember about that was called a Cunningham. You may notice in reading about the Cunningham that one of their fabrication shops was in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was right behind where I lived for a while as a young teenager and I spent a lot of time in their shop watching them build up those cars.

http://users.rcn.com/edwardh.nai/chm1.htm
This definitive car, the Cunningham C-1, would set the pattern not only for Cunningham's own C2R (early '51) and C4R (late '51) sports cars, but for every American sports car from then on. The basic concept established by Mr. Cunningham ("Mr. C") laid the groundwork for America's two best known sports cars, the Corvette (1953) and Cobra (1962). In fact, the fathers of the Corvette (Zora Arkus-Duntov) and the Cobra (Carroll Shelby) both raced, and lost to, Cunninghams at Le Mans (1950 - 54). After seeing the Cunninghams in action, they took his approach with their own cars. Mr. C also pioneered the use of racing stripes as part of the team "colors," an effect that has become a standard. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The most successful Cunningham cars were his C4Rs. This was a ladder-framed, envelope body, two seater with a large displacement overhead valve V8 engine and clearly inspired the better known Corvette and Cobra. Even today's American sports cars owe their inspiration to the Cunningham innovation. Chrysler Corporation certainly recognizes this and places the ghostly image of a C4R Cunningham above their current sports cars in some of their advertisements. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The three Cunningham C4Rs were built in West Palm Beach, Florida in late 1951. Like most Cunninghams, they were powered by Chrysler's mighty HEMI V8 and had almost 400 horsepower. They would race at Le Mans for the next few years (where they could lap 8 miles an hour faster than the race winning Jaguars) and would totally dominate American sports car racing during the first half of the decade.

1950 Willis Jeepster Phaeton

1950 Willis Jeepster Phaeton, click picture to enlarge.





Hi everyone, I am back at the computer and working on this blog again after being away from it for five or six days. I felt somewhat guilty about neglecting this work for so long and it feels good to be back at it now.



There is now well over 60 different cars on this blog and I am adding more cars almost every day so spend some time looking through the whole thing. Use the older posts and newer posts links to scroll through all of them. then tell the other old car buffs that you know about this old car blog and let them enjoy some time here too. That's what this is all about anyway, enjoying these old cars and riding down memory lane for a while to relax and enjoy ourselves without spending a pile of money to do it. Come back often to see what's new.



I did not ever drive one of these Jeepster Phaetons myself but I drove the earlier Army Jeep for many a mile at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Fort Benning, Georgia. I was the company clerk and when the troops went out to the fields for a camp during training I was supposed to go back to the main base everyday and turn in my field report of all personnel both present and or accounted for. I was able to buy 3 or 4 cases of lite beer at the base PX store for about 50 cents apiece and carry them to the troops in the field and resell them for about a dollar apiece and keep the profit for myself. This was all with the company commander's blessings because jumped right in and bought his beer too. Now on to the Jeepster Phaeton itself.



Willis returned to making cars for the civilian public in 1948 with this Jeepster, a four passenger which served as a jeep and a passenger car too. The Jeepster featured a sporty styling and the classic verically barred grill. It had an L-head, 4 cylinder engine called a Hurricane that produced 63 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and a 3 speed manual transmission. Features of the Jeepster included the open passenger compartment with a manually operated soft cloth top and plastic windows and side curtains. Some of the options included front and rear bumper guards, dual wipers, cigar lighter, radio and antenna, and large wheel disc brakes.

1950 Mercury Custom Coupe

1950 Mercury Custom Coupe, click picture to enlarge.

There is now well over 60 different cars on this blog and I am adding more cars almost every day so spend some time looking through the whole thing. Use the older posts and newer posts links to scroll through all of them. then tell the other old car buffs that you know about this old car blog and let them enjoy some time here too. That's what this is all about anyway, enjoying these old cars and riding down memory lane for a while to relax and enjoy ourselves without spending a pile of money to do it. Come back often to see what's new.

When it comes to talking about customized cars there is just no telling what you might find unless you know the particular car you are talking about. I will give you some information about a standard 1950 Mercury in just a moment but first let me tell you about a "custom" Ford that me and a friend built up in the early 1950's. Before I tell you about the car I need to tell you how we came about building this car. Back then it was fairly common for young people to get just anything that they could rake and scrape up enough money to buy. Then when they, or we as the case might be, would look around in the junk yards and other places and find parts and pieces that we could make fit and build up a car as near like we wanted as we could with what we had. Now with that in mind here is the car that we built up. We started with a 1932 Ford Murray coupe, the one with the little side window in the rear quarter panel that was much like the 1956 Ford Thunderbird side port. Then we put a 1936 mercury V-8 engine in it and a 1948 Mercury Holley carbureter, a 1937 Lincoln Zephyr transmission and a 1928 Model A rear end spider gear assembly. Yep, we got all of that to fit together and it run pretty good. In fact, that 1932 Ford Murray coupe would not run over 78 miles per hour on flat ground but it would get that 78 quicker than that a cat could scat!! We drove that car to West Palm Beach where the police had just started using the new Harley Davidson motorcycles for patrol duty. We knew many of the police patrolmen and would challenge them to drag race against that Ford and it would beat those Harleys every time. Now a little bit about the 1950 Mercury.


I had to do a little bit of extra research to find this information because most of the 1950 Mercury info is about modified cars and not the standard stock Mercury. The stock engine was a 255.4 cid flathead V8 that developed 110 horsepower at 3600 rpm. The horsepower to weight ratio was 33 pounds per horsepower and 26.2 horsepower per liter of engine size and a compression ratio of 6.8:1. The engine had 3 main bearings and a Holley 2 barrel carbureter. The 1950 Mercury had a standard 3 speed column mount gearshift and an optional Touch-a-matic automatic transmission. The car weighed 3630 pounds and cost $2,140 new. The 1950 Mercury was the best selling model made up until that time selling 233,000 cars 1n 1950 and also selling the one millionth Mercury that year. Henry Ford came up with the vision of making a car to bridge the price gap batween the low priced Fords and the high end Lincolns and The Mercury was born to do just that and it did it in an amazingly successful fashion.

1950 Hudson Commodore Convertible

1950 Hudson Commodore Convertible. click picture to enlarge.

The 1950 Hudson Commodore was one of Hudson's most successful cars, but it failed to make up for Hudson's failure to produce the increasingly popular station wagon. Still, as the 1950 Hudson Commodore specifications indicate, the Commodore could hold its own.

Specifications
Engines: Six sidevalve I-6, 262.0 cid (3.56 × 4.38), 123 bhp Eight sidevalve I-8, 254.0 cid (3.00 × 4.50), 128 bhp Transmission: 3-speed manual; overdrive, Drive-Master, and Supermatic semi-automatic optional Suspension, front: independent, coil springs, tube shocks Suspension, rear: live axle, leaf springs, tube shocks Brakes: front/rear drums Wheelbase (in.): 124.0 Weight (lbs): 3,640-3,865

As I remember these Hudsons they were among the better luxury cars of that time period comparing well with Packard, Cadilac, Lincoln and other luxury cars. The main reason, as I see it, why the Hudsons did not continue was that the company made some bad marketing decisions that cost them too many sales so they went the way of many other cars through the years.

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1948 MG TC

1948 MG TC, click picture to enlarge.

The MG, which was the second generation removed from the older Austin, was probably the car that turned many Americans on to the notion of wanting to own and drive the European sports cars. This sporty MG TC sports car, with its sweeping front fenders, cutaway doors, fold down windshield and knockoff wire wheels was a type of car not often seen on the American roads. The MG TC had a 1250 cc 4-cylinder engine that turned 54 horsepower at 5,200 rpm which is a comparatively high rate of rpm. It had a 3 speed transmission and 4 wheel Lockheed hydraulic brakes. It also came with a telescoping steering column and a six volt electrical system. The interior had leather upholstery and a wood grain dash panel.

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1948 Indian Chief Motorcycle

1948 Indian Chief Motorcycle, click picture to enlarge.

Now this is cutting the cake right man. These big Indian motorcyles were the REAL kings of the road when I was a young man, before the Harleys and Hondas and Kawasakis ever came into being. I could not afford to own one myself but one of my good friends did. He had a big white Indian Chief and we used to ride it all over South Florida in the years just after WWII. In fact, we lived in Belle Glade Florida and we rode his bike to West Palm Beach almost every weekend to a dance, round dance or barn dance or whatever you would call it. That was about 46 miles one way going and then another 46 miles coming back home. Yeah, when you are still young and healthy and full of life and energy that kind of thing is no challenge at all. I would call those the "golden glory days" of motorcycle riding. Then along came the "new breed" of Harleys and all the rest of them. In fact, I don't imagine that there are ten people out of a thousand around now that remembers these big grand Indian Chiefs at all. To be truthful though I will concede that some of the big bikes made now could have put the old Indians down in the shade when it comes to big engines, big bikes, power, speed, luxury and comfort. I have heard that somebody in California has started making the small to medium size Indians again but I don't know if they are making the big bikes again. I don't even know if it is someone in the same family, or company, as the original Indians were or not. Maybe someone out there reading this old car blog can tell us more about it. If you can then send me your remarks or comments by using the commnt button on the bottom of this post.

1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe, tripic

1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe, tripic. Click picture to enlarge.

I do not normally add much writeup material on these tripic posts because there is enough info on the pictures. If you click the picture and enlarge it the information can be read easily.

A 1940 Ford was the first car that I bought sometime around 1945 or 46, near the end of WWII. The one I had was what I call the humpback model or the four door sedan. That was the car that I started learning how to drive with.

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1940 Buick Business Coupe

1940 Buick Business Coupe, click picture to enlarge.

Buick entered 1940 with a restyled automobile. The grill was much larger than the previous year and had heavy horizontal bars and the headlights were integrated into the front fenders. These features gave the Buick a new look but mechanically very little had changed from the previous year. The coupe had a 248 cid 8 cylinder engine that produced 107 horsepower. The coupe had a three speed column shifted transmission. The business coupe was the lowest priced car in the Buick lineup for 1940. It sold for $895.00 and 12,372 units were sold that year.

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1939 Plymouth Convertible Coupe

1939 Plymouth Convertible Coupe

The 1939 Plymouth sported a completely new look and was touted as the best looking Plymouth in years. The biggest change was the stylish "vee'd" front end, with a multi-piece grill and a two pane windshield. The headlights were rectangular and were gracefully formed into the front fenders. Perhaps the best buy in the line was the convertible coupe, the only open top car in the entire Chrysler lineup for 1939. The Plymouth convertible also offered the first and only power operated top in the automotive industry, controlled by a button on the dash. The options included fenderskirts, a pushbutton radio and spotlights.

You can browse through the rest of these old cars by using the older posts and newer posts buttons at the bottom of each post or by using the archives links in the side bar. There are about 50 or more old cars on the blog now and new ones being added daily so enjoy all of them. Tell others about this old car blog too. Send comments or email me by using the comment button.

1936 Peugeot 402 Eclipse

1936 Peugeot 402 Eclipse, click picture to enlarge.

The Peugeot 402 was introduced at the Paris automobile show in 1935 with a product line that included the legendary Eclipse, a two door coupe that presented one of the first retractable hardtops in automotive history. The Eclipse was manufactured from 1936 through 1941 and was modeled similar to the Chrysler Airflow with a swept back grill and rear wheel fender skirts. The Eclipse had a 55 horsepower four cylinder engine with a three speed transmission and could reach about 75 miles per hour. The one in this picture had a hand operated retractable top.

The only retractable hardtops that I am familiar with were the 1957 and 58 Ford retractables. The T-birds had removable hardtops but not a true retractable. I did not know that Peugeot made a retractable too.

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1935 Panhard Coupe

1935 Panhard Coupe, click picture to enlarge.

Rene' Panhard started the great dynasty of French automobile manufacturing in 1895 with the B2 model, a revolutionary car which initiated the classic front engine and rear wheel drive layout. The Panhard firm maintained their strong trademark image of well built and awe inspiring automobiles until they merged with Citoen in 1955. The Panhard 2-door coupe shown here came equipped with steel wheels and a sidemount. The car had an American Willis-Knight sleeved valve, 6cylinder, 255-cid and 87 horsepower engine

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Packard Plant destroyed by weekend fires

I just noticed this story in the Old Cars Weekly Blog and quickly decided that I need to post this here and let our readers know that this part of our old car history is now gone up in smoke. This article is excerpted from the Old Car Weekly Blog and is used here for information purposes only and is not intended or used in any way as an infringement of their ownership rights. For your information I have a picture of the last car made at the plant which was a centenniel edition made in 1999 to celebrate 100 years of Packard History. The plant closed down in 1956 and has been in shambles since then.

According to several online sources, the sprawling, five-story, 3.5 million square feet complex has been abandoned for a number of years, and firefighters have made nearly weekly visits to the fire-plagued site in recent months. On Sunday, a two-alarm fire sent firefighters there to battle a blaze that started on the fourth floor. Jason Frattinni of Firehouse.com reported that Sunday’s fire raged most of the day and through the night before it eventually burned out. Crews worked through the night and continued to work into Monday. Causes of the recent fires at the site have stemmed from scrappers working with acetylene torches and by vandals.Concerned with hazards, the Detroit Fire Department had ordered personnel to stay out of the interior of the complex while fighting a fire. They had held special training sessions there so neighboring fire units would be familiar with the plant.The complex, consisting of 43 buildings, was designed by Albert Kahn and opened on Detroit’s eastside in 1907. Luxury vehicles were made there until 1956. It was sold the following year for $750,000. From the late 1970s through the late 1980s, the building was used as the Motor City Industrial Park. According to the Detroit Free Press it was most recently owned by Bioresource Inc., which emerged with the title after a lengthy court battle with the City of Detroit. The company was declared dissolved by the state in 2003 after failing to pay city taxes.

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1934 Packard V-12 LeBarron, tripic

1934 Packard V-12 LeBarron tripic, click picture to enlarge.

These tripic images are from a catalogue published by the Danbury Mint Company and are used only for information purposes and are not intended to be an infringement of their possession rights. I have bought one f their die cast models that is a near duplicate of an old 1955 Ford Fairlane that I have used in a coupole of car shows to win a couple of trophies. I would display my die cast model along with my full sized car and some people would enjoy the model more than the real car. I will fully and completely recommend the Danbury Mint die cast models to anyone that wants to get these superbly detailed models for their own pleasure. In my opinion, they are undoubtedly the best that there is available.

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1932 Buick Series 80 Victoria

1932 Buick Series 80 Victoria, click picture to enlarge.

The 1932 Buicks were available in four different series, the 50,60,80 and 90. They were all straight 8 cylinders and had a fresh new look that appealed to the public, but unfortunately the public was not buying. The Great Depression of the late twenties and early thirties had slowed almost everything down to a standstill and people were just not able to buy much of anything. Buick's sales for 1932 dropped more than 50%.

The Series 80 had only two models, one of which was the handsome Victoria shown here in this picture. It was a five passenger traveler's coupe and had a 126 inch wheelbase and 113 horsepower straight 8 engine and a three speed transmission. It sold for about $1,540.

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