Category Archives: Classic Cars

Icon Bronco dissected in detail

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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Icon Bronco

The crew from Cool Hunting finally got around to stopping by the Icon headquarters for a little chat with founder Jonathan Ward. The man has made a name for himself by crafting some of the most detail-oriented interpretations of classic cars on the planet.

The Icon Bronco features all of the vintage style of a late ’60s SUV with a hand-built frame, modern running gear and electronics underneath. We are, needless to say, smitten with the creation. Ward gave Cool Hunting the complete tour, including showing off a number of Icon Bronco models in various stages of completion.

Ward brings up an interesting point about modern vehicles about halfway through the clip. He says that with manufacturers continuing to pile on unnecessary technology, today’s machines are almost guaranteed to be obsolete in five years or so. In contrast, Ward says he builds each Icon to be durable enough to last decades without needing serious revision. We like his style. Scroll down below to watch the video.

Continue reading Icon Bronco dissected in detail

Icon Bronco dissected in detail originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pebble Beach winner going up for auction in August

Posted on by Drew Phillips

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1938 Horch 853A Erdmann & Rossi Sport Cabriolet

How much is a Pebble Beach ‘Best in Show’ car worth? We’re about to find out. A 1938 Horch 853A Erdmann & Rossi Sport Cabriolet (that’s quite a mouthful) is looking for a new home and is headed to auction at RM’s Monterey sale in August. The car underwent an extensive restoration in 2001 and debuted at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where it took home first prize. Since then, the Horch has gone on to win many other accolades including the Best in Show at the New York City Concours (2005), the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance (2006), the Glenmoor Gathering (2008), and the Ault Park Concours (2009).

So what makes this particular car so special? Horch, one of the original four German automakers of the Auto Union that lives on today as Audi, produced some of the most luxurious vehicles in the early part of the century. The 853A Cabriolet, one of the company’s last efforts, is widely considered one of the most beautiful cars of its era and came with many modern features including vacuum-boosted hydraulic brakes, overdrive in all four gears, and a unique hydraulic jacking system. This particular example features unique coachwork by Erdmann & Rossi and is one of just three known to currently exist.

You can read more about the 1938 Horch 853A Erdmann & Rossi Sport Cabriolet and the auction in RM’s press release after the break, and you can see our photos of the car at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in the gallery above.

Continue reading Pebble Beach winner going up for auction in August

Pebble Beach winner going up for auction in August originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carroll Shelby passes away at age 89

Posted on by Jeremy Korzeniewski

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Carroll Shelby

Carroll Shelby has passed away at the age of 89. The legendary tuner and proprietor of the famous marque that bears his name had been in the hospital for several weeks, suffering from pneumonia. Shelby addressed his fans fourteen days before his death, saying that he was resting comfortably and being taken care of by his children.

Anyone familiar in the least with automotive history is well aware of Shelby’s vast vehicular exploits, so we’ll just touch on them here. Carroll was a successful race car driver in the 1950s before creating his own racing team to take on the likes of Ferrari, using Ford-powered sportscar called the Cobra. Suffice it to say, Shelby and his Cobra were extremely successful. Later, Shelby’s name would become synonymous with the fastest and most powerful Ford Mustang models ever created.

Shelby is survived by his three children Patrick, Michael and Sharon, his sister Anne Shelby Ellison of Fort Worth and his wife Cleo. An official press release can be found below.

Continue reading Carroll Shelby passes away at age 89

Carroll Shelby passes away at age 89 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jerry Seinfeld returning to TV with Comics and Cars

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld may be planning to stage a return to television. The comic and car fanatic has been dropping hints about a new project tentatively called “Comics and Cars.” Details are iffy at the moment, though the premise seems to circle around Seinfeld and his wealthy friends hanging out and talking about various vehicles.

Names like Alec Baldwin, Ricky Gervais and Larry David have all surfaced as potential candidates, though it’s unclear if Seinfeld will rely on a regular panel of hosts or a slurry of rotating guests. Seinfeld has tried his hand at reality television in the past, though without much success.

The comic’s last project, The Marriage Ref, bumbled along for two seasons on NBC before being canceled. There’s no doubt that Seinfeld is both funny and a genuine car guy, but if shows like Top Gear USA and The Car Show have proven anything, it’s that it takes more than those two elements to succeed.

Jerry Seinfeld returning to TV with Comics and Cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saab fans save the last 9-3

Posted on by Jeff Sabatini

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Last Saab produced

Congratulations are in order: Saabs United has raised enough money to buy the last Saab 9-3, what is likely to be the last Saab of any sort ever produced. The group will be installing the car in the Saab Cars Museum on a permanent loan, as well as donating the additional money it raised during its fund drive.

Forgive us for being just a bit cynical here, but it’s really a shame this particular car is so mundane. It’s a Saab 9-3 Aero Griffin, a run-of-the-mill sedan that’s a direct descendant of the 2003 model year 9-3. Based on the global General Motors Epsilon platform that also spawned the similarly extinct Pontiac G6, the 9-3 is arguably the car that killed Saab – or at least failed to save it – as GM was never able to sell enough of them or derive enough profit from the ones it managed to move in the U.S. to make a go of the brand.

We’re sure all Saab enthusiasts agree that the marque certainly deserved better treatment than it got from Detroit, and when we look back in fond remembrance on Saab, there are any number of models that will come to mind before we think of the final 9-3. Most of them are included in our historical Saab gallery.

Saab fans save the last 9-3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1959 Vespa ACMA is the ultimate road-rage vehicle

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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Vespa Acma

If you’ve never laid eyes on a Vespa ACMA, allow us to introduce you. Manufactured for use in World War II, the scooter came equipped with a small cannon designed to launch rocket-propelled grenades.

Soldiers found an advantageous firing position, deployed stabilizers, plucked a grenade from a stylish wicker basket and fired upon the enemy, which, we should point out, was probably rolling happily along in a tank. Vespa ACMA, thy name is David. For obvious reasons, ACMA examples are plenty scarce. You can still find them, though, and if you want one to call your very own, we have good news for you.

The ACMA-obsessed crew over at Hemmings found an original example stored at a Messina military camp for the past 30 years. While the cannon has been deactivated, the rest of the Acma is in original and complete condition right down to the khaki green paint. If you like what you see, you’d better get your check book ready. This particular version is up for auction with an estimated final bid of $16,000 to $20,000. Head over to the COYS auction site for more information.

1959 Vespa ACMA is the ultimate road-rage vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 May 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Richard Hammond picks 10 best American cars

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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Richard Hammond

Of the three “Top Gear” hosts, Richard Hammond may be the most sympathetic towards American tastes. He’s made no secret of his love for American machinery, including our big-boned muscle cars and pickup trucks. Hammond even spent some time filming in our neck of the woods while working on his new show, “Crash Course.” The series puts Hammond behind the wheel of the largest machinery on the planet, and not surprisingly, the first episode focuses solely on the monstrosities of America.

Hammond sat down with GQ to discuss the project as well as some of his favorite vehicles from the States. While cars like the 1969 Dodge Charger and 1968 Ford Mustang GT are obvious picks, Hammond also seems to favor creations like the modern Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the Jeep Wrangler. Head over to Wired to take a look at the full list for yourself. “Crash Course” airs Mondays at 10 on BBC America.

Richard Hammond picks 10 best American cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 May 2012 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why did this Mini sell for over $65,000?

Posted on by Jeff Sabatini

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1959 Austin Seven sells for $65k at Bonhams auction

There’s good reason this Mini more than doubled it’s pre-sale estimate, and it’s not because Neil Armstrong once drove it. No, Lot 307 at Bonhams’ Hendon, U.K., sale was bid up to $65,100 because it’s an exceptionally rare early Mini, just the eighth of the iconic cars ever manufactured, according to the auction company.

The seller was clearly able to capitalize on the current collector car trend of finding unrestored survivor cars – those gems that have somehow escaped not only the ravages of time and oxidation, but five decades of enthusiastic collectors armed with an attitude that tearing it down to the base metal and building it back up, “better than new,” is the only way to enjoy vintage iron. The auction company advertised this 1959 Austin Seven (the Mini name wasn’t applied to the Austin version until 1961) as the oldest unrestored Mini, saying that only three earlier cars are known to exist, one of which is in the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust museum.

Unrestored cars have achieved their recent popularity in part because they serve as records of how the cars originally came from the factory. Production standards in the ’50s and ’60s were much more lax than they are now, and written records can be hard to come by, hence the need for cars like this to direct historians and restorers alike.

The Mini, of course, is one of the most popular cars of all time, remaining in production with few changes from 1959 through 2000. Over 5.3 million of the cars were produced over that period, before BMW shut down production to launch its modern version of the car.

Scroll down to read Bonhams full catalog description.

Continue reading Why did this Mini sell for over $65,000?

Why did this Mini sell for over $65,000? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Leno has a very tender moment with a decidedly tough 1975 Plymouth Duster

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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Jay Leno Plymouth Duster

Long before Jay Leno became an international celebrity, he was spinning wrenches at a local car dealership. While there, he crossed paths with Paul Annunziata, a brilliant mechanic with a penchant for Mopar muscle. While Leno was busy doing stand-up comedy and working his way toward network television, Annunziata was doing something really interesting: building a street-legal pro-stock drag car out of a 1975 Duster. After winning $10,000 in the lottery, he started with a body-in-white chassis before snapping up a 426 Hemi V8 from a Super Bee. Not satisfied with wedging an impossibly huge engine into the confines of the Duster’s engine bay, Annunziata bolted on a massive Roots blower.

The rear of the body had to be tubbed to keep the tires under the factory sheetmetal, and the Duster also underwent extensive engine bay modification to house its new powerplant. Even so, everything on the machine is fully functional as it would have been from the factory.

Unfortunately, Annunziata was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Rather than sell his pride and joy, he offered it to Leno for free under the stipulation that he never sell the machine. Leno agreed, but only if he could actually pay Annunziata for his creation. The two compromised by setting up a scholarship for those who are interested in pursuing a four-year degree in auto mechanics or restoration. We call that a win on every front. Scroll down to see Leno take the 1,000 horsepower Duster out for a run.

Continue reading Jay Leno has a very tender moment with a decidedly tough 1975 Plymouth Duster

Jay Leno has a very tender moment with a decidedly tough 1975 Plymouth Duster originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 May 2012 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indy 500 fixture Jim Nabors to miss this year’s race [w/video]

Posted on by Jeff Sabatini

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Jim NaborsJim Nabors wasn’t born or raised in Indiana, and he doesn’t live there. Yet that hasn’t prevented him from becoming one of the state’s favorite sons. Singing “Back Home Again In Indiana” before the vast majority of Indianapolis 500 races over the past 40 years will do that for a guy.

But this year, the 81-year-old actor and singer won’t be able to make the trip from his home in Hawaii to Indy, due to a scheduled heart surgery, according to USA Today. Apparently the tradition is important enough to the folks that run Indianapolis Motor Speedway, that instead of calling John Mellencamp, they have dispatched a video crew to our 50th state to record Nabors singing the song.

According to the report, Nabors has performed the song before every Indy 500 since 1987 except for the 2007 race, which he also missed for health reasons. Nabors also sang before the 1972-1978 races and two additional times in the 1980s, according to WTHR.

Scroll down to watch video footage of Nabors singing before the 2010 Indy 500.

Continue reading Indy 500 fixture Jim Nabors to miss this year’s race [w/video]

Indy 500 fixture Jim Nabors to miss this year’s race [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2012 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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