Tag Archives: Automotive Nostalgia

1930’S Racing Cars: Amazing “Bugatti Type 59” Reunion (Classic Driver)

From a Classic Driver Magazine online article:

Bugatti Type 59 Classic Driver photo 2019During this year’s Monterey Car Week, all four of Bugatti’s hallowed Type 59s were reunited for the first time since 1935. We spoke to the man who pulled off arguably the most historically significant automotive rendezvous of the decade…

In the fabled legend of Bugatti’s racing cars, there is one model that is so beautiful and so elusive that is stands at the top of every enthusiast of the great French marque’s wish list: the Type 59. Along with the input of Jean Bugatti, who had been one of the Classic Driver logodriving forces behind the introduction of the twin-cam engine, Ettore Bugatti created the ultimate expression of his jewel-like Grand Prix car.

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Classic Car Nostalgia: “1965 Ford Thunderbird Convertible”

From Wikipedia:

1965 Ford Thunderbird Convertible Classic Driver December 2019The revised model was initially offered as a hardtop, convertible, Sports Roadster with dealer-installed tonneau cover and wire wheels, and Landau with vinyl roof, simulated landau irons, and wood grain interior appointments. Total 1964 sales were excellent: 92,465, up nearly fifty per cent from the previous year, but with only 50 Sports Roadster kits were sold from the factory. The 1964 Thunderbird was the only car of this generation to have the word ‘Thunderbird’ spelled out on the front hood instead of a chrome Thunderbird emblem. The only transmission available was the Cruise-O-Matic MX 3 speed automatic.

Classic Driver logoThe fourth generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a large personal luxury car produced by Ford for the 1964 to 1966 model years. This generation of the Thunderbird was restyled in favor of a more squared-off, “formal” look. The Thunderbird’s sporty image had by that time become only that: the standard 390-cubic-inch 300 bhp (224 kW) V8 engine needed nearly 11 seconds to push the heavy T-bird to 60 mph (96 km/h). The softly sprung suspension allowed considerable body lean, wallow, and float on curves and bumps. Contemporary testers felt that the Buick Riviera and Pontiac Grand Prix were substantially more roadworthy cars, but the Thunderbird retained its leading market share.

To view more photos: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/ford/thunderbird/1965/725139

Classic Cars: “1969 Ford GT350 – H” (Classic Driver)

From a Classic Driver online listing:

1969 Ford GT350 - H interior Classic DriverAs the Mustang line grew in size and comfort features, so too did the Shelby branded vehicles on which they are based. Never one to settle for standard, Carroll Shelby decided to take the already aggressive and bold styling of the 1969 Mustang even further. New front fenders, which included functioning brake ducts, were added which terminated in a big, full-width grill and bright chrome bumper set forward of this. Some other interesting design elements were included as well such as NACA ducts on the hood, rather than the traditional raised hood scoops.

While the 1969 Shelby cars focused much more on appearance than previous years, Shelby American still managed to create a better looking as well as a better performing platform, that lived up to the reputation their previous cars had garnered. Unfortunately, however, Carroll Shelby terminated his agreement with Ford in the summer of 1969, meaning no cars were built for the 1970 model year.

To read and see more: 1969 Ford GT350-H

1960’s Classic Cars: “1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window” (Classic Driver)

From Wikipedia:

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-WindowThe 1963 Sting Ray production car’s lineage can be traced to two separate GM projects: the Q-Corvette, and perhaps more directly, Mitchell’s racing Sting Ray. The Q-Corvette, initiated in 1957, envisioned a smaller, more advanced Corvette as a coupe-only model, boasting a rear transaxleindependent rear suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes, with the rear brakes mounted inboard. Exterior styling was purposeful, with peaked fenders, a long nose, and a short, bobbed tail.

While Duntov was developing an innovative new chassis for the 1963 Corvette, designers were adapting and refining the basic look of the racing Sting Ray for the production model. A fully functional space buck (a wooden mock-up created to work out interior dimensions) was completed by early 1960, production coupe styling was locked up for the most part by April, and the interior, instrument panel included was in place by November. Only in the fall of 1960 did the designers turn their creative attention to a new version of the traditional Corvette convertible and, still later, its detachable hardtop. For the first time in the Corvette’s history, wind tunnel testing helped refine the final shape, as did practical matters like interior space, windshield curvatures, and tooling limitations. Both body styles were extensively evaluated as production-ready 3/8-scale models at the Caltech wind tunnel.

To see more photos and listing: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/chevrolet/corvette/1963/724523

 

Classic Car Nostalgia: “1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster” (Classic Driver)

1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster Interior Classic DriverThe 300 SL celebrated its premiere at the? International Motor Sports Show? in New York, which took place from February 6th to 14th, 1954. Mercedes-Benz experienced an enormously positive response from visitors to the 300 SL at the Motor Show, so series production began in August 1954 at the Sindelfingen plant.

A total of 1,858 units of the Mercedes 300 SL Roadster were produced between 1957 and 1963.

Classic Driver logoThis 300 SL Roadster was delivered in Germany on September 22, 1960. In the mid-1980s, the car came into the possession of an experienced Mercedes specialist. The roadster underwent extensive restoration under his direction. According to the available documentation, the body was separated from the chassis and completely overhauled. Since then, the car has only been moved about 28,000 km and serviced regularly. A few years ago, the vehicle changed hands within Germany to a businessman and classic car enthusiast who used the roadster for nice trips and events.

To read more: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/mercedes-benz/300-sl/1960/724393

Classic Car Nostalgia: “1964 Studebaker Avanti” (Classic Driver)

From a Classic Driver magazine online listing:

1964 Studebaker Avanti Classic Driver 2019Described as “one of the more significant milestones of the postwar industry”, the car offered combined safety and high-speed performance. Subsequent to Studebaker’s discontinuation of the model, a series of five owner arrangements continued manufacture and marketing of the Avanti model.

The Studebaker Avanti was manufactured and marketed between June 1962 and December 1963. The automaker marketed the Avanti as “America’s only four-passenger high-performance personal car.”

Classic Driver logoThe Avanti was developed at the direction of Studebaker president, Sherwood Agbert. “The car’s design theme is the result of sketches Egbert “doodled” on a jet-plane flight west from Chicago 37 days after becoming president of Studebaker in February 1961.” Designed by Raymond Loewy’s team, the Avanti featured a radical fiberglass body mounted on a modified studebaker Lark Daytona 109-inch convertible chassis and powered by a modified 289 Hawk engine. APaxton supercharger was offered as an option.

To read and see more: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/studebaker/avanti/1964/724178

Classic Car Nostalgia: “1961 Ford Starliner” (Ford Authority)

From a Ford Authority online article:

Of all the muscle cars we’ve talked about, this 1961 Ford Starliner is most certainly one of the cleanest rides that we’ve seen, both figuratively and literally. It has no extra chrome, no hood scoops, no tubs for fat wheels. It looks almost stock save for the beautiful maroon paint and custom wheels.

1961-ford-starliner-005-1024x683-1.jpg

Inside the 1961 Ford Starliner has a fully custom interior that is as clean and subtle as the outside of the car. It’s done up in lots of beige leather and looks fantastic along with the maroon exterior of the car. It also has air conditioning. The Starliner rolls on a Roadster Shop performance chassis that has power rack-and-pinion steering, along with front and rear antiroll bars, panhard bars, and coilovers. The shocks are Afco double-adjustable drag racing units.

To read more: http://fordauthority.com/2019/12/1961-ford-starliner-wraps-815-ponies-in-a-very-clean-wrapper/

Classic Car Nostalgia: “1968 Triumph TR6” – 1st Year (Classic Driver)

From a Classic Driver online listing:

1968 Triumph TR6 Classic Driver

Offered as an affordable, six-cylinder sports car, the first Triumph TR6 rolled off the production line in 1968 as a 1969 model. It’s intended target was to rival similar sports cars at the time, and although most were designed with sleek, curved lines, the TR6 was squared off at both ends, making it stand out from it’s competitors. With just a seven year production span, the TR6 grew to become a true British classic.

The Triumph TR6 was offered as a convertible only, with a factory steel hard top available optionally.

Triumph produced a range of TR models, from the TR1 right up to a limited run of the TR8, but it was the sixth car in the range that really stood out from a sales point of view. The TR5 enjoyed a very brief thirteen-month period of manufacture between 1967 and 1968. Less than 3,000 units were produced before the TR6 came in to improve on many of the specifications. Unlike its predecessors, the Triumph TR6 was more reliable mechanically, which means that there are many original models still on our roads.

Website: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/triumph/tr6/1968/723270

Automobile Nostalgia: “1971 Jaguar E-Type SIII Roadster” (Classic Driver)

From a Classic Driver online article:

1971 Jaguar E-Type SIII Roadster interiorThe Type E Series III had the privilege of launching the new Jaguar V12 engine in 1971. This superb 5.3L engine with two overhead cams, derived from a prototype for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was powered by four carburettors. and developed 272CV DIN upon its release, it will give up to 700CV in competition versions.

The car shown is in Cotswolds blue with a light gray leather and a marine mohair top. It’s a rare combination of colors that gives it exclusivity and distinction. It was delivered new to Vancouver in Canada and was imported to France by its second owner in 1990. Its third and last owner, a well-known collector and driver emeritus has kept it nearly twenty years.

To read more: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/jaguar/e-type-siii/1971/693936?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Classic%20Driver%20Daily%203402019&utm_content=Classic%20Driver%20Daily%203402019+CID_1858f011dbd95046af2a263d8ecb86da&utm_source=newsletter

Classic Car Restoration: A “1968 Autobianchi Eden Roc” Is A Tiny Masterpiece (ClassicDriver)

From a Classic Driver online article:

1968 AUTOBIANCHI EDEN ROC Classic DriverThe result is a testimony to the true meaning of haute couture – this car doesn’t need to impress or be flashy. It’s first and foremost superb craftsmanship, which has been married to extreme refinement. Next time you venture into Paris and notice a dark blue Eden Roc being driven by a young and elegant tattooed man, don’t hesitate to look closer and try to spot Leroy’s intricate tailor-made feathery details.

This tale began with an accident in November of 2017. Maxime Leroy’s 1968 Autobianchi Eden Roc was hit from ahead by another car in Paris. Shocked, Leroy witnessed his beloved car, which he’d bought at the tender age of 25, injured. But it was to be the beginning of an extraordinary revival …
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Classic Driver LogoMaxime Leroy is anything but your typical classic car collector. He is a visionary creator with a strong personality whose adult life has been devoted to showcasing feathers. He discovered the art of plumasserie at school thanks to two of his professors. At that time, the school was the last school in France dedicated to teaching this dying art. And thanks to Leroy, who now spends two days a week there teaching, it still is.

To read more: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/custom-autobianchi-eden-roc-a-featherweight-masterpiece