Ford is adding new customization options for its GT supercar.
On Monday, the automaker unveiled the first 2021 Ford GT Studio Collection car. Announced last year, the Studio Collection option allows buyers to customize the exterior and graphics, with seven standard colors, and an “extended palette” offering a wider range of options, Ford spokesperson Jiyan Cadiz said.
The first completed Studio Collection car features a Shadow Black exterior with Competition Orange accents, including a single racing stripe and highlights around the side air intakes.
Only 40 GT buyers will get the Studio Collection option, including 20 each for the 2021 and 2022 model years. That makes the Studio Collection the second most exclusive Ford GT limited edition offered, after the Liquid Carbon Edition, which was limited to 12 units.
For 2021, Ford is also offering a new GT Heritage Edition. The latest in a series of Heritage Edition GTs, it pays tribute to the GT40 Mk II Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby drove to victory at the 1966 Daytona 24 Hours. Like the winning Mk II, the 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition wears white paint with red accents and the number 98 (a favorite number of Miles’ boss, Carroll Shelby). The Heritage Edition also sports exposed carbon fiber and gold 20-inch forged aluminum wheels. Production is limited to 50 units.
Ford previously confirmed to Motor Authority that the run of 1,350 GTs will not increase with the addition of the Studio Collection or the latest Heritage Edition for 2021. The standard 2021 Ford GT starts from about $500,000, and you can expect the Studio Collection and Heritage Edition models to top that by considerable margins.
This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.
German automaker Porsche and Swiss watch manufacturer TAG Heuer have announced a “strategic brand partnership,” a long-term alliance intended “to jointly approach both sports competitions and the development of products.” The effort launches with the new TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph.
“The strong friendship of our brand with TAG Heuer exists since decades and I am more than happy that we are now taking the next steps in the frame of a strategic partnership,” Detlev von Platen, Porsche AG board member, is quoted in the announcement.
“We bring together what our customers love the most about both of us: authentic heritage, thrilling sports events, unique life experiences and the fulfillment of dreams. We both strive to create some unique, magic moments for our communities. We now look forward to doing it together.”
“TAG Heuer and Porsche have common history and values, of course, but more importantly, we share an attitude,” added TAG Heuer chief executive Frédéric Arnault. “Like Porsche, we are disruptors at heart, always in pursuit of high performance.
“With this alliance, TAG Heuer and Porsche finally come together officially after decades of close encounters and will create unmatched experiences and products for customers and fans that are passionate about both our brands and what we stand for.”
TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph
“Edouard Heuer and Ferdinand Porsche were pioneers whose visions changed their chosen fields forever,” the news release reports. “Heuer was responsible for the first manufactured chronograph and Porsche constructed a new electric wheel hub motor. Both these accomplishments earned medals at World Fairs held in Paris 11 years apart. Heuer was honored in 1889, the first Lohner-Porsche Electromobile with this innovation was presented at the Expo in Paris in 1900.
“The true cornerstones of today’s partnership, however, are descendants of the brands’ founders. Ferdinand Porsche’s son, Ferdinand Anton Ernst or ‘Ferry,’ joined his father’s engineering office in 1931 at the age of 22 and founded the car brand that bears the family name in 1948.
“Within a few years, the name of Porsche would be inextricably linked with race track success all around the world – including a class win in the Carrera Panamericana race of 1954. In honor of its successful participation, Porsche calls its most powerful sportscar engine at this time ‘Carrera.’
“Edouard Heuer’s great-grandson Jack led his family’s company for decades. In 1963, he created the first Heuer Carrera chronograph, designed to let drivers tell the time at a glance in the heat of action.
Jack Heuer was also responsible for the Heuer Monaco, the first square-faced, water-resistant automatic chronograph watch. Its name evoked the Monaco Grand Prix as well as the Principality’s renowned Monte Carlo Rally, which Porsche won in three consecutive years, from 1968 to 1970, with its 911 model.”
Steve McQueen wears his Heuer Monaco watch during the filming of the movie, Le Mans | Phillips photos
It was Swiss Porsche dealer and racer Jo Siffert who first gained sponsorship for his racing car from TAG Heuer.
“In exchange for CHF 25,000, he would put our logo on his car and suit,” Jack Heuer recalled in 2005. “In addition, he could buy our watches at wholesale prices and resell them to his racing friends at a substantial profit. Which he did with great success because half of the paddock was wearing Heuer watches by the end of the 1969 season!”
Among those buying a watch from Siffert was racer/actor Steve McQueen, who had a Heuer logo on his racing suit and a Heuer watch on his wrist during the filming of Le Mans. McQueen’s watch recently sold at auction for $2.2 million.
In the mid-1980s, Heuer was acquired by the TAG Group and worked with Porsche to develop a new racing engine, propelling Niki Lauda and Alain Prost (twice) to Formula 1 championships with the McLaren team.
Among other sports, Porsche and TAG Heuer are involved together in major European tennis and golf events.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph has historic design cues from each brand. Displayed through the transparent crystal back is the watch’s oscillating mass which was designed as a tribute to the Porsche steering wheel.
The new timepiece is priced at $5,850. For additional information, visit the TAG Heuer website.
Two years after Audi launched its first electric-powered vehicles, it has unveiled the flagship of the e-tron family in the form of the 2022 e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT. Audi says the cars will be available in the US market this summer.
The company adds that while the new flagship models join the e-tron and e-tron Sportback in the electrified lineup, a fifth EV, the Q4 e-tron, will further expand the model range “in the coming year.”
Pricing has been set at $99,900 for the e-tron GT quattro Premium Plus, at $107,100 for the e-tron GT quattro Prestige, and at $139,900 for the RS e-tron GT, the first EV offered in the US from Audi Sport. Audi adds that “it is anticipated” that the cars qualify for up to $7,500 in federal tax incentives in the US.
So what do buyers get for those prices?
“In the process of creating the latest flagship in the e-tron family, no detail was too small, from design and manufacturing to responsible materials used and even the unique acceleration sound that audio engineers created specifically for the electric performance vehicle,” Audi notes.
“Looking every bit a concept car brought to reality, the 2022 Audi e-tron GT is a dynamic work of art. Long, low, wide and exhilarating, it is a grand turismo that further expands Audi’s prominent role in electric mobility,” Audi says.
“Its classically beautiful design proportions are accentuated by large wheels, a wide track and long wheelbase – lower and wider than the Audi A7 while maintaining approximately the same length.
“Aesthetics arise from efficiency; an inverted Singleframe grille reinterprets honeycomb design elements, distinctive quattro blisters above each wheel, and a flat greenhouse with sloping roofline define e-tron GT design. Coupled with radiator and brake duct air inlets that can close when not needed to optimize aerodynamics, drag coefficient is a low 0.24, helping the e-tron GT move with efficiency in complement with its velocity.
“Other design highlights:
U.S. models will come to market with standard 20-inch 5-double-spoke alloy wheels with gray accents; vehicles equipped with the performance package have 20-inch 5-double-spoke alloy wheels with black accents; the RS e-tron GT comes with standard 20-inch 5-spoke AERO wheels or available 21-inch wheels,
Standard for RS e-tron GT models is a lightweight, high-strength, five-layer carbon fiber reinforced plastic roof – a first for an Audi vehicle and a segment-exclusive feature.
Available HD Matrix-design headlights with Audi laser light for greater high-beam visibility.
Strongly chiseled lower doorsill lines that emphasizes the battery pack as the car’s powerhouse and foundation.
Inside, standard is a leather-free interior featuring recycled materials; Dinamica and Alcantara come standard; Nappa leather is available.
The “monoposto” cockpit angles the 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit and 10.1-inch MMI touch response displays toward the driver.
Standard is a full-circumference, flat-bottom steering wheel, wrapped in Alcantara; a perforated, leather-wrapped steering wheel and capacitive hands-on detection are available.
The e-tron GT powers the front wheels with a 235 horsepower electric motor and the rear wheels with a 429 motor. Audi says the “net combined output” is 469 horsepower, or up to 522 “with overboost for 2.5 seconds with launch control” propelling the car to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.
The RS e-tron GT has the same front motor, but a 450 horsepower rear motor. The net is 590 and up to 637 with overboost providing 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.1 seconds.
“That places the acceleration of RS e-tron GT on par with the V10-powered Audi R8 supercar – all while generating zero direct emissions,” Audi adds. The new GT and RS are built at the same Böllinger Höfe assembly plant as the R8, and Audi notes that the plant draws its power from a power plant fueled by biogas.
The RS e-tron GT also comes with air suspension, all-wheel steering, and two-speed transmission.
Audi expects a range of 238 miles for the e-tron GT and 232 miles for the RS, and with standard fast-chargers that take the batteries from 5 percent to 80 percent in less than 23 minutes.
When you had car trouble in the 1930s, something like the Pick of the Day would show up to drag your vehicle back to the repair shop: a heavy-duty 1934 Ford tow truck.
This bright-red relic looks like a faithfully restored original, but it’s actually something of a resto-mod powered by a modern drivetrain hidden underneath. The Ford even started out as a conversion, built in period onto the strong chassis of an earlier truck to create a potent working vehicle.
“The chassis is a 1913 Locomobile that was manufactured in Bridgeport, Connecticut,” according to the St. Louis, Missouri, dealer advertising the Ford on ClassicCars.com. “The rigging system is a Holmes 485 unit and looks exactly like it did the day it was made. Each boom is rated at 2 tons for a combined weight of 4 tons.
“The truck is being powered by a Chevy 283 that has been rebuilt with less than 1,000 miles on it. It is mated to a Chevy 4 speed automatic transmission making this truck capable of cruising down the road.”
The original Ford flathead V8 and original 4-speed manual transmission are available for purchase, the dealer notes, adding that the truck is coming out of more than a half century of ownership.
“This truck has been in the same family since the 1950s and has been restored very well,” the seller adds.
What was once a workaday vehicle looks today like pure theater, a rare survivor that would attract loads of attention at a local car show, Ford meet or just driving along. Its hand-cranked towing rig and rugged truck wheels certainly set it apart.
While the truck would be limited in its drivability with its original engine and trans, the more-modern upgrades make it capable of travel on a modern highway.
The asking price for this unusual piece of automotive history is $39,000.
To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Take a look at this 1953 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon up for auction on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com. It’s powered by a rebuilt “Mileage Marker” 215cid inline-6 engine paired with a 3-speed manual.
The exterior is finished in a factory two-tone Seafoam and Timberline Green.
During a restoration, done under previous ownership by Nick Alexander Restoration & Upholstery in Huntington Park, California, the brightwork was re-chromed and tinted glass added.
The body is also equipped with a roof rack with a silver frame and wood slats.
Tan vinyl covers the front and rear bench seats, door cards and headliner. Factory equipment includes both a heater and defroster along with an AM radio that was refreshed during the restoration. Additions include a stick-on compass and a dancing hula girl.
The “Mileage Maker” 215cis overhead-valve inline-6 engine was rebuilt during the restoration and retains many of the factory components, including the oil-bath air cleaner. The car also retains the original 6-volt electrical system.
The odometer shows 88,367, although true mileage is unknown.
Classic Recreations has been building replica versions of iconic muscle cars under license for years, with some stunning results. Recently, though, it’s taken things to a new level.
The Yukon, Oklahoma-based company has started offering the option of a carbon-fiber body for buyers of its replicas based on the original Ford Mustang. The carbon bodies come from the folks at Speedkore Performance Group, and to get the ball rolling Classic Recreations will build 25 of its Ford Shelby GT500 replicas with the lightweight stuff in a special series known as the Shelby GT500CR Carbon Edition.
We know what you’re thinking. The carbon-fiber Shelby GT500 would make the ideal basis for a lightweight Eleanor, although it would be a shame to paint over the bare carbon in the “Gone in 60 Seconds” movie car’s signature gray color.
For its carbon-fiber Shelby GT500 replica, Classic Recreations uses a donor 1967 or 1968 Mustang chassis, with the finished product weighing in at around 600 pounds less than stock.
Propulsion comes courtesy of a 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 with a Whipple Stage 2 supercharger, a setup that’s good for 810 hp. That power is sent to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission.
Other modern upgrades include Wilwood brakes (6-piston front, 4-piston rear calipers with slotted, cross-drilled, and zinc-washed rotors), a power rack-and-pinion steering conversion, and adjustable coil-over suspension front and rear. The car rides on 18-inch aluminum wheels from American Racing, with Michelin Z-rated tires, size 225/40/18 in front and 315/30/18 in the rear.
For the interior, there’s an Alcantara headliner and a Lecarra leather-wrapped aluminum steering wheel.
As mentioned above, production of Classic Recreations’ Ford Shelby GT500CR Carbon Edition is limited to 25 cars. These are priced to start from $298,000, and each will be delivered to its customer at Shelby American’s Las Vegas facility. Upon delivery of each car, Classic Recreations will make a donation to the Carroll Shelby Foundation.
This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.
Laguna Seca’s loss is the M1 Concourse’s gain with the up-and-coming Michigan motorsports and collector car center announcing Tim McGrane as its new chief executive, starting March 1. McGrane will be busy from Day 1 as he helps manage both the 2021 Motor Bella event that is replacing the annual Detroit international auto show and also the inaugural Woodward Dream Show and American Speed Festival.
Jordan Zlotoff is stepping away as the M1 Concourse CEO position he has held since development began in 2015 to convert the former site of a General Motors assembly plant into what has become the largest private garage community in the world, with more than 170 garage condos and 1.5-mile performance test track on the famed Woodward Avenue in Pontiac, Michigan.
“I am extremely proud of how far we have come,” Zlotoff is quoted in the facility’s news release. “While it is difficult to step down from my official capacity as CEO, I am confident that new leadership will continue the incredible growth of our organization and leverage the passion of our Motorsports community.”
Tim McGrane
Zlotoff will continue as an ownership partner and informal advisor to the facility.
McGrane arrives with a lifetime of automotive and event experience. He has been an executive with the Rick Cole and Barrett-Jackson auction companies, president of Events International, vice president for special events for Robb Report, executive director of the Blackhawk museum, and chief executive of Laguna Seca Raceway. He also has been involved with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and a variety of other automotive events.
“We have a unique opportunity to host the 2021 Motor Bella event and bring the eyes of the automotive world to M1 Concourse,” said McGrane, who is widely respected and liked within the global collector car and motorsports communities.
Muscle cars at Amelia Island
Wellborn Musclecar Museum helping concours assembly special class | Museum photo
One of the special classes at the 26th Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance scheduled for May 23 near Jacksonville, Florida, is 1970 Muscle Cars.
“The first wave of Baby Boomers was graduating from college, America was winning the Space Race and high-octane gasoline was cheap when the Pontiac GTO and its competition alerted America’s automakers to the possibilities of big profits through high performance,” the concours notes.
“The Big Three discovered that enthusiast cars lurked unseen beneath the skin of their regular model lineup. It’s a simple recipe: one midsize two-door coupe or sedan and a seriously large V8 engine. Then, all that was required were a few new paint codes, a few square yards of wild graphics and some home-grown brute force: something Motown had in spades.”
The concours reports that Tim and Pam Wellborn and their team at the Wellborn Musclecar Museum in Alexander City, Alabama, have helped assemble the showcase for the concours.
“For generations of American drivers the GTO, GSX, 442, Hemi Chargers, ‘Cudas and Superbirds — not Ferraris, Porsches or Lamborghinis — are still the ultimate fantasy cars,” said concours founder Bill Warner. “These are the cars that GIs stuck in Vietnam dreamed about and lusted after.
“And the current collectable car market shows that. Muscle Cars are factory hot rods that put true high performance within the reach of many car buyers. Very democratic and very American.”
Forest Grove invites entries
With featured classes including Jaguar: 60 Years of the E-Type; British Anniversaries: 60 Years of the Triumph TR4, MG Midget and 50 Years of the Lotus Europa; Shelby: Cobra and Ford Years, 1961-1973; Ferrari Club of America Corral, the 48th Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance, scheduled for July 18 at Pacific University, has opened the application process for car owners.
Carlisle Events has completed its first event of 2021, the indoor Auto Mania automotive flea market at the Carlisle Expo Center in Pennsylvania. Next the action moves outdoors with the Spring Carlisle showcase scheduled for April 21-25.
Also on the Carlisle car show calendar are:
* Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals, May 14-15, featuring a “big” Volvo celebration, 20 years of the Honda K-Series and 30 years of the Toyota 2JZ engine, as well as a special Opel Nationals meet and the 50th anniversary of the Opel Manta.
* Carlisle Ford Nationals, June 4-6, with the inaugural Comic-Car Con, Pinto’s 50th anniversary, a Stroppe Reunion and a celebration of the 1971-73 Big Horse Mustangs.
* Carlisle GM Nationals, June 25-26, with another Comic-Car Con, a Solid-Lifter Showcase, and the 50th anniversary of the Vega and H-Platform.
* Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, July 9-11, with a showcase of 1971-model-year vehicles, a feature involving “Dirty Birds” (derelict Superbirds), Chrysler Survivors, Demons and a celebration of “Old Skool” paint at least 40 years old.
* Carlisle Truck Nationals, August 6-8, featuring Big Rigs, vans, Cylcones, Typhoons and more.
* Corvettes at Carlisle, August 26-28, honoring the 1971 Corvette, a 25th reunion of the Grand Sport, the Solid Axle Corvette National Convention, and a special salute to law enforcement.
* Fall Carlisle, September 29-October 3, the 48th annual celebration of the automotive flea market that was Carlisle Events’ first event back in 1974.
Carlisle Events will be staged following current coronavirus guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control. For more information, visit the Carlisle Events website.
McCall’s Motorworks tickets on sale
McCall’s Motorworks Revival began as an unofficial kickoff party to what was once the Monterey Car Weekend. The 30th such event is scheduled for August 11 at the Monterey Jet Center and remains the must-attend soiree during what has become Monterey Car Week.
Tickets are not inexpensive, but the evening includes cars, aircraft, gourmet food and beverages, and should the virus continue to raise its ugly head, tickets will be refunded or applied to the following year.
VIP tickets are $450 each, Red Carpet treatment is $595 and there’s a $1,290 Superticket that includes both the Jet Center event and the fabulous food, beverages and amazing cars and other machines at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering on August 13.
It appeared that the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab had been canceled for 2021 because of worries about the coronavirus pandemic, but the latest report on the Red Rock 4-Wheelers’ website is that the event most likely will take place, pending approval February 16 by the Grand County (Utah) commissioners.
The event was launched in 1967 by the Moab Chamber of Commerce, subsequently has been managed by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers Club, and has grown into a major off-roading event that features the unveiling of several concept and prototype vehicles by Jeep and Mopar.
Chattanooga Festival selects grand marshal
Corky Coker
In a move that likely results in responses such as “duh,” organizers of the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival have selected Joseph Coker as grand marshal for the event scheduled for October 16-18.
Oh, we should mention that if you don’t know a Joseph Coker, you may know him as “Corky,” probably his second-favorite nickname after “Grandpa.”
Working with his father, Corky Coker made the family tire business, a BFGoodrich dealership, into Coker Tire, the global leader in producing vintage-looking tires for classic and collector cars. Though the family sold Coker Tire in 2018, it retains the Honest Charley Speed shop.
Seal Cove sets cars ’n’ coffee calendar
Virus permitting, the Seal Cove Auto Museum on Mount Desert Island in Maine, has set its 2021 cars and coffee show calendar: Big Displacement cars, May 1; Drop Top Showcase, June 12; Steam Day, July 10; and Import Showcase, July 24.
Updated 2021 concours, car show calendar
In addition to the Carlisle Events schedule above, the following are dates currently set (but subject to change) for a variety of concours d’elegance, car shows and driving tours scheduled during the next few months of 2021:
February
13 – California Automobile Museum Docents car show, Sacramento; 20 – Winter Motoring Meet, Hickory Corners, Michigan
March
10-12, AACA Western Spring Nationals, Las Vegas; 12-13 – Goodguys Lone Star Nationals, Fort Worth; 13-14 – Taste of Motorsports, Chandler, Arizona
April
8-11 – Charlotte AutoFair, North Carolina; 9-11, Goodguys at Scottsdale, Arizona; 19-22, AACA Southeastern Division Chain of Lakes Tour, Florida; 21-25 – Spring Carlisle, Pennsylvania; 23-25 – Derbuy GT tour, Belgium; 25 – Simply Aston Martin, Beaulieu, UK; 30-May 1, Darryl Starbird’s National Rod & Custom Show, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
May
1 – Big Displacement Showcase, Seal Cove, Maine; McPherson College CARS Club, Kansas; 9 – Simply Vauxhall, Beaulieu, UK; 14-15 – Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals, Pennsylvania; 15 – Vintage Travel Trailer Rally, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 15-16, Goodwood Members’ Meeting, UK: 16 – Simply Audi, Beaulieu, UK; 20-23 – Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, Amelia Island, Florida; AACA Founders Tour, Davis, West Virginia; 23 – Simply Electric, Beaulieu, UK
Before the start of the recent King of the Hammers, Ford unveiled the Bronco 4400, a specially built off-road racing machine that carried the Bronco name into the unlimited-class competition. During the competition in the Southern California desert, Ford Performance showed off what might be done with an actual Bronco, should its owner want to go off-road racing, or explore particularly rugged terrain.
The Bronco 4600 is a stock-class racer based on a factory-produced 2-door Bronco chassis, with some body panels trimmed, a HOSS suspension (that’s High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension System), and a tweaked 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine.
Ford plans to do testing with the Bronco 4600 soon and to enter stock-class events sometime this year to demonstrate how customers might prepare their own vehicles for competition.
“Bronco 4600 underscores how ready the all-new Bronco is for competition and how Ford Performance is committed to driving the brand’s success across multiple off-road series,” Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports, was quoted in the announcement about the vehicle.
Ford said the 4600 is built on a 2-door platform with the Sasquatch package. The SUV has Fox coil-over shocks and Fox pneumatic bump stops at all four corners. It has Wilwood Engineering brakes and 35-inch BFGoodrich mid/terrain T/A KM3 tires on Method Race 202 forged beadlock wheels.
The prototype Bronco 4600 has heavy-duty front hubs from 74 Weld mounted to Triton Engineering control arms with heavy-duty Howe hydraulic steering rack and cooler. The SUV has a factory Dana AdvanTEK e-locking differential with RCV custom front half shafts deliver.
At the rear are Triton Engineering links, Dynatrac ProRock XD60 axle with an ARB 35-spline Air Locker and Spidertrax Spider 9 axle shafts and hubs.
Ford Performance adds modified front and rear modular steel bumpers and a Warn Zeon winch and Rigid LED off-road lights.
A custom roll cage is by Geiser Brothers and the truck has Recaro’s new FIA-certified seats.
Bronco 4600 Race Vehicle
Ford said the SUV’s “war paint” pays homage to the brand’s off-road legacy and the 1969 Baja 1000-winning vehicle.
“I started collecting ’59 Dodges because I learned to drive on a ’59 Dodge Royal 4-door sedan,” Thomas McGlothlin said in explaining his passion for cars from that model year.
First, McGlothlin set out to collect one of “every body style, every engine, every transmission and every 1959 Dodge series from Coronet Royal to Custom Royal,” he said.
1959 Dodge Custom Royal convertible
1959 Dodge D100 Sweptside
1959 Plymouth Sport Fury
1959 Chrysler 300E
That set complete, he decided to add “one of everything Chrysler made in ’59 — Imperial, Chrysler 300, and I got a Plymouth Sport Fury.”
As McGlothlin would learn, 1959-model Chrysler products are extremely rare, especially those with nicely preserved interiors, a requirement McGlothlin had for nearly all of the cars he would buy as he traveled across the country, pursing cars he found on the internet or at auction.
One pleasant discovery was a 19,000-mile example that still had the plastic factory seat protectors in place.
1959 DeSoto Fireflite Sportsman
1959 Dodge Coronet Lancer
1959 Dodge Coronet
1959 Imperial Custom coupe
1959 Dodge Custom Royal
1959 Dodge Custom Sierra
“You can find ’57 Chevrolets left and right, but you can’t find ’59 Chryslers,” McGlothlin discovered.
“Oddly enough,” he added, during his search for ’59 Dodge and Chrysler products, he discovered that ’59 Mercurys are also very hard to find.
McGlothlin, 74, comes from a successful coal-mining family. He said his first collector car was a 1960 Chrysler 300M hardtop he purchased at a Barrett-Jackson auction.
“I sold it and had four or five other cars,” he said. “But then I found my first ’59 Dodge,” which he found locally in the Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia area.
“You cannot hardly find a ’59 Dodge in any kind of condition that would look like something that came from the factory. Most interiors were gone.”
So why is McGlothlin selling 10 cars from his cherished collection?
“In collecting, if you just buy them and sit on them, do you really have that much fun?” he said. “I have a 12,000-square-foot climate-controlled garage with 27 cars in there. I’m going to sell these 10 and then I’m going to buy something different. I’ve already been looking. I can’t wait to get turned loose on the buying.”
Although he’s selling part of his’59 Chrysler collection, and at no reserve, he’s keeping three from that group — a 2-door hardtop, a 2-door sedan (with 3 on the column, “extremely rare” he adds) and, of course, the Royal 4-door sedan that is a duplicate of the one in which he learned to drive.
Actually, he’s already started.
“I bought a ’72 (Ford) LTD convertible the other day,” he said. “I’m diversifying.”
While many would-be collectors are priced out of the classic car market for highly desirable examples, there are still great vintage motorcycles that are affordable and present tremendous value.
There are classic motorcycles that sell for more than $100,000, but there also are plenty of gems out there that cost less that the cost of a new Harley-Davidson.
The Pick of the Day is one of those, a 1948 Triumph 5T Speed Twin advertised on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in St. Charles, Missouri. (Ignore the incorrect headline if you click on the ad as this is not a TR4 as listed.)
The T5 Speed Twin was the first production twin-cylinder motorcycle offered by Triumph, the brainchild of the British company’s chief designer and general manager, the legendary Edward Turner. It was introduced in July 1937 at the Olympia Show in London and was a smash hit from the start.
The Speed Twin’s 500c twin-cylinder engine would be the genesis for all the Bonneville, Daytona and other Triumph twins that followed.
When put on sale in 1938, the Triumph sold very well, but production was halted in 1940 due to a bit of unpleasantness happening in Europe. The Speed Twin would go back on sale after the war, when it received some needed updates, the most important being a telescopic front fork. The Pick is one of these models.
The bike has been ridden just 2 miles since it received a total restoration a number of years ago, according to the ad. The engine number is 48 5T 96311 and the frame Number is 36611. It features correct 3.25×19 Dunlop front and 3.50×19 rear tires.
The Triumph is being sold as-is and in non-running condition, although the seller says the engine has good compression. The pictures show a motorcycle that appears to be correctly restored and looking nice, although there are many details on these bikes that would need to be closely examined for accuracy.
Now, the not-running part might tend to put people off a bit, but this is a project that I would, and still might, purchase myself. I am pretty handy around old Triumph motorcycles, and since the engine has good compression, I would be willing to tackle it.
The worst thing that likely could be wrong is that the magneto is faulty, which would prevent the engine from starting, and requires a rebuild, a repair that would cost between $500 and $700.
Factor that into the modest $13,995 asking price for this bike and I challenge anyone to find something this iconic and special for less money, especially pre-1960.
To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
