The straight-8 is a bygone engine configuration that was once common for automakers seeking enhanced performance and refinement. Buicks were powered by straight-8s for more than two decades, in varying displacements.
Sometimes referred to as the Fireball Eight, Buick rolled out the engine across its entire lineup beginning with the 1931 model year, and the straight-8 continued powering all Buicks until it was replaced by the 322-cubic-inch “Nailhead” V8 beginning in 1953.
The Pick of the Day is a straight-8-powered 1951 Buick Special, offered in West Babylon, New York, by a dealership advertising the club coupe on ClassicCars.com. It’s finished in a two-tone black and silver, and adorned with lots of chrome accent trim – including, of course, its Buick-signature portholes on the side of the hood. The upper portion of the toothy grille even spells out in cursive script “Buick Eight.”
The dealership states that this Special was female owned for 30 years and has been shown at special events. It has its original engine, which is paired with Buick’s Dynaflow automatic transmission. While specifics around maintenance history are not called out in the ad, the sedan is said to run and drive great and has been mechanically well-maintained, according to the seller.
The Buick lineup in the early 1950s was easy to map out, with just three models starting with the Special (Series 40) at the entry-level position. Moving upward came the Super (Series 50) with such features as distinctive rear side windows. Sitting at the top was the Roadmaster (Series 70) flagship with “sweepspear” fender trim and wide chrome panels below the windows and doors.
Buick aficionados will be quick to point out that the Roadmaster was the only model with four portholes on each side of the hood instead of three. That styling cue was a visual nod to the Roadmaster’s straight-eight being 320 cubic inches as compared with the 260cid of lesser models.
The seller has included detailed photos showing the dashboard and interior, which though imperfect appear to be in decent shape for a driver-grade vehicle approaching 70 years old. The dealer is asking $9,900 for this Buick.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Jeep celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2021 and has announced a lineup of special-edition vehicles as well as the Jeep Wave, a customer-care program for people who buy or lease its 2021-model-year products.
The Jeep Wave will include three years of free maintenance, round-the-clock phone and online support, first-day rental and trip-interruption coverage as well as special access to Jeep events, the company said.
Meanwhile, those special anniversary-edition Jeeps will feature special wheels, interior and exterior accents and badging, and Berber floor mats. Jeep said those vehicles will be available in dealerships during the fourth quarter of 2020.
“Born in 1941, the Jeep brand is celebrating 80 years of 4×4 leadership, open-air freedom and adventure with its distinctive 80th Anniversary special-edition models of each vehicle in its lineup,” the company said.
As one example, the 2021 Wrangler 80th Anniversary Edition will ride on 18-inch Granite Crystal wheels wrapped with Bridgestone Dueler 255/70R18 all-terrain tires, have Neutral Grey Metallic grille bezels, headlamp rings and fog-lamp bezels, body-color fender flares, black-diamond embossed cloth seats with 80th Anniversary tag, Light Tungsten interior accent stitching and Anodized Gunmetal dash mid-bolsters, berber floor mats with Light Tungsten accent stitching, fourth-generation Uconnect with 8.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Sirus XM satellite radio, commemorative badging and will be available in Granite Crystal, Bright White, Hella Yella, Black, Firecracker Red, Sting Gray, Sarge and Snazzberry colors.
Pricing are set at $35,990 for 2-door and $39,490 for 4-door versions.
Like Elvis, the 1904 Mercedes Simplex 60 has left the building, and while the King of rock ’n’ roll had put on some weight, he didn’t quite need a 40-ton crane for his escape. But that was what was used to get the historic car out of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Germany.
With the car needed for a special event launching the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Simplex, the oldest original car in the museum’s permanent collection, had to descend from seven stories from its place of honor in the museum’s tall atrium.
While the removal was accomplished in 5 minutes, the process consumed hours of planning by museum staff and logistic company Scholpp.
A mini-crane moves the Simplex from its top-floor display (above and below)
The Simplex weighs more than 2.2 tons and had to be lifted by a mobile mini-crane — being used for the first time — from four steel display points without straining its sloping exhibit base. Once freed, the car had to be moved — white gloves mandated for the moving crew — and then lowered.
Fortunately, when the museum was built, a 40-ton crane was incorporated in the design.
On the 40-ton crane and headed to ground level
The Simplex was produced by the former Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and originally was owned by Emil Jellinek, who lent his daughter’s name to the Mercedes brand. It will be part of a special S-Class historical display at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center near Stuttgart before returning to the museum at the end of the year, when the process will be reversed as the car returns to its display place of honor.
Out the door…… and into the truck
‘Mini’ exhibit at Indy museum
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has opened what it’s calling a “mini exhibit” honoring the 50th anniversary of Al Unser Sr.’s 1970 Indy 500 victory in the Johnny Lightning Special and the 40th anniversary of John Rutherford’s victory in the Pennzoil Chaparral.
The “mini” showcase runs through November 30.
Indy ‘zoom cast’ features Davidson, Jenkins
Jenkins
Davidson
On September 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Eastern), the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum will offer a special “Zoom Cast” featuring track historian Donald Davidson and motorsports announcer Bob Jenkins, who will share stories from the Brickyard.
The Meyer Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, isn’t a car museum, but from September 25 through October 1, it will provide a showcase for the retro auto- and travel-themed art by Robert LaDuke. “The Nearing Path” is the title of the exhibition, which opens September 25 with an artist reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“Robert LaDuke’s narrative style paintings are idyllic reflections of American culture,” the gallery notes. “Imagery associated with westward travel is reminiscent of earlier eras, focused around vintage vehicles and architecture from the 1930s to the 1950s.
“Largely devoid of actual figures, LaDuke’s central subject matter includes cars, campers, planes or trains, set against iconic natural landmarks or roadside industry.”
Personal note: I’m a huge fan of LaDuke’s style, and look forward to what’s coming next. As he told the gallery, “I did a bit of traveling last year. I took my first trip to Monument Valley and Shiprock, which I had been painting for many years but never actually saw in person.
“I also took a trip to the Northern California coastal town of Mendocino, a preserved Victorian seaside village. It felt like the New England seaside towns that I remember visiting as a child. Bits and pieces of the architecture are incorporated here and there in the new paintings.”
Petersen adds to auction consignments
The docket for the Petersen Automotive Museum’s virtual gala, scheduled for September 26, has expanded with Superformance donating a Shelby Cobra Mk II slab-side continuation car that will go up for bidding to support the museum foundation.
Special events this weekend
The British Motor Museum at Gaydon presents a non-automotive showcase, “Voices of the West End,” a musical presentation featuring selections from acclaimed West End theater performances, on the museum grounds September 25-27.
The Porsche Typ356 Northeast Club will stage a car show September 27 at the Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island.
Muscle Car City in Punta Gorda, Florida, holds its monthly auto flea market September 27 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fresh off its recent and inaugural museum picnic and driving tour, the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa, Ontario, announced the Durham Region Rally is scheduled for September 27. For details, see the museum website.
LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, re-opens September 25. After being closed during the coronavirus pandemic, the museum will re-open on a Friday-Saturday-Sunday basis for the time being. As part of the re-opening, owners of vintage or exotic cars are invited to park on the Anderson Plaza in front of the museum on opening weekend.
Mark your calendar
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum will be closed October 1-4 during the Harvest Grand Prix weekend at the track. The museum re-opens October 5 with a “refresh” of its “From the Vault” exhibit, with vehicles that have been on display returning to storage but with others emerging from the vault.
The Mustang Owner’s Museum in Concord, North Carolina, hosts a “Cruise to Innovation Performance Technologies” event beginning at 10 a.m. October 3.
The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento remains closed, but will take part in the Cap City Motor Tour, a driving tour that will take the place of the annual CruiseFest during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Seal Cove Auto Museum in Maine will stage its final Cars and Coffee event of 2020 on October 10. The museum closes for the season on October 31.
Although “Fall Hershey” has been smacked by the coronavirus pandemic, the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, will stage a socially distanced, one-day car show on October 10.
The Mustang Owner’s Museum in Concord, North Carolina, will be the site of a “Fall Ford Garage Sale” starting at 10 a.m. on October 10.
The British Motor Museum at Gaydon stages its first (and free) “Gaydon Gathering” car show of the season on October 13.
On October 17, the Mustang Owner’s Museum in Concord, North Carolina, stages “Mustang Hold’em and National Bullitt Day” with a “poker run” rally with Ford or Mustang-related stops along the route.
Lord Montague prepares one of the ‘Motoring in Miniature’ exhibits | Museum photo
The British National Motor Museum at Beaulieu offers a special exhibition, “Motoring in Miniature — the Toys of Your Childhood,” during England’s “Half-Term” school recess period October 24 to November 1.
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, hosts its annual “Vets ’n Vettes” event November 12-14.
The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee opens a new exhibit, “Off-Road Harley-Davidson” on November 21.
“In the decades before America paved its highways, early riders had to be prepared for all sorts of terrain: sand, clay or dirt – and wandering those makeshift byways were Harley-Davidson motorcycles,” the museum notes. “Today, it’s called off-road or adventure touring; back then it was just called riding.
“Since 1903, Harley-Davidson motorcycles proved their toughness by riding over wooded hills, through stone-choked creek beds and up mountain sides. ‘Off-road Harley-Davidson’ tells the history of motorcycles designed for rough roads, the people who rode them and the adventures they shared.”
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected].
Geely on Wednesday unveiled a modular EV platform destined for models spawned across the automaker’s portfolio of brands, which include Lynk & Co., Polestar, Proton and Volvo.
The new platform is called the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), and it was demonstrated in a small fastback sedan from Lynk & Co. dubbed the Zero Concept. The striking concept is set to spawn a production model in 2021.
Other models to be based on the SEA platform will be announced at a later date. Geely, a Chinese automaker, describes the SEA platform as “open-source” and is also keen to supply the platform to other automakers.
For its current electric cars like the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Polestar 2, Geely relies on an electrified version of the Compact Modular Architecture originally developed with Volvo for internal-combustion cars. The SEA platform is Geely’s first dedicated EV platform.
The platform is capable of spawning models from the subcompact segment right through to the mid-size segment, as well as car, SUV and light commercial body styles. A range of over 400 miles is possible, according to Geely, and there’s the potential to expand on that as battery technology improves.
Geely is also working with Intel-owned image-recognition company Mobileye to integrate advanced electronic driver-assist features, including some self-driving features. Vehicles based on the platform can be fitted with Mobileye’s SuperVision surround-view system which uses multiple cameras and sensor technology coupled with map data to provide highly accurate driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, and as the technology develops, full self-driving capability.
“This is a highly scalable pure electric architecture that will allow us to make best-in-class vehicles with leading dynamics, connectivity, intelligence and shared functionality in very high volumes that will bring zero-emission transportation to many more consumers,” Kent Bollevan, Geely’s head of advanced vehicle architectures, said in a statement.
Both the SEA platform and Lynk & Co. Zero Concept will make their formal debut Saturday at Auto China 2020 in Beijing.
This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.
Bet you didn’t know you could hold your breath for more than 7 minutes. Yet that’s what millions of movie watchers did in 1998 as they watched the Peugeot chase the BMW in Ronin.
As one reviewer reported to imdb.com, “This thriller from veteran John Frankenheimer is pure excellence, the script, acting and action are top draw. De Niro and Reno are brilliant in this as of course you would expect from two such excellent actors.
“The action scenes are pulse pounding and particularly excellent are the car chases, probably the best ever. Not only did the stunt guys risk their lives but the guys shooting the action captured some truly thrilling close up view from the cars as they speed along.
“The action also carries a certain degree of realism to it, the shootouts are sensible and the car chases and crashes seem very genuine no massive corkscrewing threw the air like most car chases or cars jumping 100 feet in the air like in Gone in 60 Seconds, which is all very good but not for this sort of thriller.”
Remember, Frankenheimer was responsible for Grand Prix, one of the best motorsports movies ever, and recruited the likes of F1 driver Jean-Pierre Jarier to drive in the Ronin chase scenes.
By the way, reportedly four BMW 535is sedans and five Peugeot 406s cars were used in filming the 7-minute chase that features against-traffic driving.
Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles will be the site for an unusual car show September 26 between 1 and 1:30 p.m. At least we think it’s a car show… or maybe it’s an art show?
Whatever the case, since 2013 artist Kenny Scharf has been working on his Karbomz! project, painting 260 cars to date, 100 of them in Los Angeles. Scharf doesn’t charge for his art-on-automobile art, but this coming Saturday is inviting those car owners to show up for a showcase on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Those cars range “from jalopies to luxury vehicles,” according to the announcement, and the route concludes at the Jeffrey Deitch Gallery where there is an exhibition, Moodz, featuring 250 new circular paintings of faces by Scharf.
“One very important and guiding principle to my work is to reach out beyond the elitist boundaries of fine art and connect to popular culture through my art,” said Scharf, who added, “My personal ambition has always been to live the example.”
And thus, Scharf plans to drive his own vehicle in the rally, which will travel along Santa Monica Boulevard from San Vincente Blvd. to Sycamore Ave.
By the way, in case your car is a candidate for the Karbomz! art, Scharf connects with car owners “on the street in front of his murals, through other drivers, and through Instagram.”
As you likely know, Hudson and Nash each produced cars cherished by their owners and later by collectors. But both struggled financially after World War II and in 1954, they merged. Officially, the new company was called American Motors, but its products continued to be branded as Hudsons or Nashes until 1958, when the Rambler name returned, albeit with an entry-level model called the Rambler American.
It would be another decade before American Motors started using its corporate brand, starting with the AMC Javelin, the company’s answer to the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.
The 2-door sedan shows well in Sea Foam blue, it’s white-painted roof highlighted by a body-colored, custom-produced, external windshield visor.
“Every system has been gone through on this machine!” the dealer points out, listing such things as the engine rebuild, generator replaced by alternator, electric ignition and an oversized fuel tank good for a 400-mile round trip.
“Suspension, brakes, shocks, fuel line, locks, locking gas cap, and gas tank all new!”
The rebuilt engine is a 196cid flathead-6 with Carter carburetor. The dealer notes 90 horsepower and 35-38 mpg. The transmission is three-speed manual on the steering column.
The dealer says bumpers have been re-chromed and every other trim part is NOS or from another original car, with polished stainless steel all around.
During the car’s restoration, “all rust has been removed and new steel was added,” the advertisement informs.
The interior is Navy blue. The car has bucket seats, a Southern Air AC system, a disc-player audio system, new headliner, console and new switchgear.
One of the earliest and most-significant Jaguar E-type coupes will be offered by RM Sotheby’s during its 14th annual London auction, this year held as an Online Only sale due to pandemic restrictions.
The 1961 Jaguar E-type Series 1 3.8-liter fixed head coupe, the 10th example built and retained by the factory as a press and development car, will be auctioned October 31 on RM Sotheby’s Online Only platform.
The auction is held in conjunction with one of England’s most-celebrated antique-car events, the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, sponsored by RM Sotheby’s, which takes place October 31 and November 1. Called the “Emancipation Run,” the event commemorates the 1896 lifting of onerous restrictions for motor cars. Only vehicles produced before 1905 are permitted to participate.
The Jaguar, registration number 6162 RW, was one of three early E-types kept by the automaker for publicity and testing. As such, it was seen in numerous new-car road-tests by important publications, including the UK’s leading automotive magazine at the time, Motoring News, and Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.
The car also underwent a number of upgrades and improvements by Jaguar during that time, and was prepared to competition spec to raise its top speed.
“In the hands of legendary test driver Norman Dewis, the car was used for extensive high-speed testing and suspension evaluation and benefited from a number of modifications to enhance its refinement,” according to a news release from the auction company.
In November 1963, the Jaguar was sold into private ownership and in recent years has been totally restored to “world-class condition,” the release says.
“In 2008, the E-type’s owner and consignor entrusted to a marque specialist to undertake a comprehensive four-year restoration,” according to RM Sotheby’s. “No expense was spared in returning the historically significant E-type to factory condition, with emphasis placed on preserving the car’s unique modifications.”
The Jaguar coupe is finished in its original shade of Opalescent Dark Green and retains its upgraded engine. The pre-auction estimated value is £395,000 to £495,000 ($503,000 to $630,000).
“The Jaguar E-type is an icon of automotive design and tightly woven into the fabric of British automotive history,”said Tonnie Van der Velden, car specialist for RM Sotheby’s. “Quite simply, this historically significant example is amongst one of the very best E-Types in existence and has undoubtedly played a part in building the legacy that the model commands by enthusiasts and collectors all over the world.
“With 2021 marking the 60th anniversary of the E-type, this exquisite car would be well received at any concours event.”
Disheartening is one widespread reaction to the postponements and cancellations of large-scale car events, shows that have been annual traditions, bucket-list experiences, and sources of so much of our automotive culture. Even so, the community is getting back together, albeit on a smaller and more local scale.
If this is the new normal, we hope it continues even after the major events return.
Until our world changed six months ago, I’d all but forgotten the wonderful and intimate atmosphere of the local car gatherings that attracted me to the hobby in the first place. Now, with those events re-emerging, I find I have a new appreciation for them.
Since we staged the Future Collector Car Show back in January, my car-culture outlet has been a weekly gathering at a local Scottsdale, Arizona, coffee shop owned by a Porsche enthusiast. The cafe is called Fourtillfour, a pun on the Porsche 356.
Every weekend, these gatherings feature a different and rotating theme, but all sorts of vehicles are welcome to take part.
The first weekend of the month, of course, is Porsches, vintage and new. The second weekend, fast cars such as hyper cars, super cars, and sports cars. The third is themed “Shake Down,” which includes vintage European and Japanese vehicles. The fourth weekend is dedicated to “Adventure Mobiles,” off-road rigs and 4x4s.
Being the third Saturday of the month, this past weekend featured vintage European and Japanese vehicles. Among cars that caught my eye were a recently imported Nissan R33 Skyline custom built by the team at HKS in Japan, a show-quality BMW E30 caged and track ready, and a 2021 Range Rover Defender. With such a variety of vehicles, came a variety of people, but no conflicts, arguments, or negativity to be found.
Our car culture flourishes with such local gatherings we would love to highlight more like this. Have an upcoming show or gathering? Send us the details so we can showcase how our culture continues to flourish.
BMW has unveiled the latest iteration of two automotive icons, the M3 sedan and M4 coupe, each available with as much as 503 horsepower and, during the summer of 2021, each available with M xDrive on Competition models.
Pricing starts at $69,000 for the M3 and at $71,800 for the M4, with cars reaching dealerships in March 2021, BMW’s North American headquarters announced.
The new M3 sedan represents the sixth generation of the model that debuted 35 years ago as the E30 M3, with US sales beginning two years later. The new M4 coupe is part of the second generation of that model.
Each, BMW said, will deliver “uncompromised street and track capabilities for which the model line has become well-known.”
New BMW M3 sedan with Competition setup
The cars are powered by twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder S58 engines producing 473 horsepower in standard guise and up to 503 horsepower in Competition models. The cars will be available with a traditional 6-speed manual transmission, “something that is rare in the car’s segment,” BMW noted.
The alternative transmission will be an 8-Speed M Steptronic gearbox.
In standard guise, BMW says the cars will accelerate to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Top speed is 155, or 180 when equipped with the M Driver’s package. Competition versions will hit 60 in 3.8 seconds.
M3 on the track
Driver can set dynamic functions
Twin-turbocharged S58 engine can produce 503 horsepower
The cars’ design was “function-driven, pure and reduced without compromise,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of BMW Group design. However, he added, “At the same time, it provides an emotionally engaging window into the vehicle character.”
The new cars are 4.6 inches longer than the previous versions and ride on wheelbases 1.8 inches longer.
“The front end of the new M3 displays the most aggressive differentiation from its non-M sibling,” the company noted. “Like the new M4, the front end is highlighted by the large and deep frameless BMW kidney grille designed to feed the massive amounts of air needed for fulfilling the cooling requirements under the most rigorous conditions.
“Cooling for the engine and brakes is provided by large additional intakes on either side of the kidney grille. These two-section apertures feature brake air ducts on the inside and air supply for the remote coolant radiators to the outside. At the outer edges of the front bumper, the vertical intakes for the Air Curtains accentuate the width of the car.”
A feature of design and engineering is the presence on the M3 and M4 of a roof made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic to lower the center of gravity and with a pair of fins running longitudinally over the CFRP roof optimize airflow.
M4 coupe with Competition package
New M3 interior
M4 coupe interior
Inside the new M3 and M4 are new sport seats with Merino leather trim and pronounced side bolsters and integrated head restraints, although there are optional electric M Carbon buckets designed to “combine racing functionality with lightweight design and comfort over long distances.”
A new Setup button on the center console allows the driver to select from among seven powertrain and chassis settings. An M-mode button on the console can be used “to adjust the responses and characteristics of the driver assistance systems and the displays in the instrument cluster and optional Head-Up Display to deliver a driving experience suited to the situation at hand.”
Cars with the new M Drive Professional technology include a Track mode.
“This new option helps the driver to make consistent progress in pursuit of the ideal line and the perfect lap,” BMW said. “Features include the M Drift Analyzer which records the duration, distance covered, line and angle of a drift with a rating shown on the Control Display.
M3 Competition version
“Other functions include the M Laptimer, which provides a comprehensive amount of performance information, shown on both the optional Head-Up display and in the instrument cluster, beyond just recording lap times. As well as checking their current lap time, the driver can also keep a constant eye on how much quicker or slower they are than their fastest lap of the current session.
“The Control Display shows the number of laps completed so far, the distance covered and the duration of the driver’s current stint. The driver can also analyze the data recorded during their track outing in detail using the BMW M Laptimer app on their Apple iPhone – and share selected information with the online community.
“Among the resources available are a bird’s-eye map view of the track, a lap time comparison, data from the car’s sensors such as speed, engine revs and accelerator position, and graphics showing the lateral and longitudinal acceleration values attained.”
