“Horsepower is Dumb” is the straightforward headline on a recent episode of Mac’s Motor City Garage, which we think is one of the best places to turn for a quick update on auto industry gossip, history, and much more.
Recently, Mac (aka Bill McGuire), posted a YouTube video in which Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained explains how horsepower is figured and why it shouldn’t be — but is — the way we rate vehicle performance.
We suggest you watch, learn, and enjoy:
The Goodguys Rod and Custom Association wrapped up its 2021 event season this past weekend with its 24th Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals event presented by Barrett-Jackson.
Hosted in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, at the WestWorld event center, thousands of hot rod enthusiasts came together to see the top street rods, muscle cars, trucks and customs from around the country.
To celebrate its last major event of the year, the Goodguys Meguiar’s Top 12 of the Year winners were on display together for spectators to enjoy:
The Ranweiler family’s 1963 Impala Wagon “Impressive” built by Show Cars Automotive.
1932 Ford roadster pickup owned by Gary DeVine and built by Galpin Auto Sports.
1932 Ford 3-window coupe owned by John Hornbrook and built by Murray Kustom Rods.
1941 Chevrolet owned by Wes and Vivian Rydell and built by Rad Rides by Troy.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro owned by Chad Farischon and built by Mountain Home Street Rods.
1968 Camaro “Rhodium” owned by Ryan Gates and built by East Bay Muscle Cars.
Josh Leisinger’s Summit Racing 1964 Chevrolet Corvette.
Jason Graham’s 1963 Ford Galaxie built by Jason Graham Hot Rods.
1969 Pontiac Firebird owned by Phil Michell.
1971 Camaro Z28 “Infrared” owned by Steve Aguilar.
Rod Bryant’s 1950 Ford F1 built by Ron Jones Garage.
1971 Ford F100 “El Diablo” owned by Fred Bishop and built by WW Speed 7 Customs.
The Goodguys group opens its 2022 schedule with the 12th LMC Truck Spring Lone Star Nationals on March 11-13 in Fort Worth, Texas. To see the full 2021 Goodguys event schedule, visit the organization’s website.
In 1932, Ford unveiled its smooth V8 engine – the first made available to the public at an affordable price point. The automaker abandoned the 4-cylinder engine that powered its Model A cars when it released the Model 48 in 1935.
The Model 48 was an obvious update from the Model 40A – Ford’s bread-and-butter car – and about 820,000 Model 48s were sold between 1935 and ’36. This skyrocketed Ford’s sales, beating its rival Chevrolet.
The Pick of the Day is a 1936 Model 48 roadster equipped with deluxe trim, one of fewer than 4,000 built for that year.
According to the Stratford, Connecticut, dealer advertising the roadster on ClassicCars.com, this Model 48 underwent a recent professional restoration and is “dressed in a handsome, original specification color-matched Burgundy two-stage paint.”
The dark burgundy color is nicely accented with gold pinstripes running down the sides of the body and a light tan cloth top.
Bold body stylings include a large inverted pentagonal grille surrounded by chrome trim, hood side louvers that help cool down the V8, chrome headlamps and a rumble seat that came along with the deluxe trim.
The interior is finished in Tobacco Brown leather and features a Bakelite sprung steering wheel, radio, dual windshield wipers and an oil pressure gauge – another deluxe trim addition.
Power comes from a rebuilt 221cid flathead V8 factory rated at 85 horsepower and linked to a 3-speed manual transmission.
“The roadster on offer here runs and drives nicely having had all systems refurbished in restoration,” the dealer says. “It is go…or show ready and wants for nothing but a new curator to enjoy its many charms.”
The Model 48 is offered for $75,000.
To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, offers a diverse docket of classic and collector vehicles each week, but I couldn’t help but notice the eye-catching bundle of Chevy’s up for auction.
Below are 4 Chevys up for auction I would bid on if I had the chance:
An iconic classic, this restored Bel Air looks to be in great condition with a beautiful Tropical Turquoise exterior and custom tweed interior.
According to the seller, the exterior brightwork, with the exception of a newer rear bumper, is original to the car.
Interior amenities include an aftermarket wood-rimmed steering wheel, a Chevrolet-branded radio with tape player, a floor-mounted Hurst manual shifter topped with a cueball-style Hurst shift knob and an aftermarket JVC AM/FM radio head unit with CD player.
Power comes from a rebuilt 283cid V8 equipped with Power Pack heads, aluminum valve covers, an aftermarket Holley four-barrel carburetor, a Be Cool aluminum radiator, a chrome air cleaner housing and an Optima Redtop battery. It’s linked to a Muncie M20 4-speed manual sourced from a later-model Chevy.
This second-generation F-body Camaro Z/28 RS two-door coupe is equipped with a front and rear aero treatment, an F41 suspension package with recent replacement KYB shock absorbers and a positraction rear end.
Refinished in 2015 in its original Mulsanne Blue paint, the body features black stripes, black vinyl trim and Rally Sport equipment, including a special grille, split chrome bumpers and hide-away windshield wipers. It also wears a chin spoiler, a high-rise hood, rear deck spoiler and a polished dual exhaust system.
According to the seller, the interior was refurbished in 2014 using replacement components from Parts Unlimited Incorporated. It houses reupholstered black vinyl bucket seats, a modern audio system and a Hurst chrome shift ball.
Under the hood is a rebuilt 350cid LT1 four-barrel V8 factory rated at 360 horsepower and linked to a Muncie M22 4-speed manual transmission.
This Electron Blue Metallic C5 Corvette has been driven just 38,203 miles since new and looks to be in decent condition with some slight wear in the interior.
The body features characteristic pop-up headlights, mesh grille inserts, 50th anniversary badging and a custom Borla duel exhaust at the rear with polished outlets.
Inside, the interior is trimmed in black leather and houses a short-throw shifter, dual-zone automatic climate control, power windows and a Bose AM/FM/CD audio system.
Power comes from a 405-horsepower 5.7-liter LS6 V8 mated to a T-56 6-speed manual transaxle and a limited-slip differential.
According to this Chevelle’s listing, it’s one of just 278 units made with the optional V75 Traction Compound Canisters.
It’s finished in black with a matching vinyl roof and white side-striping across the length of the body. The quad headlights have chrome bezels that nicely complement the chrome grille featuring an SS 396 badge.
The all-black interior houses front bucket seats, a horseshoe shifter, chrome-trimmed console, an aftermarket AM/FM radio and factory air conditioning.
Under the hood is a 396/325-horsepower V8 equipped with a Rochester Q-Jet four-barrel carburetor with an open-element air clean updated with an H.E.I ignition system.
To see more classic and collector cars up for auction, visit AutoHunter’s website.
Each year the National Insurance Crime Bureau releases its Hot Wheels report – a list of the top 10 most stolen cars in the United States – and 2020’s report has dropped.
Comparing 2020 with 2019, the NCIB found the number of thefts for all the top 10 models increased and a few saw double digit theft increase percentages.
The top 10 most stolen cars, in inverse order, from 2020 are:
In its report, the NICB also shared 4 tips on how to level up on protection and prevent vehicle theft. These include using your common sense when it comes to locking your door and removing your keys from the ignition, installing warning devices, using immobilizing devices like smart keys and kill switches and installing a tracking device.
For more information and tips for keeping our car safe from theft, visit the NICB website.
Back in late 2020, records were set for a collector car auction in South Africa when nearly 140 vehicles from the Louis Coetzer estate were sold by High Street Auctions and Creative Rides. But that was only the first round of the dispersal of the collection.
A second round of sales is scheduled for December 4, when around 50 vehicles from the Coetzer collection will be among the more than 100 vehicles up for bidding at the annual year-end sale by High Street and Creative Rides.
“This is the second tranche of cars from ‘Uncle Louis’ collection,” Creative Rides chief executive Kevin Derrick told the news24.com website. “He had 450-odd vehicles in garages upon garages, with about 50 to 60 going on auction come 4 December.
“What’s great is that many of the vehicles have been recommissioned by us and are reasonably good running conditions.
“Some of the cars have not been seen by public eyes, and only a few people have had the privilege of seeing uncle Louis’ collection in the flesh. The auctioned cars will end up on the road. By bringing these unique vehicles to the market, it is a great tribute to Uncle Louis.”
The Coetzer cars will be part of the South African Legends & Classics by High Street Auctions at the Creative Rides facility in Johannesburg.
Cars from the collection going into this round of sales include a 1960 MGA, a 1971 Buick Riviera, a 15-window Volkswagen Safari van with sunroof, a V8-powered Ford Fairmont GT, 1971 Ford Capri Perana V8, and several Mercedes, including a 1953 Ardenhauer and a 1957 ponton-fendered station wagon, and a 1925 Studebaker Phaeton.
“Fifty years ago, the iconic Capri Perana, one of the legends in South Africa’s motoring heritage, was conceived by master engineer and car builder Basil Green,” Derrick is quoted in a news release. “It was a homologation model utilizing the 302 Windsor engine used also in Mustangs at that time. The use of such a powerful engine in a very small car provided astounding performance.”
Another star car is the 1970 Ford Fairmont GT, he said.
“Known internally at Ford as the ‘Big Daddy’… the ‘Super Rhino,’ as it became known, was a tremendous performance car, rocketing from 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds, and topping the speedo and around 210km/h, which at the time made it the fastest production car in the world. Since it was only produced for three years, it was and remains an extremely rare car and a collector’s dream find.”
Offered fresh from taking first in class at the 2021 Ironstone concours and second in class at the 2021 Carmel Concours on the Avenue, the Pick of the Day is a 1960 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE cabriolet being advertised on ClassicCars.com by its private owner in Santa Cruz, California.
The seller reports that the car was restored in 2003 by the respected LaVine Restorations shop in Nappanee, Indiana, and is “still looking gorgeous.”
The car is done in light ivory over burgundy leather interior with a brown convertible top. The interior features burlwood done by Madera Concepts and, the dealer notes, a correctly restored original radio.
As an SE model, the car was fitted with a 2.2-liter inline-6-cylinder engine rated at 134 horsepower and 152 pound-feet of torque. The engine is linked to a 4-speed manual transmission.
The dealer reports this is one of 1,112 Ponton cabriolets with fuel injection. It also has a removable auxiliary cooling fan.
The dealer says the car’s owner carefully sorted technical loose ends and has used the car for more than 2,000 miles touring California.
The car is offered for $199,000. To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is a magazine-featured 1937 Ford coupe completed to show-level quality standards by Premier Street Rods in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
“This kit-based two-door coupe starts out with a 1937 Ford fiberglass body from OZE that has been painted Quick Silver Metallic and accented by maroon side stripes,” AutoHunter notes in the street rod’s listing.
The body features shaved door handles, a polished aluminum fabricated wrap-around grille, rear-hinged doors, 7-inch headlights with LED turn signals, Hagan flush-mount slim vertical taillights, and dual polished exhaust outlets.
American Racing Torque Thrust II five-spoke wheels are arranged in staggered fitment with 18s up front and 20s in the rear, and are shod in Toyo tires the seller says had good life remaining.
The interior is trimmed in monochromatic black and fitted with leather ISS bucket seats, a padded dash face and center console. Amenities include a modern Sony AM/FM/CD head unit connected to Pioneer speakers, and has power windows, a Flaming River tilt-adjustable steering wheel with a Billet Specialties wheel, a Lokar shift knob, and air conditioning.
The odometer reads 6,405 miles, which reflects mileage driven since completion of the build.
Power comes from a Corvette-sourced 350cid LS1 V8 linked to a 4-speed 4L60-E automatic transmission.
This custom coupe’s auction ends December 2 at 12:00 p.m. MST.
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and gallery of photos.
Even if you’ve never heard the name Gene Winfield, you’ve most definitely seen his custom cars race across the big screen.
Born June 16, 1927, in Springfield, Missouri, Winfield is one of the most prolific American custom car builders, painters, designers and even a dry lakes racer.
He opened his first workshop, Windy’s Custom Shop, in 1946 in a chicken coop in his mother’s backyard, where he chopped his brother’s 1941 Plymouth and did extensive work on a 1946 Ford convertible.
By the ‘60s, Winfield set up in a new shop in Modesto, California, and his customs gained popularity and caught the eyes of Hollywood movie producers. He began creating custom vehicles for films and television series, including Maxwell Smart’s car in Get Smart, The Reactor seen in the Bewitched series, and the shuttlecraft in the Star Trek series.
Wanting to be closer to Hollywood, Winfield opened a second shop in North Hollywood named Windfield’s Special Projects, creating there 25 vehicles for the film Bladerunner, Robocop, and The Last Starfighter, as well as the flying version of the DeLorean for Back to the Future.
Winfield, now at age 94, still runs and operates a shop located on a large plot of land in Mojave, California, and tours the world chopping cars and laying down his signature fadeaway paint jobs.
In the Petersen Automotive Museum’s newest episode of Global Garages, Leslie Kendall and Micaela Dempsey visit Winfield’s shop and home in a two-part video series.
In part 1, the duo explores Winfield’s vast plot of land filled with his iconic creations, including his 1927 Bonneville racer “The Thing,” and see what he’s working on and get a tour of his memorabilia-filled home.
In part 2, Winfield gives an up-close look at The Reactor custom and Strip Star, a custom race car he built for the Promotions Inc. Show Car Division in 1963.
Met with disdain by the “real” engineers, the trio of Georges Boillot, Jules Goux and Paolo Zuccarelli were nicknamed The Charlatans by Peugeot’s production-engineering staff when they moved into a space in the company’s workshops.
But as detailed in the latest episode of Inside the 59, the video series produced byThe Brumos Collection museum in Florida, the hands-on racers were able to turn their strange ideas into vehicles that revolutionized not only motorsports but changed the powerplants in roadgoing vehicles as well.
Ironically, the French trio would have a counterpart on America’s West Coast in the form of Harry Miller, Fred Offenhauser and Leo Goossen.
Watch and learn about the museum’s 1914 Peugeot L45:
‘Body by Fisher’ at Detroit museum
The Detroit Historical Society museum has opened an exhibit, “Body by Fisher,” about the family-owned business that produced car bodies for so many decades. The exhibit is scheduled to run through 2022.
Lawrence Fisher, like his father a skilled blacksmith who built carriages in Norwalk, Ohio, and his wife, Margaret, had 11 children, including seven sons. The two oldest, Fred and Charles, moved to Detroit in the first decade of the 20th century, joining an uncle to work at carriage-builder C.R. Wilson.
“The brothers realized that bodies for engine-driven vehicles needed to withstand different types of strain and sought to perfect their product,” the museum reports. “The Fisher Brothers also recognized that an enclosed car body would be more convenient for driving in inclement weather and cold seasons – a truth that the industry was hesitant to capitalize on.”
By 1920 the other brothers had joined Fred and Charles and the Fisher Body Company was supplying bodies to Detroit automakers, including Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile.
Japanese car exhibit in Sacramento
The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento has opened its Japanese car exhibit, which includes vehicles from the Toyota S800 to the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32). Among the cars in between are a Subaru 360, Datsun 240Z, Isuzu Impulse, Mazda Miata race car and more.
Corvette museum adds a C7
The National Corvette Museum now has one of each C7 model, thanks to the donation of a 2016 Z06 by Tim and Christine Ann. The gift completes the full set of seventh-generation Chevrolet sports cars — Stingray, Grand Sport, ZR1 and Z06
Special events this weekend
The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Germany offers a special tour of its new SL exhibition November 22 on its Instagram channel.
The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, opens its “Winter Wonderland” holiday lights show from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on November 24, featuring classic cars in snow globes, rides in vintage vehicles, a maze of holiday inflatables, a visit to Santa’s Garage, outdoor artwork, a vintage Christmas tree lot with Shasta camper trailer, and more.
The Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Turin, Italy, presents a program on artist and Mille Miglia competitor Caty Torta on November 25 featuring Torta’s son, Cesare Denoye, and Piergiorgio Dragone of the University of Turin.
The AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, hosts Zoom presentation at 2 p.m. on November 27 featuring author and Barn Find Hunter host Tom Cotter talking about driving a 1926 Model T Ford Speedster across the country.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts Chris Lennon and his book The Peak of Racing: Pikes Peak through The Racers’ Eyes from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on November 27.
Mark your calendar
Brian Redman will be presented the 2021 Spirit of Competition award December 1 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia. The annual award goes to someone who has made significant contributions to motorsports. Redman is a nine-time sports car racing champion and continues to be an ambassador for the sport and for vintage racing.
“Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance” will be presented by author Mia Bay at 7 p.m. December 2 at the Lars Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts. On December 9, the museum will feature “The Hack Mechanic” with Rob Siegel, columnist for the BMW Car club magazine Roundel.
Former General Motors design director Ed Welburn will present “The Golden Age of American Automotive Design” from noon until 3 p.m. December 4 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts Don Emde and his book Freddie Ludlow: His Life on Two Wheels, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on December 4.
The new Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, midway between Chattanooga and Atlanta, has announced December 8 as its opening day for visitors. The museum is on a 35-acre site and includes three buildings with 65,000-square-feet of display space and a cafe. It is part of the Georgia Museums Inc., which includes the Booth Western Art Museum, Bartow History Museum and Tellus Science Museum.
Beaulieu, England, home of the National Motor Museum, and Palace House, will host a new outdoor Christmas Fair from December 10-12.
The National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, hosts the “Run, Run Rudolph 5K” at 5 p.m. December 11. The run travels through 3.2-miles of holiday lights and supports Toys for Tots.
The Motor bar and restaurant at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee will host ugly sweater parties from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on December 11 and 18. It will feature Breakfast with Santa events on December 12 and 19 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Canadian Automobile Museum in Oshawa, Ontario, offers its Third Thursday lecture at 7 p.m. December 16 on Zoom with Dumaresq de Pencier featuring “Early Electric Cars of Canada: 1897-1927.” The museum also is working on its next exhibition, “Wires to Wheels: Electric Vehicles in Canada and Beyond,” scheduled to open in July 2022.
The Montagu family Palace House, which shares its grounds with the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, England, offers a trip back to 1889 with its Victorian Christmas event from December 18 to January 2.
The grand opening of the Segerstrom Shelby museum and event center has been rescheduled for January 20, 2022, in Irvine, California.
The Canadian Automobile Museum in Oshawa, Ontario, has announced its Third Thursday lecture topics for January and February. “Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights” will be presented January 20 at 7 p.m. on Zoom by Gretchen Sorin of the State University of New York College at Oneonta, and “The Death and Legacy of Sam McLaughlin – Looking Back After 50 Years” will be offered by Samantha George of the Parkwood National Historic Site on February 17.
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected] .
