Tag Archives: Chrysler

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Happy Birthday, America! Today, we celebrate burnouts.

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Nissan 240SX LS1 Burnout Side

Hello everyone, and welcome to Independence Day. On this day in 1776, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia to mark the birth of our great nation, the United States of America. And on this day in 2014, I would like to feature some of the best burnout pictures we have from the CF Charities Supercar Show last month in Warminster, Pennsylvania–just a stone’s throw from Philadelphia. The burnout may not be distinctly American, but few other automotive gestures are quite as fitting in this great nation as stepping up to the plate and spinning the rear tires into a pulp of rubber, smoke, and mayhem. These great citizens, some of which brought a few foreign cars (this cementing this American smoking institution as a great melting pot), were more than happy to show off their tire-shredding skills. Everything from a slightly crunchy BMW E36 coupe to a hard-boiled Ford F-350 dually packing a 7.3L PowerStroke turbo diesel V8 (with copious amounts of added diesel soot) took part, and much fun was had by all. Enjoy the photos, and happy Fourth of July. Continue reading Happy Birthday, America! Today, we celebrate burnouts. →

Car Shows

Pre-War Cars at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance

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1935 Duesenberg SJ562 at Greenwich

“They don’t make them like this anymore…”

That is a phrase I must have heard uttered over a dozen times during the weekend of the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance by people gazing at the magnificent pre-war automobiles on display. And they definitely don’t make cars like these anymore. In fact, most manufacturers of these majestic machines have long been defunct. The likes of Duesenberg, Packard, Minerva and Delage are all absent from the vocabulary of modern automobillia, and it’s a real shame because the cars they made were nicer (relatively) than even the top-of-the line Rolls Royce today.

In fact, as I’ve said before, Rolls Royce is really the only company from this era that still makes the same type of cars today as it did back then. Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz still exist, but have both moved their base of operation far down market. Yes, the pre-war era was a different time, when the automobile was a blank canvass for craftsmen to as they pleased. There was a lot of art-for-art-sake in these cars, and that’s something that is mostly absent from modern cars now that accountants and health and safety people run the show.

So the relative gray-scale of the cars we know today makes ogling over these pre-war gems an activity to be savored. I am really hoping for a renaissance of creativity in the auto industry, where the artistry will come back and add to all of the modern technology and design. The cookie-cutter designs of modern cars have gotten extremely old, and a design that aims to please anyone is also boring to everyone. So I’ve got my fingers crossed.

For now, though, just enjoy gazing at these incredible pre-war machines. The attention to detail, and the sheer craftsmanship is simply breathtaking to behold. Enjoy the cars!

Continue reading Pre-War Cars at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance →

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1949 Chrysler Town and Country at the New Hope Auto Show

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Chrysler TC Convertible Front Right Angle

In 1949, Chrysler redesigned their entire lineup for the first time since the end of World War II. The postwar era was officially in full swing, but the Town and Country would continue to sell for a few more years despite its existence as one of the last wood-bodied cars that the Big Three would sell. This was the second to last year for the Town and Country, and the sales proved that buyers weren’t swayed by its attractive wood panels since the price tag was rather high. In fact, only 993 convertibles were built last year.

List price for this car was $3,765 in 1949, which translates to a new price of just about 40 grand today. They’re worth far more than that–in fact, one sold at a Christie’s auction a few years ago for over $150,000. Someone was kind enough to bring one of these 1949 models to the New Hope Car Show last summer and I took some time out at the end of the show to photograph this green one, which is still the only 1949 model I’ve ever seen. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1949 Chrysler Town and Country at the New Hope Auto Show →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1947 Chrysler Town and Country Convertible at the 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours

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At Radnor this year, there was more than just one Chrysler Town and Country.  While I was taken aback by the handsome red sedan we featured previously, it was hard to ignore the Dove Gray example parked right next to it.  This one is also a 1947 model, but restored in 2005.  The combination of the gray paint and red interior, along with a red top, looked incredible on the field under the tree.  The wood trim had a shine that no other wood-paneled car at the Concours was capable of matching that day.  Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1947 Chrysler Town and Country Convertible at the 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

2013 Radnor Hunt Concours: 1948 Chrysler Town and Country Sedan

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When people think of a Chrysler with wood paneling, of course the Town and Country comes to mind.  However, this particular body style rarely is brought up.  Loren J. Hulber, however, bucks this trend and was happy to bring this pristine 1948 Sedan to the 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance.  Only 1,175 wood-bodied sedans were produced for 1948 and this was the final year for that body style, making this Chrysler quite rare today.  These cars needed hand assembly after the panels were fitted due to the difficulty of the curved frames of the wood.  This Sumac Red example features a Highlander plaid finish interior, and won the American Classic Postwar class.  Nick and I saw it yet again at the St. Michael’s Concours, where it also won its class.  I was happy to see not only two different Town and Country models in the same place, but joyful that the rarer (and very striking) sedan was the award winner instead of the more often-seen convertible variant at this show.  Note the unique wood roof rack as well.  Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours: 1948 Chrysler Town and Country Sedan →

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Test Driven: 2013 Chrysler 300 SRT (Grade: C)

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Chrysler’s SRT lineup screams for attention these days.  The Challenger SRT appeals to the little kid inside of us, even if it’s not as dynamically capable as the competition.  The SRT Viper has the bedroom poster market cornered for the company (even if sales aren’t great right now) and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a screaming deal.  Meanwhile, the sole Chrysler product to wear the badge, the 300, sits in the corner of the showroom and doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention.  At Pebble Beach, the first car I took out on the Seventeen-Mile Drive was this icy black 300 SRT.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after a lot of thinking, I believe I have an answer.

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Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1950 Chrysler Town and Country Newport Coupe at the St. Michaels Concours

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Anyone who knows me well will understand that I’m a sucker for Chrysler woodies.  They’re very pretty and are often worth a lot more money than one might think.  This particular 1950 model is the first one I’ve ever seen in public.  It’s a Town and Country Newport, in the final year of production for the wood-body model.  This was the only hardtop woodie ever built by Chrysler–only 698 were produced, making it a rarely-seen car with an exorbitant $4,000+ price tag in its day.  Those factors make this quite the intriguing car.  The black paint looked smooth as silk and the chrome was blindingly bright in the unimpeded sun.  The backdrop of the alluring clouds and gorgeous hotel, along with the smoothness of the Chesapeake Bay, made shooting this car, at least for me, an utter no-brainer.  It didn’t win any awards that day, but it stood proudly next to its rival wood-paneled cars.  Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1950 Chrysler Town and Country Newport Coupe at the St. Michaels Concours →

Car Shows

The 2012 Radnor Hunt Concours d’ Elegance

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Ferrari 250TR, 500TRC, 250LM, and others

This is the 3rd year in a row we have attended the Radnor Hunt Concours, and it continues to blow us away each time. For me this year was especially interesting because Ferraris and pre-war Cadillacs were being featured. What you see above was the view as we entered the show, a row of Ferraris worth tens of millions of dollars alone. Most of these cars will be getting their own specific features later on so just let this be a nice preview of things to come. Enjoy.   Continue reading The 2012 Radnor Hunt Concours d’ Elegance →