Gotta love those old Mopars!
-Nick
Petrolicious Shows us a very special Dodge Challenger R/T
Gotta love those old Mopars!
-Nick
Tag Archives: Classic Cars
Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato at Amelia Island
The DB4 GT Zagato is one of the most beautiful Aston Martins of all time. Swooping Italian lines over a capable British GT racing-developed chassis, it is a sublime combination!
With its 314hp straight-6, the DB4 GT Zagato was one hell of a performer in the early 1960’s. It was capable of 0-60 in around 6 seconds, and could top 150 mph. It also had a lightweight design and a capable chassis, so it was very much an all-round performer. Even today, it would still roast many respectable cars.
The big draw, on top of this Aston’s styling and performance, is its rarity. Only 19 of these DB4 GT Zagatos were produced, and they are worth many millions of dollars today.
Amelia Island was actually the second time I’ve seen this one. I saw it a few years ago, where it was the star at a local cruise night in Hopewell, NJ, where it was being worked on.
The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato is one of my favorite classic cars, period, let alone Aston Martins. I was so privileged to have some quality shooting time with the car after most of the show cleared out. It even had it’s own design plans on display in the trunk this time.
I hope you all enjoy the gallery!
Continue reading Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato at Amelia Island
1953 Ferrari 340 MM Competition at Amelia Island
We’re gearing up for our trip down to Florida this week for the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. This beautiful two-tone 1953 Ferrari 340 MM Competition is a gem from the last time we were at the event.
The car was commissioned by Bill Spear and Phil Hill to compete in the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as other races. It was painted blue and white to distinguish it as a car driven by Americans. They had a good showing at Le Mans that year, but was forced to retire due to issues with its drum brakes. This Ferrari 340 MM was then imported into the U.S. and raced extensively around the country.
A stunning and storied machine, indeed!
Enjoy the photos.
Continue reading 1953 Ferrari 340 MM Competition at Amelia Island
1947 Delahaye 135M Narval “Cover Girl” at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
Only automobile aficionados know about Delahayes. But when anyone asks me who made the most beautiful cars of all time, I usually drop the Delahaye name. They are gorgeous, they are elegant, they are as French as French can be.
Any connoisseur of pre-war automobiles will know of all the stunning machines that came out of France in the early-mid 1900s. Many might argue that Bugatti or Talbot should hold the crown of beauty instead, but Delahayes have always dropped my jaw in a way that no other marque ever has. They are magical machines with the power to make everything around them disappear.
The 1947 Delahaye 135M you see here turned many heads at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. It is one of a few hundred 135Ms produced in the difficult post-war era. France was ruined and there wasn’t much room for ostentatious luxury cars as the country was being rebuilt. As a result, most post-war Delahayes were exported to wealthy buyers outside of France. Delahaye’s larger military contracting business kept them afloat until they lost a major contract with the French government, and went bust in 1954.
This beautiful black Delahaye 135M Narval was built for a wealthy industrialist in Ohio. It’s design was inspired by the elegant motion of aquatic mammals, specifically the Narwal. It was built for the President of The Prima Company Ohio, and was showcased in a magazine ad for “Covergirl Dress Flats by Prima,” hence the car’s nickname “Cover Girl.”
This Delahaye stands as a masterpiece of art on wheels. Enjoy the gallery.
Continue reading 1947 Delahaye 135M Narval “Cover Girl” at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
1951 Packard Patrician 400 at the 2015 Radnor Hunt Concours
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Due to the phrase “Fabulous Fifties”, everyone seems to think that all cars sold in America during the first full decade after World War II had loud paint, snarling V8 engines, towering tail fins, and lashings of insane chrome. The opposite, in fact, was true, especially in the years preceding 1955. In fact, most cars were notably understated, and still used muted colors and drab interior schemes as the cost was lower. Of course, a Packard could be drab in color and muted in trim, but the cost would most certainly not be low. This Patrician 400, looking quite stately in black, has a custom interior designed by Dorothy Draper, so the interior was not “drab”. Packard offered this series as its flagship in 1951, and 9,001 orders were taken–mostly in black. It’s not as flashy or as obvious as the equivalent Cadillac or Lincoln of the period, but it does not need to be. Continue reading 1951 Packard Patrician 400 at the 2015 Radnor Hunt Concours
This 1971 Plymouth Hemicuda is a Mean Green Muscle Machine!
The Plymouth Hemicuda is my favorite car from the Muscle Car era, bar none. It has the perfect engine, Chrysler’s 426ci Hemi V8, the perfect gearbox, a manual with a pistol-grip shifter, and it is the perfect color, bright middle finger green.
The Hemicuda has the brash audacity that I look for in a muscle car. It speaks loudly and carries a big stick. Too many muscle cars were soft-spoken “sleepers,” which is cool in some ways, but I much prefer the blunt honesty of the ‘Cuda. It doesn’t beat around the bush with petty small talk, it just says “Get the hell out the way!”
I’m generally a non-partisan guy when it comes to automotive brand loyalty, but I must admit that Mopars are my favorite of the old-school muscle cars. They had a fantastic lineup of engines, of which the Hemi was king. But even past that, Chrysler cars just had that flavor that embodied the very spirit of the American Muscle car. The Plymouth ‘Cuda is the crown jewel for me, but I always love me a Road Runner, a Charger, a Challenger, etc too.
Seeing a ‘Cuda like this turns me into a little kid every time, and this one was absolutely ideal. We saw it at the Concours of America, just outside of Detroit, MI. Naturally the Motor City area has the cream of the muscle car crop, and I have yet to be disappointed when visiting.
Enjoy the gallery of this bad mutha!
Continue reading This 1971 Plymouth Hemicuda is a Mean Green Muscle Machine!
1932 Ruxton Model C at the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance
Ruxton built unique front-wheel-drive cars in the early 1930s, although they were only able to actually produce cars for a few months. The company was plagues with mismanagement through its entire conception, and wound up fizzing out as the Great Depression Took hold, causing financial strains across the board.
The cars themselves were bold and beautiful. They sat much lower than most of their contemporaries thanks to the lack of a driveshaft running underneath the car. Many Ruxtons featured striking gradient-striped paint jobs, like the one you see here.
We saw many Ruxtons the last time we were at Pebble Beach, this one included. It was a great pleasure to see it again this year at the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance.
Enjoy the photos of this beautiful car!
Continue reading 1932 Ruxton Model C at the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance
Highlights from the 2016 Philadelphia Auto Show
The Philadelphia Auto Show was lively this year, with many of the newest releases on display.
I must admit that I am completely in love with the blue Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio you see above (it’s stick too). I also got my first look at the new Fiata (124 Spider), Cadillac XT5, Honda Ridgeline, and the oh-so-sleek Volvo S90. I also got a good look at the new Toyota Prius, which was regrettable on the eyes.
There are a lot of great new cars to be excited about!
Enjoy the gallery.
-Nick
Continue reading Highlights from the 2016 Philadelphia Auto Show
1966 Chevrolet Biscayne spotted in Royal Oak, MI
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While Shane, Nick, and I were illegally crossing Woodward Avenue (note to anyone in the area: Find a crosswalk, Woodward’s one of the busiest streets I’ve ever seen, more so even than Route 4 in Bergen County), I saw this 1966 Chevrolet rumbling up the road, only to pull into the car meet we were attending. I’m a sucker for 1966 full size Chevrolets, as this was the last year before GM went to a “fuselage” look wiht a smoother set of fenders and a much wider stance. The bulldog stance of the ’66, especially this one finished in Tuxedo Black with dog-dish hubcaps and little to no chrome garnish to be found, looks absolutely mean. The wide tires out back and evil exhaust note did little to keep me from thinking only “If I end up in Hell, this car will be my chariot.” Enjoy.
1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air Nomad at the 2015 Concours of America at St. John’s
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Two-door station wagons are among the black sheep of the automotive world here in America. Europe has produced them on and off for decades, but our region of the industry really never produced this unique body style. Luckily, the most famous one we ever pushed out of the factory gates happens to be quite a striking piece. Most people remember the first-generation of the Chevrolet Nomad as the 1957 model, complete with tri-tone paint, spinner hubcaps, a 283-cubic inch Small Block Chevy, and chrome almost everywhere. While it’s a fantastic-looking piece of American history, the ’55 “Box Chevy” probably works best of all the Tri-Fives in the Nomad’s two-door-wagon configuration. Continue reading 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air Nomad at the 2015 Concours of America at St. John’s
The Thunderbolt, a Custom Rolls Royce with a WWII Tank Engine
Some things just need to be built. Even without a practical purpose, some things must exist because they will make the world a better place. Inspiration is a powerful force in our world, and things that are born out of passion serve to inspire further passion in others. If that isn’t a worthy cause, then I don’t know what is.
This is the Thunderbolt, a custom built Rolls Royce Boat Tail Speedster with a fire-breathing WWII tank engine under its massive hood. It is the embodiment of childhood dreams, and an homage to a more elegant time, when cars were truly works of art and craftsmanship.
The Thunderbolt’s mighty engine is a 27 liter Rolls Royce Meteor V12. It produces 600-700hp and over 1,600 ft/lbs of torque. The Meteor engine was the tank derivative of the famous Merlin engine used in the Spitfire fighter plane. And when the owner says to be careful when starting the car, he means because it literally shoots 5 foot flames out the side exhausts (See the video).
Continue reading The Thunderbolt, a Custom Rolls Royce with a WWII Tank Engine
Slammed Chevy Corvair at First Class Fitment
It may be unsafe at any speed, but this Chevy Corvair looks damn good just sitting still. Fully customized with some rustic treatment on the body panels and a set of contrasting clean wheels, this Corvair had a unique flavor about it. Among the sea of spotless show cars at First Class Fitment this year, it definitely stood out as an island unto itself.
Well done!
Continue reading Slammed Chevy Corvair at First Class Fitment
Mind Over Motor 