Tag Archives: Classic Cars

1954 Desoto Adventurer II Ghia Coupe At Hershey

March 30, 2015 ndubs77 1 Comment

Following up our Corvette Rondine spot is another Italian-American beauty, this 1954 Desoto Adventurer II Ghia Coupe. This is one of the cars that stole the show at The Elegance at Hershey last year, and I certainly had to pick my jaw up off the ground when I caught my first glimpse of it.

Styled by Italian designer, Ghia, this Desoto Adventurer II is a one-off concept car done as a design exercise. The idea was to make a European-style grand touring car on an American platform… too bad they only made one. Beneath its swooping lines Adventurer II is based on a the Desoto Firedome Sportsman, and gets its power from a 276ci (4.5L) Hemi V8. It also has a 2 speed transmission, which is quite exotic today.

The car was fully restored in 1988, and now appears at concours events like The Elegance at Hershey. This was stunning car in a beautiful venue, and we’re glad we can share it with you all. Enjoy!

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

THE Corvette Rondine Spotted in Greenwich, CT

March 28, 2015 ndubs77 3 Comments

While walking around after the Greenwich Concours last year, we noticed a certain blue car off in the distance at a local collector car dealer. That certain blue car turned out to be THE Corvette Rondine, as in the only one built. We’ve seen this car before on a few occasions, but seeing it out on public streets was insane. I mean the Rondine is the only one of its kind!

Underneath that beautiful italian bodywork by Pinninfarina lies a 1663 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray with a 327 V8 under its hood. The Rondine is a beautiful Italian-American hybrid, a lot like Marisa Tomei!

-Nick

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1956 Cadillac Eldorado at the 2015 Boca Raton Concours

March 24, 2015 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

Elvis Presley might be one of America’s greatest icons–and he was a Cadillac man. So is Ralph Marano, the well-known and well-respected car collector based in Union County, NJ. He brought a few cars to the Boca Raton Concours this year–and while I’ve become familiar with his excellent collection of Packards (which were featured at Amelia Island last year), I wasn’t as aware of his taste in Cadillacs.

This 1956 Eldorado might be one of the best mid-Fifties Cadillacs I’ve ever laid eyes on, with a gorgeous, deep shine on all panels and an incredible reflection across the chrome. This pink Cadillac is 100% original–and has only 27K original miles. Thanks to the polish, it looks like it should share space on the showroom floor with any other new car, it’s just that stunning. Wayne Carini was more than happy to talk about it, and I found him doing a short feature on it just as I was taking my pictures. Enjoy the photos of this large and in-charge American classic. Continue reading 1956 Cadillac Eldorado at the 2015 Boca Raton Concours →

Car Shows

Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale at Amelia Island

March 23, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

We, regrettably, did not make it down to Amelia Island this year. But our photographer friend down there, Nathan Corry, did make it over on Saturday to get some shots, and he has been kind enough to let us use them.

The car you see here is a 1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale, and it is one of my all-time favorite automobiles. I still have yet to actually see one in person, though. So when I say photos of this one at Amelia this year, I was extra pissed that I couldn’t make it this year. Naturally, when Nathan offered to let us use his photos, my first question was, “OMG DID YOU SHOOT THE ALFA TIPO 33?!!!!” Nathan had, and here are his beautiful photos of it.

I consider the Alfa Tipo 33 Stradale to be the first incarnation of what we all know today as the “hypercar.” Hypercars sit above the level of mere supercars in their technology, performance, or sheer exotic appeal, and they usually cost obscenely more than an obscene amount of money.

The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale was the road going version of Alfa’s Tipo 33/2 racing cars. It shares the same advanced 2.0L V8 as the racing versions, but the engine was detuned from 270hp to around 230hp in the road car. That engine revved all the way up to 10,000 RPM, and it sent power through a 6 speed transaxle gearbox. The Tipo 33 also still only weighed just over 1500lbs in road form, with the same basic suspension as the racing Tipo 33/2. It could see 160mph, and go 0-60 in 5.5 sec, fast numbers today, but in 1967 it was the record holder for the standing kilometer. So all in all, the 33 Stradale was a technical masterpiece in it’s day, literally a racing car for the road.

Adding to it’s advanced technical design, the Tipo 33 Stradale was also arguably the most exotic car in the world in 1968. It was the first road car to feature gullwing doors, which featured a unique curved glass window as well. It’s price in 1968 was close to $20,000, or a little more than the price of a Lamborghini Miura. But with only 18 examples built, each Alfa Tipo 33 Stradale is worth many millions today, probably tens of millions. So if you love modern hypercars like Paganis and Koenigseggs, then recognize this stunning Alfa as the “Original Gangsta” that it is.

I firmly believe the Tipo 33 Stradale is one of the most beautiful road cars ever built, and it happens to be a technical masterpiece too. You can find more info about it in a previous article I wrote. I still look forward to the day I get to see one in person, but I’m thrilled that Nathan was able to supply us with his photos so we can share this one with you. Check out his photography portfolio and his services on his website.

Also, if you’re reading this, and you own a Tipo 33 Stradale. I’d be happy to buy your car from you, provided you can accept my everliving soul as payment.

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

Mercedes 300 SL Roadster Spotted in Greenwich, CT

March 21, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Out walking around in Greenwich, CT we found this beautiful classic Mercedes 300SL Roadster parked outside of a luxury car dealership in town. Gotta love that hip line!

-Nick

Car Shows

Slammed VW Karmann Ghia at Festivals Of Speed, Amelia Island

March 18, 2015 ndubs77 1 Comment

This slammed Volkswagen Karmann Ghia managed to draw people’s attention away from all of the exotics at Festivals of Speed, Amelia Island. When it comes to slammed cars, I am only a fan of some, but this is surely one of them. This Karmann Ghia was extremely well done, and it really popped with its sparkling brown-orange paint job.

Karmann Ghias are such high-style items these days, and I do think being slammed adds to that appeal. I wish Volkswagen could find a way to bring this sort of style back into their modern cars, but I know that is unlikely.

Enjoy the photos of this lowered beauty!

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray spotted in Carmel, CA

March 17, 2015 Albert S. Davis 4 Comments

When Nick and I start spotting in Carmel after a long day of chasing exotics and shooting ultra-rare machines in static settings all over the area at shows every day, we sort of drift around Ocean Avenue and side streets, often splitting the area. My preferred zone is a spot right in the middle of Ocean Avenue, near the top of the hill. While Nick was busy shooting exotics, I was focusing primarily on any offbeat car I could find, or whatever American classic happened to show up. Luckily, it wasn’t long before my patience was rewraded by this fetching blue Stingray.

The young adult driving this ’69 Stingray seemed affable–and he was rather proud of this machine. With clean lines and a classic soundtrack, the C3 Corvette was the last of the muscle car-esque Corvettes, and would be the last to offer a big-block V8 as an option. This one didn’t have a rat motor (it was powered by a 350 small block) but still grabbed everyone’s attention, including mine. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray spotted in Carmel, CA →

Car Shows

Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 at Laguna Seca

March 13, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

If you love cars, then you have to love old Alfa Romeos. The Tipo 33 was a legendary racing platform for Alfa Romeo, and this Tipo 33/2 lit up the track at Laguna Seca this past summer. Such beautiful lines can indeed be functional for speed.

Enjoy!

-Nick Walker

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1968 Cadillac Eldorado at the Boca Raton Concours

March 12, 2015 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

I took extra time to take particular photos of some of the more interesting Cadillacs at the Boca Raton Concours this past winter, and the effort paid off. The first car I took a closer look at is sitting right here–it was in the back of the program, parked amongst its peers from the Fifties and Seventies. This ’68 Eldorado was the second year of the new-shaped model, an innovation machine on wheels of its time. Cadillac took their first stab at front-wheel-drive with these beasts, and laid on the swagger and chrome as if it was going out of style.

The late Sixties Eldorado is a snake charmer. It’s a massive car–the 120-inch wheelbase underpins a car that stretches out to 221 inches total–that’s less than 8 inches shorter than a new Rolls-Royce Phantom SWB. Despite being FWD, the engine is still laid out front-to-rear, a unique arrangement that Cadillac would use until 1985. Powering the beast is a 472 cubic-inch V8 hooked up to a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission–but the real jewel of the Eldorado, especially this one, was its condition. Shining paint, and gorgeous interior appointments, are the norm at a Concours–however, the real prize was inside the interior. This one happens to have an 8-track player, a novelty in the late Sixties, and a telephone. Bluetooth not required, nor needed. Enjoy the photos of this luxurious beast. Continue reading 1968 Cadillac Eldorado at the Boca Raton Concours →

Car Shows

1938 Bugatti Type 57 Stelivio at Bonhams Auction

March 11, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

While perusing through the field at the Bonhams Auction at the Quail Lodge, we were stopped in our tracks by this incredible 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio. Red and Black is one of my personal favorite color combinations on a car. That mixed with the swooping Art Deco lines of this vintage Bugatti made it just perfect.

This Type 57 was actually pretty powerful back in its day, with a 170hp supercharged inline-8 engine. If a Bugatti represents the utmost in luxury automobiles today, it was surely just as true back in the pre war era.

This stunning Type 57 Stelvio was coach built by Carrosserie Gangloff of Colmar, France. And what a magnificent job they did with it!

This Bugatti is exactly the sort of thing I look for in an Art Deco era luxury car. It has all of that swoopy style you could want, and it had some high technology and performance for its time. You can get more info on this car here.

Enjoy the photos of this immaculate machine!

-Nick Walker

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1958 Tatra 603 Aerodynamic Saloon at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours

March 3, 2015 Albert S. Davis 3 Comments

Tatras are machines of wonder and amazement, despite not being an exotic by definition. The rear-engined design dates back to the Great Depression, and they were quite radical. Eight cylinders mounted behind the rear axle, air-cooled, and styled as if in a wind tunnel, they were ahead of their time in a few ways. When the Nazis invaded the Czech Republic in the 1930s, production slowed until the war was over. Unfortunately, they were never sold in the USA–as the company produced cars from behind the Iron Curtain.

The 603 series was very popular with high-ranking officials in the USSR, and even Fidel Castro sported one (painted white, for some reason). They were sleek, had classy styling, and distinctly American motifs everywhere. Some of those motifs included contrasting roof/body color combinations (like the red and white on this particular example), lashings of chrome down the sides and around the windows, and heavy, chrome-plated bumpers. This particular car even included a bed, which could be set up by simply folding the front bench seat back. The general public was not able to purchase cars like this in the Soviet Union–these were reserved, similar to the GAZ Chaika, for high-ranking public officials and Communist Party members. This particular car hails from the Lane Motor Museum of Nashville, TN and was for exhibition only, but still looked stunning amongst its peers–as the Tatra model series was a feature at Pebble Beach last summer. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1958 Tatra 603 Aerodynamic Saloon at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours →

Car Shows

Steve McQueen’s Jaguar XK-SS at The Quail

March 2, 2015 ndubs77 1 Comment

While perusing the incredible machines at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, I came upon this very rare Jaguar XK-SS. Formerly Steve McQueen’s own Jaguar XK-SS, the car is now owned by the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA.

The XK-SS is a fascinating automobile, literally a street legal racing car. When Jaguar had finished racing the legendary D-Type in 1955 they had 25 unsold D-Type chassis left over. They decided to turn those Le Mans-winning race car chassis into road cars for sale to private customers. A fire at the factory destroyed 9 of the 25 chassis, but the remaining 16 survive to this day, and are each worth a fortune.

It is always incredible to see an XK-SS in person, it is a most proper Jag. See Steve McQueen in the car below.