Once upon a time, Dodge made a great car called the Challenger. Then, in the late 1970s, they had their first stab at bringing the great name back. But, reality was hard on the new Challenger. It was based on a dowdy Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, and its Plymouth counterpart shown here, the Sapporo, wasn’t exactly a paragon of technology, speed, or style. But, someone brought this example to Radwood, and I had to say I was impressed. It’s not perfect, but Plymouth’s desire to bring a small, sporty coupe with Japanese dynamics and American style (or some of it) to the market is clear through this black-and-silver Technica. I don’t think I’ll see another one of these anytime soon, so I took in as much as I could. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Plymouth Sapporo Technica at Radwood Philly→
Only at the Bergen County Cars and Coffee premiere event will you see a Pagani Huayra BC, a black Mercedes G-Class convertible (which were not technically legal in the USA), and this stunning Petty Blue Superbird in the same location. I mean, you will see this at a Concours, but not for free. And that’s the beauty of Cars and Coffee–expect the unexpected at all times. Even if you’ve been tipped off as to what’s going to be there. Continue reading A Blue Superbird at a Cars and Coffee (and friends)? Only at Bergen.→
Chrysler was known for its “ideas” cars on the show circuit in the Fifties. While Ford and Chevy raced on the track, Plymouth wanted to innovate. Enter this unusual station wagon. With flat-folding seats, a power-retractable third row seat, power tailgate with retracting rear window, and an incredibly luxurious interior, the Plainsman was very far ahead of its time as a concept. The car would eventually be sold to Chrysler’s Latin American sales president, who escaped Cuba with it during the Revolution. This car traveled the world before being restored nut-and-bolt in California very recently and looked truly incredible, despite being buried in the back of the field. Enjoy the photos of this incredibly unique station wagon. Continue reading 1956 Plymouth Plainsman at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours→
Flower Power! Chrysler had a brief foray into the hippie market in the late Sixties, but it didn’t last all that long. Too bad for the rest of us, but when one of these Barracudas with the paisley top shows up, it grabs a lot of attention. They even came with inserts for the seats. Although few were made, they represent a quirky time in history when flower power wasn’t exclusive to just VWs. It’s no ‘Cuda, but this little ponycar wannabe sure can take us all for a ride. This example looked fantastic and far-out at Radnor last fall. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Mod Top 1969 Plymouth Barracuda at the 2017 Radnor Hunt Concours→
I regret that I showed up late for this event. In fact, I showed up so late that I managed to miss most of the show. While I ate plenty of crow for that, I got to see most of the show leave along the exit road, and learned that at the AACA meet, always expect the unexpected. Among these Mopars featured today include the usual suspects, such as Superbirds and a Hemi car or two. However, take a good look at that 1942 DeSoto–one of the rarest years of the brand and a car almost never seen even by keen-eyed enthusiasts. My personal favorite? Take a good look at the cover photo. I have not seen many two-door late C-Body New Yorker coupes, and a black over tan example caught my eye and never gave it back. Enjoy the photos of these classic Chrysler products, and byproducts. Continue reading Classic Mopars at the AACA Fall Meet, Hershey, PA→
We’ve featured a few of the famous “M-Code” Plymouth Road Runners here at MoM in the past, but it never gets old for me. Plymouth was usually rather subtle when it came to putting big block V8s in their muscle cars for some time. They would put a small “426 Hemi” badge on the fender, keep the color schemes subtle, and let the engine do the talking. However, the new Road Runner attracted younger buyers, so Chrysler decided to up the visual ante by about a million notches. Enter the M-Code 440+6 Road Runner. Continue reading 1969 M-Code Plymouth Road Runner at Lime Rock→
This is the 200mph 1970 Plymouth Superbird raced by Richard Petty Racing, back from when NASCAR was cool. I managed to capture it, just as the sun was peeking through the trees. That’s no Photoshop flare there, people, that’s the star we orbit gently bathing this Dinoco Blue racecar in the full spectrum of light. Enjoy!
We had a fun, but rainy, weekend at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, especially on Sunday. Saturday was quite nice, though, and there was a spectacular array of cars on the field. This is our highlight gallery from Day 1.
Last year, I brought a Miata to this show, and I somehow managed to win 3rd place in the Import class (well, there were 3 of us). This year, the Lincoln may not have won anything, but my favorite car at the show won Best in Show, and the rest of the field wasn’t half-bad either. I spent the entire afternoon taking photos, talking to participants, and generally having a ball at the fact that the show was just steps away from my residence. This is the third year the show’s been running and the Elks Lodge in Piscataway does a beautiful job of getting the word out and getting some beautiful classic cars to turn up and show off their best. Enjoy the photos.
Richard Petty truly is the King. Say what you want about King George, or King Midas, or King Felipe VI. But, to me, Richard Petty will always be The King. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Chrysler Corporation ruled NASCAR with a lethally fast combination of the aero-bodied Charger 500, Superbird, and Charger Daytona, all of which were powered by the unstoppable 426 Hemi. They were so dominant, in fact, that in 1971, NASCAR handed the boys from Auburn Hills an ultimatum–either get rid of the aero body or drop the Hemi. Chrysler responded accordingly, by putting the 426 in the newly-rebodied Road Runner and Charger for the 1971 season. Petty, as per tradition, took the keys to this #43 Corporate Blue Road Runner and drove it for the entirety of that season. Continue reading 1971 Plymouth Road Runner, raced by Richard Petty, at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours→
When it comes to Trans-Am racing, the first car most people think of isn’t what you’re staring at right now. In fact, it’s usually a blue and yellow Chevrolet Camaro, which is of course one of the most highly celebrated Trans-Am cars of all time. If you think of a Mopar, a Challenger may come to mind before one of these. However, Dan Gurney and his cronies crafted three ‘Cudas–and this one is one of those three, and after some further research, this is a car with some technology that could rival the infamous Smokey Yunick. Continue reading Dan Gurney’s #42 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours→
Mind Over Motor 