Tag Archives: Pre War Cars

Highlights from the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Part 1

August 27, 2014 ndubs77 1 Comment

Here is the first batch of our highlights from the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was a great year this year, with loads of unique automobiles in attendance, including 16 of the 17 remaining Ruxtons (shown above). Maseratis were also featured this year for the marque’s centennial, as well as a stunning showcase of Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas, and some truly beautiful machines with coachwork by Darrin.

This is rolling artwork at its finest, so enjoy the photos. There’s much more to come!

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Car Shows

1935 Duesenberg SJ562 at the Greenwich Concours

July 30, 2014 ndubs77 1 Comment

This gorgeous 1935 Duesenberg SJ562 won Best In Show at day one of the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance (Day one is American cars). Its two-tone mix of tan and very dark blue was breathtaking, and this was the first time that my own personal pick for Best In Show actually won in quite some time.

The Model J is what most people think about when they hear the name Duesenberg. These really were the standard of the automotive world at the time, and that’s why so many Duesenbergs are still in fine running condition to this day. Notice the lower headlights that turn with the front wheels, the leather-clad storage trunk on the back of the car, and the green-painted engine block of its powerful straight-8, all beautiful details on a car from this period.

This is American pre-war at its finest. Enjoy the photo gallery!

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Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1935 Duesenberg “Mormon Meteor” at the Elegance at Hershey

July 23, 2014 ndubs77 1 Comment

This is the “Mormon Meteor,” a one-off Duesenberg that set a world land speed record in 1935. Based on Duesenberg’s Model J chassis, it was commissioned by famed driver Ab Jenkins for the purpose of setting a land speed record. Much to the delight of his sponsors, who funded the build of the car, Jenkins set a speed record by averaging 135.47mph over a 24 hour period at the Bonneville Salt Flats in October of 1935. The record stood all the way until 1961, which is quite impressive considering the caliber of racing cars that came out between 1935 and then (Jaguar D-Type, Ferrari Testa Rossa, etc).

After setting the speed record, Jenkins made the necessary adjustments to the car for street use and drove it another 20,000 miles around his home area in Utah. This is a very significant automobile, and a real testament to the quality of Duesenberg’s engineering, because it was based on a production car, the Model J. Now obviously it wasn’t just a standard Model J with a body kit, no, it’s 420ci (6.9L) supercharged straight-8 engine was heavily tweaked to produce a massive 400hp, a huge amount of power for the day. Most road cars on sale today can’t even reach 135mph, let alone average that for a whole day, so the Duesenberg Mormon Meteor is really an engineering marvel. As pre-war automotive technology goes, this car might just be the pinnacle.

The Elegance at Hershey was my second encounter with the Mormon Meteor. It took best in show at Pebble Beach in 2007, which, incidentally, was my inaugural visit to the events of Monterey Car Week. Naturally, if it can win Pebble Beach, then it can win other concours events, and it did just that by taking best in show this year at The Elegance at Hershey. All Duesenbergs are special cars, certainly the pinnacle of their era, but the Mormon Meteor may well be the the king of them all. It is a mighty impressive, and very beautiful machine, with the craftsmanship and quality to withstand the ages.

I just hope my photos do it justice, enjoy!

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Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1930 Cadillac Series 353 Cabriolet at the Elegance at Hershey 2014

June 24, 2014 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

Anyone who has read up on their European history over time has probably heard of the Rothschild family. They’re known today as being much more low-profile than most would expect for being as wealthy as they are (the family is supposedly worth 500 billion dollars), but their control over the world’s wealth is known as a staggering truth. However, I’m not here today to talk about the entire family’s history. I just want to talk about this absolutely stunning car. This is a Cadillac–but it’s not just any old pre-war Cadillac. This particular French-market Cadillac 353 Cabriolet was owned by Baron Edmund James de Rothschild for a number of years. This custom-bodied behemoth is a four-door cabriolet with a full-folding roof, in separate sections for the chauffeur or the passengers. These versions are known as closed car (both sections closed), sedanca de villa (front section open), or an open tourer (all sections open).

Cadillac sold 14,995 cars in 1930, but less than one percent of them were bodied by custom coach builders (less than 150). This car is an aluminum-bodied, long-wheelbase, three position double cabriolet, a truly unique body style. The bodywork was performed by Georges Kellner et Filis and is the only known Cadillac he penned. Unfortunately, the Baron passed away just four years after the car was ordered, and it was kept thereafter at one of the chateaus owned by the family and used just for special occasions. In 1969, a noted collector named James C. Leake purchased it and had it restored ten years later. The current owner, the Richard Driehaus Collection, has not changed the car since acquiring it in 1998. Despite being an older restoration, this Series 353 looks absolutely stunning on the field at Hershey and I would be overjoyed to see it again soon, whether that be this year or in the future. Enjoy the photos of this legendary automobile. Continue reading 1930 Cadillac Series 353 Cabriolet at the Elegance at Hershey 2014 →

Car Shows

Highlights from The Elegance at Hershey 2014

June 23, 2014 ndubs77 1 Comment

We made it out to The Elegance at Hershey 2014 in Hershey, PA where Hershey’s chocolate is made. It is a great event at a wonderful venue, the five star Hershey Hotel. With beautiful gardens and fountains supplementing all of the stunning cars, it is surely a great place for photos.

There were many rare cars this year, everything from a French-market Cadillac built for the Rothschild family to the best-in-show winning Duesenberg “Mormon Meteor” Speedster. Enjoy the highlight gallery of the event and check back for features on some specific cars.

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Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1930 Minerva 80138 AL: Best of Show Concours International at the Greenwich Concours, 2014

June 12, 2014 Albert S. Davis 3 Comments

This year, the second day of proceedings at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance was an example of great weather, good vibes, and gorgeous European and Asian automobiles from Great Britain to Belgium to the former Soviet Union. The Best Of Show winner was a car that captivated everyone who came near it with beauty, style, and above all, cold hard substance. The winner of Best of Show was this stunning Belgian-crafted 1930 Minerva 80138 AL, with coachwork by Vanden Plas. The owner is Judge Joseph Cassini III and his wife Margie Cassini of West Orange, NJ. Cassini is a recently retired judge with an excellent car collection that has won multiple awards. For instance, his 1934 Packard won Best of Show at Pebble Beach last summer, and his Horch 853 Special Roadster won Best Of Show at Greenwich just two years ago. He’s also shown a beautiful 1933 Duesenberg SJ at Hershey, which I had the pleasure of seeing last summer (it won Most Elegant American Closed Pre-War).

The Minerva, however, was the star of this show two Sundays ago. Finished in a pearl earth paint color, the bodywork is paired with a 6.6L straight eight sleeve-valved engine. Cassini claims that this is one of 8 surviving “AL” models with that engine left. Cassini’s opinion on winning the award with the Minerva was, “It’s pretty humbling to see it recognized for the work of art that it is.” He purchased the car at the Gooding auction at Amelia Island only a few months ago (fully restored) and is showing it for the first time at Greenwich. According to the auction house website (goodingco.com), this is a Pebble Beach and Amelia Island class winner and has won Best Of Show at other Concours events previously. After receiving his award, Mr. Cassini mentioned that he will be bringing another Minerva to the Elegance at Hershey this coming Sunday–specifically, a Rollston-bodied 1931 cabriolet sedan which I am eager to see up close. Many congratulations to Joseph and Margie Cassini for winning Best Of Show in the Concours International. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1930 Minerva 80138 AL: Best of Show Concours International at the Greenwich Concours, 2014 →

Car Shows

Pre-War Cars at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance

June 6, 2014 ndubs77 4 Comments

“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!

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Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1939 Delage D8-120S Coupe at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

May 20, 2014 Albert S. Davis 3 Comments

The French are not known these days for timeless, elegant styling. Wind the clock back 75 years, however, and they had the honor of calling companies like Delage and Delahaye home, two manufacturers that could lay claim to some of the most beautiful Depression-era automobiles ever produced. This particular Delage is one of the last D8s built before the Germans invaded France in 1940 and with its Vanvooren coachwork looks absolutely stunning. It is a shame that this striking car did not win any awards at Amelia this spring. Notably, it’s the only car I felt obligated to photograph after the rest of the show field had left for the evening at the close of the Concours. Although the starting rod failed, it did not have any problem making my heart skip a beat that day in Florida. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1939 Delage D8-120S Coupe at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance →

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1934 Rolls Royce Streamline Saloon at Pebble Beach

May 19, 2014 ndubs77 2 Comments

Back in 1934, this Rolls Royce Phantom II Streamline Saloon was the pride of Park Ward at the Olympia Motor Show in London. The car was a one-off that showcased a much more flamboyant design style, and it helped to cement Park Ward’s reputation as the premier coach builder for Rolls Royce motorcars.

An immaculate full restoration from 40 years of neglect in a barn, the Streamline Saloon took the award for third place in the Pre-War Rolls Royce class at last year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This car is known in restoration circles as “The Raccoon Rolls” because it was the home for a family of Raccoons during its four decades in the barn. In an interview with USA Today, the owner said that 80lbs of “refuse” was removed from the car prior to the onset of its restoration. So it went from raccoon den to Pebble Beach award-winner in the span of ten years, quite a story.

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Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1935 Duesenberg SJ 509 Roadster at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours

May 6, 2014 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

Deusenbergs are an example of a truly bygone era when cars were truly built to order. There is an air of royalty to the history of this particular car, although it’s not just in the styling. Barbara Hutton, heiress to the Woolworth fortune, ordered this SJ, but not for herself. She was married to Alexis Mdivani at the time and actually ordered this car for her brother-in-law, Serge Mdivani. The Mdivani family was the Georgian royal family, which fled their home country after the Soviets indvaded, and indeed married well. Hutton’s generosity was apparent in giving this gorgeous automobile to her brother-in-law, who passed away after a polo accident a short time later. This is one of the most unique Duesenbergs Id have seen in some time and the dark red finish looked great along the golf course amongst its rivals. In fact, this stunning convertible won Best in Class this year. I hope to see more of this car at various Concours events down the road. I doubt I’ll tire of it. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1935 Duesenberg SJ 509 Roadster at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Three Hudsons, Auctioned Off at the Hollywood Car Auction Amelia Island

April 8, 2014 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

Hudson Commodore Convertible Front — 1949 Hudson Commodore Convertible (Front)

I’m a sucker for Hudson’s “Step Down” styling and engineering of 1949-1954. These were some of the first American cars to utilize advanced body and chassis manufacturing techniques after the war was over and the effort paid off on the track. In NASCAR’s early days, the Hudsons were almost utterly unstoppable thanks to their design. The body and chassis were a semi-single unit and the floor was placed lower than the frame rails, which enabled passengers to “step down” into the interior (hence the phrase). This saved weight and also lowered the vehicle, improving handling. When paired up with the later “Twin-H-Power” straight-six engine, the later Hornets were unbeatable on the track in their day, dominating the field in the early Fifties, with 27 of 34 Grand National wins in 1952, 22 of 37 in 1953, and 17 of 37 in 1954. Three of these Hudsons were up for auction at the Hollywood Car Auction at Amelia Island, and all three of them sold. The yellow 1949 Commodore convertible sold for $73,000 before buyer’s premium. The two Hornet sedans up for sale were later models (the burgundy is a 1953 model, while the black one was a ’52). The black 1952 sedan sold for $62,000 and the burgundy 1953 sedan sold for $87,500. Enjoy the photos.

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Car Shows

1935 Duesenberg SJ553 at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

April 7, 2014 ndubs77 2 Comments

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous indeed. Back in 1935 this one-off Duesenberg SJ553 cost a hefty $20,000 at a time when the average car cost $625 and the average house cost around $3,400. Proportionally, something like this Duesenberg would cost nearly $1 million today, however luxury cars of this magnitude are a thing of the past. The closest thing still around would be a Rolls Royce Phantom, but even that costs about half as much as this Duesie would.

This SJ553 was commissioned by Mars Candy Company heiress, Ethel Mars, and served as the ultimate status symbol of its day. It was even featured in Time Magazine in 1936 being hailed as the costliest car in the United States. Similar to a Bugatti Veyron today, supercharged Duesenbergs were some of the most powerful cars of their era. This SJ553 is one of only 36 factory supercharged Duesenbergs built, with an impressive 320hp being produced by its 420ci (6.9L) dual overhead cam Straight 8 engine.

In addition to its staggering price and performance, the SJ553 was one of the most elegantly styled Duesenbergs around. Its sinister Art Deco bodywork appears to have been draped gently over the underpinnings of its massive frame. The SJ553 was a sight to be seen, even surrounded by other stunning Duesenbergs at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Let it serve as a glimpse into the wonders of a bygone era of the automobile.

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