Tag Archives: Pre War Cars

2013 New Hope Auto Show Day 2

August 13, 2013 ndubs77 Leave a comment

After day two, I am convinced that 2013 has to be the best New Hope Auto Show I have ever attended. The first day had many fantastic American cars, and the second day had a barrage of phenomenal foreign cars. The field ranged from modern exotics to classics, and I was thrilled with the sheer variety of cars; not just a bunch of the same types of Ferraris lined up.

Highlights included some truly breathtaking pre-war Rolls Royces, a variety of special Porsches, and one of the prettiest Mercedes 300 SLs I have ever laid eyes on. There is much more, including a few cars not often seen in the US, so check out the gallery (below) to see. Enjoy the photos.

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Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

2013 Greenwich Concours D’Elegance: 1932 Cord L-29

August 12, 2013 Albert S. Davis 3 Comments

The Cord L-29 was a revolutionary automobile for its time. It’s one of the first cars to ever be assembled with front-wheel-drive, but uses a longitudinal engine layout, unlike every FWD car sold in America today. The car had a 137.5″ wheelbase and the steering took 4 turns from lock-to-lock, but reports came in at the time that it was actually a very good handler. It had inboard brakes, De Dion drive system, and and full instrumentation (including an ammeter). In its day, it was a shock to the system.
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Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

2013 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance: 1935 Auburn 851 SC Phaeton

July 30, 2013 ndubs77 Leave a comment

This beautiful Auburn 851 SC Phaeton was at the recent 2013 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. The 851 came about when Cord, who owned Auburn at the time, was looking to make an effective car for the times, which had changed. America was now caught in the midst of The Great Depression, and V12 luxury cars were no longer the best idea.

The 851 was a more downmarket model than previous Auburns, though very much still a luxury car. While most people think of the famous Boattail Speedster when they hear the name Auburn, this 851 SC Phaeton was aimed more at clients with families. The car you see here is equipped with Auburn’s supercharged inline-eight cylinder engine, producing 150hp. That was a lot of power at the time, and an 851 Speedster with the same engine set a record, averaging over 100mph for a 12 hour long run. Auburn sold around 5000 851s in 1935, but sales dropped sharply in 1936. It was at that point that Cord decided to end Auburn production altogether.

This 851 SC Phaeton caught my eye because of its immaculate appointments. Its beautiful two-tone blue exterior sits strikingly over its read leather interior, and the detail work all around the car is incredible. I tried to capture as much of it as I could through the lens of my camera. Enjoy.

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Opinions

Leagues Lost in Luxury

July 17, 2013 ndubs77 5 Comments

Going to all of these concours events I’ve had the privilege to see some of the most glorious prewar luxury cars imaginable. Packards, Duesenbergs, Delahayes, Bugattis, the list goes on and on. This got me thinking about how most of these wonderful cars haven’t survived the ages, and it begged the question, why?

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Car Shows

The Elegance At Hershey: 1937 Delage D8 120SS Aerodynamic Coupe

July 15, 2013 ndubs77 1 Comment

Most of the cars we feature are quite special, but this Delage D8 120SS Aerodynamic Coupe is a special sort of special. This car is the only one of its kind, a unique short wheelbase variant of the D8 120S Aerodynamic Coupe. Going off of what I’ve found about this car, the 120SS shares the same 4.7L inline-eight cylinder engine found the D8 120S. Producing as much as 160hp, this motor gave the car quite a large amount of punch for its day. Its top speed was said to be in excess of 115mph.

Originally the D8 120SS was a commission order for some European prince, but after World War II it wound up in the Gerry Albertini collection in London. Today it has been recently restored by RM Restorations, and is poised to be a major contender in the concours circuit.

This is one truly stunning automobile, likely my personal favorite from The Elegance At Hershey this year. We wound up only having a short time to get our photos this year, on account of bad weather, so I hope to see the car again soon to capture even more of its details. That said, I am happy with the photos I got, so enjoy.

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Car Shows

2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance: 1929 duPont Model G Merrimac Speedster

July 9, 2013 ndubs77 5 Comments

The duPont family had amassed a vast fortune by the turn of the 20th century, and members of the family were beginning to try their hands at other ventures. For E. Paul duPont the venture was into the realm of luxury automobiles. His aim was to make the most luxurious car in the world, a hefty task with competition from the likes of Duesenberg, Stutz, and Cadillac at the time.

The duPont Model G was brought out as a response to the mighty Duesenberg J, which completely reset the standards of the day. The Model G featured a new Continental 5.3L inline eight cylinder engine that made anywhere from 114hp to 140hp. The Speedster you see here was constructed by the coach-builder Merrimac. Around 200 duPont Model Gs were built in total, making it the most popular duPont model built before the company stopped production in 1931.

I haven’t seen too many of these around, and this Model G really caught my eye at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. I’ve always been a sucker for black and red color schemes, and with its white-wall tires, this car was just gorgeous. Enjoy the photos.

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Car Shows

The Elegance At Hershey: 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider

July 1, 2013 ndubs77 1 Comment

This 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider won “Best In Show” at The Elegance at Hershey 2013. The awards were handed out very hastily as there was a rain storm moving in, but this Alfa deserved to win. This is an unrestored car, just maintained over the years, and it was a magnificent sight in person. It is one of just 22 8C-2900Bs ever produced, and of those it is one of only five short wheelbase versions. Under the hood it shares the same supercharged 2.9L inline-eight cylinder engine with other 8C variants of the time, producing 180hp in 2900B specification. It featured a super lightweight body from Touring in Milan, Italy that gave it a solid power-to-weight ratio. Alfa 8Cs dominated racing during their day, and it isn’t hard to see why.

Today this car resides in the Bahre Collection, and has won awards at other events, including Pebble Beach in 2002. Pre-war Alfas are always a treat to see, and this 8C-2900B was no exception. Enjoy the photos.

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Car Shows

Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance: 1930 Stutz SV-16 Monte Carlo Weymann Body

June 25, 2013 ndubs77 2 Comments

This Stutz was the first car that caught my eye at the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance. Its body, entirely wrapped in fabric, is the work of renown French coach builder Charles Weymann. The SV-16 Monte Carlo was the top of line model offered by Stutz at the time, and only three Weymann bodied examples exist. Thankfully, all three Weymann Monte Carlos are present, accounted for, and in top notch condition. This particular car sold for $550,000 at RM Auctions in 2000, and was restored to its original condition by RM Restoration.

Under the hood there is a 322ci (5.3L) inline 8 cylinder engine producing 113hp. It sends power through a three speed manual transmission, and has solid axles front and rear supported by leaf springs. The Monte Carlo featured some very European styling for the time, despite being built in Indiana, because Stutz wanted it to appeal to clientele on both sides of the Atlantic. This car was high end back in its day, and it may be even more high end now. Certainly, no American company makes a car of this caliber today.

Enjoy the gallery.

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Car Shows

The Elegance at Hershey 2013

June 17, 2013 ndubs77 1 Comment

We attended the The Elegance at Hershey this past weekend. It was actually our second show of the day, so time was precious to begin with, but the rain wound up cutting the event even shorter. It actually turned out to be favorable for us because most people left the show, leaving the cars largely unobstructed for photographs. The clouds also made the lighting fantastic for shooting classic cars, by both reducing glare and making to colors more striking. Our time in Hershey was a bit rushed, but I like how the pics came out. There were some really fantastic cars there too. This is an overview gallery of the event. There will be specific features to follow. Enjoy. Continue reading The Elegance at Hershey 2013 →

Car Shows

The 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance

June 3, 2013 ndubs77 5 Comments

James Glickenhaus in his 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa — James Glickenhaus taking “Best in In Show” in his 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa…. believed to be the oldest Ferrari automobile in existence.

We were in attendance for the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance this past weekend in Connecticut. It was a fantastic event, and we saw, and drove, many awesome cars. Like most Concours events we go to, we have come back with months of material that we will be sharing with you over time, but this is a highlight reel to wet your appetite. Enjoy.

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Car Shows

Lewes British Motorcar Show: 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II

May 14, 2013 ndubs77 4 Comments

I saw this exquisite 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II at the British Motorcar Show in Lewes, DE. Like the Triumph I featured last week, this Rolls had been retired from judging because it had won so many times. I really wish the new Rolls Royces had as much class as this one does. Now days everything is just about tastelessly showing off. Back in the pre war era things were far more interesting. Just look at that side lantern on the 5th picture down…. awesome detail. Enjoy the gallery.

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Car Shows

Lime Rock Historic Festival: 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo C 8C35

April 18, 2013 ndubs77 4 Comments

The Tipo C 8C35 was one of the great Alfa Romeo racing cars that saw action under Scuderia Ferrari. This was before Enzo Ferrari had gone and started his own company, at the point in his life where he was making the transition from aspiring racing driver to successful team manager. Ferrari was always a fairly mediocre driver, but as a manager he became the legend we know him as today. It was awesome to see this Tipo C in action at the 2012 Lime Rock Historic Festival. It absolutely decimated its field of competition, doing its heritage proud. Enjoy the gallery.

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