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Bill L Mitchell was the head of GM styling from 1958 until 1977. His influence and originality peaked in the early sixties when both the Sting Ray Corvette and Buick Riviera debuted in 1963. The Sting Ray was introduced with all of Mitchell’s styling cues including the controversial and short-lived split rear window. The Riviera was originally intended as a Cadillac but was rejected and brought out as a Buick. The original model year was introduced without some important features that Mitchell had intended for it. It was the 1965 model that finally included the “clamshell” headlights that gave the…
The seller claims that the green wheels and pinstripe were the original colors of this rare Buick. While that might be true, it takes some getting used to. The rest of this straight-eight classic is easier on the eye. The phaeton body style is generally one of the more expensive ones to produce but creates a useful open car. The Buick eight was a well-engineered overhead valve engine that performed well even as it was being retired in the late forties. Buicks of this model year used a radiator grille that resembled Packard’s unique shape. Overall, this is a highly…
These Eldorado convertibles from the 90s have held their value well and are still desirable. They were built by Drop Top Customs back when they were known as Coach Builders. The company is best known for building new Challenger convertibles and Camaros with T-tops. Their work has a good reputation and their conversions retain body integrity better than the original car. I don’t think that the celebrity link is worth a premium here so the price is a bit high. There is probably no other vehicle that says, I sold my tech startup before the first Internet bubble and retired…
This Cadillac falls into the category of radical custom. The ad is frustratingly sparse on technical details and the pictures are blurry and poorly composed. What we can see of the car looks to be well done. The stretched hood, cramped cabin, organ pipes, and an extra pair of wheels create a car with cartoon proportions that are in scale with each other. You can bet that you will stand out at the local cruise with this thing.
When Honda released the CB750, Kawasaki was already working on their own version of a four-cylinder 750cc version of the UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle). While Honda released an entire range of smooth four-cylinder models, Kawasaki started a superbike horsepower war by bringing out the Z1, a 903cc monster that was advertised as an alternative to the expensive and disappearing muscle cars of the era. The Z1 was a beast. It set several international records and was known as the fastest production motorcycle in the world. It did suffer from the common wet noodle frame that was a complaint of many…
This Dodge Challenger is one of two that were prepared by Autodynamics for Chrysler Corporation for competition in the 1970 Trans-Am series. Sam Posey drove number 76 to a fourth-place finish at Mont-Tremblant and a third-place finish at Kent. The car still retains its original Kieth Black de-stroked 340 small block, four-speed transmission, and Minilite wheels. Resources:
Today’s automotive lust is a rare Hudson Italia. The Italia was based on the Hudson Jet platform and running gear, but with a unique body and interior. It was designed by Frank Spring with input from Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Carrozzeria Touring. While the various scoops and trim are distracting, the overall shape and stance are quite attractive. This example was once part of the Harrah’s Collection. It benefitted from an amazing restoration and is a multiple award winner.
Today’s extreme automotive lust.
The Equus Bass (pronounced like the guitar, not the fish) 770 is the real-life answer to the question, what if Detroit tried to build the ultimate GT car? While the styling is an homage to the muscle cars of the 1960s in general and the 1967 Mustang in particular, the body is formed aluminum with carbon fiber liners over an aluminum frame with stainless steel subframes and a roll cage. It is powered by a 640 horsepower 6.2l GM v8 with a supercharger and dry-sump oiling. The Bass has a front/mid-engine layout with a rear-mounted six-speed transmission. Equus has shown…
The Z1 was one of my first motorcycle lust. I never imagined one like this. Japanese custom bike builder Bull Dock teamed up with sponsor British suspension component supplier Nitron to build a cafe racer style take on the classic ’70s muscle bike. Resources:
