Tag Archives: collectible cars

The First Personal Luxury Car: Ford’s Thunderbird

The First Personal Luxury Car: Ford’s Thunderbird

1955 Ford ThunderbirdThe ultimate American personal luxury car of the heyday of the Big Three had to be the Cadillac Eldorado, but the very first of the breed was the Ford Thunderbird. The car went into development in 1953 as competition for the new Chevy Corvette as a sporty two-seat convertible, and by 1954 the first prototype was introduced at the Detroit Auto Show, in February; by September of ’54 the T-Bird went into production. The first 1955 Ford Thunderbird models were offered to the public by the end of October that same year.

3 of the Most Unique American-Built Cars

3 of the Most Unique American-built Cars

54 1954 pontiac bonneville special

There have been many unique cars built that each has their own interesting characteristics.  Three of these cars are classics built in America during the 1940’s and 50’s; we’d like to take the time to showcase them today.

The Nash Rambler: The Big 3′s Competitor

The Nash Rambler: The Big 3′s Competitor

 Nash RamblerThe President of the Nash-Kelvinator Company, George Mason, saw that his company needed to design a car to compete with the “Big 3”, and it had to be something that those companies did not have. He decided to concentrate on a compact car that was small, yet still would fit 5 passengers comfortably.  Finally, he wanted a car that would save Nash on materials but still get great fuel economy and that would compete with companies that were dominating the lower price segment of the market (i.e. Chevrolet, Ford and Plymouth).  His outcome, the first successful modern American compact car, the Nash Rambler.

1971 Chevy Monte Carlo

You may recognize this muscle car from the thrilling opening sequence of the popular movie The Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift, or you may simply be a fan of the old Chevys, but there is no disputing that the 1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo holds a special place in the hearts of car enthusiasts.

1971 Chevy Monte CarloThe Monte Carlo was first debuted in 1969 as an answer to the Ford Thunderbird and has since seen five generations of production. The 1971 model sold for $3416 and included verticle, slimmer headlights in comparison to the previous model, but also featured a stand-up hood ornament and an optional four-spoke steering wheel. It had a V8 engine, rear-wheel drive, and coupe style, though it was largely unchanged from the 1970 model. At first, however, sales on this model got off to a slow start due to strikes.

10 of the Most Famous Cars in Movies

10 of the Most Famous Cars in Movies

What classic car enthusiast doesn’t love watching a movie with a wild, rip-roaring chase scene or a loud, growling drag race? What car aficionado doesn’t pay more attention to the car and its specs in a movie rather than the plot? Here we are going to pay homage to those movie-watching car lovers by taking a look at 10 of the Most Famous Cars in Movies.

10. 1972 Ford Gran Torino – Gran Torino (2008):

Code Name “Panther”

Code Name “Panther”

1967 Chevy Camaro

The Ford Mustang had an extraordinary impact on the automotive industry after its release in April of 1964.

As you might expect, the other major automobile manufacturers immediately got to work on their versions of a pony car so that they could garner their share of this burgeoning new market.

1967 Chevrolet CamaroIn 1965 rumors began to circulate about the Chevrolet division of General Motors developing a competitor under the code name “Panther”.

Carroll Shelby’s “Other Car” – The Sunbeam Tiger

Some people dream of getting their hands on one of the brilliantly designed cars by Carroll Shelby, but their dreams fall short when they look at the price tag of his famous Cobras or Mustangs.  There is good news for them; Mr. Shelby designed the Rootes Group Sunbeam Tiger, as well! In 1964, the Rootes Group was looking for a way to revamp the Sunbeam Alpine’s image from a “touring” car to a “sports car/roadster”.  They wanted the car to be modeled after the recently successful Shelby Cobra.  After some research and the decision to use the Ford’s 164hp 4.3L Windsor V8 engine, who was better to ask to design their car than the man himself, Carroll Shelby?  Shelby agreed to design the car for $10,000.  His prototype, along with the prototype built by racer and previous employee of Shelby America, Ken Miles, were sent to England for production.

The Boss 429

Ford MustangWhen looking back at the history of muscle cars, one model stands out in American car-making: the 1969 Boss 429 Mustang. Though originally intended to compete with the Corvette, the Boss didn’t quite live up to Ford’s high hopes, and was discontinued relatively quickly after production continued from 1969 to 1970.

Each vehicle was hand assembled at the Kar Kraft facility in Brighton, Michigan. Production numbers were low, making each of the only 859 units just a little more special. In fact, some say that the Boss 429 may be the most valuable muscle car built in the 1960s because of its rarity.

The 5 Most Rare Factory-built Muscle Cars

Most car enthusiasts know that some of the most rare cars in the world were special ordered with very specific requests and that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent to make them that way.  The cars that were factory-made, but still incredibly rare, get casted in the shadows because they are considered not as glamorous and sold for less money.  This article wants to commend these rare, factory-built vehicles and bring them out into the spotlight they deserve.

Driving In A Winter Wonderland

The first snows have fallen across the country, parents everywhere have dragged out the kids’ snow gear, and people have been heard far and wide grumbling about the frost so stubbornly clinging to the windshield. Though this time of year can be filled with extra cheer, beautiful views, and plenty of old family memories, we’re sad to say it also means it’s time to “winterize” all the great classic, sporty cars and store them safely in Grandma’s garage, nestled safely away from the bustling cities…over the river, and through the woods, of course!