Author: Carl Bomstead

Carl Bomstead is a longtime Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance judge and Classic Car Club of America Master Judge. He wrote his first story for SCM in February 1997.

1930 Cadillac V16 Roadster by Fleetwood

Established in 1902, Cadillac was bought in 1909 by the newly formed General Motors Company, which had begun to bring together several makes and wanted Cadillac as its luxury-car division. Cadillac had made a name for itself through innovation, the equipment fitted to its cars and the number of cylinders […]

1932 Chrysler CH Imperial Cabriolet

This 1932 Chrysler Imperial CH cabriolet not only carries all the swagger and allure of its time, but it is also an example of unrivaled provenance and matching body, chassis and engine numbers, as well as the legacy of being Bohman & Schwartz’s first joint build. Their name is not […]

1912 Kissel Kar Model D-11 Semi-Racer

One of several businesses created in the early 1900s under the ownership of the entrepreneurial Kissel family of Hartford, WI, was the Kissel Motor Car Company. The first Kissel Kar was manufactured in 1905, a 4-cylinder runabout with shaft drive. The earliest cars were bodied by a sleigh manufacturer and […]

1933 Marmon Sixteen Convertible Sedan

“The Marmon Sixteen looks like no other car. It borrows little from the past. It will lend much to the future. It is the one example of unhampered coordination of effort by artist and engineer.” — Marmon advertising, 1931 The model Sixteen debuted in 1931. Extensive use of aluminum in […]

1957 Dual-Ghia Convertible

Dual-Ghia’s allure is more than its sheer exclusivity or the intrigue of an American-Italian co-production. It’s the style, the overcome-the-impossible swagger and Rat Pack panache. Very few concept cars in history have made it to production, but thanks to Eugene Casaroll’s tenacity, this one did and it’s every bit the […]

1929 Duesenberg Model J “Disappearing Top” Torpedo

The most famous design from Pasadena, CA, coachbuilder Walter M. Murphy, the Duesenberg Model J “Disappearing Top” convertible coupe saw production of about 25 examples, all with the distinctive convertible top that hid neatly within the smooth rear deck when lowered. Yet there is a much rarer machine, the “Disappearing […]

1954 Kaiser-Darrin

The Kaiser-Darrin was America’s first production fiberglass sports car, with its prototype debuting in fall 1952 — just ahead of the Chevrolet Corvette (although production did not begin until 1954). It was powered by the reliable Willys 161-cubic inch “Hurricane” F-head 6-cylinder engine, and its design became a legend of […]

1955 Hudson Italia

Always one for creative thinking, Hudson designer Frank Spring thought he had just the right idea to improve sales of the small Jet. Spring worked with Italian coachbuilder Touring to design the Super Jet, a prototype that looked like nothing else on American roads in 1953, with its wraparound windshield, […]

1935 Auburn 851 SC Boattail Speedster

Twice certified Category 1 by the ACD Club CCCA Senior and National First Prize winner Supercharged “SC” model with Columbia rear axle One of the most stunning body styles of any era Meticulously restored with original components in the late 1990s

1929 Duesenberg Model SJ Convertible Sedan by Murphy

Offered from 30 years of enthusiast ownership Original short-wheelbase chassis, engine and coachwork Equipped with a supercharger built using original components Featured in Beverly Rae Kimes’ The Classic Car: The Ultimate Book About the World’s Grandest Automobiles Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Full Classic