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.
Darin Schnabel ©2014, courtesy of RM Auctions

1911 Mercer Type 35R Raceabout

The Mercer Automobile Company was established in 1909 by the Roebling family, creators of tensioned wire-rope suspension bridges — embodied by the Roebling-built Brooklyn Bridge. The company was crippled early on by the deaths of its Roebling family leaders, but it survived until 1925, when it was renamed the Mercer […]

Patrick Ernzen ©2014, courtesy of RM Auctions

Tucker vs. Tucker

Chassis 1036 (RM Auctions) A factory report dated October 28, 1948, held in the Tucker archives at the Gilmore Car Museum, indicates that chassis number 1036 had been completed on October 20, with body number 33 and engine number 33585. It was one of a dozen cars painted Maroon (paint […]

Flying High Without Leaving the Ground

The Motorworks Revival — known simply as the Jet Center Party — has been hosted for the past 23 years by Gordon McCall and takes place on the Wednesday preceding the Pebble Beach Concours. In the beginning, it was a low-key, invitation-only party for concours entrants and select friends that […]

Darin Schnabel ©2014, courtesy of RM Auctions

1955 Packard Caribbean convertible

Packard’s last prestigious, low-production offering was the Caribbean convertible of 1955 and 1956. This top-of-the-line model was completely redesigned for ’55, and it sported a new high-output overhead-valve V8 engine with dual four-barrel carburetors, which could produce an amazing 310 horsepower, put to the rear wheels through a new push-button […]

Courtesy of Auctions America

1934 Chrysler Custom Imperial CX Airflow

The Chrysler Airflow was a brilliant and revolutionary creation with the promise of cutting-edge design and technology. Easy flowing lines swept to the rear and allowed air currents to slip by while passengers relaxed and settled into seats as big and soft as divans. Artistry of the highest order was […]

Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. LLC

1957 Continental Mark II

Mark II Continental with 74,000 original miles. Beautiful example of an original well-cared-for car with documented service and owner history. Loaded with functional factory options. Factory air conditioning and power windows, recent service and tune-up just completed. This car still retains a lot of its original paint, chrome and stainless […]

Corey Silvia ©2013, courtesy of RM Auctions

1937 Packard One-Twenty Pickup

This Packard pickup is based on the 138-inch wheelbase 138D One-Twenty chassis. The original, factory touring limousine bodywork was truncated aft of the front doors and the back of a compatible pickup cab was grafted on. An original box from another period truck of comparable size was added, and it […]

Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Bonhams

1935 Auburn 851 Boattail Speedster

In 1949, this exceptional Auburn Boattail Speedster was discovered in an old garage in Omaha, NE. The Auburn required some refurbishing, so a restoration was undertaken in 1951, and it was decided to restore the car as a 1936 852, perhaps in an attempt to make the already rare Speedster […]

Michael Furman ©2013, courtesy of RM Auctions

1912 Stutz Model A Bear Cat

By any standard, Harry C. Stutz was an unlikely artist. Perhaps a few in the stands at Indianapolis in 1911 saw Stutz’s creation coming, but they were in the minority, as they were engineers and fellow veterans of the early automobile industry, and they knew Stutz’s genius. The car that […]

Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Bonhams

1952 Hudson Hornet Sedan

Hudson highlighted the 1951 model year with the new Hornet model, empowering the already dramatic step-down design with a larger engine. The heart of the Hornet was an evolution of the new Super Six engine introduced in the step-down in 1948, but enlarged to 308 cubic inches. The most powerful […]