Ken Gross
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1932 Miller FWD Special
Compact, densely engineered and years ahead of its contemporaries, the Miller FWD Special featured full four-wheel drive and independent suspension, powered initially by Miller’s proven 308-ci, four-cam V8. The chassis had been laid out with characteristic foresight to accept either the V8 or Miller’s forthcoming 255-ci 4-cylinder engine, though the latter was not ready in…
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1911 Oldsmobile Limited Series 277-Passenger Touring
Oldsmobile, like its corporate cousin Cadillac, got its start in the automobile business building light, economical 1-cylinder cars. The famous Curved-Dash Olds proved rugged and robust, quickly becoming America’s best-selling model. Company founder Ransom E. Olds believed long-term success lay in small, low-priced cars, but boardroom disagreements led him to leave and start REO. Meanwhile,…
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1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad
The Chevrolet Nomad is by far the rarest of Chevrolet’s so-called “Tri-Five” Bel Air models, produced from 1955 through 1957. The nameplate, which would live into the early ’70s, carries a level of cachet unique to the model. Marketed as a halo model of the Tri-Five station-wagon line, the Bel Air Nomad shared its long…
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1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Speedster
In the days when Bugattis crossed France and 4½ Litre Bentleys tore through the British countryside, the American equivalent was the Auburn Speedster. The 1935–36 Speedsters were designed by the legendary Gordon Buehrig. Audacious by the standards of their time, they featured curvaceous bodywork with a straight hood line shooting back from the radiator to…
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1928 Mercedes-Benz 36/220 S-TypeSports Tourer
This Mercedes-Benz 36/220 S-Type Sports Tourer was delivered on December 19, 1928, to British Mercedes Ltd. London for a Mr. Cecil Harcourt-Smith of London and Cairo. According to the commission sheet, the S was delivered with a Sindelfingen 4-seater sports body, number 924 614. Recent research has established that it was anything but a standard…
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Body Double
After languishing for years in California’s high desert, the 1948 Norman Timbs Special — a Motor Trend cover car in October 1949 — was restored to a fare-thee-well and won its class at several major concours. Timbs was an acclaimed race-car engineer who’d designed the Indy 500-winning Blue Crown Specials of 1946, 1947 and 1948.…
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1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60HP “Roi Des Belges”
In 1890, after parting ways with Deutz AG, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach established Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) in Cannstatt, Germany. DMG revolutionized the design and manufacture of internal combustion engines, inventing the world’s first four-stroke petrol engine and float-feed carburetor. Despite groundbreaking developments, Daimler and Maybach initially attracted little interest for their products in…
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Understanding Resto-Mods
Resto-mods have become prevalent, particularly at sales conducted by Barrett-Jackson and Mecum Auctions. At the annual giant Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas last November, every crate-engine variant or upgraded component possible for resto-mod conversions was on display, even drop-in electric powerplants. There are many websites and car-oriented TV shows that feature…
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1901 Milwaukee Racer 6HP Steam Car
Founded in 1899 by WH Starkweather, Herman Pfiel and W.G. Smith to build steam-powered cars, the Milwaukee Automobile Company produced its first car in 1900. Having overestimated the demand for its products, the company was soon declared bankrupt, and it closed in 1902. This “Milwaukee Racer” was built by the company in 1901 for Dr.…
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1933 Auburn 12-160A Salon Speedster
In the tradition of great artists who became truly famous only after their death, Alan Leamy of the Auburn Automobile Company left behind 33 brief years of startling innovation in body contours — a portfolio that was appreciated in its time, but which only became legendary decades after his passing in 1935. Leamy’s finest design…