American

One of the few automobiles deemed worthy of inclusion in the Museum of Modern Art in New York — and arguably the most easily recognized American car of all time — the Cord 810 debuted in November 1935, receiving a rapturous reception at U.S. automobile shows. The work of a team led by Duesenberg designer…

  It’s said that Harley Earl, director of GM styling, got the idea for a GM concept car while watching world speed records being set at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. It would be a sports racer called a Bonneville Special. That was when 1954 models were being readied for production, and no GM…

The 1958–60 Lincolns and Lincoln Continentals were the most massive American passenger cars produced since World War II, as they were built on a 131-inch wheelbase and had an overall length of 229 inches. The Mark III convertible tips the scales at an impressive 4,928 pounds, and only 3,048 were produced. This stunning Mark III…

Chassis number: 9F03R483249 360 horsepower, 428-ci Cobra Jet Ram Air V8 engine with twin Holley 4-barrel carburetors Ford C-6 3-speed automatic transmission Independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms, coil springs and an anti-roll bar Live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and staggered shock absorbers Power front disc and rear drum hydraulic brakes Wheelbase: 108 inches One of…

On January 4, 1930, Cadillac stunned the fine-car market at the New York Auto Show with the introduction of its breathtaking new V16. With it, Cadillac instantly catapulted itself to the head of the luxury class in one brilliant stroke. Until then, only Bugatti had produced a 16-cylinder engine, and it was accomplished by bolting…

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 Motors Company, signaling its acquisition…

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 code 600). No transmission was…

Recently we witnessed the sale of two unique 289 Cobras — at two different auctions, within two months of each other. One was a modified street-specification car that has lived a quiet life in the United States. The other was a factory-prepared Competition car that has lived a much more public life in France, including…

This 1971 Hemi ’Cuda convertible, one of just two 4-speed versions delivered in the U.S., has been hailed as the Holy Grail of muscle cars. Documented as the only matching-numbers 4-speed convertible in existence, its factory broadcast sheet confirms that it was equipped at the Hamtramck, MI, assembly plant with the New Process 4-speed, Dana…

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 apparent in every detail of…