American

Values of original Hemi cars with solid bodies and accurate restorations have been steadily moving into the stratosphere, with $200,000 no longer unheard of for the right cars   Chrysler Corporation swears that it never produced any Plymouth Satellite Hemi convertibles in 1967, despite the fact that two have surfaced in recent years, one as-yet-unrestored…

As the Depression raged, the market for these cars turned as dry as the Oklahoma dustbowl {vsig}2004-4_1244{/vsig} Cadillac’s introduction of the magnificent V16 in 1930 sent the competition reeling. While others were working on new V12s, Cadillac leapt right past them. Then in 1931, while they were still struggling to respond, Cadillac introduced its own…

Corvettes are among the most well-documented collector cars on the planet, so there’s no excuse for not knowing exactly what you’re buying Long considered a modern classic, the Sting Ray’s aggressive lines and sleek profile were perfectly suited to its role as GM’s image leader. In the late 1960s, the big block Corvette was the…

This is the real thing, in a sea of fiberglass-bodied imitators with their ubiquitous 350 Chevy V8s and TH400 transmissions {vsig}2004-2_1258{/vsig} If this channeled ’32 roadster looks familiar to nostalgia-prone baby boomers, it is because it’s the same car that David and Ricky Nelson drove in a memorable episode of the Ozzie and Harriet television…

I saw the book of bills the seller had assembled, and the claimed $120,000 spent on restoration was well documented, if a bit outrageous Of the more than 77,000 GTOs built in 1968, fewer than 10,000 were convertibles. The meticulously restored GTO pictured here has only 68,000 original miles and features several factory options, including…

If you own one of these old chariots and you’ve been thinking about parting with it, this would be a good time to act Before entering the automotive business in 1901, the George N. Pierce Company of Buffalo, NY, had been engaged in making such diverse products as birdcages and bicycles. Pierce’s first cars were…

Less-well-equipped ’55 Chevys sell for more, and don’t provide nearly the visual excitement or driving pleasure   Oldsmobile’s revolutionary Rocket engine debuted in 1949 and immediately became the favorite of racers. Designed from inception to take advantage of “Boss” Kettering’s research into high compression ratios, it evolved steadily with the availability of high-octane gasoline and…

As a true collectible, it simply fails the test. On September 25, 2000, at 10 a.m. Eastern time, Neiman Marcus began taking calls from customers on a special 800 number. Two hours later, every one of the 200 Neiman Marcus-edition Thunderbirds available was sold. It was the fastest time elapsed for any of the cars…

The ultimate Shelby, with serious factory modifications   {vsig}2003-9_1300{/vsig} Race car driver, car builder, chicken farmer, chili chef, heart transplant survivor, children’s charity founder-Carroll Shelby is all of these, a living legend. And as Shelby’s legend has grown, so have the values of his cars. The subject car, SFM5R535, is one of five competition Shelbys…

1942 was a tough year to introduce a new model, as the advent of WWII led to the cessation of all passenger automobile production. When Lincoln resumed production in 1946, what had been a bold restyling of the Zephyr model in 1942 was already starting to look dated. The front end retained the massive appearance…