December 2021

Classic American

Driving the American Dream

Classic American1 min read
Classic American
Ben Klemenzson bklemenzson@mortons.co.uk Fran Lovely AF Photography, Karl Baumann, Nigel Boothman, Richard Coney, Huw Evans, Steve Havelock, Richard Heseltine, Jon Cass James Maxwell, Will Shiers, Zack Stiling, Garry Stuart, Matt Woods Pauline Hawkin
Classic American1 min read
Ouch!
I recently had the pleasure (!) of my first £100 tank of fuel, although it could have been more, were it not for the fact that the fuel retailer had a limit on single transaction sales of £100. That could lead to the farcical situation of having to f
Classic American2 min read
Halt Rollout Of Smart Motorways, Mps Urge
A committee of MPs has called for a stop to the building of more ‘smart motorways’ until the Government can prove that they’re safe. The removal of hard shoulders from the roads is meant to increase their capacity, but a number of coroners have said
Classic American1 min read
Christmas Gift Guide Is Here!
Looking for the perfect gift for the American petrolhead in your life? Or just seeking some inspiration when asked what you would like to find under the tree this Christmas? Well, salvation is here in the Classic American Christmas Gift Guide which s
Classic American2 min read
Tried And Tested
RRP of £298.95 (25-litre). Order online at www.meaco.com As we all know, it’s more or less pointless taking your car off the road and putting it into storage for the winter unless you can guarantee that the environment it’s being stored in is bone d
Classic American3 min read
Wraps Are Off The New 2022 Grand Cherokee!
Jeep recently unveiled the fifth iteration of its ever-popular, evergreen Grand Cherokee (known as the WL) which goes on sale in the US in early 2022 (chip shortage allowing!) and here in the UK and Europe later in 2022. It’s hard to believe that the
Classic American1 min read
At A Glance
4xe: 2.0-litre turbo-charged 4 cylinder w. 2x electric motors 3.6-litre V6 293bhp/260ft-lb torque (standard) 5.7-litre V8 357bhp/390ft-lb torque 8-speed automatic Length: 193.5 inches (491cm)/204.9 inches (520.4cm) * Wheelbase: 116.7 inches (296.4cm)
Classic American3 min read
Historics Auctioneers
Historics’ upcoming auction at Mercedes-Benz World offers some very tasty-looking American content, with no less than three Mustangs going under the hammer, as well as a Corvette and a couple of examples of American-inspired exotica. The vehicles can
Classic American2 min read
Bond At Beaulieu
Dum diddy dum dum, dum dum. Dum diddy dum dum, dum dum. Da-da! The iconic James Bond soundtrack blares out as a pristine silver Aston Martin DB5 draws up in front of the waiting crowd inside the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. Two dinner-jacketed
Classic American1 min read
Pre-auction Viewings
■ Wednesday, November 24, 2021 9am-5pm ■ Thursday, November 25, 2021 9am-5pm ■ Friday, November 26, 2021 9am-5pm *To gain entry you simply need to purchase the auction catalogue. For more info. see: www.historics.co.uk ■
Classic American2 min read
Chrysler Voyager III
As concept cars go, the Chrysler Voyager III was extreme, yet rooted in reality. Sort of. Ish. That said, should you be feeling pedantic, you could argue that it represented two vehicles in one. Unveiled at the 1990 North American Auto Show in Chicag
Classic American5 min read
Classic American Mail
Dear Classic American, Saturday, October 2 saw heavy rain and gale force winds in normally sunny Eastbourne. My neighbour’s 1950 Buick 8 had a lucky escape when an old walnut tree blew over and missed it by inches. The Mazda close by wasn’t so lucky.
Classic American3 min read
Saluting The Venerable S-10!
I was grocery shopping the other day, when I came across a mint condition mid-Eighties Chevrolet S-10 pick-up. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen one of these boxy little trucks in relatively stock form and certainly one that’s in good condition
Classic American6 min read
OVERSEAS Service
American cars have been sold new in European countries for decades, sometimes through a manufacturer’s dealer network, but usually as discreet, low-volume imports. Nowadays, cars that reached us in that manner are rarely seen, even those from the mos
Classic American6 min read
Crazy ‘Bouta Mercury!
Bradley Sainsbury is a rockabilly. Like all rockabillies, the three most important things in his life are his car, his immaculate pompadour and his girlfriend Becky, although not necessarily in that order. Of the three, we are at least qualified to p
Classic American2 min read
Barris Kustoms One Last Look!
It all started some 61 years ago when George Barris’ wife Shirley found a new, larger place for George and the crew to build the ever-growing number of custom vehicles that he was contracted to turn out. The building is located at 10811 Riverside Dri
Classic American5 min read
Super Fine 409
When your business revolves around selling and looking after classic American cars, it’s always a clever idea to have a promotional vehicle that attracts attention. And few could argue that a stunning 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air low-rider such as this wou
Classic American1 min read
Ace American Autos
When long-time American car enthusiast Jordan Walker had the opportunity to start his own business revolving around the cars he loves, in 2018 Leeds-based Ace American Autos was born. The company was created to follow in the footsteps of well-establi
Classic American5 min read
The Sinner
Some custom cars/trucks have a stance and an attitude that makes them stand out, a cool menacing self-confidence which you can see in Marlon Brando, James Dean or in any English bull terrier. This bad ass ’56 Custom Cab F100 truck has all this in spa
Classic American6 min read
PETROLHEADONISM LIVE Knebworth House, Herts September 18-19, 2021
They say you should never meet your heroes as they will always compare badly to the image you have in your head. That’s certainly not the case with Richard Rawlings. Definitely one of the biggest living automotive personalities alongside the likes of
Classic American6 min read
Christmas Gift Guide 2021
Now here is a nifty bit of kit! It’s a portable/ rechargeable tyre inflator. There’s also a torch and USB socket meaning it can be used as a power source to recharge laptops, iPhones and iPads. Genius! Cylindrical in shape, it incorporates the air tu
Classic American5 min read
Goodwood Rivival
Last year there was no Goodwood Revival because of some horrid little virus, but this year it was back with a bang. Indeed, it was ‘A magical step back in time’ and no one in the vast crowd seemed to have a care in the world. At least not for three d
Classic American2 min read
Classic Chevy II Station Wagon
Having the tooling for AMT model car kits going back to the early Sixties must be a boon for current owner Round 2 Models. However, much of it is well over 60 years old and has been through a number of incarnations and owners in the intervening years
Classic American1 min read
Heavyweight 1955 Chevrolet Convertible
I am pleased to see that Ertl’s 1:18 scale American muscle die-cast cars are still being sold, these days under the Autoworld banner. They were always well proportioned, nicely painted and while relatively simple in construction, were worthy of displ
Classic American1 min read
New Ford Bronco Badlands
I have always thought that Maisto die-cast vehicles successfully straddle the line between models and toys and are priced accordingly. Its current catalogue features Ford’s new Bronco utilitarian 4x4 SUV, marketed as the Badlands. After a hiatus of 2
Classic American2 min read
Nsra Hot Rod Drags
The Hot Rod Drags is the season finale with Santa Pod’s lifestyle events and is always popular with the UK’s hot rodders; a lot of people and most of the racers arriving Thursday in order to make the most of the weekend. Friday morning, I was up brig
Classic American3 min read
Classic American Reviews
Author: Alan Mayes Published by: First Gear/ Motorbooks ISBN: 978-0-7603-3861-2 Price: Published price £14.99. Amazon – Pre-owned copies from £6.76 You can’t beat a good picture book and, believe me, this is a good picture book. With more tha

Classic American

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