Dan’s Papers April 1, 2011 danspapers.com Page 36
CLASSIC CARS by Bob Gelber
The following are some thoughts about collecting post-World War II vintage collector cars from six different areas. America comes first. The joy of collecting American cars is that we know them well and parts are readily available. You can almost build an entirely new ‘57 Chevy just by
searching for parts in Hemmings Motor News. General Motors, particularly Chevrolet, and Ford Motor Company products are the most popular. The 50s and 60s were the hot years. Let’s be honest, in what era were American cars ever prettier than a ‘57 Chevrolet convertible, or a ‘55 Ford T-Bird or a ‘65 Ford Mustang fastback GT? Those were the days for American iron. In fact, these were the cars to have in Europe. Driving a ‘59 Caddy or ‘64 Lincoln Continental in Paris in those days was more impressive than being seen in a Mercedes. American cars also had air-conditioning and power windows, which was unheard of in most luxury cars. It took the Europeans years to catch up. British cars, compared to their American collectible cousins of the same era, were delicate lit-
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tle things. The 1949 MG TC, which is credited with starting the sports car craze here in America, is actually a pre-WWII design that dates back to the 1930s and MG actually sold this same basic design here until 1955. However, that’s exactly the charm of British collectible cars. My first car was a secondhand 1952 MG TD that I bought for $800. Wood dashboard, leather seats, plug-in plastic windows, 54 horsepower, no trunk, windshield wipers and a heater that hardly worked, and yet I, and thousands of buyers around the world, loved this car. Today, many car collectors around the world cherish the “T” series of MGs and other British sports cars that were built in this era. Germany made some great post-war collectible cars. Mercedes and Porsche were trying to prove to the world they were back and kicking. The 1954 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing coupe is perhaps the greatest postwar sports car. If you are lucky enough to own one now, keep it. It will go up in value. The build-quality and performance of this car was exceptional for the era and everyone knew it. It stunned the world and still does. Those little four-cylinder model 356 Porsches of the 50s and 60s were also exceptional and unique motorcars. They too were beautifully made, although sluggish compared to the mighty Mercedes 300SL. These delightful Porsches are all collectible, but they were all very rust prone, and not many good ones are left, so buyer beware. Italy has produced some of the most beautiful cars the word has ever seen. Even though Enzo Ferrari once called the 1963 British Jaguar XKE the most beautiful car he had ever seen (honest man with exceptional good taste), Ferrari has never made an ugly sports car. With every new model, they surpass the beauty and technical achievements of their previous creations. Ferrari is the gold standard in collector cars. During the 50s and 60s, while the British and Germans were building sports cars with iron block push rod engines and four-speed transmissions, the Italian Alfa Romeo Company was building affordable and beautiful little sports cars with twin cam aluminum engines and five-speed transmissions. All these Alfa models are very collectible today and a joy to behold. For some more Italian Brio, let’s not forget some of the many delicious Lancia and Fiat models that are available on the world market for very reasonable prices. French cars are not that popular in America as collectibles, but the French built some very interesting cars. I feel that the 1955 Citroen ID 19 is perhaps one of the most exciting four-door sedans ever built. What about the basic Citroen 2CV? The Renault Alpines and R5 Turbo are nothing to scoff at as collectables and the CitroenSM-Maserati is a bargain in the world market. They are all delicious French car pastry. Let’s give an honorable mention to the oddballs. The Deloreans, the British Singers, all the under priced and magnificent used Rollers and Bentleys that can be bought on the cheap but cost a fortune to keep on the road. The Scimitars, Ginettas, NSUs, Jensens, Bristols, Marcos, TVRs, Abarths, DeTomasos, Scimitars, etc. They’re all out there waiting. Purchase your dream and spend the rest of your life washing, waxing and worrying about rust.