PONTIAC WIDE TRACKIN' '59 BONNEVILLE
HAPPY TOGETHER!
'60 Chevy Pick-up
WIN TICKETS
STING TAIL IN THE
'69 Dodge Hemi Superbee
10 reasons
muscle cars run faster
NOW!
Summer Shows MOPAR NATS DRAGSTALGIA VICTORY WHEELERS CORVETTE NATS DAMN YANKEES
TEST DRIVE
Jeep Compass
Ben Klemenzson
Viewpoint
SEASON OF MELLIFLUOUS TAILPIPES
S
ummer’s over… apparently. It’s not the first time I’ve been left thinking: “Wow, was that it?!” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, despite being cooler, I think we get nicer weather here in the UK now in September and October than what are traditionally considered to be summer months and as we all know, our beloved old American cars love gulping up that lovely, fresh cool air and run beautifully in these cooler climes. This month’s magazine reflects how many shows take place in July now – in fact I seemed to have spent just about every weekend in July at shows and events up and down the country. I’m not a big fan of running show coverage several months after it’s occurred, hence the glut of show coverage over the past couple of issues – and don’t forget there are even more images from all these events and shows on the Classic American website. Just go to the ‘Communities’ tab at the top of the website, click on that and select ‘Galleries’ from the pulldown menu – and enjoy; you never know, there might be a shot of you or your car in among all those extra images. Autumn means we’re now looking at the run-up to the annual Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show held at the
NEC, Birmingham – and for Classic American specifically that means the finals of the Footman James Car of the Year competition which will be held on our stand at this event. So far we have seven finalists (you can see the latest heat winner on page 6) and we’re hoping we will pick one more up at the end of September/start of October at the Prescott Autumn Classic event. Those nice folks at Clarion Events have given us 10 pairs of tickets (worth over £500) to give away to the Classic Motor Show. For the full details and information on how to enter see pages 8 and 9. I was lucky enough to be invited to Lisbon recently for the launch of Jeep’s latest compact SUV, the Compass. It’s nice that there are still some American-badged vehicles that UK consumers can buy new off fff the showroom floor in this country. Having said that, some folks might be a little quizzical about a Jeep made by the Italian-owned FiatChrysler Automobiles, which is actually built in India… It looks to me like globalisation is here to stay. Happy cruising!
All-new Jeep Compass.
47 33
84 27 22
Contents October 2017
Regulars
Features
06 12 14 16 18 50 62 69 71 96 100 104 105 108 114 126
22 1969 Plymouth Superbee 33 1975 Olds Cutlass and 1963 Ford Fairlane 40 1959 Pontiac Bonneville 47 1960 Chevrolet Apache 78 Project Beauty Pala
News Letters Across the Pond Muscle Car Files Here to Obscurity Back Issues Subscription Offer Reviews Tech Discoveries Scale Autos Events CA Shop Drive Buy Private Classifieds Services Directory
Events 53 Mopar Nats 59 Damn Yankees 64 Victory Wheelers 84 Corvette Nationals 90 Dragstalgia 88 A&M News 108 Jeep Compass
40 90
classic-american.com 5
ROUND SEVEN Classic American
News wss Nothing says Fifties Americana like a ’57 Chevy Bel Air.
Owner Daniel Springall.
Interior was retrimmed in the US.
The penultimate heat of this year’s Footman James Car of the Year competition took place at the Atomic vintage festival at Sywell in Northamptonshire over the weekend of August 19 and 20. If ever there was an American automotive icon, then this 1957 Chevrolet belonging to Daniel Springall is definitely it – and this particular example, in its stunning red paint and with contrasting black and silver interior, is a mighty fine example. And if the eagle-eyed among you think it looks a little familiar, then that’ll be because we featured it in Classic American six years ago (in the June 2011/ CA242 issue) when it appeared with Dan’s father’s 1967 Impala. Dan bought this ’57 from a dealer in Kenosha, Wisconsin,
although it had belonged previously to a 75-year-old who’d only just given up driving. The car was restored in the early Nineties and it’s remarkable how good this 20-year-old paint job looks even to this day. The original buyer specified a Wonderbar radio, which was a $112 option, but no powersteering or brakes (which both would have cost about the same as the radio!). The V8 motor for ’57 was the 265 5cu in V8
and Dan’s car is fitted with Chevy’s two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. With its hardtop styling and iconic lines, Dan’s Chevy will definitely be adding some Fifties pizzazz to the Classic American stand at this year’s Classic Motor Show, held at the NEC over the weekend of November 17-19. Make sure you go and check this and all the other cars out on the Classic American stand in Hall Five.
Stu Bradbury inducted into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame This year sees a special induction ceremony – that of British Drag Racing Hall of Fame honorary chairman Stu Bradbury. It had to be special because to protect the integrity of the selection process, the rules of the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame prevent those on the selection board and the management board from being inducted. But it was felt that in the case of Stu Bradbury the organisation needed to break these rules and with the unanimous backing of both boards, the honorary international ambassadors, 10 randomly selected existing inducted members and their benefactor Geoff Stilwell, Stu was presented with his crystal
6 classic-american.com
trophy, along with a special certificate at the Santa Pod 2017 Dragstalgia meeting. Stu’s drag racing career was mainly anchored to the start line at Santa Pod and it was felt that lunchtime on the Saturday of Dragstalgia was the right time and place for Stu’s special presentation because many of his friends would be attending. But the weather had other ideas so it was held in the Quarter Mile Club that forms part of the spectator side VIP centre, with Santa Pod Raceway CEO and member of the BDRHoF selection board Keith Bartlett making the special presentation. Stu’s detailed citation can be found on www. britishdragracinghof.co.uk.
Stu’s name joins those whose contributions to British drag racing are considered to have been extraordinary. The induction ceremonies normally take place at the BDRHoF gala awards dinner, this year being held at the historic Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge on November 18 when drag racing personalities and fans from around the world will celebrate the commitment shown by these all-too-often unsung heroes and the influence they have had on drag racing. As the weather at Dragstalgia on Saturday lunchtime resulted in a change of plans, Stu’s induction will be celebrated again at this function along with those already announced.
British Drag Racing Hall of Fame honorary chairman Stuart Bradbury.
Airstream’s back! The iconic American Airstream brand will officially relaunch in the UK at October’s Motorhome and Caravan Show 2017, the UK’s largest leisure vehicle show. After a couple of years’ absence, Airstream returns with the appointment of a new UK distributor, Swift. Three new models for the UK include the flagship four-berth Colorado retailing at £99,195, as well as the smaller Yukon and Missouri models. The unmistakably aerodynamic, silver-bullet Airstream shape is hand crafted with a buck-riveted aluminium bodyshell over a ribbed frame, with visible alum minium inside as well as out. A UK specificatio on includes leather upholstery as standard, Corian n worktops, hand-crafted cabinets,, central heating and LED lighting g throughout.
Airstream has a new UK distributor.
Manufactured since the Thirties, 70% of Airstreams made are still in use around the world, with celebrity owners including Brad Pitt, Colin Farrell, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey. For more information see: www. airstream-europe.com
DETROIT America’s car industry is inexorably tied up with the ups and downs of its home city, Detroit. To this day, America’s big three still have their headquarters in Detroit and for many the car industry leaving the city would be absolutely unthinkable and represent the end of the city as a viable and functioning entity. Detroit is a new film directed by Kathryn Bigelow (famed for her earlier films, The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty) which is set when many people think things started to go wrong for Detroit: the 1967 riots which today are widely
believed to have been caused by white police brutality on black citizens and which were responsible for the ‘white flight’ which resulted in the dramatically different racial demographic that downtown Detroit still displays to this day. Make no mistake, this is no laugha-minute movie and if you can get beyond the violence and brutality it does give an interesting insight into the reason why Detroit has undergone the social and economic problems it has over the past 50 years.
The ’67 Detroit riots were some of the most violent in American history.
classic-american.com 7
! IN
W IN
!W
THE BIG News ONE’S BACK! Classic American
T
Last year's Footman James Car of the Year winner: John May’s 1966 Chevrolet Corvette.
Somewhere under there is a Studebaker.
Parts, tools... you name it, it’s there!
Wheeler Dealers Live Stage.
TEN CHANCES TO WIN!
10 pairs of general admission tickets to include entry into the wall of death.
Terms and conditions apply. For full terms and conditions, please see www. classic-american.com.
8 classic-american.com
There are no cash alternatives available. The winners will be the first 10 names drawn at random.
he Lancasster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, returns to Birmingham’s NEC for this year’s season finale from Friday to Sunday, November 10-12. The UK’s biggest and best celebration of the classic motoring community will see 2500 stunning classic cars and motorbikes on display. Around 250 of Britain’s best motoring clubs will showcase rare and exciting marques ranging from pre-war through to retro classics, American muscle cars to Japanese performance, European elegance to Great British sports cars and many more. Meguiar’s Club Showcase will once again crown the winner of this year’s search for the best of the best from the classic motoring club scene, with 16 finalists from various club events held throughout the year. The new Wheeler Dealers line-up of Mike Brewer and Ant Anstead will host the Discovery Live Stage with restoration challenges, special guests, Q&A sessions and exclusive competitions. There will also be the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership display with around 20 private owners showcasing their classics in a bid to win visitors’ votes in order to win the coveted trophy. Motoring experts will be in the Restoration Theatre ready to show visitors exactly how to tackle all aspects of restoring a cherished classic car, with 650 trade stands offering a wide range of parts, spares, tools, motoring services and memorabilia in the Trader Village and popular autojumble. For those looking to buy a classic or add to their motoring collection, Silverstone Auctions will have an impressive line-up in its two-day sale of classic cars, motorbikes and memorabilia. Don’t want to stand and watch? Why not take a drive in a classic car with HERO Events or a passenger ride in one of the cars in the Sporting Bear’s Dream Rides garage. Both are available for a small fee. There’s plenty on offer for American car fans too, including numerous club stands such as the Pre-’50 American Car Club, The UK Tri-Chevy Club, Studebaker Owners Club, Mustang Owners Club, Classic Corvette Club UK, NSRA, American Auto Club, American Auto Club International, Mopar Muscle Association and of course, Classic American’s stand. We’ll be choosing the winner of the Footman James Car of the Year competition from the eight heat winners picked over the summer, so make sure you come along and check out these beauties and say hello to the Classic American team. And just to make things even more tempting, we’ve got 10 pairs of tickets to offer Classic American readers. Entering the competition couldn’t be easier – check out the details on how to enter on this page!
Fantastic autojumble.
Tickets to the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, are now on sale. For more information as well as all the ticket prices and booking details, visit www.necclassicmotorshow.com.
Mustangs up for grabs at Silverstone Auctions.
Patina’d F1 pick-up.
Would you buy a car off these two?!
Sir Stirling Moss.
Live Stage antics.
classic-american.com 9
Original 1965 Shelby GT350R.
Classic American
News American cars vandalised Chris Smith-Moorhouse from Commercial Vehicle Products of Tamworth, Staffordshire got in touch with Classic American in an effort to shed some light on who vandalised three American cars in his yard. The damage was done at some point over the August Bank Holiday weekend and although they have no idea how many people were involved, there must have been at least two. The neighbours didn’t see anything, but one of them reported hearing noises on Saturday evening. The cars that were damaged were: 2008 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, 1987 Dodge Diplomat police car, a 1999 Chevrolet Blazer and a 2011 Renault Master ambulance. Anyone with any information about this incident should contact Chris on 0116 216 2092 or email him at: chris@ commercialvehicleproducts.co.uk Vandalised cop cars.
NEW PONTIAC MAG Graham Rennie from American Auto Mags has been in touch about a new Pontiac magazine they’re stocking. Pontiac Perfection may not be cheap at £8.95 (although that includes p&p), but it claims to be the only ‘all Pontiac’ magazine – so if that’s your bag, then this is your mag! To order, contact American Auto Mags: www.americanautomags.com or email: graham@americanautomags.com or call 01606 888 324/07554 44 2350.
10 classic-american.com
‘New’ Shelby GT350Rs available Among classic Ford Mustangs, the 1965 Shelby GT350R must surely rank as one of the most desirable. Just 36 true examples were ever built, meaning that only a select few have had the chance to own and enjoy one. Today however, that is changing. Original Shelby group members Peter Brock, Jim Marietta and Ted Sutton have come together, forming a company known as the Original Venice Crew (OVC). The name, which pays homage to Shelby American’s days at the Venice, California workshops where early cars were built, is being put behind a series of 36 continuation Shelby GT350Rs, built from original 1965 Mustang shells with the full blessing of both Carroll Shelby International and the Ford Motor Company.
Each of the cars will feature a competitionprepped iron-block V-8 (the standard engine will be a pushrod 289 – though since these cars will be built to order a number of different options will be available). Mated to the engine will be a period correct four-speed manual gearbox, while other features will include functional brake cooling ducts, Plexiglas rear and quarter windows and an independent rear suspension – a feature the original GT350R was supposed to have had, if development had continued. With a base price of $250,000 the ‘new’ Shelby GT350 is far from cheap, but for the lucky few that get their hands on one, it will likely be one of the most memorable and iconic cars in their possession. HE
Chevy Colorado ZR2 sole stock vehicle in gruelling Vegas to Reno event A 2018 Chevy Colorado ZR2 was the only factory stock truck to both compete in and finish Best in the Desert’s General Tire Vegas to Reno race presented by Fox. Recognised by the Best in the Desert organisation as first in Class 7300, the truck, piloted by Chad Hall and Frank DeAngelo of Hall Racing, crossed the finish line in Carson City, Nevada around 7am Pacific Time on Saturday, August 19, taking 18 hours, 50 minutes and 16 seconds to complete the course with an average speed of 28.6 miles per hour. Despite cutting a few tyres along the course and the expected rock damage, the ZR2 held up well under the punishing conditions of this 539-mile race. Only 204 of the 336 vehicles entered in the race completed the challenging course. ZR2 had onboard co-riders and navigators Austin Hall of Reno, Nevada and Chris Woo of Truckee, California. The pit crew included Chevy performance and chassis engineers, Chevy Racing project manager, General Motors’ technicians and Hall Racing team members. The truck was modified prior to the race with racing body-mandated safety items such as a roll cage, a 44-gallon (US) racing fuel tank and racing seats with safety harnesses. KC HiLites
racing lights, two-way radios and a GPS system were also added. The 2018 Colorado ZR2 features a number of upgrades over its regular sibling including front and rear tracks that have been widened by 3.5 inches and a suspension lifted by two inches. Functional rockers have been added for better performance over rocks and obstacles, and the front and rear bumpers have been modified for better off-road clearance. Class-exclusive features include standard front and rear electronic locking differentials, available diesel engine and the first off-road application of Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSV) damper technology. HE
2018 Chevy Colorado ZR2.
Classic American
Mail Get what you pay for Dear Classic American, I really have to take issue with people like the reader whose letter you ran in the last magazine bleating on about how you shouldn’t feature cars that belong to people who have a bit of money. It’s the same sort of sentiment that justifies individuals ‘keying’ nice cars: just plain jealousy. I think you should feature more cars like that beautiful GTO – it’s what we all aspire to and I don’t begrudge someone having the money to buy a lovely car like that. In fact if I won the lottery, I can guarantee you that would be the first thing I’d spend my money on and I’d go further and say that I’m glad people like that chap buy cars like that and take them to shows and feature them in magazines, so everyone can enjoy them. They bring a bit of colour and excitement to an increasingly drab and mean-spirited world... Andrew Churcher Edinburgh Scotland You’re not the first to get in touch with these sentiments. Each to their own we say and we certainly understand the point of view that Classic American shouldn’t just feature big buck high price cars, but there’s no escaping the fact that some of the nicest and most desirable American cars do cost a lot of money – and we will continue to feature them!
12 classic-american.com
Email us at: email@classic-american.com or write to: Classic American Magazine, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ
STAR
Letter
HORRIFIC DISCOVERY Dear Classic American, As proud owners of a 1958 Mercury Monterey, it was nice to see one grace your pages in last month’s issue (no 317, September 2017), although it was sad in a way to see it on the Discoveries pages in a junk yard, as these are rare now and it had the same engine as ours, the 383, the rarest of the options. Although it’s my favourite part of the magazine, I always rush to read it first, to notice that it’s printed as a 1953 Mercury. An error or whatever, the wrong information here is given. Also I’d like to say that I have every issue from day one of Classic American, I buy it because I’m interested and an American owner. I was mortified to turn to page 83 to see some German tin. Come on Classic American stop now, we don’t want to see pictures of VWs, we see them broken down on the hard shoulder of motorways, this
Groovy VW.
space could have been used for an American vehicle instead of a German. VW enthusiasts have their own mags, we have ours: Classic American, so let’s keep it that way! I am deeply disappointed that this has been allowed to happen. M Collier Hook Hants
1958 Mercury.
We hang our head in shame – the ’58 Mercury was indeed incorrectly captioned, how this got through the net we don’t know, but it’s a pretty schoolboy error. As for featuring the VW in the show report from the Footman James Bristol Classic, that show is not an exclusively American event, although it does have a large American turnout. We thought the VW bus was kinda’ cool looking, done out as it was in psychedelic paint popular in a ‘Sixties-SanFrancisco-Summer-of-Love’ style.
Natural genius
Dear Classic American, I thought you might be interested to learn about my grandson Vinnie, aged three. On the subject of the debate about ‘nature vs nurture’, I can promise you that this is definitely a case of nature… He is certainly not unusual in that he is a car-mad kid. But consider the fact that his parents are not; and the fact that he’s ‘all about American cars’ (as opposed to most-any other vehicle), this absolutely has to be in his DNA. Okay, his ‘gwangwad’ (granddad?) has an ‘Impala car and has a library of American car books and Classic American magazines. And okay, when he visits, he has to go to see the Chevy in the garage, (as well as watch numerous YouTube videos on Yank tanks). But Vinnie cannot get enough of your magazine, despite being too young to read properly himself yet. For the past year I have had to buy two Class-Am mags each month, as he devours his – mostly as bedtime reading! His favourite section has to be Will Shiers’ Discoveries... because he’s especially fascinated by old clunkers! Also, he loves to make decisions on whether or not they are ‘fixer-uppers’! I have included some pictures which I hope show you clearly exactly what I mean. Ian Donnarumma Fair Oak Hants
Vinnie makes his feelings known...
1963 Chevrolet Impala.
Wow Ian, what a lucky grandson – I’m sure he loves going for rides in your ‘63 Impala Sport Sedan. With genes like that, it won’t be long before he has his own Impala!