Ben Klemenzson
View point
SPRING HAS SPRUN G!
The NSRA Southern Swap Meet has been and gone, so has WheelsDay and thatcan only mean… it’ssummer! Well, it feels like we’ve gone straight from winter into summer,suchhas the sunny,balmy weather of April and Maybeen. All good news for American car folkofany genre, as it means we can get our machines outand have some fun! And if you’re wondering what’s on where and when, why notturnto Classic American’s Events pages starting on page72, they’re jam-packed with shows, events and cruises. Spring (yeah, it really is still spring, technically speaking!)isanidealtimetosell your vehicle if you’re thinking of doing so, so why not consider our classifedsection? Most crucially,the adverts are free and will appear in themagazine and online for three months, but you can extend them, alter the price or even cancel the ad by email or phone when you sellyourvehicle. It’s really simple
and isn’tfull of scammers and conartists like certain auctionsites we can think of! Obviously Classic American is not the place to get into politics, but President Trump’stariffs certainly seemed to have upset the applecart. Whether it’s wiping thousands off people’spensions(even in this country!) or the possibility of no presents at Christmasfor American children (literally the Grinch that stole Christmas!), luckily the UK has decided not to impose reciprocal tariffs… Which should mean spares and parts and even cars shouldremain affordable for us all. Hoorah!
Ben Klemenzson, editor bklemenzson@mortons.co.uk
Image: Jonathan Fleetwood
E DITOR Ben Klemenzson bklemenzson@mor tons.co.uk
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The frst heat of the annual Car of the Year competition took place at the Surrey Street Rodders’ Wheels Day show on Good Friday
Sponsored by Kingstown Shipping for the past few years, the contest–with heats held at various locations across the country–showcase the verybest of American metal residing in the UK. This year,Kingstown has been joined by Vintage Tyres as co-sponsor for the prestigious event, which culminates with the grand fnal at the NEC in November
With averyfull feld of cars, our fantastic frst heat winner was Geoff Mitchell’s1961 Chrysler Newport Convertible. There was no missing this car,with its eye-catching periodcorrect Dubonnet Redpaintwork, enormous fns, canted headlights and gorgeous Kelsey Hayes chrome wire wheels –surely the apex of Virgil Exner’sstyling prowess.
CAR OF THE YEAR KICKS OFF IN STYLE!
The car was apparently part of a pair that wereina British Columbia museum (although it originally hailed from Alabama) and was restored to an extremely high standard using only period-correct parts, from hoses to clamps. The interior is believed to be original, right down to that fully functional electro-luminescent Astra Dome Instrument binnacle. The odometer reads 10k miles, but Geoff agrees there’snoway of telling whether that’s10k miles or 110k miles, as the restoration was so thorough.
After 30 yearsinthe museum, an Arizona-based collectoracquired both cars, keeping this one foreight years until he sold it to an Englishman
Geoffaccepts theCar of the Year frst heat trophy from Kingstown’sStephen Shores.
Watch out for those fns!
Geoffbelieves the Chrysler’sengine is a361cu in V8.
Vintage Tyres to co-sponsor Car of the Year!
Classic American’sCar of the Year competitionnow has anew co-sponsor in the form of VintageTyres who will join Kingstown Shipping in supportingthe event. While Wheels Day has come and gone, there arestillfve moreheats to go and the grand fnals at theNEC in November,sowatch this space formoreupdates!
who brought it to these shores in 2016. Powered by what Geoff believes is a361cu in V8 (despite the rocker covers saying 383) the transmission is naturally aTorquefite auto’box. Stand-out features on the Chrysler include nice-to-have power-
brakes and it’sthe frstyear that alternatorswereusedonChryslers. Geoff and hispartner Jan won’tbe hard to fndonthe Classic American stand this coming November at the Classic Motor Show,NEC, with this Chrysler beauty!
Remaining Car of the Year heats and grand final 2025
Heat 2: June 15, Custom &American Show –Beaulieu, Hants
Heat 3: July 6-7, Stars &Stripes Show –TattonPark,Cheshire
Heat 4: July 19-20, AACUK Summer Nats –Upton-on-Severn, Malvern, Worcs
Heat 5: July 18-20, Mopar Nats –SantaPod Raceway,Northants
Heat 6: August 3, Rallyofthe Giants –Stonor Park, Oxon Grand fnal: November 7-9, Classic MotorShow –NEC, Birmingham*
*Finals held over three days on the ClassicAmerican stand at the NEC
Gorgeous KelseyHayes chrome wheels.
Classic NeAmerican ws
ARE YOU STARS & STRIPES READY?!
Everysummer,there is one date we circle in red on thecalendar, and if you areafan of American motoring, you probably do the same!
This year’s Classic American Stars&Stripes Show,now proudly sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, is returning to Tatton ParkonJuly5-6. It’sapopular fxture on the UK’sAmerican car scene, attracting more than 16,000 enthusiasts each year.Nestled within the historic grounds of Tatton Park near KnutsfordinCheshire, theevent marks an incredible 38 yearssince its debut back in 1987. It remains one of the most vibrantand best-loved celebrations of American carsthatthe UK has to offer
Prepare yourself for another year ofstellar entertainmentand, most importantly,great classic Americans. We’ll be theresoaking it all in,asalways, fromthe glintofpolished chrome to the sound of V8s rumbling into thepark. The variety and quality of vehicles never disappoints, and this year is shaping up to be avintage year.Expect adazzling showcaseofAmerican icons like Mustangs,Corvettes from theClassic
Corvette Club UK,alongsiderarities that really get the cameras clicking,such as classic Cadillacs, Ford Model Ahot rods and Mopar muscle cars. With so many jaw-dropping classics on display, we will be hunting down thestories behind these vehicles forfuture issues.
Searching for that elusive part? You’ll find it in the trade village!
year,Steve and
American Car
with their stunning 1955 Dodge Royal
With so many pristine and unique examples expected this summer,it’sanopen feld as to
Kids’ magic show with Magic Alex.
Whole area dedicated to pick-up trucks. Classic American will be on hand selling magazines and subscriptions.
Last
Marina Tennick of Warrington won the Stars &Stripes heat of our Classic
of the Year competition
Lancer.
Expect to see lots of classic Mustangs.
who will be this year’sheat winner andwe’llbe there all weekend; judging, photographingand celebrating everystand-out detail.
But it is not justabout the cars. What makes Stars &Stripes so special is its family-friendly, all-American festival vibe. It’sthe perfect summer day out, whether you areadie-hard petrolhead or simply love the lifestyle. This
year’sentertainment is settoturn things up anotch. Kids are in for atreat withthe brand-new KidZone powered by Scalextric, where they can havea go with some iconic racing tracks, see cool display cars, and even check out some brand-new products. It is the perfect introduction to motoring for the next generation.
Adults can enjoy afull line-up of music and entertainment,includinga Dolly Parton tribute from the brilliant It Takes 2Duo, the return of the dog show hosted by Manchester Dogs’ Home, militaryvehicle displays, magic from the verytalented MagicAlex and an Austin Powers-themed host,who will be working the crowd throughout the weekend. For those brave enough, there is even ahot dogeating contest inspired by ManvsFood!
It is events like this thatbring the classic American communitytogether.From the autojumble and businesses like AceAmerican Autos and Billy’sSpeed Shop, to the casual meetups and one-off fnds, Tattonisalways packed with passion, nostalgiaand great stories waiting to be discovered. Whether you are trackingdown arare part, or just soaking in the atmosphere, there is something here for everyone.
The Classic American Stars &Stripes Show sponsored by Hagerty takes place on July 5-6, with gates opening from 9.30amboth days. Advance tickets are £11.50 online until June 30 or £14 at the gate, with free entryfor children under 16. Park entrycharges apply(£9 per car). Forfull details, visit www.theclassiccarshows.com ★
Kid Zonepowered by Scalextric –new for 2025!
With the generous support of Scalextric and Mission Motorsport, the Forces’ motorsport charity,we’ve created alarge-scale replica of the iconic Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit. UsingScalextricdigital technology,six cars willracehead-to-headaroundthe sweeping, technical trackthatoffers theopportunity to recreate theepic battles seen during the famous GoodwoodRevival events. Visitors will notonly haveachancetopit their skill againsteachother,but the driver with the fastest lap of the day will also win aScalextric
track of their own. Turn up at Tattonand have ago, where it will be just £5 for fveminutes of racing, with all the money collected going to support Mission Motorsport in its campaign
to help wounded,injured and sick veterans recover and be rehabilitated by providing opportunities through motorsport and the automotive industry
Car of the Year heat winners 2024, Steve and Marina Tennick with their fabulous1955 Dodge
Ready to race the Goodwood circuit?!
Classic NewAmericans REVIVING HOTMUSCLE!
DRAG RACING AMERICAN SUPER STOCK ROUND 1 SPRING NATIONALS
Melbourne Raceway, York, April 12/13, 2025
Aselection of highly competitive muscle cars and alone truck made the 1st round call of the much talked about American Super Stock Revival at Melbourne Raceway’s eighth mile drag strip. It’saclass reserved for American factoryproduction carsand pick-up trucks –ancient or modern ‘from stock to highly modifed’.
Under the commandoflong-time muscle car enthusiast Howard Holmes,would therevival be popular enough to attract entries? Well, by theend of theweekendwegot ouranswer,and to boot, arace that ended in a‘squeaker’ of a double breakout to determine the winner!
Turning back the clock to aday’s worth of intense qualifying, besieged by a500-yard oil down, followed nextday by a‘last chance qualifer’ as all 12 racers fnally eased themselves into Melbourne’snew Portatree timing system. I use the term ‘eased’ mildly as how can you call 0.009s off adial-in time of 7.40s and run 7.409s! And that’sexactly whatrookieTyler Smithdid with his swoopy 5.3-litre ally LS-equipped ’96 MustangGTtohead thequalifying cast from Craig Elliot’s 493cu in Plymouth Savoy 012 off his 7.33 dial (7.342) and Jared Heathcote’s’72 ‘Bloody Nora’ small-block Chevy Nova; 8.115 on an 8.10 dial.
The only real surprise was to see Lee Chiles’ 500 cubed ’69 Plymouth Valiant qualifying midway down the list (6.731 on a6.53 dial). But the fve-time A/SS champion more than made up for it come race time.
Running abracket race
Beforeab racke tr ace can start, each car must de termine what tim et o‘ dia l’. To fgureo ut an acc urate dial, ar acer ne eds to us et ime trials/qua lifyin gt od et er mine the elaps ed tim et he yt hi nk th eir car wi ll run. Beginning ra ce rs usua lly ba se th ei r dial-ins on af ew passes down th et ra c k For veteran ra c e rs, ad ial-in is serious business ,b ased on ye ars of expe ri en ce and countless ru ns. Ag ood bracket racer can hit on or ve ry close to th eir dial -i n almost eve ry tim e.
When two cars arematched up for a race, dial-ins aredisplayed on the car’sside window and entered into the timing system; the slower car is given ahandicap, or ahead start equal to the difference between the dialins. To win, you need to run closer to your dial-in than the other guy.Thereare three winning scenarios: run as closetoyour dial-in as possible without going quicker or breaking out. If both cars run faster than their dial-ins (called running under or breaking out), the racer closest to their dial-in wins
Words: Jeremy Cookson Photography: ADImages, Mike Burrowes, Trudi Corcutt
Al Plattinaction. (Image: Mike Burrowes)
Alan Feasby (Image: ADImages)
Blown Mustang. (Image: Trudi Corcutt)
Blown Mustang. (Image: Trudi Corcutt)
Craig Elliottbur ns rubber (Image: ADImages)
The only two no-showsfor theround were Glynn Dunford’s‘Deathtrap’Chevy Nova due to abroken driveshaft and thebig Dodge D100 truck of Mark Savagewho was feeling well under the weather! So, withthe scene set,10drivers rumbled into the staging area for theoffcial start of the A/SS Revival. Round highlightsincluded wins for Elliot’sPlymouth, Hollie Rae Chandler’s ‘Dinky Dodge’,Jared Heathcote’sDuster and the Valiant of Lee Chiles. Gifted ‘lucky dog’byes went to the mighty Holmes Coronet express and Alan Feasby’s Fox Mustang.With round 2set, the tensionstarted to mount especially for Hollie knowing she hadtocut agoodlight and stand on the gas without breaking. But at the stripe it ended with abreakoutloss at 8.960s on a9 fat dial for the 360cu in DodgetoChile’s6.461. Craig Elliotplayed safe by dialling in a7.30 and ran 7.999 having pulleda lead from Feasby’s Mustang. This left Heathcoteagainst Holmes, but a‘dribbling’Coronet was turned away by the start crew,gifting Jared’s Novathe win. With Chiles gaining the ‘lucky dog’ bye into the fnalitwas allonHeathcote andElliott to slug it out for the honour to meet ‘Chiles Play’. A monster red light (-.012) for the Nova put Elliott
Championship standings after Round 1
1. SS164 Craig Elliott –101pts
2. SS87 Lee Chiles –76
3. SS47Jared Heathcote –68
4. SS493 Howard Holmes –55
5. SS165 Hollie Rae Chandler –53
6. SS984 AlanFeasby –53
7. SS297 Tyler Smith –48
8. SS298 Sara Unsworth –45
9. SS601 Al Platt –43
10. SS55NickGunby –41
11. SS468 GlynnDunford –13
12. SS69 Mark Savage –11
into the fnal shootout despite busting his dialled 7.99 with an all-out 7.403/97.55mph. As the A/SS announcer worked up the fans playing on the 0.9s on the handicapstart against Chiles,the 660ft dash wasneck-and neck. At the stripe the timers revealed all fashing adouble breakout. But just who had broken out the least? Well, the computer placed judgment in the favour of Elliott’s Plymouth by 500ths of asecond. Chiles dialled in a6.50 andran under by .06884 at 6.431s. Meanwhile Elliott dialled in amarginally safer 7.40 and ran 7.335s under by theleast(.06434) for the win separating both front bumpers by 8.131 feet! What arace. Whatarevival.
A/SS is grateful to Goodale American Speedshop for sponsorship support along with associates: Ace American Autos, Billadeau Speed &Automotive, DC’sHotrods &Harleys, Down to Earth Auto Electrics, Engine Data Analysis, John Sleath Race Cars Ltd &Renegade Racing Fuels
Remaining rounds
Round 2–NorthernNationals: May 10/11, Melbourne Raceway
Round 3–Street Weekend: June 14/15, Melbourne Raceway
Round 4–Mid Summer Shootout: July 12/13, Melbourne Raceway
Round 5–August Extravaganza: August 2/3, Melbourne Raceway
Round 6–American Super Stock Finale: August 30/31, Melbourne Raceway
Glenn Dunford.(Image: Trudi Corcutt)
Holly Rae Chandler. (Image: Mike Burrowes)
HowardHolmes. (Image:Mike Burrowes)
HowardHolmes. (Image: Trudi Corcutt)
Jared Heathcote. (Image: Mike Burrowes)
Lee Chiles. (Image: ADImages)
Lee Chiles. (Image: Mike Burrowes)
Mark Savage. (Image: ADImages)
Nick Gunby.(Image: ADImages)
Nick Gunby.(Image: Mike Burrowes)
Sara Unsworth. (Image: ADImages)
Tyler Smith. (Image: ADImages)
PETROLHEADONISM LIVE 2025 PREVIEW
ThePetrolheadonism LIVE car show never fails to delight and there’ll be some great new features to enjoy at this gigantic event on September 6and 7.
After bringing RichardRawlingsto the UK for the frst two events and following that major coup with another in the shape of Chip Foose last year,show organisers have tempted athird stateside superstar
to attend this year’sextravaganza.
Dave Kindig, of TV show Bitchin’ Rides fame, is the celebrityface of a revamped show in an exciting new location.
Mr Petrolheadonism, aka Ciro Ciampi, founder of the car show brand, said: “Knebworth was great for us. Abig-name venue like that really helped us put Petrolheadonism LIVE on the car show map with massive kudos. But
Ikeep the shows evolving and our new home is going to be the Hertfordshire County Showground in Redbourn.
“This fantastic new home is going to allowustoput on an even better event.Obviously,I’m really excited about this change.”
The 45-acre-plus sitewill have special displays and attractions and there will be an estimated 1000-plus vehicles on display.Also, as usual, alongside theexotics, movie cars and other genres such as
Fun for all thefamily, especially petrolheads!
street modifed vehicles, there will be aformidable array of American muscle cars, American fnned fantasies from the Fifties, plus land yachts and pick-up trucks.
Ciampi added: “I have aCorvette and Mustang myself, so we just wouldn’tdothe show without Yanks!”
We’ll leavethe last word to Kindig himself: “I’m super excited to be coming out to the UK for Petrolheadonism LIVE show.I’m going to be out there checking out all your killer cars and meeting all you great folks!”
Dave Kindig with Petrolheadonism founder and organiser CiroCiampi.
Spectacular burnout pad.
Richard Heseltine
From obscurity here to
Rinspeed Dodge Viper Veleno
While the Viper might have been one of thewildest production carsofthe Nineties, that didn’t stop one Swiss outfitsexingitupbeyond all recognition, as Richard Heseltine discovered…
The Dodge Viper was arguably the most extreme production car of the 1990s,by which we mean one offered by amainstream manufacturer.Nevertheless,that didn’tstop Frank Rinderkecht of Rinspeed from using thisV10 roadster as ablank canvas for something that was abit more hardcore. His Swiss outftwas renowned for its PR-generating one-offs and conceptqueens, and the Veleno was almost tame by comparison with some of its more outré offerings.It’sall relative, because this1993 Geneva Motor Show debutant was certainly noticeable.
The Veleno –the name being Italian for ‘poison’ –was based on aregular Viper RT/10, the front-end employing anew front spoiler/ skirt, while therear-viewmirrorsweremoved to thewindscreen frame. Moving further back, theroll-bar-cum-B-pillars were modifed to accommodate aspoiler of sorts,thisnew arrangementalso accommodating extra lights.In marked contrast to theregularcar,italsowasn’t red. The original one-piece wheels, meanwhile, were replaced with massive three-piece OZ items, clad with Pirelli PZero tyres (275/35-18 front and 335/30-18 rear).
Then there was the interior.The regular Viper always was on the basic side, buthere
the seats, door cards andthe dashboard were trimmed in anew wonder material, Vinerus. It was tailored in association with fashion house Maison Mollerus of Zurich, this artifcial material being used on its high-end handbags and luggage. Its makers insisted that it was notonly ‘exclusive in appearance’ but wasalso robust and hard-wearing. The instrument paneland centre console, meanwhile, were colour coded. According to Rinspeed’sPRspiel, this lentit‘…a high-tech look’.
There were afew other accoutrements of note, too, not least anintegrated CD-changer courtesy of Alpine which was operated by buttons sited on the steering wheel. There wasalso the latest cellular phone from Nokia Mobiles (the brochure trumpeted thatitweighed just 275 grams and ‘…solved all telecommunication problems’.) The heart of any Viper,though, was the engine, and here the eight-litre, 10-cylinder powerhouse received aboost courtesy of an electronically controlled nitrous-oxideinjection. Yes, really
As such, power wasincreased from 400 to 550bhp. There wasalso auseful 605lb-ft of torque at 3600rpm (up from 465 for theregular car). The PR guff also claimed that the Veleno even had green credentials that went beyondits
striking hue, exhaust gases being routed through catalytic converters sited in the side pipes. One thing conspicuously absent from the press release and brochure were performance fgures, but we suspect the Veleno wasonthe scaryside of blisteringly quick.
Intriguingly,given the sheer number of show queens built by Rinspeed over the past 30-plus years, only one further vehicle was based on an American car –the catchily named Roadster R +SC-R that was essentially alightly reworked Panoz. As to the fateofthe one and only Veleno, it has long since disappeared, although rumours persist that it was retained by Rinderkecht so hopefully it still exists… ★
Huw Evans
Across the pond
Back to basics
Today’scomplicated vehicles are provingtobea headache
Being involved in the automotive industr y stateside, If requently ge tt ot alk to people who sel l, ser vice and fx vehicle s on ad ai ly ba si s. An do ver the last se veral year s one co ns is te nt th eme comes u p, and it applies at the dealershi pl evel, the ser vice garage and al so the body shop: today’sv ehicles have be come inordinately complex to un derstand and to rep ai r.
JDPower,the longtime quality survey provider,has found that consistently,when it comes to new vehicles, one of the biggest complaints is the overcomplexity of HVAC, auxiliarycontrols and infotainment systems, and in fact, we’ve seenseveral manufacturers revert to conventionalbuttons or switches for at least some functions.
On the repair front, the proliferation of what are called Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) has meant that evenonce-simple service and repairs such as wheel alignments (tracking) or brake service are now far more complex,requiring vehicle system scans, sensor calibrations and even replacement. Otherwise, the vehicle might not drive as the manufacturer originally intended. Furthermore, on thebody shop side, nearly everyvehicle that comes in must be pre-scannedbefore it can be dismantled and repaired, plus the sensor calibrationscan add signifcantly to time and labour costs in an industrywhere margins are already razor-thin in many cases.
We’ve also seenamajor increase in what’s called severity (the direct cost of repair)over the last decade. The next generation of apopular
model, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokeeor Wrangler,issignifcantly more complicated than the previous incarnation, withmore parts and assemblies (that also tend to be signifcantly more expensive themselves), meaning thatnot only is the cost to repair greater,but so is the risk of that vehiclebeing written off.
In terms of electronics, theaverage car and truck in North America nowhas far more lines of code than an F-22Raptor jet fghter (more than 150 million) and 25GB of datafowing through its various systems each hour.While this has enabled over-the-air updates formultiple aspects, it doesn’tsolve everything. Furthermore, not only are the automakers themselves now facing hugechallenges in developing software for future vehicles, butthere is also agrowing shortage of people that are able to fx these cars.
In essence,thisiscreating aperfect storm that, if left unchecked,could result in atime when late-model vehicles are simply unfxable, and we’ll just have to throw them away.And when that happens, amajor part of the North American economy could effectively collapse. If there is no need to fx cars, there will be not much need forgarages and body shops; plusif dealers can’tsell any affordable used ones, over time, the would-be buyer pool forvehicles could verylikely shrink, as people seek other forms of transportation and automakers simply aren’table to absorb the enormous costs required to design and developever more complicated vehicles.
Ithink this is partly one reason whywe’ve seen an uptick in interest in older vehicles, particularly those from the1990s through the
early 2000s. While scrappage programmes such as the infamous Cash for Clunkers initiative in 2009 have culled theirnumbers, certainly in the Western and Southern states, these types of vehicles are still relatively plentiful.
Ilook at thetwo American Ford Ranger pick-ups Iowned.The frst one was a2005, the second a2008 model year.Both were as simple and agricultural as they come, even by modern standards. What Iliked most about them was that they were affordable to run and affordable to maintain, and you didn’tneed an advanced degree in computer science and technology to fx them. Even today,theselittle trucksare still acommon sight on theroads over here, as are many full-size pick-ups from the early/mid-2000s and older
Another issue withtoday’svehicles is that they have become so expensive, agooddeal of which has been driven by technology and government regulations. These days it’s verydiffcult to purchase afull-size pick-up forless than $55,000 and that’sfor abasicmodel (or what passes for it). Plus, with all the tariffs and trade wars currently going on it is likely,inthe short term at least, we couldsee prices rise signifcantly.With all these factors in mind,itbegs the question that if the automakers were to go backtobasics, and could work with government and regulators to ensure that simple, affordable vehicles could be manufactured again within asensible safety, performance and effciency envelope, how benefcial woulditbefor theindustryand the economy? From aNorth American perspective at least, Ithink it could be verysignifcant. ★
Huw’s2008 Ranger Sport 4x4 after abath
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