The 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Chevrolet introduced the 1970 Monte Carlo as an answer to the restyled 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix, and to compete with the Ford Thunderbird. Both cars were based on the mid-size GM A-Body platform, and rode on the aforementioned 116 inch wheelbase as the four-door Chevelle and the El Camino. The 1970 Monte Carlo was only acquirable as a two-door coupe, and it holds the distinction of having the longest hood ever installed on a Chevrolet! It was billed as a \"personal luxury\" car, or a \"gentleman's performance\" car.

The standard engine was a 250 HP 2-barrel version of the present small country 350 CID V8. It could be ordered with a 300 HP 4-barrel 350 small block, a 265 HP 2-barrel 400 CID small country V8, or a 330 HP 4-barrel 402 bounteous country V8 that Chevrolet for some think marketed as a 400. There was also a Monte Carlo SS version acquirable that came with a 360 HP version of Chevrolet's brand new bounteous country 454 V8 engine with a stiffer suspension, front round brakes, and some discreet badging. The SS-454 was a lively performer, with a zero to sixty time of 7.5 seconds. There were reportedly ten cars that year special ordered with the 450HP LS-6 454 engine. The small country equipped cars generally came with the Turbo-Hydramatic 350 transmission, patch the bounteous country cars typically had the heavier-duty Turbo-Hydramatic 400.

The base 1970 Monte Carlo weighed in at 3460 lbs, most 200 lbs. more than a comparably-equipped 2-door Chevelle with the shorter 112-inch wheelbase. Many Monte Carlos however, were equipped with more wealth options than the typical Chevelle, such as air conditioning (yes, in 1970, air conditioning was thoughtful a wealth option, unlike today!), power windows, and another items that increased the container weight. Fender skirts were also a favourite option.

There were somewhere between 130,000 and 146,000 Monte Carlos produced in 1970, depending on what inventiveness you reference. Only 3,823 of those had the SS-454 package, and those cars are highly sought after today by enthusiasts. The early cars (1970-1972) have an active following, with several clubs and online forums sacred to them. Since it mutual the aforementioned platform as the Chevelle, some aftermarket high-performance parts that were designed for the Chevelle will sound the Monte Carlo. Even though it was marketed primarily on the basis of luxury, it became a favourite model for have automobile racing. Several bounteous names in NASCAR crowd Monte Carlos, such as Bobby Allison and Neil Bonnett.

The 1970 Monte Carlo succeeded very well in its original purpose: to compete with the Pontiac Grand Prix and the Ford Thunderbird. There were more 1970 Monte Carlos oversubscribed than the Pontiac Grand Prix and the Ford Thunderbird combined! The sculpted body, long front fenders and offense \"Coke Bottle\" appearance made it a muscular-looking, classy car, and to me it is much better looking than the Chevelle. It is digit of my favorite embody styles; I just desire they had made a 9/10 size version of the car!

Keith Farren is an ASE Certified Master Technician with a BS in Business Administration, an Associate degree in Automotive Technology, and over note years experience in the automotive industry. He also operates digit websites sacred to classic cars, Classic Car Financing and Loans and Classic Car Prices Today.

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The 1968 Dodge Charger

Sometimes there are those cars that stir much passion and favorable emotions that they directly become an fast classic. Such was the case with the 1968 Dodge Charger, with the automobile exploding onto the scene when its action and popularity were cemented in flick Bullit. This propelled the 1968 Charger to immediate success; however it is important to note that this was the ordinal help of the infamous automobile developed by Dodge. What happened was the Charger was originally created in 1966 with it originally existence fashioned as an alternative for the hooligan automobile fury that was gripping the nation.

The prototypal version featured a V - 8, with an electric shaver grill borrowed from the 1942 De Soto and the exclusive dashboard panel participating the use of actual bulbs to illuminate the gages. However, the automobile had whatever initial problems much it would displace when taking corners in excess of 150 miles per hour. This forced Dodge to impose dealer modifications to the 1966 and 1967 models. After seeing disappointing sales in the 1967 help because of this problem and complaints about whatever of the features forced the company to revaluate how the new Charger would be designed.

The 1968 Dodge Charger participating a rank top to bottom redesign with the body of the automobile having what is famous as the double parcel styling or Coke bottle image. Next there was more sheet metal added to the under carriage, this is important because it help provide unchangeability when the Charger would take corners at high speeds. All of the assorted lights much as headlights and the tail lights were hidden. The rear pane was presented the same kind of smooth countenance that was so favourite on the 1966 - 1967 Pontiac GTO. The large distinction that would help the 1968 Charger become one of the iconic hooligan cars was the R/ T package. This was a primary designation presented to those cars that had one of the digit highest performing engines that Dodge produced 440 Magnum and the 426 Hemi.

Together these digit V - 8 engines would ordered the accepted for Dodge hooligan cars in the future. There were massive improvements to the support and brakes, with added supports so that the automobile can be able to appendage various jumps easier. The interior of the automobile was rattling convenient with the 1968 Charger existence able to centre sextet people. The assorted extras included power windows, hidden tree trays, front nous restraints, should command centre belt for the front as substantially as rear right passengers, a padded steering wheel and a rear pane defroster.

Together every of these assorted elements meant that the Charger would be famous for reliability and speed. A beatific warning of this occurred when the flick Bullit was existence filmed on the streets of San Francisco with the Charger hit no problems and more equipped to appendage jumps along with intense turns in comparability to the 1968 Ford Mustang.

Clearly the 1968 Dodge Charger is an icon for that speed, power and wealth that hooligan cars are famous for. What makes the 1968 help so primary is because it was the prototypal instance that Dodge was able to attain massive improvements to their example design. This was important because these changes ordered the accepted for hooligan automobile design for every the major dweller automobile manufacturers.

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The 1957 Chevy Convertible

There was magic in the air in 1957 for Chevrolet. Or was there? Ask anyone who has ever driven a car, to pick a year that they associate with the word Chevy and odds are that they will say 57 and to be more precise the 57 Chevy Convertible.

57 Convertibles Get More Love Today

But the concept and design for the 57 Convertibles was actually born a few years earlier, and the birth was neither perfect nor was it greeted by the public with any real pomp or circumstance.

General Motors and more specifically Harley Earl (their design guru) came under huge pressure in the previous years. They were actually producing great cars by any standards, but their customers were now expecting performance standards way above those required by the roads their cars would be driven on.

Chevy Produced Style, and Speed for 1957

The Chevy Convertible was now expected to compete with its European cousins, namely Alfa, MG and Mercedes amongst others. The American market wanted design, style and speed. Poor sales pre 1957 proved that they were not willing to compromise.

Chevrolet was willing to compromise and quickly recognised that something needed to be pulled out of the proverbial hat. After a brief period of indecision, they were back in fighting form and the hat produced the v8 engine.

The 57 Chevy resembled the 56 in appearance, but with its new V8 specifically modified and tailored, it was ready to take on its American and European Goliath counterparts. For Chevy it was now game set and match. Who was to know at the time that 1957 was to be the year that went such a long way to immortalise what is now the most recognised car on the planet?

2002 Chevy Ad Featuring the 57 Chevy Convertible

45 years later, in 2002, Chevrolet ran an ad campaign featuring a 57 Chevy Convertible. The ad showed the history of the Chevy as "seen" through the ears of pop music with classics like Don MacLean's immortal American Pie. Everybody knows that Don drove his Chevy to the levee. They may not know why, and they may not even know who Don was, but they know exactly what car he drove to the levee. When Prince sang about his "Little Red Corvette", it is alleged that he was referring to his own 57 Chevy Convertible.

But an all time favorite was when Chevrolet themselves ran a classic billboard advertising campaign. Billboards all over the country poignantly reminded people that 'they don't write songs about Volvos' How True.

Yes indeed there was magic in the air in 1957 for Chevrolet with a V8 and fuel injection for real power!

Motorsports history began in 1957 thanks to Chevrolet, and you can find information on other models, like the 57 Corvette, and even more at http://www.1957chevyforsale.com

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The 1957 Chevy Corvette

The 1957 Chevy Corvette almost didn't make it to 1957 and nearly died a death a few years earlier. Why did this American icon almost stop before it got out the starting gate?

In the Beginning

Chevrolet first introduced their two-seat Corvette or 'Vette' in 1953. It was the passion and brainchild of the renowned designer Harley Earl. Earl had been designing for the company since the late 1920's and finally managed to convince them to build a two seater sports car, not unlike the MG's, Alfa's and other European cars that were being introduced to the American market by returning GIs.

Killer Looks!

While the 53 Chevy Corvette was hailed for its killer looks and great body, its performance under the hood was decidedly unexciting, unadventurous somewhat frigid. The Ford Thunderbird further threatened the future life of the automobile that would eventually go down in the annals of American automotive history as 'the only true American sports car', outselling the Corvette by 24 to 1.

While the Thunderbird was looking great on the roads of America the Chevy Corvette (not yet the 57) was still looking longingly at potential buyers in the showrooms. It was at this time that GM were said to have been considering killing it off, or in the words of an enthusiast 'murdering it'.

Enter the v8 engine and Zora Arkus-Duntov. Zora, who rather mistakenly became known ever after as the father of the Corvette, inspired the V8 design and spec for the 57 Corvette. The V8 is credited with being the single most important change made to the car to date.

The 1957 Corvette, Reborn

Enough of the history. Baptised with a new engine the 57 Corvette went from strength to strength in performance and was reborn as a serious sports car.

While the 57 Chevy is as synonymous with the American dream as Mama's home made apple pie, the Americans do not have the monopoly on automobiles in dreams. The Corvette started appearing in the dreams of sleepers all over the world and began attracting a pan global fan base, introduced to the car through the medium of its numerous guest TV appearances, where it often achieved its own listing in the credits!

The 57 Corvette is coveted and collected by car enthusiasts from Asia to Antarctica. They are selling at car auctions for anywhere from $70,000 upwards with no shortage of adoring buyers. The automobile world is now waiting with baited breath for the debut of the C7 Chevy Corvette expected to arrive sometime in 2010.

And There's More!

You didn't think that the 1957 Corvette was the only famous Chevy, did you?

Of course not, and you can find information on other models, like the 57 Bel Air convertible, at http://www.1957chevyforsale.com

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The 541S Jensen British Classic Car

Not much is known or has been written about the 541S Jensen British classic car. The classic car that was made in Britain in the sixties is often ignored by the enthusiasts of the classic cars perhaps because not so many of them were made and also because their automatic version earned a very poor reputation as it never performed as it was expected to. The 541S Jensen British classic cars were designed by a Briton, Eric Neale of a company that was at that time owned by Alan Jensen. The first of their models were; Jensen CV8, that was created prior to the Interceptor and with a six-liter V8 engine, as well as 541S. The cars were hand built and had minimal maintenance requirements and in addition, their bodies were rust free. In 1965, CV8 was rated as the speediest four-sitter car. Before the production of the CV8, the other favorite model was the 541 (chiefly the Jensen 541S) that had a four liter straight 6 Austin Princes engine.

It is so surprising that despite the fact that 541S Jensen British classic car received more awards than any other classic cars of the time; it has not been comparatively expensive. The CV8 that was designed by Dave Horton and Jensen Owners club are credited for having won awards such as "Car of the show," "Best club stand, "and "Best of the master class" among other awards. The awards were deserved because the West Bromwich-based Jensen brothers designed and made cars that were extremely good. They are also credited for having being the pioneers of the disk brakes for a four-wheel drive that was the first to utilize the wind tunnel on the car's body design. The brothers are also praised for stressing on the importance of car safety. The fist car to be designed with standard safety belts was the 541S and was also padded with soft material below and above the dashboard. In addition, the window winders and the door handles were made to fit the recessed panels so as to minimize any possible harm.

Jensen brothers also won the "Silver medal for coach work" for producing a four sitter car that was also the fastest then. For a long time afterwards, the Jensen brothers' work on polyester resin coach and glass fiber has continued to stand the challenges of time. The car has a straight six-liter engine that has been designed with three SU huge carburetors and that is also connected to Jaguar Moss synchromesh gearbox which has an override. More over, the car servo works well with Dunlop disk brakes, a combination that places the car in the class of its own. The CV8's power is peculiar as very few cars which were produced in the early 1960's can be utilized as daily cars many years later.

Out of the one hundred and twenty seven 541S cars that were made from 1960 to 1962, only twenty two were of manual drive version. Though the car is little known today, it was at that time regarded as the most luxurious model of 541S.

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The 1965 Chevy Shelby GT-350

The 1965 Ford Mustang was one of the most successful cars ever built, selling over one million in the first eighteen months. This iconic car formed the basis for the 1965 Shelby GT-350. In 1964, legendary Carroll Shelby was approached by Ford to produce a race version of the popular 1965 Mustang. Shelby had been a racer in the 1950's; by 1960, he had retired, becoming a designer of high-performance cars

Shelby built 100 of these cars by the first of the year in 1965. All were painted white with blue pinstripes. This super-tuned version of the Mustang was designed to give the Mustang name an image of high performance, and it was very successful at doing exactly that. The car won five of the Sports Car Club of America's six divisions in its first year, and went on to be the SCCA's B-production champion for three years in a row. They are said to be as close to a street-legal racing car as has ever been offered by an American motor company.

Differences from the regular Mustang included a pumped up engine and reinforced suspension. Shelby added a big four-barrel carburetor, free-flow exhaust headers, and other high-performance modifications. A rear axle from the Ford Galaxie replaced the stock assembly, along with bigger drum brakes in the rear and new disc brakes in the front. A set of cast-aluminum wheels and high-performance Goodyear tires, as well as a quick-ratio steering box, made the Shelby GT-350 handling much more impressive than that of the standard Mustang, known to have a strong understeer. The Shelby GT-350 had a top speed of 130 miles per hour, and was rated at 306 horsepower versus the 271 horsepower of the standard Mustang. An optional supercharger reportedly boosted the horsepower over 400, cutting the zero to 60 time to just five seconds.

On the exterior, the steel hood was replaced with a fiberglass one with a functional hood scoop. Inside, the Shelby included racing seatbelts and a missing back seat, to qualify the Shelby GT-350 as a sports car under SCCA rules. Though the first 250 or so were white with blue stripes, the last several hundred came in red, blue, green, and black, all with white stripes. Shelby eventually added an optional fold-down rear seat.

While these GT-350 versions were meant for the street, Shelby also designed a GT-350R model, with special features for the track including high-power heads, a stripped interior, and a super-duty suspension, along with other changes, reducing the weight by over 300 pounds.

In all, 562 Shelby GT-350 cars were produced in 1965, with less than thirty of these as GT-350R racers. At an initial price of $4,547, this was several thousand more than a V8 Mustang, and a few hundred more than a Chevy Corvette. Although they were quite expensive when first sold, many critics actually believed that it would not achieve collectible status because too many were produced. Today, the car remains quite popular among collectors. Though it is out of reach for most car enthusiasts, numerous diecast model and pedal car versions satisfy collectors' appetites for this classic sports car.

Check out Classic Pedal Cars selection of Mustang Pedal Cars you'll love them!

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Mini Classic Cars

The Mini owns a title worth of its form, as it is indeed very small. It was the creation of the British Motor Corporation (BMC), and throughout its history it also went on to be produced by Austin and Morris and had continuous production run of 41 years in total, from 1959 right up until late 2000. This is something that has been achieved by only a handful of other cars such as the VW Beetle and the Citroen 2CV. In 1999 the Mini was voted the 2nd most influential car of the 20th Century.

However, despite being manufactured up until recently it will always remain a throwback to the 1960's. Back then its front wheel drive design that provided its famous space saving layout was revolutionary, and if left 80% of the car free to be used for passengers and luggage, and this thinking influences car manufacturers to this day.

The standard Mini went almost unchanged for the entire 41 years it was in production, although there were a series of variations including a pickup truck, a van, the clubman estate, and the Mini Moke which actually looked more like a Jeep, but was recognisable as a Mini because it had similar physical dimensions and the classic grill and headlamp shape. There were also some high performance Mini's produced, namely the Mini Cooper and the Cooper S. The Cooper S was put forward as a rally car, and went on to win the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through to 1967, and this speaks for itself.

So what made the Mini so successful? When it was first released on the 26th August 1959, although it was praised by the media it took a while to take off. However, its popularity then rocketed and when production finally ended over 5.3 million Minis had been sold worldwide, making it the most popular British car ever made. But what enabled it to survive 41 years in production? This answer may lie behind the wheel, as the Mini had fantastic go-kart like handling despite being cheap to buy and cheap to run, something which is probably still unmatched today. It was also helped along after appearing in Box Office hits such as the Italian job, 101 Dalmatians, Monty Python's Flying Circus, A View to Kill and the Austin Powers Trilogy to name but a few, and of course it played a leading role in the classic series Mr. Bean.

Owners of such a car should use a special classic car insurance broker, and conduct a car insurance comparison online to find the best insurance quotes

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The 1957 Ferrari Racing Car

A rare 1957 Ferrari racing car has been sold in auction for record of 8 million pounds last weekend . And interestingly in these days of economic slow down the couple who had acquired the property chose to remain anonymous. They have gifted themselves a black Ferrari which has been till date the highest auctioned sell off. The buy has become a world record for the most expensive automobile ever sold at such auction.

The car that had been bought by the couple is a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa and was described correctly as one of the most alluring racing Ferrari cars that one could possess. The car has bright red nose, sweeping black lines, huge headlights and other features that beguiled the buyer. The auction of the car took place on Sunday at Ferrari's factory and test circuit at Maranello. The place is situated in Northern Italy. The car really lives up to its name - Ferrari Leggenda e Passione. The hammer price of the car had been decided at 7.2 million pound but the 10% buyer's premium for the auction have pushed the total expense of the car to record books. The auction was organized by RM with Sotheby's and they have reportedly said that the price of the car bought was nearly 1.8 million pound more than the previous highest amount paid for such a car at an auction. The last record of the car bought at such huge price was set at the same event last year.

Max Girardo the RM managing director of Europe said, "The historical significance of this car attracted a bidding war as collectors from around the world - both in the room and on the telephone - competed to secure one of the most alluring ... Ferrari racing cars." The mystery couple has now one of the 22 pontoon fender model of Ferrari.

The car is not a general one. It had been a race winner and a powerful beast. This two seater Testa Rossa took part in 19 international championship races from the period 1958 to 1961 of which 10 were won by the car. When RM was asked about the buyer, it had declined to identify the buyer saying it against rules of auction. There were other fleets of cars too in the auction but not every lot in the auction could have been sold. There was 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 which was sold for 6.4 million pounds and the 1950 Maserati 250 F with Stirling Moss was offered for 1.3 million pound.

The auction had been a great event with the buy and RM was quick to take its pride to next level and said that their shows and auctions always attract and invite people of such taste who wish to possess such antique items for the sake of their originality and beauty. The 'pontoon fender' model is one such beautiful antique Ferrari car which any owner will take pride in.

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The Classic Duesenberg Car

The first Dursenberg sports car was built by two self taught German born engineers in 1913 using the Duesenberg Automobile & company Inc brand name in Des Moines, Iowa USA. This hand built cars were in the league of the most desirable sports cars when they were introduced. In fact, the Dursenberg car won a number of races that includes the Indianapolis 500 and the French grand prix between 1921 and 1927. Even though this classic car model was a marvel during its hay days, it failed the mass production test because the company had no profitable sales volume so it became bankrupt and closed up.

The classic Dursenberg was later bought out by Auburn Automobile Company among many others who used the advanced Dursenberg Brothers engineering know how to produce several luxury sport cars using the Dursenberg brand name. The model J was the first Dursenberg luxury car design to be rolled out after it was bought out. It was released during the 1928 New York car show. This vehicle model had all the markings of a high-end luxury sports car. It boasted of unheard top speeds of 119 miles per hour with high gear acceleration rates that could shoot to 94 mph when moved to gear two. Beside that, it had a supercharged 256 horsepower engine that supported eight straight dual camshaft overheads.

However, while the engine work was done by Dursenberg all the bodywork was subcontracted to specialized car chassis builders form North America and Europe who gave the Dursenberg luxury car its elegant finish. The chassis value when adjusted for time plus inflation in 2004 went for 8500 dollars with the complete model going for 13000 dollars. However, users had to get a top of the range Duesenberg model for $20,000. Between 1913 and 1927, before the original company went bankrupt, the Duesenberg luxury sports car brand manufacturers presented model A and X. But after Cord Corporation bought it out in 1929, it released sports cars under the model J series until 1937 when they started getting fazed out of the market gradually.

Another notable achievement in the history of this classic high-end luxury car was in 1932 when the Duesenberg SJ model was launched. A three hundred and twenty five supercharged horsepower engine that could achieve high speeds of close to one hundred and thirty five miles per hour powered this classic sports car. With this new sports car edition, the Duesenberg vehicle became a household name across America among the rich and famous. Some of the most prominent individuals of that era who are known to have owned or driven the Duesenberg SJ model include the Duke of Windsor and Clark Gable.

However, this success story of Duesenberg did not last beyond 1937. This is largely because production of this luxury car ceased when the business empire of their new owners was burst with the worldwide economic depression of 1930s. Currently, only 481 Duesenberg model J and SJ can still be traced with auction values of $2 million and beyond.

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The Audi Classic

If you plan on finding information on Audi classic then you should know there is a lot of it online. The internet is a wide source of information that can provide you the answers you need. This mean you should find yourself an Audi classic forum. When you do this you should use some of the popular search engines out there today, which is Google, MSN, and Yahoo.

These search engines can give you some of the best information out there on any website you want. The Websites that can be found on the internet can also provide you with a forum that can help you find information you need. There are many online Audi classic forums today that can help you place your question or answer other people's questions. The forums a lot of times have the answers already that you have been searching for from another person asking the same question. When it comes to finding a website that has the perfect forum you should know it's quite easy to find. There is going to be a search engine in the website that can help you find the related question you want. The other good thing about the Audi classic forums there is information that can be found on the internet that helps you with the best answer. There are a lot of not right answers out there on forums but there are many that correct the wrong.

The search for a good forum isn't that hard if you search in the right places. This means searching and looking for the top hit results out there on a website. When you find a website that has related subject you want you should see the rest of the site in order to make sure there popular. That makes sure your question won't get ignored. If you plan on buying a classic car you should check out an online classic Audi forum in order to see if you want a classic Audi. The Audi classic can be a rare find depending on what can you find on the internet. This means finding junk yards that have them or a person that has a broken one at the house they been keeping. If you find an Audi that's been restored or original you should know it's going to be an extreme price. The price of a re-master might be expensive as well and cost more than the original. The whole point to finding a good Classic Audi forum is import in order to find out what type you want.

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The best 1950 Allard J2

If you have been looking for a stunning sports car that exemplifies the best of English and American technological innovation and design the 1950 Allard J2 tops the list. These cars were produced during the 1950s and they were incredibly popular during this time period. What was even more amazing is that the cost of these cars was quite moderate. These cars enjoyed a popular appeal in both Europe and America when they were first produced and still today they are one of the most highly sought of older sports car models. This roadster was only produced as a limited series of 99 vehicles between the years 1950 and 1951.

The J2 Allard gave a driver an impressive amount of speed and performance and the handling was smooth enough to make them suitable for highly experienced or novice handlers. When the 1950 Allard J2 was put onto the racing circuit the sporty vehicle quickly earned first place listings in race courses on both continents. Sebring and Bridgehampton were only two of the places where this little speedster earned its reputation. Today these well built coupes are perfect specimens to be used on road rally courses and of course the cars are highly desirable by people who only want them placed in show competitions.

One of the best known construction features of the 1950s Allard J2 is the split I- beam axle used in the front end design. This gave the cars that fiercely distinct elongated nose; but it also made it possible to attach the special telescopic shock absorbers and heavy coiled springs that created an exceptional ride. There was a track rod at the rear of the split axle design and it was fashioned from three separate sections. In addition there were two idler arms at the rear and two radial arms which were also attached to the axle beams. To give the vehicle additional stability and suspension assistance there was a de Dion axle connected to the axle at the rear with the same style of coils and telescoping shocks that were used at the nose assembly. The incredible power of the J2 Allard in 1950 was made possible by a special Ford torque tube which was very much different from what other similar speedsters were using.

When the very first of the 99 1950 Allard J2 vehicle models were being rolled off the assembly line they were made with the souped up V8 Mercury flathead engines. These engines gave the cars incredible power and speed but as the racing legend of the Allard J2 models grew the increased need for even better speed was a must. This need was answered by installing new V8 engines in the Allard vehicle line including the Ardun OHV flathead and the Chrysler Company's powerful Hemi V8 model.

The chassis of the original 1950 J2 Allards all had exceptionally deep sides and these were interconnected with four big bore tubing assemblies. The cars transmissions had more bracing than just the four large diameter tubes and this gave the vehicle outstanding stability but still the overall weight was quite light. This made these roadsters one of the speediest sports car designs on the road.

The lightweight bodies of the 1950 Allard J2 sports coupes were constructed from featherweight aluminum sheets that were molded and then attached with specialized bolts and fasteners. The fasteners were designed for quick and easy release and together the bolts and fasteners made stripping the car easy and fast. This meant that if the cars needed to be worked on by a mechanic, upgraded, or repaired it could be done in the shortest time frame possible. Even road, in-house or mechanical testing on the vehicle was able to be accomplished in unusually fast turnover times due to the innovative engineering and design of the cars.

There were some specific 1950 Allard J2 vehicle models that were only built for competition on the racing circuit. These powerful workhorses were equipped with the strongest V8 engines and tanks designed to hold 40 gallons of racing fuel. You could always tell one of these cars because the place the spare tire is mounted is not at the tail end of the car but on the side midway between the driver cockpit and forward fender.

A J2 Allard in 1950 was an amazing machine with some superior statistics including a 331 cc Cadillac V8 engine. This powerhouse could knock out 300 horsepower without flinching, and remember this was almost 60 years ago. The automotive engineers were forward thinking and highly innovative when it came to creating power and speed for the 1950 Allard J2 cars. In addition to a 331cc engine the Allard used triple, double barrel carbs and meticulously designed camshafts that combined to deliver some of the most powerful roadsters of the mid 20th century. Sports car enthusiasts pay dearly whenever they have a chance to purchase one of these rare cars from the 1950s.

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The 1910 Adler Tourer

In 1900, Mr. Adler started a company in Frankfurt, Germany to produce bicycles, which lead to motorcycles, cars, and typewriters.

By the time the company produced their first car, "A Renault influenced, De Dion powered Voiturette in 1900," it wasn't long before the company was up and running making their own engines that were single or two cylinder. However, by 1910, that was increased to four cylinders. At that point, some of the engines were enormous; they went as large as seven point four liters. Six and the straight eight cylinder engines were added shortly afterwards. However, the 1910 Alder Tourer was best known as the "Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost". In those days, automobiles were still considered unreliable and were looked on as noisy, smelly, and dirty. Many people still preferred the horse and buggy. Only the rich had cars at that time.

The company continued to work on this car and had entered it in the Scottish Reliability Races in 1907. The reason it was called the "Silver Ghost" was the Managing Director Claude Johnson decided to fit a silver colored 40/50 horse powered chassis that had silver plated details with a matching tourer body. The engine is located in the front with a manual transmission. It has a wheelbase of 102.5 inches with four doors. The Scottish Reliability Race was a race that took forty days and the distance was fourteen thousand miles nonstop. And that was before it was in need of service. This was unheard of at the time so it caused quite a stir worldwide. This also caused the British magazine Autocar, considered the best-known magazine, to write in an article that the Silver Ghost was "the best car in the world". This is still the motto of Rolls-Royce. There were 8,416 of this car made. The one that was in the race was the only true "Silver Ghost"; all of the cars of the 40/50 chassis were referred as "Silver Ghosts".

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The 1967 Camaro

The mid 1960’s were an exciting in the world of American automotive production. The emergence of the muscle car was in full swing. With the introduction of the Ford Mustang in late 1964 the country was ripe for the muscle and Chevy was right there hitting the mark with the brand new Camaro. There are few cars from this period in history that have as much wide spread recognition and fame as the 1967 Camaro. From casual observers to hard core gear heads on to professional car collectors the first generation Camaro instantly captured the hearts and minds of the American public.

Like many automotive model launches of the day Chevrolet really poured on the media and marketing. Perhaps taking a tip from it’s biggest competitor the 1967 Camaro was the official pace car for the 1967 Indianapolis 500, very much like the Mustang was just a few years earlier. The Indy 500 promotion was a big one including dozens of special "Pace" cars specially made for race officials and celebrities to drive to promotions and events in the months leading up to the race. There was also a "Pacesetter" package that Chevy dealerships were able to create if they chose to.

Another big moment in the promotion of the 1967 Camaro turned out to be a first for the news media as well. For the first time ever, in the final days of June, 1966, a news conference was held live in 14 cites. This feat was accomplished by hooking up these cities together by telephone lines and had never been done before. Looking back this seems like child’s play from today’s standards but back in the 60’s this was quite a marvel! In addition to this there was a six minute television promotion, on top of newspaper and radio ads, that let the American public know they were in for something special.

The name Camaro was figured to be a good choice by the folks at Chevy because nobody had any idea what the heck it meant! When the press asked some of the project managers what the name stood for they replied, "It’s a small, vicious animal that east Mustangs." It was statements like that that really helped fuel the Mustang vs. Camaro rivalry which, arguably, worked out to more sales for both Ford and Chevy.

Like most brand new car models the 1967 Camaro has several features and quirks that are only seen on the first model year. These tell tale signs often quickly disappear as they are replaced with better or upgraded items in the second year of production. These are the tips that car enthusiasts and collectors live for. The first day the 1967 model was up for sale to the general public was September 29th, 1966.

Here are just a three things to remember at your next car auction or show that were unique to the 1967 Camaro…

- The 1967 model had both rear shocks mounted in front of the rear axle. This was changed to the more familiar staged set up (one in front and one behind) in 1968.

- Side vent windows only appeared on the ’67 model.

- The VIN plate on the first year model was located on the door pillar and was later moved to the more standard dashboard location in ’68.

It’s at least arguable that the Camaro has seen more unofficial promotion than many of its competitors. There have been dozens of popular songs written about this car, not the least of which is everyone’s’ favorite "Bitchin Camaro" by the Dead Milkmen. Various years and models of the car have appeared in movies for decades although the most memorable is the 1967 Camaro featured in the 1985 John Cusack movie "Better Off Dead" which introduced a whole new generation to the fascination of the early years of this iconic car.

As the 2000’s roll on the Camaro is seeing yet another resurgence in popular culture and a whole new look. Chevy, and many other car makers, has decided to look back at their popular models of the past for inspiration on their new models and with some great results. The 2010 Camaro burrows heavily from its first generation ancestors and with great results. With the feature of a 1968 Camaro and a concept 2010 model in the blockbuster hit movie "Transformers" yet another generation of young folks have been exposed to the mania and excitement that is the Chevy Camaro. Thanks!

Bill runs OldCarRaffle.com and HarleyDavidsonRaffles.com where he posts Charity vehicle raffles free of charge. Feel free to stop by and say hello!

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