1955 Lotus Mark X restored, reunited with former owner

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1955 Lotus Mark X

Fowke was able to drive the baby-blue Lotus straight home from the Baltimore dock in April of 1959.

In 1958, Robert Kahmer his friend Ben Fowke split the $2,700 cost of a 1955 Lotus Mark X and had it shipped over from England. Customs were a little more lax in the late 50s, and Fowke was able to drive the baby-blue Lotus straight home from the Baltimore dock in April of 1959. The very next weekend, the two guys raced the car at the Cumberland Race Track in Maryland.

Kahmer loved the Bristol-powered Lotus, but Fowke didn't and sold his half to Kahmer who raced it for all of the 1959 season and some of 1960. But that's when the car's story begins to sound all too familiar. Kahmer got engaged, and sold his Lotus. Over the next few decades, Lotus RCR 520 lived a hard life. One owner converted it to a road car, moving the steering wheel to the left, fitting a full-sized windshield and cutting the body sides to make room for "normal" sized doors. It was a mess.

About 55 years after selling his Lotus, Kahmer answers his phone to hear, "Hi, Mr. Kahmer. Did you once own a 1955 Lotus?" Kahmer, a bit stunned, answered, "Well, yeah. I'm looking at the title framed on my office wall right now."

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1955 Lotus Mark X restored, reunited with former owner originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buick celebrates 110 years by naming most significant model of each decade

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1963 Buick Riviera

In May of 1903, Buick began work on its first vehicle, the 1904 Model B, the first example of which was sold to a doctor in Flint, Michigan. That first sale was appropriate since later on, Buick became known as a "doctor's car." The Model B is the first of 11 cars chosen by Buick to highlight each decade of the company's 110-year history.

The 1916 D-45 Touring with a six-cylinder engine was Buick's highest seller that year, and helped push overall sales past six figures for the first time, making Buick the top-selling automotive brand. In 1931, Series 50 got an eight-cylinder engine, which helped the company survive the Great Depression. The 1936 Century was the first Buick that could hit 100 miles per hour, the 1949 Roadmaster had a supporting role in Rain Man, the 1953 Skylark had Italian wire wheels and the owner's name engraved on its steering wheel.

Then we have the iconic 1963 Riviera, the V6-powered 1975 Regal, and in 1987, the legendary GNX. With a turbocharged, intercooled V6 pumping out 276-horsepower it could hit 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds. In 1999 Buick built the first car in China, the Century, and that country remains the brand's largest market.

To represent the current decade, Buick chose the 2008 Enclave because it introduced the company's current design language and brand focus to the market. You can see photos of all these memorable Buicks in the gallery and read more of the brand's history in the press release below.

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Buick celebrates 110 years by naming most significant model of each decade originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Jun 2013 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stay in this converted 1918 gas station when you’re in New Orleans

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New Orleans converted gas station hotel

New Orleans has great charm, awesome parties and some of the best food in the nation. We highly recommend a visit. And if you want to add some automotive flavor to your trip, this converted 1918 Sinclair gas station would certainly do the trick.

The 2000-square-foot loft-style house is packed with automobilia like the classic-car nameplates as drawer pulls in the kitchen, the Flexbeam-style lights in the bathroom, the antique gas pump in the dining area, or the disembodied bumper from a '60s-era DeSoto hanging above the house's only bed. Hubcaps line one wall in the den and a garage-style sliding door lets in sunshine and fresh air.

The owner says the NO streetcar is within walking distance, but says there's a Harley-Davidson rental shop nearby if you want your own wheels.

At $1,800 a week, this gas-station-turned-inn is no discount hotel. But where else will you be able to cook breakfast below the red neon glow of a Mobilgas Pegasus?

Stay in this converted 1918 gas station when you're in New Orleans originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Judge rules against builder of Batmobile replicas

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1966 Batmobile

A federal judge has ruled that Batmobile replicas built by Mark Towle, of Gotham Garage, do, in fact, infringe on copyrights and trademarks held by Warner Bros.

Towle's attorney, Larry Zerner, argued that US copyright law doesn't allow "useful articles" to be copyrighted. Zerner, in court documents, insisted that Warner Brothers' lawsuit claimed the entire Batmobile was protected including doors, seats and tires. The judge agreed, but ruled the law does allow copyrighting of unique design elements of useful articles.

"The implications of a ruling upholding this standard are easy to imagine," Zerner wrote. "Ford, Toyota, Ferrari and Honda would start publishing comic books so that they could protect what, up until now, was unprotectable."

US District Judge Ronald Lew disagreed and ruled that, "The Batmobile is a character and exists in both two- and three-dimensional forms. Its existence in three-dimensional form is the consequence of the Batmobile's portrayal in the 1989 live-motion film and 1966 television series.

"Defendant did not copy the design of a mere car; he copied the Batmobile character," Lew continued. "The fact that the unauthorized Batmoble replicas that Defendant manufactured - which are derivative works - may be 'useful articles' is irrelevant. A derivative work can still infringe the underlying copyrighted work even if the derivative work is not independently entitled to copyright protection."

Zerner did, however, duck part of the lawsuit that asserted he willfully infringed on Warner's rights. The judge wrote that Zerner did at least wait until the design patents on the cars expired, and therefore didn't think copyright law applied.

Meanwhile we look forward to the Ferrari comic books.

The entire 54-page court ruling can be read here in PDF form.

Judge rules against builder of Batmobile replicas originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Leno checks out State Farm’s "cross-dressing" Camaro

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The latest video installment of Jay Leno's Garage takes a look at a convertible 1968 Chevy Camaro. Actually, two 1968 Camaros on the same, but different, chassis. It's an RS/SS hybrid of sorts that's both fully-restored stock and modified at the same time.

It may sound like something cooked up just in time for Halloween, but, in fact, it was built by State Farm Insurance to educate agents about the myriad ways classic cars can be restored.

The driver's side of the Camaro is stock 1968 Camaro RS except for the clearcoat paint. The rear wheel is the stock 1968 hubcap and whitewall, while the front is the optional redline tire and rally wheel. Passengers, however, get to travel in what the car would look like as a heavily modded SS with bright red paint, shaved door handles, a spoiler, oversized custom wheels and side pipes.

Looking at each side individually, the two wouldn't seem odd at all. From the front or back, though, you'd swear someone just couldn't make up their mind. The whole car is split down the middle, beginning with an RS grille on the right with hidden headlights and exposed lights and half an SS badge on the left. The hood is split between the standard flat RS hood and a louvered Super Sport lid. The divide continues over the cloth top and onto the rear deck lid where half an SS spoiler sits. The engine is split with aluminum heads on one side, cast iron on the other. The SS side also has tubular control arms, nitrous, big brakes and a carbon-fiber wheelhouse.

A single, split-personality Camaro is easier for State Farm to transport than two Camaros, says State Farm's Earl Hyser (who built the original side). He says the car would probably run, but they've never tried because keeping it empty of fluids allows them to take it into any building.

The "cross-dressing Camaro" as Leno calls it, will be on display at this year's SEMA. Check out the video below.

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Jay Leno checks out State Farm's "cross-dressing" Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This ’32 Ford Roadster is the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year

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Tom Gloy's '32 Ford Roadster - Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year

Tom Gloy wanted a '32 Ford he could drive low and fast, so he took his dream to Roy Brizio Street Rods Inc. in San Francisco where the car seen above was born.

Brizio and his team made some radical changes to a typical '32 Ford, starting with a narrowed cowl, grille and windshield. The floorboard was lowered more than any rod they have built before and those tall, thin, 18-inch rear tires were nuzzled close to the filled and channeled rear quarters. All that work got the body looking right, and a Ford 302 crate motor and Tremec five-speed got it moving. Gloy went to Porsche for the car's color, choosing a mid-'50s blue to contrast the bright red, leather interior.

The results are at once both classic hot rod and beautifully radical.

When the world-renowned Goodguys show rolled around, Gloy drove the Hi-Boy 2,000 miles from his home in Lake Tahoe to Indiana, proving the rod Brizio crafted is more than just an automotive museum piece. The judges at Goodguys agreed and bestowed the 2012 Tank's Hot Rod of the Year Award on Gloy, Brizio and their low, fast '32.

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This '32 Ford Roadster is the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This ’32 Ford Roadster is the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year

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Tom Gloy's '32 Ford Roadster - Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year

Tom Gloy wanted a '32 Ford he could drive low and fast, so he took his dream to Roy Brizio Street Rods Inc. in San Francisco where the car seen above was born.

Brizio and his team made some radical changes to a typical '32 Ford, starting with a narrowed cowl, grille and windshield. The floorboard was lowered more than any rod they have built before and those tall, thin, 18-inch rear tires were nuzzled close to the filled and channeled rear quarters. All that work got the body looking right, and a Ford 302 crate motor and Tremec five-speed got it moving. Gloy went to Porsche for the car's color, choosing a mid-'50s blue to contrast the bright red, leather interior.

The results are at once both classic hot rod and beautifully radical.

When the world-renowned Goodguys show rolled around, Gloy drove the Hi-Boy 2,000 miles from his home in Lake Tahoe to Indiana, proving the rod Brizio crafted is more than just an automotive museum piece. The judges at Goodguys agreed and bestowed the 2012 Tank's Hot Rod of the Year Award on Gloy, Brizio and their low, fast '32.

Continue reading This '32 Ford Roadster is the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year

This '32 Ford Roadster is the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons talks hot rods, cool cars

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BIlly GibbonsBilly Gibbons is well known for his music, his super-long beard and, since the Eliminator 1933 Ford Coupe debuted on MTV in 1983, hot rods. The man is fanatical about his cars and he sat down with PowerBlock Magazine to talk about rods and rock 'n' roll.

Of the famous Eliminator coupe, Gibbons says he commissioned So-Cal Speed Shop to build the car in 1976. Seven years later, it starred in the band's "Gimme All Your Lovin'" video and then "Legs" and "Sharp Dressed Man."

Gibbons tells the story of another of his rods, CadZZilla. The creation of the lead sled involved a dice game on the Mexican border, former GM designer Larry Erickson, Boyd Coddington and the obligatory cocktail napkin.

The list of Gibbons' hot rods is longer than his facial hair, but there's apparently room in the garage for more. His latest creation, Wiskeyrunner, is another '33 Ford, but when So-Cal finishes with it, the unique rod will look nothing like Eliminator.

Check out the video interviews with Gibbons and awesome photos at PowerBlock Magazine.

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons talks hot rods, cool cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oldest remaining Ford is up for sale… yet again

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1903 Ford Model A

For the third time in five years, the oldest known surviving Ford is for sale. The red, meticulously restored, 1903 Ford Model A is one of Ford Motor Company's first three cars ever produced and over the past 109 years, has had only five owners.

You could be the sixth owner at the RM auction in Hershey, Pennsylvania next month, but be warned: the last time this car changed hands in 2007, it sold for $693,000. For a car that originally sold new for $850, and without adjusting for inflation, that's a more than 81,000% appreciation.

The car's original owner was Herbert L. McNary, a butter maker from Britt, Iowa. Another Iowan, Harry E. Burd, acquired the Ford from the McNary family for $400 for it in the 1950s. Burd had the car restored and sold it to a Swiss Ford dealer in 1961. It remained there until 2001, when it was bought anonymously and shipped back to the States. John O'Quinn was the well-heeled buyer at the aforementioned 2007 auction. His estate offered it up again in 2010, but it was a no-sale when bidding topped out at $325,000.

So, what will bidders in Hershey be going after? Model A Chassis No. 30 is a 72-inch wheelbase four-seater, powered by a horizontally opposed, 100-cu.-in. two cylinder with a whopping 8 hp. That's eight horses, probably less than your lawnmower. But that probably doesn't matter since it's not likely the next buyer will do much cruising in this one-of-a-kind machine.

Oldest remaining Ford is up for sale... yet again originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cadillac bringing pair of Depression-era cars that went unsold to Pebble Beach

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Rare coachbuilt Cadillac

In the 1930s, if you had the means, you could have custom coachbuilder Fleetwood fabricate a one-of-a-kind Cadillac just the way you like it. Well-heeled customers would peruse a build book to pick and choose the accoutrements they most liked. About 15 months later, their custom-bodied Cadillac would be delivered for their enjoyment.

In Fleetwood's 1934 build book were drawings for a stunningly classy dual-cowl Phaeton and a supremely gorgeous rumble-seat roadster. Both were to be built on Cadillac's V-16 chassis but neither were ever ordered. Even during the Great Depression it's hard to imagine how these two cars could have been passed over.

But in 1984, classic car restorer Fran Roxas took a 1930s Cadillac chassis with the 185-horsepower 452-cubic-inch overhead-valve V-16 and created the Phaeton and then the roadster a few years later. In February of this year, the Phaeton sold at auction for $962,500, the roadster for $1,001,000.

Both will be on display at Pebble Beach this weekend sitting next to the Ciel Convertible the two cars inspired.

"The Cadillac Phaeton 5859 and Roadster 5802 are literally unlike any other vehicle ever built," Clay Dean, Cadillac design director, said in a press release (see below). "The Cadillac design team is still inspired by these two vehicles as we dream and conceive of future Cadillac entries."

Hemmings thinks there might have been two reasons why these cars were never built. First, Fleetwood wouldn't have built them on spec due to the enormous expense. Instead, someone would have needed to order and pay for them in advance only to wait the 15 months for delivery. That brings up the second reason they may never have been built. No one wanted to pay the exorbitant amount of money just to take delivery of a car that was at least one model year behind their neighbors' new rides.

Continue reading Cadillac bringing pair of Depression-era cars that went unsold to Pebble Beach

Cadillac bringing pair of Depression-era cars that went unsold to Pebble Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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