Out of service

 

Based on a 1958 Cadillac

 

Failed drive thru

 

Tandem

 

Long haul Dodge

 

In 1967 this couple drove this 1929 Dodge Model DA from Uruguay on the Pan American Highway to California and then on to New York. It had spent its life in Montevideo as a taxi prior to that. I saw this at justacarguy.

1960 Ford Fairlane "Spaceliner"

The Spaceliner was built in Indiana by Scott Wiley. It started as 1960 Ford Fairlane four door powered by the 6 cylinder (223cu.in.) engine with 30,000 miles on the odometer. He began by cutting off the roof and windshield and having a local custom car builder fabricate the tilting custom bubble top. The ten tail lights are from a 1959 Cadillac.

A more descriptive explanation is available on YouTube

1951 Volkswagen pickup

 

1965 Peugeot 404 Diesel

 

1972 Suzuki Go

 

Bertone developed this concept vehicle for Suzuki and it was introduced at the 1972 Brussels Motor Show. It doubled as an amphibious vehicle because an outboard motor could be added. More information available here.

70's neighborhood daredevil

Richard successfully jumped 21 bicycles but crashed onto the landing ramp. He was not injured.

 

Instant (unwanted) traction

 

Good enough

 

Zagato Zele 1000

 

The Zele 1000 was built by the Italian coach builder Zagato in the mid 1970's. It was outside their normal line of work as they are known for working with prestigious automakers like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Bentley, and Aston Martin.

Road rage incident

 

Woody

 

Skateboard trick

 

1970 Buick Riviera

 

Suzuki Suzulight 360 Pickup

Introduced in 1955 the Suzulight was offered as a sedan, a light van, a pickup and later as a sedan delivery. Initially only three or four units were produced each month. However, by 1956 production jumper to thirty per month. The Suzulights were front wheel drive with two cylinder two stroke engines of 360cc displacement. Apparently less than fifty pickups were made.

China Beach

 

1957 Cumberford Cyclops

In 1957, automotive designer Robert Cumberford and cartoon artist/creative visionary Stan Mott created the very first Cyclops II. It was made from a single rectangular piece of aluminum bent to a "U" shape. Sections were cut out for windshield and backlight. It had a huge Lucas P-100 headlamp centered in the front. The cyclops was introduced in Road and Track's March 1957 issue in an article titled "Beyond belief". The car was road tested in the September 1957 Road and Track issue and in the last fifty plus years has been featured in twenty two articles. Part microcar and part go-kart the Cyclops II has become a fixture of American motoring history.

2001 Mazda Secret Hideout

Mazda's press release concerning this vehicle:

The Secret Hideout compact concept vehicle is designed to capture childlike thrills and excitement in a vehicle and recreate them in the hearts of today's young people. Young people today are searching for something simple, gentle, friendly and relaxed. They choose from the sometimes confusing array of goods and information available, and coordinate their choices to create their own unique identities.

The Secret Hideout is designed to provide young people with excitement as well as a personalized retreat in which to ease the mind and heart. For that purpose, development aims included: a simple, friendly and warm design; a handmade feel focusing on individual details; and components that allow individual selection and coordination.

The Secret Hideout might have been designed to "capture childlike thrills and excitement" but I think it would have been every parents' nightmare.

PT Cruiser based limousine

 

1946 Hewson Rocket

Coachcraft Ltd was opened in Hollywood, California in 1940. They began building custom bodies. In 1945 William Hewson formed the company Hewson Pacific Corp. and made plans to produce the Hewson Rocket. He projected a price point of $1000. Coachcraft fabricated the aluminum panels and welded them together. Hewson's design was to be very aerodynamic with no projections from the body- glass covered headlights, no door handles and tail lights flush to the body. By the time the car was finished Hewson had run out of capital. Coachcraft kept the car in their showroom until a used car salesman bought it for $650 in a 1959 auction. Coachcraft is still in operation today by one of the founder's sons in Morepark, California. 

Narrow electric

This vehicle is based on a 1993 Fiat Pravda. It was built by Italian mechanic, Andrea Marazzi. It is 19" wide.

Happy Birthday, Nancy

 

Dyna-Panhard Junior

The Dyna-Panhard was in production from 1952 through 1956 and in that time approximately 4700 were produced. It was introduced in 1951 at the Paris Auto Show.

It featured front wheel drive and was powered by an air cooled 2 cylinder boxer type engine. During the production run the car went from a 745cc engine to one of 850cc and a few were fitted with a supercharger. Additional information is available on Wikipedia.

A delicate balance

 

Homegrown camper

 

Movin'

 

1969 Beetle limousine

 This beetle will be offered by Sotheby's on August 15th. The odometer is showing 4830 miles. The preauction estimate is $150-200,000. More information at Sothebys.com

Ford concept 021C

Presented as merely a design exercise and not a proposal for production. it was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999.
 

The Spirit of Tomorrow

Two guys in their 20's from British Columbia with high school educations built the Spirit of Tomorrow in 1942. The story is told at Autoevolution and I have included the video from that site below.

1932 American Bantam

 Crossing the Pudding River (Oregon) in the 1930's

Opposite ends of the spectrum for modified Geo Metros

 

1953 Ford Vega roadster

Vincent E. Gardner was a designer of some renown. He was submitting car designs and winning contests while still in high school. He worked at Auburn Automobile Company before going to Studebaker to work under Raymond Lowey.

In 1947 he bought a new Studebaker Champion coupe and took it home to disassemble it. He turned it into the Gardner Special and in 1950 it won Most

Magnificent Custom Roadster at the National Roadster Show.

In 1951 he won a design contest sponsored by Motor Trend Magazine and Ford Motor Company with his Vega roadster. It was widely acclaimed and Ford was encouraged to put it into production. The fact that it was based on a (English) Ford Anglia chassis killed the project. The enthusiasm for the two seater roadster is credited for Ford introducing the Thunderbird in 1955.

The Oakland-San Francisco Bridge

The bridge generates $2,080,000 a day in tolls. The $8.00 toll is collected from 260,000 vehicles a day.

Porsche 911 four door

Long before the Porsche Panamera William Dick Jr. asked Porsche to build him a four door vehicle based on the 911. Mr. Dick was a Porsche distributor in Texas. Porsche refused his request so he contacted Troutman & Barnes, of Culver City, California. They were a famed prototype builder and happily produced the car he wanted.

East German VW bus knockoff

 

1933 Pierce-Arrow Model 1239 Silver Arrow

First seen at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. Powered by a 7.6 liter V12 with a three speed manual transmission. There were ten cars produced and they were priced at $10,000. In 1933 the average household income was $1550 and $5750 would purchase the average home.

1986 Citroen Eole concept

The Eole was designed entirely by computer. It was based on Citroen CX platform and had a 0.17 Drag Coefficient. The production CX had a Cd nearly twice that. Achieving a Cd of 0.17 requires extreme design measures like a highly streamlined shape, minimal frontal area, smooth underbody, and advanced aerodynamic features (e.g., active shutters, flush door handles). A new Honda Accord has a Cd of 0.26

Extra-Terrestrial kit car

Based on a Chevrolet Aveo (or others) this vehicle came from a company called "The Car Factory" in Florida. Carscoops reported in an article from 2009 that The Car Factory offered one on eBay with a Buy it Now price of $86,000.

Perhaps chaining your load would be a great idea?

 

1951 Studebaker Woody

This Studebaker began life as a four door sedan before becoming a woody fastback. The top was chopped 2 1/2" and the fenders were extended 18". Power is supplied by a 427 Ford. Additional information is available at Vintage News Daily.

The Nanico P50- The world's smallest car

The Nanico measures 51" in length, 54" tall and 30" wide. The platform is from a motorized wheelchair. The entire production time from drawings to finished car was less than a month. It is available with either a 50 or 100cc gasoline engine.

1960 Mazda R360

The Mazda 360 was the company's first passenger car. It had a 69.3 inch wheelbase and weighed 838 pounds. It was powered by a rear mounted air cooled V-twin engine with a 356 cc displacement. It was capable of 52 mph and came with either a four speed manual gearbox or a two-speed automatic. The suspension was front and rear rubber "springs" and torsion bars.