Car Collector Chronicles 02-13

7/29/2019 Car Collector Chronicles 02-13

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Volume VI, Issue 2

the turnbine/sabre wheels made byKelsey-Hayes. Who writes thiscopy?

It appears that Gooding Co., wasfar more selective in its AZ offerings,and their bidders were willing to paymore to get more; all out of theharsh glare of the camera lights.

- Stay warm & enjoy your ride(s)!

Here we are in the dog daysof winter. A recent trip to AZis nothing but a memory. Theholidays are over, This week alone I have had to shovel snow3 xs! Yet tomorrow the tempsare to be in the low 60s? Thenby the end of the week the hightemp shall make it all the wayup to 7 F! You have to loveWI in the winter?

The one advantage to WIwinters is that it makes for a lotof computer research time.Hopefully, in the coming monthsyou shall be the beneficiary of some of that research.

The drama in the desert hasnow concluded. For the firsttime, for me, I watched most of B-J online, instead of on t.v.

Doing so makes for a differentexperience. No commercials isnice. The lack of display of thecurrent bid price is not. I alsofind the online coverage doesnot include the infamous chassiscam, or the patter from SteveMagnante and Mike Joy. I do

not know that that is a loss?While B-J is doing its thing in

the desert, Dana Mecum runshis version in Kissimmee, FL. Itdefininitely has a differentambience from Scottsdale. Forexample, in the FL sunshine anice 69 Toro hammered at$4K. B-J would not waste itstime and energy on a sale thatwould yield it only $720 (18%).

Here is a comment on B-J towhich I was privy, as well as acouple of personal observations:A poster on the net opined B-Jhas become a circus mediaevent for the rich. That B-J solda 64 Corvair for $39.6K doesnot belie that viewpoint, nowdoes it?

Mecum listed a 1960 Olds

Starfire in its sale catalog.Really? Well that is indeed ararity, as 61 was the first yearfor this model! Moreover, thephoto showed a 1964 Olds S-F.Mecum also waxed eloquentlyabout the Alcoa wheels on a56 Cad. Hmm? They look like

High RPMs

GDYNets on the Web

Find GDYNets on the web:

-THE FORUM

http://ccc.activeboard.com

Car Collector Chronicles Saved 62 - 1962 Olds web sitehttp://www.freewebs.com/

jeandaveyarosThe Gray Lady - 1955 CadillacCoup de Ville web site

A website devotedto our 1962 Oldsmobile Dy-namic 88 convertible. The sitealso has a lot of information onOldsmobiles and its founder,Ransom Eli Olds.

This web-site features our 1955 CadillacCoup de Ville and Caddy in-formation.

A website de-voted to a myriad of interests.Foremost is extensive informa-tion on the Steel City of Gary,IN. There are also offerings onsteel making, U.S. Steel-GaryWorks, U.S. Marine Corps, M14assault rifle, of course Oldsmo-bile, and the tragic story of themurder of Gary, IN Police Lt.George Yaros.

A GDYNETS PUBLICATION

2013, G. DAVIDYAROS. ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.

February 2013Ca s

Car Collector Chronicles

Exploring:

Car Collecting Today

Classic Rides

Reports From the Field

Oldsmobile (1897-2004)

Cadillac (1902- )

Allant (1987-1993)

Corvair (1960-1969)

IN THIS ISSUE:

= Clickable Link

High RPMs 1

GDYNetsOn the Web

1

Cads at Amelia Is-land

2

Vehicle Marketing 2

Noticed on the Net 4

Humor on Wheels 5

CCC Forum EMail:[email protected]
http://ccc.activeboard.com/http://www.scribd.com/D_Yaroshttp://www.freewebs.com/jeandaveyaroshttp://graylady.webng.com/http://ccc.activeboard.com/http://ccc.activeboard.com/http://ccc.activeboard.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://ccc.activeboard.com/http://gdynets.webng.com/http://graylady.webng.com/http://www.freewebs.com/jeandaveyaroshttp://www.scribd.com/D_Yaroshttp://ccc.activeboard.com/


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A fleet of Cadillac's rare and mythic Motorama and Detroit Auto Show Concept Carswill take to the field at the 18th Annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance on Sunday

March 10, 2013.Created under the supervision of GM's legendary styling chief Harley Earl, the Cadil-

lac concept cars of the fifties were created as the stars of GM's Motorama shows. Allare blood ancestors of the contemporary Cadillac Cien and Cadillac Sixteen conceptcars of the 21st century. Many were created not to be driven. Rather; their fate wasonly to be shown and subsequently crushed. A few were sold to GM executives, celeb-rities, or people of influence. Fortunately, orders to destroy these spectacular harbin-gers of the future were often ignored or outright disobeyed.

Nine Cadillac Concept Cars will be featured in the 18th annual Amelia Island Con-cours d'Elegance; a 1949 Cadillac Coupe de Ville prototype by Fleetwood, two 1953 LeMans roadsters, a 1953 El Dorado Special, a 1956 Eldorado Brougham Town Car, the1959 Cyclone, a 1961 El Dorado Chicago Auto Show car once owned by golfer Walter Hagen, the 2002 Cien and the massive, 1000-horsepower 2003 Cadillac Sixteen.

The 49 de Ville oncebelonged to Charlie Wil-son. He was chief execu-tive of GM from 1946through 1953, and secre-tary of defense from 1953through 1957 under Presi-dent Dwight D. Eisen-hower. GM gave Wilsonthe car when he left thecompany in 1953. Its inte-rior included a two-wayradio/telephone, power windows, power seats,lipstick holder, perfumeatomizer, a back seat sec-

retarial kit and leather seats. It was one of four prototypes built and reportedly is theonly survivor. It was also the first Cadillac to sport the de Ville moniker.

Vehicle Marketing

The above references to a lipstick holder and perfume atomizer provide a segue intothe topic of auto manufacturer marketing geared toward women. By no means am I anauthority on this subject. I am but a mere gatherer of info, and reporter of the same.

The genesis for this article is an item I stumbled upon at the AACA Forum ; which Ifrequent regularly. Originally, I conceived a very short article of the This is interestingvariety. Well, one thing leads to another, and another and .

What started as a mention of a single accessory/option has grown into a column on anumber of cars and vehicle accessories made available by automobile manufacturers inthe post-war, pre-protest era of the mid-to-late 50s.

While perusing the message traffic on the aforementioned AACA forum, as I do

Cads at Amelia Island

Page 2

Its interior

included a

two-way

radio/

telephone,

... lipstick

holder,

perfume

atomizer, a

back seat

secretarial

kit and leather

seats.
http://forums.aaca.org/f217/did-other-makes-offer-purse-holder-342649.htmlhttp://forums.aaca.org/f217/did-other-makes-offer-purse-holder-342649.html


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Vehicle MarketingContd.

routinely, I saw mention of an accessory offered to the mo-toring public by Pontiac, with an accompanying pic.

Note the two mounting holes at the top. The item in ques-tion is mounted on the door panel. It may be mounted oneither the right, left or both sides of the car. The question is,what is it? It is in fact listed in the Pontiac parts manual as:

Year Grp. Nr. Description Part Nr.1954-55 9.500 HOLDER, 984930

Purse (Exc. Station Wagon)

So, what one has is a bracket on which to hang a ladyshandbag. Reportedly Buick, if not all GM lines, also offeredthis option. What I do not understand is why it was onlymade available for 2 model years? Seems like a pretty

handy item to me?Pontiac, Buick (and

maybe all of GM) offeredpurse holders in the mid-fifties. Chrysler, on theother hand, went all out in1955-56. One model inits line included not only apurse holder, but also apurse! In actuality, we aretalking a trim option in-stead of a vehicle model.Dodge purposely, andconsciously, marketed acar to the woman of thehousehold. It was the LaFemme . The La Femmewas a rebadged RoyalLancer with special col-ors, interior and accesso-

ries. The La Femme trim option added $143 to the cost of the car. Pay the extrabucks and you received not just a purse holder, but a purse, compact, lipstick, comb,change purse, lighter, cigarette case, rain coat, rain hat and umbrella. These itemswere stored in special pockets incorporated into the seat backs. For 1956 Dodge dis-continued the purse and contents, but did continue to offer the rain gear. In 1957 itdiscontinued both the accessories and the availability of the trim option. See: LaFemme .

There were other vehicle marketing efforts directed toward the female driving/buyingpublic. The Cadillac Eldorado Baroness was one, as was the 1958 Chevrolet ImpalaMartinique. The Martiniqu e was specially accessorized for a GM fashion show andfeatured a lighted vanity mirror and a cosmetic case tucked into the dashboard. In thetrunk one found color coordinated luggage with matched the vehicle interior.

To close the circle we now have an offering from Honda. Available only in Japan isthe 2013 Honda Fit Shes . Like the La Femme , it is a special trim option. The pinkexterior and unique interior refinements are not available on other Hondas.

The La

Femme trim

option

added $143

to the cost

of the car

Page 3
http://www.dodgelafemme.com/http://www.dodgelafemme.com/http://www.dodgelafemme.com/http://www.gmphotostore.com/1958-Chevrolet-Impala-Martinique/productinfo/53217281/http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2013-honda-fit-shes-debuts-recalling-ghost-of-1955-dodge-la-femme.htmlhttp://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2013-honda-fit-shes-debuts-recalling-ghost-of-1955-dodge-la-femme.htmlhttp://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2013-honda-fit-shes-debuts-recalling-ghost-of-1955-dodge-la-femme.htmlhttp://www.gmphotostore.com/1958-Chevrolet-Impala-Martinique/productinfo/53217281/http://www.dodgelafemme.com/http://www.dodgelafemme.com/http://www.dodgelafemme.com/http://www.dodgelafemme.com/


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Page 4 ;;

Noticed on the Net

Being the proud owner of a 1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Convertible, I try to keep up with offerings of them on the net. I pay attention to prices asked and received in order to get a handle on the current valueof my ride. The last week of January I spotted this ad :

Beautifully restored and updated Dynamic 88 Convertible. High Compression 394 Olds engine believed original tocar. 1960s space age design. Power steering and brakes. Just serviced and sorted out. Rebuilt carb, front end,wiring harness, new top. Updated look with chrome wheels and new tires. Drives and runs excellent. Reduced to$29,995 to sell this rare car. Call Ken at Amelia Dream Cars Fernandina Beach, FL- Hemmings Seller Since 2011.

On seeing the ad and photos I thought to myself, Hmm? Is my ride worth that much? My thoughts alsotold me, Gee, something about this car seems familiar? Then it dawned on me. Read this ad copy :

Description: - Rare Dynamic 88 convertible- 394 CI high compression engine- Hydramatic auto transmission- Rebuilt carburetor- Great 1960s space age design- New top, front end and wire harness- Power brakes and steering

- Updated 17'' chrome wheels with new tiresTo be sold at the Kissimmee, FL Auction, January 18-27, 2013. Visit the Mecum web site.

Does the phrase 1960s space age design have a familiar ring to it? It should, since it appears in bothads. Further investigation yielded the fact this very same car, now offered at $29,995 hammered at $21Kat Kissimmee on Wednesday, January 23, 2013. That it did, raises another question. Amelia Dream Carsclaims the price has been reduced to sell. Perhaps I should call Ken and ask him how they definereduced, and what was the price before it was reduced to sell?

This one I love. In the past I may have commented on the high cost of repairs due to the incorporationof technology into modern cars; prompted by the need to repair the broken speedometer in my 1997 Nis-san pick up truck. The very expensive vehicle speed sensor I needed (as the truck does not have a plain,ol, simple speedometer cable) was acquired online from Advance Auto Parts. As a result, I am now on its

mailing list. This month I received an email, a friendly reminder. It said:Hi D,According to our Advance Auto Parts garage records, your 1997 Nissan Trucks 2WD maybe due for its 153,750 mile scheduled service. Learn More about what this service involves.

I wonder what services comprise the 153,750 mile scheduled service? Strange the Nissan dealer did notsay anything to me about this when I had the truck in for the $300 + speedo repair. Of course, that couldbe because the truck only has 59K on the odometer!

On the owner bonding with his auto front, previously covered by me ( CCC -Nov. 2012), is this bit of infor-mation. Audi has a car that both drives itself and parks itself. They, whoever they are (?), say, A pictureis worth a thousand words. and that Seeing is believing. Do not take my word for it. Watch it with your own eyes the driverless Aud i.

I am able to report that Joy Rainey ( CCC -Sep. 2012) did complete the London-to-Brighton 60 mile run inher 1904 Oldsmobile. I would also add that the weather for the run was not conducive to open air touring.Next up, the Los Angeles to Daytona Beach trek!

At B-J, not a barn find, but: This 1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88 (4-Door Post) was sold by Holmes Oldsmo-bile in Des Moines, IA with 10 miles on it. The customer drove 8 miles to his home and parked the new '67Oldsmobile in his garage. He got sick that evening and was unable to ever drive again. The car sat in histemperature controlled garage for 20 years. His son inherited both the house and the '67 Olds in the ga-rage. B-J sold the car for him in Scottsdale for $26,995 with the odometer reading of 00018!
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/oldsmobile/88/1412845.htmlhttp://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=FL0113-142371&entryRow=117&lottype=&startRow=101http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb2Jnt7j7qwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb2Jnt7j7qwhttp://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=FL0113-142371&entryRow=117&lottype=&startRow=101http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/oldsmobile/88/1412845.html


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Page 5 ;;

Humor on Wheels ephemeranow.com

It may be a little hard to tell, but take note of the guy doing a little quality control work on the right frontfender of the 2nd car in line. The tools he is using are a ball peen hammer and a block of wood!

Ok, Ive had my say for the month. Now its your turn! I invite/encourage submissionof your comments, opinions and article contributions. I also ask that you please helpspread the word about our publication. Everything sent shall indeed be reviewed by me.Submissions should be sent to CCC at [email protected] .

Now that you have finished reading this months issue of the newsletter, come start/ join an ongoing dialog with other CCC readers and like-minded car collector folk on theCCC Forum . Stop by, check us out and share your views .

______________________________________ -- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!

COMING NEXT ISSUE: TBD
mailto:[email protected]://ccc.activeboard.com/http://ccc.activeboard.com/http://ccc.activeboard.com/mailto:[email protected]

Car Collector Chronicles 02-13

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