Tom Overton and his wife Johanna had a day to remember at the Goodguys 22nd Autumn Get-Together. They drove to today’s event together but happily drove home in separate cars as Tom won the 1969 Chevelle SS 396 Giveaway car presented by J Rockcliff Realtors, CBS 5 and radio station KITS FM, known locally in the bay area as “Live 105.”
Overton, a retired San Leandro, CA police officer couldn’t believe his luck. “I had an SS 396 El Camino but it was stolen and never recovered. Today’s my lucky day” he said with a large grin. A resident of nearby Dublin, CA, who's also an avid motorcyclist Overton plans to bring the car right back to the Pleasanton Fairgrounds for next year’s events. “I’m gonna keep it and cruise it,” he said. “Maybe even do a burnout!”
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In 1899, the first police vehicle, which was an electric automobile, patrolled the streets in Akron, Ohio. It was one of the first and few towns to offer automobiles for its police officers. The electric automobile required to be recharged after every 30 miles. During the 1900's, horses and motorcycles were used for patrolling various city streets. In 1908, Harley-Davidson credited Detroit, Michigan as being the first purchaser of police motorcycles. In the early days, police motorcycles were preferred for their maneuverability on city streets and enforcement traffic laws. The motorcycle was also an inexpensive form of public transportation that evolved by police and the armed forces providing a stable production market for more utilitarian machines.
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Renowned custom car designer Chip Foose was in Cleveland, Ohio for the 2nd annual I-X Piston Power Show on October 1, 2011. Prior to his arrival, we offered fans an opportunity to ask Chip questions through the Lincoln Electric Facebook page about his approach to building, tech tips, or anything else they wanted to know.
Chip was kind enough to sit down with us and address some of these questions.
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Dana Mecum, president of The Mecum Auction Company, and Ryan Friedlinghaus, founder and CEO of West Coast Customs(r), have joined forces to offer a custom 2011 Chevrolet Camaro convertible to raise funds for Operation Mend.
Operation Mend is a partnership between Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and the Veterans Administration-Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System established to help treat U.S. military personnel severely wounded during service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The crew at the West Coast Customs® (WCC) garage will exclusively use welding equipment and consumables from Lincoln Electric when restyling luxury autos on the Discovery HD Theater network’s TV show, Inside West Coast Customs. Check out Inside West Coast Customs, Sunday at 9 p.m. EST on Discovery Channel's HD Theater. The team at WCC, renowned for their ability to transform vehicles from everyday autos to functional works of art at their high-end shop in Corona, Calif., has named Lincoln Electric as its exclusive supplier of welding products and personal protection gear, on-screen and off.
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The California Automobile Museum (CAM) will host Founders' Day on Sunday, October 2, 2011. This event will celebrate the history of the Museum from its humble beginnings; the public is invited and admission will be half price for the day. The CAM is also proud to announce that Edward Towe, (the former owner of the collection originally featured at the Museum) will be available for a meet and greet between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Museum guests will also be offered free ice cream during those hours.
The history of the CAM started in 1982 when a group of volunteers came up with the idea of having an automobile museum in the Sacramento area. Within days of the initial meeting, the California Vehicle Foundation was incorporated and a year later it was approved as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
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On July 2, 1912, Mr. Bill Mitchell was born in Greenville, Pennsylvania. His father was a Buick dealer who regularly brought home trade in Stutz and Mercer sport cars. At the age of 15, Mr. Mitchell received a summer job as an office boy at the Barron Collier advertising agency in New York. While working at the Collier’s agency, he became interested in sports car racing and soon was illustrating event programs for American Road Racing Club.
In 1930, Mr. Bill Mitchell enrolled at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and studied at the Art Students League in New York. During the early part of his career, he developed a drawing technique characterized by action and dynamism. In 1935, he took his automotive designs to General Motors Vice President of Design, Mr. Harley Earl. Being beyond impressed by his drawing technique, Mr. Earl hired Mr. Mitchell as General Motors automotive designer.
On March 15, 1954, the Chicago Auto Show featured the 1954 Ford FX Atmos show car. Ford generated the name for the vehicle by having FX representing “future experimental” and Atmos from “Atmosphere” which derived from “free and unlimited creative thinking”. One of the designers of the 1954 FX Atmos was questioned if designers nowadays build “dream models” before putting their concepts onto the drawing boards. Without a doubt, the 1954 Ford FX Atmos show car drove a variety of opinions throughout the country. The 1954 Ford FX Atmos offered a wheel base of 105 inches, length 220 inches in height.
The body was made of white plastic with broad bands of red on a front luggage compartment lid and along the rear lower half of the wheel housing. The upper sides of the car were painted ice blue. The show car contained no engine, but featured a three passenger model with a bubble top dome. The driver would sit in the central seat while two passengers would sit slightly to the rear of the driver on each side. In order to move the vehicle at that time, the driver would have to steer manually with hand grips located at elbow level.
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During the 1960s, the Ford Falcon was one of the most successful cars ever launched. On October 8, 1959, the compact car was introduced to the buying public at a base price of $1,915 dollars. Within twenty-one months of the Ford Falcon release date, Ford dealers sold approximately 778,086 Falcons. Lee Iacocca, former Vice President and General Division Manager of Ford Motor Company, stated that the Ford Falcon was not only the number one selling compact in the industry, but also was the third bestselling car in the automotive industry.
Shortly thereafter, the Ford Falcon Futura model was displayed at the International Automobile Show in New York City, New York. Lee Iacocca declared, "We are introducing the Falcon Futura for compact car buyers who want to combine luxury appearance with economical operation.” The Ford Falcon Futura, unlike the other Falcon’s, not only offered the basic economy advantages, but also featured a deluxe interior. There were contoured designed bucket seats inspired by the Thunderbird, exclusive wheel covers, and three tear-drop shaped ornaments on the rear fenders. The Ford Falcon was a new line designed to compete with many foreign economy models.
If you happened to see the Robert De Niro thriller Taxi Driver, the kids movie Stuart Little or Steven Spielbergs 2002 film Catch Me if You Can you might notice a common tread in each. All three - and many, many more films “ featured prominently the one-of-a-kind Checker Cab. In fact, until the last one was built in 1982, the quirky Checker Cab was as much in New Yorks milieu as the Empire State Building, the Staten Island Ferry or the Statue of Liberty. At its hey day in the mid-fifties its estimated that of the 12,000 taxis operating in New York City at the time 9,000 were the iconic Checkers. Founded in 1922 by the enterprising Morris Markin “ the Checker cab had the reputation for being reliable, long-lasting and comfortable. Something the people of New York, Chicago and other large cities soon became to appreciate as the ride of choice to get them about town.
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