For most of its forty years this 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454 LS6 has been doing exactly what it was built to do: tear up the drag strip. Along the way it has become arguably the most famous drag racing Chevelle ever, capturing the SS/DA class record in 1972 and setting an elapsed time of 10:75 at 123 mph on the way to winning Top Eliminator 14 of 16 events at Bradenton Dragway in Florida in 1976. By then the car had been immortalized in an AMT 1:25 scale model that became the corporation’s all-time best selling kit.
Purchased new by Ford AFX racer Bob Hamilton as a Valentines Day gift to his wife, the big block beast was soon spending its Sundays at the local drag strip with Hamilton at the wheel. Sponsored by AMT and dubbed “Red Alert”, it began its long and extremely successful career in 1971, setting the SS/DA national record during the 1972 season and owning the track record at New Jersey’s Island Dragway for over two years.
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Among Carroll Shelby’s scores of innovations was his pioneering use of product placement to promote the Shelby brand. The introduction of the Shelby Cobra was closely followed by a flood of appearances by the cars in apparently every possible popular medium, from the Rip Chords’ hit record, “Hey Little Cobra” to Elvis Presley’s "Viva Las Vegas" to magazines and newspapers across the country.
The Cobra’s seeming ubiquity was a bit of an illusion driven by the almost boundless energy Shelby invested in promoting his new creation, employing steady media exposure to establish the car as an American cultural icon. Current research indicates that CSX 2096 is one of a small handful of cars used for such PR purposes as the September 1963 Motor Trend road test and the August 1963 Playboy cover shoot that made the Cobra one of the very few cars ever to appear on the cover of Hef’s magazine.
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This 1957 Ford Thunderbird is much more than one of the rarest Fords produced in the post-WWII era, for while outwardly identical to production models, its origins and history set it apart as almost singularly unique as one of a group of fifteen hand-built for competition and one of just eight that survive today.
In 1957 NASCAR relaxed its engine rules to allow the use of enhanced induction systems including fuel injection and supercharging, both the subject of development programs by Detroit manufacturers. In a November 26, 1956 letter to the Ford Executive Committee, Ford Division General Manager Robert S. McNamara described an internal engine development program “deemed essential to the maintenance of the Ford car and Thunderbird performance reputation.” Citing Chevrolet’s ongoing development of its fuel injection system, McNamara recommended on behalf of the Ford Engineering Office
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The General Motors Autorama was the perfect event for a post-war American audience ready to take giant steps into a future beckoning with optimism. An outgrowth of GM chairman Alfred P. Sloan’s yearly industrial luncheons at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the Motorama dazzled the public with displays of experimental prototypes, concept vehicles and flagship models. Mecum is proud to present four General Motors classics whose debut at the 1953 Motorama made automotive history, and which today are among America’s most revered vintage automobiles: the Buick Skylark Convertible, Oldsmobile Fiesta Convertible, Cadillac Eldorado Convertible and the Corvette Roadster. We invite you to visit our special Motorama-inspired display and step back in time to a world of automotive wonder and excitement.
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Published on 03-27-2011 11:15 AM
Number of Views: 1294
While all but forgotten today, the Nash motor vehicle had a production run of nearly 50 years. Never a threat to the big three, the hardy Nash was still able to win over millions of drivers with such automotive firsts like the seat belt, unibody construction and an innovative
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As a teenager in the muscle car era, Mike Guarise lived within cruising distance of Chicago’s Nickey Chevrolet, then the largest Chevy dealer in the world and the source of what are now some of the rarest and raciest Chevrolets ever built. Back then driving his own Nickey supercar was just a dream, but the dream became a passion and, in the last thirteen years, Mike has found and restored ten Nickey originals, an experience he views with great pride and satisfaction.
“I consider it an honor to have been their caretaker,” says Mike. “Having had that pleasure, it is time to share them with collectors who have found it nearly impossible to acquire one of these great cars.”
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We have just joined forces with NICKEY Chicago to sell their vintage gasser straight axle kits for '55-'57 Chevy & '62-'67 Nova. We took a ride in John Tinberg's (NICKEY Chicago Fabricator) '55 Chevy with a Supercharged 409 and his '63 Nova with Hilborn Injected 502. These cars are not only very fast, they track and ride beautifully. You would not know that you are riding in a "typical" straight axle car. And with bias ply tires! We look forward to working with NICKEY Chicago selling and installing the best straight axle kits available!
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Paul Dehnert developed his lifelong passion for cars during his high school years in Middleton, Wisconsin. A graduate of Middleton High School and then of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Paul’s illustrious career in the computer sciences was paralleled by his ongoing love for all things automotive. An ardent and expert collector, Paul’s wide ranging tastes encompassed everything from Ferraris, muscle cars and antique motorcycles, but he was best known for his love of Corvettes; from his restored 1969 L88 coupe to the twin-turbo Lingenfelter ZR1 he drove to 193 MPH at the Texas Mile, he loved them all. He also loved being a member of the car collector community, in which he was regarded as a valued resource and friend.
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It was the Jet Age. Test pilots and astronauts were flying ever higher and faster, and America was reaching for the stars. Automotive designers infused their creations with aircraft-inspired names and styling cues, but the trademark feature from 1957 to 1961 was the tailfin, and nobody did it better than Chrysler’s Virgil Exner, whose “Forward Look” designs convinced Chrysler president Tex Colbert to adopt Exner’s daring vision. The ads said it all: “Longer, Lower, Wider.” Chrysler delivered on those promises with cars sporting massive steel wings that seemed ready to carry them into flight, and technical innovations that made them, as Chrysler also promised, “three years ahead of their time.”
Mecum invites you to visit the Classic Fin Trendsetters Collection, five incredible Exner designs inspired by America’s race to space.
A 1965 Corvette Convertible 396/425 HP, 4-speed with coveted Bloomington Gold Benchmark status recently sold for $188,000 (hammer price) during the Mecum Kansas City Auction.
The well-preserved Rally Red big block joined a crop of Corvettes that sold to eager bidders during the two-day auction, which reported total gross sales (excluding buyer's premium) of $6.6 million.
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