Fins & Fenders

Studebaker's Classic Car Lines Grace Mt. Pleasant, Iowa Show

 

This 1950 Studebaker appeared at the 2008 Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.  I think I have always liked these classic cars because my Dad had a 1951.

Although Studebaker touted the slogan "First by Far with a Post-War Car," by the late 40s their designs were considered dated by consumers and critics.

Studebaker turned to styling consultant Raymond Loewy.  Loewy, sometimes called "the father of industrial design" who produced a design reminiscent of an airplane complete with an aero nose.  Studebaker called it "The Next Look."

The look was "next" but "bullet" nose was not new.  Tucker used a similar design in 1948 by tipping its hood with a third rotating headlight.  Ford followed with its version of the design motif in 1949 and 1950.  But Loewy exagerated the feature and created an iconic design forever associated with Studebaker.

The 1950 Studebaker also carried over the "black light" illuminated instrument panel and a unique wrap-around rear window from earlier models.

Later, Raymond Loewy was responsible for Studebaker's radical and remarkable Avanti.

 

Classic Car DVDs Make Great Gifts! Muscle Cars & Foreign Classics!

   

Our classic car www.FinsAndFenders.com DVDs make great holiday gifts for the car guy or gal in your life.  Our DVDs feature both domestic and foreign antique autos and muscle cars.

DVD Titles include:

• Doheny Wood! (woodys on the beach in Southern California)
  
• Dunkel Bros. Porsche Meet & Racing Tribute (featuring a mini-bio film on Scooter Patrick)
  
• Studebaker: West Coast Meet (Studebakers at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles)
  
• Best of France & Italy I & II (Jay Leno, Facel Vega, Citroen, Bugatti, Lacia, Alfa Romeo, and more)
  
• Claremont Concours (Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Bentley, hand-made pedal cars)
  
• Mustangs at the Queen Mary (stock, custom, Shelby Cobra, SVT, Boss, Saleen, and more
  
• Custom & Classic Car Show (Barris Munster Koach, Butch "Eddie Munster" Patrick, Hot Rod Magazine 55th anniversary cover car, hot rods, street rods, custom cars, stock classics)
  
• SCCCC Chevelle and El Camino Show II (stock, custom, daily drivers, and trailer queens)
  
• Chrysler Performance West (Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge classic and muscle cars)

Order classic car DVDs here:

www.FinsAndFenders.com/dvd.htm

Order our antique auto DVD titles on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/shops/fourthwallfilms

Enjoy the holiday season!

 

Tri-Five Chevy at Chetek, Wisconsin Classic Car Show

 

The 2008 classic car show in Chetek, Wisconsin featured a bevy of beauties including this 1957 "Tri-Five" Chevrolet.

   

"Tri-Five", of course, refers to the 1955, 1956, and 1957 Chevrolets.  This '57 interior just drips in lipstick red.

   

We featured a 1957 Chevy nearly identical to this one in our Customs & Classics DVD.  The DVD also features the Munster Koach and a Hot Rod Magazine cover car among many other beautiful classic cars.

FinsAndFenders.com

Ford Reveals New 2010 Mustang...Finally...and it's an Instant Classic Car

 

Ford Motor Company's new Mustang didn't disappoint, as the photo above clearly shows.  For those who don't understand cars, classic and otherwise, you are probably wondering what all the neighing is about.

The new Mustang is an instant classic car.  Check out the drifting hoopla here:

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/2010-Mustang-FIRST-Reveal_200272.htm

   

Check out the nice tail on this pony.  These traditional three-segment LED tail lamps fire sequentially.  Remember?  That's just like the old Cougars and Thunderbirds.

 

Love those analog gages!

 

This is no dark horse.  Ford's new Mustang will fly out of corrals everywhere...if Ford survives until 2009 to manufacture them.

 

Saddle up and trot (while nickering) on over to Ford's website for more cool pics and videos of the 2010 Mustang.

http://www.fordvehicles.com/the2010mustang/

Classic Car DVDs make great gifts!

www.FinsAndFenders.com

 

Chetek Wisconsin Classic Car Show Includes Ford T-Bird

 

Feast your eyes on this holiday bird!  No, not THAT kind of holiday bird.

This beautiful 1956 Ford Thunderbird waddled into the 2008 Chetek Wisconsin 4th of July classic car show.  The holiday weekend features one of the largest small town parades I've ever seen.

   

How's that for stuffing?  Not a breadcrumb in sight.

Stand by while I try to sprinkle salt on that tail.

Thanks for the photos, Dad!

Ford Motor Company to Un-stable the 2010 Mustang in Private Arenas

Ford Motor Company has announced that it will trot out the 2010 Mustang in private events throughout the United States on Tuesday, November 19, 2008.

The latest incarnation of America's original pony car will be revealed before the public for the first time at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month.

The invitation-only Santa Monica event will round-up 1,000 Mustang car club members and 200 member-owned Mustangs.  Ford execs have issued an autoequestrian*-friendly dress code forbidding shorts and requiring a collared shirt.

No boots or bolo ties?

The Santa Monica program will include autograph signing sessions with Carroll Shelby, Jack Roush, John Force, Parnelli Jones, and other Mustang "stars."

The actual unveiling will be broadcast live via satellite from Santa Monica to similar gatherings in Atlanta, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Phoenix, Tampa, and Tulsa.

We are chomping at the bit.

Click HERE to register.

*A term we have just coined in regard to apparel or tack appropriate for Mustangs or their owners and drivers.

High Oil Prices Gave Birth to Brooklands Car Then Stalled Production

This automobile and two others were featured at the State Historical Building in Des Moines, Iowa last year in a showcase called Running on Empty.  The display included fuel efficient (such as this Brooklands prototype) and alternative fuel vehicles.

From a Historical Society press release:

Michael Bogardus Prototype – “The Brooklands”

The gasoline shortages and rising oil prices of the 1970s encouraged Bogardus to design and construct his own fuel efficient vehicle. He unveiled his prototype in 1980 as a two passenger, three-wheeled economy car. Powered by a 500cc Honda engine, it claimed high gas mileage and a thrill to drive. Small and fuel efficient, Bogardus had hoped to market the vehicle to the fuel conscious public. But the 1980s brought stability to the oil market and less opportunity for the vehicle. “The Brooklands” is from the Historical Museum’s permanent collection.

 

Classic car DVDs make great gifts!
FinsAndFenders.com

Stick with Stamps that Feature 1950s Classic Car Fins and Fenders

These new stamps from the U.S. Postal service are aimed squarely at the classic car demograhic.

According to the USPS website:

On October 3, 2008, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the Postal Service™ issued 42–cent America on the Move: 50s Fins and Chrome commemorative stamps in five designs, designed by Carl T. Herrman of Carlsbad, California.

America on the Move: 50s Fins and Chrome stamps are available in a self–adhesive pane of 20 and a $13.95 premium stamped postal card booklet of 20.

The stamps feature paintings by renowned automobile illustrator Art M. Fitzpatrick of Carlsbad, California. This is the second issuance in the America on the Move series.

The pane features the following classic American cars:

• 1959 Cadillac Eldorado
• 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk
• 1957 Pontiac Safari
• 1957 Lincoln Premiere
• 1957 Chrysler 300C

The previous issuance of America on the Move was 2005’s 37–cent 50s Sporty Cars, which featured:

• 1952 Nash Healey
• 1953 Chevrolet Corvette
• 1953 Studebaker Starliner
• 1954 Kaiser Darrin
• 1955 Ford Thunderbird

You can order these cool classic car stamps online HERE, or at your local post office.

Classic 1961 Corvette Set the Stage for the 1963 Sting Ray

 

I spotted this sweet Tuxedo Black 1961 Chevrolet Corvette in the parking lot of the East Moline, Illinois Hardees.  Standard equipmentin '61 included carpet and an electric clock.

The General Motors Corvette was first introduced in 1953, and with a six-cylinder truck engine under its fiberglass hood it wasn't much of a sportscar.

The 1961 Corvette featured a 283 V8 and an option list included a heater and power windows.  1961 was also the last year for wide whitewall tires and a contrasting side cove color option.

Changes in 1961 model set the stage for the 1963 Sting Ray.

Classic car DVDs make great gifts.
Visit  FinsAndFenders.com

Daryl Hannah Talks with Fins & Fenders About Her Biodiesel El Camino on ebay

Recently I had a chance to ask Daryl Hannah a few classic car questions.  In particular, I wanted to know more about the sale of her biodiesel El Camino on ebay.

It's not true that I am a fan of Daryl's on-screen work as a film actress.  Nor is it true that I have many of her films on DVD and laser disc.  Well, maybe it is true, but that in no way affects my ability to be objective in this important journalistic matter.

With that bit of housekeeping out of the way, on to the interview...

Kelly Rundle (for Fins & Fenders): What was your first car, and do you have a favorite story about it?

Daryl Hannah:  My first car was an old jeep with no roof or doors.  My friends got over the thrill pretty quick after a few rides in the rain, but I always liked being in touch with the elements.

KR:  (Hmmm...my mind is wandering...I better change the subject) What's the story behind your El Camino?  Why did you choose it?

DH:  I wanted a fuel efficient diesel car, one that could fit my surfboard and bike, and look kinda cool.  I had no idea they made a few hundred diesel El Caminos in the 80s until I saw mine on ebay.  I'd never even bought anything online until then.  All my friends said if the first thing I bought was a car, I'd better stop online shopping right away.

KR:  (She's already talking about the ebay thing...why is she changing the subject?) If it was not already converted to biodiesel when you purchased it, why did you make that choice and what was the cost?

DH:  For a diesel engine to run on biodiesel, there is no conversion necessary.  The diesel was invented by Rudolph Diesel in 1900 to run on vegetable oil so farmers could grow their own fuel.  Biodiesel (B100, which is 100% biodiesel) is already thinned to the viscosity of diesel, so no conversion is required.  You might have to change the filter more often at first because biodiesel cleans your engine and gets all the dirty diesel gunk out.

The only minor conversion the diesel engine needs is for it to run on S.V.O. or Straight Veggie Oil.  That's what I'm moving to next so I can grow my own fuel and i already found another El Camino to try it out on!

KR:  (Crap! she knows way more about this than I do...I'll throw her a curve)  Some people might be put off by the prospect of having to refine their own fuel.  How much trouble is it?

DH:  It is possible to make your own biodiesel but not as necessary any more.  You can buy biodiesel at the pump now in many places!  There is a link to a map of stations on my website.  Since biodiesel is non-toxic and not highly flammable you can store it at home, as I do.  I'm offering a home fueling station with my El Camino when i auction off the car!

KR:  (I'm losing control of this interview...relax, I've still got game) With biodiesel conversions, hybrids, and electric cars such as the Tesla (0-60 mph in 4 seconds), is it becoming more "cool" to be "green"?

DH:  Cool or not, these cars and other sustainable vehicular innovations are really the future of transportation.  We have to move as quickly as possible to a post-petroleum economy and to a wiser energy matrix.  And hopefully the cars will look cool too.

KR:  (logical...and great use of alliteration...what's she hiding?) Why are you auctioning your El Camino on ebay, and what is planned for the proceeds?

DH:  I love that car!  It just floats down the road.  It's so comfy.  It has been really reliable for me and a great spokes-vehicle for biofuels.  I'm auctioning it off to spread the word, get people excited about the possibilities of biodiesel, and share the love.  If I could find more of them I'd love to make them available to everyone.  As I said we're offering a complete home fueling station to go with it so people can experience how easy it is to kick their petroleum habit.   We'll use whatever proceeds there are to keep the website (dhlovelife.com) rolling and ad and sponsor free.

KR:  (a talking biodiesel El Camino?...but what does she really want?)  What about your new car?  What is your dream "green"  machine?

DH:  For now I'll be driving a somewhat cloned version of my El Camino and I'll be running it on S.V.O. to see how that goes.  We got our hands on a thousand gallons of hemp oil at a phenomenal price.

I dream of a strong 4-wheel drive electric car I could charge with my solar panels, and pull my horses behind.  A hybrid diesel would be amazing too, because then I could get 100 miles on one gallon of waste grease!

KR:  (She's in favor of cloning?...that's not cool...and that horse-pulling thing sounds like animal cruelty)  Do you have a favorite classic car..."green" status aside?

DH:  I love old cars, old trucks, muscle cars, low riders. I have the Trans Am from Kill Bill which I'm thinking of converting to be an alcohol burner.  And an old Buick Skylark I want to make electric.

KR:  (Buick Skylark...hey my parents had two...a '61 and a '65...concentrate!)  Ecological and energy problems seem overwhelming and even insoluble at times.  Why do you think it is still important for people to make lifestyle choices that benefit the environment?

DH:  We still want to give our species, other species, and the planet the best shot don't we?  It's just common sense to live in a wiser, cleaner, healthier fashion - for yourself and for everything else!

KR:  Thanks for talking with Fins & Fenders, Daryl, and good luck with your ebay sale!