1. automotive and vehicles
2. cars

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FUEL FOR T HE MOTORING LIFESTYLE
P.O. Box 87 | Traverse City, MI | 49685
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 | SPRING 2009
Racers
a m a zing
Inside DR. SIMEONE’S TROVE OF ENDURANCE WINNERS
McKeel Hagerty’s Top Scottsdale Buys | Our Third Annual State of the Hobby Report
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
editorial staff
Executive Publisher McKeel Hagerty
Associate Publisher Jonathan A. Stein
Executive Editor Jerry Burton
Managing Editor lori bremerkamp
Art Director Todd Kraemer
Designer MOLLY JEAN
Copy Editor SHEILA WALSH DETTLOFF
Art Production Manager JOE Ferraro
Creative Director Laura Rogers
Editorial Director Dan Grantham
Opportune
Times?
McKeel Hagerty
(left) and Hagerty’s
contributor Ken
Gross commenting
on the surprises and
deals at RM’s 2009
Automobiles of
Arizona sale.
Contributors
Carl Bomstead, Bob Butz, Ken
Gross, Dave Kinney, Harold Pace,
Rob Sass, Don Sherman, Rich taylor
advertising staff
National Sales Manager
Tom Krempel, 586-558-4502
tkrempel@campbell-ewald.com
East Coast Sales Office
Tom Krempel, 586-558-4502
tkrempel@campbell-ewald.com
Central Sales Office
Lisa Kollander, 952-974-3880
lkollander@comcast.net
West Coast Sales Office
Melissa Austin, 818-225-0466
maaustin@earthlink.net
Questions about the magazine?
Call 866-922-9401 or e-mail us
at editorhagertys@hagerty.com.
© The Klemantaski Collection
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© 2009 HAGERTY. All rights reserved.
Printed in USA. No part of this magazine
may be reproduced without permission.
All unsolicited submissions, including
manuscripts, photographs and queries,
must be accompanied by adequate return
postage and an addressed return
envelope. Submission implies right to edit
and publish. Editorial correspondence:
Hagerty’s magazine, P.O. Box 2120, Warren,
MI 48090-2120. Publisher’s correspondence: publisherhagertys@hagerty.com.
Products and ­services advertised in this
issue are not necessarily endorsed by
Hager ty or affiliates. Complaints or
inquiries should be forwarded directly to
the advertiser. All purchases are at the
complete discretion of the consumer.
Blair Bunting
Publishing staff
Managing Director Jeremy Morris
Director of Publishing Angelo Acord
Publication Manager Danielle Poissant
Project Manager Scott Stanislav
Account Coordinator NIK ARINI
Production Manager KATHY COSGRO
The Global economy is probably the one thing on all of our minds as we look back on the year
just past. After the tribulations and uncertainty with gas prices, Wall Street and the auto industry, we
hope for smoother sailing in 2009.
In our annual State of the Hobby report (page 32), veteran car hobby analyst and collector Rob
Sass looks at the challenges facing the hobby in light of the uncertain economy and the opportunities
rising from it, especially for first-time buyers.
He points out that while there has been a long-expected reckoning in terms of muscle car and
clone prices, many other categories have held their own. And while world-record sales have fueled
the collector car market over the last five years or so, the flip side isn’t falling prices, it’s great deals
to be had, such as those mentioned in my list of top buys at Scottsdale on page 7.
The bottom line is that market cycles will continue to affect the hobby, and the smart buyer will take
advantage of the opportunities. One collector sure to be on the lookout is Dr. Frederick Simeone, a
nationally known neuro­surgeon who, through passion, research and hard work, has assembled an
incredible collection of endurance racing winners from Le Mans, Sebring and the Targa Florio,
among others. I’ve seen a lot of car collections, but very few surpass the majesty of Simeone’s — and
we‘re happy to have an inside look at it (page 22). His collection is housed in a magnificent facility in
Philadelphia, with many of his cars staged in recreations of their winning venues.
You may also notice that we’ve expanded our news section up front and added a new automotive
lifestyle department to give you more on what’s happening in the hobby. Our Experience section
debuts with Rich Taylor offering insight into storage collectives that often double as workshops and
social clubs (page 38). And Carl Bomstead authors a piece on custom-fitted Grand Touring luggage
(page 40). Enjoy!
Change of address? Incorrect address?
Receiving duplicate copies?
We want you, as a member, to continue
receiving Hagerty’s magazine. Please send
all address changes and duplicate copy
information to Hagerty’s Reader Services,
P.O. Box 87, Traverse City, MI 49685.
HGMEM
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
3
CONTENTS
FEATURES
22 Enduring Vision
A look at how Dr. Frederick
A. Simeone‘s love for sports
racers has translated into one
of today‘s most impressive
automotive museums (above).
28 Mr. Insider
Keith Martin discusses his
transformation from ballet
dancer to one of the hobby‘s
most respected authorities on
collector cars and auctions.
DEPARTMENTS
6Short Shifts
13 Car Counselor
14 Market Watch
16Essential Collector
18Your Turn
20Automobilia
38Experience 42
42 Gear Guide
44Great Resources
46Rearview Mirror
32 State of the Hobby
Our annual report examines
how last year‘s uncertain
economy impacted the
collector car market and what
this year could bring.
36 The Ethanol Debate
Preliminary results are in from
a recent study conducted
by Hagerty and Kettering
University, and caution is still
the watchword.
FREE
Call 24
Hours
44
Color
Catalog
352-387-0021
OR SHOP ON-LINE
Checkout our New interactive catalog
www.nationalpartsdepot.com
18
National Parts Depot
is proud to be a major sponsor
of The Iacocca Foundation
and The Lee Iacocca Award,
“Given for Dedication to
excellence in perpetuating an
American Automotive Tradition.”
www.iacoccafoundation.org
46
20
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Ventura
800-874-7595
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Local 352-861-8700 - 900 SW 38th Ave. Local 805-654-0468 - 1376 Walter St. #1
Local 734-397-4569 - 2435 S. Haggerty Rd.
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Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
N. CAROLINA
Charlotte
800-368-6451
Local 704-331-0900 - 7000 MacFarlane Blvd.
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auctions
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our Picks
M c Keel Hagert y’s
Top 10 Scot tsdale Buys
Over the last five years or so, we’ve grown used to
climbing record prices for collector cars. These days
there are fewer records, and most car prices are holding
their own considering the state of the economy.
However, if you were in the right place at the right time
at the recent Arizona auctions, it was possible to find
some seriously good cars at some very good prices.
Here are my top 10 deals of the week:
1. 1972 Mercedes-Benz 350SL, $4,752 (Silver)
2. 1995 Chevrolet Corvette, $8,100 (Silver)
3. 1963 Studebaker Avanti, $12,420 (Silver)
4. 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, $14,850 (Russo and Steele)
5. 1964 Chevrolet Corvette coupe, $24,000 (Silver)
6. 1973 DeTomaso Pantera, $35,750 (RM Auctions)
7. 1
957 Ford Thunderbird “E-Bird,” $55,000
(Russo and Steele)
8. 1
954 Chevrolet Corvette, $60,500
(Gooding & Company)
9. 1
955 Packard Caribbean convertible, $82,500
(Barrett-Jackson)
10. Jaguar XK120SE roadster, $84,700 (RM Auctions)
Clockwise from top left: RM’s 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Coupe, Russo and Steele’s 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, Silver’s 1970 Dodge
Challenger, Gooding & Company’s 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider and Barrett-Jackson‘s 1929 Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor airplane.
Arizona
auction
week
The days of rampant
speculation, easy-profit
car flipping and buyer
appetite for everything
are clearly on hold.
6
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
Scottsdale, Arizona — It’s safe to say the collector car community breathed
a collective sigh of relief after the final gavel dropped on this year’s Arizona auctions. On the whole, sales were down, but not as much as the overall economy,
proving the market is reasonably solid.
Gooding & Company (goodingco.com) had a remarkably strong showing, netting $32.4 million,
up from $21 million in 2008. The sales spike was helped, in part, by the $4.95-million purchase of an
extremely rare 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider — the top sale of the week.
Despite the highly anticipated 1963 Corvette Grand Sport 002 roadster failing to change
hands, RM (rmauctions.com) also enjoyed a solid event, bringing in more than $18 million. For
the educated buyer, there were several deals to be had at this sale, including a 1939 LincolnZephyr Convertible Coupe that went for $56,100 — quite the bargain for a drop-top full classic.
Barrett-Jackson’s (barrett-jackson.com) $63 million total included an assortment of GM
Heritage fleet vehicles and a 1929 Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor airplane that went for $1.21 million.
Sales exceeded $17.1 million at Russo and Steele (russoandsteele.com), which converted
to an all-reserve platform this year. Silver Auctions (silverauctions.com) enjoyed more than
$3.56 million in sales, with its top sale, a 1970 Dodge Challenger, bringing $70,200.
Relive the Arizona action with exclusive photos, interviews and more at hagerty.com/scottsdale.
Despite the instability of the current
economic climate, this 1965 Ferrari 250
LM Berlinetta brought $3.74 million at
RM’s London sale.
Bonhams’ record-setting 1955 4.4-liter
Ferrari 121 LM Spyder Corsa brought
$3.49 million post sale.
record ferrari
121 in Gstaad
GSTAAD, Switzerland — A 1955 4.4-liter Ferrari
121 LM Spyder Corsa racing two-seater made the
top price at Bonhams’ Gstaad auction in Switzerland
December 20 — going for $3.49 million post sale
and setting a new auction record for this model.
Overall, collectors saw a lower than average sell-through rate,
despite the saleroom being at full occupancy. However, the vehicles
that sold still brought healthy prices, with a 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C-1750
Cabriolet by Castagna at $358,467, a 1965 Ferrari 275GTS Convertible at $561,184 and a 1961 Maserati 3500GT Vignale Convertible at
$314,437 being notable highlights. What’s more, original documents
relating to the Le Mans GT–winning Ferrari 250GTO went for $10,355.
Visit bonhams.com for complete results.
prancing ponies
Fetch $3.74M
London, England — Classic car fever hit Central
London in late October when RM Auctions assembled
100 fine automobiles for a sale that lasted seven hours
in front of a standing-room-only crowd.
A series of intense bidding contests developed
throughout the evening, which saw a 1965 Ferrari 250 LM
Berlinetta and the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France each
fetch $3.74 million, indicating the continued strength of the
sports and racing car segment of the market. Another notable
lot was a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante — formerly owned by
a member of New York’s Strauss family and recently discovered
after 45 years in storage — that brought $1.09 million.
Get complete details of the London sale at rmauctions.com.
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
7
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Spring
Carlisle
Enjoy the annual wake-up call for
hibernating car nuts.
Spring Carlisle’s Car Corral
(shown here) will offer buyers
the chance to shop, compare and
make deals directly with owners.
Carlisle, Pennsylvania — Just as Hershey signals the end of
the old-car season on the East Coast, Spring Carlisle lures many
enthusiasts out of winter hibernation. More than 100,000 car nuts
will converge on Carlisle, Pennsylvania, April 22–26 for an annual rite of spring that’s
grown into far more than a simple swap meet.
Like the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance or the Eastern Division AACA National
Fall Meet at Hershey, Spring Car­lisle has become one of those international automotive
icons that every enthusiast needs to attend at least once.
In addition to 100 acres of automotive merchandise offered by thousands of vendors,
there will be at least 2,000 vehicles for sale in the Car Corral. There will also be a collector car
auction one block from the fairgrounds at the new Carlisle Expo Center Thursday and Friday
evenings, April 23–24. What’s more, Spring Carlisle will host its first-ever Cruise-In April 26.
Complete details on this event, as well as the nine others held throughout the
summer at the Carlisle Fairgrounds, are available at carlisleevents.com or by calling
717-243-7855. — Rich Taylor
All that
glitterS
Turn-of-the-century motoring on
display at Saratoga.
Saratoga Springs,
New York — Before
World War I, more than
1,000 makes of cars
were built in the United States. Automotive
brightwork consisted of brass, which required
constant upkeep. The “Age of Brass” ran from
1890 to 1918, after which brass plating evolved
through a nickel period into chromium.
Brass-era cars — which range from petite,
curved-dash Oldsmobile Runabouts to
luxurious Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts — were
primitive. Some had steam or electric propulsion power, demanding an engineer’s ability
to operate the vehicle. Conventional cars
with gas engines had to be started manually
via a dangerous-to-use hand crank. Tires
were fragile, necessitating frequent changes.
A sampling of the brass-era
vehicles on display at the
Saratoga Automobile Museum.
Most automobiles were open, with folding
canvas tops. The lighting systems used
acetylene gas, and each lamp required individual manual operation. Instrumentation was
sparse, ride and handling were rudimentary,
and cars frequently broke down.
From now to May 10, Saratoga Auto­
mobile Museum in Saratoga Springs, New
We will
deliver
York, presents “All that Glitters,” a collection
of brass-era antique automobiles. The display
includes New York State–based nameplates,
such as Pierce and Franklin, along with rare
birds, such as E-M-F, Jewel and Brush.
Adult admission is $8. Seniors, students
and children are less. For more, check out
saratogaautomuseum.org. — Ken Gross
ASK ABOUT
OUR LIFETIME
WARRANTY
ANYWHERE!
Amelia Island Celebrates
Coachbuilder and Races
Amelia Island, Florida
— Bill Warner always puts
on a good show, and he’s
expected to do so again
at this year’s Amelia Island
Concours d’Elegance March 13–15. Featured
will be the elegant creations of noted Southern
California coachbuilder Bohman & Schwartz.
Possibly their most famous creation was the
“Phantom Corsair,” which will be making a rare
trip out of the National Automobile Museum
8
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
(The Harrah Collection) in Reno, Nevada. Its
futuristic, shark-like body was mated to a Cord
810 chassis and appeared in The Young in Heart
as the mysterious Flying Wombat.
Fifty years of the only Indy car race at
Daytona also will be remembered with a
special seminar. “The race may be only a
footnote to some, but it is an important part
of auto racing’s overall history,” says Warner,
founder and co-chair of the concours.
Visit ameliaconcours.org for complete details.
H ag e r t y on
t h e roa d
ENCLOSED LOWPROFILE CAR HAULER 12FT-40FT CAR HAULER
Catch the Hagerty team at
the Charlotte AutoFair Spring
Meet April 2–5 in Charlotte,
North Carolina; the BarrettJackson Collector Car Event
April 9–11 in Palm Beach,
Florida; and the Keels &
Wheels Concours d’Elegance
May 2–3 in Seabrook, Texas.
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Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
9
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news
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the stats
mini at a
gl ance
 Built by BMC, British
Leyland, MG Rover,
Innocenti and Authi
 Designed by Sir Alex Issigonis
 Built: 1959–2000
(original version)
 Quantity Produced:
r e va m pe d H ag e r t y
W eb site
Watch for changes to
hagerty.com in the coming
weeks, including a new search
capability for both our event
calendar and resource directory,
an expanded Hagerty Plus
members’ section, and more.
5,387,862
The No. 37 Mini
Cooper S making
history for the brand
at the 1964 Monte
Carlo Rally.
$1,295–$1,691
 Current Price: $8,950–$22,900
Pro g r a m s k e e pi ng
K i d s i n volv e d
Mini Turns 50
Loyalists prepare to celebrate the tiny car that could — and did.
If you don’t have a passport, now is a great time to get
one: Loyalists worldwide will converge on England’s
legendary Silverstone Circuit May 22–24 for the Mini
United Festival 2009 (miniunited.com) to celebrate the
50th anniversary of the original Mini’s launch.
Expect a full weekend of Minis on display and
motorsports action, including the third and fourth
heats of the international MINI Challenge race series.
Additionally, the Mini 7 Racing Club will present a
race with 50 classic Mini race cars.
Be sure to watch for appearances by Mini
legends, such as famed racer Paddy Hopkirk, who
made Mini history by clinching overall victory in
the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally.
“The 1960s was definitely the decade of the Mini,
far beyond official races and competitive events
McKeel
Hagerty Visits
Jay Leno’s
Garage
alone, for there was no other car in the market able
to offer the same kind of sporting performance for so
little money,” says former British Motors Corporation
competitions manager Stuart Turner. “But the real
reason Mini struck such a chord with the public was
because it was just so unusual and cheeky looking.”
And the same features that made Mini an icon
of the ’60s — including its transverse engine, frontwheel-drive layout and wide stance — remain the
basic ingredients of the MINI Cooper today.
In addition to the official celebration, consider
checking out the Can-Am Mini Challenge June 27–
28 in Brainerd, Minnesota (canam50minirace.com/
index.html), or Mini-Meet 2009 June 29–July 2 in
Winona, Minnesota (minimeet09.org), both of
which will commemorate the Mini milestone.
Insurance is, arguably, the most
misunderstood part of the collector
car hobby. McKeel Hagerty breaks
down the benefits of an Agreed
Value policy with Jay Leno. See the
video at jaylenosgarage.com. Click
on Video, select Extras from the menu to the left and then
click Hagerty Classic Car Insurance. Be sure to check out
Leno’s Duesenberg collection in the background.
10
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
Joe Vaughn
 Original Price: They may not have their
driver’s licenses but that hasn’t
stopped nearly 2,000 kids from
participating in the collector
car hobby through Hagerty’s
youth initiatives, which for 2009
will include:
 The Hagerty Model Building
Contest, featuring a trip to
Monterey, California, for final
judging by a celebrity panel.
 A new “Designer Class”
especially for teens.
Contact Rory Carroll
at rcarroll@hagerty.com or
231-922-8805 for details.
The PhantomPark provides all design and safety features as required by
ANSI MH29.1 for Industrial Scissor Lifts and other design and manufacturing
codes that may be applicable to this type equipment.
AMERICAN MADE
x
Double your space by parking two vehicles in the footprint of one parking stall
x
Unobtrusive and secure – the lift and lower vehicle concealed.
x
Aesthetically pleasing – surface can be tiled or covered with other material to match surroundings.
x
Multiple units can be installed side by side.
x
Ideal for low-ceiling applications – use as “vertical tandem parking” to save space.
x
Ideal for transporting vehicles from one level to another level.
x
Increase property value.
AVAILABLE OPTIONS
x
Adjustable ultrasonic vehicle sensor to indicate proper car positioning
x
Emergency stop “Panic” button station
x
Vehicle-present sensor at upper-level to prevent lift from raising top vehicle in low applications
x
Gate or door status sensors to shut off the lift if opened during lift operation
x
Photo-eye sensors to shut off the lift if motion is detected during lift operation
x
5HP 230V 1 Phase power unit, draws approximately 27 amps. Raising time approximately 60 seconds
x
Reset switch constant monitoring system to help protect the lift from being lowered if either of the lower level
x
photo eyes
x
are tripped
x
Hetronic radio control system
x
Access control keypad has security code option
x
Wireless camera system
x
Flashing operational warning light
x
Call/Send capability push button operates with push of the control button
x
ZRC finish (cold galvanizing)
Hob b y S u pp or t
continues
Last year, Collectors Foundation
provided $100,920 in
scholarships and $182,948 in
grants for programs providing
hands-on education for young
people interested in classic car
and classic boat restoration.
Park-King
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1 3 5
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CAR COUNSELOR
media
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Speed Reads
1915–2008
The “Ask Hagerty” Concierge Service answers your toughest questions.
My husband misplaced the key
to our 1969 Corvette. Where can
I get another one made for him?
A
We suggest contacting
Jesser’s Classic Keys
(jessersclassickeys.com) in
Akron, Ohio. If they can’t help,
they probably can advise you of
someone who can. As an alter­
native, both Mid America Motor­
works (mamotorworks.com) and
Eckler’s Corvette (ecklers.com)
offer replacement ignition and
door lock kits, which you can
have installed.
Q
Where can I find 1966
North Carolina tags for
my Mustang?
A
There are many options
for finding antique license
plates. For starters, search “antique
license plates” online to find
dealers, clubs and personal sites.
You may also want to attend swap
meets, look in local antique shops,
search through the classifieds
in Hemmings Motor News and
check ebaymotors.com. You may
be able to order a “reproduc­
tion” with the lettering of your
choice from licenseplates.tv.
Also, contact the North Carolina
Department of Transportation’s
Division of Motor Vehicles (ncdot.
org/dmv) to determine regula­
tions for using period license
plates and to find out if you’ll
need both front and rear tags.
Q
I converted my 1955
Austin-Healey 100/4 from
positive to negative ground. Since
then, I’ve had electrical gremlins
and a fried voltage regulator. I also
have a reading on my tester —
Elfi Arkus-Duntov, the widow of Corvette
patron saint Zora Arkus-Duntov, died
October 23 following complications from
a leg infection. She was 93.
Although Elfi had her own claim to
fame as a professional model and dancer,
together, she and Zora became an endearing fixture in the Corvette community and
were VIPs at the grand opening of the
National Corvette Museum (NCM) in 1994.
She continued to promote Zora’s
legacy after his death in 1996. A memorial
service was held in December at the NCM,
where her ashes were interred with Zora’s.
Pat Moss
Carlsson
1934–2008
even though the fuses are pulled.
What I should do next?
A
It’s possible there is some
unfused wiring in the car,
most likely caused by modification
when the vehicle was converted
from positive to negative ground.
Have it checked out at a shop that
specializes in the repair and serv­ice
of British sports cars. We found a
shop in your area that likely will be
able to diagnose and fix the prob­
lem: Autosport Inc. (autosportinc.
com) in Bloomington, Indiana.
The ”Ask Hagerty” Concierge
Service is available free at
888-310-8020, option 3.
GOOD NEWS! SAVING IS
FASHIONABLE AGAIN.
Getty
Thanks to Hagerty
adopting publication
of the Bolaffi auction
catalogue (right), the
signature classic car
”bible” lives on.
Elfi ArkusDuntov
Service calls
instruction on engine removal, installation and break-in, among other things.
Art of the Hot Rod ($40, motorbooks.com) by Ken Gross is nothing
less than a gallery of the best. The
book profiles top builders and features
studio portraits of their most outstanding customer creations.
But as the hobby market continuously
changes, it’s hard to weed out pricing
facts from fiction. Hagerty’s Cars That
Matter ($20, carsthatmatter.com) by
Dave Kinney takes the guesswork out of
buying and selling by providing accurate, up-to-date and unbiased pricing
obtained through a network of professionals. And Hagerty’s Classic Car Auction 2006–2008 Yearbook ($60, shop.
hagerty.com) — previously published by
Bolaffi — contains the results of the most
important international auctions of the
last two seasons, documenting the sale
price of more than 5,200 classic cars.
Joe Vaughn (2)
Collector cars untouched by time or
restorers are quite rare — not to mention
immensely valuable. Richard Lentinello’s
It’s Only Original Once: Unrestored
Classic Cars ($35, motorbooks.com)
chronicles the most important, from
early models like a 1930 Oakland Roadster to later favorites like a 1972 GTO.
No matter whether your vehicle is
original or restored, if you‘re like most
collectors, you want to spend little time in
the garage and lots of time on the road
enjoying your ride. How to Keep Your
Collector Car Alive ($25.99, motorbooks.
com) by Josh Malks helps you do just
that, with practical instructions and handy
tips for the daily challenges of owning a
classic in the modern-car world.
Barry Kluczyk’s How to Rebuild
Any Automotive Engine ($24.95,
cartechbooks.com) covers engine
rebuild essentials with more than
400 color photos of step-by-step
Six books worth checking out.
Pat Moss Carlsson, a pioneer of women
in motorsport and one of the most successful woman rally drivers of all time,
died October 14 after a long battle with
leukemia. She was 73.
Moss, who began her rally career in
1953, was the sister of Formula One and
sports car great Sir Stirling Moss and the
wife of legendary Swedish rally driver
Erik Carlsson.
She scored three outright wins and
seven podium finishes in international
rallies, and was crowned European Ladies’
Rally Champion five times.
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12
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
13
MARKET WATCH
Hot rods — along with jazz music — are
However, build quality and the equipDawn, modified by Detroit Coach LLC, used a
a quintessential American art form. These
ment can make a huge difference in the
Chevrolet 383 small block and rode on huge
modified production cars generally pack
sale prices of hot rods. The market cur22-inch front and 24-inch rear custom wheels.
bigger engines than originally installed, and
rently places the biggest premium on
Its body modifications were subtly changed
extensive body and trim customizations.
customs and rods in as-built condition. As
from the original design, while the custom
Model T Fords or 1957 Chevrolets can be
an example, an unmolested Boyd Codtouches inside made for a Silver Dawn unlike
the starting point for hot rods, as well as cars
dington–built, steel-bodied Deuce roadany other. Selling for $225,500, this most
built before and after. Resto-rods are a relaster with a 350ci Chevy engine mated to a
definitely was not your rich uncle’s Roller.
tively new phenomenon, as are their brother
turbo 350 automatic transmission sold for
A more conventional resto-mod was a
cars, resto-mods. Resto-rods appear stock
$132,000 in October at Barrett-Jackson’s
1955 Chevrolet 210 two-door “post” car
but have an updated drivetrain, while restoinaugural Las Vegas event.
mods are extensively modified throughout
That same event is where one of the
and often feature modern creature comforts.
more interesting resto-mod sales of 2008
Hot rods really took flight after soldiers
also occurred. A 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver
returning from World War II discovered that
finding cars and parts was not easy. Most of
the cars surviving were just begging to be
modified for a new generation.
Many early customs were the result of a
single person’s idea — a dropped roofline,
chrome trim removed and an eggcrate grille
substituted for the stock unit. It didn’t take
long before entrepreneurs began to offer
customs and hot rods to those with more
money than time.
Brothers Sam and George Barris were
among the pioneers. From the same California car culture came other greats, such as
Worldwide Auctioneers‘ 1950s-built Ford Hi-Boy Roadster.
Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and Von Dutch. The
tradition of ”branded” hot
rods has continued into modern times with practitioners
like Chip Foose and the late
Boyd Coddington.
As postwar production
of new cars heated up, used
cars became less expensive,
providing more automotive
canvases for budding rodders. Early hot rods — just
like today’s rods — came in
The original Boyd Coddington–­built Deuce roadster.
many forms. Among the more
recognizable shapes are the
’32 Ford roadsters (the basis for Hi-Boys) and
coupes (better known as “Deuce Coupes”).
The recent sales of two 1932 Ford Hi-Boy
Roadsters tell the story in a nutshell. In May,
a 1950s-built Hi-Boy sold at Worldwide AucThis street-modded 1954
tioneers’ Houston Classic Auction for $93,500,
Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn uses a
while a more contemporary build on another
Chevrolet 383 small block and
Hi-Boy brought only $23,100 at RM’s Collector
rides on 22-inch front and 24-inch
Cars of Fort Lauderdale event in February.
rear custom wheels.
The hard
and fast rule
of hot rod
collecting is
that There are
few hard and
fast rules.
14
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
equipped with a 468ci Chevy big block mated
to a 700R4 transmission. Featuring full power
— including front and rear disc brakes — this
highly modified ’55 brought $67,100. Not
bad for a car that likely started life with a
six-cylinder motor and few options.
The hard and fast rule of hot rod collecting is that there are few hard and fast rules.
Today’s collector will generally pay more
for a steel-bodied example than a fiberglass
one. Cars with all original sheet metal will
bring more still.
There are literally thousands of parts suppliers for hot rods, resto-rods and resto-mods.
Quality is the key you’re looking for. Some
suppliers build only to order while others have
warehouses brimming with goodies.
&
Dave Kinney is the publisher of Hagerty’s
Cars That Matter.
RODS
The 1955 Chevrolet 210 resto-mod.
MODS
If you’re looking to make an investment
in hot rods, look for unmodified ones
with a designer label. by Dave Kinney
ESSENTIAL COLLECTOR
 Consider selling at an auction,
PKLT?FOA+
QERKABO?FOA+
but only list your car with an auction company that sells similar
cars. Avoid no-reserve sales.
They’re too risky, even if you’re
desperate. Unless a dealer already
has a buyer in mind for your
vehicle, he or she will only offer a
wholesale price that’s bound to be
well under your expectations.
 List your car online where you
have access to a worldwide, very
knowledgeable audience. In
November 2007, a nondescript-
The long goodbye
Buying and selling cars in a down market.
As this is written, Wall Street is in freefall,
automakers are reporting record losses and
employers are handing out pink slips like
there’s no tomorrow. Is this any time to buy or
sell a collector car?
The answer depends on your perspective,
your personal situation and, mostly, what you
want to buy or sell. You can’t possibly predict
a market’s peak or its lowest point, so the
decision is entirely up to you.
However, even in a down market,
top-ranked ’30s-era classic cars, desirable postwar sports models, race cars with
documented competition history, and rare,
one-of-a-kind and low-mileage models hold
their values better than average examples
produced in large volumes. Sale records are
being set today for the right cars. Savvy buyers know this and will pay accordingly.
by ken gross ••
Illustration by charles wilkin
Grim economic situations also create
opportunities, as some people must sell their
cars (and motorcycles) to get by. Values will
recover over time. So if you’re a potential
buyer, this could be your moment.
But what if you’re one of those distressed
folk who must sell?
 Contact the people who have told you, “If
you ever want to sell, call me first” — and be
prepared to deal.
 Focus on enthusiasts. Advertise with a
make-specific club or take your car to a
gathering of like-minded enthusiasts and let
them know it’s available. Set a realistic price,
but be prepared to come down a bit. No one
wants to pay retail — especially now.
looking, engineless Pontiac
Tempest Le Mans — that just happened to be one of six special
Super Duty factory drag racers
— sold online for $226,521. The
seller didn’t know what it was,
but the market did — and
reacted accordingly.
 If you have a car in mind, but
hadn’t planned to buy just now
because cash is tight, consider
borrowing the money or financing the sale with the seller. New
model car loans might be limited
today, but if you have good
credit, make a case with your
banker or a specialized source,
such as Hagerty Finance.
 Consider spreading the risk by partnering
with a close friend for a car you both want.
However, be careful: Draw up a contract to
clearly specify mutual rules for its use, maintenance, storage and eventual sale.
 Be ready when opportunities arise. At RM’s
2008 Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey auction,
a friend bought a Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 coupe
for $62,700. He attended the sale simply as a
spectator, but jumped right in when he saw
what cars were going for, saving thousands.
Chances are, the seller wasn’t as pleased with
my friend’s bargain.
Despite the world economic malaise,
last fall’s auction results showed that selling prices on the best cars were flat or just
slightly inflated, while average cars and
mediocre lots took a hit. So take the long
view and be ready to buy, even if the economic situation is grim.
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For your auction needs please contact: Norm Elliot - 847-682-8414 - nelliot@reliable-carriers.com
16
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
YOUR TURN
> > 1963 AC BRISTOL
True Originals
> > > While restoration can bring a classic back to showroom condition, the
original paint, trim and interior have a way of keeping a vehicle’s moment in time.
The Hagerty’s readers’ cars featured here are not restorations, but preservations. Hours
of cleaning and detail work make them look as if they’ve visited the fountain of youth.
This AC Bristol was Harry Ward’s first car back in 1963. He wanted it for travel to work and
weekends on the track. The track part never came about, but what happened instead is an
extraordinary story of automotive care and preservation spanning nearly five decades. This
car‘s original paint, engine, clutch, exhaust, interior, wheels and tires are the subject of minor
wear, fastidious care and 49,000 miles of joyous use. It was recently passed along to Mark
Gessler of Potomac, Maryland, who is delighted to take over
its stewardship. The car not only looks great, it runs well, too,
and is probably the best unrestored example in existence.
> > 1960 SEBRING MGA TWIN CAM
For years, MG enthusiast John Wright had his eye on one of three 1960 works Sebring MGA
Twin Cams. Several times he’d asked the longtime owner to give him a call when the time
came to sell. That call came in 2002. Before long, Wright took custody of the completely
unrestored car that had finished fourth in class driven by Jim Parkinson and Jack Flaherty.
Since acquiring the car, Wright has cleaned and detailed it to keep it in excellent mechanical
condition. The car retains virtually all of its original paint, its original interior and all of the
mechanical components with which it left the BMC Competition Department.
> > 1964 CHEVROLET CORVAIR SPYDER
>>1
966 Chevrolet IMPALA 427 SUPER SPORT CONvertible
Some cars are rare finds, and Michael Chance’s ’66 Impala 427 SS convertible is one of them. This car was his Holy Grail of collector cars, made
even more significant by the fact that it was the company car of a General Motors executive. After it was sold at a Chevy dealer, the car never
changed hands again, so it was officially a one-owner vehicle. Except for
some paintwork after an altercation
with a Clydesdale at a local parade, it
left the factory as you see it. Chance
has all the original documentation
and has even videotaped an interview with its first owner.
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Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
Only the tires, battery and top have been
replaced on this Corvair Spyder, a duplicate
of the one Duke Millington purchased new.
Milling­ton spent three months taking apart,
cleaning and reassembling every piece —
including the nuts
and bolts. The
trunk, underbody,
underside of the
hood and doorjambs have been
touched up with
new paint, but all
exterior paint is
original. Hours
of buffing and
waxing brought it
back to life. “The
car looks, runs
and smells factory
new,” Milling­ton
says. “Upon close inspection, only a few dents
on the wire wheels and a couple of paint chip
touch-up spots indicate this car has been used.”
> > 1967 Ford Galaxie
500 Convertible
Tom McILwee’s Brittany Blue Galaxie 500
is as original as it gets. With the exception of tires, shocks and dual exhaust,
this low-mileage original is just as it left
the factory. McILwee often saw this oneowner Galaxie getting its summer service
at the same dealer where it was bought
new. Many years passed before the owner
responded to his letters of interest. It
won an Award of Excellence at the 2008
Shelby American Automobile Club meet.
Send your best ”before and after” photos, along with a short description of the project, to
photoshagertys@hagerty.com and you might see it featured on these pages. Haven’t seen your
submission in the magazine? Check the Hagerty Web site. Log on to hagerty.com, click on Hobby
Information Center and select Project Profiles from under the Restoration Station link on the left.
AUTOMOBILIA
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by Bob Butz •• photography by James Haefner
Fordite jewelry
examples from wellknown maker James
Blanchard. Bottom:
Hunks of the coveted
“Motown swirl.”
2IGHT0ART2IGHT0RICE2IGHT.OW™
Classic
Rocks
Fordite, once an accident in Detroit automotive
history, is now a coveted treasure.
As tales of lost treasure go,
the story of Fordite has it all.
In the late ’60s and ’70s,
enamel-based automobile paint
was applied by handheld spray
guns. Car parts rode on a conveyer belt and the accumulation
of layers and layers of paint overspray — hardened during the
drying process — eventually had
to be broken off the tracks with a
brick hammer. The pieces, which
came to be known as Fordite,
were then sent to the landfill.
When cracked open and
polished, the stone-like hunks
of slag — also called Detroit
agate, Motown swirl and paint
rock — produced cabochons
with swirling psychedelic color.
20
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
Some assembly-line employees
who knew the properties of
this strange material had the
foresight to save a few pieces —
and it may be paying off.
About five years ago, Fordite suddenly became coveted
by rock collectors, artists and
jewel­ry designers. Today, a ring
or small pendant with a piece of
Fordite as big as your thumbnail
averages $135 to $165, according to Christie Minervini, owner
of Gallery Fifty (galleryfifty.com),
a fine crafts and studio jewelry
store in Traverse City, Michigan.
James Blanchard, a wellknown Fordite jewelry maker,
notes that even those who don’t
care about cars will buy Fordite
because of its story. ”Plus, it was
made to take dinks from the
road, so it actually holds up
better than the metal setting
over time,“ Blanchard says.
Unfortunately, real Motor
City Fordite is increasingly rare.
So much so that, according to
Blanchard, rough hunks of it simply
don’t exist anymore and people
who do have stashes are tightlipped about how much they have.
What little Fordite exists
nowadays is bought and sold
mostly via the Internet, namely
at fordite.com or through online
auctions, where jewelry and polished cabochons don’t last long.
But, in the case of online auctions, beware of imposters.
“A lot of the jewelry sold as
Fordite today is actually from
Great Britain,” says Gallery Fifty’s
Minervini, adding that the color
quality is also noticeably different
and not as good as the genuine
article, which originated in Ford’s
River Rouge factory in Detroit.
“The British stuff is newer, from
the ’80s, when they used what I
call ‘Superman colors’ — bright
reds, blues, yellows and white.”
Blanchard adds that while he
can tell old from new when cutting
it, a layperson probably wouldn’t
notice the difference. “Real Fordite
has an older, ‘fishy’ smell,” he adds.
“The new stuff just smells toxic and
acrid — like spray paint.”
There’s definitely a finite
amount of these pieces of history available today. But somewhere in a landfill in southeast
Michigan there’s probably tons
of the stuff. “And I wish I knew
where,” Minervini says.
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ENDURING
VISION
The Simeone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia
is what happens when you mix one man’s
knowledge with a passion for sports racers.
by Jonathan A. Stein •• photography by Kevin Netz
D
r. Frederick A. Simeone doesn’t just love sports cars.
He venerates them. The Philadelphia neurosurgeon
has not only assembled one of the finest collections
of historically significant sports racing cars in the
world, but he has recreated their victorious venues — with replications of the Le Mans pit row, the Mille Miglia course through
Brescia, and parts of Nürburgring, Watkins Glen and Targa Florio,
among others — within the confines of the Simeone Foundation
Museum in Philadelphia.
Educator, collector
Born, raised and educated in Philadelphia, Simeone has been a
researcher, educator and leading neurosurgeon for more than 40 years.
However, he’s collected automobiles and their ephemera even longer.
Simeone inherited his interest in both medicine and cars from his
general practitioner father. “By the time I was 10, he and I were chasing
cars together,” he recalls.
When he wasn’t looking in garages and barns with his father,
Simeone was gathering every bit of auto literature he could find. Over
the years, he’s amassed a huge library of sales literature, ads, photographs and books that ranks among the finest private collections
— and is every bit equal to his automobile collection.
In the 1960s, when he was launching his career at Harvard Medical
School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Simeone couldn’t devote
as much time to his avocation as he would have liked. But he continuously worked on his library, made connections and learned about all
kinds of wonderful cars. The collection truly gathered steam in 1969
after he returned to his native Philadelphia.
Being a single parent and the head of neurosurgery at Pennsylvania Hospital with a full surgical schedule kept Simeone busy, yet
he gradually found time to build his nascent collection by learning
everything he could about the cars he was pursuing and buying at
the right time.
THEME PARK
Many collections often appear random and haphazard. Not Simeone’s.
Since the beginning, his primary theme has been racing sports cars from
1909 to the 1970s. Why “sports cars?” He believes that high-powered
sports racing cars propelled the evolution of the automobile — sports
racers had to be fast and strong enough to survive as much as 24 hours of
abuse during a race. The most evolved of their era were the cars that won
major events like Le Mans, Sebring and Spa.
“My goal is to tell a story about how the automobile changed
society,” he explains. “But to tell the whole story of the automobile
is huge. I think you can only tell one story without overloading the
average visitor. We are telling a very specific story, which is how competition leads to evolution. And that evolution — spurred by the need
to win — resulted in the many truly fine examples of sports cars and
sports racers.”
22
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
23
Simeone’s collection of
“big” cars means he’s housing
a who’s who of overall
winners as well as cars that
finished near the top.
Top: A Hudson
Hornet stock car in
the shop area. Left:
An 8C 2300 Alfa
Romeo in front of a
diorama representing
part of the famed
Brooklands racetrack.
Below: A backdrop
of the Bonneville Salt
Flats tells the story of
the Cobra Daytona
Coupe, Austin-Healey
100-4 and Cord 812.
While endurance racing boasts many different classes, Simeone’s
interest is in the cars that contested for the overall wins. “It’s why I’ve
limited my collection to cars two liters or over,” he says. “If they are
supercharged, they can be under two liters.” The result is a collection
of “big” cars, including a who’s who of overall winners and cars — or
similar examples — that finished near the top.
To tell the story of these legendary cars, Simeone wanted to put
them in context. That’s why the majority of the cars on display are set
in appropriate backdrops. The Shelby Daytona Cobra coupe is properly
positioned on the Bonneville Salt Flats where it set 23 records, while the
pair of BMW 328s is at home on the Nürburgring course in Germany.
And there’s a period setting for the Alfa Romeo and Bugatti that ran in
Sicily’s famed Targa Florio road race. Yet another scene depicts the pits at
Le Mans, where so very many of Simeone’s cars raced with distinction.
The collection houses some of the most coveted of all European racing cars, with magical names such as Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Ferrari,
Jaguar and Maserati. Yet, Simeone holds a special place for the American
cars that vied for the top spots in competition. As a result, Cunningham,
du Pont, Ford GT40, Mercer and Stutz are represented as well. There’s
even a diorama with the famed Dunlop Bridge that provides the context
for the grouping of American cars that competed at Le Mans.
NOT JUST RACERS
At any given time, upwards of 60 to 70 cars fill the cavernous Simeone Museum
building, housed in a former engine factory in metropolitan Philadelphia.
Not all the cars are dedicated racers, however. Many of them are production cars with sporting looks or performance. The American sports
cars include early machines, such as an American Underslung, Stutz
Bearcat and Mercer 35J Raceabout, as well as later vehicles, such as a
trio of Auburn speedsters and a big block Corvette.
Many of these are located in the “Sporty Car Annex,” which also
houses European road cars, including the very first of Adrian Squire’s
magnificent supercharged sports cars, the 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500
that was Simeone’s first car and a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing coupe
once owned by Simeone’s father. There’s also a small chronological selection of NASCAR racers, including a famous Hudson Hornet and the
ex–David Pearson 1986 Buick.
DIRECTIVES FROM THE DIRECTOR
Simeone knows he’s very fortunate to have the kind of collection that’s
beyond the dreams of virtually all collectors. But it certainly didn’t come
together quickly, easily or recently. It took years of research and networking to find out about the cars and to build relationships with owners,
historians and others who could help him in his quest.
24
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
Top: Simeone‘s crown
jewels are part of
the ”Winner‘s Circle”
display. Bottom:
A diorama of the
famed Dunlop Bridge
showcases American
cars at Le Mans.
at Nürburgring in 1927. Next to the big Mercedes is the only surviving
Bugatti to ever finish first at Le Mans — the 1937 Bugatti Type 57G
Tank that won every race it ever contested. However, the true prize of
the collection sits higher on a turntable: the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B with
which Clemente Biondetti won the 1938 Mille Miglia.
There are still a few cars that Simeone would like to add to the
museum, including a Mercedes-Benz SSK with racing history, a racing Ferrari 166 or 212 Barchetta, and a Ferrari 250 LM. However,
with a new museum to fund and the need to create a strong donor
community, it looks like Dr. Simeone’s wish list will remain just that
for now as he focuses on the museum’s future. Plans include increasing
the endowment (it’s a fully approved charity), installing a library that’s
accessible to researchers, increasing tours and hosting special events.
Before long, Simeone also hopes to add automobile simulators
through which students can study traffic accident avoidance. He may
eventually build a driving instruction course on three acres outside
the museum where he currently exercises the cars in his collection.
So if you visit the museum and hear the scream of a supercharged
engine, there’s a chance that the good doctor or one of his guests is
out back playing with an old Alfa or the Blower Bentley. Consider
it an appropriate sound effect for one of the most amazing personal
collections of race cars ever assembled.
For more information about visiting the Simeone Foundation
Museum or making a donation, go to simeonemuseum.org.
A recreation of the
Sebring pits house the
silver C- and D-Type
Jaguars, while a pair
of Rally cars and a
grouping of Le Mans
cars stretch off into
the background.
Most were acquired long before they had multimillion-dollar price
tags. Others were available at reasonable prices because only Simeone truly
understood their value. Although he admits to having a successful practice,
there is no way he could have collected the racers on display had he not
paid “used car” prices for some before their true worth was known.
To Simeone, the story behind the car is just as important as the car
itself. “Sometimes, the hunt for a given car is the best part,” he says.
And often the search for a car involves his library.
After reading an article in a 1950 copy of Road & Track, Simeone
was intrigued by the story of an ex–Mille Miglia Alfa Romeo that was
raced at La Plata in Argentina. Continuing his research, he was able
to track down the family of the owner of what he asserts is “the only
8C 2900A to retain its original engine and body.” In this case it was a
factory rebody completed following its second-place finish in the 1937
Mille Miglia. “Because the car might be considered a national treasure,
we had to take it apart to get it into America,” he says. “It was all very
complicated, but it turned out OK. That was the great hunt.”
Sometimes it’s taken years to find a car on his list. Other times, he’ll
have a car for years before its true history is revealed.
Until recently, the Duesenberg open-wheel race car (the only Grand
Prix car in the collection) that Simeone’s father acquired in the 1950s
was believed to be a “junk formula” Indy car. Only in the last decade —
through consultations with Duesenberg historians Randy Ema, Joseph
Freeman and Fred Roe — did he discover that the car was really one of the
factory Duesenberg race cars that won the French Grand Prix in 1921.
Now reunited with a correct engine and tail, it sits at the end of the
large diorama that recalls the row of pits at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
26
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
Sometimes it’s taken years
to find a car on his list.
Other times, he’ll have a car
for Years before its true
history is revealed.
endurance race. Populated by a Delahaye 135 racer, a two-liter Aston
Martin LM, an MG K3, several racing Ferraris, a Maserati 300S and
a fearsome 917 Porsche, the lineup represents the fastest and most
reliable machines of their period. It’s no wonder that Simeone’s Le
Mans cars make up the largest single category of the museum, and his
five eight-cylinder Alfas the largest single make.
THE CROWN JEWELS
The cars are magical and their histories storied, but still the museum
saves its very best for last. Sitting in front of a checkered “Winner’s
Circle” backdrop are the jewels of the collection, cars that won outright
in the most important races anywhere.
The sleek, pale green Aston Martin DBR1 raced at Sebring, Le Mans
and other major endurance races in 1958, but it won at Nürburgring
driven by Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham. Next to it is the brutal-looking
white and blue Cunningham C4R that raced at Le Mans and finished first
at Sebring in 1953 driven by John Fitch and Phil Walters. At the far end is
the factory Mercedes-Benz S-Type that won the first German Grand Prix
Right: The American
Underslung was
one of America‘s
early sports cars.
Below: In England,
hill climbs were very
popular with owners
of sports cars, such
as this unrestored
Vauxhall 30/98.
Keith Martin
covers the auction
scene from
Mr. Insider
the best seat in
the house.
by Ken Gross •• photography by Derek Blagg
Keith Martin is one of the most respected authorities on vintage cars and auctions.
His magazines, Sports Car Market and Corvette Market, are revered for their
concise, objective, informative and always entertaining insights. The reason is
clear once you know Martin: His magazines reflect his personality to a T.
Martin’s latest venture, Collector Car Price Tracker, an online showpiece
with eBay Motors, is the first real-time, real-sales price guide for collector
vehicles and has solidified his impact on the hobby.
We recently caught up with him to discuss his unlikely path into the hobby,
his favorite auction moment and where he thinks car collecting is headed.
You were a ballet dancer. Isn’t that an unusual
background for a car guy?
I’ve got gasoline in my blood, although it took me a while to realize it. After
college, I diverted into the arts, dance and ballet for about 15 years, studying
modern dance at the Juilliard School in the early ’70s and then founding the
first statewide Oregon ballet company.
Why did you decide to trade dancing for cars?
It became clear to me that if a ballet company was going to survive, it had
to have the warhorses like “Nutcracker” and “Sleeping Beauty.” I had no
interest in producing those. If you’re doing original work, you can excel to
your own standards. So I went to work for Ron Tonkin, the Ferrari and
exotic car dealer, in Portland, Oregon. At that time (1988–89) there were
lots of market letters, including Ferrari and Porsche, but there was nothing
for Alfa Romeos. Being an Alfisti, I thought there should be an Alfa Romeo
market letter. I put an ad in Hemmings Motor News, got a few subscriptions
and off we went.
Mary Ann Liebert (who publishes medical newsletters and had a publication called Automotive Investor) heard about me, and that became my first
job editing an entire magazine. I ended up buying Automotive Investor. Our
corporate name is Automotive Investor Media Group.
How did Sports Car Market evolve out of that?
With the Alfa market letter, when we got to about 400 subscribers, we probably had everyone in the entire world who cared about Alfa Romeos. Then
we started the English car market letter. Producing two market letters was
killing me, so I thought I’d add German cars and call it Sports Car Market. It
was sheer desperation and it turned out to be OK.
Sports Car Market has become the mainstay of
auction coverage. Was that your intent?
Auctions have always interested me because of my theatrical background.
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
29
They are pure improvisational theater at its highest level. You never really know what’s going to
happen. You put all these ingredients in — high
drama, high-priced cars, the market, bidders,
big catalogs, lots of publicity — and then you
get to sit and watch.
How do you see the
market evolving?
My relationship with old cars has changed over the
years. I had a Giulietta Spyder Veloce that I was
driving back and forth to Reed College from San
Francisco — all the work I had to do, changing
head gaskets and stuff. I wasn’t doing it because it
was a classic car. I was doing it because it was the
coolest car I could own at that period.
As we get older, we’re looking at the same
cars. We’re fixed in time with our passions. But
what we want from those cars is changing. We
want these cars to provide an exhilarating escape
from everyday life. We don’t want to go out in
the garage and gap valves, balance tires and
change tranny fluid. We’re in it now for the
absolute pure joy of motoring — with a car that
speaks a language to you.
I think the next 20 years will be very interesting because you’ll have a generation of people who
have no firsthand experience with the cars of the
’50s and ’60s — a period I believe will be regarded
as the golden age of the collectible car. It was a
time when there were no federal regulations to
inhibit performance or styling.
A late ’50s/early ’60s sports car can go
100 mph. It can cruise at 70 mph all day long.
They have tops that work, heaters that work
and they really hit their stride, like the Healey
BJ8, for instance. I grew up around these cars,
reading Road & Track, lusting after them. Most
of today’s teens have no recollection of adjusting SU carburetors or of timing cars. The question is, when you plug in the OBD-2 sensor,
what does it tell you?
And that’s OK, but I believe in the “toaster
philosophy of mechanical evolution.” The first
toasters were very complicated. You had to flip the
bread down, and flip it back up, and you burnt
the bread. Now, toasters are vastly more competent,
and you’ll never open one in your lifetime. You’ll
have it for 20 years. It’ll break and you’ll replace
it. And that’s the way all things tend. I can’t imagine working on my new Boxster. I just take it in
to Al every 5,000 miles and he fixes whatever’s
wrong with it.
30
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
“Don’t scratch
your ear at
an auction.”
A funny thing happened to me at the
inaugural Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas
auction in October. There was a vintage dragster for sale with a fiberglass
dragon body on it that shot fire out of
its mouth about 30 feet and blew
smoke. They thought it would bring
about $40,000. My wife’s father has
always been an engine builder and a
drag racer. We were about ready to
leave when the dragon car comes on.
My wife, Wendie, says how cool it
would be for her dad to have.
So I said I’d make only one bid. The
first bid was $5,000, and then I bid
$7,000. Cars never sell in that range,
right? There was dead silence, and the
guy looked at me and said, “Sold!” I
turned to Wendie and said, “We just
bought a dragon race car that blows fire.”
It’s got an alcohol-based Chrysler
440 with nitrous. Her dad figured it’s
worth $15,000 to part it out, but I don’t
want to do that. Now I’ve paid $2,000
more to get it to Portland, Oregon. You
know, you always have to be prepared
when you go to an auction — you could
own something.
How will collectors’
expectations change in
the future?
People will have very different demands
of their collector cars. They’ll want cars
to work. That’s the reason resto-mods
are so popular. You’re getting a car that
looks like an old car, but it has air conditioning that works, power steering,
power disc brakes and a great sound
system. And I get that. A resto-mod is
probably the perfect entry-level collector car. Then if the person likes that
car, they can move on to a more robust
experience. It’s like moving from a
simple table wine to a Brunello. But
you don’t want to start with a heavy
deal, because you have too many experiences to sort out.
The whole notion of why we have
these cars is going to change because
we’re going to want to use them more.
I also believe that a lot of project cars
won’t be brought back because there
won’t be a market to support them
— TR6s, MGBs, the little cars. Any
of the Grand Classics that have stodgy
coachwork are at risk. Because why
would you go to the trouble to restore
a four-door car when you could restore
a convertible?
What’s in your collection now?
What would you like to have?
If I could have one big old car right now, it
would be a two-headlight 330 GT 2+2 Ferrari.
I had a 330 America. Those cars are prettier,
but they’re harder to live with. So this car would
have a five-speed and air conditioning and power
steering. I’m also up for a really good ’67 Alfa
GTV. I’ve got a ’65 Giulia Spyder Veloce now,
and an ’02 Porsche Boxster S. My daughter,
Alex, drives a ’95 BMW 318i, and we’ve got a
’65 Volvo PV544, a nice two-owner car.
As a writer, publisher,
television commentator
and enthusiast, Martin is
constantly on the go, meeting
collectors and getting
involved in their activities
throughout the world.
does anything keep you
up at night?
I sleep pretty well. The magazines are doing
well. I like the cars I have and I understand
exactly why I have them. I don’t think much
about the current economic situation because
I believe there will always be people who are
buying and selling collector cars.
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2008
 Goes
Steady As
She
While the collector
car hobby Witnessed
its own reckoning in
2008, many Aspects of
the hobby are solid.
by Rob Sass ••
photography by Blair Bunting
In hindsight, 2008 may eventually be looked
upon as a page-turning year for the collector car hobby.
But not simply because the news on the value front
was no longer the “onward and upward” that the
market has come to expect over the last six or seven
years. While there was a fair amount of hand-wringing
over values — especially in the latter half of the year
— there were other subtle changes in the hobby that
may indicate a maturing process.
Economic impact
The summer of 2006 saw the first drop in housing
prices in 11 years. However, there was far worse to
come, as the subprime mortgage market began to
collapse, followed by the stock market in October
2008. Those who had prospered building mortgage,
plumbing, electrical contracting and landscaping
businesses during the housing boom were suddenly
far more concerned with the survival of their companies than battling for the right to take home a
pristine AAR ’Cuda. For those who saw a correction
in the muscle-car market as inevitable, the downturn
in the housing market provided a reason for one.
The first cars to really take it on the chin were
the clones and the undocumented or non-original
muscle cars, which almost immediately lost as much
as one-third their value. According to the Hagerty’s
Cars That Matter price guide, for most of 2007, the
blue-chip muscle cars held their own, but by early
2008, when the full extent of the subprime mortgage
meltdown became clear, even excellent examples of
iconic muscle cars, such as the Shelby GT500 and
Chevelle SS LS6, were down measurably in value.
The long-talked-about correction had come to this
sector of the market.
According to Colin Comer, author of Million
Dollar Muscle Cars, the biggest losers were anything
with a Hemi in it. “With up to 500-percent appreciation in four or five years, these cars had been whipped
into a frenzy that just couldn’t be sustained,” he says.
“They’re down to around 2003–2004 prices.”
But excluding Hemi Mopars, muscle cars with
production numbers less than 1,000 weren’t really
hurt. “Overall, prices are down to perhaps 2005 or
mid-boom levels,” Comer says. So this was nothing
like the crash seen by the Ferrari market in 1991.
Other sectors of the market — such as brass-era
cars, European sports cars and prewar classics —
have been less affected by the economic downturn.
For most of 2008, a strong pound and euro ensured
more of a soft landing for cars with worldwide
appeal. Muscle cars, which lack an international
following, simply weren’t as lucky.
David Gooding, founder and CEO of Gooding
& Company, noted that more than 25 percent of
the bidders at his Pebble Beach sale in August 2008
were European. In any event, the dollar’s strengthening against the euro at the end of 2008 makes it an
open question as to how many Europeans will make
the trip back to Pebble Beach in 2009.
Auction houses also noted a trend toward increasingly discriminate buyers. According to Ian Kelleher,
RM Auctions president and COO, buyers in 2008
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
33
be the company’s ancestral home — Las Vegas.
The results in attendance were impressive and,
for the most part, the prices realized were marketcorrect despite concerns over the economy.
2008 hagerty hobby Survey
You probably already know most collectors own their current vehicles for personal nostalgia. But
you might find it surprising that the same four cars — Chevy Corvette, Ford Mustang, Chevy
Camaro and Chevy Chevelle — top the most recently purchased vehicle list of both hobby newcomers and veterans, according to our seventh annual Hobby Survey. The polling of more than
10,000 current collector vehicle owners also reveals that hobbyists are buying fewer cars overall,
with 63 percent purchasing a collector car in the last five years, down from 69 percent in 2005.
And motivators, such as historical importance and mastering hands-on skills, are affecting the way
collector car owners participate in the hobby, the types of vehicles they own and vehicle usage.
Below are a few other notable facts that came out in the survey.

were playing it safe and paying much more attention
to quality. True No. 1 and No. 2 examples of rare
and significant cars generally had little trouble finding takers at strong prices, but more common cars,
those with stories or those in lesser condition were
tougher sales. “One thing hasn’t changed — the
auction business is still about timing, venue, cars
and clients,” Kelleher says.
In the latter half of 2008, many potential buyers also seemed to be sitting on their hands waiting
to see how bad things were actually going to get
with the economy and the outcome of the presidential election. The concern with the latter was
that the new Obama administration would quickly
raise the rate on capital gains taxes — a real concern
for long-term owners of valuable cars.
Expanding areas
Unlike the U.S. economy, which officially entered
a recession in 2008, there were some notable expansions in the collector car hobby: August Monterey
sales were stronger last year than in 2007, with
Gooding, RM, Bonhams and Russo and Steele all
doing quite well.
Not surprisingly, Gooding — whose star has been
steadily on the rise since its formation in 2004 —
entered the Arizona market in January with a one-day
sale held at an upscale Scottsdale shopping mall. The
location was quite good — with the excellent access
and ample parking one would expect of a retail center — and the Gooding team pulled off the first-year
sale with characteristic aplomb.
Concurrent with the venerable Labor Day Kruse
Auburn sale, the Worldwide Group held a new
catalog sale just down the road. Rod Egan and
John Kruse ably filled the demand for some higherend cars and more attentive service.
In October, Barrett-Jackson brought its brand
of flamboyant sales to what seemed like it should
34
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
2008 by the numbers 
82
join a car club to
share info about
their vehicle.
54
primarily use Web
sites to find parts
and supplies.
43
have delayed
planned purchases,
major restorations/
renovations or travel
plans because of
an uncertain U.S.
economy.
percent
percent
percent
Safe bets
39

percent
More Than
4K
$
researched online
listings before
purchasing.
One significant trend that continued to
gather momentum in 2008 was the rise of the
unrestored car. It is well known that altering or
refinishing a well-preserved object is avoided
in most other collecting pursuits. But until
recently, in the old car world, it was common
practice to restore the patina, originality and,
some say, the charm out of well-preserved, but
less-than-perfect, original cars.
Tom Cotter, co-chair of the Amelia Island
Concours d’Elegance and author of the books
The Cobra in the Barn and The Hemi in the Barn,
says, “It’s sad how many cars with original finishes
and bolts tightened by workers at the factory
have been lost in pursuit of shiny and fresh.
Honestly, my favorite car is my unrestored 1938
Ford Woodie. It’s reliable and has a cohesive feel
that restored cars just can’t match. It’s not just a
disparate collection of new parts.”
Signs of an increasing appreciation for origi­
nality are all over the old-car hobby: Last year,
the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance added a
postwar preservation class, and the Bloomington
Gold organization of Corvette Survivor® fame
held what was likely the first all-makes car show
open only to unrestored cars.
The market has shown some of the same reverence. Last year’s sale by RM of a completely
original 1911 Oldsmobile seven-passenger touring
car for $1.65 million was followed up by the February 2008 Paris sale of a 1961 Aston Martin DB4
— utterly original and with every document since
new. The Aston sold for more than $450,000,
again almost twice the low estimate.
Aston Martin expert and dealer Steve Serio
sums it up best: “A car is only original once, and
this is proof positive that a really savvy collector will
pay much more for that than he or she would for
a restored car. Anyone can own a restored trailer
queen, but the very few great original cars that still
exist are being coveted by educated buyers.”
things stabilize in the near term, and credit eases up,
we could see the same phenomenon again as people
turn from a lethargic stock market.
On a demographic level, one simply has to look
at auction and concours crowds to be concerned about
the obvious graying of the hobby. Will anyone care
about cars of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s when this generation passes from the scene? Comer (himself a Generation Xer) says, if history is any indication, yes.
40
percent
is spent on average
for restoration and
maintenance.
completely
agree that they
are concerned
about the effects
of changes to
emissions laws.
The future
This year is shaping up to be volatile. All bets
are off if the already teetering economy is further
gut-punched by massive defaults on consumer
credit or commercial real estate loans. Following
the stock market collapse of 1987, more money
flowed into tangibles, such as collector cars. If
Source: 2008 Hagerty Hobby Survey
“Gen Xers and beyond will likely look to cars from
the 1950s and ’60s the same way that baby boomers have
started to collect brass-era and prewar classics that they
have no recollection of from their youth,” he says.
With prices of dorm room poster icons like the
Lamborghini Countach and Porsche 930 Turbo on the
rise, it seems apparent that even though generational
shifts occur, car collecting is a permanent part of the
American psyche.
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1/14/09 9:42:48
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
35 AM
E t h a nol :
Demonic or Devine?
Is E10 an enemy of your collector car fuel system?
A study by Kettering University attempts to find out.
by Jonathan A. Stein & Craig Hoff, PH.D. •• photography by A.J. Mueller
In
folklore, whenever something mysterious happens it’s
blamed on a witch, fairy, or even Bigfoot. In the collector car world, ethanol is often the accused — being
denounced for everything from poor drivability to corroding fuel tanks,
blocked fuel lines and leaking carburetors.
In 2007, Hagerty decided to see if ethanol was truly the arch villain that
rendered old cars fuel-leaking garage ornaments. The company partnered with
Kettering University’s Advanced Engine Research Laboratory to develop the
first test that closely duplicated a collector vehicle’s use cycle, with the goal of
finding out exactly how these fuel systems were affected by long-term exposure
to low ethanol–blended gasoline. The initial findings might surprise you.
Today’s Fuels: Modern gasoline blends are far removed from those
for which most collector vehicles were designed. Since 1992, oxygenates —
additives to complete combustion — have been required in gasoline as part
of a pollution control strategy. Ethanol is a favored oxygenate because it is
less toxic than others (such as MTBE) and is a renewable energy source.
However, many of the rubber seals, gaskets, diaphragms and fuel
lines used in cars built before the 1980s are known to be incompatible
with pure ethanol. What wasn’t known was whether lower concentrations of ethanol would degrade these components and corrode the zinc,
brass, lead and aluminum of hard fuel lines, tanks and carburetors.
Many studies have been conducted in the past decade to determine the
effects of ethanol-blended fuels on modern automobiles. A 2007 Australian
study found numerous examples of material incompatibility in new car components immersed in E5 (gasoline mixed with 5 percent ethanol) and E10
(gasoline mixed with 10 percent ethanol). Not surprisingly, a 2008 study
funded by the corn- and ethanol-producing state of Minnesota found no ill
effects in components exposed to E20 (gasoline mixed with 20 percent ethanol). Neither study addressed the issue of older vehicles and E10, which is the
most commonly available fuel today.
preliminary results: After several months and a full 3,000
hours of testing, the Hagerty study found that there was no difference
between the performance of the SU carburetors (from a 1962 MGA) running
E10 and the ones flowing E0 (gasoline without ethanol). The carburetor jets
were unobstructed, the needle valves and floats were functioning properly and
36
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
the throttle shafts were moving freely. Both fuel pumps
continued to put out more than 3psi and were flowing
fuel at an acceptable rate — regardless of the fuel.
Short-term performance on E10 was unaffected, but
there were indications that operating an SU-equipped
vehicle over a long period of time may require more frequent fuel system maintenance to replace seals and remove
varnishes and particulate buildup on components, such as
the dashpot damper, the inside of the dashpot and on the
throttle shaft. Softening or cracked seals and gaskets could
allow leakage, and the varnish could impede throttle shaft
operation. The only other noticeable concern was corrosion inside the steel drum used as a fuel tank, suggesting
that it may be prudent to coat or seal steel fuel tanks.
According to a publication of the Renewable Fuels
Association, “… regardless of the materials selected,
fuel system components do not last forever and will
eventually deteriorate to the point where replacement
is required.” This thought is echoed by the Environmental Protection Agency, which suggests upgrading
the fuel system of cars built before 1986 with “modern
replacement parts.” In other words, both organizations (which promote
ethanol) acknowledge that using gasoline containing ethanol in older
vehicles requires additional — and sometimes costly — measures.
The Study: Most ethanol tests, including the above-mentioned
Australia and Minnesota studies, are built around long-term immersion of components in various concentrations of ethanol-blended fuels.
The Kettering team, led by mechanical engineering professors Dr. Greg
Davis and Dr. Craig Hoff, ran a test that more closely simulated the
duty cycle seen by most occasional-use vehicles. Exposure to the fuel
was followed by a resting period during which parts were exposed to air.
Given such exposure, soft parts swelled in use and shrank as they dried,
while metallic parts exposed to air were subject to corrosion.
Knowing that the vast majority of collector vehicles are from the 1950s,
’60s and ’70s, six sample fuel systems were selected: 1948 Flathead Ford,
1958 Volkswagen Beetle, 1962 MGA, 1963 Ford Falcon, 1969 Chevrolet
A special rig was fabricated
to run the mechanical fuel
pumps to provide fuel
pressure to the carburetor
test rigs (shown here).
testing shows ethanol may not be quite as villainous as once thought.
Bel Air and 1970 Chrysler New Yorker. These fuel pump and carburetor
combinations represented hundreds of thousands of collector vehicles.
The test was limited to just the fuel system, which meant sourcing carburetors and their corresponding fuel pumps, as well as fuel
lines. One set was needed for flow testing with E0, while another was
employed for flow testing with E10. A third set was used for splash testing. When the actual testing was complete, metallurgical engineer Dr.
Chuck White dissected and examined the parts.
In theory, the flow tests were simple. A test rig design was developed
that contained a steel barrel that served as a fuel tank, a fuel pump and
its matching carburetor, and a fan and all necessary plumbing. A dozen
test rigs were needed because there were six different fuel systems to test
with both E0 and E10. Due to the differences in the carburetors, custom
mounts were required, which made fabrication a lengthy process.
Another essential study element included drip testing, during which
sectioned components were repeatedly sprayed with fuel (both E0 and E10)
for five minutes before drying for 55 minutes. It sounds simple, but it was
challenging setting up a safe system through which fuel would be constantly
sprinkled onto components and recycled without risking fire or explosion.
A 1,500- to 3,000-hour target was set to ensure the validity of the
program, which continued as of late December 2008. Although the SU
carburetors and fuel pumps from the 1962 MGA had successfully completed the 3,000 hours of cycling on and off, test results of the other fuel
systems will be reported on in future issues of Hagerty’s.
So what can we conclude thus far? The results from the tests with the
SU carburetors and fuel pumps suggest that E10 can be used in older vehicles, although the owner is likely to be faced with the additional costs associated with sealing fuel tanks and cleaning and rebuilding fuel systems more
frequently than in the past. However, it’s best to be cautious about reading
into these preliminary results until the tests of the five other fuel systems are
complete. Until then, it’s safe to assume that you can continue to drive your
collector vehicle using E10; it may just cost you more in the long run.
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
37
Experience
places to
park it
AutoBarn Classic Cars
Consignment Sales & Storage
Concord, North Carolina
800-650-1055
autobarnclassiccars.com
Bridgehampton Motoring Club
Bridgehampton, New York
631-537-5001
bridgehamptonmotoringclub.com
the
Club Carrera
Bend, Oregon
541-382-1711
carreramotors.com
Boarding
stables
There was a time when just about every
family had a horse that spent most of its day
dozing in a backyard stable, waiting to be
called upon to transport its owners.
But as the automobile shouldered aside
the buggy, the garage replaced the stable.
Vehicles soon stretched garages to
their limits, forcing enthusiasts to
seek new places for their collector
Like-minded collectors create
items to call home. Storage co-ops
the ideal mix of a storage facility,
were the answer.
workshop and social club.
Today’s typical club offers
indoor vehicle storage, a detailing
by Rich Taylor
and service area, and a members’ lounge
for relaxing and swapping tall tales. One of
my favorites is Fox Cities British Car Club,
38
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
located outside Oshkosh, Wisconsin. MG
collector Jim Marks started the club seven
years ago. A few years later, he and a couple
of friends bought a defunct motorcycle
dealership to use as its headquarters. They
now have 131 families and 190 British cars
in the group.
The clubhouse currently has 55 cars
in heated storage and a shop with lifts
that allow up to seven cars to be worked
on at once. It also has a lounge with a full
kitchen, which, among other things, stocks
15 brands of imported beer and is where
the club frequently hosts events, including
its annual winter festival. Unbelievable as
it may seem, members pay only $650 per
year to store a car. The shop, pub and car
guy camaraderie come free.
At the opposite end of the scale are forprofit storage facility/social clubs on the East
and West Coasts. Collectors Car Garage
in Bedford Hills, New York, charges $400 a
month for a membership, while The Stables in
Scottsdale, Arizona, tops out at $500 a month.
Collectors Car Garage
Bedford Hills, New York
877-824-2724
collectorscargarage.com
Sausalito Classic Car Storage
Sausalito, California
415-331-1024
sausalitoclassiccarstorage.com
Storage co-ops, such
as Arizona’s The
Stables (shown here),
offer collectors more
than just a place to
keep their cars.
The formula is similar for virtually every
facility across the country. Most are in a
defunct car dealership or a discrete, fire­resistant building in an industrial park.
Typically, there’s climate-­controlled storage, a shop for detailing and minor repairs,
and a lounge with a high-definition, bigscreen TV usually tuned to SPEED.
There’s always a mammoth insurance policy and often a live feed of every precious car
that members can access online 24 hours a
day. Beyond that, amenities range from free
beer and wine to bottled nitrogen for inflating tires. Valet and concierge services, club
events at the local track, and all-inclusive
The Auto Treasury
Orlando area, Florida
866-571-3240
theautotreasury.com
“vehicle management” programs seem to
be the latest offerings.
According to the December 2008 issue
of Forbes, half the people in the world will
soon live in urban areas with more than 1 million inhabitants. That’s another way of saying
that neighborhoods where you can afford to
house an extensive car collection are going to
be increasingly rare. Storage co-ops are the
answer. Best of all, since you’ll never bring it
home, your wife doesn’t even have to know
you’re keeping a collector car on the side.
The Stables
Scottsdale, Arizona
480-699-3095
thestablesaz.com
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
39
Experience
From the earliest days, automotive
travel has required creative luggage solutions. Many early cars had luggage racks
mounted on the rear to carry trunks with
fitted luggage. There were other ingenious
solutions to the luggage issue, such as the
Samson Wardrobe Suitcase, which fit in a
rack mounted to the running board. Today,
companies like Varco Inc. (varcoinc.com)
make reproduction trunks and racks for early
Chevrolets and Fords that provide a vintage
look at a reasonable price.
Grand Touring luggage is as collectible as the cars for
which it was custom designed. by carl Bomstead
Fitted luggage was a desirable option
for many Mercedes-Benz models of the ’50s.
Baisch made the early 300SL sets. Some were
leather and others were vinyl with pigskin
leather corners. Today, original 300SL luggage
sets command from $15,000 to $18,000, but
several firms make excellent reproductions,
matching any interior color scheme, for
around $6,000.
Elegant fitted luggage sets are available
for many of today’s high-end cars, and companies like Trunks of Haslemere (tofh.com)
make custom sets for Aston Martin and Bentley, among others. They also make distinctive
luggage sets for earlier Ferraris, Jaguar XKs
and Porsche 911s. Alfred Dunhill designed a
luggage set for Bentley (bentleycollection.
com) that echoes the fluted Bentley interior,
and Ferragamo created a luxurious, albeit
expensive, five-piece luggage set for the
Maserati Gran Turismo.
40
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
Porsche Design Group (Porsche-Design.
com), a subsidiary of Porsche AG, offers
vehicle-related products for Porsche drivers
and fans through their numerous Porsche
Design stores. Their Carfit Luggage series is
specifically designed for their current automotive offerings, although additional pieces
are available for older models. Koffer24.de
(Koffer24.com), a German firm, also offers
luggage sets for the Porsche Boxster and
911 Carrera, along with sets designed for
several other sports cars.
The Commemorative Motorsport Collection by Caracalla Bagaglio (cbfil.co.uk)
includes Italian leather holdalls that are replicas of those used by Ferrari drivers to carry
their helmets and other racing equipment. The
dark blue leather Seven is a replica of the one
used by Sir Stirling Moss when he drove Rob
Walker’s Ferrari 250/SWB to victory at the 1961
Tourist Trophy race. Other drivers are represented, and they are expanding their offerings
beyond the Ferrari marque.
Elegant and stylish luggage is available
from numerous sources for both your collector car and modern transportation. For
a quick overnight trip or an extended tour,
there are offerings that allow you to maximize
your vehicle’s available space and make your
arrival a statement.
Caracalla Bagaglio commemorates racer Niki Lauda‘s No. 12
Ferrari 312T with this leather
holdall. Above: Trunks of
Haslemere offers fitted
luggage for many
vehicles.
Look as good out of your
Corvette as you do in it.
the
Corvette
®
Ring Collection
Order yours today
jostens.com/corvette or 1-800-839-7125
99-4808-55684
bags
designer
Chevrolet, Corvette, all related Emblems and the related vehicle body designs are
General Motors Trademarks used under license to Jostens, Inc.
Gear guide
r
e
Ca Coutur
Complement your vintage vehicle from head to
toe with this motoring apparel.
photography by
Joe Vaughn
Irish Flat Cap
Top off your look with handcrafted traditional Irish headwear from Hanna Hats of Donegal. This Irish tweed cap
is made from 100-percent wool woven in a time-honored
method resulting in a hardy fabric that is durable, weatherresistant and loaded with character. Its viscose taffeta lining
is windproof, breathable and provides added resistance to
rain penetration. $56; 877-943-4287 or noggintops.com
Driving Shoes
With their supple, perforated leather upper and full pigskin
lining, Piloti’s Sebring shoes recall the drivers of another era
who were virtuosos behind the wheel. Patented Roll Control™ heel technology modernizes this classic design, making the Sebring as functional in the car as they are strolling
the concours lawn. $150; 805-494-0756 or piloti.com
#6:*/( 4&--*/(
%0/µ5#&.*4(6*%&%
Whether you're buying,
selling or just keeping an
eye on the market,
Hagerty’s CARS THAT
MATTER is the premier price
guide for collector vehicles.
Covering over 160 makes of Post War cars, it is the most unbiased, accurate and up-to-date value guide in the hobby.
Get yours today – as a pocket-size book, online or through
your mobile phone – at www.carsthatmatter.com. Hagerty
Plus members receive four books for the price of three!
BEFORE YOU GET INTO A
BIDDING WAR
AMMO
BETTER HAVE PLENTY OF
Arm yourself with a loan from Hagerty Finance – a program
designed especially for collectors, with the lowest monthly
payments. War can be hell. Especially for the other guy.
800-922-4050 |
WWW.CARSTHATMATTER.COM
INSURANCE
42
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
WWW . HAGERTY . COM
U FINANCE U ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE U HOBBY RESOURCES
Men’s Leather Driving Gloves
Driving gloves aren’t just for professional racers. This classic
driver-style leather glove from Isotoner has a comfortable fit
that allows for easy gripping — perfect for driving during cooler
months or if your collector vehicle has a plastic wheel. A snap
wrist and open back complete the look. Available in black or
brown. $50; 800-762-8712 ext. 8519 or totes-isotoner.com
Barbour International trials
Jacket short
Dare to drop your convertible top in cooler
temps when donning this jacket. Its mediumweight wax cotton and pure cotton lining offer
weather-­beating versatility. Plus, a corduroy
storm collar features an adjustable neck strap
and buckle to customize its fit. Map, breast and
two side pockets provide room for your essentials. $379; 800-227-2687 or bestgear.com
Truly Unique
Michael Furman (2)
GREAT RESOURCES
Bob’s Speedometer Service
800-592-9673
bobsspeedometer.com
Burton L. Norton Company
616-677-1208
burtonlnorton@yahoo.com
James Haefner
A re-done dial looks great,
but be advised that picky
judges probably will notice
your second hand now
moves in a steady sweep
and may deduct points for
modernizing.
Dial Red
Plot a plan of attack before ripping apart your
classic car‘s instrument panel. by Don Sherman
If your classic car’s instrument
panel could speak it would say:
 Don’t scrimp on me because
I’m the first line of defense
against engine meltdown, a flat
battery and speeding tickets.
 My insides are delicate.
Improper disassembly can result
in a terminal loss of magnetism!
 A gauge cluster that shines factory fresh will impress admirers.
Luckily, there’s a network of
experts who can restore your
instruments while you focus on
other aspects of your revival
44
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com
project. To find one, start by
asking fellow car club members
for their recommendations.
If you don’t belong to a
club, shop the same catalogs
you depend on for replacement
parts. Some supply houses offer
reproduction gauges that will
suit your needs. You also can try
an instrument-repair specialist.
I’ve had excellent results with
Bob’s Speedometer Service in
Howell, Michigan, and paid them
a visit to bone up for this report.
General manager Dennis
Resources
Classic Instruments
800-575-0461
classicinstruments.com
Brock explained the process of
refurbishing speedometers, tachs,
gauges and clocks. With clocks,
the usual routine is to replace the
fragile spring-powered mechanism with more reliable quartz
internals at a $125 to $175 cost.
Cable-driven speedos and
tachs originally used their die-cast
housing to support spinning parts.
To eradicate wear that results in
needle wobble, the housing is
bored out to accept brass bushings at cable-entry and needlepivot points. After reassembly, a
visit to the calibration bench and
some fine-tuning verify that speed
and rpm readings are accurate.
To refurbish faceplates, Bob’s
and other instrument specialists
use silk-screen painting processes when possible or transfer
Instrument Services Inc.
800-558-2674
clocksandgauges.com
Nisonger Instruments
914-381-1952
nisonger.com
Palmetto Restorations
864-277-8768
palmettorestorations.com
(stick-on) numerals and markings
in special cases, such as irregular
(usually concave) surfaces. The
typical cost of refurbishing a tach
or speedo starts at $200 and will
zoom higher if a new silkscreen
or custom-made part is required.
But there are minor repairs
you can do at home. To check
a temperature gauge, dip the
sending unit in boiling water.
When your fuel gauge acts up,
use an ohmmeter to check the
level sensor. Corvette Central
(corvettecentral.com) sells a
$5.50 bottle of fluorescent orange
paint perfect for touching up
needles and redlines.
As with other areas of the
car, the patience you invest in
instrument restoration will be
well rewarded.
Time travel at the speed of a 1935 Speedster?
The 1930s brought unprecedented innovation in machine-age technology and
materials. Industrial designers from the
auto industry translated the principles
of aerodynamics and streamlining into
everyday objects like radios and toasters.
It was also a decade when an unequaled
variety of watch cases and movements
came into being. In lieu of hands to tell
time, one such complication, called a
jumping mechanism, utilized numerals
on a disc viewed through a window.
With its striking resemblance to the
dashboard gauges and radio dials of the
decade, the jump hour watch was
indeed “in tune” with the times!
The Stauer 1930s Dashtronic deftly
blends the modern functionality of a 21jewel automatic movement and 3-ATM
water resistance with the distinctive,
retro look of a jumping display (not an
for a full refund of the purchase price. If
you have an appreciation for classic
design with precision accuracy, the
1930s Dashtronic Watch is built for you.
This watch is a limited edition, so please
act quickly. Our last two limited edition
watches are totally sold out!
True to Machine Art esthetics, the sleek
brushed stainless steel case is clear on the
back, allowing a peek at the inner workings.
Not Available in Stores
actual jumping complication). The
stainless steel 1 1/2" case is complemented with a black alligator-embossed
leather band. The band is 9 1/2" long
and will fit a 7–8 1/2" wrist.
Call now to take advantage of this limited offer.
Try the Stauer 1930s Dashtronic Watch
for 30 days and if you are not receiving
compliments, please return the watch
Stauer 1930s Dashtronic Watch $99 +S&H or
3 easy credit card payments of $33 +S&H
1-800-859-1602
Promotional Code DRW209-02
Please mention this code when you call.
14101 Southcross Drive W.,
Dept. DRW209-02
Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
www.stauer.com
REARVIEW MIRROR
the road to
par adise
the stats
Bricklin SV-1
at a gl ance
 Built by Bricklin Motors
 Designed by Herb Grasse
 Built: 1974–1976
 Quantity Produced: 2,889
 Original Price: $9,775
The Bricklin‘s most radical styling feature was
its dramatic gull-wing doors.
 Current Price: $8,100–$28,200
A safe bet
The mid-1970s weren’t kind to performance
cars. An increased emphasis on safety,
coupled with rising gas prices and primitive
emissions control equipment, took most of
the fun out of driving. But maverick entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin, who formed Subaru of
America and Yugo America, spied an opportunity to build the sports car of his dreams —
one that would combine safety and fun in an
affordable, dependable and stylish package.
Bricklin had made millions in the hardware industry as one of the pioneers of the
large home improvement store concept.
However, he was also determined to make
his mark on the auto industry. He sought to
emphasize safety, hence the Safety Vehicle 1
(SV-1) name. An inner crash-resistant metal
cockpit framework was the Bricklin’s most
prominent feature. The chassis was simple,
and AMC Hornet brakes and suspension
were used along with an AMC 360 V-8.
Designer Herb Grasse gave it a “wedge”
shape with a minimum of fussy trim. The fiberglass body was laminated to an acrylic outer
layer molded in body color. The most radical
The Canadian Bricklin tried to marry sports
cars and safety. by Harold Pace
styling feature was its dramatic gull-wing doors.
Word of the exciting newcomer spread like
wildfire through the automotive press, with the
first production models appearing in 1974.
Unfortunately, the company quickly
stumbled when build costs at its Canadian
plant proved higher than expected and build
quality suffered. The doors leaked and took
too long to open. Body panels seldom fit
correctly. In 1975, a Ford 351 replaced the
AMC 360 and sales went up. But financial
problems remained and investors bailed, making the 1976 model the last. Liquidator Consolidated Motors completed some unfinished
cars, but fewer than 3,000 Bricklins were built.
Dr. Sandy Bigman has one of the nicest
SV-1s in the country, which he bought new in
1977. It was his second Bricklin, having purchased one of the first models in 1974. “It wasn’t
well built,” he recalls, “but this second one was
much better. It’s fabulous. It was a demonstrator at a Bricklin dealer and I got it for $9,100.”
Bigman has kept his car pristine and had
the doors upgraded to a faster-opening
system. “They now open and close in two
seconds,” he beams.
His SV-1 took Best of Show honors at
the 2007 National Bricklin Meet, and he has
no plans to part with it. “The Bricklin was a
victim of circumstance that deserved a better
fate,” Bigman says.
Dr. Sandy Bigman says Bricklins, like
his shown at left, feature styling as
modern today as it was in 1975.
7th annual auction
palm beach, fl
april 9-11 s 2009
americraft expo center
at the south florida fairgrounds
1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE
Sold for a record $167,200 in Palm Beach 2008.
CONSIGN TODAY!
To consign, register to bid or for event information & reservations visit:
www.Barrett-Jackson.com or call 480.663.6255
46
Hagerty’s Magazine | hagerty.com