Hurst Hemi under glass And the mAn who built it AmC JAvelin
the uK’s number 1 for 27 years
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muscle ’n’
Special
1958 edsel bermudA
1970 merCury Colony PArK
1963 studebAKer lArK wAgon
tickets to
xxxxx
1963 Plymouth Fury wAgon
1972 Chrysler town & Country
’71 CudA
PlymoutH’s
Perfect Pony car Pe Perfe
rACe oF gentlemen ★ PAlm sPrings AuCtion
287 MARCH 2015
Win
Hustle
Ben Klemenzson
Viewpoint
Got WooD?
Everybody loves wagons, don’t they? Even if you don’t think you do, I’ll bet there’s a wagon that floats your boat, as the American auto industry really did build wagons to suit every taste back in the day; from mild to wild! This month we’re treating you to an assortment of long roofs from every era and every manufacturer – and you know what? We still couldn’t cram all the cars in that we had lined up. Amazingly, the once ubiquitous American station wagon is now even rarer than what were ‘rarities’ at the time they were manufactured i.e. coupes and convertibles. The fact is most wagons led hard, unremarkable lives and no one really thought they were worth saving. That is until now; a story such as Richard Berry’s hardcore restoration of his ’63 Plymouth Fury wagon is truly inspirational, especially when you think how rare that car is and the fact he did it here on these shores. One thinks of this time of year as usually a quiet one on the American car scene, but in actual fact a lot has been going on. The shock closure of longtime American car dealer Bauer Millett (see News, page 10), Bill Shepherd’s first LHD 2015 Mustangs launch and the ongoing preparations for this year’s Wheels Day, which is by pre-entry only.
Listings for 2015 shows and events are pouring in, and if you notice your club’s isn’t listed in the events pages, then that’s most likely because nothing has been submitted. So make sure you get a listing submitted, either emailed or posted to us (details on where to send them to are on the credits on page 130). Also, if you’ve got a car, truck or parts to get rid of (and we could all do with a little extra cash in the new year, right?) then make sure you get them listed for free in the Classic American classifieds – it is after all the UK’s number one market place and it couldn’t be easier to do. You can either do it online or the old-fashioned way with a coupon and a photo, full details on page 127. What are you waiting for…? Ben Klemenzson, editor B.klemenzson@mortons.co.uk
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Contents March 2015
Regulars
Features
6 12 14 16 18 20 86 88 90 96 98 100 102 114
23 1958 Oldsmobile Fiesta 88 wagon 28 1958 Edsel Bermuda wagon 35 1963 Studebaker Lark wagon 39 1963 Plymouth Fury wagon 45 1970 Mercury Colony Park wagon 51 1972 Chrysler Town & Country wagon 56 1968 AMC Javelin 64 ’71 Plymouth ’Cuda 71 Race of Gentlemen 77 Hemi under Glass 83 Rico Rally 109 Palm Springs Auction
News Letters Muscle Car Files Across the Pond From Here to Obscurity Subscription Offer Back Issues Ad Gallery Scale Autos Reviews Discoveries Club & Event News Events Diary Classic American Merchandise 115 Service Directory 118 Private Classifieds 130 Next Month & Credits
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Classic American
News
Bill Shepherd launches the 2015 MUSTANG While most of the country was burdened with ice and snow on January 31, thankfully the south east was only subjected to a blustery cold drizzle. This was a great relief to Bill Shepherd Mustang in West Byfleet, Surrey, which unveiled its first batch of 2015 Ford Mustangs that day. Although Ford has announced plans to release a limited number of RHD Mustangs to the UK market in late 2015, it’s understood these will initially be powered by the EcoBoost 2.3 litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine, rather than the new Coyote 302cu in V8. However, for Mustang fans seeking instant gratification and who yearn for the additional power provided by the V8, LHD American spec cars are available now. The initial delivery included two GT versions, in black and dark blue
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metallic. Both appeared to satisfy the stream of visitors who braved the inclement weather in exchange for an inspection of Ford’s sixth generation pony car. First impressions in comparison with the previous generation were favourable, especially the interior. The black leather seats and trim are noticeably more comfortable and, dare we say it, European in quality, with more leather and less plastic. Overall styling was open to debate and personal preference. However, the fear that in trying to create a ‘world car’, which would appeal to a wider potential market, Ford would lose the essence of what makes a Mustang so special, appeared unfounded. The styling is less retro, but the new car retains many classic styling cues, hinting at the 1969 model,
plus the long hood and short deck that epitomised the first generation of pony cars. It’s longer, wider and lower, with aggressive good looks, a well built and comfortable interior and power similar to a BMW M4, for some £20,000 less. It’s pertinent to point out that apart from the optional auto transmissions, replacing the standard six speed manual, these cars have the basic GT specification, which is in itself most impressive. Other than, perhaps, the optional sat nav, these Mustangs lack for nothing in standard trim. For real gearheads Recaro seats, tuned suspension, 19in alloys and Brembo brakes, are available as upgrades. Ford undoubtedly has another winner, with 435bhp on tap, a 060mph time of 4.5 seconds and a potential autobahn maximum
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speed of around 155mph. The cars should handle better than their forebears, with independent rear suspension for the first time. While fuel economy is unlikely to be a factor, 18-30mpg should be achievable. That’s a lot of bang for the buck. One can only speculate what additional performance advantages will be available if Ford takes the next logical step and offers a revamped Shelby GT500, based on this new platform. In the meantime, Bill Shepherd Mustang can provide Ford’s sixth generation Mustang in a choice of colours and specifications. They’ll be pleased to discuss your needs and advise on warranties, servicing etc, the latter being carried out in house at competitive rates. Telephone Andy Stevens on 01932 340888 or see www.billshepherdmustang.com RC
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Brawn is Back in the Motor city
There are always some very interesting reveals at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which takes place each January at Cobo Center in Downtown Detroit, and the 2015 event was no exception. Here, our man in Motor City, Huw Evans, takes a look at what hometown automakers Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles had on display.
General motors
Buick Cascada
These days, it seems that Buicks for the most part, are little more than rebranded Opels and the Cascada, based on the Opel/Vauxhall Astra cabriolet continues that theme. GM is billing it as the first Buick convertible offered in the US in a generation (the last was the 1991 Reatta two-seater). Changes to suit the North American market include a slightly
more powerful turbocharged 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine (rated at 200bhp) and a standard six-speed automatic transaxle (no manual will be offered). The Cascada, which will go on sale in North America early next year, also comes with standard 20in wheels and tyres.
Buick avenir Concept Although most current Buicks have little in common with the imposing, rear-wheel drive sleds that helped define the brand in its heyday, the Avenir Concept might just signal a return to the American idea of ‘premium luxury’. GM was very light on providing specifics in Detroit, but its long hood, cab rearward greenhouse, sculpted flanks and bulging fenders indicate that a production model would very likely offer a powerful engine up front
and traction to the back tyres if not all four wheels. GM’s vice president of design, Ed Welburn said the Avenir Concept, “demonstrates the growing international reach of Buick and offers an exciting vision of where it can go”. It’ll be interesting to see just where that might be.
Chevrolet Volt Alongside Ford’s GT supercar, one of the most talked about vehicles in Detroit (albeit for very different reasons) was the second generation Chevy Volt. Looking far more conventional than its predecessor (GM North America President Alan Batey says independent customer survey feedback dictated something less radical in the looks department), the new Volt was designed to be both lighter and more efficient than its predecessor. The car features a new two-motor drive feature that’s said to be 12% more efficient as well as being 100lb
lighter. There’s also a bigger capacity (and lighter) battery and a regen on demand feature that allows drivers to control energy regeneration via a steering wheel mounted paddle. Also boasting an improved braking system, 1.5 litre petrol generator that can run on regular fuel and location based charging, the new Volt is expected to go on sale in the second half of this year.
Chevrolet Bolt concept
Besides an updated Volt, GM also announced the Chevy Bolt concept, designed as an affordable yet practical battery electric car. Intended for longer range driving, the Bolt is claimed to travel more than 200 miles before needing a recharge, at a price of around $30,000. Different operating modes are designed to allow motorists to tailor operation to their particular needs, such as commuting or
weekend cruising. Although still a concept at this time, the Chevy Bolt is essentially an important part of GM’s next generation electric vehicle framework, building on what the original Chevy Volt and Spark EV have created.
Next month we look at Chrysler and Ford’s offerings!
classic-american.com 7
Classic American
News
The National Hot Rod & Custom Show returns for 2015 The National Hot Rod & Custom Show returns to Peterborough Showground with a bang, thanks to the promise of even more killer hot rods and custom cars. On top of the incredible line-up of vehicles, which includes the ‘Hot
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Rod & Custom Best in Britain’ showcasing a selection of the UK’s finest customised vehicles, you can also expect even more themed activities this year, from Rockabilly music to burlesque performances. After a fantastic first year, the Ink & Oil Tattoo Convention returns for 2015, with all of the excitement surrounding it. It’s looking bigger and better, with many of the UK’s most talented tattooists and artists already booking their spaces. Why not make a weekend of it? Held over two days, the show gives
you the chance to not only take in some mind-blowing cars, but also really get into the spirit of the lifestyle and culture that surrounds them; the music, the fashion and the food. There’s live action both on and off stage, including ‘Car Crushing Monster Truck Mayhem’, the Rockahula Stage with 10 live bands, rolling road, trade stands, Wall of Death, fun fair, weekend camping and lots more. Come nightfall there’s plenty to do at the Roadhouse Rock Bar, with bands Restless and Heroes lined up. The Retro tent will be
Classic American Magazine, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6LZ
playing Seventies and Eighties music on Friday and Nineties and Noughties music on Saturday night… plus late night adult cabaret and burlesque performances on Saturday with music until 2am. Expect a whole bunch of bars and food stalls on site too, and a night market to keep you watered and fed. For more information or to book tickets go to: www.hotrodandcustomshow.co.uk or call 0844 415 1413.
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WIN
Ts TiCke
Those lovely folk at No Limits Events, organisers of the National Hot Rod & Custom Show, have kindly offered to give Classic American readers one pair of weekend tickets (worth £60 each) and 10 single day tickets (worth £18 each) to 10 runners-up. To be
in with a chance, simply fill in the tie-breaker and the coupon below (or enter online after February 25). Couldn’t be simpler!
tickets to the national hot rod and custom car show Where does the National Hot Rod and Custom Car Show take place? Birmingham
Peterborough
Belfast
Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms (please circle) First name
Surname
Address Postcode
Email On occasion Mortons Media Group Ltd may decide to contact you by post/phone regarding information relating to current offers of products or services (including discounted subscription offers) which we believe may be of interest to our readers. If you do not wish to receive such offers please tick this box ■ On occasion Mortons Media Group Ltd may decide to email/fax you regarding information relating to current offers of products or services (including discounted subscription offers) which we believe may be of interest to our readers. If you wish to receive such offers, please tick this box ■ On occasion Mortons Media Group Ltd may permit third parties, that we deem to be reputable, to contact you by post/phone/fax/email regarding information relating to current offers of products or services which we believe may be of interest to our readers. If you wish to receive such offers please tick this box ■ Closing date 03/11/2014
Customised Catalogue! Steele Rubber Products has reinvented car part catalogues. Instead of carrying around a huge catalogue full of parts you don’t need, Steele has created a custom parts catalogue filled with parts that are specific to your vehicle. These catalogues come professionally bound, fully illustrated and include installation notes from Steele’s technical specialists.
Not only will the catalogues have special discounts for the recipients, but you can also order as many catalogues as you need, which is especially helpful when you have multiple projects. They’re assembled by a product specialist who can help you handpick parts for your project. They are delivered by both print and email for quick access.
To order yours today simply visit: www.steelerubber.com. It’s easy and free!
classic-american.com 9
End of thE road for BauEr MillEtt Bauer Millett, purveyors of American cars in Manchester city centre, has closed after 40 years. Originally established in Blackley in north Manchester by Lawrence Millett and Chris Bauer, the business moved into the city centre, with landmark showrooms on Peter Street, close to The Opera House and Granada TV’s studios – selling luxury cars in general but specialising in American-made machines. By then Chris had left the company and Lawrence – ever stylish and charismatic – went on to establish a high personal profile, both in the city and on the American car scene. The Peter Street premises were never big
enough, and BM staff were always dashing in and out, shuffling cars between the parking meters at the front and the narrow, cobbled lane at the back. Larger premises were found in Deansgate and the firm moved into its glory days. Celebrities, footballers, lottery winners and the simply well-off spent their money with Lawrence and his team; if you wanted automotive bling in the North West you headed to Bauer Millett. For a few years the company held a Harley-Davidson franchise, but Lawrence – not a man to be told how to run his business by anyone, let alone foreigners – and H-D was not the happiest of partners. The company then moved to idiosyncratic and atmospheric premises behind the G-Mex exhibition centre, in a huge grid of Victorian railway arches, some years ago, and the American cars were joined by Alfa Romeos, Abarths, and – most recently – Chrysler Jeep machines. Bauer Millett had a long association with General Motors, and there were always
RoG Birthday Bash! The Pre-’50 American Auto Club is celebrating 50 years of its legendary Rally of the Giants Show this year, and as such the club is pulling out all the stops for a truly memorable, celebratory weekend. Held at Blenheim Palace, this year’s event promises to be a truly unmissable show with a car cruise, birthday party, barbecue on Saturday and of course the show itself on Sunday. We’ll have the full details in next month’s magazine or you can see more info at www.pre50aac.com
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Hummers, Cadillacs and Corvettes stretching across the showroom. Lawrence died in 2005 and the business was inherited by his son, Mitch. Times had changed though, mid-sized car retailers have been squeezed by larger operators, and dealerships were moving out of towns to commercial parks, away from expensive city centre sites. On December 23, 2014, Mitch told the staff that the company was going into liquidation, and manufacturers cleared the showrooms of their vehicles the
same day. Mitch Millett said: “The competition within the network was extreme and being a city centre site the reality is that our overheads were unusually high. Even if you could sell the cars, the margins simply weren’t there – it was a very expensive business because of its location. We tried to refocus on the American cars we’d been working with, but we still had the problem that the overheads were too great for the opportunity represented.” Some 20 jobs were lost, and the city has lost a legendary name. SM
Bargain Caddy (and other cars too!)
Pssst! Fancy a bargain Caddy? Well, check out Classic American’s classifieds, which is full of great American cars for sale, at some very tempting prices. Check out this 2005 Caddy CTS Sport Luxury, with cream leather interior, 61k miles and MoT, FSH (and a recent service back in November) for a bargain £3200 – well below market value. The vendor may be familiar to readers as Dan Christensen, the owner of a beautiful ’69 Mercury Cyclone he painstakingly restored and which we featured in our June 2012 (CA254) issue. Dan is returning to Denmark and as he says, a RHD car, even a Caddy, isn’t much use there. Interested? Then email us here at email@classicamerican.com. And if you’re thinking of selling your car, truck or parts, remember Classic American is the number one classified market for American cars, trucks and parts… and best of all it’s free! Turn to page 118 for more info!
Classic American Magazine, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6LZ
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Star
Classic american
Letter
Mail Dear Classic American, Your feature in the January issue with time-lapse photography of the 1964 Thunderbird was not only very interesting, but also very impressive. All credit to Peter Taylor for his painstaking work on the car and to Steve Miles’s historical dedication to the cause and to his memory. And what a beautiful, unique car. Funnily enough, I was able to impress gathered family members while watching a film over Christmas by not only identfying a Ford Thunderbird, but being able to date it as a 1964 model by ‘THUNDERBIRD’ spelt out on the leading edge of the hood. I’m old enough to remember this lightlyregulated time when these very special cars were used every day by their owners and could be found parked anywhere. I grew up in Bournemouth and, while I didn’t have the wherewithall to take photos like Steve, I did record each new American car I saw. The list
AmAzing Times!
includes a 1962 Lincoln sedan in yellow, a maroon 1963 Thunderbird hardtop, a 1963 Buick Riviera in pale gold, a white 1965 Ford Galaxie convertible, a 1965 Pontiac Catalina in white, and a red 1966 Chrysler Imperial convertible. I then studied in London from 1966 to 1969 and you can imagine the cars I spotted owned by embassies, business people, celebrities and tourists (especially the Swiss and Belgians), and probably also on demonstration from dealers like Lendrum and Hartman, Lincoln Cars and Simpsons of Wembley. During my college holidays, I returned to Bournemouth and worked at the
Rootes dealer, George Hartwell Ltd. In 1968 Rootes Group was bought out by Chrysler and Hartwell’s then started selling Chrysler products too. On one occasion, I was able to drive a white Plymouth Barracuda up to Guildford for a customer. Amazing times! Rodger Bending Brentwood, Essex Amazing times indeed Rodger, and we’re sure your letter will chime with many readers who probably can also ‘impress’ family members (or annoy!) with their ability to identify cars in films or TV shows.
The reAl reAson AuTomATics rule Dear Classic American, Firstly... I would like to say I love your mag. While I don’t have a subscription, I do buy it regularly. My interest with American cars is a lot more than skin deep having owned several in the past (‘70 Chevy Nova and a ‘68 Plymouth Satellite Sport-visually the same as the August cover Roadrunner). I write in reference to the ‘Save the Stick’ article by Huw Evans in a recent issue. I read this with some amusement as I do think he needs to revisit his history books regarding the whole US love affair with the automatic transmission. They were not introduced to allow the comfortable ingestion of ‘junk food’ at the wheel. The generalised use of automatics was basically a direct result of a postwar market demand by now mostly emancipated, partly liberated women who wanted to drive their own car and no longer be an idle passenger being driven about by their ‘man’. The problem was, the average American car was about the size and weight of a frigate and handled like one too. As an aside, the introduction of power steering and brakes was introduced for mostly the same reason. Automatics were not mainly introduced because women could not shift gears, although gearboxes were ungainly and stiff, rather because clutches were much too hard and difficult to compress. Double clutching was still the order of the day and synchromesh had not yet really arrived. Of course women were able to fight with these mechanically inadequate monsters but fighting a Muncie straight cut tranny needing to be double clutched at the risk of having your leg broken was no one’s idea of fun. Not even men. UK readers need to remember that in postwar America a fourcylinder was something you found in a
‘toy’ European car. Most US cars sported at least 3 to 4l straight sixes, some ‘small V8’s ‘ of similar displacement and then the behemoth 5l + V8’s arrived and these were truly difficult to shift comfortably. Anyone who says they weren’t just never drove one. So the solution was seen as a simple one. Just stick an automatic in and let it do the shifting. Job done. Another issue has to do with what we could call the ‘postwar era of modernity and convenience’. The automatic was seen as progressive, modern. You just got into your ‘spaceship’, selected ‘Drive’ and whoosh, off you went. No gears clunking, clanking, grinding, no bunny hopping, no strained calves. In time everyone got used to the idea of auto boxes and these became the standard. As a final comment I would challenge Mr. Evans any day to a drag race using a manually equipped car of his choice against a well set up automatic. By the time he’s wrestled out of 2nd to find 3rd, sprained his ankle, missed a gear and thrown the ring gear I’ll have left him in a trail of dust. Dan Hallam Edinburgh, Scotland
Subscribe to Classic american – P20
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Classic American Magazine, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6LZ
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Kurtis Question Dear Classic American, In the September issue 281, in the readers’ sale ads section, page 132, there is a Blue Kurtis ohv Ford 2 speed Midget race car for sale. Can you please help me (and friends) with this question? How do they change gear? Is it by the long lever between the driver’s knees? If so, do they have a normal clutch pedal? Or, if the long lever, is it (strangely enough) the clutch operation, how do they go from one gear to another? I’ve looked in my American Racing Car books but they don’t mention it at all, not anything about it. I’ve seen several films/videos of this class of race cars, but none show the gear change. You are our only hope. John Guilliard, Newton Abbot, Devon I’m afraid we’re not your only hope, as we haven’t a clue either. Hopefully some kind, generous soul reading this will enlighten us. Over to you gentle readers.
Mustang... by the nuMbers Dear Classic American, Just to clarify regarding early 1965 Mustangs: The 64 1/2 cars were all fitted with C4 autos for the auto (Cruise-o-Matic) versions. Alternatively the manuals were either 3-speed or 4-speed. The K-code only came at this time (from mid June ‘64) with a fourspeed manual. Engines were: U- code 170cu in six F-code 260cu in V8 D- code 289cu in V8 The D-code was the hottest Mustang with 210bhp, until the K-code came along. My bronze car is a D-code (originally a manual) from looking at current adverts many D-codes are manual, conversely the 260s are more likely auto. The standard issue was a three-speed manual, so auto or four-speed manual were options. The 64 1/2 cars ended at early/mid August, Dearborn was I think first on the August 1, ‘64, the other plant (San Jose) was mid Aug, it just depends which article/book you read. Rob Woodall Crewe, Cheshire
Facebook Feedback
We asked you if petrol had reached 99p a litre in your area; you said:
Phil Waters Don’t get too excited... in May it’s general election time, and what happens as soon as the new administration gets in? Budget. After the last election they raised VAT to 20%, so you can bet they will increase fuel duty to bring prices back up again. Katie Kenna Craig Hodgen Then take off 20p a litre using a clubcard... so it’s only 84p! Happy days. Craig Hodgen 104 here in N Devon. Dean Bel £1.07 is the best I’ve found in North London. Greg Briers Harvest at Alconbury still 113p. Elliot Bradbury Shell V-Power 99 Octane aka the best pump fuel in Europe is an incredible 109p in Central London at the moment. Happy days indeed. Simon Hammond Still £105.7 here in Brizzle. Want to join the fun? There’s always lots going on the Classic American Facebook page, from news, funnies, polls, to useful tips and all the extra show coverage we can’t fit in the magazine. To make sure you get your daily dose of Classic American fun and trivia, search for Classic American magazine on Facebook and click ‘like’.
classic-american.com 13
Tony Oksien
Muscle
car files
Fantastic
fuselages!
Tapping into this month’s station wagon special, Tony O looks at Mother Mopar’s finest long-roof offerings and reckons they could be the sleeper you always hankered after…
M
any, many years ago and back when I was a teenager, I lived on the mean streets of South London where American cars were seen as trouble and not only for the owners, but also for the immediate community. They were loud, proud and full of personality; moreover they stood out like the proverbial sore thumbs among the dreadful production models built for the home market. These were cars with attitude and screamed: fun, fun, fun! That’s where and when I realised the biggest car in my eyes was not only American, but also a Dodge, namely a 1970 Dodge Coronet station wagon, with a healthy 318cu in V8 column auto and attitude to die for. The owner lived just a few miles from me, so I wound up seeing that B-body quite a bit, the dark blue painted Dodge had the huge luggage rack as well, and earned its nickname ‘Big stuff’ relatively easily. It was the only car I knew that could move a whole Sunday league football team in one go complete with goal posts. The car seems to have vanished off the radar as I have not seen it for over 20 years. A couple of years back I attended an American car show at the Brooklands Museum in Surrey, home of the famous racing circuit. Among the Detroit iron amassed on the show arena was this amazing full-size Plymouth station wagon. As if commanded by the Mopar gods I made a bee-line straight for the wagon for a thorough investigation.
The car in question turned out to be quite a find – a 1972 Plymouth Fury Custom Suburban six-passenger station wagon, with what looked like original paint and in great condition a near perfect example of Chrysler’s ‘Fuselage cars’. The fuselage models are known as the 1969 to 1973 Chrysler, Imperial, Dodge and Plymouth full size C-body cars and station wagons built in that period. The styling name ‘fuselage’ comes from the 1969 design where the boxy look of the previous year developed into a longer, wider vehicle which wrapped itself around the passengers like a ship’s hull or an aircraft cabin, hence fuselage. This Mopar wagon was big block motivated with a 400cu in V8, along with an automatic gearbox, tinted windows all round, air conditioning, factory luggage rack, a parchment coloured interior and was painted FE5 Rallye red. New for 1972 the 400cu in V8 was a direct replacement for the 383cu in V8 and could run on regular low-leaded petrol and had the option of going to Chrysler’s own brand of new electronic ignition system. Other goodies included were fender mounted turn signals, bumper guards, extra chrome body mouldings and V5X body side protective mouldings, all of which were still fitted. At 18½ft long and 6ft 6in wide this baby could never be lost in the car park! The wagon was built at the Belvedere Illinois, US, assembly plant on Wednesday, June 21,
1972. The Fury Custom Suburban (VIN beginning with PH45) six-seater topped out at 11,067 units sold for 1972. The fuselage wagons had a neat built-in rear window air deflector, which helped keep the rear window clean and also kept the kids in the third row of seats from succumbing to carbon dioxide poisoning with the rear window down! Mopar wagons in the Seventies were the only vehicles out of the Big Three to still have a rear facing third seat. Chrysler couldn’t make its mind up to offer more traditional wagons with copious amounts of plastic wood trim, or go down the more modern route with sleeker, less fussy designs. As always with Mother Mopar a compromise was reached and zillions more options were simply added to the list. These fuselage cars, whether station wagons in two-door or four-door configuration, are gaining in popularity and as other muscle car prices head for the stars, these C-bodies are relatively cheap on the scene right now. The options lists for these cars read like the work of Dickens, they just go on and on. It’s no surprise that big block versions are not hard to come across and despite their size, weight and land yacht handling, these cars have immense power and a double digit-fun factor – with this in mind their proportions will put a smile on anybody’s face. Fancy a wagon? Why not consider a C-body...
Tony Oksien – CA’s resident muscle car guru.
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Huw Evans
Across
pond
the
Fuel for
thought
Evans asks whether its time for US regulators to seriously rethink their approach to fuel economy in light of the recent drops in oil prices globally...
C
ompared with their counterparts in Europe, North American motorists are often seen has having it rather good when it comes to petrol prices. Granted, really cheap fuel vanished during the Seventies, but people over here still pay significantly less at the pump than those in the UK or across much of the European continent. Yet in recent years, there’s been a drive to reduce oil dependency stateside (largely politically driven) which has manifested itself in the form of rather draconian Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards which require automakers that sell cars in the US and Canada to achieve a fleet average consumption of 54.5 miles per gallon (US) by 2025. There are a number of auto industry and indeed economic analysts who believe the target is in many ways a pipe dream, barely achievable at best. Granted, to spur things along the Feds and a number of states and provinces have been pushing financial incentives at consumers to try and get them to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles (read hybrids and battery electrics,) but so far these have had a very marginal impact. Concerns over purchase costs, range anxiety (battery electrics) and in many cases practicality are just some of the factors for tepid green vehicle demand. Throwing another wrench into the works is the fact that since the latter half of 2014, fuel prices have been dropping steadily. From a high of $4 per gallon (US) in 2008, pump prices had dropped to (at the time this column was written at least) well under $2.50 a gallon in many locations across the country. And normally, when you look at past trends regarding fuel price spikes
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and gas gluts — that tends to have a significant Administration took the step of relaxing CAFE impact on the types of vehicles that North requirements, down to 26mpg for passenger Americans purchase. cars from 1986 to 1988, 26.5 mpg for 1989 If we cast ourselves back to the late Seventies, and 27.5 mpg from 1990 (which endured all the second oil crisis of that decade witnessed fuel the way through to 2010). Light trucks saw prices climbing to around $1 per gallon in 1979 incremental increases during the same period, (which back then, was a big deal stateside). The 20mpg in 1986 through 23.5 in 2010). As a automakers and indeed much of the press and result, from many angles, there was little the Feds were focusing on fuel economy incentive for Detroit OEMs to invest heavily in standards at the time (CAFE originally took effect making radically more fuel-efficient vehicles, for the 1978 model year, requiring manufacturers until revised CAFE standards, enacted in 2011 to achieve a fleet average of 18mpg that year, forced automakers to push for the 54.5mpg rising to 27.5 by 1985). If they didn’t achieve target by 2020. that target, the OEMs would face hefty fines (a Now, as fuel prices tumble once again, that set amount multiplied by the number of units an target would appear even less likely to be automaker sold that year in the US). achieved, since again, there won’t be much Of course, by 1985 the landscape was very financial incentive for OEMs if consumers different to what it had been six years earlier. continue to buy large numbers of light trucks Thanks to the removal of market controls by the (full-size pick-ups are still among North America’s US Government in 1981 and the growth in best sellers). market share among non-OPEC oil producing As a result, the Federal Government might countries, Americans were bathing in a sea of have to seriously rethink its strategy, given how relatively cheap petrol. large an impact the auto industry has on the By 1986 pump prices in many places were well overall economy and that with the low hanging under a $1 per gallon and automakers were fruit already picked, gains in fuel economy at this doing brisk business selling large pickups, V8point are likely to be marginal at best. At the end powered sedans and reborn muscle cars (despite of the day it is consumer demand that relatively high interest rates). When it came to determines the types of vehicles that are CAFE requirements buyer behaviour seemed to purchased, not regulations foisted on fly in the face of better fuel economy, many automakers. consumers, now with more money to spend, As a result, the very idea of fining simply didn’t want to buy a fuel-sipping manufacturers billions of dollars for not achieving economy car, when a pick-up or big sedan was a draconian fuel economy mandate that has so far more enticing. many factors conspiring against it seems, on In fact, even though fleet average fuel many fronts, little short of preposterous. economy had improved significantly since 1978 Wouldn’t you agree? (by more than 15%), the Reagan Huw Evans – news & views from North America.