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1961 Buick Special Deluxe

by | Aug 24, 2021 | 0 comments

1961 Buick Special Deluxe
The 1961 Buick Special was an entry level model.

The entry-level Buick Special can trace its heritage to the Buick Model 10, a companion to Buick’s first car, the Model B. (GM photo archives)

BY MARK MAYNARD

The Buick Special was typically the brand’s lowest-priced model. According to its page in Wikipedia, the nameplate started as a full-size car in 1936. After a two-year hiatus, the model returned in 1938 as a midsize.

The Special was built for several decades and was offered as a coupe, sedan, and later as a station wagon.

General Motors modernized its entry-level products in the 1960s, and the Special introduced the modern Buick V-6. The engine would become the core engine for GM for several decades and lives on in current upgraded V6 products.

“By 1970, Special was no longer offered as a standalone model, but the name would later be used for the entry trim on 1975 to 1979 and 1991 to 1996 Century models.

The entry-level Buick can trace its heritage to the Buick Model 10, a companion to Buick’s first car, the Model B. The Model 10 started as one of the independent brands merged into Buick, called the Janney, a Brass-Era carmaker.

In 1961, the model returned after an absence of two years, but this time it was on the new unibody compact GM Y platform.

Buick Special Powertrains

The Special’s engine was the 155-horsepower, aluminum-block 215-cubic-inch V-8. It was paired with the two-speed Dual Path Turbine Drive automatic transmission. The Dual Path was a Buick design and shared no common parts with the better known Chevrolet Power-Glide transmission.

Buick introduced the performance-oriented Skylark trim level midyear. It featured unique trim elements, optional bucket seats, and a 185 hp, four-barrel version of the 215 V-8.

In 1962, the Special was the first American car to use a V-6 engine in volume production; it earned Motor Trend’s Car of the Year for 1962.

The 198-cubic-inch “Fireball” was engineered from the 215 V-8.

The design used many of the same V-8 parameters, but it was cast in iron. Peak horsepower was 135 hp at 4,600 rpm with 205 foot-pounds of torque at 2,400 rpm.

In Road & Track testing that year, the editors were impressed with Buick’s “practical” new V6, saying it “sounds and performs exactly like the aluminum V8 in most respects.”

1963 Special Refresh

In 1963, the Special’s exterior was restyled. Mechanically, however, the car was identical to the 1962 model. According to the Wikipedia report, there were also some minor interior updates to the dash and instrument cluster.

The 1963 Special was available as a two-door pillared hardtop coupe, four-door sedan, a convertible, and a station wagon.

The 1963 body was only produced for one year and had sales of 148,750, including 42,321 Skylarks. The car was redesigned for 1964.

1966 Dodge Charger — “Leader of the Dodge Rebellion”

by | Aug 9, 2021 | 0 comments

1966 Dodge Charger — “Leader of the Dodge Rebellion”

The Dodge Charger debuted in 1966 as a midsize sporty car that would compete with the Rambler Marlin, Ford Mustang, and Plymouth Barracuda

A Hemi V8 and transmission on a display stand 1966 Dodge Charger

The first generation 1966 Dodge Charger introduced a fastback roofline and pot-metal “electric shaver” grille. (Photography courtesy of Stellantis)

 

BY MARK MAYNARD

During the early-1950s, automakers were exploring new ideas in the personal luxury and specialty cars.A 1966 print ad for the Dodge Charger

The Hemi engine package included heavy-duty suspension, four-ply nylon Blue Streak tires, and “big” 11-inch brakes. According to Wikipedia, Chrysler had been slow to enter the specialty car market, but tapped its Dodge Division to enter the marketplace. Its first offering would be a midsize B-bodied Dodge Charger. It would fit between the “pony car” Ford Mustang and “personal luxury Ford Thunderbird.

The design focus was to create a fastback look while sharing as much existing company hardware as possible. The result was the Coronet-based Charger. The exterior styling was, in general, a departure from Dodge’s mainstream cars. Introduced in mid-1966, the Charger would compete with the Rambler Marlin, Ford Mustang, and Plymouth Barracuda.

The 1965 Charger concept

The 1965 Dodge Charger II Concept created the desired fastback look shared much existing company hardware.

The interior design of the Charger was different from all other cars, according to the Wiki page. It debuted a full-length center console and “all bucket seating” front and rear. Also an innovation, the rear pseudo-buckets could be folded to create more cargo space through the enormous rear hatch.

The Hemi Halo

The Charger wasn’t intended to compete head-to-head in performance with pony cars but was available with Chrysler’s famed 426 Hemi V8.
On Jan. 1, 1966, The 1966 Charger had its big public debut at the Rose Bowl as the new “Leader of the Dodge Rebellion.” The Charger’s debut was also followed midyear by a new street version of the 426 cubic-inch, 7.0-liter Chrysler Hemi engine.

The Charger wasn’t intended to compete head-to-head in performance with pony cars but was available with Chrysler’s famed 426 Hemi V8.

With the Charger, Dodge had a new model to build a performance image with this engine.

The Charger was designed by Carl “CAM” Cameron and introduced a fastback roofline and pot-metal “electric shaver” grille. Its fully rotating headlights were a feature not seen on a Chrysler product since the 1942 DeSoto. The fastback design ended over a full-width six-lamp taillight in the rear with chromed and wide-spaced “C H A R G E R” lettering.

Dodge Charger Powertrains

According to the Wiki report, Charger powertrains for 1966 consisted of V-8s with three choices of transmission.

Four engines were offered:

  • 318 cubic-inch 5.2-liter with a two-barrel carburetor for the base-model Charger;
  • 361-cubic-inch, 5.9-liter two-barrel;
  • 383 cubic-inch, 6.3-liter with a four-barrel carburetor;
  • And the new 426 Street Hemi. Only 468 Chargers were built with the 426.

A cutaway illustration of the Hemi V8

The transmissions for the 1966 Charger:

  • Three-speed steering-column mounted manual with the base engine,
  • Console-mounted four-speed manual;
  • Three-speed automatic.

Total 196 Dodge Charger production came to 37,344 units for the mid-model year introduction.

1959 Ford Country Squire with Push Button’ Station Wagon Living’ equipment

by | Jul 23, 2021 | 0 comments

1959 Ford Country Squire with Push Button’ Station Wagon Living’ equipment

The Country Squire wagon concept packaged the car-camping essentials, including the boat and kitchen sink

The Country Squire concept packaged such camping essentials as a car-top tent with a double bed, an electric refrigerator, and a shower. (Ford)

BY MARK MAYNARD

Ford Motor cast a line for 1959 to test the waters of consumer interest for a car-camping concept based on a 1959 Ford Country Squire. The rig would provide push-button station wagon living with all the gear, including the kitchen sink.

According to Wikipedia, the U.S. and the world were emerging from the “Recession of 1958.”  And Ford marketers might have felt that consumers were ready to get out and enjoy the freedom of car camping.

That might have been so, but not so much for this outrageously sophisticated concept. I came across these two photos at the Ford media site, but there were no other details.

In this era before the modern SUV, the big Ford Squire wagon was a good starting place. Built on a bigger platform for 1959, the Country Squire body was 5 inches longer and the new 118-inch wheelbase was 2 inches longer than the 1958 model. In addition, the second and third rows were re-engineered to fold flat.

The 1959 Ford Country Squire wagon concept with Push Button ‘Station Wagon Living’ equipment and rooftop boat

The rooftop boat neatly contained the concept’s camping essentials. (Ford)

Country Squire Concept

An online search for information on this concept car brought up Shorpy.com, an American historical photo archive.

Shorpy has a news item from the Washington Post of July 3, 1958, highlighting the details.

“Travelers and sportsmen who would like to park their cars after a day’s drive and set up camp by pushing a few magic buttons may be able one day to do just that.

“With the ‘pushbutton camper,’ a specially equipped experimental Ford station wagon, a traveling couple could pull into a parking area, lower a boat from the roof top, pitch their tent and set up a kitchen unit protected by an overhead awning — almost without getting out of the car.

“One push button lifts the boat and swings it over the side so it can be easily removed for launching. A car-top tent, containing a full-sized double bed, already made up and equipped with a reading lamp, is erected by another button.

“After the tailgate is opened, a third button slides out the compact kitchen unit complete with an electric refrigerator and two-burner stove, a work table and meat cutting block, and a sink with hot and cold running water.

“The roof compartment also houses a shower head, complete with curtain. Ford has no definite plans for mass producing such a vehicle.

“If consumer demand warranted it, a company official said, the automatic equipment could be produced by independent suppliers and installed by a Ford dealer.”

‘Louie Mattar’s Fabulous Car’

The Country Squire wagon concept was a feat of engineering finesse, but it was not the first such example.

I give that credit to Louie Mattar who upfitted a 1947 Cadillac with all the comforts of home. Then, in 1952, he and two other men established a cross-country endurance record. They drove the Cadillac from San Diego to New York and back without stopping. Their trip totaled 6,320 miles and required refueling from a moving gas truck three times.

“Louie Mattar’s Fabulous Car” is on view at the San Diego Automotive Museum.

17 Years of the Lamborghini Countach

by | Jul 21, 2021 | 0 comments

17 Years of the Lamborghini Countach

Automaker celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Lamborghini Countach in a series of four social-media videos

Five generations of the Lamborghini Countach.Five generations of the Lamborghini Countach. (Remi Dargegen)

BY MARK MAYNARD

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Lamborghini Countach supercar, Automobili Lamborghini is launching a series of four videos on its social media channels. Every Monday, the Italian carmaker will recount the legacy of the Lamborghini Countach, including interviews with significant personalities who shaped the car.

The first is Marcello Gandini, head of style at Carrozzeria Bertone. He sketched the futuristic lines of this supercar and added its now-iconic scissor doors.

The 1970s was one of ultimate creativity, Gandini says, and one of the important moments for design.

It was an era of individualism, the jet age, and the space race. And it embraced the geometric patterns of the period and the bright colors of fashion trends.

The Countach LP 5000 S badge.

(Remi Dargegen)

Lamborghini  Countach as style and performance icon

The Countach depicted much more than a commercial success. Images and posters of the supercar were on bedroom walls of an entire generation. The supercar also played a starring role in dozens of films.

The Lamborghini Countach fulfilled the role of style and performance icon. As a result, it rightfully won the title in the annals of world automotive history, Lamborghini says.

The Countach had a total production of 1,999 cars (not including the first LP 400 prototype).

Since the beginning of production, the Countach was exported to the U.S. But it was not until 1986, and the debut of the LP 5000 Quattrovalvole, that the Countach was officially approved for North America.

The word “Countach” is an exclamation of the Italian Piedmontese dialect that translates to astonishment and admiration for something.

1971: Countach LP 500 ‘idea car’

Lamborghini Countach LP 500.

Lamborghini Countach LP 500. (Lamborghini)

In the summer of 1970, Ferruccio Lamborghini wanted a revolutionary car to succeed the Lamborghini Miura. The new car had to be technically advanced and faster. And it had to become the sports car symbolizing the 1970s.

The 12-cylinder engine remained but with a displacement increase from 4.0 to 5.0 liters. The engine also was repositioned from rear transverse to rear longitudinal. The five-speed synchromesh manual transmission was placed in front of the engine and practically abutted the seats.

1973: First-gen Lamborghini Countach LP 400

The Countach LP 400

Countach LP 400. (Remi Dargegen)

Early road tests of the 5.0-liter engine uncovered problems that would take more time to sort. So a quick fix was for the engineers to instead use the 4.0-liter engine.

The Countach LP 400 made its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1973. It was chassis No. 1120001 car. LP 400 was a prototype very similar to what would become the production car.

The LP 400 adopted a tubular trellis frame instead and aluminum was used for the body, not steel panels.

A front view of the Countach LP 400Countach LP 400. (Remi Dargegen)

The 4.0-liter (3929cc) engine used six Weber 45 DCOE twin-body carburetors. The engine developed 375 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and could reach a top speed or 186 mph or 300 kmh.

A red LP 400 was shown at the Geneva Motor Show. It was later repainted medium green for the 1973 motor shows in Frankfurt, Paris, and Earls Court, London.

The show car was sold to a buyer in Switzerland after the show and rediscovered in the early 2000s. Today LP 400 is owned by Automobili Lamborghini. It is now on display at the company museum, the MUDETEC.

The Countach LP 400 is the most sought-after version by collectors, Lamborghini says, with 152 units produced until 1977.

1978: Lamborghini Countach LP 400 S

A red Lamborghini Countach LP400S.

Countach LP 400 S. (Remi Dargegen)

The LP 400 was replaced in 1978 by the Countach LP 400 S.

It sported lower profile and wider Pirelli P7 tires. The staggered-width tires mounted on magnesium rims had sizes of 205/50 VR 15 on the front and 345/35 VR on the rear. Wheel-arch extensions were added to contain the larger tires.

The 375-hp, 4.0-liter V-12 engine in the Countach LP 400 S.

The 375-hp, 4.0-liter V-12 engine in the Countach LP 400 S. (Remi Dargegen)

Other updates include an optional ultra-low front spoiler and a rear wing. The wing would become one of the most distinctive features of the Countach.

Never before had a “normal” car with such a racing appearance been seen on the road, Lamborghini says. It was the source of inspiration for each of the subsequent Countach series. Production of the LP 400 S totaled 235 units.

1982: Lamborghini Countach LP 5000 S

An overhead shot of the Countach LP 5000 S.

Countach LP 5000 S. (Remi Dargegen)

The 1982 Lamborghini Countach had an engine upgrade to a 5.0-liter V-12. The new LP 5000 S debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1982.

The new engine developed 375 hp at 7,000 rpm, and it retained the six Weber horizontal twin-body carburetors. After import to the U.S., some cars were retrofitted with the Bosch K-Jetronic electronic injection.

With 323 cars produced, this model was replaced by the LP 5000 Quattrovalvole. It debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1985.

1985: Lamborghini Countach LP 5000 Quattrovalvole

The Countach LP 5000 Quattrovalvole.

Countach LP 5000 Quattrovalvole. (Remi Dargegen)

The technical evolution of the 5.0-liter V-12 added four valves per cylinder. The Quattrovalvole (QV) engine displacement increased to 5.2 liters and the six Weber carburetors were mounted vertically, not in the horizontal position.

Cars for the U.S. market were fitted with Bosch KE-Jetronic electronic injection and a catalytic converter. As a result, horsepower rose to 455 hp at 7,000 rpm.

Aesthetic alterations were few but included a new engine hood with a more prominent bulge to contain the vertical carburetors.

There were 631 Quattrovalvole models produced until 1988.

1988: Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary

Countach 5000 S (left) and Countach 25th Anniversary (right).

Countach 5000 S (left) and Countach 25th Anniversary (right). (Remi Dargegen)

The Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary was the final evolution of the model. It debuted at the Paris Motor Show in September 1988.

The aesthetic updates were significant, but changes to the mechanics and chassis were minor. An improved cooling system updated the engine, and the chassis was modified to accommodate the new Pirelli P Zero tires. 

The Countach interior.

Countach interior. (Remi Dargegen)

The passenger compartment was updated with power windows and more comfortable power seats with less bolstering. In addition, the body style was decisively revised by young Horacio Pagani, who was working for Lamborghini at the time. He rounded the shapes and better integrated the wheel-arch extensions and the plates under the doors.

The Countach 25th Anniversary,

Countach 25th Anniversary, (Remi Dargegen)

The last Countach, a 25th Anniversary, was produced on July 4, 1990, with European specification. Its exterior was Argento Metallizzato (metallic silver) with a gray leather interior. It has not been sold and is still on display at the MUDETEC.

1950 Chevrolet Styleline Bel Air Sport Coupe

by | Jul 15, 2021 | 0 comments

1950 Chevrolet Styleline Bel Air Sport Coupe
A 1950 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe

The Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe was new for 1950.  (Chevrolet)

BY MARK MAYNARD

Chevrolet’s exterior styling of the 1950 Bel Air Sport Coupe was revolutionary and set a pattern for decades. According to ClassicCars.Fandom.com, “The Bel Air Hardtop (on the DeLuxe line) was styled as a convertible with a non-detachable solid roof.”

The redesign followed the 1942-1945 shutdown of vehicle production during World War II. And even as production restarted, the “new” 1946-1948 models were mildly updated carryover models from years earlier.

New for 1950

According to Hagerty.com, Chevrolet overhauled its entire lineup in 1949 and moved from prewar designs to new cars. The modern styling emphasized full-width bodies and pontoon fenders.

The exterior two-door hardtop styling might have been new, but visual changes were minimal from 1949.

Special and Deluxe models were offered in Fleetline and Styleline series. According to Hagerty’s “History of the 1949-1952 Styleline,”  a bare-bones business coupe cost as little as $1,300. Pricing rose to $2,200 for an eight-passenger station wagon.

The only powertrain available was a 216-cubic-inch six-cylinder engine. It was mated to a three-speed manual transmission. However, cars with the automatic received the 235-cubic-inch truck engine.

Bel Air Sport Coupe

The model is named for the city of Bel Air on the west side of Los Angeles.

According to Wikipedia, the Bel Air Sport Coupe name was used only from 1950 to 1952 for the two-door hardtops. The first-year production reached only 76,662.

San Diego owners’ 1963 Corvette makes the cover of the National Corvette Museum magazine

by | Jul 7, 2021 | 0 comments

San Diego owners’ 1963 Corvette makes the cover of the National Corvette Museum magazine
The blue 1963 Corvette on the cover of the National Corvette Museum magazine.

The Daytona Blue 1963 Corvette was photographed for the cover of the National Corvette Museum magazine. (Darwin Ludi)

BY MARK MAYNARD

San Diego car enthusiasts Darwin and Pat Ludi sent a catch-up email about their adventures with their two 1963 Corvette split-window coupes and 1965 Pontiac GTO.

Darwin wrote: “This past April our Daytona Blue ’63 was photographed for the cover of the National Corvette Museum magazine. We just received our copy of the magazine and I have attached a few photos.

A blue 1963 Corvette on the cover of the National Corvette Museum magazine

The Daytona Blue ’63 was featured in a multi-page layout. (Darwin Ludi)

“We have had fun showing our cars around the country at various Concours events. We have won awards at most of them. This year we will be heading to Colorado for an AACA meet where we hope to earn a Senior Award.    We might even be invited to Hershey for the Nationals.

“In October we will head to the Hilton Head Concours. I was told we will compete against nine or 10 other Corvettes. We have to have as much fun as possible.

A black 1963 Corvette along Mission Bay in San Diego

The Ludi’s black 1963 Corvette along Mission Bay in San Diego. (Darwin Ludi)

Dedicated caregivers

“Before long, as age creeps up the cars will have to move on to new caregivers,” Darwin said.

The Ludi’s Tuxedo Black 1963 Corvette coupe is now having its correct red interior installed. And they have owned their red 1965 Pontiac GTO tri-power for more than 30 years. And it, too, is all restored and in show condition, Darwin said.

A 1965 Pontiac GTO tri-power at a past Goodguys Del Mar Nationals car show

The red 1965 Pontiac GTO tri-power at a past Goodguys Del Mar Nats. (Darwin Ludi)

“We will take the black Corvette to have it judged NCRS and Bloomington Gold next year. The blue ’63 is already certified by both groups. I want to make sure that the next caregiver of these cars ends up with the best we can provide.

“Last year the National Corvette Museum had a virtual event and 95 cars were registered for the C2 class, in which we won. We have been invited to the EyesOn Design car show in Detroit next year. And in 2019 we won at the Art Center in Pasadena, as well.

“Take care, stay healthy and keep busy. Hope to see you down the road.”

— Darwin & Patricia Ludi