As of this writing, NASA’s Artemis I mission is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, any second now. By the time you read this, it will have laid some of the groundwork for returning to the moon (and, eventually, Mars and beyond) for the first time in half a century.
In 1969, the first time that man set foot on the moon, Volkswagen managed to once again smash it out of the park with one of its Beetle ads. Even during the campaign’s legendary run throughout the ’60s and into the ’70s, the famously self-deprecating ads generally showed a picture of a Beetle. Or parts of a Beetle. Or a line drawing that resembled a Beetle… something that reminded you of the distinctive lines of car itself.
Not this time. There was no Beetle to be seen. Instead, there was a black-and-white photo of (presumably a model of) the Apollo space capsule that landed on the moon in July of 1969— possibly the only vehicle on earth (or off?) that was better-known than the Beetle in that moment. Presumably, the capsule was a safe choice to show, in part because it wasn’t actually competition—you couldn’t pop down to your local NASA retailer and get a screaming deal on last year’s Apollo space capsule on MSO before the new, facelifted ones were trucked in from the factory.
At the same time, Volkswagen’s hat tip to America’s latest technological accomplishment was meant to do more than elicit a smile or recognition from a magazine reader’s face. It’s celebrating the event in America, to an American audience, without getting all flag-waving about it; because VW is a German company, anything more overtly patriotic would feel awkward and forced. It’s also more than a little ironic, coming from a car company whose policy of slow evolution and rarely changing specification was the selling point of its success.
It’s the tagline—“It’s ugly, but it gets you there”—that pulls everything together. It’s a message that VW had been pounding into consumer’s heads for the better part of a decade, and it’s one that an American vehicle maker finally took to heart. Ugly but reliable. VW ads wore these insults as a badge of honor. The 1930s styling was a feature, not (if you’ll pardon the pun) a bug. It’s game recognizing game. And suddenly, instead of celebrating America’s accomplishments, it’s a car ad again.
Today we are returning to space, but the Beetle isn’t being built anywhere on Earth. Germany stopped building them in the ’70s, air-cooled versions were put to rest in the first decade of the new millennium, and even its water-cooled, front-drive replacement has now been put to rest. What car company, if any, will have the temerity to link their product with our latest space-exploration efforts? Will that ad (whether on TV, in magazines, or clogging up your Facebook feed) become another instant classic? We’ve already waited half a century to find out, but time will tell.
I’ve always wondered why it is that Instagram influencers go crazy over the Sixties slab-side Continentals and not the fuselage 300s. While the former have that mid-century flair and those rear-opening rear doors (and benefit from that one that appeared briefly in The Matrix), the latter have an equally big, menacing, and laid-back vibe but do it with muscle-era styling and muscle-era powertrains. Maybe it’s the fact that the 300 hasn’t yet had any iconic film roles? Maybe the 300 doesn’t look as good bagged and sitting on 20-plus-inch wheels? Whatever the case, there’s a lot to appreciate with this 1970 Chrysler 300C listed for sale on Hemmings.com. An entirely original and low-mileage car, it was not only a special-order car with a good deal of options, it’s also been well preserved by its two documented owners. Maybe it’s time to snag one of these before some Hollywood type decides to cast one in the next blockbuster.
From the seller’s description:
35450 Actual Miles in excellent Original Condition. You are looking at the nicest Chrysler 300 Convertibles we have ever seen. These big Chrysler 300s are never seen on the road or on the market. Very few survived, far fewer exist in this condition. Only 1077 were produced on this final year of the 300 Convertible. Any Chrysler collector has a rare opportunity to own one with a great history, in excellent original condition and completely ready to ride.
This beautiful 1970 Chrysler 300 convertible was designed like a Hot Wheels car from front to back. Of course that is just our opinion but take a look at its sleek styling, long front grille with hide-a-way headlights, and the straight across rear bumper with taillights from end to end. Its like nothing seen before and based on its rarity, you may not see again.
Please allow us to say a bit more about this gorgeous Chrysler 300 convertible starting with its paint. The Factory color code, Jade Green (F8) has been refinished to a beautiful shine. Dings, dents or rust is non-existent) Chrome and trim are beautiful. The white convertible top and white boot is original and in excellent condition visually and mechanically. The power top goes up and down easily with barely a sound. The rear window is glass, not plastic. No stretching or pulling is required to lock the top into place. The interior is also 100 percent original and in excellent condition everywhere! Leather seats are immaculate. There are no dash cracks at all. This 300 is fully loaded with some really nice options. Options include factory air conditioning that blows cold, AM radio (R13), tilt & telescopic steering wheel (S61), rim blow horn, cruise control, power windows, drivers side power seat, bucket seats with optional headrests and center arm rest, fender mounted turn signals (L31), vent windows and more. The famous Chrysler COLD light on the dash works properly and shuts off when the engine has warmed up.
This 2 owner car has been meticulously kept by both. The original owner had the car built himself. It was not a car sitting on the lot. The original owner documents this in a letter to the second owner. The second and last owner of this Chrysler was a Chrysler Engineer who later became the owner of a Chrysler Dealership in Germany. He made sure that every single part on this car was original from the start and remained that way under his ownership. Even the washer fluid bottle was replaced with a $400 original NOS tank rather than an aftermarket replacement. Yes, $400 for what looks like a plastic milk container.
The 440ci 350hp 4bbl was standard on the 300 and provided more than enough power to go and come as fast as you please. Starting is easy, idling is smooth and quiet and getting on it stands up to most any car on the road from its day. The cool looking hide-a way headlights work perfectly. The undercarriage is rust free and super clean. There is a very thin layer of surface discoloration in some areas as you would expect from a 53 year old car that has been driven. It has never been artificially undercoated.
Documentation includes the original owners manual, warranty booklet, original literature and best of all, the original broadcast sheet. This car has spent its entire life in the South Eastern portion of the Good Ole USA under both owners. Both have kept in touch before and after each sale.
Not to sound like a crotchety old dude that complains about how the next generation has it so much easier than previous era, but I remember a time when seeing a Nissan Skyline was a big deal. These rare sightings were memorable and the first time I saw one in the wild was 1999.
I can forget the important details of my life, usually birthdays for those I love, but seeing a car that could only imported was a big deal to me. So was Oasis’ follow up album to (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?. I guess my priorities have changed in the ensuing decades, but Be Here Now is an under appreciated album and I will die on that hill.
1994 Nissan Skyline
These days seeing a Skyline in the wild is not common but you come across them every now and then. They stick out from the crowd and for those in the know it’s always a treat to see one on the road. The world has changed. I’m no longer with it, hence the Oasis reference, and a right-hand drive Nissan Skyline imported from Japan can be had for a reasonable price.
This vehicle has been properly imported and now comes with an Indiana Title,” the listing states. “This right hand drive Nissan is instantly recognizable to auto enthusiasts and has become even more popular since passing the 25 year threshold which allowed these performance vehicles to be imported.”
1994 Nissan Skyline
It’s powered by a turbocharged 2.6-liter inline-six engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. The listing states that the Nissan has 152,743 kilometers on the odometer (94,910 miles).
Turbocharged 2.6-liter inline-six engine
The dark blue exterior is in good condition, but the listing advises that the matching front bumper is in good condition, but it needs the proper clips to re-attach it. The selling owner has been unable to source them.
It has a grey interior with front bucket seats and based on the listing’s photos is in good condition with normal wear and tear for a 28-year-old car.
I dig the past. Nostalgia is cool but I like modern conveniences like Spotify, as it is super convenient to use and I save cash on CD’s, especially for one-hit wonders. The future isn’t too bad for a middle-aged dude when he knows that he can finally get a Skyline easily at a good price.
The dealer is asking $28,900 for this 1994 Nissan Skyline, and the dealer advises, “Price does not include applicable tax, title, license, processing and/or $199 documentation fees.”
Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1992 Porsche 968 that has been with its original owner for 30 years. A stock 3.0-liter inline-four is connected to a six-speed manual transmission. During ownership, this Porsche has been upgraded with lowering springs, 17-inch wheels, Billy Boat Muffler and Kenwood stereo. New parts include the air conditioning system and Michelin tires. Finished in Guards Red over a tan leather interior, this garage-kept Porsche is available now and comes with receipts, a clean CARFAX report and clear California title in the seller’s name.
1992 Porsche 968
According to the seller, this Porsche features its original coat of Guards Red paint plus original-spec fog lights and black rear wing. The windshield was replaced with a new unit by Circle Porsche of Long Beach, California. A scratch on the passenger-side rocker panel is visible in the photo gallery.
1992 Porsche 968
The stock wheels have been upgraded with 17-inch units with Porsche crest center caps, all wrapped in new Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires.
1992 Porsche 968
Cabin furnishings include tan leather seating for four including matching door panels and carpeting. The cockpit is equipped with power windows, power front seats, sport pedals, air conditioning, a tinted windows upgrade and a Kenwood eXcelon AM/FM/CD head unit. The covered storage area under the rear hatch contains an Alpine V12 amplifier and a Bazooka EL Series subwoofer. The air conditioning system and various relays were replaced by Autowerkes of Huntington Beach, California, within the past six months.
1992 Porsche 968
The refurbished instrument panel includes a 180-mph speedometer, 7K+-rpm tachometer, and gauges for the coolant temperature, fuel level, oil pressure and voltage. The six-digit mechanical odometer shows 113K miles, which is consistent with the mileage shown on the CARFAX report.
3.0-liter inline-four engine
Under the hood sits a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-four that was factory-rated at 236 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. The engine delivers output to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.
1992 Porsche 968
This 968 has been lowered with replacement springs. According to the seller, this 968 breathes through a Billy Boat muffler, with the vehicle having passed the California-mandated smog test in March 2021. The video in the photo gallery shows the car idling and an exterior light check; additional photos of the underbody are available in the photo gallery.
The CARFAX report starts in February 1992 and shows an accident-free history in California. A pair of keys, receipts and owner’s manual will be included with the car.
Barrett-Jackson to auction 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition donated by renowned philanthropist George Shinn to support Hurricane Ian relief efforts.
Barrett-Jackson will auction a highly-desirable, limited-production Heritage Edition Mustang Shelby GT500 with 100 percent of the hammer price benefiting two nonprofits supporting those tragically affected by Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida.
Barrett-Jackson
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. ‒ Barrett-Jackson will auction a highly-desirable, limited-production Heritage Edition Mustang Shelby GT500 with 100 percent of the hammer price benefiting two nonprofits supporting those tragically affected by Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida. American businessman and philanthropist George Shinn has generously donated this high-performance vehicle to support relief efforts from both Samaritan’s Purse and the Florida Disaster Fund. The GT500 Heritage Edition will cross the auction block during Barrett-Jackson’s Houston Auction, Saturday, October 22, at approximately 4 p.m. CDT.
“We’re proud to once again team up with George Shinn to support those currently suffering from unspeakable tragedies,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Earlier this year during our Palm Beach Auction, we auctioned one of George’s vehicles to support humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine, helping raise over $1.7 million for the cause, and we look forward to answering the call once again alongside George next week as we support those in need here at home.”
The 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition (Lot #3001) offered will be driven onto the Barrett-Jackson auction block by Shawn Shelby, grandson of Carroll Shelby and an American racer and entrepreneur. Carroll Shelby and Ford developed the first-generation Shelby GT500 based on the second-generation pony car for the 1967 model year. The car utilized a modified 428ci V8 engine inspired by his team’s 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in 1966.
Paying homage to the original 1967 Shelby GT500, this limited-production 2022 GT500 Heritage Edition fastback is finished in Brittany Blue with Wimbledon White racing stripes. Ford Performance designed and engineered the 2022 GT500 as the most powerful street-legal Ford ever built, utilizing a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine known as the “Predator,” rated with 760 horsepower and 625 ft/lbs of torque. It’s paired with a TREMEC 7-speed dual-clutch transmission with race-bred control strategies and advanced drive modes.
The sale of the Heritage Edition GT500 will benefit Samaritan’s Purse and the Florida Disaster Fund with their ongoing hurricane relief efforts. Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease and famine. Currently, Samaritan’s Purse has three Disaster Relief Units in Florida – Fort Myers, Englewood and Punta Gorda – where volunteers are helping thousands of families. Samaritan’s Purse Vice President of Operations, Edward Graham, the youngest son of Franklin and Jane Graham and grandson of Billy Graham, will join the car on the block for this charitable auction.
The Florida Disaster Fund is Florida’s official private fund established to assist the state’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. Donations to the Florida Disaster Fund are made to the Volunteer Florida Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and the Florida Disaster Fund distributes its donations to service organizations serving individuals within their communities with disaster response and recovery.
Collector car enthusiasts interested in registering to bid for this 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition charity vehicle and the entire 2022 Houston Auction may do so here.
To purchase tickets and VIP packages to the event, click here. Join Barrett-Jackson’s online conversation with #BarrettJackson and #BJAC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson is a leader in collector car auctions and automotive lifestyle events, which include authentic automobilia auctions and the sale of private collections. Welcoming over 500,000 attendees per year, Barrett-Jackson produces live collector car auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona; Palm Beach, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Houston, Texas, where thousands of the most sought-after, unique and valuable automobiles cross the block in front of a global audience. With broadcast partner A+E Networks, Barrett-Jackson features live television coverage of its events on FYI and The HISTORY Channel, as well as all the cars, all the time via its produced livestream on Barrett-Jackson.com. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com, or call 480-421-6694.
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Big names, excellent racing and impressive cars delighted attendees at the 2022 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The third annual Chattanooga Motorcar Festival sponsored by Millennium Bank excelled in The Scenic City this weekend as it celebrated Oktoberfest with dynamic and exciting events for families and racing and car aficionados alike.
With a backdrop of pumpkins and hay bales on the drive-up podium in front of the Westin Hotel Chattanooga, the 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton, owned by Laura and Jack Boyd Smith Jr., won Best of Show in Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance. Approximately 125 judged (21 classes) and exhibition cars were on display in West Village, including a number of the world’s most significant cars.
Best of Show went to this stunning 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton owned by Laura and Jack Boyd Smith Jr.
At the second annual Pace Grand Prix at The Bend on Friday and Saturday, approximately 89 cars in seven groups of vintage, historic and some contemporary race cars competed on a purpose-built 2.75-mile race track that stretches along the Tennessee River. This year’s Grand Prix, named for Jim Pace, the former COO of the Festival who died in 2019, debuted the Alley of the Greats, a loop through a skeleton of an old manufacturing building draped with banners commemorating racing legends.
Race results for the two sprint feature races per class held on Saturday may be found at: RACE 1 and RACE 2
Other events over the three-day weekend which boasted near-perfect weather included V8s in the Village, Gathering of the Greats–Ferrari Edition, Mecum Auction Chattanooga, RADwood, Concours d’Lemons, light shows, evening street parties, panel discussions, the winged cars of NASCAR, plus an array of racing and car collector celebrities that may never be seen together again in one place.
Car Clubs were strongly represented, including some uniquely named ones such as Choo Choo Bimmers, Choo Choo Corvairs, Cruisin to End Alzheimer’s, Drive Electric Scenic City and the Soddy Daisy Mustang Club.
Familiar names from auto racing and car collecting, such as Donnie Allison, Justin Bell, Wayne Carini, Corky Coker, Tom Cotter, Ray Evernham, Chip Foose, Ken Gross, Jeff Hammond, Tommy Kendall, Keith Martin, Brian Redman, Bill Rothermel, Lyn St. James, Mike Tillson and Linda Vaughn participated in panel discussions, interviews and presentations.
Lyn St. James, the 1992 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year served as Grand Marshal, racing champion Brian Redman was the Grand Ambassador, and local hero Corky Coker was Grand Marshal Emeritus.
Former NASCAR crew chief Ray Evernham curated a collection of NASCAR winged cars, and hosted a panel discussion with famed NASCAR racer Donnie Allison and another former crew chief and TV commentator, Jeff Hammond.
NASCAR driver Joe Nemechek competed at the Pace Grand Prix in a NASCAR 2006 Toyota Camry, winning each of his group’s two feature races on Saturday.
The Torque Show live-streamed more than 30 hours of coverage during the three-day weekend, which included the Canossa Rally Chattanooga, the racing action at the Grand Prix, the Concours d’Elegance awards presentation, and the Torque Show each day with Justin Bell and Tommy Kendall.
WATCH DAY ONE COVERAGE
WATCH DAY TWO COVERAGE
WATCH DAY THREE COVERAGE
About Chattanooga Motorcar Festival: Proceeds from the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival support neuroscience research through Fifty Plus Foundation, Inc. Approaching 12 years of supporting Alzheimer’s and neuroscience research, Fifty Plus Foundation created the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival to bring both local and global support to back research that is already making a difference in saving lives. Learn more at chattanoogamotorcar.com.
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Wells is best known for playing Jennifer in Back To The Future and Thomas’ Future Factory builds Toyota SR5 Back To The Future tribute trucks. All proceeds from the sale of its tribute trucks benefit the Michael J. Fox’s Team Fox charity for Parkinson’s research.
A sweet ’66 Mustang GT has its happy owner seeing red.
1966 was the second year for the GT version of Ford’s hot-selling Mustang. This beautiful example belongs to Jenny Kramm of Ringle, Wis.
“Someday” came a little early for Jenny Kramm.
“I always thought I would get an old car, I just didn’t expect to get an old car so soon,” laughs Kramm, gazing at her gorgeous 1966 Mustang GT fastback. “I felt like I went through the mid-life crisis before I was 30!”
The Mustang unexpectedly came in through the side door of Kramm’s life in 2010 when the last thing she was thinking about was buying a car built long before she was born. She had plenty of doubts at the time, but 12 years later, she’s liking her decision more every day.
“I had liked old cars since I was little, but I wasn’t planning on buying an old car,” says the resident of rural Ringle, Wis., “But then I was working a night shift and talking to a friend and she was saying, ‘One of my buddies is looking to sell his car.’ And I’m thinking it’s probably a piece of junk, but I said, ‘OK, here’s my email and have him email me with pictures and information on the car. And then when I got the email, I was like, ‘OK.’ I thought, ‘Oh, shoot, do I pass this up? Do I give it a try? I’m not really looking for a car at this time.’ I decided we’ll look at in person.”
“So we went and looked at it and he gave me a price and I decided to pass on it, and he said, ‘What could you do for a price?’ And I told him a number and he said, ‘It’s yours.’ He wanted it to stay in the states, otherwise he had a buyer in Australia. He was a local guy and he wanted to keep it in Wisconsin. It was kind of a fell-into-my-lap type of thing, and I decided I couldn’t pass it up.”
A look at the iconic fastback
At that point, Kramm and her boyfriend, Jason Londerville, had a bit of a dilemma. They both had old cars — Londerville was restoring an older Chevelle — and they only had a one-car garage between them.
“We decided that this one had to go in the garage and we needed to go find some storage for his,” she chuckles.
The couple has put more than 10,000 miles on the Mustang in the past decade-plus, and the car still looks freshly restored. With blazing chrome and hot CandyApple Red paint, it is a stunning ride by almost anyone’s standards.
The car has been almost trouble-free for more than a decade, as well. It runs as good as it looks, except for a little black smoke occasionally when it starts.
“It smokes a little — I think the guy who owned it was a little hard on it,” Londerville notes. “We think there’s some rings that might be missed up on that bank, but it’s nothing we’re going to worry about now. It runs good.”
The biggest challenge in owning the Mustang so far for Kramm might be fending off offers to buy the car. She has had some persuasive guys try to get her to hand over the keys.
“We took it to a car show about a month after I bought it and I had people coming up to me saying, ‘Are you ready to sell this?’ I just bought it a month ago, I’m not ready to sell it yet!”
“Every year at [the Iola Car Show in Wisconsin], there is for sure one or two guys that come up and ask me if I will sell them the car. They know the car and know who I am …they come up with business cards [laughs]. Are you ready to sell this year?’”
Three-pedals and a stick grace this beauty. Inside, the Interior Decor Group — generally called the “Pony interior” — was a desirable option with running horses on the seat backs, “pistol grip” style inside door handles courtesy lights on the doors and other goodies.
A HOT CAR GETS HOTTER
Though it was far from the fastest car of the ’60s, the Mustang GT played a big role in building enthusiasm for muscle cars and rarely gets full credit for its contribution to muscle car history. As Car Life magazine put it, “Ford started a round-up of its state-of-the-Total-Performance art to produce the Mustang GT.” But before getting into the go-fast details, let’s review Mustang history a bit.
It is not often that a car comes along and gets to create its own market segment, but that is what happened when Ford introduced the Mustang sporty compact on April 17, 1964. Mustang initiated the all-new “pony car” segment, and the market for the cars was large and long lasting.
There is argument among purists over whether the Mustangs produced prior to September 1964 are 1964 1/2 or 1965 models. However, when it comes to the interesting and collectible GT equipment group, there can be no question, as it was introduced for the first anniversary of the Mustang’s introduction on April 17, 1965.
The Mustang had already become a desirable commodity. Its standard equipment included bucket seats. It had the immediately popular long hood, short deck look. At first it came as a sport coupe (two-door hardtop) and a sporty-looking convertible. In the fall of 1964, a fastback model called the 2+2 was added to the lineup. From the outset, the options list was important in marketing the Mustang. Buyers could add lots of appearance and convenience extras, plus some bolt-on high-performance hardware. However, being based on the low-priced compact Falcon, there was some room for improvement in the go-fast department.
A 289-cid V-8 resides under the hood.
Combining available mechanical features with new visual pieces made the GT package a fairly thorough upgrade. First, the buyer had to order an optional V-8 engine, which, at the time, included the 225-hp Challenger Special 289 at $157, or the high-performance 271-hp/289-cid engine for $430.
The GT option included quick-ratio steering, disc front brakes, chromed dual exhaust tips that exited through the rear valance panel, a new grille bar with fog lamps built in and GT instrumentation — which replaced the Falcon-based instrument panel with five round dials. Throw in GT badging and lower body striping and you had a bargain for around $150.
For 1966, little change was made to Ford’s hot-selling Mustang. You don’t mess with success. Minor updates were all that were needed. A revised instrument panel that looked less like that of the Falcon was used. The grille retained its now-familiar shape, but had the Mustang horse emblem “floating” in the “corral” in its center, with no horizontal or vertical dividing bars. A wind split ornament was added at the end of the “cove” on the body sides.
Federally mandated safety equipment that was formerly optional—including seat belts, a padded instrument panel, emergency flashers, electric windshield wipers (with washers) and dual padded sun visors—were made standard features. To cover the added cost of these must-have items, prices increased $44 for the two-door hardtop, $18 for the 2+2 and $49 for the convertible.
No doubting this is a GT
The GT Equipment Group continued to be available in 1966 as a $152.50 option package for Mustangs with high-performance V-8 power plants. The GT Equipment Group included a dual exhaust system, front fog lamps, special body ornamentation, front disc brakes, GT racing stripes (in place of rocker panel moldings) and handling package components. The handling package (normally $30.84 extra by itself) included increased-rate front and rear springs, larger-diameter front and rear shock absorbers, a steering system with a 22:1 overall ratio and a large-diameter stabilizer bar.
The Mustang’s base V-8 engine for 1966 was the Code “G” 4.00 x 2.87-inch bore and stroke 289-cid with a 9.3:1 compression ratio and an Autolite two-barrel carburetor. It generated 200 hp at 4,400 rpm. The performance options included the Code “A” 289-cid Challenger V-8 with a 10.1:1 compression ratio and four-barrel Autolite carburetor, which produced 225 hp at 4,800, and the Code “K” Challenger High-Performance V-8. This version of the “289” featured a 10.5:1 compression ratio, a four-barrel Autolite carburetor and solid valve lifters, which helped it to make 271 hp at 6,000 rpm.
A Mustang 2+2 with the Challenger High-Performance V-8 could do 0-to-60 mph in 7.6 seconds and needed about 15.9 seconds to make it down the quarter-mile.
The GT package proved to be twice as popular as it had been in 1965 and its sales increased from about 15,000 the earlier year to approximately 30,000.FROM WEST COAST TO MIDWEST
According to the history that was passed on to Kramm, her ’66 was a California “barn find” before it ever touched Wisconsin soil. It isn’t clear how long the car sat, or how many previous owners it had, but the previous owner brought the Mustang from California and had it restored at Kuyuth’s Body & Custom in Stratford, Wis. The car was obviously repainted and given new interior upholstery. The 289 V-8 was punched out to push the horsepower up closer to 325 hp and had a slightly hotter cam installed, along with some growling Flowmasters. Otherwise, the GT is stock, down to its factory red color.
According to the documentation Kramm received, the car was originally ordered with the 289 four-barrel, four-speed and front disc brakes. It has the Interior Décor Group with “Pony” interior and console, fog lamps, GT Rally Pac and GT rally wheels.
“It was almost like a points restoration. You look under hood and they put all the correct markings on it and everything,” Londerville notes. “There is an aftermarket radio in the trunk.”
“But the dash radio still does work!” Kramm pointed out. “It’s AM/FM radio, which is a little uncommon for that year.”
Even after having the car for 12 years and taking it to plenty of shows, Kramm knows the question is still coming: “Is that your car?” She doesn’t take offense. She knows she is often the only female car owner at the shows and cruises she shows up at, and certainly the only one that usually shows up in a hot red Mustang. “It’s a lot of fun to see people’s reactions, especially if I’m driving. ‘Is that her car, or did she steal it?’ That type of thing,” she says.
“I got it a lot when we went to car shows. People would be talking to him and asking, ‘Who’s car is this.’ And his sister had a sweatshirt made for me that said, ‘Not my boyfriend’s car.’ Nobody believed that I could have a car like this.’ I think sometimes it gets awkward, because I didn’t work on it. I didn’t make it look like this, unfortunately. I got it like this. So sometimes people will start talking over my head [laughs].”
Kramm says after a dozen years of good times with the car, she can’t ever see herself parting with it “unless something horrible happened.” These days she says she’s just as happy riding in the passenger seat and letting Jason drive as she is taking the wheel herself. “I really like riding in it, so I can enjoy the ride. Plus it’s got no power steering, so that’s kind of a lot sometimes, too. You baby it a little bit, and you go out driving and you’re cautious, because you don’t know about everybody else on the road.
“You don’t want anything to happen to it, because you’ll never get another one just like it.”
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2011 Chevrolet Impala isn’t likely to attract attention from collectors, unless it’s a NASCAR Cup Series race car driven by four-time champion Jeff Gordon, that is.
Miami-based Speedart Motorsports is selling Hendrick Motorsports’ Chassis 678, which Gordon drove in the 2011 Cup Series (then known as the Sprint Cup) season. It was recently refurbished to race-ready condition, Speedart claims, and can be yours for an asking price of $165,000.
The 2011 cars were built to NASCAR’s fifth-generation Cup Series design, which debuted for the 2008 season and was known as the “Car of Tomorrow.” This design was replaced after the 2012 season by the sixth-generation Cup Series chassis, which in turn was replaced by the “Next Gen” car for the 2022 season.
2011 Chevrolet Impala NASCAR Cup car driven by Jeff Gordon (photo via Speedart Motorsports)
While badged as an Impala, and borrowing some styling elements from the now-defunct sedan’s then-current look, the Cup Series car has a bespoke tube-frame chassis and rear-wheel drive instead of the Impala’s front-wheel-drive layout. A carbureted 5.8-liter pushrod V-8 generates an estimated 850 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque, and is coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission.
The listing quotes a 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds, which is slower than some current supercars, but also a 200-mph top speed. And this car was designed to run at that speed continuously on a NASCAR oval.
Gordon drove Chassis 678 in three races, starting with the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he qualified eighth and finished second. The Impala was also raced in the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway, where Gordon qualified ninth and finished sixth. The car’s final race, the Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, was also its worst finish. Gordon qualified 23rd and finished 24th.
2011 Chevrolet Impala NASCAR Cup car driven by Jeff Gordon (photo via Speedart Motorsports)
The car was subsequently sold by Hendrick Motorsports into private ownership. It was recently rebuilt by current NASCAR Cup Series team Rick Ware Racing, according to the seller, adding that it’s currently set up for track-day events at road courses.
Gordon retired from full-time racing after the 2015 season. He is currently a vice-president at Hendrick Motorsports, but still does occasional races. He won the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona driving a Cadillac DPi-V.R prototype, and returned to Indianapolis last month for a Porsche Carrera Cup race.
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