Autoblog

2009 Orphan Car Show: 1927 Graham Child's Hearse

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Misc. Auto Shows, Specialty

Graham child's hearse - Click above for high-res image gallery

We headed down to the 2009 Orphan Car Show in Ypsilanti, MI on Sunday and the first orphan we stumbled upon was this unusual hearse. This one off was built in 1927 as a prototype for a line of funeral cars sized for carrying the remains of children. According to the adjacent sign, Albert H Whittekind spent two years carving the wooden adornments on the flanks. The hearse runs on a Graham chassis, which was the truck division of Dodge Brothers before that brand was absorbed into Chrysler. No funeral homes ever purchased any of these smaller hearses and so this one was never replicated. The children's hearse is now owned by Cole Funeral Home of Chelsea, MI.

Gallery: 1927 Graham child's hearse

2009 Orphan Car Show: 1927 Graham Child's Hearse originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 Orphan Car Show: MT Tech Editor brings out his 1967 Sunbeam Alpine

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Misc. Auto Shows

Frank Markus' 1967 Sunbeam Alpine - Click above for high-res image gallery

As we wandered around this year's Orphan Car Show, we ran into Motor Trend's Michigan-based technical editor Frank Markus. It turn's out Frank was displaying his own summertime toy, a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine roadster. Frank told us that he has owned this particular machine for over 20 years and it runs great. In fact, people familiar with Sunbeams are surprised when they hear it drive by. It turns out that contrary to the spirit of the Orphan Car Show, where the machines are supposed to be largely unmodified, the original Rootes Group four-cylinder has been discarded along the way. Instead, Frank's roadster is powered by a twin-cam Fiat engine that easily revs up to 6,500 rpm. Rather than being an immaculate concours restored machine, this one is a well maintained, mostly original example that shows some signs of its four decades of use but remains relatively corrosion free. Looks like a fun way to spend a sunny Sunday morning.

Gallery: 1967 Sunbeam Alpine - Frank Markus

2009 Orphan Car Show: MT Tech Editor brings out his 1967 Sunbeam Alpine originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Top 10-ish Orphan Car Brands

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classics

In this era of automakers on the brink of extinction, it's worth recalling that car companies going belly up is not a new phenomenon. Henry Ford himself started up two other brands that failed before Ford Motor Co. finally caught on. Start-up companies are not something that was invented in Silicon Valley and among all start-ups, failure is much more likely than success. In the early part of the 20th century, as the car was just gaining traction, there were literally thousands of automakers, most of whom have been long since lost to history. In the next couple of years we will almost certainly see more brands disappear and consolidate, so let's look back at some of the more memorable examples that are already gone while we wait for others to go. For those interested in seeing some of these orphans in person, we recommend checking out the annual Orphan Car Show every June in Ypsilanti, MI. Most of the gallery photos were shot there.

The Top 10-ish Orphan Car Brands originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orphan Car Show '08: Are pedal cars in our future?

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Click above for a high-res gallery of pedal cars from the 2008 Orphan Car Show

Once upon a time before there were Power Wheels, munchkins had to provide their own motivation. At the Orphan Car Show last week a gentleman by the name of Greg was displaying part of his collection of pedal cars and, unlike the modern day versions that are fabricated out of injection molded plastic, these cars were all metal. According to Greg, his father-in-law got him started on collecting pedal cars about 12 years ago and he now has about 100 examples. He picks them up wherever he can find them including yard sales, curbs and through acquaintances. Body styles run the gamut from Mustangs, to Jeeps to fire trucks. Perhaps if gas prices keep climbing we'll all be driving full size examples of these things before too long. Click below for a high-res gallery of the best pedal car's at last week's 2008 Orphan Car Show.

Gallery: Orphan Car Show 08: Pedal car collection

Orphan Car Show '08: Are pedal cars in our future? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orphan Car Show '08: 1966 Austin Healey 3000 Mk III

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:32:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for a high-res gallery of this pristine Austin-Healey

The annual Orphan Car Show took place in Ypsilanti, MI yesterday and Mother Nature provided absolutely perfect weather for the event. One of my personal favorites of the show was this sparkling pearl white 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III. As with many of the cars on display, this was in far better condition than any Austin-Healey that ever came out of the British factory. The finish on this car clearly had a lot of effort put into it and absolutely shimmered in the sunlight. According to the owner, he did the mechanical restoration while a professional shop handled the body work. The 3000s were built from 1959-67 in three series with this Mk III being one of the later cars. This is classic British motoring at its best. Click the gallery below to view more images of this awesome Austin-Healey and maybe we'll spotlight some more cars from the Orphan Car Show throughout the week.

Gallery: Orphan Car Show 08: 66 Austin Healey 3000

Orphan Car Show '08: 1966 Austin Healey 3000 Mk III originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2007 Orphan Car Show: The Foreigners

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:37:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Budget, Sedan, Etc., BMW, Misc. Auto Shows, Citroën, Fiat

Last of the Triumph line. A pair of remarkably rust free TR8s

We already showed you the American contingent at the Orphan Car Show in Ypsilanti, MI a few days ago but it wasn't a completely domestic show. Over the years, there have been many carmakers who have brought their funky machines to our market before finally succumbing to the pressure. Many of them are still in business in their home markets and some, like Peugeot/Citroen, are even thriving.

And then there's British Leyland. During the fifties and sixties, most of the larger British car companies were subsumed into a government-owned mass known as British Leyland. By the 1980s under the Iron Lady, after several of the brands had already become defunct, the rest were ultimately sold off. Some, like Land Rover and Mini have gone on to success, while Jaguar has struggled on and Rover ultimately whithered.

More orphaned furriners after the jump

Gallery: 2007 Orphan Car Show: Furiners

Continue reading 2007 Orphan Car Show: The Foreigners

2007 Orphan Car Show: The Foreigners originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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