Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA["Marquis DeSoto" wins NY Times' Collectible Car of the Year award]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/24/marquis-desoto-wins-ny-times-collectible-car-of-the-year-awar/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/24/marquis-desoto-wins-ny-times-collectible-car-of-the-year-awar/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/24/marquis-desoto-wins-ny-times-collectible-car-of-the-year-awar/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click above for a gallery of the Marquis DeSoto

It is neither a Mercury Grand Marquis nor a DeSoto, but perhaps it could be considered a kind of royalty. Furniture maker Steve Heller wanted to build a car of his own design, and possessed of a love of Fifties car details, he swiped the things he liked and built what he calls the "Marquis de Soto." It can also be called the New York Times Collectible Car of the Year.

The Marquis is based on a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis. The Marquis' wings have been poached from the rear of a 1957 DeSoto, along with 1959 Cadillac taillights, the front fenders and lights from a 1958 Lincoln, 1955 Cadillac bumpers, a 1965 Buick Skylark hood, chrome from a 1957 Buick, and a grille glommed built from two 1957 Corvette pieces.

Heller spent 20 years collecting all the parts - he makes furniture using vintage car doodads - and spent four months building the car in back of his furniture shop. We dig it... but we dig it even more when it was just wearing primer. It has The Riddler written all over it. For more on the Marquis DeSoto, you can watch a great Heller-narrated slideshow or check out the gallery of photos below. Hat tip to Avinash

Gallery: Marquis deSoto


[Source: New York Times]

"Marquis DeSoto" wins NY Times' Collectible Car of the Year award originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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England has seen more than its fair share of crop circles over the years, and the "mysterious" impressions have found their way to Goodwood right in time for its 10th Revival. The crop circles were found in the grass at the West Sussex circuit during final preparations for the Revival, which runs today through Sunday. The Goodwood Revival features vehicles from the 50s and 60s in a retro race, along with period dress and a variety of festivities.

Several aircraft from many different decades have flown safely above the Goodwood course in past years, but in 2003 there was a reported UFO siting at the race and the photographs of the sighting were the talk of the Internets after the alleged incident. We're pretty skeptical about the crop circles, so we're guessing the marketing types over at Goodwood wanted to get one more media push in advance of the 10th anniversary of a very cool weekend event. We would like to see the event in person, but short of little green men beaming us over there, we'll have to sit this one out.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Crop circles appear at Goodwood before race originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Of course your wallet hurts every time you have to fill the car up. Nevertheless, in these trying times we must always remember the words of Fernando Lamas: it is better to look good than to feel good. Cars That Matter has put together a list of classic automobiles that get anywhere from 21 to 48 mpg, which means you can look good while you save money.

The heaviest drinker is the Datsun 240Z, just cracking into the twenties. But plenty of cars hover around the 30 mpg mark, like the Lotus Europa, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, and Fiat X1/9. If you want to crack the big four-oh, you've still got choices: BMW Isetta and Honda S800. And the Crosley Hotshot will get you a miserly 48 mpg.

All right, so there are some niggling issues of practicality -- almost all the cars have only two chairs -- unsuitability for winter, plus many of them are mechanical horrors. As such, we must always remember the words of dear old dad: there are no free lunches. But there are choices, and that has to count for something...

[Source: Cars That Matter, Photo by Liftarn | Creative Commons 2.0]

Prius schmius -- try an Austin-Healey Sprite and 36 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>antique carAntiqueCargasgas mileagegas pricesGasMileageGasPricesmiles per gallonMilesPerGallonmpgvintage carsVintageCarsSun, 10 Aug 2008 18:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Cali may cancel smog exemption from pre-1976 cars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/ca-looking-to-remove-smog-exemption-from-pre-1976-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/ca-looking-to-remove-smog-exemption-from-pre-1976-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/ca-looking-to-remove-smog-exemption-from-pre-1976-cars/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In California, home of the strictest car emissions regulations in the U.S., cars produced before 1976 do not need to undergo smog testing. California State Senator Dean Florez has proposed legislation that would remove that exemption for cars registered in the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District.

What would that mean if it were passed into law? It would mean that as of January 1, 2009, any car registered in a rather large swathe of central California -- from the 1974 Maverick to the 1929 Model A -- would need to pass every current and future smog test. If it didn't, it couldn't be driven.

It is theorized that the move comes because state authorities have missed their air quality goals and are now looking at targeting a tiny fraction of cars. Living in LA, we can't speak for Central California, but most of the pre-1976 vehicles we see here sound and run better than the glut of 80's Toyotas puttering down the streets. What vintage car owners fear is that if the legislation becomes law in the San Joaquin Valley, then it's only a matter of time before it gets adopted everywhere. Thanks for the tip, Kevin!

[Source: SEMA Action Network]

Cali may cancel smog exemption from pre-1976 cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>californiaclassic carsClassicCarsemissionsemissionsreductionssmogsmog reductionsmog testingsmogreductionSmogTestingvintage carsVintageCarsMon, 31 Mar 2008 09:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Vintage American iron thriving in Cuba]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/15/vintage-american-iron-thriving-in-cuba/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/15/vintage-american-iron-thriving-in-cuba/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/15/vintage-american-iron-thriving-in-cuba/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At least one of Autoblog's staffers is a sucker for the monthly 'Discovered' and 'Lost & Found' features British rags Thoroughbred & Classic Cars and Classic and Sports Car. Great 'barn finds' make our hairs stand up on end and constantly have us peering into farmyards whenever we drive through the countryside.

In this regard, at least, Cubans have it easy. Their streets fairly team with vintage iron, particularly American classics from the 1940's and 1950's. While this isn't exactly 'news,' Reuters has put a big number to the phenomenon: 60,000. That's how many of the buggers it believes are navigating the communist nation's roads, most of which are in states of tune that would make the cars' original engineers scratch their heads in wonder.

Given a 40+ year trade embargo with the U.S., modern vehicles are essentially unavailable, so many American classics have been pressed into service as cabs and private transports. With the availability of quality, affordable replacement parts being similarly non-existent, locals have taken to jury-rigging their rides with whatever bits they can muster- ancient Russian diesel engines, tatty Kia bits, baling wire, used cigar wrappers, anything. From the sounds of it, they're raising a generation of MacGyvers over there.

Cuban grand pooh-bah, Fidel Castro has announced plans to supplant privateer hacks out of business by buying some 8,000 Chinese cabs and busses. If El Presidente grinds the vintage iron to dust, it'd be a real shame. As it is, there are apparently some genuinely important classics lurking in Cuba, though efforts by American restorers and collectors have largely proven fruitless in getting around trade barriers.

[Sources: Reuters via CNN.com; HavanaJournal.com]

(Top tip, Evan!)

Vintage American iron thriving in Cuba originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 May 2006 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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