Author Archive

Jul
03
1950 Dodge B-2-B

1950 Dodge B-2-B Panel Truck

Note: The following story was excerpted from the June 2013 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine

By John Biel

For decades after the old-car hobby got rolling in earnest, there was an increasing emphasis on exacting nut-and-bolt restorations, the results sometimes being vintage vehicles that looked better in retirement than the moment they left the assembly line years before. In recent years, though, an appreciation for worn but undisturbed originals has arisen. Even some prestigious car-club meets and concours d’elegance have created “preservation” classes to include these hardy survivors.  

Dec
31
1958 Ford Del Rio Ranch Wagon

1958 Ford Del Rio Ranch Wagon

Note: The following story was excerpted from the February 2004 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine

By John Biel

The American station wagon has had many transformations over the years. It went from being seen as a commercial vehicle to being accepted as a passenger-car style. Wood body construction gave way to steel. And though four-door convenience made the most sense for such a vehicle, two-door wagons enjoyed a brief heyday that peaked in the mid Fifties. 

Nov
14
Ford v Ferrari

Christian Bale (left) and Matt Damon in Ford v Ferrari, which opens November 15, nationwide.

Film may have been born as a visual medium, but when the first “talkies” hit the silver screen more than 90 years ago, sound quite literally entered the picture. Should you go to see Ford v Ferrari, the new Hollywood movie about the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, you’ll be glad it did.

Nov
06
Photo Feature: 1932 Buick Series 90 Convertible Phaeton, Top Down, Green

1932 Buick Series 90 Convertible Phaeton

Note: The following story was excerpted from the April 2005 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine

The story of how Buicks came to be manufactured in Canada—including the very one featured on these pages—starts with one man. Robert Samuel “Sam” McLaughlin, born in 1871, eventually entered the well-regarded family carriage business located in Oshawa, Ontario. Then, in the early years of the twentieth   century, he got interested in the automobile business.

Oct
15
1948 Tucker, Collectible Automobile Tucker Article

This Collectible Automobile article won the 2019 Carl Benz Award from the Society of Automotive Historians,

The story of a car that barely was that appeared in Collectible Automobile® magazine has won a second award. “Toward the Tucker: Creating Preston Tucker’s Bid for Glory” is the 2019 winner of the Carl Benz Award presented by the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH).

Jul
29
1948 Tucker

Collectible Automobile Magazine earned a “Best-in-Category” trophy at the 2019 Automotive Heritage Awards.

The second-annual Automotive Heritage Awards (AHA) honored a second consecutive Collectible Automobile® magazine article as the best of its class. The article “Toward the Tucker: Creating Preston Tucker’s Bid for Glory” by Karl Ludvigsen garnered both a gold medallion and a “Best-in-Category” trophy when the 2019 journalism awards were presented July 28.

Jun
26
1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Fleetline Aerosedan

1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Fleetline Aerosedan

Note: The following story was excerpted from the October 2006 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine

Let’s say you’re not convinced that appearance is an important factor—maybe the important factor—that drives car shoppers to choose one vehicle over another. Then consider the 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan. Despite being the most expensive two-door closed car in the Chevy lineup, it was still the most popular model of the best-selling brand in America in ’47.

May
21
1933 Hupmobile K-321 Convertible Coupe

1933 Hupmobile K-321 Convertible Coupe

Note: The following story was excerpted from the April 2004 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.

The automobile was meant to foster travel and, by golly, here’s one that has. The Hupmobile convertible coupe featured on these pages has been to Australia and back during its lifetime.

Dec
31
1966 Ford Thunderbird

1966 Ford Thunderbird

Note: The following story was excerpted from the December 2005 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.

In the decade or so since its 1955 introduction, the Ford Thunderbird came to attract a solid following from female motorists. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that the 1966 T-Bird convertible featured on these pages was intended to please a lady.

Dec
28
1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato

1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato

Note: The following story was excerpted from the June 2000 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.

Throughout his professional life, Carlo Abarth (1908-1979) won acclaim for wringing great amounts of performance from cars with tiny engines. On occasion, these were cars of his own design. More often than not, though, his shops in Turin, Italy, founded in 1949, turned out vigorous vehicles that took as their starting points other manufacturers’ products.