Posts from ‘Collectible Automobile Magazine’
2018 Lexus LC 500
by Don Sikora II
Note: The following story was excerpted from the June 2018 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
Lexus calls its brand-new LC 500 coupe the luxury brand’s flagship. It also says it’s a concept car come to life, in this case the LF-LC concept first shown at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in early 2012.
The Consumer Guide staff picks their favorite music for long nighttime drives.
The Florida spring-break road trip is cliché these days, but it was the thing to do when my college friends and I hit the interstate back in 1984. The trip from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale is roughly 1400 miles, and our goal, alternating drivers, was to cover that distance in under 24 hours. As I recall, we arrived at our destination in about 27 hours, but made the return trip in under 24.
1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special
by Don Sikora II
Note: The following story was excerpted from the June 2018 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
Our story starts with the 1985 Cadillac De Ville and Fleetwood. This pair followed up Caddy’s downsized 1977 volume models and introduced even smaller packages, unitized construction, and front-wheel drive. Then the 1987 model year brought a new model, though one with a historic Cadillac name: the Fleetwood Sixty Special. It was based on the front-drive Fleetwood sedan, and it’s our latest choice for Cheap Wheels.
Photo Feature: 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.
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.
Photo Feature: 1953 Kaiser Dragon
1953 Kaiser Dragon
Note: The following story was excerpted from the August 2011 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
Henry J. Kaiser was part of the consortium that completed the daunting task of building Hoover Dam more than two years ahead of schedule. No one had mass produced ships until Kaiser built World War II Liberty Ships in as little as five days. Perhaps, then, Henry could have been excused for thinking he could revolutionize car building as well. He must have soon realized that it was a bigger job than expected and that the men running Detroit were smarter than he gave them credit for being.
1947 Bentley Mark VI Drophead Coupe
Note: The following story was excerpted from the April 2002 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
Bentleys were fast sport tourers—absolutely dependable, but loud. By 1931, when Bentley Motors went into receivership, its larger cars were competing with Rolls-Royce. In a surprise move, Rolls bought its English competitor to prevent future rivalry.
1951 Studebaker 2R6 Delivery Van
Note: The following story was excerpted from the April 2007 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
There’s an old and very common expression for describing someone who finds himself mired in difficult circumstances. He’s said to be “up a creek without a paddle.” That almost literally describes the situation in which George Hamlin found himself when he first laid eyes on the vintage truck featured here.
1933 Twin Coach Bakery Truck
Note: The following story was excerpted from the August 2015 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
Long before gourmet food trucks began peddling high-end lunches and pricey cupcakes on city streets, Helms Bakery trucks were a common sight in Southern California. Starting in 1931, Helms delivered bread, doughnuts, pies, cookies, pastries, and other baked goods to people’s homes. Its products were not sold in stores. Indeed, the company’s slogan was “Daily at your door.” Customers could place a Helms placard in their window as a signal for the “Helmsman” to stop—or just flag down a truck as it passed by. Based in Culver City, the Helms Bakery fleet ranged as far north as Fresno and as far south as San Diego. It delivered its last loaf in 1969.
1950 Mack A20 Tow Truck
Note: The following story was excerpted from the August 2014 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
The B-series Mack trucks produced from 1953 to 1966 were one of the most familiar commercial-vehicle lines of the post-World War II era. However, this successful truck family begs the question: If that’s the “B” model, then what was “A”?
