According to Vintage Las Vegas, the Silver Slipper at one time – specifically 1959, when this photo was taken – stood in what is now the empty lot across from Wynn’s Encore on the Las Vegas Strip, just caddycorner from the Gold Key Motel that featured in our recent look at a gloomy day in Sin City. From the packed parking lot, should we presume that Hank Henry was a big draw at the time, or was it simply a good day to go gambling? What do you see here?
No, it doesn’t have any known history from before its basket-case days. No, it probably won’t win too many beauty contests, and no, it’s likely not the safest old car on the road. But that all probably adds to, rather than detracts from, the charm and the fun potential of this 1941 Ford speedster for sale on Hemmings.com, a real bitsa car (“made from bitsa this and bitsa that”) with parts from three different makes spanning three decades. From the seller’s description:
Assembled from a extended 1941 Ford frame, 1939 Ford running gear, a 1950 Mercury 255 Cubic inch Flathead V8 with a mild Iskederian cam, 1950′s reversed exhaust headers, 1939 Ford three speed manual transmission coupled to a very rare 3.51 ratio Ford differential, Studebaker steering wheel and box, 1937 Chevy truck head and tail lamps, late 1940′s speedboat windshield and seats,and period correct gauges, it is truly a unique, and without question, one of a kind Speedster.
Its main body and fenders are steel, with a hand laid fiberglass nose. It’s hood, appears to have been manufactured in a aircraft manufacturing plant, indicative of its flush rivet hinges. The front fenders were created from Ford Model A steel spare wheel covers. The floors are purloined aluminum speed limit signs from the period, something I hilariously found out when first climbing under the car to replace the oil. I wonder how many drivers got “bagged” from the shenanigans of the builder(s). “No officer….. I really didn’t see the speed limit sign.”
A closer look at the Speedsters nose illustrates “Hoover” badging, which when you really think about it, yes, the nose resembles the front of a vintage Hoover cannister vacuum cleaner. The genesis of this, a later addition was amusingly as follows: The former owner acquired the roadster as a basket case a number of years ago. When his friends and associates saw the ‘jigsaw puzzle”, it became a joke among them, provoking him to reconstruct the Speedster to a viable running machine. He and, and yes his friends did a terrific job. When completed, one of the friends, observing the finished product, and noting its resemblance to a vacuum cleaner, quietly manufactured the logo, and presented to him. In the spirit of jest and fun, he installed it on the car, where it resides today.
This is a really fun “wind in your hair” car to drive an own. The looks it gets when on the road are indescribable, and hilarious, with a lot of thumbs up. It’s unique to say the least. It starts and runs fabulous, with no unusual noises or smoke. Its three speed transmission requires a little finesse when shifting but engages all the gears normally. These were non synchro transmissions. Moreover its very fast (power to weight), and should be driven with common sense. Additionally, included in the sale will be two Edelbrock finned aluminum racing heads, and a twin 97 carburated Offenshauser intake manifold. The carburetors will probably require rebuild. And yes….. the leather racing cap and goggles will be included.
See more Fords for sale on Hemmings.com.
With 3D scanning and printing becoming attainable for DIY restorers, it’s becoming more feasible to resurrect cars from the 1980s with their myriad unreproduced plastic parts. However, they’re gonna need perfectly preserved, untouched, and unrestored originals as templates, cars like this 1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z for sale on Hemmings.com, a 17,000-mile original-owner car that’s never left California and that apparently has only occasionally ventured out from its garage these last 30 years. From the seller’s description:
17,000 original miles. Original owner. I ordered this car new. Built at Van Nuys,California assembly plant.This Camaro has always been garaged and covered. A real California car as it was ordered, built, and delivered in California. In fact the car has never been out of the state. It has never been in an accident or dented. All original paint, seats, carpet, wheels, engine, transmission, differential, etc. It even has the original Goodyear Gatorback tires.All number matching.Shiny black paint and perfect grey cloth interior.Highly equipped but without T-tops. Power windows,locks,tilt,cruise,power antenna,4 wheel disc brakes YE2 stereo system.You will not find a cleaner more original 1985 IROC-Z. A true “no stories” survivor.
See more Chevrolet Camaros for sale on Hemmings.com.
Generally, the rarer a car, the more likely it will become a candidate for restoration, if it hasn’t been restored already. Not so with Lars Severance’s 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 LTD two-door hardtop fitted with an R-code 425hp 427-cu.in. V-8 and four-speed transmission which, when Jim Donnelly and Richard Lentinello worked up this article on Lars and his car for SIA #198 (December 2003), remained unrestored and dinged, but also still had pretty much all of its original equipment.
There’s a certain mechanical honesty to early Land Rovers that’s missing from modern SUVs. Simple, (relatively) reliable and able to competently traverse a wide variety of terrain, buying a Land Rover is, in a way, akin to parking peace of mind in your garage. This 1959 Land Rover Series II Model 88, for sale on Hemmings.com, is described by its current owner as “structurally restored,” and used on an occasional basis only. Not cosmetically perfect, the aluminum body has the expected dents from 55 years of non-highway use, yet the relatively recent paint still appears to shine. Another plus is the truck’s conversion from positive to negative ground, but the seats (still covered in now-unobtainable “Elephant Hide” vinyl) are overdue for rebuilding. From the seller’s description:
This is a rare 1959 Land Rover Series II that has been structurally restored and functions perfectly. The standard 2.25 litre engine starts effortlessly, runs cool, has been regularly serviced and has current NYS inspection through September 2015. It has the standard Series II 4-speed transmission and four-wheel drive system. The vehicle has been used for fun around our property, driven rarely, and garaged year-round.
Like all Rovers of this vintage, this is not a daily driver (top speed is around 45 mph). We use it for family fun only, though it has also proved to be an utterly dependable fall-back if we are snowed in. The electrical system is the only thing upgraded from the original: In the course of installing a new solenoid/starter switch, I had my mechanic switch the vehicle to negative ground (including full field generator) and rewire as needed—e.g. the amp meter and coil wires. Everything works flawlessly.
The frame is perfectly sound and the body is in great shape, though like all such early aluminum Rovers it had a few dents and undulations, which were preserved when it was last painted; the paint job is four years old and looks new. No cosmetic upgrades have been made to the interior, which is as Spartan as the original, including classic “Elephant Hide” seats, though the seats are heavily worn and need replacing.
The rear compartment has no seats; it is covered with a 3/4”-thick rubber mat protecting the full floor-bed. The tires are Dunlop Radial Rovers, 235/85R-16.
Find more Land Rovers for sale on Hemmings.com.
Maserati trident from 1963 Maserati Sebring. Photo by author.
Throughout 2014, Maserati has been celebrating its centennial year with events across the globe. As the year winds down, the Italian automaker has announced a series of Cento anni di Maserati (100 years of Maserati) driving tours for owners in four key U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C.; Miami, Florida; Los Angeles, California; and Chicago, Illinois.
Bridges form a symbolic and central theme to the tours, as they represent the link from Maserati’s past to its future. In Washington, D.C., the tour will take participants across the Chain Bridge and past the Arlington Memorial Bridge, before culminating in a VIP reception at the Italian Embassy. The Miami tour will cross the MacArthur Causeway and navigate Ocean Drive before visiting the Miami Auto Show, with full media access. In Los Angeles, participants will start at the Santa Monica Pier (built in 1909) before driving to the Los Angeles Auto Show for a VIP reception featuring the Maserati Alfieri concept car. Finally, the Chicago Cento anni di Maserati tour will feature a reception at the Pritzker Pavillion before participants enjoy a performance of William Tell at the Harris Theater, featuring the debut of the Turin, Italy based Teatro Regio Torino orchestra and chorus.
The Washington, D.C. drive takes place on November 1, followed by the Miami tour on November 7, the Los Angeles tour on November 22 and the Chicago tour on December 3. The tours are open to owners of new and classic Maserati automobiles, and an owner-supplied Maserati must be driven on the event. There is no charge to participate, but space for each segment is extremely limited, and those attending must register in advance.
The Cento anni di Maserati tours will officially conclude Maserati’s year-long centennial celebration. For additional information, or to reserve a spot on one of the drives, visit Maserati100Years.com.
So, apparently, while the folks at CERN – the European Organization for Nuclear Research – have been figuring out string theory and all 11 dimensions and the differences between a muon and a quark, they haven’t really been taking great pains to caption the photos in their archive, so they’ve tossed about 12,000 photos out to the public for help identifying them. Of course, we’re happy to oblige, particularly when it comes to photos with cars in them, so we’ve selected three here for our carspotting series, all dating from 1969. What do you see here?
Most collectors, when going after multiple versions of the same model of car, try to go for a little variety – one of each color, maybe, or one of every bodystyle/drivetrain/model year. Not the seller of these two Competition Blue 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminators available on Hemmings.com, which share not only external appearances, but also the same 428 Cobra Jet drivetrain and the same build date. Only minor differences separate the two, such as the interiors. Perfect pair, perhaps, for identical twins? From the seller’s description:
This is a unique oppurtunity to buy two nearly identical Cougar Eliminators with factory equipped 428 Cobra-Jets ,both Ram-Air Cars, C-6′s, 3.50 Traction-Loks and built on the same day! ( As per Marti Reports) These cars are further documented by their build sheets & Eminger Reports.
Car #1 Is an original numbers matching car, with all original sheetmetal – NOS Right Fender(replaced in the early 70′s), NOS front \rear valances (1991 Resto.). Original miles believed to be 107,000. Engine,transmission,Front Suspension rebuilt @ 105,000 miles. Rare Black\White Houndstooth Interior in mint condition.
Car #2 Is a complete Rotisserie Restoration completed in 2007,with a Correct date coded engine\heads, trans is non vin stamped C-6 with correct cast-iron tailshaft housing. Original miles unknown, odometer reads 85,000. Interior is black standard bucket seats . Extensive list of NOS parts used to complete this restoration.
These cars have been in a Private Collection for over 20 Years, and have never been offered for Sale together.
See more Mercurys for sale on Hemmings.com.
The Peter Max Corvettes in the summer of 2014. Photos by Richard Prince, courtesy of Richard Prince Photography.
In 1990, a Long Island carpenter by the name of Dennis Amadeo won the prize of a lifetime for a Corvette fan: one of every year Corvette built from 1953 through 1989, courtesy of music television network VH1. Artist Peter Max soon acquired the cars for an ambitious art project that never materialized, and for 25 years the cars sat, largely ignored and only occasionally moved from one New York City storage location to another, until a New York Corvette fan and automotive consultant helped broker a deal to buy the cars. Now, thanks to their new owners, 36 pieces of Corvette history will soon be back on the road, and if all goes as planned, back on the market.
The story begins in 1989, when a television producer named Jim Cahill pitched an idea to the music network VH1 to boost its sagging ratings, particularly among baby boomers. A Corvette fan himself, Cahill suggested the network hold a contest to award one lucky winner 36 Chevrolet Corvettes, one from every year of manufacture up to the date of the contest.
The idea was given the green light, and as Sam Smith related in a 2010 Jalopnik article, Cahill spent $610,000 amassing the collection, which consisted largely of “driver” quality cars. Fourteen of the Corvettes were convertibles, and over 2/3 came equipped with automatic transmissions, yet that did little to diminish the appeal of the contest. To cover its costs, VH1 set up a 900 number, and entrants were charged $2.00 per call, of which the network received $1.49. In less than two weeks, it had recovered the full cost of staging the giveaway.
The paper taped to the side of the car was a color swatch test by Peter Max.
Amadeo, who’d placed just a single phone call, was the lucky winner, and the network spared no expense in making the presentation as theatrical as possible. Beach Boy Mike Love was on hand to pass Amadeo a big bag of keys, and ample video of the winner, his wife and their new baby was shot for promotional purposes. When the festivities were over, Amadeo returned to Long Island to await the delivery of his Corvettes.
Which is when Amadeo received a phone call from Peter Max, who requested a New York City meeting to discuss a deal to buy the cars. As Max explained to New York magazine in 2005, “I’m not a car guy. I never drive,” so his interest in the cars was solely from a self-promotional point of view. Max had first seen the collection at a 1990 auto show, and was struck with the vision of painting all the cars in bold, psychedelic colors.
The morning after the VH1 giveaway, Max was awakened by a phone call from a friend, advising him that the cars had been given to a carpenter from Long Island. After hanging up the phone, the artist drifted back to sleep, only to have a vivid dream of the Corvettes driving onto a football field, cheerleaders standing atop them, while a man behind Max ate a hot dog with yellow mustard. In the world of the artist, truth really is stranger than fiction.
Inspired, Max arranged the meeting with Amadeo, who opened the discussion by asking $1.5 million for the collection. Max countered, and eventually the pair settled on a deal that may still have repercussions: Amadeo received $250,000 in cash, $250,000 in Peter Max artwork and an agreement that if Max sold the collection at a future date, Amadeo would get a portion of the proceeds, up to an agreed upon cap of $1 million.
For two and a half decades, that’s more or less where the story ended. From time to time, articles would crop up on the internet about the Peter Max Corvettes (particularly when they were moved from one location to another), but Max showed no interest in selling, restoring, or even maintaining the cars.
As late as 2010, he still seemed determined to do something with the cars, and even spoke of acquiring 14 more to bring the total number up to 50, making it complete through the 2003 model year. It never happened, and every year saw the Corvettes piled higher with dust.
Fast-forward to June of 2014. Corvette collector and Dream Car Consulting founder Chris Mazzilli was showing his 1971 Corvette at the Old Westbury Gardens car show, when, as Chris told us, “This guy walks up and starts asking me questions about values and restoration costs on a series of Corvettes. At one point I stopped him and said, ‘You’re talking about the Peter Max Corvettes, aren’t you?’”
The guy was Peter Heller, and he was indeed speaking of the Peter Max Corvettes. As The New York Times related in a recent article, Heller had been approached by Max to find a new storage garage for the cars, and the conversation soon turned to the possibility of Heller buying the cars from Max.
After their chance meeting at the Westbury Gardens show, Heller asked Chris to inspect the Corvettes, and restorer Dave Weber (whose shop, Vintage Automotive Restorations, specializes in Corvettes and muscle cars) accompanied him to the New York City garage. A Saturday full of research later, Chris laid out the good, the bad and the ugly for Heller and his brother, giving them and their partners, the Spindler family, a value range for the car. Chris told us that the Corvettes were purchased “in this range,” but wouldn’t elaborate on a more precise number to protect his clients.
Chris’ assessment of the cars matches that of Cahill from 25 years earlier. When new, the vast majority of the cars were, at best, driver quality, and time has not been kind to many of the cars in the collection. Some, like the 1974 and 1984 models, make no financial sense to restore, as their resale value wouldn’t approach the cost of restoration. Some are hidden gems, like the numbers-matching 1953 Corvette that Chris pegs as a late-production car. Others, like the numbers-matching 1957 or the Cascade Green 1956 (which lacks its original drivetrain), required little more than elbow grease to become, in Chris’ words, “gorgeous cars.”
While none of the cars sport a big-block engine or come with rare and desirable options, all have merit as pieces of Corvette history wrapped up in a bit of urban legend, tied to an artist that once captured the zeitgeist of an era.
Chris tell us that all of the Corvettes, regardless of their value, will be reconditioned to make them mechanically sound and as presentable as possible. As for long-term plans, the Hellers and the Spindlers would prefer to sell the cars in a single lot to an interested collector, though Chris recognizes this is a long shot. “We haven’t started talking to auctions just yet,” he said, “but it probably makes the most sense to offer the cars through a Mecum, Barrett-Jackson or Russo and Steele sale.” From a financial perspective, he’s right, but from an emotional perspective, who wouldn’t want to see these Corvettes stay together as a single lot?
To learn more about the VH1/Peter Max Corvettes, visit VH1MaxCorvette.com.
Editors note: The gallery below, which includes photos of the 1956 and 1957 Corvettes in their post-refurbishing state, was supplied by Chris Mazzilli.
