Torq-O

Hudson Jet at Ateupwithmotor.com

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-25T16:30:32-04:00

June is turning out to be the month of the Jet. I just found Aaron Severson’s article about the history of the Hudson Jet over at his site Ateupwithmotor.com. ... It reminded me of the video that Torq-O published a few months ago on YouTube. ...He’s writing the kind of stuff they love to publish. ...Everything in your article is great, but. like Bob Stevens’ article about the Hudson Jet convertible in Cars & Parts, I felt there was too much context up front. Maybe it’s just me, but I really wanted to start reading about the Jet almost right away instead of getting the total backstory on Hudson up to 1952. My feeling is that people who come to sites like yours and mine already know the basic history of a particular brand. Articles like yours promise details, and I would get to the details sooner rather than later. ... (As anyone who reads this blog knows, I’m more interested in the craft of a story rather than the facts, which I consider dry and disinteresting unless they support a stronger dramatic narrative.)

1949-57 Nash Ambassadors in Collectible Automobile

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-24T13:49:05-04:00

He writes a compact history of Nash’s full-size car in the August 2010 issue of Collectible Automobile (Anyone know how/if/when they’ll ever get a web site?). Normally, I would slam the article as another car history that reads like a book report: all facts and very little human interest. Indeed, my eyes started spinning when I saw the overwhelming number of prices, model year changes, and trim variations. ...He slipped in a little bit of human interest with the story about how Nash Vice-President Meade Moore sabotaged stylist Ed Anderson’s design for the 1952 Golden Airfltye Ambassador, because Moore held a grudge for anyone who took the job that he felt his son was entitled to. (Foster has always been partial to Ed Anderson and led a renewal of interest in Anderson back from the time he published his book American Motors, the Last Independent. I’m sure he’s responsible for anyone at all remembering Anderson’s contributions to Nash and AMC.) ...It’s hard to tell the human story of product creation when you have so much to say and so little space in which to say it. Nevertheless, if you want a tight, concise story about the postwar Nash Ambassador, Foster’s article is a great place to start. ... You’ll find a lavish display of pictures, including many from Foster’s own impressive archive. In fact, there are so many pictures of Ambassadors in the article, that I’ll bet half of the Nash Car Club’s members are name-checked in the photos!

1964 Pontiac Banshee prototype in Cars & Parts

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-23T18:41:17-04:00

I’ve already laid the foundation for the Archetypal Prototype story when I wrote earlier about Bob Stevens’ story on the 1954 Hudson Jet convertible prototype. In the very same issue, Cars & Parts published a variant on the story: the concept car. Concept cars were often styling exercises created by enthusiastic designers, engineers, or both. Often, when the company is done with them, they’re forgotten, rescued by a heroic employee, used as a daily driver, sold to/restored by an avid collector, and admired/envied forever after. ...Robinson tells the tale of the 1964 Pontiac Banshee, a concept car with a lot of styling cues that later showed up on the 1967 Pontiac Firebird, the 1968 Corvette, and the 1968 Opal GT. Along with nice, detailed photography, it really helps when you can talk to the guy who really helped to make the car happen. ... (I’ll say it again: direct quotes from the people who lived the story will always trump whatever historians write later about the subject. Robinson does right when he gets out of the way and lets Collins tell the story.”) Although it’s not explicitly stated in the article, the Banshee that Robinson writes about is a convertible. ...

1929 De Soto in Cars & Parts

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-22T14:32:23-04:00

Cars & Parts writer Dave Duricy dared me not to read his column The Chryslerist in the July 2010 issue. Like the build quality of a Yugo, I failed miserably. It’s a good article with a lot of historical information packed onto one page. I also like direct quotes from somebody who was there when the car was new. ...I like these kinds of articles, but as with all cars up to about 1930, I found myself wanting to feel what it’s like to drive one of these pre-war jalopies. I wonder how this article could have played out as a video. Maybe short one-pagers like this would be a good way to expand the Cars & Parts brand by creating short videos about the cars that could accompany the print articles. After all, magazines won’t be the exclusive outlet for classic car stories forever. Once the Hemmings Geezer Generation is eating tapioca in a nursing home, younger classic car fans will demand content that appeals to them in their preferred medium or media. ...Nice Vance Packard reference at the end of the article, Dave.

One more thing about the Hudson Jet convertible story

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-21T16:22:06-04:00

It’s a great cover story (Cars & Parts, July 2010). You don’t often read about Hudson prototypes, and it’s nice to see something positive about the Jet, the car that sank Hudson. However, it seems to me that writer Bob Stevens buried the lead. It seems like he spent a lo-o-o-o-o-ong time setting up the story. I love auto history, but the story might have been more engaging if the history of the Jet had been arranged in graphic sidebars. That way, Stevens could have told us about the Jet convertible prototype much more quickly. After all, that’s the story that the magazine’s cover promises us. Also, I would have loved some quotes from Virgil Boyd, an actual historical figure in the story. ... (Full biased disclosure: I videotaped an interview with Virgil Boyd at his home in Sedona, AZ, in 2000. ...However, once Stevens gets to the prototype’s story, I thought it was a great read.

Some Hudson Jet convertible video

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-21T16:13:28-04:00

While I was writing the Archetypal Prototype story, I did a little surfing on the web. For those of you who thought they were getting some news about an absolutely unique Hudson Jet convertible, my apologies. As penance, I offer you this YouTube video, which shows the Jet convertible’s unique motorized top in action.

The Hudson Jet convertible is the latest Archetypal Prototype story.

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-21T15:37:05-04:00

They’re the rarest of the rare, because they often read like heroic epics. The prototype was made in the dying days of Belly Up Motors. One courageous Oskar Schindler-type executive whisked it away before it could be crushed or destroyed. ... It’s very name could only be uttered in hushed whispers at national meets and parts swaps. ...A battered chassis compared to the mythic Chariot of the Gods as immortalized by the epic storytellers (aka marque historians). One courageous Belly Up fan outbids all others to acquire the prototype and works tirelessly to restore it to Religious Icon status. ... The prototype once again proudly sits atop the Turntable of Glory inspiring awe, reverence, and envy among the collectors who were outbid when they had their chance at the auction. ...Then the Belly Up fan has to heroically struggle yet again to restore the car.) I wrote that little Archetypal Prototype Story after reading Bob Stevens’ article about the only Hudson Jet convertible built. ...What other types of genre classic car stories do YOU like to read?

AMC's Paddle in Hemmings Motor News

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-12T18:38:43-04:00

I love it when someone zooms in on a particular detail of a classic car and finds a great story to tell. Jim Donnelly does it with, of all things, AMC’s door handles in the July 2010 issue of Hemmings Motor News. AMC fans call the door handle, which was mounted flush with the door surface, The Paddle. AMC used it from 1968 until The End of Days in 1987. Apparently Chrysler used it too, because it was cheap, stylish, and effective. Small design feature. Short story. Well done.

1938-40 Studebaker Commander in Collectible Automobile

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-07T15:23:49-04:00

Raymond Loewy’s designs always grab your attention. From his freshening of Hupmobile in the early 1930’s to his work on the Studebaker Avanti, Loewy’s work (or at least the work of his associates) is always a joy to look at. The article about his first effort for Studebaker in the June 2010 issue of Collectible Automobile is good, but what struck me most was how similar the front end of the Studebaker Commander is to the Nash Ambassador of the same era. Tall hood. Narrow nose. Two electric-razor grills flanking the nose. For everyone who complains that the “cars all look alike these days,” wake up! They’ve always looked alike!

Postwar Indy Pace Cars in Hemmings Classic Car

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-05T13:20:00-04:00

I really love the photos of the orphan Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars in the July 2010 issue of Hemmings Classic Car. At Torq-O, I collect vintage motion picture film of orphan cars, and I’ve been looking for 16mm footage of the 1947 Nash Ambassador pace car for a long time. (I had an eBay opportunity to get a film about the ’47 race once, but my bid got clobbered.) I’d also like to find some great color footage of the 1952 Studebaker Commander pace car, but I’ve never seen a thing. ...Maybe that’s why I’ve never found media associated with the 1956 DeSoto Pacesetter. Writer Jim Donnelly notes that this car represents maybe the first Big Three car to be marketed as a pace car replica in DeSoto dealerships. Since Pontiac is a recent addition to the Torq-O Garage, I’ve never really searched for footage of the 1958 Pontiac Bonneville. Now that there are many new marques to celebrate, I’ll have to keep an eagle eye out for the 1960 Oldsmobile 98, the 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury, the 1966 Mercury Comet Cyclone, the 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2, the 1972 Hurst Olds, the 1974 Hurst Olds, the 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88, and the 1980 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am. ...Last year, I bought a 16mm film about the 1962 Indy 500 called 33 Men. In it, you several great color shots of the 1962 Studebaker Lark Daytona.

Mercury, take your spot in the Torq-O Garage.

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-03T18:29:59-04:00

The last sandwich-filler brand from the Big Three is finally, finally, finally about to join the Great Automotive Marque-heap. Mercury, take your grease-stained spot in the Torq-O Garage (right next to the Merkur). First Plymouth sputtered to a stop in 2001. Then Oldsmobile did the Alero Aloha in 2004. And, at long last, Ford has announced the end of the line for Mercury. ... I love the emphasis of growing the Lincoln brand by “ending Mercury production.”) I can’t wait for the classic car writers to start entertaining me with incredible stories of the...... Like all of the other filler brands, Mercury really lost its reason for existing years ago. But we’re happy to finally have a Ford orphan to talk about that isn’t the Edsel. Since Mercury is a middle brand in the middle of the alphabet, should we re-park all of the other orphan cars in the garage down one spot or up one?

Pontiac Milestones in Pontiac Enthusiast

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-06-04T10:35:16-04:00

I was just leafing through the July 2010 issue of Pontiac Enthusiast, and I really like the conversation-starting editorial by Jason Scott. Scott lists his best-of-breed Pontiacs from the last 46 years. It’s a good list, but since Pontiac has a beginning, middle, and end, could the list possibly include pre-1963 Pontiacs? Sure, they wouldn’t be muscle cars, but I’d like to believe that Pontiac’s history started before the GTO. Still, it’s a good list. Hey, it got ME talking, and I’m no Pontiac expert.

Comments are back on The Cog Blog

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-05-15T21:10:24-04:00

Orphan car fans: it’s time to start pounding your keyboard once again! I’ve enabled the “Comments” feature again on The Cog Blog. ...They were private communications, because there was no other way to talk to me about them. So I felt it was time to open the two-way communication pipe once more. Another important development was that my web site software publisher upgraded its software to enable comments through a non-bankrupt third party. ...(Please consider cooling off first if you really need to blow a valve. I try never to write when I’m hotter than a bucket full of molten steel.) Important note: the “Comments” feature is located at the very end of every blog entry. ...That’s the place to type your comments. 3) Below the white box are additional text boxes for your name and your email address.

Hemmings: freefalling into Geezerland?

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-05-13T13:37:12-04:00

However, their June 2010 issue took three huge leaps toward becoming the only classic car magazine that any change-hating, apathetic, self-appointed stylist will want to read. ...The cars are the stars, but graphics - like wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket sets - are tools that you use to enhance the appearance of the cars and the stories that you tell about them. ...Next, Lentinello snorts: “We deleted Next Generation because not only was it a constant struggle trying to find young enthusiasts to feature each month, but those that did send in their stories mostly owned late-model Mustangs and lowered pickups. ...Unfortunately, Foster’s column reinforces my perception that the magazine is run by old guys who are blissfully apathetic about new people, new ideas, new approaches. ...He coughs up most of his bile when talking about the Nissan Cube: “The thing is an affront to all of the automotive stylists who ever lived. ... The designer should be dragged from his creation and made to wallow in a pit of his own filth for even conceiving of such a thing. ... Does the look of a modern, progressively-designed automobile get you so worked up that you feel compelled to give us the full Limbaugh treatment? ...So we have three Old Geezer points of view on full display in the June 2010 Hemmings Classic Car. ...Give that group some creative control, and give them some magazine space to invent and experiment with different ways to creatively tell the stories of the classic cars that we all love. ... Why not talk to some young designers currently working for automobile companies and ask them what their favorite classic designs are?

Cyclecar renaissance?

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-05-08T23:37:29-04:00

In the May 2010 edition of Hemmings Motor News, David Adolphus writes about the cyclecar niche of the Nineteen Tens and Twenties in his article The Little Microbe Car. Depending upon your point of view, these cars look like shrunk-down roadsters or giant soap box derby cars. They’re cigar-shaped, skinny-framed, motorcycle engine-powered cars that disappeared without any kind of subsequent resurgence. Adolphus suggests that “with increasing legal opportunities for Low-Speed Vehicles to drive on public highways...it seems to us the time is ripe for a cyclecar renaissance.” Maybe. But after learning the price tag of the Tango from Commuter Cars ($108,000), an electric cyclecar descendant that I saw at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, I wouldn’t invest in this particular little microbe. Biotech seems like a safer bet.

1959-1968 Sunbeam Alpine in Hemmings Motor News

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-05-07T17:19:30-04:00

It’s nice to see an article about some British orphans in Hemmings Motor News. Would you believe five whole pages about the Sunbeam Alpine? (It’s the car that Maxwell Smart drove in Get Smart). Torq-O sells a DVD that features a promotional film about The New Sunbeam Alpine from 1959. Preview a scene from that film here or on our YouTube channel. Or you can buy the DVD at the Torq-O Store.

Oldsmobile F-85 in Hemmings Motor News

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-05-05T10:53:11-04:00

I like the Hemmings Stock Exchange article on the Oldsmobile F-85 in the May 2010 issue of Hemmings Motor News. The 1961-63 F-85 was the base model in the Cutlass line with a Buick engine and Oldsmobile heads. Every F-85 was a V8 that pumped out 195hp. These cars look a lot like the 1965-66 Rambler Classics from that time, but they would definitely leave the sensibly spectacular Rambler all alone at the light if Granny ever seriously challenged one. (The Torq-O Media Archive contains a rare 1963 Oldsmobile color film that includes the entire line, including the F-85. Give us a shout if you ever want to see an F-85 clip.)

Oldsmobile faithful: motor ye to 442.com.

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-05-04T14:14:37-04:00

There’s something for every Oldsmobile fan at the 442 web site. Don’t let the ’68 442 on the home page scare you away. This is a site for ALL Olds fans. Suggestion: although the 442 is maybe the sexiest piece of Oldsmobile iron, a lot of Olds fans also like Toronados, 88’s of all flavors, the Vista Cruisers, F-85’s, Cutlass Supremes, yada, yada, yada.

Torq-O Podcast #11: Stu Chapman and My Father the Car

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-03-19T23:10:49-04:00

Torq-O has a brand spankin’ new podcast for you! We talk with Stu Chapman, the last surviving member of Studebaker senior management, about his new book My Father the Car. Get a behind-the-scenes look at Studebaker’s last three years in the car business straight from the Director of Advertising’s mouth. You’ll find out how Stu and his fellow workers struggled to save the company while the Board of Directors strangled it slowly. It’s a heartbreaking story that even features everyone’s favorite villain: Richard Nixon! Download the enhanced podcast here, or get the straight audio version. Make sure you have Quicktime for Windows or Mac for the enhanced podcast. As always, you’ll find this and all of our other podcasts on the Torq-O Podcasts page.)

Nash Airflyte owner in New York Times

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-03-18T22:43:43-04:00

It warmed our core temperature to see Nash Car Club of America member Rich Conaty and his beautiful 1950 Nash Ambassador Custom profiled in the March 4th edition of The New York Times. The article by Richard S. Chang features some absolutely gorgeous photos of the red-and-cream Airflyte. The Gray Lady seems to have a soft spot for Nash. On March 6th, Robert Peele in his Wheels column posted a story featuring a very compressed 1955 Nash car commercial made during American Motors’ sponsorship of The Wonderful World of Disney. (AMC was one of the first sponsors.) The NY Times also did a tub story featuring NCCA Founder Jim Dworschack back in May 2008. (I can’t find it on their web site, but I wrote about it in a blog entry dated 5/27/08.) There’s something about these particular Nash cars that keeps jaws dropping and smiles forming.

AMC Pacer is a "dirt cheap collectible car".

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-02-21T10:54:15-05:00

CNN Money.com has a slideshow of its top ten “dirt cheap collectible cars”. AMC’s Pacer scored a silver medal. What, no Gremlin, Matador, Rambler, Studebaker Lark, Oldsmobile almost anything, or any of the other scores, bushels, and pecks of granny cars from Plymouth, Pontiac, and Saturn?

Torq-O's Rootes Group DVD is now available!

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-02-09T18:25:38-05:00

For all of you Hillman and Sunbeam fans, Torq-O is now selling our Rootes 3 DVD in the Torq-O Store. What’s on it, you plead. Great question. Last year, I bought three Rootes Group promotional films off of eBay. A group of Sunbeam Alpine Owners Club members pooled some money together to have the films digitized and burned onto a DVD. Now I want to help my graphic artist, who designed this excellent package. Feed your British orphan car jones, AND help out my friend, the extremely talented Ed Ford. For more information and previews of all three films, go to the Rootes 3 page in the Torq-O store, and check it out for yourself.

Oldsmobile interior in Hemmings Motor News's interior

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-28T20:43:24-05:00

Before it disappears from the news stands, you should check out the February 2010 issue of Hemmings Motor News. I really liked his article about the oval-shaped dash in the 1957 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight. It’s unique. It’s amazing how they crammed so many gauges inside several concentric ovals of shiny chrome. On another note, it’s nice to see the Hemmings guys do an article specifically about interior design. Usually, I find them focused on the big picture - the entire car. Nice to know that they can zoom in and appreciate the smaller details too.

Everything old is renewed again.

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-25T00:20:40-05:00

Last week I made my annual trek to the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. ...Every time I go, I see ideas that look suspiciously familiar. Sometimes I poke around the archives to confirm hunches. Other times, it’s as obvious as dropping a toaster in a tub full of water. Here’s an idea that was already 50 years old. The only update is that the CT&T vehicle is fully electric. Plus, it’s built in China and South Korea. Of course, electric cars have been around since the early 1900’s, so in the scheme of things, the idea of using cars specifically for parking patrol is relatively new. I found this car on Electric Avenue, the place in Cobo Hall specifically for electric vehicles. More posts about the latest NAIAS coming soon.

Franklin engine in Hemmings Motor News

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-22T23:50:49-05:00

If you’re into internal combustion, there’s a decent story about Franklin’s 1904 auxiliary, valve-and-a-half engine in the February 2010 issue of Hemmings Motor News. Unfortunately, the article reads like a Society of Automotive Engineers white paper. Couldn’t there be a more accessible way to learn about this stuff? Like maybe using some graphics? Maybe hire a graphic artist or two? Just saying.

Stout Scarab in Hemmings Motor News

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-21T23:43:50-05:00

There’s a nice refresher by Ed Heys about the Stout Scarab in the February 2010 issue of Hemmings Motor News. The Scarab was a mid-1930’s car that looked more like an Art Deco bus. It kinda reminds me of Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion with a 1950 Nash Airflyte rear end. Like Fuller, Bill Stout was another ahead-of-his-time designer. He designed the Ford Tri-Motor and thought he could translate his success from airplanes to autos. He might have done it if he had built more than four (maybe nine) Scarabs. (One of them was built in 1945 in conjunction with Kaiser-Frazer and Owens/Corning Fiberglass.)

Kaiser/IKA in Gearhead

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-20T13:11:25-05:00

I am really loving Chas’ Compendium of Automotive Oddities in Gearhead Magazine #18. After an entire issue crammed full of kar kulture attitude and cheesecake, Editor Mike LaVella sneaks a straight auto history article into the back of the magazine. It’s devoted to the Kaiser cars built by IKA in Argentina. Writer Chas Glynn gets down to business starting with how the Kaiser Manhattan went south of the border and became the Carabela. Fun Fact: IKA replaced the Carlton Spencer-inspired bamboo vinyl interiors with authentic leather upholstery from local Argentinian craftsmen. Then he talks about the ultimate auto mutt: the IKA Torino. It was an AMC Rambler American and Rambler Classic hybrid with a front and rear styled by Pinin Farina and built by Renault after Renault acquired IKA. (Who’s your daddy?) If you’re not into rods & customs & car chicks, read this magazine Japanese-style: start at the back.

1969 Iso Lele in Hemmings Motor News

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-19T14:29:09-05:00

Torq-O is very American orphan-centric, but stories about multinational marques are always interesting and welcome. One such story popped up in Hemmings Motor News (February 2010). It’s about the Iso Lele. Jim Donnely writes about this incredibly rare Italian orphan. Iso was an Italian industrial manufacturer that got into automobile production after World War II. The Lele was an incredibly upscale 2 + 2 hard top made between 1969 and 1974. Bertone styling. Chevy (later Ford) engines. The boss was Piero Rivolta, and he named the car after his wife. The company only made 260 of them before fading into obscurity.

Kaiser Darrins are finally valuable!

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-18T09:30:41-05:00

Dave LaChance reports a huge price spike in the value of Kaiser Darrins (Hemmings Motor News, February 2010). It seems the Darrin has rocketed in value about US $50,000 in five years (from 2004-2009). Not bad for a car with a standard six-cylinder Willys F-head engine.

1958 De Soto Firesweep in Hemmings Motor News

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-17T10:00:51-05:00

More specifically, that’s a 1958 De Soto Firesweep Sportsman 2-door hard top. It’s in the February 2010 issue of Hemmings Motor News. (I love HMN, but I sure wish they’d use a little right-brain creativity and figure out some ways to make this information more visually appealing. If Garage and Gearhead and other magazines can do it, why not the hobby’s bible? You guys don’t have to go crazy. Just push it a little. ... That’s my 2010 contribution to your Comment Box.) By the way, the picture above is not from the article. You can’t get access to their images from the current issue online. Thanks to oldcarsandtruckpictures.com for posting this image from an original De Soto brochure.

Plymouth Duster 340 in Muscle Car Review

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-10T19:59:09-05:00

Geoff Stunkard has reminded us all why Plymouth Dusters are cool in his story Final Call for the January 2010 issue of Muscle Car Review (no web site? ...(Not the Duster from the article but close! Image courtesy of cars-on-line.com) When I was a kid, there was a Pinto, a Vega, and a Plymouth Duster parked at every third house. If a Duster hit a Pinto in the rear, and both cars melted in the forthcoming explosion, the world had just improved a little bit in my estimation. (As for the Vega, it would rust all by itself in an open field on a sunny day. No need to fantasize about various adolescent doomsday scenarios.) Now, however, Stunkard has changed my mind...about the Duster. He writes about a 1972 Plymouth Duster 340, and it brought back a whole bunch of long-ago suburban neighborhood memories. Read this article, and you’ll know why Dusters deserve better than crushers, crashes, and collisions.

Fiat accidentally summons the ghost of Nash.

todd@torq-o.com — 2010-01-08T21:26:18-05:00

It’s called the Fiat 500 1.2 Pop Convertible. ...This descendant of the original Fiat 500 Topolino looks less like its predecessors and more like the original Nash Rambler to me. Compare the photo above to our copy of a 1950 Nash Rambler TV commercial. It looks like Fiat’s shamans accidentally summoned Nash’s ancestors along with their own. ...This reminds me of Studebaker’s Lark Wagonaire and GMC’s 2003-04 Envoy. ... (In GM’s case, they claimed that their recycled feature was brand spankin’ new. FF to about 45 seconds into their commercial to see what I mean.)

AMC intermediates at Ate Up With Motor

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-12-27T09:31:32-05:00

Aaron Severson has a holiday treat for you. He’s written an article about AMC’s intermediate-sized cars. You’ll find great information about Classics, Marlins, Rebels, and Matadors. Check it out at his web site Ate Up With Motor. Torq-O has a treat for you, too. We provided three rare movie clips from the The Torq-O Media Archive. (As far as I know, Aaron and I are the only ones who are using the written word and multimedia to chronicle car history.) Happy Holidays!

REO Royale in Cars & Parts

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-12-07T22:23:17-05:00

Look for an article by Dave Duricy on the beautiful 1931-35 REO Royale in the December 1, 2009, issue of Cars & Parts. It was stylist Amos Northup’s first streamlined design. Indeed, it was the first streamline automobile design, and it was beautiful. If you can still find the issue on magazine racks, have a look.

Willys-Knight sleeve-valve engine development in Collectible Automobile

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-12-06T23:39:41-05:00

I always wondered why John North Willys shared the name Knight on his cars. ...I read all about it in the February 2010 issue of Collectible Automobile. It’s a great article not only about the development of the sleeve-valve engine but also about the lives of Willys and the engine’s inventor Charles Knight. I learned that after Knight developed his engine in the early 1900’s, he shopped it around all over the country. ... So he went over to Europe and licensed it to Daimler. ...First, he licensed the engine to only one country’s automaker at a time. Second, he insisted that any automaker who licensed his engine added a hyphen and his name to the product. When he returned to America, he attracted Willy’s attention, and voila! ... The most well-known Willys-Knight model was the Great Six built from 1925-33. The article is a great mix of human interest and mechanical innovation stories.

Pontiac: End of the (Assembly) Line

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-12-03T22:06:47-05:00

Thus endeth Pontiac.

Found: Martha Wright, Your Packard Girl

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-11-21T17:34:38-05:00

I just got off the phone with Martha Wright, an actress who had her own TV show sponsored by Packard over the Summer of 1954. Recently, I purchased a recording off of eBay featurng Martha and Packard Sales Manager C.E. ... I also have a vinyl record of 1954 radio commercials featuring Martha. I started wondering if Martha Wright was still alive, and I started investigating. Thanks to a gentleman named Harlan Conti, I found her! Martha remembers her Packard experience as Your Packard Girl on radio and TV. She got the job right after she closed the Rogers & Hammerstein musical South Pacific on Broadway after taking over for Mary Martin. (She was handpicked by R & H personally to succeed Martin.) Martha remembers the Packard Caribbean that the company gave her, and she'll tell you all about it in the podcast I'm going to record on December 5th. (She even said she'd dig around through some photo albums to find some Packard publicity photos that she has from that time.)

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-11-14T19:08:43-05:00

And if the cover of Richard Peck's book A Season of Gifts is any indication, I'm going to like it. It's the first kids' book I've ever seen with a green 1950 Nash Airflyte on the cover. ... They're both long enough to strap a Christmas tree to.) I'm not going to reveal the plot, but one section of the book is like a walk through an orphan car parking lot. ...The description: "The steering on a 1950 Nash is loose as a goose, and the hood's as big as an aircraft carrier." (Couldn't be more true if it was a police report.) Exhibit B: on page 135, Miss Flora Shellabarger owns a 1942 Packard Clipper. ... She's not strapping any Christmas trees to the top of her car.) ...Exhibit D: the homecoming queen's float is built on a 1932 Hupmobile sedan. I didn't see any illustrations other than the cover Nash, but I love the fact that Peck has excellent taste when it comes to orphans.

Rootes 3 DVD now available for a limited time!

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-10-12T22:50:54-04:00

Earlier this year, I bought three very rare Rootes Group promotional films from Scott Christie, the President of the Sunbeam Alpine Owners Club of America. Some members of the club were very concerned that the films would disappear from the club's influence forever. I challenged the club to assemble a group of investors who would pool their money together to help pay for the film transfer costs + postage. If they could get the money together, I would get the films transferred and produce a limited quantity of DVDs. ...I have some extra DVDs, and a graphic artist who never got his rewards for designing such excellent packaging. I'm trying to correct my mistake by offering this DVD on eBay for a limited time. ...If you want to check out clips of these films, here's a clip from The New Sunbeam Alpine, a film about the moment when the British got fins: ... ...

Ate Up With Motor

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-09-24T22:29:27-04:00

If you need an alternative to the automotive scholarship of Hemmings Classic Car, Collectible Automobile, and even the Society of Automotive Historians, you should try Aaron Severson's site Ate Up With Motor. Severson writes with a desire to share the human drama behind the stories of our favorite cars. Like me, he values first person accounts and numerous quotes in his stories from the people who were there at the time. I recommend his latest article Ramble and Roll: The Compact Nash Rambler. Look for Torq-O's contribution: a where-do-you-find-this-stuff 1950 Nash Rambler TV commercial. (Anything to help out a car fan who wants to write something more interesting than a book report!)

Carleton Spencer in Collectible Automobile

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-08-03T22:25:38-04:00

When it comes to writing history, readers of this blog know how much I hate “book reports.” ...In fact, his first book Kaiser-Frazer, The Last Onslaught on Detroit is a fantastic read. ... Because he went out and interviewed everyone still alive in 1975 and incorporated a ton of quotes into the narrative. ... We’ve learned so much about K-F since then!) History is always most interesting when it’s told by the people who created it. So I was very psyched to read Langworth’s article about Carleton Spencer, the wunderdesigner at Kaiser-Frazer who dressed up an otherwise limited product line. It’s in the October 2009 issue of Collectible Automobile (still no web site. ...Besides a ton of great pictures of Spencer’s K-F interiors, there is a sprinkling of Spencer quotes that help to drive the story. My only small quibble: since the article is a Personality Profile, I wish that CA had chosen some pull quotes and printed them in large blocks throughout the article. They would have evoked Spencer’s personality and helped us understand better the man who created such striking interior designs for Kaiser-Frazer.

1977 -78 AMC AMX in Collectible Automobile

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-08-02T12:27:52-04:00

In the Cheap Wheels section of the October 2009 issue of Collectible Automobile (still no web site), there’s a great article about the 1977-78 AMC AMX first built on the Hornet/Concord chassis. ...The 1977’s look like Hornets that kinda suffered through beauty school makeovers. ... And there’s no mistaking the popularity of flaming hood decals on the ’78. Pontiac had the flaming chicken, and AMC had the flaming Hornet. Anybody who has visited this blog in the past year knows that Torq-O has a lot of vintage AMC movies. I’m pretty sure that we have the most hours of AMC audio-visual material in the U.S. if not the world. ...One of the films that we just had digitized is the 1977 AMC Dealer Announcement Show. ... And, you probably already guessed it, the 1977 AMX is prominently featured. Check out this splashy introduction featuring an actor playing a very Fonz-like greaser (with very 70’s-like hair). ...

British films DVD update #3

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-08-02T12:16:16-04:00

Hey, Sunbeam and Hillman investors! A quick note: all of the DVDs that you paid for have either been handed over to the U.S. Post Office or have been delivered personally. (Jan Servaites is one lucky dude.) I hope you enjoy the films! They’re fun, quirky, and extremely British. For those of you who want one but did not get involved in the original investment, I’ve made a few extra copies for sale. They are US $36.90 for U.S. fans and US $39.90 for international fans. Just email me, and let me know, because once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.

Just had to share

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-07-29T23:07:40-04:00

When I’m behind the wheel of my Metropolitan, I get smiles and waves. I get all the ego strokes a guy could want. ...Even while I’m smiling back and giving the Queen wave to awestruck admirers, I know that my Met will try to grind my gears. ...Two good guys helped me push my rusting, Unitbody-constructed hulk into a parking lot. ...Then I forked over $70 to The Man. When you have an old car, breakdowns are inevitable. Sometimes you have friends with you who can help. ...This incident made me wonder how you feel every time your classic orphan ride leaves the garage. ... I’ve re-activated the Comments section of the blog (below). ... I’d love to hear how you deal with the inevitability of mechanical failure.

British films DVD update #2

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-07-24T20:43:53-04:00

Hey, Rootes Group film investors! ...I’m assembling them now, and I’ll be shipping them shortly. Keep an eye on your mailboxes. You’ll be getting them soon! (And when you do, please tell me what you think. I’d really appreciate your feedback.) Remember: this DVD will feature the following Rootes Group promotional films: 1) Alpine Challenge (about Sunbeam Rapiers in European rally competions in 1959) 2) The New Hillman Minx (1959) 3) The New Sunbeam Alpine (1959)

Glenn Pray in Hemmings Classic Car

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-07-24T06:51:20-04:00

Dave LaChance wrote a great article about Glenn Pray, the man who, for one brief, shining moment, brought the Cord 810 back to life. (Hemmings Classic Car, September 2009) You might not like reproductions. You might not like Corvair engines powering your reproductions. But you have to admire Pray’s dream and his persistence. After doing a little bit of internet research, I found that Pray is still with us. However, it looks like he’s pretty frail. Look for more info about the man at The Glenn Pray Cord Group web site.

AMC Concept 80 cars in Hemmings Classic Car

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-07-19T22:10:15-04:00

If you’re an AMC fan, you need to check out Patrick Foster’s latest article in the September 2009 issue of Hemmings Classic Car. Foster tells a great story about his personal trip in 1977 to AMC’s Concept 80 show in New York City. AMC was showing some automotive ideas to the public, and Foster was there. In fact, he was escorted around the show floor by John Conde (AMC’s unofficial historian and public relations executive) and styling guru Dick Teague. The article features all of the Concept 80 cars, but there’s one total standout: the AM Van. AMC coulda/shoulda built this stylish minivan and beat Chrysler to market by three or more years. Even though the article features several great color illustrations of the cars, there’s no substitute for being there. So we dug through the Torq-O Media Archive and found this vintage 1977 news film. (We bought the film from John Conde himself several years back.)

Lucky Lee Lott in Garage Magazine

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-07-23T18:51:34-04:00

Back in the day, it seems like every car manufacturer had a group of stunt drivers who jumped, burned, wrecked, and tortured its cars at public events like county fairs. ...And Nash had Lucky Lee Lott. So imagine my jaw-dropping surprise when I saw a picture of the late Lucky Lee Lott in Issue 18 of Jesse James’ Garage Magazine. ... Only some chest thumping from Garage at Lott’s expense.) The picture shows an older Lucky Lee behind the wheel of one of his stunt cars. A reader sent in the photo claiming that THIS is the kind of guy who reads Garage. I laughed, and it’s all in good humor. But Garage reminds me of some nerd who has to stand in front of the mirror and tell himself every morning what a badass he is even at the expense of others (like Lucky). ... Friends, if you have to loudly announce your garage cred to everyone who cracks the spine of your magazine, then you, sirs, are not really badasses. ...There’s an awful lot that Garage does right.

Hudson, DeSoto, & Muntz in Collectible Automobile

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-07-04T21:51:17-04:00

Collectible Automobile (STILL no web site) hit home runs with each of its three Photo Features in its August 2009 issue. ...It looks like a long, sleek, beautiful vitamin tablet with headlights. ... Very slab sided like a lot of postwar cars. ... I’d love to drift my way through the weekly cruise in with this car. ...It has one of those painted-on, fake wooden dashboards that were so popular in midsize cars like Nash. Thank God they stopped building tanks for war and reverted to building tanks for the boulevard. I’m sure it’s no accident that the first picture in this Feature is a closeup of the hood ornament. ... It’s the kind of design statement that says, “Wherever you’re going, I’m following.” The last spread in this issue is a pretty 1941 Hudson pickup. I’ve always liked these trucks along with the ’46-’47 Hudson pickups.

1966 AMC Ambassador convertible in Cars & Parts

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-07-06T00:35:35-04:00

The folks at Cars & Parts (right up the highway from us in Sidney, OH) often give the guys who work for the Hemmpire in Vermont a run for their money. Their cover story about the ’66 AMC Ambassador 990 convertible in the July 2009 issue is a great example. Richard Truesdell wrote a great story about what American Motors was doing at that time. He talks about how owner Ken Norman’s car is tricked out with every factory option except the tachometer. ...So I burrowed deep into the Torq-O Media Archive until only my feet were sticking of the hole. ... The 16mm commercial spot that they crowbarred out of my hands is the secret sauce for this article. ... ...You would have seen this video running in the middle of some big TV special on one of the big three networks at that time. ...Nevertheless, for one glorious year, AMC showed that the littlest American car company could write checks just as big as the Big Three.

Pontiac: welcome to the Torq-O Garage!

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-05-13T12:30:00-04:00

Orphan car fans: we hate to be the last to report that Pontiac is joining the Torq-O Garage. We’re really late to jump on the story, because we’ve been rearranging the cars in our 250-car orphan garage with a giant Weather Eye conditioned air system. ...Since all of our cars are iconic examples of their marques, we traded in our rusty Pontiac Astre for a fresh new Solstice Coupe. ...Instead of commenting on Pontiac’s demise ourselves, we thought we’d provide you with a variety of viewpoints from across the internetosphere. Before Pontiac went floor pan up, the New York Times had an interesting article about the brand’s shriveling. ...Then there was a bit of news about Pontiac dealers trying to buy the brand from G.M. ...Steven Cole Smith of The Orlando Sentinel tried to educate readers about our particular brand of classic car appreciation with his own article about orphan cars. ...We didn’t want to be left out of the party, so we waded into The Torq-O Media Archive to bring you an audio snack. ...So we hopped on over to The Auburn University Library Special Collections as well as John MacDonald’s Oldcarandtruckpictures web site to add some zazz to to the sounds. ...

British films DVD update #1

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-04-17T20:23:38-04:00

Some of the interesting material includes a Graham-Paige film called Four Speeds Forward as well as a copy of the Graham-Paige Legion March. ...We’ve also carted home tons of AMC and Studebaker media as well as a sprinkling of Packard, Hudson, and Kaiser-Frazer films and radio commercials. ...Recently, however, we “strayed” from our American roots and bought three 1959 British orphan car films from the poor man’s Sotheby’s. ...The New Hillman Minx: a seven-minute promotional ode to a British granny car best remembered by humorist/heckler Dave Barry (We love the that article, but we also would love to have a Hillman Minx. ...Usually, when we buy these films, there are always one or two people who want a copy on DVD. You’d think that would be an easy way to make a buck and help recoup the cost of buying the film. ...So we were doubtful when a few members of the Sunbeam Alpine Owners Club of America wanted DVD copies of these Rootes Group films. We said, “Okay, but we need a firm commitment from at least 10 people, and we need payment up front, and we need a list of names and addresses.” ...I’m happy to report that the films are safely in the hands of our film transfer service. ...If you’re interested in joining the ranks of these Alpine owners who put their money where their passion is, send me an email.

Torq-O Podcast #10: Margery Krevsky and the Sirens of Chrome

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-03-13T23:49:21-04:00

Torq-O talks with Margery Krevsky, the author of a new book about auto show models called Sirens of Chrome. Margery tells us how models at auto shows evolved from decorations to walking automotive encyclopedias. She also takes us behind the scenes and tells us what it takes for a model to become fully turntable enabled. Also, listen in for a rare soundtrack from an early female product specialist: Florence Henderson. (That’s right, before she married into The Brady Bunch, she was Oldsmobile’s favorite spokesactress in the late 1950’s.) Go to our Podcast page to get the straight audio podcast or the video-enhanced version featuring stills from the book.

AMC Pacers in Collectible Automobile

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-02-09T21:34:33-05:00

Here’s great news for Pacer fans, especially those of you who invested in our limited edition Gremlin/Pacer DVD last year. Collectible Automobile Magazine (still no web site) has published a Patrick Foster article on the first “wide small car” in its April 2009 edition. I applaud Foster and CA for starting to incorporate some quotes into their stories. ... However, I have to give Foster & Co. some credit for actually incorporating quotes from Gerald Meyers, Roy Chapin, and Bill Luneberg. (I realize it’s easier for Foster to use quotes from actual interviews, because many AMC execs are still alive and accessible. Eg., take a listen to our Bill McNealy and Gerald Meyers podcasts.) To add to the Pacer love, we’d like to offer a very special video. ... (We could not include this video in our Gremlin/Pacer DVD, because we stuffed the DVD with other important and previously unseen films.) ... By the way, we have a few extra copies of our Gremlin/Pacer DVD.

BTDT #3: Auto Towers

todd@torq-o.com — 2009-01-25T22:30:07-05:00

I went to the 2009 North American Auto Show on Friday. Before I got into the building, I knew I had something great to show you. Right across the street from Cobo Center, Smart had built a tower and stacked it full of its Matchbox-sized automotive triangles. It reminded me immediately of Nash's Tower of Progress at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. The Nash tower was a glass-enclosed box with an elevator that raised and lowered cars inside the tower. ...Check out this photo on Virtual Tourist of a Smart Car tower in Germany. It's virtually identical to Nash's 1933 effort. The cars rise and lower inside the tower. However, the Smart version is more like a vending machine. A customer could choose a car to take for a test drive, and the car would exit at ground level ready for a spin around town.

Jeff Teague draws on father's work to update classic AMCs

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-12-06T18:39:38-05:00

Jeff Teague, the son of Dick Teague, AMC's Vice-President of Design, has published some 3D renderings of an updated AMX and Gremlin on the Hemmings Auto Blog. I like the AMX version, and I really like the top of Jeff's Gremlin, but together, they don't make my EKG start beeping fast. ...Autoblog said about the Gremlin "we like that it's not blatantly retro." ... I think virtually all of the blatantly retro designs from the past 10 years have been very appealing. Maybe retro design is waning, but I've never found ugliness in the clever updating of classic designs that have proven timeless and successful. A few more classic Gremlin and AMX design cues would not have hurt those renderings at all. So Jeff, here's my $10 Torq-O Challenge: please update the Matador Coupe! Since AMC used the letter X to denote a lot of trim variations in their cars, I'm putting up a Hamilton to see what you can do to help out the aesthetically challenged Matador Coupe. Send the renderings and your PayPal ID, and I'll be happy to share your work with the rest of the world. ...Give us AMC fans a Christmas present, and I'll send you 10 of the U.S.

High-Performance Studebakers in Collectible Automobile

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-11-23T17:43:20-05:00

Look for Bob Palma's story about Studebaker's fast Fifties and Sixties cars in the February 2009 issue of Collectible Automobile. Lotsa facts and figures. (Couldn't you guys do that stuff with some friendly charts or graphics? Why keep writing these stories like college textbooks? Will there be an exam after the article?) Nevertheless, Palma does a good job shoehorning all those stats under the hood of a nine page story that is 65% pictures. And I DO like seeing those beautifully styled Hawks, Larks and Avantis.

Jim Richardson on restoration vs. rodsteration

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-11-22T18:13:53-05:00

Jim tells the story of a guy who had a rare 1933 Hupmobile that was all original and had been stored since World War II. He then listened in horror as the owner said he was going to rod it out and "personalize" it. ...Jim feels, and I agree, that it's better to restore these vehicles to their original condition rather than turn them into just another canvas for self-expression. ...If that car was one step away from the crusher, it's better that a car gets rodded out rather than squished into a door stop. However, if that car is an orphan, especially a rare one like a Hupmobile, ya gotta keep it the way the manufacturer built it. It's more important as a rolling piece of history rather than your personal art car. ...Accusing them of lacking "wisdom and maturity" won't exactly keep the purple flames off of their Packards, Willys Americars, or Studebakers. Just like our current national political situation, I think we need to find a way to unite the street rodders with us rather than driving them away. They'll respect us a little more, and I think we'll find that we all have a lot more in common than we first thought. And the next time an old original Graham-Paige or Hudson pops up, we might just steer the tempted owner away from the Dark Purple Side.

Orphan brands in shorthand

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-11-12T22:55:24-05:00

What better way to stir up interest in our favorite orphan cars than the threat of GM, Ford, and Chrysler going chassis up? While the media chew on the subject, I found a BusinessWeek slide show that devotes a picture and a paragraph each to dozens of our favorite orphan brands. (What's up with some of those weird pix they chose to represent some of the most famous brands? If you mention a Lark or an Avanti as an example of a Studebaker, wouldn't it make sense to use a picture of said vehicles? Hmm.)

RIP: Evelyn Ay Sempier (1933-2008)

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-10-26T23:00:13-04:00

I just learned from Chris Custin, the Historian for the Metropolitan Owners Club of North America, that Evelyn Ay Sempier, Miss America 1954, died last Saturday. ...Courtesy of David Austin ...Evelyn was special to Metropolitan fans, because Nash sponsored the Miss America contest when she was crowned. Nash called upon her to officially "unveil" the Metropolitan to the public at the Chicago Auto Show in early 1954. She also bought (with some of her Miss America prize money) one of the early Metropolitan convertibles for her brother. ... ...Evelyn Ay Sempier when Torq-O
spoke with her: July 12th, 1997 ...Back in 1997, we started to interview all of the surviving participants in the design, building, and selling of the Metropolitan. ...We went to her home near Philadelphia and spent the afternoon of July 12th, 1997, talking to her about her association with the pageant and with Nash. ...My favorite anecdote that she shared with us was about a typical day in the life of Miss America: always smiling, sleeping on the plane, riding in Nash Ambassadors, breathless, hungry, expected to have opinions on world hunger, Communism, crop rotation, and juvenile delinquency.

Torq-O Podcast #9: AMC CEO Gerald Meyers

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-10-13T15:41:35-04:00

If you want to know what goes on in a car company, you go straight to the top. Torq-O's newest podcast features a rare and exclusive interview with Gerald Meyers, the CEO at American Motors from 1977 to 1982. Meyers talks about his early days at the company and some of its unforgettable cars. Don't miss Meyers' take on the Marlin, the Javelin, the AMX, and a little project called the AMX/3. Meyers also shares his memories about the men behind the machines: George Romney, Roy Abernethy, and Dick Teague. Go to our Podcast page, and get it straight from the CEO's mouth. ... Fire up iTunes, and search for Torq-O. Then click the Torq-O logo, and download this podcast. (This podcast is a perfect companion to our Bill McNealy interview. If you haven't listened to that conversation, go to our Podcast page and download both of them!)

RIP: John Conde (1918-2008)

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-10-05T00:00:27-04:00

...John reaches out and touches someone in this 1956 Nash publicity photo ...He had a front row seat to that history as a public relations exec who watched Nash merge with Hudson to form American Motors which later bought the Jeep brand. ...In addition, he allowed me into his house in 2000 to interview him extensively about his Nash/AMC career. ... ...John talks to Torq-O about the Metropolitan in 1998 ...He once told me that former AMC President Bill Luneberg called him "the company's greatest used car salesman" for his efforts to preserve materials about AMC's past. In fact, he was allowed to take a lot of that material with him when he retired. ...If he sensed your motives were in the interest of helping someone or preserving auto history, he was always very selfless and giving. John lived through some fascinating times in the auto industry, and we're lucky that he chronicled and catalogued them vividly and prodigiously.

Torq-O Podcast #8: Random Rides

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-10-04T00:08:55-04:00

Torq-O often talks with authors and executives about your favorite orphan cars. This time, we spoke with owners. Join us for conversations with the people who own the titles at the Bob Poole Orphan Car Show at Carillon Park in Dayton, Ohio, on September 27, 2008. You'll meet the drivers of some great cars: a 1968 AMC Javelin, a 1963 Studebaker Lark Wagonaire, a 1959 AMC Ambassador, a 1973 Plymouth Gold Duster, a 1954 Hudson Jet, a 1935 Hupmobile, and a 1965 AMC Marlin. Go to our Podcast page for the audio-only and video-enhanced versions.

I'm just saying: can't car shows be more exciting?

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-09-28T22:42:15-04:00

I love orphan cars, but I hate it when people go to all the trouble of organizing the event, but they don't publicize it well. ...What was painful to see was all that wide open space in the park that was formerly covered with Studebakers, Packards, AMCs, Hudsons, Oldsmobiles, etc. ...Furthermore, I wish that people who organized these events could figure out something new and interesting to do with them rather than create the same old shows that look and feel like old car parking lots. ...For instance, why can't we offer casual visitors the opportunity to drive these cars themselves (with close supervision, of course)? Let them experience what it's like to start a brass-era car or drive a '31 Hupmobile? ...Would it be very difficult to borrow or rent a car-sized turntable for the event and put cars on the turntable for 10 minutes each? Turntables at car shows almost always enhance the image of a show and the prestige of the cars that are on them. (You could snag some extra cash by videotaping the cars on the turntable and selling that footage to the owners.) ...When I sold my products at the 2006 AMO International show, I created a CD filled with vintage AMC radio spots. ...Isn't it time we created a little excitement about old cars the way new car dealers do?

Jack Miller gets more ink.

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-08-03T09:04:35-04:00

There's a really beautiful pictorial spread of Jack Miller's Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum in Issue 308 of AmericanDriver Magazine. Jack is well known as the founder of the annual Orphan Car Show and for being the operator of Miller Motors, the last Hudson dealership. But don't take my word for it. Try some words from The Detroit News. Or maybe Hemmings Motor News. Or The New York Times, perhaps? Or Forward Magazine. Or The Kalamazoo Gazette. Or... Jack, can I get your the name of your publicist?

Another AMC interview!

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-07-27T16:38:27-04:00

Hey, AMC fans! I just got off the phone with a great guy. In fact, he's the subject of my next podcast. Gerald Meyers, the former Chairman of American Motors, spent an hour reminiscing about AMC and several of the cars they built. Check back here for some fun stories about Roy Abernethy, the Marlin, the Javelin, the AMX, and the AMX/3. (Give me some time to edit it first, okay?)

Torq-O Podcast #7: Bill McNealy on the Javelin

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-07-20T19:29:39-04:00

He was a force of nature at AMC in the Late Sixties. He drove the company to modernize its image. He took American Motors by the shoulders and yelled, "Wake up!!" as he shook the company out of its sleepy granny-car complacency. He helped to make AMC more appealing to the exploding youth market. He had passion and energy and impatience that seemed almost elemental. Call it McNealium. Now, in a Torq-O exclusive podcast, we bring you an interview with AMC's former Vice-President of Marketing, Bill McNealy. Listen in as he talks about the car that he used to create a tidal wave of good buzz for AMC: the Javelin.

My Metropolitan: it's alive!!!

todd@torq-o.com — 2008-07-20T11:37:25-04:00

Last week, I got my 1961 Metropolitan hard top back from MG Automotive! I took it to owner/operator Steve Miller and told him to fix every mechanical component that looked like it wanted to take the day off. ...Yesterday, I went to the local BMV to get new plates and tags. As I left, I noticed an old furniture showroom had been turned into an indoor flea market. I've always been a total sucker for that kind of stuff, so I went in and looked around. By total chance, I found a booth that sold vintage Ohio license plates. ... I bought 'em on the spot and retraced my steps back to the BMV 100 yards away to get the vintage plates registered. ...I've already had a "discussion" with the insurance folks about the definition of "pleasure drive." I don't intend to keep this car hermetically sealed in the garage. ... (Even though the photo doesn't show it, there are little rust bubbles, and the rubber is old & crusty.)

Torq-O

Hudson Jet at Ateupwithmotor.com

1949-57 Nash Ambassadors in <i>Collectible Automobile</i>

1964 Pontiac Banshee prototype in <i>Cars & Parts</i>

1929 De Soto in <i>Cars & Parts</i>

One more thing about the Hudson Jet convertible story

Some Hudson Jet convertible video

The Hudson Jet convertible is the latest Archetypal Prototype story.

AMC's Paddle in <i>Hemmings Motor News</i>

1938-40 Studebaker Commander in <i>Collectible Automobile</i>

Postwar Indy Pace Cars in <i>Hemmings Classic Car</i>

Mercury, take your spot in the Torq-O Garage.

Pontiac Milestones in <i>Pontiac Enthusiast</i>

Comments are back on <i>The Cog Blog</i>

<i>Hemmings</i>: freefalling into Geezerland?

Cyclecar renaissance?

1959-1968 Sunbeam Alpine in <i>Hemmings Motor News</i>

Oldsmobile F-85 in <i>Hemmings Motor News</i>

Oldsmobile faithful: motor ye to 442.com.

Torq-O Podcast #11: Stu Chapman and <em>My Father the Car</em>

Nash Airflyte owner in <em>New York Times</em>

AMC Pacer is a "dirt cheap collectible car".

Torq-O's Rootes Group DVD is now available!

Oldsmobile interior in <em>Hemmings Motor News's</em> interior

Everything old is renewed again.

Franklin engine in <em>Hemmings Motor News</em>

Stout Scarab in <em>Hemmings Motor News</em>

Kaiser/IKA in <em>Gearhead</em>

1969 Iso Lele in <em>Hemmings Motor News</em>

Kaiser Darrins are <em>finally</em> valuable!

1958 De Soto Firesweep in <em>Hemmings Motor News</em>

Plymouth Duster 340 in <em>Muscle Car Review</em>

Fiat accidentally summons the ghost of Nash.

AMC intermediates at <em>Ate Up With Motor</em>

REO Royale in <em>Cars & Parts</em>

Willys-Knight sleeve-valve engine development in <em>Collectible Automobile</em>

Pontiac: End of the (Assembly) Line

Found: Martha Wright, Your Packard Girl

<i>A Season of Gifts</i> by Richard Peck

Rootes 3 DVD now available for a limited time!

<i>Ate Up With Motor</i>

Carleton Spencer in <em>Collectible Automobile</em>

1977 -78 AMC AMX in <em>Collectible Automobile</em>

British films DVD update #3

Just had to share

British films DVD update #2

Glenn Pray in <em>Hemmings Classic Car</em>

AMC Concept 80 cars in <em>Hemmings Classic Car</em>

Lucky Lee Lott in <em>Garage Magazine</em>

Hudson, DeSoto, & Muntz in <em>Collectible Automobile</em>

1966 AMC Ambassador convertible in <em>Cars & Parts</em>