| German
Luxury: Two Thoroughbreds & Their Lifestyle |
Top
10 Collector Cars for 2010-2020 |
An
Introduction to Collecting Car Brochures |
 Does
the idea of vacationing in Germany sound like a dream
come true? Enjoy testing your car's limits on high speed
autobahns... Perhaps you've always wanted to visit Stuttgardt
and tour one of many German automobile manufacturing or
conversion facilities... |
 There
are those who collect for investment and there are those
who collect for fun and enjoyment. My Top 10 Collector
Cars for 2010-2020 is for the average car guy and is just
a guess on my part based on what I want. These are the
cars the average Joe will purchase and can afford. |
 Before
starting your brochure collection, in my view it is best
to have a very clear idea about what you want to achieve.
Are you interested in a particular period in history,
a particular car, type of car or brochures from a particular
country? |
 |
| Subcompact
automobile: Ford Fiesta |
Out-of-print-book:
A Century of Automotive Style |
My
Auto Literature Collection |
 The
Fiesta Mark I was launched in Europe in 1976. It was a
breakthrough for Ford as it was their first truly successful
front-wheel drive car. An overnight success, the one-millionth
Fiesta was produced in Jan 1979.
|
 You
buy a car only when you like the way it looks. That means
very simply that styling sells — a fact of life in
the marketplace that automakers learned almost as quickly
as they discovered ways to make cars reliable and friendly. |
 I
was about 12 when the idea suddenly came to me that perhaps
if I wrote to manufacturers and importers I might get
sent a few brochures in the post...Up until this point
I'd only gathered a tiny handful... |
|
| Automotive
Magazines |
Plymouth
1935-1936 |
History
of the Corvette |
 Automotive
magazines of the 1950s and 1960s were read, saved and
reread. The articles were by writers who had been witness
to auto history as it was created. They approached these
'modern' cars as we can never do. This is the value of
old magazines. |
 With
the worst of the Great Depression behind them by 1935,
automakers could begin to look ahead to renewed sales
strength. At Chrysler Corporation, volume leader Plymouth
couldn't have picked a better time to offer completely
new 1935 Plymouths.
|
 The
Chevrolet Corvette was the first all-American sports car
that was built on American soil, so it really is no surprise
that it has become iconic, and as representative of American
culture as the proverbial baseball, Mom and apple pie. |
|
| Preservation
of literature |
Z.
Taylor Vinson - An era ends |
Hendrick
Motorsports Museum |
 Buying
literature from collectors while they are still actively
collecting is straight forward. Buying it from someone
else afterwards sometimes means it has not received the
preservation it deserves. |
 Taylor
Vinson is no more. Undeniably one of the foremost automotive
history gurus and owner of many rare and impressive literature
collections, Taylor's passing marks the end of an era.
A great loss. |
 It
has become known that the recreation of an original 1978
Chevrolet dealership is underway at the Hendrick Motorsports
Museum. It will also house Chevrolet literature for the
period. |
|
| Happy
50th Birthday Corvair! |
Diamond
T |
Rolls-Royce
for India's royalty |
 The
first Corvair came to our home in 1967. For many years
Corvairs were my only transport and main passion in life.
I've owned more Corvairs than any sane human should. My
lifetime count hovers around 200... |
 In
the last fifteen years or so I have discovered truck literature
and it is fascinating. Today's trucks are not boring...
but those 1930s, 1940s and 1950s truck catalogs are very
interesting! |
 India
was a significant market for Rolls-Royce in the early
years. By 1947, over 900 RR cars had made it to Indian
shores. Coachbuilders went to great lengths to please
their Indian customers... |
|
| Original
Paint Chips |
Pontiac
Dream Cars of 1953, 1954 & 1955 |
 For
restorers and car owners who are diehard originalists,
finding a set of paint chips for the year and model
of car that is being restored is equivalent to finding
a gold mine. These sets show the exact colors along
with mixing info, color combinations, code numbers...
|
 Rather
than talk about all the gloom and doom surrounding
America's automobile industry, Larry Kummer takes
a look at three of Pontiac's "dream cars"
— the 1953 Parisienne, the 1954 Strato Streak,
and the 1955 Strato Star... |
|
| Wallace
Wyss - Artist Profile |
America's
Packard Museum |
For almost four decades until 2007, Wallace Alfred
Wyss was a magazine writer and book author when
he made his first oil painting. That started his
move into the fine arts world. We caught up with
him at a concours and asked him about his new direction.
|
 Did
you know that 'America's Packard Museum' is the
world's only restored Packard dealership operating
as a museum, and only full-time museum dedicated
exclusively to the Packard Motor Car Company, its
products and philosophies. |
|
|
| Ford's
Road Leads To Mustang |
My
Super Beetle |
Citroen
SM (1970) |
 In
1960 I thought Ford literature was too commonplace to
be considered 'collectible'. It was true that Ford, Chevrolet,
Plymouth, etc were neither luxurious nor sporty. Then,
as if on cue, Mustang, Corvette, Camaro and Barracuda
came along to change that! |
 Wayne
Dean's life is closely woven around the automobile and
has been witness to many an adventure — the most
enduring one being the 'Super Beetle'. No dalliance, this
one. Wayne's life seems dedicated to the Beetle. Read
his story in his own words. |
 Launched
in 1970, the SM was an even more ambitious project than
the DS. Regardless of cost, Citroen wanted to show the
world it could better the offerings from Jaguar, Porsche
and others. In the end, this state-of-the-art coupe was
a commercial failure. |
|
| Unanticipated
Investment |
Quality
Control |
How
To Decide Which Car You Should Restore |
 John
did invest for the future. He just didn't realize that
was what he was doing. Literature can be a money machine.
The older it gets, the more valuable it becomes.
|
 Most
collectors prefer the literature they acquire to be in
very good condition. Some demand it. Few sources are as
consistent in their quality as MAH, the largest &
oldest... |
 Once
you’ve decided that you’re ready to buy and
restore an older car, the next decision is 'which car'
would be the best restoration project for you. Not an
easy one! |
|
| The
End of the Affair |
Printed
brochures soon to be a memory? |
Don't
Forget Dealer Literature |
 The
recent newspaper headline "Bankrupt General Motors"
wasn’t a matter of economics. It was the story of
a tragic romance whose magic was killed by bureaucrats,
bad taste and busybodies. P.J. O’Rourke on why Americans
fell out of love with the automobile... |
 All
auto literature collectors should know that several car
manufacturers are doing away with printed brochures under
the guise of being "green", but take heart —
dealerships will be handing out brochures for a long time... |
 Collecting
literature for any make seems to begin with brochures.
But it should not end there. How about Dealer Literature?
Real leather samples, original paint chips, technical
drawings, and more — all found in a dealer's album
or data book... |
|
| Automotive
Books |
The
Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild — An Illustrated History |
GM
Concepts |
Collecting books about automobiles was very straightforward
in the 1950s. A few small specialty book shops in California,
New York and London would advertise in car magazines such
as "Road & Track", "Motor Trend"
and "The Motor". |
 The
Fisher Body Division of GM began in 1930 to encourage
teenagers to compete for college scholarships by building
Napoleonic coach models. Great as the new cars were, the
concepts or experimental cars were better. |
 For
the past few years we have been gathering up photos of
mid-1930s to early-1940s General Motors concept renderings
that apparently were collected by GM designer, William
L. Mitchell... Here is the grand finale... |
|
| Change
Creates Nostalgia |
Racing
(Part 1) |
Collecting
Automotive Literature |
Every time there are significant changes in automotive
design or engineering, the old car hobby grows several
notches in stature. This is about to happen again as the
"green car" unfolds before our eyes...
|
 Cars
with a reputation for performance stoke in us the fierce
competitive spirit and the secret longing to be behind
the wheel as a race car ace... "Racing improves the
breed" is a slogan often heard. And it does. |
 If
collecting real cars is simply too impractical, then hunting
down transport-related literature is the thing to do.
But the first thing to consider is what 'type' of literature
to collect... |
|
| Investing
in Literature |
Pre-World
War II Brochures |
Showroom
Postcards — 1930s through 1950s |
 Literature
collectors have reasons to rejoice. While the stock market
and real estate have been sinking, auto literature remains
an excellent investment. But then, it has always increased
in value. |
 As
a kid in the late forties and early fifties, I was more
impressed with the few pre-war cars on the streets, parked
at the back of service stations and owned by collectors
than a new 1949 Ford or 1951 Cadillac. |
 Showroom
dealers have been mailing postcards to prospective customers
for over 100 years, but it was not until the 1930s that
salesmen began passing them out in their showrooms. |
|
Ferrari
SP1.
More Than Unique |
Fiat |
The
Making of Shelby Cars in Detail |
 Junichiro
Hiramatsu of Japan has more than just imagination. After
decades of amassing an impressive collection of Ferrari
literature and collecting several classic Ferraris, topping
it all off with a fabulous Enzo, what was left to do?
Find out... |
The new Fiat 500 has caught the attention of Europeans
and now a possible merger of Chrysler and Fiat could bring
Fiat to America. Welcome back to America, Fiat. My 'chance'
introduction to Fiat was with a Fiat 501 racer in 1980... |
 When
Frank Barrett's Cobra-driving buddy Eddie O'Brien suggested
a book on the cars in the Shelby American Collection,
Frank jumped at the idea, contacted publisher David Bull,
and got the green light. Shelby Cars in Detail
was off to the races... |
|
| Unusual
Postcards |
German
Press Kits |
Everything
Cadillac |
 Truly
rare are those postcards that are released by museums;
and even more collectible are the ones released by the
automakers themselves. Look at this sampling of manufacturer-published
postcards some of which are over 100 years old.
|
 Beginning
in the 1990s, press kits became more and more spectacular
until the mid-2000s. Innovative packaging and elaborate
on-stage presentations at auto shows were the norm as
each company tried to upstage its competitors. |
 Cadillac
literature is some of the most treasured literature, and
is the focal point in thousands of private collections
throughout the world. If for some strange reason, an interest
in Cadillac literature has eluded you, read on... |
|
| Plymouth
Nostalgia |
Loving
Mercedes-Benz Quality |
Dealer
Posters |
 Back
in the 1950s most all American cars had excellent styling,
but the outrageous fins of the 1957 Plymouth were more
than a showstopper. People simply stopped and stared at
the car in disbelief... The loss of Plymouth was a sad
event... |
 For
most Americans just after World War II, Mercedes-Benz
was associated with the enemy — Germany. However,
a couple of dealers in the USA began importing the 300S
model, and car magazines began touting the engineering
and quality... |
 Large-sized
automotive visuals lining the office or garage walls can
instantly transform the space into an impressive arena.
But most collectors cringe at the prohibitive cost of
dealer posters. But there is good news... |
|
| Mercury's
Glory Years |
Racing
& Show Programs |
Buyer's
Guide To Brochures |
 Recently
a Dodge dealer jokingly said, "Do they still make
Mercurys?" You almost have to stop and think before
you answer. Ford Motor Company has repeatedly stated that
Mercury will make a comeback as a solid Ford division.
I hope so as it was an impressive car in the past. |
 Going
to auto races, auto shows and concours are always memorable
events, especially if you participate in them. In the
1950s and 1960s I attended sport car races. They were
mostly regional events, but the desire to go to Sebring
or LeMans was a dream. |
 Why
should you have to guess at what you are purchasing? At
McLellan's Automotive History we are proud of our 48 years
of providing you with as complete a description as possible
and with taking all the guesswork out of purchasing brochures. |
|
| 356
Porsche Literature FAKES! |
Ford
Trucks |
Books
And Magazines |
 A
recent auction listing on the Ebay Auction Site prompted
me to put together this article to warn 356 Porsche literature
collectors, and those just acquiring a brochure for their
car, of known literature "FAKES". |
 It
may be a surprise to many that Ford dominated the collector
car hobby in the 1950s and 1960s. The first issue of "Hemmings
Motor News" that I saw was in the early 1960s and
cars, parts and... |
 What
got you started collecting automotive literature? I began
with sales brochures as a child - even before I could
read. Obviously it was the colorful pictures of cars that
caught my attention. |
|
| The
Best Increase in Value the Most |
The
Making of a Ford
Collection |
Austins |
 If
you have a nice collection of hundreds or thousands of
brochures, books, magazines, memorabilia, dealers albums,
etc., your collection increases significantly in value
each year assuming you keep them in good condition and
they are popular items that many collectors would like
to own. |
 I'm
only 27, and got into collecting this stuff recently.
I am a manager at a Ford store and in 2005 decided to
bring home one of each brochure from the 2005 model year.
As with many things people (men) do, it was actually to
impress a girl. She was my neighbor and was interested... |
 In
the 1960s I discovered "The Autocar" and "The
Motor" magazines on a newsstand. Here in the U.S.A.
issues were quite expensive and a quick read without being
told, "Are you going to read it, or buy it?"
was a challenge. If I could find some of the more exotic
marques... |
|
| Cars
and Literature of the 1970s |
First
Impressions |
Electric
Vehicles |
 Thirty
years seems like a long time to those youthful 30 and
40 year olds who admire the cars of the 1980s and 90s.
Those of us who are 60+ think of the cars of the 1950s
and 60s in the same way. |
 Pontiac
was exceptionally good at providing renderings for brochures
that were specifically aimed at potential customers. Notice
that the cars all appear lower, longer and wider than
they actually were. |
 The
high cost of gasoline and its' scarcity gave the other
sources of power an advantage that they quickly lost.
Now, here we are again with those advantages and an additional
reason save the environment. |
|
| Goodbye
Viper |
Land
Rover |
Collectibles
vs. Recession |
 Many
of us worry that Chrysler Corporation could disappear
all together. Becoming owned by Nissan or a Chinese company
would not be much of a relief. Maybe Tata will buy it
and add it to Jaguar and Rover... |
 My
introduction to Land Rover was in England in the 1970s
where wealthy farmers used them as gentleman's transportation.
One such farmer kept a Rolls-Royce in his garage along
with the Land Rover... |
 It
happens every time we have a recession. The stock market
and housing prices go down. As people get out of those
markets they need to put their money into something safe.
Yes, old car literature is a good option... |
|
| See
a Classic Car Show, Take a Nostalgia Trip |
Times
Are Changing... |
Lamborghini's |
 "People
always smile at my car and tell me their own Gremlin stories,"
says Mr. Nagle of Sylvania, Ohio. "One woman proudly
told me she was conceived in the back seat of a Gremlin." |
 Over
the last 48 years your needs have changed and we will
change with you. Soon you will see website improvements
at McLellan's Automotive History that will provide you
with an even more pleasurable buying experience, plus
more inventory. |
 When
I discovered sports cars in the early 1950s I immersed
myself in learning about the best the world had to offer.
"Road & Track", "Motor Trend",
Fawcett and Trend Books guided me to Ferrari, Maserati,
Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin. |
|
| From
Boxy to Fins |
One
Historian Mourns the Passing of the Black and White Glossy |
Collectible
Tractors |
 Memories
from the late 1940s and early 1950s produce images of
aunts, uncles and grandparents driving bland, conservative
Dodges, Plymouths and DeSotos. They all looked alike to
a youngster like me.
|
 Horror
of horrors, the black and white glossies have disappeared
from automaker press kits. Why? Because it costs an automaker
far less to reproduce a digital CD ROM with hundreds of
pictures, all on one disc. |
 An
auctioneer barks out numbers in rapid-fire rhythm. In
a standing-room-only crowd, proxy bidders hunch over their
mobile phones and cover their ears. Auction-house assistants
fan out and move close to bidders who seem most intent
on winning. |
|
| How
I Met John Conlon |
Review:
Two Press booklets on the Rolls Phantom Drophead coupe |
Thanks
Dad! |
 When
the time came to purchase the family's first automobile,
John really did his research. He wrote to every company
that even thought about manufacturing an automobile before
he chose his new Hudson. |
 When
RR and Bentley split, Volkswagen bought Bentley, and BMW
bought the RR nameplate. Naturally, BMW takes a more modern
view of marketing reflected even in their brochures and
press kits. |
 I
owe my passion for classic cars and collecting literature
to my father, who would take me along on his literature
collecting jaunts, grabbing one or two copies of anything
he could get his hands on. |
|
| My
Story |
Rolls-Royce
and Bentley |
Collecting
for Fun and Relaxation |
 My
first inkling of interest in car literature occurred in
1957. My Dad ran a 1933 Chevy at the local dirt oval and
he received some minor sponsorship from the Chevrolet
/ Oldsmobile / Cadillac dealer in town. |
 Rolls-Royce
/ Bentley — "The Best Car in the World"...
Collectors hold tight to their Rolls-Royce / Bentley literature.
Scarcity makes for higher prices, so purchasing collections
has been difficult. |
 I
have re-kindled my childhood interest in automotive literature
and books... As a boy I was always fascinated by the brochures
and showroom sample books showing exterior and interior
trim, as well as the engineering features. |
|
| Your
Literature |
The
Family Station Wagon |
Packing
for Shipping |
 Whether
you collect flathead Ford literature, concept car brochures,
or are a restorer who hunts down dealer albums to use
in creating authentic restorations or anything in between
to something very strange, you have an audience here at
the "Automotive Chronicles" that wants to hear
about it. Don't be shy. |
 For
all of you who grew up with station wagons as a kid, or
as parents, or as someone who used them as work horses,
we present the second most popular body style of the 1940s
through the 1970s — the station wagon. Enjoy the
literature... |
 All
collectors know the condition of literature is important
and, if it lasted this long in good condition, it must
stay in good condition. The literature needs to arrive
in your hands in the same condition it is sent. |
|
| Dodge
Trucks |
Press
Kit Review |
Collecting
'Down Under' |
 As
a child I imagined myself becoming an archeologist and
joining a caravan of Dodge trucks across the desert. Fifteen
years later I found myself crossing the desert in Libya
as a geologist exploring for oil in a Dodge Power Wagon. |
 Frankfurt,
Tokyo, Los Angeles and now Detroit. Big auto shows around
the world show off their production and concept cars to
media and the public in hopes that the publicity will
increase their sales. |
 I
have collected automotive literature for most of my life
with the large amount of my collection being brochures,
and I enjoy a wide variety of makes and topics. My passion
is for literature from the 1960s and 1970s... |
|
| Owner's
Manuals |
MG
in America |
"Buy
Me a Ferrari" |
 Finding
the right brochures and books is the easy part of collecting
compared to finding all the miscellaneous literature such
as magazines with road tests, dealer albums for paint
and upholstery samples and memorabilia. |
 While
the British enjoyed MGs prior to World War II, and sports
cars were common throughout England and Europe, the newly
discovered MG was a novelty in the United States when
introduced just after the war. Even as popularity of the
MG grew, so grew the dissimilarity between American cars. |
 In
the early 1950s there were two places you might see a
Ferrari other than on a race track — Hollywood and
New York City... The actress sang "Buy Me a Ferrari",
to the man she was with in a movie from the 1950s... |
|
| International
Opportunities |
Ask
the Man Who Owns One |
Dealer
Stamps |
 With
the decline of the U. S. Dollar, the rest of the world
benefits from what can best be described as bargain prices
from McLellan's Automotive History (MAH). And, with newly
purchased collections, the MAH inventory is growing, giving
collectors more selection than ever. |
 Everyone
knows the name Packard — older readers identify with
their favorite 1930s classic, while younger readers will
envision a 1950s model. Packard was an outstanding automobile
from its beginning in 1899 and just continued to get better. |
 Does
that dealer stamp on the brochure cover bother you? How
about a well placed and attractive dealer stamp on a rare
brochure? The dealer stamp confirms the originality of
the literature. And some dealers are important enough
to give the brochure a "bloodline". Here are
a few examples of neatly applied dealership stamps... |
|
| Chevrolet
Literature |
Kaiser-Frazer |
Enhance
Your Collection |
 From
my mother's used 1952 Chevrolet to my used 1965 Corvair,
purchased when I got out of the Army, my path has been
laden with Chevys. All during those Chevrolet years I
pretty much took those cars for granted... |
 Without
WWII hero and shipmaker, Henry J. Kaiser, American troops
would have had nothing to fight with. At the end of the
war, Kaiser recognized the need to quickly convert the
military industrial back to private industry.
|
 Whether
you are interested in just one specific car, one make
of car, or have varied interests, programs and annual
reports contain numerous photographs of automobiles and
other vehicles that were being shown at show... |
|
| Commercial
Vehicles |
Triumph |
Coachbuilder's
Literature |
 Most
recently trucks and buses, and their literature, have
caught my attention. We have just added 1000+ truck &
bus brochures to our collection. You might want to take
a break from your current interest to browse through what
I find to be fascinating... |
 Triumph
was introduced to America as an affordable British sports
car. It was more than inexpensive fun around town. It
delivered the dream of becoming a race car driver. You
simply joined the Sports Car Club of America and raced
on one of the many abandoned World War II airbase in the
United States...
|
 Defining
a coachbuilder was simple prior to WW II. Luxurious bodies
were built on expensive chassis for wealthy customers.
Over the past 60 years we have seen two types of conversions
— replicas and custom bodies on mass-produced chassis
and cars with engine and/or body modifications. |
|
| The
Early Books |
Vintage
Bentleys |
The
Innovative Hudson |
 Prior
to 1960, twenty to thirty books constituted an impressive
automotive book collection. Naturally books that have
been written since then cover the makes and subjects that
readers are nostalgic for and pre-nostalgic (historical)
coverage has become less common. Look at these pre-1960
publications... |
 We
all have our favorite historical make. Having devoted
much time to so many prewar marques and owning several,
I have confirmed multiple times that Vintage Bentley is
my favorite. And my tribute is... |
 After
building airplanes and landing craft engines during World
War II, Hudson re-entered the auto market in 1946 with
essentially 1942 models. Then, in 1948, Hudson did what
it was best at — stepping out in front of the rest
of the industry with an innovative design. |
|
| Wolseley |
Buses/Engines/Fire
Trucks/Tractors/Trains... |
The
Schödel Collection |
 Few
Wolseley automobiles ever made it to America... After
years of acquiring Wolseley literature my curiosity got
the better of me when a literature collector, who had
spent many years in England in the 1950s through 1960s,
sold us his literature collection. |
 We
have recently acquired a large batch of literature that
goes under odd sections such as, 'Buses', 'Engines', 'Fire
Trucks', 'Tractors', 'Trains'... Vehicles you would not
have thought about for many years... |
 This
self-published book by Ulrich J. Schödel showcases
almost every piece of Aston Martin and Lagonda literature,
factory records, posters, manuals... This whole literature
collection (not the book) is for sale... |
|
| Jaguar
in the 1950s |
The
Beautiful Brute |
Sunbeam
& Sunbeam-Talbot |
 When
Jaguar entered the North American market after World War
II it had a good promotional program that sent their cars
to sports car hungry American. G.I.'s coming home from
Europe had discovered a new toy that was fast and fun
in the corners. |
 When
the Chrysler Letter Cars first appeared, the phrase "The
Beautiful Brute" suddenly emerged out of nowhere
-- but it fit. As the Paul Bunyan of cars, this Chrysler
created an image of big, powerful and fast, which set
it apart from sports cars and hot rods... |
 I
acquired a nice, used Sunbeam Alpine in 1968... there's
a story to it... The most memorable for sports car enthusiasts
was the Alpine that Carroll Shelby stuffed a V-8 in and
called it a Tiger. |
|
| Beyond
the Mustang II |
Taxi
Cabs, Police Cars & Emergency Vehicles |
U.S.
Postwar Econocars |
 From
the birth of the Mustang as a 1964 1/2 model, to its golden
age which ended with the high performance models in 1973,
Mustang was "The Pony Car"... Camaro, Firebird,
Barracuda and AMX were overnight rivals... |
 Nearly
any make of vehicle you can think of has been converted
at one time or another to a taxi, police or emergency
vehicle. Literature on these otherwise "plain Jane"
vehicles stands out... |
 WW
II set off a fuel shortage that produced the Austin Bantam
and Crosley. Once again the fear of expensive gasoline
has the auto industry second guessing our future with
several alternatives... |
|
| The
Dawn of the Auto |
Inquiring
Minds |
Exotic
Dropouts |
 Not
long ago we received a call from an over 100-year-old
Texas museum that had a room of literature... We have
acquired these impressively old catalogs in unbelievably
good condition... |
 How
to place a value on a collection... What you should be
collecting... Does the reduced price and wear and tear
imply that the item should be avoided... Ask us questions.
It is gratifying to be recognized for our 47 years of
experience. |
 Dream
cars turned into reality on a whim of the powerful...
Often driven by exotic designs and /or engineering, these
efforts frequently have limited longevity. A review of
exotic dropouts worth remembering and collecting. |
|
| Trucks
of the 1930s and 1940s |
Imperial
is Back |
Dune
Buggy/ATV Escapes |
 Most
automobile and literature collectors recognize trucks
as a small but growing part of the hobby. Truck literature
of the 1950s and 1960s is scarce, and prior to that extremely
rare. The trend to seek out the roots to the modern truck
is worth exploring. |
 DaimlerChrysler
has announced the return of the Imperial. Prior to World
War II, Imperial grew in status at Chrysler as a model
until it became an individual make after the war. It's
been a popular name... |
 With
names like Bandido, Boss Bug, Clodhopper, Custom Cougar,
Deserter, Dune Duster, Fun Buggy, Fun Hugger, Grasshopper,
Imp, Leap Frog, Minibug, Polywog, Desert Rat, how can
you keep but enjoying your weekends and vacations... |
|
| Rare
Maserati Find |
Original
Paint Chips |
Magazines
Are Literature Too |
 A
local retired gentleman had a few hundred brochures to
sell from the 1950s and early 1960s — his wife had
a use for the file cabinets and the brochures had to go...
half were foreign and, even better, many were rare makes.
The condition was immaculate... |
 For
restorers and car owners who are diehard originalists
finding a set of paint chips for the year and model of
car being restored is like finding a gold mine. I have
found a fabulous resource for those of you restoring a
car...
|
 Over
the years we have put together many sets of magazines
for our personal enjoyment usually as a result of owning
a specific make of car and wanting to learn everything
that we could about the car...
|
|
| Remembering
Oldsmobile |
BMW |
Collecting
Memories |
 I
dedicate this article to the people who were good enough
to own an Oldsmobile. You could revel in their glory as
you drove past lesser brands. But keep in mind —
those Buick and Cadillac owners were looking down at you.
|
 Are
BMWs collectible? Considering the popularity of the older
literature, and the increasing sales of the cars over
the last 50 years, there is a lot of enthusiasm for BMWs.
As these cars get older, interest always increases. |
 My
interest in things automotive began in toddlerhood if
not earlier. Family lore holds that the first identifiable
word out of my mouth was not mama or dada but "car";
I was pointing to my father's 1948 Nash at the time. |
|
| Toyota
Sports |
Automotive
Archeology |
Mitchel
DeFrancis: Automobilia Enthusiast |
 With
Toyota outselling all other makes of cars, it is not surprising
that old Toyota sports models are getting some attention.
Collectible? Well, the 2000GT certainly is, but few were
built. Maybe a review of the cars is in order.
|
 For
decades, auto literature collectors have sought information
on cars, usually from their youth. Now a new group of
collectors is emerging. The shift in interest to 'historical'
cars and literature from 'nostalgic' is important to the
growth of the hobby... |
 I
have been collecting literature since I was 12 years old.
My father, Paul, who is a big car enthusiast inspired
me... It was an insatiable addiction that fills my basement
at home... |
|
| Auto
Books - 50 Years |
The
Golden Age of Press Kits |
Iron
Curtain Literature |
 Autobooks
and Petersen Publishing out of California, Floyd Clymer
Publications in Washington, D |
