June 17: 24 hours!!!

Yep, this past weekend was the one in Le Mans, France where the famous, annual 24 hour race was held. Twenty four hours! Just imagine driving a race car at its limit for 24 solid hours (of course, there are driver changes). Stressing the motor, the transmission and all those suspension parts for one full day and night at top speed. Pretty amazing, when one thinks about it. And to top it off, there are various classes of cars on the track with huge speed differences. Talk about trusting your fellow driver to see you in their rearview, as you approach at over 200 MPH. Talk about stress. But most of these drivers are pros, so the catastrophic crashes are not frequent.

Ever hear of the term "Le Mans start"?

Originally, the cars were lined up on one side of the track, the drivers on the other. At the wave of the French flag, they ran for their cars. Good idea? Well, just take a look at the pic above. Not everyone gets to their cars at the same time, some cars pull out quickly, some don't start immediately and some drivers have a problem with their seat belts, maybe not even fastening them or not tightly enough. Big problems. Not a smart idea, so eventually it was abandoned in 1970.

This pic from the late '50's shows the front straightaway at the start of the race. Interesting how close the fans and pit crews were to the track. Good idea? Think it's the same today? Not likely, and actually they used to be even closer. In 1955 a horrific crash (close to where this photo was taken) occurred as a fast car overtook a slower one. The faster car went into the crowd, killing 89 fans and injuring many more. After that very sad day, the audience was moved back bit by bit. Have an accident like that today and it's unlikely that race or maybe even the sport would survive.

Le Mans is named after the town where this race is held, running over the local roads. Bistros and bars are alongside the track, so that you can sip your wine and munch your baguette, as the cars roar past. I love that idea, although it has its drawbacks. Again the safety issues. Want to see a flying car?

Mercedes Benz was the first to perfect a flying race car in 1999, when their CLR was found to have slightly less down force than expected. Thankfully no driver was hurt, but the cars were withdrawn from the race. Like to be sitting in a cafe' as this went by? Great story to tell the folks back home - "Did you get a picture, Andre?".

Hands up all of you who like to drive in the rain and at night and at race speeds? Ok, so there are a few, but this would be a "no go" for most sane folks. At Le Mans, if it rains, it rains and you keep racing. Add in the different speed scenarios and you have a rather challenging situation. I guess that is why, I sell cars and sit here in a nice office with a roof over my head.

Ah, Le Mans, even with all its issues, it is a great test and a great race. Imagine running for 24 hours and beating another car by seconds. Or have the chance to see something weird, like this Nissan creation......

Yup, it's a great race. Will you ever see me there? Probably not, as I like my French countryside taken at a more leisurely pace. But what a show!

Until next time.......

June 13: Strange wheels?

Hey, buddy, got a light?

Of course, you do, if you are driving one of the two Zippo mobiles from many years past. I guess they are the Trivial Pursuit answer to what is the biggest lighter in the world. Originally done in the late '40's to publicize (ok, get ready for a skill testing question) Zippo lighters, the top one has been restored to its well lit glory. What do you say, if a cop pulls you over and asks, "Where is the fire?"? The puns are endless.

Seeing this got me thinking about what other unusual (ie: strange) promotional vehicles are out there bringing smiles to millions of faces? What might be the most famous of them all?

Correct, if you said the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile. This well known promo vehicle first hit the road in 1936 (above with Little Oscar) and has been continually updated since then. Dropping in on special events or just touring promoting the Oscar Meyer brand, this vehicle sure makes an impression. I still remember the one I saw in Toronto a few years back. Ask an Oscar Meyer employee what they do........"I drive a hot dog."

I never knew that Meyer also did cocktail sausages, but it must be so, since here are two vehicles from their current fleet.........

They have six of the full size mobile weiners and two of these Mini based ones. Which one would you rather be seen in? Yes, I agree, the little guy doesn't stand out in a crowd (yeah, right!).

Any other ones come to mind? I think you'll get a kick (I warned you about the puns) out of this next one........

This is the LL Bean boot truck......"Lace 'er up, boys, we're hittin' the road."

Or what about a Cadbury creme egg (I thought you'd never ask).........

Or the Goldfish Cracker car, truck or whatever (note the cool sunglasses)........

My favorite is a rather unusual way to promote a flea market, but it's a tasty looking looking vehicle regardless.........

The Burgermobile........and is that three(!!!) all beef patties between those enormous buns? And how come only cheese on the front one?

Interesting collection of interesting promotional vehicles, but my all time favorite doesn't promote a product, it promotes goodwill, but it still cracks me up when I think of what it is and its name. Here is Blinky the talking Toronto police car.......

Is there a great sense of humour here, when a police department uses a talking pig to help their brand? Strange wheels indeed.

Until next time.........

June 9: What's a rocker drive?

Sure, we've all heard the question, "What would Jesus drive?", but you know he doesn't exist, or I should say, doesn't exist in flesh and blood and driving around in a flash car (did I get out of that comment ok?). Funny, though that people always put Him in an earth friendly car, but how do we know he wouldn't drive around in a R-R Phantom limo? A question for the ages, obviously. But let's take a look at those other "gods", those guitar god rockers, who have money to burn, or at least spend on some very nice ride(s).

We could talk about Rihanna and her Lamborghini, but which one? The one with blood stains from where her boyfriend beat her? I think not, so let's move on........

Now this is more like it, Steven Tyler lounging against his nicely personalized Challenger. From the background, you can see he is at some sort of cruise, so it goes without saying that Steven is definitely a car guy. And not just with American iron.......

Here he is with his new Hennessey Venom GT Spyder. This is a Lotus based super car with 1244 HP!! Walk this way? Dam right!

Another true car guy is Brian Johnson of AC/DC. A decent racer in his own right, Brian likes to cruise his hood in something a little less frantic than his track day racer.......

Nothing wrong with the lap of luxury, when you are not hot lapping, is there? And besides, when you have all those millions to spend, what better way is there to spend them, than on road going trinkets?

It seems like the older rockers have more of an appreciation for cars than the younger ones, but maybe that's just my own bias and lack of knowledge. Take for example this very cool customized Chrysler 300 cabrio belonging to Alice Cooper. This is just one of Alice's neat rides and you always see him hanging around the Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson auction, selling or buying. Another true car guy (and avid golfer).

But the ultimate car guy in my opinion is the super rocker, Eric Clapton. Why? Well, not only does Clapton collect Ferrari's, but he has enough of a standing with the factory, that he commissioned them to do a one off for him......

Like a true car guy, here he is sizing up his beautiful new ride, like we all do when we get our new wheels. Just sit there and take it all in, appreciating a true thing of beauty. Or meeting with the designers to select exactly the right shade of leather for the new ride.

Ah, the good life and as I've quoted in another blog recently (courtesy of Dire Straits), "money for nothing and chicks for free". And speaking of Mark Knopfler, here is his famous old Austin-Healey 100S, just before he heads out on the track........

So, what does a rocker drive? Anything they darn well want to!

Until next time............

June 6: Going forward by looking back

 Ok, so what the heck does that blog title mean? Of course, all of you muscle car fans will instantly recognize this as a 1969 Camaro ZL1, the rarest of all Camaro's, with only 69 leaving the factory and a few subsequently sitting unsold on the dealers' lots for up to three years. This special order car came with an aluminum 427, originally destined for Can-Am racing. Priced at roughly double the cost of a regular Camaro and barely driveable on the street, it was a quarter miler's dream car (if they could afford it). This was the stuff of legends and at current collector car auctions, these cars have touched half a million in today's dollars. Nice appreciation, but who knew?

So from the past to the present day..........

 ......the current day ZL1 has much more power than the original, but has the added bonus of being able to turn corners at speed. Not quite as good as today's Z28, but still impressive. You know of course, that the intrepid modeller and his assistant, the Car Modelling Cat, have been at it again and this is the result of their handy work. Although an easy model to put together, the fussy detail paintwork was a pain, so that's why you won't see many clear close ups in this blog.

Sharp eyes will notice the Michigan plates on our model, so it only makes sense that the police car pulling it over be a Michigan State Police cruiser. Don't we strive for accuracy in our back yard pics?

The CMC diligently working on our modern day ZL1

 Strange that of the nine Camaro models that we've built over the years, I would only classify three as really good ones, that we'd be proud to show. What is it about Camaro's that seem to defy our car modelling skills? Even the adorable little CMC doesn't have an answer.

So, going forward by looking back. Maybe we should use the same mantra in building our next Camaro model?

Until next time......

June 3: What a way to go!

At some time or other, each one of us will probably end up in a wooden box or an attractive urn or simply be scattered to the winds. It is a fact, that people in North America are more afraid of public speaking than of dying, so as Jerry Seinfeld once said, if you are at a funeral, you'd rather be in the box than giving the eulogy. Well, I'm a past Toastmaster and enjoy giving speeches, but where I'd rather be is riding in the funeral coach and definitely up front as opposed to the back. And so to the point of today's blog........

Used to be that it was easy to convert a Cadillac into a hearse  -  take one big square Cadillac commercial platform and add on a very decorative box to its back end, like on the older version above. Easy, right? So now all those old style Caddy's have gone by the wayside, with the last of the old style XTS's. So now the designers have had to become more imaginative.

Take a new XTS and add a very swoopy back end. These things look fast standing still, so it stands to reason that funeral processions should move a little quicker. And who wouldn't want to be seen in this S & S hearse, whether it was in the front or back ("Too bad about Uncle Charlie, but did you see that cool hearse?").

All those old styles (another one from the S&S Coach Company), that fit the square Caddy's so well, have taken some work to add to the new ones. And not always successfully in my opinion, but the funeral car business in North America at least, is steeped in tradition. So, if there has always been a landau model, then there must be one for the new body style. Same as the Forest Lawn type design above, with its back side window. Awkward to say the least, but a good way to verify that Uncle Charlie is actually in there.

And every funeral procession needs an accompanying six door limousine for the immediate family. Not quite as stately as the older models, but it stills works and the design flows.

This more traditional landau, an Eagle XTS Ultimate, has the expected squared off side windows, so no attempt to bend and blend this design into the very contemporary lines of the XTS. And as one of the hearse manufacturers states, it ".......imparts a respected presence to the procession......". Ah, that it does, my friend, that it does.

So rest assured, that no matter how different the new car styles become, the hearse designers will be able to adapt those old and traditional funeral coach styles to the new car designs. They might even come up with a style, in which you'd be proud to ride, even if it was in the back.

Until next time.......

May 30: Long to drive a Rolls?

Now what car guy or gal wouldn't want to be seen cruising the hood in this classic beauty from the late forties? Even if you are into sports cars or muscle cars, just the thought of a brief time in this regal ride should be of interest. But let's say that you were really into the classics and have pined for a vintage Roller like this forever. The problem is cash and no matter how long you wait, the flow situation never seems to improve. What is one to do? Give up on the dream?

Of course, I have the ideal solution to have your dream ride or darn close to it.......

Hard to tell the difference isn't it? But those eagle eyed readers will notice that this isn't quite a Rolls-Royce. But to the untrained eye it has all the cues  -  the upright radiator grille, all the classic coachwork angles and the two tone paint scheme. What could possibly be missing?

I guess the main thing that missing is the R-R name, but most importantly so is the R-R price. So you want a Rolls, but budget constraints have held you back? Well folks, step right up to an early '50's Triumph Mayflower, brought to you by that well known sports car company. Everything a Rolls-Royce isn't, but is (think about it).

Even in plain old black, this little Mayflower reeks of regal status. Unless you show them what you actually paid, your automobile ignorant next door neighbour will have no idea, that you haven't really one upped them. But who's to know?

Lust after a cabrio? Well, Triumph can also accommodate those capricious whims of yours. And note those "look at me" landau bars, that obviously denote that you are driving a car of substance.

Ok, so you've had enough of this swapping a high end dream for a low end ride. You've decided, that if you must lower your sights, you are going to make your little dreamboat one that will stand out, even when a real Rolls rolls up next to you. Here are a couple of imaginative solutions........

Look closely and notice that the exhaust is exiting in front of the right tire. And what a tire that is, probably 18" wide. These are a couple of clues as to what might lie under this little gem's hood. A few years back, I attended British Car Day just outside Toronto and saw a very similar Mayflower with a flip front end exposing a 600+ cubic inch motor. Short wheelbase, big power  -  now there was is an exciting ride.

Ok, so you are more into a classic look, as opposed to big, but somewhat discrete power..........

The answer is surely this nicely customized Mayflower. Coach building what already looks like a classic coach built ride. Think it and someone will have done it.

But back to my original premise, that the little Mayflower could solve your Rolls-Royce fantasies. Just how far fetched is my thinking, when you look back at the original Mayflower ad below? Yep, the Triumph folks were no dummies. They realized what they had and were ready to flaunt it. So folks, dust off that seemingly unattainable R-R dream of yours and buy an inexpensive little pretender. Heck, only you will (and I) will know the difference.

Until next time........

May 27: My, how things have changed

Just a small cozy, little, small town/city dealership. Probably has room for a couple of cars in the showroom or maybe even only one. My first new car was bought in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1971 at a Plymouth dealership, which had been made out of an old building, that resembled something one sees at old airports, you know with a corrugated steel, semi circular roof. Nothing fancy at all, but typical of what one would find in any number of cities and towns back in the day.

Here's another pic of the same sort of dealership, but this one is selling the long gone Nash, before it became American Motors and way before it was bought by Chrysler (got that?). My second new car was bought in a small, northern New Brunswick town and if I remember correctly, the dealer didn't even have a showroom for one car.

Obviously not all the dealerships were like this, as some had larger lots and room for several cars in their showrooms. Ones like this Plymouth-Chrysler dealership from the late '50's or the Ford one, below it, from the mid '60's........

I guess there may still be the odd dealership like these hidden away in some village or town somewhere in North America, but it's probably unlikely. Think things have changed since those days? Actually, those days are not that far behind us. In the last fifteen years the manufacturers have realized that the dealership experience was lacking and that they didn't always present their best face to the world. Don't all retail stores try to entice their clientele to come in and have a good experience? You would think so, but it's not always the case.

Anyway, how things have changed. That small, rough dealership has become somewhat more presentable (lots of sarcasm here).........

Much cleaner and much bigger. But this is only the outside. Now there are computer terminals inside, coffee shops, tv's, lounges and in some cases, wine bars (have a few drinks before we give you our bill). One of my favorite dealers is Downtown BMW in Toronto.......

Six stories and it includes an opening (above left), where six cars are positioned for drivers to see as they come down the highway. Very cool. Amazing what can be done with old office buildings and lots of coin. Mercedes also has these palaces to showcase the many ways that you can spend your hard earned dollars......

Now who wouldn't want to drop into this great looking edifice with a couple of hundred grand to spend or even to buy a Sprinter truck?

Let's do one more flashback to the old days and see what the Porsche experience was.......

Basically a VW dealership with the odd sportscar available, in case you wanted something a little more exotic and unusual than a Corvette. Well, you know how things have changed with Porsche. Sedans and suv's now compete for sales and floor space with their iconic sportscars. How does Porsche present themselves to the world these days?

Of course, in a building that screams German cutting edge and efficiency. Big change from the, "Oh, and we also have a sportscar you may be interested in", showroom in the old pic.

Yes, how things have changed. Almost makes you want to buy a new set of wheels or to take your car in for service just for this grandiose experience. Yes, almost.

Until next time.........