November 7: Speaking of two toned cars

There she is the darling little Car Modeling Cat (CMC), looking over research material for the model build, that rests in front of her furry little head. If you've seen our builds before you know that we strive for accuracy, so this one is no exception. A couple of weeks back, I blogged about the start of a trend towards two tone cars, or as they said back in the day, tutone cars. Coincidentally, the CMC and I happened to be working on a classic multi-toned car from where else but the 1950's.

Ah yes, those days, when paint schemes and bright colours were the norm. A silver or gray car would stand out back then, like a '50's paint scheme would now. And if it wasn't tutoned, well sir, it just wasn't worth driving and showing off to your neighbours.

But back to our 1959 Rambler model in a classic three colour paint job of baby blue, white and black.........

Rambler being a company that was trying to keep up with the big boys, also needed a four door hardtop wagon. Four door hardtops were all the rage in cars, but a few brands also tried them on station wagons, where they were much less popular. So the CMC and me, being creative souls made two models out of one.........

The left side is the mid-range Custom, while the right side is the up level whatever they called it. Apart from the brushed silver insert, you can see that this side doesn't have a centre post between the doors (how clever, Barry). And of course, there is that tutone, that this whole blog is really about anyway.

As I mentioned above, being one of the creations of mine and the CMC's, we strive for accuracy and detail. Of course, if you are a real Rambler fan and consider anything else in this world to be a little less important, then you might notice a blatant error in this '50's ride, otherwise you'll think how good we are. Any guesses?

I didn't think so. Time on your side (ok big brother, will you take this challenge?)? Then check into the internet for a few minutes, as it shouldn't take long to find the discrepancy. 

Anyway, two toned tutones. I'm positive that we'll never see those wild 1950's multi-toned paint schemes again, but we just might see many more simple two tones. Another stay tuned moment.

Until next time........

November 3: Sema 2017

There is only one place that a truck like this Mad Max F-150 would be unveiled and that is at the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) show being held this week in Las Vegas. Once only the purview of those hot rod aftermarket equipment stores, that your mother warned you about going into, now SEMA attracts many of the mainline car companies. Showing new cars or wild variations of a current model, SEMA has become the place to go to in early November each year. Now back to that pic above.......this is the Hennessey VelociRaptor 6x6. Six hundred horsepower of pure road evil. Forget about that Mercedes 6x6, as this Ford variant is the Big Kahuna. Show up in this beast and even The Donald would show you respect. Price? $295,000 USD to start! Performance options available.

Not needing that much truck, but you love the versatility of a big pick-up bed, then this SEMA intro from Ford should be your choix du jour.........

A rough and tough quad cab with the world's wickedest all terrain toy stacked in its bed. What better way to go hunting for rabbits and squirrels?

But you are not into pick-ups?Then wander over to the Jeep stand, where the all new for 2018 Jeep Wrangler was being shown, at least in picture form.......

A big deal you ask? Well consider that when this Jeep had a redo many years ago and the designers put in square headlights, the Jeep lovers had a fit. So now when the Wrangler has a major redesign, they treat this icon like a Porsche  -  completely remake it, so it looks the same as the prior model. It works, so don't knock it. More Proof that the SEMA Show is in the big leagues.

More into cars? Muscle cars? Here's just the one for you........

Sure looks like a '70 Mustang and in a way, it is, but this car belonging to Robert Downey Jr and featuring much of his input, is a wild (under the skin) makeover of this classic. Subtle until you touch the gas.

Another retro classic........

The still beautiful 1969 Charger re-imagined. Re-imagined? Take a really close look. Give up? Ok, this custom has been shortened, the wheelbase lengthened, the body channeled (a slice taken out of the side). In other words, kind of making it more like a Challenger than a full size Charger. No matter, this is another of those exotic customs that shows up at SEMA.

What else might you see wandering those crowded isles? Perhaps a Toyota? You've got to be kidding.

No way, Jose'. This track ready C-HR is Toyota's answer to a question not a single person asked. A great looking street car, but with no substance, this is the answer to those buff magazine critics, who have berated this milque toast suv want to be. Don't look for it in the teachers' parking lot at your local school any time soon.

Wondering what Hyundai might show at SEMA? I'm sure you weren't, but I'm here to show you.......

A Tucson that is a bit more butch, than what is in your neighbour's driveway. Shown complete with Rockstar graphics, the better to fit your urban warrior persona. Spit on those pretenders in their Tahoes and Suburbans.

Not to be left out, VW increased the tough guy suv vibe on their newly redesigned 2018 Tiguan.......

Holding your breath for this one to show up at a Vdub showroom near you? Well baby, you'll be long six feet under before anything remotely resembling this Tig graces your 'hood.

But back to what SEMA started out as, a place for wild aftermarket parts and machinery. Then the manufacturers started introducing a few heated up versions of their North American performance cars. So this Shelby Super Snake concept fits right in.......

......and it or something very much like it could well end up at your local Ford dealer in the near future. Power? Who knows  -  pick a huge number and go with that.

Originally SEMA was all about creativity and it still is, as the old school custom and hot rodders still get a great venue to show off their new stuff. Count on the best of these wild creations to be on display. My favorite?

How about this hard to believe, '60's Ford Econoline with four (4!) blown and chrome laden motors taking up the usable pick-up bed space. You'd need a day off, just to gas it up. Not to worry though, as you'll only be going a quarter mile at a time.

Now, one more pic of that mutant VelociRaptor, so you'll recognize it when you see one in your town.......

Like who could ever miss it?

SEMA. Want to know what the next trend is? Black rims? Matte paint? More chrome? Whatever is the flavor of the day, it probably showed up at this show first. Stay tuned folks, as maybe your next ride will have four blown engines in the back.

Until next time........

October 31: Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, folks! What better way to start a browse thru some epically scary Halloween car pics, than with that most evil of '58 Plymouths, Christine? Remember that movie? Hell hath no fury like a Plymouth Fury scorned.

Decorating one's home for Halloween has become as big as Christmas, but as always some characters feel it is necessary to spread those decorations out to include their ride. Why? No idea, but I have enough of an issue keeping dust off of my car, so adding cobwebs and spiders will never be my thing. Of course, we are all different.........

......so making your Chrysler 300 a rolling hazard is right up some people's alley, which is actually where this car should be. Cover your car with spider webs and then to try to see out of it, while dodging cars and pedestrians trying to get a better look. Pretty scary stuff (and scarily stupid).

And where would be be without a Gothic revival themed auto?

Low hanging anything beware, as this baby is out to snag the world and scare the heck of of little kids in the process. Whatever this monster started out as, it's finishing up much worse. Acceleration? Probably hellish and not in a good way.

You have an orange car? Need more attention? Love Halloween?

And the ultimate pumpkin car.........

Perfect for those owners who appreciate others getting a good laugh at their expense.

And then there are always the fans of Halloween, who have access to the prop departments of a major (or minor) movie studio. Having an old Crown Vic, adds to the scary appeal of your rolling horror show.......

........but this Jeep is just in plain bad taste.......

The owner should be pulled over and smacked silly, but hey, who am I to judge? Wouldn't be the first time that I've pushed the limit and crossed the line. Ah life, where would we be without it?

But maybe you approach Halloween as a time to go cruising with a good, but quiet bud? You haven't spoken in years, but you know that they are there for you.

 Ah, Halloween. That scariest of times. Decorate all you want, dress up in your most frightening garb. No matter what your plans and imagination, nothing you dream up could ever be a scary as this.........

.....and in pumpkin orange. Happy Halloween!

Until next time.......

October 27: Old is new again?

Trend setter? Who would have imagined the humble Mini would be a trend setter. Humble? Not likely. Amazing though to see how one design can be made into such a variety of models, that all look like the original. But ignoring all that, check out the roof of this car. White. It could also have been black or depending on the model, another colour or the Union Jack. Wonder why someone didn't yell, "Tutone!"? Probably because this colour contrast harkened back to the original Mini, so no one thought it was anything out of the ordinary. Oh, but it was, it was two toned, something that hadn't been done on anything short of a Rolls for many years. Trend setter.

Look at what's now happening overseas........

From the top, a new Kia, a Citreon and an Opel. All with a contrasting roof. Apparently this new trend is really catching on, so much so that production has been slowed since these tutones are much more time consuming to produce. Obviously those product planners never in their wildest figured that more than a handful of early adopters would pony up for a change of roof colour.

Once upon a time, tutones were all the rage and a necessary feature of all cars and some even had three tones........

When I was growing up, all of my folk's cars were tutoned. But like all good(?) ideas, this one went for many years and eventually was dropped. In all of my research, the last American car I found that could be ordered in contrasting shades goes all the way back to 1984. That's over thirty years ago, folks.........

And now we seem to be coming full circle. Who will be the first to offer a three tone again? Not breath holding, please.

Now the latest is the new Citreon C3.......

This neat little suv, copies a key design feature of big sister Cactus, with those soft sides, but adds that tutone, as its own unique talking point. This trend is growing and what is old is new again. We've seen this with the rise and fall and rise again of chrome trim. Also with black rims. Also with matte or satin finishes. And now with contrasting colours. Apart from the Mini, what car will be first to show up over here with this feature?

Would it surprise you, if I told you it is Toyota, that well known purveyor of the avant garde?

The C-HR has fewer straight lines than a comedian's sidekick. Bad analogy, as it has no straight lines, but it does have an up and coming snazzy tutone.

And Nissan will be following close behind with its new for 2018 Juke replacement, the Kicks..........

Strange name, but was Juke any more normal?

So watch for this tutoning to start showing up more frequently as the car manufacturers once again go back to the past for their future.

Until next time......

October 24: Cars and seagulls

What better way to start a car blog than with a pic of a seagull. Right away, you are all thinking about how those wretched birds have caused you undue stress on your newly cleaned car. Tough luck, baby, that's life. And by the way, I like seagulls, since growing up by the bay on the east coast, they were "sea"gulls, not "dump"gulls. Flying around the shore and walking on the beach. And check out those gull wings, which finally brings us to the topic of today's blog, gullwing doors and who is to blame(?) for them?

No doubt about it, Mercedes-Benz is the culprit with this unique feature, first finding a home on the classic 300SL..........

Hey, let's get this straight right now, I have nothing against this type of door, it's the offspring, the scissor door, that is stupid in the extreme. Ever try to get in and out of a car with those type of doors? Well, I have and it's not pretty. Anyway, back to the bird named doors.

Let's take a stroll thru car history and see who else has picked up on this unique, but infrequently used feature. Of course, Mercedes has adopted it for another recent sportscar, the now gone, but fondly (in mind mind) remembered SLS......

......and shown here appropriately enough in a seaside setting, but where are those pesky gulls? These cars still make a statement, when you come across one of these rumbling beasts. So that's it for Mercedes, invent this feature and then dole it out once more in sixty years.

How do you spell debacle? B-r-i-c-k-l-i-n.........

This car was manufactured in my old hometown by the bay, Saint John, New Brunswick. Government money spent like bay water (gee, what a surprise) and a problematic car, specifically those gullwings, spelt the end of this supposed safety car. Expensive to produce and hard to open, maybe the Bricklin would still be with us, if it had had a normal opening door (don't count on it).

Who else has stepped up to the plate with this unusual feature? Of course, Pagani Zonda.......

Look, if you had paid over a million large for your new ride, no matter how strange looking it is, you'd want some sort of unusual door, so the gullwing fits right in. No more parking lot accidents, when your new ride's doors raise up instead of out. But for this money, your Pagani should hover over the parking spot avoiding all contact with those non extraterrestrials.

To coin an off repeated allegation, we now come to a car produced by the Snowman. A name given to John DeLorean, due to his connection with selling cocaine in order to raise money for his poorly received car......

Made in a manufacturing backwater, like the Bricklin (Northern Ireland in this case), the DeLorean DMC-12 gained the most fame, not for its gullwing doors, but for its role in those Back to the Future movies. Question of the day.......how do you get coloured plastic to match a stainless steel body? Answer, you don't, hence the darker front and rear end caps on this short lived underpowered car.

Moving right along, we come to our favorite car manufacturer to love and to hate, Tesla.......

You can rest assured that Elon Musk thought of many ways to make his "miracle" suv different. All the other gullwings have been sportscars, but along comes Tesla with a four door and uniquely just adds this feature to the back doors. That Elon......what a guy! Of course, not to be too different, the Tesla X also has had issues with this unusual feature.

Quite a rogues gallery of cars with the seemingly sought after bird winged doors. My favorite? We never saw this car over here and actually, not too many people saw it anywhere, but it was produced back in 1990 and by that unlikely trend setter, Toyota. Remember the Sera?

 Of course you don't and nobody else does either. This little home market only unique-ster was plunked on the decidedly non exciting Tercel platform, so apart from those interesting doors, the buyer got nothing to write home about (remember this was before emails). Gosh, not even the upmarket Corolla platform for its buyers to brag about. But it had those gullwing doors.

So, if you were a seagull would you be flattered or pissed off that some German designer way back when created this feature and named it after you and your buddies? You just don't care, do you? But the service departments of dealerships everywhere appreciated this feature for the work that it created. Long live uniqueness.

Until next time.......

October 20: Bufori?

Everyone knows about this great Malaysian brand, don't they? What? You've never heard of it? But, I don't understand. Bufori.

Ok, I get it, I'd never heard of it either, but your erstwhile carguy has a book and in that book, I found this Malaysian treasure(?).  Hand built to each owner's specs and just when you thought or hoped all those ersatz 1930's copies were done, along comes the Bufori La Joya..........

Powered by a thumping big Mopar motor, the La Joya is sure to get you noticed as you cruise your town, weaving around all those redundant Ferrari's and Lambo's. The price? Well, if you need to be so gauche as to ask, this throw back roadster is a mere $140,000 USD. I was in Miami South Beach the other day and didn't see a single one. Strange.

How did this car come to pass? Just your typical story about three Australian brothers, who built a car in their garage for themselves and then saw a market for a handbuilt classic looking car. Haven't we all done that at some time or other?

Not to be limited to the limited appeal for a limited car like this, those ambitious bros decided to go after the big luxury sedan market. The result? The European named, Geneva.........

Featuring the instantly recognizable Bufori front end, which is a mix of, well, let's just say it is a mix. Moving out of the '30's into the British designs of the late '40's and early '50's, the Geneva stands out in the field of high rolling luxo sedans. Yet again, you feel it's necessary to ask about the price..........$360,000 USD, but since this is a hand built car to each owners specs, the sky is the limit. Or, if you are Elon Musk, the stratosphere is the limit (for now).

Bufori.......... Beautiful, Unique, Funtastic, Original, Romantic, Irrestible. Who would have guessed?

And to go with that, oh so different exterior, an interior to make any oligarch's heart go flip flip. Gorgeous to relax in...........

......or if the spirit moves you, work on your way to your next money making appointment.........

Notice the champagne glasses to fill to make those nerve racking decisions that much easier.

I know you are all asking how to place an order. As you can imagine, the supply is limited to only a couple of hundred a year, so a showroom in every city is not required. You live in the USA? Then that hot bed of car culture, Illinois, is the place to be to chat about your custom built dream car with Bufori of America. They must be inundated with orders, since their website is shut down. I should have known. But don't despair and keep saving, since a fine automobile like the Bufori can't stay hidden for long.

Until next time........