Category: Classic Cars

In the eyes of Preston F. Tucker, the American car of just after the end of World War II was totally out-of-date. Most car buyers at that time saw the Buick straight-eight – a large, heavy and conservative model – as the car they aspired to owning. With his 1947 Torpedo, Tucker offered a rear-mounted, flat-six engine with hydraulic valve actuation, sealed cooling system, torque converter-transmission, all-independent suspension and disc brakes. He also included special in-built safety features such as pop-out windscreen, crash padding and break-away mirror – a good… Read more

During its early years Cadillac was not seen as a car manufacturer producing essentially for the luxury market. The company was founded in 1902 and named after the French explorer who discovered Detroit back in the early 1700s. It actually grew out of a manufacturing company founded by Henry Leland and Robert Faulconer who, as precision machinists, produced components so accurately that they could be readily interchanged. Around that time most automobile parts were hand-fitted by filing and sanding. In 1908 the company adopted the slogan ‘Standard of the World’… Read more

First introduced in 1966 the Shelby Mustang, like the Shelby Cobra was built individually making each car unique. It was referred to as the GT350 although the name did not relate to anything specific – it just sounded good to Shelby! In its first production year there were 562 cars produced, no two the same. Because of the Shelby policy of incorporating modifications and improvements as soon as they had been proven, cars coming out of the Shelby works continued to get better and better. After the first 250 cars… Read more

The Studebaker brothers commenced making wagons in Indiana, USA in 1852 and by 1875 the firm of Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Co had the largest vehicle works in the world. These wagons had done much to open up the West and had seen service in the Civil, Spanish-American, Boer and First World Wars. Wagon manufacture was discontinued by 1921. Automobile manufacture did not start until 1902 when Studebaker commenced making electric cars. By 1904 they were producing two- and four-cylinder petrol-engined cars. For a period they designed cars which were produced… Read more

Carroll Hall Shelby had achieved considerable success as a race car driver but was finally forced to retire from this stressful sport when he developed a heart condition. Not wanting to give up his great interest in motor sport Shelby had thoughts of building the perfect American sports car. He reasoned this could best be achieved by using a small powerful V8 engine married to a European chassis. His initial approach was to General Motors but as he outlined his thoughts on his ideal sports car the people at GM… Read more