Hemmings Motor News July 2021

In-person automotive events are making a comeback after more than a year of lockdown. That also means a return to the good times and camaraderie that makes these gatherings so worthwhile and memorable. Well that and, of course, the food trucks. I swear I’d run barefoot through a pile of flaming, oil-soaked sheetmetal screws to be first in line at a taco truck right now. Or even better, one of those pizza trucks with a wood-fired oven built in. I’ve always lusted after high-powered exotic cars, but I’m pretty sure a truck hauling around a wood-fired pizza oven might be the most desirable vehicle since, well, maybe since, the invention of the taco truck. It’s going to be an adjustment, for sure, returning to in-person events and interacting with fellow car…

“But if you tell me I’m 1.78 meters tall and weigh 84 kilograms, them’s fightin’ words.” Beyond the shortage of certain microchips that is constraining automobile production around the world, the big news in the industry these past few months has been a series of announcements declaring the end of the internal combustion engine for many of the biggest players in the business. Volvo has announced that it will only sell electric cars by 2030. Bentley has set the same ambitious date, despite literally having not yet produced a single electric car. If that’s not sacrilege enough, Jaguar’s plans are even more aggressive, as it is working toward going fully electric by 2025. Yes, that very same Jaguar that gave us the glorious XK twin-cam engine that dominated Le Mans in the…

After I read the cover feature article on the various British cars in the March issue, there was an empty sense that an important sports car was missing from the list. I have had several Jaguars, Austin Healys, Lotuses, Triumphs, Minis, and MGs. I raced an H-Production Sprite in SCCA for years, and am currently on my third MG TC. There have been many 356s and multiple 911s. Yes, I am a basic sports car enthusiast, which is why I shed a tear that the Special Feature missed Morgan. I have owned and brought many MOGs back to life. In total, I have restored and driven the wheels off 32 Morgans, including several trikes from the 1930s and a handful of 4/4s with the 1,500-cc Ford engine, but mostly Plus…

East Syracuse Minoa Central High School raffling off a 1968 Dodge Coronet For the past 16 years, the auto shop class at East Syracuse Minoa Central High School has annually restored a vintage vehicle for raffle, with the proceeds going back into the program and funding the purchase and build of the following year’s restoration candidate. The tradition continues for 2021, as the ESM Spartan Garage will raffle off a customized 1968 Dodge Coronet on July 18, following this year’s Syracuse Nationals. Finished in Turbine Bronze and wearing 17-inch Torq Thrust wheels, the “Super Bee tribute” Coronet will be powered by an “aggressive but streetable” 440 V-8, built by Jeff Bloss and Bloss Machine. The engine has been dyno tested at 460 hp and 503 lb-ft of torque, and comes mated to…

At the conclusion of the 1932 model year, Chrysler had sold 25,699 cars, which was good enough to place it 10th in domestic sales. At first blush, they seem to be underwhelming numbers, but considering the economic storm that persisted, its board of directors had something to smile about. More than 23,900 cars were sold through its entry-level CI and CP series, while another 1,393 sales originated from the base Imperial series; top-of-the-line Custom Imperials accounted for 220 units. True, the line of luxurious Imperials was, collectively, never meant to be sold in volume, but unlike some of its rivals, Chrysler was still solvent. Peerless had shuttered a year prior and Marmon was on the precipice of extinction. So, too, were others. Nobody was happy to see jobless rates increase, but…

What killed Mercury? Apathy. Neglect. But mostly a fleet of boring, rebadged Ford cars, minivans, and SUVs that inspired buyers only to scratch their heads, yawn, and walk away confused. (Isn’t that an Explorer with a different grille? Why is it so expensive?) What might’ve saved Mercury? A less lazy approach to making the brand seem special: like the approach that created the Cougar. Yes, it’s based on the Mustang, but Mercury’s designers launched a full-court press and managed to make the Cougar something altogether different — more grownup, more refined, and more sophisticated. This was particularly true of the XR-7, which did a pretty ambitious impression of a British grand tourer. The Cougar has never drawn in the masses like the Mustang, but it’s always enjoyed a strong following and makes…