Auto-Biography
This section showcases a particular classic car, discussing its history, success (or lack thereof) as a Classic Car and its driveability (or lack thereof). Here we promise an honest opinion and will tell you the good as well as the bad points about it to help you decide about your next car restoration project.
Westcott: Midwestern Aristocrat
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Burton John Westcott started is auto-manufacturing company with his two sons after a successful run at a seeding machine company. This is the story of his car company. …keep reading
1954 Star Chief put Pontiac in the luxury car market
Auto Biography - By John Gunnell
Pontiac wanted to be a bit more up-scale, so in 1954 they introduced the Star Chief. …keep reading
Triumph TR6: Roadworthy Roadster for the 1970s
Auto Biography - By John Gunnell
Introduced in September of 1968 as a 1969 model, the TR6 was anxiously awaited by Triumph enthusiasts. …keep reading
Roamer: America's Smartest Car
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
The Roamer, manufactured by Barley Motor Car Company was marketed as "America's Smartest Car". Over a period of 14 years, 12,000 were manufactured. This is their story. …keep reading
Comet Six
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Car makers have been interested in Comets for quite a while: from the 1907 California-made Comet to the Mercury Comet. This article as about still yet another Comet: The Comet Six …keep reading
Erskine - Part 2: Marketing and Model Changes of the Erskine
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
A look at how the Erskine was marketed and what improvements were made to the car. …keep reading
Erskine - Part 1: Studebaker's Erskine Six: the Little Aristrocrat of Motordom
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Studebaker's Erskine Six, produced from 1927 to 1930 and named for Studebaker's president at that time, was meant to be a compact six-cylinder car that appealed to the European as well as the American market. …keep reading
Stout Scarab: Futuristic Travelling Machine
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
What car looks like a sub sandwich on wheels, swings like a hammock, and has space for a game of gin? Why, the Stout Scarab, of course. …keep reading
1946 Buick: Where the Fun Begins!
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Buick was ready to go when World War II ended. Because the 1942's were completely redesigned, the '46's were still pretty fresh.
…keep reading
Wills Sainte Claire: A Car Ahead of Its Time, Part Three
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Part One dealt with the biography of C. H. Wills, focusing especially on his long-time association with Henry Ford. Part Two explored the history of the marque. In Part Three, we'll take a more in-depth look at the car's special features and how it was marketed. …keep reading
Wills Sainte Claire: A Community-Built Car, Part Two
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Part One dealt with the biography of C. H. Wills, focusing especially on his long-time association with Henry Ford. In Part Two we'll consider in greater detail the history of the car that bore his name, the Wills Sainte Claire. …keep reading
C.H. Wills: The Man Who Produced the Wills Saint Claire, Part One
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Childe Harold Wills was a considerable presence in the early development of the automobile, first with Ford and later producing his own car that was a technological marvel. This is the first of a three-part article about the man and his automobile. …keep reading
The Columbia Car: Reliable, Simple to Operate and Ready for Action
Auto Biography
In the late 1800s, as fewer bicycles were being sold, the Columbia Electric Car seemed like a good way for Albert Pope to keep his factories busy. …keep reading
HRG: A Gentleman's Racer
Auto Biography
From 1936 to 1956 (with a gap for the War years), HRG made only 241 cars and it is thought that 225 survive. That's an unheard of 94% survival rate. (Of that number, about 25 are in the U.S.) Most of these cars are still in use, and some continue to compete. …keep reading
Rauch and Lang Electrics: Cars of Social Prestige
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Rauch and Lang was one of the finest, most expensive, and longest lasting of the early electrics. It oozed luxury and was de rigueur of the social set. …keep reading
Cord: A Different Roadability
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Its front-wheel drive was innovative; its design was low, sleek and daring; and many owners loved it. The Cord, both the L-29 and the later 810/812s, won speed race awards and design accolades. Even though the Cord was never a great commercial success, it's definitely a classic we'd all love to own. …keep reading
Earl Cars: Better Looking — Better Built
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
There were hundreds of different makes and models of American cars in the twenties. Among them was the Earl of Jackson, Michigan. …keep reading
Chrysler Royal
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Disappointed with the sales of the radical Chrysler Airflow, Chrysler was looking for a more traditional automobile. …keep reading
Winton: The King of Cars
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
The Winton caught the public imagination, first when it was introduced in the late 1890s, again when it was featured on a 1995 US postage stamp, and yet again in 2003 when PBS aired "Horatio's Drive" about the car's famous trek across the US …keep reading
Waverley Electric
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Clearly, electric vehicles are nothing new. Many of the early horseless carriage cars of the early 20th century were battery powered. Here's the story of one of them. …keep reading
Holsman Highwheeler Motor Buggy (1901-1911)
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
In the early days of automobile production, folks were still wondering about how to use a horseless carriage. To answer this question, in 1901 Henry K. Holsman started the Holsman Automobile Company and built one of the most successful "highwheelers". …keep reading
The Chevrolet Masters
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
The thirties and early forties were good and innovative years for the Chevrolet marque. From 1934 through 1942 Chevrolet "mastered" the market and captured the popular imagination. …keep reading
Hudson Terraplane
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Introduced in the depths of the Great Depression, the Terraplane offered comfort, power, durability and reliability at a lower cost that the competition. …keep reading
DIVCO Delivery Truck
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
Seen in every neighborhood in the 40s and 50s, this icon of suburbia still maintains its original charm. …keep reading
EX-122: The 1953 Motorama Corvette
Auto Biography - By Tom Benford
This in-depth article traces the history of a very special car. …keep reading
The 1949 Willys-Overland Jeepster
Auto Biography - By Tom Benford
You wouldn't be entirely wrong if you said the Jeepster was the original "crossover" vehicle, since it was trying to be a passenger car while retaining it's "Jeepness". …keep reading
Lincoln Zephyr
Auto Biography - By Llewellyn Hedgbeth
In 1951 the Museum of Modern Art selected the Lincoln Zephyr as one of the best pre-war automotive designs, calling it the first successful American streamlined car. …keep reading
The Saga of the Stainless Steel Fords
Auto Biography - By Tom Benford
Very few people are aware that three Ford models were fabricated from stainless steel. Here's their story …keep reading
1935 Dodge DU Coupe
Auto Biography - By Tom Benford
Designed to appeal to well-to-do college students, the '35 Dodge DU is a real looker! …keep reading
1966 Oldsmobile 442
Auto Biography - By Tom Benford
In the mid 1960s, Oldsmobile jumped on the muscle car bandwagon in a big way with it's beefed up F85 Cutlass, called the Oldsmobile 442. …keep reading
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