Off-road motorcycling innovator, and racing champion, John Penton died on September 7, just a few weeks after celebrating his 100th birthday on August 19.
John Penton, pictured alongside a Penton at the Southern Ohio Two-Day Trial in 1973 in this Rick Kocks photo. This image was published in the book, “John Penton and the Off-Road Motorcycle Revolution.”
Penton’s longevity came as no surprise to his legions of fans. The Ohioan’s grit and determination in competition, as well as in business, were his stock-in-trade. Penton’s achievements on a motorcycle were numerous, but a generation of riders remember him as the creator of the Penton Sport Cycle, founder of Penton U.S.A. and Hi-Point Racing Products. These Penton startups have survived into the 21st century as products widely recognized today, including KTM off-road motorcycles and Golden Spectro lubricants.
John Penton is aboard a Penton Six-Days 125, while competing in the 1969 ISDT in West Germany, in this Jerry West photo. The text, added when the photo was used in a KTM advertisement, reads: “All I ever wanted was a lightweight motorcycle that I could rely on. I never realized that I was redefining the sport.”
Penton was born August 19, 1925, in Amherst, Ohio. He was raised on the family farm — where he lived his entire life — one of Harold and Nina Penton’s seven children. The Penton brothers started their longtime love affair with motorcycling when John’s older siblings dusted off their father’s 1914 Harley Davidson and rode it. John, standing at 5-feet 5 inches tall and growing up with three older brothers, pushed himself in athletics, becoming the quarterback of his high-school football team and setting a pole-vaulting record.
Penton graduated from high school as World War II was raging in 1943. In 1944, he joined the Merchant Marines, serving aboard transatlantic convoy ships hunted relentlessly by German U-boats. He then joined the U.S. Navy in 1945.
After being discharged in 1946, he returned to Ohio and, in 1948, co-founded with his brothers a business: Penton Brothers Motorcycle Agency. The enterprise began selling BSAs out of a converted chicken coop next to the Penton Brothers Machine Shop on the family property. The business grew, and the Pentons eventually added Ariel, Matchless, NSU and Zundapp to their portfolio of brands. Eventually they added titans BMW, Husqvarna and Honda.
In 1958, Penton began amassing national off-road titles aboard a modified NSU 175 street bike. In 1959, Penton attracted national attention when he set a cross-country riding record aboard a BMW R69, leaving New York on June 8 and arriving in California 52 hours and 11 hours later.
For the 1962 season, Penton converted a BMW R27 single street bike into an enduro machine and netted three more titles. BMW liked what they saw, and sponsored Penton in the 1962 International Six Days Trials — the Olympics of off-roading — in West Germany. Penton won a silver medal that year, and his efforts landed him on the cover of Cycle World magazine – plastered in mud aboard his plucky BMW, wearing a red-white-and-blue helmet.
The ISDT would become a passion for Penton and lead him to creating his own motorcycles suited to competing in the grueling races: the Penton Sport Cycles. By the late 1960s, lightweight, powerful two-stroke powered Husqvarnas had become the ride of choice for off-roaders, including the great Malcolm Smith and Hollywood legend Steve McQueen. But Penton believed Husqvarna needed to build a smaller machine for tight woods riding and deep mud runs. The Swedish firm rebuffed him — bigger, after all, in America is always better.
But, while competing in the 1967 ISDT in Poland, Penton met an Austrian rider racing a motorcycle of his own design, built from parts of bikes manufactured by his employer, Kronreif, & Trunkenpoltz of Mattighofen — aka KTM. Penton soon visited KTM and asked them to build his motorcycle. He put up the $6,000 fee company President Erich Trunkenpoltz requested and the first Pentons were born in late 1967. Production followed in 1968.
A 1969 Penton 125 Six-Days restored by Kip Kern and pictured when it was on loan to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio. These early Sachs-powered “steel tankers” were small and lightweight but proved to be giant killers.
The first Penton “steel tankers” look like mini-bikes by modern standards, and their 100cc and 125cc Sachs engines made less than 20 horsepower. But they were giant killers, paving the way for a line of Pentons ranging from 100s to 400s winning national and international titles through the 1970s. Dozens of off-roading greats cut their teeth racing Pentons, including Penton’s own sons: Tom, Jeff and Jack, as well as his nephews, the late Dane and Ted Leimbach.
A 1973 Hare Scrambler 250 used the KTM engine, introduced the year prior on the 1972 Jackpiner 175.
KTM eventually took over the Penton U.S. distribution network and the last Pentons were sold as 1977 models. Estimates are that more than 25,000 Pentons were built.
Capitalizing on the success of his motorcycles, Penton also launched the Hi-Point accessory brand. One of its most famous products were its Hi-Point boots made by the Italian ski boot manufacturing firm, Alpine Stars and worn by countless riders. Meanwhile, Hi-Point lubricants survive today as Golden Spectro.
John Penton addresses a crowd in 2008 at a celebration of the Penton motorcycle’s 40th anniversary in this photo from the Penton Owners Group archives.
Penton is one of the greatest names in motorsports known mostly by seasoned hardcore off-road motorcyclists. But like the bikes it created, and Penton himself, it had an outsized influence on the world.
Penton was the father of six children and grandfather of 13, According to the Penton family, a celebration of life will be held October 11, 12:30 p.m., at the Amherst Eagles Club in Amherst, following a funeral and an interment of ashes with military honors.
In late 2021, Ford got the industry’s attention when it introduced the Maverick, a compact pickup truck with four doors, two rows of seating, and a hybrid powertrain as standard equipment. The concept of a small, CUV-based pickup (the Maverick shares a lot with the Escape and Bronco Sport) was interesting, but the element of the new trucklet that likely got the most attention was its base price, which came in at an almost shocking $19,998 for the lowest level XL. That didn’t include destination fees and such, but it seemed legitimately possible to drive away in a new 2022 Maverick XL for around $22,000.
2025 Ford Maverick Tremor
Ford was obviously trying to spark sales of its new model, and it worked… almost too well: A backlog of orders formed quickly, and Ford had to cut off 2022 allocations, bumping them to 2023 model year. Not long after, 2023 model-year order books were closed by Ford, claiming it could only build so many Mavericks. Note too that this was still in the days of the industry-wide semi-conductor chip shortage, which wasn’t helping.
What happened to that base price?
2022 Ford Maverick XL Hybrid
Given the Maverick’s instant popularity and resultant demand, no one should have been surprised when its base price started going up. However, it is a bit disappointing to see that, right now as the summer of 2025 is winding down, the Maverick XL’s entry fee has risen all the way to $28,145. Some speculation over the increases points to Ford’s concerns over import tariffs, as all Mavericks are currently built in Mexico. Yet, despite the price hikes and the effect they’ve had on Maverick’s value proposition, the model remains popular, which gives some indication that it was indeed the right idea and the right time. Also, it’s still cheaper than just about any other new model that a pickup buyer could cross shop. Ford’s Ranger, for example, begins at just under $35,000.
Does Maverick REally Get 42 MPG?
We’ve been fortunate enough to sample several examples of the Maverick over the past couple years since its introduction, including an XL hybrid. Until the 2025 model year, the hybrid powertrain was only available with 2WD, and we drove a ’22 XL that was devoid of extras, right down to its skinny steel wheels.
Without really trying, after a week of motoring around town, the average fuel economy readout showed 41 MPG; another 2WD hybrid Maverick we drove later posted 37 MPG. Most recently, we sampled a 2025 XLT equipped with the hybrid powertrain and the newly available AWD; again, with no attempts made to stretch fuel, the Maverick showed us 37.4 MPG. Ford says the combined rating for the AWD hybrid is 37 MPG, while the 2WD is 38, so the penalty imposed by the extra drivetrain drag isn’t significant, which aligns with our observations.
We used about a quarter tank of fuel in a week of driving the AWD hybrid according to the gauge, but it only took 2.5 gallons to top it back off (the hybrid model’s tank holds just 13.8 gallons). Bottom line: this is economy you can actually feel in your wallet, week to week, even compared to the average family hauler that might post 25 MPG in real-world driving.
But is MAverick REally a Truck?
Ford gives the Maverick a payload of 1,400 lbs. and a towing capacity of 2,000 lbs, unless you order the 4K Tow Package, which doubles that to 4,000 lbs, and now that the hybrid can be ordered with AWD, it too can be outfitted with the 4K Tow option. For comparison, way back in 2002 when Chevy still sold the S10 pickup, a V-6 model with automatic transmission could tow up to 5,200 lbs, but was rated to haul only 1,110 lbs. We were surprised to see that the last of the “old” Ford Rangers, from 2012, were rated to tow around 5,500 lbs when equipped with the 4.0L V-6, four-wheel drive, and a tow package with 3.73:1 or 4.10:1 axle ratio.
But the S10 and Ranger were actual full-frame trucks that were primarily rear-wheel drive, using some driveline components shared with larger trucks. Today’s Maverick is more like the original Honda Ridgeline: a small pickup based on a unit-body SUV platform that is primarily front-wheel drive. Yet, the original Ridgeline was rated to tow up to 5,000 lbs—impressive for the time considering its mechanical origins. Then again, the Ridgeline didn’t get 40 MPG.
The Maverick’s closest, and most similar, competitor is the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is also a unit-body CUV-based four-door pickup, sharing a platform with the Hyundai Tucson. The Santa Cruz also debuted for 2022 and has similar features but has always been more expensive than the Maverick. However, that gap has narrowed recently. Perhaps one of the most significant differences between the Maverick and Santa Cruz is that the latter does not currently offer a hybrid powertrain option, which is somewhat surprising given that Hyundai has been heavily vested in hybrid and EV platforms for some time. But for now, that means the best economy offered by a Santa Cruz is 27 highway MPG from the optional turbocharged engine.
Maverick as the Ultimate PArts Chaser
For car enthusiasts, talk of crossover utility vehicles and hybrid powertrains isn’t very sexy, but trucks are another matter entirely. So, if the Maverick can be taken seriously as a light-duty truck, one that can carry five humans and a 1,500-lb payload, while offering light towing options and the possibility of 40-plus MPG, it ought to be worthy of consideration for real-world gearheads—the ones who have to commute to work, get their kids around, work in the yard, and try to save a few bucks here and there for their car projects.
As we mentioned, we’ve had several opportunities to live with various Mavericks since the model was first introduced, each time getting a week of daily driving in. We’ve sampled models from the base 2WD hybrid with skinny steel wheels to the turbocharged AWD Tremor, and each time we come away thinking the Maverick could make a lot of sense for everyday duty.
Most recently, the Maverick Lobo was introduced, and though we have not yet had a chance to get behind the wheel, the new sport-truck-inspired model makes a great case for spending a bit more on a Maverick. Otherwise, we like the utility of that base XL, though for life in Vermont, the newly available AWD option could make it almost perfect.
There’s a lot to like about the Maverick: It’s relatively comfortable, easy to drive, quite useful, and in hybrid form, it sips fuel well enough that you’ll take note, even if the vehicle you were driving previously wasn’t exactly a guzzler. And now that the Maverick has been out for a couple of years, it’s beginning to demonstrate that its longer-term reliability is respectable. Someone from inside Ford had mentioned that the Maverick’s Escape underpinnings, and the many tens of thousands of units and miles traveled with that model, helped greatly in allowing the Maverick to come forth with relatively few bugs to work out.
Now if we could just get back to that $19,998 base price…
The Lime Rock Historic Festival celebrated its 43rd lap around the track by gathering some incredible vintage racing machinery at the northwestern Connecticut locale. Attention is finite, and there were plenty of things vying for yours during the 5-day event.
It started on Thursday with the Race Car and Vintage Car Parade. The 17-mile route stretched through bucolic Litchfield County, with hundreds of fans both young and old gathered roadside to watch the train of cars trundle through. It ended in Falls Village for a car show and street festival. The sounds of Wanda Houston’s bellowing voice and her accompanying band echoed between the buildings to the aural pleasure of everyone within earshot. The parade was greeted by talented stilt dancers from Mortal Beasts and Deities. This pop-up gathering allowed folks to get a taste of the weekend to come while socializing with other drivers, participants, and individuals. Friday was the first day for on-track action, with rounds of practice for competitors to either get acclimated or reacquainted with the 1.5 mile layout.
All photography by Bryan McCarthy (Instagram @beardedmugmedia)
Pulling up to the Bailey bridge earning Saturday morning hits a switch in my psyche and I’m immediately overwhelmed with happiness. The scenery was the familiar inviting space, the sun coming up over the Outfield Chalet, burning off the fog hovering on those lush green hills. Some additions and changes have been made since HF42. With the return of NASCAR back in the end of June with the Luna 150, additional safety measures were added, including the installation of catch fences along the Uphill. Luxury garages were also built on the outside of West Bend, providing splendid views of on-track action.
It was Saturday morning that the real racing began, with each of the nine race groups getting their first sessions in. The track went hot at 9:05 and the first out was a packed class of Mid Century GT/Sports Cars Under 2-Litres. Among the massive entry list were Lotus Super Sevens, Alfa Romeo Giuliettas, and assorted MGs. Afterwards, the Formula Juniors of the Jim Haynes Memorial stormed the tarmac, letting loose a cacophony of 4-cylinder music.
Group 3 was filled with War Era racers, including 10 Del Monte Trophy Cars. The group represents 1947-1955 sports racing cars from Pebble Beach and Monterey in the early ‘50s and it’s the first time they traveled east. Some of the standouts included the 1953 Kurtis 500S Dodge, with its shiny red paint and bright chrome grille. Group 4, Wings & Slicks/Formula Fords, was a wicked fast group, showcasing the might of Lolas, Chevrons, and other winged machines.
The All Triumph/Kastner Cup of Group 5 wowed the crowed with a full field of your favorite British racers: Spitfires, GT6s, TR3s through TR8s, and even two Ambro specials. An oil spill unfortunately black flagged the first session, but they made up for it in the afternoon by providing some exciting racing.
The Ragtime Racers are an exhibition race group that formed in 2018 to showcase 1920 and earlier race cars in motion. They had a great display in the paddock, too, that brought spectators back to the early 20th century, complete with period tchotchkes and music. Each car had an informative placard and a corresponding trading card, which ran dry after just two days despite printing 8,000! The Racers took to the track during lunch sessions for demonstration runs, driving home the importance of keeping these early motoring machines functional. The 1904 Napier L48 “Sampson” Racer was a standout, with its unusual front end consisting of 242 feet of copper water cooling pipes. The 15-liter inline-6 was the first commercial 6-cylinder engine built. Skip Barber was also a passenger in the 1911 National Indy Racer, one of only three factory team race cars.
The lunchtime break offered the Car Corrals the opportunity to hit the track for some parade laps. Afterwards, the Ragtime Racers wowed on-lookers with their early 20th century mechanical splendor. The National Anthem was sung by the Hartford Men in Harmony Barbershop Quartet.
Group 6 was populated by Tin Tops, IMSA RS, and cars under 2.5 litres. Greg Amy in his 1974 Porsche 914, David Porter in his 1965 Lotus Cortina, and Joe Courtney in his 1972 Alfa Romeo GTV were trading spaces as they pressed hard each lap, entertaining the crowd on the hill as much as the photographers at the flagging stations. It was a great group, with Porsche 912s and BMW 2002s also duking it out each lap. Bradley Price’s 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6 looked resplendent in its Autodromo livery.
Ear plugs were definitely necessary for the ground-pounding thunder that was brought by Group 7, Big Bore & Air-Cooled Porsches. A beehive of buzzing 911s were all stingers out against the American muscle of Martin Hosek’s 1978 Corvette IMSA / Trans Am racer. It seemed it was a constant parade of cars, as the field spread out over the 1.5-mile track. There was no downtime to the action, and at one point I had a front row seat to Delbert Auray’s 1979 Porsche 911 SC pirouetting off the track in front of me while I was trying to video the competition. With just a few precious seconds lost, the light blue 911 was back on track and roaring down Paul Newman Straight.
The Toyo Tire Historic World Challenge Cars of Group 8 was an eclectic mix of coupes, sedans and sports cars. Volkswagens bookended the age range, from Josh Brown’s 1984 GTI through Travis Washay’s 2017 GTI. Luiz Serva in his 2001 BMW M3 took first in race 1, while Peter Tonelli bumped him to second in race 2 with his 2003 Dodge Viper. The rear engined 911s made the Uphill fun to watch, as they lifted their front wheels before realizing the lack of contact is a bit unnerving and backed off the throttle in subsequent laps.
The final group was another mixed bag of GT / Sports Cars Over 2 Litre / Sports Racing Cars. Spec Miatas shared the track with Ginetta G4s and Austin-Healeys, while a wide-body Devin yucked it up with an Elva-BMW Mark 7S. Being the last to go offered Group 9 that perfect end of day lighting before the track went cold at 6 p.m.
This 1912 Velie 40 Model I Torpedo Roadster caught my attention because not only was it a marque I hadn’t heard before, but it was spectacular to look at. The Velie, pronounced ‘Vee-lee’ according to its placard, was shown by owner John F. Jones. John had purchased the car in 1995 after eying it for several years prior. At the time of purchase, the 1950s restoration (remember, this car would have been over 40 years old at that time) was showing its age and in need of another. Besides the upholstery, John did everything himself over the course of two and a half years. He bought the lacquer in the early 90s just waiting for the right car to come along. It’s hand-rubbed and not a base coat, clear coat paint job. He did his own pinstriping, too. He polished all the brass and, as a tool maker by trade, made a new second gear for the car. He made a lot of the mechanical parts, in fact.
Since finishing the work, he’s driven it 20k miles. He’s taken part in the Horseless Carriage Club tours, both progressive and hub tours. Touring is the best, he says, as people open up their homes, museums, collections – things you wouldn’t see otherwise. It’s been to the Grand Tetons and stopped for bison crossing. “It’s a pleasure to drive,” John tells us, “especially on an open road with the top down.” His wife, Carol, goes along and enjoys the ride just as much. It was a AACA Zenith Award finalist, where it was one of just 18 cars picked. This is the only known Torpedo survivor.
Because there is no racing on Sunday, the Sunday in the Park Concours d’Elegance and Gathering of the Marques is a way for enthusiasts and owners to come together and celebrate stationary automotive culture. Over 200 cars were judged, of which 23 were awarded Best in Class honors and 18 were selected for specialty awards. Skip Barber, who was honored on Sunday for the eponymous Skip Barber Day, chose Neal Heffron’s 1995 BMW M3 Lightweight to receive his Skip’s Concours Special Award. The Turtle Invitational Award was presented to John Jones and his 1912 Velie 40 Model O Torpedo Roadster.
Twenty-three classes showed something for everyone, including an AC Cobra display, a celebration of the BMW 3-Series, Body Doubles for very convincing replicas, and a fantastic display of Giorgetto Giugiaro designs, including the first-gen Volkswagen Scirocco.
Grand Marshall Rob Dyson brought 16 cars from his collection, including the 1984 Porsche 962-101 and 1967 Gurney “Blue Eagle.” When the front straight cleared after the concours had ended, photographers and crew assembled the cars into the annual photo highlighting the cars. The Lime Rock fire truck provided the added height needed to capture the group.
The Boch Collection also brought some standouts, such as the 1964 Gordon Keeble or 1971 Iso Lele.
Monday mirrored Saturday’s action and finished the weekend strong. The Spirit of Lime Rock Award, selected by their fellow drivers, the Historic Festival Committee, and representatives from the Vintage Sports Car Club of America (VSCCA) and Vintage Racer Group (VRG), was rightfully bestowed upon Chris Towner. Chris has run his 1938 Morgan Trike for many years at LRP, happily deploying a parachute at the end of every race to help slow him down, I’m sure. The Piston Foundation also recognized its fourth Piston Technician Award recipient. Bob Gett is the general manager of KTR in Massachusetts.
At the end of the weekend, pedometers topped 20 miles, shutter counts crept close to five figures, and the smiles were endless. The weather cooperated and it was one of the more beautiful weekends in recent Historic Festival history. But most importantly, there were thousands of people in attendance, many with smaller children, inspiring interest for years to come. Make sure to mark your calendar for Labor Day 2026 and be part of the next installment of a memory making machine.
Every entrant in the collective field of vintage racers is unique in their own way. Whether it’s the brash, thunder rollers of the Big Bores, or the aerodynamicists of the Wings & Slicks. Somewhere in the middle of those was the Goldilocks of racers – the 1964 Ferrari 1512 F1 car of Lawrence Auriana. S/N 0008, raced by Joe Colasacco, was originally piloted by John Surtees to a DNF in the 1965 German GP at Nurburgring. It then placed 4th overall at Monza the same year, this time by Lorenzo Bandini. Its final outing for a very short career was capped by 7th place at the Mexican GP, driven by Pedro Rodriguez. Mauro Forghieri, Ferrari’s chief engineer in the 1960s through the 80s and the original designer of the motor, was tasked with getting it to run after Larry purchased the car in 2005. It was nearly his final job before retirement. Colasacco has driven the 1512 in many historic events, including the 2016 Monaco Historics where he placed second, recreating history where s/n 0007 also placed second. It was a privilege to watch it run around Lime Rock, listening intently every time it lapped my position mere feet away.At first glance it appeared that the Revs Institute plucked the car straight from their museum floor. Not that they haven’t done that before, but this time “Le Monstre” is a faithful recreation built in the span of just five months. Its creator, Derek Drinkwater, wanted to go racing at Le Mans, but knew the costs would be exorbitant to purchase a qualified entrant. He’d always been keep on American cars, and since Cadillac raced in the 1950 event, that was his ticket. With photographs provided by Revs, Derek set out using skills he’s had for ages and period methods to essentially build a rolling replica of the original 1 of 1. Shown here amongst his brethren of Group 3 “War-Era” racers, I think the most impressive thing beyond his racing was the teardrop trailer he towed behind Le Monstre. That’s right, Derek didn’t trailer Le Monstre, but rather drove it.Travis Washay has owned this MK1 GTI since spring of 1992. It was a theft recovery where someone had stolen the wheels and the spoiler after throwing a cinderblock through the back window. It was repaired and treated to a $350 paint job that it still wears today. He built the car up into an autocross car in 1994 was a National Tour winner for the SCCA. His first track day at Lime Rock followed shortly after. He enjoyed racing so much he made a career out of it – Indian Spring Racing. He offers private racing coaching, storage and transport options for his clients.
The hood scoop has an interesting back story. He was out in Colorado for school and when he came back to Vermont, he stopped by an ex-girlfriend’s place to say hello. While there, her current boyfriend decided to jump on his hood, denting it. The non-functional 300ZX piece from the junkyard covered the dent nicely and is still attached to this day. Martin Pazzani’s 1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6 was purchased new in late 1985 from Bobcor Alfa Romeo in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, as a way to hold onto the last production year of a great car. He had an ’81 and liked that a lot. It was close to the end of production shipments and he wasn’t able to choose the color, but coincidentally he was a fan of white cars. Back in college he had a Fiat that was serviced by an Italian named Tony (go figure). He fondly recalls Tony telling him “College boy, you need to get an Alfa once you graduate.” He heeded that advice and hasn’t looked back. It’s a pleasure car only, driven in New England on fall and spring days only. It is all-original and has just 32k miles on it. He hasn’t gotten it wet, he tells us, which reminded me of a muscle car guy mentality. It checks as he also has a 2009 Shelby GT500 that’s “massively” supercharged to the tune of 700 horsepower. If you were to give me five guesses on picking the most unexpected car, ahem, SUV, the first and only generation Acura SLX would not come to mind. But here we are, and I almost missed Matt Benewiat as he was heading towards the exit as I was walking down the Paul Newman Straight. He purchased his 1997 SLX in January of this year. He was looking for a reliable daily driver after the head gasket in his imported Mitsubishi van diesel had blown. Something that was easier to work on with more readily available parts unlike his Japanese import. While he didn’t purchase it directly from the original owner, an older lady who bought it brand new, the seller never registered it so her name was still on the title. It’s currently showing 158k on the odometer and the outside looked to be showroom clean, minus the spare tire cover. To date, Matt’s done preventative maintenance to keep the luxury SUV he only paid $5k for running like a top.Over 200 cars for Sunday’s Lime Rock Concours were critiqued by an esteemed cadre of 40 judges, including Grand Marshal Rob Dyson and Guest of Honor David Hobbs. Out of the 23 classes, it was the attention commanding 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom I Derby Speedster by Brewster of Don Bernstein and Patt Taylor taking the Best in Show d’Elegance. The car, whose history is well documented, is believed to be one of only five Derby Speedsters built. It was first purchased by Herbert Ferrell of Nashville, TN, the son-in-law of Maxwell House Coffee’s J.O. Cheek. It went on to live a life of opulence, being the crown jewel in notable car collections and being subjected to a no-expense spared restoration. It was an imposing car on its own, and even more so when parked next to the Best in Show Sport winner, bestowed upon Jim Maxwell’s 1965 AC Cobra 289. Jim purchased the Cobra in 1987. During his early ownership, he removed the 289 and replaced it with a race-prepped 347 stroker motor with four 2-barrel Weber carbs. The change was so he could rip the Cobra around various racetracks, including Virginia International Raceway, Rockingham, and Charlotte. In 2009, the Cobra was given a well-earned restoration and the 289 was reinstalled. Since then, Jim has organized and taken the car on numerous tours with other Cobra owners, including Barnfind Hunter Tom Cotter. While the blue paint wasn’t original (it was white), it sure did gleam in the afternoon sun.
Sixty years ago, the ’60s were really swinging. The minimum hourly wage in America was $1.25, which equates to about $12.75 in 2025, and you could buy a first-class stamp for $.05. If you earned the average yearly salary of $6,400—that’s about $65,300 in today’s money—you might elect to spend the median $20,000 on building a new home. Eggs were $.52 per dozen, and the average price of electricity was $.022 per kWh. If you were doing particularly well, you might have splurged on the latest cabinet model of TrueTone 21-inch color TV, which would set you back $630, the equivalent of $6,430!
1965 was a crucial year in American history, both on our soil and overseas in Southeast Asia. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” initiatives sought to help the most vulnerable Americans gain racial, social, and educational equity, to expand access to healthcare, increase environmental protections, and to improve life in cities. Brave citizens stood up for civil rights at home while more troops were sent to fight in Vietnam. We saw Craig Breedlove break the land speed records and Ralph Nader publish Unsafe at Any Speed. Construction of the Eero Saarinen-designed Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, was finished, and American astronauts furthered space exploration. Bob Dylan plugged in, and the Beatles goofed off on the big screen, while our radios played hits like “Wooly Bully,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “My Girl,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.”
This was an important year in the car industry too, with a broad range of new and redesigned models being introduced and sold by domestic and foreign automakers. Increasingly powerful sports cars and thrilling new muscle cars brought excitement to the street and the strip. And the automotive aftermarket was continually releasing new restoration parts and go-fast goodies to enhance enthusiasts’ enjoyment of this hobby. The Hemmings Motor News staff has looked back at 1965 to highlight some of the most interesting and influential vehicles to make the scene. What are your favorite cars and trucks from that year, and if you experienced it, do you have any noteworthy motoring memories? Share your 1965 nostalgia with us at mmcnessor@hemmings.com.
Ford Mustang
Price New: $2,500 ($26,000 today) Average Value Today: $35,000 Collectibility: ★★★
The Ford Mustang made its historic debut at the World’s Fair in New York on April 17, 1964. As news spread from New York, Dearborn arranged to have a new Mustang at every one of its 8,000-plus dealers so that customers could gallop in and see the pony car firsthand. Ford’s media department worked overtime, ensuring journalists were provided embargoed information about the car in advance and seat time in the cars. There were also Mustang TV commercials on all three networks, full-page ads in newspapers nationwide, and Mustangs on display at hotels and airports.
The result was a case study in successful marketing (and a reversal of the Edsel debacle): Ford dealers took more than 20,000 orders for new Mustangs the day it went on sale. Dearborn estimated that it would sell about 100,000 Mustangs annually, but by the end of 1964, Ford had surpassed that, and production soared to more than five times the original target.
You can’t go wrong with a ’65 Mustang as a collector car today: coupe, convertible or fastback. They’re abundant, affordable, enjoy a huge support base, and they hold their values.
This sporty blue ’65 fastback sold on Hemmings.com last year for $28,350. It was not a K-code car—not even a V8. Under its hood was a fuel-stingy 200-cu.in. inline-six paired with a Dagenham four-speed transmission that the seller installed. This wasn’t a concours winner, but a nice driver-quality Mustang that you could motor around without breaking the bank. — Mike McNessor
Plymouth Barracuda Formula S
Price New: $3,169 ($32,340 today) Average Value Today: $21,700 Collectibility: ★★★
With the success of the Ford Mustang, Detroit was off to the pony-car races. Following the lead of a more performance-minded buying public, Plymouth introduced a more sporting version of its B-body Barracuda for 1965, called the Barracuda S. While 1960s performance is often equated with raw horsepower, the focus of the Barracuda S was better handling, courtesy of a Rallye Suspension Package that included heavy-duty front torsion bars and rear springs, a front anti-roll bar, and firmer-than-standard shocks. The S was powered by the high-compression, four-barrel, 235-hp Commando 273 V8. Plymouth recommended the four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission for the S, but the three-speed manual was available, too.
The suspension upgrades “have transformed the Barracuda,” Road Test magazine reported. “Now…the Barracuda can be flailed through corners as quickly as most out-and-out sports cars.” Sales of the Formula S contributed to a big year for the Barracuda, with production nearly tripling to 64,596 from 1964.
We found the Barracuda Formula S shown here in the Hemmings Marketplace, with an asking price of $21,000. The seller described it as a three-owner car that has a number of NOS or authentic reproduction parts, including bumpers, door handles, seat covers and foams, gauges, and many others. The drivetrain included a replacement 275 Commando V8 and a four-speed manual transmission. —David LaChance
Chevrolet Corvair
Price New: $2,022-$2,608 ($20,635-$26,615 today) Average Value Today: $9,600 Collectibility: ★★★
Launched for 1960 as an economy car, the innovative Chevrolet Corvair completed its transition to budget GT with its total redesign for 1965. The striking new body owed a lot to the Corvair GT coupe and SS roadster design studies created in 1962 by two of General Motors’ most talented stylists, Larry Shinoda (of ’63 Corvette Sting Ray fame) and Tony Lapine (whose work included the Porsche 928). It was offered in three sporty styles, a two- or four-door hardtop and a convertible. Under the skin, a new rear suspension with double-jointed axles—designed in part by Zora Arkus Duntov—eliminated the handling challenges associated with the previous swing-axle arrangement. Power was up across the board, with engine choices ranging from the 95-hp base six to the 180-hp turbo.
Corvair sales, which had been sliding since the peak of 337,371 units in 1961, rebounded slightly to 247,092 for ’65, but it wasn’t enough to save the model now that the Ford Mustang and its available V8 engines had arrived. GM brass issued a memo halting development work on the Corvair before the year was out.
Corvairs remain fun and affordable and enjoy robust club and aftermarket support. We found the professionally restored Mist Blue Monza coupe pictured here advertised in the Hemmings Marketplace. Equipped with the 110-hp version of the flat-six and a two-speed Powerglide automatic, it was offered at an asking price of $19,900. —David LaChance
MG MGB/GT
Price New: $3,095 ($31,585 today) Average Value Today: $11,250 Collectibility: ★★★
Looking at the neatly integrated design of the MGB/GT, it’s hard to imagine how MG’s engineers struggled to enclose the soft-top MGB Tourer. MG often made coupe variants of roadsters, creating the MGA Fixed Head Coupe that arrived one year after the open car. Designing the solid-roof MGB variant proved challenging, and after rejecting several internal proposals, MG approached Pininfarina. The Italians did something the Brits hadn’t tried, altering the windshield to give the MGB a taller roofline and ample side glass. These proportions complemented the curved lower body, and the rear was finished with a practical hatch. The resulting car looked so natural and elegant, it truly was the “poor man’s Aston Martin” MG’s managing director had looked to make.
Production of the MGB/GT began in September 1965, and the car debuted the next month at the Earls Court Motor Show. This closed model opened a new market for MG with its folding rear bench seat and flush load floor inside the hatch. The weathertight car was a true Gran Turismo with forgiving handling and an eager twin-carbureted 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. It would be sold in North America through December 1974—around 47,200 examples were imported—but remained in production for the U.K. through 1980.
Despite its relative rarity, the GT has never been as desired as the open MGB, and its value has generally trailed the Tourer’s. In the past five years, all GT sales above $40,000 have been modified cars, save for one restored 1967 Special Edition that brought $47,600.—Mark J. McCourt
Courtesy of Mecum.com
Chevelle Malibu SS 396
Price New: $4,586 ($47,251) Average Value Today: $250,000 Collectibility: ★★★
Way back in the October 1982 issue of Hemmings’ Special Interest Autos, the editors took a 1965 Malibu SS 396 for a ride and came back a little awe-struck at the midsize Chevy’s power.
“All you need to do is tickle the accelerator pedal and you are shoved smartly back in your seat: an excellent vantage point from which to observe the tachometer needle rocket toward redline. Even when the transmission is placed in fourth, the 396-cu.in. powerplant still hammers the car down the road at the slightest coaxing.”
That 396 was a 375-hp, Mk. IV big block, with 11:1 compression, known as RPO L37. It was one of the big stories at Chevrolet for ’65 and part of the Malibu SS 396 package. Just 201 of these midsize muscle cars were built under the now-famous option code Z16, so they’re scarce in the wild today. The SS 396’s foundation was the convertible frame with two additional body mounts and reinforced control arm attachments. Power brakes and power steering were mandatory as was a four-speed gearbox and a 12-bolt axle. Inside, there were front and rear seatbelts (with retractors up front), a padded dash, a 160-mph speedometer, a tach, AM/FM stereo, and a clock mounted on top of the dash. Outside you got a choice of red, black or yellow paint, Malibu SS emblems and 396 callouts, mag-wheel-style wheel covers, plus a special rear trim and taillight treatment.
Sales of these are few and far between, but this yellow Z16 Malibu SS 396 sold at Mecum’s Indy sale in 2023 for $247,500. This ’65 was a milestone car and the start of something big. — Mike McNessor
Plymouth Sport Fury
Price New: $2,920/$3,164 (hardtop/convertible; $29,800/$32,300 today) Average Value Today: $18,500/$25,300 Collectibility: ★★★
Plymouth had been at a marketing disadvantage since its largest model was downsized in 1962, but the arrival of the new, properly full-size Fury line for 1965 put the wind back in Mopar sales. The flagship variant was the attractive Sport Fury, only offered as a luxury-trimmed, bucket-seat two-door hardtop or convertible, and with V8 engine options leading up to the stout 383- and 426-cu.in. Commandos—the latter making 365 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque.
It would be another year before Chrysler offered the 426 Street Hemi to consumers, but buyers of V8-equipped Sport Furys weren’t lacking scat: Motor Trend tested a 4,200-plus-pound hardtop with the 426 Commando to 60 in 8.2 seconds, down the quarter mile in 16.1, and onwards past 120 mph. This fresh “image” car even had the honor of pacing the 49th Indianapolis 500 race: Plymouth would build 35 identical looking white-over-blue convertibles for the occasion with front anti-sway bars, front bumper mounted push bars, and rear flag stanchions, with the actual Official Pace Car sporting the 365-hp V8 and the others, 330-hp 383s.
It’s reported 38,348 Sport Fury hardtops and 6,272 convertibles were produced in 1965, so these big Mopars have never been commonplace, especially not 60 years on. Current pricing trends prove they still represent great value in typical Plymouth fashion, and enthusiasts covet the original Pace Car replicas, so much that numerous Pace Car tribute convertibles have been built through the years. —Mark J. McCourt
Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Porsche 911
Price New: $6,370 ($65,000 today) Average Value Today: $173,500 Collectibility: ★★★★
Porsche pulled the sheets off the replacement for its long-serving 356 family during the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September 1963, and production of the then-dubbed 901 model began one year later. Protests from Peugeot, which owned the “X0X” naming convention, sparked Porsche to change its name from 901 to 911. The first 911s entering the American market in numbers were 1965 models, and a new legend was established on both road and track. These grand touring sports cars followed Porsche tradition as everyday-usable autos for keen enthusiast drivers.
While the Stuttgart firm maintained its tradition of mounting an air-cooled, horizontally opposed engine behind the rear axle of this 2+2 coupe, the Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche-styled 911 offered six cylinders instead of four. That new SOHC engine displaced 2.0-liters, made 148 SAE-rated horsepower, and sent its output to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual. This power was easily handled by the car’s MacPherson strut and semi-trailing arm suspension, plus its four-wheel disc brakes, and the 911 could sprint to 60 in 7 seconds and reach an impressive 130 mph.
While they are outgunned by newer models, early 911s are highly prized 60 years on, and they’re priced to match. The U.S.-spec, Dolphin Grey over Green leatherette 1965 911 shown here was a 32,073-mile, numbers-matching original car that was part of the Pinnacle Porsche Collection; it sold for $224,000 through RM Sotheby’s special The White Collection auction in December 2023. —Mark J. McCourt
Triumph TR4a
Price New: $2,840 ($28,980 today) Average Value Today: $25,800 Collectibility: ★★★
We can probably thank the 1961 Jaguar E-type for raising buyers’ expectations about British sports cars. Timelessly beautiful and powered by a twin-cam straight-six that had won at Le Mans, the Jag set the bar high for its rivals.
Triumph wasn’t about to begin dropping twin-cam sixes into its moderately priced sports cars, but it could match one of the E-type’s advantages, the use of an independent rear suspension. Triumph had already been using swing-axle rear suspensions on its Herald sedans and Spitfire sports cars, but when the time came to upgrade the popular TR4, it chose the more sophisticated semi-trailing-arm system developed for the 2000 sedan. The modification was expensive, requiring drastic alterations to the TR4 chassis. (American Triumph dealers were so worried about the TR4A’s higher price that they persuaded the factory to produce a live-axle version for the U.S.) Only detail changes were made to the TR4’s bodywork, and the engine received a slight boost in power. Jerry Titus, writing for Sports Car Graphic, praised the “big improvements in both handling and ride” brought about by the IRS.
The Triumph TR4A shown here was advertised in the Hemmings Marketplace, with an asking price of $35,000. It was being offered from long-term ownership and was said to run and drive excellently.—David LaChance
Rambler Marlin
Price New: $2,931 ($29,900 today) Average Value Today: $16,000 Collectibility: ★★★
Sporty fastbacks were all the rage in the mid-Sixties, and normally conservative Rambler wasn’t going to let that youthful styling trend pass it by. In early 1964, the company showed off an American-based design study for a two-door hardtop called the Tarpon that featured curved rear quarter glass and a tapered backlite that enhanced the sloping roofline’s boattail shape. This well-received design would be modified before starting production on the intermediate-size, 112-inch-wheelbase Classic floorpan as the “1965 1/2” Rambler Marlin.
“The swinging new man-size sports-fastback,” is how this new model’s brochure described it, and being based on that larger Classic meant it was genuinely family sized, able to carry six. This big pillarless hardtop offered six or eight cylinders with output ranging from 155 to 270 hp, and power front disc/ rear drum brakes and a coil spring suspension were standard. Seven solid paint colors, 27 two-tone options, and black or silver side-window paint accents could make Marlins stand apart from everything on the road.
American Motors sold 10,327 units for 1965, and this model would only last through 1967, at which time it was redesigned on the larger Ambassador platform. Surviving first-year examples are typically owned by enthusiasts like those in the Marlin Auto Club (marlinautoclub.com), and they trade hands for fair prices. A search of the Hemmings Marketplace turned up four classified ads for 1965 Marlins over the last four years, with an average asking price of $22,971. — Mark J. McCourt
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
Price New: $19,700 ($201,045 today) Average Value Today: $25,400 Collectibility: ★★★
It’s no exaggeration to say that no model was more crucial to the survival of Rolls-Royce than the Silver Shadow. Despite a hidebound public image, the company realized that its increasingly wealthy clientele was doing without chauffeurs, and that coachbuilders had become an endangered species. The Silver Shadow was a radical but necessary leap into the modern world, a unit-body sedan that was trim on the outside, spacious on the inside, and as quiet and comfortable as any Rolls-Royce that had come before it. Four-wheel disc brakes, a hydraulically operated, self-levelling independent rear suspension and an electrically operated gearshift selector were all technological firsts for the company.
Though traditionalists dropped their monocles when the model was unveiled in the fall of 1965, the Silver Shadow was an overnight success, becoming a must-have for the wealthy and the famous. It was intended to stay on the market for at least 10 years, so that Rolls-Royce could recoup the costs of switching to unitary construction, but instead remained in demand until its replacement in 1980 by the Silver Spirit. About 37,000 Silver Shadows and Corniche convertibles were built, making it the most successful design in the company’s history to that point.
We found this 1966 Silver Shadow for sale on the Hemmings Marketplace at an asking price of $45,000. According to the seller, it had been delivered new to Beverly Hills and had remained there until recently. It was described as “a 10-out-of-10 driver quality example.”— David LaChance
Dodge Coronet “426-S”
Price New: $3,500 ($26,000 today) Average Value Today: $36,000 Collectibility: ★★★
Dodge threw down against the onslaught of intermediate muscle cars in ’65 with its all-new Coronet, packing the 426-S “Street Wedge.” The Street Wedge was introduced in ’64 as a kinder gentler take on the all-out-race “Max Wedge.” Both were 426s from the RB engine family, but that’s where the similarity stopped. The 426-S, derived from the 413 in the New Yorker, had a daily driver friendly 10.3:1 compression ratio, small-port heads, a hydraulic camshaft and an iron intake topped with a single Carter AFB. Still, the Street Wedge was gutsy, pumping out a conservatively rated 365 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque—enough to move the unit-body Coronet with authority. Armed with: an A833 four-speed, stirred by a Hurst shifter; stiffer-than-standard torsion bars, and rear leaf springs stronger than the workaday base Coronet; plus a .75-inch anti-sway bar from the police package, this Dodge that could go toe-to-toe with the Olds 4-4-2 and the Pontiac GTO for a $3,500 sticker price. The 426-S Coronets found few takers, and estimates are that just over 2,000 were made. These are sought-after collector cars today. Due to their scarcity, we came up short of finding an original car for sale or that sold recently. However, we did find a nice ’65 Coronet 500 that was sold as a Hemmings Make Offer listing back in February. It was featured in a couple of Mopar magazines and was powered by a stroked 383, displacing 431-cu.in. — Mike McNessor
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Buick Skylark Gran Sport
Price New: $3,800 ($39,000 today) Average Value Today: $25,000 Collectibility: ★★★
Flint was last to the big-engine/midsize car party at GM, but it was not to be outdone. The legendary Gran Sport package made its debut on the Skylark in ’65 and quickly staked its reputation as a well-engineered muscle car for a more discerning buyer. Mountain-moving torque was a Buick muscle-era hallmark, and the GS kicked off that tradition with 445 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm from its 401-cu.in. V8—which it dubbed “Wildcat 445.” To harness the nailhead’s twist, Buick made the boxed convertible frame standard under the GS, then equipped it with stiffer springs and suspension bushings, specially valved shocks, plus a .94-inch front anti-sway bar. The Skylark GS was available as a “thin-pillar” coupe, a hardtop or a convertible and exteriors were understated with stylized red Gran Sport badges, minimal side trim, low-profile VentiPorts, plus a revamped taillight panel in the rear. Inside there were vinyl-upholstered bucket seats, a sweep-type 120-mph speedometer, and a tachometer mounted on the center console.
The midsize performance field was getting crowded by the time Buick arrived, but the GS sold fairly well, finding 15,780 owners. These make a fun and uncommon collector car today. Prices are reasonable too, with an estimated average in the $25,000 range. There are deals out there though, like this convertible that sold at Mecum’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, auction last year for $23,000. — Mike McNessor
In the late 1960’s General Motors started developing a car to enter the North American subcompact market. By late 1970 the Chevrolet Vega was launched as their small car offering. Named after one of the brightest stars in the sky, the initial expectations were high; however the eventual outcome proved to be a car plagued with mechanical and body issues. Production ended in 1977 with about 2 million units produced. To GM’s credit they did make an effort in the performance realm to create a sporty version of the car. That was achieved by partnering with Cosworth Engineering in the United Kingdom to create the Chevrolet Cosworth Vega. At the heart of the performance package was an all-aluminum, hand-built 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine capped off with an aluminum DOHC head that was developed by Cosworth. Offered in 1975-76 with a total of 3,508 units produced (all Cosworth Vegas were individually numbered). Almost a half-century later, anyone seeking a decent one will find it challenging, so owning a Vega today might be an acquired taste. Craig Fetter never needed to be sold on Chevy’s miniscule car. He recalls, “You’d have to go back to 1970 when I bought my first Vega, which was a Sunflower Yellow 1971 GT.” The Vega bug was not exclusive to him. He further points out, “My wife at the same time had a 1971 Vega station wagon – it was just a 4 cylinder 4-speed car, but we painted it identical to my car.”
For Craig, the call for more cubic inches under the hood started soon after the car was purchased. It must have been something on a fair number of folks’ wish list because the aftermarket responded rather quickly with a complete conversion kit to stuff a small block Chevy engine into a Vega. Offered towards the end of 1972 by Herbert & Meek Automotive, their kit consisted of front motor mounts, rear transmission mount, a set of bespoke exhaust headers, and a comprehensive hardware and gasket set for a turnkey conversion. This was essentially a plug and play solution that allowed for the installation of 283-400 cubic inch engine and a GM V8-compatible transmission or manual gearbox. Craig’s combination on his swap was a 283-cu.in. V8 backed by a Turbo 350 automatic. These modifications were being done on the family car – it was the daily driver. By 1974 he went further down the rabbit hole. He recalls, “I had a custom paint job done on it and it looked like an old Pro Stock car with the panel paint job on both sides. It was yellow with brown spider webbing on the side. That year it won the top spot at the Washington DC World of Wheels show in the sub-compact custom class. I was, by that time, already on my sixth engine. I had installed a 327 small block with a tunnel ram and a 4-speed gearbox.” With the steady progression of changes, it gradually shed the daily driver duties and evolved into more of a show car with the frequent trip to the dragstrip also in the cards. The Vega bug was not exclusive to him.
He owned the Vega for several years and when it was eventually sold, the downward spiral for the car after several owners resulted in it being wrapped around a tree. Over the years there were a few Vegas and Monzas in the mix and with the progression of time other vehicles ended up parked in the garage. By 2018 the call to once again get behind the wheel of a Vega came knocking. He recalls, “I had started searching for an old Vega to try and relive the past. I found what I thought was the perfect car in Fort Worth, TX. It was a 1973 Vega GT with a 1977 4 cylinder, 4-speed, and factory air. It still had the original paint and interior. I bought it and had it shipped back to Maryland.” A month after, this 1976 Medium Saddle Metallic Cosworth Vega (#3177) popped up unexpectedly because of the searches he had done previously. The car, as it appeared in the online ad, looked like it was in decent condition, a key selling point. The story behind the Cosworth was the icing on the cake that sealed the deal.
Craig can trace the car’s history back to 1987, when it was purchased by an individual named Ron Miller. The Vega was an anomaly in a massive Lamborghini collection that Ron amassed. His goal with the Lambos was to create a single make museum in his home state of Oklahoma; the Cosworth was evidently a must-have when he initially saw it. Being used to exotic car performance levels, the Vega was woefully lacking. Not wanting to go down the engine swap spiral, he sent the car to Hutton Motor Engineering in Clarksville, Tennessee. They specialize in the Cosworth Vega, so their mission was to set the car up for drag racing by massaging the Cosworth engine, which included a swap from the factory EFI system to a dual Weber carburation configuration, 12:1 pistons, and a 150-horse nitrous shot system. It was a full rebuild that included heavier bottom end internals to handle the nitrous.
In 1997 the Vega went into limbo when Ron passed away. He was quite wealthy, and the source of that wealth came from the oil industry. However, he had sold his oil company and was cooperating with federal investigators who were looking into fraudulent situations that involved oil companies and some of the inappropriate relationships they had with the federal regulatory board. Ron mysteriously died a few weeks prior to his scheduled congressional appearance of unknown causes because of an unidentified infection. As a result, the Vega ended up parked in a storage facility for the next decade. In 2007 it was finally sold and in subsequent years changed hands several times – the last owner was a high school teenager that couldn’t handle the car. During that 10 year span the things done to the car were a swap from 4 lug wheels to 5 lug wheels, and a front brake upgrade.
After the car arrived in Maryland the list of things that needed to be done grew as Craig went further into the car. Buying the Vega without a visual inspection had its consequences. He explains, “My first impression when I saw the car in person, I was really upset because the clearcoat had crow’s feet all over it. The guy had just washed the car, and it was still wet when he took pictures of it, and I didn’t realize it, so it looked decent in the photos. His suggestion was for me to scuff it up and shoot some clear on it.” This was a major setback because he had to take the car down to bare metal. The only upside was that the body was in pristine condition and rust free, which is a rarity on a Vega. Mechanically, the Cosworth mill was hurt. “It only ran on three cylinders,” Craig points out. “I ran a compression check and had zero compression on one of the cylinders, and when I pulled the engine apart, one of the valves was chipped because they ran the nitrous too lean.” This led to the top end getting completely redone and the rest of the engine given a major teardown and reseal. Modifications were also done to the Weber intake. Craig designed, built, and installed an elaborate PCV system to allow the crankcase to breathe.
At the rear the differential was also given a full rebuild and 4.56:1 gears installed, along with a set of Mark Williams billet axles. The end game was to make the car mechanically solid again, and to visually take it back to around 1989. Somewhere in that mix Craig wanted to add his own personal stamp. Reapplying the Medium Saddle Metallic paint was a given, however, the red center stripe drew inspiration from the 1971–’73 Vega GT, while the Cosworth graphics came from Phoenix Graphix. Craig also added the 5-lug 15-inch Weld Racing wheels that he fitted with Mickey Thompson ET Street rubber at the rear, and Firestone F560’s up front. Part of the first rework back in 1989 also addressed some weight reduction. That was accomplished by removing the aluminum bumpers and the 5-mph impact absorbers. In their place solid mount fiberglass bumpers were added. Craig took the weight reduction one step further with the installation of a fiberglass hood from Fiberglass Concepts in Erie, PA. The one positive note with this car was that the interior was in decent condition and didn’t require much effort.
The amount of work to get the Vega together spanned about six years, which was more than what Craig expected, and it was clearly more than what he wanted when he initially cut a check for. The goal line for this car is when he finally takes down the track. The plan is to get the Vega dialed in and do several passes to get a time, and once that threshold is surpassed the 4.56 gears will come out and something a bit more civilized will be fitted to allow him to do some normal street driving. He is currently at the point where the nitrous bottle has filled.
As today’s cars require less and less driver input and interaction to move their occupants from Point A to Point B, younger drivers lose the opportunities to really experience what motoring entailed up to the point where automatic transmissions, fuel injection, cruise control, antilock brakes, and sensor-dependent driver assistance aids became the norm. There are millions of drivers in their thirties and forties who have never mastered working three pedals and a shift lever, much less driven something with a steering wheel spark advance and without turn signals. That’s not necessarily down to lack of interest, though.
James Martin got his driving license in 2007 and since then has personally owned a variety of interesting cars, some of which he’s shared on his popular U.K.-based YouTube channel, JayEmm on Cars. In the eight years this former film and television cinematographer has been creating automotive video content, he’s enjoyed seat time behind the wheel of a wide array of vehicles ranging from vintage classics to modern supercars. A friend provided James the opportunity to drive a pair of American antiques in today’s British road traffic, and he’s shared those experiences with his channel’s 464,000 subscribers.
We asked James what it meant for him to get up close and personal with a 1916 Cadillac and a 1928 Durant Motors Star –both of which are working historic artifacts with ties to the early industry’s most important people and companies– and he was kindly happy to elaborate.
JayEmm On… a 1916 Cadillac Type 53 Touring Car
“This month I have had the pleasure of driving a number of vehicles from American history. I am fortunate enough to frequently drive cars of all types and ages- but any from pre-World War II are unusual indeed.
“What I find fascinating about them is a combination of the mechanical rawness and the feeling of genuine innovation. Things that we do expect in every car now were far from a given. The sense of leaning out to grab a handbrake in a 3 Litre Bentley[watch here] makes you feel like a hero from a ‘Boy’s Own Adventure.’”
“In the immortal words of Mike Finnegan, ‘Best Day At Work, Ever.’”
“Previously I have driven a Model T Ford[watch here] from 1917, and it was quite the experience. As one of the most significant cars of all time, to be able to get behind the wheel is one of the most significant bucket-list moments in my automotive career. It was absolutely terrifying. It did not help I was instructed in French, a language I do not speak well.
“With that as my background, I found the 1916 Cadillac an utter revelation. It made not just the Ford, but also that 1922 Bentley, feel archaic. Sure, it has issues, but the control layout and feel were surprisingly modern. It genuinely felt well-made and the product of some clever-thinking, hard-working engineers.”
This Type 53 is a seven-passenger touring car that officially satisfied James’s desire to drive a 100-year-old car. He calls the prewar Cadillac “one of the most significant American automobiles ever made… a car that arguably changed the course of the motoring world forever” due to having the first mass-produced V8 engine and offering a pedal/control layout today’s drivers would recognize.
… A 1928 Durant MotorS Star/Rugby Touring Car…
“A contrast was the Durant I drove, a car far less refined but with an amazing story. Mr. Durant to me is every bit an automotive legend on par with Henry Ford or Messrs. Rolls & Royce.
“Thanks to one gentleman I got to drive not just these cars, but also the Excalibur[watch here] and a recreation of the Auburn of the 1920s [watch here]. It feels to me so sad that the Depression and subsequently the Second World War ended perhaps prematurely a style of car which is entirely unique. I feel they conveyed genuine class and opulence in a way alien to your modern car buyer. No Cadillac Escalade could hope to achieve the glamour of an Auburn 851!
“With cars like this, everybody loves you… even when you’re in their way.”
“The joy I find with all these cars is that they are the best museum in the world. It feels almost naughty to take them out and drive them – but doing so gives me the greatest sensation and a feeling of connection with true pioneers. To step into the cabin of one is to stand on the shoulders of giants.
“My greatest fear is they will not find a new audience who will love and care for them, but it is the greatest reason of all to keep driving and talking about them.”
In the film, James says, “William C. Durant changed the automobile. Which means William C. Durant changed the world.” He describes this right-hand-drive, five-passenger touring car as a 1928 Star, while noting it wears a badge from The South African Veteran & Vintage Association that calls it a Rugby; both of those marques fell under the Durant Motors umbrella. The “D”-badged radiator shell and 47-hp, 185-cu.in. L-head inline-six engine underhood seem to indicate this South African-market car is similar to an American-spec Durant 65, the mid-level model of the eponymous upmarket brand in the company’s roster.
… And On Why These Antiques Are Affordable Fun Today
In the Cadillac film, he asks, “How much are you going to pay for one of these? Well apparently, maybe because of the age of them, the fact they aren’t the easiest things to maintain, people just aren’t that interested in them anymore. Which means they’re quite affordable. You can pick one of these up for under £20,000 [roughly $27,000], a lot under if you’re willing to do the work and get it restored. And the good news is, unlike a great many much newer cars, because these were all ultimately made by men in big factories with hammers, if you know a man with a hammer, you can keep it going.”
What do you think it will take to interest younger people –from newly licensed teens up through adventurous folks in their 40s– in cars built before their grandparents were born? There’s evidence of the more common prewar cars trending towards relative affordability, so would exposure at car shows and on the road set the hook? Regardless of your age, what would it take to get you behind the wheel of a truly vintage classic car or truck?
When RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. discovered drag racing in the 1970s (initially via IHRA, soon followed by NHRA), sample cigarette packs were one element of the sport’s most-lucrative sponsorship program to date. We’re guessing that this smoking Smokey preferred some other brand to the Winstons being offered by the woman whose red-and-white outfit matched the endless buckets of paint that RJR supplied free to any North American race promoter promising to apply it. The handouts proved predictably popular with many racers, fans, officials and press types, if objectionable to some parents—including little Donna Prudhomme’s daddy, Don, who publicly blasted Dixie-based IHRA President Larry Carrier for exposing underage kids to the practice, if not necessarily the free product. The cruiser’s county seal suggests the scenic venue to be Rockingham Dragway, which was alternately affiliated with both sanctioning bodies.
Photographer: unknown photographer
Date: mid-1970s
Location: Believed to be Rockingham (North Carolina) Dragway
A common yet aggravating oil leak path with GM’s LS engines is the four corner intersections of the front and rear covers with the oil pan. Placing a dab of silicon between the oil pan gasket and the covers in these four corners will reduce the risk of oil leaks.
One way to improve the chances of producing a leak-free engine is to ensure that the front and rear covers are very close to parallel with the pan sealing surface. If the covers are excessively high or low, even the RTV will not be able to prevent oil leaks. Summit sells a front timing chain cover alignment tool (PN SUM-900334) that can assist but you can also use a simple straight edge to align both front and rear covers with the oil pan rail.
To ensure that the front cover seal and harmonic balancer are aligned properly, we’ve modified an old LS truck balancer by cutting the hub from the balancer. Then we used a heavy duty abrasive pad on a drill motor to open the inside diameter so that the hub slips easily over the crankshaft snout. Placing this hub inside the front cover seal aligns the cover to the crank and then we use a straight edge to ensure the cover is parallel with the pan rail. All of these tips will help to reduce the chance of oil leaks with your next LS engine effort.
More than a simple vehicle, the Golden Sahara II is a time capsule of 1950s futuristic fantasy. This legendary custom car, a wild reinvention of a wrecked 1953 Lincoln Capri, pushed the boundaries of automotive design and technology. From its transparent roof and gleaming gold trim to its most famous feature—the glowing tires—this car captured the imagination of a generation. After spending nearly 50 years hidden away, its dramatic rediscovery and restoration have brought this visionary custom car back into the spotlight.
The masterminds behind the masterpiece: Barris and Street
The story of the Golden Sahara II begins with two visionaries: acclaimed custom car builder George Barris and his client, Jim “Street” Skonzakes. After Barris’s personal 1953 Lincoln was damaged, Street commissioned an ambitious new project, sparing no expense to create a truly outrageous show car. Starting with the original Golden Sahara, the vehicle was later dramatically re-engineered into the even more radical Golden Sahara II in the early 1960s.
A car of tomorrow: The Golden Sahara II’s groundbreaking features
The Golden Sahara II was a showcase of technology decades ahead of its time. For 1958, its list of features was nothing short of science fiction:
Illuminated Tires: The most iconic feature was a set of custom-made Neothane synthetic rubber tires by Goodyear. Lit from within by internal bulbs, these translucent tires glowed, a dazzling spectacle that cemented the car’s legend.
Remote Control: The car could be driven remotely using a television-style remote control. This allowed Street to perform tricks for crowds, giving the impression that the car was driving itself.
Aircraft-Style Controls: Inside, the conventional steering wheel was replaced with an aircraft-inspired yoke, and a central lever controlled acceleration and braking.
Early Obstacle Sensors: Short antennas on the front bumper were integrated with an early concept of an automatic braking system, designed to stop the car if it detected an obstacle.
Luxury and Entertainment: The cabin was pure opulence, featuring gold and white upholstery, mink carpeting, a reel-to-reel tape recorder, and a dash-mounted television.
Lost and found: A Legendary Restoration
After touring for years and even appearing in the Jerry Lewis film Cinderfella, the Golden Sahara II was mysteriously stored away by Jim Street in the 1970s and disappeared from public view for decades. The car’s legend grew during its long slumber.
Following Street’s death in 2017, the custom classic re-emerged in a deteriorated state at a Mecum auction in 2018, where it sold for $385,000. It was purchased by Chicago’s Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum, owned by the late Larry Klairmont, who sent the historic icon to Speakeasy Customs and Classics for a painstaking restoration to bring the car back to its former glory. With help from Goodyear, which created modern, LED-lit replacements for the famous translucent tires, the project was a resounding success.
The fully restored Golden Sahara II was dramatically unveiled at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, where it stood alongside cutting-edge modern supercars and drew immense attention. The car, now in-between ownership, continues to be a star attraction, serving as a powerful reminder of an era of unbounded automotive creativity and future-forward design.
Larry Klairmont, the museum’s founder and collector, sadly passed away in July, leaving behind the Golden Sahara II among hundreds of other collector cars. The entire collection, including this custom beauty, is heading to auction at the end of this month.
For automotive enthusiasts and collectors, the Shelby name conjures images of powerful V8 engines, raw performance, and the legendary Cobra. However, in the late 1990s, Carroll Shelby pursued a different path, designing and building a car entirely from scratch rather than modifying an existing model. The result was the Shelby Series 1, an ambitious, modern roadster that, despite its troubled history, remains a fascinating and exclusive chapter in American automotive lore.
The genesis of a modern classic
Conceived as a modern reinterpretation of the Cobra, the Series 1 was first unveiled as a prototype at the 1997 Los Angeles Auto Show and released for the 1999 model year. This was the only car in Carroll Shelby’s extensive history to be designed and built from the ground up by Shelby American, a fact that gives it a special place in the lineage. Shelby’s vision was to combine the classic roadster feel with contemporary technology and performance.
The Series 1 was a forward-thinking machine built for performance. Its chassis was constructed from extruded and formed 6061 aluminum, with aluminum honeycomb panels bonded into the floorboards and rocker panels for added strength and stiffness. This advanced construction, more commonly seen in race cars, resulted in a featherlight curb weight of just 2,650 pounds. For the body panels, Shelby American employed a composite of carbon fiber and fiberglass, further reducing weight and enhancing rigidity. A double-wishbone suspension with inboard cantilevered coil-over shocks was utilized at all four corners, a setup that was praised for its balance and impressive grip.
A surprising heart and formidable performance
Breaking from the traditional Ford V8 engine expected in a Shelby, the Series 1 was powered by a 4.0-liter DOHC Aurora V8 sourced from General Motors’ Oldsmobile division. Though an unusual choice, this engine was derived from an Indy Racing League power unit and was surprisingly sophisticated for its time. In its naturally aspirated form, it produced a respectable 320 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque. The engine was mounted behind the front axle and paired with a six-speed manual ZF transaxle, which helped achieve a near-perfect weight distribution. This combination was good for a 0-60 mph sprint in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 170 mph. A supercharged option was also offered, boosting output to as much as 450 horsepower and dropping the 0-60 time to just over four seconds.
Despite its cutting-edge design and impressive performance, the Series 1 had a difficult journey to market. Only 249 units were officially produced between 1999 and 2005, a far cry from the originally planned 500. Production challenges included regulatory red tape, financial issues, and a steep price tag of around $110,000 to begin with, which made it a tough sell compared to established sports cars. After regulatory certifications expired, some of the final cars were sold as “component cars” without an engine or transmission. The use of some GM parts-bin components for the interior also disappointed some potential buyers expecting a bespoke cabin.
Today, the Shelby Series 1 is a rare and unique collectible. It represents a brief but important moment in automotive history when Carroll Shelby pursued a singular vision. While it may have been overlooked by many at the time, its rarity, engineering, and place in Shelby’s personal history have solidified its status as an underappreciated gem. For collectors, it offers an exclusive piece of the Shelby legacy, representing not a modification of another’s creation, but a true original.
