Hemmings

In the summer of 2021, Ford introduced a new F-150, the 14th generation of the F-Series pickup truck. Curiously, through those 14 generations over nearly 75 years, it has never once occurred to Ford to use any sort of official distinction among the generations beyond first, second, third, fourth, and so on. But as the best-selling vehicle in the United States for 40 years now, the F-Series has naturally generated legions of admirers and enthusiasts who have bestowed their own more creative nicknames on most of those generations. For handy reference, we’ve rounded those up here.

Bonus Built

1948-1952: The F-Series started with Ford’s first all-new postwar trucks, which also represented Ford’s first all-new postwar vehicles. Generally considered to be the first Ford pickups that didn’t share any chassis architecture with the car line (though Ford did start to separate car and pickup architecture as early as 1942), the F-Series also introduced a reasonably easy-to-understand model name system, with F-1 for the half-tons, F-2 for the three-quarter-tons, F-3 for the heavy-duty three-quarter-tons, and so on, up to the F-8 three-ton trucks. In addition to the flathead V-8, Ford also powered these F-Series trucks with flathead straight-sixes.

Naming Convention: Despite Ford’s insistence today that it has only ever referred to these trucks as the first-generation F-Series, the company consistently advertised them as the Bonus Built trucks and even called them such on the cover of the operator’s manual. Enthusiasts have followed suit.

Price Range: According to the Hemmings Price Guide, average prices for Bonus Built F-1s fall in the low $30,000 range, with decent examples ranging from the upper teens to the lower $60,000 range. Classic.com shows recent auction prices generally in the mid-$20,000 to mid-$50,000 range.

Effies

1953-1956: As part of the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the F-Series got a near-complete makeover, with new “Driverized” cabs, new front sheetmetal, and a redesigned chassis with a set-back front axle that increased front overhang but also decreased the turning radius. Ford also ditched the single-digit model designations after the first generation in favor of three-digit designations, starting with F-100, then moving up to F-250, F-350, and so forth. Drivetrains initially remained the same, but this generation saw the introduction of the overhead-valve Y-block as well as the Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission.

Naming Convention: In its marketing efforts for the second-generation F-Series pickups, Ford dubbed them the “Triple Economy” trucks (referring, apparently, to more economical engines, more efficient cabs, and greater money-making potential from increased load capacities). However, enthusiasts these days seem divided on whether to call these trucks Effies or Fatfenders, with some contingents sticking to 50th Anniversary Trucks and still others holding out for Triple Economy.

Price Range: Effie/Fatfender F-100s tend to be popular with street rodders, with modified examples fetching well north of the Hemmings Price Guide average in the low $40,000 range. Indeed, we’re seeing them trade hands from the upper $20,000 to the lower $70,000 range. Classic.com reports recent sales below $50,000.

Fridge

1957-1960: Ford pickups embraced full envelope styling for the third-generation F-Series with not just a wider cab and full-width wrapover hood but also the introduction of the Styleside bed. Despite the changes to the body, the chassis remained more or less the same as the second-generation trucks with a few tweaks. Perhaps the biggest of those tweaks came in 1959, when Ford management decided to stop farming out four-wheel-drive production to Marmon-Herrington and start producing four-wheel-drive trucks in-house.

Naming Convention: Late in the generation, Ford tried a “Certified Economy” slogan, but that never stuck. We’ve seen some enthusiasts also try to call these Effies, but most Ford F-Series fans know the third-generation trucks best as the Fridge trucks, given that they have the aerodynamics of a typical refrigerator.

Price Range: Much less popular with collectors than other generations, the Fridge F-Series is also a relative bargain. Average asking prices on Hemmings.com hover in the mid-$20,000 range, though most that you’ll find tend to be restored or restomod versions in the $30,000 range or unrestored examples in the low $10,000 range. Classic.com reports recent sale prices ranging from the low teens to upper $20,000 range.

Slick Sixties

1961-1966: For the fourth-generation F-Series, Ford tried something unique: an integrated cab and bed that the company called Unibody. Part of an effort to make the pickups more car-like – and possibly to give them more of a familial appearance with the new Econoline pickup and the Ranchero – the Unibody lasted through 1963 before Ford decided to revert to separate cab and bed, reportedly due to issues with the bodies flexing while hauling heavy loads. Other attempts to make the pickups more carlike proved more successful, with the introduction of both the Twin I-beam front axle and suspension and the Ranger trim with bucket seats in 1965. Engine-wise, the latter half of the generation also saw the transition from Y-block V-8s to the FE-series 352, as well as the jump from the second-generation straight-sixes to the fourth-generation (240/300) straight-sixes.

Naming Convention: Ford and GM pickup histories tend to parallel each other, but no more so than with the naming convention for the trucks from this period. Or should we say the lack of a naming convention. We see the occasional reference to the Unibody era of Ford trucks, but that seems less than adequate given the Unibody only lasted a few years and that Ford also offered its Flareside (stepside) beds in this era. A review of sales literature doesn’t show any alternatives; nor do Ford pickup enthusiast sources offer a catchy nickname.

UPDATE: According to at least a couple of our readers, this generation is often known as the Slicks or Slick Sixties.

Price Range: The Hemmings Price Guide shows an average asking price for this generation not too dissimilar from the average asking price of the Fridge generation, but that figure bears some elaboration. Average asking prices for the first three years of the fourth-generation F-Series well outpace those for the latter three years, likely because of high demand for the Unibody versions, generally seen as the most collectible F-Series trucks of this era. On the other hand, the Flaresides and the mid-generation versions that came from the factory with the previous generation’s Styleside bed are generally less desirable and can be had for $10,000 or less. Classic.com reports recent sales ranging from the mid-teens into the $30,000 range, with a number of outliers on the upper end.

Bumpsides

1967-1972: If the nameless fourth-generation F-Series didn’t bestow upon the world its unique body configuration, it at least provided a chassis that Ford would use for many years after, starting with the fifth-generation F-Series. Engine choices expanded during this generation to include the 302, 360, and 390, while Ford added a Falcon six-cylinder option. Similarly, the number of trim levels expanded, with the first appearance of the Ranger XLT and Explorer Special badges. Factory-built crew cabs (on F-250s and F-350s) entered the picture during this generation, as did the Highboy four-wheel drive F-250.

Naming Convention: Bumpside. However else Ford might have marketed the fifth-generation F-Series, the spear down the side of the trucks proved so distinctive that the Bumpside nickname stuck.

Price Range: Plentiful on the market, Bumpsides are also relatively inexpensive, with many sub-$10,000 examples to choose from and fully restored examples going for $25,000 or less. Restomods tend to command more, depending on the amount of work involved, but even high-end examples remain bargains compared to street-rodded first- and second-generation F-Series trucks. Classic.com generally reports sales in the low teens to upper $20,000 range, though like with the Slick Sixties, restomods are commanding far more, into six-figure sums.

Dentsides

1973-1979: Still on the late fourth-generation chassis, the sixth-generation F-Series pickups added some visual bulk as well as some refinements such as optional disc brakes, galvanized sheetmetal, a gas tank outside of the cab, and bigger 351, 400, and 460 V-8s. The Bronco migrated over to the sixth-generation platform right at the end of the generation, despite initial plans to do so much earlier. Perhaps more importantly, Ford added the Super Cab extended-cab body style to compete with Dodge’s Club Cab in 1975, the same year Ford also added the F-150 model designation. This generation also saw Ford overtake Chevrolet as the best-selling truck in the United States in 1977.

Naming Convention: Similar to the fifth-generation F-Series, the sixth-generation trucks are now universally known as the Dentsides.

Price Range: While we’ve seen high asking prices of up to $40,000, averages run $20,000 all day long, and like the Bumpsides, plenty of good sub-$10,000 Dentsides exist. Expect to see plenty of lifted, big-tired examples due to the Bigfoot effect. Classic.com reports sales in the low teens to upper $20,000 range with not as many upper-end outliers as the Bumpsides.

Bullnose

1980-1986: With the first all-new chassis since 1965, Ford made a number of significant changes to the F-Series. First, the solid-axle four-wheel-drive front end gave way to the Twin Traction Beam design. Second, Ford added a 6.9L diesel V-8 developed with International Harvester for the F-250 and F-350, the first oil burner for Ford light-duty trucks. The F-100 model designation went away early in the generation, though Ford added a Blue Oval badge to the grille that has remained on full-size Ford pickups ever since.

Naming Convention: From focusing on the sides, Ford truck enthusiasts now started to direct their attention to the schnozz with the Bullnose nickname. We’ve also occasionally seen these referred to as Slantnoses, but Bullnose seems to win out on the open market.

Price Range: The Hemmings Price Guide suggests an average asking price of $15,000, and our current crop of Bullnose classifieds seems to bear that out. Yeah, these used to be dirt cheap, but sub-$5,000 examples are the exception now rather than the norm. The trucks seem to top out at $20,000 in the majority of Classic.com’s reported sales.

Bricknose

1987-1991: Though riding the same chassis and using the same cab as the Bullnose, the eighth-generation F-Series started to transition into the high-tech era with composite headlamps, an entirely fuel-injected range of engines in 1988, an optional five-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel antilock brakes, not to mention the oh-so-Nineties Nite edition. Also of note: The F-Super Duty debuted with this generation, marking the first appearance of the bigger-than-an-F-350 line of Ford not-so-light-duty pickups.

Naming Convention: Bricknose

Price Range: While these typically lagged behind Bullnoses by a couple grand, now they’re easily fetching prices in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. Classic.com’s reported sales similarly fall into that range.

Aeronose / OBS

1992-1996: Still on the Bullnose frame, still using the same basic cab, still using the same basic engine lineup, the ninth-generation F-Series offered a few new talking points beyond the improved aerodynamics. The Flareside bed returned, albeit a sculptured double-wall take on the classic stepside. The International diesel gave way to Ford’s own turbocharged Powerstroke diesel. Meanwhile, the SVT Lightning debuted in this generation, adding a performance element not previously seen in Ford’s F-Series pickups. And thanks to Ross Roberts, the ninth-generation began a steady march toward comfort, luxury, and a parking spot in suburban driveways.

Naming Convention: Continuing the nose theme, some enthusiasts call ninth-generation F-Series pickups the Aeronose generation. However, the Old Body Style (OBS) nickname – a nickname also applied to GM’s GMT400 generation of pickups by its fans – is just as much, if not more popular. Yet one more point of contention in the never-ending Ford v. Chevy wars.

Price Range: Asking prices for Aeronose/OBS F-150s seem to range from the sub-$10,000 to $20,000 range, though, of course, expect to pay more for Lightnings. Classic.com reports sales in a slightly wider range, extending up to $25,000 or so.

PN-96 / Triton

1997-2003: Everything changed for the F-Series in 1997. The F-Super Duty models, previously just an extension of the light-duty trucks, split off into their own lineup with their own unique styling and engineering. The F-150, meanwhile, received new sleek styling, a totally reengineered chassis with fully independent front suspension for both two-wheel and four-wheel-drive models, and a completely revamped lineup of modular overhead-camshaft V-8s bearing the name Triton (along with one V-6, the first in the lineup since a brief two-year run in the early 1980s). Super Cab versions got rear-hinged doors, Ford added the Crew Cab to the half-ton in 2001, the Lightning returned, the Harley-Davidson and King Ranch special editions debuted, and Lincoln even borrowed the F-Series for the first time in 2002 for the one-year-only Blackwood.

Naming Convention: Ford’s internal designation for the 10th-generation F-Series, PN-96, might be well-known among hardcore Ford enthusiasts, but we’ve also seen this generation referred to as the Triton generation.

Price Range: For a truck that’s supposed to be at the bottom of its depreciation curve right about now, the PN-96 F-150s for sale on Hemmings.com show higher average prices than the prior few generations of F-Series. Pin that on the various special editions and the Lightning, all of which float average asking prices to $20,000 or so. Regular versions abound on the used vehicle market for much less. The recent sales reported by Classic.com seem to only include Harley-Davidson editions and Lightnings and pretty steadily remain guardrailed by $20,000 on the low end and $30,000 on the high end.

P221

2004-2008: All F-Series cabs, from regular to crew size, now featured four doors, even if the tiny rear doors on the regular cabs only permitted access to the area behind the seat. A brand-new chassis featured fully boxed frame rails, though the overhead-camshaft engine lineup continued with minor changes.

Naming Convention: Internally designated P221.

Price Range: Clean versions still trade hands for anywhere from $9,000 to $20,000, though as with the PN-96s, collectible examples – which now include tuned versions from Roush and Saleen – can command upwards of $40,000. Classic.com’s recent sales report shows similar prices.

P415

2009-2014: Styling elements from the Super Duty trucks started to filter down to the F-150s in the P221 generation (as did a 6.2L V-8), but became even more pronounced in the 12th generation F-Series. For the first time in the history of the F-Series, no manual transmission was available. In addition, at the outset of the generation, nothing less than a V-8 was available, though Ford eventually added a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 in 2011. The first Ford Raptor debuted in this generation as well, marking the switch from high-performance on-road trucks to high-performance off-road.

Naming Convention: Internally designated P415

Price Range: Asking prices on Hemmings.com generally hold at around $25,000, with Raptors commanding $40,000 to $50,000.

P552

2015-2020: The push for fuel economy ramped up with the 13th-generation F-Series. Bodies switched to aluminum to save weight while the engine lineup almost entirely flipped with no less than four gasoline V-6s, one diesel V-6, and a lone 5.0L Coyote V-8 engine option available during this generation. The Super Duty trucks that stood separate from the F-150s for the previous few generations folded back into the F-150 lineup in 2017.

Naming Convention: Internally designated P552

Price Range: Asking prices generally remain in the $30,000 to $40,000 range, though most of what you’re going to find on the collector car marketplace these days are fully loaded special editions and big-tire versions laden with aftermarket items. Raptors rapidly approaching if-you-have-to-ask-you-can’t-afford-it territory.

14th generation

2021-present: The cab and box carry over from the P552 generation, but everything else has been redesigned. The fuel-economy push continues with Ford’s first hybrid drivetrain in a light-duty truck – used to good effect in the recent Texas deep freeze – as well as the fully electric dual-motor Lightning for the 2022 model year.

Naming Convention: unknown

Price Range: MSRP starts at $31,500.

For a band so popular that fans have seemingly recorded every moment of its members’ lives, it’s odd that a number of mysteries still revolve around the four coachbuilt Mini Coopers built for The Beatles. Most notably, how has the one that belonged to John Lennon seemingly gone so irretrievably missing that it won’t be able to join the other three when they reunite at the London Classic Car Show for the first time in decades?

In fact, it’s not entirely known why the band’s manager, Brian Epstein, decided to gift the cars to the four young men from Liverpool. Some have suggested that Epstein intended the cars as Christmas presents, given that he registered the cars around the holidays in 1966. Beatles fan and collector Michael Hough suggested the Minis could have been bought for Epstein to celebrate the EMI record contract he finalized for the band in January 1967 or possibly as an apology for putting the band in harm’s way when he refused an invite from Imelda Marcos and subsequently caused riots in the Philippines in July 1966. Yet another theory posits that Epstein bought the cars because he was delighted after Queen Elizabeth II appointed all four members of the band to the Order of the British Empire. Or it could be that Epstein didn’t give the cars to the four Beatles after all and that they were actually gifts from EMI.

At least a couple of those theories don’t account for the fact that Epstein ordered the four cars from British coachbuilding firm Harold Radford & Co. of South Kensington and that the customization of the Minis would have required significant lead time. Some sources claim Epstein ordered the Minis as early as the spring of 1965, with the four delivered to him via his company, Brydor Cars, then transferred to the band members throughout the first half of 1967.

Radford, long known for its work on British luxury car chassis, had pivoted to offering upgraded and customized Minis that it sold as the Mini deVille starting in 1963, and customized each of the four Beatles Minis slightly differently. Ringo Starr’s Mini Cooper S received one of Radford’s hatchback conversions, ostensibly so he could fit a drum kit into the otherwise tight car, was painted maroon and silver, fitted with Volkswagen Beetle taillamps turned sideways, and was treated to additional work by British coachbuilder Hooper. George Harrison’s, originally painted metallic black, received a fabric sunroof, the same Volkswagen Beetle taillamps turned sideways as Starr’s, and a pair of driving lamps faired into the bonnet. Paul McCartney’s Cooper S, painted California Sage Green – an Aston Martin color – also received a Webasto sunroof along with Aston Martin taillamps presumably to match the DB5 he also owned. Lennon’s Cooper S, originally thought to have been painted black but also seen in two-tone green, was equipped with the sunroof, hatchback, and Aston Martin taillamps.

Harrison’s, registered as LGF 695D, not long after delivery received psychedelic paint inspired by Dutch design collective “The Fool,” which in turn inspired Harrison to similarly paint one side of his bungalow. In 1968 he gave it to Eric Clapton, who repainted it in something less decorative, but sometime in the 1970s Harrison got it back from Clapton and restored it to its prior paint. Harrison and Lennon, as the story goes, experienced their firs LSD trip in the car while driving home from a visit to a friend who had slipped the drug into their tea. Though Harrison died in 2001, the car remains in his widow Olivia’s possession. McCartney’s, registered as GGJ 382C, made its way to the United States in the 1970s, where it was first frequently spotted in the Hollywood area before subsequent owners restored it in the early 2000s, displayed it at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, then sold it via Worldwide’s 2018 Auburn auction for $236,500 (about £183,500 at the time), reportedly a world record for a Mini. Starr’s, registered as LLO 836D, remained in his possession until December 1968, after which it went on occasional display, saw a Naylor Brothers restoration in the early Nineties, and sold at the Bonhams Bond Street sale in December 2017 for £102,300 (about $180,000 at the time) to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

As for Lennon’s Mini, he’s seen driving up to EMI in December 1966 in the car registered as LGF 696D, painted all black with deep-tinted windows, similar to the all-black Rolls-Royce Phantom V that he commissioned in 1964. As Jeroen Booij at Maximum Mini pointed out, the Mini then appears in Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1968 film project “Look at Me” painted green and sans the tinted windows. After that is when the rumors take over. One rumor has it that Lennon gave the Mini to his assistant, whose boyfriend subsequently smashed the car. Another reports that Lennon gave it to his butler, who kept the car on his narrowboat as he traveled the UK before scrapping it. Others claim to have spotted it in Dublin or in Norfolk or in Holmfirth. Curiously, Booij and other Mini enthusiasts note that the DVLA database shows that LGF 696D remains registered though not on the road somewhere in Great Britain. More recently, Booij reported that Fred and Tony Waters of Nippy Cars in Somerset have been commissioned to build a replica of Lennon’s Mini, complete with hatchback, Aston Martin taillamps, and original Radford parts when possible.

While Booij speculated that the Lennon Mini replica could be ready in time to join the other three Minis at the London Classic Car Show, to date the show’s spokespeople have only confirmed Harrison’s, McCartney’s, and Starr’s, which they claim were reportedly last seen together in 1968 during rehearsals for the white album (ignoring the appearance of the three together at the 2019 Goodwood Revival). According to a London Classic Car Show press release, the display of the three Minis is meant to coincide with the 60th anniversary of “Please Please Me,” the group’s first album.

The show, which will also include a display to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Corvette, will take place February 24-26 in Olympia, Kensington. For more information, visit TheClassicCarShowUK.com.

Date: May 1979

Location: Akron, Ohio

Source: Ted Walls, via Summit Memory

What do you see here?

While the general public might have its issues with modern electric vehicles–range anxiety, charging infrastructure, and the mining of lithium for the batteries among them – gearheads who aren’t blind to the potential of all that torque right off the line seem to have one concern above all of those: Can EVs be hot-rodded and made to perform better? As with any vehicle, regardless of the energy source that turns the wheels, of course they can, but it’s the tradeoffs to watch out for.

As the Specialty Equipment Market Association recently noted, the EV aftermarket has steadily grown over the last few years, to the point where SEMA Electrified, a sort of show-within-a-show at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, now features several dozen exhibitors across 21,000 square feet of the convention center floor. “Many folks who were new to the electric market were both surprised and excited to see how far this segment of the industry had progressed,” said Luis Morales, SEMA’s director of vehicle technology.

One SEMA Electrified exhibitor, Neil Tjin, likened the growing EV aftermarket to an earlier scene that rapidly took off. “I feel like where we were in the Nineties with Hondas and four-bangers and all that,” he said. “It’s all still so new that I heard so many questions about batteries, wiring, and what the EV motors will fit in.”

He noted that when he took a customized Ford Mustang Mach-E to SEMA in 2021, EVs still felt too new for the aftermarket crowd, but that changed last year when he displayed his customized Ford Lightning. “People are getting more used to EVs there,” he said.

How are EVs being modded?

If the exhibitors in the SEMA Electrified display are any indication of overall trends in the EV aftermarket scene, then a significant portion of that scene is dedicated to electromodding older vehicles either via individual components such as motors and controllers, conversion kits, or conversion services offering turnkey vehicles. One exhibitor, Switch Vehicles, even built an entire EV kit car from the ground up during the weeklong SEMA show.

For newer EVs, however, exhibitors focused more on charging solutions, service equipment, testing equipment, safety tools, and accessories. Tjin’s Lightning is a good example of the focus on accessories: The brand-new truck with less than 100 miles on it was painted green and fitted with a Ford accessory electronic bed cover, a custom grille and headlamps, Air Design roof and bed spoilers, a Thule bike rack and awning, Recaro seats, ARB air compressor, PowerTank air compressor, an electric grill, and even an ARB refrigerator and freezer. Underneath, Tjin had Baer six-piston front and rear brakes installed along with a Custom Air Lift suspension to drop the pickup over its 24-inch Vossen wheels and 295/45-24 Nitto Recon Grappler AT tires. The idea, Tjin said, was to build “the ultimate EV vehicle that does it all.”

Similarly, a scan of the leading Tesla aftermarket parts sources shows that hard parts for Teslas – beyond carbon-fiber trim pieces and other dress-up or utility accessories – are largely relegated to brake kits and suspension packages. The Nissan Leaf – at one point the all-time top-selling electric vehicle and a car that benefits from parts-bin sharing with other Nissan vehicles – sees little aftermarket support beyond floormats and charging adapters.

Wrenching, coding, or both?

Nevertheless, DIYers are beginning to find ways to juice the drivetrains of the EVs that have his the market over the last dozen years or so. Daniel Öster, better known as Dala from the YouTube channel Dala’s EV Repair, is one example. After a series of higher-capacity battery upgrades on Nissan Leafs, BMW i3s, and other EVs, he started to explore inverter swaps as a way of extracting more power out of older 80kW (110hp) Leaf drivetrains. The physical aspect of the swap is simple, with inverters from later Leafs bolting directly in place of their earlier counterparts, though the coding necessary to unlock the newer inverters’ full potential can be daunting. Still, the results are nothing to sneeze at, with output of up to 160 kilowatts (215 horsepower) possible. Öster discovered that even a 110kW (148hp) inverter swap cuts roughly a second and a half off of a Leaf’s 0-60 time.

Component upgrades like Öster’s inverter swap aren’t the only way for hotrodders to modify an EV for power and speed. Companies like Ingenext offer products like the Ghost that Öster describes as “man-in-the-middle CAN attack messages,” while other EVs like the Volkswagen eGolf can output more power with re-flashed computers.

One could also just pay for increased performance via a touchscreen. Tesla offers performance upgrades via software upgrades enabled by over-the-air updates and purchases. The Acceleration Boost upgrade, for instance, drops a Model 3’s 0-60 time from 4.2 to 3.7 seconds and costs $2,000. Dodge’s Tim Kuniskis has said that the brand will similarly offer tiered over-the-air performance upgrades for its upcoming performance EV and that the upgrades will be tied to the car’s VIN in an effort to lock out third-party tuners.

So what are the drawbacks?

Range, mainly. “Your battery might run out quicker due to all the improved acceleration and burnouts,” Öster noted.

Even Tjin, who left the drivetrains and electrical systems on both his Lightning and Mach-E entirely stock, has had to contend with reduced range due to his modifications. On the drive back home from SEMA, the 300-mile range that he anticipated from a perfectly stock Lightning (the EPA rates the Lightning’s range at 230 miles with the standard battery pack and 320 miles with the extended range battery pack) dwindled to 170 miles from a full charge thanks to the extra 1,000 pounds of accessories and the larger wheels and tires. He’s since shed a number of accessories from its display state so that it’s only carrying an additional 500 pounds or so and has seen the truck’s range on a full charge increase to about 250 miles. “It’s not terrible,” he said. “But the wheels and the weight do play a factor.”

Despite his likening it to the Nineties import tuner scene, Tjin said he sees EVs taking a different trajectory. “I see EVs right now as wheels, tires, sublte upgrades, maybe a wrap, but as builders, owners, shops and manufactures get more educated on EVs, I see them becoming more full builds,” he said. “The EV space also offers something different than the ’90s, because a lot of old school cars are undergoing EV swaps, which will give the EV space a huge demographic of builders and cars.”

Öster hasn’t discussed specific range limitations due to his modifications, but then again, he’s also upgraded from the stock 24 kWh battery to a later 62kWh unit and has started to explore how to adapt the Leaf’s original CHAdeMO fast charger with the increasingly more common CCS type fast charger using i3 components.

Indeed, maybe the future of EV modification isn’t as focused on power and speed as it is on extending range and adapting newer EV technology to older cars. After all, maybe all that torque right off the line is enough.

Remember the early days of the new-generation Charger, its 2006 launch, and how much grumping people did over the idea that it wasn’t a coupe? Today, the modern four-door Charger has lasted longer than the original B-body coupes it shares a name with. It’s such a quaint argument today, in the face of its imminent demise.

The Widebody-equipped Charger Scat Pack, its 485-hp 6.4-liter naturally aspirated V-8, and its 3.5-inch-wider body have been around for a few years now. It’s changed little: 0-60 times in 4.3 seconds, 12.4-second quarter miles, an eye-opening .98 g on the skidpad. The extra width allows 305/35ZR20 Pirelli tires and 20 x 11-inch forged-aluminum wheels on all corners, along with six-piston Brembo front brakes (with two-piece front rotors) and suspension upgrades like Bilstein three-mode adaptive damping. The power is more than enough to put traffic in your mirror when the light goes green — even a gentle toe on the throttle will send you hurtling forth — and cornering is sharp enough to get around Grandma Ciera and her timid attempt at merging onto an on-ramp. The mandatory eight-speed automatic, left to its own devices, is happy to hold gears under WOT — but will spring through the first half of its gearset in seconds under gentler conditions.

Photo by Jeff Koch

It’s everything you’ve come to expect from a Charger. Comfy seats designed for large American frames. Brembo brakes that stop you dead from freeway speeds while behaving themselves around town. An exhaust note that’s actually pretty mellow at idle — unless you’re standing outside the car, like your neighbors who have suddenly stopped talking to you. The 121-inch wheelbase allows a near-limo-like ride over all but the most truck-rutted pavement (hello, SR95 South between Baghdad, Arizona, and Kingman, Arizona), and while you never don’t feel its heft in the corners, the notion that a car so big can feel so nimble remains a pleasure — and not a little astonishing.

It hasn’t changed much, maybe in part because it hasn’t had to. What’s here is terrific fun. Also, there are no other competitive domestic sedans to speak of: Ford stopped spitting out Crown Vics for grandpa in 2009 (and for the police in 2011), and the Holden-built Chevrolet SS split town half a decade ago. Dodge’s Charger — any Charger, from the basest V-6 to the hairiest Hellcat Redeye — is very much the last of its breed. Whether it’s any good or not is almost beside the point; luckily for the car-buying public, it is. The Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody Hemi Orange edition is a fun piece of four-wheeled hooliganism, backed by a payment plan and a warranty booklet.

Photo by Jeff Koch

Our Scat Pack Charger started at $47,385 — less than $100 per horsepower — but was optioned up to $64,635 including the $1,595 delivery charge. How? The Scat Pack Widebody package is $5,995 (pricing unchanged since the package launched on Challengers in 2018, so… bargain?) and seems worth it; other Chargers look base and naked and narrow and tall without the flares. Pirelli tires are included in the package, but our test car’s three-season P-Zero 305/35ZR20 rubber is an additional $695 — they felt great when the sun was out, but we felt slightly adrift driving in the rain as we hydroplaned our way out of town. The worthwhile Plus Group gathers a bunch of interior-convenience options, from ventilated seats to a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, for $2,095. Adding $1,595 for the Carbon/ Suede interior package (just a suede headliner and a handful of “Real Carbon Fiber interior accents”) remains a less convincing way to spend your cash. The $890 Driver Convenience group, complementing the HID headlamps with a set of locking lug nuts, just sounds silly. For $995, the Navigation and Travel Package also includes five years of Sirius/XM, and we’d have to have a car without the 19-speaker Harmon Kardon Audio Group to determine whether it’s worth the $1,795 asking price. Battleship grey paint — sorry, “Smoke Show” — was $95. (Really?) A bunch of the spiffs listed in the Hemi Orange package already came in the Plus Group: ventilated power front chairs with two-way lumbar for the passenger, heated rear seats, and rear-seat armrests with illuminated cupholders from the Plus group. You’re essentially paying $1,500 for orange stitching and accents, plus the over-the-top stripe. It’s not numbered — the big 392 on the instrument panel and front fenders doesn’t count. Will Dodge build few enough that it’s worth it, either now, or 30 years down the road through the Hemmings classifieds?

Photo by Jeff Koch

It may not be a bad play. I’ve gotten more thumbs-up in this pavement-grey Charger than I did in either of the two poppin’ blue Hellcat-powered Chargers I had previously. All of those thumbs were attached to 50-plus-year-old hands, save for one 12-year-old boy who called this Dodge his dream car. Are they aware it’s going away? Are they responding to some sort of a statement that, in the face of imminent automotive electrification, I’m throwing my weight behind good old-fashioned dino-juice power? Do they know? Do they care? Or did the old duffs throwing thumbs-up simply like the orange stripe and badges?

The shame of it all is that the Charger isn’t disappearing because it’s not selling well. Rather, as Stellantis (Dodge’s latest international conglomerate of an owner) keeps its eye on 2030 — just seven years away now — when new internal-combustion cars will stop selling in Europe, it needs to develop electric-powered vehicles and get them ready for prime-time. Presumably the assembly process isn’t flexible enough to handle both electric and internal-combustion cars on the same line, or else surely these cash cows would continue until they were legislated out of existence.

Regardless, all of the angry message-board posts and hand-wringing over the Charger being a sedan is suddenly a little beside the point when 1) there’s a Challenger to suit the two-door need, 2) Dodge somehow did just fine with a Charger sedan, and 3) they’re both going away at the end of the model year. Shame it took killing the platform to do it.

A 1912 Simplex Torpedo Tourer blew all other Bonhams’ sales out of the water at the Scottsdale Auction on Saturday, January 28. Hammering down at $4,845,000, the explosive auction doubled its initial dollar estimate and set a world record for brass era vehicle sales.

The car represents the pinnacle of early U.S. sports cars with its original coachwork and dramatic styling. Its performance, including a ground-pounding 50-hp, surpassed most vehicles even decades later. It was first owned by legendary pre-war American sportswoman Eleonora Sears, one of the first women to drive a race car and the first woman to contest a speeding ticket. During her 25-plus year ownership and into the present day, the history-rich Simplex is held in high regard by collectors.

The five-passenger Eleonora Sears 1912 Simplex Torpedo Tourer was the top lot to cross the auction block at Scottsdale. Nipping at its tires as the top supercar sale was a 2006 Maserati MC12 Corse, the ultimate track day car modeled after the GT1 race car and one of only a dozen Corse models produced. Barely touched since it rolled out of the factory, this like-new 123-mile example sped away at full-throttle for $4.1 million.

1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400 concept carMatthew Litwin

The late John White’s prestigious Ramshead Collection also captivated Bonhams bidders, collectively selling for $3 million. Commanding attention in the collection amongst three other mid-century Chrysler Ghia show cars was a futuristic one-off 1957 Super Dart 400 concept. The fin-adorned four-wheeled space shuttle brought $819,000, while its stablemates, a 1954 Chrysler Ghia GS-1 Coupe (one of five survivors) and a 1962 Chrysler Ghia L6.4 sold for $802,000 and $577,000 respectively.

1953 Siata 208S SpiderMatthew Litwin

Another highlight from the weekend’s auction was a 1953 Siata 208S Spider sporting a superb factory-correct restoration, which earned numerous class awards at prestigious events such as the Pebble Beach and Amelia Island Concours. This stellar example of the revered Etceterini classic, the 18^th of just 33 Motto-bodied Spiders built, sold for $1.5 million.

The above sales set off Bonhams’ U.S. season opener at Scottsdale with a bang. A total of $30 million in auction earnings crossed the block, with 84% of the 140 lots sold, 97% by value. “This has been a promising start to the year,” said Rupert Banner, Bonhams Group Motoring Director, “We were proud to have presented such a strong sale, of such high-quality material spanning pre-war material to supercar content.”

Reminiscent of the dreamy sports car posters that adorned countless bedroom walls, this Porsche 933 currently for sale is the real deal. It lives up to its stance as a childhood hero with the rare WLS 2 package, only offered from the factory for 1998. The WLS 2 package, or Works Performance Increase 2, equips this 933 with larger K24 turbochargers, an additional oil cooler, and GT2 technology to match the Turbo S output of 450-hp. Just 20-25% of the approximately 550 933 Turbo models were equipped with this package, which makes the 933 Turbo WLS 2 one of the rarest models from the 933 series. It is arguably one of the most exhilarating cars in air-cooled history.

There’s no feeling like being pushed back into the driver’s seat when throttling out in an air-cooled 911 Turbo, but when fast-spooling twin-turbos kick in, it really shifts the driving experience into gear. Porsche integrated twin-turbochargers for the first time with the 933 model by installing a turbocharger in each cylinder bank instead of depending on one larger turbo to kick up the boost. The 933 also marks the last air-cooled model offered by Porsche. While it represents the end of an era, this car is ready to start a new chapter for another lucky owner.

This stunning Glacier White 933 Turbo is a rarity in terms of condition, history, and added upgrades over the years. A dealer-fitted GT rear spoiler and iconic Porsche Classic II wheels enhance the childhood hero poster appeal. Although the original cassette stereo is in working order, the driver will likely prefer to take in the sounds from the car’s upgraded full RUF exhaust. According to the seller, the interior is re-conditioned like new, and the car received a recent oil change. It runs on premium gasoline and parts are still readily available, making this exceptional vehicle an ideal candidate for sports car enthusiast.

If you want to learn more about this car and its availability, check out the listing here, or check out other cool cars for sale.

Date: May 1974

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

Source: via City of Vancouver Archives

What do you see here?

Most people don’t go without experiencing their first automobile ride until the age of eight. Most people don’t experience their first automobile ride in a Tatra T77. Andy Simo wasn’t most people. However, he did display the same fondness that most people have for significant cars from their youth, a fondness that led to the no-expense-spared restoration of the early-build 1934 Tatra T77 that Amelia Island will auction this spring.

The T77 is really a car without precedent. Described as the first production car built with aerodynamic principles in mind (if one ignores Rumpler’s 1921 Tropfenwagen), Hans Ledwinka and Paul Jaray’s T77 – a larger and far more luxurious version of the V570 people’s car prototype they built for Czech automaker Tatra – had benefited from development in the same wind tunnels that Zeppelin used to test its rigid airship designs. Scale models showed that the T77’s design could achieve a coefficient of drag as low as 0.245 (about the same as a Tesla Model S), though when it debuted in 1934, its coefficient of drag measured 0.36 (comparable to a second-generation Volkswagen Jetta). Still, compared to its contemporaries, it was radically slippery, and Ledwinka took advantage of its reduced wind resistance to power the large car sitting on a 124-inch wheelbase with a relatively small 2968cc V-8.

Jaromír Czernin-Morzin’s Tatra T77 on its Italian Alps tourPhoto courtesy Million-Dollar-Tatra.com

How important was the Tatra T77?

Nor were the T77’s aerodynamics the car’s only compelling engineering feature. Ledwinka placed that V-8 in the rear of the car, thus negating the need for a driveshaft tunnel, allowing the passengers to sit lower in the car and improving the car’s handling with a lower center of gravity. He also specified a modified version of Tatra’s now-signature backbone chassis that incorporated independent suspension front and rear, hemispherical combustion chambers for the 59hp air-cooled dry-sump walking-beam overhead-valve V-8, extensive use of the same magnesium alloy that formed the body of the long-lost 1935 Bugatti Aerolithe, and – at least for the prototypes and some early production vehicles – a central driver’s position. Its top speed of 90 miles per hour was remarkable, but far more has been made of the influence that the T77 (along with other advanced vehicles of that era) had on Ferdinand Porsche and his air-cooled, rear-engine, streamlined vehicles.

Tatra built just 105 or 106 T77s before releasing the updated T77a with its larger 75hp 3377cc V-8 in 1935 (and then the thoroughly updated T87 in 1936), so the young Andy Simo’s first ride was in an exceptionally rare car. As with many vehicles in Czechoslovakia, particularly luxury cars, many T77s were appropriated by invading forces during World War II and by Communist Party leaders in the decades afterward, leading to a low survival rate and to minimal records regarding the ones that did survive. Of those 105 or 106, just four restored and drivable examples were known to exist. Simo’s now makes it five.

According to the Tatra Museum in Koprivnice, the car, chassis number 23014, was the ninth production T77 chassis. A Czech count, Jaromír Czernin-Morzin, bought it new with the specific goal of touring the Italian Alps as part of a dual-T77 excursion that, according to Simo’s research, turned into an informal reliability test and proto-reality show as the Czech public followed the Tatras’ travails, almost expecting one or the other to drop out due to the challenging mountain passes. Czernin sold the T77 in 1936, and Simo’s research doesn’t pick up its trail again until the mid-Seventies, when its then owner took it off the road and stored it away in a barn in Slovakia. German collector car dealer Axel Schütte then bought the T77 in 2005, displayed it at the Essen Classic Motor Show the year after, and sold it to Simo in 2007.

Just a couple of years after young Simo took that first Tatra ride, he and his family emigrated from their small village outside of Bratislava to the United States. He eventually graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue in 1961 after which, according to his biography, he worked for Boeing, Lockheed, and Martin-Marietta before a career pivot to designing and manufacturing archery products. Along the way, he collected a number of classics but, attributing his interest and expertise in aeronautics to the T77 he once rode in, always kept an eye out for a T77 to restore.

The Restoration of T77 23014

The one that he bought, which featured standard right-hand-drive steering and an optional Webasto sunroof, had indeed required a full restoration, one that would require more than just and engine rebuild and new paint and upholstery. Stripping it down revealed that at some point it had been in a “significant” collision with one chassis component looking as though somebody had welded it back together after stick of dynamite scattered it. Even worse, corrosion and cracking had compromised parts of the backbone chassis and though the original ash framing underneath the body panels remained, it had rotted so severely that much of it had to be replaced.

“So few T77s survived World War II that there was no available cache of parts from donor cars,” Simo wrote.

Nevertheless, in 2012 he had the T77 dismantled and examined before it was 3D scanned both with and without body panels installed to create a detailed CAD model of the wooden body structure. That model, along with the existing wood framing pieces, was sent to a specialist in France who replicated the rotted pieces. In 2016, Simo relocated the Tatra from its first restoration shop to International Auto Restoration in Oak Lawn, Illinois, where Dan McMahon and his team then reassembled the body panels to the wood work and proceeded to fabricate new box sections to splice into the undamaged sections of the chassis. Only two of the car’s original 16-inch steel disc wheels remained with it, so Simo had three new wheels fabricated to the originals’ specifications.

While the timeworn body remained in decent shape overall, it still required a scratch built engine cover, complete with fin, and Simo decided to fill in the sunroof opening rather than contend with the sunroof’s known fitment issues. While remnants of the original interior showed that it had been finished in light tan leather, Simo also chose to deviate from the car’s original specifications with gray leather, which was also available from the factory.

Fortunately, the engine and transaxle remained sound, according to Simo, though a number of components had to be replaced. Without a ready supply of replacement parts, Simo had new pistons, connecting rods, and valves machined, though he somehow located a new-old stock carburetor in the Czech Republic and found a replacement Bendix starter.

Simo, unfortunately, died in May 2017 and never got to see or ride in the completed Tatra. Rather than try to offload an in-progress restoration, his family decided to press on, ultimately finishing the car this past autumn, before putting the car up for sale. “His wife Cherie, daughter Melanie, and son Steven understood Andy’s passion for excellence and his love for this unusual automobile that had such a profound effect on Andy’s life,” according to Million-Dollar-Tatra.com, the website chronicling the car’s restoration.

The Tatra will cross the block as part of RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction, that auction house’s last sale at the Amelia Island concours weekend. RM Sotheby’s has not announced a pre-auction estimate for the Tatra, though the URL of the car’s website should give an indication of what the Simo family expects the car to sell for. The RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction will take place March 4 at 4171 Amelia Island Parkway in Fernandina Beach, Florida. For more information, visit RMSothebys.com.

Your week is off to a great start because you made the time to check out this week’s Hemmings Auctions Roundup. Thirty-eight new listings ran through our online auctions between Sunday, January 22, and Saturday, January 28, and we saw a sell-through rate of 63 percent. Of the 24 that sold, 6 were post-auction Make Offer listings. View the latest consignments and consider placing your bids after subscribing to the daily Hemmings Auctions newsletter.

1978 Pontiac Trans Am

Reserve: $22,500

Selling Price: $27,300

Recent Market Range: $20,100-$29,500

There’s no end to enthusiasts’ affection for the late-Seventies Trans Am, as this show-quality 1978 coupe proved. It sparked a flurry of comments (34!) and bids (11!) that resulted in it easily surpassing its reserve to sell well. The believed-numbers-matching Pontiac had one repaint with minor blemishes, and proudly sported the model’s trademark bold decals. Its Carmine velour-upholstered interior looked great and all its accessories still worked, although the speedometer was noted to read 5-mph low. This former-museum car’s 180-hp, 400-cu.in. V-8 and automatic transmission operated properly, and tires were reasonably fresh. Ample documentation, window sticker included, sealed the deal.

1951 Austin Atlantic A90

Reserve: $17,000

Selling Price: $26,250

Recent Market Range: $19,100-$21,500

Whether it was the stunning presentation of this Atlantic A90 Coupe that fascinated bidders, or the car itself, the little Austin managed to rocket past its recent market range. What caused the fuss? The reportedly never-rusted Canadian-market two-door came out of single-family ownership and enjoyed an extensive, expensive restoration circa-2000 that left it looking and running great. Minor noteworthy niggles included a bit of paint touch-up, some creasing in the leather seats, and cracks in the plastic steering wheel. A stack of documentation included maintenance records and restoration receipts. Bidders recognized what a special story this rare car represented and acted accordingly.

1928 Oakland Model 212

Reserve: None

Selling Price: $11,813

Recent Market Range: $7,000-$12,000

Few remember the venerable General Motors brand whose junior subsidiary, Pontiac, would outlive it by 79 years. Oakland cars were quietly powerful and enjoyed dignified styling, as this 1928 Landau Coupe demonstrated. It was a previously restored car that was driven, but its 228-cu.in. inline-six engine was immobile at the time of auction from an undiagnosed fuel or timing issue. While it generally presented very well with an intact mohair-upholstered interior, the car was noted to have some flaking exterior paint, old tires, and nonfunctioning lighting. The seller suggested re-lining the brakes before driving this Model 212, too. Despite those demerits, the rare Oakland sold strongly.

2004 Maserati Coupe

Reserve: $23,500

Selling Price: $25,463

Recent Market Range: $20,000-$31,000

While some cognoscente consider the Maserati Coupe to be akin to a four-seat Ferrari gran turismo, the Maserati’s value is a pittance compared to that of an equivalent product from Maranello. This 2004 model appeared nearly new, backed up by the sub-8,000-mile odometer reading; a few paint chips were its only noted exterior flaws. The four-place interior was swathed in medium-blue leather from sill to (and including) ceiling, and all accessories were promised to work. The 385-hp V-8 was mated to a Cambiocorsa automated manual gearbox, and no leaks or flaws were disclosed; the suspension and brakes were likewise up to snuff. The hammer price of this Maserati was a bargain as expected.

2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS

Reserve: $20,000

Selling Price: $25,463

Recent Market Range: $27,500-$42,500

The modern Camaro SS convertible is desirable in its own right, but Richard Petty’s firm, Petty’s Garage, made this 2SS Dusk Special Edition even more special. The 2013 Chevy had been driven a bit over 43,000 miles, but there appeared very little evidence of such. The Blue Ray Metallic paint was called “9.5 out of 10,” the matching top had little wear, and the special Dusk Mojave leather upholstery was “great;” Mr. Petty even autographed the dash. The 6.3-liter V-8 had upgraded parts, was dyno’d at 348 hp, and it and the unmodified automatic ran like new. A lowered suspension and 22-inch wheels were present, but stock parts went with the car. This Camaro offered huge bang for the buck.

1947 Buick Super 8

Reserve: $76,000

Selling Price: $85,050

Recent Market Range: N/A

Street rods and restomods blending vintage sheetmetal with modern performance have enduring appeal, as evidenced by the stout hammer price for this postwar Buick 56-C convertible. Outside of the body, little remained from 1947: the engine was a 2002 GM LS V-8, the transmission a four-speed 4l60E, the suspension featured Ride Tech air components, and the wheels were 18- and 20-inch alloys. The Super 8’s interior was notably updated with leather-wrapped bucket seats, a console, and Vintage Air A/C. Turning heads were the Red Wine metallic paint and black cloth folding roof, with gleaming chrome for contrast. A mere 272 miles were added so far, leaving the winning bidder to hit the open road.