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    Collector Cars in the Crescent City: Barrett-Jackson’s Inaugural New Orleans Auction

    Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions today announced that it is bringing its world-renowned automotive lifestyle event to Louisiana in 2023 for the auction company’s inaugural New Orleans Auction, September 28-30, at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The inaugural event marks Barrett-Jackson’s first auction in the state of Louisiana and will feature all the excitement and amenities the auction company is famous for, including an exceptionally diverse docket of collectible vehicles, live auction action, VIP hospitality options, the vast exhibitor marketplace and exhilarating hot laps and thrill rides with leading automotive manufacturers.

    “The city of New Orleans is a perfect location for a Barrett-Jackson auction, and I’m thrilled to bring our automotive lifestyle events to the Crescent City in September,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Barrett-Jackson is all about creating the highest level of excitement around the collector car hobby and bringing it to multiple generations of guests, both current and future automotive enthusiasts. The city of New Orleans is a destination that embodies the same level of excitement and will elevate our events particularly for the tens of thousands of guests that will travel to the great state of Louisiana from around the world.”

    Similar to Barrett-Jackson’s other auction locations in Scottsdale, Palm Beach and Las Vegas, New Orleans has long been a popular destination for travelers worldwide and is a community familiar with hosting major, world-class events. In addition to its famed annual festivals like Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the city has also welcomed ten Super Bowls, which is the second-most of any city in the United States, nine Men’s and Women’s NCAA Final Four events, five college football national championship games since 1999 and has annually hosted the iconic Sugar Bowl since 1935.

    “The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is a leading event destination for visitors from across the world and we are delighted to welcome the iconic Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction to New Orleans this fall for the very first time,” said Convention Center President Michael J. Sawaya. “For more than 50 years, this event has brought together millions of devoted automotive enthusiasts and I’m certain their energy and excitement will be well suited for the lively, fun-loving culture we cultivate here in the Crescent City.”

    The inaugural New Orleans Auction will be held at the award-winning New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the sixth largest convention facility in the United States. Blocks away from the must-see National WWII Museum and nestled within the heart of New Orleans’ festive atmosphere, the world-famous French Quarter and several architecturally significant and distinct neighborhoods are just minutes away, as well as dozens of hotels and hundreds of shops and restaurants representing the best of New Orleans culture and cuisine.

    “I can’t wait to see the level of excitement that New Orleans and Barrett-Jackson collectively will bring together as we ignite this hobby once again for our inaugural event in September,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “This city is such a vibrant and culturally rich community. Our guests traveling from all over the world, as well as the millions tuning in to the event around the world on television, have something truly special to look forward to.”

    VIP Experience packages for the inaugural New Orleans Auction are available here. Advance tickets and hotel package information for the event will be available soon. Those interested in consigning their collector vehicle may learn more here and guests looking to register to bid may find additional information here.

    Join Barrett-Jackson’s online conversation with #BarrettJackson and #BJAC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

    Find of the Day: Is the Fastest Factory ‘60s Muscle Car a B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda?

    When posed with the question, “What was the fastest factory muscle car of the 1960s and ‘70s?” One might consider the 1964 Pontiac GTO, 1964 Dodge Polara 500, Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet, the Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake or the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454, but rarely does the B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda get a mention.

    If the ‘68 Super Stock Barracuda didn’t come to mind, all is forgiven. After all, Plymouth only made 50 examples of this brutal muscle car. Would you believe it if I told you one example is currently listed for sale on Hemmings?

    Plymouth built the Hemi-powered Barracuda race cars to keep up with the escalating Super Stock competitions of the late- ‘60s. All 50 of the factory-built, stripped-down race cars had VINs starting with the “B029” designation. Each was equipped with a 426-cu.in. Hemi V8 engine with a cross-ram-style dual-four-barrel induction system, along with a number of performance upgrades. Total output was publicly rated at 425 horsepower, but it is suggested that the setup is capable of at least 170 more horses.

    According to the seller of this 1968 Plymouth Barracuda, it is an authentic B029 car with a rich racing history, and it has been driven by some of the best-known Super Stock drivers, including Harry Holton, Jim DeFrank, Judy Lilly and others. It has set several brag-worthy national records and earned many NHRA event wins.

    As the listing states, it appears to be a well-documented B029 factory race car with a successful competition history and a legacy as one of the ultimate factory-built weapons in the historic take-no-prisoners Super Stock wars of the ‘60s. Check out the full details here.

    B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock Muscle Car

    B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock Muscle Car

    B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock Muscle Car

    B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock Muscle Car

    B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock Muscle Car

    B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock Muscle Car

    B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock Muscle Car

    B029 Hemi-Powered 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock Muscle Car

    Interesting Finds: $1,000,000 Porsche Baja 911

    The AutoHunter Cinema feature today takes us through a Russell Built Fabrication Baja 911. Russell Built Fabrication specializes in customizing Porsches inspired by the road racing success from the 1980s. The SoCal shop, which has produced and fabricated components for Singer Vehicle Design for years, based this Baja 911 on the 964 Porsche 911. Power comes from a Rothsport Racing 3.8-liter flat-six producing 365 horsepower. A novel feature includes Ford Raptor levels of suspension travel to handle both rattlesnakes and moguls. While prices start around $500,000, this particular vehicle was bought for $1,000,000.

    Watch more AutoHunter Cinema videos, and get updates on the latest by subscribing to the YouTube channel.

    Pick of the Day: 1993 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

    Rarely does a vehicle come as a two-for-one package deal, but we found on that does.

    The Pick of the Day is a low-mileage 1993 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Naples, Florida. (Click the link to view the listing)

    “Only 10,500 miles, NCRS Top Flight award grand total score 9.5,” the listing states. And best of all, this C4 Corvette comes with a second vehicle – in 1:18 scale diecast form, anyway.

    This Corvette comes from the fourth generation which debuted for model year 1984 with assembly taking place in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The C4 had a completely new Y-body chassis with sleeker styling and, an electronic digital dashboard, and revised suspension architecture. A high-performance ZR1 variant of the C4 was produced in collaboration with Group Lotus, an engineering consultant firm, starting in 1990.

    The window sticker on this C4 ZR1 shows that it was originally shipped to Grabiak Chevrolet in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania. Included in the performance package were unique 17-inch styled aluminum wheels, a heavy-duty brake system, model-specific side body panels, leather seats, a Delco audio system, and solar tinted glass. This car also came with an optional $950 removable roof panel.

    The most defining characteristic of the ZR1 was under its hood, where a unique motor – dubbed the LT5 – took the existing 5.7-liter L98 V8 and upgraded it with four overhead camshafts, 32 valves, and a unique air management system. The result was a strong output of 375 horsepower and 370 lb-ft of torque. Three years later, output was ramped up to an even more potent 405 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

    Even though this ‘Vette has exceptionally low mileage, it has still received its fair share of recent servicing. The cruise control, stereo system, air conditioning, seats, and suspension were worked on by a ZR1 specialty shop according to the seller’s itemized list.

    Cosmetically, the car is about as good as any 30-year-old vehicle can possibly be. The National Corvette Restorers’ Society (NCRS) awarded the car with “Top Flight” honors, and a certificate of that achievement is included with the sale. Also included is a promotional VHS tape in case you have a VCR!

    The seller is asking $55,000 or best offer for this low-mileage ZR1 — AND its scaled down sibling.

    To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

    Jeep Unveils 5 New Concept Vehicles for East Jeep Safari 2023

    For all the resources of a global automaker at their disposal, the team at Jeep behind the Easter Jeep Safari concepts aren’t all that different from the Jeep owners building up their rigs in their garages. They go on trail rides, they drive their Jeeps every day, and they even find out that it takes much longer to resurrect a clapped-out old four-by than they initially expect. The heavily modified 1978 Jeep SJ Cherokee two-door debuting this weekend alongside several other concept and modified Jeeps was supposed to roll out last year, but the extensive work needed pushed it back to this spring.

    “It was a piece of junk,” said Mark Allen, the head of Jeep’s exterior design studio, said in regards to the donor truck that his team bought off Craigslist with no engine for $2,500. “But it had everything we needed.”

    What they needed, as it turned out, wasn’t much. The team rolled the stock SJ chassis out from underneath it and rolled a chassis from a 2022 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe underneath it. The Wrangler’s plug-in hybrid 2.0L drivetrain, good for 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, remained intact, as did the Wrangler’s front and rear axles and even its dash and bumpers. It sits higher than a stock Wrangler thanks, in part to the 37-inch BF Goodrich KM3 Mud-Terrain tires mounted to custom wheels that mimic the look of Seventies Jeep five-slot mag-style wheels.

    1978 Jeep SJ Cherokee 4xe concept

    1978 Jeep SJ Cherokee 4xe concept

    1978 Jeep SJ Cherokee 4xe concept

    1978 Jeep SJ Cherokee 4xe

    Nor did the two-door Cherokee’s body get much of a reprieve as the team “enhanced the line work” on it, Allen said. After 3D scanning the entire Cherokee, Allen’s team shifted the wheelwells further toward the corners to mate the body with the Wrangler’s 8-inch-longer wheelbase and hiked them upward to clear those 37-inch tires. The roof benefited from a three-inch pancaking, which the team then molded in carbon fiber. Gone were the rear side windows and much of the blacked-out sheetmetal panel around them in favor of open-air sides. Even the “razor” grille, like what would have appeared on the Cherokee from the factory, got cut down and treated to a matte gray finish. “We used very little (of the Cherokee’s original) sheetmetal in the end,” Allen said.

    The rear seats were removed to make it a two-seater and to make more room for the full-size spare. Finishing touches include an AMC Gremlin fuel filler cap and a paint scheme that gives the rig what Allen called “an unmistakable Seventies vibe.”

    This marks the second time Jeep has used a 1978 SJ Cherokee for an Easter Jeep Safari concept; back in 2009, the brand showed off a Cherokee Chief fitted with a 6.1-liter Hemi. An SJ Wagoneer also served as the basis for an Easter Jeep Safari concept in 2018.

    Jeep Magneto 3.0 concept

    Jeep Magneto 3.0 concept

    Jeep Magneto 3.0 concept

    Jeep Magneto 3.0 concept

    Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe concept

    Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe concept

    Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe concept

    Jeep Departure concept

    Jeep Departure concept

    Jeep Departure concept

    Jeep Departure concept

    Magneto 3.0

    As for the rest of the 2023 Easter Jeep Safari concept lineup, more rigs feature electrification of some sort than Hemis this year. There’s the Magneto 3.0, a followup to the fully electric concepts of 2021 and 2022, which features the Magneto 2.0’s wheelbase stretch, a 70 kWh battery, an axial-flux motor good for as much as 650 horsepower, and a TR6060 six-speed manual transmission out of a Dodge Hellcat that has been built to race specs, Allen said. This will also be the final iteration of the Magneto, Allen said, and while no production version will be forthcoming, that’s only because the Recon EV is on its way for 2024.

    (The added red accents weren’t intended to mimic AMC’s red, white, and blue color scheme, Allen said, though he appreciated the similarities.)

    Beyond the Cherokee above, Jeep’s Wrangler 4xe also serves as the basis for two other Easter Jeep Safari concepts: a Rubicon 4xe with an Accuair airbag suspension and a purplish-pink paint color that Jeep described as “chromatic magenta;” and the Departure, a Rubicon 4xe with tube doors and a tube tailgate.

    Jeep Scrambler 392 concept

    Jeep Scrambler 392 concept

    Jeep Scrambler 392 concept

    Jeep Scrambler 392 concept

    Scrambler 392

    The bright green rendering that Jeep released as a teaser earlier this month belongs not to the Magneto 3.0 or to an updated version of the XJ-001 concept, as I’d speculated, but to an extensively modified Wrangler Rubicon 392, the Scrambler 392. Allen’s team kept the four-door Rubicon’s 118-inch wheelbase but made it a two-door by adding custom carbon-fiber body panels from the leaned-back A-pillars back to the Jeep Gladiator bed section that constitutes the Rubicon’s tail. According to Allen, the concept is a follow-up to three earlier lightweight Easter Jeep Safari concepts – the 2011 Pork Chop, the 2013 Stitch, and the 2018 4-Speed – so to reduce weight as much as possible, Allen’s team removed the Rubicon 392’s bumpers, rear seats, carpet and trim, and power hardtop and made no provisions for doors to strip about 450 total pounds. Like one of the 4xe concepts, the Scrambler 392 got an Accuair suspension as well as 40-inch mud-terrain tires on 20-inch wheels, and a hood with a clear window to see the Hemi underneath.

    Jeep Sideburn concept

    Jeep Sideburn concept

    Jeep Sideburn concept

    Jeep Sideburn concept

    Jeep Grand Wagoneer concept

    Jeep Grand Wagoneer concept

    Jeep Grand Wagoneer concept

    Jeep Grand Wagoneer concept

    Jeep Sideburn

    Rounding out the 2023 Easter Jeep Safari concepts: a Grand Wagoneer on 35s powered by a 510hp Hurricane 3.0L twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine and fitted with a RedTail Overland Skyloft hard-side rooftop tent; and Sideburn, a Gladiator that has a multipurpose “platform” with integrated Molle panels instead of a pickup bed.

    The Easter Jeep Safari, hosted by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers Club, will take place April 1-9 in Moab, Utah. For more information, visit RR4W.com.

    These Cars Made Pontiac The Biggest Muscle Car Force Back In The Day

    Many car fans agree that one of the greatest modern tragedies in car history was the demise of Pontiac. The legendary company was established in 1926 and closed down in 2010 after its memorable 85-year-old stint in the automotive world. During that period, Pontiac went from being an ordinary economy brand to one of the hottest brands of the muscle car era. Under the supervision of the legendary John Z. DeLorean, Pontiac created the muscle car era as we know it by introducing the 1964 Tempest GTO.

    However, that’s not all. In the late ’50s, Pontiacs started drawing attention with cool styling and powerful engines. For decades, “We Build Excitement” was an appropriate marketing slogan for this brand but then. Eventually, that excitement started to fade. But there was once a time when Pontiac ruled the muscle car scene with several powerful models. Let’s remember the muscle cars that made the brand great as it defined the muscle car era here.

    Photo Credit: Hollywood Wheels

    Pontiac Bonneville

    New for 1958, Bonneville was available only as a two-door hard top or convertible emphasizing its performance appeal. Under the hood was a 370 CID V8 engine with 255 HP in its base form. For those who wanted more power, there was the Tri-Power option with 300 HP and the top-of-the-line fuel-injected version with 310 HP. With this engine, the 1958 Bonneville was one of the most powerful GM cars of the day (via Hemmings).

    Photo Credit: Barett Jackson

    The Bonneville had moderate success on the market, and Pontiac managed to sell over 12,000 copies. Today, this car is highly sought-after by knowledgeable enthusiasts but has yet to be known by the general automotive public. The performance reputation of the early Bonneville was only the announcement of what was going to happen with the GTO and muscle models.

    The post These Cars Made Pontiac The Biggest Muscle Car Force Back In The Day appeared first on Motor Junkie.

    Buy This 1963 GMC 1000 and Get “Borracho”

    Gold is a color that symbolizes status more than any other: men and women love gold jewelry. Rappers love gold grillz. Olympians love gold medals. The Israelites loved the golden calf. It’s a color that has made men commit tremendous crimes and women commit to marriage. It’s also a fitting color for “Borracho,” an award-winning 1963 GMC 1000 pickup that is currently being auctioned on AutoHunter.

    Over 900 hours were spent on this custom build by Tre5 Customs of Peoria, Arizona. That time roughly translates to over 54 bars’ worth of gold. It’s the kind of build that will garner you fame and glory in the printing press — in fact, Borracho was recognized by none other than Classic Truck Performance magazine. If you’re scratchin’ yer noggin and wondering how “truck” and “performance” can be said in the same breath when big-block El Caminos or Rancheros are not the topic of discussion, then consider yourself schooled in the world of hot-rodded old school pickups cuz this is a muscle machine par excellence. Skeptical? Need more convincing?

    Power comes from a rebuilt 454 that features FiTech throttle-body fuel injection fed by a 20-gallon aluminum fuel cell between the rear frame rail for nice, reliable fuel delivery. What? You’d rather hear about the nitty-gritty? Alright, a Trick Flow top-end kit includes aluminum cylinder heads, camshaft (one that’s street-friendly and smooth) and roller rockers. And like a mullet, the engine bay is a combination of party and business as the horsepower is augmented by polished All American Billet pulleys handling the AC compressor, and power steering and water pumps (the latter the high-flow kind). A handmade Entropy aluminum radiator with twin electric fans keeps the BBC hydrated.

    And would you believe all that passed California emissions last year? Yup, Borracho was built to drive fast and jump through hoops!

    That Mark IV temple of zoom needs a harness to put the power to the pavement. In the case of Borracho, a TH400 with valve body and torque converter upgrades has stepped up to the plate to handle confident, three-speed automatic shifts. Out back, a narrowed 12-bolt rear is fitted with 3.73s paired with an Auburn Gear limited-slip diff.

    But enough of what’s under the hood — let’s look at what you see when the hood’s closed. The paint is called Kurkuma Yellow Metallic and, believe it or not, you may have seen a more pedestrian version of the color on late-model Volkswagens. Catchy, right? Components like bumpers, trim, wheels (Intro Flow two-piece billet aluminum jobs) also have received contrasting Candy Gold powder-coated accents, with the whole kit and caboodle receiving a House of Kolor clearcoat. Suspend disbelief when you discover Borracho’s arresting hue has been recognized at shows with multiple awards including “Best Paint.” Kudos go to former owner and painter extraordinaire, Frank Rechlin of IKandy Paintworks in Peoria, Arizona, for the job done right.

    Underneath, you won’t find no wussified unibody here! Like the body, the custom chassis too is powder-coated. The suspension components feature modern underpinnings with Porterbuilt Fabrication components and airbags from Slam Specialties. Your tuchus will thank you for the Air Lift  Performance 3H auto-leveling air management system that is connected to dual aluminum tanks and a pair of VIAIR compressors.

    Speaking of your derriere, the luxurious cabin was created by Phoenix’s own Elevated Design. TMI saddle leather split bench seat, door panels and steering wheel add to the cockpit’s warmth, while an ididit steering column, and rack and pinion steering are your direction connection to the road. A Restomod Air climate control (with billet vents), and 2,600-watt audio system (comprised of a Pioneer double-DIN head unit and four 13.5-inch JL Audio subwoofers) complement the music from the 454.

    The instrument panel features Dakota Digital HDX gauges that include a 160-mph speedo, 8,000-rpm tach and auxiliary gauges for the fuel, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltage. Out back, an air-actuated tonneau cover conceals an upholstered bed.

    They say all that glitters is not gold, but here we have a very glaring exception, as proven by the below GrinderTV video that shows the gilded pickup in all its glowing glory. This truck is your golden ticket to the status that trophies and adoration will bring you so stand by because the auction for this 1963 GMC 1000 pickup ends on April 3, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. (PDT).

    AutoHunter Spotlight: 1972 International Harvester Scout II

    Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this restored 1972 International Harvester Scout II. It is powered by a 345ci V8 engine backed by a three-speed automatic transmission with dual-range transfer case. Features include an updated stereo with AM/FM/CD,power brakes and steering, tube bumpers, body-colored roll bar, and bed liner. Finished in metallic orange with removable black soft top, this 1972 Scout II comes from the selling dealer with a clear title.

    During the restoration, the exterior was refinished in the metallic orange hue you see here. Features include, wheel flares, dual mirrors, and a black soft top with plastic windows.

    A set of eight-hole aluminum wheels with manual locking front hubs is wrapped in radial tires.

    The front bucket seats and the rear bench are protected by black seat covers. Features include Grant GTsteering wheel, floor-mounted transmission and transfer case shifters, black bed liner and Alpine AM/FM/CD stereo.

    An 85-mph speedometer and gauges for the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltage are located ahead of the driver. The odometer reads 12,641 miles, though the true mileage on this vehicle is unknown.

    Power is provided by a 345ci “Comanche” V8 and backed by a three-speed automatic transmission with dual-range transfer case.

    This Scout II is equipped with both solid front and rear axles featuring part-time four-wheel drive. Power front discs and rear drums stop the motion on pavement or earth. A dual exhaust system with MagnaFlow mufflers exits ahead of the rear tires. Additional equipment includes newer bushings and suspension components.

    The auction for this 1972 International Harvester Scout II ends on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 3:40 p.m. (PDT)

    Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

    Mecum’s Glendale Auction: Our Favorite Cars Rocking Steelies and Piepans

    Hubcaps. Dog dishes. Piepans. They’re all the same basic thing no matter what you call ‘em, and we dig ‘em. While plenty of back-in-the-day buyers will tell you that the only reason to get this wheel combination was to take ‘em off and install a set of bright aftermarket wheels at the first opportunity, we see them as simultaneously no-nonsense and a quiet bit of camouflage. Consider: If you’re in a muscle car and you’re at a light, why take the chance to advertise what you’ve got, when it’s just as easy to make your car look like the one your Aunt Tillie drives to church on Sunday? They’re heavy but legendarily tough–if you’ve bent a steel wheel somehow, you’ve got bigger problems. (That toughness is why so many police vehicles still have steel wheels today.) Furthermore, money that was saved on more expensive wheel trims was money earned for other places you’d need it–like a one-size-larger tire, a dyno-tune, slapper bars, headers … you know what we mean. The steelies-and-piepans look is like looking the other way while your hand is in the cookie jar–innocence at first blush, with the intent of something altogether shadier.

    The truth is, we tried to choose just five and we couldn’t. We winnowed out the whole “styled steel wheel” thing, so there are no Chevy Rally wheels, or Pontiac Rally IIs, or Mopar Rallyes to speak of; they fit the letter of our made-up law, but not the spirit. Here are eight that made us want to head to the main tent outside, mortgage our house, and pick up a bidder’s paddle.

    MERCEDES 300SL

    MERCEDES 300SL

    Mercedes 300SL

    Bless European functionality and their relative lack of bling compared to American cars of the era; the race-bred 300SL “Gullwing” was largely offered with color-matched hubcaps, leaving the (also color-matched) slotted steel wheel exposed. Yes, we know that factory-installed Rudge knockoffs are worth a king’s ransom. Don’t care.

    1969 CHEVY COPO CAMARO

    1969 CHEVY COPO CAMARO

    1969 Chevrolet COPO Camaro

    Blue paint, a vinyl top and a set of body-colored steelies could mean that this was a six-cylinder secretary’s special, a showroom loss-leader designed to up a dealership’s numbers and give them something to advertise in the paper. Or it could be a big-block COPO designed to sucker you in and leave you in the dust when the light goes green. You want to take that chance?

    1970 PLYMOUTH HEMI ‘CUDA

    1970 PLYMOUTH HEMI u2018CUDA

    1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda

    When given a High Impact color, like Plymouth’s Sublime for 1970, it seems a shame not to inflict its brightness on all within its visual path and extend it as far as could be managed. Spreading the special hue onto the steel wheels is a terrific way to further increase its impact, particularly compared to other wheel options like nerdy full hubcaps or argent Rallye wheels.

    1958 EDSEL VILLAGER

    1958 EDSEL VILLAGER

    1958 Edsel Villager

    Edsel was meant to be a solidly mid-range brand–never one with performance intentions, and almost certainly a full-wheelcover kind of car that would be perfectly OK in suburbia 1958, where piepans would reveal you as some kind of skinflint freak that would get the neighbors whispering. Yet Edsel indeed had its own piepan wheel trims, which seem slightly incongruous–but which are delightful to see nonetheless.

    1957 CHEVY SEDAN DELIVERY

    1957 CHEVY SEDAN DELIVERY

    1957 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery

    The Sedan Delivery body style was meant to be a handyman’s special–a wagon with few frills. And so despite the dual-four-barrel V-8 engine that the factory installed beneath the hood in this instance of this clean-flanked ’57, these wheel trims are perfectly in keeping with its utilitarian brief.

    1964 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

    1964 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

    1964 Pontiac Grand Prix

    Only Pontiac could manage to come up with a wheel that, somehow, eliminates most of the wheel–and still make it gorgeous. The bulk of what you see here, that magnificently ribbed center, is in fact a vented brake drum, exposed to the outside air for additional cooling in the days before disc brakes were more common.

    1952 MG TD

    1952 MG TD

    1952 MG TD

    We have seen more than our fair share of T-series MGs with wire wheels, and while those bright spokes may sparkle and shine nicely in the sun, they also (to my eyes) manage to make the cars that wear them look spindly and fragile. This one looks ready to grab those paved curves and never let go, despite wide whitewall rubber that suggests a boulevardier rather than lateral gs.

    1969 MERCURY CYCLONE

    1969 MERCURY CYCLONE

    1969 Mercury Cyclone

    Ford (and its divisions) chose black steel wheels while many other manufacturers of the era went with body-colored steelies; from a distance, black wheels give seemingly infinite visual depth and lend an air of broad-shouldered toughness to the proceedings, as seen here with this 428/4sp Ram Air Mercury Cyclone. The contrast with the orange paint makes it all the more striking.