JFK’s 1963 Pontiac Bonneville ambulance? Could be – Click above for high-res image gallery
Normally, events such as out in the desert of Arizona are newsworthy to those of us who obsessively cover the auto industry… and pretty much nobody else. But when the auction house that supposedly transported the body of President John F. Kennedy after his assassination, well, the rest of the world stands up and takes notice.
Adding more fuel to the fire of intrigue surounding this one-of-a-kind machine are . Did it really carry JFK? We have no idea, and there are a number of documents and plenty of speculation supporting both sides of the discussion – we’re content to stay out of the debate. And either way, we’re curious to see how it performs after a week’s worth of national news.
In any case, all eyes are now on this controversy-filled auction. Check out the and be sure to keep an eye on .
Are you playing ? If not, test your auction pricing mettle by guessing what a series of featured vehicles will end up bringing at the auction block – you could end up winning a prize, like an Apple iPad. Enjoy!
Rick Hendrick’s 2002 Ferrari 360 Modena F1 Spider – Click above for high-res image gallery
Are you playing ? If not, this is the perfect chance to start, as it’s just about to hit the auction block – Bid away, you could end up winning a prize, such as an Apple iPad. These Ferrari 360s can typically be had for anywhere from $75,000 to $95,000… but this is Mr. Hendrick’s personal low-mileage car and it’s on the stage, so our guess is that a $100,000+ winning bid is certainly possible.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at this particular machine. Saying that Rick Hendrick owns a couple of cars is like saying the crowd at the 2011 Barrett-Jackson auction likes to throw back a couple of drinks. As an auction night marches on, the bartenders tip jars fill up faster and prices start to climb. Rick Hendrick is hoping they don’t cut anyone off because a few of his cars will be rolling across the stage… including his .
Looking splendid in its traditional red paint, the drop-top Italian sports car shows just 1,936 miles on the odometer. Only 379 convertible paddle-shift cars were built and this one was kept inside when the weather was anything other than sunny. We’re guessing it drove it a little more aggressively than he plans to drive .
Check out the , and to watch live streaming coverage of all the festivities.
*Update: to watch the Ferrari go across the block.
1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn Mercia Special Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’re surrounded by mighty American Muscle here at the 2011 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. Faintly in the background, behind the roar of massive V8s and flashy paintjobs, sits a cup of tea amidst a sea of Budweiser. A is patiently waiting to cross the auction block.. and it looks nervous.
In storage for 33 years, this two-passenger convertible may be a blast to the past but it also features a few modern amenities such as a power-adjustable driver’s seat and fiberglass mats in the wheel wheels to prevent chipping.
Originally the car had just 17,000 miles on the odometer. After being completely restored in 2010 it has added just 50 more. We’re not quite sure how the muscle car-happy crowd will react to this fine example of British open-top motoring.
Be sure to check out the official auction listing for this . Also, make sure to stay on top of what’s crossing the block by .
Are you playing ? If not, test your auction pricing mettle by guessing what a series of featured vehicles will end up bringing at the auction block – you could end up winning a prize, like an Apple iPad. Enjoy!
Victory Motorcycles High-Ball – Click above for high-res image gallery
It looks like isn’t the only bike company dabbling in the dark arts these days. Victory Motorcycles has pulled the sheets off of its new High-Ball at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York. The bike looks like it’s been upended and dipped in a vat of matte black paint with just a few exceptions. The tank wears a flat-white cove with matching wide whitewall tires. At the heart of this machine is the company’s 97-horsepower 106/6 Stage 2 V-twin that cranks out 113 pound-feet of torque.
If you’re looking at those ape hangars with the jaundiced eye of practicality, fear not. Victory says that the bars can be adjusted to stand straight up and down or folded back for a more comfortable riding experience. If you’re looking to buy your way into the rat rod scene, there are worse ways to do it. The High-Ball carries a price tag of $13,499.
2009 Cuda Convertible by Mr. Norm’s at Barrett-Jackson – Click above for high-res image gallery
You’ve … Mr. Norm’s 426 Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible is a modern taken to an extreme level. Under the hood sits a 6.1-liter Hemi that pushes out 650 horsepower at the crank. The steel roof has been replaced with a drop-top and the black and yellow paint scheme screams classic muscle. The large “HEMI” graphic on the rear fenders helps a bit too.
The 426 Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible uses actual parts from the classic ‘Cuda. The taillights, rear panel and fender gills are from a 1971 model. Inside, Mr. Norm’s two-door convertible sports all the modern amenities you would expect in a new Challenger, such as Bluetooth connectivity and a Boston Acoustics sound system.
Check out the and be sure to keep an eye on .
Are you playing ? If not, test your auction pricing mettle by guessing what a series of featured vehicles will end up bringing at the auction block – you could end up winning a prize, like an Apple iPad. Enjoy!
2010 and 1970 Dodge Challengers at Barrett-Jackson 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery
A would be a wonderful addition to any garage. A limited-edition version painted Furious Fuchsia is an excellent way to pay homage to the Challengers of yore. Another way to pay? Buy lots 1251 and 1251.1 at the 2011 auction; a 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 listed as #135 out of 400 Furious Fucshia examples and a 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A wearing a similar paint scheme.
The two Challengers are being auctioned off together and the winning bidder will have a garage that Mopar fans across the country will drool over. The 2010 Challenger is fully loaded, sports the same pink, black and white color combination as the 1970 example and has just 1 mile on the odomeeter. The 1970 Challenger T/A has a 340 six-pack V8 under the hood and it’s paired with a four-speed manual transmission. The car is a numbers-matching example and comes loaded up with options.
Since the 2011 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction has so far been a middle-finger to the recession, we expect this double-car lot to fetch a handsome sum. Make your guesses in the comment section… we’re hoping to see $200,000… but we may be a little high.
Check out the official auction listing for the and the , and to watch live streaming coverage of all the festivities.
*Update: Video of the Challengers crossing the block is available .
Gallery:
Photos copyright (C)2011 Jeff Glucker and Jeremy Korzeniewski /AOL
2010 and 1970 Dodge Challengers at Barrett-Jackson 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery
A would be a wonderful addition to any garage. A limited-edition version painted Furious Fuchsia is an excellent way to pay homage to the Challengers of yore. Another way to pay? Buy lots 1251 and 1251.1 at the 2011 auction; a 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 listed as #135 out of 400 Furious Fucshia examples and a 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A wearing a similar paint scheme.
The two Challengers are being auctioned off together and the winning bidder will have a garage that Mopar fans across the country will drool over. The 2010 Challenger is fully loaded, sports the same pink, black and white color combination as the 1970 example and has just 1 mile on the odomeeter. The 1970 Challenger T/A has a 340 six-pack V8 under the hood and it’s paired with a four-speed manual transmission. The car is a numbers-matching example and comes loaded up with options.
Since the 2011 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction has so far been a middle-finger to the recession, we expect this double-car lot to fetch a handsome sum. Make your guesses in the comment section… we’re hoping to see $200,000… but we may be a little high.
Check out the official auction listing for the and the , and to watch live streaming coverage of all the festivities.
Gallery:
Photos copyright (C)2011 Jeff Glucker and Jeremy Korzeniewski /AOL
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been testing side-impact crashes since 2003. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been collecting traffic fatality information a lot longer than that. Yet it took until 2011 for IIHS to compare its considerable crash data against NHTSA’s crash mortality data.
As a result, IIHS can now underscore the importance of its crash test scores with credible outside data. Bloomberg reports that the Institute found that drivers of vehicles with an IIHS rating of “Good” for side-impact crashes were 70 percent less likely to die in an accident. That’s the exact type of statistic that can sway shoppers’ purchasing decisions. Further bolstering IIHS’s findings is this nugget: 27 percent of all fatal accidents involved a side-impact collision. For 2011, the , two-door and ChevyColorado all receive “Poor” side impact ratings.
Meanwhile, NHTSA will further regulate vehicle standards beginning in 2018 to include more protection against side impacts as well as occupant ejection in the event of a rollover. Stronger side glass and side-impact airbags are among the available solutions.
Nissan NV work trucks – Click above for high-res image gallery
has kicked off production of its all-new 2012 NV commercial truck. Scheduled to go on sale this spring, the NV will be available in three variants; NV1500, NV2500 HD and NV3500 HD. Two different configurations will also be offered: a standard roof or high roof that offers more interior work and/or cargo space.
Power comes from a choice of familiar six or eight-cylinder engines. The 4.0-liter V6 produces 261 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque while the 5.6-liter V8 delivers 317 hp and 385 lb-ft of torque. Both engines drive the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission.
Body-on-frame construction should help the NV go a long way in the rugged work truck category. Inside, a few trick features will help further set it apart from competitors like the . The passenger seat folds flat to offer up its backside as a workspace. The large, lockable center console offers plenty of storage and 120V outlets are installed front and rear.
The 2012 Nissan NV starts at an MSRP of $24,950. Once the NV configurator comes online, we (and tradesmen in need of a new ride) should be able to elevate that sticker price significantly.
In September 2010, Travis Pastrana turned our attention to the Mt. Washington Auto Road. While it wasn’t an official crack at six minute and 41.99 second blast, with his rally-prepped . The purpose of the run was to evaluate the course for the upcoming 2011 Climb to the Clouds event. The evaluation run was a success and race organizers have announced the classes and opened up registration for the hill climb competition.
The first Climb to the Clouds was run in 1904 but the event went dormant in 2000. Now, after a ten-year hiatus, it’s back and the 2011 run will mark the Mt. Washington Auto Road’s 150th anniversary. The 7.6-mile route begins at 1,527 feet and then climbs to 6,288 feet above sea level. Our Editor in Chief was able to “blast” through the 100+ turns .
For the 2011 Climb to the Clouds, organizers have created five classes: Open, Rally, Hillclimb, Vintage and Electric. The Vintage Class is an invitation-only category for vehicles from 1961 and older. The Electric Class is for full EVs only – no hybrids allowed. The Rally and Hillclimb classes are broken out according to the standard of Rally America and the New England Hillclimb Association respectively. Finally, the Open Class is just what it sounds like but places restrictions on engine size based on the wheels driving the vehicle and whether it’s naturally aspirated or turbocharged.
The Mt. Washington hill climb competition scheduled to take place June 22nd through the 26th and organizers hope to host a field of 70 cars. With any luck, someone, will be able to arrange for Sprongl and Pastrana to duke it out on the Auto Road.
Fiat 500C “La Dolce Vita” – Click above for high-res image gallery, for video
The beauty of the Fiat 500 is that it’s loaded with Italian style, but comes cheaper than anything this side of a Vespa. So if you were in the market, how much would you consider spending on a Cinquecento? $20K? Maybe $30k for a fully-loaded Abarth? How about €500,000? That’s equivalent to about $670,000, and stands as the absurd price some anonymous Chinese businessman has apparently paid for a particularly opulent tacky example of the retro minicar.
The order came to Fenice Milano, the Italian studio whose Liberace-grade work we’ve reported on previously. They started with a 500C Abarth convertible, slathered it in paint infused with real 24k gold flakes, decked the interior out in teak, replaced the brightwork with more 24k gold and gave it a diamond-studded iPad docking into the dashboard. And just for good measure, they let Romeo Ferraris have at it. Their tuning jacked the stock 140-horsepower engine up to 200 hp, and they added Brembo brakes and a custom suspension for good measure.
The end result is about as nauseating an example of nouveau-riche excess as you’re likely to find. If the owner thinks that by tying in his investment to a solid commodity like gold to stave off the negative effects of depreciation, he may be in for a rude awakening come resale time. Check out the and the updated high-resolution image gallery below.
First and last 2010 Pontiac Solstice at Barrett-Jackson 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery
A great cry of weeping and teeth-gnashing could be heard around the globe after decided to put an end to the brand a few years back. Of course, that also means the last several machines to roll down the line could potentially become collectors items.
Does that include the or ? That’s tough to say, but something of a precedent could indeed be set tonight at as the very first and very last 2010 Solstices are going up on the auction block, sold as a pair.
First up is #1 of 12 Solstice GXP Coupes built in 2010, in Kinetic blue with an interior in black leather with matching blue accents. It’s also the only Heritage Coupe built with a manual transmission. Up next is the very last 2010 Solstice built (of 20 total), a Kinetic Blue Convertible.
Check out both the and models’ official auction pages on Barrett-Jackson, and watch .
General Motors LSX454R crate engine at Barrett-Jackson – Click above for high-res image gallery
It’s not just cars and trucks that are auctioned off each and every year at . For instance, decided to roll out its latest crate engine, the LSX454R, in front of the crowds in Scottsdale, and proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association.
Of course, this is no ordinary motor. In fact, at 750 horsepower, the LSX454R is the most powerful engine General Motors has ever offered for sale… and that includes all the barn-storming engines of the Gods the automaker let out in the heyday of the muscle car era.
The 13:1 compression ratio of this engine means it’s meant for racing applications and 110-octane fuel, so don’t go getting any ideas of the LSX454R under the hood of a shiny new Camaro. Instead, expect to see it occupying the engine bays of 9-second bracket racers at a quarter-mile near you in no time flat.
Check out the , and to watch live streaming coverage of all the festivities.
2011 ChevroletCorvette Le Mans Racing Z06 at Barrett-Jackson 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery
certainly has created a few limited-edition vehicles in its time, and you can add this to that list. How limited is it exactly? The VIN plate reads #001… of one.
Built to celebrate 50 years of Corvettes racing at Le Mans, this special Z06 wears special door numbers, a 50th Anniversary seal on the B-pillar, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes and massive 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. Under the hood sits a 7.0-liter LS7 engine producing 550 horsepower, which is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Inside, the car bears the signatures of both Dick Thompson and Dick Guldstrand.
All proceeds from the sale of this one-off Vette will go to the National Corvette Museum. Check out the and watch .
*Update: Video of the Corvette crossing the block is available .
2012 marks half a century since the very first Cobra was released on the street, and to celebrate, Shelby has announced a limited-edition 50th Anniversary model that was introduced at Barrett-Jackson earlier today. Using CSX8000 chassis numbers, each of the continuation cars will be painted in “Shelby Black” and feature a premium leather interior, wire wheels and special badging.
Pricing for a 50th Anniversary Cobra rolling chassis (car minus drivetrain) is set at $69,995 or $134,995 for an aluminum-bodied car. Expensive, yes, but with just 50 units slated for production, we can see them getting snapped up pretty quickly. for the full details from Shelby.
1955 Woodill Wildfire at Barrett-Jackson – Click above for high-res image gallery
Before stumbling upon this 1955 Woodill Wildfire here at the festivities in Scottsdale, we weren’t even aware that such a car existed. And this is one of the reasons why Barrett-Jackson is such a cool event.
Apparently, an employee of McDonald Douglass (we’d guess with the last name Woodill…) built an experimental turbine engine originally intended for use in a helicopter. First seen in 1952, this machine is recognized as the world’s first production fiberglass-bodied automobile. For what it’s worth, the Corvette didn’t come until late 1953.
According to the official Barrett-Jackson auction page, the engine puts out 310 horsepower at the crank at a stratospheric 37,500 rpm. This particular machine, built in 1955, was reportedly clocked at 137 miles per hour on a dry lake bed and then sat for 40 years until being restored to its current condition.
See the proceedings for yourself live and in living color over at . You can also – we only hope you’re better at guessing these values than we are…
This being our first drive of the new-for-2012 CLS family, what better way to start than with the Big Daddy CLS63 AMG range topper?
2010 served up a record number of voluntary recalls from automakers. A total of 14.9 million vehicles were ushered back to dealerships for repairs that were not part of a NHTSA investigation.
Beautiful. Fast. Expensive. Hold on to your hats, because the FF is like no other Ferrari we’ve seen before.
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The speed-hungry fiends at Nismo have taken the time to unveil a new hardcore race version of the at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. This machine is built for tangoing in the world’s most brutal endurance races, and the engineers behind it took the time to rip out every last unnecessary bit of weight and install all the hardware it needs to go fender to fender with other race-bred bruisers. That includes a set of stoppers capable of bringing the globe to a halt, a full roll cage and a more menacing suspension.
There’s even an onboard jack system and a huge 31.67-gallon fuel tank onboard to minimize time in the pits and maximize the number of seconds that the car can stay out on track. Nismo calls this terror the GT-R RC for Racing Competition, and if you like what you see, you better call your CPA. Nissan says that the race-bred GT-R will command a ¥20,790,000 price tag when it goes on sale – a shave over $250,000 at current exchange rates.
“Auto Union Type C e-tron study” with electric drive – Click above to enlarge
, is bringing a sweet-looking electric car to the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany. While this thing is branded with the e-tron name, it’s more toy than car – but the little prototype can get going at speeds up to 18.64 miles per hour.
Called the Auto Union Type C study with electric drive, the toy is based on the limited-edition pedal car model, the Auto Union Silver Arrow Type C race car, . The new electric version uses a lithium-ion battery that can spin the 1.5-hp rear-wheel-drive electric motor to generate 29.5 pound-feet or torque (peak at 44.25) and has a range of just over 15 miles. Also, it has a reverse gear. Recharging from a 230-volt European socket takes around two hours. The best news: Adults up to 5′11″ can fit inside. Beats the heck out of those silly toy Escalades.
[Source: Audi]
turns pedal car into another e-tron for German toy fair
2012 Ford C-Max – Click above for high-res image gallery
can call the a swagger wagon all it wants, but the slogan isn’t going to make moms any happier about hopping behind the wheel. According to The Detroit Free Press, most mothers aren’t fooled by gimmicky marketing or the latest attempts to redesign the minivan as a stylish piece of transportation. Reporter Krista Jahnke followed a group of mothers from as they toured the Detroit Auto Show to critique the latest wave of minivans.
What did they think? While the vast majority appreciated the added creature comforts of the newest generation of family haulers, they still seemed to feel that the minivan was always going to be a practical choice first and an aesthetic one dead last.
One woman even admitted that she cried the first time she had to drive a minivan. Admittedly, we feel her pain.
The crew took the time to check out the all-new Ford C-Max, , , and , and was kind enough share its opinion on each. Despite its significantly smaller size, the C-Max fared well amongst those who know minivans best, while the Grand Caravan was penalized for its cavernous, grime-trapping center console. Head over to Press to see all of their impressions.
The first Climb to the Clouds was run in 1904 but the event went dormant in 2000. Now, after a ten-year hiatus, it’s back and the 2011 run will mark the Mt. Washington Auto Road’s 150th anniversary. The 7.6-mile route begins at 1,527 feet and then climbs to 6,288 feet above sea level. Our Editor in Chief was able to “blast” through the 100+ turns .
