Tag Archives: Desert

Thermostatic Shutters And Controlled Body Ventilation – Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster

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In 1932 Packard reintroduced V12 motors to power it’s top of the range products which like it’s V12 powered products sold up until 1923 were marketed as Twin Sixes.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

In 1933 the Packard marketing department opted for the simplified “Twelve” designation for it’s 160 hp 445 cui / 7,456 cc V12 powered models the Tenth Series 1005 and 1006.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The 1005 was built on a chassis with a 142 inch wheelbase and the 1006 on a chassis with a 147 inch wheelbase.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

New for 1933 were twin plane or V shaped in plan radiator cowls with colour coded shells to match the rest of the body, which on the shorter 1005 chassis was available in 10 different styles.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

Also new for ’33 were the thermostatic shutters in the side bonnet / hood panels which helped keep the engine running at optimum temperatures.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The Tenth Series bodies were marketed with new controlled body ventilation to minimise unpleasant drafts within.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

In all 244 Tenth Series were sold in 1933 of which 50 are believed to have been Convertible Roadster’s of which 16 are believed to have survived.

Eight weeks after a complete restoration of today’s featured Twelve was completed by Nick’s Old Car Specialties in Redlands, California it won a Best of Show at the Marin Sonoma Concours in the summer of 2013 and followed that a couple of weeks later with Automotive Best of Show honors at Dana Point, picking up a third Best in Show at the 7th Annual Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance in February 2014.

My thanks once again to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photograph’s taken at the 7th Annual Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance, Palm Springs in February 2014.

Thanks for joining me on this “Thermostatic Shutters And Controlled Body Ventilation” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for FIAT Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Pillarless Vue Panoramic – Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé

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By 1937 when today’s Delage D8 120 was built, Louis Delage had sold the controlling interest in his company to his French rival Delahaye who continued to market cars with both brand names.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The 1936 Delage D8 100 and 1937 Delage D8 120 were designed to top the ranges of both brands.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The Delage D8 120 like the D8 100 introduced a year earlier used Delahaye sourced steel ladder chassis frames.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

There seems to be a good bit of confusion about the origins of the engine used in the D8 120 with some sources believing it to have origins in a Delahaye truck and by others to have origins in the Delahaye 135MS straight 6, so far as I am aware both of these suggestions are no more than chewing the cud piffle of the highest order.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

I believe the D8 120 engine is a 120hp developement of the straight eight Delage first built in 1929 with it’s capacity now stretched to 4,302 cc / 262.5 cu in.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

As before the Delahaye take over top of the range Delages were supplied only as rolling chassis onto which the creme de la creme of boutique coach builders were given instructions by customers as to their exact body requirements.

The Aerosport Sport Pillarless Vue Panoramic body on today’s featured car, now owned by the Peterson Museum, is by Letourneur & Marchand a Parisian coach building company founded in Paris on the 1st of April 1905.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs taken at the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance, Palm Springs a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Pillarless Vue Panoramic” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at some of the 400 cars collected by a man who know’s more about the inside of cars than most and has made a fortune out of writing books about how to take them apart and put them back together again. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Faster Than Enzo – Maserati MC12 Stradale

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The Maserati MC12 Stradale is the road going variant of the Maserati MC12 Competizione which successfully took Maserati back to the race tracks on the FIA GT Circuit in 2005.

Maserati MC12 Stradale, Desert Classics Concours d'Elegance,

Sharing a chassis, modified motor, running gear and windscreen with the Enzo Ferrari the rest of the body was originally conceived by Giorgetto Giugiaro and stylised with the aid of a wind tunnel by Frank Stephenson.

Maserati MC12 Stradale, Desert Classics Concours d'Elegance,

The two batches of 25 MC12 Stradales built in 2004 and 2005 were only delivered in white and blue, sans radio or even anywhere to fit an after market one, a nod to the exploits of the American Lloyd Perry ‘Lucky’ Casner’s Camoradi team.

Maserati MC12 Stradale, Desert Classics Concours d'Elegance,

In two separate road tests at Dunsfold Aerodrome and on the Nurburgring MC12’s proved to be quicker than the Enzo Ferrari that spawned it. I believe the example seen here in Geoffrey Horton’s photograph’s, taken at last years Desert Classic’s Concours d’Elegance, is one of those built in the 2005 batch.

It appears to belong to the The Riverside International Automotive Museum a non profit corporation run by Ray and Doug Margon dedicated to “Preserving the memory of California’s rich motorsports heritage” which also houses a collection that includes one example of every road going Maserati sold in the US since 1951.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Faster Than Enzo” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an early Renault. Don’t forget to come back now !

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It’s Primal – Maserati 3500 GT #101.686

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When he was 24 Francis G Mandorano had the opportunity to visit the Ferrari and Maserati factories in Italy where he got the Maserati Bug.

Maserati 3500 GT, The Desert Classic, Palm Springs,

A couple of years later he bought his first Maserati red 3500 GT

Maserati 3500 GT, The Desert Classic, Palm Springs,

Francis the owner of today’s featured 1959 Maserati 3500 GT chassis #101.686, describes himself as a one trick pony, his passion is for Maserati 3500 GT’s of which he now has several.

Maserati 3500 GT, The Desert Classic, Palm Springs,

#101.686 is believed to be one of five cars sold in Mexico City.

Maserati 3500 GT, The Desert Classic, Palm Springs,

In 2002 the third owner of 101.686 Sam Bardor sent the six cylinder engine sent to Mr Maserati Ken Doughtery for a $25,000 rebuild.

Maserati 3500 GT, The Desert Classic, Palm Springs,

With 220hp coming from the all aluminium straight six engine Frank reckons he can get up to 26 mpg on the highway from this car which he calls “The Latina”.

Maserati 3500 GT, The Desert Classic, Palm Springs,

The car is still in it’s factory Bianco Neve colour and has a red leather interior with plenty of room for the long legged driver.

Maserati 3500 GT, The Desert Classic, Palm Springs,

Francis bought #101.686 in 2011 and had it fully restored to it’s present condition.

Maserati 3500 GT, The Desert Classic, Palm Springs,

He says of the car “It’s really a work of art” going on to say that his favourite part of the car is the noise concluding “when you have it on stainless steel exhaust and it’s tuned properly it’s primal”, which you can enjoy a little of on this link.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs taken at the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance, Palm Springs, a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “It’s Primal” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Peugeot. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Fireball Dyna Flow – Buick Roadmaster Coupé

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From 1936 to 1996 Buick manufactured eight generations of Roadmaster, with an interruption from 1959 to 1990, Roadmasters were Buicks flagship model from 1946 to 1957 sharing underpinnings with contemporary entry level Cadillacs and senior Oldsmobiles.

Buick Roadmaster, Desert Classic, Palm Springs

The car seen in Geoffrey Horton’s photo’s seen here at the 2012 Ranchero Mirage Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance feature a 1949 Roadmaster from the first year of production of the fifth 1949 -1953 generation which were the first to feature a two part curved ‘observation car’ windscreen. Note the bombsite mascot is a feature of all post 1946 Roadmasters.

Buick Roadmaster, Desert Classic, Palm Springs

The three Ventiports on front wing / fender of this Roadmaster indicates that is probably powered by a 5.2 litre / 320 cui ‘Fireball’ straight eight motor originally good for 165 hp, which following a change in carburation dropped to 144 hp in 1946 but was raised again in 1949 to 150 hp by increasing the compression ratio.

Buick Roadmaster, Desert Classic, Palm Springs

New for 1948 was a two speed Dyna Flow transmission developed from Buicks tank manufacturing program during the Second World War, making this the first model ever to be sold with a torque converter. For 1949 Dyna Flow became the mandatory transmission on all Roadmasters.

Buick Roadmaster, Desert Classic, Palm Springs

When the Roadmaster was first launched in 1942 the Coupé featured the same fastback Sedanette styling that had been a sensational feature of the 1941 Buick Century and Special models.

Buick Roadmaster, Desert Classic, Palm Springs

During 1949 the Roadmaster accounted for 27% of Buicks production with around 88,130 units sold.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sending me his photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Fireball Dyna Flow’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Errata this vehicle was originally incorrectly identified as forth generation 1948 model, however since then it has become apparent that 1948 Roadmasters had a flat windscreen and did not feature the VentiPorts in the wings / fenders. This text has been updated to reflect details of the ’49 Roadmaster. Apologies for any confusion caused.

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Continental Elegance – Delahaye 135 Competition #46864

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Photographs of today’s featured car, a Delahaye 135 Competition, come courtesy of Geoffrey Horton from February’s Dessert Classic Concours d’Elegance.

Delahaye 135 Competition, Dessert Classic C d'E

The 135 Competition chassis was designed as a road car, this one has a Figoni & Falaschi body originally built in 1936. at least half a dozen French Coachworks offered bodies for the 135 chassis so no two are exactly alike.

Delahaye 135 Competition, Dessert Classic C d'E

Underneath the striking bodywork the 135 featured independent front suspension and 120 hp 3.6 litre / 217 cui six cylinder motor.

Delahaye 135 Competition, Dessert Classic C d'E

Variations of the 135 chassis recorded victories 1935 Coupe des Alpes, 1937 Monte Carlo Rally and 1938 Le Mans 24 Hours events.

Delahaye 135 Competition, Dessert Classic C d'E

Between 1935 and 1938 it is believed 453 Delahaye Competition chassis were built.

My thanks to Geoffry Horton for sending me his photo’s of this magnificent vehicle.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Continental Elegance’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Big Bertha Power – Hupmobile Speedster

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Hupmobile, founded by former Ford and Oldsmobile employee Robert Craig Hupp and his brother Louis Gorham Hupp was a Detroit automobile manufacturer from 1908 to 1940 which built it’s reputation on solid some say stodgy 4 cylinder automobiles.

Hupmobile Speedster, Desert Classic, C d'E

In 1925 Hupmobile introduced it’s first 8 cylinder model abandoning it’s traditional customer base with the onset of the depression as in pursuit lucrative top end markets.

Hupmobile Speedster, Desert Classic, C d'E

Raymond Loewy is credited with the design of this 1932 Speedster powered by a 103 hp straight eight motor, referred to in advertising for an earlier model as giving ‘Big Bertha’ power.

Hupmobile Speedster, Desert Classic, C d'E

The car featured, in these photo’s by Geoffrey Horton taken at the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance, is thought to be the only survivor of three built that were aimed squarely at the market segment occupied by Packard and Auburn.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sending me the photographs.

Thanks for joining me on today’s Big Bertha Power edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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