Showboat

["Mahoney, John" <jmahoney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

After a tiring trip to California, I should behave like an LA mummy (and
unwrap before writing; after all, silence is golden...) but there's not much
to say.  The old car and young king shows weren't particularly good or bad:
too many culture vultures circling; too little space to be had.  LACMA was
crowded and the 25,000 crowding Rodeo Drive five years ago are 75,000 today.
Celebrated cars used to be the big attraction; celebrities' cars are now the
top draw.  Kinda sad.

The Aviator's Duesenberg, the Lone Ranger's Corvette, the "Great One's"
Porsche and the Biker Boyz' Hayabusa?  Miss Lohan's "Herbie" Bug racer?
What does who owned it, drove it, or posed with it impart to an old car?  A
Murphy J's windshield extension may be interesting (because Hughes was so
tall), but a Bentley may not be interesting (because of Nicolas Cage.)  A
"Monster" Maserati may be interesting (because it ran the '57 Mille,
Nurburgring and Le Mans;) a Jaguar may not be interesting because Patty
Hearst ran with her gun.  Not enough glitz-and-fame?  The Petersen is
showing head-of-state cars.

(And if the people are now the stars, isn't the death of Mrs. Ahmanson much
more noteworthy?)

Too bad I'm missing the Gold Rush in Sacramento: from Gwen's golden girl to
a trio of regional Rebels, looks like a shining place to be.  Or like one of
many, at least.

This weekend, Eyes will be on Detroit.  If anyone is interested, the show is
10:00-4:30 Sunday; the cost is $20.00.  The classes will run from old
("American Prewar" and "American Power/European Coachwork") and the slightly
clunky
"American Muscle/Pony Cars" (letting models like Javelin/AMX 401 and The
Machine share the glow --- although only one is a true Muscle CarTM...) to
an "Asian Postwar" slot.  Even Motown must eventually recognize reality, as
this year's schedule shows.  It's printed in English and Japanese now.    

Chuck Jordan (who joined GM one year after Dick Teague did) is the 2005
honoree.  Any good rust-belt car show will draw any old car designers out of
the good old SoCal sun.  Or, as I chide 'em frequently, make a break from
quakes. 

http://www.eyeson.org/html/poster2005.html

AMC content in 2005:

"I can't tell you how many times I've been to a car show and made a B-line
[sic; not a bee-line?] toward something as simple as a perfectly preserved
or restored Gremlin [it would be toward a Hornet] or Vega or Plymouth
Valiant.  Why?  Curiosity, mostly.

There's usually an interesting story as to why the car was restored or how
it was found, but mostly because I want to take a nostalgia trip.  You never
see them anymore and yet they were built by the hundreds of thousands.  They
were throw-away cars: used, abused, sold to the 16-year old kid down the
street, abused even more and finally brought to the back yard where it [sic;
not now a plural?] rolled until it [sic again] was towed to a junk yard."

- West Peterson (the editor!) in 5-6/05 AA (Antique Automobile, of the
AACA...)

AMC content in 2006:

S-Class has bubbles for front fenders and BMW binnacles for more dash.

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/d/85285

(And iDrive?  Heaven help us!)

Who ever dreamt another "great one" would need to compete with Camry?

What?  I'm still jet-lagged??

Park a recent Camry with special edition [white over silver cladding] paint
scheme beside a '90s S-Class with the same color treatment.  It may open
your eyes a little bit wider.  Just like Detroit's eyes have had to do as
well.   

PS - 'Til you see 2005's, pics from 2004 Fathers' Day show.

http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=3078
http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=3079
http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=3080

(where an aqua AZ (Land 'O Lakes!) Amphicar was on display)

>>
Anyone know the information on this car/boat?

http://www.seriouswheels.com/1960-1969/1964-AMC-Rambler-Clipper-Boat-Aqua-Wh
ite.htm
<<

Clearly a modern DIY Amphicar attempt; its name recalls another "Clipper
Rambler" (tail N750PA) --- from Pan Am's "Clipper" series of 747s.  One of
those ("Clipper Victor") crashed at Tenerife in March of 1977; another
("Clipper Morning Light") held an in-flight bomb.  Lockerbie, Scotland,
December 1988.  (Long before 9/11...)

To be thorough, there were three earlier "Clipper Ramblers" and, for those
who like Hudson-Nash-Studebaker-Packard-Jeep-Chrysler history, Lafayette,
Hornet, America, Champion, Lark, Panama, Caribbean, Eagle, Gladiator, and,
of course, Pan American Clippers, too.  Phoenix, DeSoto and Challenger,
almost a Marlin ("Swordfish" was the plane name) and, since I'm over 50 and
forgetful, you'll have to tell us if a "Bermuda" car model was ever built,
also.  

http://www.panamair.org/aircraft/clippernames.htm

And back to 2005:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/4111930.stm


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/4117316.stm