Monday, September 21, 2009

Cars

Blog-Bud Andy posted some car-show pics today and in comments to his post I threatened to do the same. Since we're not in the habit of making idle threats, herewith a few re-runs from posts past:


Today’s Pic(s): Another ride I lust after, from the same car show I posted a pic from yesterday. This time it’s an early Corvette (1956, I think) done up in a questionable color scheme. Orange? ORANGE? What was GM thinking? And why did people actually buy orange ‘Vettes, when there were other, much more pleasing colors produced that year (the aqua/white combination comes to mind…more colors here)? I suppose it all goes to prove that taste is indeed in one’s mouth…



Pictured is my Dream Car…in yellow. If I (a) bought tickets and (b) actually won a significant lottery prize, I’d have one of these babies…in black. Or maybe green like the Green Hornet. It would be a small-block…the 302…not the 427. Coz I’m all about balance. And keeping my license. And not buying rear tires every 1,000 miles or so. It should go without sayin’ that the car would be a genuine Shelby, and not one of the thousands of ersatz Cobras (read that: kit cars; not that there's anything wrong with kit-cars) that roam the highways and byways in the US of A.

I saw the car in the pictures at a car show in Amarillo and got to chat a bit with the owner. The man was as proud of that car as he is of his kids…and said so. I suppose I would be, too.


Today’s Pic(s): Two pics of an immaculately restored ’53 Corvette, including the (in)famous “Blue Flame” Six. Who, back in 1953, would have thought that a car with such an inauspicious beginning would evolve into a world-class sports car? It was (and is) beautiful, though.
So... the above pics and supporting narrative are all from a car show I attended in Amarillo in the not-so-distant past.  I find it curious that I only posted pics of sports cars, most especially since I have a few dozen other pics of traditional Amercun  muscle cars.  Hmmm.  Maybe later.

8 comments:

  1. No kidding on the orange. Sheesh. I often marvel at peoples' taste in car colors.

    Thanks for the linkage!

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  2. I kind of like the orange - dreamsickle.

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  3. You have to be an "autumn" to look good in the orange. As a redhead, I think I would love it!

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  4. My wife's first car was a 1971 Challenger in "Mango Tango" a reddish-orange with a white vinyl top and creme-white leather int. A one-of-a kind color combo--never saw it's duplicate. The red-orange mix was supposedly custom-mixed for a Saudi Prince, and Dodge decided to make it avail to gen. public.

    The vinyl top & int really set it off. MAN would that car go! Had the biggest engine that didn't require that hideous large hot-rod air-scoop on hood. Had posi-trac rear-end and racing suspension. Drove it to Cali & back from New Orleans ala Barry Newman in "Vanishing Point."--and about as fast! LOL!!

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  5. I've rarely seen an orange car that looked good, but I'd take that Vette, orange or not.

    Virgil: I had a "poor man's Challenger" back in 1970... a 340 cu. in. Dodge Dart Swinger, an unfortunate name for a hella-quick car. That thing wasn't fast in that it would only do about 90 mph wound out tight in fourth gear (I think it had a 3.90 rear end), but it would get there AWFULLY damned quick! And guzzle premium gas at an astonishing rate, as well.

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  6. Buck/

    You're right about solid orange, but this number was about half & half--a reddish orange that had to be viewed in person to be appreciated--words don't do it justice--and the white/creme roof & int. really softened effect and set it off. A visually stunning car. I've never seen the same color on the road on ANY car--EVER! One of a kind.

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  7. BTW, speaking of solid orange, I saw a 2008 Pontiac G-8 (the Australian V-8 import--a helluva car, really) in a flat clear-coat, deeper orange of a slightly diff hue (sort of a persimmon) than the Vette in your pic w. black int. and a set of $3,000 custom wheels this summer on the lot of a local dealer in Santa Monica that was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!

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  8. Virgil: I'll take you at your word about the Challenger! And I agree with you about the G-8. It's just too damned bad Pontiac is going away... if I were King of GM I'd have axed Buick, instead. But what does Obama know, anyway? ;-)

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