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"CLASSIC CARS"
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ALAN FEARNLEY
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CONTINUE BELOW WITH PICTURES AND VIDEO ABOUT WHAT MANY CONSIDER THE
"CLASSIEST" OF THE "CLASSICS"
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"DUESENBERG"
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A 1935 Duesenberg SSJ sold at a auction for $22 million. That makes it the
most expensive American car ever sold at auction. The delivered price of many Duesenbergs approached $20,000, a staggering sum at a time when a typical new family car cost around $500.The company finished with the J series that included roadsters and a 400-horsepower inline eight-cylinder engine, phenomenally powerful for its time.
Owners ranged from gangster Al Capone to newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, European royalty and entertainers including
Greta Garbo, Mae West and Clark Gable.
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Jay Leno is sometimes called 'the world's greatest car collector',
since he owns around a hundred automobiles,
including several Duesenbergs.
Above, he is behind the wheel of his
1930 Model J Le Baron Duesenberg.
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Duesenberg Special
With financing from sponsors, Ab Jenkins commissioned the Duesenberg Special as a speed record car. It was built in 1935 on a supercharged Duesenberg Model J rolling chassis with a standard wheelbase, a modified front axle, and a non-standard high rear axle ratio. High performance parts developed for the Special, especially the "ram's horn" twin-carburetor inlet manifold.In October 1935, Jenkins drove the car to a one-hour record of 153.97 mph and a twenty-four-hour record of 135.57 mph at a circuit on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The 24-hour record would be held until 1961.
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Duesenberg Model J Cabriolet
Custom body by Graber. The short-wheelbase supercharged J, had an extra-short wheelbase of 125 in and an engine delivering close to 400 hp through the use of the dual-carburetor "ram's horn" manifold developed for the Duesenberg Special. Only two were built; both had lightweight open-roadster bodies produced by Central Manufacturing Company, an Auburn subsidiary in Connersville, Indiana. At the rear, each short-wheelbase roadster had an external spare tire and smaller “later-style” round tail lights. The first short-wheelbase roadster was sold to the actor Gary Cooper in 1935. The other "SSJ" was lent by the company to actor and established Duesenberg customer Clark Gable in 1936.
COOPER AND GABLE WOULD RACE EACH OTHER IN
THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS IN THESE CARS.
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MY PERSONAL CHOICES
DURING THE INTENSE "MUSCLE CAR"
CULTURE OF THE 60'S
BILL CARAWAN
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MY PICK AS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
"CLASSIC" CAR OF ALL TIME
1962 CORVETTE
As an artist, I have always loved beautiful ideas!
Which explains one of the many reasons I married Shelley.
Why I love Concord and a full moon over Walden Pond.
Why I love the harmony of wind blowing through trees.
Etc., I think you get my idea.
And, why I have always loved this particular Corvette! I can honestly say that if I was a multi-billionaire, I would spend $150,000 to own this fantastic car (which sold for only $4,000. brand new). I would also donate the same amount to charity, so that I could drive this car around...without feeling so guilty.
BILL CARAWAN
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1964 FORD FALCON
BUCKET SEATS/FLOOR SHIFT
289 V8 with COBRA KIT
In 1964 this car went from sweet Grandma's little V6 to a "beast" with lots of power for a smaller car. My twin brother and I when we got out of high school needed transportation for work. Since we worked at the same plant and usually hung out together we went together on halves (down payment and monthly payments) to buy this car. We bought it from a friend who had spent a lot of time and money "souping it up" as a fast car for the Drag Strip. We added hood scoop and "Mag wheels."
This worked out great for about a year. Then I had
the opportunity to buy a car I really wanted.
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1963 CHEVROLET IMPALA
327/300 Hp. 4speed floor shift
This was the first car I ever owned personally. I bought it from a friend who had worked as a Deputy/Sheriff. It had been an un-marked police car and therefore had the faster/more powerful 327/300hp, most 327'S had 250hp. He bought it when the next years cars arrived and immediately had the floor shifter installed.
I decided to make it my "muscle car." So, soon as I bought it I put it into the professional auto shop of a friend for about a week. He worked on adding a four-barrel carburetor, a 3/4 Racing Cam, and solid lifters. The first time I heard it "crank-up" after the work was completed it sounded like a "Sherman Tank" from all of the racing parts. My friend said that after he finished the work he took it out in the country for a road test and was "blown away" by the power it had. He said it had about the same horsepower as most "muscle cars" of the day such as Chevelle "396's, Oldsmobile "442's, and Pontiac GTO's. I loved driving this car! It got a lot of attention.
In a couple of years I sold this car in order
to buy a 1967 Pontiac GTO Convertible.
The friend I sold it to raced it on the
local Drag Strip, and won!
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1967 PONTIAC GTO
398/335HP
CANARY YELLOW
BLACK CONVERTIBLE TOP
MANY PEOPLE CONSIDERED THIS
THE ULTIMATE "MUSCLE CAR"
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1966 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
396 SUPER SPORT
THIS WAS THE ONE MUSCLE CAR
I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO OWN.
BILL CARAWAN
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This
collection of
images
"CLASSIC CARS"
is published by
WORDS OF WILLIAM™
©2020
William F. Carawan
"Poetry Guy"
All rights reserved
Boston, Massachusetts U.S.A.
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