Torq-O

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

Todd Ruel — 2009-11-14T19:08:43-05:00

I judge books by their covers. (I'm shallow that way.)

And if the cover of Richard Peck's book A Season of Gifts is any indication, I'm going to like it. It's the first kids' book I've ever seen with a green 1950 Nash Airflyte on the cover. (Statesman or Ambassador? They're both long enough to strap a Christmas tree to.)

I'm not going to reveal the plot, but one section of the book is like a walk through an orphan car parking lot.

Exhibit A: The Pickle. The description: "The steering on a 1950 Nash is loose as a goose, and the hood's as big as an aircraft carrier." (Couldn't be more true if it was a police report.)

Exhibit B: on page 135, Miss Flora Shellabarger owns a 1942 Packard Clipper. (Miss Shellabarger has good taste and good sense. She's not strapping any Christmas trees to the top of her car.)

Exhibit C: Roscoe Burdick's DeSoto on page 98.

Exhibit D: the homecoming queen's float is built on a 1932 Hupmobile sedan.

I didn't see any illustrations other than the cover Nash, but I love the fact that Peck has excellent taste when it comes to orphans.

The book is available online and in bookstores now.

Rootes 3 DVD now available for a limited time!

Todd Ruel — 2009-10-12T22:50:54-04:00

Greetings, Rootes Group fans!

Earlier this year, I bought three very rare Rootes Group promotional films from Scott Christie, the President of the Sunbeam Alpine Owners Club of America.

Some members of the club were very concerned that the films would disappear from the club's influence forever. I challenged the club to assemble a group of investors who would pool their money together to help pay for the film transfer costs + postage. If they could get the money together, I would get the films transferred and produce a limited quantity of DVDs. Thanks to SAOCA member Mike Phillips, the investors made it happen.

Fast forward three months. I have some extra DVDs, and a graphic artist who never got his rewards for designing such excellent packaging. I'm trying to correct my mistake by offering this DVD on eBay for a limited time. The price is $34.95 + postage.

If you want to check out clips of these films, here's a clip from The New Sunbeam Alpine, a film about the moment when the British got fins:

If you love gray, Hillman has it in shades. Check out this clip featuring the newly-redesigned Hillman Minx for '59:

Finally, there's a 22-minute film about the Sunbeam Rapier in European rally competition:

The Torq-O Media Archive is full of stupidly scarce car films. Do yourself a favor. Buy one of these DVDs before they vanish back into the vaults. Send me an email soon!

Ate Up With Motor

Todd Ruel — 2009-09-24T22:29:27-04:00

If you need an alternative to the automotive scholarship of Hemmings Classic Car, Collectible Automobile, and even the Society of Automotive Historians, you should try Aaron Severson's site Ate Up With Motor.

Severson writes with a desire to share the human drama behind the stories of our favorite cars. Like me, he values first person accounts and numerous quotes in his stories from the people who were there at the time.

I recommend his latest article Ramble and Roll: The Compact Nash Rambler. Look for Torq-O's contribution: a where-do-you-find-this-stuff 1950 Nash Rambler TV commercial. (Anything to help out a car fan who wants to write something more interesting than a book report!)

Carleton Spencer in Collectible Automobile

Todd Ruel — 2009-08-03T22:25:38-04:00

When it comes to writing history, readers of this blog know how much I hate “book reports.” Stories like these are drab recitations of facts and figures. They should stay in senior high school English classes.

But Richard Langworth doesn’t write book reports. In fact, his first book Kaiser-Frazer, The Last Onslaught on Detroit is a fantastic read. Why? Because he went out and interviewed everyone still alive in 1975 and incorporated a ton of quotes into the narrative. (Richard, pleeeeeeeeease do an update of this book! We’ve learned so much about K-F since then!) History is always most interesting when it’s told by the people who created it.

So I was very psyched to read Langworth’s article about Carleton Spencer, the wunderdesigner at Kaiser-Frazer who dressed up an otherwise limited product line. It’s in the October 2009 issue of Collectible Automobile (still no web site. Seriously.)

Besides a ton of great pictures of Spencer’s K-F interiors, there is a sprinkling of Spencer quotes that help to drive the story.

My only small quibble: since the article is a Personality Profile, I wish that CA had chosen some pull quotes and printed them in large blocks throughout the article. They would have evoked Spencer’s personality and helped us understand better the man who created such striking interior designs for Kaiser-Frazer.

1977 -78 AMC AMX in Collectible Automobile

Todd Ruel — 2009-08-02T12:27:52-04:00

In the Cheap Wheels section of the October 2009 issue of Collectible Automobile (still no web site), there’s a great article about the 1977-78 AMC AMX first built on the Hornet/Concord chassis.

These are rare, rare, rare cars. The 1977’s look like Hornets that kinda suffered through beauty school makeovers. I think the 1978’s are trimmed out a little better. And there’s no mistaking the popularity of flaming hood decals on the ’78. Pontiac had the flaming chicken, and AMC had the flaming Hornet.

Anybody who has visited this blog in the past year knows that Torq-O has a lot of vintage AMC movies. I’m pretty sure that we have the most hours of AMC audio-visual material in the U.S. if not the world. Certainly more than Chrysler.

One of the films that we just had digitized is the 1977 AMC Dealer Announcement Show. It features singin’, dancin’, and product introducin’. And, you probably already guessed it, the 1977 AMX is prominently featured.

Check out this splashy introduction featuring an actor playing a very Fonz-like greaser (with very 70’s-like hair). It’s the perfect complement to the Collectible Automobile article. (Keep in mind that this is a filmed stage show.)

British films DVD update #3

Todd Ruel — 2009-08-02T12:16:16-04:00

Hey, Sunbeam and Hillman investors!

A quick note: all of the DVDs that you paid for have either been handed over to the U.S. Post Office or have been delivered personally. (Jan Servaites is one lucky dude.)

I hope you enjoy the films! They’re fun, quirky, and extremely British.

For those of you who want one but did not get involved in the original investment, I’ve made a few extra copies for sale. They are US $36.90 for U.S. fans and US $39.90 for international fans. Just email me, and let me know, because once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.

Just had to share

Todd Ruel — 2009-07-29T23:07:40-04:00

Old cars are fun to drive. When I’m behind the wheel of my Metropolitan, I get smiles and waves. I get all the ego strokes a guy could want.

But there’s a dark side. Even while I’m smiling back and giving the Queen wave to awestruck admirers, I know that my Met will try to grind my gears. Break my spirit. Crush my soul.

It happened this past Saturday night. My American Motors product broke down. The gas stopped flowing right at a major intersection. Two good guys helped me push my rusting, Unitbody-constructed hulk into a parking lot. Then I called the tow truck.

Then I forked over $70 to The Man.

When you have an old car, breakdowns are inevitable. Sometimes you have friends with you who can help. Sometimes you’re driving solo. Many times, you’re just SOL.

This incident made me wonder how you feel every time your classic orphan ride leaves the garage. Joy or dread? Fun or fear? I’ve re-activated the Comments section of the blog (below). Tell me your story! I’d love to hear how you deal with the inevitability of mechanical failure.

British films DVD update #2

Todd Ruel — 2009-07-24T20:43:53-04:00

Hey, Rootes Group film investors!

I have great news! Your DVDs are done! I’m assembling them now, and I’ll be shipping them shortly. Keep an eye on your mailboxes. You’ll be getting them soon! (And when you do, please tell me what you think. I’d really appreciate your feedback.)

Remember: this DVD will feature the following Rootes Group promotional films:
1) Alpine Challenge (about Sunbeam Rapiers in European rally competions in 1959)
2) The New Hillman Minx (1959)
3) The New Sunbeam Alpine (1959)

Stay tuned!

Glenn Pray in Hemmings Classic Car

Todd Ruel — 2009-07-24T06:51:20-04:00

Dave LaChance wrote a great article about Glenn Pray, the man who, for one brief, shining moment, brought the Cord 810 back to life. (Hemmings Classic Car, September 2009)

You might not like reproductions. You might not like Corvair engines powering your reproductions. But you have to admire Pray’s dream and his persistence.

After doing a little bit of internet research, I found that Pray is still with us. However, it looks like he’s pretty frail.

Look for more info about the man at The Glenn Pray Cord Group web site.

AMC Concept 80 cars in Hemmings Classic Car

Todd Ruel — 2009-07-19T22:10:15-04:00

If you’re an AMC fan, you need to check out Patrick Foster’s latest article in the September 2009 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.

Foster tells a great story about his personal trip in 1977 to AMC’s Concept 80 show in New York City. AMC was showing some automotive ideas to the public, and Foster was there. In fact, he was escorted around the show floor by John Conde (AMC’s unofficial historian and public relations executive) and styling guru Dick Teague.

The article features all of the Concept 80 cars, but there’s one total standout: the AM Van. AMC coulda/shoulda built this stylish minivan and beat Chrysler to market by three or more years.

Even though the article features several great color illustrations of the cars, there’s no substitute for being there. So we dug through the Torq-O Media Archive and found this vintage 1977 news film. (We bought the film from John Conde himself several years back.)

Lucky Lee Lott in Garage Magazine

Todd Ruel — 2009-07-23T18:51:34-04:00

Back in the day, it seems like every car manufacturer had a group of stunt drivers who jumped, burned, wrecked, and tortured its cars at public events like county fairs.

Kaiser Frazer had the Aut Swenson Thrillcade. Plymouth had the Hurricane Hell Drivers. And Nash had Lucky Lee Lott.

So imagine my jaw-dropping surprise when I saw a picture of the late Lucky Lee Lott in Issue 18 of Jesse James’ Garage Magazine. (Nash fans, don’t get your heart rate up. There’s no story about Lott. Only some chest thumping from Garage at Lott’s expense.)

The picture shows an older Lucky Lee behind the wheel of one of his stunt cars. A reader sent in the photo claiming that THIS is the kind of guy who reads Garage.

I laughed, and it’s all in good humor. But Garage reminds me of some nerd who has to stand in front of the mirror and tell himself every morning what a badass he is even at the expense of others (like Lucky). He can weld. He can fabricate. He has tattoos. Friends, if you have to loudly announce your garage cred to everyone who cracks the spine of your magazine, then you, sirs, are not really badasses. Just asses.

But, hey. There’s an awful lot that Garage does right. Design, layout, stories, cheesecake. It’s all done really well. Only the self affirmation is overcooked.

Hudson, DeSoto, & Muntz in Collectible Automobile

Todd Ruel — 2009-07-04T21:51:17-04:00

Collectible Automobile (STILL no web site) hit home runs with each of its three Photo Features in its August 2009 issue.

First up is a 1952 Muntz Jet. It looks like a long, sleek, beautiful vitamin tablet with headlights. Very streamlined. Very slab sided like a lot of postwar cars. Very low volume. I’d love to drift my way through the weekly cruise in with this car. I can practically see the question marks over gawkers’ heads.

Next is the 1947 DeSoto Custom Club Coupe. It has one of those painted-on, fake wooden dashboards that were so popular in midsize cars like Nash. Thank God they stopped building tanks for war and reverted to building tanks for the boulevard.

I’m sure it’s no accident that the first picture in this Feature is a closeup of the hood ornament. Naked woman. Hair flowing. Arms extended like wings. And protruding boobs pointing the way forward. It’s the kind of design statement that says, “Wherever you’re going, I’m following.”

The last spread in this issue is a pretty 1941 Hudson pickup. I’ve always liked these trucks along with the ’46-’47 Hudson pickups. Very handsome. The truck bed looks long enough to haul my Metropolitan.

Check out Volume 26, #2 for yourself.

1966 AMC Ambassador convertible in Cars & Parts

Todd Ruel — 2009-07-06T00:35:35-04:00

The folks at Cars & Parts (right up the highway from us in Sidney, OH) often give the guys who work for the Hemmpire in Vermont a run for their money.

Their cover story about the ’66 AMC Ambassador 990 convertible in the July 2009 issue is a great example. Richard Truesdell wrote a great story about what American Motors was doing at that time. He talks about how owner Ken Norman’s car is tricked out with every factory option except the tachometer.

But I felt the story needed a little hot sauce. So I burrowed deep into the Torq-O Media Archive until only my feet were sticking of the hole. When my assistants pulled me out, I was feverish and babbling. The 16mm commercial spot that they crowbarred out of my hands is the secret sauce for this article.

Here’s a 1966 Ambassador TV commercial for your contextual pleasure.

In 1966, AMC promoted themselves as the “Friendly Giant Killers.” And they spent a ton of money doing it. They produced one of their traveling dealer introduction shows that toured the United States. They recorded and distributed an original cast recording on a vinyl LP.

They also spent some coins sponsoring big television shows. Here’s a short movie featuring actor David Wayne pitching American Motors. You would have seen this video running in the middle of some big TV special on one of the big three networks at that time.

Did this advertising investment work? Not unless you consider the President’s unceremonious dumping in January 1967 a serendipitous career change.

Nevertheless, for one glorious year, AMC showed that the littlest American car company could write checks just as big as the Big Three.

Pontiac: welcome to the Torq-O Garage!

Todd Ruel — 2009-05-13T12:30:00-04:00

Orphan car fans: we hate to be the last to report that Pontiac is joining the Torq-O Garage.

We’re really late to jump on the story, because we’ve been rearranging the cars in our 250-car orphan garage with a giant Weather Eye conditioned air system.

Just when we had the garage alphabetically organized, GM dropped the P-bomb on us. Since all of our cars are iconic examples of their marques, we traded in our rusty Pontiac Astre for a fresh new Solstice Coupe. (We notice quite a few Azteks on the used car lot. Doesn’t anyone appreciate simple geometry in car design?) Then we had to move every car after Plymouth down one spot. Let me tell you, the Pope Hartford did NOT want to turn over. (So I made my wife crank it up.)

Instead of commenting on Pontiac’s demise ourselves, we thought we’d provide you with a variety of viewpoints from across the internetosphere.

Before Pontiac went floor pan up, the New York Times had an interesting article about the brand’s shriveling. If you’re a newbie to the classic car scene, read this article first.

“It’s a shame,” lamented lots and lots and lots of Pontiac fans.

Then there was a bit of news about Pontiac dealers trying to buy the brand from G.M. No fuzzy dice, said the General.

Steven Cole Smith of The Orlando Sentinel tried to educate readers about our particular brand of classic car appreciation with his own article about orphan cars. He defines orphans as cars “no longer supported by an active dealer network.” Not bad.

We didn’t want to be left out of the party, so we waded into The Torq-O Media Archive to bring you an audio snack. It’s Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker stiffly pitching the 1935 Pontiacs.

But’s what’s a radio commercial without a few visuals? So we hopped on over to The Auburn University Library Special Collections as well as John MacDonald’s Oldcarandtruckpictures web site to add some zazz to to the sounds.

Enjoy the news about those steel turret top bodies!

British films DVD update #1

Todd Ruel — 2009-04-17T20:23:38-04:00

At Torq-O we use our vast, underground, low-humidity, former salt mine to store The Torq-O Media Archive.

Over the past 11 years, we’ve acquired a lot of American orphan car media. Some of the interesting material includes a Graham-Paige film called Four Speeds Forward as well as a copy of the Graham-Paige Legion March. (We had a chance to bid on Arthur Pryor’s personal copy, but, alas, we were focused on some other shiny object.)

We’ve also carted home tons of AMC and Studebaker media as well as a sprinkling of Packard, Hudson, and Kaiser-Frazer films and radio commercials. And let’s not forget the Nash dealer training materials.

Recently, however, we “strayed” from our American roots and bought three 1959 British orphan car films from the poor man’s Sotheby’s. They are:

Alpine Challenge: a 23-minute film promoting the success of the Sunbeam Rapier in European rally competitions.

The New Sunbeam Alpine: a nine-minute promotional film about the Alpine that everyone loves - the one with fins that Maxwell Smart drove.

The New Hillman Minx: a seven-minute promotional ode to a British granny car best remembered by humorist/heckler Dave Barry (We love the that article, but we also would love to have a Hillman Minx. It’s very anti-sexy chic.)

Usually, when we buy these films, there are always one or two people who want a copy on DVD. You’d think that would be an easy way to make a buck and help recoup the cost of buying the film.

Not so, Grasshopper. When we transfer these films, we use a service that does a fantastic job. But it doesn’t come cheap. If the film is in great shape, it costs $175/hour, for example.

So we were doubtful when a few members of the Sunbeam Alpine Owners Club of America wanted DVD copies of these Rootes Group films. We said, “Okay, but we need a firm commitment from at least 10 people, and we need payment up front, and we need a list of names and addresses.” Our demands were like a hastily composed ransom note.

To our surprise, the SAOCA members made it happen! The money’s in the bank, the list of investors is in our hands, and the project is moving forward!

I’m happy to report that the films are safely in the hands of our film transfer service. They’ll be converted to 10-bit, uncompressed, 720x486 Quicktime movies ready to transfer to a DVD. (Eat that, wrench jockeys who try to confuse me with terms like “gudgeon pin” and “rear brake proportioning valve”!)

We’re not done yet. There are still several production steps we have to take to finish the DVD. But we’re moving forward.

If you’re interested in joining the ranks of these Alpine owners who put their money where their passion is, send me an email. Once these DVDs have been burned, there won’t be any additional copies.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Torq-O Podcast #10: Margery Krevsky and the Sirens of Chrome

Todd Ruel — 2009-03-13T23:49:21-04:00

Torq-O talks with Margery Krevsky, the author of a new book about auto show models called Sirens of Chrome.

Margery tells us how models at auto shows evolved from decorations to walking automotive

encyclopedias.

She also takes us behind the scenes and tells us what it takes for a model to become fully turntable enabled.

Also, listen in for a rare soundtrack from an early female product specialist: Florence Henderson. (That’s right, before she married into The Brady Bunch, she was Oldsmobile’s favorite spokesactress in the late 1950’s.)

Go to our Podcast page to get the straight audio podcast or the video-enhanced version featuring stills from the book.

AMC Pacers in Collectible Automobile

Todd Ruel — 2009-02-09T21:34:33-05:00

Here’s great news for Pacer fans, especially those of you who invested in our limited edition Gremlin/Pacer DVD last year.

Collectible Automobile Magazine (still no web site) has published a Patrick Foster article on the first “wide small car” in its April 2009 edition.

I applaud Foster and CA for starting to incorporate some quotes into their stories. I often rant about auto history stories that read like book reports. However, I have to give Foster & Co. some credit for actually incorporating quotes from Gerald Meyers, Roy Chapin, and Bill Luneberg. (I realize it’s easier for Foster to use quotes from actual interviews, because many AMC execs are still alive and accessible. Eg., take a listen to our Bill McNealy and Gerald Meyers podcasts.)

To add to the Pacer love, we’d like to offer a very special video. It’s a late-1974 news story from Chicago’s WMAQ-TV. It’s eerie how timely this story is. (We could not include this video in our Gremlin/Pacer DVD, because we stuffed the DVD with other important and previously unseen films.) Enjoy!

By the way, we have a few extra copies of our Gremlin/Pacer DVD. Only four or five. If you’re interested, please email. We’ll provide information.

BTDT #3: Auto Towers

Todd Ruel — 2009-01-25T22:30:07-05:00

I went to the 2009 North American Auto Show on Friday. Before I got into the building, I knew I had something great to show you.

Right across the street from Cobo Center, Smart had built a tower and stacked it full of its Matchbox-sized automotive triangles.

It reminded me immediately of Nash's Tower of Progress at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. The Nash tower was a glass-enclosed box with an elevator that raised and lowered cars inside the tower. Really amazing for its time.

Turns out that good ideas never really die. They just get remixed. Check out this photo on Virtual Tourist of a Smart Car tower in Germany. It's virtually identical to Nash's 1933 effort. The cars rise and lower inside the tower. However, the Smart version is more like a vending machine. A customer could choose a car to take for a test drive, and the car would exit at ground level ready for a spin around town.

Smart's tower: smart but not first. Nash has already been there. Done that.

Jeff Teague draws on father's work to update classic AMCs

Todd Ruel — 2008-12-06T18:39:38-05:00

Jeff Teague, the son of Dick Teague, AMC's Vice-President of Design, has published some 3D renderings of an updated AMX and Gremlin on the Hemmings Auto Blog.

I like the AMX version, and I really like the top of Jeff's Gremlin, but together, they don't make my EKG start beeping fast. They need a little more zazz.

Autoblog said about the Gremlin "we like that it's not blatantly retro." I'd have to disagree. I think virtually all of the blatantly retro designs from the past 10 years have been very appealing. Maybe retro design is waning, but I've never found ugliness in the clever updating of classic designs that have proven timeless and successful. A few more classic Gremlin and AMX design cues would not have hurt those renderings at all.

So Jeff, here's my $10 Torq-O Challenge: please update the Matador Coupe! Since AMC used the letter X to denote a lot of trim variations in their cars, I'm putting up a Hamilton to see what you can do to help out the aesthetically challenged Matador Coupe. Send the renderings and your PayPal ID, and I'll be happy to share your work with the rest of the world.

Now's you're chance to add to the Teague legacy. Rescue the one Dick Teague design that needs it the most! Give us AMC fans a Christmas present, and I'll send you 10 of the U.S. Treasury's finest George Washingtons.

High-Performance Studebakers in Collectible Automobile

Todd Ruel — 2008-11-23T17:43:20-05:00

Look for Bob Palma's story about Studebaker's fast Fifties and Sixties cars in the February 2009 issue of Collectible Automobile.

Lotsa facts and figures. (Couldn't you guys do that stuff with some friendly charts or graphics? Why keep writing these stories like college textbooks? Will there be an exam after the article?)

Nevertheless, Palma does a good job shoehorning all those stats under the hood of a nine page story that is 65% pictures. And I DO like seeing those beautifully styled Hawks, Larks and Avantis.

Jim Richardson on restoration vs. rodsteration

Todd Ruel — 2008-11-22T18:13:53-05:00

In the January 2009 issue of Hemmings Classic Car, Jim Richardson says the right things in the wrong way.

Jim tells the story of a guy who had a rare 1933 Hupmobile that was all original and had been stored since World War II. He then listened in horror as the owner said he was going to rod it out and "personalize" it. Understandably, Jim reacted like a guy who had been whacked upside the head with a lug wrench.

Jim feels, and I agree, that it's better to restore these vehicles to their original condition rather than turn them into just another canvas for self-expression. A canvas with a small block Chevy engine in it. "...Please, in the name of decency," Jim pleads, "don't destroy a good original car."

I've always felt that street rods were okay if the owner was rescuing a basket case. If that car was one step away from the crusher, it's better that a car gets rodded out rather than squished into a door stop.

However, if that car is an orphan, especially a rare one like a Hupmobile, ya gotta keep it the way the manufacturer built it. It's more important as a rolling piece of history rather than your personal art car.

But Jim: please keep the hood on your contempt for street rodders. Accusing them of lacking "wisdom and maturity" won't exactly keep the purple flames off of their Packards, Willys Americars, or Studebakers. Just like our current national political situation, I think we need to find a way to unite the street rodders with us rather than driving them away. They'll respect us a little more, and I think we'll find that we all have a lot more in common than we first thought. And the next time an old original Graham-Paige or Hudson pops up, we might just steer the tempted owner away from the Dark Purple Side.

Orphan brands in shorthand

Todd Ruel — 2008-11-12T22:55:24-05:00

What better way to stir up interest in our favorite orphan cars than the threat of GM, Ford, and Chrysler going chassis up?

While the media chew on the subject, I found a BusinessWeek slide show that devotes a picture and a paragraph each to dozens of our favorite orphan brands.

(What's up with some of those weird pix they chose to represent some of the most famous brands? If you mention a Lark or an Avanti as an example of a Studebaker, wouldn't it make sense to use a picture of said vehicles? Hmm.)

RIP: Evelyn Ay Sempier (1933-2008)

Todd Ruel — 2008-10-26T23:00:13-04:00

I just learned from Chris Custin, the Historian for the Metropolitan Owners Club of North America, that Evelyn Ay Sempier, Miss America 1954, died last Saturday.

Courtesy of David Austin

Evelyn was special to Metropolitan fans, because Nash sponsored the Miss America contest when she was crowned. Nash called upon her to officially "unveil" the Metropolitan to the public at the Chicago Auto Show in early 1954. She also bought (with some of her Miss America prize money) one of the early Metropolitan convertibles for her brother.

Evelyn Ay Sempier when Torq-O
spoke with her: July 12th, 1997

Back in 1997, we started to interview all of the surviving participants in the design, building, and selling of the Metropolitan. Evelyn was our second interview.

We went to her home near Philadelphia and spent the afternoon of July 12th, 1997, talking to her about her association with the pageant and with Nash. We shot about four hours of footage with her.

My favorite anecdote that she shared with us was about a typical day in the life of Miss America: always smiling, sleeping on the plane, riding in Nash Ambassadors, breathless, hungry, expected to have opinions on world hunger, Communism, crop rotation, and juvenile delinquency.

She was a class act through and through. Generous with her time. Perfect and articulate with her answers. Patient with our process. A wonderful lady. Farewell.

Torq-O Podcast #9: AMC CEO Gerald Meyers

Todd Ruel — 2008-10-13T15:41:35-04:00

If you want to know what goes on in a car company, you go straight to the top.

Torq-O's newest podcast features a rare and exclusive interview with Gerald Meyers, the CEO at American Motors from 1977 to 1982.

Meyers talks about his early days at the company and some of its unforgettable cars. Don't miss Meyers' take on the Marlin, the Javelin, the AMX, and a little project called the AMX/3.

Meyers also shares his memories about the men behind the machines: George Romney, Roy Abernethy, and Dick Teague.

Go to our Podcast page, and get it straight from the CEO's mouth. Got an iPod? Fire up iTunes, and search for Torq-O. Then click the Torq-O logo, and download this podcast.

(This podcast is a perfect companion to our Bill McNealy interview. If you haven't listened to that conversation, go to our Podcast page and download both of them!)

RIP: John Conde (1918-2008)

Todd Ruel — 2008-10-05T00:00:27-04:00

I've been expecting this moment for years.

I recently learned that former AMC public relations executive and auto historian John Conde had died. He died on August 29th at age 90, but it took me awhile to discover it.

John reaches out and touches someone in this 1956 Nash publicity photo

The funeral directors generously provided an online guestbook. If you ever spent some time with John, please take a moment and share some memories. Here are mine:

John was a fascinating man with a deep and abiding love of auto history.

He had a front row seat to that history as a public relations exec who watched Nash merge with Hudson to form American Motors which later bought the Jeep brand.

We're lucky to have a lot of that history. After John retired from AMC in 1976, he wrote many articles for a variety of auto history magazines. (I hope someone collects his stories someday.)

In addition, he allowed me into his house in 2000 to interview him extensively about his Nash/AMC career. Someday, I hope I can find a way to share these six hours of interviews with car fans.

John talks to Torq-O about the Metropolitan in 1998

John almost singlehandedly preserved the history of American Motors even when the company itself didn't care about its past. He once told me that former AMC President Bill Luneberg called him "the company's greatest used car salesman" for his efforts to preserve materials about AMC's past.

In fact, he was allowed to take a lot of that material with him when he retired. The sale of publicity photos and rare product literature helped fund his retirement years.

John was a complex character. On the surface, he could sometimes be curt and irritable. However, he could also be generous and kind. If he sensed your motives were in the interest of helping someone or preserving auto history, he was always very selfless and giving.

John lived through some fascinating times in the auto industry, and we're lucky that he chronicled and catalogued them vividly and prodigiously.

Thanks, John. I'm going to miss you. You're one for the history books.

Torq-O Podcast #8: Random Rides

Todd Ruel — 2008-10-04T00:08:55-04:00

Torq-O often talks with authors and executives about your favorite orphan cars.

This time, we spoke with owners.

Join us for conversations with the people who own the titles at the Bob Poole Orphan Car Show at Carillon Park in Dayton, Ohio, on September 27, 2008.

You'll meet the drivers of some great cars: a 1968 AMC Javelin, a 1963 Studebaker Lark Wagonaire, a 1959 AMC Ambassador, a 1973 Plymouth Gold Duster, a 1954 Hudson Jet, a 1935 Hupmobile, and a 1965 AMC Marlin.

Go to our Podcast page for the audio-only and video-enhanced versions.

I'm just saying: can't car shows be more exciting?

Todd Ruel — 2008-09-28T22:42:15-04:00

I went to the Bob Poole Orphan Car Show this weekend at Carillon Park in Dayton, Ohio. We had a lot of fun. All 57 of us. Including the park employees and gift shop attendant.

I love orphan cars, but I hate it when people go to all the trouble of organizing the event, but they don't publicize it well. There were fewer cars there than I've ever seen at that event. It's not as if the government slapped a tax on orphan cars. (If that were true, they might just need to add the Big Three to the list next year.)

What was painful to see was all that wide open space in the park that was formerly covered with Studebakers, Packards, AMCs, Hudsons, Oldsmobiles, etc.

I wish the organizers had publicized the event better. Furthermore, I wish that people who organized these events could figure out something new and interesting to do with them rather than create the same old shows that look and feel like old car parking lots.

It's time to celebrate old cars in new ways. For instance, why can't we offer casual visitors the opportunity to drive these cars themselves (with close supervision, of course)? Let them experience what it's like to start a brass-era car or drive a '31 Hupmobile? I guarantee you'd get more people interested in the hobby if you put them behind the wheel.

And why don't we create more photo opportunities? Would it be very difficult to borrow or rent a car-sized turntable for the event and put cars on the turntable for 10 minutes each? Turntables at car shows almost always enhance the image of a show and the prestige of the cars that are on them. (You could snag some extra cash by videotaping the cars on the turntable and selling that footage to the owners.)

Start playing vintage car ads over the loudspeaker. They're fun. They're short. They're more interesting than the same old Fifties and Sixties music. When I sold my products at the 2006 AMO International show, I created a CD filled with vintage AMC radio spots. People literally ran to my booth asking about those spots whenever the DJ played them.

Isn't it time we created a little excitement about old cars the way new car dealers do? And if we do that, shouldn't we tell anyone and everyone about it? I'm just saying.

Jack Miller gets more ink.

Todd Ruel — 2008-08-03T09:04:35-04:00

There's a really beautiful pictorial spread of Jack Miller's Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum in Issue 308 of AmericanDriver Magazine.

Jack is well known as the founder of the annual Orphan Car Show and for being the operator of Miller Motors, the last Hudson dealership. But don't take my word for it. Try some words from The Detroit News. Or maybe Hemmings Motor News. Or The New York Times, perhaps? Or Forward Magazine. Or The Kalamazoo Gazette. Or...

Jack, can I get your the name of your publicist?

Another AMC interview!

Todd Ruel — 2008-07-27T16:38:27-04:00

Hey, AMC fans!

I just got off the phone with a great guy. In fact, he's the subject of my next podcast.

Gerald Meyers, the former Chairman of American Motors, spent an hour reminiscing about AMC and several of the cars they built.

Check back here for some fun stories about Roy Abernethy, the Marlin, the Javelin, the AMX, and the AMX/3. (Give me some time to edit it first, okay?)

Torq-O Podcast #7: Bill McNealy on the Javelin

Todd Ruel — 2008-07-20T19:29:39-04:00

He was a force of nature at AMC in the Late Sixties. He drove the company to modernize its image. He took American Motors by the shoulders and yelled, "Wake up!!" as he shook the company out of its sleepy granny-car complacency. He helped to make AMC more appealing to the exploding youth market.

He had passion and energy and impatience that seemed almost elemental. Call it McNealium.

Now, in a Torq-O exclusive podcast, we bring you an interview with AMC's former Vice-President of Marketing, Bill McNealy. Listen in as he talks about the car that he used to create a tidal wave of good buzz for AMC: the Javelin.

My Metropolitan: it's alive!!!

Todd Ruel — 2008-07-20T11:37:25-04:00

A personal blog entry today.

Last week, I got my 1961 Metropolitan hard top back from MG Automotive! I took it to owner/operator Steve Miller and told him to fix every mechanical component that looked like it wanted to take the day off. (MG, you ask? Wha??? Remember that the Metropolitan was built for Nash/AMC by Austin in England. It's a 98% British car.)

Steve completely rebuilt the brakes. He had a valve job done on the engine. He fixed the rear shocks. He worked on the carburetor. He brought the car back to life. It now runs like a top.

Yesterday, I went to the local BMV to get new plates and tags. As I left, I noticed an old furniture showroom had been turned into an indoor flea market. I've always been a total sucker for that kind of stuff, so I went in and looked around.

By total chance, I found a booth that sold vintage Ohio license plates. The guy had a matching pair of 1961 plates. I bought 'em on the spot and retraced my steps back to the BMV 100 yards away to get the vintage plates registered.

Next step: insurance. I've already had a "discussion" with the insurance folks about the definition of "pleasure drive." I don't intend to keep this car hermetically sealed in the garage. I'm gonna drive it. And after that, I'm going to get that unit body restored! (Even though the photo doesn't show it, there are little rust bubbles, and the rubber is old & crusty.)

Anyone wanna go for a drive?

Gremlin/Pacer DVD update

Todd Ruel — 2008-06-28T19:57:02-04:00

Friends, there are gremlins in my Gremlin/Pacer DVD.

To all of my investors, I want you to know that I've been working very diligently to burn a usable master for this project. But currently I'm stuck in the garage up on blocks.

I use a MacBook Pro and iDVD to burn my masters. This DVD is no technological marvel. Like a Rambler, the whole project is simple. It's simple to author the project in iDVD and simple to burn on my Mac. But my software just won't cooperate. I don't know why.

Stay tuned, folks. I have to switch to Plan B to burn a good master. It will take some time, but I'll do it. And all of you who are investors on my list WILL get your DVDs. I will kick these Gremlins across the horizon line. Grrrr.

Nash Airflytes in The New York Times

Todd Ruel — 2008-05-27T22:31:37-04:00

I was wondering why the traffic to our site spiked on May 23rd. Now I know.

The New York Times published a story by Kit Kiefer about the 1949-51 Nash Airflytes and the Nash Car Club of America's founder Jim Dworschack.

The story reminds America that the bathtub Nashes were part sleeper sofa, part camper, and completely comfortable. You could drive an Airflyte Statesman or Ambassador off the beaten path and park it near a stream. There you could cast your line into the water and later sleep under the stars in your bedroom-on-wheels Nash. (The only feature missing was an onboard flushomatic commode!)

It's great at long last to see this story in print. Jim Dworschack contacted us last fall and asked me to provide Mr. Kiefer with a copy of our 1950 Nash Airflyte Trailer. I was happy to help, but honestly, I forgot about the whole affair until I saw the story in print. Congratulations, Jim. It's a great tribute to the Airflytes and to Jim, who founded the Nash Car Club at age 15 in 1969.

One of the most impressive elements of the story is the fantastic photo of Jim by photographer Andy Manis. (Use it as your publicity photo, Jim! Get some business cards and wallet-size prints!)

1916 Scripps-Booth in Collectible Automobile

Todd Ruel — 2008-05-18T20:16:18-04:00

I keep coming back to the June 2008 issue of Collectible Automobile, because there are a lot of great orphans in this issue.

I always thought that CA confined itself to post-WWII cars, but I may have to change my thinking about this magazine. (I suspect it's because the content in their chosen field is finite. There are only so many old car stories out there.)

When you turn a few chapters farther back in history, you find some really interesting stuff. The Photo Feature of the 1916 Scripps-Booth Model C Roadster is a good example. Before this company was gobbled up by GM, they produced some cool Brass Era buggies. The Model C, pictured here on another web site, was a "luxurious light car" with a floor that was lower than the chassis rails. The Model C pioneered this concept 32 years before (and several hundred pounds lighter than) the Stepdown Hudsons of 1948.

They made 6,000 of these from 1915 to 1916 before William Durant bought the company in 1917.

There is a jump seat just ahead of the passenger seat. It looks like a padded toilet seat. Maybe it was a "safety feature" like the padded dashes of Kaiser-Frazers in the 1950s.

1965-66 Rambler Classics in Collectible Automobile

Todd Ruel — 2008-05-15T23:50:13-04:00

AMC historian du jour Patrick Foster (It used to be folks like John Conde and Arch Brown.) just wrote a story about the 1965-66 Rambler Classics. Look for it in the June 2008 issue of Collectible Automobile.

These cars are usually forgotten, because they weren't sexy, and they were built at a time when AMC was pursuing the disastrous policy of competing with The Big Three. But I like the clean styling. The boxy shape definitely screams, "Get out of the way, or I'm gonna clip some hippies!"

You'll get the usual ho-hum recitation of facts and figures, but I found some new and interesting items. Look for the sidebar story about the 1966 one-off Rebel station wagon called the St. Moritz. It was a winter-themed custom car built for the 1966 Detroit Auto Show. I love the tinted rear windows that wrapped up into the roof.

Also, look for the '66 Rebel hardtop owned by Christine and David McGowan (two fellow Buckeyes and friends of Torq-O). The car is a beauty.

Collectible Automobile has a sense of humor!

Todd Ruel — 2008-05-09T22:45:44-04:00

I really like what Collectible Automobile has done with their Design Fantasy sketch series.

Basically, CA has asked, "What if Brand X cross-pollinated with Brand Y to create a car that looked a little like both?" Publisher Frank Peiler then sketches up the results.

These visual mashups are fun. Some of them force you to do a double take. The Ford/Nash mutation in the June 2008 issue almost makes me do a spit take.

Good job, Editor Biel. At least you're trying to lighten up the magazine while maintaining its scholarly credentials. (Now if we could just get CA to create a web site!)

Torq-O Podcast #6: Torq-O talks tubes!

Todd Ruel — 2008-04-29T19:27:15-04:00

Snap! Crackle! Pop! That's not the Rice Krispies elves, kids. That's the noise coming out of your vintage orphan car tube radio!

You'll jump on it first thing after that engine rebuild, right? Well, now you don't have to wait.

Torq-O talks with Jim Cross, the owner of Vacuum Tubes, Inc. Jim will tell you why car radios with tubes aren't that difficult or expensive to repair.

Listen here, or check out the Enhanced Version on our Podcast page!

New Documentary: America's Original Crash Test Dummies

Todd Ruel — 2008-04-04T23:10:04-04:00

Pete Koziell, a Nash Car Club of America member, has co-produced a new documentary about the folks who crash cars for fun and not so much profit.

The movie is called Hell Drivers: America's Original Crash Test Dummies, and Pete plans to take it on the road through the film festival circuit this summer.

I checked out the web site. Although the film seems to be about modern hell drivers, I know that Pete has probably included historical footage of past hell drivers like Lucky Lee Lott (who wrecked Nashes for a living) and Aut Swenson (who destroyed Kaiser-Frazers).

New Video: Making the Gremlin/Pacer DVD

Todd Ruel — 2008-03-29T23:04:39-04:00

You might love old cars, and you're good with a wrench. At Torq-O, we love orphan cars, but we're better with a video camera.

We've just posted a new video on YouTube that we think you'll like. It's a behind-the-scenes look at how we produced all of the media for our upcoming Gremlin/Pacer DVD. Watch below, and enjoy!

Production Update: this sucker is 90% done! I still have to create introductions for two of the movies on the DVD, but everything else is ready to go.

Bottom line: the DVD that all of you have been patiently waiting for will start shipping near the end of April.

Why do AMC fans want to throw Hot Rod Magazine into a raging tire fire?

Todd Ruel — 2008-03-07T16:50:25-05:00

Hot Rod did a bad, bad thing.

In its April 2008 issue, writer Steve Stanford gave us the scoop on "the biggest story of the year, and no one saw it coming." His six page article is stuffed with details about the resurgence of AMC. He even had illustrations of modernized AMC classics like the Javelin, the AMX, the Gremlin, the Pacer, the Ambassador, and even the Matador coupe as visual proof that the brand was coming back.

But then you get to the very bottom of the article where you learn that "...Hot Rod and Steve Stanford have been jacking with you-APRIL FOOLS!"

AMC fans have responded with all the humor of a Marine drill sergeant. Check out the responses on The AMC Forum. Over at the HotRod.com General Topics Forum, the response has ranged from "Chrysler are you listening? This is your chance to make a difference and make AMERICAN mean something! American Motors! Do it!" to "Do you know how many guys I have to tell that I'm a dumb ass - for not reading the fine print!"

To the editors at Hot Rod: look both ways before crossing the street. Some AMC fan might want to turn you into a hood ornament.

Old Car and Truck Pictures

Todd Ruel — 2008-02-12T10:54:10-05:00

I've been meaning to tell you about John MacDonald's site Old Car and Truck Pictures.

It features just about the largest collection of old car photos I've seen in quite a while.

If you're looking for a reference photo or a simple visual reminder of what a certain make and model looks like, then John's site should be the first place you visit. It's worth bookmarking.

BTDT #2: the Nash Airflyte lives!

Todd Ruel — 2008-01-29T22:11:04-05:00

Here's another entry for the Been There Done That folder.

Last Thursday, I spent the day at Cobo Hall in Detroit for the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

I've been going every year since 2000, and I'm always interested in two things: concept cars and recycled design trends. (Bonus points if the concept cars use recycled design trends.)

Apparently, the AFT Trinity Power Corporation was mesmerized by the rear end of the 1949-50 Nash Airflytes.

Am I wrong here?

According to AFT Trinity, their XH-250 Plug-In Hybrid Sedan "could potentially achieve 250mpg". Instead of increasing gas mileage to several thousand miles per gallon, maybe they should get some fins on the drawing board. Back in the day, even Nash wasn't too thrilled with the dung beetle look. They added some fins to the geometric shape I can only describe as rumpazoidal. I always thought that the '51s were the nicest looking of the first generation of Airflytes.

Stay tuned. More sights from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show are coming soon.

Torq-O Podcast #5: Enhanced

Todd Ruel — 2008-01-20T23:40:53-05:00

We finally found some time to add some pictures to our interview with Tom Dulaney, the new owner of the long-lost AMX/3 push car that was first displayed at the 1970 Chicago Auto Show.

Check it out on our Podcasts page.

Why is Jim Donnelly such a COF?

Todd Ruel — 2008-01-17T21:21:17-05:00

Remember the old guy in the neighborhood who would sit on the porch and shake his bony fist at you while shouting, "You punks get off of my lawn!"? Jim Donnelly is starting to sound an awful lot like that toothless geezer.

Please ignore his babbling, incoherent rant against the changing world in the February 2008 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.

For all of its high-quality columnists like Jim Richardson who warmly reflect on the past, HCC also employs writers who can find nothing good to say about the present. It gets especially tedious when writers like Donnelly rage against trivial things like internet abbreviations in general and the changing world in particular. He's like the loud grandpa who yells at the TV when guests are visiting.

Then again, maybe he was tight against a deadline and HCC had little choice but to print his first draft. I just wish he didn't come off as such a Cranky Old Fart.

1967 Ghia with Checker bones in HCC

Todd Ruel — 2008-01-06T22:05:33-05:00

Dan Strohl's story on the Ghia Centurion with a Checker chassis had me wondering if maybe James Frey had ghostwritten this piece instead.

The Hemmings Classic Car (February 2008) story reads like fiction. Ghia builds a special one-off limo based on Checker's 129-inch chassis with a 327 V-8. Unlike virtually every product that Checker built, there's nothing utilitarian about the Ghia Centurion. The chauffeur rides on leather bucket seats. There's a liquor cabinet, a telephone, and a 12-inch black-and-white television for passengers in the back. (It they could've stuffed a widescreen TV into the back of this car, they would've had the air wrench in their hands.

It's nice to know that collectors have saved it from the Great Outdoors.

1940 Packard 120 Touring Sedan in HCC

Todd Ruel — 2008-01-06T21:13:42-05:00

I like Jim Richardson's Drive Report in the February 2008 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.

He could make a stripped-down, smoke-belching Gremlin with a choppy transmission sound like the most amazing, feather-soft set of wheels you've ever floated on the road with.

Check out his Drive Report on Ed Stifel's 1940 Packard 120 equipped with the one of the first factory-installed air conditioners.

While you're at it, turn the page, and enjoy the stories of Packard owners whose stories add so much value to their collections of rubber, steel and glass. It's another reminder of why this hobby persists and thrives.

Torq-O podcasts are now on iTunes!

Todd Ruel — 2008-01-06T13:46:07-05:00

Need an easy way to access our podcasts?

We're now available on iTunes. All sorts of keywords will work, but there's one you can always count on for the best orphan car content: Torq-O.

Torq-O

<i>A Season of Gifts</i> by Richard Peck

Rootes 3 DVD now available for a limited time!

<i>Ate Up With Motor</i>

Carleton Spencer in <em>Collectible Automobile</em>

1977 -78 AMC AMX in <em>Collectible Automobile</em>

British films DVD update #3

Just had to share

British films DVD update #2

Glenn Pray in <em>Hemmings Classic Car</em>

AMC Concept 80 cars in <em>Hemmings Classic Car</em>

Lucky Lee Lott in <em>Garage Magazine</em>

Hudson, DeSoto, & Muntz in <em>Collectible Automobile</em>

1966 AMC Ambassador convertible in <em>Cars & Parts</em>

Pontiac: welcome to the Torq-O Garage!

British films DVD update #1

Torq-O Podcast #10: Margery Krevsky and the <em>Sirens of Chrome</em>

AMC Pacers in <em>Collectible Automobile</em>