what is the rarest car you have come across

About 7 years ago at the pileup I saw a 1932 Willys roadster ( one of seven made ).

 

The rarest cars I've worked on or been around were all '60's muscle- a buddies '69 hemi Daytona (71 built I think), and another friend had a Thunderbolt, a Boss 429, and couple of 427 Galaxies. As far as myself, I have a '69 R/T convertible (436 built), and my rarest "vehicle", a '65 Minneapolis Moline G706LP, only 20 made, probably 6 or 8 left. Other than my R/T, I never much cared about rarity- I prefered to build a car that I could use, race, enjoy that looked like the rare ones. If my '65 Belvedere was a real hemi car, I wouldn't own it cuz I couldn't afford it. If I could afford it, I wouldn't drive it for fear of hurting it.

 

Just recently i visited a long time family friend and he offered to take me by his workshop, its the first time that i was in his neck of the woods and gladly accepted. tucked away in the garage was a 49 Merc lead sled, 47 Merc drop top, Buick Super 88 all original, a 37 Hudson truck grafted with a 38 fourdoor Hudson to make a extended cab truck, 28 buick sedan and the crown jewel......... No. 004 Hudson Jet you know the ones Hudon sent off to Italy and reskined in aluminum.

 

Armstrong-Siddeleys were medium size cars that always used their own engines, mostly ohv sixes - not Ford flatheads. Google it. You might have seen an Allard.

By coincidence to day I saw something I had not seen before; an English 1937 Ford 22 (for 2.2 litres). Basically a French designed MatFord sedan fitted with the V8 60 flathead. Again, google it.

 

The Roosevelt was Marmon's attempt at a lower price companion car at a time when that sort of thing was in vogue (like Cadillac's LaSalle and Buick's Marquette). It sold for about $1000 when a Model A sedan was about $700. The straight eight was 202 cid - about the same size as the Ford engine. It made 70hp when the Ford had 40 but had more weight to shift around. It only lasted about a year and a half - killed off by the depression, like many cars.

 

The car in the pic attached is so far proving that it maybe the only survivor - a 1926 Pontiac 6-27 on the optional disc wheels - with right hand drive and New Zealand assembled - one of about 250 sold here over the period 1926-27. As is obvious there is only a running chassis but that hasn't stopped the kids from getting it going and driving it. Next project is to get a core sorted out for the original radiator shell. We have found a round gas tank to go behind the seats - just need to sort some plumbing.

 

my wife and I just found a '27-'30 Erskin roadster. It was made by Studebaker for 4yrs. at least that's what wiki says. anybody know anything more about them?

Larry

 

36 Cord was sitting in a field in the western part of Nebraska. That was 8 years ago. The car looke like it had been laying on its right side in a ravine for about 40 years or longer. I was not able to make a deal on the car, but I tried. I do not know if they ever got it sold for what they were wanting or not.

 

Moparrob--The Hudson special you mentioned is a HUDSON ITALIA. Supposedly 26 built. HUDSON shipped their 1953-54 Jet Economy car chassis to Italy for the bodies. Not a real smart thing moneywise.

They create a huge amount of excitement at any Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club meet!!

 

The Flip Top Cobra and the SR2 Corvette.

 

Went to White Post Restorations a few years back to pick up some wheel cylinders they sleeved with stainless for me and there was a Stout Scarab undergoing restoration. Way cool with a flathead.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=8977

 

Al Reinert, fellow Burlington, Wi resident's Tucker convertible prototype.

 

Some of Lee Hartung's cars I saw were one-offs (like the Edwards) or sole survivors (like the Hertz touring).

Real scarce one (four built IIRC) I saw at Pomona years ago was a '57 Cadillac Eldorado Seville four-door hardtop - rusty but intact.

And very O/T, but odd enough to mention: a '78 Lincoln Versailles coupe at the U-Pick in Sun Valley. I spent a while looking it over and it looked totally factory. Wonder what was the story behind it?

 

Hi All,

There have been a few rare cars i have only seen one of.

This is the only one of these i have seen here in the UK.

1929 Graham Paige. pic taken at the Billing Fun Run 09-06-2012.











Cheers.

Russ.

 

1902 Gladiator. Pic taken at the Huntingdon Vetren Car Run 2010.







Cheers.

Russ.

 

I've come across a couple of Playboys and Pierce Arrows. Hey, I in Western New York! Why wouldn't I?

I thought this v v v car was proven to be made up of spare parts and not a prototype?

 

I believe this is a 1911 Maxwell

 

For many years i've gone to the open house/birthday party of R L Best in
my Ohio hometown in Sept. Awesome collection skewed toward heavy trucks but including a wide range of vehicles. Sadly after this years Sat.Sept. 8th shindig he passed away monday morning. I always got a big
kick out of the 21 Pierce Arrow wrecker conversion but this year included
a 1912 Brush roadster that I'd never seen before. Wood frame rails and all...









But of course the place was full of rarities...

 

Years ago, before cell phones and ubiquitous cameras I went to an "old tools and parts" yard sale in Boise. After talking with the host a while he offered to show me his real treasure. Behind the house, under a tarp and bunch of junk was a complete 20's something swoopy roadster with "Ace" badges on it. He said the company was based in the northwest and only built a few cars. I've never seen or heard of another.

 

Here is an odd one for you.

1909 Gustav Hillier Zittau. pic taken Huntingdon Veteran Run 2010.



Cheers.

Russ.

 

Probably not so unusual for most of you guys in the states.

1904 Cadillac. pic taken Huntingdon Veteran Run 2010.









Cheers.

Russ.

 

worked on a 31 hupmobile roadster, one of 3 left i was told, and I delivered cars to a guys warehouse, who had an 8 litre bently, mercedes 600 limo, and some 1930's Rolls royces. I was delivering 'Cudas, GTO's and Chevelles. Go figure I didn't move the expensive cars.

 

I was lucky enough to attend this year's Concours de elegance at Pebble Beach, cal. There were a buncha one-offs. The only one that cames to mind were actually two cars..
Rolls Royce only made 2 Rolls two door sedans.. one in like, 1959 and the other one was made a few years later. Well, both cars were displayed side by side at the event...both painted tutone gold and brown....looked like identical twins. I snapped a few photos of them but they're on a disc somewhere in my stuff..

 

Oh, and my brother is building a 1926 Rickenbacker touring hotrod....started with just the back half of the touring body with back doors and is using a more common model A cowl..should be wild!

 

I thought Rickenbacker only made guitars!?!?

Is there any connection?

 

Saw a Bugatti type 35 or 37 in Bar Harbor, ME last week while on vacation. No pictures unfortunately, but not something you see on the road every day! I'm guessing it was real from the vintage rally participation stickers it had on it.

 

How about a 1947 Buick Estate woody wagon....saw in Hemmings one for sale and said only 4 known to exist. This one belongs to a friend of mine, is all original except for the fog lights, and bet it's not included in the 4, so it makes at least 5 known to exist!!

 

Only if Captain Eddie also founded the guitar company. It was a 1920s effort to capitalize on the name of America's number one fighter ace who also happened to be a famous pre-war race car driver.

Edit: Ok, the connection is at the bottom of the article. Adolph Rickenbacker founded the guitar company, deliberately choosing his surname because it was shared with his famous cousin, Eddie.

 

I have seen all of these in person and actually drove the Marmon (V-16) around the show room floor at a car Show in the Moscone Auditorium.
Normbc9