what is the rarest car you have come across

In the spring of 1966, my sister graduated from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. My folks and I drove up from Cincinnati to help her pack. Knowing my addiction to old cars, she asked if I'd like to see an old convertible she'd found in a green house on an abandoned estate owned by the Carr(?) family. She and her roommate had explored the house and grounds, and removed a bunch of old clothing and memorabilia that was being ruined by neglect. The car in the greenhouse was a Duesenberg boat tail roadster in bare aluminum, without the exposed exhaust pipes. I figured the car was worth maybe $20,000.00 (I'd read a book on these cars while in high school) and begged, literally begged my dad to try and buy it. Right, they'd just paid $23,000.00 for a nice house.
I saw the car displayed maybe ten years later a a show in Indianapolis, so I know it got saved. I took my sister from the airport to Yellow Springs this summer for an Antioch reunion, and we found the old estate again, totally overgrown and almost unrecognizable. Some of the heirs (so they claimed) live across the street in a little house and came out to speak with us. They had no idea that such a car had ever been in the family, or for that matter, what a Duesenberg was. Five years ago, my sister returned all the items she'd saved from the house to an elderly Carr relative.

 

I know what you mean. I've seen a couple (in pieces, of course, and I'm not sure of the years) I was told there was two types of the early oakland phaetons, the blue bird, and the red bird, last one ending up a flop in sales (I think they're basically the same other than body length) only had about 6 known to exist now, a friend of my club who has an impressive collection of old steel, has one.

Others among that collection kind of blew my mind seeing as he had so many rare cars all over the yard....
a BIG 20's Buick sedan...Hudson Super Wasp, Mclaughlin- Buicks -10 or so (in pieces)
Oaklands, a saxon, a star. I can't remember anything else, I don't think I had enough time to soak it all in...

 

Bentley 8 Liter.
Just about passed out, it was fantastic.

 

Here is a Bantam that made it into safe hiding back in 1963 . It went from my Dad in Bellwood, IL to Harrah's ( Ralph Dunwoodie)

 

I bought a Nash 5 window coupe body and found a 4 door straight 8 donor car at a junk yard

 

1935 Auburn 4 dr. that I found in the woods. Had a lot of missing parts, this was in 1982. It did go eventually to the junk yard probably for scrap. Rode in a 31 Duesenburg 4 dr. that belongs to Richie Cline of the Imperial Palace auto collection here in Vegas. Also rode in a 37 Cord 4dr. at our clubs annual car show in Parowan Utah. Flathead V8 with a Supercharger. Very cool cars.

 

Its an ot car but in my shop right now Im working on a '76 eldorado converitable. Only made 200 of them and they called it the Bicentennial. Last verts for many years...

 

Ok think there was another post like this before, but here it goes again. Ive owned a '58 Packard hawk (one of about 588 built), a '64 Dodge CSS pickup (only a handfull), an OT '77 Olds cutlass factory 5-speed manual transmission car(1200 some I believe).... There have been others but they are either way to new or way to off topic.

 

I have owned this 1942 Studebaker Champion Coupe for 30 years or so.I have found production numbers on all models in 1942 except the Champion coupe.I have seen only 2 others in pictures but not in real life. Can anyone out there help me find out just how few of these were made? I think the 1946 Stude used the same body dies with little or no difference.Thanks to any and all who take the time to reply/help!

 

Back in the early 70's I was working for a Large Body Shop and the owner bought an Orig,unrestored 1928 VIKING ( a Division of Pontiac/Oakland Motor Co. ) which I Stripped and restored the Body,it had a Flathead V-8,when I removed the passenger side kick panel I found a Pint Whiskey Bottle wrapped in a Jan.1928 Newspaper.

 

I have been fortunate to rub elbows with many collectors here in BC where there are quite a few rare ones hiding out in personal collections. I have been lucky to get a ride in some of them, notable ones include:
1899 Locomobile
02 Rambler
04 Holley
06 Zust
10 Galloway
10 Brush
10 Russell
12 McLaughlin
13 Lafrance
13 White
17 Franklin
26 Brooks Steam car
30 Dodge straight 8 convertible
30 Nash twin ignition straight 8 coupe

 

We have a 53 buick skylark convertible at work that we have to do some piddly stuff too.
Other than that, ive worked on a nonhamb-friendly shelby mustang vin #17.

 

What is truly rare when you get in to classics that are now pretty expensive is a classic that is driven. I'm glad to see more emphasis placed on survivor cars now, than full tilt restorations.

This Cord sat in a barn for 50 years. It is fully operational, mechanically top-notch, and pretty much stole the show from the trailer queens when it went to Auburn for the ACD fest.

 

How about a '37 Nash Ambassador Fire Chief's car with twin-ignition eight. Actually, this was a cut-down four door sedan that a friend bought for parts to resotre his '37 Ambassador cabriolet, which I think is one of three know to exist-the others being six-cylinders.

 

1941 Nash Ambassador "600" Brougham coupe. Less than 1500 made in 1941 before the war hit. Iv only seen one other in person EVER. They were unibody and rusted out. Throwaway cars.

i put a bigblock in mine

 

This is about as rare as it gets......I saw this at the weekend, I think it was a "Shew", a car built in the early 1900's in England.....it had front and rear steer axles and was bought by an engineering company for evaluation for production but never made it.....it is the only one in the World.

 

One of a kind ....

@ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263321








Jim

 

What year was this Cord in Auburn????

 

It would have been early 2000s. The parade placard is still on the bumper in that photo. I'll have to check our newspaper clippings. It was on the front page of the Aurburn and Fort Wayne papers becuase it was not shiny like all the others.

We took this to cabriolet Aurbun in '97. It took 12 years to turn it from a ditch find into this condition. Dad never had fun with, becuase it was too nice and too valuable. I don't think he will ever restore a shiny car again.

 

I think it may of been '99. My late father was there that year and I recall him telling me how much attention that car got. I have several pictures of it that he took. Assume you still have both the Auburn and Cord...

 

A buddy of mine has a Sterling Edwards. One of seven produced by Sterling in the early 50's. It is a fiberglass body, lift off hard top used a lot of misc. production parts from various OEMs. His had a 273ci Lincoln engine in it. It's been under restoration off/on for 10 years now but it's drivable now.

 

Two that I've found and bought are a Ginetta G12P (replica) and a DeTomaso Mangusta (8MA604). I've seen a DeTomaso Vallelunga, the predecessor to the Mangusta.

 

The Auburn was worth too much money just to sit around. It turned out so nice, that Dad was afraid to drive it and have fun with it. It was more fun blasting down gravel roads in the rumble seat with pieces of 36 Ford truck fender welded in to patch the giant holes that had rusted away when the body sat updside down in a ditch. The good news is that one car pretty much funded a lifetime of playing with Model As and cheaper cars. And the Auburn went on to win trophies at the ACD meet, so it will always be cared for by someone.

Dad drove the Cord plent and is probably one of the best Cord transmission mechanics around. It's kind of a shame it moved on, becuase Dad was such a good custodian of its original condition. But, there are more cars out ther to enjoy. It made room for this Frankin Airman club sedan.

 

the car I'm driving is a 33 Fordor Victoria Convertible Sedan, it is the only one I know of

 

My '65 Tiger arriving at it's new home after being neglected for 27 years...

 

I've never heard of one of those. Was that a Ford creation?

 

Not exactly sure of the year but it is an ALVIS.

 

One of my clients was restoring the only twin engined Miller Indycar ever built when he passed away . When there's only one ,, I'd say that's pretty rare .

 

an original AC (LA) , AC 260 (FL) (before Shelby), AC Mark IV full race version (AL)

 

I love this thread. It is great to see cars I have never seen, or even heard of before. Thanks for the posts.