History low & rare production numbers - all makes would be interesting

Lou, I have owned 2 '40 Deluxe sedans, 3 40' Deluxe coupes, 1 '40 standard coupe, 1 '39 standard convertible and a '40 pickup but I have to admit I prefer the standard sheet metal and you have one sweet sedan delivery. HRP

 

While the year wasn't mentioned he was referring to the 1967 L79 Nova, it's documented that only a small handful were built.

 

<<<<<<<<<<<<Doe's it count if you built it ?

 

You get extra credit Dave!

 

Dave, I would call that a rare prototype car and it's a beauty. HRP

 

Thanks, HRP, that is the Ferrari Barchetta I had from about 1970 to mid 1980s. Serial 0124AM. Ferrari used even numbers for race cars, odd numbers for street machines. So, this was their 62nd race car. Jim Kimberley was the original owner. Picture is from the 1984 Monterey Historics where the Jag (the white fender is the Parkinson Jag Spl, closest to you in my avatar.) beat the Ferrari and all the other entrants. After a few more 1,2 finishes, I sold the second place car but we still run the Jag each year.

 

Cool car. HRP

 

Thanks Fellas , your opinions much appreciated

 

Dave
How many times have you heard "my grandpa had one just like that".

 

Funny you should ask Denny , only from inebriated individuals . LOL

 

one of 711 ( its a 1957 custom cab with a 1958 grill)

 

It's only 1 of 455 with the standard 4-barrel, and I can live with that.

If it would have had the factory tripower it would be 1 of 37 or so.



Many may claim to be a Sports Roadster, but the ID numbers and little details will give it provenance.

 

Ford Australia produced these Sports coupes in the first half of 1933 while the dies were being made for the all steel turrets for the 5 window coupes, not sure on the figures for these but it was very low. I can remember back in the 60's these weren't considered very desirable & a lot got made into all steel 5 windows or cut up to make roadsters.

 

The 1937 Club Roadster was unique to Australia with only 200 Deluxe & 20 standard units being produced.

 

Newer like the Thunderbird Sport Roadster; 56 Ford Crown Victoria glass tops were numbered at 607.. If there was a 6 cylinder I’m guessing 1, 2 at the most.

 

Aussie produced 1935 Pontiac Sport Sloper , 208 produced.

 

I think I know the photo you are looking for but it has 5 lifeguards and is taken on the “California Incline” which is about 200 feet above the Pacific Coast Highway. Is that close enough?


Now for the trivia. I walked into someone’s office (about 40 years ago) and there was a calendar hanging on the wall that showed a 1932 Deluxe Pickup. The photo was credited to “The Santa Monica Historical Society”. It showed the Captain of the lifeguards with several “scantily clad” female lifeguards surrounding the truck on the day they took delivery of their new truck. It looked like the photo was taken near the pier. That photo may still be on their web site but I was unable to locate it (https://santamonica.pastperfectonline.com). As near as I can piece together a reporter and cameraman attended the delivery of the truck and took photos. The photo you are looking for was probably taken that day. The photos went into the files at the newspaper and were eventually donated to the historical society. I called the Historical Society at that time (1980’s) but they were unable to locate any photos beyond the one shown on the calendar.

Charlie Stephens

 

Apparently, only 758 of the 1938 Chev flatback 4 door sedan were made. My brother had one in the 80s...

 

With the****istance of another HAMBer I have located the photo of the 1932 B66 Deluxe Pickup.
One of 68 produced that year, body panels by Briggs.

 

A 1950-up Studebaker car with a factory V8 engine that didn't leak oil. None were produced.
(Ducking into the bunker as soon as I hit Post Reply)

 

https://www.jamesvalleythreshers.com/project/150-hp-case-project-kory-anderson/

Ok, not a car, but only 9 of these were built. None survive, but this fellow had a dream from childhood of owning one. Nothing to do but build it.

 

The U.S. luxury market was different was different than most others. Chassis were sold to coachmakers, but fewer than you might imagine. American luxury carmakers offered 'series customs'. They ordered them from coachmakers in batches of 6 to 25 to be held 'in white' and sent dealers catalogs. In theory, the customer selected a body style, color and trim and the coachmaker finished the car 'to order'. Much of the time, however, the dealer or distributor spec'd out the car and impatient customers bought off the showroom floor. Even Rolls Royce of America did this, unlike the parent firm.
Rolls-Royce had, as you say, little control over the styling, but they did try to keep coachmakers from altering the iconic grille and surround, with varying degrees of success.
Concours 'restorations' are often varying degrees of awful. I've seen some major butchery in search of a trophy. The over-restoring common in the 80s has subsided for now, but as long as the judging is concours d'elegance, not concours d'etat (condition), owners will be tempted to hack at them . I think the notion of 'provenance' is rather farcical when major modifications occur during 'restoration'. Although its history seems to be whitewashed recently, compare how the Corsica Squire was built to how it was 'restored'. The original wasn't Corsica's best work, but the slice and dice version doesn't owe much to Corsica.

 

Great photo. The trucks nice too.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

1949 VW Hebmuller, which was a two-seat Beetle convertible. About 600 were built before the Hebmuller coachworks burned down in 1950. Probably 60 of them left.

 

1954 Kaiser Darrin Convertible, 435 produced, A unique feature is door slides into fender to get into car

 

Those Kaiser Darrins are cool cars. Really like this one. The tires could be a bit more traditional, though.

Car of the Week: 1954 Kaiser Darrin drag car - Old Cars Weekly

 

There were only about 10,000 Chevy Cameo pickup built, between 1955 and 1958, with 1/2 of them built in 1955. However, there were only about 350 built in 1958.

 

There is a reason for the low numbers on this car, it is totally useless on American roads. Too tiny to be seen by drivers at the time, and too slow to keep up with traffic. Maybe in Europe?

 

I’m sure the Buford would be useless on European roads.
The reason for small vehicles in post war Europe was to get the public off small scooters and into a closed vehicle, the war devastated much of Europe. The US mainland did not see this type of destruction. The KR201 roadster was low production, the KR200 was a closed car and over 40,000 of that model was manufactured. I wont even get into the subject of current value.

 

6264 Nomads built by Chevrolet in year 1957. Exact number varies by source but the least produced of the tri 5 passenger cars.
*Edit - see @firemangordy s post on page 4 of this thread. More Sedan Deliverys were made, but a very scarce 92 were windowed units. Great info, thank you!