What's the rarest car you have ever owned??

CAp'n, looks like most of the work is in the front, the rest doesn't look really that bad. Good luck, keep us posted. Be patient.

 

I dont personally own it and it does not have four wheels but a motorcycle can still be neat-- it is a 1955 NSU .. if you've ever seen one then you have seen the last owners shop or you know my boss. it really does come to that point... they are German for most who have never heard of them prior to now. It uses a rod like a locomotive uses to rotate the wheels to drive its camshaft. A lot of history to it but I am sure this is the wrong place to find interest in it.

I think Bluto, you had already won. Cool factor and rarity.

 

My junior year in High School I drove a 33 Packard. Nice older car. I traded it for a '49 rocket 88 coup.

 

Love this thread. In late 1966 I found a '57 Dodge convertible in a small local junk yard, intact except for air cleaners - hemi, dual quads, power windows. I traded a $300 Matchless motorcycle for it, towed it home, and figured out that it wouldn't run because it had a flat cam. When ordering a new one the engine numbers revealed that it was a Desoto hemi, not Dodge. I burnt the already bald tires off it all winter, and nearing graduation in the spring decided I needed to be practical for college and traded it in (got $100) on a '65 VW. Years later I read somewhere online that there were only a tiny number of '57 Dodges built with the DeSoto motor - can anyone here confirm that? I have been searching for it or one like it ever since.
Oh, and I totalled the VW the day before college began...

 

1935 Lafayette town car, 1956 Dodge factory stick, 1956 Merc. factory stick,1933 3 window coup.

 

1949 Austin A90 Atlantic convertible, a red one too!

They built some 7000 of these, about 1000 made it into the US market, and almost all of tghem were gone by the 60's due to major rust problems with the bodies. Apparently there are only about 30 or so left on the roads in England, probably not that many more in the entire world. many were stripped for parts for the Austin healy 100's, which ran the same big 4 cyl engine.

Mine was hit up the rear by a runaway trailer loaded with bricklayers gear in the late 1960's and written off. The back of the body was a double skin, alloy over steel, and simply could not be repaired.

Cheers, Glen.

 

1962 Chevy 409, four speed 2 door Belair hardtop (bubbletop) factory racecar with factory aluminum front fenders, hood and bumpers. The car came from the factory without heater, radio or carpet. I sold the car in 1966 when I was drafted. I would sure like to have that one back. The car had never been driven on the street when I sold it. Wish I had pictures of the car.

 

I've got one for all of you guys that might qualify as the rarest. It's a 1937 Adler Streamliner that raced at Lemans in 1937 and 1938. I've never told this story in public before, but it was also used to "inspire" the 1963 split window Corvette. When I first saw it in a shed in Southfield Michigan I thought it WAS a 63 Vette. But the owner, a crazy man named Rubin, told me it was Hitler's car, it was a Lemans race car, and GM stole the design for the 63 vette. I of course didn't believe any of this. He told me a story about going to the 60 or 61 Michigan state fair in this car and a exec for GM was there and gave him his card and asked him to bring it to the GM Vandyke design center. He thought they were going to buy it so he had someone follow him over there. When he got there they had him pull it on the cobblestoned turntable. There were three camera's on tri-pods around it and they spun the car around a few times and told him thank you for coming by. He was PISSED that they led him on and did not buy it. It sounded pluasible since the design was SOOO close. A few years later I had met David Holls at a car show and asked him about the 63 Vette story. He gave me his card and told me to call him later in the week. I did and he invited me to his home outside of Detroit. When I went there he had an extensive library of everything automotive. He also had a binder on the Adler (and several on the Vettes) which included some of the pictures from the cobblstone turntable that Rubin had told me about! I asked about Rubins claim that the 63 vette was taken from this car and he said that my answer was in the clay model prototype pics. He said to check the dates on all of the "older" style clay model pics, then look at the clay model pics of the clay Vettes the next few weeks AFTER the day the Adler was on the turntable. After comparing it became obvious that the designs changed radically right after Rubin's visit with the Adler. So I asked David directly WAS the split window Vette design taken from this car. He looked at me with a smile and shook his head yes, but at the same time said "absolutely not"!! LOL He then told me that if I thought that he was going to ruin GM's credit for coming up with the 63 split window I was mistaken. All of this with a warm smile of course. David Died a few years later, but that was one of my best "car" days I had ever spent.

The car did also turn out to be a Lemans Race car just as Rubin had said it was. It raced in 1937 and 1938 and won it's class and came in 7th overall in 1938. I could not find any documentation of Rubin's claim that Adler had gifted it to Hitler, but that would not surprise me since ADler was the only Jewish owned car manufacturer in pre-war Germany and they might have wanted to make a good impression. Adler streamliners were some of the first cars to go down the autobahn in a big cerimony with Hitler present, so who knows. Anyway, here is a pic of the unrestored car when I owned it and a pic of the post restored car in the Blackhawk collection. Other notable "firsts" with this car in 1937.. First closed car to race at Lemans. First streamliner to race at Lemans, first wind tunnel designed car to race at Lemans (designhed by the same man who designed the Chrysler Airflow) and the first woman to drive at Lemans.

I've had lots of other "rare" cars like T/A Challengers and AAR Cudas, 32 Ford 5W, Boss Mustangs, etc. But this was by far the rarest of rare and the most historically significant car I will probably ever find. The first pic is the car at the 38 Lemans. The second pic is what it looked like when I owned it. The third pic is at Pebble Beach where it came in 3rd. The last pic is it in the Blackhawk Collection, who bought it from me and had it restored at the prison resto shop in Arizona.

 

A 70 something Triumph Stag. Removable hardtop revealed a built in roll bar. Nicer than usual technology more reminiscent of German cars......Anyway, I get an offer to get this thing for a truck I had back around 1980(?). I have no idea what it's worth, so I call my friend. He's so excited he can barely compose himself while telling me how rare and valuable it is, and I should trade. In fact he offers me his immaculate 72 Vette convertible which is worth triple the truck I'm giving in trade. So, I trade, and bring the Stag to my friend's to trade for the Vette. He says his girl Trish took the Vette to the market. We wait forever just to get a phone call that Trish wrapped the Vette around a pole. She was fine, but I had that Stag wedged up my ass forever

 

My father and I recently acquired a 46 Hudson Pickup in need of restoration. It is mostly complete but has some rough fenders and bed. It has a rust free cab, however. Pretty rare but you still see a few of them around. I was given a rough 42 Chevy Sedan Delivery recently. They only made a couple thousand of them before the plants were converted to war production. It will likely take a 4 door sedan donor car to bring her back to life.

 

That's a cool story on the Adler. I think this is the car Blackhawk sold at the 2001 Hershey auction?

 

well there has been a lot of cool cars here but, the rarest car i have had is an ice cream truck. i was just gonna take it to the crusher and get some cash but this guy saw it and said he would give me 500 for it.....he now sells mexican food out of it!!

 

Yes, I think that is the same Adler. I don't remember what it sold for but it was well above $100,000. They tell me that the car is now in a private collection in Europe. I still have a letter from Baron Fristz Hueske Von Hanstein who raced it with Madamme Annie Iteire in 1937. He tells me about them being blackflagged for improper fueling and him then having to "console" Annie in her tent for hours and hours. Afterwards, all of the crew were teasing him about being a "Coitiere" which basically means someone who just got laid from the word Coitus and a play on words with her last name. Funy stuff.

 

James, thanks for classing this thread up a little bit.

Cris

 

Don't know about being real rare but I once bought a 58 Impala 2 door hardtop from the original owner. It had every option they could get but they ordered it with a 6 cylinder and 3 on the tree. I even got the original sales receipt from the Chevy dealer they purchased it from.

 

That auction was 4 weeks after Sept 11 and everything went cheap "relatively speaking". I remember at the time thinking the Adler was a cool car and it did not go for a lot of money (again, relatively), somewhere around 100k.

 

I traded for a 1942 Studebaker (Commander I think) in 1957 when I was in high school. Never seen or heard of another one like it. It was a tank. Used to race on our "illegal strip" in the flying mile and it scared the hell out of everyone, including me and the passenger.

 

James

Great story and find on the Adler by Jaray. Lost racers are a interest of mine..thanks for the very interesting background..

 

There are still a couple Adler Coupe in the US

 

Here's one I may have mentioned some time ago. It is a Dec. 1914 build 1915 Model T Ford Coupelet. The word is there are maybe 10 1915 Coupelets left. They were Ford's attempt to re-enter the luxury car market, but they were a total flop. It features an elk hide top, leather interior when the rest had gone to leathertte (early thin naugahyde). Ford couldn't sell them because of the high price, and authorised the dealers to install aftermarket self starters and extra pin striping. The top folds down, and the door glass is raised and lowered with leather straps. This particular car toured Portugal in 2000 with the previous owner and his wife. This was Ford's first convertible, meaning drop top and glass windows instead of side curtains. Apologies for lousy pics, it is in a tight space right now.

BobW

 

Mine was the prototype of the 70 cuda 440+6 -took alittle over six months to build. It came with a stock type hood with Cuda 383 flags on it. Got alot of takers with it- lost control of it Drag racing a buddy of mine with a 428 CJ ranchero.Had a little too many with another buddy that just got home from Nam!

 

51 Buick woody and factory light weight Dodge super stocker..I was to stupid to know what I had, but man gas was up to 70 cents a gallon.. I got a Datsun 510 to replace it...

 

powell pickup,built in compton ca. !

 

A 1958 Chrysler 300D Coupe ... with very rare "300D FUEL INJECTION" emblems:


A little history: Of the 809 total 300D's built (618 hardtops & 191 convertibles), only 21 were ordered with Chrysler’s (new for 1958) Bendix "Electrojector" fuel injection system. This was the industry’s first ever EFI system ('57 Chevy FI was mechanical). It was a $400 option, but added only 10bhp to the 392ci Hemi (390bhp @ 5,200rpm, 435ft/lbs @ 3,600rpm). Unfortunately, 1958 electronics were not up to the rigors of an an automotive environment. The EFI cars were problematic and all were supposedly recalled and were converted to the standard setup of twin Carter-AFB Four barrel carburetors.

My father owned 2 of the 1,918 '57 Chrysler 300 C Coupes that were produced ... and 2 of the 618 '58 Chrysler 300D Coupes ever produced ... but it was this (originally) "Ermine White" '58 300D Coupe (VIN: LC4 1251) that was of particular interest / rarity:


For quite awhile, this car was thought to be one of the exceptionally rare (1 of 21), formerly fuel injected cars ... because it was equipped with a pair of original "300D FUEL INJECTION" side medallions:


This car appeared to have an opening in its trunk floor used to access the in-tank fuel pump (required for an EFI equipped car) ... but didn't have the heavy duty dynamo (associated with an EFI car).

Further research of Chrysler records indicated that "LC4 1251" was NOT a factory EFI car ... though they did indicate that "LC4 1250" was ... so perhaps the "LC4 1251" car was originally slated for EFI ... and somehow left the factory with the FI emblems ... doubtful, but stranger things have happened.

We sold "LC4 1251" (less FI emblems) to automotive artist Thom Taylor in June of 1990.

In 1994, the car was rumored to be owned by D. Hunn of Kennedale, TX.

Its current whereabouts is unknown.

 

this post asked for therarest car you've owned. not, can you beat my car.

rarest car i've owned was a 1982 ford granada. oh she's so sweet.

 

Hey FNG ... was this comment (in your 3rd ever post) directed at me?

I don't believe anyone here is trying to one-up their fellow HAMBer's ... I'm certainly not!

This board is all about the discussion of "Traditional" cars ... and although my father's '58 300D may be a little O/T for the HAMB ... it's certainly more interesting to discuss than your sarcasm ... maybe you are in the wrong place?

Maybe you would be better off at the http://www.galaxieclub.com/ website or perhaps you could start your own board like this 65 Galaxie 500 owners group http://groups.msn.com/1965FordGalaxie500.

Then again, maybe I'm in the wrong place.

Welcome to the H.A.M.B.

 

Yep, Nice 1 hemi 32. "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit" - Oscar Wilde. And thanks for the interesting revelation on this piece of Chrysler history - some of us, who do not have Swiss cheese for brains, appreciate it.

 

This is my '66 Mercury crew cab, very very rare (no production number available anywhere. I have two of these and know where theres another one. I also have an '65 Mercury extra cab.


This is my dad - inlaws '58 Pontiac Pathfinder sedan delivery. Believed to be only 4 left in the world. Only made in Canada.

This is a killer thread! Lotsa cool stories!

-Shiny

 

1964 GTO, had a 421 from a '66 full size and tripower, 4 speed. Had this in 2000. Also had a '66 GTO post that was factory 4 speed and tripower, but it was rough and no longer had the original motor or trans. I bought it back in 2005 and quickly sold after realizing I had more than I could chew with that car. I also had a very cool original '55 Catalina hardtop from 2006 that I sold at the end of last year (regrettably) in order to help afford buying back my first car ever, my '65 Lemans convertible 326 HO. I bought it originally in 1997, just out of high school, from my dad. He had bought it back again, nicely restored it, and I just purchased it last fall, after dad's unexpected death. The junkers I have now also include a '65 442, 4 speed hardtop, a '54 Bel Air post hotrod, my '27 T roadster project, my '64 Lemans hardtop and a '62 olds Dynamic 88 2DHT with its original 335 (approx) h.p. 4 barrel 394. Only 70,000 original miles. I just got this Olds after trading a very rare '65 442 convertible project to my brother, the former Olds 88 owner.

 

There were 2 cars that I owned that they told me were Rare! <br> 1--1935 Chrysler Conv. Coupe Straight 8 Dual Side mounts Rumble Seat Standard Shift <br> 2--1954? Lancia Appia 4 door V4 No center Post <br> I cant remember the year of it