Tags: INDUSTRY/FLASHBACK

FORD GT-40/GT: INSIDE FORD’S DESIGN STUDIO!

- Kamis, 13 Desember 2012 No Comments

Retired Ford deigned looks back at his days in the industry and shares with us 

photos of the 2002 GT-40 “clays” that became the production Ford GT 

three years later.

Pete Gruich grew up and still lives in the Detroit area.  He remembers as a child visiting his grandparents and hearing about an industry guy who made it big and would visit his parents who lived a few houses down in a chauffeured car.  That guy was John Delorean. Pete’s neighbor drove for Delorean’s brother, George, when he ran Leader Automotive and built 

and campaigned drag cars. When Royal Pontiac closed its doors, Leader ran some of 

its legendary GTOs.

Pete worked as a designer for about 40 years and in addition to working for Ford, had the pleasure of working for Bill Collins on the Vixen Motor Home project. Collins was one of the key engineers on high-performance GTO and Firebird projects when he was at Pontiac. He also worked with Hulki Aldikacti at Pontiac Advanced Vehicle Engineering on the ill-fated Fiero.

In 2002 Pete Gruich worked on the GT-40 clays in the "S" Studio at Ford’s Product Development Center (PDC). That’s where both designers and senior level executives would view cars in natural light in the building’s protected courtyard.

“Dan Gurney used to stop in while we worked the GT-40 and I wound up talking to him

quite a bit. He sent me a signed poster of him shaking up a bottle of champagne after

winning Le Mans,” said Pete.  “Also enjoyed many conversations with Camilo Pardo,

the GT-40/GT chief designer.”

Pete Gruich enjoyed his career as an automotive designer and is still enjoying cars. He spent his vacation last summer in China, touring in a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.



“We had a ball in the Benz, driving between 160 and 180 mph on some of the freeways!”



Once a car guy, always a car guy!



Ford GT owners and enthusiasts should visit http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/forum.php

Tags: INDUSTRY/FLASHBACK

GTO RAM AIR IV: THE GOAT THAT ROARED!

- Minggu, 18 November 2012 No Comments

Eric White, Pontiac Brand Manager at Wild About Cars, blogs about Pontiac’s 1970 pinnacle of performance.

To Pontiac performance guys, the GTO powered by the stout 400-cubic-inch Ram Air IV engine was their brand’s top musclecar in 1970. Available only in 1969 and 1970, the “IV” was rated at 370 horsepower and available with automatic or four-speed stick transmissions. A total of 759 Ram Air IV GTOs were built for 1969; 804 were produced in 1970. Dick Lackey’s Pepper Green ’70 Ram Air IV GTO, above, took a Gold at the 2012 POCI (Pontiac Oakland Club International) National Convention.


A typical base '70 GTO hardtop coupe retailed for $3,300. Add a few power-assist options and perhaps air conditioning, and you're looking at a sticker of more than $4,000. At $558 more than the base engine, plus mandatory four-speed manual ($185) or TurboHydramatic 400 ($227) and H.D. Safe-T-Track differential ($63), the actual cost of going the Ram Air IV route added more than $800 to a GTO’s MSRP.

For more photos and information about the Ram Air IV engine and Lackey’s GTO,
please visit http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/cgi-bin/pub9990327521141.cgi?categoryid=9990382228543&action=viewad&itemid=9990427924558

Tags: INDUSTRY/FLASHBACK

AUTO UNION SILVER ARROW: POLE POSITION!

- Selasa, 13 November 2012 No Comments

Priceless V12 D-Type Silver Arrow racecar to have ‘pole position’ at Footman James Classic Motor Show.

The 1939 two-stage-supercharged V12 Auto Union Grand Prix D-type that battled the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows 75 years ago will be showcased on the Classic & Sports Car magazine display, courtesy of Audi Tradition.

Auto Union is widely known for its pre-war racing efforts. The Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows dominated not only Grand Prix car racing from 1934 onwards, but set records that would take decades to beat. Between 1935 and 1937, Auto Union cars won 25

Grand Prix races, driven by racing legends Ernst von Delius, Tazio Nuvolari, Bernd Rosemeyer, Hans Stuck and Achille Varzi.



Much has been written about the difficult handling characteristics of this car, but its tremendous power and acceleration were undeniable: A driver could induce wheel spin at over 100 mph! The dominance of the Silver Arrows of both brands was stopped by the outbreak of World War II in 1939.



For more information about the show in Birmingham, UK, please visit

http://www.necclassicmotorshow.com/

Tags: INDUSTRY/FLASHBACK

BUICK RIVIERA: TIMELESS ELEGANCE & PERFORMANCE!

- Kamis, 25 Oktober 2012 No Comments

Cadillac’s loss was Buick’s gain when GM’s luxury brand passed on Bill Mitchell’s XP-715 four-seat, two-door personal car concept.

GM Design chief Bill Mitchell was really impressed with a knife-edged, custom-bodied Rolls-Royce parked in front of the hotel he was staying at in London. When he came back to Detroit he turned a new project, Code XP-715, over to stylist Ned Nickles. Mitchell wanted to incorporate some of those Rolls-Royce styling cues in a low, slick four-seater that could compete with Ford’s Thunderbird. He also wanted Nickles to include some classic Ferrari touches to help set a new benchmark for personal luxury cars.

In 1960 Nickles’ design was offered to Cadillac as a possible sporty coupe to be badged LaSalle. Cadillac was not interested and bidding for the project was opened to all GM Divisions. Buick, with help from its new advertising agency, McCann-Erickson, won the competition. That concept would become the first (1963) Riviera, a brand that would last for decades and may return to the Buick lineup in the not-too-distant future.



Two friends, Jim Koscs (The New York Times) and Mike Gulett (My Car Quest), blog about classic Rivieras at

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/automobiles/collectibles/a-high-style-buick-at-a-reasonable-price.html?_r=0

http://mycarquest.com/2012/10/the-best-car-to-pull-the-ferrari-race-car.html

Tags: INDUSTRY/FLASHBACK

BUICK REGAL GRAND NATIONAL: LAST BUILT!

- Minggu, 14 Oktober 2012 No Comments

The Grand National to end all Grand Nationals signaled the end of GM G-Body (Cutlass, Regal, Monte Carlo) production and has a starring role in BLACK AIR, The Buick Grand National Documentary.

Owned by Buick-Chevrolet-GMC Truck dealer Bob Colvin in Springhill, LA, the actual last production Regal Grand National (Vin #...465288) was built on December 11,1987, a few months into Buick’s 1988 model year. When Buick announced the special ultra-high-performance Grand National GNX, they also let the word out that the 245-horsepower ‘87 Grand National, known for its blistering performance and, like Ford’s Model T, available ”in any color, as long as it’s black,” would be the last of the line.

The menacing monochromatic turbocharged & intercooled GN had run its course and rear-wheel-drive was about to become an endangered species! Interest in the GN soared and Buick responded with a commitment not to limit production and build as many Grand Nationals as they could. Whereas GN production in 1982, 1984, 1985 and 1986 averaged approximately 2,500 units per year, the1987 GN finished its run at 20,193, approximately eight times the average! Additionally, Buick built 1,547 T-Type Regals with GN powertrains and 547 limited edition ultra-high-performance GNXs.

“Even though I had campaigned vigorously for the last GN, I was fully prepared to settle for the last “retail sale” GN, not the actual last built. Buick and General Motors had retained GNX #001 and #500 and I was told that Buick was going to keep the last production GN. Much to my surprise that did not happen and our request was honored,” said, Colvin, a second-generation Buick dealer and performance car enthusiast.

When the last Grand National came off the line it showcased a plethora of mechanical parts signed by final-line workers, including a special time and date stamped window sticker. An additional GM emblem was installed on its header panel to distinguish it as the last built. Bob Colvin, wife Charlotte and son Matt followed the car down the Final Assembly line, documenting every stage of the build process.

“We chose Bob Colvin’s GN for our movie poster and a staring role in BLACK AIR because of its historical significance to Buick GN owners, as well as muscle car enthusiasts regardless of brand loyalty,” said filmmaker Andrew Filippone Jr.

Colvin’s ’87 Grand National, arguably the most documented of any GN or GNX, is displayed in its own temperature-controlled room at Springhill Motor Company, surrounded by memorabilia from its build at the long gone Pontiac plant. It has accumulated just 14 miles since rolling off the assembly line on December 11, 1987. Twenty-five years to the day - December 11, 2012 - Filippone, below, who respectfully tags the Grand National and GNX, “strange & curious misfits”, will release BLACK AIR.

For more information about BLACK AIR: The Buick Grand National Documentary, please visit http://gnmovie.com/



Andrew Filippone Jr.’s film portfolio can be seen at http://www.steveisnothappy.com

Tags: INDUSTRY/FLASHBACK

RARE CADILLACS: ONE-OF-NONE TRIBUTES!

- Selasa, 14 Agustus 2012 No Comments

Handcrafted million-dollar V-16 Cadillacs have coming out party at Pebble Beach.

A pair of one-of-a-kind Cadillac Fleetwood V-16s that were available, but never ordered by customers during the Great Depression, will be among the cars on display at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this week. Cadillac’s exhibit, open to the public August. 16-19 at Peter Hay Hill, features Cadillac’s newest cars along with the two custom-built Fleetwood Convertibles from 1934 and 1937. Each has a historically significant pedigree.

A 1934 rumble seat roadster model 5802, above, and a 1937 Phaeton model 5859, below, were part of Cadillac’s made-to-order Fleetwood collection, featured in the “build books” that customers used to select options for their cars. All other body styles were built for customers, but these two lavish models went unselected.

Decades later, noted automobile restorer and coachbuilder Fran Roxas built the Phaeton 5859 and Roadster 5802 from scratch, relying only on the original blueprints of Cadillac designer John Hampshire. Both have won best-in-class awards at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Each recently sold at auction. The Phaeton 5859 sold for $962,500 and the Roadster 5802 for $1,001,000. Both vehicles are powered by Cadillac’s legendary16-cylinder engine. Cadillac designers recently used the original drawings as inspiration for the Ciel Convertible concept car shown for the first time in the Cadillac exhibit at Pebble Beach in 2011. It will be on display again this week.  Cadillac will also showcase a 1953 LeMans at this year’s event. The LeMans, a relatively small and athletic design, is one of the famed Motorama show cars of the 1950s.



For more information about Cadillac's latest luxury and performance vehicles, please visit http://www.cadillac.com/#

Tags: INDUSTRY/FLASHBACK

GM DESIGN: 85 YEARS OF MAKING FOUR-WHEELED ART!

- Rabu, 04 Juli 2012 No Comments

Some of the finest examples of General Motors Design ‘art’ can be found at its Heritage Center.

As GM Design celebrates its 85th birthday, the 1,900 men and women in its 10 global design centers are focused on the future, united in their vision to entice consumers to fall in love and see vehicles as they do: Art that moves you. GM Design is credited with creating the industry’s first Concept Car: Bill Mitchell’s ’38 Buick Y-Job, above. An incredible collection of iconic GM production and Concept vehicles are housed in GM’s Heritage Center, including Bill Mitchell’s Sting Ray racer and Mako Shark Corvette, above, and Ed Welburn’s Oldsmobile Aerotech racecar, below.

The General Motors Heritage Center is housed in an anonymous brick building in a business park in Sterling Heights, MI. You could drive past every day and never have a clue about all the fabulous treasures stored away inside, and it’s closed to the public anyway. However, car clubs and other organizations can arrange group tours and associated events  (there’s a 30 person minimum, among other provisos). To arrange a visit, call 586-276-1498 or email the Heritage Center event coordinator at gmhc@gm.com

To take a tour without leaving your computer, please visit our Motown friend Bill McGuire’s excellent Motor City Garage,  http://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/2012/07/03/inside-gms-private-car-museum/

Tags: INDUSTRY/FLASHBACK

BUICK GN & GNX: BAD TO THE BONE!

- Minggu, 17 Juni 2012 No Comments

With the 2013 Buick Verano Turbo putting out more horsepower than a 1987 Grand National and Buick trade marking GN & GNX, there could be some kick-ass performance cars in Buick’s future.

Shortly after Buick recently applied for a Riviera brand/logo trademark, they revisited the U.S. Trademark Office on May 30th to lock in two historic performance nameplates: Grand National and GNX, #221 above. The two nameplates were utilized last on Buick's turbocharged 3.8-Liter V6 super-high-performance rear-wheel-drive G-Body models in 1987.

There are two listings for each name. One states the usage will be on floor mats, likely for accessories for vintage GNX and Grand Nationals. The other record designates each nameplate for use on motor vehicles, namely automobiles. As with the Riviera trademark, these trademark filings do not suggest that super-high-performance Buicks are just around the corner. It does however validate that the brand is looking at further enhancing its performance image.


NOTE: CHRONICLES Editor Marty Schorr, right, was a media relations consultant to Buick Motor Division from 1982 to 2000 and wrote BUICK GNX, the book that went with each of the 547 GNXs. He’s currently a consultant on the Grand National & GNX film, BLACK AIR: The Buick Grand National Documentary, scheduled for release in December.



For more information about BLACK AIR, please visit

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Air-The-Buick-Grand-National-Documentary/199753063411653

Tags: INDUSTRY/FLASHBACK

SUPERCARS AT SIMEONE: AMERICAN MUSCLE!

- Sabtu, 16 Juni 2012 No Comments

Back in the day, mid-1960s to early-1970s, they were called Supercars and that’s exactly what they were.

The 1960s and 1970s were exciting times in Detroit. As their cars were winning on race tracks around the world, the Big Three automotive manufacturers were producing high-performance production cars for the street: Supercars. Models like the Hemi and big-block-powered “winged” Dodge Daytona Charger and Plymouth Superbird, above, Olds H/O 455, Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda and Shelby KR500 Mustang were just a few of the road warriors that delivered tire-smoking acceleration.

American Muscle is a tribute to this era. The Simeone Museum’s Motown Muscle show, June 30 to July 15, 2012, will showcase a range of cars illustrating the best of the breed from owners in the area and from the Museum’s permanent collection. Plus there will be a selection of cars from LRA Enterprises in Bristol and models that came before ('53 Hudson Twin-H Power Hornet, above) and after ('87 Buick GNX) America’s golden era of performance cars.



For more information about the Simeone Museum, Philadelphia, PA, please visit http://simeonemuseum.org/