1951 Nash Ambassador 4-Door Sedan

Photo by Cliff West

 

1951 was the final year for the Nash Airflyte that had been introduced in 1949. Available as a Statesman on a 112-inch wheelbase and as the Ambassador on a 121-inch wheelbase. One of the most advanced cars of its day, the aerodynamic Airflyte featured a one-piece curved windshield, a “Uniscope” gauge cluster in a teardrop-shaped pod on the steering column, optional seatbelts and fully-reclining front seatbacks and Nash-Kelvinator’s pioneering “Weather-Eye” fresh air heating and ventilation system. For 1951, styling featured a new grille and extended raised rear fenders. The 1951 Ambassador’s 234.8 cubic inch overhead-valve L-head six-cylinder Jetfire engine produced 115 horsepower, up from 112 previously. This example was photographed at the Northwest Car Collectors Association Car Show & Swap Meet at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon, on October 18-19, 2003.

1979-1988 Zimmer Golden Spirit

 
Photo by Cliff West

Though production began in 1979, the Zimmer Motorcars Corporation was established in Pompano Beach, Florida, in 1980 by Paul Zimmer and his son, Robert “Bob” Zimmer. The Zimmer Golden Spirit was a classic-style car with up-to-date performance capabilities, based on the chassis and powertrain of Ford’s Fox-platform Mustang. While the exterior styling featured a long, low hood with exposed exhaust pipes, curled fenders, running boards, side-mounted spare tires, wire-spoke wheels with wide whitewall tires, trumpet-shaped horns and a 24-karat gold hood ornament, it was powered by a 225-horsepower high-output electronically fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 engine and featured a 4-speed transmission, rack-and-pinion steering, independent front suspension with McPherson struts, coil springs and stabilizer bar, rear suspension with four-bar link rubber cushioned pivots, coil springs hydraulic shock absorbers and stabilizer bar, and power assisted front vented disc/rear drum brakes. The interior featured hand-stitched leather surfaces, a walnut dashboard, wool carpeting, a steering wheel with 24-carat gold-plated spokes, and crystal bud vases hanging by the rear seat courtesy lights. Air conditioning and an acoustically-balanced AM/FM stereo with cassette player were standard, while a CD player and hands-free cellular phone were optional. Prices in 1988 started around $50,000, which was equal to a Porsche or two Corvettes. Zimmer filed for bankruptcy in 1988 after building about 1,500 Golden Spirits, but was reborn in the late 1990s under new ownership. Due to their custom-built nature, it is difficult to tell what model year is represented by this Zimmer Golden Spirit at the Northwest Car Collectors Association Car Show & Swap Meet at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon, on October 18-19, 2003.

1941 Packard Super-8 One-Sixty Club Coupe

Photo by Cliff West

 

In 1940 the Packard Super-8 became the Super-8 One-Sixty, with the introduction of a new 160-horsepower, 356-cubic-inch, inclined 8-cylinder L-head engine with aluminum pistons, which was the most powerful 8-cylinder engine available in an American car at the time, following the discontinuation of the Packard V12 after 1939. The related Super-8 One-Eighty replaced the Packard Twelve at the top of the line. For 1941, styling was updated. The radiator moved forward and the headlights were recessed into the fenders with parking lights above, while running boards became optional. Other available options included Air-Conditioning, an Electromatic Clutch eliminating the need for a clutch pedal, and an early overdrive called Aero-Drive which reduced fuel consumption by up to 20% by reducing engine revolutions by 27.8% while reducing oil use and engine wear. This 1941 Packard Super-8 One-Sixty Coupe has a 127-inch wheelbase. It is difficult to tell in the picture, but this coupe at the Northwest Car Collectors Association Car Show & Swap Meet at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon, on October 18-19, 2003, appears to be a 5-passenger Club Coupe with the new full width rear seat, as opposed to a Business Coupe with no rear seat.

1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Coupe

Photo by Cliff West

 

Oldsmobile was redesigned for 1957, which was also the brand’s 50th anniversary, and the 1957 Oldsmobile 88 model was given the prefix “Golden Rocket.” The standard Rocket T-400 high-compression V-8 engine was increased to 371.1 cubic inches to produce 277 horsepower and 400 ft-lbs of torque. The optional J-2 package increased the horsepower to an even 300. Though the Wheelbases were the same as in 1956, the bodies and chassis were all-new, making the 1957 Oldsmobiles longer, lower and wider. Compared to the previous year, the wide-mouth grille was reshaped, the windshield pillars were more sharply angled, and the sweepspear came down from the middle of the belt and back to the finless rear fenders and peaked taillights to define a two-tone area. Holiday hardtops and sedans now featured wrapped rear windows with body-color twin vertical dividers. 

Photo by Cliff West

This Super 88 Holiday Coupe was photographed at the Northwest Car Collectors Association Car Show & Swap Meet at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon, on October 18-19, 2003.

1996-1997 Ford Crown Victoria P71 Oregon State Police Car

 

Photo by Cliff West

From 1992 to 1997, Ford marketed its Crown Victoria to police departments as the Crown Victoria P71. Like all Crown Victorias, they were powered by a 4.6-liter V8 engine with a 4-speed automatic transmission. The 1996 and 1997 models are virtually identical, and the Crown Victoria would be redesigned for 1998. This example of a 1996-1997 Crown Victoria P71 from the Oregon State Police is pictured in Rainier, Oregon, in the summer of 2002. The Oregon State Police introduced this black and white paint scheme around 1995, changing from the solid white livery they had used for many years. This new paint scheme would be used until around 2000.

Jeep Compass Concept

The Jeep Compass Concept made its debut at the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit just weeks before appearing at the 2002 Chicago Auto Show where it is pictured here. Painted in a military-inspired color called Force Green, the Compass Concept was a 2-door crossover sport utility vehicle built on the new Jeep Liberty platform. Powered by a 210-horsepower 3.7-liter PowerTech™ V6 engine with 235 foot-pounds of torque mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, the Compass Concept could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 9 seconds, cover a quarter-mile in 17 seconds, and reach a top speed of 110 miles per hour. The all-wheel-drive Compass Concept featured lightweight steel “uniframe” construction with a short wheelbase and a low center of gravity. Additional features included independent front suspension, multi-link rear suspension, dual exhaust, 19-inch performance wheels with red-line tires, and a spare tire incorporated into the rear hatch. The interior featured a molded rubber floor and four bucket seats trimmed in green leather and GORE-TEX® with G Force Green soft touch grommets. The rear buckets folded to create a flat loading surface in low-gloss stainless steel with integrated tie downs in the side trim. The Compass Concept was planned to have a target price under $20,000. A production Jeep Compass would be introduced for 2007, but it would be a four-door compact crossover SUV powered by a choice of inline four-cylinder engines with optional electronically-controlled four-wheel drive with a continuously variable transmission.

1958 Plymouth Fury "Christine"

This car appears to be a 1958 Plymouth Fury as featured in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1983 novel “Christine.” In both the novel and the film, Christine is described as a red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury, though in reality every 1958 Plymouth Fury was painted Sandstone White with anodized gold aluminum trim and a Buckskin Beige interior. The cars used in production of the film were Belvedere and Savoy models with the similar but more common trim of the Belvedere. It is unclear if this car, displayed by the Volo Auto Museum at the 2002 Chicago Auto Show, is one of the cars used in the making of the film or is merely a replica.