Hemmings Daily: "Bombshell Betty," the 165 MPH 1952 Buick Super Riviera

"Bombshell Betty," a heavily modified Land Speed Record-holding 1952 Buick Super Riviera. Photos courtesy Barrett-Jackson. At a length of just over 17 feet and a shipping weight approaching 3,800 pounds, the 1952 Buick Super Riviera is hardly an ideal starting point for a Bonneville Land Speed Record car, particularly when powered by Buick's 320-cu.in. inline-eight engine. Sculptor Jeff Brock sees things differently than most, and his heavily modified '52 Buick, dubbed Bombshell Betty, is a six-time Land Speed Re

View in Browser | Subscribe Friday, October 7, 2016 "Bombshell Betty," the 165 MPH 1952 Buick Super Riviera Posted by Kurt Ernst - "Bombshell Betty," a heavily modified Land Speed Record-holding 1952 Buick Super Riviera. Photos courtesy Barrett-Jackson. At a length of just over 17 feet and a shipping weight approaching 3,800 pounds, the 1952 Buick Super Riviera is hardly an ideal starting point for a Bonneville Land Speed Record car, particularly when powered by Buick's 320-cu.in. inline-eight engine. Sculptor Jeff Brock sees things differently than most, and his heavily modified '52 Buick, dubbed Bombshell Betty, is a six-time Land Speed Re... Read More Hemmings Find of the Day - 1964 Jeep Wagoneer Posted by Daniel Strohl - Hurricane six-powered 1964 Jeep Wagoneer for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This beautiful Wagoneer had undergone a full body-on restoration to original specs a decade ago and has been garage kept ever since. It looks as good today as it did 10 years ago. The factory colored Blue paint shines like glass and doesnt have a mark on it. Chrome and trim has all been refinished and is beautiful. The rear window crank was missed during the restoration and remains unfinished and shows some peeling. Th...Read More Brock Yates, 1933-2016 Posted by Kurt Ernst - Brock Yates with his Pebble Beach class-winning Eliminator. Photo courtesy Brock Yates, Jr. Brock Yates was never afraid of a fight. In a journalism career that stretched across six decades (including, most notably, four with Car and Driver magazine), Yates took on everything from an indifferent U.S. automotive industry to the federal government itself, founding the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash in protest of increasingly Draconian highway regulations. On October 5, following a lengthy ...Read More Some assembly required - 1907 Locomobile Model E project sells for $67,100 at Philadelphia auction Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1907 Locomobile Model E project. Photos courtesy Bonhams. There aren't many manuals to assist with the restoration and reassembly of a 1907 Locomobile Model E, but on a positive note, the brass-era automobile is far simpler, mechanically, than many later vehicles. Restored examples have fetched as much as $155,500 at auction in recent years, so if the disassembled 1907 Locomobile Model E sold on October 3 in Philadelphia for $67,100 (including buyer's fees) is complete, its new owner should consider it well-bough...Read More Open Diff: Are resurrected model names a good thing? Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1996 Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer. Photos courtesy Ford Motor Company, unless otherwise noted. News broke earlier this month that two Ford models no longer sold in North America will be returning in the coming years. One is the Ford Ranger, a compact (or midsize, depending upon perspective) pickup last offered here during the 2012 model year, while the other is the Ford Bronco, which went out of production in 1996. Ford wasted no time in introducing a replacement for the Ranger in markets outside of North America, ...Read More Bellaire, Texas, 1950s Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1950s Location: Sixth and Old Richmond, Bellaire, Texas Source: Peter Whitney, via Houston Area Digital Archives What do you see here?...Read More THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 10/7/1945: The first post-war Cadillac comes off the production line. 10/7/1948: Citroen debuts 2CV 10/7/1960: CBS broadcasts the premiere episode of "Route 66" UPCOMING EVENTS PIR Fall Auto Swap Meet October 14, 2016 - Portland, OR Goodguys 5th Nostalgia Nationals October 14, 2016 - Bowling Green, KY Summer Show & Shine @ Thomas Toyota October 14, 2016 - Joliet, IL Grand Prix of Scottsdale Racers&Roasters Vintage Mini Racer Test Drive Event October 14, 2016 - Scottsdale, AZ Bloomington Gold at Hendrick Motorsports October 14, 2016 - Charlotte/Concord, NC Air & Auto Classic 7 October 15, 2016 - Virginia Beach, VA See All Events FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS Sponsored By: 1965 Chevrolet Nova $12,999 1974 Dodge $8,000 1996 Ford Mustang Cobra $18,000 1967 Buick Skylark $24,500 1948 DeSoto Custom $13,900 1972 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron $14,000 1963 Ford Falcon $16,500 1986 Citroen 2CV $15,000 PRO SELLER LISTING 1962 MG A $38,500 PROMOTED LISTING 1969 Chrysler Newport $69,000 PROMOTED LISTING 1931 Cadillac 370A $245,000 1936 Mercedes 260 D engines $0 View All Classifieds FEATURED IN THE BLOG Here's why you should consider advertising a car with Hemmings What if... Edsel had its own version of the Thunderbird? See All Featured Blog Posts FOLLOW US: View Newsletter Archives WEEK IN REVIEW Thursday, October 6, 2016 The 2016 Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival to honor South Carolina's own Anderson Motor Company Posted by Kurt Ernst - John Gary Anderson knew his automobiles could never compete against those produced by manufacturing giants like Ford on price. Instead, the South Carolina carriage builder focused on hand-crafted quality and Southern pride to sell Anderson automobiles, with some success, from 1916 until 1925. Of the roughly 6,000 examples built, a dozen survive today, and "several" will be on hand for the Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance, taking place from November 4-6 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. As Ron Chepesiuk...Read More Hemmings Find of the Day - 1967 Plymouth Barracuda convertible Posted by Kurt Ernst - >From the seller's description: Beautifully restored 1967 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible. 273 Commando V8, Buckets, 904 Auto, 7 1/4 rear w/ 2:94 gear, build sheet, Chrysler historical info, and complete owner history. This particular car is very special. Delivered new to Pleasant Hill California, outside of San Francisco, the car went to the Houston Texas, and now in South Florida in the beautiful Sarasota area. You cant get a more solid car than this one! This was Plymouth's 1st year for the barracuda convertible o...Read More Cadillac's first front-wheel drive production car, the 1967 Eldorado, turns 50 Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. Photos by Jeff Koch. On October 6, 1966, Cadillac debuted an entirely new class of automobile, albeit one with a familiar name. Designed as the brand's first entry into the personal luxury coupe market, the E-body Eldorado was advertised as, "the first motor car in the world to combine the precision of front-wheel drive with the maneuverability of variable ratio power steering and the balance of Automatic Level Control." On its 50th birthday, here's a look back at this revolutionary, ye...Read More MG halts assembly of cars in Great Britain Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1948 MG TC hood ornament. Photo by Jill Reger. At its peak in the late 1960s, the automobile assembly plant in Longbridge, Birmingham, England, employed an estimated 25,000 workers, building a range of vehicles sold under the British Leyland banner. Today the plant occupies less than half of its former 400 acres and employs roughly 500 workers (including those in research and development), but it still handles final assembly of certain MG automobiles for parent company Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SA...Read More Reminiscing - I love Edsel Posted by Richard Lentinello - In the summer of 1957, right around my 6th birthday, I first got wind of the Edsel. I liked looking at my Dad's magazines: Popular Science and Business Week. The June 22 cover showed James Nance, posed in front of a shrouded car with a peculiar E on the side of the tarp. Split windshield? Strange slot in the front? And that boy-are-we-screwed look on his face, although I couldn't have known that at the time. I loved cars. All us boys did. I loved cars up until 1969 or '70 when, for some insane reaso...Read More Las Vegas, 1955 Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1955 Location: Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada Source: Vintage Las Vegas What do you see here?...Read More Wednesday, October 5, 2016 EPA proposal would open the floodgates to ethanol-blended fuels above E15 Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photo by Snapshot_Factory. In a stark contrast to its slow-growth approach to ethanol-blended fuels over the last several years, the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday proposed to reclassify ethanol blends above E15, effectively wiping out existing regulations that have kept the fuels from widespread use. "In order to continue the progress made in promoting the use of renewable fuels in the transportation sector, we believe it is important to take steps to remove potential barriers to their production, ...Read More Hemmings Find of the Day - 1963 Studebaker Avanti R1 Posted by Daniel Strohl - Recently serviced one-owner 1963 Studebaker Avanti R1 for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: just purchased from the estate of the original owner, totally 100 percent rust free southern car, gorgeous Turquoise paint, gleaming chrome, immaculate Turquoise interior, strong 289 cu in 240 HP V8, automatic transmission, factory A/C, power steering, power brakes, Twin Traction rear end, heavy duty suspension, tinted glass, dual side view mirrors, AM/FM radio, LeCarra wood steering wheel, fully serviced ...Read More Freshly restored "Road Car Specification" Ford GT40 to highlight first Atlanta Concours d'Elegance Posted by Kurt Ernst - A Ford GT40 Mk I road car, though not the car to be shown in Atlanta. Photos courtesy of Atlanta Concours d'Elegance. Ford's GT40 may have been dominant on the racetrack, but in the new-car showroom, it enjoyed little success. A total of 31 "Road Car Specification" GT40 coupes were constructed to meet FIA homologation requirements, and most struggled to find initial buyers. Chassis P/1054 was no exception to this rule, but today the three-owner GT40 Mk I with a matching-number drivetrain is a highly desirable col...Read More Midweek Matinee: The American Road, Part I, 1953 Posted by Ed Heys - This film could rightly have been subtitled "An Ode to the Development of the Automobile and its Positive Impact on American Life." Yes, another one of those: But hear us out. Funded by Ford Motor Company, you already know who gets credit for nearly everything, almost single-handedly yet this production yields a surprisingly satisfying result by weaving together engaging storytelling, historical footage (from the vast archives of The Henry Ford Museum) and convincing reenactments. Narration by the imposing...Read More Different By Design: Saab 50 Years "1947-97" brochure Posted by Mark J. McCourt - Images are from the brochure collection of the author Saab Automobile, the pride ofTrollhttan, Sweden, is no longer the company we long new and loved, but with many former engineers and staffers still working for the newChinese-financed firm of NEVS , itself created from the holdings of the bankrupt Saab Automobile, there's hope that some of the old Saab spirit may manifest itself in future four-wheeled products. This handsome30-page brochure dates back to a happier era in Saab history, when Saab Autom...Read More Norris, Tennessee, 1950s Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1950s Location: Norris Dam, Norris, Tennessee Source: The Old Motor What do you see here?...Read More Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Both Great Britain and European Union look to scrap inspections for older cars, but can't agree on cutoff years Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photo by Axel Drainville. Recently proposed regulations out of both the European Union and Great Britain aim to eliminate the annual or periodic roadworthiness testing that EU member states currently require for some older cars, though exactly how old the cars need to be has become a point of contention for the two. As put forth in its 2014 directive on periodic roadworthiness testing, the EU stressed the importance of testing but also allowed for a number of exemptions, including for "vehicles of historical i...Read More Hemmings Find of the Day - 1980 Datsun 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1980 Datsun 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition for sale. From the seller's description: Oringinal owner, and garage kept since purchased. Price includes original Goodyear Wingfoot tires, Suitable for show when mounted. Car cover, T-Top storage bags, and original mechanics repair manual I ordered when vehicle was purchased. 2.8 liter OHC fuel injected 6 cyl, 5-speed manual, limited edition numbered plaque, unique paint, graphics and emblems, black-out moldings and glass surrounds, T-bar roof with sunshade windshield,...Read More Murphy-bodied Duesenberg J roadster takes Best of Show at Ironstone Concours d'Elegance Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1930 Duesenberg Model J disappearing top roadster, Best of Show at the 2016 Ironstone Concours d'Elegance. Photos copyright Kimball Studios, used with permission. While all Duesenberg Model Js were special automobiles, those fitted with the sleek disappearing top roadster body built by coachbuilder Walter M. Murphy Company were, perhaps, among the most coveted. Most were built to order for demanding buyers, fastidious about every detail, but one, chassis 2346, was purchased as a gift from a mother to her son. On ...Read More Buick purposefully purveys performance in this 1966 Skylark Gran Sport ad Posted by Thomas A. DeMauro - 1966 Buick Skylark GS. Artwork provided by the Automotive History Preservation Society. I believe that this advertisement really stands out among other Buick GS ads of its era for evoking emotion and provoking action. It shows a 1966 Skylark GS at speed, not a rendering, as many other ads employed prior to 1966. It depicts interaction between the driver and the car, and best of all, it reveals the equipment that's included to create the Gran Sport, as well as a few of its more interesting options. We see a Car...Read More Year, Make and Model - 1936 Terraplane Cab Pick-up Posted by Mike McNessor - Editor's note: This piece includes excerpts from a story that appeared in the January 2014 issue of Hemmings Motor News. Today's unit-body passenger cars are manufactured out of sheetmetal folded and creased in almost origami-like fashion. It's efficient, smart and remarkably strong. But taking a reciprocating saw to the upper two thirds of your old mininvan to make something resembling an open-bed pickup (while entertaining) is not a great idea. Without all of its pillars and roof a unit-body car has th...Read More Watkins Glen, New York, 1970 Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: Summer 1970 Location: Watkins Glen State Park, Watkins Glen, New York Source: John Blackwell, courtesy reader David Blackwell What do you see here?...Read More Monday, October 3, 2016 Derek Bell's former company car, a 1987 Porsche 928 Club Sport prototype, heads to auction Posted by Kurt Ernst - The 1987 Porsche 928 CS prototype formerly owned by Derek Bell. Photos courtesy Bonhams. The words "company car" tend to conjure up images of de-contented Fords and stripper Chevrolets, but world-class racing drivers have different vehicular expectations. For Porsche racing great Derek Bell, his Stuttgart-issued company car from the late 1980s was a 928 prototype, one that foretold the 1988 launch of the model's lightweight Club Sport variant. One of five such prototypes built for Porsche's top drivers, the for...Read More Hemmings Find of the Day - 1950 Ford Custom DeLuxe Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1950 Ford Custom DeLuxe for sale. From the seller's description: FANTASTIC FOOR DOOR FORD ! Tired of looking for a 2dr ShoeBox Ford that's in decent shape, or at a decent price ? All the good ones are already owned by someone else, and those that are for sale make one shudder when seeing the asking price ! Right ? Every body style of this series Ford was a great looking vehicle, and these photos prove that the 4 door model can hold it's own at any car show. In August, at the 30th Annual All Ford Show held at Blo...Read More The race of the century - 3,306 miles on a 100-year old bike in the Motorcycle Cannonball Posted by Jim O'Clair - Frank Westfall riding his 1912 Henderson 4. Photos courtesy Motorcycle Cannonball. On September 10, 90 vintage motorcycles, ranging in age from 100 to 106 years old left Atlantic City, New Jersey with an ambitious goal; to still be running at the end of a 3,306-mile cross-country trek to Carlsbad, California, in the 2016 Motorcycle Cannonball. By the finish line, only 74 of the bikes were still running, or repaired and returned to the race in time for the grand finale festivities. Only 21 of the entrants complete...Read More Hagerty's "Swap to Street Challenge" returns to Hershey in 2016 Posted by Kurt Ernst - The 1930 Ford Model A chassis, starting point for this year's Hagerty Swap to Street Challenge. Photos courtesy of Hagerty. Hagerty Insurance wants consumers to know its employees are passionate about classic cars. As proof, at last year's Hershey Fall Meet, a team of four Hagerty employees assembled a 1946 Ford pickup in four days, before driving it back to Traverse City, Michigan. This year, the "Swap to Street Challenge" returns to Hershey, with four Hagerty employees (including two new volunteers) attempting ...Read More The Chrysler 300 Club gets back on track at International Meet Posted by Hemmings contributor - By William Hall. Photos by the author. It's hard not to feel the optimism at the Chrysler 300 Club's International Meet. From an early age we instinctually recognize smiles, and this event is full of them; upturned bumpers and toothy grilles that suggest a friendlier, forward-looking era of automotive design. Paint colors taken from comforting memories of pastel kitchen aprons, Rat Pack tuxedos, and Jackie Kennedy's pillbox hats. Under that pleasant exterior lies Chrysler's nasty FirePower Hemi V...Read More New Jersey, 1970s Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1973 to 1977 Location: New Jersey Source: Jim and Chester's Garage What do you see here?...Read More Sunday, October 2, 2016 Four-Links - The American Motel, stanced Charger, Tamagawa Speedway, Jaguars reborn Posted by Daniel Strohl - Reader Greg Beaulieu forwarded this website that captures the golden age of American Motels, each a different example of mid-century architectural design and tourist trap aesthetic. They're catalogued by state, so see if your favorites are listed. * It took a while, but we're finally starting to see Japanese modified car styles appearing on American cars, specifically muscle cars like this in-progress Dodge Charger that Stance Is Everything recently captured up in Canada. * The photo above reportedly s...Read More Hemmings Find of the Day - 1976 Cadillac Eldorado coupe Posted by Kurt Ernst - >From the seller's description: 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe Superb Florentine Gold Firemist With 37,736 Miles. The Eldorado was built in June, 1976. The car was purchased used from Bianco Cadillac in Corta Madera, just north of San Francisco, in 1979, with 9,109 miles. The car was used for vacations to Los Angeles and Seattle and presently has just over 37,000 miles...that's an average of less than 1000 miles per year. The Eldorado was always garaged and never taken out in the rain. It sports the original factor...Read More Hemmings Sunday Cinema - bad Chevelle Bond ripoff, TROG, The Man From Hong Kong Posted by Daniel Strohl - As Mac at Mac's Motor City Garage described this 1966 promo for the Chevelle SS 396, it's bad - not so bad it's good, but still fascinatingly bad. Whoever Chevrolet hired to produce it must've conceived it over a three-martini (or more) lunch, shot it in an afternoon, and not expended one more thought on it than they had to. * With The Race of Gentlemen coming up in a couple weeks, might as well check out this short video taken at the spring event. * Enough with the funny stuff for bad car chases (for now). Le...Read More Hemmings Find of the Day - 1984 Dodge Caravan Posted by Daniel Strohl - All original 1984 Dodge Caravan for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This one is in very nice almost all original condition with very nice interior, power driver's seat, good carpet, no tears in the seats, good glass, very nice original paint, and it starts right up and drives just fine. The brakes work, and the transmission shifts smoothly. The power steering is smooth. It just had a valve grind, new head gasket, and new valve stem seals. It it almost entirely all original. The valve cover was ...Read More LAST WEEK'S MOST READ The Lincoln that might have been - the David Holls-designed 1932 Model KB Boattail Speedster Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1932 Lincoln KB Boattail Speedster. Photos by Patrick Ernzen, courtesy RM Sotheby's. In an alternate universe, Edsel Ford might have commissioned a custom-bodied Lincoln Speedster from Paris, France, carrosserie Hibbard & Darrin, complete with pontoon fenders, a tapered rear deck, and a hood that stretched to the horizon to cover the hot-rodded V-12 beneath it. In this universe, it never happened, yet the car exists, the result of one man's passion and another man's flair for design. Next month, this one-of-a...Read More LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION Open Diff: What's the most obscure automotive nickname you've heard? Posted by Daniel Strohl - Images via OldCarBrochures. Recently, thanks to regular commenter italianiron, we were introduced to a nickname for the chrome trim pieces that adorn the rear flanks of 1951-1952 senior Packards: bottle openers. Seemed a lot of our other regular commenters hadn't heard this term before, which led italianiron to wonder out loud whether we knew of other such uncommon sobriquets from automotive history. Specifically, he pointed out how nicknames for certain parts or shapes on a car can lead to general terms for t...Read More Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. 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