STARS AND STRIPES ON PARADE FOR CLASSIC AMERICAN CAR OF THE YEAR
THE TEAM FROM CLASSIC AMERICAN MAGAZINE HAS REVEALED THE FIRST OF THE HEAT WINNERS THAT WILL BE IN THE GRAND FINAL OF THE CLASSIC AMERICAN CAR OF THE YEAR, HELD AT THE LANCASTER INSURANCE CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW, WITH DISCOVERY.
Steve Sullivan's stunning 1955 Ford Thunderbird and Sven Larsen's rare 1950 Nash Ambassador will be amongst the seven finalists that will undergo scrutiny from the judging panel, with the winner announced on Sunday afternoon at the show.
The T-bird has been subject to a three-year restoration by Steve from Stockport, Cheshire, who bought the car as an unfinished project, with a seized engine and half the parts missing. Steve says it was his wife who liked the car, its compact size and attractive styling attracting her (Steve also has a ’58 Cadillac, but that’s another story). Lucky for Steve, restoring cars is what he does for a living and he was able to get the car back together and on the road in a year. Steve says the restoration was very rewarding, but hunting down all those hard to source parts was quite a challenge. It was well worth it though, what a stunning looking car!
It's the first time a Nash Ambassador has made the final, and Sven from Bournemouth's example is in fantastic original condition and was bought from Vancouver Island in Canada.
These ‘bathtub’ Nashes as they are often known, represent the last hurrah for aerodynamic styling which had been so popular in the 1930s and '40s and stands quite apart from what the big three were churning out in terms of styling. Powered by a 3.8-litre straight-six engine, the Hydra-Matic auto ’box was sourced from GM, as producing their own would have been too expensive. Another unusual feature is the seats which fold flat to form a bed. If only those seats could talk!
See all the finalists on the Classic American Car of the Year stand in Hall 5 at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at the NEC over the weekend of November 10-12
Source: NEC CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW
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