Tuesday, March 31, 2020

GREENWICH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE 2016, THE JEEPSTER!, MEET THE FLINTSTONES

CARHUNTER forgot about this draft from the 2016 Greenwich Conours D' Elegance!
Stuck home, bored? Take a look back at the 2016 event.
There always seems to be a show going on in the parking lot!!
1959 Plymouth

Nice Lincoln

Wonder if I ever saw a real AC Cobra?
It's a Pack Ard

Ferrari Daytona



A Hilman
Amphicar!




They look out of place, but not this time!



Another Pack Ard
1967 Ford GT 40 Type J Mark IV FE 427, only 10 built!
 Chevy camper

1958 Cadillac
Ford GT



Fond memories of running out after securing .25 cents from mom and sitting inside that burning hot seat ringing the bells
Jeepster and more on this below!
Another Pack Ard (proper pronunciation) 
1938 Cadillac
DeTomaso Pantera
Pierce Arrow


Look carefully this is not a full sized car!
1980 BMW M1

1969 Shelby GT500

This was a prototype 2 seat, the 1st Mustang that was "hidden", the insurance company paid the claim as stolen then recovered now in Howard Kroplick's collection! 
Pick your Shelby! 


Brock Yates recreation form the real Cannonball race



66 Z16 Chevelle


If you have guessed yet Muscle Cars was one of themes this year.





Have you found why it's rare yet?










Then there were the foreign cars





















Always sneak into the auction tent early!!



























The secret order of the Templar Knights!























Bet you thought this was a Roadrunner? It's a Rebel By Rambler/AMC







































Digital Camera!




All Previous Cars from past events here in this special display!
This was custom built for Walter P. Chrysler's wife!






Packard Panther!




Electric car

Pronounce Door E A - credited as the first mass produced car in the USA



















I am going to combine 2 of the features this month

Willys Overland thought they could supply a sporty car with roots deep in the beloved Jeep many returning soldiers relied on during WWII so they started to plan a sportster based on the Station Wagon like vehicle.


 This was a design considered, the Alcoa Coupe
2nd concept had a different grille
Was it odd or cool?
One of those cars I certainly would love to find hiding in a barn now!


A concept drawing started to take shape for the vehicle that was produced

The 1948 -1950 Jeepster, I just got it after all these years, Sportster/Roadster = JEEPSTER!
That great designer Brooks Stevens was called to duty to produce the first crossover of sorts, 2 wheel drive with a Go Devil 4 cylinder engine, yes that was the name (and The Dodge Demon got flack over it's name!) , wide whites, bright wheel trim and snazzy two tone paint jobs!   

I have fond memories of these, my 1st Dealership Job was at a Jeep dealership and the owner had 2 of these restored, one day he said take it out for ride! Probably my first experience with an antique car.

20,000 were built, but was it really popular?
I know many have survived 


 You have to admit kind of neat, by the 2nd year a 6 cylinder was added, the Lightening was it's name!

It's back for 1966, but this time a wider range for the Jeepster and this is probably the most recognized usage 

It is called a Jeepster Commando

 Engines were the Hurricane 4 and Dauntless 6, a 225 CI Buick sourced V6

Was this the 1st SUV?
Unknown by most the Hurst edition which was nothing more than a dress up package. 



In 1971 it just became the Commando with a less JEEP grille with inline 6 cylinders of AMC heritage and eventually an AMC 304 V8

I had to pop this in here because in 1963 Jeep was already in that crossover market, it's a station wagon, it's a truck and it's an off road vehicle!
The Jeep Wagoneer series 
 This vehicle morphed little during it's run from 1963-1991!

They even got sporty! I worked at a Jeep dealer in the early 80's and all the techs drove the 2 door Cherokees, the owner had a Laredo 2 door that he kept perfect never taking a demo, he used to tell me order seat upholstery or fender stripes as he maintained a perfect example and drove with a dealer plate, I bet it was never registered and titled!  Where is it now?
The Golden Eagle was the absolute crown of the breed!


Holy Toledo, what a car!
Toledo Ohio being Jeeps HQ and they call it a car, also if you read the ad they say blazing a new trail, curious the Chevy Blazer was born a few years later!

Another memory was an older lady who returned yearly to service her Jeepster Convertible, I remember being all over that car, I never saw one!
That was probably around 1981

Sporty Mag Wheel covers, white walls, continental rear spare mount and a automatic convertible top







It's a sports car, it's a Jeep, its a??

Even a sport console!

They tried in 1998 but was a swing and a miss on this concept car

 Less of a concept in 2018 more of a special edition also missed the original idea!







Is this a Forgotten Fiberglass find?
Well it is not fiberglass, but Dr. Dracuslab's Stonester, ok I am pushing this one from the Jeepster!  

With everything going on in the world now we all can use some comic relief!
It's that that well known race car driver Fred Flintstone at the Indianrockolis 500.
 The Rubstone special, Barney being the mechanic and designer took the lead in the name, but we all know all forms of transportation are powered by your feet so is Barney cutting Fred's toenails under the hood?

Fred slips out of work and uses the name Goggles Pisano (maybe the only name that did not have a rock, stone, shale or geologic reference) OR is it?
Pisano refers to a resident of Pisa in Italy which was surrounded by stone walls to protect against attacks, check that little factoid out! 


Wow talk about riding the banks of the track! A stone car with Fred's girth is up on the wall, amazing! Did we ever see the secret engine?

OK here's a guy who turned his smart car into a Flintstone car and gets pulled over!  

Amazing feet with only 3 toes!
Don't start me on this old show because there is no continuity or logic, very confusing to a child I think?

Can you image the GVW of this thing and it's all motivated by the tootsies! 


One in every crowd!

Lets look at transportation, instead of walking take a taxi, it has no wheels?
So now you are holding up the body too, much easier than walking! 

Wheels and no feet?

The school bus!

Wheels and feet, at least this one used light weight wood
Yeah I know it's a cartoon, but come on!! 

I never seen one of these, but a foot powered pedal car did exist


The only real pedal car


 Followed by a flow of model kits and toys!




I think he is still in the same place to this day!

Now that's a Bedrock Bug!! 

A break from reality during a very tough time in the world 4/1/2020
Hopefully soon we will look back as this time in history as just that history! 
Hopefully next month's CARHUNTER will find us all in a better place!
BE HEALTHY AND SAFE