Car Guy Magazine Car Guy Magazine Issue 215 | Page 22

ART OF THE WHEEL
Ponder refers to this Aston as a work of art; a magnificent automobile. But then, he refers to most
pieces his sixty-one car collection as art forms. He
searched years for this Aston after first eyeing it at
a California auction in the late 1980s, where it was
snapped up by a wealthy Japanese businessman.
He finally located it again in 2000 in a garage in
Missouri. It was tattered. The metallic blue paint
was tired and fading. The red leather interior was
worn. The engine didn’t fire. Ponder says he reluctantly paid something north of $300,000 for the
machine.
Not a stiff price when you consider its breeding. Stanley H. “Wacky” Arnolt, a Chicago entrepreneur who made a fortune securing the manufacturing rights to the Waukesha Sea-Mite marine
engine in the late 1930s, commissioned this Aston
Martin. The flathead four was used as auxiliary
power for sailing yachts and, with the onset of
World War II, Arnolt recognized the engine’s potential to drive the lifeboats that would accompany
troop transports. Hence, he grew wealthy satisfying rich defense contracts.
Arnolt used his fortune to nurse a passion for European mechanicals and coachwork, and in 1950
he opened a dealership showcasing Bentley, Bristol, MG, Austin and Aston Martin. His automotive passions drew him to the Turin auto show in
1952, where he forged a relationship with Nuccio
Bertone, heir to the struggling Italian coach builder founded in 1912 by his father Giovanni. By the
time Nuccio shook hands with Arnolt, Bertone
had been faltering after achieving marked success
through the 1930s.

20 CarGuyMagazine.com

These managers, from
the Minneapolis-based
greeting card and calendar
firm where Ward was
chief, paid $6,800 for
this Christmas present.
That’s $52,337.08 in
today’s dollars...