Barnsely Bill ’ Smith – 1954 Kaiser Darrin
The unusualness of this car is what attracted Bill to it . Not only is it a super-rare car , but the colour is quite extraordinary too , called “ Pine Tint ”. Powered by a 161cu in straight-six motor , the body is made from fibreglass and the doors slide forward into the front wings . Bill was lucky enough to source this unique car from the states , where , despite being a Pennsylvania car , it had spent time as a museum exhibit in St Louis .
Lynne and Andrew Collier – 1955 Cadillac Eldorado
This Caddy was imported from American Dream Machines in Iowa and has undergone restoration and a colour change from black ( with a black and silver interior ) sometime prior to 2005 . Formerly part of the Charlie Thomas Collection , it had a starring role in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic ‘ Walk the Line ’ so it comes with some great celebrity history , apart from being an all-round glamour puss of a motor .
Car of the Year
Once again , Classic American Editor Ben Klemenzson has been searching car shows across the county for the best in Americana to bring visitors to the Classic Motor Show a show stopping display of all the USA has to offer . Make sure you don ’ t miss the display and find out who is crowned the winner .
STAND 5-650
Danyel Mills – 1976 Cadillac Eldorado
Painted in eye-catching red and with a mere 60,000 miles on the clock , and the largest engine ever fitted in a passenger car : 500 cubic inches ( 8.2-litres )! Sourced from a dealership called the Black Horse Garage in Bridgeport , Connecticut , the Caddy had undergone $ 46,000 of restoration work over 15 years and the smog inspection stickers suggest it hailed from Pennsylvania originally . The A / C has been converted to run on modern refrigerant and even the radio has a very sympathetic Bluetooth update .
John Kavaski – Series 62 1941 Cadillac Convertible
Painted in lustrous black which shows off the car ’ s chrome beautifully , it came into the UK in the Nineties and is believed to have spent time in a museum in Edinburgh . Still running on six-volt electrics , the 346cu in flathead straight-eight and three-speed manual is a dream to drive , although John says the brakes have taken a bit of getting used to . The Caddy looks to have led a pampered life , with some lovely period details like the brass lube schedule shield on the door frame , beautiful red leather interior and use of fabric braided wiring throughout the engine bay .
Stuart Curtis – 1965 Chevrolet Corvette
The Nassau Blue ’ Vette runs a 327cu in V8 engine hooked up to a four-speed manual transmission . It ’ s a nicely optioned car with power-windows , -steering , -brakes , -antennae and AM / FM radio . The car was restored by the previous owner in 2004 and it ’ s believed the car came into the UK in 1980 . Stuart currently owns four Corvettes and has owned ’ Vettes since he was 23 ( his first was a C4 , which was the current model back then ). His latest acquisition is a big block 1966 Corvette , also in Nassau Blue like this one , but a convertible !
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