Tag Archives: Motor Trend

Diecast cars

Die-cast: Automodello’s 1948 Timbs Streamliner

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Automodello’s Timbs Streamliner exemplified slick stylingTimbs1

Few cars are as radically styled as Norman E. Timbs’ Streamliner.

The Streamliner is a teardrop-shaped car that looks like an amoeba that should be wriggling on a slide under a microscope, except it’s a car. You’ve probably seen it and didn’t know what it was.

Now Automodello creates the swoopy 1948 Streamliner in 1:43 scale resin, and bathed in one of two colors. The original, in maroon metallic, has shown up at fancy car shows and in national car magazines. In fact, the original first appeared in the second issue of Motor Trend. How so?

Norman Timbs in the original Streamliner he built in 1948. It's powered by a Buick straight-8 engine.
Norman Timbs in the original Streamliner he built in 1948. It’s powered by a Buick Inline 8 engine.

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When they were new

Chasing Classic Cars: You find them when you least expect them

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A car show at an air show

Car shows, classic cars, plymouth, mercury, chevy, pontiac covnertibleSo this past weekend, I was up with my buddies in Oconto, WI putting on an airshow with our radio controlled airplanes. Our gig was actually just part of a bigger event they held at their local airport. Well one of the other parts was a classic car show. I saw the shiny bright objects right away and when I was in between flights took a walk over. All kinds of cool cars and they pictures I’m sharing here are just a sample of the cars there.

A 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator

The Cougar was Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year for 1967 and helped Mercury sales quite a bit when it was introduced in 1967. A Mustang twin? Well sort of except that unlike a lot of other cars built on the same platform that make minor changes, Mercury did a lot. This with the Eliminator package was high performance. The owner wasn’t around but if it had a 427 in it, would be worth some serious cash.

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The Duster everybody wants

There basic model was kind of…eh. It was built for economy and they don’t have a lot of value to collectors, however this one with the 440 is and are very affordable muscle cars. I found one on Hemming’s for around $15 grand. Not a lot of dough for a very fast car.

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OOOOOOh…Barrracuda

The Plymouth Barracuda was a two-door car that was manufactured by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1964 to 1974. This is a third-gen Cuda and the redesign for the removed all its previous commonality with the Valiant. I love the color treatment on this one.

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A rare Firebird

This is a first-gen made from 67-69. I believe this is a 68 and what makes it rare it the 440 and its a convertible. Hemming’s trend guide showed that it would go for about $117,000.

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The classics of classics

This 1957 Chevy convertible was pretty cool. I also love the drive in touch. Depending on the package it had pricing goes up to $120,000. What’s not to like about a car show? Two of my loves, cars and planes.

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Promo Models

Promo model: 63 Rambler Classic

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English: 1963 Rambler Classic 660 Station Wago...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Even though I was only 9 in 1963…there, I blew the cover on my age, I still remember a lot about that year, the Kennedy assassination for sure. The Beatle’s U.S. TV concert, Route 66, and we had just moved from Madison to Milwaukee when dad got a job at….wait for it…American Motors. And to think he almost took the job at the chicken factory. It was also the year we had traded our 58 Rambler for the 63. It was white with a red interior. I’ve been looking for a promo car like that for a long time.

The 1963 Classic was the first all-new cars developed by AMC since 1956. Keeping the philosophy of the company,  they were more compact – shorter and narrower by one inch, as well as over two inches lower than the preceding models. Even though they were smaller, they lost none of their “family-sized” passenger room or luggage capacity featuring a longer 112-inch wheelbase. Now does that sound familiar today in cars?

Savageonwheels.com, promotional model cars, promo model cars, American Motors, AMC, Paul Daniel creative digital managerFor the 1963 model year, the Rambler Classic line was completely redesigned with subtle body sculpturing. Outgoing design director, Edmund E. Anderson, shaped the Classic that was named Motor Trend magazine’s 1963 “Car of the Year.” These were also the first AMC models that were influenced by Richard A. Teague, the company’s new principal designer.

Throughout its life in the AMC model line-up, the Classic was the high-volume seller for the independent automaker. In 1963 mostly because of that car, many times the company was listed by some as part of the Big 4, outselling other brands such as Buick, Dodge, Mercury Chrysler, and Cadillac.

So here’s my 63 Rambler. Dad might have brought some home but most likely they were victims of car bombs Savageonwheels.com, promotional model cars, promo model cars, American Motors, AMC, Paul Daniel creative digital managerSavageonwheels.com, promotional model cars, promo model cars, American Motors, AMC, Paul Daniel creative digital manager(firecrackers) or car fires, or ???? I bought this one at a car show. Not sure how much I paid for it but it wasn’t a lot. Maybe $50-$70. All the parts are on this one. There is some minor warping on the right front quarter panel and the bumpers could probably need a re-chroming but otherwise in pretty good shape. I’m still looking for the white body, red interior one. If you’re not an AMC geek like me it could be for an entire Car of the Year collection. Good luck on finding the other AMC COTY in a promo model. It was the Renault Alliance.