Doctor Bennett himself opened up the Bennett Collection auction with an introduction and a few remarks. What drives a man to build a collection of everything from Hillman Imps to Halibrand Shrike Indy race cars is difficult to sum up, but the Doc abides. "There are two great passions that rule my life. Automobiles and medicine. I'm still doing both. I'm still running a general … [Read more...]
His Saab is an Angry Saab
Special to Clunkbucket by Peter Peter Hughes Interstate 81 northbound, between Binghamton and Syracuse. Leaving New York City that morning I'd subconsciously registered a hint of additional depth to the Saab's normally throaty exhaust note, but it isn't until a fuel stop somewhere in Pennsylvania that I think to actually look underneath the car, and discover the exhaust just … [Read more...]
Hydropneumatics and Design Together in Pasadena
There were more Citroëns than drivers on a Saturday morning. The task at hand was a good one. Settle into the plush appointments behind the steering wheel of a 1969 and-one-half Citroën iD21F Safari Wagon and drive. The mission was to get all cars on the move to the Pasadena Art Center College of Design for a gathering of Citroëns, and subsequent tour of the Art Center … [Read more...]
Quad Treaded Turbo Diesel
Crippling winter snow storms serve as a reminder that when the big snow or the Russians do show up, those all-season radials on that 1984 Plymouth Voyager in the driveway are not going to cut it. A snow shovel and some road salt might get the Voyager out of the driveway, but when you wake up to sub-zero weather and see Vladimir Putin doing shirtless chin ups on the kids swing … [Read more...]
A Shrunken Corvair Named Kumquat
From the West coast division of the Corvair shortening department comes this 1963 convertible dune buggy variant of the American air-cooled rear engine sports car. The car originally rolled off the assembly line as a factory turbocharged Spyder in 1963. An accident that buckled and creased both doors landed what was left the Spyder languishing engineless behind a gas station … [Read more...]