Are you looking for a parts car or a restoration project? Well Rowley’s Auction Service will be auctioning off the entire contents of Bob’s Auto Parts in Fostoria, Michigan, this weekend. This facility has operated as a classic car salvage yard since 1938. Bob and Chris Zimmerman have owned and operated the business since 1957. Due to the death of Bob Zimmerman, all the vehicles will be sold at auction.

What will be auctioned are the 1,800 cars in a junkyard that’s been in operation since 1938. Looking at the pictures on the website, there are some interesting collector car material from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. There will be a minimum bid of $400 for all of the cars and pickups “due to high scrap prices”, so we might assume, that whatever doesn’t sell at auction goes straight to the crusher. If you see anything on the website you might be interested in, give Bob's a call and save a classic from being crushed.

There will be a $5 bidder registration/entrance fee and everyone must be registered to bid at the auction. If you pay be credit card, there will be a three percent buyer’s premium charged. But if you pay by cash or personal check the buyer’s fee will be void. That sure beats the fifteen to twenty percent you’ll pay at any of the other auctions going on this weekend.

The Rowleys Auction website has a partial listing with pictures of the cars that being offered.

If you can’t be at the Ferrari factory in Modenese, Italy this Sunday to buy that Ferrari you’ve always wanted; no worries, you can bid online. RM Auctions have teamed with LiveAuctioneers to broadcast live from the factory, the Ferrari Leggenda e Passione Collection, featuring mint road going and racing Ferraris from the 1960's up to today.

Ferrari aficionados from around the globe can view the auction event live through streaming audio/video, and bid on the cars and Ferrari memorabilia through the Internet. Crossing the auction block will be some very special Ferraris like the Ex- James Coburn 1961 250 GT SWB California Spyder and a 1958 250 GT LWB California Spyder, both estimated to sell for over $4 million. You could even bid on a 1995 Ferrari 412 T2 F1 engine or an exhaust manifold from a 2004 Barcelona GP that is mounted on a carbon fiber base. Wouldn't that look nice on your coffee table.

Manhattan-based LiveAuctioneers.com provides real-time Internet bidding capability to 700 auction houses in a dozen countries and is opening up what are usually very exclusive auctions to the cyber community. You can view an online catalog of the RM Auction items which is usually purchased as the cost of admission. There is no charge to register for the auction and no obligation to bid; anyone can watch the action online in real time.

For further information on RM's Ferrari Leggenda e Passione Collection, log on to LiveAuctioneers website.

Photo © RM Auctions

On Saturday, May 17th, Aston Martin Works Service in Newport Pagnell, England, will host their ninth Auction of Aston Martin motor cars and related automobilia. This Newport Pagnell site was purchased in 1954 by David Brown who started the DB vehicles, and since then nearly 13,000 cars were produced at the factory before production ceased in 2007. We can’t believe that anyone who owns an Aston Martin would consider selling it, but that’s good news for those of you who are in the market for one.

It will be also be the ninth year that the specialist auctioneer Bonhams been a part of the Aston Martin auction. They have dropped the hammer on more than $27 million worth of the marque’s cars and related automobilia with this event. In 2007, a 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante restored by Works Service achieved a record price of $837,709. Even in today’s economy, the Aston still seems to command the high dollar bids. Last month at the H & H Auction a 1966 DB6 Short Chassis Volante sold for over $630,000 and a DB4 series IV Vantage for over $400,000.

This year Bonhams has a record forty one cars scheduled to cross their auction block, the most notable being lot 345, a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupe, which is said to be the most sought after of the David Brown Aston Martin road cars.

Aston Martin has also entered two unique lots into this year’s auction. Lots 256 and 257 are two specially numbered imperial gauge bricks from the historic Aston Martin factory that was located opposite Works Service. The bricks come in individual presentation boxes, with a certificate that warrants and guarantees that it is one of a Limited Edition of 1500 saved from the Aston Martin factory. All proceeds from the sale of lots 256 and 257 will go to The Aston Martin Heritage Trust.

You can view all the cars and automobilia that will be up for auction on Bonhams website.

Restomod vehicles are classic cars that have been restored using modern components to enhance their performance, safety, comfort and beauty. In short, restored old bodies modified using new technology.

Just the term “modified” has been a dirty word in the minds of purists who want no part of anything that wasn't factory original. And usually modifications of any kind were points taken off at car shows and dollars taken off the value of the car.

But it seems as though the tide is turning. In the last few years we’ve seen Restomods bringing down the hammer at a higher bid than their factory correct siblings. This trend has been most prevalent in the Ford Mustang, but you can find Restomods on all the Detroit cars these days...even some Europeans.

For instance, a 1970 Hemi Cuda would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and to retain its value, it needs to be kept original with factory correct parts. But adding a better engine, suspension and braking system to a six cylinder Barracuda will double its value.

A stock 1967 Mustang with original everything usually sells for about $15,000. We’ve seen that same year Mustang with a drive train upgrade go for $28,000. But give that ‘67’ an inside and out restomod and the bidding can reach $80,000.

Will we see a Restomod category at Pebble Beach in the near future – we think not. But the Reno Mustang Car Club will be hosting the Restomods in Reno show on May 23rd through the 25th to give these owners their day in the sun. Judging these cars could be a nightmare but the organizers have kept it quite basic. They are separated by the year of origin and then into 3 classes; Original, Mild and Wild Restomod.

We’d like to hear what our readers think of this Restomod movement. Are you a strictly factory original owner or would you modify your ride?

• Strictly Original
• Modified Rider
• Undecided

View Results

The history of the American Bantam really begins in Great Britain with Herbert Austin, a self-made engineer and tool maker. While working as the manager of the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company, Austin felt he could make a better car on his own and founded the Austin Motor Company in 1905 just outside of Birmingham, England.

The early days of Herbert Austin’s company were helped by contracts for military vehicles with the onset of World War I, and Austin was knighted for his efforts. After the war, the company resumed production motor cars based upon one model, powered by a 20 horsepower, 3.6 liter engine. Sales were slow so Sir Herbert moved the single model into a commercial version, and built good tractors with the same chassis. With sales still lagging, the company was facing bankruptcy.

In 1922, Austin introduced a car that he felt certain would turn the company around, the Austin 7. The new car was aimed at penetrating the mass market by being smaller, lighter, well built and economical. The "7" represented the engine's horsepower rating putting it into the current micro-car class and avoiding higher taxes.

The Austin 7 was an instant success, not only in Great Britain, but also in what was the most difficult motor car export market of the time, North America. Austin licensed a move of a part of its operations to the United States in 1929, setting up a factory to produce the Americanized Austin 7 in Butler, Pennsylvania. As production started, the company claimed it had close to 200,000 orders for its new ultra-light, ultra-economical car. Sir William Lyons used the Austin 7 chassis to build his own car, the "Swallow" which gave him the knowledge and profits to form Jaguar in 1935.

The American Austin sold fairly well, but the deepening of the Depression, and a resistance to tiny cars, brought the American Austin into bankruptcy in 1934. A top American Austin salesman, Roy Evans, bought the bankrupt American Austin, renaming it to American Bantam in 1935, but had no money left to build cars. It wasn't until 1938 that the first Bantam "60" passenger cars and trucks began rolling off the production line.

Evans updated the body and put in a new engine to avoid having to pay royalties back to Austin. Improvements to the Bantam engine included changing the main bearings to a babbitt type, increasing the compression to 7.0 to 1, and using a different type of carburetor. Full pressurized lubrication was employed, along with a pump circulated cooling system. Horsepower increased from 13 to 19, with an increase in torque.

Still, the Bantam couldn't make a significant American market penetration even though by 1938, the Bantam was on a par with Chrysler, Buick, and Mercury as far as quality, reliability, and appointments were concerned. With five new models added to the line in 1939, prospects seemed bright. In the following two and one-half years, the company produced approximately 6700 cars and trucks, but at an average loss of $75 per vehicle.

In 1941 the Bantam Car Company developed the Bantam Reconnaissance Car, the prototype of the Jeep, in response to a U.S. Army request for an all-purpose military vehicle. It was rigorously tested by the Army for several weeks, and then declared to exceed expectations, but the government decided that the American Bantam Company’s plant was too small to produce the numbers of vehicles it needed and gave the contract to Willys and Ford.

In May of 1943 the Fair Trade Commission charged Willys with false and misleading advertising by claiming that Willys had created the Jeep. The court determined that the Jeep was fostered and conceived in Butler, Pennsylvania, by the American Bantam Car Company.

Evans sold the company in 1946, but the factory buildings are still there today. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission placed an historic roadside marker on Hansen Avenue in Butler, commemorating the development of the Bantam Reconnaissance Car, the "Jeep."

Photo © Michele Hamer

The most beautiful car in the world is…well that’s a bit ambiguous isn’t it? Every classic, vintage and antique car magazine has taken a run at this subject over the last 20 years. Generally the world has agreed around the Jaguar E-Type, also called the XKE, as one of the most beautiful, but who says this needs to be the definitive word? While this wonderfully designed Malcolm Sayer car has found its way into the Museum of Modern Art in New York,that surely doesn’t make it so?

But I don’t think we should write off this issue so simply. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Hence my request of you; please let us know what car you believe to be the most beautiful. Of course your argument as to why this is your choice would be most enlightening. Also in your response please provide your country of birth, your sex, and your approximate age. Upon receiving this information we will categorize the most beautiful car choices by these parameters and discover once and for all whether beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, and whether women have a different opinion from men. In addition, we might learn if the moderns see things differently from the classics and vintagers and if your country of origin really does provide a base for prejudice!

When you respond to this question please provide a picture of your choice so that everyone can appreciate your opinion of the most beautiful car in the world.

Here are some cars you might consider: The Ten Most Beautiful Cars

Photo of a 1968 Jaguar E-Type taken by Michele Hamer

Calling all British car owners and enthusiasts. British Car Week is an annual British car driving awareness week for promoting British cars on a world-wide basis, and is scheduled for May 31 to June 8 this year. Participants don't need to travel very far for this event, because it usually takes place in their own community.

If your local car club staff doesn't have anything listed on their calendar during May 31 to June 8 this year, then you need to make them aware of British Car Week. After all, this is a calling for all owners of classic British cars to get together with other car owners in their own communities and kick tires, tell stories, answer questions, and have a good time.

If you're a British car enthusiast reading this, think about how you originally became interested in your favorite British car. Chances are, you caught a glimpse of one and it quickly swept you off your feet. Later, you somehow managed to acquire one, and from that time on, it has provided you with a lifetime of fun and entertainment.

British Car Week is all about providing opportunities for potential enthusiasts to become aware of older model British marques, and hopefully generate interest and enthusiasm among the next generation who can enjoy and maintain them for many years to come.

Photo © Michele Hamer

This weekend will be the 13th Annual Keels and Wheels Concours d’ Elegance and Auction in Seabrook, Texas on May 3rd and 4th. There will be over 200 classic automobiles and 80 vintage wooden boats on display, including Ferrari, Riva, Chris Craft, Rolls Royce, and many others. They will also be vintage aircraft, jeeps and machine guns re-enacting some of the historic events of Pearl Harbor. They have booked the Tora, Tora, Tora Group to conduct an air attack on Sunday at 12:30pm.

Ronald Reagan’s 1952 Army Jeep, the Willys Model M38 A1 Jeep, and a 1914 Rolls Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost Skiff-Torpedo will be two of the 100+ great cars that will be going under the hammer at this year's event. The winning bidder of Reagan's historic jeep will also receive its Title which still reads “Reagan Protective Division. US Secret Service.”

To top off their War themed event, the Worldwide Group will have the famous "Kissing Sailor", Glenn Mc Duffie, from the 1945 Life Magazine cover attending this year’s show. According to a press release from events organizers:

For some time, many claimed to be the mysterious sailor seen kissing a nurse in the street, an iconic moment in photographic history. Only recently have tests proven that native Houstonian Glenn Mc Duffie is the real mystery sailor. McDuffie describes the moment as if it happened yesterday. "When I got off the subway I got to the top of the stairs and the lady up there said, 'Sailor, I'm so happy for you,'" said McDuffie. "I asked her why and she told me the war was over and I could go home. I ran into the street jumping and hollering. That nurse was out there and she turned around and put her arms out and that's when I kissed her," said McDuffie. "Then I heard someone running and I lifted my head and it was that photographer."

The Worldwide Group are auctioneers of some of the world’s finest automobiles, and you can view the entire line up of cars and details for the Houston Classic Auction on their website. In conjunction with the auction, the Lakewood Yacht Club will be presenting the 2nd annual Keels & Wheels Antique and Classic Boat Regatta on Thursday, May 2nd. It’s a great way to spend a long weekend on the Gulf coast.

Photo © Getty Images

We have wanted to visit the Petersen Automotive Museum for many years. It is internationally recognized for its innovative design, and is dedicated to the interpretive study of the automobile and its influence on our culture and lives. What finally got us out there - an invitation to see the 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Aerodynamic Coupe, aka, the Round Door Rolls.

The Rolls-Royce Aerodynamic Coupe is the centerpiece of the museum newest “Treasures of the Vault” exhibition, which will highlight a selection of important, but seldom seen Petersen Automotive Museum acquisitions. This car has been described as an unlikely combination of extravagant European coachwork on a conservative British chassis - we call it amazing.

Originally the car was a 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I with a body built in 1934 by Jonckheere of Belgium. Like all other prewar Rolls-Royce motorcars, this Phantom I was delivered new in chassis-only form to a coachbuilder. Hooper & Co. was the chosen body maker and in 1925, the completed vehicle was delivered with cabriolet coachwork to its first owner, a Mrs. Hugh Dillman of Detroit. Mrs. Dillman reportedly did not like the car and it appears never to have left England.

The Rolls-Royce was purchased by the Raja of Nanpara before being passed on to an unknown number of other owners and by 1932 was seen in Belgium. Two years later its then owner sent the car to Jonckheere of Belgium to be stripped of its cabriolet body and fitted with fashionably aerodynamic coachwork complete with twin sunroofs, a large fin, a sloping radiator shell, and round doors.

Although the design was controversial and not highly regarded by most Rolls-Royce aficionados, the car was well received by Concours d’Elegance judges of the day and was reported to have taken a Prix d’Honneur at the August, 1936 Cannes Concours d’Elegance.

The prize winning car then passed through the hands of several other owners, and was observed in Bar Harbor, Maine before World War II being driven by a chauffeur who was supposedly so obese, that he could not get out of the car to assist his employer to disembark. The Round Door Rolls was next discovered in the 1950’s, in New Jersey, in a junk yard.

It is not known who rescued the car from being scrapped, but East Coast entrepreneur Max Obie eventually acquired the unusual Rolls-Royce and had it refurbished. Obie would take it to shopping malls, making claims that the car had been owned by royalty and charged admission for people to look at it.

In the Spring of 2001, the Peterson Automotive Museum took possession, and Mr. and Mrs. Petersen decided to bring the car back to its concours winning glory. Every component was removed, checked for wear and authenticity, then reconditioned or replaced as needed. The car was painted black which highlights its subtle contours and striking profile.

All the cars at the Petersen Museum can be driven, but the Round Door Rolls-Royce requires a great deal of driver involvement when underway. It is difficult to steer at slow speeds, requires double-clutching when changing gears, and cannot be stopped easily in an emergency. While fashionably low, the lack of ground clearance virtually assures that the extended rear deck will scrape the ground if a driver does not approach curbs and speed bumps slowly enough and at the proper angle.

For more pictures of the Rolls-Royce Aerodynamic Coupe, and other fabulous cars at the Museum, go to our Petersen Museum Photo Gallery.

Photo © Petersen Automotive Museum

Information regarding the Rolls-Royce History, courtesy of the Petersen Automotive Museum

GarageTown USA has come up with a great solution for car enthusiast and collectors who never seem to have enough “garage” for their hobby. The company offers garage "condos" in a gated, secured community environment. Units are purchased outright rather than rented. Owners reap the benefits of real estate ownership including property appreciation and all standard tax write-offs.

GarageTown offers units from 640 to 2,860 square feet priced between $70,000 and $300,000, with additional custom features such as air conditioning. Stefanie McDaniel, GarageTown Arizona's sales and marketing director, says that “GarageTownUSA was founded by gadget-crazy friends in Idaho who were looking for high-amenity storage and decided to build a community. Not just a place to store stuff, but also a place to hang out."

All new locations will offer a lavish clubhouse and owners will have full access. Each clubhouse will have luxurious furnishings such as comfortable couches, flat panel TV's, wet bar, kitchen area, meeting tables and even private restrooms with showers. Tenants can host small parties and gatherings, or simply hang out, network and meet new friends.

GarageTown USA has locations in Arizona, Idaho, Texas, Colorado, Washington and Alaska. In Arizona, their Stellar Park location is the first of five locations to be established in the Phoenix Valley. Over the next few months, new communities will be under way in Chandler, Mesa, and Avondale. In the fall, a development will launch in the North Scottsdale area. Many current owners have already given deposits on additional units in new developments. One tenant has purchased a total of six units in multiple developments because he finds them to be logical investments since they can be sublet at any time.

GarageTown USA has plans to franchise the company at which point you can expect to see one or more developments in every state across the nation. You can find out more information about the company on their website.

Photo © GarageTown USA