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1938 American Bantam: Pint-Sized Driving Pleasure

1/31/2018

 
Picture
THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1938 American Bantam Deluxe Roadster owned by Wade Jacobs
 
WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
While U.S. manufacturers shunned small autos in the 1930s, American Austin took the leap by selling domestic versions of Britain’s popular tiny cars from 1930 to 1934.  Bankruptcy forced the company to reorganize a year later under the American Bantam name and it went on to build more Americanized models through 1941.  Bantam even developed a successful Jeep prototype, but relinquished manufacturing to Ford and Willys-Overland when it couldn’t meet World War II demand. Jacobs says his “Deluxe” has “two taillights (instead of one), trim rings, a little extra stainless trim and two windshield wipers.”
 
HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
“I probably bought it around 1990,” he says.
 
WHERE HE FOUND IT
He purchased it from a Hicksville, New York owner.  “My father was a car collector and in the late 1930s, he had a few American Austins and Bantams,” says Jacobs.  “When I was 11 or 12, my father showed up with an American Austin roadster.  He gave it to me and I would drive it around the backyard.”
 
CONDITION
“It was a driver-quality car,” he says of his Bantam.  “It started and it ran and I ended up paying too much for it.”  He drove it as-is for a few months and then started to make repairs and consider a full restoration.  A donor Bantam bought from a Locust Valley repair shop supplied a new chassis and other parts.  After some health setbacks, he finished the roadster and displayed it at an Old Westbury, New York car show last year.
 
TIPS FOR OWNERS
Jacobs advises joining one of two Austin-Bantam clubs, where enthusiasts advertise estate cars and parts.  “Go through the clubs,” he advises.  “Parts are hard to find.  Headlight buckets are impossible to find.”
 
VALUE
He says some have been auctioned for as much as $44,000, but “I think that’s outside the box.”
 
THE BOTTOM LINE
“It’s intimidating,” Jacobs says of his ride.  “It’s very tiny.  It’s got 17 horsepower.  I’ve only driven it on the road a few times.  People love it.”


1954 Austin-Healey 100-4: Upgraded for Racing

7/9/2015

 
PicturePhoto: N. Nabavian
THE CAR AND ITS OWNERS
1954 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN1 M LeMans owned by Nick and Clara Nabavian

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
The Austin-Healey 100-4 BN1 roadster, a collaboration of Britain’s Austin Motor Co. and race driver Donald Healey, was such a hit at London’s 1952 Earl’s Court Motor Show that it soon went into production as a strong competitor to the MG sports car.  Today, the big Austin-Healeys from all production years – 1953 to 1967 – are sought-after collectibles. 

“This was the first time Healey produced a car which broke the hundred-mile-an-hour barrier, hence the designation ‘100,’” Nick Nabavian says of his roadster.  “This model was made with a four-cylinder, extremely powerful engine, which Austin had previously used on trucks and London taxi cabs.  What is most interesting about the car is the folding windshield, which decreased aerodynamic drag and increased the top speed from 102 to 111 miles per hour.”  Healey also produced a race version, the ultra-rare 100S, and offered similar “M LeMans” racing upgrades to cars sold for street use, either at the factory or through dealerships.  “My car,” Nabavian adds, “is a dealer-installed LeMans car, which is certified by the 100M registry.”

HOW LONG THEY’VE OWNED IT
Since January 2014

WHERE THEY FOUND IT
They bought it from an owner in Florida.

CONDITION
“The car was restored about 10 years ago by a very respectable Austin-Healey specialist up to concours condition,” Nabavian says.  “He had used the color combination from boats Donald Healey was building in the same era. This is not an original Austin-Healey color combination, but it is certainly a great color combination. When we bought the car, it was still winning lots of awards in the Florida car show circuits.”

TIPS FOR OWNERS
Nabavian advises enthusiasts to buy a restored car “because trying to find the right person to restore it and to find the right parts is quite difficult and it can become extremely expensive.  Sometimes the restoration would cost more than what a restored car is worth.”  He says the 100-4 is “the best of the lot” and “has the prettiest fan-shaped grille than any of the later cars, which had an oval grille,” although the later 3000 model is “more roomy.”   

VALUE
Nabavian estimates the roadster is worth $70,000 to $90,000.  “These Austin-Healeys have been going up in value for the last few years,” he says.

THE BOTTOM LINE
“The car was a fiftieth birthday present from my wife to me,” he says. “I had always been a car enthusiast and I get about 10 car magazines a month, so my wife knew this would make me so excited having a classic car. I have always loved Austin-Healeys because of the beautiful lines the car has. You cannot find cars this pretty being made anymore."


2001 BMW Z8:  Collectible from Day One

4/28/2015

 
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THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
2001 BMW Z8 owned by Larry Lioz

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
Every so often, a major automaker launches a new model that becomes an instant collectible. Enter the Z8 limited production roadster, which borrows its design cues from the fabled BMW 507s of 1956 to 1959.  Those early two-seaters are now full-fledged classics and one was sold at auction through RM Sotheby’s last year for over $2.4 million.  The hand-built Z8 brings the sleek body of the 507 into the 21st century with mechanicals to match. “Only 5,703 were made in the model years 2000 to 2003,” Lioz says of his roadster, “and about half were sold in the U.S.  It has a 396-horsepower five-liter V-8 engine, manual six-speed transmission and does 0 to 60 (miles per hour) in 4.2 seconds.   The car listed for $128,000 new and has a removable hardtop.”

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Lioz bought the BMW in 2010.  “It was an early retirement present for myself,” he says.

WHERE HE FOUND IT
The roadster was advertised online by an Albany, New York dealer, who had gotten it from a Long Island, New York dealer.  Lioz had it transported back to his Long Island home.  “It was ironic that it went from Long Island to Albany and back to Long Island,” Lioz says.

CONDITION
“The car was in very good condition when I bought it,” he says, “but I did have to replace the headlights, leather dashboard and the rearview mirror. I also had a performance package installed. The car handles very well, is very easy to drive and is quite comfortable, even on long drives. BMW guarantees parts for this car for 50 years.”

TIPS FOR OWNERS
“Join BMW CCA (BMW Car Club of America) and become a member of the bmwz8.us website,” he advises. “That website is invaluable. Also find a good mechanic who is experienced with this vehicle.”

VALUE
Lioz has estimated the value at $125,000.  Hagerty, the classic car insurer, places an “average value” of $130,905 on a Z8 of this year and says one in top condition could sell for as much as $197,000.

THE BOTTOM LINE
“I started my search for this car when my son, Randy, asked me what car I would want to have if price were no object,” he says. “He is a ‘car guy’ and when we get together, we inevitably talk about cars.  When I told him I thought the BMW Z8 was one of the most beautiful cars, he encouraged me to go for it. I often get stopped at a light or in a parking lot. Most people do not know what car it is. They think it is brand new. Needless to say, Randy will get this car when I am gone or can no longer drive. I hope that is many years from now.”

1927 LaSalle: When Automotive Design began to Matter

8/1/2014

 
PicturePhoto: John Micciche
THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1927 LaSalle roadster owned by John Micciche

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
Beyond its mechanical prowess, the 1927 LaSalle is widely regarded as a milestone vehicle and a pacesetter for automotive design.  Period ads describe its “charm of appearance” and picture various models in fashionable European settings.  Offered as a lower-priced line by Cadillac from 1927 to 1940, LaSalle stood on its own as a premium brand.  “General Motors’ intention was to fill the large price gap between Cadillac and Buick,” Micciche says.  “The LaSalle was the first General Motors car designed by Harley Earl, who went on to a 30-year career at GM and eventually gained control of all design and styling.  Fast for the day, a stripped-down roadster averaged 95.2 miles per hour over a distance of 952 miles before an oil leak ended the run.”

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Since 2010

WHERE HE FOUND IT
“I purchased it from a private collector in St. Louis,” says Micciche, who estimates that only six such cars still exist.

CONDITION
“When I purchased the car, it looked much like it does today,” he says.  “However, mechanically, it was a disaster.  I knew that it needed a lot of work, but I wanted it because it is rare and I loved what it looks like.  We have rebuilt the engine and rebuilt or replaced just about every moving part and many of the non-moving parts in the car.  Many parts were missing.  Some of the missing parts were found on the Internet or through networking, but many had to be made.  Much of the chrome was replated.”

TIPS FOR OWNERS
“Know ahead of time that finding any missing or damaged parts is going to be very difficult,” Micciche advises.  “The Internet is a great source and place to start.  But I have found that the most successful path to finding a part you need is by contacting a person who knows a person.”

VALUE
“The economy and trends will cause the value of this type of car to vary tremendously,” he says.  The NADA Guides places a “high retail” value of $85,700 on a 1927 roadster.

THE BOTTOM LINE
“I believe that this car is a work of art, just like any painting or sculpture,” Micciche says.  “I can admire it like any other work of art and I can drive it, too.”


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    David Fluhrer has been the classic car columnist for Newsday since 2008. 

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