Hemmings Daily: Virgil Exner actually didn't mind that the Karmann Ghia directly copied his 1953 Chrysler D'Elegance

Photos by Erik Fuller, courtesy RM Sotheby's. Creative types live and breathe based on the concepts they put forth, so most tend to get a little cranky when somebody else appropriates those concepts. When it came to the incredible similarities between Virgil Exner's 1953 Chrysler D'Elegance idea car -- which heads to auction next month in New York City -- and the Karmann Ghia, however, Exner couldn't have been more delighted. "Ex was not angered by the unauthorized plaigarism," Peter Grist wrote in his biograp [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Friday, November 10, 2017 [Virgil Exner actually didn't mind that the Karmann Ghia directly copied his 1953 Chrysler D'Elegance]( [Virgil Exner actually didn't mind that the Karmann Ghia directly copied his 1953 Chrysler D'Elegance]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photos by Erik Fuller, courtesy RM Sotheby's. Creative types live and breathe based on the concepts they put forth, so most tend to get a little cranky when somebody else appropriates those concepts. When it came to the incredible similarities between Virgil Exner's 1953 Chrysler D'Elegance idea car -- which heads to auction next month in New York City -- and the Karmann Ghia, however, Exner couldn't have been more delighted. "Ex was not angered by the unauthorized plaigarism," Peter Grist wrote in his biograp... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1954 Ford Crestline Sunliner convertible]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1954 Ford Crestline Sunliner convertible]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1954 Ford Crestline Sunliner Convertible Excellent original car with nice pale yellow paint and black and green interior. Original 255 CID Mercury Flathead V8. Three speed manual transmission. WWW tires, fender skirts, radio and heater. Black canvas convertible top and convertible top boot cover. Very good stainless steel trim and chrome. Runs and drives excellent. Southern Ontario car with 70,000 miles. Once used to tour and inspect vineyards on a large orchard estate. ...[Read More]( [1934 Cadillac Victoria Convertible Coupe takes Best in Show at Hilton Head]( [1934 Cadillac Victoria Convertible Coupe takes Best in Show at Hilton Head]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Measuring over 19-feet bumper to bumper and priced at $8,150 enough to buy a pair of 11th Series Packards the V-16-powered 1934 Cadillac Series 452-D Victoria Convertible Coupe was an impressive automobile. Eight-plus decades later, that's still the case, and last weekend, the sole example constructed with a Fleetwood Victoria Convertible Coupe body captured Best in Show at the 2017 Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d'Elegance. Buyers wealthy enough to afford a Cadillac in 1934 had 54 bo...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Auction Coverage Overflow: Mecum's 2017 Monterey Sale - 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T]( [Auction Coverage Overflow: Mecum's 2017 Monterey Sale - 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T]( Posted by Matt Litwin - 1967 Dodge Hemi Coronet R/T; image by the author. When covering any auction for our print publications, a simplerule of thumb -- we do our best to adhere to -- is to review a few extra vehicular lots. It's good practice, since one never knows if a lot is going to be withdrawn at the last minute, or -- worse -- we forgot to snag a photo of the car we just examined, only to discover that error when we return to the office. Which means that by the time our more detailed coverage is readied for print, we end up wit...[Read More]( [Melbourne, Victoria, 1957]( [Melbourne, Victoria, 1957]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1957 Location: Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Source: Wolfgang Sievers photo, via National Library of Australia What do you see here?...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [HemmingsPRO]( Seller Listings [1990 GMC Sierra]( [1990 GMC Sierra $7,900]( [1971 Volvo 1800E]( [1971 Volvo 1800E $31,650]( [1948 Lincoln Zephyr]( [1948 Lincoln Zephyr $14,500]( [1971 Mercury Cougar]( [1971 Mercury Cougar $13,995]( [1963 Lincoln Continental]( [1963 Lincoln Continental $55,000]( [2014 Mercedes-Benz ML350]( [2014 Mercedes-Benz ML350 $36,995]( [Learn More]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 11/10/1914: First Dodge off assembly line 11/10/1925: Ford debuts Tri-Motor airplane UPCOMING EVENTS [2017 ExpoAuto Antiguo - Costa Rica]( November 17, 2017 - San Jose, [Exhibit Preview Party]( November 17, 2017 - Hershey, PA [15th Annual Christmas for Kids Car & Truck Show]( November 18, 2017 - Charlotte, NC [City of Largo Car Show]( November 18, 2017 - Largo, FL [High Octane South Jersey Cars & Coffee]( November 18, 2017 - Mount Laurel, NJ [Ohio Mopar Expo Swap Meet]( November 18, 2017 - Columbus, OH [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS Sponsored By: [Sponsor]( [1956 Chevrolet Bel Air]( [1956 Chevrolet Bel Air]( [$61,000]( [1979 Chrysler Cordoba]( [1979 Chrysler Cordoba]( [$11,000]( [1995 Chrysler LeBaron]( [1995 Chrysler LeBaron]( [$5,000]( [1968 Pontiac Bonneville]( [1968 Pontiac Bonneville]( [$17,000]( [1940 Ford 01A]( [1940 Ford 01A]( [$32,000]( [1935 Auburn 851]( [1935 Auburn 851]( [$95,000]( [1969 Ford Mustang]( [1969 Ford Mustang]( [$37,000]( [1984 BMW M635]( [1984 BMW M635]( [$16,500]( PROMOTED LISTING [1965 Chevrolet Corvette]( [1965 Chevrolet Corvette]( [$64,999]( PROMOTED LISTING [1958 Chevrolet Corvette]( [1958 Chevrolet Corvette]( [$99,998]( PROMOTED LISTING [1940 Ford]( [1940 Ford]( PROMOTED LISTING [1952 Lincoln Capri]( [1952 Lincoln Capri]( [$45,000]( [1939 model 60 hp V-8 engine with transmission.]( [1939 model 60 hp V-8 engine with transmission.]( [$2,500]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [The Ferber Coach Company - The next adventure begins]( [The Ferber Coach Company - The next adventure begins]( [Open Diff - The do's and don'ts of selling a vehicle online]( [Open Diff - The do's and don'ts of selling a vehicle online]( [See All Featured Blog Posts]( FOLLOW US: [Get RSS Feeds of Hemmings Blog]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Join us on Facebook]( [View our Flickr pool]( [View Newsletter Archives]( WEEK IN REVIEW Thursday, November 9, 2017 [Fresh from its role in upcoming DeLorean biopic, DMC prototype exhibited at AACA Museum]( [Fresh from its role in upcoming DeLorean biopic, DMC prototype exhibited at AACA Museum]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - DeLorean prototype 1 at the AACA Museum. Photo by Nancy Gates. In October 1976, the first running prototype of John DeLorean's futuristic gullwing coupe was delivered by builder Triad Services Group. Though everything from its construction to its drivetrain differed from later production cars, the prototype signaled that DeLorean's dream of building a car to immortalize his name was one step closer to reality. After making a cameo in the upcoming John DeLorean biography, the DeLorean prototype 1 will star alo...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Solid 1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Your Attitude Adjustment Vehicle 307 V-8 , 4 speed automatic. 105,000 miles Power Steering, Brakes, Windows, Working Air Conditioner Heater, new Battery, Tires only have 5,000 miles, good condition overall. Top was painted last year ( Silver ) Heavy Duty Springs, Air Shocks, Class 3 hitch, new Master cylinder. Passed inspection last month. 2 Doors, Red Interior. Full Dual Exhaust. Emission exempt No Catalytic Con...[Read More]( [Tour to offer last look at a Model T factory before its pending renovation]( [Tour to offer last look at a Model T factory before its pending renovation]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photo via Indiana Landmarks. After multiple considered and discarded ideas over the last several years, the Indianapolis plant that once churned out Ford Model Ts is slated for transformation into apartments and retail shops, though not before one last tour of the vast empty building this weekend. As demand for the Model T increased exponentially in the years after its introduction, Ford addressed production bottlenecks by building a couple dozen assembly plants around the country. Indianapolis, home to a numb...[Read More]( [This or That - Season 2: 1925 Flint E-55 Sedan or 1925 Studebaker Big Six Duplex Phaeton?]( [This or That - Season 2: 1925 Flint E-55 Sedan or 1925 Studebaker Big Six Duplex Phaeton?]( Posted by Matt Litwin - 1925 Flint E-55 Sedan (top); 1925 Studebaker BigSix Duplex-Phaeton (above). Images by the author. Editor's note: This or Thatis not a comparison report between two vehicles, but rather a feature that enables us, in an idyllic world, to add a collectible vehicle into our dream garage on a regular basis, but with a catch: We can only pick one vehicle fromthis pairing, and it has to be for enjoyment purposes rather than as an investment. Featured in this edition ofThis or Thataretwo vastly different ...[Read More]( [Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1957]( [Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1957]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: November 1957 Location: Memorial Boulevard, Winnipeg, Manitoba Source: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections via ManitobaMaps on Flickr What do you see here?...[Read More]( Wednesday, November 8, 2017 [First Camaro Z/28 to headline MCACN]( [First Camaro Z/28 to headline MCACN]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photos via Jon Mello collection. On track it didn't do that well. Over its one-year racing career, it DNFd as many times as it finished and only recorded one podium. But it's not the racing record that distinguishes Jon Mello's 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, nor any connection to any famous driver. Instead, the Camaro will take a place of honor at this month's Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals due to its documented status as the first Z/28. Built on the first day of Z/28 production--December 29, 1966--the homolog...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1975 Fiat 130 Pininfarina coupe]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1975 Fiat 130 Pininfarina coupe]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Documented five-speed 1975 Fiat 130 Pininfarina coupe for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: I am selling this car on behalf of my father, a European-car enthusiast based in Connecticut. He purchased this car a year ago with the intention of retiring it to storage, anticipating a tremendous appreciation in value in the coming years. However, upon taking delivery, he fell in love with not just the striking shape of the car, but how it felt on the road. He found it difficult to see the gorgeous Pini...[Read More]( [Commonwealth Coach & Trolley Museum seeks the public's help in rebuilding]( [Commonwealth Coach & Trolley Museum seeks the public's help in rebuilding]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - The remains of the Commonwealth Coach and Trolley Museum. Photos courtesy of the Virginia Museum of Transportation. On November 1, a fire destroyed the building that once housed the Commonwealth Coach and Trolley (CC&T) Museum in Roanoke, Virginia, and, with it, 12 buses that represented nearly half of the museum's holdings. At the time of the blaze, the perpetually under-funded institution carried just liability insurance, as a plan was underway to reincorporate it with the Virginia Museum of Transportation ...[Read More]( [SEMA feature cars, 2017: The show within a show]( [SEMA feature cars, 2017: The show within a show]( Posted by Terry McGean - Rob Ida has carried on his father Bob's passion for modifying and crafting hot rods, race cars, and other wheeled projects, and gained notoriety some years back for creating replicas of the famous Tucker 48. This one featured a twin-turbocharged Cadillac Northstar V-8. Photos by author. Though it's been held annually since 1967, the SEMA Convention was not always a haven for specially designed and built show cars. Even after coming to Las Vegas in 1977, custom display cars were sparse. But the last decade or so...[Read More]( [Chicago, 1955]( [Chicago, 1955]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1955 Location: Division, Ashland, and Milwaukee, Chicago, Illinois Source: Chuckman's Chicago Nostalgia What do you see here?...[Read More]( Tuesday, November 7, 2017 [Effort to save portion of Willow Run plant receives MotorCities preservation award]( [Effort to save portion of Willow Run plant receives MotorCities preservation award]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Portion of the Willow Run bomber and assembly plant. Image via Yankee Air Museum video. Of its original 5-million square feet, only about 144,000 square feet of the Willow Run bomber plant -- which later churned out Kaiser-Frazer automobiles and GM powertrains -- stands today. However, even that amount wouldn't remain were it not for the efforts of the Yankee Air Museum, which last week won the MotorCities preservation award for its Save the Bomber Plant campaign. While the Yankee Air Museum had bounced throug...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - a little bit of this, a little bit of that]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - a little bit of this, a little bit of that]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Mishmosh of Chevrolet, Ford, and fire truck parts titled as a 1936 Ford for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Like any proper English bastard, there's a paradox in the parts. While a racing heritage may be suggested by the 107-inch wheel base the frame is actually that of a 34 Chevy truck. The cowl is from that same truck only veed and narrowed. While the hood is handmade with 40 drafting louvers, the boot which is adapted from a 49 shoebox Ford, has 28 louvers of the venting type. Typical to any...[Read More]( [Japanese Celebrate 35 Years of Manufacturing in the U.S.]( [Japanese Celebrate 35 Years of Manufacturing in the U.S.]( Posted by Terry Shea - Honda celebrates the first Japanese automobile fully assembled in the U.S.an Accord sedanon November 1, 1982, at their Marysville, Ohio, plant. Images courtesy of Honda. There was a time when buying an import, particularly a Japanese import, was seen as an affront to American workers. But since the early 1980s, Japanese automakers have become a significant force in American manufacturing, each year employing more and more Americans not only on the factory floor, but also in engineering, design, sales, marke...[Read More]( [Krazy Kars trading cards required a lot of bread then, but not a lot of bread now]( [Krazy Kars trading cards required a lot of bread then, but not a lot of bread now]( Posted by Jeff Koch - Most of us remember getting prizes in Cracker Jacks or our cereal boxes--ignoring the tooth-rotting junk above and digging to the bottom of the box for whatever trinket was awaiting liberation beneath. For years, ignoring the sugary snacks and diving straight for the toy was an essential part of childhood. What would you get? A game? A fake tattoo? A lenticular 3D baseball card? (I refused to eat more than one box of cereal after I scored the toy, much to my parents' chagrin.) Wonder Bread was not immune to suc...[Read More]( [Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 1955]( [Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 1955]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: September 1955 Location: Oak Ridge, Tennessee Source: Ed Westcott photo, courtesy Department of Energy What do you see here?...[Read More]( Monday, November 6, 2017 [Texas begins revoking titles for dune buggies, sand rails, and other kit cars]( [Texas begins revoking titles for dune buggies, sand rails, and other kit cars]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - 1970 Meyers Manx. Photo courtesy RM Sotheby's. While Texas state officials claim to be looking into the matter, the state's DMV has outlawed any rebodied vehicles and has started to revoke titles and registrations for dune buggies in the state, a move that has provoked Texan kit car enthusiasts to start lobbying the state to re-legalize the vehicles. As far back as 2013, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles put a halt to registrations of newly built dune buggies, grandfathering in previously built and regist...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1950 Plymouth Special De Luxe station wagon]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1950 Plymouth Special De Luxe station wagon]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1950 Plymouth Special Deluxe Wagon Only 2,072 Special Deluxe wagons were produced for 1950, making the car offered here an uncommon opportunity. With a manufacturer's price of $2,372, the Special Deluxe Station Wagon was the highest priced Plymouth for 1950. Seating eight passengers in comfort and came from the factory with bright windshield and rear window trim. Special Deluxe fender script badges, and a wood-grain finish on the interior metal panels. All three seats were u...[Read More]( [Automobile or sculpture? Michael Schumacher-raced 2001 Ferrari F1 car to be offered at NY art sale]( [Automobile or sculpture? Michael Schumacher-raced 2001 Ferrari F1 car to be offered at NY art sale]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 2001 Ferrari F2001, chassis 211. All photos copyright Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Sotheby's, unless otherwise noted. According to Merriam-Webster, sculpture is defined simply as "three-dimensional art." By that standard, automobiles certainly qualify, and New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) counts numerous automobiles (including a 1990 Ferrari 641 Formula 1 car) within its holdings. Perhaps it's fitting, then, that a 2001 Ferrari F1 racing car, driven to a pair of victories by Michael Schumacher, will be sold...[Read More]( [The $5,000 Challenge, saved from extinction edition]( [The $5,000 Challenge, saved from extinction edition]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - The passenger pigeon was once the most common bird in North America, with a population estimated as high as 5 billion, but on September 1, 1914, the last surviving example - a female named Martha - died in her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. The American bison population once measured over 25 million, but by the dawn of the 20th century, just 30 or so existed in the wild. Thanks to conservation efforts, the bison - along with the grizzly bear and Eastern wolf - have battled back from the brink, but the lesson is th...[Read More]( [Manhasset, New York, 1951]( [Manhasset, New York, 1951]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: May 1951 Location: Manhasset, Long Island, New York Source: Gottscho-Schleisner collection, via the Library of Congress, via Shorpy What do you see here?...[Read More]( Sunday, November 5, 2017 [Singin' the four-barrel carburetor blues]( [Singin' the four-barrel carburetor blues]( Posted by Hemmings contributor - Photo by Terry McGean. Where will you put that thing? There's no room on my workbench! Dad was angry. This wasn't the first time I appropriated his sanctuary, the only place in our house where he had any privacy or work space. It's leaking gasoline! he barked. You'll set the house on fire. My hands ached from holding the heavy, cast-iron intake manifold at waist level. It was for a 1956 Plymouth V8 engine. Bolted on top was my pride and joy, a four-barrel carbure...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1947 Cadillac Series 61]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1947 Cadillac Series 61]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Partially completed 1947 Cadillac Series 61 fastback for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This car must be sold as part of an estate sale. The car was in progress of a major refurbish when the project halted due to poor health. The work that has been done includes a total body removal for paint. All the rubber door and window seals were removed and replaced with new. All the chrome had been re-done. The engine has been replaced - I believe it is a 1970 vintage Cadillac engine - V8, four ba...[Read More]( [Four-Links - scrappage scheme Ford saved, Age of Monsters, Nadig, Packard plant in 360]( [Four-Links - scrappage scheme Ford saved, Age of Monsters, Nadig, Packard plant in 360]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - After a great hue and cry this past week, Ford's UK branch decided not to scrap a 1959 Standard Ten that somebody turned in for the country's cash for clunkers scheme. * The Vintagent this week surveyed the various big-engined custom-built racing motorcycles from the dawn of the motoring age, including Glenn Curtiss's above. * Speaking of the dawn of the motoring age, America on Wheels this week took a look at its Nadig horseless carriage, which dates back to 1891. * If you can't get to Detroit ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1964 Buick Skylark convertible]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1964 Buick Skylark convertible]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1964 Buick Skylark convertible Power Steering Turbo Hydra-Matic Wildcat 310 motor Correct whitewall radials AM Sonomatic radio (works) All gauges and interior lights work Red Skylark floor mats Spinner Skylark hubcaps Windshield washer (works) Extra bottle of window cleaner and bracket All manuals provided when new Dual exterior mirrors Spare tire, jack, tools Heater/defroster (works) This was Buick's new A body for 1964. It ran through 1...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S MOST READ [The earliest known British automobile was built for breaking the law]( [The earliest known British automobile was built for breaking the law]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photos courtesy Bonhams. Not intentionally, of course, but the brothers Santler couldn't help but break existing British road laws when they first ventured out in the little car they called "Malvernia." Still, they had to give it a shot and in the process may have become the first automobile manufacturers in Great Britain in a car that will next month head to auction. To be clear, self-propelled road locomotives plied the country's roads well before Charles and Walter Santler decided they wanted to build their...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION [Open Diff - Do you embrace pop culture references to your car?]( [Open Diff - Do you embrace pop culture references to your car?]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Image via IMCDB.org. So you've got a car, and it's probably been referenced in the movies or on TV somehow. Or in comics. Or in a popular song. And, of course, at every car show people want to know if your DeLorean goes 88 or if your Checker was Travis Bickle's or when was the last time you fought dinosaurs in your supercharged Eldorado*. It can be tiring, but then again, many owners of those cars bought them to celebrate their respective pop-culture references. At the very least, they were aware of the refere...[Read More]( Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. For more information about this newsletter, email webmaster@hemmings.com or write to: Customer Service, Hemmings Motor News, 222 Main St., Bennington VT 05201. If you do not want to receive this newsletter from Hemmings Motor News, you can [change your email preferences here](.