Hemmings Daily: Ford's Forty Nine concept promised a mainstream retro future for the blue oval

At the crest of a wave of retro design that swept over the auto industry at the turn of the 21st Century, Ford introduced a pair of concepts that called back to one of its most successful vehicles and that narrowly missed becoming production cars in their own right. Nearly 20 years later, one of that pair will cross the block and remind Ford fans of what direction the brand could have taken. The arrival of the Volkswagen New Beetle in 1997 (along with the Plymouth Prowler that same year) led automakers around the [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Friday, December 7, 2018 [Ford's Forty Nine concept promised a mainstream retro future for the blue oval]( [Ford's Forty Nine concept promised a mainstream retro future for the blue oval]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - At the crest of a wave of retro design that swept over the auto industry at the turn of the 21st Century, Ford introduced a pair of concepts that called back to one of its most successful vehicles and that narrowly missed becoming production cars in their own right. Nearly 20 years later, one of that pair will cross the block and remind Ford fans of what direction the brand could have taken. The arrival of the Volkswagen New Beetle in 1997 (along with the Plymouth Prowler that same year) led automakers around the... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1977 International Scout II]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1977 International Scout II]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1977 International Scout II, I recently finished up a 2 year restoration on a highly-optioned lifelong southern Oregon Scout. It was repainted its original Glacier Blue with an all new interior. It is 4wd and is powered by the 345ci V8 paired with an automatic transmission. Restoration included a top-off repaint, new vinyl side decals (matching the originals), reupholstered seats, new carpets, A/C, new windshield, new weatherstripping, new wheels, and new headliner (plus dynamat in...[Read More]( [Aston Martin joins Jaguar in building future-proof "reversible" electric classic cars]( [Aston Martin joins Jaguar in building future-proof 'reversible' electric classic cars]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - What if, in a dystopian version of the future, internal combustion engine vehicles are verboten? Using an electric autonopod for daily transportation is one thing, but what becomes of our beloved classic cars? Aston Martin Works is taking steps to answer this question, and it will soon offer a reversible battery electric conversion to "future-proof" its range of classic cars. Using what it describes as a "Cassette" powertrain concept, Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, England will extract the engine from you...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [A list of questions to ask the seller before you travel to see a vintage car]( [A list of questions to ask the seller before you travel to see a vintage car]( Posted by Thomas A. DeMauro - Most of this past summer was spent searching for my 17-year-old son Tommy's first car. He'd gotten his license, had a steady part-time job for a year, and had been saving his paychecks. With some additional help from my wife and I, he had enough to get the driveable project that he wanted. His stipulations sounded simple enougha cool car that was old, needed cosmetic work to keep the price down, but was mechanically and structurally sound enough to be daily driven. Third- and fourth-gen F-bodies were on his sh...[Read More]( [VIDEO: The reality of the "barn find"]( [VIDEO: The reality of the 'barn find']( Posted by Dan Stoner - If there's a siren song that we'll all dash our ship upon the rocks over these days, it's the lure of the "barn find." We're all looking for one. Reality TV has placed its bet on them. The auctions salivate over them. But, the unicorns aside, what's an actual barn find really made of? What's it like to find one? What's the reality behind the Reality TV? Having experienced a few cars we'd categorize as barn finds - and believe us, we're our own harshest skeptic when it comes to this stuff - we know that these cars...[Read More]( [Boston, 1986]( [Boston, 1986]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: February 1986 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Source: Joshua Levine, via Northeastern University Libraries Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [HemmingsPRO]( Seller Listings [1963 Lincoln Continental]( [1963 Lincoln Continental $55,000]( [2013 Custom B]( [2013 Custom B $11,983]( [1960 Ford Fairlane]( [1960 Ford Fairlane $7,450]( [1963 Chevrolet Nova]( [1963 Chevrolet Nova $35,500]( [2014 Subaru Legacy]( [2014 Subaru Legacy $14,995]( [2003 Mercedes-Benz SLK]( [2003 Mercedes-Benz SLK $22,500]( [Learn More]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 12/7/1931: Last Model A produced 12/7/1950: Buick builds its six-millionth car UPCOMING EVENTS [Diamonds & Donuts Car Show & Toy Drive]( December 16, 2018 - Boca Raton, FL [Raleigh Annual New Years' Day Cruise In 2019]( January 1, 2019 - Raleigh, NC [Sumter Swap Meets]( January 6, 2019 - Bushnell, FL [Just Sell It Automotive Swap Meet]( January 6, 2019 - Glendale, AZ [44th Annual VCCA Great Lakes Region Swap Meet]( January 6, 2019 - Peotone, IL [Auto Mania]( January 18, 2019 - Allentown, PA [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS [1960 Edsel Ranger]( [1960 Edsel Ranger]( [$8,950]( [1962 Studebaker Lark]( [1962 Studebaker Lark]( [$24,750]( [1952 Chevrolet Suburban]( [1952 Chevrolet Suburban]( [$129,500]( [1928 Ford Model A]( [1928 Ford Model A]( [$28,500]( [2017 Caterham Super 7]( [2017 Caterham Super 7]( [$45,000]( [1972 Plymouth Duster]( [1972 Plymouth Duster]( [$38,500]( [1949 Chrysler New Yorker]( [1949 Chrysler New Yorker]( [$48,000]( [1941 Oldsmobile 70]( [1941 Oldsmobile 70]( [$8,900]( PROMOTED LISTING [1966 Ford Mustang]( [1966 Ford Mustang]( [$19,900]( PROMOTED LISTING [1946 Dodge]( [1946 Dodge]( [$85,500]( [CADILLAC 344 CUBIC INCH, 145 HORSEPOWER, COMPLETE]( [CADILLAC 344 CUBIC INCH, 145 HORSEPOWER, COMPLETE]( [$2,500]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [GM to use Tri-Power again... sort of]( [GM to use Tri-Power again... sort of]( [Chevrolet's tips from the body shop: circa 1964]( [Chevrolet's tips from the body shop: circa 1964]( [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, December 6, 2018 [Pittsburgh Ford Model T factory added to National Register of Historic Places, slated for $250m redevelopment]( [Pittsburgh Ford Model T factory added to National Register of Historic Places, slated for $250m redevelopment]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Though it has sat vacant for the last dozen or so years following a blockbuster $10 million sale, the former Ford factory on Pittsburgh's Baum Boulevard, an anchor for that city's automobile row, appears poised for revitalization after it was added to the National Register of Historic Places last month. Of course, the $25 million that the University of Pittsburgh committed to buy what it's calling 5000 Baum from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center this past summer eclipsed UPMC's $10 million purchase of t...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Preserved 1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Ordered when new by Pettit Chrysler of Louisa, Virginia and not sold by Bill Pettit until 2001, this 1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham is believed to be the last C-Body sedan ever produced by the Jefferson Avenue plant. Bill's father Claude drove the car as his demo for some years, following which time the car went into their large collection of classic and antique automobiles. Just prior to selling off the dealersh...[Read More]( [On the ground at the 2018 New York Progressive International Motorcycle Show]( [On the ground at the 2018 New York Progressive International Motorcycle Show]( Posted by David Conwill - International Motorcycle Shows are sponsored by Progressive Insurance as a way to promote their insurance products for motorcycle owners. Photos by the Hemmings Staff. Adventure bikes and new riders were the two big themes at this year's Progressive International Motorcycle Show, which Hemmings editors Jim O'Clair and David Conwill reconnoitered on November 30, 2018. The IMS is the motorcycle world's equivalent to the New York International Auto Show that we attend each spring to see what the OEMs are up to tha...[Read More]( [Dream Build of the Day: 1959 Oldsmobile Ninety EightCuban Style!]( [Dream Build of the Day: 1959 Oldsmobile Ninety EightCuban Style!]( Posted by David Conwill - 1959 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Holiday Sport Sedan. Image via The Old Car Manual Project. It seems like every time we write about a car, we find something to love about that car--even if its nothing we've contemplated in the past. Loving a car means dreaming about it, and dreaming about it often involves a certain level of "what if?" How would we want the car equipped, painted, et cetera? For some of us, that may include going beyond what the factory intended. These builds will never happen, but talking about them ...[Read More]( [Columbus, Ohio, 1960s]( [Columbus, Ohio, 1960s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1960s Location: 777 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio Source: Columbus Neighborhoods What do you see here?...[Read More]( Wednesday, December 5, 2018 [Wrecking ball swings for former GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware]( [Wrecking ball swings for former GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Delaware once served as a vital link in one of the coups that formed pre-bailout General Motors, but with the announcement late last month of the pending demolition of the former GM Wilmington assembly plant, the wrecking ball will also remove the state's last remaining connection to the carmaker. Though built in 1946, the assembly plant has a history that dates back to 1914, when Pierre S. du Pont first bought stock in General Motors. While GM chugged along under the control of the bankers who ousted GM founder ...[Read More]( [Hemming Find of the Day - 1960 Imperial Custom Southampton]( [Hemming Find of the Day - 1960 Imperial Custom Southampton]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - A/C-equipped 1960 Imperial Custom Southampton for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Red/Grey interior. 413 V8 Wedge engine, 4dr Hardtop, Torque-Flite push button transmission, Power Windows & Seat, Auto-pilot, Factory AC, RWD, 58,402 original miles... Electric power windows Electric front power seat Power steering Factory Heater & Air Conditioning by Airtemp Auto pilot (Cruise control) Trunk with factory imitation spare tire bulge on it known as Continental...[Read More]( [Pirelli looks to the past for its newest tire]( [Pirelli looks to the past for its newest tire]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - In 1927, Pirelli debuted its first modern automobile tire, developed from the lessons learned in racing. Dubbed the Stella Bianca, or White Star, the distinctive tread pattern became Pirelli's signature, and its cross-ply design proved so advanced that the tire remained in production into the 1950s. Now, at the request of classic-car owners, Pirelli has restarted Stella Bianca manufacturing, introducing its first new cross-ply tire in more than 50 years. The difference between cross-ply (also known as bias-pl...[Read More]( [The $5,000 Challenge, all I want for Christmas edition]( [The $5,000 Challenge, all I want for Christmas edition]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Making out a Christmas wish list used to be easy. The Sears catalog showed up on the doorstep in November, and from there it was a matter of dog-earing the pages with slot cars, models, and .049 gas-powered buggies. Later, our focus would shift to the Craftsman tool section, as our interests matured from 1:24-scale cars to bicycles, minibikes, go-karts, and eventually, 1:1-scale cars. The Sears catalog is a thing of the past, and since Snap-On doesn't typically sell to retail customers, that leaves a big void t...[Read More]( [Detroit, 1970s]( [Detroit, 1970s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1970s Location: Detroit, Michigan Source: Wayne State University Libraries Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( Tuesday, December 4, 2018 [Rob Ida Concepts working to recreate Tucker's last car, the 1955 Carioca]( [Rob Ida Concepts working to recreate Tucker's last car, the 1955 Carioca]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Preston Tucker viewed failure as a necessary milestone on the road to success. A year after a jury found him not guilty of charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Tucker was hard at work on a new automobile, courting potential investors in Brazil. Pneumonia, a complication of lung cancer, claimed his life before the car progressed beyond the design stage, but Rob Ida Concepts may soon be bringing the one-of-none Tucker Carioca to life. Tucker's initial trips to Brazil ended in disappointment. T...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1991 Chevrolet Beretta GT]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1991 Chevrolet Beretta GT]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1991 Chevrolet Beretta GT, 3.1 V6 Fuel injected engine. 5 speed manual. Garage kept. 2nd owner and only adult owned. Power windows and locks. Power steering. Air conditioning. New tires. Front wheel drive. All original and the paint also!! It has LOW MILES 17K. It is fun to drive!! You don't see any cars like this any where in this kind of condition. Find more Chevrolets for sale on Hemmings.com....[Read More]( [A year after rebuilding from a fire, Country Classic Cars hit by tornado]( [A year after rebuilding from a fire, Country Classic Cars hit by tornado]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Just 15 months after a five-alarm fire swept through Hemmings Pro advertiser Country Classic Cars, misfortune has struck the Staunton, Illinois, dealership a second time. On Saturday, December 1, the facility -- located just off Route 66 -- was struck by a rare December tornado that appears to have destroyed two buildings and damaged two more, along with a yet-unknown number of cars. The storms -- which reportedly spawned a total of at least 18 tornadoes in three states -- blew through Staunton at roughly ...[Read More]( [Heavy Metal Thunder (and Lightning)]( [Heavy Metal Thunder (and Lightning)]( Posted by Daniel Beaudry - What looks like an R2-D2 pulled up from a saltwater sea, weighs as much as the Death Star, and has enough firepower to -- literally -- fuse together two Tie-Fighter's? No, it's not something from the Star Wars universe. It's Grandma's arc welder. Really it was my grandfather-in-law's arc welder, and somehow in the decade or so since Grandpa passed, I never noticed it tucked away in their nearly empty barn. Then recently, I don't even remember how it came up in conversation, Grandma asked me if I wanted it. "It...[Read More]( [Los Angeles, 1980s]( [Los Angeles, 1980s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1980s Location: Wilshire and Westwood boulevards, Los Angeles, California Source: via Japanese Nostalgic Car What do you see here?...[Read More]( Monday, December 3, 2018 [Built by Coachcraft, Peter Stengel's '41 Mercury was a masterpiece of prewar design]( [Built by Coachcraft, Peter Stengel's '41 Mercury was a masterpiece of prewar design]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Coachbuilt cars are typically associated with marques like Duesenberg, Packard, and Rolls-Royce, but California shop Coachcraft worked with more attainable brands, too. This Coachcraft-built 1941 Mercury Sedanca de Ville custom, created for banking heir Peter Stengel, features a one-of-a-kind body and a multi-function top that transformed the car from coupe, to Victoria, to roadster. Part of RM Sotheby's Petersen Museum auction, the unique Merc will cross the block in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, December 8...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1963 Chevrolet White Super Mustang]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1963 Chevrolet White Super Mustang]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Restored and freshly painted 1963 Chevrolet White Super Mustang for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: These old White trucks are very hard to find, I have only seen two others. For a truck that worked most of its life it is in really nice condition. Great for any collection, advertising purposes or even parades. * Fresh paint job by our local Peterbilt dealer * Straight 6 Gas motor with a fresh tune up * 6 + 3 Manual Transmission * Air Brakes * All chrome & aluminum recently po...[Read More]( [Isotta-Fraschini wins Best of Show at Charlotte area concours]( [Isotta-Fraschini wins Best of Show at Charlotte area concours]( Posted by Terry Shea - 1928 Isotta Fraschini 8ASS, winner of the best of show trophy at the 2018 Trump Charlotte Concours d'Elegance. Powered by a 160-hp straight-eight and wearing a convertible boattail body by American coachbuider LeBaron, this Italian beauty was originally delivered to a prominent American actress after it was shown at the 1928 New York Auto Show. All images by the author. After a heavy downpour in the days leading up to the event, the organizers of the Trump Charlotte Concours d'Elegance had to shift some of ...[Read More]( [Open Diff - Which one-off car would you replicate?]( [Open Diff - Which one-off car would you replicate?]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - The problem with one-off cars, as we saw recently with our story on the Mysterion, is that, no matter how widely appreciated they may be, they're also most at risk for disappearing from the face of Earth for good. Or they may end up squirreled away in somebody's collection. Or, heck, they just can't make it to every show and every museum for everybody to check out. Enter the value of a replica, particularly one as meticulously researched as Jeffrey Jones' Mysterion replica. They bring all the little details of th...[Read More]( [Atlanta, 1982]( [Atlanta, 1982]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: February 1982 Location: 14th Street NW, Atlanta, Georgia Source: Cheryl Bray, Georgia State University Library Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( Sunday, December 2, 2018 ["There's only winners and losers at Bathurst, and we don't want to be a loser." The 1979 Hardie Ferodo 1000]( ['There's only winners and losers at Bathurst, and we don't want to be a loser.' The 1979 Hardie Ferodo 1000]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - While there are other races on the Australian Touring Car Championship schedule, other circuits around Oz to turn a tire in anger, it's Bathurst (technically the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales) that has always captured the Australian racing enthusiast's imagination and attention. It's why Peter Brock-- who took three ATCC titles but won Bathurst nine times in 15 years -- remains revered among Australians. It's why Ford and Holden developed some of Australia's most potent supercars. And it's wh...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1959 Continental Mark IV Executive Sedan]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1959 Continental Mark IV Executive Sedan]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Hess & Eisenhardt-built 1959 Continental Mark IV Executive Sedan for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This is a 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV Executive Sedan ( sometimes called a Formal Sedan or Town Car). It was a Custom Car based on the Mark IV (modified by Hess and Eisenhardt of Cincinnati, Ohio ). Only 78 Cars were produced in 1959. How many are left? ,the cars were built to order. This car cost new $9208.00. See Hemmings for a great article on them: ://www.hemmings.com...[Read More]( [Four-Links - Impala RIP, Gladiator reborn, holiday buses, first convertible]( [Four-Links - Impala RIP, Gladiator reborn, holiday buses, first convertible]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Amid the big announcements from GM this past week came the news that the company was canceling a number of models, including the Impala, which this year turned 60. Eric Lawrence at the Detroit Free Press wrote a mini-obit for the model. * The other big news in the car world this week was Jeep's announcement of the return of the Gladiator model (not the Scrambler), so Mac's Motor City Garage took a look at the history of Jeep's fullsize pickup. * Starting this weekend and running through the holidays, t...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1964 Pontiac Catalina convertible]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1964 Pontiac Catalina convertible]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1964 Pontiac Catalina 389 Tri-Power convertible. California - Arizona - Florida car. Disassembled body-on-frame rust free restoration. Extensive documentation. Stripped to bare metal, PPG epoxy primed, DuPont G2 Red Fire and Clearcoat. Re-chromed bumpers. All carbs rebuilt. Rebuilt 375/10 Roto Hydramatic. Power steering and brakes. Torsion bar equipped front suspension rebuilt with new springs, bushings, ball joints, and steering components. Stock four link rear with added sway bar. C...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S MOST READ [Modeler Michael Paul Smith permanently moves to Elgin Park at age 67]( [Modeler Michael Paul Smith permanently moves to Elgin Park at age 67]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Most modelers go about their work in private, fussy about the minutiae of their work but hardly cognizant of where the work fits into broader questions of purpose and meaning. Michael Paul Smith, who died earlier this month shortly before his 68th birthday, knew exactly why he had to create the 1/24-scale town of Elgin Park and why it resonated with so many people around the world. "It's not just my little fantasy," he said in a documentary on Elgin Park in support of a book release a few years ago. "I'm also doc...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION [This or That - Season 3: 1975 Plymouth Road Runner or 1976 Buick Century Pace Car Replica?]( [This or That - Season 3: 1975 Plymouth Road Runner or 1976 Buick Century Pace Car Replica?]( Posted by Matt Litwin - 1975 Plymouth Road Runner (top, image by Terry McGean); 1976 Buick Century Indy Pace Car Replica (bottom, image by the author). Editor's comment: Please note that the This or That column is 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. So let's climb ...[Read More]( Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. 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