Hemmings Daily: The only long-wheelbase Duesenberg J 'Sweep Panel' dual-cowl phaeton built by LeBaron heads to auction a

Coachbuilder LeBaron originated the "Sweep Panel" styling used on early Duesenberg Model Js, building roughly 18 examples with dual-cowl phaeton bodies between 1928 and 1930. Of these, RM Sotheby's states that just one, a 1930 Duesenberg Model J with chassis number 2336, was built atop a 153.5-inch long-wheelbase chassis. Next month, this car -- recently restored by the now-retired Fran Roxas -- heads to auction at the company's Amelia Island sale. LeBaron designer Ralph Roberts was the man responsible for th [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Friday, February 8, 2019 [The only long-wheelbase Duesenberg J "Sweep Panel" dual-cowl phaeton built by LeBaron heads to auction at Amelia Island]( [The only long-wheelbase Duesenberg J 'Sweep Panel' dual-cowl phaeton built by LeBaron heads to auction at Amelia Island]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Coachbuilder LeBaron originated the "Sweep Panel" styling used on early Duesenberg Model Js, building roughly 18 examples with dual-cowl phaeton bodies between 1928 and 1930. Of these, RM Sotheby's states that just one, a 1930 Duesenberg Model J with chassis number 2336, was built atop a 153.5-inch long-wheelbase chassis. Next month, this car -- recently restored by the now-retired Fran Roxas -- heads to auction at the company's Amelia Island sale. LeBaron designer Ralph Roberts was the man responsible for th... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day- 1965 Ford Econoline]( [Hemmings Find of the Day- 1965 Ford Econoline]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Reconditioned 1965 Ford Econoline TravelWagon camper van for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: 170 CI, 3 on the tree manual. Approximately 59000 original miles. These vans are extremely rare to find, let alone in a restored condition. This van drives and brakes very smoothly with no noises or problem and easily cruises at 60mph. The mechanics of this vehicle are very simple and thus very reliable and easy to maintain. This rare Ford Travelwagon van was available through Ford Dealerships from a...[Read More]( [Know ye fear: Lucas once tried to build an entire car]( [Know ye fear: Lucas once tried to build an entire car]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Apologies for leading with a cheap-shot Lucas joke, but you knew they were coming. After all, if a lighting and electrics automotive supplier best known by the totally unofficial slogan "Prince of Darkness" were to apply its technology to a malaise-era electric vehicle, wouldn't that be the first thing on your mind too? While plenty of other automotive parts suppliers over the years either made or attempted to make the transition from supplier to full-fledged carmaker (see, for instance, Dodge), the British autom...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Quicker than stick]( [Quicker than stick]( Posted by Jeff Koch - Chevy's top Camaro--the ZL1 1LE--will offer an optional paddle-shifted 10-speed automatic transmission starting late this month. The division is hoping this will be a win for the Camaro, which has seen sales slide annually since its 2015 redesign; Chevrolet claims that 80 percent of all Camaro sales are automatic. Other comparable high-performance models from Detroit makers, like the Dodge Demon and Ford's upcoming Shelby GT500, are also automatic-only propositions. For those whose hearts have sunk at the ...[Read More]( [WATCH THIS: the NASCAR question of the ages!]( [WATCH THIS: the NASCAR question of the ages!]( Posted by Dan Stoner - This week, we're donning the leather-elbowed cardigan, sitting down by the fireplace, lighting a pip,e and getting all existential about...NASCAR. That's right: We're gonna go deep on the topic of "What Happened to NASCAR?" If we're muscle car freaks, there's a good chance we're also stock car racing fans. If the "race on Sunday, sell on Monday" approach to muscle cars wasn't influenced by drag racing, it was definitely impacted by NASCAR races. And we all know how weird and amazing the relationships between auto...[Read More]( [Philadelphia, 1975]( [Philadelphia, 1975]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: October 1975 Location: Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Source: Dominic Ligato, via Temple University Libraries Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 2/8/1931: James Dean, the famous film actor and racing enthusiast, is born in Marion, Indiana. 2/8/1964: Incorporation of the Iraqi National Oil Company, which later became an anchor among the OPEC nations. UPCOMING EVENTS [O'Hara's Orange Blossom Festival and Car Show]( February 16, 2019 - Frostproof, FL [GSRA Monthly Meeting and Cruise-In]( February 16, 2019 - Lilburn, GA [Lions Camp For The Blind Car Show]( February 16, 2019 - Waycross, GA [Sweetheart Cruise]( February 16, 2019 - Everett, WA [GSRA Monthly Meeting and Cruise-In]( February 16, 2019 - Loganville, GA [Palm Beach Car Swap Meets and Car Show]( February 17, 2019 - West Palm Beach, FL [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS [1966 Dodge Coronet]( [1966 Dodge Coronet]( [$29,500]( [1960 Lincoln Continental]( [1960 Lincoln Continental]( [$8,900]( [1985 Cadillac Eldorado]( [1985 Cadillac Eldorado]( [$13,000]( [1974 Ford Bronco]( [1974 Ford Bronco]( [$59,500]( [1959 Pontiac Starchief]( [1959 Pontiac Starchief]( [$22,750]( [1953 Dodge M37]( [1953 Dodge M37]( [$15,000]( [1965 Plymouth Barracuda]( [1965 Plymouth Barracuda]( [$12,900]( [1953 MG TD]( [1953 MG TD]( [$8,950]( PROMOTED LISTING [1931 Ford Model A]( [1931 Ford Model A]( [$24,900]( PROMOTED LISTING [1964 Chevrolet Corvette]( [1964 Chevrolet Corvette]( [$44,500]( [Rare Jim Beam Corvette decanter collection]( [Rare Jim Beam Corvette decanter collection]( [$2,995]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [Lost concept cars: The Shelby Cobra-based Ford Cougar II]( [Lost concept cars: The Shelby Cobra-based Ford Cougar II]( [Lost and Found overflow - oddities from other countries, part 2]( [Lost and Found overflow - oddities from other countries, part 2]( [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, February 7, 2019 [With 44 potential candidates, revival of the National Scenic Byway program proposed]( [With 44 potential candidates, revival of the National Scenic Byway program proposed]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Though it may provide a vista here and there, America's interstate highway system was designed with speed and efficiency in mind, not for meandering road trips intended to take in the wonder and awe of the American countryside. That function instead has fallen to the sometimes twisty, oftentimes rural two-lane roads that make up the National Scenic Byway program, which could see a revival under a bill before Congress. Established in 1991 under the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration to r...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1968 Dodge Charger]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1968 Dodge Charger]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Unrestored 1968 Dodge Charger for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This vehicle has an interesting history. I believe I am probably the fourth owner of the car. I think it has always been an Arkansas car. The original owner (perhaps the second, I cannot verify) traded this vehicle to another individual in exchange for a paint job on his other muscle car. This owner (whom I bought it from was a Charger enthusiast, and had a 69, 70 and a few other Chargers at one time. Because he did not wish to e...[Read More]( [The most-recognized Ferrari F40 of all time heads to auction again, courtesy of the U.S. Marshals Service]( [The most-recognized Ferrari F40 of all time heads to auction again, courtesy of the U.S. Marshals Service]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, Texas, didn't make its name by rebuilding exotic cars, but when the opportunity arose to buy a crash-damaged 1991 Ferrari F40 at a good price, owner Richard Rawlings couldn't pass it by. Featured in several episodes of the popular garage docudrama, the repaired and improved supercar sold twice at auction in recent years but is once again on the block -- this time at a U.S. Marshals Service online auction, conducted by Apple Auctioneering. Launched in 1987, Ferrari's F40 was a celebrat...[Read More]( [This or That - Season 3: 1954 Dodge Granada or 1956 Plymouth Plainsman?]( [This or That - Season 3: 1954 Dodge Granada or 1956 Plymouth Plainsman?]( Posted by Matt Litwin - 1954 Dodge Granada (top); 1956 Plymouth Plainsman (bottom). Images by David Conwill. When Detroit's concept cars re-emerge for public display, it's hard not to gaze upon them and ponder the multitude of "what-if" scenarios. In the latest edition of This or That, we've picked a pair of cars that were on display at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance: the 1954 Dodge Granada and 1956 Plymouth Plainsman. Let's start in 1954 when Chrysler Corporation unveiled a series of concept cars, beginning with the ...[Read More]( [Atlanta, 1969]( [Atlanta, 1969]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: May 1969 Location: Interstate 75, Atlanta, Georgia Source: J.C. Lee, via Georgia State University Libraries Digital Collections What do you see here?...[Read More]( Wednesday, February 6, 2019 [Idaho's Firebird Raceway becomes first dragstrip listed on the National Register of Historic Places]( [Idaho's Firebird Raceway becomes first dragstrip listed on the National Register of Historic Places]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Despite the relatively new grandstands and timing tower, not a whole lot has changed at Firebird Raceway in Idaho's Treasure Valley since it was built in 1968. Sure, the grandstands and timing tower are new, but the drag strip has remained in the same family for 50 years and retains much of its original equipment -- down to the Christmas tree -- as well as its hometown charm, which helped ensure the facility a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, marking the first time the list has recognized a drag str...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1979 Fiat 2000 Spider]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1979 Fiat 2000 Spider]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1979 Fiat 2000 Spider with 20,000 Original Miles, Unrestored, Original Condition I am selling this unrestored, untouched original 1979 Fiat 2000 Spider. I am the fourth owner of this unique classic sports car with 20,000 miles. This vehicle was purchased in 1979 in Wooster, Ohio. This vehicle has never left Ohio, all 4 owners have lived in Ohio. It's never seen rain or snow. This vehicle when purchased had the original tires and the original ignition system. Both have since been ...[Read More]( [Bobby Rahal presented with 2019 Phil Hill Award by RRDC]( [Bobby Rahal presented with 2019 Phil Hill Award by RRDC]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Bobby Rahal has served as president of the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC) since 2004, and in those 15 years has presented some of motorsports' biggest names with the Phil Hill Award, honoring accomplishments both on and off the track, as a competitor and an ambassador of motorsports. It's fitting, then, that for 2019 Rahal is the recipient of the award himself, presented by 2018 winner David Hobbs at the annual RRDC banquet that precedes the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Rahal's driving career began in Sports Car Club of...[Read More]( [The "trouble-free sports car": 1972 Volvo 1800E/1800ES brochure]( [The 'trouble-free sports car': 1972 Volvo 1800E/1800ES brochure]( Posted by Mark J. McCourt - Images are from the brochure collection of Hemmings Motor News, courtesy of Bruce Zahor, and from Volvo Cars Media The P1800 coupe has always been an icon for Volvo. An outlier in an otherwise sensible lineup of sedans and wagons, this pretty little Swede-styled 2+2 took the world by storm in the 1960s, and would become a television star and the highest-mileage privately owned car in the world (according to the Volvo Club of America, the late Irv Gordon's 1966 1800S odometer registers around 3.26 million). Les...[Read More]( [Las Vegas, 1959]( [Las Vegas, 1959]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: November 1959 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Source: Vintage Las Vegas What do you see here?...[Read More]( Tuesday, February 5, 2019 [A mid-engine Corvette with rotary power - the 1973 XP-897 GT concept]( [A mid-engine Corvette with rotary power - the 1973 XP-897 GT concept]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Built atop a shortened Porsche 914/6 chassis, fitted with a steel body designed by GM but crafted by Pininfarina, and powered by a GM two-rotor engine mounted amidships, the 1973 Chevrolet Corvette XP-897 GT concept hinted at a future that might have been - but never was - for America's sports car. Rescued from the crusher by British Corvette enthusiast and author Tom Falconer, this evolutionary dead end will make a rare North American appearance at the 2019 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, taking place on Sunday,...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Recently serviced 1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This is an exceptional 1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo. Recently acquired out of a private collection where it resided for 18 years in a climate controlled facility. It has had only 2 owners and only 34,637km (21,522 miles) from new. It still wears its original paint and shows it has been well taken care of its entire life. The car is equipped with a turbocharged 130hp 1.6-liter SOHC four routing power to the front whe...[Read More]( [Was the world's first flying car inspired by a UFO encounter?]( [Was the world's first flying car inspired by a UFO encounter?]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Understand one thing: In the course of writing however many thousands of stories for the Hemmings Daily, while I've touched on flying cars multiple times, I have not once written about UFOs. So indulge me as I explain my theory about how a biblical visit from alien life influenced the man who built what I'm generously calling the first flying car. Yes, you may get your Giorgio Tsoukalos memes ready. I'll be the first to admit that the Reverend Burrell Cannon's Ezekiel Airship hasn't been described as a flying ...[Read More]( [Ask a Hemmings Editor - What constitutes a survivor?]( [Ask a Hemmings Editor - What constitutes a survivor?]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Recently, Howard Shaw bought himself a 1948 Buick Roadmaster convertible that he discovered through Hemmings. Congrats, Howard! He plans to pick it up in the near future, so, just like many of us do when we've bought an old car, his thoughts are occupied with what he can do with it once he takes possession of it. Howard writes: The car has never had any bodywork done, and is 100-percent original, including paint, carpets, and running gear. The top was replaced many years ago, and the engine and transmission were ov...[Read More]( [Chicago, 1969]( [Chicago, 1969]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: March 1969 Location: Chicago(ish) Source: Don Goodman illustration, Chicago Tribune, via Jeff King From Jeff: "I've been saving copies of the Chicago Tribune's annual Auto Show issues through the years, and thought this cover picture for the 1969 Chicago Auto Show might make a good candidate for a 'What do you see here?' post. This one is unique because while it's sort of crudely hand drawn, virtually every car here can be identified. They're not all 1969 models either. Anyway, it was fun spotting all...[Read More]( Monday, February 4, 2019 [Mongoose in his prime: Tom McEwen's '68 Top Fuel dragster heads to auction]( [Mongoose in his prime: Tom McEwen's '68 Top Fuel dragster heads to auction]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - By the mid-1960s, Tom McEwen had earned a reputation as a winning drag racer (and the nickname "The Mongoose," the natural enemy of Don "The Snake" Prudhomme), but typically piloted dragsters owned by someone else. For the 1968 season, he built a front-engine Top Fuel dragster of his own, starting with a 186-inch Woody Gilmore chassis and a Tom Hanna body, and the Mongoose proceeded to campaign it nationally through the '69 season. Now restored in its original livery, McEwen's Tirend Activity Booster-sponsored top f...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1969 Dodge Polara 500]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1969 Dodge Polara 500]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Single-family 1969 Dodge Polara 500 convertible for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This 1969 Dodge Polara 500 convertible has been in the family since new. My father bought it new off the showroom floor. Been used as a driver. Then as a driver at a vacation home. Top has been replaced. New boot cover. High Performance motor with new 4-barrel carb. Motor rebuilt to run on unleaded gas (hardened)- front disk brakes installed (aftermarket)- new brake master, starter and 4-barrel carb. Car had a o...[Read More]( [Volkswagen brings back the dune buggy, in EV concept car form]( [Volkswagen brings back the dune buggy, in EV concept car form]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Bruce Meyers didn't exactly invent the dune buggy, since "water pumpers" built from old Fords, Chevies, and Dodges were running the dunes at Pismo Beach long before he built his first VW-based buggy. Still, his Meyers Manx came to define the category, eventually spawning a rash of imitations from other companies determined to cash in on the craze. Now, more than 50 years after the Meyers Manx debuted, Volkswagen is reviving the dune buggy -- in concept form, anyway -- with a new electric vehicle to be displayed at t...[Read More]( [The $5,000 Challenge, lost-in-the-'80s edition]( [The $5,000 Challenge, lost-in-the-'80s edition]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Once largely ignored by collectors, a whole new generation is now embracing the cars of the 1980s. Shows like Radwood are all the rage, and vehicles from this decade are, for the most part, appreciating in value, desirable to those with the disposable income to seek out the best examples. We're softening, too. Given the computer-rendered, cookie-cutter shapes of most modern automobiles, designs from the 1970s and 1980s look fresh and creative, or at least distinctive. You rarely see them on the road any more, whi...[Read More]( [Boston, 1950s]( [Boston, 1950s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa late 1950s Location: Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts Source: Nishan Bichajian, via MIT-Libraries on Flickr What do you see here?...[Read More]( Sunday, February 3, 2019 [The roar versus the whine: When turbines battled reciprocal engines for supremacy at Indy]( [The roar versus the whine: When turbines battled reciprocal engines for supremacy at Indy]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - After this week's story on the Boyle Racing Team, we're still in Indy mode, so let's watch a race. While Terry Shea detailed the story of the turbine cars at the 1968 Indianapolis 500 last May, those three cars (four if we're including Spence's) were just part of the overall story of that year's race, which ABC Sports captured and which the IndyCar series uploaded to YouTube. ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day- 1993 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo]( [Hemmings Find of the Day- 1993 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Refurbished 1993 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Grab your flannel shirt, lace up your Dr Martens, press play on that Nirvana CD, and take a step back in time with this machine that was one of the coolest cars to ever come out of the 1990's. This is a beautiful example of a future classic, my 1993 Dodge Stealth RT, Twin Turbo AWD 5 speed manual with only 50,616 original miles! A cousin to the Mitsubishi 3000GT, and very similar to the Nissan and Toyota's of the ...[Read More]( [Four-Links- Seattle's electric cars, buried art car, Siva, Mustang restorer goes bankrupt]( [Four-Links- Seattle's electric cars, buried art car, Siva, Mustang restorer goes bankrupt]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Starting in the late Sixties, Seattle City Light began an electric vehicle program to try to get the city and the city's residents to switch from their internal combustion vehicles. According to Seattle.gov and KUOW, the city started with the Electruc above in 1968, moved on to an electric Gremlin in 1973, and then, in 1976, went with the scratchbuilt RT1, part of a larger electrification plan. The RT1 was conceptualized as part of a downtown restricted transportation zone from which most internal combustion vehicl...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1970 Saab 95]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1970 Saab 95]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: Completely restored 1970 Saab Model 95 Wagon, V-4. 1.7 liter engine. 4 speed on the column. Super detailed throughout. Same owner for 28 years. Runs great! Was a daily driver until restoration was started 4 years ago. Restoration includes: * Rebuilt engine with 60k miles with recent valve job w/ new hardened valve seats. * New front suspension bushings * Brake pads and rotors * Rear shocks * Rebuilt brake master cylinder * Rear brake shoes and hardware * New...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S MOST READ [Packard plant at risk of foreclosure again]( [Packard plant at risk of foreclosure again]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - The collapsed production-line bridge at the former Packard plant may turn out to be a trifling worry to the current owner of the plant, who now faces foreclosure on the complex for hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes just five years after purchasing it. According to a Wayne County Treasurer's Office statement to the Detroit Free Press over the weekend, all Packard plant properties owned by developer Fernando Palazuelo's Arte Express have unpaid taxes starting in 2016; because Michigan state law allows ...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION [Open Diff: How DO you handle a traffic stop, anyway?]( [Open Diff: How DO you handle a traffic stop, anyway?]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Pulling out of the weekend show-and-shine, trophy in hand for favorite muscle car, you succumb to the encouragement of the crowd. Light 'em up! they shout, so you lay into the fun pedal, magically transforming your Comp T/A radials into white smoke. Then, it happens: The wail of a siren foreshadows the red and blue lights that appear -- seemingly out of nowhere -- in your rearview mirror. Car show jackassery aside, we've all been there. Perhaps it was pushing our luck on the commute home, or enjoying a we...[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](.