Via autoblog:

Despite the popular saying, history cannot simply repeated. So, when faced with the possibility of losing the entire classic collection of cars that had made up the official Saab museum in Trollhättan after the officials in charge of the automaker's bankruptcy proceedings threatened to break it up, a few organizations stepped up to the plate to keep it together.

According to a report from Autocar, the city of Trollhattan, SAAB AB and The Wallenberg Foundation came up with the $4.05 million required to purchase the entire collection outright. A total of 120 cars are included, including the Ur-Saab, which is the first automobile built by the Swedish company.

News Source: Autocar

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Via autoblog:

There will be hundreds of collector cars going up for auction at Barrett-Jackson this month, but few will be as interesting as this custom creation nicknamed the "Lockheed Lakester". The car, registered for road use as a 1917 Crow Lakester Custom, was hand-built from the wing tip tank of a Lockheed Super Constellation and uses a mix of automotive and aircraft parts. Wedged inside the tank is a 1.8-liter turbocharged Hemi four-cylinder mated to a five-speed manual transmission, and the two-person cockpit features gunner seats and an air-speed indicator in lieu of a speedometer.

We'll be bringing you live coverage of Barrett-Jackson later this month, so be sure to check back for more photos of the "Lockheed Lakester" and more in just a few weeks.
News Source: Barrett-Jackson

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Via Autoblog:

They don't make 'em like they used to? Morgan would beg to differ. Because while 75 years may be a milestone many automakers would be glad to celebrate, this 75th anniversary doesn't commemorate a company's founding. Nor does it mark the years since a specific factory was inaugurated, the birth of the company's founder or anything like that. This milestone is marked by one specific model.

That's right, the Morgan 4/4 has been on the market – largely in the same form in which it debuted – for a whopping 75 years. And here you thought the Porsche 911 stuck to an old formula.

The first four-wheeled model from the British automaker that made its name (and recently returned to building) three-wheeled vehicles – and packing a four-cylinder engine where the trike uses a V-twin – the 4/4 proudly rejects the advanced alloys being developed elsewhere at Morgan headquarters in favor of the same old-world construction it has always employed.

So to celebrate three quarters of a century of proudly rejection progress and strict adherence to "the good old days", Morgan has released a special 75th anniversary edition. Buyers can choose from three colors (black, red or white), with a matte black stripe running up the hood out of which the numbers 4/4 and 75th are carved and under which sits a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

Its 145 horsepower may not seem like much by today's standards, but remember: the 4/4 doesn't care for today's standards very much. So that's plenty to pull the tiny roadster to 62 miles per hour in 7.2 seconds and on to a 118 mph cruising speed. Like what you see? Scope out the high-res image gallery for a closer look.

News Source: Morgan

Via autoblog:

The Ford Model A doesn't get the historical respect of its 15-million-unit predecessor, the Model T, nor is it as beloved as the 1932 Ford V8 which followed. But when the Model A went on sale on December 2, 1927, it was an important transitional model for Ford.

Following the unparalleled success of the Model T, Ford had been reluctant to develop a new model, or even upgrade the T with features that were increasingly driving customers to other brands. The Model A was the first Ford to feature modern controls, with clutch, brake and throttle pedals, and a gearshift lever sprouting out of the center of the front floorboards.

Selling for as little as $365, the Model A was a huge success. Ford built almost five million units over five years. Had it not unveiled the A when it did, the Blue Oval might have met the same fate as many auto manufacturers of the 1920s that didn't see the other side of the Great Depression.

Surprisingly enough, this 84-year-old car can actually provide somewhat serviceable transportation today, although with limitations. While its four-cylinder engine provides fuel economy in the high 20's, Interstate travel is a bit beyond its meager 40 horsepower output. Mechanical drum brakes are the weakest point in the A's specifications, with a lack of climate control rating a distant second.

General Motors continues to celebrate Chevy's 100th anniversary with a new tribute video to the company's long truck lineage. Chevrolet started producing pickups in 1918 with the 490 Light Delivery and hasn't stopped since. We're a little disappointed to see that the video glosses over tasty hardware like the 1956 Chevrolet Apache and the ever-attractive 1967 Chevrolet Suburban, but beggars can't be choosers. The clip does spend some time with the Blazer, including some fantastic vintage footage of the utility bouncing along a dusty trail with its top off.

Are you a Mopar or no car person? Take a trip with Jay to the SoCal Mopar Club's annual Fall Fling. This video is full of original vintage beauties, restomods - even a Chrysler air raid siren and an 83-year-old grandma who still races her Hemi 'Cuda!

This Mark III was Michael Green's dad's company car when he immigrated to America to work for Aston Martin. Now it's back in the family, and Michael races it in vintage races like those at Laguna Seca, where Jay spotted him.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of Mercedes-Benz Classic, the official U.S. restoration arm of the Stuttgart firm. Although it sits on an easy-to-miss corner of yet another ochre-hued industrial complex in Irvine, California, what is inside is anything but common

The technicians who refurbish Benz history believe it is their job to make everyone else believe that no such job has been done. Mercedes Classic isn't where old is made new, but where old is made as-new. And that means that, yes, they will turn down certain requests that go too much against the grain of the brand. You can get a brief look at the men and their machines in the video after the jump, and if you're a fan of the Silver Arrow, then a trip to the Classic Center is highly recommended.

Join Jay at the Laguna pits for an up-close look at Alex Curtis' Colmore chain drive, which originally belonged to Alex's father. Although this car is more of a tourer, it's a lot like Jay's TT Replica - and offers a truly fabulous driving experience!