Packard’s Dutch Treat
Howard “Dutch” Darrin was an inventor and automotive designer extraordinaire who would often hobnob with Hollywood celebrities who wanted their vehicles custom modified. Having learned much about European coachbuilding while he worked in France, he began to model his custom coachwork on cars here in the United States. In 1937 he opened his shop on Sunset Boulevard where you would find Hollywood personalities such as Clark Gable, Errol Flynn or Rosalind Russel hanging out. He worked his magic on so many Packard motorcars that Packard Motor Company began to take notice. They hired him to influence the Packard look which was reflected in many of the designs from 1940 and 1941.
This week a 1939 Packard Darrin 120 Convertible was listed for sale by Ellingson Motorcars of Rogers, Minnesota. It is thought that Darrin custom modified 15 to 20 Packards at his Hollywood shop. Ellingson says this is one of them. The Victoria has the signature “Darrin dip” as the doors taper down creating a slight dip from the back of the door to the rear quarter panel giving the car a lower profile. These Darrin built Packards are among the most sought after Packards for collectors. They are recognized as Full Classics by the Classic Car Club of America. Restored some years ago this Packard Darrin won Second in Class at the Amelia Island Concours D’Elegance.
They say the L-head inline 8 cylinder engine was recently rebuilt. The 282 ci straight 8 is mated to a 3-speed manual transmission with “Econo-Drive” over drive that is shiftd via a column mounted shifter. Packard hubcaps and beauty rings give this 120 model a beautiful look and stance. It has been refinished in beautiful Packard Ivory paint. The Victoria body features suicide doors, and the front bucket seats have been upholstered in a tufted burgundy leather. It has upholstered door panels and padded dash with woodgrain and chrome accents. The dash is finished with a locking glovebox, electric clock, automatic cigar lighter and ashtray, and a Packard Custom AM radio.
New Listings
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Classic Car News This Week
Easter Weekend
With Easter Weekend upon us we hope our readers have time to pause and reflect on life. How did we get to be so blessed that we have time in our lives to enjoy a great hobby like car collecting. Look around you at the people who support your efforts i.e. wives, children and friends. What a blessing they are to us. We take time off from our busy lives this weekend to experience the peace that comes with the Easter season. It’s not about bunnies and baskets of candy (although there is nothing wrong with that.) Here at the Cars-On-Line office our prayer for you this weekend is that you have time to talk to friends and neighbors, share a few stories and experience the joy that hope brings because we live in a free country. We have the choice to worship and that choice is protected by our rights as a free people under God. A man named Jesus suffered a terrible death to set us free. Today billions of people all over the world celebrate how he conquered death and set us free. There is hope today. Happy Easter, everyone!
Click Bait Top Ten
Have you ever been tempted by a click bait story on the internet? I constantly see the ever enticing “Top Ten Collector Cars to Buy” type of “come ons” feeding across social media. We spotted one of these the other day that was so misleading that we thought we would talk about it here. The premise of this article from Hot Cars, an online magazine, was to sort out for us the Top 10 cheapest collector cars to buy in this market that would be cheap to acquire and easy to maintain. Click here to read their “Top 10” story. The problem with this article is that they give you such a wide range of years for each model of car that their average value is misleadingly low. For instance, their first choice is an El Camino. But they give you a range of years from 1959 to 1987. Then they say the average value is $12,500. That price works for a 1987 but not for 1959 to 1971. There is no way you are going to get a nice 1970 El Camino for $12,500. The article is good for a chuckle but not to be taken seriously. The writer does not have a good understanding of the market. But that’s okay. As click bait, his job is just to get you to read the article so you can be exposed to the banner ads on the page. Click bait!
Spring Carlisle Auction
We are gearing up to attend the 51st Annual Carlisle Spring Car Show and Swap Meet in historic old Carlisle, Pennsylvania next month. Check our Cars-On-Line Car Show Calendar for the details. Every spring there is excitement in the air as the car show season gets underway. During the show we will attend the Spring Carlisle Auction at the Carlisle Expo Center across from the fairgrounds. The Carlisle Auction folks have extended an offer to our readers to get half off the price to register to bid if you use the auction code “Bidder2” when you register. Click here to find out more about registering to bid in the upcoming Spring Carlisle Auction. Remember, you don’t have to be present at the auction to place your bid. You can bid by phone or online.
This Weeks Featured Stories
1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda
Have you noticed that there are not as many Hemi Cudas being advertised as there used to be just five years ago. All of a sudden they are rare as frog hairs. So this week when Fast Lane Classic Cars out of St Charles, Missour listed this 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda for sale we knew it was going to be big news in the hobby. This one is in Lemon Twist Yellow and has a 426 ci V8 Hemi engine which produces 426 horsepower from the factory. (However they tell us the engine and transmission are NOM, not original to this car.) The car does come with a Galen Govier report and broadcast sheet. They say the radiator support and cowl VINs are in place. It comes with an N96 Shaker hood and A34 Super Track Pak option.
Katie Couric Corvette
Among the celebrity car selections on our website this week is this Pearl White 1953 Corvette Convertible which was owned by Katie Couric, former TV host of the Today Show on NBC. It comes equipped with a 235 ci Blue Flame inline 6 cylinder engine producng 150 horsepower. The automatic transmission is a 2-speed Powerglide controlled by a floor shift. The car shows very clean inside and under the hood. The first year Corvette is considered to be one of the first U.S. manufactured two-seater sports cars. Only 300 first-year Corvettes were produced. Experts guess that only 225 of these cars have survived.
Rare Crown Vic Skyliner
Also among the museum liquidation cars being offered for sale at Reina International Auto in Wisconsin is this rare and desirable 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner, Ford’s experiment with the first glass roof. This beautiful two-tone Blue over White example has a matching two-tone leather interior. Although the ad does not say for sure, it looks like the engine is a 272 ci V8 with an oil bath air cleaner. The transmission is a Ford-Omatic. The Skyliner was produced in 1954 and 1955 as a Crown Victoria model hardtop. It featured a huge acrylic glass roof panel over the front passenger area. The big plexiglas roof made the chrome crown on the Victoria even more impressive looking. Historians record that only 1,999 Skyliners were produced in 1955.
Auctions
GAA Classic Cars has announced a special auction will be held April 25-27, 2024 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Several choice collections will be liquidated. They are being billed as “No Reserve” auctions. The major collection is the George Shinn Collection. But there will also be a choice selection of true vintage cars called the Pre-War No Reserve Collection. There are some very interesting cars present in these inventories. Here are just a few.
1924 Huppmobile
From the Pre-War No Reserve Collection is a 1924 Huppmobile Series R Roadster to be sold at the April auction. There are not many of these 4-cylinder Series R roadsters left in existence. This truly rare original automobile had a low slung style that fit the “flapper” era of the Roaring Twenties. The Huppmobile was popular for its flamboyant styling. This car has disc wheels, whitewall tires and a windshield mounted rear view mirror. The 182.5 ci 4 cylinder L-head engine powered a three-speed manual transmission on solid front axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs. The rear axle was live. The mechanical drum brakes were only on two wheels. What a treasure to be preserved. It is not often you will have a chance to own a piece of history like this.
1957 Skyliner Retractable
From the noted George Shinn No Reserve Collection comes this 1957 Ford Fairlane Skyliner Retractable which was once owned by the Billy Graham family. By 1957 the Skyliner name had been given to the Fairlane with a retractable hardtop roof. It was Ford’s attempt to wow the new car buying public. Every new car buyer wanted to go to the Ford dealership just to see the Skyliner top go up and down. No surprise. It is still amazing to watch the retractable roof perform today. This black over white two tone retractable is powered by a 312 ci V8 engine. It comes with matching fender skirts and an AM push button radio. Ford is said to have produced 20,766 retractable Fairlanes in 1957. The retractable Fairlane cost $340 more than the Sunliner convertible.
1971 Plymouth Cuda
One of the muscle cars from the Pfeiffer University No Reserve Collection is a Rallye Red 1971 Plymouth Cuda with black 383 billboards. What a sharp looking muscle car, maybe the best one produced in that era. It will be offered to the highest bidder during the upcoming GAA Classic Auction in Greensboro next month. It has a Ram Air hood with hood pins, a 4-speed manual transmission, Pistol Grip shifter, dual exhaust and Rally wheels. It even has the rear spoiler and fog lights. On the ad page for this car is a link to an appraisal report. You can also see the fender tag in the photos. We noticed that the Pfeiffer University Collection has some interesting muscle cars at No Reserve in the auction inventory. This is one of them.
Video Ads
1960 Nash Metropolitan
Unique Classic Cars out of Mankato, Minnesota has a 1960 Nash Metropolitan in their fresh inventory this week. You can watch a walk-around video by clicking the video window above. It looks like the chrome, grille and brightwork are amazing and the panel gaps are really nice. I like the Metropolitan wheel covers. They say it is very original and looks the way it would have in the showroom back in 1960. Then watch as they start it up and you can listen to the 1.5 liter inline 6 cylinder engine run.
Have you seen our CarsOnLine.tv Classic Car Video marketplace? To feature your car on CarsOnLine.tv, just add a video to your Cars-On-Line.com ad. Video ads have become the most important development for internet sellers. Just upload your video to YouTube and we’ll embed your video in your Cars On Line.com ad at no extra charge.
Here are a few more ads with interesting videos:
Collector Cars with Low Miles
1974 Trans Am Super Duty
Oh, here is a rare one. This 1974 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty with the 455 ci V8 engine was just listed by Collectible Motorcar of Atlanta. It is in their inventory at their Marietta, Georgia shop this week. It won’t be there long, however. These Super Duty Trans Ams are among the most desirable muscle cars out there. This one is special because of its low miles. According to their writeup it still has only 16,000 miles, preserved in its authentic condition and unrestored. They say it comes with significant documentation.
Here are more recent Low Miles additions:
1970 Chevrolet Caprice, Orlando Classic Cars, 3,000 orig miles
1982 Corvette Collector Edition, Orlando Classic Cars, 34,000 miles
1982 Mercury Cougar XR7, Cruisin Classics, OH, 14,000 miles
2001 Mustang GT, Country Classic Cars, IL, 19k miles
1984 Cadillac Eldorado Brtz Convt, Orlando Classic Cars, 35,000 miles
2003 Corvette Z06, The Throttlestop, WI, 39k miles
You’ll find these and hundreds more in our Low Miles Section online now.
Project Vehicles for Restoration
1948 Dodge Custom
This 1948 Dodge Custom Sedan looks so nice in the photos that you may wonder why it is listed here in the project car section of the newsletter. Well, Beverly Hills Car Club says it has been in storage for some time and has not been started. It will take a skilled technician to get it running safely again. But look at the condition and the panel gaps on this car. It looks like it would not take much to get it running. Perhaps a pre-purchase inspection would tell you more. This may be the “sleeper” find you’ve been looking for.
The following are just some of the cars available in the Project Car Section this week:
1961 Aston Martin DB4, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
1973 Mustang Convertible, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1966 Corvette Convertible, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1953 Nash Healey Roadster, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
1961 Mercedes-Benz 190SL, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1936 Cadillac Series 70, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1974 Dodge Charger, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1969 Dodge Super Bee from Des Moines, IA
1966 Jaguar 3.8S, Country Classic Cars, IL
1956 Mercedes-Benz 190SL, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1983 Datsun 280ZX, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1959 Austin Healey 100-6, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
Find hundreds of project cars for sale in the Project Car Section.
Price Reduced
1963 Chevy Nova SS
A really sharp looking 1963 Chevy Nova SS Restomod Convertible was listed for sale recently out of Delmar, New York. The private party seller says his Nova has a 430 horsepower LS3 motor and a 4L65E overdrive automatic transmission with a Currie 9” rear end. That’s a lotta’ get up and go for such a small car. He says everything works “perfect,” too. He wanted $65,000 for the car when he first listed it. But just this week he dropped the price to $55,000. You’ve gotta’ see these photos. Nice.
Here are more vehicles with price cuts this week:
| Vehicle For Sale | Original Price | Reduced To |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 Dearborn Deuce Roadster | $60,000 | $42,500 |
| 2008 Shelby GT | $68,000 | $55,000 |
| 2012 Corvette Grand Sport | $58,300 | $49,500 |
| 1973 Pontiac Firebird Formula | $35,000 | $26,800 |
| 1988 Chevy Silverado | $38,500 | $36,000 |
Street Rods
See more great deals in the Street Rod Section, or watch the the New Listings page.
Exotic Car Section
Rock n Roll 50’s
Find more in the Off Road Section on Cars On Line.com. There’s even more on the New Listings page!
Future Collectibles
Find more in the SUV Section online. You can see all the fresh ads on the New Listings page.
Fresh ads appear first on the New Listings page.
Fresh ads appear first on the New Listings page.
Classic Luxury
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
Find more in the Ford Muscle Car Section, or watch the fresh listings as they appear on the New Listings page.
Check the Mercury Muscle Car Section. Or you can see all the fresh ads as they are listed daily on the New Listings page.
Pontiac Muscle Cars
Check the Pontiac Performance Section for more. See all the fresh ads listed on the New Listings page.
Check the Oldsmobile Muscle Car Section . See more listed each day on the New Listings page.
Check out the Buick Muscle Car Section. More listed daily on the New Listings page.
Station Wagons
You’ll find many more modern sports cars listed by year in the Late Model Sports Car Section.
Scroll through the Trucks & 4x4s Section for more. The newest ads come in on the New Listings page.
Classic Customs
You’ll see more for sale in the Customs Section and on the New Listings page.
Volkswagen
Imported Sports Cars
Hybrid Electric
You’ll see more for sale on the Cars On Line New Listings page.
See more for sale in the Truck Section or watch for fresh listings on the New Listings page.
See more great deals in the Luxury Section or on the New Listings page.
See more great deals in the Mustang Section and on the New Listings page.
Muscle Car Clones
1969 Camaro Z/28 RS
Here is a 1969 Camaro that has been restored as a Z/28 RS. The Rally Sport Z/28 body style is probably the most popular and iconic to a muscle car collector. This Camaro is a tribute build not only as a replica of the Z/28 RS but with restomod custom features, such as the LS3 6.2L V8 and a 6-speed manual transmission. Talk about fun to drive. It is being offered for sale this week by Streetside Classics out of Atlanta.
The following are more recently listed Muscle Car Clones:
1969 Camaro, Unique Classic Cars, MN, Z/28 tribute
1968 Chevy Nova, Unique Classic Cars, MN, SS 427 Tribute
1969 Camaro, Super Sport Classics, FL, Z/28 trim
1966 Chevelle, East Coast Classic Cars, NC, SS clone
1970 Chevelle, Streetside Atlanta, SS tribute
1971 Camaro, Coyote Classics, IA, Z28 emblems
Make sure you watch our New Listings page for daily updates. There’s even more in the Muscle Car Section.
Deals of the Day
1958 Plymouth Belvedere
Oh, yes, Christine, here you are. Straight out of a Stephen King novel comes this 1958 Plymouth Belvedere 4-Door in a two-tone color scheme (only this one is black and white. Think how ominous Christine would have looked in these colors.) It is being offered for sale this weekend by Beverly Hills Car Club in Los Angeles. The original black plate California car has an automatic transmission, V8 engine and dual exhaust. The tailfins are iconic. It comes with fender skirts, quad headlights, chrome trim and bumpers, Coker Classic whitewall tires, and front bench seat. It has a push button radio and sunvisors. Be sure to move fast on this one. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Saturday. Their asking price is only $19,750.
1949 Jaguar Mark V
Don’t reprove me for saying this but I am having fantasies of this 1949 Jaguar Mark V Saloon as a restomod with an LS3 engine and Chevy overdrive automatic. Would that be a hoot to drive! It currently sits equipped with a 4-speed manual, 3 1/2-liter inline-six engine, SU dual carburetors, Smiths instrumentation, Lucas-branded ammeter gauge, interior wood trim, chrome trim, chrome bumpers with overriders, rear fender skirts, 4-spoke steering wheel, manual-crank windows, vent windows, glove box, whitewall tires, and Jaguar-branded hub caps. But Beverly Hills Car Club tells us it currently is not running. This is a lotta’ car for the money. So it will be our DEAL of the Day on Sunday. The asking price is only $19,750.
1954 Packard Clipper
Country Classic Cars has done it again. They listed this 1954 Packard Clipper Panama for sale this week at a very low asking price. Where do they find these treasures for cheap? Oh, well, your gain. They say it is a beautiful example in great condition with a restoration just eight years ago. Click here to view a walk-around video and hear it run. The Panama was the top of the Clipper lineup for Packard. They say it is powered by a straight 8 cylinder engine with an automatic transmission. The interior has been redone in black and red two-tone. Only 3,618 Panamas were produced that year. This one will be our DEAL of the DAY next Monday. Their asking price is $18,900.
1954 Chrysler New Yorker
In its day the Chrysler New Yorker was a plaything of the rich and famous. A luxury car, it was owned by wealthy businessmen and Hollywood producers. This 1954 Chrysler New Yorker 4-Door Sedan is in the mold of something Howard Hughes would have driven. It is being offered for sale by Country Classic Cars in Staunton, Illinois. Well kept, it was with the previous owner for years. They say it still has a nice body and paint. Click here to review a walk-around video. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Tuesday next week. Their asking price is only $11,750.
1984 Pontiac Fiero
Born a mere Fiero, this sports car received a transplant early in its career with all the important GT parts, including suspension, transmission, interior, engine and some body panels. The 1984 Pontiac Fiero is being offered for sale through the famous Classsic Auto Mall in Pennsylvania. Now the little wedge is a fire breathing GT of sorts. With slightly beefed up suspension and almost 50 additional horses over the ’84 models, this EFI 2.5 L really scoots. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Wednesday. The asking price is $14,000.
1988 Ford Bronco
Ever since the new retro Broncos came out in 2020 the older Broncos have been hot in the collector car market. They represent off-roadin’ freedom and a sense of the outdoors. This week, Beverly Hills Car Club came up with a jacked custom 1988 Ford Bronco that has all the custom equipment and terrain devouring suspension that you want. With its Extreme A/T tires and 35-inch wheels, you can venture off the beaten path and know you are ready for anything. But the best part is the price. It will be our DEAL of the DAY next week. Their asking price is $16,750.
2011 Subaru WRX STI
The younger generation these days loves their performance in a smaller package. If you are a tuner fan you’ll love this 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI just listed for sale by Country Classic Cars out of Staunton, Illinois. This STI is powered by the 2.5L H04 Engine delivering 305 horsepower and 290 ft-lbs of torque mated to a proper 6-speed manual gearbox. Click this link to view a walk-around video and hear it run. It will be our DEAL of the DAY later next week. The asking price is only $18,900.
Often there are more cars that deserve to be in the DEAL of the DAY than we can schedule for our front page feature. Here is a list of cars that just missed the cut for the DEAL of the DAY this week. Remember, you saw them here first:
| 1952 MG TD Roadster | $16,950 | Staunton, IL |
| 1966 Ford Thunderbird | $14,000 | Staunton, IL |
| 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 | $12,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1953 MG TD Roadster | $15,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1972 Triumph Spitfire | $11,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1929 Mercedes-Benz Replica | $12,900 | Fraser, MI |
| 1968 Chevrolet Caprice | $19,999 | Sherman, TX |
| 1971 Ford Galaxie 500 | $12,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1976 Corvette | $12,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow | $15,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1982 Chevy S10 Custom | $14,999 | Sherman, TX |
| 1988 Chevy C1500 Custom | $19,900 | Marietta, GA |
| 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL | $15,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL | $14,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1984 Chevy K10 Fleetside | $19,950 | Staunton, IL |
| 1987 Toyota Supra | $18,900 | Fraser, MI |
| 2001 Porsche Boxster S | $14,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 2012 Chevy Tahoe 4WD | $17,500 | Staunton, IL |
| 2017 Jeep Cherokee | $14,900 | Marietta, GA |
| 1986 Lincoln Mark VII | $12,900 | Mankato, MN |
| 1995 Buick Roadmaster | $13,900 | Fraser, MI |
Cars for under $10,000:
| 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL | $9,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1989 Corvette Convt | $9,900 | Mankato, MN |
| 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 | $6,950 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 2006 Cadillac DTS | $6,900 | Staunton, IL |
| 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL | $7,950 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL | $9,900 | Mundelein, IL |
Cars On Line features vehicles here based on their listed price. We are not endorsing these vehicles. We have not inspected or appraised any of the above vehicles. We are only pointing out that these vehicles are priced at a discount to the market. When you buy from a private party the purchase is always “as is” and “where is.” There is no warranty implied or given on any of these cars by Cars On Line. It is your responsibility as the buyer to protect yourself from misrepresentation of any car advertised. We strongly recommend having a vehicle inspected as one precaution before you buy. Click here to purchase a detailed vehicle inspection.
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DISCLAIMER: Readers should be aware that the editiorial comments made in this newsletter are strictly the opinion of the author, Larry Kolb. Mr. Kolb offers his editorial opinion of the marketability of these cars based on information provided by the sellers. Neither Mr. Kolb nor Cars On Line.com has seen or inspected these cars. These comments are not to be mistaken for advertising, nor should they be considered an endorsement of any product. They are strictly editorial in nature. Neither Mr. Kolb nor Cars On Line will profit from the sale of any of the cars mentioned here. No warranty of these vehicles is implied or given. It is strongly recommended that anyone interested in the purchase of these vehicles should have them inspected before the sale.
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