Thursday, August 28, 2008

1947 Chevrolet Aerosedan Fleetline Jada 1:24











El Chevrolet Fleetline es un modelo de automóvil producido entre 1942 y 1952 en Estados Unidos de América, del fabricante Chevrolet. Comparte el frontal de la serie Styleline Deluxe, pero la parte trasera de la carrocería es de estilo Fastback. Al igual que el resto de los modelos Chevrolet de esos años, montaba motores de 216 pulgadas cúbicas en versión de transmisión mecánica, a partir de 1949 de 235 pulgadas cúbicas en su versión de transmisión automática llamada Power-Glide que no era más que un convertidor de par de dos velocidades, todos fueron caja manual. En su modelo inicial de 1941 el automóvil era un sedán de cuatro puertas, pero en 1942 evoluciona hacia un sedán de dos puertas con asientos abatibles.
The Chevrolet Fleetline is an automobile which was produced by US automaker Chevrolet from 1941 to 1952. From 1946 to 1948 it was a sub-series of the Chevrolet Fleetmaster rather than a series in its own right and from 1949 to 1951 it was a sub-series of both the Chevrolet Special and the Chevrolet Deluxe. In its final year it was offered only as a sub-series of the latter.

The Fleetline was introduced late in the 1941 model year as a four-door sedan. In 1942, a fastback two-door "Aerosedan" was also offered. In 1947, the Fleetline made up 71.26% of Chevrolet's sales. For the years' 1949 through 1952 models, the fastback was the only one offered, and Chevrolet dropped the Fleetline for 1953. Production was indefinitely delayed in 1942 due to World War II, after 110,000 had been made, though several thousand Chevrolet coupes and sedans were produced during the war years for military staff use. In 1945, production for civilians resumed. The original series was produced through 1948.
A redesigned Fleetline with reduced body contour and integrated rear fenders was offered for the 1949 through 1952 model years. It was referred to as a "fastback" because of its distinct sloping roof which extends through to the trunk lid. The Fleetline during the 1949 to 1950 years also has a lower look than a sedan, with the windshield being one inch shorter in height than a standard contemporary sedan. The 1949 to 1951 models were made in both four-door and two-door models, with only the lower portion of the doors being interchangeable with a sedan door. The Fleetline series is currently highly collectable. Many are made into street rods, with the common Chevrolet 350 small block V8 and the 350 or 400 turbo transmission being used.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

1997 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Escala 1:18












The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a subcompact car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz as the brand's entry-level vehicle. The first generation (internally coded W168) was introduced in 1997, the second generation (W169) in late 2004 and the third generation (W176) in 2012. The fourth generation model (W177), which was launched in 2018, will mark the first time the A-Class is offered in the United States and Canada. This fourth generation A-Class will also be the first to be offered both as a hatchback (W177) and sedan (V177).

Originally manufactured as a five-door hatchback in 1997, the second generation W169 introduced a three-door hatchback. Having grown by 68 cm (27 in) since the original model, the 2012 third generation A-class was longer than the first-generation B-class. The A-Class may be referred to colloquially as the 'Baby Benz', a term Mercedes has used for the 1982 Mercedes 190 (W201), their first compact executive car model.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

1935 Auburn 852 Boattail Hot Wheels 1:64










From Wikipedia:
The Auburn Automobile Company grew out of the Eckhart Carriage Company, founded in Auburn, Indiana, in 1874 by Charles Eckhart (1841–1915). Eckhart's sons, Frank and Morris, experimented making automobiles before entering the business in earnest, absorbing two other local carmakers and moving into a larger plant in 1909. The enterprise was modestly successful until materials shortages during World War I forced the plant to close.

In 1919, the Eckhart brothers sold the company to a group of Chicago investors headed by Ralph Austin Bard, who later served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and as Undersecretary of the Navy for President Roosevelt and President Harry S. Truman. The new owners revived the business, but it proved unprofitable. In 1924 they approached Errett Lobban Cord (1894–1974), a highly successful automobile salesman, with an offer to run the company. Cord countered with an offer to take over completely in what amounted to a leveraged buyout, which the Chicago group accepted. Cord aggressively marketed the company's unsold inventory and completed his buyout before the end of 1925.

But aggressive styling and advanced engineering failed to overcome the fact that Cord's extremely upscale vehicles were too expensive for the Depression-era market, and Cord's stock manipulations would force him to give up control of his automobile holding company, which included the even more expensive Cord and Rolls-Royce-priced high-performance Duesenberg. Under injunction from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to refrain from further violations, Cord sold his shares in his automobile holding company. In 1937, production of all three marques ended.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

1967 Ford Mustang GT Maisto 1:24












The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selling Ford car nameplate. The namesake of the "pony car" automobile segment, the Mustang was developed as a highly styled line of sporty coupes and convertibles derived from existing model lines, initially distinguished by "long hood, short deck" proportions.

Originally predicted to sell 100,000 vehicles yearly, the 1965 Mustang became the most successful vehicle launch since the 1927 Model A. Introduced on April 17, 1964 (16 days after the Plymouth Barracuda), over 400,000 units in its first year; the one-millionth Mustang was sold within two years of its launch. In August 2018, Ford produced the 10-millionth Mustang; matching the first 1965 Mustang, the vehicle was a 2019 Wimbledon White convertible with a V8 engine.

The success of the Mustang launch led to multiple competitors from other American manufacturers, including the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird (1967), AMC Javelin (1968), and Dodge Challenger(1970). The Mustang also had an effect on designs of coupés worldwide, leading to the marketing of the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri in the United States (the latter, by Lincoln-Mercury). The Mercury Cougar was launched in 1967 as a unique-bodied higher-trim alternative to the Mustang; during the 1970s, it was repackaged as a personal luxury car.

For 1965 to 2004, the Mustang shared chassis commonality with other Ford model lines, staying rear-wheel-drive throughout its production. From 1965 to 1973, the Mustang was derived from the 1960 Ford Falcon compact. From 1974 to 1978, the Mustang (denoted Mustang II) was a longer-wheelbase version of the Ford Pinto. From 1979 to 2004, the Mustang shared its Fox platform chassis with 14 other Ford vehicles (becoming the final one to use the Fox architecture). Since 2005, Ford has produced two generations of the Mustang, each using a distinct platform unique to the model line.

Through its production, multiple nameplates have been associated with the Ford Mustang series, including GT, Mach 1, Boss 302/429, Cobra (separate from Shelby Cobra), and Bullitt, along with "5.0" fender badging (denoting 4.9 L OHV or 5.0 L DOHC V8 engines).