When It Comes to Race Cars, Necessity is the Mother of Invention

by Eileen Marable

There’s nothing that a car loving gal like me likes more than finding out the history of some of the incredible finds in our shows.  While familiar with many of the bigger name models that ended up in mass production, I’ve got a long way to go before I’m schooled in the more rare finds out there.

'57 AIRBOX CORVETTE

This week the gang at One of a Kind give us a glimpse of the 57 Airbox Corvette and the Ferrari 412P…you’ll have to tune in to get the stories behind the amazing restorations, but here are the basic facts to get you in the mood.

‘57 Airbox Corvette

Man is this car sweet.  With its rounded lines visually it looks built for racing, even I can see that.  But the real hot stuff is under the hood.

According DZAUto, an expert on the Airbox Corvette over at Corvette Forums, the term “Airbox” came along when a design option was added on just 43 of the fuel injected cars from 1957.  (CLICK HERE FOR MORE)

Born to be Wild. The incredible true story of the 1953 Buick Wildcat Concept I. Tune in Tonight.

1953 Buick Wildcat Concept I

Most “Dream Cars” were anything but.

With deadlines looming, and pressure building, the heat was on GM designers to get concept cars out the door. In order to wow the crowds at Motorama, the cars just had to look good. In most instances, they didn’t even have to run.

The 1953 Buick Wildcat was completely different. GM engineers took the time to outfit this classic from bumper to bumper, from the engine to the radio. They made sure the Buick Wildcat could have been driven off the showroom floor — unlike any other concept car made by GM.

Then this Wildcat helped kill the concept car altogether.

What made this car both the pinnacle of the Motorama era, and the beginning of the end? You’ll find out, if you watch One of a Kind: Cars. Only on Velocity. Only at 9:30 E/P. 8:30 CST. And don’t forget to check in with @VelocityTV1 or @OneofAKindTV at 5pm EST for details on tonight’s photo caption contest (photo will be released at 5).

Five Car-Related Mystery Plots You Would Probably Pay to See

1950 Allard J2

Five Car-Related Mystery Plots You Would Probably Pay to See

  1. When a man discovers a rusting hulk of metal for sale, he must decide whether to buy it on faith that it might be the car he’s been lusting after for decades.
  2. A man must defend his car against accusations that it’s not the car he thinks it is.
  3. When a new owner investigates the history of his classic car, he discovers it was part of a secret skunkworks project designed to save an entire company.
  4. The owner of a classic automobile employs a private investigator to track down and question the former owner, to uncover a treasure trove of secrets.
  5. When restoring an old car, a mechanic discovers car parts that have never been documented, and have no clear precedent.
See all of them. Tomorrow. About one incredible car. The Allard, On One of a Kind: Cars. Only on Velocity, only at 9:30.

You can choose only one…

Thanks to everyone who tuned into last night’s episode of “One of A Kind”.Which car did you like best?

Have you ever heard of Figoni et Falaschi?  Perhaps not as they are a fairly rare find. They are flamboyant roadsters brought to life by Guiseppi Fignoni primarily in the 1930’s. His style as a coachbuilder is unmistakable…he was obsessed with fighting the wind and drag created around a vehicles tires. So in Fignoni et Falaschi vehicles you’ll see a signature “teardrop” enclosure sloping over the wheels. Frankly, it’s pure auto porn.

What about the Cadillac Pininfarina? That’s not a model that immediately pops to mind from this iconic brand. Pinin Farina was a specialist in building custom models of popular cars for big name buyers. He began his inroads into the US market in 1947 when a Cadillac distributor in LA asked him to design some special models for their Hollywood buyers. He was glad of the chance to make inroads to the largest market in the world. (click here to read more)

Top Five Ways to Modify Your New 1956 Chevrolet.

Chevrolet El Morocco

Congratulations on your new car, the 1956 Chevrolet. As you take it home for the first time, let us make you aware of the most popular ways to rip it apart and make it almost unrecognizable:

Replace the Front Bumper Guards. Almost anything will do. You say you have 1937 Dodge truck headlamp shells lying around? That’s perfect. Sand them down and plug them in.
Line the Sides with Olbrich Castings. The side trim is one of the most distinctive hallmarks of a luxury car, and your modified Chevy won’t look the same without it.
Replace the Wheel Covers. Put on some classic Sabre-Spoke wheel covers, making it look as if they belong to a car twice the price.
Customize the Steering Wheel. Add a touch of class to your new car by imprinting it with your own name.
But the number one way to modify your new Chevrolet to increase its resale value by nearly a thousandfold is…
All of these things actually happened to the 1956 Chevrolet as it was modified into a completely different automobile, the El Morocco. But to discover what the El Morocco’s most distinctive feature was, you’re going to have to tune in to One of a Kind: Cars tonight, only on the Velocity Channel.

Too Sexy for My Barn. ’39 Bugatti Type 57C only on “One of A Kind:Cars” on Velocity!

Two all new episodes of OOAK on tonight. 9:30 ET on Velocity.

The Beautiful Bugatti…A Passion for Design. All New Episodes Tonight!

by Eileen Marable

The ultimate barn find!

I am biased. I love Bugattis. There is just something so elegant about their curves and so debonair in their styling. Just thinking about them takes me back to the golden age of old Hollywood.  Men wore suits and dressed for dinner and the women had impossibly tiny waists and never had a hair out of place. Their homes were filled with art deco furniture and they drove luxurious, stretched out Bugattis.

Katherine Hepburn drove one in 1933’s Christopher Strong. A Bugatti had a cameo alongside Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in 1934’s The Gay Divorcee. Another pops up in 1935’s Remember Last Night.

For those of you who are aren’t into old Hollywood I’m delighted to report a classic Bugatti even makes an appearance in a chase scene in Magnum P.I.

Now that’s what I call a timeless classic! (Continue reading on the Velocity Blog).

One of A Kind. The Genius of Ferrari. This Tuesday.

by Eileen Marable

When you stop to consider the brand that is Ferrari, you’d assume that company founder – Enzo Ferrari – would be proud.  There is the Ferrari name on everything from the cars themselves to headphones and the name is recognized around the world.  Proud?  Nope… he’d probably be downright pissed off.

Enzo Ferrari was a car man.  A racing man.  He didn’t much care for the fact that he had to sell cars to finance his racing team.  In fact, he was said to dislike the people who bought Ferraris because he believed they were simply interested in the prestige of the name and not the car itself. (continue reading at Velocity Blog)

For more OOAKs check out our Facebook page. And for more about the battle between Ford and Ferrari pick up author AJ Baime’s masterful book: Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans.