After World War II, a new automotive phenomenon began taking shape in the United States – Americans became fascinated with sports cars and sports car racing. At General Motors, Harley Earl created a new sports car unlike anything done before made of an entirely new material. But Earl knew if it could not be manufactured,…
In 1910 the Thomas Motor Car Company produced fewer than 500 Flyabouts, and it is believed that only eight examples are known to have survived. Jim Grundy, owner of Grundy Insurance, is restoring one of them and it will be displayed at the famed 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Thomas Motor Car Company produced luxury…
It is no small irony that one of the most dominant racing automobiles of all time was created because its engineering was not constrained by rules, only to be rendered noncompetitive and obsolete by a stroke of the pen. No matter the ending, the sheer perseverance, genius, and determination by one of the most…
Among automobile aficionados, the name Cord resonates as one of the most unique and important automobile makes of all time. Innovative in engineering concept, beautiful in appearance, responsive on the road, and coveted by automobile collectors the world over, these fascinating Cord automobiles nevertheless are eclipsed by the man who brought them into being. …
The Mille Migllia has been called “The Most Beautiful Race in the World” as well as “The Crazy Race”. Originated in Brescia Italy in 1926 by the Brescia Automobile Club, the race was a distance competition that combined approximately 1,000 miles of public roads with competing cars ranging from completely stock production automobiles to…
Every year on the second weekend in March, the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance hosts some of the most significant automobiles from around the globe. It is a process that is fine-tuned and changed every year to keep the event fresh and exciting. Not an easy feat for organizers. The concours is known for its…
In the late 1950s and early 1960s a sea change was overtaking America’s automobile industry. Detroit had spent the decade of the 1950s catering to the exuberant marketplace by designing cars that were getting bigger and bigger, more powerful, more flashy, more heavily optioned, and just plain more heavy. The lone holdout that was…
For more than 100 years after the founding of our country, the horse provided the most common means of transportation for the average citizen. Railroads were invented and expanded during that time, but the final miles for passengers and freight were covered by horses and wagons. However, near the end of the nineteenth century…
In 1902, Thomas automobiles were considered to be among the very best cars available. They were so good in fact, that the wealthiest man in America bought one for use exclusively on his estate in Maine. We recently added his marvelous piece of automotive history to our collection here at Grundy. Like many early horseless carriage…
One of the most beautiful show cars of the 1950s was the Norseman, designed by Chrysler in America and built by Carrozzeria Ghia in Italy. It was a revolutionary concept car – the culmination of 50,000 man hours of engineering work, $200,000 of treasure spent, and the creative genius of many people lead…