Kief Cars » Classic Cars

Cars in the Movies: Sunbeam Alpine Series II

Henno Kruger — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:50:58 +0000

In the first James Bond movie, Dr No, released in 1962, James Bond is involved in a car chase in the Jamaican mountains in this sports car. The vehicle driven by James Bond (Sean Connery) is a Sunbeam Alpine Series II. The car was produced from 1960 to 1963. The Sunbeam Alpine Series II had a 1592 cc engine capable of producing 80 bhp. About 19,956 Sunbeam Alpine Series II cars were produced. The Motor Magazine tested a Sunbeam Apline Series II with a hardtop and overdrive. The car recorded a top speed of 98.6 mph (158.7 km/h). The tested car achieved 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 13.6 seconds. The Sunbeam marque was registered by John Marston Co. Ltd of Wolverhampton in England in 1888. Sunbeam first made bicycles, then motorcycles and cars from the late 19th century until about 1936. The company also made 647 aircraft during World War I. A Sunbeam was the first British car ever to win a Grand Prix race. A number of land speed records were also set by Sunbeam. The Sunbeam company went into receivership in 1935 and was purchased by the Rootes Group, which continued to use the Sunbeam marque. Eventually the Rootes Group were bought out Chrysler. Chrysler eventually disbanded the Sunbeam marque in 1976.

This truly is a classic car. Since the Sunbeam company or marque is non-existent collectors who own one of these cars will probably hold onto them for nostalgic or other reasons. You will not find one of these cars advertised in the classifieds. You will probably find some of them in a car museum though.

Cars in the Movies: Plymouth Fury

Henno Kruger — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:26:41 +0000

This truly is a classic car. The Plymouth Fury, 1958 model, was the car used in the horror film, Christine (released in 1983). The film was based on the Stephen King novel of the same title. The Plymouth Fury was made by the Plymouth division of Chrysler Corporation between 1956 and 1978. Actually, 2 other Plymouth models, the Plymouth Belvedere and the Plymouth Savoy were used to portray the evil car in Christene. Only 3,018 1958 Plymouth Fury’s were produced. No Fury models were actually destroyed in Christene. The Plymouth Savoy and Plymouth Belvedere models were dressed up to look like the Plymouth Fury and were destroyed in the making of Christene. In the novel, Stephen King made some factual errors. Christine is referred to as a 4-door, but the Plymouth Fury was only available in a 2-door model until 1959. Stephen King called Christine’s transmission a hydramatic in the novel (made by General Motors transmission). The Chrysler Corporation actually called their transmissions the Torque Flite. Stephen King also refers to the transmission shifter, but all 1958 Chrysler cars were fitted with automatic transmissions and used a push-button drive. The author did refer to the car as a “special order”, so that could explain the inconsistencies.

Many White & Red Plymouth Fury’s were used as stunt cars in Christine. Only 3 cars that were used in the movie remain, all owned by private owners. 1 in Florida, 1 in England and 1 in California. It will be hard to find a car like this in the classifieds, especially in South Africa.

Cars in the Movies: Jaguar XK 120

Henno Kruger — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:19:04 +0000

The Jaguar XK 120 was sports car produced by the British Auto Manufacturer between 1948 and 1954. The car was launched in a roadster form in 1948 at the London Motor Show in the United Kingdom. It was launched as a testbed and show car for the Jaguar XK engine. The classic car caused a sensation and this caused William Lyons to put it into production. Just over 12,000 Jaguar XK 120’s were made. The “120″ in the Jaguar XK 120’s name refers to its top speed of 120 mph (193 km/h). Hollywood actors, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Clark Gable and Lauren Bacall all owned a Jaguar XK 120. The car was also released in a Coupe and Drop Head Coupe shape. A replica of the Jaguar XK 120 was used in the Teen movie, Cruel Intentions in 1999. It saddens me to find out that this was not the original vehicle, but it was still very convincing in the film. The vehicle was actually spray painted black for the movie. Previously the same car was also used in the film Money Talks in 1997. The replica was built by Cinema cars originally.

This is truly one of my favorite classic cars. There are not many of them in circulation now and then, so it will probably cost you an arm and a leg to get behind the steering wheel of a Jaguar XK 120, probably around $75,000 or even more. I guess I’ll have to look for another car in the classifieds instead, since that is way out of my price league. For now, I’m just going to do what I always do, take the bus to work and back.

Related Link:
Jaguar – Official Website

Mini – 50th Anniversary

Henno Kruger — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:24:08 +0000

The Mini, one of the icons of the 1960s celebrates it’s 50th anniversary this year. Sir Alec Issigonis designed the original Mini for BMC. The Mini was voted as the 2nd most influential car of the 20th Century behind the Ford Model T. A true classic. Some enthusiasts see the Mini as the British equivalent of the German VW Beetle.

On the 26th August 1959 the Mini was introduced to the Public as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor. All models had an 848cc engine and front and rear drum-brakes. The Deluxe versions had 3 instruments and opening quarterlight windows. In 1960 the Mini estate versions were released. The Countryman, Traveller, Van and Pick-up. The Mini Moke was brought to the public in the same year, even though it was originally developed for military use. In 1961 the first Mini Cooper, the 1071 S was introduced. With 997 Cooper was also introduced. The Cooper engine was a modified 848cc engine. The 1071 S engine was a complete new development though. The Mini 850 was the only Mini which did not have a remote gearbox. In 1964 3 new models were introduced by Mini. The 970 and 1275 Cooper S and 998 Cooper. The 1071S and 997 Coopers were discontinued. The 998 Cooper had a newly developed 1 Litre engine. The 1275 S was the next step in the Cooper S series. The 970 S was a pure racer built almost solely for the 1 Litre class with less than 1000 in total production between 1964 and 1965. The introduction of Hydrolastic suspension affected all models. In 1967 the Mini MKI was replaced by the Mini MKII. This meant bigger rear lights and a larger rear windscreen. In 1968 the Mini Moke MKI was discontinued. Later on the Mini Moke MK1 was licence-built by other countries. In 1969 the Mini Clubman was introduced. The last of the MKII 1275 Cooper S and 998 Coopers were also built in the same year. The Mini Cooper S engine was also discontinued. This engine was replaced by the Cooper S MKIII engine. The Mini 1275 Clubman GT engine only had 9 cylinder head bolts. The new 998cc engine only put out around 30 hp. Rubber-cone suspension was also reintroduced to all models. Mini models had 850cc and 998c engines. Mini Clubmans were fitted with 850cc, 998cc, 1098cc and 1275cc engines. In 1970 all Minis were introduced with the Mini Cooper concept of wind-up windows. Door-hinges were also moved out-of-sight. In the same year the Mini 1275 Cooper S MKIII was discontinued. The 998 Cooper engine was fitted onto the B38 MINI 1001. In 1972 the remote change gearboxes in Minis were replaced by rod-change gearboxes. In 1976 Mini front sub-frames were changed to rubber-mounted frames. The 1098cc engine was also introduced by Mini in the same year.

In 1981 the Mini Van, Pick-up, Clubman, 1275cc A-Series and 1098cc engine were discontinued. In the same year the A-Series A-Plus engine from the Metro was introduced to the MINI. In 1984 the last of 10″ wheel Mini left the factory. The Clubman 1275 GT’s 12″ suspension was introduced to all Minis. In 1986 Mini discontinued the 850cc engine. In 1990 the first Rover Mini Cooper 1275 was produced. In 1992 the first factory-built Mini injection engine was introduced in the Rover Cooper 1.3i. In 1993 Mini discontinued the 998cc engine. Two different 1.3i engine versions were used by Mini from then on. In 1996 introduced the latest 1275cc Mini. Modifications included a radiator moving in front of the engine, 2-point injection system, MGF-type steering wheel with airbag, reinforced doors and a seatbelt tensioning system. The oil filter was moved near the clutch housing. The last model was produced in 2001 by MG Rover.

BMW took over the Mini name in 2001. The New Mini made by the German auto maker is technically not related to the original Mini, but the New Mini retains the classic transverse 4-cylinder, front-wheel-drive configuration and iconic “bulldog” stance of the original. It’s not unusual to find the Mini advertised in classifieds publications or websites around the world. The car is immensly popular with vintage car entusiasts.

Cars in the Movies: Ford Mustang Mach 1

Henno Kruger — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:34:16 +0000

This car was the performance model of the Ford Mustang, manufactured by the American auto manufacturer between 1969 and 1978. James Bond (then played by Sean Connery) drove the Ford Mustang Mach 1 in the movie Diamonds are Forever which was released in 1971. The Ford Mustang truly is a classic car sought after worldwide by collectors and vintage car enthusiasts. The Ford Mustang was originally released by Ford to compete with the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird (both manufactured by General Motors).

I have quite an admiration for American muscle cars. Theres nothing like rolling down the freeway with a powerful roaring engine under the hood. Due to its popularity amongst enthusiasts, one can probably find plenty of them advertising their vehicles or parts for them in classifieds publications around the globe.

Cars in the Movies: DeLorean DMC-12

Henno Kruger — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:36:18 +0000

A modified version of the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car was the car used to travel back and forward in time in the 3 Back to Future movies in 1980s. This original car was manufactured in Northern Ireland by the DeLorean Motor Company in 1981-1982. The first prototype of the DeLorean DMC-12 appeared in 1976, but production of this car only started in 1981. The DeLorean DMC-12 is commonly referred to as the DeLorean since it was the only model ever produced by the company. About 9,000 vehicles were built before the company stopped production in late 1982. About 6,500 DeLorean DMC-12 vehicles are believed to be in existence today. The DeLorean Motor Company went bankrupt in late 1982 shortly after the company founder, John DeLorean, was arrested on drug trafficking charges. The company stock was bought up by the DeLorean Motor Company of Texas in 1997 and production of an updated vehicle has begun. The company announced in 2007 that the DeLorean DMC-12 would be going back into limited production (20 cars a year). These cars are to be built with 80% old parts and an updated Stage 2 engine. Optional extras like GPS will also be available.

Since this car is now back in limited production I strongly think that one would not find DeLorean DMC-12 advertisments in the local classifieds paper. You could probably pick this up from a collector, but the price tag would be nasty. Sometimes it’s cool to be in retro mode, but it’s not cool spending a fortune on something retro if you could get something new for the same amount of money. I would suggest buying a die-cast model of the DeLorean DMC-12 to satisfy your retro craving instead, that would be less pricey.

Related Link:
DeLorean Motor Company – Official Website

Diahatsu Charade

Henno Kruger — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:09:10 +0000

This supermini car was sold between 1977 and 2000. There have been 4 different generations of the Daihatsu Charade over the years. The G10 (first generation) was first released in 1977. This model was sold as the G20 in Chile. The G11 (second generation) was released in 1983. The G100 (third generation) was released in 1987. The G200 & G203 (fourth generation) was released in 1994. The Daihatsu Mira is currently being sold in some countries (including my home country, South Africa) as the Daihatsu Charade. This car is quite popular in South Africa. Contrary to popular belief, Daihatsu is an old company, founded in 1907 as Hatsudoki Seizo Co., Ltd and later renamed in 1951 to the Daihatsu Motor Company Ltd. 51% of this Japanese auto manufacturer is owned by Toyota since 1999. One can still find this little car advertised in classifieds publications. Here are a few photos of models over the years.

Related Link:
Daihatsu – Official Website

Ford Anglia

Henno Kruger — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:25:28 +0000

This car was a British car from Ford in the UK produced between 1939 and 1968. It was related to the Ford Prefect and the later to the Ford Popular. Just over 1 million Ford Anglias were made before production ended in 1968 when the Ford Anglia was replaced by the Ford Escort. 4 generations of the car were introduced over the years. The Anglia E04A between 1939 and 1948, the Anglia E494A between 1949 and 1953, the Anglia 100E between 1953 and 1959, the Anglia 105E between 1959 and 1968 and the Super Anglia 123E between 1962 and 1967. The Ford Anglia was quite patriotically named, the car was launched just after Britain declared war on Germany in September 1939. Enthusiasts of classic cars / vintage cars need no introduction to this car, it’s quite well-known in the community.

You could probably find a Ford Anglia for sale in countries around the world in various publications and on various classifieds websites. To me, the Ford Anglia is one of the symbols of the 1950s and 1960s. A true classic. One of those cars that will always have a special place in my heart.

Cars in the Movies – Aston Martin DB5

Henno Kruger — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:13:42 +0000

The Aston Martin DB5 is loved by both movie buffs and lovers of vintage cars. The Aston Martin DB5 was the first and most recognized James Bond car. This car was first featured in Goldfinger in 1964. This truly is a classic car and successor of the Aston Martin DB4. Ian Fleming originally placed James Bond in an Aston Martin DB Mark III in his novel. The DB5 was Aston Martin’s newest model when the film was being made. The car used in the film was an original DB5 prototype and another standard car was used for stunts. 2 more modified cars were built for publicity tours after the film’s release. In January 2006, one of those cars was auctioned off in the US for over $2 million. A Tennessee museum owner bought the same car from it’s original owner in 1970 for £5,000. The other car is located in the Louwman Collection Museum in the Netherlands, this car was mainly used to promote Goldfinger. This truly classic sports car was produced by Aston Martin between 1963 and 1965. This collectible is a rare commodity nowadays, so there isn’t really a chance of find a car like this in the classifieds. The Aston Martin DB5 was also used in Casino Royale, Thunderball, GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies. Just over 1000 units were produced by Aston Martin. Being a big James Bond fan, this is still one of my favorite sports cars. The classic look really appeals to me.

Related Links:
Aston Martin – Official Website.

Nissan Skyline

Henno Kruger — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:53:05 +0000

The Nissan Skyline is a mid-sized car which was first manufactured by the Prince motor company (which later merged with the Nissan motor company) in 1957. This vehicle has also seen many facelifts over the years. The latest model of the Nissan Skyline is not for sale in South Africa (my home country). Here is the list of models over the years:

ALSI-1/ALSI-2/BLRA-3 (1957 – 1963)
S50/S54/S57 (1963-1968)
C10 (1968-1972)
C110 (1972 – 1977)
C210 (1977 – 1981)
R30 (1981 – 1985)
R31 (1985 – 1989)
R32 (1989 – 1994)
R33 (1993 – 1998)
R34 (1998 – 2002)
V35 (2001 – 2007)
V36 (2006 – current)

Here are some photos of those models:

Nowadays it might be hard to find parts for some of the older models of the Nissan Skyline. It’s best to check online Classifieds sites or publications to check if anyone still has parts available.

Related Links:
Nissan – Official Website.