The Ultimate Luxury Dash?

Check out this wild configuration in this vintage 1933 roadster owned by Lawrence Grayson of Los Angeles back in the day...

"Coming Around The Bend" 1933 French Race Illustration

Another Daydreaming Hot Rodder's Sketch

As I pore through piles of vintage car magazines, occasionally I find drawings tucked inside, almost all of them different takes on what the owner imagines would be his "dream rod". 

Check out this one from the late-Fifties..

Rare Cover Shot Of The Kaiser Darrin

Here's a rare magazine picture cover of the legendary fiberglass sports car, Kaiser Darrin, from the January, 1953 issue of PIC.

The 1948 Playboy

Perhaps there was another more appealing car that came along at the exact peak time that it's design was in demand, but unfortunately for the Playboy Motor Car Corporation, it couldn't capitalize on the public's enthusiasm for it's novel look, economical design and mechanics.

The car came to fruition in New York under the auspices of Louis Horwitz, Charles Thomas, and Norman Richardson. So confident were they in their creation that, despite having scant automotive production experience, they teamed up to fund the production through the granting of dealer franchise fees.


Unfortunately, their offering came hard on the heels of the Tucker scandal, and the resultant tide of investor skepticism cooled the influx of funding needed to bring the Playboy to the mainstream. The result was a run of less than a 100, a few neat brochures, and the unfilled promise of the right car, at the right time, but that still couldn't succeed.

Beautiful 1930's Illustrations of Roadsters roadstering

In my mind, this is where my long sleek mid-30's roadster is taking me, not the muddy Fairgrounds of a crappy swap-meet in October. 

AMX By AMC Prototype 1966

1934 Ford Phaeton, Or 1935 Renault Nerva Phaeton

Seeing this vintage shot made me do a double take. Taken from a vintage French Auto magazine, at casual glance it seems to be a lightly-modified 1934 Ford Phaeton, but mais non! 

It's a 1935 Renault Nerva Phaeton, with suspiciously similar grille treatment. I have to admit, I think I'd take the Renault with it's big two-door treatment, and fender skirts. What do you think?

1935 Mercedes Grand Prix Car Dashboard

Here's a rare shot of a 1935 Mercedes Benz instrument panel set-up (a particular fetish of mine, as you know). Not the engine-turned surround, and no speedo, but they make sure there is an MBZ medallion there!