College Cars: The Academy of Art University Collection

When you were attending university, did you ever wonder where the tuition money goes? Well, in the case of Academy of Art University in San Francisco, some of that money likely goes toward obtaining and maintaining an amazing collection of classic cars. Former university president Richard A. Stephens began the collection years ago and the school continues to purchase historically significant classics, including past Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance winners and vehicles once owned by celebrities, historical figures or even the occasional movie car.
The collection is an eclectic mix of European and American cars from the 1920s through the 1980s. The official story is that the cars are studied by Industrial Design students for inspiration. The collection is open to the public by appointment on certain days. I'll be featuring the cars periodically here on Insomniac Garage.

Here's a sampler, taken at the Academy of Art's Industrial Design building; a former Mercedes-Benz dealership on Van Ness that now serves as overflow storage for the cars; and AAU's display at the San Francisco International Auto Show at the Moscone Convention Center.

http://www.academyautomuseum.org/

Parking Lot Spot: Early 1970s Mercedes-Benz 280S

This metallic beige classic Benz was spotted near my apartment. Looks to be either a home-market car or one with its sidemarkers shaved during a repaint.

Parking Lot Photo Shoot: 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV

WTF Wednesday: The Goddess of Sebastopol

To the French car fan, this is literally sacrilege. The Citroën DS21 has been called one of the most beautiful vehicles ever made, and was a marvel of engineering when it was first introduced. Now one is brush-painted magenta with rope lights and spends its days as part of an art installation in the town of Sebastopol, California. It's a monument to Paris, with a replica of the Eiffel Tower, a Vespa-styled scooter and a cup of coffee on top of the classic DS21. The whole mess - I mean sculpture - advertises the Aubergine Cafe and Vintage Emporium at 755 Petaluma Avenue.

Bad news for car fans if you're ever in Sebastopol - the Corvair collector at the Foster's Freeze down the road has sold off his cars. Also gone is the Pellini Chevrolet dealer whose owners were forced to sell their small but interesting collection of vintage cars when the dealership closed in 2008.

Parking Lot Photo Shoot: 1982 Porsche 924 Turbo

The Pros & Cons of Owning a Grey-Market or Private Import Car in the US

(photo from aeu86.org)

Many enthusiasts of foreign cars in the US have thought about owning something that was never sold on our soil. There are many interesting or strong points about owning a foreign-market car, but there are drawbacks too.

-Pros-

Exclusivity: You will be one of few, if not the only one, of your car at shows or road events.

Fun of driving: Cars made for the European, Japanese or Australian markets are typically much better driver's cars than those made for the North American market. 

Styling: Foreign styling is typically impressive, even on economy cars, and on home-market versions of what we got in the US, lighting, bumpers, wheels, interiors and many other things are different.

Interest: Many clubs and driving groups will welcome you with open arms if you have a foreign-market car. In particular, Nissans, Lancias, Fiats, BMWs, Mazdas, rally specials like the Renault R5 Turbo, and exotics like Maserati, Ferrari, Aston Martin & Porsche, are well liked.

No 25% import tax on trucks: All light trucks eligible under the US specialty import laws are exempted from the dreaded 25% "chicken tax". Good news for fans of Citroen H-vans, Renault Estafettes, VW commercial vehicles, kei trucks, Mini Mokes, Fiat Campagnolas, Land Rover products, Citroen Meharis and Matra-Simca Ranchos.

-Cons-

Parts/service: For marques sold in the US (especially BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Land Rover), some dealers will not sell parts for cars that are not North American versions, and parts specific to your car may only be available online or overseas. Service is usually limited to specialists, and many parts are expensive.

The law: For full EPA/DOT exemption, your car MUST be at least 25 model years from the current model year, and it is a rolling exemption. In many states with strict inspections, non-US headlights may be illegal. In California, forget anything newer than 1975 unless you can afford the process of reviewal by the Bureau of Air Resources and get the approval sticker for the car. And in some states, kei trucks regardless of model year may be illegal.

Patriotism: If you live in a highly conservative area or your family is highly conservative, importing a foreign-made car from overseas can be an issue.

Insurance: Insuring a foreign car can be tricky, but all insurers vary. It pays to shop around in this case.

The DMV: Many states will have to add odd makes to their database, which can be tricky. And many states will not recognize non-US VIN numbers.

Classic Ads: 1966 Ford Cortina GT Mk1

If you've ever wanted to know who sold English Fords on the West Coast, now you do. This is the new, 32 mpg Ford compact for you rally fans out there who don't want a Falcon. Just $24.95 for whitewall tires! What a deal. Honestly, this is about the only English Ford I can think of that was desirable in the States in that era.
This ad appeared in the October 8, 1965 issue of Life magazine. It seems odd to run an ad for the 'new' Mk. I Cortina in October when the Mk. II Cortina was already coming out for '66. Apparently the two versions were sold at the same time for a little while.

Pawn Cars: A Trip to Gold & Silver Pawn Shop

In October I visited Las Vegas for the first time since I went there with Colin in 2007. This time, though, one of my must-see destinations was Rick Harrison's Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. I've been a fan of History's Pawn Stars since the series began, and the show often deals with people selling their cars to the shop.

The 1960s Mercedes-Benz Unimog in the parking lot was a good start. This truck featured in season 5, episode 38 ("What the Truck").

Inside, the shop yielded a beige 1949 Hudson Commodore sedan, which appeared in season 6, episode 6 ("Man, Make Fire").

I vowed to buy something at the shop as a souvenir, so I picked up this Matchbox Collectibles 1:18 Jeep Liberty diecast.

Photo courtesy of Andrew Youngchief

Vegas may be a dump with a glitzy veneer but it's certainly interesting to visit once every several years or so. The shop is worth taking a look even though you'll have to wait out a line just to get in the door. If you're ever in Sin City, check it out.

Classic Ads: 1966 Renault 8

A few years ago I came across a pile of old magazines in a book arts class in college. They had been donated for use in book-making projects and were 40-50 years old. Seeing that they were doomed to be cut up anyway, I rescued every ad for cars and automotive products.

This print ad for the Renault 8 appeared in the June 3, 1966 issue of Life magazine. How can you consider buying an economy car without at least considering the new Renault 8? Who wouldn't love that scowling face and "rough, tough engine that makes it from 0 to 60 in mere seconds" (as opposed to... minutes?) I'm sold!