Merry Christmas from a car guy. I hope you'll give, and get great gifts, if anyone needs car guy gift ideas, let me know

 I saw the above at the Von Hot Rod pinstripers area in the Grand National Roadster Show

 The above is from the Kaiser-Frazer national club monthly newsletter

the above is a photo from 1948 of Ray Brown's duece, notice the show chains on the back tires, and I've had it for about a year waiting for this christmas to post it, I think I found it on the HAMB.

I've been considering making a post of birthday and Christmas gift ideas for car guys, if you think it would be a good idea, let me know jbohjkl@yahoo.com or use the comment function of this blog

SAAB filed for bankruptcy last week... brought low by GM's bankruptcy and pathetic management, who've blocked its sale to Chinese companies in fear that Chinese would get GM technology and processes. Like that hasn't happened already

Saab CEO Victor Muller said "the last nail in the coffin" was previous owner General Motors Co.'s rejection of a Chinese company's attempts to gain control of the ailing Swedish brand.
Volvo Cars, Sweden's other car maker, is presently ramping up production after China's Geely Holding Group bought it from Ford Motor Co. last year.


Muller, a Dutch entrepreneur, used his luxury sports car maker Spyker Cars to buy Saab from GM in 2010 for $74 million in cash plus $326 million worth of preferred shares. He vowed to gradually increase production while restoring Saab's Swedish identity — which critics said was diluted under GM ownership. But the company ran out of money just a year later.

As production stopped and salary payments were delayed, Muller fended off bankruptcy by selling Saab's real estate and lining up financing deals with investors in Russia and China. He bought time by placing the company in a reconstruction process under bankruptcy protection.

But the deals fell through, blocked by regulators or by GM, which was concerned that its technology would end up in the hands of Chinese competitors.

GM spokesman Jim Cain told The Associated Press Saturday that each new proposal "results either directly or indirectly in the transfer of control and, or ownership of the company in a manner that would be detrimental to GM and its shareholders."http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45720823/ns/today-today_news/t/saab-declares-bankruptcy-gm-blocks-chinese-deal/

this is what happens when a company loses control of it's ownership and the whims of takeover corporations dictate its fate. Stay independant my friends, either be your own master, or work for someone else, but don't let them own you.

The Impossible Collection Of Cars, a book that sells for between $400 and $700, from Pulitzer award winner Dan Neil with 100 cars featured

The world's most beautifully designed automobiles, but most often only a handful of collectors ever see them or own them, now, The Impossible Collection of Cars showcases the 100 most exceptional cars of the twentieth century.

 Each luxury automobile—from the 1909 Blitzen Benz to a 1997 Porsche 993 Turbo S—was chosen for its revolutionary design, magnificent lines, and head-turning capabilities. The book also features cars owned by celebrities like Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Pablo Picasso, Elvis Presley, and several of Ralph Laurens collection like these Ferraris:

his $25 million-plus 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, and below his 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder.

Listed on the Awesomer.com for $410, http://theawesomer.com/the-impossible-collection-of-cars/128992/

 Try Amazon and buy them for $ 405 http://www.amazon.com/Impossible-Collection-Cars-Dan-Neil/dp/1614280150/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324706422&sr=1-1

A lot of the cars in the book are being posted on http://driven.urbandaddy.com/

Update Dec 2013 the book now has an asking price of 1400 on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Impossible-Collection-Cars-Dan-Neil/dp/1614280150/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387162118&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Impossible+Collection+Of+Cars

Examples of why 1920's and 30's cars are always restored in museums... the windows were primitively made compared to todays standards, and delaminated badly

1925 Auto Union Wanderer W25 Roadster from the Schlumpf collection at the Mullin Museum

Allow me to feel happy about photographing old german gauges... these are the first I can remember seeing or photographing

The Mullin Museum trophy case

I believe this is a Delahaye hood ornament

2 Talbot Lago cars at the Mullin museum, a 1929 M75 De Vizcaya, and a 1951 T26 Grand Sport Cabriolet

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