Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Marketing Coordinator
10/28/20 2:47 p.m.

This thread contains accepted Concours d'Cancelation entries in the Oddballs & Oddities Class Presented by Concours d'Lemons

This is for judge viewing only. Comments are locked at this time.

If you are trying to enter a car in this category or any other category, please go to the official entry thread to do so.

Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Marketing Coordinator
10/28/20 3:45 p.m.

Car: 1964 Opel Kadett Sports Coupe

Owner: Joe DeBattista

Location: South San Francisco, CA 

Class: Oddballs and Oddities

Details: My 1964 Opel Kadett is one of just five known to exist in the US. It was found in rough condition in Bakersfield, CA, and came to me via trade for a 1990 Volkswagen Cabriolet. My father and I restored it together, doing all aspects of the restoration ourselves (paint included) with the exception of the upholstery. Parts sourcing is near impossible as many parts are bespoke to not only the early Kadett A, but the Coupe is far different from the Sedan. With a 54 HP 1.0L S  ("Super Compression") engine and 4 speed floor shifted manual transmission the car is no sports car. It's primary design was to challenge the VW Type 1, however it did not sell well in the United States through Buick dealers. In fact this particular car required 1964 Buick Upholstery (done by Turner Buick, Hayward, CA) to move the car off the lot. I spoke to the original owner prior to his passing (his business card was still in the glove box). The car has been presented at Greystone Mansion, Coyote Creek, Alameda, and Hillsbourough (in fact this car is used on the Classic Motorsports Website displaying Hillsborough's Participation in this event). I hope to attend more events once the Concours are allowed to continue. Thank you for your consideration. 

Video: https://youtu.be/iaGXpayguNg

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Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Marketing Coordinator
10/28/20 4:03 p.m.

Car: 1960 Nash Metropolitan

Owner(s): California Automobile Museum

Location: Sacramento, CA

Class: Oddballs & Oddities

Details: Nash and Hudson merged in 1954 to form the American Motors Corporation (AMC). They looked to fill markets that the major automakers were not. The idea of a very small second car was fleshed out by Detroit-based independent designer William J. Flajole as the NXI concept car. On 5 October 1952, they announced that they had selected the Austin Motor Company (by then part of BMC) and Fisher & Ludlow to build the production version. Fisher & Ludlow would produce the bodywork, while the mechanicals would be provided, as well as final assembly undertaken, by the Austin Motor Company. This was the first time an American-designed car, to be exclusively marketed in North America, had been entirely built in Europe. It became a captive import – a foreign-built vehicle sold and serviced by Nash (and later by American Motors) through its dealer distribution system. It is believed that the first pre-production prototype was completed by Austin on 2 December 1952. Made to a price point, the Metropolitan featured several cost saving production techniques, such as using symetrical door skin stampings. They are the same side to side, so that only one die had to be made.  

This 1960 example is a Metropolitan Series IV. This series redesign saw the addition of an external decklid (previous models only allowed access to the trunk through the rear seat back), one-piece rear window, and vent windows. By this time, the engine had been upgraded by increasing the compression ratio from 7.2:1 to 8.3:1 (Commenced VIN E43116 — October 15, 1957) giving an output of 55 bhp (41 kW) (as used in the Austin A55 Cambridge). It is a running driving example that is enjoyed in the Museum's collection and driven to events for outreach to enthusiasts. 

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Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Marketing Coordinator
10/29/20 10:00 a.m.

Car: 1963 Studebaker Avanti

Owner: Chuck Donley 

Location: PilotHill, Calif.

Class: Oddballs and Oddities

Details: This car was wrecked in a high speed T-bone collision in 1971 and totaled. It was put in a barn in Yuba City Ca. and used as a parts car, with many still usable items being removed over the years. I purchased it in 2015 for the sole purpose of making a 24 Hours of LeMons endurance racecar. After sourcing a used 289cid Studebaker V8 and transmission, a bit of fiberglass work(The Avanti has a fiberglass body) and installing all required safety equipment it is back on the road(race). It competes in 1 or 2 races each season and has finished as high as 2nd in class. On a road race course the car looks amazing but handles like an old pickup truck. I was invited by to enter this event by The Concours d'LeMons

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Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Marketing Coordinator
10/29/20 10:46 a.m.

Car: 1981 Jet Industries Electrica 007

Owner(s): Roger McDaniels and James Beam

Location: Raleigh, NC

Class: Oddballs & Oddities

Details: Over 10,000 electric cars were manufactured as part of a federally funded response to the rising gas prices of the 1979 Energy Crisis. Most were designed and built as fleet vehicles, but a few, like this 1981 Jet Industries Electrica 007, were marketed to consumers as an economical alternative to gas-powered cars. Jet Industries bought Plymouth Horizon TC3s without engines or wiring harnesses (but with VW Rabbit 4-speed manual transmissions) from Chrysler for the Electrica 007 and fitted them with General Electric 9” industrial motors and GE EV-1 motor controllers, which were normally used to drive forklifts. Then they added twenty 6-volt lead-acid golf cart batteries for power. 500 of this model were built, and this is one of the few surviving examples. 

We found it locally on Craigslist for $600 and originally prepared it for racing in the 24 Hours of LeMons series, where it had three very successful 16-hour races, culminating in winning the top prize, the Index Of Effluency. We then set it up for Road Rally duty in the LeMons Rally series and won the Inaugural Florida Man 1500-mile Rally from Kershaw SC to Key West. For Rallies we tow a 15kw generator on a trailer so we can charge it while driving and can keep it going for the 350-400 miles necessary to compete in a rally.

Over the years we have retrofitted it with a modern EV powertrain and BMW i3 batteries sourced from salvage yards. It can now go over 100 MPH and can get about 200 miles on a charge.

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Nicole Suddard
Nicole Suddard GRM+ Memberand Marketing Coordinator
10/29/20 11:13 a.m.

Car: 977 Lincoln Phaeton Victoria Coach

Owner: Kelly Ott

Location: Canton GA

Class: Oddball & Oddities

Details: 

Questionably discovered during the estate liquidation of Hugh Hefner

From a decade that took its styling cues from Playboy and Elvis' Graceland, this rarity is offered.

Featuring 7.5 liters of environmental indifference, this ride was best suited for casual weekend jaunts by amoral American bourgeoisie white trash... or burgeoning South American druglords.

This masterpiece perversely combines the flamboyant single-cowl phaeton concept with the Edsel Ford-developed ideal of the 'Victoria' , hence the lack of overwrought oval windows to allow for improved rear-seat privacy.  Isadora Duncan scarf and coke mirror sold separately.

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