MORE TO COME
Just a few Auto Memories
1948 Packard Woody Waggon I purchased in 1972 for $325 from the original owner, it had 61,230 miles on the straight eight motor. The interior was called Morocco Hide, and there was a vacuum button on the floor that would change the radio station. All the exterior and interior wood was perfect. Originally a dark green, but the owner felt Albuquerque was to hot for that color so he had a complete repainted, Desert Sand, in 1950 at the dealership. I sold the car in 1973 to a Chrysler Dealer in Little Rock, Arkansas, who caught me on the freeway and had me pull over. He told me his dad had the same car when it was new and he wanted to buy mine. We settled on $3,000 and thought I had cut a fat hog.
Bishop and I played cars for years. This was in 1976 in front of our house on Monte Alto in Albuquerque. I was particularly fond of the 67 Cadillac Eldorado Coup. The Eldorado Convertible was a beast. If carefully you could get 9 mpg! We jokingly called it, Cleopatra’s Barge.
Bishop and her 1971 Toronado with Custom Landau Top . What a Hottie – she was a tad pissed when I rear ended a pickup and totaled it. She loved that car because it had air conditioning that would frost the windows and Cloth Seats that didn’t get hot in the sun.
I had the 67 Toronado with Red Leather Interior (not my car pictured). What a car
4 Door Lincoln Convertible on a lot we owned on the edge of the Sandia’s. Yes that’s me with hair.
After polishing this beauty I got to drive it to a show. It was titled 1934 but made for the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair. Can you imagine how much it cost in the depression for a V16 custom body Cadillac!
In yellow is a 1933 Duesenberg Model SJ Super Charged Roadster that belonged to Fred Duesenberg. I got to drive this car from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, with the factory cut out open and the siren on. Every nut & bolt meticulously restored to 100 points. For more on the history of this car.
The Red Car is a 1934 SSK Mercedes Roadster with dual mounted spare tires, called the Pride of Deutschland. Oh, it’s not chromed, it’s German nickel silver.
Beautiful 1955 XK 150
Same year, both V12, one Coup one Convertible
1939 Custom Darrin Body V12 Convertible which Packard called a Twin Six – An amazing automobile.
1966 Ferrari 745 Daytona Coup 2nd owner original paint
Yes a 1954 Original Paint Gullwing Mercedes –
This is the 1933 Dietrich Body 745 Packard Dual Cowel Packard. Designed by my friend, Ray Dietrich https://www.rossispeaks.com/dietrich/who passed in 1980. Read More
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Inc.
This car was designed and built for Al Jolson, star of the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer. It was owned for many years by Bob Friggens, of Albuquerque.
Nesselrode Pie Story
Thanksgiving day 1972. I was proudly ridding in the back seat behind the second windscreen of the Jolson Packers, a cold sun shinny day and the top was down. We were motoring from Corrales, where I had forgotten the desert, down the winding roads to his NW Valley home for the party. And get this; Ray Dietrich (the cars original designer) was ridding tall in the front passenger seat,
It was freezing cold, so I sat the Nesselrode Pie down to warm my hands. Bob called out, “Don’t spill the Nesselrode Pie!” I looked down as the not yet congealed pie was pouring over the beautiful blue leather hides. Oh My God! I screamed! Bob quickly put the car into a four wheel drift into a convenience store and we all dove out to buy paper towels!
Now you’ve heard the rest of the story of “The First Annual Los Arbelos Pie Fight, never to be forgotten!”
This car recently sold.
A photo of Ray from the early 50’s
This is the restorer of these fine automobiles
1948 Bentley Coup Blue Black with Green Hides, note the power windows. The sculpting form of the right rear quarter panel is amazing design craftsmanship. This is one of my all time favorite cars!