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WHY WE CELEBRATE HENRY FORD'S $5.00 WAGE GAMBLE

100 years ago this month one of the most important events in automotive history occured. Henry Ford offered to pay workers at his Highland Park plant a minimum of $5.00 per day. He didn't do it because he was a nice guy. Mr. Ford rationalised this move on the basis of stability. Prior to 1914 American economic policy was to pay workers at a variety of rates, often as low as possible, which led to absenteeism, an unstable work force, and a deep cut in  profits.

There were other benefits, too. The workday was cut from 9 hours to 8 hours per day and Ford announced that the $5.00 a day salary was sufficient that his employees could then afford to buy their own new Model T. His moving assembly line had been installed the previous year which, together with the $5.00 wage, enabled greater volumes with consistent results.

Thousands of men lined up outside the Highland Park Plant, eager to be hired for a liveable wage. They did, indeed, buy the cars they made, but so did the rest of the rest of the country. This resulted in more money being spread through the financial system, to everyone's benefit. Incidentally, the only reason all the cars were black was that black paint dried faster and with numerous coats applied the bodies could be finished in one-tenth the time. As paint technology changed more colours would be offered.

In his book The Model T, a pictorial chronology of the most famous car in the world, Ford Corporate Historian Robert C. Kreipke tells us: "The Highland Park Plant was catching the attention of the entire world. The Model T was rewriting the laws of manufacturing and assembly. Inside the confines of the company, new opportunities for the future arose on a daily basis."

In writing about automotive history we tend to focus on the car, not the plant nor the manufacturing system nor the labor force that builds it. Henry Ford's revolution, 100 years ago this January, deserves greater praise than any one automobile save, of course, the Model T itself. Today we can all celebrate his accomplishment through mobility, a better lifestyle, and a stable income. Exactly as Henry Ford planned it.

FORGOTTEN CUNNINGHAM REVIVED AS LIMITED EDITION MODEL

So much has been said and written about the famed Cunningham race cars that we sometimes forget the company also produced automobiles for everyday driving. Fortunately the folks at Automodello are aware of the Cunningham's history, and are offering a very limited edition 1:43 model. By "limited" I mean just 24 hand-numbered serialized units. They're being made available online by Diecast.com.

The model now on sale is a 1954 Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet Homage Edition signed by the Cunningham family. The exterior is Homage Black and the carefully detailed interior is in tan. It comes with a removeable convertible top.

In the 1950s Briggs S. Cunningham, a wealthy sportsman and yacht racer who made his home in both Connecticut and Florida, determined to see an American driver win LeMans in an American car. His initial try, in 1950, was attempted with two Cadillacs, one a near-stock sedan and the other a much-modified roadster. Not exactly the best choice for a 24-hour road race but the roadster, appropriately known as Le Monstre, did finish eleventh.

Cunningham then decided his best chance of winning lay in building an entirely new car using a production engine. The C1 used a stock Cadillac engine in a tubular chassis while the C2, looking almost identical, featured a 5.5 liter Chrysler V-8 delivering 185 bhp. The C2 finished a lowly 18th in 1951 but a Cunningham team compensated with a 1st, 2nd and 4th at Watkins Glen.

The C3 was a Vignale-bodied coupe. Power was now up to 220 bhp however the 3-speed synchro with overdrive transmission was replaced by a semi-automatic with torque converter.

The team was back for the 1952 race with C4R roadsters and a C4RK coupe. A 5-speed transmission was tried but had to be replaced at the last minute with a Cadillac 3-speed gearbox. The C4R finished 4th; the coupe didn't finish. 1953 was more promising: a Siata 4-speed transmission was adopted and the Cunninghams finished an impressive 3rd, 5th and 10th, clocking 154.81 mph in the speed traps.

The final attempt was radically different. Gone were the big V-8s and in went a 3-litre 16-valve DOHC Offenhauser racing engine putting out 260 bhp. A 4-speed synchromesh manual was used and major changes were made to the suspension. Sadly this C6R wasn't quick enough and didn't make it to the finish line. That all-American effort put an end to Briggs Cunningham's brave efforts at LeMans.

While this was happening the factory did produce a small run of convertibles and coupes for everyday street use, one of which was the C-3 Cabriolet seen above in model form.

All Cunninghams were purposeful, handsome-looking cars, similar to Ferraris but with a muscular appearance symbolic of their American origins. Briggs Cunningham never earned a penny for his efforts, though; the street cars were sold at great loss. Needless to say, they are rare collectibles today, worth a great deal of money. At $235, the C-3 Cabriolet Homage Edition isn't cheap, either, yet its rarity and high quality certainly justifies the cost.

There's a stange co-incidence regarding this blog. For background information I turned to a book purchased nearly 50 years ago, which I'd all but forgotten was sitting on my shelf, titled The Book of Sports Cars. The foreword was written by (are you ready for this?) Briggs Cunningham.

RESTLESS SOUL SAYS NO TO THE ROMANCE OF THE OPEN ROAD

Camping in the great outdoors has seldom appealed to me although I've enjoyed the experience in the few times I tried it, all of which happened when I was much younger and willing to put up with the inconveniences. Yet I've always been a restless soul, having resided in 113 homes or apartments during my lifetime. So it was no surprise when a few years ago a well-meaning associate suggested I should buy a mobile home and live in it, moving on whenever I was bored or the weather turned nasty.

For a brief time I actually gave the concept some semi-serious thought. As a Canadian I could live in the United States for just under six months a year, which would allow me to spend the winter in California, perhaps moving over to Arizona, New Mexico or Florida for a change of scene. Money wouldn't be a problem: As an active writer and automobile journalist "Have Computer, Will Travel" would be my motto. I'd attend all the great concours and classic car auctions and never worry about renting a room or the cost of eating out.

But I never made the commitment. Why? There were several reasons. For starters, I didn't fancy driving a vehicle the size of a large truck or bus. I could take a few lessons, of course, and as an experienced car guy could probably make the adjustments but a mobile home would not be suited to quick trips to the beach or the grocery store and the cost of fuel might be a deterrent. Nor did I fancy pulling a car, trailer-fashion, in order to have local transport wherever I settled. Motorcycle? Admire them, but no thanks.

How about a VW camper? Now that was more to my taste, having driven the fabled VW minibus many times in my Volkswagen days. Trouble is, the camper, especially the Westfalia, though brilliantly designed to include almost every convenience, lacked one that's very important to me. It doesn't have a 3-piece, or even 2-piece, washroom. And I'm a guy who dislikes public washrooms because of their lack of privacy. So after considering the idea I decided to stay put. Indeed, if I was to dwell in some sort of moveable home it was more likely to be a powerboat. (I did buy a 22' SeaRay, but it was too small for anything more than a weekend cruise.)

All the above came to mind when I received an e-mail attachment from Marque1 correspondent and good buddy, Nigel Matthews. By the time you read this he'll be in Arizona for the very first and long-overdue Arizona Biltmore Concours d'Elegance, where Nigel is chief judge for the Rolls-Royce and Bentley class, a pleasant assignment to say the least. When not at the Concours he'll be attending the various auctions on behalf of Hagerty Canada: Nigel is national director of sales and marketing.

The PPS file Nigel sent was a visual presentation of campers, trailers, mobile homes, and other extraordinary vehicles since the early days of the automobile. There being too many for one blog site I've included just a few to give you a taste, and maybe even a laugh. It is truly amazing how many ways man or woman has found to make life on the road possible, if not always comfortable. Seeing these vehicles almost, though not quite, made me wish I'd made that move.

Just a reminder: Marque1 offers three new blogs every week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Bookmark our home page and visit us regularly for the cars, the history, and the fun stuff.

WHY BUICK NAMED ITS STYLISH PERFORMER "CENTURY"

You won't find a Century in your Buick showroom these days. That model name has been consigned to history, which is probably just as well since "century" is no longer a word anyone uses to connect with the dynamics of modern living. In 1957, however, in the midst of huge technological changes and many more to come, a car called Century would be full of promise.

And Buick didn't let anyone down. With its sporty lines and powerful engine the Century was both fast and beautiful. Although many cars of the 50s tended to be overstyled and overchromed, Buick's style showed considerable restraint. The cut-down door line, reminiscent of European sports cars, harmonised with the "checkmark" trim that suggested speed and nicely separated the two-tone paint. The waterfall grille was superbly framed by the front bumper. And the familiar portholes looked as though they were bent by the wind to form slender raindrops.

Even so, the '57s carried over design themes to retain continuity, although the bodies were actually longer and lower. In case prospective buyers became confused, Buick placed a badge in the center of the grille that read: "1957." When was the last time a manufacturer promoted a model with the year of manufacture proudly mounted up front?

Fortunately Buick matched its styling with a promise of performance. The 1957 Century shared a 122-inch wheelbase with the entry-level Special but under the hood was a powerful 364-cid ohv V-8 taken from the Super and Roadmaster series. It came with a 4-barrel carb and 10.0:1 compression ratio, producing 300 hp. The Dynaflow automatic transmission, formerly a bit of a slug, was improved for '57; Motor Trend magazine's test of the Century revealed a 0-60 time of 10.1 seconds. Handling was what you'd expect from a boulevard cruiser although a lower ride height and Buick's first ball-joint front suspension offered a moderate improvement over the previous model.

Buick has given us several great cars since 1957 but for my taste the Century hardtop and convertible belong at the head of the parade. Incidentally the model name first appeared in 1936 when Buick dropped its biggest straight-8 into its smallest, lightest chassis. In its second season the car could top 100 mph, a much desired number in those years. So what's in the name? Now you know.

[Photo: 57heaven.com]

 

CURVACEOUS AND QUICK, TERRAPLANE HAD A PRETTY NAME

When you're a kid, certain names take on a mystical aura, often for no logical reason. So it was for me whenever I heard or saw the Terraplane. I was too young to know whether it was a decent car but, being made by Hudson, it had to be good. And I was at an impressionable age.

The Terraplane actually began life in 1932 as an Essex-Terraplane, Essex being an existing Hudson brand. With industry sales in a downward spiral due to the depression the Essex-Terraplane was Hudson's answer to its immediate need for an economy car. Competitors like Chevrolet, Ford and Plymouth had similar plans but the Terraplane was a different breed. It added performance to the recipe, reducing the weight of its 2-door coach by 485 pounds. In 1932 and 1933 stock Terraplanes set 72 hillclimb and speed records, including Pikes Peak. At Daytona Beach a Terraplane hit 85 mph and accelerated from 0-60 in under 15 seconds.

By 1934, the Essex brand name was eliminated and Hudson's running mate became simply known as "Terraplane." Styling was all-new, streamlined, with a strong art deco influence. The broad grille featured thin converging bars, there were seven tapered hood louvers, fenders flowed gracefully to the rear. It was a well-equipped car, too, with chrome windshield and window frames and chrome headlamps. Other significant features included front and rear ashtrays, a robe rail and footrest rail, full walnut-finish dash. The KU series added twin chrome horns, twin tail lamps, fender lamps, and dual windshield wipers.

The rear window drops, so the driver can communicate with those in the rumble seat. The windshield pops open for ventilation. Both wind wings and side windows retract into the door. Inside, it features genuine leather upholstery and an elegant woodgrained dash. The optional straight-six in the KU produces 89.5 hp in concert with a 3-speed manual transmission.

All of which makes this 1934 Hudson Terraplane KU Super Six coupe, which I discovered on Hemmings.com, a very desirable purchase, especially at the vendor's asking price of $38,500. Owned by an AACA chapter president, it has just had a total body-off-frame restoration with no expense spared. (One worthwhile upgrade: Because the 1934 Terraplane only came with mechanical brakes it has been fitted with hydraulic brakes to accommodate modern traffic.) For additional information click here, or phone Dave Henry at Spoke Motors. Santa Ynez, California 93460: 805 705-4924.

MUSTANG CONCEPT CAPTURES A MOMENT IN TIME. MY TIME

What I like about this new model from Automodello is that I can say "I was there!" When the 1962 Ford Mustang I concept was unveiled to the media at the Watkins Glen race track I was among the lucky onlookers. Like the rest of my colleagues I immediately fell in love with what we thought would be North America's first affordable mid-engine sports car.

History shows that we were wrong. The company was merely experimenting with ideas, including this one, powered by a Ford of Europe Taunus V-4 engine. But it was an exciting event, especially when the great road racer Dan Gurney demonstrated Ford's Mustang concept on track at speed. The Mustang II concept, a front engine/rear drive 4-seater, would be much closer to what the public, not we automobile journalists, really wanted.

Nevertheless this Mustang was a stunning looker, way ahead of its time, and if Ford had decided to make a production version several famous European sports cars would suddenly have seemed old-fashioned.

It's not every day that a legendary concept car becomes available as a model and Automodello goes one better by offering it in several variations, including a stunning 1:24 scale example signed by Dan Gurney. The lower-priced model shown above is a compact 1:43 in size. Accurately detailed and sure to become a collector's item in later years, it sells for $119.95. For more information or to order directly, just click here.

FILM STAR MEETS ITALIAN BEAUTIES IN ARIZONA

With the 2014 Arizona Auction Week just a month away the auction houses are releasing photos of their most spectacular and costly consignments. From a business point of view I understand that. But I sometimes wish they'd include cars of lesser status because I know from visiting Phoenix in years past that all sorts of fascinating vehicles come up for sale at very affordable prices. We stay-at-homes just never get to see them. That said, there's no denying the cars shown here meet all the requirements of rarity, design, and historical interest.

You'd be forgiven if you thought the automobile up top was a Ferrari or some other Italian supercar. Well, super it may be, but this is actually a Fiat. A 1954 Fiat 8V Coupe with body by Ghia. It is one of just 114 beautiful sports cars made during a brief period when the company wavered a little from its normal job of creating cars for the average Italian motorist. Power is supplied by a unique 1996 cc ohv V-8 capable of 118 mph. It was also the first Fiat to feature an all-independent suspension, in this case by wishbones and coil springs. To be sold by RM at its Phoenix auction.

If you loved Driving Miss Daisy (and who didn't?) you might want to bid on the actual car that starred in the award-winning movie. The 1949 Hudson Commodore Custom Eight sedan was driven, first, by Miss Daisy (Jessica Tandy), then through most of the film by her chauffeur Hoke (Morgan Freeman). It features the innovative "step-down" design and full envelope bodywork that made this Hudson a sensation when it was introduced. It comes equipped with a 3-speed transmission, turn signals, radio, heater, large hubcaps with trim rings, white wall tires, grille guard and rear fender skirts. I'd be delighted to own this car, not just for its role in the movie but because I've been a fan of those step-down Hudsons since I first rode in one. And yes, that was long, long ago. See it at the Barrett-Jackson auction.

Alfa Romeo is Italy's oldest sporting marque, dating back to 1910. Over the decades it gained a great racing reputation and even though the firm eventually became a mass production automobile it never stopped offering sports cars of extraordinary beauty. The auction car is a 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Touring Berlinetta, one of 13 examples built by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan between 1930 and 1940. In 1990, it was acquired by Charlie Morse and Malcolm Harris, a world renowned Alfa Romeo expert who commissioned a restoration by a number of Seattle-area craftsmen beginning in 1994.

Completed just before the 1998 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, it won a Second in Class as well as the Most Elegant Closed Car Award. At the 2004 Ironstone Concours, and the 2004 Kirkland Concours, it was again given the Most Elegant Closed Car award and finally, at the 2012 Quail Motorsports Gathering, it garnered the Best Pre-War Alfa Romeo prize. Also to be offered by Barrett-Jackson.

BY SEA, BY AIR, BY PACKARD, IT'S A CLIPPER

It's fascinating to note how automotive brand names change with the times. Nameplates that were perfectly acceptable in the 20s and 30s would have little or no meaning to today's car buyers, who react to a totally different vocabulary. Take the word "Clipper" for example. It first became popular with a breed of merchant ships in the late 1800s, fast sailing craft designed to serve the tea and spice trade between England and the Far East.

The most notable of these was the Cutty Sark, which became famous for its speed, fast enough to beat the steam-powered ships that were beginning to bring the centuries-long era of sail to an end. Together with similar vessels the Cutty Sark made "Clipper" synonomous with speed and elegance. So when Pan American World Airways launched its flying boat service from San Francisco across the Pacific, the company called them "Clippers."

Extending over three generations, these glamorous, streamlined aircraft would be identified by names like Philippine Clipper, China Clipper and Dixie Clipper. It was inevitable, then, that a car would be named Clipper. And that it would be a luxury automobile.

In the late 1930s Packard was in financial difficulties, in part because of the depression, followed by a drop in industry sales. Packard president Max M. Gilman needed something radically new and needed it in a hurry. His engineers and designers (the latter all outside consultants) gave him a stunning design, a break from the company's handsome, though traditional styling. The car also embodied a major change in construction techniques. With it came an all-new name: Packard Clipper. The timing could hardly have been worse, though management was not to blame. The 1941 Packard Clipper was introduced just eight months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Not long after the war began, civilian car production was stopped.

Though the design still looked sleek and streamlined when Packard's first postwar cars began rolling off the lines in late 1945, four years of war had diminished its impact. Packard management, battling both Cadillac and Lincoln for luxury car leadership, rashly tried to keep up by dropping the Clipper styling and introducing the "bathtub" or "pregnant elephant" 1948–50 Packards.

Until then, Packard styling had always been distinguished by a slim, upright grille with an ox-yoke radiator shape that harked back to the famed Model L of 1904. The cars featured a pelican mascot, red hexagon hubs, and an arrowhead side-spear. Packards were as handsome and recogniseable as a Mercedes-Benz or a Deusenberg. Unfortunately that design format couldn't successfully transition into modern envelope bodies. By the mid-50s Packard was in trouble again.

Then President James J. Nance believed that salvation would come with a unique brand of lower-priced cars in which the existing 200 and 250 would be consolidated into a new line of Clippers for 1953. It was to be a stand-alone marque but the dealers balked at losing their best-selling junior models to Clippers. Thus the new cars quickly became Packard Clippers, great cars that might have saved the company. The new 275 bhp V-8 was the most powerful engine in its price range. A self-levelling front and rear torsion bar suspension gave the Clipper oustanding ride and handling, superior to both Cadillac and Lincoln. And the styling, though no longer as elegant as the original Clipper, had been sculpted into a contemporary form that, if you looked closely, had some of that ox-yoke radiator shape.

Those 1953 Clippers were new cars built in an all-new factory but both had teething problems. Quality suffered from bodies that rattled. Packard's once sterling reputation was ruined. The Packard Clipper marque would soon fade into history. With it went the word "Clipper," when symbolising a form of transportation that stood for both speed and elegance.

Can you imagine a 2014 model named Clipper? Well... maybe. It's certainly more appealing than some of the names car manufacturers are using. But then again, maybe not. The car-buying public would probably mistake it for a hair-cutting appliance.

[Photos: 54 Packard, petrolheadaesthete.blogspot.com/ 40 Packard, velocityjournal.com./ PanAm Clipper, willigula.tumblr.com]

 

RAYMOND LOEWY AT 100: MASTER OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

This month marked what would have been the 100th birthday of one of the great industrial designers, Raymond Loewy. Born and trained as an engineer in France, when he moved to America in his early twenties Loewy brought a European sophistication to his new career as a fashion illustrator and display designer. Manufacturers were turning to artists in those fields to revamp their products and from this grew the industrial design profession.

Expanding his activities to include mass-produced goods, Raymond Loewy subsequently designed everything from lipsticks to locomotives to automobiles. He said that his inspiration was the female form.

The Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 electric locomotive and the Sunbeam 90 sports car, both designed by Raymond Loewy, loom large in the memory of Warren Webb, a classic car enthusiast who wrote in Linkedin, "...as a kid I lived a block from one of the main lines of the Pennsylvania RR and loved the look and sound of a GG1 going by. Fast forward a few years and my second car was a 1954 Sunbeam Alpine. That car was so cool with its factory louvered hood and body, modified from the 4-door Sunbeam Talbot 90..."

Built for use in the northeastern United States, the all-electric GG1's specifications demanded a frame of two halves joined with a ball and socket joint, allowing the lengthy machine to negotiate sharper curves. In order that the locomotive could be operated in either direction control cabs were placed near the center. Twelve 385-horsepower traction motors drove the GG1's 57-inch diameter driving wheels on six axles. The railroad insisted that it be streamlined in shape and capable of at least 100 miles per hour.

Initial styling of the prototype body was attributed to Westinghouse designer Donald Roscoe Dohner but his proposal must have lacked the style the PRR was seeking, for it then hired Raymond Loewy to "enhance the GG1's aesthetics". Loewy recommended the use of a smooth, welded body instead of a riveted one as used in the prototype. He also added five gold pinstripes and a Brunswick green paint scheme.

On January 28, 1935, to mark the completion of the electric line from Washington, D.C to New York City, PRR ran a special train prior to opening the line for revenue service. It made a round trip from Washington to Philadelphia, and on the return trip set a speed record by arriving back an hour and fifty minutes after departing from Philadelphia. A GG1 was featured on a postage stamp as part of the United States Postal Service's All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains set in 1999.

Almost 20 years would go by before Raymond Loewy was called on to design a convertible version of the attractive Sunbeam Talbot 90 sedan. Not quite a pure sports car, the Talbot 90 Convertible, also known as the "Alpine," was more of a grand tourer although that didn't diminish its appeal. In my view it is one of the prettiest cars of its era, spoiled only by the use of steering-column gearshift, albeit with four forward speeds. It gained fame as Grace Kelly's car when she tried seducing Cary Grant in the wonderful Hitchcock movie To Catch a Thief.

The "Talbot Alpine" should not be confused with the much more common Sunbeam Alpine Series I to V, launched in 1959. The Talbot version is a two-seater sports roadster initially developed by Sunbeam-Talbot dealer George Hartwell in Bournemouth as a one-off rally car. It has a 4-cylinder, 2267 cc engine taken from the Talbot 90 sedan but with a higher compression cylinder head. Gear ratios were changed for better performance and overdrive added. The bodies were constructed by coachbuilders Thrupp & Maberly. Unfortunately this Alpine remained in production for only two years, from 1953 through 1955.

Although it was never regarded as a competition car, in the 1953 Alpine Rally four Sunbeam Alpines won the Coupe des Alpes. The 6th place finisher was driven by Stirling Moss; Sheila van Damm won the Coupe Des Dames in the same rally.

Raymond Loewy was far better known for his work as a post-war consulting designer for Studebaker, in particular the Starliner coupe, in my opinion a contender for the most beautiful mass production car ever made. His last Studebaker assignment, the Avanti, is much admired at concours and other events. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to save the company.

It's fun to imagine what Raymond Loewy might say about today's designs if he were alive at 100. I'm sure he'd approve of the newest high-speed trains in Europe and Japan but I doubt he'd care for the gaping front ends of our current automobiles. They'd offend his sense of elegance.

[Photos: GG1 - National Railroad Museum in Green Bay; Sunbeam Alpine - conceptcarz.com]

TOUGH GUY MARVIN'S TOUGH GUY MUSTANG UP FOR AUCTION

When Hollywood actor Lee Marvin appeared on screen he needed no introduction. His ruggedly handsome face, his deep voice, and his style of acting made him instantly recogniseable. It also made him a leading candidate for tough guy roles in westerns and war movies. So it's perhaps no surprise that Marvin, a car enthusiast, drove an automobile that suited his personna: a 1968 Shelby GT500 KR Convertible. That very car will be offered for sale at Russo and Steele's 2014 Scottsdale auction.

Marvin enjoyed his KR until 1972 when he gifted the Shelby to his personal gardener, who retained it for many years but drove it very little during the energy crisis of the '70s. It passed through several more owners until Mustang expert Drew Alcazar and his Concours Restorations was commissioned to perform a complete restoration. The KR took first place at the 1989 SAAC-14 Concours and was featured in popular enthusiast magazines. It has now been in the hands of one owner for 14 years and has a total mileage of just 47,000.

In 1968 the Mustang GT500 was getting a little long in the tooth by muscle car standards and so, at the middle of the model year, it received an upgrade plus a new name: the GT500 KR. (In case you're wondering... "KR" stood for "King of the Road.") It received the newest high-performance engine in Ford's catalog, the Cobra Jet; Shelby-ized with Ram Air induction, twin scoops on the hood leading edge and Dzus twist-type locks holding it down.

Horsepower of the 428-ci engine was rated at 335 but that was an understatement; the car would accelerate from 0-60 in only 6.5 seconds. Manual versions used a C6 4-speed transmission, automatics came with a Traction-Lok rear end. Wider rear brake drums and shoes were fitted as well as upgraded wheel cylinders. Although the suspension was modified, handling was not on a par with the lighter Shelby 350s. Nevertheless this was a car you could run in the drags on Saturday night, and take to a dress-up dinner on Sundays. Comfortably appointed, it was a Grand Touring car in the European tradition.

Lee Marvin's Mustang also includes four original Shelby American 10-spoke wheels on radial tires, ownership documents, and even a poster including his very special KR with Carroll Shelby's autograph. For anyone with a desire for a late 60s supercar that was once owned and driven by a super star, this Shelby GT500 KR is truly the one to bid on. Good luck!