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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.

COLLECTOR'S ALERT: SEVEN GREAT CLASSICS TO WATCH IN 2014

It's that time of year when everyone in the media business makes a list, either celebrating the past or predicting the future. I've not made mine yet (nor have I made any New Year's resolutions) so here's one I'd like to recommend to well-heeled individuals heading for the Arizona auctions. The emminent British car magazine Classic Driver has prepared a list of seven cars to watch in 2014. Wisely, the editors have chosen experts to make the selection. With little comment necessary from me, a guy who'd be at Barrett-Jackson looking for the best car under $15,000, herewith the list.

LAMBORGHINI MIURA
Up top is the Lamborghini Miura, as chosen by Max Girardo, RM's lead auctioneer. He says "I'll take all the Ferraris out of the equation and stick my neck out a little by going for something different. I think the Lamborghini Miura represents great value for money at current prices. It's from that era of cars that everyone understands and loves, it's from a great brand, it's got a 12-cylinder engine, and it looks great... "

ASTON MARTIN DB6
Jonathan Kaiser of Hexagon Classics believes "Aston Martin DB6 prices in 2014 are too inexpensive at the moment. They're selling for around half the price of a DB5, but they're not half the car. We've sold a lot of DB6s during 2013 because people don't want to spend half a million pounds plus on a concours DB5."

FERRARI 512 BB
James Cottingham of Ferrari specialist DK Engineering sees a potential rise in interest in the Berlinetta Boxer Ferraris, in particular the 512 BB. "I think they've been tremendously underrated for a long time, and they're a true classic, produced in the mid-70s and early 80s. They're relatively rare compared with what other manufacturers were producing at the same time, and in the Ferrari world they look like tremendous value for money." (I love this car, having driven a Boxer over some lovely Swiss mountain roads back in '79.)

PORSCHE 911 (996) GT3
Wilfried Hallier, owner of Hallier Classic Cars, sees real potential in the 911 GT3 road/race car, particularly the much-overlooked 996 series. "The 996 GT3 goes back to the original philosophy of Porsche. This civilian racing car allows private owners to test their abilities, and I'd recommend a 996 GT3 or GT3 RS to those with little racing experience."

BUGATTI EB110 SUPER SPORT
Think modern: Dylan Miles of Fiskens will be monitoring the success of the Veyron's predecessor in 2014. "Should any of the 30-or-so EB110 Super Sports come up for sale this year, I can see them doing well. Just think – a quad-turbo, quad-cam V12, 600bhp, four-wheel drive and one of the most illustrious badges in the business, all for one-eighth of the price of a McLaren F1."

LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH
Simon Kidston believes that alongside the Miura, Lamborghini's show-stopping Countach will also enjoy success in 2014. "I would say a Countach is one of the 'cars to watch' in 2014, particularly the early examples. It seems there's a generational change underway, and cars from the 70s, 80s and 90s are beginning to enjoy their period in the limelight."

ASTON MARTIN V8
Karl-Helmut Larkamp of E. Thiesen Berlin singles out the post-DB6 Astons for their potential, in particular the DBS and AM V8. "These high-quality vehicles are completely undervalued and now that DB6s are barely affordable, the later cars look like they might enjoy an enormous increase in demand in the near future."

With thanks to Classic Driver for the article inspiration and the quotes in this authoritative list. Click here to see the complete article. [Photo credits: Tim Scott for RM Auctions, Aston Martin, DK Engineering, Hallier Classic Cars, Kidston SA, Bugatti]

RM's AUCTION CATALOG, A TRIP TO THE CANDY STORE

With the annual Phoenix auction extravaganza just over two weeks away, RM Auctions has made its 2014 catalog available for downloading. The rationale, of course, is to present its offerings to prospective buyers, but for the rest of us this online catalog is like a trip to the candy store. It is packed with beautiful photos and mouth-watering descriptions of cars we'd love to own.

As always with RM, the range of vehicles to be sold is part of the attraction though all the cars are of a very high quality, regardless of size, type or rarity. So, for example, folks like me who have a fondness for small economy cars will find one sitting next to a multi-million dollar Deusenberg from the 1930s while folks with an interest in racing cars (also like me) will find a Ferrari or Porsche ready to join a museum collection or be used in vintage competition.

Incidentally, while I'm not an expert prognosticator of future trends, I've noticed a growing number of historic race cars being auctioned world-wide during the last year. The next big thing? Well, classic car collecting does go through periods of change. Not so long ago it was all about muscle cars but that category appears to have faded. I suspect the race car trend will be short-lived and after that... who knows?

You may come up with the answer to that one after perusing the RM catalog but even if you don't I guarantee a half-hour of good fun viewing and if you're a collector, don't head for the airport until you've seen what's inside.

Of course there are other auctions to visit during the week, all of which have interesting cars coming on the block. But what I like about the RM auction is the location. The Arizona Biltmore hotel is famous for its architecture, on which architect Andrew McArthur collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most influential American architects and certainly the best known, even years after his death. McArthur had worked as a draftsman in Wright's Oak Park Studio.

It's too late to book a room at the Arizona Bilmore but while you're there be sure to go inside for  a meal in the dining room and then take a stroll around the property.

It all starts with the catalog so click here and be transported to a collector's wonderland. Tell them I sent you.

[Photo Credit: RM Auctions]

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER SKIING ACCIDENT

UPDATE JAN 01, 2014:

Michael Schumacher’s condition was stable but still critical overnight as he remained unconscious following a brain injury suffered in a skiing accident, his manager said Wednesday.

Sabine Kehm told reporters that his condition has not changed since doctors said he showed small signs of improvement on Tuesday, following his second operation.

DEC 30, 2013:

I've interrupted this morning's planned blog after hearing of Michael Schumaker's dreadful accident. The seven-times World Driving Champion remains in critical condition in hospital following a skiing accident in the French Alps.

The 44-year-old German was understood to have hit his head after falling during a family skiing trip at the Meribel resort on Sunday morning. A statement issued by the hospital in which Schumacher is being treated said he had suffered "a severe head injury with coma on arrival, which required neurosurgical intervention immediately." An accomplished skier, he was wearing a helmet but had hit his head on a rock after falling.

Early reports that day had said Schumaker was hurt but didn't indicate the severity of his condition. I learned that sad news while sitting in a Tim Horton's shop, of all places, staring at a TV screen. And I knew that when I came home it had to be priority on today's Marque1.

I've had the privilege of watching Michael Schumaker live and in every televised F1 event since he moved up to the top level of auto racing. And like so many fans I tired of Ferrari's and Schumaker's domination in race after race. But I also knew this was the most successful car/driver team in the history of the sport and this extraordinary athlete would join Ayrton Senna, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Tazio Nuvolari in any list of all-time greats. Perhaps at the very top. My only regret was that he tried making a comeback after retiring.

It is not unusual for race drivers to participate in other forms of speed sport after they've stopped competing. They enjoy going fast. They love the challenge. So we've seen them racing powerboats, riding motorcycles, flying airplanes and, like Michael Schumaker, skiing. Sadly, these activities have sometimes resulted in tragic accidents. Speed, in any form, is potentially dangerous.

Millions of race fans all over the world will be watching the daily reports, hoping for signs of recovery. I'm writing this on Sunday evening and perhaps, when you read these words, the hospital will be issuing some positive news. Michael Schumaker is still young and healthy, and deserves to be with us for many more years.

[Photo credit: fanpop.com]

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]

 

THE INTERURBAN: TRAVELS TO CHRISTMAS PAST

This being December 25th, I decided to take the day off, and instead re-run an article that first appeared last April. Those among you who, like me, love trains, should enjoy it, especially as it features a type of train that's long gone but retains a strong emotional attachment.

Most of our viewers, taking a quick glance at the photo above, might easily mistake it for a trio of vintage streetcars. But they'd be wrong. It's actually an "electric interurban" train. Once popular throughout North America, interurbans, as the name suggests, connected small towns and suburbs with big cities. Sometimes they'd share tracks with the railways but more often than not the interurbans had their own right-of-way.

Our modern equivalent is commonly known as a commuter train, whose journeys may be quicker but are no more interesting than the name suggests. Bring a newspaper, folks, because there's nothing to see outside those windows. Interurban routes, on the other hand, were the railroad equivalent of a car guy's back country road. They wandered through forests, past farms, across bridges that traversed creeks and rivers, alongside highways, and sometimes cruised slowly along a small town's main street. Even if you rode the interurban twice daily it would be difficult not to notice the moving panorama and appreciate its scenic moments.

The trains weren't slow – most could achieve 80 mph and accelerate much faster than a steam or diesel locomotive – but it was the nature of the route and the requirement for frequent stops that kept average speeds down. On the other hand, as electrics, they were both clean-running and quiet.

I'm probably guilty of unwarranted nostalgia here, for I've only ridden on a interurban twice in my life, both times as a teenager. And yet those trips remain large in my memory, even after traveling thousands of miles, usually with my father, on conventional railroad trains. I did admire the fast-moving expresses of the day and yet those interurbans contributed to a romantic vew of travel that, decades later, still hasn't faded

Incidentally, just before the interurban era ended, Milwaukee introduced streamlined three-car trains in which the middle unit contained a bar. Now that's a civilised way to wend one's way home from the office (although some waiting wives may have disagreed)!

My motivation for this blog came from an online sales pitch by Classic Trains magazine, in which it offers an expanded 40-page issue on the interurbans. Of course I'm not here to sell products but it seems to me that this is something anyone who loves vintage transportation (not just cars) would enjoy. It includes a look back at the North Shore Line, the fastest interurban and the one with the bar; a ride on the Pacific Electric line; the 10-best interurban car designs; and a gallery of rare photos. You can buy it on the newsstand for an extra two bucks but the annual subscription is a bargain at $24.95 for four quarterly issues.

The age of the interurbans may be long gone but it still lives in the guise of the East Troy Electric Railroad, a museum that operates heritage passenger excursions on a 7-mile stretch of track from East Troy, Wisconsin to Mukwonago, Wisconsin. There are several cars in the fleet but the railroad's pride is car no. 21, a single-truck open bench replica from the turn of the last century. Worth the trip if you're anywhere near and, oh... next to the museum you can still order traditional ice cream sodas.

[Photos: Top, Classic Trains/ Lower, East Troy Electric Railroad]

FAST LADY'S PINK RACE CAR GOES TO AUCTION

When I first spotted this item on the Hemmings Daily newsletter I had to stop and think for a moment: "So who is Donna Mae Mims and why should I care?" The name seemed vaguely familiar but the pink Austin-Healey Sprite failed to register. I soon learned that this lady was the Sports Car Club of America’s first female National Champion. In 1963 she captured the SCCA H-Production Championship, driving a 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite Mk I whose first owner was Dr. Jonas Salk, originator of the vaccine that eradicated polio by the end of the 1950s.

I was very much involved in road racing that year as a commentator and occasional competitor but my activities were focussed on the Canadian scene, which probably explains why I'd overlooked the American championships and, therefore, Donna Mae Mims. Now that I've been brought up to date I realise that her racing accomplishments were exceptional, and why the car she raced will be of such interest at Gooding & Company's Scottsdale auction on January 17 and 18.

Mims would capture three SCCA National wins driving the Sprite plus enough points to deliver her the H-Production championship with a 10th-place finish in the final event of the season. By taking the championship, Mims had proven her abilities to handle a race car.

In 1964, she campaigned an MGB in D-Production, but reliability issues prevented capturing back-to-back championships. Mims would then go on to race everything from a Formula Vee to a big-block Camaro, and even drove a rented Cadillac limousine with co-drivers Judy Stropus and Peggy Niemcek in the 1972 running of the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Following Mims’ ownership, the Sprite became just another used race car, though it was raced as recently as 1987.

The current owner acquired it in 2005 and completed an extensive restoration to 1963 specifications (assisted by Mims) in time for the Sprite’s 50th Anniversary celebration at Mid-Ohio in 2008. It will cross the block with no reserve, carrying an estimated price of between $70,000 and $90,000. The market for vintage race cars seems to be hot at the moment so it'll be fascinating to see what the Sprite will bring, especially with its winning history. Perhaps it's time to Think Pink again.

THE UNBEATABLE MISS SUPERTEST III

The following story is not about classic cars but the boat it honours is certainly a classic. And the race was a great moment in Canadian motorsport history. I think you'll enjoy it.

They were crowded onto the jetty, 50 people, maybe 60, the ladies dressed for a garden party, the men in suits, shirts, ties. Cheering, laughing, excited. At one end a video director was peering into the camera. Everyone was looking to their left, watching a massive race boat approach at well over 100 mph. Watching it head directly for the place where they were standing. Because of the way his camera magnified the image, the video director wondered if the boat was about to smash into the dock: should he run or keep shooting?

For a moment the crowd – politicians, dignitaries, race judges, invited guests – stopped smiling as they, too, became apprehensive. And then the driver flicked the steering wheel just enough to miss the jetty, spraying everyone with the boat's rooster tail, a huge arc of water trailing the stern for at least 200 feet. Sprayed? Drenched would be more like it. But no one complained, regardless of the effect on their fashionable wardrobes, because the speeding boat, Miss Supertest III, had just won the world's most prestigious powerboat racing trophy for the third straight year.

That remarkable event happened in the Long Reach section of the Bay of Quinte, near Picton Ontario, in 1961. The prize was the Harmsworth Trophy. Miss Supertest was a Canadian boat with a Canadian driver, Bob Hayward (which explains the enthusiasm of the onlookers). All the other contestants over the three years were American. As a result of the resounding three-in-a-row victory – she was the first non-US winner in 39 years – the Harmsworth was retired and not contested for a quarter century.

Those were the fastest race boats in the world, with wide hydroplane hulls (imagine a stingray fish seen from above) that had them running on just three points: the outer tips of the sponsons and the propeller. Unlike a conventional boat they skipped across the surface of the water, much like a flat pebble if you throw it properly. The race course consisted of two long straights joined at the ends by turns that required a reduced speed. Enter too late and a competitor could slip inside, just as in an automobile race. Too slow and he'd pass on the outside. Too fast and air could get under the hull, causing the bow to lift and in some cases turn the boat upside down in mid-air. Hydroplane races could be dangerous, as we will see.

Power was supplied by surplus WW2 aircraft engines, the kind used in high performance aircraft. Miss Supertest got her speed from a 2000 hp Rolls-Royce Griffon, a supercharged V-12 used in a Spitfire. She has been described as a 3-ton rocket.

Officially, the Harmsworth Trophy was a contest between nations, not boats, with rules requiring that they be built entirely by residents of the country represented, using materials from within that country. The first race, in 1903, was won by England's Dorothy Levitt in a Napier-powered boat at a scintillating 19.53 mph. France won in 1904, the United States in 1905, but from then through 1920 Harmsworth victories were traded exclusively between England and the US. Until 1933 the Americans had a monopoly on the trophy, the legendary Gar Wood taking the win eight times as a driver, nine times as an owner. Apparently Wood's success had a discouraging effect on other countries, there being no further attempts until 1949. The Americans won that one, too, along with the 1950 and 1956 races.

The Canadian effort dates back to 1950 when Colonel Jim Thompson, together with his father, J. Gordon Thompson, bought a hydroplane named Miss Canada IV. She was too slow to win major races so the team modified the boat as Miss Supertest, using the name as a promotion for the chain of Ontario and Quebec service stations owned by the family. When Miss Supertest also proved to be less than super they decided to build a new boat. In 1954 that craft, Miss Supertest II, took to the water, winning three minor races. During one of the events, in Picton, the boat set a new world straightaway record of 184.494 mph. Her record would be short-lived however; just 28 days later it was eclipsed by Jack Regas in Hawaii Kai III at 195.329 mph.

Now aware that they were capable of designing a potential winner the Canadian team decided to challenge for the Harmsworth Trophy, using an entirely new boat, Miss Supertest III. The United States had, for decades, promoted its national championship through the famed Gold Cup Races, thus its designers and drivers had more experience with unlimited powerboats and no one expected Miss Supertest III to be a serious contender. But the pundits were wrong. Beginning with the 1959 Detroit Memorial Regatta, her only non-Harmsworth appearance, Miss Supertest III started in ten heats over three years, finishing first in eight of them and second twice. In the 1960 Harmsworth race, attended by Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and with hockey star Bobby Hull as grand marshal, she set a world lap record of 126.226 mph on the 5-mile course.

Though stunned by these defeats the American teams were not about to give up and so they returned to Picton in 1961, but with only a single boat, Miss Detroit. The big hydroplane failed to finish the first heat on Saturday when an oil fitting came loose. Engine trouble struck again on the fifth lap of Sunday's 15-lap race, leaving Miss Supertest nearly two laps ahead in the 45-mile heat. In the deciding race Hayward opened up his big Rolls-Royce Griffon on the backstretch and pulled 200 yards ahead after just one lap. She was 500 yards ahead at the end of five miles and increasing her lead.

Although Miss Supertest III was designed solely for the Harmsworth and Miss Supertest II had been retired, his jubilant team encouraged Thompson to race the latter again, perhaps assuming they could add some performance tweaks learned from the newer boat's success. Competing in Detroit's Silver Cup races just one month after the Picton win, Bob Hayward slipped between two boats during a high speed turn. The media wrote that he was attempting "to take a turn faster than any driver in the history of speedboating (estimated at 140 mph)." No one could understand why it happened but fellow racer Bill Muncie thought "he must have been into the turn before he realized he was there."

A sponson dipped into the water, twisting the boat into a flip. Driver Don Wilson, at the wheel of George Simon's Miss U.S. I, said "I thought I was going to be killed. Supertest's sponson went right over my head." Amazingly she landed right side up but Hayward was dead, his body lying on the rear deck.

The Harmsworth Trophy would be resurrected in 1971 and raced most years in craft far different from the Supertest boats. But the risks remained the same. Stefano Casiraghi, husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, won the Harmsworth in 1989. He was killed a year later when his boat hit a wave in the Mediterranean and somersaulted. Powerboat racing remains a dangerous sport.

In honor of Miss Supertest and Bob Hayward, a ticker tape parade up Bay St. in Toronto after the Harmsworth win attracted thousands and the stretch of water near Picton was renamed Hayward Long Reach. Miss Supertest III spent several years at both the Science Center in Toronto and the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame but she's now stored in a private property near London, Ontario. Canada Post issued a commemorative stamp in August 2011 featuring the boat, driver Bob Hayward and owner Jim Thompson.

As for that video director who was tempted to run when Miss Supertest appeared to be heading straight for the jetty? He put his faith in the driver and stayed put, wet but happy. His name is Philip Powell.

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.