This picture perfectly shows what you can expect when visiting an event called American Day, especially with sunny weather. Pretty much anything with four wheels, built in North-America from the forties onwards. Round two of the tour is about to begin, enjoy!
1980 Jeep Wagoneer 360.
1971 Oldsmobile Toronado.
1965 Dodge Custom 880.
1984 Chrysler LeBaron.
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 400.
1979 Jeep Cherokee Chief 360.
1972 Ford LTD 400. The show’s meanest machine, IMO.
1973 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ 455.
1969 Buick Riviera 430.
1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with the WS 6 package.
1976 Dodge W200.
1955 Buick Special.
1944 Dodge WC-51.
1964 Chevrolet Impala SS 327.
1986 Chevrolet G20 van 5.0 V8.
1978 GMC Jimmy 350.
1946 Buick Super Convertible Sedan Model 56C.
1988 Pontiac Firebird 305.
1979 Chevrolet Malibu Classic.
1986 Oldsmobile Toronado.
Several US classics were displayed at another car show I visited around the same time. They’ll blend in just nicely here.
1966 Plymouth Barracuda, imported from California. Keihard, technisch top!
1963 Ford Galaxie 500 XL 390.
1975 Ford Elite.
That’s Ford dealership Fred Hauter from Montrose CA.
The last one of the wild mix, an immaculate 1970 Buick Electra 225 convertible 455.
That ’65 Dodge Custom 880 really speaks to me, no crazy styling details, wonderful dashboard, wheels look mean and sort-of period correct. Colour suits it perfectly.
All amazing cars at this show, thanks for the great pictures Johannes!
Yes, you beat me to it … that Dodge looks just right!
My fave too – I grew up with a ’66 Dodge in the family that stuck around for 16 years. Same dashboard with what may be the largest round speedometer ever. That little hole between the two huge round binnacles btw is a Dodge “fratzog” logo that appears to be just decoration. But at night, the central triangle in the logo glows red when you activate the floor-button high beams.
+1, very businesslike.
Not too sure about that floor + column shift or the width of the wheels, but other than that a very nice car.
As with Part 1, a very nice cross-section of American iron. Thank you Johannes. And as with your first gallery of pics, I am impressed by the variety, but also especially liking that so many cars remain original. Looking at the ’84 LeBaron, it’s almost comical the way Chrysler so blatantly tried to convey Mercedes styling details in their upscale K-based models. And so few people called them out on it at the time. 🙂
Another great (and really wide) selection. That black 46 Buick convertible is a looker!
I also realize that I never truly appreciated how bizarre the 71-72 Toronado really was in its day. I guess I was too deeply steeped in Oldsmobilizm at the time.
In the later show that silver blue 63 Galaxie 500 4 door hardtop is great. When I was in 5th grade a friend’s mom drove one of those, only in light metallic turquoise. Ford’s 4 door hardtops really stood out because of that big chrome piece at the rear of the door.
Johannes, you are among my top 5 summer evening reading purveyors!
The ’46 Buick (gorgeous car, BTW) is a Convertible (not sure if they added the word Coupe), not a Convertible Sedan.
I guess this is the first time I’ve seen a Malibu of that vintage without tinted glass. Is it because those imported here were better optioned, or is it rare indeed? Malibus were rare and expensive here in Uruguay.
Got some catching up to do. Still got a gran(d)(e) 2018 collection of classic Euro-cars, Japanese cars, Mercedi-Benzi, conventional Macks, conventional German trucks and a variety of Renault cars and (new) trucks. Before you know it, the 2019 photo-season starts!
About the Buick, I found this brochure. Granted, a bit hard to read, but according to me its says “The Super Convertible Sedan – Model 56-C”. Maybe sedan because it has rear seats? Its Dutch registration only says “Buick 56C”.
The Malibu has its first registration in the Netherlands, so it was imported as a new car.
The silver ‘81 TransAm hood decal shows “T/A 400”. I think only the small block 301 or Chevy 305 (California only) were offered in 1980 – 1981.
That was my conclusion too, dman. From what I’ve read, there was no Trans Am 400 in those years.
FWIW, according to its registration, it has a 4,837 cc V8 with a max. power output of 149 kW. Converted to c.i. that’s around 295. Any idea what that would be?
Probably a Pontiac 301. Pontiac advertised it as a “5 liter V8” but it was really a 4.9, and they were often swapped out for bigger Pontiac engines. 301s weren’t bad engines, Ive seen several go over 200K miles, they were just very light duty engines that didn’t make any power.
Last year for the 400 was 1979 but they were only in the 4 speed Trans Ams and were very rare.
Thanks!
When I see that LTD I just think of the movie Gator. Nice pics! Great to see people appreciating American cars, even less exciting ones than Trans Ams.
Great stuff, Johannes, Thanks for posting.
Great pictorial, Johannes, thanks for sharing! You wouldn’t see a better collection of Detroit iron at any show in the US. That dark gray Dodge 880 looks AWESOME…the definition of “sleeper.” Wow! Wonder what it’s packing under the hood? Also really dig that dark green ’68 Charger in the lead photo. Perfect!
The Dodge’s displacement isn’t registered, it only says it has an eight-cylinder engine…
This must be the 1968 Charger. Same show, another edition.
….
Thanks for the additional photos. Definitely a ’68 w/ the small round side marker lights. Probably a 318, maybe a 383. If it were a 440 6-bbl or a 426 Hemi the owner probably would’ve made that clear (i.e., bragged about it).
These photos remind me, just how austere the downsized late 70s Malibus could look in base trim, with standard wheel covers. They certainly looked more substantial than the Fairmont. But both designs looked quite taxi-like, in their cheapest versions. The Fairmont with dog dish hub caps, especially so.
Wasn’t a fan either of the the broad body side molding Ford used on the Elite. Especially as they aged, and the vinyl inserts would start to chalk and peel off.
Nice selection Johannes. That ’69 Riviera is beautiful …. Jim.
Excellent photos…I’ll take the 64 Chevy, and maybe throw in the 2 door Jimmy.
Love the ’71 Toronado. How in the hell can anyone in Europe keep a car like this with gas at $6 to $9 a gallon is beyond me. Only a true car nut can keep a car with fuel mileage of 8 to 10 MPG and live on the continent.
You’ll be surprised how many US classics (fin tails, pony and muscle, landyachts) there are in northwestern Europe.
All hobby, not used as daily drivers, commuters or grocery getters. Thus, low yearly mileage. Besides, in the Netherlands fully road tax free if the car is older than 40 years.
Fred Hauter Ford was 2 blocks down the street from home back in the day. I was trying to remember the name of the old dealership recently, CC coincidence strikes again! That ’75 Ford Elite is a long way from home. The dealership was tiny, on a very small lot, but was around for a long time.
Back in the day…