VINTAGE CARS

 

Thanks to Renee Vecellio Campanella for this cool article on Bobby Darin's car! 

For those who remember Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee ... Even if YOU do NOT. What a car & wonder what the PETROL cost was.
 
The 1960 DiDia 150 was a luxury, custom-designed iconic, handmade car also known as the "Dream Car" forever associated with its second owner, singer Bobby Darin. The car was designed by Andrew Di Dia,  a clothing designer, who Bobby Darin had met whilst on tour in Detroit in 1957.  Darin telling Di Dia at the time that he would purchase the car if he ever "hit it big".  For seven years, from 1953 to 1960 the DiDia 150 was hand-built by four workers, at a cost of $93,647.29  but sold to Darin in 1961 at a cost of over $150,000 (1.5 million today).  At the time the car was listed as most expensive 'custom-made' car in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.  The body was hand-formed by Ron Clark  and constructed by Bob Kaiser from Clark Kaiser Customs.
 

 
Its metallic red paint was made with 30 coats of ground diamonds for sparkle. Built in Detroit, Michigan, clothing designer Andrew 'Andy' Di Dia designed  this "unrestrained and unconventional" automobile.  Only one example was ever built. The normal V8 engine is located at the front with  an engine displacement of 365/427.  It has a rear-wheel drive, the body and chassis is hand-formed from 064 aluminum with a 125-inch wheelbase alloy tube frame. 
 

 
It has a glass cockpit in back, a squared steering wheel and thermostatically controlled air conditioning system.                                  
 

 
The interior is rust coloured in contrast to the ruby paintwork. The design included the first backseat-mounted radio speakers and hidden windshield wipers,  that started themselves when it rained.  Other features include retractable headlamps, rear indicators that swivel as the car turns, 'floating' bumpers and a trunk that was hinged from the driver's side.  Each of the four bucket seats have their own thermostatically controlled air conditioning, individual cigarette lighters and ashtrays, as well as a radio speaker.  The original engine, a Cadillac V8, was later replaced by a 427 high-performance by Ford when it was taken on the show circuit.
 

 
Darin drove his wife, Sandra Dee, in the car to the 34th Academy Awards in 1961. When Bobby drove the car to the Academy Awards, Andrew Di Dia and Steve Blauner followed behind him in a limousine. The car had two fans and a switch that you had to turn on. Bobby didn't realise, so it heated up. All the magazines said the car caught fire but it didn't.

 
Di Dia toured the car around the country, when Darin wasn't using it for public appearances. After publicity and film use, Darin donated his "Dream Car" to the St Louis Museum of Transportation in 1970 where it remains. 
 


 
This is Andrew Di Dia  the car designer.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

 

 






 
  

 

Rick Merkel sent in this very cool website.  

Check it out by clicking on the '57 chevy

Steve Sousa's 68 Camara

 

This is Mark Grover's 1947 Chevrolet he drove to high school. Now 95% resotored. Let's hope he drives it to the reunion, and him and Jayne wear their Senior Ball outfits!  

 

 

 

 

I had a car just like this until I had kids, then those car seats would not fit!  We traded it in for a big 73 Ford LTD as my husband called it "the lead sled".  Then there was the 79  VW bus, the 85 Ford Crown Victoria station with leather seats that burned my legs when I sat on them on a hot day! I remember all those "family cars", and all those Honda Civics in between for the commute.  These were the days before SUV's. Now we have an RV and a little red sports car!   

 

 

 

Jerry Mincey's 54 Chevy

 

Jerry's Shop 51 Chevy Panel

Jerry's Mom's 55 Ford Club Sedan.  Jerry likes Green

Jackie Kaul Knudson's (well, her husband's) '65 Chevy Impala with Washington plates

 

 

Ed Dalke's restored  1943 Kubelwagen from Germany   Above is the back, below is the front.....(good thing he told us)

 and below a 1955 Mercedes 220 Ponton Ed restored.  

 

 

 

Renee Vecellio Campanella sent these pics of her husband's "goat" and the model T ford behind it.

 

Goat, GTO? 

CLICK BELOW-- THIS WILL "BLOW YOUR MIND", NONE OF THE CARS YOU WILL SEE IN THIS SLIDE SHOW ARE REAL--THEY ARE ALL LITTLE MODEL CARS. TRY TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU ARE WATCHING THIS. THIS GUY IS INCREDIBLY CREATIVE:

 Matinee-at-the-Elgin by Michael Paul Smith