American Iron in Cuba – Myths and Realities

The recently improved prospect of normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba has the potential for many different ramifications across a broad range of cultural and financial issues for both Cubans and Americans. For classic auto enthusiasts however, it is the legend of a large number of vintage American vehicles in Cuba that stirs the most interest. Unfortunately, the dream of bringing a pristine Chevy Bel Air back to the U.S. from Cuba is far more of a myth…

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GM Tech Center Becomes a National Historic Landmark

The General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, was recently honored as a National Historic Landmark by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis. The National Historic Landmarks Program was established in 1935 to recognize sites that are important to the nation as a whole and this latest designation puts the Tech Center in an exclusive group of around 2,500 U.S. National Historic Landmarks nationwide. (more…)

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Lessons from Abroad: The Classic Car Market in the UK

Although the U. S. is the undisputed center of the classic car market as more vintage vehicles find new owners here each year than anywhere else on the planet, a healthy market for classic, collectible and historic vehicles outside of the USA does exist today, with a large part of that activity taking place in Great Britain. Granted, the classic car scene in the UK sees a lot more Jaguars and Ferraris and far fewer U.S. muscle cars crossing the…

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Insurance Claims & Collector Cars

Although most classic car aficionados know there can be big differences between regular daily driver insurance and classic car insurance when it comes to settling a claim correctly after an accident, insurance statistics from around the country seem to indicate that fewer than half of the classic vehicles on the road today are actually insured by proper classic and collector car insurance programs. An insurance policy created specifically for classic cars will provide more than just comprehensive coverage, as it…

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GM Works to Ensure the Future of Restoration

It’s no secret that the future of this hobby/sport/profession/obsession can be viewed as a bit uncertain. Times change, products change, but most of all people change, and when the current auto enthusiast community looks ahead, many enthusiasts are becoming a bit concerned about keeping the current passion for classic automobiles alive. Many of those concerns seem to center on building the next generation of vintage auto collectors and restorers as younger generations of drivers come of age. What is certain…

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New Cars with New Names at Cadillac

After announcing plans to make Cadillac a separate business unit and move the brand's headquarters to New York City, it’s no secret that General Motors' (GM) is trying to overhaul its Cadillac brand in order to better compete with luxury brand rivals like BMW, Mercedes and Audi. As part of the brand overhaul, the automaker has also announced a new naming convention that will begin with the upcoming release of the Omega-based, full-size sedan, previously known as the LTS. The…

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Cadillac HQ Moves Out of Motor City

It appears the Motor City will have one less motor soon, as General Motors has announced plans to move its Cadillac brand from Detroit to New York City. Although the move will not change the location of the technical and product development teams currently based in Michigan, and GM is not moving Cadillac’s manufacturing and assembly operations out of Detroit either, GM does plan to establish the Cadillac brand as a separate business unit and move its sales and marketing…

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American Dreaming – A Film on Auto Design from 1946 to 1973

The post-war period from 1946 to 1973 has often been identified as the highpoint of American automotive design, an era when rapid economic expansion fueled a growing middle class and the field of automotive design reached maturity. Following World War II, the auto companies had access to huge factories that had previously been used for wartime production. In response to growing demand, domestic automakers used the factories to expand in just about every way possible and that included pushing the…

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Prime Time for Classic Car Investing

Although the recession knocked about 30% of the value out of the market for classic and collectible cars back in 2007, the economy seems to have recovered and values of classic cars have bounced back too. As we reported here earlier this month, the Hagerty Blue Chip Collector Car Index saw a 37.4% increase in value between December 2012 and December 2013. After such strong a performance in 2012, many experts expected the collectible auto market’s bubble would burst this…

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Good News for Classic Cars

Anytime a market has more buyers than sellers, the value of the goods being sold will rise. In the case of the collector car marketplace, it appears that is exactly what is happening right now. The demand for desirable collector vehicles is at an all-time high today and the values (as well as prices) are definitely rising. Collecting, restoring, buying and selling collector cars has always been quite popular in the U.S., but the whole scene has seen a real…

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