Hi Gang… And we’re off! Today, Dan Palatnik and I are releasing another poster of these cool, handbuilt sports cars that appeared across America in the early postwar years. This is the third in a series of posters that we … Continue reading
Hi Gang… More and more we are using Dan Palatnik’s renderings to “light the way” for our restorations of handcrafted American sports cars. In addition, these renderings showcase each car in a beautiful presentation the way the cars were meant … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Great news…..you can now create your own Undiscovered Classics collection and save some garage space while doing so. Thanks to the efforts of Alex Kotyar of Esval Models and some keen rendering work of artist extraordinaire Dan Palatnik, scale models of a 1953 and 1954 … Continue reading
Hi Gang… More and more we are using Dan Palatnik’s renderings to “light the way” for our restorations of handcrafted American sports cars. In addition, these renderings showcase each car in a beautiful presentation the way the cars were meant … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We’re excited to share great news – The “Undiscovered Classics Collection” of 1:43 scale models has now been released by Esval Models. To help promote these scale model cars, we put the talented artistry of Dan Palatnik to … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Our thoughts and the use of imagery for our Undiscovered Classic cars has evolved over the years, and during this time we’ve walked step by step with our friend Dan Palatnik. Dan and I first started out with … Continue reading
Undiscovered Classics Restorations and 3D Imagery It All Started in 2012 – And It Began With Our 1962 Shark Concept Car The process we use in guiding the restoration of our cars nearly always employs the use of 3D imagery. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As they say, “The Punishment of Success is More Work” – and we’ve been keeping Dan Palatnik and his rendering skill busy here at Undiscovered Classics. Dan is our “artist in residence” here whose actual residence is Rio … Continue reading
Dan Palatnik and the Art of Lost Cars Dan Palatnik has led the effort of creating 3D renderings for all handcrafted specials we study and celebrate. Dan’s been with us since nearly the start and has worked with the entire … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Thanks to the help of Dan Palatnik, we’ve been releasing more artwork of Undiscovered Classic cars of late. You can see some of his work that we recently released via the link below: Click on this Link to … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Great news…..you can now create your own Undiscovered Classics collection and save some garage space while doing so. Thanks to the efforts of Alex Kotyar of Esval Models and some keen rendering work of artist extraordinaire Dan Palatnik, scale models of the 1952 Manta Ray … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Dan Strohl of Hemmings Motor News posted an article this weekend on one of our favorite people – Dan Palatnik (you can scroll down in this story and follow the link to read the story in Hemmings about … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Our good friend Guy Dirkin wanted to share a preview of his latest project and did so today via Facebook. I asked Guy if we could share it here on Undiscovered Classics and he agreed. So here’s what … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Great news…..you can now create your own Undiscovered Classics collection and save some garage space while doing so. Thanks to the efforts of Alex Kotyar of Esval Models and some keen rendering work of artist extraordinaire Dan Palatnik, scale models of the 1947 and 1948 … Continue reading
Hi Gang… And we’re off! On the heels of releasing our first poster of America’s Handcrafted Cars last week. Today, Dan Palatnik and I are releasing our second poster of these cool, handbuilt cars that appeared across America in the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… There’s never a dull moment here at Undiscovered Classics. And although the 2020 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance ended mere hours ago, Dan Palatnik and I have been hard at work the last week to bring artwork on handcrafted … Continue reading
Hi Gang… There are automotive artists that I find fascinating for their futuristic vision of what might be or in their stylings and designs which capture speed, motion, color and seemingly more than I can see and appreciate with my … Continue reading
Arthur Radebaugh Archives Arthur Radebaugh (1906–1974) was a futurist, illustrator, airbrush artist, and industrial designer. He produced a significant body of work for automotive industry advertisements. He was noted for his artistic experimentation with fluorescent paint under black light, an … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We continue to expand our recently created “Strother MacMinn Online Archive” to include articles, videos, books and other MacMinn related materials to share with the world. Today we added his 1959 book to the archives titled “Sports Cars … Continue reading
Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky Archives Alden’s Archive: https://www.flickr.com/photos/autohistorian/albums/72157632569191881 https://www.flickr.com/photos/autohistorian/albums/72157632569191881 … Continue reading
Dan Post’s ABC’s of Custom How Author: Bob Gurr: Published 1954 (Entire Book Shown Below) … Continue reading
Automobile Design: The Complete Styling Book Author: Bob Gurr: Published 1955 Part 1: Automobile Design Part 2: Automobile Design Part 3: Automobile Design … Continue reading
History LeMans Coupe (1958) Design By Strother MacMinn 1958 LeMans Coupe by Strother MacMinn — The Most Exciting Sports Car Design Constructed In The USA In Years — Robert Cumberford: SCG Magazine, March 1960 No other “Special” of the 1950s … Continue reading
1949 Panache Renderings and Artwork We were honored to retain the artistic services of Dan Palatnik of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to create original artwork for the Guy Dirkin’s 1949 Panache. We used these renderings to test different “looks”, options, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Back in 1952 when Bill Burke took a mold from Robert Petersen’s Cisitalia 202 coupe, who would have guessed that the entire process would be repeating itself nearly 70 years later. But it’s a good thing to still … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Great news…..you can now create your own Undiscovered Classics collection and save some garage space while doing so. Thanks to the efforts of Alex Kotyar of Esval Models and some keen rendering work of artist extraordinaire Dan Palatnik, two versions of the 1952 Maverick Sportster … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Great news…..you can now create your own Undiscovered Classics collection and save some garage space while doing so. And….you won’t have to go thru the effort that Rick D’Louhy and I did to get your own “Leo Lyons … Continue reading
Richard Arbib: Specialty Designer Collectible Automobile: October, 1992 By George Hamlin … Continue reading
The World and Packards of Richard Arbib The Cormorant: Spring 1975 By George Hamlin … Continue reading
Texas Barn Find With Richard Arbib Connection The Cormorant New Bulletin: May, 2018 by Bud Juneau … Continue reading
The World and Packards of Richard Arbib (Update) The Packard Cormorant: Third Quarter, 2018 By George Hamlin … Continue reading
Hi Gang… More and more we see the handcrafted cars of the 40s, 50s, 60s being written about in major magazines and accepted at world-class concours. The cars and their history have a compelling story to share with the public … Continue reading
It is interesting to note that there probably aren’t two identical Wildfires in existence today, simply because each builder customized his car the way he wanted to. Therefore, you’ll find Buick Wildfires, Chevrolet Wildfires, Ford Wildfires, and a host of … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Last month we published part 1 of this series – an article by Robert Cumberford that appeared in Car and Driver Magazine in September, 1962. Click here to review part 1 of this series. In that article, Cumberford … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Small books were published throughout the 1950s by various automotive magazine publishers. The largest producer of these books was Petersen Publishing – the organization that brought us Motor Trend, Hot Rod, and other such luminary magazines. But Fawcett … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As I’ve mentioned before, I feel like one of the luckiest “car guys” around. I’ve always been fascinated with corners of the world that are “less traveled.” This has taken me on some of the most amazing journeys … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Many of you know my passion for vintage cars started with my grandfather, Morrie Hacker, my mother Ruth, and mentorship in my early teenage years from Paul Terhorst of Chicago, Illinois. I was well-schooled in great old cars, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Recently, we had the honor of presenting our 1957 LaDawri Conquest at the 2012 Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance. Click here to review the recent story about our experience with our car at the event. But Amelia is … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Haven’t we all been to “mecca” as children and driven sports cars before the age of nine? Opps…I mean haven’t we all been to “Disneyland” and driven “Autopia” cars during our childhood, young adulthood, or later? If this … Continue reading
Hi Gang… This is another in an series of ongoing articles and designs from the talented hands of Keith Kaucher – fan of fiberglass and consummate sports and custom car designer. For years Keith shared his designs with the audience … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The world of Forgotten Fiberglass is expanding like catalyzed resin…. Recently, Rick Feibusch sent in some pictures from a friend of his showing a car that I immediately recognized as Carl Schoonhoven’s LeMans Coupe. I’d heard about it … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We’ve talked about Howard “Dutch” Darrin and his repeated use of fiberglass to create great designs and memorable one-off cars time and time again. But Raymond Loewy created some great designs for sports cars in the ’50s too … Continue reading
——————– “Some of the facts pertinently revealed here may shock the reader….” Automobile Design: The Complete Styling Book (1955) That’s what’s written on the back cover of Bob Gurr’s ’55 book on car design, and it gives the book a … Continue reading
——————– “Some of the facts pertinently revealed here may shock the reader….” Automobile Design: The Complete Styling Book (1955) That’s what’s written on the back cover of Bob Gurr’s ’55 book on car design, and it gives the book a … Continue reading
——————– “Some of the facts pertinently revealed here may shock the reader….” Automobile Design: The Complete Styling Book (1955) That’s what’s written on the back cover of Bob Gurr’s ’55 book on car design, and it gives the book a … Continue reading
——————– “Some of the facts revealed here may shock the reader….” How To Draw Cars of Tomorrow (1952) That’s what’s written on the back cover of Bob Gurr’s 1952 book on car design, and it gives the book a … Continue reading
Hi Gang… LeMans Coupes and their history are springing out all over the country! Finding out more concerning the history of the LeMans Coupe has been one of my favorite passions since beginning the Forgotten Fiberglass odyssey lo so many … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Back in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, a series of books was released by “Sports Car Press” of New York. There were wonderful titles in this collection covering such varied topics as: Sports Cars of the World, … Continue reading
——————– “Some of the facts revealed here may shock the reader….” How To Draw Cars of Tomorrow (1952) That’s what’s written on the back cover of Bob Gurr’s 1952 book on car design, and it gives the book a … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Erich Schultz and I think Richard Arbib’s designs were way over the top – and that’s quite a statement given the fact that some of the wildest concept cars were designed and built back in the ‘50s. But … Continue reading
Hi Gang… This is another in an series of ongoing articles and designs from the talented hands of Keith Kaucher – fan of fiberglass and consummate sports and custom car designer. For years Keith shared his designs with the audience … Continue reading
——————– “Some of the facts revealed here may shock the reader….” How To Draw Cars of Tomorrow (1952) That’s what’s written on the back cover of Bob Gurr’s 1952 book on car design, and it gives the book a … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Glenn Brummer strikes again. He sends me the neatest links on magazines of interest on eBay, and the latest link he shared was to a great article by “Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky” from Skyways Magazine in January 1943. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… What an interesting week this has been around a car called the Hirsch Sports car. Up until earlier this week, the “Hirsch” was a “Mysterion” extraordinaire. Click here to review our earlier story about the Hirsch sports car. My how … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Appreciation of cars knows no boundaries. And that has led to a great friendship with Rik Hoving – Custom Car aficionado who lives in the Netherlands. Rik is one of the best sources out there on history of … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’ve recently been calling Howard “Dutch” Darrin the “Rock Star” of fiberglass – and with good reason. He produced a wider variety of prototypes and actual cars built from fiberglass in the postwar years than anyone else at … Continue reading
Hi Gang… This is the first in a series of articles on the design, construction, build, and creation of the sports car ride at Disneyworld – known by all as “Autopia” which opened in July 1955. When Walt Disney began … Continue reading
Hi Gang… It’s not fiberglass – but it should be. As you know, fiberglass was the “wonder” material that made prototypes a reality. Fantastic shapes, contours, and designs that could only be expressed two-dimensionally in terms of cost were now … Continue reading
Hi Gang… What grabbed you and your fiberglass car interest? For me….it’s all about design. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and what I see…”I get.” Most of my far more schooled friends in car design have been … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We’ve talked about Strother MacMinn, Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, Hugh Jorgensen, and other designers. Now let’s talk about Richard Arbib. He designed the most fantastic concept car ideas I’ve seen, and even one of his futuristic designs was built – just … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Those of you who are faithful readers of Forgotten Fiberglass, know how much Rick D’Louhy and I (and now Bill Fester of Houston, Texas), have come to appreciate the legendary designer and stylist Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky. I’ve … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The golden age of building your own fiberglass bodied sports car was 1951-1956. This is what Rick D’Louhy and I call the “First Generation” of fiberglass sports cars because designing and building your own car from scratch was being … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As many of you know, one of my favorite designers from the 1950’s was Russian born Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky. I first wrote about him earlier this year and introduced you to some of the concept sports car … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The story of the LeMans Coupe is one of the most exciting to share about any fiberglass car from the 1950’s or 1960’s. I’ll have to do this in separate articles because each car built had a different story, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Building a fiberglass sports car early in one’s life usually has long-term implications. That’s what happened to Keith Kaucher when he first came across a LaDawri Castillian in shop class in the late 1970’s, and ultimately resulted in … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I know the automotive world is not all fiberglass. However, there are times when some of you…. or some of me…. will want to share something – not related to the fiberglass genre in any way. In this spirit, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As Rick D’Louhy and I continue our pursuit of documenting the “Forgotten Fiberglass” cars of the 1950’s, special ones bubble to the surface based on design, obscurity, prominence, rarity, and interest. One car combines all of these elements, and … Continue reading
Hi gang… Something a bit different than fiberglass…. Sometimes I feel I started my research 50 years too late and never had a chance to meet some of the luminaries from back in the day. Other times I feel it … Continue reading
