Stewart Howden hosts a lively discussion with guests Linda Vaughn and Keith Martin, diving into their rich histories in motorsports and the automotive world. Linda shares anecdotes from her time as the 'First Lady of Motorsports,' including her experiences with famous racers and her love for classic cars. The trio discusses the evolution of car culture, the impact of modern vehicles, and the nostalgia for classic models. With humor and heartfelt stories, they reflect on the camaraderie within the automotive community and the importance of preserving its history.
CAM Show #227 airdate 01-21-26 Stewart is joined by former "Miss Hurst Golden Shifter" Linda Vaughn who shares delightful stories about her career promoting race products and a life revolving around the racing world. Often called "The First Lady of Motorsports" she was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2019 and the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in 2021. Of note was her appearence in the 1976 film The Gumball Rally, and the 1983 film Stroker Ace and her relationship with #BurtReynolds as well as her opinion of the "sexiest" car and her dog's rockin' name. Plus #Keith Martin with the special offer from #SportsCarMarket and his blog asking "Where's my title?" @HurstShifterUSA @Disney @Avant-GardeCollection #HurstOlds #PontiacGTO #NHRA #GM @SEMA #AmericanRebelBeer #NeilDiamond @BobSeger #WillieNelson @TESLA @MarioAndretti @PenskeRacing
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The Porsche 928 is a sports car made by Porsche that was built from 1978 to 1995. It was known for being comfortable and fast, making it a popular choice for long drives.
The Porsche 928 is a luxury sports car produced by Porsche from 1978 to 1995. It was designed to combine the performance of a sports car with the comfort of a grand tourer, featuring a front-engine layout and a distinctive design.
"...being introduced to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When that car came to the first race there because she was there. She walked out on the track."
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a well-known racetrack in the U.S. where many important car races happen, including the famous Indianapolis 500. It's a big deal in the racing world.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a famous racetrack located in Indianapolis, Indiana, known for hosting the Indianapolis 500, one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. It is often referred to as 'The Brickyard' due to its original brick surface.
"...look at your sugar. And Earnhardt and Penny come over and both gave her kisses."
Earnhardt probably means Dale Earnhardt, a famous race car driver in NASCAR who won many championships and is very well-known in racing.
Earnhardt likely refers to Dale Earnhardt, a legendary NASCAR driver known for his aggressive driving style and seven championships. He is a significant figure in American motorsports history.
Hurst Oldsmobile cars are special versions of Oldsmobile vehicles that were modified for better performance. They are often sought after by collectors and fans of classic cars.
The Hurst Oldsmobile refers to a series of performance cars produced by Oldsmobile in collaboration with Hurst Performance. These cars are known for their distinctive styling and enhanced performance features, making them popular among muscle car enthusiasts.
"...I love cars, especially her shifters in those pony axes."
Pony cars are sporty cars that are usually affordable and have a classic look. The Ford Mustang is one of the most famous pony cars.
Pony cars are a class of American automobiles that are characterized by their sporty design and affordable price. They typically have a long hood and a short rear deck, with models like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro being iconic examples.
"...I love cars, especially her shifters in those pony axes."
Shifters are the parts of a car that you use to change gears. In manual cars, you move the shifter to select different speeds and power levels.
Shifters are the components in a vehicle that allow the driver to change gears, typically found in manual transmissions. They play a crucial role in controlling the vehicle's speed and power delivery.
"I said, but I think I'd rather go with Hurst because I can get them involved in NASCAR, drag racing, Indy car racing."
Hurst makes parts for cars that help improve performance, especially when it comes to changing gears quickly. They're especially known for their gear shifters.
Hurst is a well-known manufacturer of aftermarket automotive products, particularly shifters and performance parts. Their products are popular among car enthusiasts, especially in the realms of drag racing and muscle cars.
"I can get them involved in NASCAR, drag racing, Indy car racing."
NASCAR is a type of car racing that happens on circular tracks. The cars used in NASCAR are specially built to go really fast and are based on regular cars you might see on the road.
NASCAR stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and it's a popular motorsport organization in the United States known for its stock car racing events. It features heavily modified cars racing on oval tracks.
Drag racing is a fast-paced race where two cars go straight down a track to see who can get to the finish line first. It's all about speed and quick starts.
Drag racing is a type of motor racing where two vehicles compete to see which can cover a straight distance in the shortest time, typically a quarter-mile. It's known for its high speeds and quick acceleration.
"Indy car racing. He's going to cover the whole world with his products."
Indy car racing is a type of car racing that features cars with open wheels, meaning the tires are not covered. It's famous for races like the Indianapolis 500, where cars go really fast on big tracks.
Indy car racing refers to a form of open-wheel car racing, most famously represented by the Indianapolis 500. These cars are designed for high speeds on oval tracks and are known for their advanced engineering.
"...He was the first person to go into OEM thanks to John DeLorean. We had the Hurst shifters in the Pontiacs..."
OEM means the original maker of car parts. If a car has OEM parts, it means those parts were made by the same company that made the car.
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, referring to companies that produce parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. In the automotive context, it often means parts made by the car's original manufacturer.
"No, George won the General Motors period. In which we sold a lot of shifters to General Motors."
General Motors, or GM, is a big company that makes cars. They own several brands like Chevrolet and Cadillac.
General Motors (GM) is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing various brands including Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick.
"...actually had a key, like a valet type key, to turn the shifter..."
A valet key is a special key that lets someone park your car without being able to open certain parts of it, like the trunk. It helps keep your belongings safe while someone else is driving your car.
A valet key is a special type of key that allows limited access to a vehicle, typically enabling the valet to start the car and drive it, but restricting access to the trunk or glove compartment. This is designed to prevent theft or unauthorized access to personal items while the car is parked.
"It was called the dual gate. The dual gate, right? Yeah."
A dual gate is a special type of gear shifter that lets you switch between regular driving and faster, sportier driving. It helps drivers change gears more quickly and easily.
The dual gate refers to a type of shifter that allows for both standard and performance shifting modes, enhancing driving experience and control. It's often found in performance vehicles to facilitate quicker gear changes.
"When he came in there, New Yorker, this is a sweetheart of a guy,"
The Chrysler New Yorker is a big, comfortable car that was popular for many years. It's known for having a lot of space inside and a smooth ride, making it nice for long trips.
The Chrysler New Yorker is a full-size luxury car that was produced from the 1940s to the 1990s, known for its spacious interior and smooth ride. It represents the classic American luxury car era and is often discussed for its comfort and style.
"I might go to Barrett Jackson Friday, but Daytona for the 21-25 miles and, of course, the truck races."
Barrett-Jackson is a famous car auction where people buy and sell classic cars. It's a big event for car lovers to see and bid on unique vehicles.
Barrett-Jackson is a renowned auction company specializing in classic and collector cars. Their auctions attract car enthusiasts and collectors from around the world, showcasing a wide range of vehicles from vintage classics to modern supercars.
"I might go to Barrett Jackson Friday, but Daytona for the the 21-25 miles"
The Chrysler Daytona is a sporty car from the 80s and 90s that looks cool and is fun to drive. It's known for being a bit different from regular cars because of its unique style.
The Chrysler Daytona is a sporty coupe that was produced in the 1980s and 1990s, known for its distinctive styling and performance. It is often discussed for its role in the American automotive landscape during that era.
Car
Hurst-Oles convertible
"...could you go to George Hurst and say I want a 72 Hurst-Oles convertible this, this and this..."
The Hurst-Oles convertible is a unique car made by Oldsmobile in 1972. It's known for being sporty and stylish, and it has special features that make it stand out from regular cars.
The Hurst-Oles convertible is a special edition of the Oldsmobile Cutlass, produced in 1972. It was known for its performance enhancements and distinctive styling, often associated with the Hurst brand, which is famous for its aftermarket performance parts.
The G-Wagon is a fancy and tough SUV made by Mercedes-Benz. It's known for its unique square shape and powerful performance, making it great for off-road driving.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, often referred to as the G-Wagon, is a luxury SUV known for its rugged design and off-road capabilities. It features a boxy shape and is popular among celebrities and car enthusiasts alike.
"...the Mustangs and the Camaros and the Corvettes and the 57 Chevy's"
The Chevrolet Camaro is a sporty car that is often compared to the Ford Mustang. It's known for being fast and stylish, making it popular among car lovers.
The Chevrolet Camaro is another classic American muscle car that has been competing with the Ford Mustang since its introduction in 1966. Known for its powerful engines and sporty design, it remains a favorite among car enthusiasts.
"the Mustangs and the Camaros and the Corvettes and the 57 Chevy's like you said I wouldn't have"
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that many people love. It's famous for being a fun car to drive and has been around for a long time, making it a classic choice for car enthusiasts.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a high-performance sports car known for its distinctive design and powerful engines. It has been a symbol of American automotive excellence since its introduction in 1953, often discussed for its performance capabilities and cultural significance.
"I love it and I got a CTS-V. I love those. Those are great cars."
The Cadillac CTS-V is a fast and powerful version of the Cadillac CTS sedan. It's known for being fun to drive and has a lot of luxury features.
The Cadillac CTS-V is a high-performance variant of the Cadillac CTS, known for its powerful engine and sporty handling. It is often praised for its speed and luxury features, making it a favorite among enthusiasts.
"look there a flock of thunderbirds that love the power for fire birds"
The Ford Thunderbird is a stylish car that was made to be comfortable and luxurious. It became popular in the 1950s and is still loved for its classic look.
The Ford Thunderbird is a classic American car that was first introduced in 1955 as a personal luxury vehicle. Known for its stylish design and comfortable ride, it has become a symbol of mid-20th century automotive culture.
"plus AMC eagle and the difficult to catch road runner oh there's no better place"
The Dodge Road Runner is a fun and powerful car from the muscle car era, known for its speed and a funny horn that goes 'beep-beep.' It's a favorite among car fans for its exciting performance.
The Dodge Road Runner is a classic muscle car that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s, known for its performance and distinctive 'beep-beep' horn. It represents the muscle car era and is often discussed for its power and fun driving experience.
"..., Burlington, New Jersey Levittown, Pennsylvania, Fleetwood, Pennsylvania Monroe Township, New Jersey"
The Cadillac Fleetwood is a big, fancy car known for being very comfortable and stylish. It was made to be a luxury car, making it popular among people who wanted a nice ride.
The Cadillac Fleetwood is a luxury vehicle that epitomizes American elegance and comfort, produced from the 1930s to the 1990s. It is often discussed for its spacious interiors and classic styling, representing the height of luxury in its time.
"next up is the 1978 Cadillac El Dorado Barrett's Cotillion white over white"
The Cadillac ELR is a fancy car that uses both electricity and gas to drive. It's designed to be luxurious and is known for its stylish look and modern technology.
The Cadillac ELR is a plug-in hybrid luxury coupe that combines electric and gasoline power for a unique driving experience. Launched in 2014, it is often discussed for its innovative technology and upscale design.
"what's the horsepower in 78 not much 190 maybe it wasn't about horsepower"
Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful an engine is. The more horsepower, the faster and stronger the car can be.
Horsepower is a unit of measurement for power, commonly used to describe the power output of engines. It indicates how much work an engine can perform over time, with higher horsepower generally translating to better performance.
"how about the 1991 Land Rover Defender 90 TDI 200 that would mean it's got a turbo diesel"
The Land Rover Defender 90 is a tough, off-road vehicle that's great for adventures. It's known for its square shape and ability to handle rough terrain.
The Land Rover Defender 90 is a compact SUV known for its rugged off-road capabilities and distinctive boxy design. The '90' refers to its short wheelbase, making it more maneuverable in tight spaces.
"how about the 1991 Land Rover Defender 90 TDI 200 that would mean it's got a turbo diese..."
The Land Rover Defender is a tough, boxy SUV made for driving off-road. It's known for being able to handle rough trails and is popular with people who love outdoor adventures.
The Land Rover Defender is a rugged off-road vehicle that has gained a reputation for its durability and capability in challenging terrains. Originally designed for military use, it has become a favorite among adventure seekers and is often discussed for its iconic design and off-road prowess.
"...as like the that's where you see pretty like when Prius came out they were everywhere so now it's the Tes..."
The Toyota Prius is a car that uses both gas and electricity to drive, which helps save fuel and reduce pollution. It became very popular because it was one of the first cars to focus on being good for the environment.
The Toyota Prius is a hybrid vehicle that revolutionized the automotive industry by popularizing fuel-efficient cars. Launched in the late 1990s, it is often discussed for its eco-friendly technology and role in promoting sustainable transportation.
"next up is the 1964 Studebaker Alark Commander sedan golden sand metallic over tan and brown"
The Jeep Commander is a big SUV that can handle rough roads and is great for outdoor adventures. It has a lot of space inside, making it good for families or trips.
The Jeep Commander is a mid-size SUV that was produced from 2006 to 2010, known for its rugged design and off-road capabilities. It is often discussed for its spacious interior and versatility for both on-road and off-road driving.
"times 10 so and last but not least 1923 Ford Model T coupe when you think antique car"
The Ford Model T is an old car that was made a long time ago and is known for being one of the first cars that everyday people could afford. It changed how cars were made and helped many families own a vehicle.
The Ford Model T, produced from 1908 to 1927, is considered the first affordable automobile, making car ownership accessible to the masses. Its significance lies in its role in revolutionizing the automotive industry and mass production techniques.
"...in with now I had a bug I sprite that the guys at 911 are and sold for me and it is sold"
The Porsche 911 is a high-end sports car famous for being very fast and fun to drive. It's known for its unique shape and has been loved by car fans for many years.
The Porsche 911 is a legendary sports car known for its distinctive design and exceptional performance. Since its debut in 1964, it has become an icon in the automotive world, often discussed for its engineering excellence and driving experience.
"so you're sending the e-type v12 coupe to bring a trailer"
The Jaguar E-Type is a beautiful sports car that was made in the 1960s. It's famous for its sleek look and fast speed, making it a favorite among car lovers.
The Jaguar E-Type, launched in 1961, is celebrated for its stunning design and performance, often regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Its combination of speed and elegance has made it a favorite among collectors and car enthusiasts.
"hypercars and YSAC 918 spider porches and all that just going"
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a super-fast car that uses both gas and electricity to go really fast. It's a special car that not many people own because it's made in limited numbers.
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid supercar that combines high performance with advanced technology. Launched in 2015, it is often discussed for its impressive speed, innovative engineering, and limited production numbers.
Select text to request an explanation
This is the Classic Automall Show.
Broadcast from the studios inside the Classic Automall in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just one
hour west of Philadelphia at Pennsylvania Turnpike Exit 298, featuring nearly 1,000 classic vintage
and barred-fine vehicles for sale under one climate-controlled roof.
Now, here's your host, Classic Automall President and the man with all the toys,
Stuart Howden.
And welcome to show number 227.
Is that right?
That is 227.
We missed 226 because we were, you know, traveling all over the world.
We'll get into that.
We'll get into that later.
Sounds exciting.
Yeah, exactly.
Okay, before we get to our guest, quickly, JR, how many cars in inventory right now?
I'm going to go with 928.
Steve.
That's a good guess.
Solid guess.
I'm going to go 950.
I'm going to stick to 950.
964.
So, Steve wins.
Oh, wow.
So, 964, yeah, the consignments are rolling in.
Nice.
Nice to see that.
Right before the snow does.
Yeah, with five degrees and we're supposed to get 18 to 23 inches of snow this weekend.
And I bet our guest is not planning on getting 18 to 23 inches of snow.
Linda Vaughn is joining us, probably from the West Coast.
Good morning, Linda.
Good morning.
Yes, it is three hours earlier out here.
Yeah, I know.
I'm sorry about that.
Yesterday, I got to call my sisters in Bragg, it was 75, but today it's 59.
Well, you better break out the fur coats then, right?
Well, I got them, especially when I came to Pennsylvania, and George first says, why
do you buy another fur coat for it?
I said, well, I got thin blood.
Well, and because you were born and raised in the South, right?
I mean, that was in Dalton, Georgia.
Oh, absolutely.
Dalton, Georgia, the carpet capital of the world.
And I'm like a shoemaker's daughter, I have no shoes, I have no carpet, I'm waiting on
my carpet, but if you're delayed on that.
Oh, is he?
Well, they got vinyl flooring too, apparently, so they say, but Dalton's a pretty part
of the world.
Right there in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, that's a great place
to grow up.
It really, really is a beautiful place.
I got some acreage there.
Get out of the trash, Curly, my dog's in here.
I make it on the phone.
He has to come in and listen and see what's going on.
Oh, that's funny.
That's the most southern thing that's ever been said on our show, get out of the
trash, Curly.
I got a Cocker Spangler, which you don't see out here.
Everything I hear is a cockaboo, a doodle-doo, or what-a-woot-a-woo-woo.
There's a real American Cocker Spangler.
That's the only way we like them.
And his name is Curly Joe Cocker.
Curly Joe Cocker, they love him out here.
Did you meet a lot of musicians back in the day going to the races and stuff?
Were they there?
Give me back in the day.
I still see them.
I got a lot of musician friends.
Well, you and I met in Chattanooga at the Great Motor Car Festival, which they're
not doing again this year, and which is such a shame.
Oh, no.
I know.
It's such a shame.
It's a really broken heart.
And you know, that last year there, I had my little prod and joy red car there.
Oh, yeah.
And we did really well.
And I had sold it to this wonderful friend, Enoch, an adult in my hometown.
He has a collection of 161 cars.
Wow.
And on the return that day, he was coming back after a motorcycle ride.
He was killed.
Oh, my God.
It was devastating.
So I'm trying to get the car out of the probate and get the car back.
Oh, gosh.
Yeah.
I had it over 50 years.
I know.
I know.
Mother said, don't cry for something that don't cry for you talking about that car.
That's another great mother.
I said, why did you cry when somebody took your hair snow snow?
She goes, oh, that's right.
That's right.
Well, it's all it's all good until it goes against the grain of mom.
And then mom says, well, my mom used to.
My mother was a big part of my life.
Let me tell you, she'd go to all the races.
She'd walk out on the track.
I'll never forget us being introduced to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
When that car came to the first race there because she was there.
She walked out on the track.
She got a standing ovation.
I told her sugar.
I said, look at your sugar.
And Earnhardt and Penny come over and both gave her kisses.
I was thrilled for this.
Oh, my God.
That must have made her day.
Oh, my word.
She said, see, I still got it.
Yeah.
Well, you came from.
I came by and honest.
Yeah.
You came from Good Stock, right?
Yeah, we did.
Well, we hope that maybe someday somebody will resurrect the Chattanooga Motor Car Festival
because it was really a wonderful event and so much fun in that Weston Hotel
and the center of the hub and Corky Coker and just all the characters that were there.
Just all the characters and my cousins and all the people that come up to see me.
And then all the Hurst Osmo bills I had there.
Oh, yeah.
Now what you got?
Now he's come in here with a toy in his mouth.
He's doing everything to interrupt me.
Well, we'd like to talk to him, but can he bark for us?
Can he bark on command?
Well, he can't hear.
He's dead on the starting line at the drag races with Tony Stewart.
Tony just loves it.
And he can't hear a damn thing.
Boy, he knows that story.
It doesn't bother him a bit.
You know, that's the loudest thing.
I can't see how that guy who stands at that starting line
and runs that Christmas tree all day long.
I don't see how.
Oh, my word.
I don't understand what there was buster.
It will blow you away.
Yeah.
And it's conditioned as I am.
No wonder I can't hear very well.
Yeah.
Might have a little something to do with it, right?
Well, you've also.
It's been a wonderful.
And I do miss Chattanooga.
I just tell all the folks that are listening.
I really hope we get to regenerate that.
Me too.
It was a lovely show.
Me too.
Our family loved it.
Yeah.
It was great for everybody.
And the host hotel.
The Weston Host Hotel was a great central hub.
I mean, you could sit there and see everybody
who's anybody in the car world.
It was amazing to watch.
That's what we did.
That's what we did.
We sat in the lobby and talked to everybody.
It was absolutely amazing.
It was one of the best events that I think
I've ever attended in my life.
And it was fairly new.
I mean, it was only in five years old.
So.
Yeah.
I did every one of them.
Yeah, absolutely.
So.
Every one of them.
And your official title is motor sports ambassador
and the first lady of motor sports
and Ms.
Harris Golden Shifter.
But also actress, right?
You were in a couple of three or four films, right?
Oh, I was in several films.
Was that fun?
I was an actor every day.
Oh, yeah.
It was fun.
It was fun with Bert Reynolds because everybody
thought we had something going.
And Lottie got all jealous.
And I go, honey, I have.
I've done him my whole life.
I said, he's too little for me.
And she goes, how do you kick your hair?
Look at us.
We're doing a movie down in Atlanta.
Well, we're doing stroke or ace.
And we're shooting out the track in her hair.
And this went limp.
And I said, I quit Atlanta.
And he came in here in my dress.
And when I did her hair after that,
she knew then that I was cool.
She was your best bud, right?
But Bert and I, no, but Bert was.
Bert and I, thanks, friends, right up to the end.
You know, his last show at Barry Jackson.
Right.
They asked him, he had a cowboy hat on.
They were interviewing him from stage.
And he goes, and they say, hey, Bert,
would you take that hat off for anybody in here?
He goes, only for Linda Vaughn.
And then the camera came right on me.
And they started that rumor again.
And I went, time out.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
It's not what you'll think.
We're just buds.
We're just pals.
Well, what a great actor he was.
I'd love watching him in the old,
the old old stuff like the White Lightning and Gator.
Those were two of my favorite movies when I was a kid.
I loved all of them.
I liked them at those westerns when he played in India.
Oh, yeah.
Bert Wilson from Florida.
He never forgot where he came from.
No, he didn't.
He was a big Hollywood star, but I always treated him
in the same way.
He was a wonderful person.
People who loved him had a right to love him.
He was a good guy.
I love cars, especially her shifters in those pony axes.
Oh, yeah.
Absolutely.
You know, it was so fun back in the day
to watch the progression of her shifters
when we were younger, because they were,
they did a marketing thing.
I mean, weren't,
what I remember or recall was that her shifter,
it actually said hers on the shifter,
it was the only aftermarket company
that had their name on a manufactured car
except for the tire manufacturers.
So you wouldn't see.
That's true.
Especially when we did the pay score.
I don't want to interrupt you.
No.
You're right on the buddy.
I'm glad to hear you say that.
Yeah.
We were.
It was really cool that that was something that happened.
I mean, George Hurst, I mean,
I recall he didn't have maybe,
did he have an eighth grade education, I think,
but somebody said something about him
that he could figure out most things in his head
that would need us.
Most people would need a slide rule to figure out.
He was brilliant.
Yeah.
He was a brilliant engineer,
and he didn't finish school.
He got, anyway, he took care of his family,
his dad died.
But Mr. Hurst, let me tell you,
I met him in Daytona.
I was Ms. Farber for the Pure Oil Company.
Right.
And they had, they had this kind test
that they were going to run.
Well, and I was coming through the end of the rain
with pure oil at the time,
and he had a full page ad and he goes,
I want you to be in my contest.
Well, I worked in the afternoon after school
for the dentist.
So I was learning to be a dental hygienist.
Make a long story short, the ad said,
we're looking for a new Ms. Hurst Golden Shifter.
She must love racing, have a good person out
to be able to travel and have sound teeth.
I said, are you looking for a race queen
or a race horse?
That's how we started our conversation.
How perky.
And Walden Parks introduced me to George.
And it was all happening that day.
Well, then Molly says, well, I want her to be in my contest
and we're looking for this in the HRA.
Well, I studied up on it.
And when the couple of days after I got back home,
I was telling Mother, I said, Mother,
I said, I love them both.
I said, but I think I'd rather go with Hurst
because I can get them involved in NASCAR,
drag racing, Indy car racing.
He's going to cover the whole world
with his products.
Plus, I had not a Hurst shift
and $5 down to $5 a week
and on his Charlie Speed Shop
for Jimmy's 57 Chevrolet.
I learned to drive a stick shift.
No kidding.
Instantly.
I took to it.
I love that.
So I bought a Hurst shift and I told George
that story where he wanted me in his contest
and I entered it and I won.
Well, did you get any girls?
Did you give him like a proposal about it?
I mean, like a written...
When I went into the office,
I was like, you didn't need to do your homework.
I went into the office to discuss
if they could be into Pennsylvania.
I had never had a trams casino
or a hoagie.
I just was so excited to go into another world.
I'm being a little redneck from Dalton, Georgia
and I was going to eat a hoagie.
My mother goes, what's that?
I go, I don't know.
It sure is good.
But George was...
He was so well versed
and educated in his own right
that the people would come to learn from him
and he was a brilliant man.
I mean, like he put together
a shift pattern he'd put together.
I mean, he never even took engineering,
but he was a brilliant man.
He was the first person to go into OEM
thanks to John DeLorean.
We had the Hurst shifters in the Pontiacs
before we had them in the Ozmobiles.
Did he like Ozmobiles better
than Pontiacs? Was there a reason for that?
No, no, no, no.
His first shifter went into a Pontiac.
No, George won the General Motors period.
In which we sold a lot of shifters
to General Motors.
But to go into the Pontiac
it was lovely, it was fantastic.
Well, the His and Hurst shifter to me
is the coolest automatic transmission shifter
in history, and especially the old ones
that actually had a key, like a valet type key,
to turn the shifter...
I know! To turn the shifter
so they wouldn't steal your car
or they couldn't take it out of the parking lot
when you valet parked it.
I didn't like it.
I've really fought for the Hurst
of your shifters. Oh, I bet.
It was called the dual gate.
The dual gate, right? Yeah.
So you wouldn't actually only put it into reverse, right?
I have that in my 75 Hurst.
Those parked out here in my garage right now.
Is it black or white?
I got the white one here. Oh, nice.
The cameo light with the...
What is that? Frostproof gold or what?
Oh, just the greatest.
That's right! I just love you!
I had one in Shenandoah
at the concourse there, too.
I had one of the boys
from Georgia brought their cars up for me.
It was just...
I want to go back in Shenandoah.
You got me thinking about it, too. I do, too.
Hello!
It was funny, but you became
almost as big of an attraction as the race itself.
Tom Wolf, the author,
said about you
that your parade lap
was more of a ceremony by now
than the national anthem.
I know he said that.
He and I were working on a book when he passed away.
No kidding.
I was so heartbroken.
He brought two to us.
Tom and I were just great friends.
I was very nice.
Junior Johnson said,
I got this here driver coming down here.
There's a race of men
that he don't know anything about.
I said, we won't.
My mother and I are standing there.
Because he's coming to the race tomorrow.
I go, well, we'll take care of him.
We had a fried chicken.
Her mother made double eggs of fried chicken
and brought it to the track.
We intercepted him.
He saw the parade and he was so kind.
When he came in there,
New Yorker,
this is a sweetheart of a guy,
kind of shy,
but I knew who he was
because I knew who Tom Wolf was.
I was so excited to meet him.
I ate chicken and drank ice tea with my mama
and covered the race
in Esquire magazine.
The great American hero, Junior Johnson.
I remember that reading.
We stayed friends after all that.
He called me one time
and he goes, Miss Linda Thomas-Wolfe
and I go, oh, my phone just melted.
Because we needed to get together
and we were going to
make it happen.
Oh, my God.
That's so cool.
He was such a great author.
He was brilliant.
I was so excited because
he wanted to write a screenplay
and make me a part of it.
I was so proud of him saying that.
We never got to finish it.
Well, you know what?
There's a lot of things in our life
that we left on the table, unfortunately.
But you've had a pretty good life,
so I would imagine that.
I keep on going.
You're still doing, how many events
have you done?
About that.
I'm trying to
I have had to slow down
because of my health reasons.
I'm not a spring chicken anymore,
but it's a long life.
I did the PRI show.
I did the SEMA show
and the people still want to see me
and want me there.
I'm going to show, of course,
I'm going to Daytona.
I might go to Barrett Jackson Friday,
but Daytona for the
the 21-25 miles
and, of course, the truck races.
See, my Tony Stewart, my baby's racing.
I can't believe he's racing
in NASCAR again.
Isn't that crazy?
Is he still going to do drag racing
or is he out of that from the driving?
Of course he's going to do drag racing.
He's not going to leave drag racing.
No way, honey.
That's the whole racing family
there now.
I did
a kid rock show with him
last month
and right after the PRI show
we did a little benefit
for that new beer company,
American Rebel.
Ross and those guys
put on a really nice dinner
and we all got together
for Tony.
It was really fun
because what they do
for charity too, he's a brilliant guy.
I watched him grow up, I've noticed
it's just four years old.
Nelson, of course, and daddy
was babysitting me
and Mr. Vaughn, they have a gentleman
that's one of their dear friends, Vaughn.
I go, well, God almighty,
I said, Mr. and Ms. Vaughn
we walked in the party together
and I said, just like, I wouldn't
have to change the monogram
and on my towels.
That's important because that could save you
some money, you know.
My family, I love it, it's a family affair
so I'm all excited about it this year.
Of course, we'll go to Gainesville for the drags.
Sure.
And then we've got the Mothersports Hall of Fame
so March is booked.
I'm going to Tulsa
the week after Daytona
for a car show I haven't done in years.
I'm really excited about it.
In the what?
Together, the shifters stand for me
to take pictures.
Nice.
I love the English shirts.
Oh, absolutely.
There used to be a great show, Daryl Starbird
put it on in Tulsa, but that was years ago.
That's true. Well, I'm going for his daughter.
Oh, no kidding.
I'm going to do the Starbird show.
Oh, I think this is wonderful.
I'm excited and my friends
made me a big hershifter
to put in the display.
They're going to have her snowmobile there for me
and I'm just so excited to go in there
and I got a slew of presents.
You know what a slew is?
It's over one or two.
I must have 13, 14,000 in Tulsa.
And then they got a bunch of kids.
I said, I want his passes
for my family.
He says, okay.
I said, but you don't know how many.
Yeah, don't say okay until you know the number.
I'm all excited
about that slew of a conformance.
It'll be a lot of fun.
And did you back in the day
did you get to, I say back in the day
I'm sorry to keep saying that.
Because I'm still alive.
That's right.
Did you get to pick out,
I mean, could you go to George Hurst
and say I want a 72 Hurst-Oles convertible
this, this and this
and you'd get to drive one as your...
I didn't have to go and ask
if he gave me one, but I wanted this hers.
Right.
He gave me a hers car
and then I could buy them at the end of the lane
which I bought a bunch of them
and so I got to have them
because during the pandemic
and all I had to do was some of my cars.
I wasn't working, I wasn't making any money
I had to sell some of my cars
so I remember my babies
I only have one 75 left
but I got one in the museum at Daytona
I think my mother's car
we use it at the front door
when you come into the mother's courts
all the fame of America
and our museum's at the track
and I invite everybody to come to it
it's just wonderful.
Oh, that's fantastic.
And I have my 79ers there
I come up with the idea
he's on the board of directors
so long as all the people that run the museum
to sign have each person
in the hall of fame to sign it
after a $30,000 paint job
they take a sharpie and they sign my car
I'm outspoken
I'm outspoken with the first one.
Oh, I bet.
I'm old to do
talk to school
everybody's on the car
so we invite everybody now
to sign the car
when they come into the hall of fame
museum.
You were inducted
into the motorsports hall of fame
of America in 2019
the awards that you've received
seem a person
of the year
international drag racing hall of fame
founders club
west coast stock car hall of fame
in 2021
that's got to be a fantastic honor.
It's such a pleasure
to be voted on by your
peers and your loved ones
the people that have supported me
that love me and I love them
this is a family affair
motorsports
we're close-knit
this is a dangerous sport
you have breakfast in the morning
and those things have happened
to me quite a few times
but I love everybody
and I've been married to this industry
everybody keeps up with me
and the only man in my life
is Cody Joe Cocker
so I work and I enjoy it
and I still have a great love affair
I remember Neil Diamond and I were talking
and Bob Seager
these are all great friends of mine
about there's no age limit
to good music on good cars
isn't that the truth
that is such a wonderful
there is absolutely no age limit
on something that's good
music to me
cars are number one in my life
but music is right there
running a close second
I love the people in music
especially country music
and I'm not a huge country music fan
but those guys are the best
they're the best
I got really an outfit to play for me
at SEMA
because he was in dire need of money
I was in dire need of money
I went and interviewed
in a talk show
and I said we'll pay you cash
because of your book
we'll pay you cash
if you'll play for us
he came out there
and he settled for what I had got him
and then he says
you want me to stay longer
so I sent all her stamps
through the audience
to collect money
we filled those bags full of money
he stayed two more extra hours
with his money because he loved it
he loved the people and he loved us
and we stayed great friends
I still hear from Mickey Raphael
but we stayed great friends all these years
because I loved racing
they come to a few races
I got them tickets to the Indie flag I'm doing
they come
first place these men wanted to come in
the night after a concert
to the Indie 500 the next day
so I took Tony with me
the other Tony
and I said if we get him in
he goes have him to meet me at the back gate
at 3 am
3 am
at the back gate
we have time together with music
that's so fun though
but I mean there is a direct correlation
I think between the two
and of course Bob Seeger
he's so great
he's just one of those guys
I was listening to his live bullet album
and this was recorded in 74
it's like it was recorded yesterday
it's so good
and then we also had the Pikes Car Program
with Indie 574
so Seeger
he's always made my friend all these years
and the saxophone player
I had a little crush on him
but I think he was shy of me
you weren't intimidating at all
I can't imagine back in the day
not at all
but you know
I grew up in the best of time
the best ties, the best music
the best of racing
I mean the David Pearson
the rich panties
and now all their kids
it's been a lovely lovely life
I wouldn't trade it for the world
that was a good time
the 50s, 60s and 70s
were probably arguably the best times
in this country and probably the best
that we'll ever see for all those reasons
that you just mentioned
music isn't the same, cars aren't the same
and used to see cool cars at every stoplight
now every other car is a Tesla
or a Cybertruck
I can't stand it
it's no more Tesla's out here
than anywhere else in the whole world
it's crazy
Tesla California
and I told the guy in the parking lot
if he didn't let us know he was backing up
he almost ran over me twice
in the parking lot
so the other day I took four clothespins
and four cards
he had a bicycle growing up and he goes
now I said, well here
put this clothespin on that wheel
and this card
so when you back up I can hear you
before you kill somebody
he didn't last long
he didn't think that was funny
but that's so true
you wonder why people get hit by cars
they're on their cell phone not paying attention
and the cars are quiet
they run over a half a dozen people
down to the freaking store
but the funniest thing is
the second most popular car you see out in California
is a G-Wagon
with a thunderous exhaust
and it's just like the polar opposite of the Tesla
well I'll tell you what I see out here
because I see Saturday
I rode down past the cars in coffee
and I saw lots of beautiful hot rods
oh yeah
my true love is a 57 Chevrolet
every time I see that guy
I have to go over and talk to him
the first time I saw a 57 Chevrolet
I went crazy in love with it
I mean I had a sexual affair with a car
it was amazing
I absolutely
I absolutely felt sexy
with that car
when I started dating Jimmy
he had a 56 and he went and got him a 57
he was
he taught me how to drive
because he wanted me to stick close to him
oh I love it
I absolutely love it
my first kiss
I just cancel the fix on the Chevrolet
was in the front
hard to forget that right
oh it was wonderful
I learned to drive it
I mean I love to have one
I love to have one
we're growing up in the south
we didn't see a lot of fancy cars
like you did out on the west coast
but we saw the cars that were
to our lifestyle
the Mustangs and the Camaros
and the Corvettes and the 57 Chevy's
like you said I wouldn't have
I wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else in the south
I grew up in east Tennessee and I wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else in the world
well you know we all kind of grew up
together there because it's absolutely
beautiful and it still is
some little Mexico has moved in now
unfortunately
there's a lot of trucks but you don't see the Tesla's
down south
you absolutely well
it's too far a distance to get from one place
to the other isn't it
well Tesla's free's along the way
it's down to all these snow storms do you
no you do not
yeah it's uh
but you know
well I drive a General Motors car
I have a Chevy I have a Super Sport
I love it and I got a CTSB
I love those
those are great cars
they do haul ass and they're great cars
I absolutely love them
you ever gonna grow up I go no
no absolutely not
no ma'am
yes ma'am no sir yeah
my grandson
who just turned one of them who just turned 5
he finally has learned to say yes
or no sir and it sounds so
it reminds me of home when I hear somebody say yes
or no sir
and say to ma'am
we never said what to your parents
cause you'd get slapped
I would never say what I'd go ma'am
ma'am
I'd answer her ma'am
I was raised right
so uh are you
amazed at the popularity of NASCAR
I mean how much has grown from back in the 50's
and not necessarily maybe all in a good way
but I mean it has grown to be
this global sport
anymore
I know
I'm very very proud of it all
I'm especially proud of drag racing
drag racing is keeping its own
absolutely
I'm so proud of all the women involved in this sport
I just think it's fabulous
I mean you're going to have a whole slew
of women racing this year
you know you've got Leah Pruitt-Stuart
I call her Leah Pruitt-Prieg
Leah Pruitt-Stuart
the girls from Sweden
Alexis
Elsepe
and jail
I mean we don't have a lot of girls
isn't that crazy
a lot of bikers you know
do girls have an advantage
girls have an advantage
they're a little bit lighter and quicker
I know I really really really are
I mean look at Angela
she had to step her through a lot
a lot of abuse through some of the guys
that she was going through
but I was so sure
we had her racing
absolutely
and you've met everybody
in racing from drag racing
to motorsport I mean Mario Andretti
Dale Earnhardt
I got some Mario yesterday
in touch with each other we do
what a great race
car driver and a great guy
everybody says he's just wonderful
our great friend we just got his 68
Camaro that he had won when he won the race
make a long story short
a friend of mine in Florida
has a restaurant
that restores the cars
excuse me
and they stored it and gave it to him
he was like a little kid in the candy store
this is the love
of these cars
Roger Pence he's got the 72 pace car
that I gave
Mark Donahue on stage that night
he got away from him he found it
now he's got four of them
he don't have the one he's got four of them
oh my gosh
how cool is that
with the big block 455 in it
well of course why not
with a dual gate shifter baby
absolutely I saw
I saw some ads
some ads from the 70's
of Gracia auto part
auto supply commercials that you did
those were so fantastic
I had forgotten I had even seen those
maybe back in the day
oh sorry
I used to drag race going down
Gracia Avenue with George Hurst
and John DeLorey
and I met Angelou
and Kathleen Giputroni
and I'm Gracia and I talked to her last night
last night was the gossip night
she called me we lost Angelou this year
but she's still there
and the Gracia still has a name
but they were the first to go
from their warehouses into the retail stores
it was very successful
very successful I did all the Gracia commercials
and that's how I paid for that little red car
oh that's so fantastic
well we could do this
all afternoon I know you got things to do
and I know you're getting ready to go
to Barrett Jackson and it looks like they're going to have a
I hope so
I'll see how I feel
absolutely well I hope you feel better
thank you so much for being on
I know we've been talking about doing this forever and a day
but so great to have you on
and I hope we'll see you real soon
well I'm looking forward to spending more time with y'all
you guys are great
thank you so much
I bless America
we'll be back in just a couple minutes with the Classic Auto Mall show
my honey
thank you again I appreciate it so much
I run my mouth too much
I'm sorry
you know what I just needed to shut up and let you talk
well I thought it was great
I thought you were wonderful
you did your homework
I think this is the beginning of number one
so let's do number two
I'm ready to do it too I can't wait to see you
thank you guys in there thank you very much
I appreciate y'all
I'm looking up some Bob and Tom to find the checkered past
album too
that's a whole other story
you guys have done your
that's a whole other story
that'll give us a reason to have you back on
okay
I'll be glad to do it
love you lots Linda thank you
bye guys I bless
bye bye
the Classic Auto Mall is located not far
from Audubon, Pennsylvania
named after James Audubon
the famous ornthologist
and there's probably no better place for bird watching
look there
a flock of thunderbirds
that love the power for fire birds
stood to make a lark and hawks
buick sky locks
plus AMC eagle
and the difficult to catch road runner
oh there's no better place
for bird watching than
Classic Auto Mall
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he like recreated Alyssa's voice
with AI
that sounds just like her
how about Linda Vaughn
I didn't know she was Southern
that changes everything
it doesn't change anything
the stories and just
you can sit here and talk to her for 10 hours
and probably never hear the same thing twice
I mentioned Bob and Tom
they were DJs in
Indianapolis
and they would do the show from the 85
100 and there's a song
here called Lovely Linda
so we can share that next time
I have to re-audition
to listen to the last one
have our people call their people
we'll have people talking
about people so
what a great career
and it's not over she is still doing it
amazing
we sell cars the past two weeks
how about Coatsville, Pennsylvania
Sacramento, California, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Seeking Spring, Pennsylvania, Woolwich, New Jersey
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Downing Town, Pennsylvania
Jarrapa Valley, California
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Lady Lake
Florida, Toronto, Canada
Essend, Germany, Burlington, New Jersey
Levittown, Pennsylvania, Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
Monroe Township, New Jersey
Woodbury, Minnesota
Villas, North Carolina, Villas
Rocheran, Texas
Aromas, California, Verona
Pennsylvania, Paradise, Pennsylvania
Whitehall, Pennsylvania, Essex, Maryland
Aubrey, Texas, Clamont, Delaware
Tunkannock, Pennsylvania
Frederick, Maryland, Wilmington, Delaware
York, Pennsylvania, Allentown, Pennsylvania
I'm impressed
impressive you like the speed guy
FedEx guy
commercial
like an auctioneer
talked all the way to the bank
had a great trip to California
just amazing
the Peterson is brilliant
and it's so well
I told the guy who runs it I said
I told Bruce Meyer who's on the board there
we got to see his collection as well too
I said man that place is Disney Clean and Green
he said what'd you say? He said Disney Clean and Green
he goes let's call the
so we call the executive director of the Peterson
he goes here what Stuart says about the thing
and the guy that's his like thing
Disney Clean and Green which is such a cool thing
because it's a real reference point
you wouldn't see a speck of trash
at Disney World or Disneyland when you win
I don't know if it's the same I haven't been in
a hundred years I hope to never go back
because you know I don't do
my wife won some presidents thing at
Nevis Island off of St. Kitt's
and I won't mention the name of the hotel
but it was a big deal it dealt with
different times of the year
and we're walking around and my wife goes
it's nice but it's not Disney
yeah it's not Disney I mean people had that mindset
so we saw the Peterson
in the base in the in the vault
in the basement was Formula One cars
like you can't imagine
cars that you've you know just
you've barely ever seen
that were just spectacular
just an amazing play over 300
something cars in the basement is that open to the public
or it's an extra ticket extra and it's worth it
pay the extra you don't want to
to miss that there's a lot of celebrity Hollywood
cars there they had a great thing they had
that my old favorite video game pole position
oh yeah and I used to have the top
score on pole position everywhere I would
go I was except there was one
point where you went around the first right sharp
and there was two cars right together
boy you had to just time it just right to get through
him otherwise you wouldn't have the fastest lap
but I had the fastest lap every time
and it did me what
right yeah not a damn thing I was a Stargate
King and no I got nothing
what about Defender and Gallagher Defender Gallagher
Gallagher all those so what are some of the new
arrivals that we've had come in that we
haven't talked about in a while how about the 1960
Ramler super series American station wagon
Chatsworth green and frost white
over Aqua and white
81,000 or actual miles
196 cubic inch L head
six cylinder engine
which is plenty for that car yeah flash
automatic three speed automatic does that mean flash
it goes faster or
nifty cruiser rarely seen these
you know yeah this is the first one we've had
we've never had one here before so I've never
seen one before so beautiful little car if you like
wagons and you were thinking about a no matter
like that this is a great alternative and it's so
striking it just hands out with that
that green and frost white beautiful the
1966 Pontiac GT
GTO convertible is a beautiful
car as well too this one's burgundy over red
35,000
that's crazy love the red line
tires yeah yeah with a burgundy
color the red line tires work really red line
tires on a red car to me don't always work
the same exactly
beautiful car date code 389 correct
389 try power
turbo hydromatic 350 long-term
ownership in a true GTO not the original
motor but but a true GTO
and a great performer and a
great value in whatever
guys that you buy it so
next up is the
1978 Cadillac El Dorado Barrett's
Cotillion white over white
that doesn't sound elegant I don't know what it is
Cotillion white
showroom fresh yes 425
cubic inch floor barrel v8 with
117 horse no I don't know
what's the horsepower in 78 not much
190 maybe it wasn't about horsepower
it wasn't about horsepower it was about glitz and
glamour expertly
preserved and this thing is really a
cool car yeah I wrote in there that it's
one of the nicest in the country absolutely
how about the 1991 Land Rover
Defender 90 TDI 200
that would mean it's got a turbo diesel
turbo diesel in it 153,000
actual miles it's Alpen
VICE over
charcoal black
2.5 liter turbo diesel four cylinder
aforementioned it's serengeti capable
it's like a g-wagon only cooler
only cooler a lot of g-wagon
it's more old school that's right
oh my god it was either Tesla
or a g-wagon which are so
polar opposite you wonder why
people drive the g-wagon probably to thumb their nose
at the Tesla people or the Tesla people drive the
thing to remember LA was like the that's where
you see pretty like when Prius came out
they were everywhere so now it's the Tesla
Tesla is the thing out there
next up is the 1964 Studebaker
Alark Commander sedan golden
sand metallic over tan and brown
169.6
overhead valve
the six cylinder
102,000 actual miles two speed automatic
it's an honest little car this is a
nice solid entry level
collectible exactly what I wrote down
entry level collectible and it may be
less than 6,000 on many existence
wow so you won't see it everywhere
excuse me pardon me that's no that was it
that was not it in an Alper
I was just going to say
and fans of Talking Horses
of the 60s Studebaker
sponsored the Mr.
Ed Sheppard
so that you know it's
funny all these different sponsorship things
that happened back in the day and think oh
Studebaker went away you know you got to be thinking
well who are we going to replace them with
nobody else all these businesses are going out of business
but somehow they kept
promoting and doing and whatever by the way
we had a great time when we were in LA we went to
Roscoe's chicken and waffle nice
that's good I was so stuffed
and we ate you know like a four o'clock
and it was like dinner time I was like I really don't want
a waffle and three pieces of fried
chicken anytime it's good for that
oh it's just it's comfort food
times 10 so and last
but not least 1923 Ford Model T
coupe when you think antique car
Model T it's got to be one of
the first or second model layer Model T that come to
mine black over brown beautiful
restoration on this vehicle
177 cubic inch L head
four-cylinder with a two-speed planetary
transmission so it it'll go a little
better than than you expect
and it's got electric start on it which is
no harm no foul I think it's a smart move to
put that on it's no cranking so no
cranking and it's fully functional
so as we mentioned
Meekum just finished up in
Kissimmee $441 million in sales
in 10 days boy
that's just that's
huge money and of course we got
Barry Jackson this week
in Scottsdale and
and all the other that are
associated with that Scottsdale time of
the year right freezing here and
freezing here and beautiful out there
it was 80 degrees when I left Southern California
it was 20 when I landed and
windy yeah and I was like
what was I thinking yeah I
could have missed my flight accidentally on purpose
we have to go through this every year so we
appreciate spring and summer well that's
like you know if you live in an area that's
unseasoned yes you know
like Southern California or South Florida
I mean it's funny the leaves were
falling off the trees but everything else
was still green but they were doing their
so they were like they must have been confused
they were confused trees
so but we had
a wonderful time and the traffic
is horrendous as it always is
but we ate some great meals
and we went to Lowry's the prime
place which was just old school as it could
truly I mean really old school
and still there and it's still there
after all these years I mean there's a lot
of places that are still there after all these
years but we did go to our favorite place
Mastros and we sit at the bar and just order appetizers
killer dessert don't worry
if you try to order a steak it's just too much
we're due for a trip we used to go to Versailles
Cuban restaurant oh yeah and we are
at Jonesen for that right now I'm telling you
there's some great that's the problem in California
there's so many great restaurants you know you could
just find your way we went to the Marmalade
and Malibu one day and that was great
and of course you know everything's
ridiculous we one day we
wanted to be somebody so we had lunch
at the Polo Land at the Beverly Hills Hotel
and I didn't want to tell you what the bill for that
is I had to get the payment plan on the
American press card
they're not known for the payment plan
they don't know they're not big on that
but you had some celebrity sightings
there were celebrity sightings but we had no idea who they were
there was some lady who lived famous
and a couple of soccer guys
that were famous and there was some rapper
and Jeffrey Katzenberg we didn't know
who he was there yeah sure sure Spielberg
Geffen and Katzenberg very cool used to be
the CEO of Disney yeah right that's right
one point in time speaking of Disney
speaking of Disney full circle yeah maybe we'll get
a little at Disney if you're listening
yes you know
a little something something
our show is doing amazing
we're at a hundred and eighty
something thousand subscribers were over
nine million views
it's really just
I'm just completely flabbergasted
it's awesome so maybe people
spotted you at the poll
Garrett and Kathy have some kind of bet
about when I'm going to be spotted at anything
other than a car event
if I'm in a car event that's not fair
because I know a lot of people in the car business
but like at a restaurant
or a 7-Eleven or something like that
they've got some kind of over under
you're that guy from that thing
they'll recognize your voice before
and they'll think I'm taller you know because I have
a taller voice than I am
I always say I'm too handsome for my height
anyway when we return
we'll be with our guest
Mr. Keith Martin our once a week
daily trip down his blog
we'll see you in just a couple minutes on the classic auto mall show
test drive six if you're a buyer
a seller or just general classic car
enthusiast publisher Keith Martin says
we've been around almost 40 years
it's the wall street journal
of the collector car world
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and we're back with the classic auto mall show
from the classic auto mall studio in morgentown
Pennsylvania joining us our friend from the
left coast
Mr. Keith Martin sports car market
magazine publisher how are you this morning Keith
I am great and I am ready to rock and roll
me too the big question
Stuart is whether I'll be able to forgive you
well
you thought an easy task to forgive me Keith
and a lot of people have tried
this was on live tv
you know that
gto was you told me
if I went 34 million
that you would not top my bid
you gave me the pinky thing
you know you did this
and so I went up at 34 million
and bam
I'm sorry man
the money was just laying around I didn't have anything to do
I couldn't think of anything to spend it on
but you know I'm going to buy a white
gto
and it was half price
and half price absolutely
we could have bought two
yeah we should have bought two
any thoughts on the price on that
and the whole thing that went down with that
on from your end
well there's ancillary talk
that because the car was right hand drive
and white and didn't have its original motor
that depressed the price
but I don't think so
I don't have a lot with gto's
just because they only made 30 something of them
you know okay but that's cool
and then you know
most people I mean to spend that kind of money on one car
when you could buy
a collection of 50 cars
great cars superstar cars
for that kind of money
sure we could buy the entire classic automobile
yes and then some
we could buy the cars and the building
I mean it's
but it's so true I mean if you look at it
and talking to people about the Bachman collection
and the numbers that those cars did
somebody
somebody said that there was a charity element
involved but I say
I don't think there would have been or they would have announced that
if you were going to write the check directly to the charity
which I don't think happened
then you could write off you know
whatever the perceived value is versus what you paid
but I don't know if I buy that
I don't I mean it was a foundation
but I don't think you were writing a check to anybody other than meekum
I don't think so either
and you know I mean those were
the prices were crazy I mean did you
there are overall sales
$441 million in 10 days
God Almighty
but you know it's one of those things
that you put the right formula together
and you know it ain't cheap
to put that thing on there's no question about it
but I mean if you add up the money from the commissions
and the entry fees and the bidders
and the parking
and the
sponsors and the television oh my god
the numbers have just got to be staggering
well I'm impressed with Meekum
because the level of detail
you know it seems like everything
that's taken care of everybody I know who's bought
a car there said that titling is
effortless and quick
you know
and the ads are good
the television was good
he really has got it covered from top to bottom
he really does he's made
an amazing
inroads into perfection
on what he does there and it's
fun to watch in an overall setting
I'm not sure that I can watch 10 or 12 hours
of it in a day but it's fun to
watch from a peripheral
view kind of to stand back and go
wow look at what they built look at what they can do
I mean you know you think about it
they're doing the auction because
there's 100 people back at the office
working on the next 10 auctions that
you know I mean that's the craziest
part about it and you
mention about titles which is a nice
takeaway to your last blog where did
that title go
I love that
you don't think about it you don't think
about it and you think well I'm going to sell
my car I better go open the folder and put
shit where's the title
that's what should be the name of the
folder
I know
and not only that not only knowing
where your title is but I can't tell
you how many times and we've talked about this
before where people bring a car to us
and we look at the title and the VIN number
and the VIN number and the title and the serial number
don't match and all of a sudden
you're just about to consummate the deal
oh got a problem can't find
the title or the title doesn't match or
you know even worse that nobody had
a title to begin with now I had a bug
I sprite that the guys at 911
are and sold for me and it is sold
to a Canadian guy so they go from
Portland to Canada 600 miles
and it turns out that they had mistyped
the VIN number on the
title so one number was off
so what they had to do then
was bring the car back from Canada
all the way to the DMV
capital in Portland
and have the
state police examine the car
and issue a fresh title
for it yeah that didn't make them
pleasantly happy right
no and what
else can you do yeah I mean it's one of those things
that regardless of how you feel about it
at the moment that's the only way to fix it
is to fix it however they tell you to fix it
so
you're sending the e-type
v12 coupe to bring a trailer
I see avant guard is going to
handle the sale for you yeah I
use them they're good and they're local
right that's huge you know
and I've had that car
five years and I put 10,000
miles on it that's a lot of miles
yeah I put it had 21,000
original miles when I bought it it's
31,000 now wow
I added up the numbers it cost me
$7,000 to run
10,000 miles it seems like a bargain
in the cart world
I love that car but you know I bought
the 996 and I just
something's gotta go
with the drag I've done
4,000 mile tours
I've done every single thing
I can imagine doing with it right and
once you've done that and checked all the boxes and it's time to
move on I mean there's no reason to have
20 cars in your stable especially
because you can't drive 20 cars
there's not enough hours in the day
that's the problem that you run into
that's 20 cars each trying to break down
yeah exactly well it's
inevitable that the car that you want to drive
is behind the two cars that are behind
to have different and you know
varying problems with them that you can't get them to move
and so you end up not being able
to drive it so
you found the title or no
my office manager the next day after I
filed my blog he said hey read your
blog did you want that file folder that
has all the Jags stuff in it
no I wouldn't like that at all
he said well you know
it came here with paperwork for the
Citroen and the Jag and I got him confused
I said well let's
let's just settle him out here
yeah because that's an honest mistake
the Citron and the Jaguar I can see how you can
get those two oh naturally yeah
and everything's in French
in the Citroen so
and the Jag everything's in Lucas so
you know you guys win-win right
well yeah I went back over to my warehouse
I looked around and I was delighted
because I found the tool
that takes the knockoff off
oh yeah that's so it's that three-year
three-year thing that goes over
the hub right there's a brass hammer you
hit it with I love that so you don't
I found that I found the owner's
manual with where the first owner
signed his name in and his address and all
that stuff so I found I found the
pieces I've got documentation
that shows the back to 31,000 miles
far right well that's important
and especially when you're advertising
these things you want to make sure you get it right
and and a lot of people will put things
in an ad that says well believed to be
and you know owned
by maybe was owned by
you know whoever and all that
you got to have documentation otherwise
people are going to call BS and say you know what
you can't you're not going to get a premium for this vehicle
because it doesn't have the original miles you can't prove it
or you can't prove
the celebrity or whomever Paul Newman
or you know Steve McQueen ownership
either right no I
it's really caused me to have to
I what you should do is not have a
manila folder but one of those envelopes
that has a
a lift on it you know that you can draw
and I didn't go into there
because when I when it goes into a
manila folder it falls out yeah there's
no it's like my briefcase when I'm
on an airplane and I slide it under the seat in front
of me I am so afraid that I'm going to get
to my car in the parking lot and realize that my keys
slid out into the airplane somewhere
oh somewhere and I don't have
my keys and that's that's my greatest
fear in life and you think smart enough I'd
check it before I got off the plane but of
course I don't ever do that
I was on a cruise ship with my son
one time and as the Uber
drove away I realized that my phone
was still in the Uber
and on my phone were all
my credit cards and
I watched him go and I
think I used my son's phone
to call my phone in the car
and then the guy he
knew he had me oh yeah
I bet you there's a hundred dollar bill there at least
yeah there was it was
it's it's it's just
he said you know this will not be
this will not be cheap yeah
Kathy and I left the Hard Rock
Casino in Seminole, Florida
and went to our hotel in
North Miami Beach and it was like midnight
and we realized as we were pulling into
the hotel that we didn't have the keys
for the suburban that we'd rented
and and it was
Dingin but I didn't know what the Dingin was for
so we left him and thank god
the guy from the Hard Rock actually delivered him
to our hotel at 4 a.m. but that was a horrible
feeling very very
very lucky so
you know you got all the auction houses
are gearing up
Barrett's already started and doing their
thing and RM and Gooding and
all these other guys are getting ready to crank up
in Scottsdale
you think we're going to see a boost this year
or you think it's going to be a little flat
that's a really good question
the world's economic situation
is in turmoil right now
so it's it's hard to say
what effect the international things will have
on prices of cars in France
sure sure
in general it seems like
the blue chip V12
Ferrari from the 60s have kind of had their day
right I think you're right
now we're seeing the later model
TDFs and all these
hypercars and YSAC
918 spider porches and all that
just going
that's crazy how much that you if you were on that
list and had the money man you would be doubling
your money every time the new newest
coolest Porsche Ferrari or
whatever came out I think also
sure we can't overlook the fact that
the younger buyers want cars that work
they want cars with air conditioning
they want cars that have power steering power brakes
these old 60s cars
are really a handful to drive
sure you ever drive a 69
Z28 Camaro with a four speed manual
transmission you will long
for fifth or sixth gear you know I mean
it just it's not pleasant
it's not a pleasant experience
if you don't have that extra gear and I that's why I
completely get restomods I understand
why people love those I didn't understand
them at first but I think I understand them now
it makes sense to me because you
you want the look of the old car but the
geniuses of the newer car
exactly so
we you know we we all
we've all become a little spoiled
compared to what we used to you know
our grandparents grew up with basically no air
conditioning and no heat in their house
so you know I mean we that's
changed a little bit but
well it'll be interesting to see what happens
the rest of the week in Scottsdale and
we'll hope the market holds steady because
all of us are you know
our livelihood is based on this
yeah I know I think
things will do okay but I
I think that we saw some real
exuberance at the Mika Mokkamp
sure sure and I think you see people
with a lot of money
who price guides be damned
I don't I want this newest
greatest latest whatever and
it doesn't matter whatever the problem to pay whatever
and you know I didn't buy
I didn't pay too much I just bought it too early
you know or whatever the same
sure a guy who's paying
$100 for a car is not using
food stamps to pay for it
right he's not yeah he's
he's not in any kind of government help
assistance program so no and that's
not his only car and not his only car
that's that's why you see one with so
few miles on him so anyway
Keith Martin such a delight to have you
on the show as always sorry we missed
last week we were hobnobbin and
so Cal and but we'll be back
next week all right I look forward to
talk to you we'll catch you next week
and thanks for stopping by
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