Jalopnik: Orphan Car Show

Stupidest Awesome Car At 2009 Orphan Car Show: Out-rig Your Mom-In-Law

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:30:00 EDT

They're officially called "outrigger seats," but off the record they're known as "Mother-in-law Seats." The 1923 Kissel 6-45 GoldBug has two, and they're so stupid-awesome and dangerous we couldn't help but love the whole car. More »

1908 Maxwell LC Tourabout: Subaru Boxer's Great-Great-Grandpappy

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:20:00 EDT

We have a hard time getting revved up about horseless carriages over one century old, but this 1908 Maxwell LC Tourabout is pretty remarkable. Check out the horizontally opposed two-cylinder powerplant. Take that Subaru. More »

1947 DeSoto Custom Suburban Makes Minivans Seem Really Crappy

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EDT

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Minivans practically euthanize style as a matter of course, but it needn't be so. Check out this nine passenger 1947 DeSoto Custom Suburban, it's more stylish than a dozen modern Bentleys and cooler to boot. More »

1948 Davis Delta: Now That's Weird

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:40:00 EDT

Put aside for a moment that the one-wheel-in-front, three-wheeled car setup is inherently unstable, because when a car like the 1948 Davis Delta has this much wacky style, staying wheels-down is highly over rated. More »

Wilt Chamberlain's 1967 Ghia 450SS Spyder

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EDT

Billetproof wasn't the only Detroit-area car show this weekend, we also popped over to Ypsilanti's Orphan Car Show, where we found the only car to make an appearance at both shows — Wilt Chamberlain's 1967 Ghia. More »

Going Out In Style: Malaise Packard Hearse

Mark Arnold — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Leaving the 2008 Orphan Car Show last weekend, we assumed we had already seen all the cars there were to see. But then, just as we walked out through the front gate, we saw this. Our first thought? Stutz hearse! Err, no, wait a second... More »

Davis 494X, For When A Jeep Has One Too Many Wheels

Mark Arnold — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Do you think that four wheels are just too many for your bare-bones military vehicle? Well then, Mr. Secretary of Defense, may we interest you in contracting Davis Motorcar Company to build you this, the 494X? Unlike more conventional military vehicles, the 494X utilized Davis' existing three-wheel chassis. Sadly, this seems to be a one-off prototype, but could you imagine if it wasn't? More »

The Fabulous Hudson Hornet

Mark Arnold — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:20:00 EDT

Yes, it's the one and only Fabulous Hudson Hornet. While many of the classic automobiles on display at the 2008 Orphan Car Show came from far and wide, the journey for this piece of racing history was merely across town. That's because it now resides in the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum, a facility that was formerly home to Miller Motors, the last Hudson dealership in the world. But what made this Hornet so Fabulous? More »

1951 Kaiser Traveler Retroactively Busts Segments

Mark Arnold — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:20:00 EDT

Sure, we loves us some El Camino-izations, but what if you go beyond the mere car/truck love child? What if you could have a vehicle that blends elements of sedans, trucks, and station wagons? No, we're not talking about the Twindoor Skoda Superb, or some other newfangled crossover. We're talking about real innovation! More »

AMC's Awesome Malaise Compacts

Mark Arnold — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:15:00 EDT

When we told you about the possibility of a new Chevy-branded compact car yesterday, the howls of lamentation quickly followed, as long-repressed memories of awful bowtie-badged compacts bubbled back into consciousness. But if you think those old Chevettes, Toyota-based Novas, and Citations were bad, you're forgetting about the real champion of awesomely awful American hatchbacks: AMC. More »

Nash Statesman Coupe and Ambassador Sedan

Mark Arnold — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:40:00 EDT

With perfect Michigan weather yesterday, there was no excuse for us not to make the drive over to Ypsilanti for the annual Orphan Car Show. Yes, it's a show dedicated to the fantastic classic cars left out in the cold by their dead brands. This year, the show's featured marques were Plymouth and DeSoto, but there were plenty of other cars there too, including this pair of sleek Nash classics. More »