As I’ve said in previous articles, I never set out to become an expert on Neoclassic automobiles – but I keep finding them at car shows, and people keep reading these posts, so I guess I’ll go with it. Having written about nearly every other Neoclassic car manufacturer, it was only a matter of time until I came across a Clénet. Well, it finally happened in early 2019 at my local Cars and Coffee gathering in Scottsdale, Arizona. I came across this 1980 Clénet Series II cabriolet and quickly found that it was different from other neoclassic cars I had seen in the past.
Clénet Coachworks was established in 1975 in Santa Barbara, California by Alain Clénet. Their first car was a 1930s styled roadster called the Series I. The company built 250 of the Series I cars from 1977-79, before moving on to the Series II. Just 187 of the Series II cars were produced – this one is #98. Continue reading →
The market for Neoclassic cars has always been a small corner of the automotive market, going back to the industry’s roots in the 1970s. However, that did not deter former employees of Excalibur from starting their own company in the 1990s.
The Besasie Auto Company, Inc. (or BACI) was formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the purpose of producing a neoclassic automobile. The company produced a total of 14 vehicles between 1993 and 1996. I believe all of them were based on the Ford Thunderbird platform. Most of them used the 5.0L V8 engine with an automatic transmission, though I did find one listing online which said the car had the 4.6L V8, which debuted in 1994. While I could not find much on the history of the company, I suspect they ran into financial troubles. If you know any details about the Besasie family, please post a comment below!
I saw this particular BACI roadster for sale at a collector car dealership in Arizona. One thing that sets this car apart from other neoclassics is the angle of the front grille. While most neoclassics use a waterfall-style grille that is perpendicular to the ground, the BACI’s grille is sharply angled and sort of resembles a 1934 Ford, though less pointy at the bottom.
The 1970s were truly a decade of excess. I have chronicled this in previous posts such as the Custom Cloud and the 1970’s revival of the Stutz Blackhawk. This decade was also a popular time for neo-classic automobiles, which I have also written about extensively for this site. Today we feature another artifact of this decade that I recently came across at a car show: the Cadillac El Clasico.
It’s hard not to use terms like “pimp mobile” or “pimp car” when admiring this vehicle, as it certainly looks like the product of one person with too much money and questionable taste. However, these cars were actually converted in small numbers by Wisco Corp., a coachbuilder formerly located in Roseville, Michigan. One source I read said that approximately 100 vehicles were given the “El Clasico” treatment, though I was unable to verify this.
Wisco took a car that was already a standard of luxury and prestige and just added MORE to it. More chrome, more trim, more everything. The car’s exterior is extremely busy. Most notable are the completely unnecessary exhaust header extensions that exit through the front fenders and pass through the running boards to the rear of the vehicle. The hood was not open on this car, so I could not verify if they were functional or simply a decoration.
Up at the front, an oversize waterfall grille and hood ornament are all done in chrome. The standard headlights are shrouded by oversize covers that resemble a 1920s car. A pair of fog lights were also added. Again, “more is more” was the mantra here.
With so much chrome, the fixed exterior windshield visor was probably a necessity to prevent the driver being blinded by the glare of his own vehicle.
From the rear, the car has a vinyl roof with a Landau bar, and miles of chrome trim adorning the body lines, window trim, and just generally stuck on all over the place – such as behind the rear wheel arches. It has running boards, similar to those found on full size vans. It has decorative trunk straps similar to the Excalibur, though these are not functional. The car sports dual exhaust with horizontal tips. The wheels are quite unusual and I don’t know how to describe them other than white wire wheels.
Interestingly, this car does not have a Continental Kit at the rear, which would have involved relocating the license plate. It also does not have spare wheels mounted on the fenders, another common feature on neoclassic cars.
The interior is actually the most tasteful part of this car. It seems to have been updated with a leather trimmed center console integrating an iPad. The dark red and black leather upholstery looks right at home with the 1970s era wood. I would have expected this car to have swivel seats and an all white leather interior!
A brand-new 1972 Cadillac ElDorado 2-door hardtop coupe would have cost about $7,360 when new. The Wisco conversion added about $3,630 to the price, for a total of $10,990 in 1972 dollars. Adjusted for inflation, this car would cost the equivalent of $66,705 in 2018.
There’s not a ton of information about Wisco or these El Clasico Cadillac conversions online, so if you have any information, please do share it with us!
With a face that any mother would abort this is the 2006 Lincoln/Packard Town Car.. On the plus side, there is still a nice Town Car under there somewhere.
“A beautifully customized Packard. Ready to show and drive. Car runs and drives like new. Fully loaded 2006 Lincoln Town car with less than 50K converted to a Packard. Has authentic Packard wheels, interior and exterior trim. Excellent workmanship was used throughout the customization. True whitewall Packard tires really enhance this gorgeous car. Car available for inspection and sale at a location in Okemos, Michigan. The customization was done by Packard Grille out of Lima, Ohio” Continue reading →
Today, I’m going to talk about another Neoclassic auto that I spotted at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2016 auction. This is a 1989 Corsair Roadster, and like most of these cars, it has a couple of tricks up its sleeve.
Having written about nearly every other type of neoclassic car, I was excited to see my first Zimmer at the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. Like other neoclassic cars, the Zimmer combines the reliability of a modern, fuel-injected powertrain with classic styling. The prominent waterfall grille, exposed headlamps, full-length running boards, and bustleback style rear end are all design characteristics of pre-war American cars.
While there have been many companies that produced cars in this style, Zimmer was one of the most successful. Founded in Florida, the company built over 1,500 cars during their peak years of 1978-1988.
As I’ve said in previous articles, I never set out to become an expert on Neoclassic automobiles – but I keep finding them at car shows, and people keep reading these posts, so I guess I’ll go with it. Having written about nearly every other Neoclassic car manufacturer, it was only a matter of time until I came across a Clénet. Well, it finally happened in early 2019 at my local Cars and Coffee gathering in Scottsdale, Arizona. I came across this 1980 Clénet Series II cabriolet and quickly found that it was different from other neoclassic cars I had seen in the past.
