Author: Ken Gross

Ken has been an auto writer for 38+ years, and his work has appeared in Playboy, AutoWeek, Hemispheres, The Rodder’s Journal, Street Rodder and Hot Rod Magazine. He wrote the award-winning TV series “Behind the Headlights,” and his books include Hot Rods and Custom Cars, Los Angeles and the Dry Lakes: The Early Years, Art of the Hot Rod, Hot Rod Milestones and The Allure of the Automobile. He was curator of the “Allure of the Automobile” exhibit at the Portland Art Museum during the summer of 2011. He was director of the Los Angeles-based Petersen Automotive Museum and has judged at Pebble Beach for 20 years.

1932 Chrysler Imperial Series CG Custom Eight Roadster

Seldom is an automobile more closely linked with its original owner than this 1931 Chrysler and Dr. William F. Whelan. A respected Philadelphia ears, nose, and throat doctor, he served for years both in private practice and as an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School before his […]

1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400

Proudly offered as one of the most important cars from the renowned Ramshead Collection thoughtfully curated by the late John White, this stunning and impressive one-off Ghia-styled concept car boasts not just uniqueness in its visual presence and auto-show history, but also impeccable originality and preservation, having been collected by […]

1903 Knox Model C Runabout

Knox automobiles were built in Springfield, MA, from 1900 to 1914. The earliest production Knox three-wheelers were built in the Waltham Watch Company’s Springfield factory. For 1903, just one model was cataloged, the Model C, built on a wheelbase slightly extended over its predecessor of 72 inches. The clever, compact, […]

1935 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Coupe by Rollston

The Rollston Company was inarguably New York’s finest coachbuilder — renowned for the proficiency of its designers in both open and convertible styles, with conservative or rakish lines. Few American shops of any era were so skilled at so diverse a catalog, all built with outstanding craftsmanship and rock-solid quality. […]

Remembering Dr. Fred

Dr. Frederick Anthony Simeone, whose extraordinary car collection featured many racing cars with Le Mans history, died on Saturday, June 11. He was 86. Fittingly, his last moments were spent at the hospital he regarded as a second home, as the 24-hour race was well underway. “Dr. Fred,” as many […]

1951 “Hirohata” Mercury Custom Coupe

Uniquely American in many ways, the custom-car craze truly found its calling in the late 1940s, blossoming throughout popular culture in the following decade. For many owners, the restyled early post-war Mercury coupes have been the way to go for these changes, and the 1949–51 cars quickly became an open […]

1931 Duesenberg Model J Roadster “Green Hornet”

The Classic enthusiast will behold this Duesenberg at first glance and wonder what looks so familiar. Finally, it will click: The body resembles a Packard roadster of 1930–31. The reason, of course, is that the body is a Packard roadster of that vintage. The body, as noted by prominent Duesenberg […]

1928 Mercedes-Benz 26/120/180 Type S

The Mercedes-Benz “S” was created in a magical period for the company, shortly after the merger of Daimler and Benz, while Ferdinand Porsche was chief engineer. He built a powerful-yet-versatile automobile — a true all-rounder, at home on the racetrack, at hillclimbs and providing exhilirating driving for the road. The […]

1934 Mercedes-Benz 500/540K Spezial Roadster

The sensation of the 1934 Berlin Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz’s legendary 500K supercar was the creation of the gifted engineer and former racing driver Dr. Hans Nibel. What set his supercharged Mercedes apart from the big, blown Mercedes of the previous decade was the model’s advanced chassis design, which combined swing […]

SCM’s Oregon Odyssey

To celebrate his magazine’s 30th anniversary, SCM Founder and Publisher Keith Martin, a veteran of countless driving tours in vintage cars, planned a tour of his own — and invited magazine subscribers to join him. Keith’s impressive guest list included Miles Collier, SCM columnist and founder of the Revs Institute; […]