the big beautiful classics at the Desert Classic this past weekend

1934 Auburn Phaeton V12, one of 27 (check out the front bumper)

 1933 Marmon V16 series 144, one of 71

 the Mercedes from the Petersen Museum front reception area

 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith, one of 3

The Love Bug scenes in San Francisco 1968

the last of the Victorian are buildings in San Fran I suppose, but as a horse drawn fire pumper station building it's amazing. Not a very good job at keeping the building look the same consistancy in the day and night image (it's a painting not a real building)

Buddy Hackett's car parts art from pieces of his Edsel

the first image of Herbie. Ever.

the cars in the background. Cool.

A challenge to a drag race from a hippie kid in a T bucket

Bitchin Rolls Royce

This is interesting as an example of the mid to late 60's hippe art, and the two characters below, they're in the model A, I bet there is a reason they look so damn goofy, and I believe the guy on the left side is Benny Hill

most unusual... I think you'll agree. A Rolls Royce woody school bus served in Kenya to bus kids to soccer and cricket mateches, was built for a Maharajah as a regular Silver Ghost, but commandeered by the British Govt and built as an armored car for WW1 ended up used to drive HRH Princess Margaret to an agricultural show . Solidly in first place for "reality is bizarre" trophy

photos and story at http://www.couperus.org/Rolls/index.html

After many more years, it was restored and now lives in South Wales where some of the students that had ridden in it when it was a woody bus were met by the new owner and reunited with it. http://www.couperus.org/Rolls/Rolls2.html

The Maharajah's and their Motor Cars... both a documentary on the BBC and an unrelated book

unfortunately I don't see it on Netflix or Amazon.com. So unless you have a lot of BBC channels to choose from, and they replay it.... you're wishing like I am that it is made into a dvd that Blockbuster or Netflix gets.

Learned about it from http://www.imcdb.org/movie_1004513659-The-Maharajas--Motor-Car--The-Story-of-Rolls-Royce-in-India.html which has a big gallery of some of the cars in the documentary, and one surprised me... a 1915 Silver Ghost made into an ambulance

for other Silver Ghost ambulances http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2007/04/click-on-pictures-to-get-them-full-size_23.html

Then I learned that in 2011 a book was made about the Maharajah's & their Magnificent Motor Cars

which I also can't afford... but maybe you can, so here's the link to the amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Maharajas-Their-Magnificent-Motor-Cars/dp/0857330632/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=14JRB88UW648W&coliid=I3NPKIQF7TFZNP

Enjoy!

the beautiful Rolls Royce in the movie "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"

why the radiator cap/hood ornament is a rooster I can't figure out

according to IMCDB it is a 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Fixed Head Coupe by Hooper. They had a commentor mention that Cinema Vehicles made one from a 2003 Chevy truck. Makes sense, to have one "hero" car that is original for close up glamour shots, and a couple look alike modern ones that can drive around and not cause the insurance company a heart attack. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_364814-Rolls-Royce-Phantom-II-1935.html

180 plus year old horse carriage of the Indian and British royals was just auctioned

full write up and gallery at http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/11/17/indian-royal-horse-carriage-auctioned/#.UOIEVuQ0V8E

and since the bulk of todays posts have become Rolls Royce, I stumbled on a cross over... it's one of the Maharajah of Mysore  1911 Silver Ghost Rolls Royce

 realizing that in todays dollar value equivalent, he would be worth around 40 billion dollars, I bet he had a lot of great cars.
photo from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2168684/Rolls-Royce-sold-1-000-1912-fetches-incredible-5m-auction-rival-bidders-drive-price-sky-high.html