From Jay Leno’s Garage.
Jay Leno and appraiser Donald Osborne dedicate this episode of Assess and Caress to a celebration of American Racing Classics. The three purpose-built race cars from the Audrain Museum in Newport, Rhode Island , reveal the wildly inventive personalities that defined American motorsport: a 1959 Old Yeller II , a 1955 Curtiss Craft Sprint Car , and a 1963 Shelby King Cobra.
The Contenders:
1959 Old Yeller II: Built by the late Hollywood stuntman and intuitive engineer Max Balchowsky, this legendary racer was deliberately made to look like a "piece of crap". Named after the "mangy, unloved dog" of a Disney movie, it was a hot rod that shocked the racing world by consistently beating purpose-built Ferraris and Maseratis. It’s powered by a torque-monster Buick "nailhead" V8 and still actively vintage-races worldwide.
1955 Curtiss Craft Sprint Car: Representing the foundation of American racing, these Sprint Car racers were where most open-wheel and NASCAR drivers got their start. This Curtiss Craft features an amazing 111 cubic inch double overhead cam engine and a purpose-built 2-speed gearbox. Donald notes that driving these terrifying vehicles—which were constantly slid around dirt tracks—taught drivers absolute car control. The last racing car Donald owned was a Southern California special built on a Crosley Hotshot.
1963 Shelby King Cobra: The most technologically sophisticated car in the group. Shelby developed this racer by taking a Cooper T61 chassis , removing the small Coventry Climax engine, and dropping in a powerful Ford 289 V8 with Weber carburetors. This car has been restored to its winning form from the 1964 Kent, Washington race won by Dave MacDonald , a drag racer and road racer known as the "king of oversteer".
The Verdict:
The relative appreciation in all three cars is not drastically different, but the financial figures prove that historical connection and provenance are what really drive interest. Watch to see which American classic saw the greatest surge in value over the last five years!
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A new video every Monday! Visit Jay Leno’s Garage, the Emmy-winning series where Jay Leno gives car reviews, motorcycle reviews, compares cars, and shares his passion and expertise on anything that rolls, explodes, and makes noise. Classic cars, restomods, super cars like the McLaren P1, sports cars like Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro Z28, cafe racers, vintage cars, and much, much more.
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