Author: Carl Bomstead

Carl Bomstead is a longtime Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance judge and Classic Car Club of America Master Judge. He wrote his first story for SCM in February 1997.
1936 Cadillac V16 Convertible Sedan

1936 Cadillac V16 Convertible Sedan

The 1936 Cadillac Series 90 convertible sedan was one of only six built that year, the second-to-last season for Cadillac’s original V16. The original build sheet notes that it was shipped to New York City and then directed to Brooklyn for its original owner. The body was finished in wonderfully […]

1961 AMC Metropolitan Convertible

1961 AMC Metropolitan Convertible

At a time in automotive history when American manufacturers were consistently arguing that “bigger is better,” Nash dared to be different. After creating a well-received concept car called the NXI, Nash believed that a small, efficient car could be successful amongst the sea of large cars being offered by the […]

1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow

1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow

This Silver Arrow is recognized as being body number 1, the first Silver Arrow produced, and was used to debut the wild new ideas at East Coast auto shows during 1933, including both New York and Boston. Pierce-Arrow clientele were notoriously conservative and not really the people who bought super-streamlined […]

1933 Duesenberg Model SJ “Sweep Panel” Phaeton by LaGrande

Eleven LaGrande “sweep panel” phaetons were produced for the long-wheelbase Duesenberg Model J chassis. Of these, just three were supercharged SJ models, and only one of these, the car offered here, boasted unique styling features, most prominently the lack of a full second cowl. Instead, a folding windshield was fitted. […]

1953 Buick Skylark Convertible

This Motorama-inspired Buick Skylark has undergone a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration. It is finished in correct and desirable Reef Blue. Powered by a 322-ci V8 engine with automatic transmission, it’s fully sorted and ready to drive.  

1954 Kaiser-Darrin 161 Roadster

In the bustling years after World War II, American roads were peppered with ever-growing numbers of European and British sports cars. American servicemen returning from overseas duty were bringing home nimble little cars with gutsy engines and sleek styling. American manufacturers wanted in on the action, but nobody had a […]

1928 Packard Custom Eight Model 4-43 Convertible Sedan

Buying a Packard in 1928 was a no-questions-asked statement that you had arrived. But if it wasn’t enough to own one of the finest cars on the road, one could opt for custom coachwork. Relatively few Packards were fitted with such princely attire, and it is a very rare to […]

1941 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin

The Packard Darrin was a special automobile in the maker’s lineup. It was a blending of all the glory that was Packard in the Classic Era and the stunning design work of Howard “Dutch” Darrin. The result was one of the more glamorous cars of the 1940s. According to its […]

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad

The first Chevrolet Nomad was conceived by Harley Earl and based on a Corvette platform. It debuted at the 1954 GM Motorama show. After a warm public reception, the Nomad was placed into production for 1955 and joined the top-echelon Chevrolet Bel Air passenger car line to become the first […]

1938 Graham 97 Supercharged Cabriolet by Saoutchik

Like many advanced American designs of the late 1930s, “The Spirit of Motion” caught on much stronger in avant-garde Europe than in its home country. The finest European coachbuilders took Northrup’s aerodynamic lines as their muse, among them Jacques Saoutchik of Paris. Saoutchik installed custom cabriolet bodywork on several “Sharknose” […]