It would be great to have a garage so large that entire sections were devoted to specific makes or models. Jay Leno has such a place, and, as befitting one of the best-known car junkies in the world, one section of his Big Dog Garage is home to nothing but Duesenbergs.

In case you’re not familiar with the marque, the Duesenberg was (and still is by some) regarded as the absolute pinnacle of automotive engineering. One vehicle in particular has an interesting story, as it was discovered unrestored in a Manhattan garage. Suffice it to say – and you knew this was coming, right? – it’s a Duesy.

This 1931 Duesenberg Model J was parked in New York City with just a few thousand miles on the odometer. The original owner’s son attempted to restore the car sometime in the 1950s, but the car was returned to its parking spot, and left to rot. After that, Leno became the second owner when he acquired the car in 2005.

It may have come to him as the last original owner, unrestored Duesy, but per Jay, the car was too trashed to be left in that condition. So, the Model J underwent a complete restoration, and is now in better shape than when it was originally parked in that Manhattan garage. Click past the jump to learn more about the car, and how Leno’s team brought it back to life.

Continue reading Last original owner, “unrestored” Duesenberg checks into Jay Leno’s Garage

Last original owner, “unrestored” Duesenberg checks into Jay Leno’s Garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Think of Volvos and you’re likely to picture a station wagon carrying kids home from soccer practice. But 50 years ago, the Swedish automaker produced one of the most curvaceous sportscars on the market.

It was called the P1800, and it still stands as an icon in the company’s history and a cult favorite among collectors. Conceived in Sweden, designed in Italy and built in England, the P1800 gained fame on the screen as Roger Moore’s car in The Saint, and served as a precursor of today’s halo cars, envisioned to draw customers into the showroom.

The P1800 offered customers Ferrari-like styling with Volvo levels of dependability. That last part has certainly proven true for one owner, who holds the world record for most miles traveled in a non-commercial vehicle, and continues to beat his own record every time he pulls out of the driveway.

Irv Gordon – a retired science teacher from Patchogue, New York – racked up 1,500 miles in the first 48 hours after buying his P1800 in 1966. Within ten years of ownership, he had put on 500,000 miles. He reached the Guinness Book of World Records with 1.69 million miles in 1998, and hit the big two-million mark arriving in Manhattan’s Times Square in 2002. As of this writing, his odometer reads 2.9 million, and he’s not about to stop short of the three-million mark, touring classic car events around the world on Volvo’s behalf.

Follow the jump for a related press release and check out the images of Irv’s P1800 in the high-res gallery.

Continue reading Volvo’s iconic P1800 turns 50 as record-holding owner passes 2.9 million miles

Volvo’s iconic P1800 turns 50 as record-holding owner passes 2.9 million miles originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As if we needed another reason to steer clear of valets everywhere, a report from The Herald Sun claims that a casino in Australia has handed over an F430 to someone other than the owner. This week, professional poker player Van Marcus stopped into the Crown Casino with some friends for a little recreation. Adam Ramsey was there at the same time, though when it came time to leave, Ramsey approached the valet stand claiming that he had lost his ticket. The guy points to the drop-head Ferrari F430 in the parking lot and says it’s his. The valet crew asks the gentleman to fill out a form with his personal information, which he does, and hands him the keys to the Prancing Horse.

When Marcus discovers his car is missing, he’s none too happy, and calls the police. It took the law a mere six hours to lay its hands on the car after Ramsey stopped for fuel. Now, typically, we look down on car theft in the biggest way possible. After all, you just don’t mess with another person’s vehicle. But you’ve got to admire the cajones on good Mr. Ramsey. He’s currently pleading guilty to charges of vehicle theft.

Meanwhile, Marcus claims that the car doesn’t even feel like his anymore. There was no damage to the vehicle. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: The Herald Sun]

Casino valets give Ferrari F430 to wrong owner, let him drive away originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 May 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An increasing portion of BMW’s revenue in recent years has come from dealing in older cars. The Munich brand’s certified pre-owned program that reconditions and sells warranted used cars has reportedly been very profitable. Now BMW is taking that idea to a whole new level by opening the Classic Center workshop. The Classic Center offers a variety of services from parts re-manufacturing to full vehicle restorations.

The facility recently finished its first complete restoration of a 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi coupe. In addition to bringing the CSi back to pristine condition, the owner had BMW convert the coupe’s transmission, originally a manual, to an automatic. The owner took possession of his restored beauty at the BMW Welt in Munich, which until now has only been used for new car deliveries.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Classic Center completes ’72 3.0 CSi restoration for lucky owner

BMW Classic Center completes ’72 3.0 CSi restoration for lucky owner originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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