Auto Art in the MediaMedia Article No.3
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Cars of class and distinction
IT’S the artistic value of cars from the 1960s that has caught Auto Art showroom owner Bob Hughes’ eye for the past 30 years.
The American designed, 1966 Plymouth Barracuda S code was certainly built for its eyepoping statement making value - not its fuel economy.
“It’s a typical 60s design, a heavy sort of a car,” Mr Hughes said. “They were less aerodynamic back then, fuel economy wasn’t such a big deal.”
The silver-painted sports car is an original example of the muscle car era of the 1960s. At that time all major manufacturers were chasing horsepower to satisfy the demand being driven by a growing number of “petrol heads”.
“I’m very passionate about originality,” Mr Hughes said. “They’ve all been hand-picked by me overseas.
“I’m told about a certain car and I’ll go and have a look.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to be on the ground, go over there and use my eyes and make a decision whether I go forward or not.”
The formula S Cuda has a high performance 273 V8 engine, four-barrel carburettor, and high lift long duration camshaft. Inside it has a sporty interior, bucket seats, sports dash and a speedo that goes up to 150 miles per hour.
Mr Hughes bought the vehicle from the original family owners in California in 2005. Other vehicles at the new showroom include a 1963 Ford Ranchero V8 utility, a 1963 Ford Fairlane sports coupe, 1964 Ford Futura V8 convertible and 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint V8 coupe.
The collection also houses a very special 1957 Ford Thunderbird 312 convertible in candy pink.
Bay Post 3/9/2009