CALGARY — In the world of automobiles, there’s a movement afoot that rejects chrome, fresh paint and polished alloy.
Original vehicles, or survivor cars as they are often called, are increasingly more important than those that have been completely restored or customized.
“In true antiquities markets, original items are the focus,” says specialty vehicle collector Fred Phillips of Calgary. “I personally feel that if we’re ever going to elevate this from hobby to history, we have to start preserving the original cars.”
He adds, “In the last 10 years concours such as Pebble Beach have implemented survivor classes, and people are now recognizing the importance of unrestored cars.”
Phillips is showing his 1969 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Mach 1 rally car in the Original Only Once display.
Fred Phillips rally prepared 1969 Ford Mustang.
Bill Knecht, Driving
Ford built the car in 1969 when the company fielded a five-car team to pursue the National Rally series hosted by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).
Ultimately, Ford won the Manufacturer’s Class A Championship with this car, which is car number four of the five, and its team, driver Nathan ‘Available’ Jones and navigator Russell ‘Alligator’ Brown.
After taking the championship the Mustang was sold to Jones, and he displayed it in a museum. When he died, the car together with its original build sheet, invoice, titles and many letters from Ford and the SCCA was sold into a private collection.
“I actually missed this car about 10 years ago,” Phillips says. “I’d heard about the car and went to look, but it sold for more than I thought it was worth.
At that time, it went into a private collection. Then the car turned up for sale at the Barrett-Jackson auction in 2013, and I was able to secure it.”
Fred Phillips rally prepared 1969 Ford Mustang.
Bill Knecht, Driving
The Mustang rally car is 100 per cent original, from the Meadowlark Yellow paint to the upholstery and even its Tag Heuer navigation and timing instrumentation.
Phillips says the Mustang has vehicle log books that detail every mile the car traveled together with each service, tank of fuel and oil change since new.
Quoting from the 2013 Barrett-Jackson auction listing: “This Cobra Jet Mach 1 is a true survivor and a piece of automobile racing history. It remains in its original, unrestored, numbers matching and race ready condition.”
Today, Phillips drives the Mustang, and says it handles like a brand new car. He only plans to preserve it and use it, and show the car off when he can.
“You can always restore a car,” he says, “but you can’t bring it back to original.”
Fred Phillips rally prepared 1969 Ford Mustang.
Barrett-Jackson, Driving
Phillips’ car is just one of approximately 250 on display at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park. There are many motorized attractions this year at the World of Wheels, including Zeebs Performance and their fifth annual engine assembly race, better known as the Battle of the Technicians.
This is an event where short block Chevrolet V8 engines are assembled, and started, before a crowd of onlookers.
Teams consist of students enrolled in the Automotive Service Technician program at SAIT Polytechnic, and this year the competition includes a team from a local high school and another from Saskatchewan.
Competitors start with more than 170 engine parts, including timing chain and sprocket, cylinder heads, pushrods and rockers, oil pan, intake and manifolds, distributor and spark plug wires. Using a limited number of hand tools, they must install all pieces.
To help foster an interest in older cars in a younger generation, a student career day runs on Friday, Feb. 20. College students and students in grades nine to 12 first listen to guest speakers share their passion for the aftermarket hotrod industry, and are then set loose on the show floor. They’ll get a sneak-peek at everything automotive, from the freshly restored to the distinctly original.
The 49th annual AutoValue World of Wheels, presented by Investment Vehicle Restorations, runs Feb. 20 to 22 at the BMO Centre, Stampede Park. Show runs Fri. 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $6 children six to 12, and free for children under five. Auto Value Parts Store pre-sale tickets are $16 for adults and $5 for children. The celebrity showcase this year includes WWE superstar Big Show and Laura Marano of Disney’s Austin & Ally TV show. Check www.worldofwheels.com for more.
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067, gregwilliams@shaw.ca, or visit gregwilliams.ca.
