All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Richard Petty’s 1970 Plymouth Superbird is for sale

Richard Lee Petty is an American former car racing driver with 34 years of experience as a professional driver. He is known as the driver of car No. 43 Plymouth/Pontiac for Petty Enterprises, and winner of seven NASCAR championships and seven Daytona 500 races. One of his cars, a 1970 Plymouth Superbird, is for sale.

The Plymouth Superbird was produced for only one year, and 1,935 units left the factory, so it is not a rare car. However, its value is tied to Petty, who owned the car between 1982 and 2013. This Superbird is the only road-legal example of this model in his collection, and it comes with several letters and photographs of the legendary driver.

The car was restored in 2014, which included painting it in Alpine White, installing a new Black vinyl roof, polishing the chrome parts, and after the process was completed, Richard Petty put his signature on the trunk of the car. The interior features leather-trimmed seats with contrasting white stitching, Petty’s silhouette on the headrest, and his signature on the dashboard with the message “Take care of my car!”

When it comes to the powertrain, under the hood is the original 440 cubic-inch Super Commando V8 with 390 hp (290 kW), mated to an A727 automatic transmission.

The auction will take place on January 18 and the estimated value of the car is $900,000 – $1,000,000 USD.

Source: Mecum

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Aptera goes into production

Four years ago, the American company Aptera Motors presented the Aptera concept, a solar-powered electric vehicle. The car is currently in the final stages of development, and the company has also presented the final version of the car.

During the presentation of Aptera Motors, it was announced that the car would have a range of a whopping 1,600 km, which was eventually found to be incorrect. The latest information says that the Aptera, equipped with a 100 kWh battery, will have a range of 644 km on a single charge plus 65 kilometers on solar energy.

The Aptera weighs less than 1,000 kg and an incredibly low air resistance of just 0.13. Also, there will be different types of engines on offer. So far, engine power has not been revealed, but it is known that models with front-wheel drive will accelerate from 0-62 mph in 5.5 seconds, and on all three wheels in 3.5 seconds. The company says the Aptera can be charged via a fast charger in less than an hour.

The company has already received 50,000 orders worth a total of $1.7 billion.

Source: Aptera Motors

Ken Block’s 1977 Ford F-150 Custom Pickup “HOONITRUCK” is up for auction

Ken Block was an American professional rally driver, formerly known as the Monster World Rally Team, who died in 2023 at the age of 55. One of the cars he drove in episodes of Gymkhana Ten and Climbkhana Two, the 1977 Ford F-150 Custom Pickup “HOONITRUCK”, is up for auction.

This Hoonitruck project is by Ken Block and the Hoonigan team, in collaboration with Detroit Speed, and it took two years to build. It is equipped with a 3D-printed intake manifold designed by Ford Performance, popping out through the hood and flanked by two turbochargers, a unique chassis, extended fenders, and a new spoiler. It is mounted on custom wheels made by Fifteen52 with real beadlocks, wrapped in Toyo tires.

Block first used this car in Gymkhana, five years ago, while driving on Route 66 and later drifted driving up the Tianmen Mountain in China.

Under the hood is a twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine with 914 hp (681 kW), and power is sent through a sequential transmission and a custom all-wheel drive system.

The auction will take place between January 18 and 26, 2025.

Source: Barrett Jackson

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