Instagram Jump Start: Iconic ’57 Chevy claims its rightful place

07 November 2016

There are lots of “classic classics” out there. You know, classic cars that aren’t just vintage but have become icons. Take the 1957 Chevy Bel Air, for instance: easily recognized and almost universally loved. Our Instagram fans proved the point again by making a ’57 Bel Air the most-liked post on HagertyClassicCars last week. Following are the top five posts:

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air (1,220 likes) – The 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air struck a chord with the American public that still resonates today. In addition to prominent new tailfins, it featured a new front bumper and grille, plenty of chrome accents and a choice of six-cylinder and V-8 engines in a number of horsepower configurations.
1939 Ford Woodie Wagon (1,108) – Who recognizes this 1939 Ford Woodie? It belongs to Tom Cotter, aka The Barn Find Hunter, and was displayed at Shell’s SEMA booth. Tom bought the car in 1969 at age 15 for $300. He worked on restoring it with his father before finally giving up and selling it to a collector in Puerto Rico in 1973. Twenty-five years later his wife located it – still in Puerto Rico – and the Cotters purchased it, brought in back to the U.S. and restored it. In addition to driving the woodie in “The Barn Finder Hunter” on YouTube, Tom has driven the classic Ford to the West Coast three times.
1967 Jeep Commando / 1950 Jeepster (1,100) – Celebrating 75 years of Jeep, a red 1967 Commando and yellow 1950 Willys Jeepster VJ-3 are on display in the lobby at Hagerty headquarters in Traverse City, Mich. While the Jeepster had the look of a sporty but rugged SUV, it was only available with rear-drive. The Commando, on the other hand, was one of the first four-wheel-drive vehicles that offered an automatic transmission (with a sporty floor shifter).
1964 Mercury Park Lane convertible (1,085) – In 1964, Mercury’s top-of-the-line Park Lane convertible measured nearly 18 feet from tip to tail, featured premium trim and had powertrain options up to 425 hp. The convertible carried an MSRP of $3,549 – about $27,166 in today’s economy. Only 1,967 were produced.
1908 REO Model B Boattail (1,047) – Prior to the Chicago Cubs Game 7 victory over the Cleveland Indians, the last time they won a World Series baseball championship, this 1908 REO was brand new. The Model G Boattail Roadster/Sedan Tonneau – part of last summer’s remarkable Texas Barn Find auction – is actually a transformer of sorts. Its three-person back seat can be removed and replaced with a wooden rear section, changing it from a five-person touring convertible into a two-person boattail. The 108-year-old car sold for $104,500 (including buyer’s premium) at Motostaglia’s Brickyard Auction in Indianapolis in June 2015.

One We Love But You Only Liked – Every week there’s a photo that we think deserved a lot more “likes” than it received. This one – a behind-the-wheel photo in the hot seat of a slingshot dragster – is one of those.

Best of the Rest – Since National Geographic’s photography has been setting a high bar for decades, we’ve been following @natgeotravel for a long time – even though we rarely see a car featured. Regardless, NG’s images are breathtaking. So, since we also love boats, we couldn’t resist selecting this photo by @jaydickmanphoto – taken on Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay (Md.) – as our favorite of the week. “Patty Ann” never looked more beautiful.