American Specials Buyer’s Guide:
History, Trends, Valuation & Appraisal Services
What Did You Find? Should You Restore? What Might It Be Worth?
Begin To Answer Your Questions Here.
1955 LeGene “California” Special
Overview
The Buyers Guide For American Specials focuses on four areas:
- “History” – An area where people can read modern and vintage articles on American sports specials
- “Trends” – Recent events which support a growing appreciation of American handcrafted sports cars
- “Valuation” – Auction results for sports specials and a link to the Hagerty Valuation Guide
- “Appraisal Services” – A new offering by Undiscovered Classics which helps validate the history and value of sports specials
We hope this additional detail helps and wish you the greatest of success in your research and purchase of an American Handcrafted Special.
Edge Museum in Memphis, Tennessee Unveiling Their Latest Acquisition – a 1952 Glasspar G2 Sports Car (November, 2019)
1: History of Sports Specials
Depending on the type of handcrafted car you are considering to buy, one or more of the articles below will help you learn what you need. These are comprehensive articles about postwar American handcrafted sports cars as well as hand-built American Sport Customs, and were published in concours programs from two of the finest concours in the world:
The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance (2010 and 2015)
The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (2012)
In addition, we’ve included a selection of vintage articles about sports specials from 1954 to 1983. These vintage articles give you some perspective on American Specials and handcrafted American sports cars as seen over the years.
The Emergence of the American Postwar Sports Car
The Greatest American Car Story NEVER Told: 10 pages
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Program: March, 2015
Affordable Style
The Short, Sweet Life of the American Sport Custom
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Program: August, 2012
Forgotten Fiberglass
American Sports Car Specials
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Program: March, 2010
Sports Specials
Old Cars Price Guide: Winter, 1983
One of the Earliest Publications That Discusses Value
“Specials” Were The Rock Stars of the ’50s
Time after Time, Magazine and Book Covers Celebrated These Cars
Buying A “Sportscar Special”
Modern Sports Car Series – 1957
It’s a nice “vintage” read from the era on one’s views of these cars
The Postwar “Do-It-Yourself” Phenomenon
How & Why People Built Their Own Sports Cars
Time Magazine: August 2, 1954
2: Trends
Recent events which support a growing appreciation of American handcrafted sports cars. Click on links below to explore these events.
Undiscovered Classic Cars Appear in Museums Across the Country
Undiscovered Classics: March 14, 2020
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Features
Three American Specials
Undiscovered Classics: March 10, 2020
Transporting Undiscovered Classics Cars – Thanks Reliable!
Undiscovered Classics: March 15, 2020
Concours d’Elegance Appearances
Undiscovered Classic Cars Continue To Capture Concours Invites Across the Country
“Glass on the Grass” Across The Land
Undiscovered Classics: April 3, 2012
3: Valuation
Auction results for sports specials and a link to the Hagerty Valuation Guide
Auction Results
Learn More About Auction Results For American Specials
Hagerty Value Guide
Review Hagerty Value Guides For American Specials Which
Includes Glasspar, Wildfire, Devin and More
4: Appraisal Services
A new offering by Undiscovered Classics which helps validate the history and value of sports specials
Click Here To Learn About Appraisal Services
Where To Go From Here
If you need help selling your car, need an appraisal, management of the restoration of your American Special or more – we’re here to help. American Specials are our “Specialty.”
Click Here To Learn More About The Services We Offer at Undiscovered Classics
Geoffrey Hacker
Undiscovered Classics
E-mail: Undiscovered.Classics@Gmail.com
Phone: (813) 888-8882
Check Out The Autoweek Excerpt Below And Consider Buying
One Of Our “Undiscovered Classics” Cars Today
Autoweek’s Thoughts on “Undiscovered Classics” at Major Concours
By Graham Kozak: September 2, 2015
Instead of bidding on (or buying) cars that come with a concours invitations attached, Geoff Hacker and Rick D’Louhy are finding intriguing, long-forgotten (and relatively affordable) cars and building cases for their historical significance. Time and again, their enthusiasm has opened doors to some of the country’s top concours.
If the concours scene is going to survive in the coming years, it’s going to have to embrace the “Undiscovered Classics” and emerging trends. So go forth and seek the cars you find intriguing, whether or not they’re worth boatloads of money, and you too may find yourself cruising onto the concours green.
If you do end up with something special, Hacker and D’Louhy’s model is one that you’d do well to emulate. Unlike the typical, secretive owners, they’re nothing but transparent about what they do, which lets guys like me share every step of the previously mysterious process with all of you.
Their objective is to make the whole process engaging and informative and maybe even fun — not something you usually say about a stranger’s car restoration. They would have succeeded even if they hadn’t let me hop behind the wheel the morning of the concours. Not that I was about to stop them.
Excerpt Above is From the Article:
“Thrill of a Lifetime: Driving The Leo Lyons Mercury Onto the Lawn at Pebble Beach
Click Here To Review Autoweek’s Full Article