How do you turn an economical car into a true muscle car? You go see a dream maker. And that is exactly what AMC did with Hurst at the end of the 1960s.

The 1969 AMC Hurst SC/Rambler was created to shake up AMC's image and attract younger, performance-minded buyers. It was a successful collaboration - about 1500 units were produced - between AMC and Hurst Performance, designed to transform the modest Rambler American/Rogue into a true muscle car and, ultimately, a halo car for AMC.

The SC/Rambler was marketed for its performance, with the goal of taking on the 'Big Three' muscle cars at the drag strip and showcasing AMC's engineering capabilities.

Just imagine: running a 14.3-second quarter mile straight off the showroom floor, with a manual transmission. The dream was indeed real.

This car was on display this autumn at the Savoy Museum in Catersville, GA.

If you are a movie and car fan, you have definitely met these cars before... on the big and small screens.

The General Lee, the Batmobile, Ecto-1, and Herbie are not just rides, they are full-blown movie stars. And yes, you can see them up close at the excellent Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA. Lights, camera… engines!

A rare sight spotted this summer during a trip to the US: a splendid and uncommon 1995 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn. The model was produced between 1995 and 1998, with just 50 units built in 1995.

The Silver Dawn is a special edition of the Silver Spur III. During its first two years of production, it was available exclusively for the American market; from the 1997 model year onward, it was offered globally. It features a naturally aspirated engine, in contrast to the turbocharged Flying Spur.

Today, these cars are surprisingly affordable... just be sure to set aside a healthy budget for maintenance...

You probably think this is just a plain wrecker. No, Sir. This truck set the record for the world's fastest wrecker. Yes. You want to prove that you provide the best products and services, you do this sort of things.

In 1979, the Holmes Company built this 1979 Chevrolet Silverado C/K (3rd generation) into a race wrecker. It has a 454 big block V8 (around 330 HP) and a Holmes 440 wrecker in the bed. It set the speed record at the Talladega Superspeedway with an almost 110-mph average speed and a 130-mph top speed. Not bad, isn't it?

Go to see this beauty in the excellent International Towing Museum in Chattanooga, TN, you will not regret it. Thanks to the museum for surprising us with such cars/trucks.

1913 Cadillac Model Thirty with a 4-cylinder 6-litre engine producing around 50 HP. Yes, a Cadillac used as a tow truck. Unbelievable. The great-great-great-grandfather of all tow trucks currently operating on our roads.

Go to see this beauty in the excellent International Towing Museum in Chattanooga, TN, you will not regret it.

The model Thirty was chosen for its overall stability, reliability, and ease of modification into a tow truck.

This truck, in the pictures, is a replica of the original tow truck, constructed by the Holmes Company in the 1950s. In 1990, the Pellow Family purchased the vehicle and restored it again to its current, pristine condition. It is fitted with Holmes 680, the first wrecker bed to be patented by the Company.

Look at this rare BX 4TC... this one is particularly rare because I saw it a few weeks ago in the US at the excellent Lane Museum in Nashville TN. The museum offers so many European cars... models even rare in Europe. Congratulations.

In 1985, the BX 4TC made its debut, it was Citroën's entry ticket into the famous (... crazy... ) Group B, and it bears little resemblance to the standard BX. In particular, the car carries a sizable front overhang to accommodate the longitudinally mounted engine, giving around 200 HP. Late to the Group B, and never really successful, Citroën recalled and scrapped the cars, making this example quite rare. Around 30 survivors among the 200 units produced.

1939 Graham-Paige Sharknose. You probably do not know this brand, it does not matter, just have a look at the details.

The rear tail and brake lights ride high above the belt line, actually predating regulation for a high-mount center light by almost 50 years. Not bad. And the door handle. And the radiator figure. So nice. I saw the car a few weeks ago at the Savoy museum in Catersville, GA.

The Sharknose of 38-40 was a collaboration between designer Amos Northup and US car manufacturer Graham-Paige. Officially labeled Spirit of Motion by its designer, the public named it... Sharknose. Yes, the forward-leaning profile projects the image of speed, even when parked. Splendid.

If you know this car, you are a car freak... 1957 Aurora. Seen at an amazing, private collection in Nashville, TN, the Lane Motor Museum.

The distinctive bubble-shaped windshield of the Aurora Safety Car was designed by Father Alfred Juliano with one goal in mind: protecting passengers during a crash. Its dramatic curve provides extra space for front seat occupants to move forward without striking the glass, an innovative safety feature well ahead of its time. Because traditional windshield wipers would not work with this shape, the contour of the glass was designed to harness airflow, helping rain slide off the surface naturally. Clever.

Beautiful? It is up to you to decide. The car was a flop, or never could really take off, because it never worked fine as a car. The focus was only on safety functions... forgetting that a car should also be reliable.

And another gem seen at the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum. 1922 American LaFrance Fire Truck. This truck, built by American LaFrance of Elmira, NY, served during 40 years in Asheville, NC.

This Type 75 is chain-driven (not so modern)... with a 6-cylinder engine... and it has pneumatic tires (very modern)... but more interesting, it can deliver 750 gallons (almost 3 cubic meters) of water per minute through its pump. A real beauty.

The 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor - ambulance and hearse - is part of a long lineage of iconic Cadillac vehicles. This includes vehicles driven by world leaders, executives, and pseudo-scientists. Well, the last one produced sure is.

The Ghostbusters Ectomobile, Ecto-1, seen here in the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg, TN, USA, was a sensation on screens worldwide, solidifying the love for those 1950s tail fins.

The car was picked up because of its spacious practicality, rear-end loading, and durable, easy-to-fix construction. Moreover, its size should have scared the ghosts, shouldn't it? Enjoy.

1955 Cadillac Series 62 Sedan. This car, seen at the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum, belongs to Sixties Special, fifth generation made from 1954-1956.

The 55 model had a 4-speed Hydramatic transmission, refined power steering and electric windshield wipers, all as standard equipment. Air conditioning was still an option at USD 620.

Even Elvis Presley bought one for his mother, I do not know if it is true, but it shows the attractiveness of the luxury brand Cadillac. Splendid.

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, seen at the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum.

Around 400 units. Very expensive. Hand-built. Brushed stainless roof. Suicide doors. Memory seats. Autronic eye. Power windows. Radio. AC. Leather trim. All in 1957. Not bad. And of course a 365 V8 giving more than 300 HP. The price? The average price of a new house in the USA. Or almost 3 years' worth of salary for an average family.

1959 Edsel Corsair, seen at the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum. The Ford Motor Company's resp. Lincoln-Mercury's brand Edsel was a flop in the 1950s... today quite difficult to understand why. The 1959 model has a 5.4-litre V8. And for this model year, the tail fins were quite sober...

After Charlotte, we went South, first to Asheville to see the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum at Grovewood Village.

A very fine place, located in a former weaving shop. The cars come from the collection of a local GM dealer, Harry Blomberg. And his first car was this 1950 MG TD Roadster, a real success in the USA.

Shopping with class? Yes, although I do not like these supercars very much, I had not seen one yet.

This is a Koenigsegg Regera seen in Charlotte, NC, at a shopping mall. If not mistaken, this is a hybrid car with more than 1500 HP... Around 85 units were produced a few years ago. So rare and exclusive. Exactly what you need to do shopping...

A few days ago, I was in D.C. visiting the city and looking for special cars around the White House.

Instead of showing you a zillion of Suburban and Explorer SUV... I found this John Deere lawn mower, splendid...

Anyway I am a fan of John Deere tractors. I would buy one just for the dual colors... Enjoy.

Another exotic car seen in Charlotte, 1954 Hudson Jet, i.e. a small car for the US. It is so cute, and it looks almost like a full-size car... especially with the continental kit.

The Jet was introduced in 1953 and achieved some success at the beginning. But Hudson could only produce a little more than 20'000 units for the 1953 model year, which was not enough. Although the car had no real vice, it sort of destroyed the Hudson Motor Car Company. Consequently, the company was forced to merge with Nash-Kelvinator (... appliances...), forming American Motors Corporation, AMC, because of the losses resulting from the Jet along with the falling sales of Hudson's senior line.

Enjoy this piece of automotive history.

Look at this amazing 1977 Datsun 280Z, 2.8 I6, with electronic fuel injection. It is still a Datsun, Nissan changed the name in the 1980s... and it was a pricey decision...

I also love the US bumpers everybody else hates... they were ment to absorb impacts at 5mph for the front and 2.5mph for the rear. Enjoy this real Japanese sports car.

Beauty in the late 1930s? Here is the answer.

The Lincoln Zephyr is a line of luxury cars produced by the Lincoln division of Ford from 1936 until 1942. This one is a 1939 Coupe. Its V12 has 4.4 litres, in 1939, giving around 110 HP. Not bad for a prewar car.

Enjoy this jewel seen in a splendid museum, the Savoy collection in Catersville, GA.

1980 GMC Caballero, 305 V8 (5 litres). Not an El Camino. A GMC. A Caballero. Before 1978 it was even called Sprint. Trim designations, emblems, and wheel trim actually differentiate the GMC from the Chevrolet. The base was the Chevy Malibu series for this Caballero generation.

The word Caballero is from the Spanish language. Its most common definition in the US is gentleman, though it also means horseman or knight. Great car. Enjoy.

When the US used to produce real cars... 1974 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Convertible Royale. Who else could offer such large, luxurious full-size convertibles? Only the US.

I think it is equipped with a 350ci V8 engine, or even as an option a larger 455ci 'Rocket' V8 for effortless cruising. I would have loved it.

And another gem. I could not talk to the owner, but I think this is a 1934 Chevrolet Master 5-window Coupe, Series DA.

Not so easy to identify a car, based on pictures only... even after having seen the car. Feel free to correct me.

It has a 6-pot engine, around 200ci. I would not restore such a car, just keep it in this condition in my lounge...

PS: The Charlotte Motor Speedway is a fantastic track in North Carolina. With great advertising boards such at the last pic. The Sunoco name is a contraction of Sun Oil Company.

Mrs Robinson, you're trying to seduce me, aren't you?

Yes, she was. And Alfa Romeo, too. Therefore, it created a special edition based on its Spider. The Graduate was a dumbed-down version which came out in 1985. It lacked the air conditioning, power windows, and alloy wheels, compared to the regular version.

I saw this one in Charlotte... unfortunately in quite bad conditions... but it reminds me the atmosphere of the 1967 movie The Graduate... and of course Anne Bancroft. Enjoy.

What I like in swap meets, is the opportunity to find real gems... even in not running order.

This very rare, single year, 1977 Pontiac Can Am, produced at around 1400 pieces, is a perfect illustration of such opportunities.

This Can Am is based on the Pontiac LeMans. It has a 400ci V8 - i.e. 6.6-litre - engine and the TH400 gearbox (except for California). And this great pack gives... around 180 HP... so you really need the different stickers to make it real... Enjoy.

PS: The last pic shows a truck bringing the 'portable sanitary solutions' to the Green field for the swap meet... here too, American-sized...

Another beauty was this Shelby seen at a large dealership.

Maybe not Caroll's finest, but they were the cars I would have bought, when I was a graduate student. But no money at that time, and now they are almost all gone. Except this example, splendid. 1986 Dodge Charger Shelby, 5-speed manual, 2.2-litre 4-inline Turbo. Enjoy.

While in Charlotte, NC, I also visited a few, important dealerships.

Here is an example of an MG B revisited by the country of V8 engines. Who has already seen an Edelbrock air cleaner, probably implying a 4-barrel carburetor made by Vic Edelbrock. So great. And if the size does not fit, just the cut the hood... Enjoy.

Last week, I attended the Fall swap meet in Charlotte, NC. A real, genuine, American swap meet. Despite the flag in the story, no politics here, just cars.

Let's begin with a Chevy 3100, the brother of my GMC in the Advance Design family. This one here has a V8. I arrived very early in the Green Field, beside the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The weather was good, and quite humid, therefore the nice colors of the picture. Enjoy.