Former top general motors car designer talks about automotive design
Dick Lutzin, former Chevrolet Prime Minister and Cadillac designer of General Motors, shares his thoughts on automotive design.
Gene Coyle was waiting for a lifetime to buy the car of his dreams. Eye-catching classic cars will help people get off the curb.
Bloomington, Indiana found it on a replica of the 1934 Mercedes-Benz Heritage Cabriolet Roadster that does all of the above. A 17-6-inch wavy, elegant flowing line molded from fiberglass. The 285 horsepower engine of the 1971 Chevrolet Camaro is located under the extremely cool hood, extending about 9 feet from the windshield.
Turning this car towards a sharp corner is a challenge.
When Coyle began searching for cars online last year, he wasn’t sure what he wanted until he saw a replica of the Red 1934 Mercedes Roadster for sale in Vermont. Sellers wanted the mid-price price of this type of car, $34,000. He almost booked the flight and got a close-up look.
“Then I saw this in Texas,” he said. “It was $28,000 so I flew there 15 months ago to see it.”
He got in the car for a test drive. The steering was quite loose and he remembered, and there was concern that he had patched the wiring under the hood. The air conditioner didn’t work, but who needs it when you can fold the top of the canvas and enjoy the wind?
Side note: Coyle is a retired CIA agent. I think he should have asked more questions. I did some research before writing that check. However, he was overcome by the beauty of the car, and after a health struggle that challenged his life, he became happy.
The replica Mercedes was purchased and transported to Indiana. When Coyle realizes that he needs attention from a mechanic, he embarks on a journey of finding cars in three different shops around town, eventually returning to Coyle’s garage to prepare the road.
I was able to fill in the photo album with the photos I took that afternoon. There are plenty of close-ups that show unique decorations for your car. The engine expanded with taillights, chrome pinlocks on the hood, hinges on suicide doors, spokes on wheels, and in 1934, a clear silver pipe extending from the sides of the engine.
Like Coyle told me, I filled half of the reporter’s notebook writing down the car story. I’ll mention some highlights.
In 1934, Coyle said that two of the first real cars he was based on were purchased by American film stars Clark Gable and Gary Cooper. It may have boosted his interest in the replica he bought. The car cost around $10,000. They sell to millions now.
The two-seater of the coil occupy two regular sized parking spaces in Bloomington. Coyle said he violated the Parking Act when he called the city’s parking lot and asked if he could take two spaces in his car and pay for both meters. “Parking is a problem,” he said.
Coil couldn’t find a mechanic that could repair all the cars he needed. He said he has invested around $9,000 so far. His wife shook her head and said it was more than that.
Speaking of Yang Coyle, she is not a huge fan of her husband’s dream car. She drove around the neighborhood once, praying that she didn’t come across another car before returning home and that she hadn’t hit anything. “It’s so long,” she said.
My favourite stories include the police. One morning, when the car was residing in the second mechanic shop, Coil asked a Bloomington police officer if he owned a 1934 Mercedes-Benz.
That morning, residents of the house left and found the vehicle blocked in the driveway by a rare, exotic car parked behind it. The officer said people needed to leave and he was planning to get the car towed. Coyle was called AAA and the flatbed towker retrieved the car.
He called the mechanic later that day and asked how the car was going on in a driveway from a distance. “He was driving it and said the engine was dead, so he coastted in the driveway and put it there.”
Yang Koe sent flowers to the residents and apologized for the inconvenience. That’s when her husband hired a third mechanic and finally set up the car correctly.
Over a year later, Coyle said he was about what he was doing with the vehicle and might sell it in the future. I encouraged him to enter the parade. It is large enough to float on its own. And people need to see this car before it moves.
Do you have any stories about cars and trucks? Contact reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com (812-331-4362 or 812-318-5967).
