Ringside Seat
January 15, 2012
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Hubbard has brought an array of high-quality cars, (20 in total) from an ever-changing personal collection and provided a glimpse of a few of his favorites
If you lived through the Fifties and Sixties and had an affinity for the automobile, it’s likely a period that still has a marked influence on you today. With a healthy portion of the car hobby currently revolving around these two decades of rapid innovation, unparalleled styling and ever-increasing horsepower, many are still directly involved with the great machines of the era, just like Richard Hubbard is. Hubbard, a third-generation Chevrolet dealer and car collector from Indiana, had the unique perspective of growing up and working at his father’s dealership for much of the timeframe, a virtual ringside seat to the ever-escalating high-performance car industry.
“My father wouldn’t allow me to buy a car and customize it with wheels, engine and transmission modifications, and all those elements the Fifties and Sixties brought, but he would allow me to drive anything on the used lot as long as I returned it in better condition than when I picked it up. I drove plenty of ‘55 Chevys, Corvettes, 409 Impalas, 396 Chevelles, etc., and yet never raced a one. I couldn’t take the chance of breaking something, as I would’ve lost my privilege of driving them.” It was this background that cultivated Hubbard’s appreciation and level of fastidious care for these original cars.
As might be expected, Hubbard gravitated towards classic Chevrolets, particularly the ‘55-‘59s and Corvettes of virtually all generations. He remembers riding in a ‘53 ‘Vette with his father during a local parade and describes the experience as “the beginning of a love affair” with the model. At Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2012, Hubbard has brought an array of high-quality cars, (20 in total) from an ever-changing personal collection and provided a glimpse of a few of his favorites. Look for these cars as they cross the auction block Friday, January 21st, and see if you don’t agree.
1968 Camaro RS/SS convertible
Chevrolet may have been a bit late to the pony car party, but they quickly made up for lost time. Camaro was heavy on performance from the start, with high-rev 302-powered Z/28s, surprisingly quick 350cid Super Sports and the big power 396 cars. To be frank, no other manufacturer had such an impressive variety during the years of Camaro’s first iteration — 1967/1968.
With all the above as background, Lot #947.2 is one of the heaviest-hitting first-gen Camaros imaginable, plus it’s an incredibly unusual combination as a whole. First off is the L78 375 horsepower 396, the most powerful of three 396s available for Camaro in 1968. This is the kind of engine that really put the “muscle” in “muscle car,” equipped as it was with an 11:1 compression ratio, rectangular port heads and 780cfm Holley on an aluminum intake. The internals of the L78 were just as impressive with a forged steel crank, forged pistons and solid lifter camshaft. If you were going to hop up a big block Chevy, these were the things you’d do to it yourself, and here was a factory offering that had all the goods right from the start. Of course, the rest of the drivetrain on L78 cars was up to the challenge, in this case meaning a M21 close-ratio 4-speed and 12-bolt posi-traction rear end with 3.73 gears.
What makes this particular Camaro so unusual is the pairing of the L78 396 with the convertible body style. Convertibles were cruisers, and hardtops were for the serious performance buyer, right? Generally yes, but once in a while you had someone with a desire to combine serious speed with wind-in-your-face fun. If that weren’t enough, the original buyer of this car teamed the Rally Sport appearance package with the SS396, resulting in a performance brute that was quite the looker.
This ‘68 was treated to a recent ground-up restoration, including a repaint of the British Green metallic hue, all correct per the original Window Sticker. Other options on this Camaro include power brakes, power top, console with the U17 Special Instrumentation and tinted glass. Hubbard isn’t exaggerating a bit when he says, “The 375-horsepower Camaro is rare enough, but to find a 375-horse Camaro convertible is over the top!” Indeed it is.
1970 Pontiac GTO
Many enthusiasts find 1970 to have been a high water mark of the Muscle car era, and it’s hard to argue the point. At Pontiac, the legendary GTO received a substantial makeover along with an engine lineup to please virtually everyone. The base motor was the 350-horse 400, followed by the newly available 360 horsepower 455, the 366 horsepower 400 Ram Air III and the special order 370-horse 400 Ram Air IV.
For the desirable and visually stimulating Judge model, it’s almost a sure bet to find a Ram Air III under the hood of most examples. For one, the Ram Air III was the standard engine for a Judge, for after all, a Judge was no ordinary GTO. Two, the 455 wasn’t made available in the Judge until late in the 1970 model year, and three, the race-oriented Ram Air IV was an expensive rarity in any GTO. Turns out the Ram Air III was a great combination of horsepower and torque, and a great pairing for a 4-speed transmission since it liked more rpm than the torque monster 455. Lot #948.2 is just such a Ram Air III/4-speed Judge, with its factory Hurst T-handle shifter beckoning to be rowed for all it’s worth. This one features a great factory Polar White and red color combination, hood tachometer, posi-traction with 3.55 gears, power steering, power front discs and console.
In more than 40 years of life, this Judge has had just four owners, has been meticulously restored, is matching numbers and has supporting Pontiac Historic Services (PHS) paperwork. As well, there are copies of the original invoice and Bill of Sale, and work order paperwork back to 1978. “If you like GTOs, you won’t want to miss this rare opportunity,” Hubbard said.
2005 Ferrari 360 F1 Spider
Hubbard is an unabashed domestic Muscle car fan, but he’s also appreciative of European Exotics such as this 2005 Ferrari Spider offered as Lot #949.2 and bathed in Titanium with a Bordeaux (red) leather cockpit. Hubbard noted: “I ordered this car brand new with this special paint and interior. This was one of the last 360s produced, and only a handful made it to the U.S. It has been in my collection since new with only 800 miles and is better than new.” Virtually every option in the book was thrown at this one, including Daytona-style power seats, front and rear Challenge grilles, matching rollbar upholstery and high-powered stereo with subwoofer.
The Spider body style is one of the most beautiful convertibles in existence and a natural for the curvaceous 360 series Ferrari. This particular example pairs its 5-valve 400-horsepower 3.6 liter V8 with a paddle-shifted F16-speed gearbox, whose claim to fame is lightning fast shifts in just 150 milliseconds. All in all, a spectacular Exotic that even a Muscle car guy can appreciate.
2010 Corvette ZR1
Enthusiasts of the current crop of high-performance automobiles need little introduction to the Corvette ZR1, and yet a review of its stature is awe inspiring each and every time. Known during hush-hush development as the “Blue Devil,” this car represents the pinnacle mark of Chevrolet performance over the company’s entire 100-year history. It may be difficult to conceive of a car that obliterates every Chevy that spawned from the horsepower-crazed Sixties, but that’s exactly what the ZR1 has done. With 638-horsepower from its supercharged and intercooled 6.2-Liter LS9 engine, the ZR1 is officially capable of 205 mph, and 0-60 in 3.4 seconds.
As if being a Corvette ZR1 weren’t enough, Lot #949.1 carries special significance in that it is documented as the first 2010 ZR1 built. 2010 was the second year of ZR1 production, and with it came the advent of launch control, Performance Traction Management and standard side-impact airbags. This car is a devilishly appropriate Jetstream Blue metallic with just 3,634 actual miles and features the 3ZR option package with its power/heated leather seats, power telescoping steering column, Bose premium sound system, navigation package and much more. Like all ZR1s, this one is fitted with a 6-speed manual transmission. Still can’t get enough of the ZR1 mystique? How about carbon fiber body panels, aluminum frame, titanium connecting rods, dry sump oiling, forged 19/20” wheels, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and 604 ft/lb of torque at 3,800 rpm. Hubbard said, “This is the very first 2010 Corvette ZR1, and most serial number 1s stay in General Motors’ collection. This is really a special opportunity for any Corvette Collector.” Enough said.
— By Eric English