American

1955 Studebaker President

When Mike was a kid, his father owned a Studebaker just like this one – same color. When Mike saw this car in Pennsylvania, he knew he had to have it.

-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection

1965 Corvair Corsa

-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection

1957 GMC Carryall

-Part of the Mike Malamut personal collection

1968 Jeepster Commando

-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection

1975 Jeep Cherokee S

The Cherokee was a redesigned reintroduction of a two-door body style, with a single fixed rear side window with an optional flip-out section. Previously, a two-door version had been available in the Jeep Wagoneer line from 1963 to 1967, although this had the same pillar and window configuration as the four-door Wagoneer.

The Cherokee was marketed as the “sporty” two-door variant of Jeep’s station wagon. This 1975 Jeep Cherokee is a blue over blue two-door wagon that was sold new in New Jersey and reportedly remained with its original owner for 28 years. The truck spent time in Texas. The 360ci V8 was rebuilt and fitted with a replacement long block in 2013. Power is sent to all four wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission and Quadra-Trac four-wheel drive. Exterior equipment includes a chrome roof rack, a rear ball hitch, and a manually retractable rear window.

-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection

1950 Pontiac Eight Star Chief Wagon

-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection

1972 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne Super

This 1972 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne Super was refurbished prior to the current owner’s 2016 purchase and is finished in black with faux-woodgrain trim. Power is provided by a 350ci V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission, and equipment includes polished bumpers and mirrors, bed rails, air conditioning, bucket seats, and an AM/FM stereo. Equipment includes Cheyenne Super badging, stainless upper body side moldings, and chrome bed rails, bumpers, and mirrors. The cargo bed is finished in black. The truck is equipped with power steering and front disc brakes. The 350ci V8 delivers power to the rear wheels through a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic automatic transmission.

Mike was searching for a truck like this for some time before finally locating this one. He had one years ago that was stolen from a shop while it was there having some work done to it. It never was found.

-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection

1973 International Harvester Wagonmaster 1010 Custom

The Wagonmaster was International’s second take on the quintessential suburban utility vehicle, the Travelall. International’s announcement on August 21, 1972 said, “The Wagonmaster combines automobile-type styling and comfort with the durability and trailering capabilities of International’s popular Travelall wagon. Its design features a 5-foot pickup-type bed behind the roomy six person passenger compartment.” International wanted to offer the suburbanites a family pickup and capitalize on a new aspect of the RV market, the fifth-wheel trailer. With International’s legendary burliness combined with a car-like interior, this rig was positioned to be an RV mover and shaker.

-Part of the Mike Malamut personal collection

1977 International Scout II

The International Harvester Scout is an off-road vehicle which was produced by International Harvester from 1961 to 1980. A precursor of more sophisticated SUVs to come, it was created as a competitor to the Jeep. It initially featured a fold-down windshield. The Scout and second generation Scout II were produced in Fort Wayne, Indiana as two-door trucks with a removable hard top with options of a full length roof, half cab pickup and/or soft top.

The Scout II was introduced in 1971. The basic sheet metal remained unchanged until production stopped on October 21, 1980. During the 20 year period (1960–1980) 532,674 Scouts were produced. The Scout, introduced as a commercial utility pickup in 1960, set the stage for future 4-wheel drive recreational vehicles of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s.

The Scout II is most identifiable by its different front grilles. The 1971–1972 Scout II shared the same grille, three horizontal bars between the headlights and chrome rings around the headlights. 1973 Scout II’s had 14 vertical bars between the headlights, a split in the middle, seven bars on each side surrounded by chrome trim pieces and an “International” model plate low on the left side. 1974–75 Scout II grilles were the same as 1973, with the addition of a vertical bar trim overlay. The 1975 had chrome and black square trim rings around the headlights. 1976 had the same headlight trim rings as 1975, a chrome center grille of 15 horizontal bars split into three sections was used in this year only. 1977–79 Scout II’s used the same grille between the same headlight bezels the new chrome grille had two large horizontal bars with three vertical support lines and the “International” nameplate moved up to the center of the grille on the left side. In 1980, the final year of production for the Scout, the grille was a very distinctive design, available with black or silver, a one piece grille with square headlights, made of ABS plastic. Both grille color options had imprinted chrome trim around the headlights and an “International” name located on the left side. Starting with late 1974 Scout IIs disc and power brakes were standard features. Early 1974 models had disc brakes as a rarely selected option. A three-speed Chrysler 727 torqueflite automatic transmission was optional.

This particular Scout II features every option that was available at the time. It was a dealer demo car with all the options.

-Part of the Mike Malamut personal collection

1960 Chevrolet Corvair 700 Sedan

During 1959 and 1960, the Big Three automakers planned to introduce their own “compact” cars. Ford and Chrysler’s designs were scaled-down versions of the conventional American car, using four- or six-cylinder engines instead of V8s, and with bodies about 20% smaller than their standard cars.

An exception to this strategy was the Chevrolet Corvair. Chevrolet designed a car that deviated from traditional American norms of design, powered by an air-cooled, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine with many major components in aluminum. The first time Chevrolet manufactured an air-cooled engine was briefly in 1923 with the Chevrolet Series M Copper-Cooled, which due to engineering challenges, was deemed a failure. The Corvair engine was mounted in the rear of the car, driving the rear wheels through a compact transaxle. Suspension was independent at all four wheels. Bodywork used monocoque rather that body-on-frame construction. The tires were a wider, low-profile design mounted on wider wheels. The styling was unconventional for Detroit, with no tail-fins or chrome grille. Its engineering earned numerous patents. Time magazine put Ed Cole and the Corvair on the cover, and Motor Trend named the Corvair as the 1960 “Car of the Year”.

The 1960 Corvair 569 and 769 series four-door sedans were conceived as economy cars offering few amenities to keep the price competitive, with the 500 (standard model) selling for under $2,000. Powered by the Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine with 80 hp (60 kW; 81 PS) and mated to a three-speed manual or optional extra-cost two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission (RPO 360), the Corvair was designed to have comparable acceleration to the six-cylinder full-sized Chevrolet Biscayne. The Corvair’s unique design included the “Quadri-Flex” independent suspension and “Unipack Power Team” of engine, transmission, and rear axle combined into a single unit. Similar to designs of European cars such as Porsche, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and others, “Quadri-Flex” used coil springs at all four wheels with independent rear suspension arms incorporated at the rear. Specially designed 6.5 by 13-inch four-ply tires mounted on 5.5 by 13 inch wheels were standard equipment. Available options included RPO 360, the Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission ($146), RPO 118, a gasoline heater ($74), RPO 119, an AM tube radio ($54), and by February 1960, the rear folding seat (formerly $32) was standard. Chevrolet produced 47,683 of the 569 model and 139,208 769 model deluxe sedans in 1960.

-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection

1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport

This 1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport is powered by a 425ci Nailhead V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. Additional equipment includes a limited-slip differential, dual four-barrel carburetors, concealed headlights, Rally wheels, power windows, and air conditioning. The car was first sold through Dick Grihalva Buick in San Diego, California.

First-generation Rivieras were constructed between 1963 and 1965, although 1965 was the only model year equipped with the concealed fender headlights originally intended by GM chief stylist Bill Mitchell. Additional features include a pillarless roof line and ribbed rocker-panel moldings.

Featuring dual four-barrel carburetors, hydraulic lifters, and 10.25:1 compression, the 425ci Super Wildcat V8 was rated by the factory at 360 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque.

This was one of Mike’s bucket list cars for several years. This one checked all the boxes!

-Part of the Mike Malamut personal collection

1965 Jeep Wagoneer – Camp Host

The Jeep Wagoneer is the first luxury 4×4, sold and produced for Jeep by several automakers from 1962 to 1991. Marketed as a station wagon, the design became known as “sport utility vehicle” (SUV) when Jeep first used the term for the 1974 Cherokee version, the 4WD Wagoneer stayed in production for 29 model-years (1963–1991) with almost unchanged body-structure, making it the third longest-produced single generation car in U.S. automotive history.

Introduced in November 1962 for the 1963 model year as a successor to the Willys Jeep Station Wagon that had been built since the end of World War II, the Wagoneer pioneered the sport utility vehicle concept. Although sharing a pickup truck chassis (like its predecessor), the Wagoneer had a sophisticated station wagon body design, that was more carlike than any other 4×4 on the market.

As of 1965 all models came with a new standard safety package that included front and rear seat belts, a padded dash and high impact windshield, and a dual braking system.

Late-year 1965 Wagoneers and Gladiator pickup trucks were available with the 250 hp (186 kW; 253 PS) 327 cu in (5.4 L) AMC V8 engine, which proved to be a popular option.

This particular car is a rare ’65 with factory AC. It is also a deluxe model which means it came with automatic, power steering, power brakes, and deluxe stainless window moulding. It belonged to a friend of Mike’s. At the time, Mike owned one in the same color but it was a base model (3 speed and no factory AC). Mike always wanted his friend’s Wagoneer but just didn’t tell him. After many years of ownership, the Wagoneer ended up on eBay. Mike saw it and made the purchase.

Future plans for the Wagoneer include redoing the interior with factory correct material, doing the body work, and repainting the entire car. To quote Mike: “It will be beautiful!”

-Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection

1971 Chevrolet Suburban C20 3/4 Ton

This 1971 Chevrolet Suburban is a three-quarter-ton example. The GM build sheet indicates that the vehicle was built at the Fremont, California plant and originally delivered to Coyle-Billings Chevrolet in San Jose, California.

It is equipped with the Comfort and Convenience packages as well as a ceiling-mounted air-conditioning system. The truck is finished in Medium Olive with a white roof. It is powered by a 350ci V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. It is believed to have resided in North Carolina for nearly 30 years. Exterior features include a single driver-side door, two doors on the passenger side, and a clamshell-style tailgate.

The cabin features three rows of seating and has been retrimmed with vinyl and fabric upholstery. Further additions include a Pioneer CD player and a period trailer-brake controller fitted under the dash. Factory options listed on the glovebox decal include a ceiling-mounted A/C unit (C69) and the Comfort and Convenience group (Z62).

Part of the Mike Malamut Personal Collection

1965 GTO Convertible

An American classic, this GTO has power steering, power brakes, power windows, factory air, red line tires, with a four-speed Hurst shifter and Hurst wheels. Under the hood, find a 389, 360 horsepower tri-power engine. A rare find as it has matching numbers.

A teenager’s dream, when Mr. Malamut attended high school, the only car he could afford was a ’55 Chevy. The “rich kids” parents bought them GTOs, as this was the “hot car” to own and an automatic “chick magnet” for the guys.

After many years and in a position to afford one, he searched but never found the right combination of color and equipment. In January 2002, while attending the Barrett-Jackson auction, destiny arrived.. About midway through the auction, his wife, Barbara, came running, exclaiming, “Mike! There’s a great looking GTO in line to be auctioned. You must take a look at it.”

They both went running and made it to the podium as the GTO became the next in line to go on the block. Looking at the vehicle, it became love at first sight. Everything was perfect; the right color, interior, and options. As the bidding began, he kept his arm in the air, regardless of price, until the auctioneer’s gavel dropped.

After receiving congratulations from Barbara, the GTO became an important part of the Malamut family of cars.

-On loan from The Mike Malamut personal collection

1947 Pontiac Streamliner Deluxe-Eight Woodie Wagon

After the Second World War, The Greatest Generation set out to define the American Dream. Education was inexpensive, jobs were plentiful, and the ever-expanding suburb housing market offered affordable home ownership for young newlyweds ready to pop a bun in the oven. These all-American families needed transportation to take Jimmy Jr. and little sister Sally to and from school, escort the family on cross-country excursions, and pick up visiting family from the airport.

Thankfully, the Big Three in Detroit offered family haulers in spades. From big body coupes and convertibles, four-door sedans, and wagons—the ultimate roadway utility vehicle of the 1950s—when did we collectively trade these in for SUV? Of the many trim levels offered, a five door Woodie made the boldest statement. There’s just something so inviting about warm wood slab sided wagons. All the American Iron makers offered long roofs during the period, but the Pontiac Streamliner might be the most red, white, and blue.

Make no mistake: if you drove a Pontiac Streamliner Woodie estate in the late 1940s and 1950s, your family was doing A-OK. Large, powerful, luxurious, expensive, and finished in enough brightwork to make a B17 Flying Fortress jealous and more bark than the Redwood National Park, the Pontiac Streamliner Woodie was the epitome of American excess when American excess was something to be proud of, guilt free.

This 1947 Pontiac Streamliner Deluxe-Eight Woodie Wagon is probably the cleanest example on earth—likely even nicer than when it left the Ionia factory 70 years ago. In the 1990s, a carpenter by the name of Chris Messano picked up this then battered Pontiac in hopes that some day, he’d restore the car back to its former glory. Over the years, Chris Messano Woodworks earned a well-deserved reputation for being the United States’ (if not the world’s) finest Woodie panel restorer. After a decade of labor totaling more than 5,000 man hours, the no-expense-spared resurrection was complete.

The woodwork alone totaled more than $65,000, the bodywork and dark nonmetallic paint job cost upwards of $25,000, and the upholstery fetched $15,000 to fabricate. But it’s not the restoration expense tally that makes this motorcar exceptional, it’s the inconceivable attention to detail that elevates this restored Woodie from wonderful to extraordinary.

For example, the door hinges are estimated to have more than 80 hours of work, the $3,000 rain channels had to be handmade, and the front floor mats required the construction of custom molds to ensure the carpets sat properly. Under the long hood lies the original numbers-matching Deluxe-Eight engine, rebuilt and topped with the appropriate valve covers. Perhaps most impressively, every bolt was painted with no thread mark scarring on the finish!

Chris unveiled the the car at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where it received 2nd place in the GM Woody Class—which we’re told was a dice roll win and after seeing the car first hand we’re inclined to agree. Since the restoration, the car has seen just 700 miles of use and maintains Chris’ impeccable standards throughout. Every feature on the car works precisely as it should down to the passenger side dash mounted clock and flip-down taillights so the car can be legally driven with the tailgate down—how trick is that?

-On loan from The Mike Malamut personal collection

1941 Chrysler Town & Country Barrel Back Wagon

In 1941, Chrysler introduced a unique wood-bodied car to the six-cylinder Windsor line. Neither sedan nor station wagon, it had a fastback profile with twin hinged doors at the rear. In contrast to most wood-bodied utility vehicles, the new Town and Country Car, as the company initially called it, had lavishly-varnished wood inside and quality upholstery.

This first edition of the Town and Country has become known as the “barrelback,” from its rounded rear styling combined with “clamshell” rear doors. The doors lead to a large and useful storage area behind the rear passenger seats. An innovation taken for granted today, the rearmost seat could be stowed in a forward position, enlarging the cargo area, or placed rearward, increasing passenger legroom. A nine-passenger version was also offered, with a limousine-type folding bench seat between the two rows of standard seats.

Exactly 999 were built, 200 of them in six-passenger configuration and the rest as nine-seaters. In addition, a single prototype was built on an eight-cylinder chassis. A similar lineup was continued into 1942, with nearly identical production despite the war-shortened model year. This car features original wood, a 6 cylinder, and fluid drive semi automatic transmission. It is thought that only 15 remain.

Model C-28. 108 bhp, 241.5 cu. in. L-head inline six-cylinder engine, four-speed Vacamatic semi-automatic Fluid Drive transmission, coil spring independent front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 121.5″

-On loan from The Mike Malamut personal collection

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon

The two-door Nomad differed from other station wagons of the era by having unique styling more reminiscent of a hardtop sedan than that of a standard station wagon. Chevrolet shared this body with its sister Pontiac, which marketed their version as the Pontiac Safari.
The Nomad’s unique design had its roots in a General Motors Motorama show car of the same name that was shared with the Corvette, Pontiac Bonneville Special, and the Oldsmobile F-88. The Concept was introduced at the GM Motorama in 1954 as one of Head Stylist Harley Earl’s “dream cars”.
GM approved production of the vehicle if the design could be transferred to its standard model, because top GM brass felt that they could sell more models if it were attached to the popular Bel Air model. In fact, following the product debut in 1955, it was not uncommon for the car to be referred to as the Chevy “Bel Air Nomad”.

While considered to be a milestone vehicle design, General Motors discontinued the original Nomad Sport Wagon at the end of the 1957 model year due to low sales and the introduction of a new body for 1958.

The Nomad’s relatively short wheelbase and overall length in comparison to Chevrolet coupes, sedans and station wagons of the same time period show modern similar characteristics to hatchbacks in later years. The platform used was GM’s smallest, a two-door bodystyle with a rear bench seat that folded down to accommodate cargo, and a two-piece tailgate with a glass upper portion that swung up, with a tailgate that folded down were the features that made the Nomad very popular.

-Part of the Malamut Auto Museum Foundation

1965 Chevrolet Greenbrier

An automatic with a 110HP six-cylinder engine, it boasts a deluxe interior and exterior, and original upholstery.

This was General Motor’s attempt to compete with the Volkswagen Microbus. The Corvair has more room, more power, and can carry a heavier load with twice the horsepower. Unfortunately, due to Ralph Nader’s mission to have GM stop building Corvairs (due, in his opinion, to their questionable safety), 1965 was the last year for the Greenbrier Family Wagon. This vehicle is a mostly-original California car that continues to roll down the highway. It has never been in an accident, which is a testament to GM and possibly contradicts Mr. Nader’s findings.

-On loan from The Mike Malamut personal collection

1947 Pontiac Streamliner Woody

After WWII, American automakers were limited on steel to make the bodies and parts for their production cars. Thus, leaving the automaker inconsistent to change or update the styling cues for many of their vehicles. However of all the Big Three middle-price makes, Pontiac was the only one to vary the looks of their models from 1946-1948. The Streamliner came with two engine types, a straight 6 and straight 8. This 47 Streamliner Wagon has the straight 8 and can also seat up to 8 passengers. The full-body woody became discontinued in 49, which resulted in Pontiac making a half bodied model just for that year only, and was changed to all steel in 1950, ending the wooden era.

Ford Falcon Sprint

In the early 60’s, many American families were now in the market for a second car, and market research showed women especially thought the full-size car had grown too large and cumbersome.

At the same time, research showed many buyers would prefer to buy US or Canadian if the domestic manufacturers offered a smaller car with lower cost of ownership. Thus, all three introduced compact cars: the Ford Falcon being Ford’s answer.

The only time a V8 option was available in a first-generation Falcon was the 1963½ model, and these cars were produced in very limited numbers (Sprint two-door hardtop (bucket seats) 10,479 produced and Sprint convertible (bucket seats) 4,602 produced).

These first-generation Falcon Sprint cars were the basis for the 1964½ Mustangs released by Ford one year later. Many (if not most) of the interior, chassis, suspension, and drivetrain components were derived from those used on the 1963½ Ford Falcon Sprint and/or Fairlane models. In simplest terms, the 1963½ Falcon Sprint is nearly mechanically identical to the 1964½ Mustang while being aesthetically different.

-On loan from The Mike Malamut personal collection

1936 Helms Coach

The Helms Bakery in Culver City, California was a notable industrial bakery of Southern California that operated from 1931 to 1969. In 1926, Paul Helms of New York took an early retirement for health reasons and moved his family to Southern California. Helms started construction on a building between Washington and Venice Boulevards in 1930 and, on March 2, 1931, the Helms Bakery opened with 32 employees and 11 delivery coaches (trucks). Divco or the Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company manufactured the Helms. Interestingly the brake pedal setup also doubles as a clutch when depressed slightly, making it a tricky little truck to operate. Both the owner and wife can recall the name of their Helm’s delivery truck driver and the fresh milk and baked goodies he delivered to their homes. Fond memories such as these make this an incredibly sentimental piece to this museum.

-Part of the Malamut Auto Museum Foundation

1948 Chevrolet Truck

-On loan from The Mike Malamut personal collection

1962 Chevrolet C 10

An orange beige exterior with orange beige, black cloth interior, this truck has an automatic transmission, V-8 engine with factory AM radio, original paint and interior with original 55,000 miles. It is unrestored with factory markings clearly shown in the engine bay. Immaculate, it drives like a brand new truck.

-On loan from The Mike Malamut personal collection