Testimonials
1932 Dearborne Deuce Roadster
Building street rods has always been my passion. This '32' Dearborne Deuce Roadster is my 3rd hotrod and I built it from the ground up. These beautiful photos by Auto Effigies document my efforts and certainly by pride.
I ordered the parts in 2004 and started the build in 2005. A good friend and member of the California Roadsters Club, Doug Lindow, provided a working space and valuable advice for me at his shop in Los Alamitos, CA. For the next two years, I worked on the car with many dedicated craftsmen – artists in their own right - from all over the Southwest. The car's hood and hood side panels are the work of Terry Hagman in Fountain Valley, CA. Mark Mahood of Mahood Auto Body in Stanton, CA did the flawless paintwork. Pete Engel at Westminster Upholstery did the double stitched leather interior and Advanced Plating in Memphis, Tennessee did the chrome.
The car has won many awards such as "Best High Boy" and "Best Street Rod" at Crusing for a Cure Car Shows in Orange County, "Best of Class" at the Million Dollar Car Show in Tustin, CA.
My wife says it's like I had a mistress. And I'll admit it certainly was a tremendous Labor of Love.
Gary Herman1948 Benjamin Special
Of the 21 cars I currently have my collection, this rare1948 Benjamin Special racer is certainly one of my favorites.
This was a limited production car, built in Argentina right after WW II. Only 40 or so were built. I’ve seen only one other — in the Juan Fangio Museum in Balacarce. My wife and I found this one online located in Belgium We flew over there to see it, fell in love with it, and had it shipped back to us in California. The chassis and mechanicals are British, but the all-aluminum “aerodynamic” body was hand made in Argentina. It’s the car’s beautiful shape that does it for me —I appreciate automobile design as an art form.
These great photos from Auto Effigies capture all the magic, and all the intriguing details. And I’m sure the photos will add to the car’s value in the future. The Benjamin never looked better.
Ron Lee1967 Ferrari 275 GTB-4
Here I am with my ‘67 Ferrari 275 GTB-4. My wife and I have owned this automobile for about 15 years now, and of all the cars we drive, we consider this one family.
We run the wheels off this car on and off the track. When we acquired the car, it was in good shape cosmetically, but definitely not ready for the track. Without abandoning our commitment the true classic spirit of the car and with the help of Rod Drew, Glenn Yee and Stefan Pagnani, we spent the last 4 years making this car a safe and reliable racer. The engine turns 8500 rpm all day long with, suspension, brakes, steering, and instrumentation to match. We built and installed a concealed roll cage, which is unobtrusive and as with all the other enhancements to the car, does not take away from daily driving.
We run this car regularly at Willow Springs and other area venues as well as lightening fast 32 hour cross country cannonball New York making the flight to Italy in time to participated in the 40th anniversary home-coming rally. We spent 6 days covering unrestrained the same roads that the car was originally developed on. Ferrari spared no effort in orchestrating this event which captured our expectations of a car equally capable on the track in this case Ferrari’s contemporary F1 test track Fiorano as it is on a any of the numerous daily timed hill climbs as it was grand touring through the back roads of Tuscany. What an unbelievable thrill.
These great photos taken at the Auto Effigies studio certainly capture our pride and joy. They took over a hundred photos. We had them make a beautiful coffee table book that captures every detail of our fabulous Berlinetta.
Jeff Elghanayan
1952 Jaguar XK 120
I found this 1952 Jaguar XK 120 Fixed Head coupe in a barn outside of Riverside Califonia. She was in pretty rough shape.She had been hit by a truck 20 years earlier and not touched until I found her.
The XK 120 has ageless beauty and is one of my favorite cars designed by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons. XK-120 launched the company into the modern age and became an instant classic the moment it was unveiled. The car featured a six-cylinder DOHC engine of 3+ liter capacity making it one of the fastest cars of its era.
Restoring classic cars takes vision, time, money and an unwavering commitment. It took five years to bring my 120 back to how you see her now. I love this color combination, the elegance of the walnut dash and the rear wheel spats. The contour of the 120 hardtop makes this beauty and true work of art, and one for generations to marvel at.
These Auto Effigies’ photographs capture the essence of the 120’s unique character and styling. As you can see, they shot every aspect of this car-- highlighting its fit and finish.
John Zraick1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SC Einspritzer
I love cars. I have a 1958 Porsche 365 Speedster, a ’62 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, and an ’01 BMW Z8 Roadster my collection.
But is this rare 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SC Einspritzer is my pride and joy. I bought this car at auction back in 1963, and named her “Bertha”. She’s been with me for 58 years now, and she’s still a daily driver.
This is a rare automobile — only 53 were built between 1955 and 1957. Mercedes built the 300 SC as a statement to auto enthusiasts around the world: ‘We are back, building the world’s finest automobiles. Aside from her new silver paint and new carpeting, she is factory original: fuel-injected engine, standard 4-speed transmission, wooden dash, leather seats, and hand-made leather luggage—just the way she was when she came off the boat.
As you can see, these photographs capture every detail of her classic design. They not only make us look good, but they document my investment, and validate a 40-year commitment to her longevity.
Nice work Auto Effigies!
Helmut Reiss