In the half century since the television series Route 66 went off the air, the road that the series took its title from has been officially decommissioned; many of the stars, guest stars, and even cameos from the series have gone on to successful film careers; and the American landscape – not to mention the Chevrolet Corvette – that featured so prominently in the series has drastically changed. Yet one production company believes it’s high time to bring the series back to the small screen.

As Deadline Hollywood reported last week, Los Angeles-based Slingshot Global Media, which formed earlier this year, has begun development of a Route 66 re-boot with executive producer Kirk Hallam. Slingshot and Hallam are currently looking for writers for the show, and according to Slingshot CEO David Ellender, the remake of the series will follow much of the original’s format, with two young adventurers in a cool car traversing the country.

“The premise is the same, but the United States is a different landscape than it was 50 years ago and we can’t wait to explore the multitude of diverse social issues confronting the nation today,” Ellender told Deadline Hollywood.

Originally developed by Herbert Leonard and Stirling Silliphant and aired over four seasons from 1960 through 1964, Route 66 followed two young men played by Martin Milner and George Maharis (the latter replaced in the second half of the show’s run by Glenn Corbett) as they drove throughout the country in a brand-new Corvette helping people they met along the way. Some fans of the show credit it for popularizing the Corvette, even though it was already on the market seven years when the show started.

(For trivia buffs, the production of the original show used Corvettes of varying colors, from Horizon Blue for the first season to Fawn Beige for the second and Saddle Tan for the last two; each season used a Corvette from that model year, thanks to Chevrolet’s product placement agreement with the show.)

Previous attempts to revive the show – including a 1993 television series that lasted four episodes and a late 2000s film to have been produced by Hallam that never materialized – didn’t meet with the same success as the original show.

No projected airing date for the Route 66 remake has been announced.

If you haven’t seen Jonathan Ward’s latest patina’d super sled, come along and check out this build from ICON Motors. The sixth example in the “Derelict” series, this 1948 Buick Super Convertible was found high and dry in a garage in Pennsylvania.  Ward narrates a YouTube video taking us from concept gestation all the way to burning rubber down by the LA River.

Last licensed in 1958, this teal green convertible from Flint’s finest comes with obligatory thin paint, surface rust and a salt free, East Coast survivor back story.  It then gets treated to the standard “Derelict” formula retaining the garage find cosmetics with state of the art mechanicals and all the latest creature comforts.

The interior gets power windows, power seat and top, Ididit steering, modern wiring harness and gauges hidden to appear as stock. The original AM radio center dash speaker has been doctored to accept a touch screen with audio system, NAV, Bluetooth and reverse camera all cleverly cloaked behind custom trap door.

The front seat now incorporates a custom center console with cup holders and a USB port. The seats are upholstered in wine colored, non UV stable, Moore and Giles leather, chosen specifically so it will age quickly and catch up with patina’d exterior.  Wilton wool carpet and Haartz canvas top add high end textures to existing weathered surfaces.

We always love it when we pull into a local car show and spot a rare Edsel. Named after Henry Ford’s son Edsel B. Ford, the Edsel was suppose to be Ford’s solution for the marked domination of GM and Chrysler. However, after three production years in ’58, ’59 and ’60. It was abruptly shutdown. So what happened? Why was this wildly awesome car kicked to the curb?

The folks at TIME recently brought up the famous flop and explained it in depth. To start, research and planning took 10 years and cost Ford $250 million. Their spending meant that it was going to have to explode and outsell all other cars in 1957 just to be profitable. Sort of doomed from the beginning. But, with 18 models to choose from and what some deemed “the right personality” this looked like a win for Ford and the family purchasing the Edsel. Sadly, before the first year was up, the sales had dropped by about a third.

So what led to the demise? The TIME report details what was just a combination of bad timing, bad luck, and poor market research for Ford,

“After the decision was made in 1955, Ford ran more studies to make sure the new car had precisely the right “personality.” Research showed that Mercury buyers were generally young and hot-rod-inclined, while Pontiac, Dodge and Buick appealed to middle-aged people. Edsel was to strike a happy medium. As one researcher said, it would be “the smart car for the younger executive or professional family on its way up.” To get this image across, Ford even went to the trouble of putting out a 60-page memo on the procedural steps in the selection of an advertising agency, turned down 19 applicants before choosing Manhattan’s Foote, Cone & Belding. Total cost of research, design, tooling, expansion of production facilities: $250 million.

A Taste of Lemon. The flaw in all the research was that by 1957, when Edsel appeared, the bloom was gone from the medium-priced field, and a new boom was starting in the compact field, an area the Edsel research had overlooked completely.”

Its a story that played out with numerous brands in the early automotive days. A changing and aging demographic ultimately led to the shutdown of a wildly unique and cool car. Ultimately, it’s a battle that automakers still have to wage even this day. They have to stay on top of what cars the consumer finds appealing. 250 million sounds like a lot (especially for the 1950’s), but it pales in comparison when a new car is launched today.

But still being able to see these today always brings a smile to our face. They are still sought after by collectors and aficionados alike, and when you catch one in the wild, it’s easy to see why.


Article courtesy of Rod Authority, written by John Gibson.

Rod Authority first caught wind of Brent Rothweiler’s stellar kustom at the 2014 Temecula Rod Run. Amongst droves of beautifully restored muscle-era and pre-60s cars and trucks, Brent’s ’54 Buick Special had a flavor that was undeniable, unforgettable, and masterfully built.

Upon closer inspection we found the badge of renowned builder, Oz Welch of Oz Kustoms adorning the fender panel of Brent’s ’54–this was the one car that had us stopping and staring during the Temecula Rod Run, and we certainly weren’t alone amongst the droves of event attendees flocking and inspecting every detail. From custom Lincoln taillights and a convertible conversion to the pearl white interior and smoothed body–this vehicle embodies the spirit and potential that lies within every kustom project.

It wasn’t until a few months later that we got into contact with Brent. To our joy and distinct pleasure, he was more than willing to get together, talk shop, and let us shoot and film his ’54. With a kustom as finely crafted as his, we knew that we needed to do our part–after some brainstorming the Rod Authority team came up with the perfect setting to compliment the aesthetics of the ’54.

Q&A With Sled King, Brent Rothweiler

Rod Authority: What do you do for a living?

Brent Rothweiler: “I’m a project manager for a construction firm.”

RA: If we were to ask those close to you, “What’s Brent like at a glance?” What do you think they would say?

Rothweiler: “I’m the type of guy who doesn’t sit still very well. I’m always moving or doing something. I’m either working, in the gym, or in my garage tinkering with some type of project.”

RA: What would you say is your first car-related memory?

Rothweiler: “I have several memories of cars from when I was a kid. Especially the times I shared watching or helping my father with his. My first own experience was when I got my 1972 Chevy pickup at the swap meet when I was 15. It had a built 327 ci motor and I couldn’t wait to get it home to wrench on it.”

RA: What is the most important car-related lesson you’ve learned?

Rothweiler: “I’ve learned that cars take time and patience. One may think you can install something in just minutes–hours later you realize your still thinking of a way to finish it.”

RA: What motivates you to build?

Rothweiler: “A finished product is what motivates me the most–to stand back and look at the outcome of the hard work and sweat you put into projects is priceless. At times, when you’re wrenching it can become tedious. Once you see it complete and enjoy it you’re right back out there looking for that next project.”

RA: Do you have any other automotive passions or interests aside from kustoms?

Rothweiler: “Yes, I’m also into car racing. My pops, uncle, friends, and I have a few cars–Corvettes and Mustangs with roll cages and performance modifications done to them–that we race at the local road course tracks. Some of the spots that we frequent are Fontana Speedway, Willow Springs, and Button Willow. It’s like most sports, you have to have focus and have to practice in order to get good at it as well as maintain consistent lap times–mentally, it drains you turn after turn for 15-20 laps.”

• Owner: Brent Rothweiler
• Owner Occupation: Construction Management
• Builder: Oz Kustoms, Oroville, California
• Year: 1954
• Make: Buick Special
• Chop: Hardtop roof removed, chopped four-inches
• Body Modifications: Frenched headlights and antennas, shaved doors handles and rear deck, removed side trim, filled and smoothed dash
• Taillights: Custom 1955 Lincoln taillights, two pairs each side
• Paint Color: House of Kolor Kandy Tangerine over Gamma Gold base coat
• Graphics: Scallops
• Engine: 1985 Chevy 350 ci
• Transmission: TH350
• Rearend: Camaro
• Suspension Front: Camaro front clip
• Suspension Rear: Camaro rearend with disc brakes
• Wheels/Tires: 15-inch wheels, Coker wide white tires
• Upholstery: Pearl white by Elegance Auto Interiors, Upland, California
• Steering Wheel: Restored original Buick
• Stereo: Custom stereo system, two subwoofers with speakers by Art of Sound, Upland, California
• Club Affiliation: Sled Kings