Rolls Royce Hemi

Luxury meets muscle............................................

No, it's not a chop. It's a 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow built by Joe's Street Rod Shop.

Poking out of the hood behind the Spirit of Ecstasy is a blown 572-ci Chrysler Hemi that is bottle fed to a more-than-adequate

1,350 horsepower.

The car has all of the luxury touches you would expect from a Rolls, including full leather, Vintage Air A/C, four TVs and a jar of Grey Poupon. Underneath it's a full tilt boogie runner with a Chris Austin chassis, Air Ride, Wilwood brakes, full tubs and Billet Specialties Riviera wheels.

It even has a leather-swathed trunk with matching coverings for the batteries, fuel cell and bottle. Notice the leather wrapped roll cage inside as well, a very elegant touch, and one that sums this sophisticated beast up perfectly.

 

These photos are courtesy of the 2008 SEMA show in Las Vegas and these are not my photos, but whoever took them certainly did a great job!

1954 Chrysler DeSoto Adventurer II

The Adventurer II was commissioned by Chrysler and designed by Ghia for the European car show circuit. With Chrysler Hemi V-8 power and Italian coachwork, the DeSoto concept is a predecessor to many of the American/Italian designs which came much later Its flowing, rakish shape is pure 1950s exuberance.

The Adventurer made the rounds at the European car shows, including Turin; and its public appearances ended in 1956, when King Mohammed decided to purchase the vehicle.

 The king only owned the car for about a year, and its second owner, an American diplomat, brought the car to the U.S. It spent time in Florida and eventually became part of the Blackhawk Museum, by which time it was a well-regarded show car rather than a weekend driver.
The Adventurer, is described as a 98-point concours car, and notched a third place at Pebble Beach, and a string of firsts at various other car shows Including Meadow Brook Hall, Keel sand Wheels in Houston, L.A Concours and various other special events. 

 The interior is fitted in 2 tone Leather with fitted luggage. The cockpit features big and bright gauges with engine turn insert and a padded dash. Equipped with power windows, including power retraceable rear window. Powered by a 331 Hemi and coupled to an automatic transmission.

The 1954 Adventurer Ghia concept remains a beautiful one-of-a-kind, a fusion of American muscle and Italian style that imagines a glamorous path for DeSoto.

Currently, this beautiful vehicle is on display at The San Diego Collection.