Mike,
Like I said I own an Elegant Motors most were Corvettes that looked like a Cobra. Mine is sitting on a 1973 Corvette frame but they also made custom frames. They normally had the wheel base of the C3 Corvette frames used, but this also could be changed by cutting the frame and re-welding. Elegant Motors became Indy Exotics & just recently Classic City Motors gave it a try.
Elegant Motors / establish 1973 / owners: Del Amy and Dick Passwater
Manufactured: The Cobra, the Cheetah and Auburn 856 Speedsters (2 place car) and Auburn
898 Speedsters (4 place car), 820 Cord and a Duesenberg
"LaGrande"
Elegant Motors
832 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204
Tel: 317-634-5200
Indy Exotics / owner: Harry Broaddux former shop manager of Elegant Motors
Manufactured: "Indy Exotics bought the old Elegant Motors"
Indy Exotics
7610 Lake Road, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46217
Tel: 317-881-9067 closed
Indy Exotics reopened with son closed
1551 Churchman Ave, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46203
Tel: 317-784-1119
Classic City Motors / contact: Gene Daley
Manufactured: “Classic City Motors bought Indy Exotics”
Classic City Motors
Auburn, Indiana
Tel: 260-402-7163 / Website:
www.classiccitymotors.com down assumed closed
Classic City Motors will make replicas of the Auburn 856, the Cobra, the Cheetah, the Lamborghini Countach, and a ` 34 Ford 3 Window Coupe. Classic City Motors, formerly Elegant Motors, will strive to live up to the legacy of Elegant Motors, who always seemed to lead the replica car pack. Not the biggest, but with a comprehensive line of quality built vehicles that catered to many tastes. All used steel support skeletons and currently available running gear to ensure p r o p e r h a n d l i n g and braking.
In some instances, the chassis were made from a modular design, or improved on from stock due to the special needs of a body style. Simple and robust could sum it up - these cars are made to drive, whether CCM builds them or the customer does.
Be sure to check out
www.ClassicCity- Motors.com
For more information, contact Gene Daley at 260-402-7163 or e-mail
gene@classiccitymotors.com.
Elegant Motors Auburn 856 Speedster and the Auburn 898 four place Phaeton version of the Speedster were built in Indianapolis, Indiana. Elegant Motors inc. was founded in the early 1970's by two Indianapolis businessmen, Del Amy and Richard Passwater. Richard is better known as Dick Passwater of stock car racing fame. The original idea was too sell enough Auburn Replica's to finance their own Auburns and to fuel their enthusiasm for classic cars.
The cars could be ordered turn key complete or purchased in any stage of completion or as kits. Their Auburns were of the correct dimensions and rolled on a 127" wheel base. The drive line and chassis choices were unlimited. The bodies were fiberglass and were produced in Goshen, Indiana by the Steury Corporation, a manufacturer of fiberglass boats and camping trailers. With their elegant promotions, and favorable product reviews for authenticity from many major publications such as Motor Trend, Car Classics and Playboy to name a few, the company took off. By the late seventies Elegant Motors had set up independent product distributors across the United States.
With Elegant Motors growing success, they started adding more Neo-Classic Cars to their product line. Their Auburn Speedsters would eventually be offered in six variations. The 898 Phaetons became available in a longer wheel base to accommodate those sitting in the rear seat. The Auburns were followed by a Cord 820 Phaeton, a 427 Cobra, The Cheetah and a Lamborghini Countach. A Mercedes 500K and a couple of versions of a Duesenberg were advertised, but I do not know if they were ever produced. I have collected printed advertising material for Elegant Motors as late as 1985. I do not know when they actually stopped producing cars. In my opinion, Del Amy's and Dick Passwater's Elegant Motors offered the best looking and most informative advertising catalogs and sales brochures of any of the Auburn Speedster replicar companies at that time. Their sales literature has become quite collectible.
To give you a feel for pricing, in 1973 856 Speedsters were priced at $20,000 for cars built with Corvette running gear and $16,000 for cars built on a Ford chassis. Kits were available for $4000-$5000. By 1979 Elegant Motors ads were listing Speedsters at $30,000, 898 Phaetons for $40,000 and their new LWB Phaeton with an extended 135" wheel base and Side mounted spares for $45,000. Their was even a Brougham (deluxe 898) available for $60,000. By 1984 I saw prices for 898 Phaetons drop to $28,000 and kit prices were dropping also.
Elegant Motors would soon become Indy Exotics under the leadership of it's new owner, Harry Broaddus. Harry was a former Elegant Motors employee. I do not know how long Harry operated Indy Exotics. I last purchased parts from him in 2001 when the company was located on Washington Street in Indianapolis. At that time he was talking about selling the business. Some of the early Elegant Motors cars used in their sales catalogs were still sitting in the warehouse area. That was pretty cool.
By 2007, the remains of both companies seem to have found their way to Auburn, Indiana. A new Auburn Speedster replica company by the name of Classic City Motors was getting started. They are building Auburn Speedsters again, two and four place versions. They were also building a 427 Cobra replica. Time will tell how this venture goes.
Elegance Motors original Showroom / manufacturing
829 Broad Ripple Ave
Indianapolis, Indiana
Elegant Motors Second Showroom / manufacturing
"This was an original Stutz Bearcat Showroom"
832 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indy Exotics / manufacturing
1551 Churchman Ave,
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46203
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