Special Interest Autos Brings Back the American Convertible; April Issue Also Features '58 Fiat 1200 TV, Early Motor Homes

6 March 2000

    BENNINGTON, Vt., March 6 Although a combination of
expensive fuel and the minivan has made the American station wagon extinct for
now, there is more than 100 years of station wagon history that can't be
ignored, and the April issue of Special Interest Autos -- a publication of
Hemmings Motor News -- presents an anthology of these vehicles.
    In keeping with its new "themed" approach to the collector car hobby,
contributing editor Mike Cook, a classic himself with more than 50 years in
automotive journalism and public relations, profiles the unique 1963
Studebaker Wagonaire, one of the only convertible station wagons ever built.
Cook does an extensive drive report on the car, which classic car photographer
Don Spiro shot for the issue's cover.
    Classic car book author and contributing editor Mike Lamm adds to the
theme with a ten-page history of American station wagons, from the 1948 Buick
Roadmaster Estate Wagon to the 1996, yes, Buick Roadmaster wagon.  The article
is illustrated with 28 station wagon photos.
    Special Interest Autos (SIA) has been redesigned to feature a more
contemporary look, including more color pages, exciting action photography,
and intriguing layouts, along with additional editorial departments to provide
readers with more information on books, scale models, on-line resources, and
collector car values.  In addition, there will be more features on big
American cars from the Fifties and Sixties and muscle and performance cars
from the Sixties and Seventies -- with an occasional article on an especially
interesting car from the Eighties.
    The April issue also includes a pristine 1922 California custom car -- a
Battistini built on a Buick chassis.  There are drive reports on the 1936
Graham Supercharger, and the 1958 Fiat 1200 TV convertible.  Early motorhomes,
some of them "stylish" as today's models, are included in an article, which
goes back to the early 1900's.
    SIA's regular features, such as model cars, book reviews, forgotten
"sleeper" cars, calendar of upcoming events, and columns by the editors, all
contain timely information in the April issue.
    SIA currently has a readership of over 50,000 and is published six times a
year.  It is available both at newsstands and by subscription from Hemmings
Motor News at http://www.hemmings.com or by calling 1-800-CAR-HERE, ext. 550.
    Since 1954, Hemmings Motor News has served the collector-car hobby as its
primary trading place and currently carries over 800 pages of hobby
advertising each month to a paid circulation of nearly 260,000 and readership
over 500,000.  Loaded with tens of thousands of classified and display ads for
collector cars, trucks and motorcycles, parts and services, clubs and events,
and other hard-to-find resources for the hobbyist, Hemmings has become
indispensable to the collector car enthusiast.
    Along with the monthly Hemmings Motor News, the company also publishes the
Hemmings' Vintage Auto Almanac, the world's most complete directory for the
collector-car hobby and industry, as well as Hemmings Rods & Performance, a
hobby/industry directory for street rod enthusiasts.
    Hemmings also offers a complete line of ancillary products, which includes
an extensive line of die-cast models, calendars, books and clothing -- all
available by phone or online.
    For online hobbyists, http://www.hemmings.com, has greatly expanded its
information franchise, offering an online database of over 30,000 searchable
ads for cars, parts, tools and services plus a host of new features, including
Car Club Central, their unique online Car Show, and an Online Dealer Showroom,
featuring the collector-car inventories of over 80 classic car dealers coast
to coast.