The entire lineup of neoclassical kit cars is hard to keep track of, given how many different varieties of these rolling chariots of 80s excess were made. But the CMC kit – otherwise known as Classic Motor Carriages – has a more unique story than most. The car itself is not particularly exceptional unless you yearn to drive something akin to what The Great Gatsby might choose for a personal vehicle if he were still alive. But the story behind CMC and its years of stealing from customers put the classic Tiffany in a class all by itself. Find this Mercury Cougar-based kit here on Facebook Marketplace for $9,999.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of this car is that an owner actually got a fairly complete example. The company started out on good terms, eventually growing to be the largest specialty car manufacturer in the world under the leadership of one Charlie Massing. Massing would eventually sell the Opa Locka, Florida-based enterprise to a gentleman by the name of George Levin, which is when things took a very bad turn and the company’s reputation seemingly imploded overnight. This Tiffany is listed as a 1985 example, which would have shipped after Levin took over.
There was nothing inherently wrong with the kits themselves, as the company under Massing’s leadership seemingly delivered on its promises. The interiors were far less exotic than the outside would suggest, and the Cougar’s identity is barely hidden once you sit down inside. A lone car phone may have represented peak luxury in 1985, but it did little to mask the pedestrian cockpit every Tiffany came with. Still, at least the interior was likely to be in place once you took delivery of your kit – the question was, would any of the other parts? According to numerous customer complaints, the kits took months to be delivered and oftentimes, critical parts were missing, leading to even more delays.
This Tiffany has 97,000 miles and a 4.0L V8 under the hood, so someone clearly drove this highfalutin kit car. The seller admits it doesn’t run now, needing the typical fuel pump replacement. Fortunately, given the underpinnings, that should be an easy part to find. Levin and his associates effectively tarnished the name of a great company, and closed up shop before re-opening under a new name that also came under legal scrutiny. These days, Levin is more known for his association with Scott Rothstein, creator of a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme who was sent to federal prison for 50 years. Overall, this CMC Tiffany comes with some baggage, but it shouldn’t affect your enjoyment of it if the neoclassical scene is your kind of thing.
Delightful! Looks like something Cruella’s body double would drive.
I never quite figured out whether the fad for ’30s-looking neoclassics died out, or if they had to stop after the supply of VW Beetle turn signals dried up.
First thing I thought of, but I would still love to have one of the neoclassical cars someday. They were big stuff when I lived in Los Angeles.
Two words : Yuck.
Yuck is one word.
I’d drive it, off a cliff. lol
I think these were sold as completed cars, not kits. Altering the wheelbase of a unit-body Cougar would require jigs and fixtures far beyond the average DIY type or even most body shops.
This isn’t a kit; they were actual production cars.
I’ll bet that missing grille is made out of unobtanium.
Tacky when new and hasn’t gotten better with age.
Overpriced especially since it’s a project, this will not end well for the seller.
Steve R
Located in Drexel Hill, PA
When I went to work in ’85 selling new Chevy’s, there was one new ’84 Excalibur sitting on the lot. 2 years later, it was still sitting there, occasionally being rolled into the showroom for a brief hiatus from the blistering Phoenix heat. Virtually no one wanted this style of car then, and like Steve R says, it ain’t getting better.
Listed 13 weeks ago.
Too gaudy for me.If it were a GOOD representation of a Mercedes Benz from 1930 with cycle fenders I would go for it.
I should buy this for my niece as her name is Tiffany. But sorry Mr. Seller,
you’ve priced this example much too high considering the fact I can get one
for $2,500 if I look hard enough. Besides she’s a Mustang girl and to her,
nothing else will do. Still looking for the
right ‘Stang that’ll make her happy.
Another example of a car that might successfully sell far away, in a foreign land.
Indeed. If you’re an Albanian gangster, this would be the talk of the “Gentlemen’s Club” when you rolled up in it. So much more unique than just another black Mercedes with the VIN number missing.
A lot of things on this car were an afterthought but those tail lights.