EnjoyClassicCars.com
A Regional Website for the Classic Car Enthusiast
FOUNDER
Founder
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For some, restoring classic cars is a hobby. For Peter Pleitner, it's a passion. Since 1970, when he took a job with an auto restoration shop to finance his education at the University of Michigan, he's been committed to the concept of restoring cars to their original beauty. Among his proudest achievements were the restorations of two Rolls Royce Silver Ghosts (including one that took top prize at the factory’s 60th anniversary reunion), a Duesenberg, and a V16 Cadillac Cabriolet. |
Toby Pleitner 1948 MG TC Peter Pleitner |
Though his education led him in the direction of aerospace, then geology and natural resources, his interest in cars never waned. As a partner in a high-tech company involved in remote sensing and digital image processing, he developed and patented several related inventions and traveled extensively throughout Europe and Asia while continuing to expand his collection of vintage British and Italian sports cars.
Over the years he has been a member of the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance Car Selection and Events Committees, a judge at the Italian Concorso d'Italia, and volunteered many hours in support of local and regional vintage car events. His cars have been invited to Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance, Concours d'Elegance at Cranbrook, Eyes on Design Automotive Exhibition and numerous other club events across the U.S. He also attends vintage motor sports events in the U.S. and Europe as time permits.
Peter saw the need and founded an online discussion group for Alfa Romeo Giuletta Type 750 and 101 cars that now has over 700 members throughout the world from Argentina to Finland, South Africa to Hong Kong, Japan, and New Zealand. His desire to better network classic car enthusiasts in Southeastern Michigan led to his co-founding of what has evolved into the Points and Condenser Preservation Society (PCPS) at a storage facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
He also taught automobile restoration at Washtenaw Community College (WCC) in Ann Arbor for five years using WCC's existing auto body repair program facilities.
His German heritage is revealed in his attention to detail, yet his collection doesn’t include a single example from there. He prefers the inspiration and passion embodied in the 1948 MG TC he rescued from a field and storage boxes during college; the pair of 1958 Alfa Romeo Giuliettas, christened in homage to Shakespeare ― a Spider and Sprint he’s restoring as his and hers; the elegant 1963 Maserati Vignale Spyder; and the outrageous E-type Jaguar, also represented by coupe and roadster pairs built in 1965 and 1966. The very low mileage roadster with removable hard top he obtained from its original owner in Manhattan in 1982. Its many miles of “dependable driver” status and well earned patina is now changed to half done restoration. Also, looking for a practical way to drive an interesting car and stay cool in the middle of summer, race cheap, and add a political statement to his collection, early in 2006 he acquired that “cool domestic” ― a 40 year old black on black Corvair Corsa coupe from Arizona with factory air conditioning. This is exactly the car he wished he had driven on that rally through the mountains of France instead of a two-cycle Saab which twice ceased its crankshaft bearings.
Peter has assembled a photo album of his cars and other memorable wheels (some on wings) that contributed to his enjoyment of work and adventure.
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