Concours d'Elegance of America, Plymouth, Michigan, July 30, 2017: Part Two

Now came the first of the cars we had really come to see: American Classic Open!  A Baker's Dozen of spectacular motorcars from a Golden Age.

1935 Duesenberg J Torpedo Phaeton

A creation of famed designer Gordon Buehrig, the Torpedo Phaeton allowed the top to fold flush behind the rear seat compartment, making it, with its cut-down windshields and long wheelbase, the sleekest four passenger sports model to adorn a Duesenberg J chassis.  This car and two others were bodied by the A.J. Walker Co., while two more by Weymann American Body and a single example from the Hermann Brunn Co.

1932 Chrysler Imperial CH Convertible Sedan

The first Chrysler Imperial appeared on the market in 1926 to compete with luxury cars from Cadillac and Lincoln.  The CH model, on a 135 inch wheelbase, was bodied by Briggs, which had purchased the LeBaron coachworks.  1,392 CHs were built in 1932, of which only 152 were convertible sedans.  The CH featured rubber motor mounts, a fine leather interior and electric start.

1931 Cadillac 355A Convertible Coupe

This V8-powered Cadillac, which was derelict for many years in an orchard in Indiana, has been making the rounds of concours events as we saw it at The Elegance at Hershey a month earlier where I had the opportunity to speak to the owner.  Its convertible body is by Fleetwood.

1930 Stutz SV-16/MB Convertible Coupe

Originally priced at $4,450 when new, this rakish Stutz, bodied by LeBaron in aluminum, is one of only three known to have been constructed in this style.  It used Stutz's longer 145 inch wheelbase, and featured an overhead-cam straight eight engine with dual ignition, hydraulic power brakes, and a four-speed transmission.

1933 Packard 1002 Convertible Victoria

At the height of the Great Depression, Packard only built 4,800 cars, its lowest total since 1916.  The fine Convertible Coupe is one of only 100 thought to have been constructed on the Eight Chassis and sold for $2,780 new.  Among other features, it boasted a pivoted pane window ventilation system, exclusive to 1933 cars.

1930 Packard 734 Speedster Phaeton

Packard's Chief Designer came up with the idea of building the sportiest car possible by offering a custom body on the company's shortest wheelbase and highest power engine.  The 734 line was the lowest, narrowest and lightest available from the company and by 1930 was a full line of cars.  It is thought that only 150 Speedsters in all body styles were built before the series was discontinued in 1931.

1938 Packard 1604 Convertible Coupe

This wonderful Packard was purchased new by the Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools and wandered between owners until 1957, when purchased by a Wayne State University student and then ended up in storage between 1959 and 2005, its fine maroon paint having been replaced with a porch green paint job applied with a roller.  Having remained in the Detroit area, it suffered from the effects of Michigan winters over the years but was fully restored to its current condition by experts in Indiana.

1931 Stutz DV-32 Convertible Victoria

The wags once said "Ya gotta be nuts to drive a Stutz" but from the cars at St. John's this is certainly not true!  This very fine DV-32 boasts a LeBaron body, with the longest hood (extended 6 inches) used on a Stutz.  The car was originally exported to Argentina, where it was handled by the Stutz dealership of noted heavyweight boxter Luis Angel Firpo.  It eventually returned to the United States in 1974.  It is thought that the body style was a "catalogue custom" aimed at keeping LeBaron at the forefront of Stutz coachbuilders.

1930 Packard 734 Roadster

Unfortunately Packard records are no longer intact but it is thought that around 100 of these 734 Roadsters were built, with only a dozen accounted for today.  Its straight-eight engine produces 106 hp and is noted for its smoothness and reliability.  Economy of operation might have been a selling point in 1930 as the car was capable of getting a modest 15 mpg, impressive for such a luxurious and heavy vehicle.

1941 Buick Super Phaeton

In 1940 GM introduced a new "Torpedo" body style that was shared among division, used by the Buick Super and Roadmaster, the Cadillac Series 62, the Oldsmobile Series 90 and the Pontiac Torpedo.  With the elimination of running boards, lowering the car 2-3 inches, and making it 5 inches wider than its predecessor, the Buick was a genuine six passenger car.  467 Super Phaetons were built for the US market, with an additional 41 exported.  This example had a full restoration completed in 2013.

1937 Packard 1508 Convertible Victoria

This Rollston-bodied long wheelbase V12 convertible was a one-off design for the Shattuck Family that owned the Schrafft's candy company, based near Boston, and which enterprise was expanded to include restaurants and motor inns operating in the 1950s and 1960s.  The 144 inch Packard chassis was usually reserved for limousines or convertible sedans.  Very few of the V12 1508 models received custom bodies.

1934 Pierce-Arrow 840A Convertible Sedan

Believed to be the last convertible sedan to be produced by Pierce-Arrow, this LeBaron-bodied example was originally purchased by the wife of an associate of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie.  Pierce-Arrow offered four different product lines in 1934, with the 840A being the most popular, albeit with a mere 654 produced.  This car is finished in Pierce-Arrow Thessalon Green and Black, with a matching interior.

1940 Packard 180 Convertible Coupe by Darrin

One of an estimated nine survivors of the series of twelve Darrin-bodied Packard 180s, this car was powered by a 356 cu. in. inline eight which Packard claimed, at 160 hp, to be the most powerful eight cylinder engine available in 1940.

1940 Packard 180 Convertible Sedan by Darrin

Arguably the best-looking of the three variants of the Darrin-bodied Packard, the Convertible Sedan had a long 138 inch wheelbase and a 3 inch longer hood.  It is believed that only eleven cars in this style were built, with a list price of $6,300, making the Convertible Sedan considerably more expensive than Convertible Victoria or Sport Sedan.  This car was originally purchased by a Mrs. Welch, of the grape juice company.

1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Convertible Roadster

Capable of exceeding 90 mph with its 125 hp straight-eight engine, the fine LeBaron-bodied. Chrysler Imperial would have retailed for $3,295 but there were few takers in that Great Depression year, with only nine Imperial Convertible Roadsters finding buyers that year.  Total production of all Imperials was only 155.  The design of the car is clearly influenced by Auburn but in 1934 Chrysler would turn in a completely different direction with its groundbreaking Airflow models.

Continue to Part Three here

Hemmings Concours d'Elegance, Saratoga Springs, New York, September 25, 2016

With out strong interest in classic cars, it was only natural to have a subscription to Hemmings Classic Car and it was through this interesting publication we learned about the 10th Annual Hemmings Motor News Concours d'Elegance, held at the Saratoga Auto Museum in Saratoga Springs, New York.  It was an easy drive to get there, with our route taking us through the beautiful Adirondacks.

As usual for a concours show, the cars were divided into classes.  While there were a large number of cars present, we spent our time at the event focused basically on the cars categorized as Full Classics and Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg.  This meant passing by a lot of vehicle classes that would have been interesting in themselves, such as Tailfin Evolution (the photo above), Triumph, European Postwar, American Muscle Cars, Vintage Trucks, etc., but there is only so much time available so you have to pick out what interests you the most.

We did begin at the entrance to the show with American Prewar, which offered up 13 cars including some ubiquitous Fords.  But there were other treasures on display as well.

American, Prewar

1923 Detroit Electric

1910 Elmore Model 36 Demi-Tonneau

It is always so nice to see Brass Era cars, which are vanishing into extreme old age, and it was delightful to get acquainted with a car I had never heard of when I had a long conversation with Mr. Shaw, the owner of this 1910 Elmore, which has been in his possession for nearly fifty years.  The Elmore Bicycle Company was founded in Elmore, Ohio, in 1892, moving a few years later to Clyde, Ohio, where experiments with two-stroke gasoline engines began and the first cars were built in 1900; the company was now the Elmore Manufacturing Company.

Small production ensued and the cars became "modern" in that they had a four cylinder engine mounted in front, a steering wheel instead of a tiller, and a driveshaft leading to a rear differential.  But they continued to use the two-stroke for motive power.  In the days before reliable engines, the company that simplification was the answer and a two-stroke has far fewer parts than a comparable four-stroke engine.  

By 1908, the company sales had reached a heady 608 units and at this point Billy Durant swept up the company in 1909 for his General Motors conglomerate.  Elmore was one of many companies Durant grabbed, thinking that if he assembled enough different technologies something was going to work.  The two-stroke patents that Elmore Manufacturing possessed were probably expired by 1909 and in any event in 1910 Durant was thrown out of General Motors (for the first but not last time).  Production was moved to Detroit in 1911 but the financial managers of GM lost interest in it, along with a number of other Durant-era underperformers, and the last Elmore rolled off the line in 1912.

Mr. Shaw's car was the base model Elmore for that year and cost $1,750 new.  With its 254 cu. in. engine rated at 36 hp, the car was supposed to be good for 50 mph, and Mr. Shaw has actually gotten it up to 60 but it was not a comfortable experience.  There are very few surviving Elmores: besides this one there is a 1904 Runabout in the Henry Ford Museum collection and another one taking pride of place inside the Elmore, Ohio, public library!  

When he purchased the car in 1971 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Mr. Shaw only knew it was an old car and had no idea what an Elmore even was.  Although it was complete, it needed restoration and has been brought into superb condition over the years.  Mr. Shaw is 87 years old and had all the enthusiasm for a much younger person.

1915 Ford Model T

1930 Marquette Phaeton

The Marquette brand was a "companion" brand of Buick, similar to LaSalle for Cadillac or Pontiac for Oakland, that was perfectly timed for the Great Depression, the result being that the Marquette was produced for only eight months.  This handsome Phaeton, one of only 889 built, was shipped to South Africa for final assembly, including right-hand drive, and eventually ended up in Ohio in boxes.  Restoration of this extremely rare car was completed by the current owner only six months before we saw it at Saratoga.

One of the prime reasons we had made the trip to the Hemmings Concours was because one of the display classes was Auburn Cord Duesenberg, some of the most extravagant cars built in America.  There was a fine group of seven cars, dominated by a magnificent 1931 Duesenberg J Rollston Victoria Convertible.

1931 Duesenberg J, with body by Rollston.  Designed by Rudy Creteur, it is one of 12 constructed

A superb 1929 Cord L-29 Cabriolet, which we previously saw on display at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum

1937 Cord 812 interior

1937 Cord 812 Phaeton (foreground), Auburn 815 behind it

1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Phaeton

1936 Cord 810 Westchester Sedan

1932 Cord L-29 Convertible

Of course, where you find Auburn and Cords, you are bound to find Packards as well and the concours offered an excellent selection of these as well.

1927 Packard 526 Runabout

1933 Packard 10th Series Convertible Sedan.  One of 29 built in 1933, it underwent a 14 year restoration, being completed in 1998 and is now in the permanent collection of the Owl's Head Transportation Museum in Maine.

1934 Packard 1104 Super 8 Club Sedan: no trailer queen, in 2013 this car was driven from New York to San Franciso along the Lincoln Highway route, then south to Santa Monica before returning east on Route 66, a total of  8,000 miles of driving (and requiring 1,000 gallons of gas!)

1937 Packard 1506 Touring Sedan

1930 Packard 733 2-4 Coupe

This attractive Packard coupe had a hard life as once it became "only" an old car, it had its body slashed and it was turned into a tow truck.  The present owner, Mr. Lingenheld, had never restored a car when he took the project on and not only did the mechanical and body work but even bought an industrial sewing machine and taught himself to use it so that he could do the interior.  Most cars at concours events have been restored by professional shops so it is particularly impressive to see such a successful completion by an owner.

1929 Lincoln Model L Sport Phaeton, body by Locke

1934 Lincoln Roadster 523 KA

1937 Cadillac V-16 Imperial Sedan

1934 Pierce-Arrow Model 1248 Town Brougham

1934 Pierce-Arrow Model 1601 Convertible Sedan

1934 Bentley 3 1/2 Litre

1932 Chrysler CH Imperial Convertible Sedan, and one of its competitors, a 1932 Studebaker President

1932 Studebaker President Convertible Sedan

Awarded Best in Show at the Hemmings Concours (only a few months after taking top honours at the Greenwich Concours in Connecticut), this 1932 Studebaker is one of only two known to exist.  The top of the line from the manufacturer in South Bend, Indiana, it was powered by a straight eight engine producing 120 hp, the President line was meant to compete with Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln and Packard and 2,399 were produced over the six year production run from 1928 to 1934.  The car was originally sold in California and followed its owner to Mexico for retirement in the 1940s, returning to California in the 1970s.  It languished there as its owner sold off parts, including the engine.  The current owner, Mr. Varros, undertook a 10 year restoration of the car and, amazingly, was able to locate and purchase the original engine, as well as a 1932 President Sedan to use for parts.  The owner did most of the mechanical work himself.

European Postwar class, featuring Porsche 356s

Winner of the Preservation Class: 1916 Marmon Model 41 Club Roadster

1966 Cobra 427 Roadster: this car was stolen and dumped in the Erie Canal canal after a fatal hit and run.  Dredged out 13 months later, it was eventually purchased by a local shop owner from the insurance company for $390 in 1969 and eventually restored over four decades to as-new condition.

1930 Riley 9 Special Brooklands

1963 Ford Mustang III Concept Show Car: a one-of-a-kind two seater built for Ford by a designer who subsequently hid the car to prevent it being crushed

1929 Ford Model AA Flatbed Truck

1932 Ford Model A Deluxe Pickup

1954 Cunningham C3

Sportsman Briggs Cunningham wanted to race an American car at LeMans and established a factory/workshop in West Palm Beach, Florida, to produce suitable cars.  To meet LeMans homologation requirements as well as to pay for the racing project, he produced the Continental C3 road car from 1952 to 1954.  A C-2R racing chassis was equipped with a Chrysler engine, then the whole thing was shipped to Italy to receive a body and interior by Vignale, and then shipped back to Florida for final assembly. Wildly uneconomical, only 25, at prices ranging from $8,000 to $12,000, were ever built (20 coupes and 5 convertibles) and all still exist.

Lee Holman, whose family business of Holman and Moody was responsible for much of the success of the Ford GT40 in the 1960s, was a special guest at the Hemmings Concours,and brought a number of vehicles including the new 1966 GT40 Mk II his shop manufactures, with a roadster version on display

1963 Ford Galaxie stock car

And a blog entitled Cross-Country Corvette can never pass up the chance to post about Corvettes so here is the sole one to be seen at the Hemmings Concours d'Elegance:

1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster

As fellow Corvette enthusiasts, we spoke at length with the owner, Mr. Ebeling, who bought this car in 1971 for $1,500 and drove it into the 1980s, after which point it languished in his garage.  A close friend harassed him mercilessly to restore the car, which he offered to do, and a body-off restoration began in 2006, with the car finished a year later.