While global financial markets crashed to new lows on the second week of October, the sun shone and trading for collectible cars and parts continued as usual at the Eastern Division AACA National Fall Meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania. On Saturday October 11, some 1,500 vehicles packed the show field, drawing throngs of enthusiasts, out to enjoy the motorcycles, cars and trucks as well as the last fleeting bit of summer-like weather in the Northeast.
The Eastern Division AACA National Fall Meet at Hershey takes place each year during the first full week in October and represents the combined efforts of 75 different Eastern Division AACA committees and 750 volunteers. The Hershey Region began hosting the show in 1955, and has done so each year since. Located on the Hersheypark and Giant Center parking lots and surrounding grounds, the event is easily one of the largest and most prestigious antique automobile shows and flea markets in the United States, boasting over 9,000 flea market spaces, over 1,000 car corral spaces, and approximately 1,500 show cars.
Each year, the show attracts automotive hobbyists from all over the United States and the world, on the hunt for just the right collectible vehicle, part, tool or memorabilia item.
Highlights this year included a new corporate area on the Orange Field where General Motors hosted a special 10-car display of significant vehicles from its Heritage Collection, including Harley Earl’s outrageous 1951 GM LeSabre show car–the famous design exercise that boldly foreshadowed a fascination with jet airplanes that would influence automotive syling well into the 1960s.
Ford Motor Co. also had a display in the corporate area, as did, RM Auctions, Kruse Auctions, Meguiar’s, Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, J.C. Taylor and others.
The AACA Museum hosted a 1950s-inspired evening of fun, food and fundraising on October 8, which included a silent auction. Guest speakers were actor Ed Herrmann and Richard Lentinello, Hemmings editor-in-chief and author of the recently released book It’s Only Original Once.
On October 10, during the RM Auction, approximately 14 custom pedal pedal cars were sold to benefit the AACA Museum, AACA Library & Research Center and AACA National. The cars were built by major restoration shops and car builders in the U.S.; marques represented in miniature included Duesenberg, Packard, Jaguar, Olds, and Cadillac, plus there were one-off original designs.
If you’re planning to attend the 2009 Eastern Division AACA National Fall Meet at Hershey October 7-10, go to www.local.aaca.org/hershey/ for more information.
PHOTO 1
This outstanding 1933 De Soto Coupe was brought up from Wilmington, North Carolina, by its proud owner, Edward McCormick. It sat alongside the equally beautiful 1932 Buick Sedan of John Watkins of Linthicum Heights, Maryland.
PHOTO 2
Looking absolutely radiant in its bright metallic green finish, this gorgeous 1952 Buick coupe was going for its Repeat Preservation award. Owner Nicholas Mazzarella drove out from Brooklyn, New York, to display it.
PHOTO 3
What can we say? It was magnificent. Corky co*ker, the tire magnate, rolled in from Wildwood, Georgia, with this fully original 1915 Crane-Simplex touring car. It deservedly got a Historic Preservation of Original Features certification.
PHOTO 4
Dickson City, Pennsylvania, resident Gabriel Costanzo entered his striking 1936 Oldsmobile Sport Coupe in the show to get his First Junior award. Powered by a flathead straight-six, this two-tone beauty was a real show stopper.
PHOTO 5
Saturday’s show field was covered with many rarities, including this 1936 Ford bodied by Jensen. A. Ross Myers from Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania, is the lucky owner of this unique and very stylish Ford flathead-powered roadster.
PHOTO 6
The center of everyone’s attention was this gorgeous 1940 Cadillac convertible. With a flowing body crafted by Bohman & Schwartz, it is one of only two built, and the only one known to exist. It was displayed by noted collector Ralph Marano of Garwood, New Jersey.
PHOTO 7
The Ford Model T was well represented on the Hershey show field in its centennial year. These examples, with painted, steel shell radiators, are later Model Ts, built between 1917 and 1927.
PHOTO 8
Not to be confused with a post-war T series was this splendid 1932 M.G. F1, owned by Malcolm Ap-pleton of Waitsfield, Vermont. Entered in the pre-1960 Sports Vehicles class, the car won a First Junior.
PHOTO 9
With its engaging deco-era style clearly evident throughout its long body, this 1937 Studebaker four-door sedan was the only one of its kind at Hershey this weekend. Thanks to owner Ron Hand of Philadelphia for showing it.
PHOTO 10
Jack Barton came all the way from Gallatin, Missouri, to get a Senior Award for his incredibly beautiful 1940 Packard station wagon. This wood-sided beauty was impeccably restored, and looked positively dazzling with its two-tone wood on dark green body.
PHOTO 11
Nothing like blackwall tires to make the true style and shape of the car’s body shine, as shown on this very handsome 1934 Packard Convertible Sedan owned by Robert Woolfitt of Norfolk, Virginia.
PHOTO 12
It’s not often you see a Messerschmitt on the road, much less a 1954 Model KR175. This spectacularly restored example was piloted by John Nicely and was later awarded an AACA Senior.
PHOTO 13
Police package vehicles are always interesting–a mix of spartan functionality and high performance. This 1971 Ford Custom owned by Jerry Scarborough of Street, Maryland, once served the Maryland State Police, its high-output 429 providing the grunt to chase down offenders. The chrome air-cleaner lid and finned aluminum rocker covers are unusual factory inclusions from Ford’s muscle car offerings of the time.
PHOTO 14
Oldsmobile very stealthily placed the inlets for its W30 cold air system above and below the parking lamps for 1967, themselves nestled between the headlamps. They feed that year’s hottest version of the Rocket 400, pleasantly bordered by the red fenderwells that were also part of the W30 package. This example is owned by Scott Platt of Meriden, Connecticut.
PHOTO 15
The ageless George “Ziggy” Snider once drove this 1967 Mongoose-Ford, co-owned by Parnelli Jones, in the Indianapolis 500, though it was an early DNF. It’s in the remarkable race car collection of Robert McConnell from Urbana, Ohio.
PHOTO 16
Simply ordering the Super Sport option on your Impala in 1968 didn’t get you the top-of-the-line model; for that you had to specify the SS427 package. This one has a four-speed, factory tachometer and gauge package and the simulated wood wheel.
PHOTO 17
The first-year Camaro Z/28 was merely an option package slipped onto the order form to hom*ologate Chevy’s 302-cu.in. small-block and its parts, along with 15-inch wheels, cowl-plenum air ducting, and other pieces to help in SCCA’s Trans-Am series. William Clemens of Royersford, Pennsylvania, has owned this one for 25 years, taking much of that time to gather parts, like the correct but not-reproduced 7.35-15 redline tires.
PHOTO 18
Though the big-block G.T. 500 is usually favored over the small-block G.T. 350 by collectors, this 289-powered Shelby is helped by a factory-installed Paxton supercharger. It was ordered through famed racing dealer, Tasca Ford. Tim Rubright of Kutztown, Pennsylvania, is the lucky owner.
PHOTO 19
Two years after the pinnacle of the muscle car movement, Chevy’s 454 was a rare sight in a Chevelle. This ’72, owned by Stanley Kryla of Brick, New Jersey, also has the benefit of being a convertible. It’s in stunning condition, as the AACA has already recognized.
PHOTO 20
The car corral was packed throughout the entire event with an array of spectacular cars for sale such as this eye-catching 1953 Cadillac convertible.
PHOTO 21
This glistening 1947 Mack EF has been in the Patterson family since new. It was ordered new with a 290 engine, five-speed transmission, vacuum-booster brakes, heavy rear springs and a heavy-duty radiator.
PHOTO 22
David C. Kirchner’s 1973 Bronco was a show stopper and nicely optioned with a 2V 302 under the hood, and an automatic transmission.
PHOTO 23
Heavy trucks seem to be creeping onto Hershey’s storied show field in ever larger quantities. This 1967 R-model Mack tractor looked as good, maybe even better than the day it rolled out of Allentown.
PHOTO 24
Oscar Tann’s 1982 Ford F-100 XL is an unrestored original (save for the light green on the passenger’s side front fender) and was purchased new by his grandparents on October 10, 1981.
PHOTO 25
George Van Orden’s 1955 Task Force style Chevrolet Carryall with a NAPCO conversion towered over the showfield. The truck hailed from Folks Run, Virginia, and was powered by an inline-six.
PHOTO 26
Mike Trudich’s finely restored 1970 Chevy C-10 literally had it all: bucket seats, air conditioning, a 350 four-barrel, power steering, power brakes an automatic transmission, etc.
PHOTO 27
Matt Pfahl’s 1973 Brockway single axle tractor was painted up in BEST Transportation colors and boasted CAT Diesel Power under its split hood.
PHOTO 28
Joseph Donato’s one-owner 1948 International KB-2 pickup sported an elegant looking grille guard manufactured by Bustin Iron Works of New York. In the bed was Donato’s one-owner 1950 Simplicity L-1 Garden Tractor. There was a crowd like this around it all day long.
PHOTO 29
The Jeep camp was well represented by Kenneth Landry and his meticulously restored 1945 CJ-2A. Both Jeep and owner were from Walton, New York.
PHOTO 30
Earl Zastrow combined two Jeep FC-150s, a 1958 and a 1960 platform stake body model, to build the good-looking hauler you see here.
PHOTO 31
From the “only at Hershey” file, here’s something almost never seen on these shores, a 1952 Mercedes-Benz Delivery Sedan with straight-six power, and lovingly restored. It was presented by Dennis Frick of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.
PHOTO 32
For an offer in the neighborhood of $4,000, you could have driven off with this 1926 Model T coupe finished with a stunning patina. The seller said the engine turned freely.
PHOTO 33
A solid set of fenders and a grille for a Willys pickup were up for grabs in the swap meet for $375, and the seller seemed eager to make a sale.
PHOTO 34
Old trucks abound at Hershey, as witnessed by this marvelous 1936 Ford 1½-ton panel. Outfitted as an emergency vehicle from Belchertown, Massachusetts, it features hydraulic brakes and a C-6 transmission. Best offers were being taken.
PHOTO 35
In the days before digital message boards were erected above the nation’s highways, these little puppies where deposited to warn drivers. Note how we’ve gone from “wreck” to the softer “accident” in a few short decades. Incidentally, this little message from the past cost $300.
PHOTO 36
Tucked into the Chocolate South field was this appealing little 1961 DKW junior, also known as the 750. Powered by a 39hp inline-three, the interior was packed full of–what appeared to be–the required parts to complete its restoration; all for an asking price of $1,850.
PHOTO 37
Ford’s Ram Air intake of the late Sixties has been a hot item to locate for some time, and while not impossible to find, the seemingly stiff asking price of $2,500 on this example–applicable to 429SCJ engines–drew mixed reactions; unless you were restoring a 429-powered FoMoCo.
PHOTO 38
Hidden away in the swap meet area behind the stadium was this fantastic Mopar deal. As the sign stated, it’s a “Barn Fresh 1949 Dodge Roadster.” In solid and complete condition, this Wayfarer seemed well worth the asking price of $10,500.
PHOTO 39
The seller claimed this was a “new” head for 1934-’36 eight-cylinder Auburn. Does new mean NOS, or refurbished? Either way, it would have cost you $1,250.
PHOTO 40
Strapped to a trailer was this rather original looking–or a significantly older restoration–Curved Dash Olds. The famed one-cylinder-powered vehicle is still desirable among collectors, and finding one in any condition under $40,000 is a rarity; the asking price here was $35,000.
PHOTO 41
Okay, it wasn’t for sale, but we couldn’t resist. Where else are you going to spot a Studebaker truck chassis, mounted with a Thomas school bus body, used as a vendor’s rig? It was out of Iowa.
PHOTO 42
A matched set of reportedly NOS fenders for a 1968 Camaro stood out in this vendor’s booth, with an asking price of $1,750, or best offer. We didn’t see any GM boxes, or the factory stickers that are usually associated with NOS items, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t exist here. All said, the asking price was not out of line for NOS Camaro fenders.
PHOTO 43
This ’41 Ford truck was getting a lot of attention in the swap meet. The writing in the windshield said the the truck was an original V-8 with refurbished mechanicals. Asking price? $9,750.
PHOTO 44
A 1979 Civic Wagon? When was the last time you saw one of these compact little four-door space movers? With an asking price of no less than $8,900? Perhaps a little steep for some, but it was touted as a rust-free Southern California car–up in the Northeast, they’re nothing more than scattered bits of rust on the side of the road.
PHOTO 45
Looking at the value guides, the $15,900 asking price for this 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 convertible was about spot-on; actually, perhaps a bit cheaper. Maybe the only drawback for some was the advertised 325hp and automatic transmission. But, if you were looking for something to keep you busy during the next year or two, this was it.
PHOTO 46
Two-wheelers, too, have a home at Hershey. In the vendor area, these restored small-displacement Harley-Davidsons from 1957 and 1959 were each offered at a firm $6,300.
