Hemmings Classic Car May 2017

“I remember seeing all the new cars... but nothing else was as memorable as that new Mustang.” Back in 1964-1965, for all New Yorkers and residents throughout the New York City metropolitan area, the usual talk among family, friends and neighbors centered around the World’s Fair. People throughout the United States, Canada and the world visited Queens, New York, to take part in this very special event to get a glimpse into the future, but we New Yorkers were the lucky ones, because it was held in our very own backyard. That meant we were fortunate enough to be able to attend more than once. A convenient subway or bus ride, or a quick trip in the family car, got us there in less than an hour. I…

The 300 Club THE ANNUAL CHRYSLER 300 INTERNATIONAL CLUB MEET has set its sights on the Finger Lakes, with Geneva, New York, as its home base this May 3-7. The 47th meet of 300 enthusiasts welcomes all 300 Letter Cars built from 1955-’65 as well as 1970 300 Hursts. Tours will take in the scenery of the picturesque Finger Lakes region and will include museums, wineries and manufacturers, such as the site of Legendary Auto Interiors. A full list of events, hotel and contact information is available at www.chrysler300club.com. Pinehurst Prizes THIS YEAR’S FIFTH PINEHURST Concours d’Elegance will take place May 6 at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Classes headlining this year’s event will include American pre- and postwar Classics and sports cars as well as 1953-1972 Chevrolet Corvettes, woven…

Stateline Somethingorother Redux THANKS TO THE MANY OF YOU who pointed out the Muntz Jet pictured in this space in the March 2017 issue (and special mention to Doug Smith, who informed us that the yard in question remained there until around the early 2000s). However, due to a layout mix-up, we neglected to include the photo that we referenced in the text of that piece, so let’s fix that mistake and include the correct photo of the odd little homebuilt roadster here. Any ideas about this car? A-Door-Able TYPICALLY WE LIKE TO FOCUS ON whole cars rather than on parts in this department, but Stephen Hallas of Orange, Vermont, sent us something rather peculiar, so we thought we’d make an exception. “I’ve had this old door for decades, thinking…

Barrett-Jackson Results ANOTHER SEASON OF AUCTIONS IN SCOTTSDALE HAS COME TO A CLOSE WITH Barrett-Jackson bringing in over $100 million in sales. This year, 1,719 vehicles were consigned with over 99 percent of them finding a new home. It’s estimated that over 320,000 people were on hand over the week’s festivities and that more than $2.2 million was raised for charity. Among the vehicles to cross the block were this 1930 Cord L29 four-door Brougham. This distinctive-looking beauty was powered by a 299-cu.in. straight-eight 125hp Lycoming engine and is one of very few L29s in existence. The Cord saw some spirited bidding and finally sold for $300,000. The money was used to benefit the children at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital in California. Barrett-Jackson has posted all its results from…

Ford Authorized Service 800-423-5525 • WWW.CALCARCOVER.COM  • $51.99 Back between the wars, you might have found a porcelain sign like this one hanging outside of the Ford dealership in your hometown. This modern reproduction (item TINFORAS) celebrating Genuine Ford Parts offers an appealingly weathered look, measures a substantial 27 inches wide, and features a tough, powdercoated image over sturdy 24-gauge steel. It’s pre-drilled and riveted for easy hanging on the wall of your garage or den, where it will look effortlessly cool. Junkyards, Gearheads & Rust 800-537-5487 • JHUPBOOKS.PRESS.JHU.EDU  • $44.95 What car enthusiast with gasoline running through his or her veins hasn’t relished the chance to wander through an automotive graveyard, picking still-functional (or decorative) parts and pondering the useful lives of the vehicles contained within, soon to become recycled into…

THEY WERE BOTH INVENTORS WHO grew up on farms, and who retained a perpetually high level of interest in scientific research after both had achieved success in their endeavors. Beyond that, they couldn’t have been more different: Henry Ford, the man who put American society on wheels, and George Washington Carver, born a slave, who accomplished countless breakthroughs in the world of agricultural experimentation at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. What brought them together was their shared commitment to the development of advanced materials for use in building cars, and even refining fuels for them, with all the materials adapted from the world of plants. Born in a log cabin in Missouri during the Civil War, and just a year younger than Ford, Carver distinguished himself early in life for…