Hemmings Classic Car November 2021

A few years before the muscle car era officially kicked off, the Big Three auto manufacturers in Detroit were already competing in the horsepower wars. The full-size cars of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s brought along large-displacement engines that rocked the automotive world with stout compression ratios, solid-lift camshafts and multiple carburetors. The example shown here is a 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air, which is actually one of Chevy’s lower trim models, compared to the highly-optioned Impala. These stripped-down cars were often equipped with six-cylinder engines, but a select few left the factory with Chevrolet’s top-performing engine, the illustrious 409. This beautifully restored 1962 Bel Air bubbletop features a set of 14-inch OE steel wheels, which are painted body color and equipped with original dog dish caps. The tires come…

"There was something special going on during that period of the mid-to-late ’50s…" A Brief Moment in Design I can still remember the day our neighbors brought home their “new” car. Really, it was new only to their household, and was in fact many years beyond the showroom by that point. It was a 1956 Chevy Bel Air, but we were standing in 1974. I was a young kid then, still years from being able to drive but already infatuated with cars, and any time someone I knew was acquiring a different vehicle, I was anxious to check it out — it didn’t matter what it was. But when the ’56 Chevy arrived next door, I was enthralled. The son in that family was my age, and my best friend…

AMERICA’S AUTOMOTIVE TRUST, which includes museum stalwarts such as LeMay—America’s Car Museum and the America on Wheels Museum, is teaming up with the Gilmore Car Museum to form a new “On the Road” membership. The partnership offers members mutual benefits at multiple museums across the country. The goal is to promote collaboration between member organizations to facilitate exploration of museums in other areas of the country, especially by promoting road trips. So far, the museums providing reciprocal benefits to members are the America on Wheels Museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, and LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. “The best way to perpetuate car culture is by working together to break barriers, enhance experiences, and offer frictionless ways for passionate enthusiasts to enjoy cars,”…

THE AACA MUSEUM, INC. has announced that its annual “Autos & Ales” fundraiser will return in November to the grounds of the museum. Expect live music, food, and samplings from dozens of breweries, surrounded by the galleries of the Hershey, Pennsylvania, transportation museum. Local participants will be joined by the area’s newer breweries, as well as some more distant brewers representing their part of the Keystone State. Jeffrey Bliemeister, the museum’s executive director, said, “This is one of our largest and most important annual fundraising events. It is also the most fun, attracting museum guests that otherwise may not visit. We welcome all Pennsylvania breweries, and those in adjoining states, to participate.” Tickets for Autos & Ales are now on sale and the museum will honor tickets from the canceled…

5-6 • AMC Reunion Henderson, Nevada 702-688-2073 • snamc.amcrc.com 5-7 • Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance Hilton Head, South Carolina 843-785-7469 • hhiconcours.com 7 • Sumter Swap Meet Bushnell, Florida 727-848-7171 • floridaswapmeets.com 13 • Springfield Swap Meet & Car Show Springfield, Ohio 937-376-0111 • ohioswapmeet.com 19-21 • Moultrie Automotive Swap Meet Moultrie, Georgia 229-896-2150 • moultrieswapmeet.com 20 • MAFCA Indoor Swap Meet Albany, Oregon • 541-928-1218 • mafca.com 25-28 • Turkey Run Daytona Beach, Florida 386-767-9070 • turkeyrun.com Please note that these events are active as of press time despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend you verify the status before making plans to attend.…

Cottonwood Tour will take place November 7-13 in Arizona. The tour will welcome classics to the area with stops that include the Grand Canyon, Bearizona wildlife area, and Planes of Fame Air Museum. Other planned visits are to Fort Verde, the Arizona Copper Art Museum, Montezuma Castle National Monument, and the Clemenceau Heritage Museum, as well as a trip to the old town of Jerome. The scenic tours will include a drive through Sedona’s Red Rock country, including the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Registration is still available and open to VMCCA-recognized vehicles 25 years old or older; no replicas or highly modified cars allowed. For more about the tour and the club, visit vmcca.org.…