Hemmings Classic Car April 2022

“To the untrained eye, there was plenty of rust to be seen in those derelict hulks, but really, much of it was superficial.” Recently, I came across several videos online showing collections of vintage cars languishing in Texas fields that were being parsed off. In each case, these troves represented years of gathering, some that seemed intended to save the vehicles for later restoration and some that were essentially auto graveyards, aimed at salvaging parts. The degree to which the cars had deteriorated varied but given the age of so many of them—from the early ’70s, back to the ’20s in some cases—I was astounded to see so much vintage steel still intact. Much of what was being sold off or scrapped in those Texas hoards would likely be considered…

LINCOLNS OF ALL ERAS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VISIT PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, this May to be a part of the Lincoln & Continental Owner’s Club Western National Meet. It will take place at the Desert Princess Country Club and Golf Course, and the five-day event will be centered on the Double Tree Hotel next to the country club. In addition to the car show, there will be technical seminars with “The Lincoln Whisperer,” noted expert John Kiszla, ready to divulge tips and secrets to make your Lincoln perform its best. Convertible tops, A/C systems, and general repairs are on the agenda, as is a Q&A session. Tours are being planned to show off some of the area’s private collections and houses of the stars, and there will also be a silent…

THE LA JOLLA CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE HAS ANNOUNCED THE CLASSES for its 16th annual celebration. Bugatti will be the featured marque and the Mercedes-Benz_300 SL “gullwing” will have a special display. The weekend of events starts off with a free “Ferrari Friday” event, followed up by the tour d’elegance around the San Diego area on Saturday and the concours d’elegance taking place Sunday. More than 150 cars will be showcased, covering all eras and types. The show will take place April 22-24, and online vehicle display applications are currently being accepted. Tickets are on sale now with discounts available, but pricing will increase as the show approaches. For more information, visit lajollaconcours.com.…

3 • Sumter Swap Meets Bushnell, Florida 727-848-7171 • floridaswapmeets.com 7-10 • Charlotte AutoFair Concord, North Carolina 704-841-1990 • charlotte-autofair.com 8-10• Lincoln & Continental Owner’s Club Tri-Regional Show • La Grange, Texas 713-465-3603 • elforbes07@gmail.com 20-24• Spring Carlisle Carlisle, Pennsylvania 717-243-7855 • carlisleevents.com 22-24• Spring Jefferson Auto Swap Meet & Car Show • Jefferson, Wisconsin 608-244-8416 • madisonclassics.com 28-30• Pate Swap Meet Fort Worth, Texas 713-649-0922 • pateswapmeet.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.…

THE STUDEBAKER NATIONAL MUSEUM announced a GoFundMe campaign to restore its 1951_Studebaker Commander “Muppet Car.” The hope is to bring the Commander back to its original cinematic condition, as it appeared in the 1979 feature The Muppet Movie. In the film, the car took Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear on a cross-country adventure, but when the production ended, the Commander sat parked on the Warner Brothers backlot. In 2004, it made its way to the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, where it was gifted to the facility by members of the Studebaker’s Drivers Club’s Orange Empire Chapter, in care of Richard and Phyllis Holcomb. To match its on-screen appearance, the Commander will be refinished in its custom paint scheme, and it will be driveable. Special-effects modifications, needed…

AS BEST AS FIBERGLASS-CAR EXPERT GEOFF HACKER CAN FIGURE, THE ALLARD CLIPPER BECAME THE FIRST BRITISH FIBERGLASS-BODIED production car when it debuted in 1954. It also may very well be the last production car offered with a dickey seat (aka rumble seat). It’s also the least likely vehicle to bear the famed Allard name and certainly the most poorly received, two prime reasons why the example that Hacker recently unearthed and intends to restore is one of only three known survivors of the odd little three-wheeler. Based on a design by David Gottlieb and using fiberglass bodies produced by aircraft engineering company Hordern-Richmond, the three-wheeled Allard roadster, with a removable hardtop, used a 346-cc Villiers twin driving one of the 8-inch wheels, with compressed rubber blocks for a suspension. Allard…