Hemmings Classic Car June 2023

“Road trips are a solid proving ground to confirm a job well done.” ACCORDING TO the calendar, spring is right around the corner, despite the layer of snow still encapsulating terra firma in the higher elevations of Vermont. While we wait, and as outlined in the April issue (see Garage Time), work has begun in earnest on the resurrection of Hemmings’ 1940 Buick Century Convertible Phaeton. Suffice it to say, our team is getting anxious for the intended promise of proposed road trips when the long-overdue mechanical tasks are completed, and the dastardly clouds of winter have officially departed. Road trips are a solid proving ground to confirm a job well done. In our case—and as you’ll read in updates that will be appearing in future issues—a little precaution will go…

I AM A LONGTIME Volkswagen bus owner and driver who calls the Chicago region home. My current example is a Campmobile painted Velvet Green that has been our escape pod since 1996. I’m just its second owner, and since obtaining it, the icon has been a big part of our annual fun that provided a connection to the people and places we cherish. Over the years, though, we tried to combat the slow accumulation of Midwest rust bit by bit, given our humble budget and parts availability. Over the years, I saved and saved, and sold off all extraneous things and miscellaneous collections so that I would be able to afford the full, quality restoration that the Campmobile deserved. Once I felt I had enough of a budget to get…

“Once, after running out of gas having not realized that the gauge wasn’t working, my girlfriend reminded me that German cars have a spare tank.” IT ALL BEGAN when I was 12 years old and living in southwest Germany. At a rest stop on a highway leading from Switzerland to France, I watched parades of cars coming and going. There were Fiats, Renaults, and Citroëns, along with Mercedes and Opels. It was here where I saw my first American car: A 1949 “bullet nose” Studebaker. Next came a ’50 Ford, whose driver opened the hood so I could see its amazing flathead V-8. Not long after that I saw a yellow Chrysler convertible; I was mesmerized by the size and features. I was hooked and dreamed of one day owning and…

EMAIL YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS TO: mlitwin@hemmings.com GREAT ARTICLE IN February’s issue on that gorgeous 1954 Chrysler Town & Country station wagon with factory air conditioning—it’s a very rare option. During that early ’50s era, Chrysler, GM, and then eventually Ford started off with the system’s evaporator core located behind the rear seat in the trunk, with the chilled air being directed towards passengers either with ducts in the rear deck or via plastic tubes into headliner outlets. I have examined multiple cars from that era with A/C, but they were always sedans—only sedans had trunks to locate the evaporator core. In-dash A/C outlets didn’t start until 1956 or 1957 for most makes. Barry Kluczyk included some great pictures of that Town & Country, but nowhere was there any discussion…

The automobile is, at its core, nothing more than a tool for personal transportation convenience. Our entire existence with self-propelled vehicles can attest to that. We buy them new—full of shiny gadgets and conveniences—drive them for several years, pass them along to another driver, and then another, until one day that car is put to pasture in some way. Nearly three decades later, the old steed has become a collectible antique. Need examples? We’re betting that 25 years ago, few would have suspected a 1998 Mazda MX-5 would be on sports car collectors’ radars 1968 Riviera—which helped redefine the personal luxury 10 years down the road, nobody gazed into a crystal ball today, or that 55 years ago Buick’s car market a second time—would still be alluring. A further seeking…

“Chalmers-Detroit cars were often owned by wealthy and prominent families.” THE CHALMERS automobile played so large a part in America’s automotive history that it’s a wonder many people have never even heard of it. Mr. Chalmers and his automobile company touched many manufacturers and historic figures. It’s hard to believe today, but at one time the electric cash register was one of the biggest growth industries in the world, and National Cash Register was a dynamic company that made many people wealthy. One person who benefited was Hugh Chalmers, Vice-President of National Cash Register, who in 1907 was earning the unbelievable salary of $72,000 a year. Anxious to possess his own company, Chalmers jumped at the chance to become a partner in the Thomas-Detroit Company, which built Thomas automobiles in Detroit…