Summertime

["Mahoney, John" <JMahoney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Summertime and the livin' is easy
Marlins jumpin', and the Cardin is high...

and

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of Rambler and Classics and beer...

when

You'll wish that summer could always be here!

After I packed off the inspectors, the weekend was grand: the weather as good as it gets in September; the last big little car show ahead and all I had to do was walk and talk.

About 300 vehicles of all persuasions joined the fun: from 1900 to newly completed hot rods, something for everyone.  In deference to the 9/11/01 tragedy, "gentler" music was playing.  I don't think anyone minded '50s-'60s pop from Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Perry Como, etc. instead of more strident Rock Around the Clock sounds.  I didn't hear any complaints.  People even listened to our dulcet-voiced (AM morning show) announcer when he made periodic [albeit louder] pitches for charity.  Visitors won door prizes, winners won tall trophies, someone won enough cash to buy a beginning collector car (an even better car if it were an AMC...), and funds were raised to help the needy 'til next year's show.

Just for the fun of it (or for the risk involved), Clark brought the '34 LaGrande out for the day.  With wheelbase exceeding the longest Nash's by 9.5 inches (153.5 vs. 144), it's as huge in life as in legend; for many attendees, it was a truly unexpected sweet treat.  It's been around the block over the past couple of years --- it even found its way into a Nash Nut's photo album --- so I'm not entirely OT in posting a note now. 

http://tinyurl.com/c4dds

(see first and last [he's consistent] two "Dusenberg" [sic] pictures...) 

While bid to $1.45 and $1.6 million at 2005 auctions (a $2 million offer was received since then...), it's still on the market, so still could be shown.

The V-16 Imperial (Cadillac, not Chrysler) and H&D Phantom I (one of only three American chassis bodied in Paris) survived their excursions in past years.  This was the show's fifth year, so, every other year, we have sents some surprise package.  The Duesie looked modest beside the burgundy Reo Royale, as wasteful a use of wheelbase for two passengers plus golf clubs 

http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B33307-2.jpg

as anyone could conceive.  A pair in excess to see.

There were many other big bodies in attendance, from three between-the-wars Royces (such tiny interiors) to Buicks (unrestored taxicab beside fully-finished luxury) to independents not often seen.  A pre-President Studebaker for seven and a pre-Blue Streak blue G-P 612: elegantly Deco, evidently styling ahead.

I saw a '73 Mark IV Continental with an AMC-style roof-mounted reading lamp; a dark green metallic '53 Lincoln Capri with a tan Haartz-style fabric top I found appealing.  (Or was I seeing it self-reflectively?)

http://ah.bfn.org/h/pierce/julyLaC1/source/12.html 

I'm sure that doesn't interest anyone now, so I'll answer the question: "AMCs?"  Several, from a '28 W-K Model 56 (Toledo-built big brother to the Whippet 6 and direct competitor to the Falcon Knight) rumble-seated roadster to a '32 Nash [blue] 1060 sedan to a Korean War veteran M170: a longer-but-flat-fender friend of the civilian CJ-3.

A '48 Nash 600 Super 4-door in metallic coffee and non-metallic cream, a '59 Rambler in Classic Black with yellow trim, a '61 Nash Met in yellow-and-white with plates that sang "BEP-BEP," a '64 American 440 hardtop in white/red and, one of the best-presented cars there, a Seaside Aqua '65 440 four-door with Check List posted ("!EZ-Sit Seats, !Courti-See Glass, !Polite-Hite Construction, !Touch-Tune Radio, !Shoulder-Press Steering"), accessories mounted (Travel Tier Roof Rack filled with vintage travel gear) and even a mirror to show off the headliner.  "Here's why Rambler is a better car for today!" indeed.  Justin Schiess (who also showed a '28 Durant M-2 coupe with better running board wood than the Reo...) knew how to market non-muscle AMC.  With wink, smile and good humor.  That's it.  Good Humor.  Doesn't everyone like ice cream?

Last, but not least, there was a '69 AMX: a rare sight in Butternut and black, brought here from sunny Florida.  Bubbling under re-paint at top of sail panels and at bottom of A-pillars.  I asked the owner, "Are you a member of any AMC clubs?"  "Well, no, I just kinda go it on my own."

"She drives a Duesenberg" read that famous ad; she and he got to see a $2 million car drive on Route 64 ~10 south of Pittsford.  Chrome wires sparkled, the most powerful motor of its day purred.  A sunny Sunday in late summer: what summer should always be.

(Don't be too impressed by the vision; a baseball card once sold for $2 million also...)

>>Man, I needs vacationed!

Bro, what you be sayin'??  Car dudes ain't gotta be no wusses* when they speak or write gud English??  Needs edukated before its restored??  That readin' might be FUN-damental??  Whoa, what a whack and crank concept!!!

(*Whatever their "Ramblers and Packards" interest and lifestyle may be...)

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosconsumer/0509/13/F01-305654.htm

What's NEW in the OLD auto World? 

Bring an AMC-Eagle COMPASS and be PATRIOT-ic to Kaiser-Willys-AMC Jeep: 

http://www.iaa.de/2005/www/Englisch/rest/start.php

Bring a Nash AMBASSADOR and light the way toward AMC-Renault history:

http://www.just-auto.com/news_detail.asp?art=49305

I'm referring, of course, to the last Nash Ambassador with a first:

http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B7120.jpg

and to a first Renault in the LED to the next headlight technology:

http://tinyurl.com/ag4nh

(Or Focus on a new Ford by Fiat, instead.  It's a New/Old World....)


Time's up.