The Week-Long Event
The Hershey event began on Monday, October 6, and culminated in the Fall Meet on Friday. In between those two dates a variety of activities occurred, including the flea market spread over 235 acres of Hershey's Giants Stadium parking lot. The AACA Library's annual extra books sale. The movies at night. And, of course, the race car qualifications at the stadium.
The Flea Market
If you wanted to find something—anything—connected to wheels or wheeldom, this was the place to be. I myself found a motorcycle gas tank that I'd used on a Harley chopper that I built back in 1970. I'd sold the bike in 1972 to fund graduate school and had since been questing for some part to remember it by. So yes, I bought the gas tank!
There were vendors selling parts and services, car dealers selling cars under their tents, private owners selling (and buying!) cars of all types and vintages, mostly classics, all lined up on a mile-long road that encircled the parking lot.
And there are always discoveries, so you have to roam and roam and roam some more to tease out the surprises. For instance, I came across a vendor who was selling classic Stanley Steamers, including this 1906 Vanderbilt speedster replica. Wow!
This 1906 Stanley Vanderbilt Racer is a replica, but a lot went into this piece. Wow!
I always find time to visit the Hyman Ltd sales tent along the road of cars. This year was no disappointment, as there was "Big Red," the 1919 LaFrance Speedster, and right beside it was a very classy Auburn 851 Speedster.
Imagine riding in this fire engine red LaFrance Speedster from 1919. Fourteen liters pushing you along at 80 miles per hour. Yikes!
Better photos of these and several other of Hyman's collection of speedsters and other sundries that didn't make it to Hershey can be found on his website, www.Hyman Ltd. A very class act!
The Auction
RM Sotheby's held its annual auction of well over 100 cars, and I attended the Tuesday night showing, which contained a nice variety of speedster examples under tents and in the parking garage as well.
A few stood out to me as I walked among crowds of interested onlookers.
A 1911 Marmon Wasp, a replica example of Ray Harroun's speedster that won the inaugural Indianapolis 500, was present under the tent, and would later make good at the auction by gaveling at $60,500. There were several interesting facts about Harroun and his Marmon, which I cover in my book, Classic Speedsters. Read it there to get the back story on this historic pair!
1911 Marmon Wasp replica. image courtesy RM Sotheby’s
Another speedster that caught my eye was a very handsome custom Rolls-Royce 25/30.
There’s always something stately about a classic Rolls. This example looks to have a bit of panache added! image courtesy RM Sotheby’s
This Phantom II from 1937 began its life as a standard Park Ward touring model, was converted into an ambulance during WWII, then restored back to bare chassis in the 1980s, and finally rebodied in its current speed car form in 2011. A real classy boattail speedster with quite the history caught someone's fancy, as it sold for $187,000!
The AACA Show Field
Friday began at 8 a.m. with the cavalcade of show entrants driving onto the field. Onlookers stood and admired as 1000 entrants drove their steeds onto the 25-acre field, some rumbling, some putt-putt-putting, some hissing steam. And no morning drizzle, for once!
As varied as the group was, there were nary any speedsters on the lawn worth reporting about. And hardly any brass era cars! This was the first time since I’d been attending this event that I was feeling disappointed. I couldn't believe that this was happening to me.
And so, I looked around for something unique, as there is always an example of that sort showing up at Hershey.
And then I saw it—backing up, huffing and chuffing, an elongated beast of a steam-powered car. It clearly resembled Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion, which had been the darling of the avant garde in the 1930's until a fatal accident involving the Dymaxion in Chicago ended its allure. Ironically, the other car involved allegedly belonging to a local politician, and it mysteriously disappeared. Hmm...
Aluminum body on this whimsical contrivance…
Unlike the Dymaxion three-wheeler, the Hariss used four wheels and was powered by steam; the Dymaxion used a Ford engine.
The 1930 Hariss was the invention of H.R. Hariss of Detroit, a whimsy that never made it past prototype. It was too strange to get very far in the automotive world, but it was way cool! Something unique always shows up at Hershey!
Book News !
The deluxe hardcover edition of Blue Bug has been delivered and is now ready for pre-order on my website, BlueBugBook.com. Sales officially kick off on November 1, so go visit the website then and order yourself a copy!
As mentioned in the previous blog post, there are three separate editions of Blue Bug, depending on your tastes and budget, so look over their features and decide what you'd like to select. Don't forget to press that Buy Now button!
The hardcover on the left is 9.75” x 9.75”, the hardcover in the middle is 8.5” x 8.5”, and the softcover on the right is 8.5” x 8.5”
Oh—and there's also an ebook version of Blue Bug available from BlueBugBook.com!
Classic Speedsters news: I'm in the final stages of rolling out a digital edition of Classic Speedsters and will discuss it in the next journal post.
The digital ePDF will be a nicely accessible feature for my overseas readers as well as something for those who prefer to read a book on a computer rather than on their lap. To each their own, as they say...and this will be ready by November 1st. So stay tuned, my friends, and
go drive that speedster!
…mounted on a 1916 LaFrance Speedster at the Sotheby’s auction. ‘Uge, I tell ya! ‘Uge!