Classic Cars, Tech Center News, September 20, 2000

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TOP HAT JOHN-CLASSIC CARS COLUMN -Tech Center News, September 20, 2000

I was driving on Mound Road northbound near Hall Road the other day following three new vehicles. Now I got to back up here a little bit. For the last ten years while walking the new car auto shows, I could not help but notice the similarities between different manufacturers vehicles. Hmmm…. Anyway, I really did not know what these three cars were. They were running all three lanes, abreast of each other at about 50 mph and all three looked the same from the rear. Amazing … when I got a little closer the white car was a new Aurora-I think, and the two gold ones were a Taurus and a Lincoln Continental-and I identified them for certain, only when I eyeballed the emblem-once I found it. All three cars have the same design tail lights, for that matter the whole back end view of the car looks the same!

Then a ’55 Chevy Bel Air Sport Coupe went by, that was easy, and then a ’66 Mustang convertible. That was easy too ‘cause I saw the chrome emblem on the side by the body sculpture and it had the six-inch vertical chrome piece with the three chrome horizontal fingers on it-I knew that one. A ’63 Buick Riviera was stopped at the red light next to me, when the light turned green we of course accelerated and I knew it was a ’63 ‘cause it didn’t shift-you know a Dynaflow automatic. I could tell by the monotone sound (had my window open as it was another beautiful September day). That was easy ‘cause ’63 models were the first Riviera and the only year Riviera to use the Dynaflow torque converter transmission.

You know, right after that another one of them cars went by with the same back end and tail lights … and I did not know what it was. Would you believe it was a Neon. Hmmm… It was a Dodge … or was it a Plymouth Neon? Could it be these different manufacturers cars use some of the same parts. WHAT??? Could the designers be moonlighting . NAY NAY Rasputin!!! Never. Maybe they all eat at the same restaurant and take pictures of pictures of what they’re showing each other. You know … could I be gettin’ … AGGGGHHHH, old.

HISTORY 9-00. A bit of automobile history here that happened in September’s of years past. Two centuries ago-keep in mind were just nine months here into a new century, so this makes this tidbit really old-the fair city of Newport, Rhode Island, staged what is accepted as the first known automobile parade in these United States on September 7 of 1899. 19 vehicles participated. Interesting to note is that back then, being 1899, not even Oldsmobile-functioning under the name of Olds Motor Works, they built engines-had a production automobile and would not until 1901-the CDO, Curved Dash Oldsmobile and built 425 that year, 1901. But there were experimental Olds cars around as Ransom Eli Olds started tinkering with ‘wheels’ in 1887 and formed Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897. I wonder if one of those early experimental Olds or Studebaker cars were at the parade. Could be an American or an Allen was though, as these automobiles were just that by 1899, automobiles.

On September 11 of 1903 the oldest permanent racing circuit in the world opens in Milwaukee at the Wisconsin State Fair Park. Just think, this Wisconsin track pre-dated Indy and even pre- dated Michigan's oldest in Whittemore. They still race in Whittemore. Got a hankerin’ to go, Whittemore is just north of Twining … Michigan. And I think its on Saturday nights. On September 14 of 1920 a seven passenger touring car is completed and, is the first Lincoln automobile ever built. Cadillac is first as an automobile, but interesting to take note of is that both of today’s surviving American luxury icons were nurtured by one man, Henry M. LeLand. Cadillac arose out of Henry Fords failure to produce an automobile for the investors and Lincoln … Henry Ford bought the company. Powell Crosley Jr. was born on September 18, 1886. He went on to become famous for radio, refrigerator and … small cars. Namely the Crosley automobile.

On September 27 of 1904 the R.E. Olds Company changes its name to the Reo Car Company and Ransom E. Olds now builds the Reo automobile and Reo truck. Oldsmobile and Reo will forever be the signature histories of the Olds family and Ransom Eli Olds. And now you have the whole story of … September Automobile History, 9-00. Good day.