Classic Cars, Tech Center News, October 9, 2000

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TOP HAT JOHN-CLASSIC CARS COLUMN -Tech Center News, October 9, 2000

I have found that I have been enjoying looking at cars more … now that the garage is empty. Empty of toys that is, other than the Vixsters tractor and the old 1950 Chris-Craft 14-foot kit boat that I supervised my dad on how to build back in 1950. I find myself looking and paying more attention to exactly what I see, like the Red Porsche Carrera convertible I was following and watching the automatic spoiler over the engine hatch go up at 50 mph. I followed that Porsche for a long time just to watch that spoiler work. And that spoiler, it did not retract ‘till that little red car came to a stop. Wondering how much that Porsche cost I looked ‘em up in Hemmings Motor News-of which by the way one of those magazines is in the bathroom, living room, on the kitchen table, under the covers in the bedroom (with a flashlight), in the garage and in each car-and found that they ain’t got no pricing, just ads for sale. Then I found out why as that particular Porsche is about $170,000.00. It’s one of them that if you got to ask the price … you just cain’t have it. If you know what I mean. Oh well….Coming up soon is the RM-Michigan International Fall Classic Car Auction to be held again at the Novi Expo Center, Friday through Sunday November 17-November 19. Friday the show starts at 6pm and runs till usually 10pm. Saturday 10am to 9pm or later and Sunday 11am till around 4pm. The auction starts out each day with nostalgia items for sale first followed by the cars. Might be a good place to look for a ‘toy’ or its great entertainment at the least if your a car lover. For info on bidding or to put your car up for sale at the auction call Rm at 734-547-2400. If you like toy shows, you sure are in luck ‘cause on October 22^nd they be two of ‘em on the same day. The 6^th Annual Clintondale Model Car and Toy Fair held at the Clintondale Middle School-Little Mack and 15 Mile Roads from 8.30am to 2pm. And a model car contest by Bob Ashton of Autoknow-for info call Southeast Michigan modelers between 7-10pm at 248-684-5636

The 1^st Annual Antique and Collectible Toy Show will also be held on October 22^nd from 9am-4pm at the Shafer-Rachelle VFW Post, 17645 East Nine Mile Road in Eastpointe-thats between Gratiot and I-94. Call 810-805-3909 for more info. SOME interesting automotive trivia-factoids for the month of October. Mercury fans should remember-or at least now know-that on October 6, 1938, Edsel Ford choose "Mercury" as the name for a new vehicle that would soon join the Ford family of fine automobiles. Interesting to note here that Ford Motor Company offered Ford and Lincoln cars only and did not have a ‘full price line’ of vehicles to cover the emerging interest in step up cars as did the Chrysler Corporation and General Motors. GM already had five distinct automobile nameplates of and Chrysler four-and they ranged from low priced to custom bodied luxo-cruisers. Mercury was to fill that price gap for Ford Motor. So far the Mercury name is still with us although its not really much more than a ‘badge engineered’ Ford car today. Interesting to note is that the Mercury cars of 1949 were actually slated to be the new post war Ford design with a Ford nameplate-not Mercury. That of course did not happen and James Dean went down in history-‘Rebel Without a Cause’-and made Mercury famous as thee lead sled to have and to hold … for all time.

Hudson Motor Cars for 1951 were introduced to the buying public on October 16 of 1950 and that included the new high performance Hornet model that was basically a Commodore with extra zoom in the form of a 145HP six-cylinder engine. The Hornet name and the step down Hudson design … did not keep Hudson alive beyond 1957. But in 1953, Hudson cars won 12 of 13 AAA stock car events and through 1954 were reported as winning some 65 NASCAR events also. On October 20, 1927, history records that Henry Ford stamped "A-1" into the first Model A engine … history also records Ford went on to build 3,572,610 Model ‘A’ Fords through their 1931 final production year. Trucks have traditionally taken America to market. Trucks have transported troops into battle. Trucks carried bootleg whiskey during prohibition and today trucks are becoming the mainstay of American vehicle production. On October 25 of 1917 the Dodge Brothers begin full scale truck production with an steel body manufactured by the Budd Company. In the ‘Motor trucks of America’ book by James A.Wren and Genvieve J. Wren, total truck production for the US in 1917 was … 128,157 units. Dodge shipped some 720 units with a selling price of $885.00.

October is here, the leaves are changin’ colors and pretty soon snow will be here. I think I’ll just take the old yellow Cadillac out for a ride and light up one of those fine imported ‘stogies’ and remember mom’s words from one of my favorite days of the year, October 31, 1946 … He’s ALIVE!. See ya.