AACA NJ Region at Bright View Senior Living, Oct. 22, 2023

October 22, 2023 RichardReina Car shows, Events Bright View Senior Living Facilty, NJ Region AACA

The NJ Region of the AACA participated in a display of special interest cars at the Bright View Senior Living Facility in Warren NJ on Sunday Oct. 22, 2023. The Region has hosted or co-hosted a number of these type of events throughout the Garden State. Facility residents are invited to come outside and enjoy viewing the older cars, while the facility supplies lunch and snacks for car owners and residents alike.

The car count was strong at this one: 22 vehicles in all, most of them AACA-original spec cars. Several custom, modifieds, and “hot rods” were also displayed. As usual for an AACA showing, there was a wide spread of makes and model years. The oldest vehicle among the stock cars was a 1933 Pontiac, closely followed by a 1938 LaSalle. A beautiful 1953 Cadillac was also on display, as were a large number of models from the ‘60s through ‘90s.

The day was sunny if a bit breezy; in other words, a great autumn day. The event ran from 12 noon to 3 p.m., and the instant feedback from organizers was that the cars were greatly appreciated by the residents.

Mustang Car Show, Columbia NJ, Oct. 15, 2023

October 15, 2023 RichardReina Car shows, Events Ford Mustang, GSRMC

The Garden State Region Mustang Club (GSRMC) held its “Mustangs & Merlot” car show at the Brook Hollow Winery in Columbia NJ on Sunday Oct. 15, 2023. The GSRMC President is also a member of the NJ Region of the AACA, and he requested a team of AACA volunteers with some judging experience to judge the Mustangs. Doing it this way would maintain impartiality, as none of the 6 judges were displaying cars. I agreed to be one of the 6, and we were split into 3 teams of 2.

Cars were divided into classes: first, either “stock” or “modified”, then by generation. (The “modified” distinction was made by GSRMC officers, and not the judges. Any cars with 3 or more mods were placed in the modified class.) My co-judge and I judged 5 stock classes: 1964-1966 cars, 1967-1970 cars, Fox-body cars, 1994-2004 cars, and 2015-2023 cars. While that sounds like a large number, there were 6 cars in the ’64-’66 class, only 2 in the ’67-’70 class, only ONE Fox-body car, and only 2 cars in the 1994-2004 class. The big numbers were in the 2015-and-up class which had 11 cars. (Again, these numbers reflect cars in the STOCK class only.) I estimated that there were about 50 cars on the show field.

As a former Mustang owner and GSRMC member, I was genuinely surprised at the very low turnout for all pre-2005 cars. Mike D., GSRMC President whom I’ve known for many years, told me a while back that club membership has taken a decided turn toward late-model vehicles. At least this speaks well of the continued enthusiasm for the Mustang among newer and presumably younger owners.

Cars were judged on workmanship and appearance (condition and cleanliness) only, so none of us were expected to be Mustang experts. Still, especially among the newer cars, judging became very tight when points were being subtracted for demerits as small as dirty floor mats, paint nicks, and less-than-stellar engine compartments. Our task was made easier because we only had to select one winner per class. We were not looking for 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place winners.

I took my photos before judging started, knowing that cars would leave as soon as winners were announced. In many cases, as you can see, hoods and trunks were open as required, so I had to accept that in my pictures. After the previous day’s rain, everyone was thrilled that it was dry, but a brisk breeze and a peek-a-boo sun meant jackets stayed on. I greatly enjoyed being immersed ever so briefly among Mustangs again, and I saw one or two that would look really nice in my garage!

**The only car in the Fox-body class, he took 1st place, natch**

ALL of the cars were in great shape; judging was challenging and came down to examining the tiniest details.

Hershey 2023 Part 3: The Car Show

October 13, 2023October 14, 2023 RichardReina Car shows, Events AACA Hershey

If you’re an enthusiast of classic cars, especially those restored to original condition, there is but one word which signifies the most anticipated day of the car show season: “Hershey”. Hershey as in the chocolate bar, and as in the quaint Pennsylvania town named after the chocolate company located there. About 70 years ago, local members of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) decided that this town would be a great place to hold an annual combination flea market / judged car show. These founders could never have predicted what would occur in the ensuing decades: that their event would snowball into a mammoth spectacle known across the country and around the world.

Wednesday and Thursday were sunny and unseasonably warm; the forecast for Friday, car show day, was for rain. Based on the conversations I overheard, you would think that it was time to build another ark! When show day dawned, it rained for about 15 minutes (I missed it; I was told it rained around 8:30 a.m.) and then stopped. While we had overcast skies for the remainder of the day, it stayed dry, and the cars came out to play. Lots of them.

Show cars are in one of three categories: Class Judging, with class assignments based on model year and/or make (cars are restored to like-new and judged on a 400-point scale); HPOF, for Historical Preservation of Original Features (unrestored yet still kept to original specs); and DPC, for Driver Participation Class (cars don’t fit into the other two classes and are allowed “some” modifications). AACA’s introduction of the HPOF and DPC classes has been successful in opening up the hobby to a greater number of participants.

Someone from my AACA NJ Region told me that the show field can hold 1,000 cars, and I don’t doubt it. I would guess that the field was about 90% filled, so let’s round it down to about 900 vehicles in attendance. It’s always a challenge for me to decide which cars to see, as there isn’t time to see them all. While I did not see every car on the field, I did get to spend time with an assortment of vehicles from all 3 categories.

CARS IN CLASS JUDGING

Class 19E: Classic Car Club of America vehicles, 1940-1948

Hershey is the place to see all the pre-war classics:

The LaSalle marque would not live past 1940

Dave and his 1924 Dodge Brothers Touring

I met Dave at the AACA Nationals in Saratoga Springs in 2021. My blog write-up from that show featured his 1955 Thunderbird. He was kind enough to reach out to let me know he’d be at Hershey this year with a different car. This Dodge Brothers Touring has been in his family since 1973, and the car was there to be judged for its Repeat Preservation, which I’m happy to say for Dave’s sake was awarded!

Howard and his 1979 Volvo 265

I met Howard and his wife for the first time on Friday, but it was far from the first time I had heard his name. He didn’t know it until I introduced myself, but we have something in common: both of us have purchased cars from Pete Wyman: in Howard’s case, this Volvo, and in my case, my Alfa Romeo. I told Howard that I knew much of the history of this car, and had even wrenched on it a few times while it was in Pete’s possession. Howard, a true Volvo fan (he also had a 1987 245 in the DPC class), had chased Pete for years, trying to get him to sell the car, before Pete finally relented. Based on its appearance here, I have no doubt that this 265 is in good hands with Howard. Like Dave, Howard entered the car in hopes of earning its Repeat Preservation, and I’m proud of both Pete and Howard, because the car was successful in earning that!

This 1938 Lea-Francis, which was recently on the cover of Collectible Automobile magazine, was one of the prettiest cars in the show:

CARS IN HPOF

Larry and his 1980 Olds Cutlass sedan

Larry is a 30+ year friend, going back to our days together at VCNA. He and I co-hosted our Sunday Morning Breakfast Drives for about 15 years, and his ride of choice for those outings was his 1972 Chevrolet Nova. A dedicated GM guy, I knew that he had the itch for something different when, earlier this year, he stumbled on this 1980 Olds Cutlass sedan. It was on eBay, and located in New Hampshire. He took a ride, checked it out, and bought the car, driving it back home to NJ without incident. This was the first time Larry had entered a car at an AACA meet. He was extremely proud to learn that his Cutlass achieved its HPOF certification. That’s Larry with his wife Linda in their incognito shades next to the car.

James and his ’51 Packard

I have a thing for Packards; I’ve driven them, and have admired them for a long time, but have never owned one. Depending on the year and model, I’ve seen some which were incredibly affordable. This car, in HPOF, immediately caught my eye based on its wonderful condition. I struck up a brief conversation with its caretaker, who was the kindest and most soft-spoken gent I met all day. He told me that except for some touch-ups, the paint was all original, and that he owned the car for about 10 years. He invited me to open the door to take a closer look if I so desired. James was there to try to win a Repeat Original HPOF award for his Packard, and the announced results sheet showed me that he did!

CARS IN DPC

When the week’s events catch up with you, and you need a place for a quick snooze…

Hershey 2023 Part 2: The Car Corral

October 8, 2023October 8, 2023 RichardReina Car shows, Events AACA Hershey, car corral

A review of my Hershey blog reports from 2016, 2017, and 2018 provides visual documentation to support the notion that the car corral is less crowded than it used to be. This is not to say that it wasn’t still alive with activity: the corral was full or close to full across the entire front of the Giant Center. However, as one followed the road toward the back of the Giant Center, it was almost completely vacant. To be brutally objective about it, I’d guesstimate that the available spaces were about 60% full.

The past 5 years or so have seen the expanding success of online collector car auctions take over much of the action which had been the domain of shows like Hershey. The Bring a Trailer website in particular has changed the game, offering 100+ special interest cars a day, 7 days a week, stopping only for the infrequent major holidays. The BaT sell-through appears to be around 65-70%, not phenomenal, but do the math: conservative estimates show BaT selling over 20,000 collector cars a year. It must be affecting what happens at Hershey and elsewhere. I’m not even going to comment on eBay Motors, a site I almost completely avoid.

Despite this doom-and-gloom-sounding message, sellers brought cars to Hershey, potential buyers walked the aisles, and some transactions occurred. There is no substitute for seeing your next toy car in the metal first. I saw enough “SOLD” signs to reassure me that some business was still being conducted. I walked the car corral all 3 days of my visit: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. While many asking prices struck me as above market, I continued to spot affordable cars, defined this year as $20,000 and under (inflation, you know), and remember, these were asking prices. Everything is negotiable. A handful of the ones I found interesting are documented below. I did not perform a detailed inspection on any of these vehicles, so the usual caveat emptor rules apply (I hope you were paying attention in Latin class). Cars below are arranged in asking price order from low to high.

1990 Chrysler TC by Maserati, white, tan interior, removeable hardtop, 87k miles, 3.0L V6, sutomatic.

Asking: $6,500

Some call this “Lido’s Folly”, as it was Lee “Lido” Iacocca who spearheaded the project, which he envisioned as a modern-day 2-seat T-Bird, complete with porthole hardtop. I think these have mellowed nicely with age. They will never be worth a lot of money, but think of it as a ‘90s Italian/American hybrid.

1985 Olds Toronado, green, tan “carriage roof”, 120k miles, owned by same family since 1987, AACA HPOF certified.

Asking: $8,500

This car looks so similar to the same-year Riviera that you would be forgiven for failing to distinguish them from each other (a common ‘80s GM malady). I much prefer the Riv, and really dislike the dealer-installed padded roof, but at this price, you could join the Olds club and tour in comfort with this.

1985 Ford Mustang SVO, red, grey interior, 66k miles. All SVOs had 2.3L turbo 4-cylinder engines and 5-speed transmissions.

Asking $10,650

Hmm, where have I seen this car before? At last year’s Hershey car corral, with an asking price $4,000 higher, that’s where. The owner must be extremely patient, or is not advertising it anywhere else.

In 2022:

1998 Ford F-150 pickup truck, regular cab, long bed, 160k miles, 4.6L V8, 5-speed manual, 2WD, tan metallic, red interior.

Asking: $11,500

I remember reading an article in the 1990s about collector vehicles. The author of that story proclaimed: “Trucks will never become collectible”. Reminds me of Yogi Berra’s quip: “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future”. Of course, trucks are THE hottest thing in the new vehicle market and have been for years, so the trickle-down effect applies here. This F-150, with a V8, 5-speed, and rear wheel drive, is like a Mustang with a pickup bed.

1991 Chevy Corvette coupe, dark red, 69k miles. Interior color and transmission not noted. Sign claims $5,000 recently spent on “upgrades”.

Asking $11,998

There are always a multitude of C4 Corvettes for sale. This one was from the first year of the styling refresh, which in my opinion improved its looks. Depending on what is meant by “upgrades”, this could be a lot of performance for the dollar.

1940 Ford Tudor sedan, dark red, tan interior, presumed Ford flathead V8 under hood.

Asking $13,500

I’m shocked to find an iconic 1940 Ford for sale at this price. Yes, it’s not a coupe or convertible, but you’ve got that fabulous front end design with a flattie engine, and lots of aftermarket parts support. Looks like fun for not a lot of cash.

1959 Volvo 544, white, grey interior, dual fender-mount mirrors, chrome aftermarket wheels.

Asking $17,500

I’ve driven a few 544s and they can be a blast to drive. Just don’t expect a smooth and quiet ride. This car looked very solid but was perhaps overpriced by a few thousand. Cash talks!

1947 Fiat 500 Topolino, grey, tan interior, 569cc 4-cylinder engine, 4-speed, sign claims recent engine rebuild.

Asking $22,750

Rarely seen in the U.S., the Topolino (“Little Mouse”) was one of Fiat’s biggest successes. You might have the only one at the next meeting of the Fiat Club. Just don’t be in a hurry to get there.

1963 Buick Riviera, gold, beige cloth interior, factory A/C, sign claims front disc brakes which must be aftermarket (’63 Rivs had finned drums all around).

Asking: $24,000

This is the first year of the Riviera, which helped GM kick off its attack on the 4-seat T-Bird. These two cars and a few others begat the whole personal-luxury car segment which would live for the next 20 years. The colors on this Riv were great, and it had an honest look to it. I’ve been following this market a bit, and this asking price was in the ballpark, especially with the unmolested interior and the factory air.

1987 Porsche 928 S4, yellow, auto, 54k miles, sign details number of small defects.

Asking $29,500

I never saw a 928 in this color. In a word, it was ugly, and its ugliness only grew when one noticed the faded paint on the bumpers and side rub strips. Nothing about the car’s appearance exuded any confidence that there was a good car underneath. And while 928 values have risen of late, that is for “fine to excellent” cars, which this example is most definitely not. Pass.

1959 Messerschmitt KR200, red, black cloth top, red interior. Aftermarket front “bumper”.

Asking: $39,500

When I had my Isetta and would attend “microcar and minicar” shows, there would always be a small supply of these. Parking my rolling egg next to a “Schmitt” made the Isetta look normal. These have 2-cycle engines, 8 inch tires, a single rear wheel, and tandem seating. There are no doors: the roof tilts to the side to allow ingress and egress, much like a fighter plane. I’m including it here only because it’s a Messerschmitt.

1974 Alfa Romeo GTV coupe, silver, black interior with red piping, mileage not noted, bumpers removed but included, factory A/C removed but included, Panasport wheels.

Asking $42,500

This was the final year for this generation GTV in the U.S. market and was one of two Alfa GTVs parked near each other, presumably on offer from the same dealer. This car was the cheaper one by $27k, and despite the mods, none of which I cared for, there was some potential value here; it would be an even better value at $37,500.

CODA

There was a Series 2 Jaguar XKE (E-Type) OTS (Open Two Seater, or roadster) in the car corral. It was in one of my fave Jag color combos: primrose yellow with a black leather interior. I stopped to admire it. It was a ‘driver’: lots of nice things about it, mainly that it appeared unmolested, but it was a #3 condition car (on a scale of 1-to-5), with wear-and-tear here and there. The shock was the asking price of $125k which was way high. This was on Wednesday. On Thursday, the car was still there, I stopped again, and the $125k had been crossed out; the ask was now $100k. I kept walking. On Friday, once again, the Jag and I met. Now the sign indicated a “Friday” price of $75k and THAT was crossed out, replaced with $70k! I didn’t photograph the car, but I memorized the price slide! The car was probably worth $60k-65k based on recent sales. If someone had been looking for such a car, patience might have rewarded them!

Hershey 2023 Part 1: The RM Sotheby’s Auction

October 7, 2023 RichardReina Auctions, Events AACA, Hershey Auction, RM-Sotheby's

The auction company RM Sotheby’s continued their October tradition by hosting a collector car auction at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey PA during the AACA Fall Eastern Nationals. RM (for Rob Myers, company founder), based in Canada, is one of the premier automotive auction houses, hosting events around the world; their appearance here is one of the few times they’re on the East Coast. Hershey Lodge is less than 2 miles from Hersheypark, where the AACA was holding its flea market/car corral/judged show (more about that in Parts 2 and 3). When Hersheypark decided to extend its open weekends into October, they forced the AACA to move its agenda back by a day (so the judged show, which for 50+ years had been on Saturday, is now held on Friday). RM similarly adjusted its two-day schedule to coincide, so their auction is now on Wednesday and Thursday.

RM Sotheby’s continues to attract consignments which are what I describe as pre-war and immediate post-war American classics, with a smattering of European cars. Despite pundits’ predictions that the ageing of the hobby would eliminate all interest in the classic cars of the 1910s – 1930s, that has not occurred: interest in well-restored examples of fine cars remains strong, even if prices have leveled off or dipped somewhat. By my casual observation, RM’s strength in filling their lots with high quality machinery at reasonable reserves results in a very strong sell-through rate. Of the dozen cars that I report on below, all sold. This is helped of course by the no reserve status of most of them, so high bid takes the car home. At the same time, RM’s published pre-sale estimates tell an interesting story: most of these cars sold below their estimates, at numbers which in some cases strike me as relative bargains.

My report covers only cars listed on the RM Sotheby’s website as “sold”. As I was not in attendance during the auction, sale prices are taken from their website; they include the 10% buyer’s premium which is backed out by me, so my numbers are “hammer” prices. Cars are listed in sold price order from low to high.

Lot 453, 1962 Volvo PV 544, grey paint, two-tone blue interior, dual outside mirrors. Appears well-restored on the outside, interior shows some wear. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $12,000 – 16,000

Sold: $19,000; one of the few cars reported on here which sold above its high-end estimate. Seemed a bit pricey for an old Volvo.

Lot 456, 1957 BMW Isetta, two-tone light blue & white, off-white interior. Relatively rare European-spec version of the Isetta: no front bumper overriders, small headlights, large amber “repeater” lights, original style tail lights. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $30,000 – 40,000

Sold: $20,000; This is under other recent sales by $5,000-10,000, and the keen Isetta observer will enjoy its uniqueness compared to the much more common U.S. versions.

Lot 457, 1949 MG-TC, green, tan interior, tan top, silver-painted wire wheels. RHD as all TC’s are. This is the model vehicle credited with igniting the sports car craze in the U.S. when WW2 vets returning from the UK brought some of these back with them. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $30,000 – 40,000

Sold: $25,000; a slight bargain compared to what some TC’s sell for on sites like Bring a Trailer, and possibly sold for less than what it cost to restore.

Lot 196, 1959 Fiat 600 Multipla, two-tone red & white, red interior, very rare in the U.S. This was Fiat’s successful attempt at building a really (really) small 6-passenger vehicle. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $30,000 – 40,000

Sold: $27,000; some recent examples have sold on Bring a Trailer for $50,000+, so buyer did well here.

Lot 213, 1953 Lincoln Capri convertible, red, grey/black/red interior, black top, wide whitewall tires. Lincoln styling was beginning to enter the modern age; note the futuristic dash design. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $30,000 – 40,000

Sold: $27,000; CPI has a #3 car at $35,000, so advantage to the buyer here.

Lot 452, 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible, red, white top, two-tone red interior, buckets & console like all Starfires. Second year for the model. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $35,000 – 45,000

Sold: $28,000; Only a grand more than the ’53 Lincoln, and with much more “modern” driveability compared to that car.

Lot 228, 1968 Olds 442 convertible, dark blue paint (looks almost black), light blue interior, white top, white stripes on front fenders, 4-speed stick shift, buckets, console, RWL tires. First year for this generation Cutlass body style. This car stood out for its less-than-stellar presentation. Paint looked slightly dull, some chrome pitted, interior looked unkempt, driver’s seat showing wear. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $35,000 – 45,000

Sold: $32,000; bidders ignored condition and bid based on model and equipment.

Lot 221, 1961 Olds Starfire convertible, triple red: red paint, red interior, red top. First year for Starfire, and all were convertibles. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $40,000 – 50,000

Sold: $33,000; five grand more than the ’62, and there are those who prefer this year’s styling.

Lot 216, 1959 DeSoto Adventurer Sportsman Coupe, black paint, black/white/gold interior, Chrysler’s Forward Look styling still holding up despite some additional fussiness; certainly compares well next to some GM offerings of that year. Getting near the end for DeSoto. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $45,000 – 55,000

Sold: $45,000, right at low end of estimate. DeSotos of this decade continue to be strong sellers.

Lot 419, 1937 Cord 812 Custom Beverly 4-door sedan, black paint, red interior, FWD & V8 engine like all Cord 810/812 models. According to RM’s website, the “Custom” models were built on a 7-inch-longer wheelbase for increased rear seat room. No reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $50,000 – 60,000

Sold: $67,500, above high estimate, and deservedly so, for condition and rarity.

Lot 442, 1956 Imperial Southampton two-door hardtop, black paint, white/grey interior, chrome wire wheels, wide whitewalls, “gun sight” tail lights, optional record player mounted under dash. At this time, “Imperial” was its own make, separate from Chrysler. Offered with unrevealed reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $75,000 – 90,000

Sold: $69,000, 6 grand below estimate; only 2,094 two-door hardtops built for ’56, this one was for the true Imperial enthusiast.

Lot 237, 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, white paint, stainless steel roof, suicide rear doors, grey & white interior. The Eldorado sub-brand featured exclusive styling in 3 different body styles: the 2-door hardtop Seville, the 2-door convertible Biarritz, and the 4-door hardtop Brougham. This was one of America’s most expensive cars when new, costing over $13,000 when a ’57 DeVille 4-door hardtop could be had for $5,188. Offered with unrevealed reserve.

Pre-sale estimate: $90,000 – 120,000

Sold: $92,500, just clearing its low-end reserve. This distinguished car will always have value, and will always have a following.

Cars & Coffee, Mahwah NJ, Oct. 1, 2023

October 1, 2023 RichardReina Car shows, Events Cars & Coffee, Dunkin' Donuts, Mahwah NJ

The last time my driving club buddy Larry and I organized any kind of get-together for our misfit group of car enthusiasts was October 23, 2022, just under a year ago. In the interim, we had announced to our compadres that the days of arranging drives to breakfast destinations were over. However, during a recent conversation with Larry, he suggested that we could again “host” a Cars & Coffee which would involve no more work than sending an email. So we did, and we did, and the result was good!

We scheduled the shindig for Sunday October 1, and after a week of significant rainfall, we lucked out with a day that was sunny, warm, and clear. I counted 14 individuals who showed up, the vast majority of whom know each other from sharing office space at Volvo corporate. In my case, I’ve known some of these gentlemen for over 30 years. Ten cars which qualified as “special interest” were driven there, while a few souls drove modern iron, which was fine with us, because we were really there for each other’s company.

Thanks to Mike for taking the snap (after driving here from PA in his Volvo C40 EV!)

Cars started arriving at 8:30 am and we successfully occupied most of one row in the lot. The Dunkin’ in Mahwah had bagels, donuts, and coffee, and what more could a bunch of old guys want on a Sunday morning? We stood in the parking lot with our food and drink and gabbed the morning away. Cars started to depart around 10:30 and I made my own getaway a little after 11 am to get home for some personal business. After driving the Alfa as my classic car of choice for most of the year, I brought the Miata to this event so that I could put fresh fuel into it! Aside from a few local trips, I had hardly moved it. The ride to and from added another 120 miles to the odometer, which was good for it.

Larry and I decided that while we will adhere to the “no more drives” decision, hosting a Cars & Coffee once or twice a year might be worth it, so we’ll calendar this for a repeat performance in the spring of 2024. Sounds far away, but it isn’t!

Larry’s newest acquisition, a 1980 Olds Cutlass

The Lime Rock “Sunday in the Park” car show, Sep. 2023

September 4, 2023 RichardReina Car shows, Events Lime Rock Park, Sunday in the Park

Another Labor Day weekend, and another trip to Lime Rock Park for their vintage car weekend. The signage at the track made it clear that “Historic Festival 41” marks the 41^st year for this treasure. As I have related in previous posts, racing is done on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, with Sunday racing banned by local ordinance (to give the locals a break from the noise). Cleverly, this becomes an excuse for the track to host a car show known as “Sunday in the Park”. I’ve been attending for over 30 years, and Lime Rock never fails to disappoint with the uniqueness and quality of the motor vehicles on display. Along with Greenwich, I consider it one of the premier car shows in the Northeast.

There were a number of featured classes again this year, and two which stood out for me were the letter-series Chrysler 300s, and the pre-war MGs. The 300s on display were stunning, but I was disappointed in the small number of vehicles. The factory produced them from 1955 through 1965, but only a few of those model years were represented. Conversely, the display of pre-war MGs was plentiful. I had remarked in my recent New Hope post that one of the highlights was a ‘30s MG; at Lime Rock, there were close to a dozen such vehicles. Given that they were never officially imported into the States, I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout.

Other specialized classes included Chrysler concept cars, Japanese performance cars, and American station wagons (which basically duplicated the wagons on display at Greenwich in June). And as we have seen every year for the past decade or so, the “Gathering of the Marques” gives owners of interesting daily drivers a chance to park with cars of the same make and/or model around the track. Sightings included groups of Corvettes, Volvos, Miatas, BMWs, Alfas, and Fiats among others. But large swaths of the track were empty this year. Notable by their absence were large-scale representations of Shelby Mustangs, BMW 2002s, and domestic vehicles of any brand. At previous shows, the Shelby Mustangs alone numbered in the dozens, driven by strong club support. I’m not sure why the turnout was low; I’m just hoping that this is not a sign of diminished participation in car shows in general.

The entire day was sunny and it got quite warm by late morning, with the temps hovering just under 90 degrees F. The round-trip was greatly helped by my friend Tony, he of the NJ Alfa club, who assisted with the driving both directions, and was great company for the entire day. We got to the show just before 10am, and were headed home by 2pm, with the heat having gotten to both of us. Lime Rock is a Labor Day tradition which I plan to continue as long as possible!

CHRYSLER 300 LETTER CARS

The canted headlights were a feature of all ’61 and ’62 Chryslers

CHRYSLER CONCEPT CARS

No signage accompanied this car above. I thought it was the Thunderbolt, but Google shows a 2-door with a retractable hardtop for that one. Can anyone identify this car?

PRE-WAR MG CARS

JAPANESE PERFORMANCE CARS

Honda (not Acura) NSX, JDM spec. Note RHD

1992 Mazda RX-7 Efini Type R, JDM spec. Note RHD

GERMAN CARS

BMW Isetta, original aside from one repaint

BRITISH

VOLVO

FIAT

This 1st series Fiat 124 Sport Coupe (“AC” in Fiat-speak) is the single-headlight version from the late ’60s. It was spotted in the paddock.

1973 124 Sport Coupe, 3rd series (“CC” in Fiat-speak)

Chrome-bumper 124 Spider next to most recent gen (coined “Fiata” due to shared platform with Miata)

LANCIA

ALFA ROMEO

Giulietta Spider motors past Italian brethren

Bridgewater NJ Cars & Coffee, August 27, 2023

August 27, 2023 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Cruise nights, Events Bridgewater NJ, Cars & Coffee

Word went out last week via the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) about an event which was new to me: a Sunday morning Cars & Coffee in the parking lot of a Dunkin’ Donuts on Route 22 in Bridgewater NJ. This was all of 6 miles from my house, and was scheduled to run from 9am to 11am, so it was an attractive choice, especially if a few other members of the Alfa club were to show up.

I arrived 15 minutes early to find several dozen cars already lined up, most of them late-model Corvettes and Mustangs. I’ve been to, and have heard about, other Cars & Coffee events in NJ like this, and perusing row after row of newer high-horsepower machines driven by millennial hipsters looking for bragging rights isn’t my thing. It was with great relief that I spotted a current generation Alfa Giulia sedan and parked next to it. The owner, Neil, was a younger chap who, with his traveling buddy Caleb, took an immediate interest in my ’67, and we spent a few minutes chatting about the Alfa Romeo brand in general. They both were friendly and delightful, and showed themselves to be interested in all kinds of automotive machinery.

Soon after I arrived, 3 members of AROC’s NJ Chapter showed up, all driving Spiders. Tony had his blue Series 1, Mike arrived in his red Series 3, and Bob parked his immaculate red Series 4, with all of us adjacent to each other. It was a great opportunity to show Neil and Caleb the distinctions among the different generation Spiders.

I broke away from the camaraderie several times to take in the other vehicles. Frankly, a long row of C6, C7, and C8 Corvettes more closely resembles a used-car lot than a car show to me, but I get it. Scattered among the 21^st century iron were a few gems. Standouts included a 1970 AMX, a 1970 240Z, a 928, and an early ‘70s Firebird.

The day was warm and sunny with low humidity, but as the temp started to climb, I decided on a slightly early departure of 10:30, which had me home by 11am. Would I attend again? There was no denying that the shortish drive was a convenience. If I knew I could count on seeing friendly faces, I would certainly pay another visit to this particular Cars & Coffee.

ALFAS:

AMERICAN:

GERMAN:

ASIAN:

The 2023 New Hope Auto Show

August 14, 2023 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events AROC, AROC NJ Chapter, New Hope Auto Show

The New Hope (PA) Auto Show has been a mainstay of eastern Pennsylvania for over 60 years. (I was somewhat shocked a while back, when perusing some old copies of Car & Driver magazine in my library, to stumble across a story about the show they published in the mid-1960s.) It is ironic to me that despite my decades-long attendance at other relatively nearby shows in Macungie, Carlisle, and Hershey, I had not ever heard of the New Hope show until I joined the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC). It was then that I learned that AROC members tended to turn out in support of it, and by 2015, I was invited to join the fray. The Alfa was there that year, and came back for more in 2021. My 2023 appearance makes it a triple play for my Milanese macchina.

According to our AROC NJ Chapter president, who also served as Chief Judge for our marque, there were 14 Alfa Romeos, which he felt was down in count compared to recent years. It was no surprise that Spiders comprised the most popular bodystyle there, which is almost always the case, given the model’s long production run. (Alfa made this final version of the US Spider from 1966 to 1994.) I counted eight Spiders, two Giulia coupes, one Milano sedan, two 164 sedans, a 4C, and a RHD British-spec Spider from the 1990s, a bodystyle never sold in the states. So my count is 15; it’s possible that the 4C was part of the “exotic car” class and was not counted among the Alfas.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the two-day New Hope show is two car shows in one, with domestic vehicles on Saturday and imports on Sunday. (This is how the Greenwich Concours used to be organized, which I preferred over what I experienced there this past June.) Alfa Romeos were far from the only brand on display, as my photos will attest. There was a wonderful assortment of British, Japanese, German, Swedish, and other Italian cars, liberally spread out in the paved parking lot and on the lawn of the school on Bridge St. which hosts the event.

For me, the best part of the show, any show really, is the willingness of spectators and other show car owners to engage me in conversation. I no longer try to count the number of people who point to my car and exclaim “I used to have one like it!”. Such comments are frequently laced with twinges of regret over having let go of their prized vehicle. I’m also asked for advice about parts, service, and vendors for the brand, which I’m always happy to discuss. But the most popular topic is the originality of my ’67 GT 1300 Junior, likely because it is so unusual to find a 56-year-old Italian car with 67,000 miles on it which has never rusted and has never been disassembled for restoration. The honor for this achievement goes to owner #2, my friend Pete, who was the car’s steward for 45 years. My 10 years of ownership have mainly focused on keeping the status quo.

The day was very warm but with low humidity and a surprising breeze. Still, sitting and standing in the sun non-stop from 8 a.m. was taking its toll. The Alfa judging team emerged around 2 p.m. to award ribbons. Unlike previous years when “closed cars” and “open cars” comprised separate classes, for 2023 all Alfas in attendance were judged as one class. First place went to a gorgeous violet 1971 GTV, 2^nd place went to a red 1991 Spider, and 3^rd place was given to my ’67, for which I was flattered and honored.

Once that part of the day was over, it was time to hit the road. New Hope is an easy 25-minute drive each way, and after baking in the sun all day, it was time to put both the car and me back into the shade for the remainder of the afternoon. I’ll make every effort to show the car at New Hope again next year.

SWEDISH

ITALIAN (NON-ALFA)

GERMAN

BRITISH

This 1935 MG P-Type was one of my favorite cars at the show. From my observation, pre-war MGs are rarely seen in the U.S.

JAPANESE

ALFA ROMEOS

Spiders

Giulia coupes

164 sedans

Milano sedan

4C coupe

A British-spec RHD Spider from the 1990s, never imported here:

Mecum Harrisburg Auction, July 2023

August 1, 2023 RichardReina Auctions, Events Mecum Harrisburg

My appearance at the 2023 edition of the Mecum Harrisburg collector car auction marks the 6th time I have made the trek. Mecum’s reputation is up there with Barrett-Jackson as an auction company that sells comparatively affordable classics, compared to the “catalog” auction companies like RM Sotheby’s and Gooding. Nothing against those outfits, in fact, I’m a fanboy of RM especially after they sold my BMW Isetta for me. But Mecum at least dangles the possibility of a “good deal” for the hobbyist.

If you want to read my prior posts, which can be entertaining when you see what some cars have sold for, here are the links:

Mecum Harrisburg 2015

Mecum Harrisburg 2016

Mecum Harrisburg 2017

Mecum Harrisburg 2018

Mecum Harrisburg 2022

Harrisburg is only a 2+ hour drive from my home, and it’s smack in between Hershey and Carlisle, the two east coast locations with which every old car fanatic is familiar. In years past I’ve made the Mecum Harrisburg visit a multi-day affair, but I’ve observed that the most fun happens on Day One. Prices quickly escalate on subsequent days. To the credit of Mr. Dana Mecum and his staff, their Harrisburg event has grown substantially. In prior years it was a 3-day auction, Thursday through Saturday. This year, Day One was Wednesday, but still ended on Saturday, for a total of 4 days. They try to run about 250-275 cars a day, so in round numbers, figure that they auctioned around 1,000 cars.

Part of the growth is that this PA location is Mecum’s only event in the Northeast. The next closest locale for them is Indianapolis. Yet the Day One crowd looked smaller than in previous years. A lot has changed since their 2014 inaugural event in Harrisburg, still in the PA Farm Show Complex. One of the biggest changes is the eruption of successful online auctions, most notably Bring A Trailer. But there’s nothing like kicking the tires with real shoes. Several cars which looked great in photos on Mecum’s website showed serious battle scars when examined up close and personal.

Below are highlights of some of the cars which caught my attention, mostly cars which sold on Wednesday, the day we were there. Indicated prices are HAMMER prices. All sold lots incur a 10% buyer’s premium, included in the prices shown on Mecum’s website, which is why my listed prices are lower. (Auction companies love to do that, as it inflates the appearance of how much they raked in.)

Richard’s Car Blog is the only online auction reporting site which arranges sold cars in price order, to give the reader some sense of what a particular amount of money will buy. And may I point out yet again, for all those who continue to moan that “there’s nothing affordable in the hobby anymore!”: the first seven cars listed below hammered at $15,000 or under. That is NOT to say that all were good deals. Some were decidedly not; in some cases, spending $5,000 to $10,000 more would get you the better deal. But there are still some very good starter collector cars available to those willing to be open-minded about make and model.

F190.1 1984 Ford Mustang SVO, 2.3L inline turbo 4, 5-speed manual, dark red, grey cloth interior. First year of the Mustang SVO, which was made only 3 years (’84-’86). Very worn paint, other exterior trim show excess wear. Interior relatively clean by comparison.

SOLD FOR $7,000. Condition is everything sometimes. Compare to W218 below, another SVO, which sold for almost 3 times this sale price and would be the smarter purchase.

W25, 1983 Buick Riviera convertible, white, burgundy top and interior, 5.0L V8, odo shows 59k, decent shape overall, few Riviera convertibles built (sign claims only 1,750 of them in 1983). Aftermarket wood steering wheel detracts.

SOLD FOR $8,500. I know a club member who has one and he loves his. This was one of the first cars across the block on Wednesday, which may have affected the price. I’ve also seen Riv coupes of this generation sell for near this number, so I’d mark this as well bought.

W133 1964 Ford Thunderbird hardtop, color possibly “rose beige”, matching interior, black vinyl roof with landau bars, 390 V8, automatic, Orange plug wires and aftermarket carb don’t “fit” the car.

SOLD FOR $10,000. This was one that looked decent on my home PC – until my in-person inspection quickly turned up a thick bead of silicone squeezed into the junction of the windshield and vinyl roof. Fixing that in a proper way will be pricey.

W136 1965 Ford Thunderbird, white, black interior, 390 V8, automatic, LF wheel cover is off the wheel and sitting behind the driver’s seat. Clean, straight looking car, but nothing extraordinary.

SOLD FOR $11,500. For an additional $1,500, this was the better deal compared to W133 above. This could be a good starter collector car.

W237 1983 Datsun 280ZX, 2.8L straight 6, 5-speed manual. Tacky two-tone silver and blue straight from the early ‘80s. Blue interior with shiny silver leather seats, ditto. Covered headlights and T-tops complete the look. Sign claims 78k miles.

SOLD FOR $11,500. If you can ignore the colors (or perhaps if you like them), this is actually a lot of car for the money. These 2^nd gen Z-cars, while lacking the purity of the 1^st gen, still are fun drivers and decent GT cars if not out-and-out sports cars. Given how earlier and later Z-car prices are climbing, I’m predicting that these will see a slow but steady appreciation.

W93 1955 Chrysler New Yorker, blue & white outside, blue & white inside. Sign on car claims 64k miles. Hemi V8 engine, 331 cubic inches, automatic, power steering, brakes, and windows.

SOLD FOR $12,000. This was an odd presentation. The outside looked mostly original, with what might have been a much older repaint. The inside was recently redone, but with non-original materials and patterns. Price seemed high based on body style and condition. Any attempt to fully restore it would have you upside-down.

W120.1 1966 Ford Mustang hardtop, inline 6, automatic, light blue with two-tone blue interior, dealer or aftermarket A/C, few options other than that.

SOLD FOR $14,000. The only reason this car drew me in was its very high quality cosmetic condition. It’s unusual to see this much love and money poured into a six-banger. It’s equally unusual to see the small engine kept, as often it gets pulled in favor of a non-original V8. If you were in the market for a good-looking first gen Mustang and were not concerned with the ponies, this was your car. I doubt you could find another well-restored Mustang of this generation for a price near this.

W147 1961 Pontiac Bonneville bubble-top coupe, red, tri-tone red interior, 389 V8, automatic, 8-lug wheels. Looks like it’s all there, but most paint is faded away, and rust is bursting out like teenage acne from all the lower sheetmetal.

SOLD FOR $15,000. When Bill Mitchell took the styling reins from Harley Earl at GM in 1959, the changes were dramatic and almost immediate. Gone were the excesses of the ‘50s, replaced by smooth, clean, downsized shapes. The ’61 Pontiacs have always stood out for me as Exhibit A of that change, especially the 2-door bubble tops like this one. This was expensive for a project, but will be amazing if restored correctly. However, will take bucks to make it right.

W82 1982 Toyota Supra, blue metallic, blue and grey cloth upholstery, 2.8L inline 6, 5-speed manual, sign claims 49k miles, believed to be “P” package car based on large fender flares and even larger rear wing.

SOLD FOR $17,000. The first-gen Supras looked very much like the Celica on which they were based. This car, a 2^nd gen, was given a more unique styling treatment. I remember these well when they were new and we thought they were hot. Prices for 2^nd (and 3^rd) gen Supras were reasonable until very recently; check BaT to verify the escalation in sale prices. Based on what I’ve seen online, this was about right, maybe even a little light.

S34 1967 Buick Special, gold, black vinyl roof, black interior with bench seat, 340 V8, auto on column, factory A/C. Online photos look stunning, in person less so. However, overall cosmetic condition is strong.

SOLD FOR $17,500. I liked this car, spurred on no doubt by my ownership of a ’66 Buick Sportwagon in the same color combo. Note that this car is a ‘Special’ and is NOT a ‘Skylark’. I think finding a GM intermediate in this condition at this price makes this a good deal.

W218 1985 Ford Mustang SVO, claim to fame is the reported 10k original miles, but it looks it. Dark red, grey leather interior, 2.3L inline-4 turbo, 5-speed manual. “Late ’85” with the aerodynamic headlights and greater power output.

SOLD FOR $19,000. If I ever were to get a Fox body, the SVO would be my first choice. When new, these sold for more than the V8-powered GTs. Their lighter 4-cylinder engines made them better handling cars. My price guide puts SVOs between $10k and $20k, and very clean ones have sold on BaT for very high teens, so this one, as a 10k mile survivor, was worth the winning bid.

T19 1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, 2.3L inline 4, 5-speed manual, sign claims 32k original miles, dark red, grey cloth interior.

SOLD FOR $21,500. These are Fox body platform cars, but larger than their Mustang brethren. This one sold for a bit of a premium, probably because of condition and the rarity of the 5-speed. Nice car.

W232 1986 Porsche 928, metallic beige, beige leather interior, 5.0L V8, automatic, odo stated to read 80k miles. Sign on car claims original paint.

SOLD FOR $22,000. It doesn’t seem that long ago when nice 928s were sub-$10k cars, but no one wanted them. Prices took off around the start of Covid and may have cooled a bit since. This car was straight but nothing special other than being the only 928 here. Interior seemed better than many other 928s, which tend to show cracked dashes and seat upholstery. Mileage is on the low side; many 928s at auction show well over 100k on the clock. At this price I’d give slight advantage to the seller. Hope the new owner plans to drive it and not just stare at it.

W189.1 1967 Oldsmobile 98 convertible, gold, tan top, tan interior, 425 V8, automatic. A huge boat of a car, it was in gorgeous condition and looked great in these colors.

SOLD FOR $28,000. Expensive? Not for condition. I would bet that a Chevy from the same year would sell for more; this Olds is arguably the better-looking car.

S82.1 1983 Datsun 280ZX, dark grey metallic, silver leather, 2.8L inline 6, 5-speed manual, sign claims under 60k original miles. Factory A/C, T-tops, sign claims car kept in climate-controlled garage.

SOLD FOR $31,000. Condition was great; the car looked like a 5-year-old well-kept used car. Compare this selling price with W237, the other 280ZX in this report: colors and condition brought almost triple the money.

T109 1969 Volvo 1800S, blue with brown interior, 2.0L inline 4, 4-speed manual with electric overdrive.

SOLD FOR $32,500. While the car was spotless, something looked off to me, and that was the color, or perhaps the colors. I’m clearly not an 1800 expert, but I cannot recall seeing this exact shade of blue on a Volvo before. Same with the brown interior, at least not on a ’69. The trunk panels appeared non-original as well. Even some engine compartment detailing wasn’t what I’d call factory correct. Would love to hear comments from some of the Volvo faithful.

F175.1 1969 Jaguar E-type roadster, Series II car, red, tan top and interior, 4.2L inline-6, sign on car claims 5-speed manual. Clean, straight XKE.

SOLD FOR $82,000. These used to be the “affordable” E-Types, after the Series I cars. But “affordable” is a relative term here. Roadsters still bring much more than the coupes. Buyer’s premium brought the price to over $90k; sale price was about the going rate for a Series II roadster, possibly a bit of a steal for the buyer.