Once again, we made it to the Hershey Auto Show. It is one of the largest auto shows in the world, and according to some it coined the term “flea market.” I can neither confirm nor deny this rumor, and shall leave it out there for the masses.
Regardless of the linguistic contributions of the show, great fun was had by all in attendance. On a good day, the show has around 1,700 vehicles and many more visitors. I’d say that yesterday probably had close to 1,500, though I didn’t take a census (or even a representative sample!).
From Left to Right: me, Uncle John, Dad, Chuck, and Ron
We took our two 1914 Overland touring cars, both of which belong to my grandfather. The cars were in fine condition for being 95 years old and performed as well as we could have asked. They continue to get plenty of compliments. The green one has been in the family for about 15 years, while my grandfather has owned the brown one for the last 51.
After departing in the wee hours, we drove over to the show field and deposited ourselves and our vehicles on the grass. There was a bit of a spray on the way over but it passed quickly. The clouds took a bit longer to leave, but by noonish the sky was pretty blue.
A 1950 Aston Martin
My favorite of the show was probably the 1950 Aston Martin, but I was pretty enchanted by some of the older Jags and Morgans as well. Aston Martins have always held my eye above all others, but this particular one was especially gorgeous. It came from a private collection, as evidence by the great care put into its maintenance and the hats worn by its handlers. The body and interior were exquisite, as should be expected from a hand-made car. The wheels also showed off the distinctive spinners that Q modified to good effect on James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger.
A while back I was lucky enough to have the chance to drive a 2007 Aston Martin DB9 Volante (a Volante is a convertible) during a friend’s afterprom, and it was quite a thrill. Getting a chance to drive the 1950, though, would probably top it for sheer excitement. There is little like a well-tuned, well cared-for luxury automobile to thrill and excite. I hope one day to have the chance.
Attending Hershey is quite the family tradition, and I highly recommend it to everyone with an interest in antique autos. Everything from Stanley steamers to 1967 Eleanor can be found at the show, and the flea market is enough to make one’s jaw drop. And of course, there’s always Chocolate World…
Creatively Anomalous 