2012 Glenmoor Gathering

Ok, I don't live under a rock. I've known of the Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Automobiles in nearby Canton, Ohio for several years now. But I might has well been living under a rock as I have never been to the famed concours d' elegance. All I can say is that if you have never been. Plan on going in 2013. This is an event that is a must attend for any car enthusiast. It doesn't matter what you like, there is a little of something for everyone at the Glenmoor Gathering. Set on the grounds of the beautiful Glenmoor Country Club, the Gathering hosts, I would guess around 500+ of the nation's finest collector cars there are to offer. Each year there are themes This year there were four. Supercharged Autos, Trans-Atlantics (European styling/bodies with American power), The cars of Sydney Allard, and lastly (and the one I was most excited for) Tucker.

Now I have seen a handful of Tuckers in my travels as a car guy. But I have never seen a Tucker outside of the security of an indoor museum and barriers. At this year's event there were 9 Tucker's on display. 7 of which were real honest to goodness members of the original 51 Tuckers built in 1948. These cars take on a whole new life when seen outside in the sunlight. Some highlights included a Tucker from the Gilmore Museum in Michigan which is essentially a brand new car. Tucker #47 has only 53 original miles on the odometer, this Tucker is all original with the exception of one tire. It had just enough patina to look like an older restoration, but once you got up close, well there's that originality vibe. Another standout was Tucker # 48 which came from Wisconsin. This car was interesting because of the numerous accessories added to the car which included wire wheels and a large sign on the back alerting motorists that they had just been passed by a Tucker. Also on display was a fiberglass replica used in the production of the 1988 film, Tucker: The man and his dream. This car sits on a Ford LTD chassis and looks the part far away. And the wildest of the bunch, the Rob Ida Concepts, Tucker 48 continuation. We'll do a feature on that car separately.

Moving to the supercharged cars class, we found a stunning 1938 Mercedes 540k, a 1930 Stutz Model M, a 1927 Hudson Super Six which had a interesting similarity to the the famous Bentley 4 1/2 liter. On display in other classes were a 1948 Davis 3 wheeler, and a 1935 Hoffman X8. The later sporting a X8 mid rear mounted motor. This one had many collectors, including Jay Leno confused as to exactly what a Hoffman was as there was only one ever made.

Probably for me as a car guy, the car that caught my fancy was the 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ "Morman Meteor". This is a car that I have only seen via specials on TV, so to see this famed Duesey in person was a real treat. The car was specially commissioned by David "Ab" Jenkins who was a world renowned test driver. Producing over 400 horsepower, the Mormon Meteor was driven by Jenkins to a world record average of  speed of 135.47mph for 24 hours covering 3523 miles at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935. In 1936, with upgrades Jenkins broke his own record with an average speed of 153.823 mph. In 2007, the car was honored with winning Best of Show at the famous Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance.

As I said above, I must have been living under a rock to have never gone to the Glenmoor Gathering. Check out our photo album of all the pictures we took.  Glenmoor gallery.

Scottsdale 2012: Gooding & Co. selection

Here are my picks from the 2012. Again Scottsdale fails to disappoint, there are some absolutely fabulous machines consigned to Gooding & Co this year. Of course my number one pick is the 1963 Herbie that I posted about here. Since 2008 Gooding & Co. has secured the top sale of the week every year. This shows the attention to detail that the folks at Gooding go to to get the creme of the crop of collector cars for their Scottsdale auction. Last year, Gooding & Co. had total sales of almost $35,000,000 million dollars. Very impressive.

1953 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon. I have a soft spot for station wagons and 50s Buicks so this one really caught my eye. This was the last of the era for real wood station wagons. And with only 679 of these built in 1953, it would be a pretty safe be that there aren't many wagons still around. Gooding & Co. estimates this one at $75,000 to $95,000. There's also something to be said about the stunning black with red vinyl interior and those Kelsey Hayes wire wheels wrapped in white walls. This car just screams classy.

There is a real "cool factor" to this 1916 Ford Model T delivery truck. This one has a fresh restoration with only 25 miles on it. A genuine delivery truck from the period, the body on this T was created by Abresch Auto Body, Ltd. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As the restoration was completed, a little flight of fantasy was taken in the form of labeling the truck as a Harley Davidson delivery truck. Who knows, Harley Davidson may have used trucks like this and it certainly fits the theme finished in the early HD colors. And it's nice to see a Model T that isn't all black.

I love the styling of the 1960s super cars. One of my favorites is the Rivolta Iso Grifo. This 1969 7 Litri model was the show car for the 1969 New York Auto show and was one of only 6 imported to the U.S. This car from new carried a 7 liter Chevrolet V8 for power, producing over 400 horse power. Only 66, 7 Litri's were built making them extremely rare. This example was treated to a seven year, no expense spared restoration and has earned Best in Class honors at Concorso Italiano and Avila Beach. This one is American muscle wrapped in a suave Italian body with coachwork by Bertone.

Another stunningly beautiful car is the Jaguar XK 120. I love the side profile of these cars, especially in racing trim with a set of wire wheels. This 1952 XK 120 is a fascinating example of the model as it is almost entirely original and has covered only 15,000 miles since 1952. Even the tires are original. This is a superb preservation car that can be used to show how these cars looked when they were built. And it can also be driven and enjoyed a the same time.

Continuing with un restored cars, here is a 1953 Hudson Hornet sedan. This car has just under 70,000 original miles and is largely un restored. Finished in black with a lovely light blue/gray interior. This Hornet represents one of the finest big sedans of the early 1950s. In 1953, Hudson won 22 Nascar races and earned 13 AAA competition awards. This particular model was also owned by former Nascar driver Bobby Gerhart. There's certainly no Driving Miss Daisy in this car.

The original 289 powered Cobras were really neat cars. They don't have the rip your face off look that the 427 Cobras have, and they have the look of a proper vintage sports car. I like the narrow fenders and the wire wheels.  1965 serial number CSX2570 was purchased new by the same family that held on to the car until 2011. Like several of the other cars I have featured, this is another example that is almost entirely original in condition. This car was also used by Shelby at the 1965 New York Auto Show. Gooding & Co. estimates $650,000 - $850,000. I have a feeling this car will go higher than that.A college professor of mine was a Ford dealer at the time of the introduction of the Cobra and he said the 289s were the best handling car he had ever driven, and that the Cobra was ruined once they started putting 427s in the street cars.


Source & Photos: Gooding & Co.