Sunday, April 20, 2014

NEW MUSEUM HUDSON,ESSEX AND BARNS *OLD SPOKES MUSEUM*

I am doing an internet search and a museum pops up near Kutztown Pa. and if you get the right angle from I78 you can see it on Old Route 22! Then I lost it online! 
 You are looking at an original Ford Dealership that operated for over 75 years into the 80's
An avid Hudson and Essex collector stumbles into these dilapidated ex-dealerships 
Spends years restoring the properties mostly himself with helpers

Some very rare Hudsons now live here

This one below is a street rod with mild chopped roof


Street rod again 
Appears stock outside even has power windows that activate from the window cranks!










Talk about a find, a brand new still in crate Hudson engine with the JC Whitney shipping tag in place!
JC Whitney bought much of the Hudson Parts after they went out of business

Trade in's made into dealer service vehicles 



homemade pickup bed









These were just in the Ford Dealer

Just across Old Route 22 stands this building that was once a Maxwell Dealership
1904-1925 Maxwell was associated with Briscoe cars ( a story for another blog) , a guy named Walter P. Chrysler came in to save Maxwell in 1921 and formed Chrysler in  1925 using Maxwell Designs  which became the first Plymouths!
A long running gag was Jack benny was so stingy he drove a 1916 Maxwell long after they were gone, that is President Truman with Benny and the Maxwell!
J D Maxwell previously worked for Oldsmobile. 

Old Route 22 long before I78 was dealership row!
Maxwell trying to compete with Ford on the other side of the street had a restaurant to lure potential car buyers in





















Just more beautiful Hudsons and Essex in the Maxwell building  






There are also old barns of an old farm



Bob's Auto Orphanage "Home of the Hudson" New Smithville Pa.
484-641-5500 Remember he would welcome SMALL groups by appointment
The owner was gracious enough to let me in, but it seems he has started to host car club functions. He rather have small groups to spend the day and will even feed you for very reasonable prices. It makes a nice road trip with a great area to display cars and take in the museum.   

3 comments:

  1. What's the application for the yellow engines? The sealed wiring looks military... Very nice. We're looking to do the Kutztown fair, maybe I'll look these up.

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    Replies
    1. The photo between the 2 engines shows the Navy landing craft they were in

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