Tuesday, November 15, 2016

BEFORE AND AFTER CCCA AND CHRYSLER'S CHRYSLER

I had mentioned this upcoming Classic Car Club of America meet on the blog, the last blog mentioned the "last big show of the season" and this show was actually the same day 15 minutes away in the old Ft Totten grounds which is now run by the FDNY.
I really like historic places like this old Army Base and so fitting that a large turnout of military vehicles showed up!
 Not that I want to get away from them, but the staff cars keeping finding the CARHUNTER!

 










As with other CCCA meets I have attended there is always a nice showing of great cars!


I would say this was a survivor or a mild cosmetic restoration with some miles on it?

















CARHUNTER is a big fan of the Buick Indy Pace cars, This 1975 is one of actual replicas sold through the dealers. 

Nice real deal 1971 Challenger R/T 














This building serves as the Bayside Historical Society, it once was the officers club! 

Bayside Day of the early days 1916 or so featured a decorated Automobile Parade!
100 YEARS AGO!
As seen in last weeks blog this is where I checked out the Belmont Car show!
NEXT
 The day ended just 10 minutes away from the big show at Belmont with a historic presentation by Howard Kroplick about Chrysler's Chrysler!
The talk was held at the Floral Park Historic Society.
I learned something I did not know,Wiley Hall at the New York Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point was once Walter P. Chrysler's home! This very special car was taken back to it's home for this photo. 
 

I first met Howard Kroplick at the Greenwich Concours D'Elegance where the car was displayed in the rough shape and it actually won it's first award here! 
The car wound up in a garage at the Vanderbilt estate and just started to deteriorate as seen here.
 Why is the car special you may ask? The car was built as a special gift for Walter P. Chrysler's wife Della in 1937. The Chassis and nose of the car were Chrysler, but the rest of the body was custom built by famed body builder LeBaron and was aluminum hand formed over a wood framing.
The chauffer driven car had a "hard" roof insert as well as soft cover that would deploy from within in the body if rain suddenly appeared.
 Here it is winning the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours!
Howard is very proud of the original woodwork that just needed a cleaning! 

 Exiting news I just discovered that this car has been produced in limited quantity 1/43 scale!
YES I bought one!
I decided to talk a little about Walter P. Chrysler as well in the blog
To read more about the car visit Howard's web site as he owns a few other special cars too!

The car has won the most prestigious awards of the automotive world! 
 Walter Percy Chrysler originally worked in the railroad industry and eventually worked for ALCO, railroad locomotive company that eventually ventured into the auto business.
American Locomotive Automobile Company 1905-1913
Howard Kroplick happens to own an ALCO race car named the Black Beast!
A slightly tamed ALCO car
Walter P. was offered an enormous amount of money to head up Buick Motor cars making him one of the wealthiest men in America

Please see the original story about the long journey the Walter P. Chrysler Museum made into existence
 CARHUNTER must report with a heavy heart that Fiat who owns Chrysler Corporation has decided to shutdown and move the collection out of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum for ever!
 You still have a coupe chances to visit and I am so glad I made it back in 2012!


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