TerryB Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 Here’s a list of cars attending a car show in 1955 at Parrish Steel in Reading PA. Parrish was a big supplier of steel frames to the auto industry. Note they had new 1955 models in attendance as possibility a show of support for their corporate customers. Seems like some of these cars, especially the really older ones, might still be out there at shows today. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Thank you! Lots of names I remember from the early days, wonder how many times they have changed hands over the years. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 That is a great list of cars. It would be interesting to know what cars on the program are shown at Hershey. Thanks Terry. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 The two Pollock Chadwicks are still together in another collection I believe, the Marshal Stanley is most likely still in the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Carl Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Wow ! What a fantastic show ! Really got me daydreaming. Thanks, Terry ! I see that most of the cars are from Pennsylvania. Maybe around 8 or so from 'Jersey. One from Delaware. Can you Eastern guys tell me the approximate average radius most of the cars came from ? Are we talking something like 100 miles ? Even less ? Imagine so many strong, young, old car guys bringing their pride and joy treasures to a relatively local show ! What percentage, just a WAG, would you think actually fired up and drove there ? Hmmmm....... Perhaps significantly more than half ? - Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. Ballard 35R Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 I recognize quite a few cars and owners. The Pollock Chadwicks are in a well known California collection and I believe Stan Smith's son still has the DuPont. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Interesting to see a car owned by a Kingsley. Unfortunately not related. It's not a really common name, but most of my family has been in cars forever. Wish it was a family member, that would have been cool. On the other hand, my father's father worked at Fischer Body at the time, so my family probably had a hand in the new cars on display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Here is Richard Bell’s Duesenberg........ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 (edited) Here’s the 07 Chadwick.........fantastic car, I have managed a ride in this on back a few years ago. All three that survive are owned by one collector out west.............. Edited February 6, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRHaelig Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 What a fantastic array of marques. You would think that they would nearly all be around today. Someplace. Even spectator parking would be a dream for us! I looked for, but didn't see, the name of a collector I knew. He was 90 when I was a kid in the 1970s. He had an 03 Olds and some obscure tiller steers. I drove him in his 28 Buick as my first antique driving experience. This is quite a testament to what is still a very strong collector car culture in eastern PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. Ballard 35R Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 8 hours ago, C Carl said: Wow ! What a fantastic show ! Really got me daydreaming. Thanks, Terry ! I see that most of the cars are from Pennsylvania. Maybe around 8 or so from 'Jersey. One from Delaware. Can you Eastern guys tell me the approximate average radius most of the cars came from ? Are we talking something like 100 miles ? Even less ? Imagine so many strong, young, old car guys bringing their pride and joy treasures to a relatively local show ! What percentage, just a WAG, would you think actually fired up and drove there ? Hmmmm....... Perhaps significantly more than half ? - Carl Practically all of those cars would have been driven to the event. Actually, I'm surprised that there are not more large brass cars since there were many in the area. The early AACA meets in the Philadelphia area always had cars from north Jersey and Long Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Back in the days where most clubs prohibited trailers............and most of the owners couldn't have afforded them anyways. We drove all over New England in a 20 HP Stanley and thought nothing of it............along with about thirty other steamers. Early on I knew many collectors with large collections who did not own a truck or trailer......that doesn't happen anymore. To be fair, road conditions and speeds have changed drastically. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Albright Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Parish frames built the frames for the Duesenberg Model J and Henney Hearses. George Albright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3makes Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Back in that era, other drivers on the road did't have to be at their destination yesterday and were more respectful of older vehicles. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Though I never knew these people, I recognize a few cars and owners on the list from our AACA region's history: #10 (1911 Cadillac) was owned by the same man until he passed on about 10 years ago. The car was sold. #77 (1915 Ford Model T) is owned by the entrant's son. It is often seen at our current annual region's show. #197 (1931 Studebaker) is a long-wheelbase phaeton formerly owned by a Pennsylvania governor. It is owned by the entrant's daughter and is often seen at local shows. It's satisfying to see such continuity, as old cars are kept from one generation to another. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 3makes says it all, COURTESY used to be prevalent among drivers - it is no more for the most part, particularly if you are going 1/2 mile an hour slower then what the driver behind you thinks you should be going as they need to be at their destination asap. They are the same people who sit and don't move when the light turns green for some time because they are texting or talking on their cell phones. Politeness, Respect, and courtesy are ancient history just like the cars are that we love . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intimeold Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 (edited) I just noticed #48, Leonard Schwartz of Altoona PA; had a 1919 Ford in the show. The last I saw that car was in, about 1976, still in Altoona,then. I have no idea where it is now. I was in his maze of garages; and I purchased several old Harley-Davidsons. Sadly, places like that are all gone now. intimeold Edited August 7, 2020 by intimeold (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 9 hours ago, C Carl said: ... Can you Eastern guys tell me the approximate average radius most of the cars came from ? Are we talking something like 100 miles ? Even less ? Imagine so many strong, young, old car guys bringing their pride and joy treasures to a relatively local show ! You're right, Carl, most of those cars came from 100 or fewer miles away. The cars I mentioned above would have driven 60 to 80 miles each way. And from old accounts I have read about our own AACA region's activities, the cars would indeed all have been driven. I wonder whether the owners had a banquet afterward and then stayed overnight, leaving the next morning. The same small roads and highways of 1955 are all still here. I wonder what traffic was like then: There were fewer cars overall, but now, the interstates have taken away a lot of traffic from the 2-lane roads. Would the net result mean that the number of cars on the smaller highways is unchanged, though the average speed may have increased a bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 #39, the 1910 Pullman is still alive and well and would have been driven from York, PA, a distance of around 100 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 (edited) #145 1911 Model T is alive and well, still wears the same paint and windshield sticker. It's in Ohio and owned by Paul Rose. Since the show, it's had new top, tires, and crankshaft, but not much else is changed. Mr. Plank is no longer with us, was a well known collector in Winchester Virginia for many of his last years. Edited February 6, 2020 by trimacar (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. Ballard 35R Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 i got my license in 1954 and would drive the 1905 unrestored Packard 85 miles from West Chester to Hershey. It would cruise comfortably at 50 and it was fun to pass Model A's on trailers. In those days you drove to meets and on tours. The cars were basically owned by collectors such as my father who wouldn't think of having a car that couldn't be driven. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksbortner Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 On 2/6/2020 at 9:53 AM, Restorer32 said: #39, the 1910 Pullman is still alive and well and would have been driven from York, PA, a distance of around 100 miles. #39, The 1910 Pullman is indeed alive and well. Here are some pictures from around that time period and how the Pullman looked at the time and a much more recent picture of the car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 We restored the Pullman in the early 1990's and took it thru AACA judging. It is now owned by a collector in Mass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 On 2/6/2020 at 6:17 AM, edinmass said: Back in the days where most clubs prohibited trailers............and most of the owners couldn't have afforded them anyways. We drove all over New England in a 20 HP Stanley and thought nothing of it............along with about thirty other steamers. Early on I knew many collectors with large collections who did not own a truck or trailer......that doesn't happen anymore. To be fair, road conditions and speeds have changed drastically. I've been seeing a lot who bring more than one car to a meet via nicely decked out semi-trailers lately. The cars are impressive enough, but some of these semi-trailers are also nice enough to live inside. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studerex Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 number 197 is still in the same family 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 Why are the Pullman's lights in bags? In the vintage photos...I don't think I've seen that done before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stude Light Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 (edited) This also serves as a reminder that “ownership” should be replaced with “custodian” when it comes to our possessions. Personally I try to be a good custodian when it comes to historical items in my possession currently. Other stuff....I may just be a user. I’m not sure what new items I own today will be sought after in later years as a desirable antique. Scott Edited August 7, 2020 by Stude Light (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon37 Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 Car #182, the '27 Graham-Paige, is listed as belonging to Harry Furst, of Middletown, Pa. Harry died in 2013. He owned a number of antiques and classics over the years, many of them Packards, but his obituary reported that his most prized automobile was a 1929 Graham-Paige 827 Victoria Coupe -- which he owned until the time of his death, I believe. The Parade of Progress printed program may have been correct, and the '27 that they listed was one of Harry's earlier acquisitions. But the "1927" might have been a typo, in which case the '29 was quite likely in the show, and is most certainly still "alive". Harry once told me that he purchased the car from the owner of a repair garage or service station, in amazingly original condition. The garage owner was threatening to turn the car into a tow truck (which was common practice in the '50's). But Harry pestered and pestered the guy, and he finally relented and sold Harry the car. One thing that impressed me about the '29 Graham was that it has "factory" automatic backup lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 It made quite a few appearances in recent years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 The bags covering the brass lights are to slow down the tarnishing of the polished brass. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 Not far off with my guess, which was to keep rain off them. Did that actually work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 They help quite a bit. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brill_C-37M_Bus Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 (edited) That’s an amazing list of cars! As a historical side note, this shows what sort of work the host of this show did. My bus was also at Parish Steel in Reading during the early 1950s... but she was in pieces, just a pile of newly formed steel, getting shipped to Philadelphia for assembly. I found this original stenciling behind the undercoating on the steel frame below the driver’s seat. Edited August 8, 2020 by Brill_C-37M_Bus Missed a word... (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Albright Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 In August of 2005 I went to the Karl klieve sale In Cincinnati and bought both of the Duesenberg j frames he had. One of them was still in moss green paint with Parrish frame co stenciled on the frame. We fully restored the frame and painted over it when I built the movie world rental Judkins limo that is now owned by the late Clive Cussler. Somewhere I kept photos of that stenciling for historical purposes. Duesenberg J and 1929-32 Henney hearses were purpose built also with Parish frames and lycoming straight eight engines and fenders almost identical to Duesenberg front fenders that were pressed by union city body company in Auburn Indiana. A cord company. Neat stuff! George Albright Ocala Florida. Email gnalbright@gmail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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