Once an abandoned farm truck is now a hot Chevy pickup with modern conveniences.
Debbie Janovsky’s ’49 Chevy 3100 is quite the looker. It is hard to believe this once was an abandoned farm truck. Debbie’s hard work has really paid off.
Debbie added…
“This started out as an abandoned farm truck. It was completely disassembled and rebuilt with a 1992 chevy Caprice as donor car. The entire truck frame was boxed and fitted with an all Caprice drive train. The entire truck is 1992 caprice underneath utilizing the old truck frame. It has ps, ac, pb and 700r4 overdrive. I kept it all Chevrolet. The paint is even Corvette Millennium Yellow.
All work was done at home in a 2-car garage Including the base coat/clear coat paint job.”
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This 1957 Ford F-Code, Factory Supercharged Custom Tudor was once a moonshiner’s car. Too cool not to look!
Richard Stuck’s 1957 Ford F-Code, Factory Supercharged Custom Tudor is a sight to behold!
Richard gave a bit of history behind this hot Ford…
“This is my 1957 Ford F-Code, Factory Supercharged Custom Tudor.
These cars dominated NASCAR and USAC in 1957.
This particular car was used to run moonshine in Tennessee. It was purchased from the moonshiner in 1965 and brought home to New Jersey. It is one of nine in this body style known to still exist.
It is an AACA Grand National First Prize Winner and was recently recognized by the International Motor Racing Resource Center as being a Historical race car.”
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Old Cars features a reader’s ’66 Mustang bought as a bribe to go to school!
SC Peterson must have had the coolest parents in the world. Get a ‘Stang to go to school. How cool is that?
Here is the story as told by SC…
“Hi…..this is my Mustang. My parents ordered it for me as a bribe to go to college! I have had it since the summer of 1966. A few years ago I had it completely restored. “ROTISSERIE RESTORATION”.
Back in it’s original color
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Old Cars features a reader’s 1967 Ford Thunderbird Tudor.
Neil Flavin is the proud owner of this pretty bird. This ’67 Thunderbird Tudor is one of the finest around.
This is what Neil had to add on his prized Ford…
“I purchased this from the original family and continued to make it roadworthy. Not one you see every day. It has a unique, artistic design with a lot of history behind the look, especially with the front end. The “Glamour Birds” may not be the most popular ones out there, but they are beautiful classics.”
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The Saratoga Museum’s popular “Saturday after Thanksgiving” Lost Speedways program will take place on Saturday, November 26th.
Saratoga Springs, NY – With the end of another racing season on the horizon, attention is turning to off-season activities, and at the Saratoga Automobile Museum, nothing is more popular than the “Saturday after Thanksgiving” Lost Speedways program.
“We came back strong last November after losing a year to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said event organizer Ron Hedger. “But this year will rank among our best programs ever as we look at a wide swath of the past as well as peer into the future.”
Opening the program will be the always popular “Motorcycle Guy,” Mark Supley. But for 2022 his focus will change, as he has also begun restoring Soap Box Derby cars and researching past activities in the region, followed by Mike Zagata, who will take listeners back to the glory days of the old Fonda Speedway Drag Strip with assistance from photographer Frank Simek, who pulled a treasure trove of old photos from his archives to illustrate Zagata’s presentation. This and more!
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The Little Giant was one of 40 truck brands manufactured in Chicago between 1911 and 1920.
Photos by Jim Haklar
The Little Giant’s lack of a front hood can be startling to passengers who are not used to riding so forward on a vehicle
Thirteen is a lucky number for David Alt, Jr., of Finksburg, Md. He owns 13 mint cars and trucks from 1903 to 1918. One of them is a Little Giant from, you guessed it — ’13. The Little Giant was one of 40 truck brands manufactured in Chicago between 1911 and 1920.
From horse to truck
During the first two decades of the 20th Century, trucks were competing against horses. The flesh-and-blood horse came with fleas, disease, smells and manure. At best, a work horse could haul 25 miles in a day. A commercial truck could go a lot farther, faster and carry more. A horse needed to eat and have a stable. In short, the cost of a horse was becoming unsupportable.
The teen years of the new century marked a movement of reform where cars and trucks were looked upon as new technology, much like the internet of the early 21st Century. Businesses then, as now, wanted to be considered part of the new movement, and in the early 20th Century, that meant going from a horse to a motor truck.
The early 20th Century is sometimes referred to as “the experimental age of the truck,” because there was no preconceived notion of what a truck should look like. An initial problem with these horseless buggy trucks of the period was that they were generally based upon platforms without any provision for protection, so barrels, crates and other payloads could fall off them. Soon, the trucking industry found ways to efficiently hold payloads on vehicles.
Right-hand steering wheel was typical of vehicles built before 1915.
An oxymoron of a truck
The Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., which is still in business, produced several truck brands, including David Alt’s Little Giant. This firm was founded by John Duntley, who also produced labor-saving tools for construction and mining including air compressors and pneumatic and electric tools. Duntley teamed up with steel magnate Charles Schwab and the company grew to include stationary engines and oil-drilling equipment. Between 1910 and 1923, the firm also made mid-sized utility trucks under a few different names.
The Duntley was produced by Chicago Pneumatic Tool from 1910 to 1912. The C.P.T. (named after the firm’s initials), was built only in 1912 and sold in England. The Duntley became the Little Giant from 1912 to 1918, and when “Little” was dropped from the name between 1918 to 1923, the truck lost its oxymoron of a name and was simply known as the Giant. Truck production closed down during the post-World War I recession.
Chicago Pneumatic Tool contracted with outside coachbuilders to fabricate several “factory” bodies that included the stake-bed, panel, bus, canopied-delivery and flareboard Little Giant models. The flareboard is the truck model that David Alt, Jr., owns today. His Little Giant’s flareboard body has slanting extensions on each side of an open cargo box to increase the bed’s capacity.
Little Giant trucks were advertised as “strong, simple, reliable, and efficient.” Chicago Pneumatic Tool had an enviable reputation, and thanks to its established tool business, people saw Chicago Pneumatic Tool’s trucks as utilitarian, sturdy, rugged and with rough-road durability.
Alt’s Little Giant has a one-ton chassis with a flat, two-cylinder, 20-hp engine with double-chain drive via a planetary transmission. The planetary transmission is made up of three types of gears: a sun gear, planet gears and a ring gear. The sun gear is located in the center and transmits torque to the planet gears. The planet gears are mounted on a movable carrier around the sun gear and interlock with the outer ring gear. The ring or sprocket gear’s teeth mesh with the holes in the chain’s links. Power is transferred to the rear axle via the chains.
The Little Giant’s flareboard body has slanting extensions to provide for additional cargo.
Compared to his 1911 Reo H truck with one cylinder and 9 hp, Alt says his Little Giant has more pull and power.
For a novice driver or a first-time passenger, it can be a starling experience to ride in a vehicle with nothing in front of but the road.
“The seat is made into the frame of the truck,” Alt also remarked of his Little Giant. “Even so, there is plenty of legroom. There are no dials or gauges.” He added that the truck is easy to steer.
Alt bought his Little Giant in 2012 from Chris Paulsen, who is a professor teaching auto restoration at McPherson College.
“It was restored, but not running,” Paulsen said. “We got it running, and driving it took a fair bit of adjusting, but no major work. We added a more correct horn assembly.”
Paulsen had documents from the first owner, who was Otis Catterson, of Honesdale, Pa. These included registrations from 1914 to 1917, as well as hand-written mileage and maintenance records. Alt’s work on the truck addressed the radiator, headlamps, taillamps and wiring, as well as replacing a coil, battery and the leather seat.
Many old trucks were used until there was little left of them, but thanks to this Little Giant’s past and present owners, this old workhorse was saved, restored and cherished. Alt’s 1913 Little Giant is not the only survivor of this rare truck brand, however. He did some investigating and found that there are three Little Giants in museums and five belonging to individuals, such as himself.
Alt’s product of a bygone era now lives a life on the show circuit and of leisurely excursions. None of his vintage vehicles are knickknacks. Although too primitive to use as regular transportation any longer, Alt noted, “In my county, I have drove the truck 13 miles in one day. It is very easy to drive. Everyone wants to take a ride in it.”
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A roadtrip of a lifetime in a 1960 Buick Electra 225
Story and photos by Jim Jordan
Jim Jordan’s 1960 Buick Electra 225 convertible and Ryan Richards’ 1968 Dodge Polara convertible as they set out for Detroit, after a stop at the Lincoln Motel in Chandler, Okla., and its great, old sign.
My big summer adventure began when my friend, Ryan Richards, said, “Have you heard about the big Lambda Car Club International’s (LCCI) Detroit Invitational Car Show that is held every 10 years?” (It had been postponed the last two years due to COVID.) He said, “We should go.” I already had plans to drive from my home in Oklahoma City to the Cadillac & LaSalle Club’s Grand National in Chicago a month before this July event, so I thought another big trip was not practical.
The more I got to thinking about it, it hit me — I would turn 50 this year, and my birthday would be right in the middle of the LCCI meet. Maybe I needed a good 50th birthday story. I started planning the trip to Detroit with Ryan and we discussed which cars we would take. When I said I would take my 1990 Cadillac Brougham, he said, “No!” and insisted that I must take an old car. I guess 32 years of age isn’t old enough for him.
Well, the next most road-ready car I own is “Endora,” my 1960 Buick Electra 225 convertible, which has never let me down. We made plans, purchased event tickets and started preparing our cars for the trip. I arranged for a full tune-up plus belts, hoses, tires and a full check-over by my mechanic to ensure she was ready for the journey.
All of my friends said I was a mix of brave, crazy and stupid for planning to take a 62-year-old car without air conditioning on such a long trip.
Ryan drove from Georgetown, Texas, on July 29 and crashed on my couch so we could leave for our odyssey early the next morning. Of all of his incredible cars, he brought his 1968 Dodge Polara convertible with 440 Magnum power.
Day 1: July 30 – OKC to Cuba, Mo.
We left my house and headed for Route 66. We stopped for fuel and refreshments at Pop’s in Arcadia, Okla., with the giant pop bottle, where we ran into a father and son cruising in their family heirloom 1953 Imperial. Then we headed to the abandoned 1920s Lawless Gas Station, which reportedly once housed a counterfeiting operation, and drove on to Chandler, Okla., home of Route 66’s Lincoln Motel and many rescued vintage signs.
The road trip included many stops along Route 66 at sites with vintage signs, often glowing with neon. The “Chrysler/Plymouth” sign (above right), is located near Route 66 in Bristow, Okla.
Next was a stop in Stroud, Okla., for pictures with the sign at the Skyliner Motel and lunch at the Rock Café, who’s owner, Dawn Welch, was the inspiration for the “Sally” character in Disney/Pixar’s “Cars” movie series. From there, we headed to Bristow so he could see the huge, previously neon-emblazoned “Chrysler/Plymouth” sign that was erected to lure motorists from nearby Route 66 to see the latest MoPar offerings. The dealership closed more than 30 years ago and the building is now an oil company. Fortunately, the sign remains.
Ryan with the top down on his 1968 Dodge Polara convertible outside the Skyliner Motel in Stroud, Okla.
After leaving the old dealership, the Polara began shrieking from the left-front wheel bearing. We pulled into a parking lot to see what was up and no fewer than seven civilians and a highway patrolman stopped to offer assistance. They brought Ryan tools and one even invited us to his house so his wife could cook us a meal. Another gentleman offered the use of his car lift. With the help of the loaned tools and a nearby O’Reilly Auto Parts store, Ryan had the bearing swapped in less than two hours. The people of Bristow, Okla., are terrifically friendly, helpful people.
We hit Interstate 44 from there for the next leg of the trip to see the blue whale in Catoosa. This was built as a play area for the children of the adjoining trading post and alligator farm, and it became a local attraction.
Dawn Welch, the owner of the Rock Cafe (pictured) in Stroud, Okla., was the inspiration for the character “Sally” in Disney/Pixar’s movie franchise “Cars.”The gas pumps only pump out memories and photo ops at this old station at the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Mo.
Our next stop was dinner at Wilder’s Steakhouse in Joplin, Mo., which has a swanky, retro atmosphere, and its neon sign is incredible. It’s even recommended by Duncan Hines! After a great meal, we headed to our beds at the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Mo., which is the oldest continuously operated motel on Route 66.
Day 2: July 31 – On to Auburn Hills
Upon check-out at the hotel, we met a man and his son who were traveling from Germany to experience Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles. They loved our old cars and took photographs of themselves with the cars at the motel’s old pumps, which remained from when the Wagon Wheel Motel had an operational service station and café. Next stop was St. Louis, where we stopped for photos at the famous Ted Drewes Frozen Custard stand, then met our friend, Matt, for breakfast. Matt took us to a few good spots to photograph our cars with the arch, and showed us his Frank Sinatra Edition Imperial.
The 1968 Polara as it prepares to cross the border into Michigan with its top down.A friend gave Jim and Ryan insight into the best places to photograph their cars near the famous arch in St. Louis.
After the arch photos, we crossed the Mississippi River on the Martin Luther King Bridge in St. Louis and hit the road. After traveling through Illinois and Indiana, we arrived in Michigan. We cruised down Woodward Avenue in the Polara to One Eyed Betty’s for a late dinner. After eating, we enjoyed the sights while cruising Woodward Avenue.
Day 3: Aug. 1 – Gilmore and more
Monday, we loaded in the Buick with our friend, Richard Burgess, from Atlanta, and headed out to tour the Gilmore Car Museum grounds in Hickory Corners. What an incredible place! Here we enjoyed the Cadillac and Lincoln clubs’ museums and other club museums there. Among many other cars, we saw a Chrysler Turbine Car and a Tucker, but these would not be the last examples of these cars that we would see on this trip.
Another photo-op, this time at the famously dazzling Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit.
After leaving the Gilmore Car Museum, we went shopping for antiques and returned to the hotel to find a beautiful 1931 Chrysler greeting us in the lobby. We rested, then hopped in the Polara for dinner at the O.W.L. diner on Woodward before heading into downtown Detroit to explore. Detroit is going through a renaissance and is far from the scary, bombed-out-looking place we’ve seen in so many reports. It is very active, clean and inviting. We were able to get some great pics of Ryan’s Polara at the famous Fox Theatre in all of its neon glory before heading back to the hotel.
Day 4: Aug. 2 – The Henry Ford
Tuesday morning, we headed out in the Polara to tour The Henry Ford. This museum never ceases to amaze with its displays of cars, truck, trains and Americana. Here I sat on the bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, saw the presidential limos and the Dymaxion House of the Future, as well as another Tucker and Chrysler Turbine Car. We left the museum and had lunch at Ford’s Garage in Dearborn, then hit several antique stores.
Day 4 included a stop at The Henry Ford, the famous museum that houses American history which, naturally, includes automobiles. Displayed there was the museum’s Bugatti Type 41 Royale.
Day 5: Aug. 3 – The Sloan
We decided to explore Flint, Mich., with our Palm Springs friends, Scott and Sandy. The newly remodeled Sloan Museum in Flint displayed the 1956 Centurion and 1954 Wildcat II Motorama show cars, along with other significant General Motors products. After visiting the Sloan, we headed into downtown Flint. “Endora” was born at the old Buick plant in Flint that is no longer there, but she returned to her birthplace 62 years later.
Day 5 included a stop at the Sloan Museum in Flint, which houses many incredible cars, including several concept cars such as the 1954 Buick Wildcat I.
Day 6: Aug. 4 – Collection overload
Thursday morning, we were part of a caravan to the Stellantis (formerly Walter P. Chrysler) Collection for a tour. This collection is housed in an old spark plug factory and Dodge Viper assembly facility. We were told ours was the first group to see the collection since the Walter P. Chrysler Museum was liquidated. There were still many great cars there, including yet another Turbine Car (three on this trip now), Jeeps, muscle cars and several MoPar concept cars, including the 1954 La Comtesse glowing in its pink-and-white finish with clear roof panels and lavender-and-white interior. Unfortunately, the collection forbids photography, so the great vehicles there are pictured only in my mind.
Day 6 featured a stop at the GM Heritage Center where the famed 1938 Buick Y-Job show car (left) wowed visitors.
We left Stellantis and headed for the General Motors Heritage Center. Wow! We were greeted in the lobby by a gleaming black-and-white 1955 Buick Century and it just got better from there.
When walking into the main hall, the first thing seen is the 1951 Le Sabre concept car. The collection had even more to offer, from Corvettes to GMC Motorhomes and everything between. I was particularly smitten with the 1953 Oldsmobile Fiesta and Le Sabre, Y-Job and Cadillac Cyclone show cars.
Later that day, we went on a dinner cruise on the Detroit River. Ryan found an incredible set of Chrysler promotional MoPar “Forward Look” Pilsner glasses with matching pitcher in an obscure little antique shop that looked it was nothing but shabby chic and junk.
Day 7: Aug. 5 – Birthday ‘treats’
Friday morning, we formed another caravan and headed to view the Stahl Collection of amazing cars, signs and mechanical musical marvels. This place is truly a multi-sensory treat of chrome, color, sound and sheer amazement. Its chief mechanic, Seamus Hnat, even played “Happy Birthday” for me on the 1924 Mortier 97-key dance organ, which is a visual and musical masterpiece. Among the unbelievable cars there were Duesenbergs, “Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang,” Fatty Arbuckle’s custom-bodied Pierce-Arrow designed by Harley Earl and, yes, another Turbine Car and Tucker. (That’s four Turbine Cars and three Tuckers in one trip!)
Day 7 included a rare opportunity see and photograph Jim’s car at the GM Tech Center’s famous reflecting pond, where many GM promotional photos were taken in the 1950s and ’60s.
After we left the Stahl Collection, we met up with a friend who works at the GM Tech Center in Warren who arranged our visit to this 1955 masterpiece, which was designed by Eero Saarinen. Security is tight there, and I relied on the generosity of a friend who works there to get us on campus for a tour. What a treat it was to photograph “Endora” by the fountain at the Tech Center’s reflecting pond with the gleaming stainless water tower in the background, a place where so many historic GM photos have been taken!
After leaving the GM Tech Center, we eventually headed back to downtown Detroit for a visit to the Detroit Institute of Arts for some cultural enrichment. This is truly a world-class museum with exhibits to enthrall everyone. After savoring the art at the museum, my friends took me out for a birthday dinner at Wright and Company, a great restaurant in a former piano warehouse.
Just as we were turning into the hotel upon our return, I hit a huge chunk of loose Michigan road concrete that somehow perfectly struck and broke off the end of my Buick’s exhaust manifold, making her sound like a race car running open headers. To make matters worse, it happened the night before the big LCCI show.
Day 8: Aug. 6 – Show Day
At the suggestion of folks at the meet, I woke up early and waited at the Midas on Woodward Avenue in hopes of getting “Endora” in for an exhaust repair. Luckily, the folks there were top-notch and among them was an “old school” mechanic who said, “I can’t fix the manifold, but I think I can figure out a way to get you home.” After an hour, I was on my way to the show and the “temporary fix” is still holding up today. He was able to wedge and tack weld a piece of exhaust pipe into the broken manifold and weld the exhaust to it.
A piece of concrete broke part of the Buick’s exhaust manifold, which was temporarily repaired at a Midas station on Detroit’s Woodward Avenue.
Show day came and so did the fabulous cars, and from all over the country. “Endora” was between a 23,000-mile 1959 LeSabre sedan and a stunning, dark-blue 1960 Electra 225 convertible that had received a body-off-frame restoration. Endora’s 80,000-mile original paint and interior showed its flaws compared to these two stunners, but she did get lots of admiration and respect for her unrestored condition and for driving all the way to the meet. Cars from the 1910s through 2022 were present, and it was a grand time despite the heat.
Some of the fantastic cars at the Lambda Car Club International’s Detroit Invitational Car Show, Jim and Ryan’s ultimate destination on this road trip.
After the show, Ryan and our friend, Chris, took the opportunity to get photographs with Ryan’s Polara at the Stelantis headquarters in Auburn Hills.
After the awards banquet on Saturday night, one of Ryan’s many Instagram followers wanted him to come see his beautiful, mostly original 1959 Mercury Monterey. We took a wonderful night drive in the Polara through beautiful lakeside country to the Big Dip Burgers Drive-In in Walled Lake, Mich., to meet Jon and see his Monterey. Jon then took us for a cruise and I couldn’t believe it, but there was another 1960 Electra 225 convertible sitting at a muffler shop! It even appeared to wear its original paint (Titian Red).
Day 9: Aug. 7 – Going to Hell
Day 9 was the start of the trip home. We loaded the cars and Ryan installed a fresh wheel bearing on the Polara and we were off. We headed to Jon’s beautiful lakeside home where he lead our caravan with his incredible 1959 Monterey to Hell, Mich., just so we could get shirts and bumper stickers to prove we had been to Hell and back. After going to Hell, Jon took us on a scenic drive to a fabulous 1962-built A&W root beer stand in Dexter, Mich.
Jim, Ryan and their friend Jon, who owns the 1959 Mercury at right, secured three adjacent spots beneath the wacky wavy roof of the 1962 A&W root beer stand in Dexter, Mich.
Jon left us at Dexter and we headed toward home. “Endora” became a little fussy when we stopped at an antique mall. With rain approaching, I tried to raise her top, but it wouldn’t budge. Ryan checked the top motor and the switch and there was nothing. Just as I was headed for shelter at a car wash, the top started working and we browsed the mall in peace.
That night, we stopped for dinner outside of Indianapolis where Ryan discovered yet another wheel bearing was failing on the Dodge. We pressed on to Terre Haute for the night where Ryan began the search for a solution.
Another day, another wheel bearing failure in the 1968 Dodge Polara convertible. This time, the mechanical trouble surfaced just outside of Indianapolis.
Day 10: Aug. 8 – Meet me in St. Louis
We awoke Monday and headed for O’Reilly Auto Parts for another bearing. The hub was so worn by now that the race for the bearing spun freely within it. Ryan’s “never give up” attitude and mechanical prowess got him to improvise with a temporary solution. New bearing and race — combined with JB Weld and a cut-up Monster Energy Drink can — had the bearing and race snugly seated back in the hub. By this time, Ryan had contacted Clay and Sons MoPar Salvage outside of St. Louis, who had a spindle, hub and drum. They were closed on Mondays, but agreed to open in order to help a fellow MoPar fan who was traveling. We arrived in the evening and were given a tour of their incredible, 300-plus-car inventory. After purchasing the parts, we headed home. Ryan installed the new hub and drum and all was well. It was raining by the time we arrived in Springfield, Mo., and without wipers in the Buick, I stopped at a hotel for the night. Ryan headed on to Joplin and then south to visit friends in Arkansas.
Clay and Sons MoPar Salvage, outside of St. Louis, was a ble to supply Ryan with a spindle, hub and drum on a day they’d usually be closed. The owners even gave them a tour of their 300-plus-car inventory.
Day 11: Aug. 9 – The home stretch
“Endora” and I leisurely headed down I-44 toward Tulsa. Once in Tulsa, I drove to the home of my friend, Levi, whom I met for a great barbecue lunch at Elmer’s BBQ, a Tulsa staple. After stuffing ourselves, “Endora” and I embarked on the final 100 miles of our trip.
We arrived home safely after 11 days, 3,059 miles and numerous memorable adventures in which we saw incredible cars, historic buildings and neon signs and many friends. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I am so glad Ryan talked me into it. I spent time with old friends and made many new ones. I guess 50 ain’t so bad after all.
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The Gilmore Car Museum’s Outdoor Holiday Lights Experience and Christmas Through The Decades have quickly become welcomed parts of families’ holiday traditions.
Hickory Corners, Mich. – Winter Wonderland at the Gilmore Car Museum is back for its second year, with an expanded drive-through and walk-through nighttime holiday lights experience on the museum’s beautiful 90-acre campus, just outside of Kalamazoo. Tickets are on sale now at GilmoreCarMuseum.org.
Presented by Hagerty, Winter Wonderland is unlike any other holiday lights show attraction you can imagine. Guests can enjoy a driving tour through the lighted grounds, surrounded by festive music and decorations, then head indoors to meet Santa Claus and explore the Festival of Trees throughout galleries filled with hundreds of classic cars.
Josh Russell, Executive Director of the Gilmore Car Museum, reports that the museum staff has been working with nationally-renowned lighting specialists to create exciting new outdoor lighting installations, which include dynamic programming, motion, animation, and sound.
In addition to the twinkling lights and delightful decorations, Winter Wonderland offers a variety of memorable experiences for Gilmore guests to enjoy this winter:
Gourmet hot chocolate, adult drinks, holiday-themed food & sweets, and holiday gift shopping
A giant, one-of-a-kind maze of holiday inflatables
A nostalgic 1960s fresh Christmas tree and wreath lot, complete with vintage Shasta camper trailer
Dashing Through the Snow family rides through the lights in Ford Model A’s, a Checker Taxi Cab, a ‘63 Cadillac convertible, and several other vintage cars from our collection
A stop inside Santa’s Garage, the big man’s hot rod workshop, located inside our 1930s Shell Station
Classic cars from the museum’s collection dramatically displayed inside Gilmore Snow Globes
Featured outdoor artwork exhibits from legendary automotive illustrators, including Art Fitzpatrick, Van Kaufman, and Jeff Norwell
“The Gilmore Car Museum celebrates both cars and history on an exceptionally beautiful 90-acre campus in the Michigan countryside, so it’s truly the perfect place to host a drive-through and walk-through holiday lights experience for our community,” Russell said.
Upon arriving at the Gilmore Car Museum grounds, guests will be directed to follow winding roadways through the museum’s historic campus to view the thousands of lights within dozens of dazzling themed displays, lighted barns, and vintage-era car dealerships. After your twinkling tour, head inside the museum to explore our Festival of Trees as you make your way through our decorated galleries, take a walk down memory lane through our popular Christmas Through the Decades exhibits, then finish your evening by visiting with Santa and enjoying special holiday treats & beverages.
“This spectacular Christmas and holiday lights show will bring our Michigan Winter Wonderland to life, and create lasting holiday memories for our guests in the museum, in their family car, or perhaps taking a ride through the lights in one of our classic automobiles,” added Russell.”
Winter Wonderland at the Gilmore Car Museum will run throughout the holiday season, on select nights from Friday, November 25, 2022 through Friday, December 30th, 2022.
Open weekly Thursday through Sunday from 5pm – 9pm ET
Vehicle entry gates close one hour before end of night
Tickets are now available for purchase at GilmoreCarMuseum.org
Tickets are sold per person, and include access to the museum during that same evening: Adults 18+: $20 at door/ $17.50 online in advance, Children ages 5-17: $12 at door/ $9.50 online in advance, Children ages 4 & under: FREE
Dashing Through the Snow family rides in vintage cars (up to 4 guests) are FREE with donations highly encouraged, first come first served
About Gilmore Car Museum – The world-renowned Gilmore Car Museum – North America’s largest auto museum with more than 400 vehicles on display — is located midway between Chicago and Detroit, just 20 minutes north of Kalamazoo, or 45 minutes south of Grand Rapids. The museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, whose mission is to tell the history of America through the automobile. Learn more at GilmoreCarMuseum.org
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Headlined by the SEMA Show, SEMA Week will evolve the annual event into an “all-city” experience with new concepts, activities and celebrations created specifically for automotive enthusiasts in 2023.
Diamond Bar, Calif. – SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) announced a five-year vision to expand the SEMA Show into an “all-city” experience. Officially called “SEMA Week,” the expansion’s goal is to create the most passionate and exciting automotive event in the world. SEMA Week will kick off in 2023 with new concepts, activities and events introduced over the five-year roll-out period including SEMA Fest, an immersive festival-like celebration.
SEMA Week will be headlined by the SEMA Show, which will remain a trade-only event Monday through Friday. On Friday, the final day of the SEMA Show, a limited number of enthusiasts will be able to attend the SEMA Show through the Friday Experience program, which launched at the 2021 SEMA Show. Beginning on Friday evening of SEMA Week, SEMA will take over the Las Vegas Festival Grounds through Saturday night with an all new SEMA Fest.
“We have been watching the connection between enthusiasts and our industry grow for more than a decade and, as the industry’s trade association, have a responsibility to help facilitate that connection in new and meaningful ways,” said James Lawrence, SEMA Chairman of the Board. “By creating SEMA Week and SEMA Fest, we will be able to maintain the integrity of the trade show that makes it a must-attend event for automotive professionals while introducing a new platform for enthusiasts and the industry to engage with one another.”
For 2023, SEMA Fest will take place at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds and be open to everyone, bringing together automotive enthusiasts with the aftermarket industry in a high-octane and immersive festival-like celebration of car culture. SEMA Fest will feature top music and entertainment, car show and cruise, VIP experiences, craft food, automotive celebrities and motorsports. It will run alongside the popular SEMA Ignited Cruise and SEMA Show after-party which draws thousands of enthusiasts on Friday night.
SEMA Week is also scheduled to include a SEMA Auction, featuring some of the best builds from SEMA and many more amazing vehicles to headline the festivities. SEMA will continue to expand and refine SEMA Week over the next five years, rolling out new events and activities throughout the city of Las Vegas. The evolution of SEMA Week preserves the trade aspects of the industry and business components of the SEMA Show, while enabling enthusiasts from all over to join in the festivities and enjoy car culture-focused events throughout the SEMA Week experience.
Additional details for the 2023 SEMA Show, SEMA Week and SEMA Fest will be announced in the coming months.
About SEMA – SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $50.9 billion specialty-automotive industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. Association resources include market research, legislative advocacy, training and product development support, as well as leading trade shows such as the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev., and the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis, Ind. For more information, visit www.sema.org, www.semashow.com or www.performanceracing.com.
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The Saratoga Automobile Museum will celebrate 60 years of James Bond with a major new exhibition called “BOND IN MOTION” featuring twenty-five official vehicles from the past six decades of the longest-running film franchise in movie history.
Saratoga Springs, NY – Marking the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise, the Saratoga Automobile Museum will celebrate with a major new exhibition called BOND IN MOTION featuring twenty-five official vehicles from the past six decades of the longest-running film franchise in movie history. The multimedia exhibit also features movie memorabilia, images, and video to create a totally unique Bond experience for museum visitors. The exhibition opens November 18, 2022, in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Visitors to the exhibition will experience all the excitement and drama of the world of Bond with a collection of automobiles including the iconic and most famous Bond car: the 1964 Aston Martin DB5. Other vehicles on display include the white 1977 Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) that sensationally transforms from a high-performance sports car into a submarine; the 2007Aston Martin DBS that made movie history with a record-breaking seven full rotation roll in Casino Royale (2006), and the one-of-ten 2015 Aston Martin DB10, built specifically for 2015’s Spectre.
“James Bond has driven some of the most exciting and iconic cars in movie history, and he has been involved in some of the greatest car chases ever filmed so to have them form the centerpiece of our exhibit as they take the visitor on a rollercoaster ride of magic Bond moments as expressed through the automobile is thrilling,” said Carly Connors Saratoga Automobile Museum executive director.
“It is truly the most ambitious exhibition we’ve ever put together, and we know it will attract visitors from far and wide. Saratoga Springs makes a wonderful weekend getaway for New Yorkers and BOND IN MOTION is most definitely a ‘must-see’,” she continued.
In addition to some of the most iconic cars is movie history, BOND IN MOTION features a motorbike, three-wheeler, Skidoo, wet bike, and submarine. The exhibition even includes the Indian motorized rickshaw, or tuk-tuk, that appeared in an unforgettable chase scene through the crowded streets of Udaipur in the film Octopussy (1983).
“With their machine guns, lasers, ejector seats, and gadgets BOND IN MOTION honors the vehicles from the past 60 years that have wowed us and are indelibly etched in our minds. We’re thrilled to bring so many of these unique vehicles together under one roof for everyone to enjoy,” concluded Connors.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the official licensed collection of screen-used cars from EON Productions Limited, Danjaq, LLC., and the Ian Fleming Foundation at the Saratoga Automobile Museum as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the world premiere of the first James Bond film Dr. No in 1962.
Tickets on Sale Soon
Saratoga Automobile Museum 110 Avenue of the Pines Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 www.saratogaautomuseum.org
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