Hershey Treasures

We go to Hershey in search of treasures, and some of us find them. This year, Joris, popular proprietor of PreWarCar.com, the intriguing website dedicated to pre-1940 cars and their knowledge, found a treasure of his own: a 1918 Canadian-built Model T roadster. Complete and running, albeit with burlap upholstery, Joris's new car will make him the envy of all his fellow Dutchmen.

If you didn't fancy a Model T there were plenty of other interesting cars available: a '58 Ford Courier sedan delivery, a Lincoln Town Car pickup, a Mercury panel truck or a Ford dodgem car (for $5,250). You could buy lenses, carburetors, a 1947 Ford truck heater or a rim for your artillery wheels. Although Thursday started wet with ominous skies, on Friday things were brighter and on Saturday positively delightful.

Saturday's car show is one of my weekend favorites. Unusual entries this year included a 1908 Alco, Jordan Speedboy, a Thorne Gas-Electric, and a Brewster Ford without a heart-shaped grille. I had never before seen a White Jesus, but was familiar with the one-off 1935 White sedan built for an influential company stockholder. The age limit for cars keeps creeping forward, so recent models like the Lincoln Versailles, a Ford Granada with a bustle, are starting to appear. Unless you grew up in California you may never have ridden a Crown Coach school bus, with underfloor diesel engine. And of course there were '57 Chevys as far as the eye could see. All of them came under the steely eyes of discriminating judges. I took lots and lots of pictures.

I was struck by things that appeared in pairs: South Wind heaters, '39 Chevy station wagons, Hemmings' Japanese twins (which were neither sporty nor exotic) and separated-at-birth 1937 LaSalle and Cadillac.

Talk of the meet was Friday's RM auction, where an unrestored 1911 Oldsmobile Limited made Duesenberg money at $1,650,000 (including buyer's premium) and all early cars soared beyond estimates. Actually there was at least one bargain at the sale; a '72 Chrysler Town & Country wagon sold for just $550.

By Saturday afternoon, cars were lining up to be loaded for transport to their new owners. The sad state of the US dollar meant that many of them were headed overseas.

Many applaud the paving of Hershey for putting an end to mud. Perhaps, but as a country boy I can't get used to trudging the miles of tarmac, or the floodlights that burn all night. It's like camping at Wal-Mart.