Enjoying famous Hershey Meet in 21,856 steps

There were three major things that I wanted to do in my visit to the famous Eastern division Antique Automobile Club of America Fall Meet in Hershey last week.   On Friday I wanted to enjoy the 1,000 old cars with price tags on the window in the event’s Car Corral and check out the swap meet, on Friday evening I wanted to attend the RM Sotheby’s fine car auction at Hershey Lodge and on Saturday I wanted to spend the day reviewing the 1,500 vintage vehicles in the show field.

With my grandson Kyle as my companion, I got to enjoy all my wishes.  As is often the case with a trip to the Hershey Fall Meet, we had to deal with the elements.  Friday was a nice day but Mother Nature got a little restless and there were raindrops to dodge on Saturday.  Fortunately the rains were light.  No Hurricane Matthew in PA.

Many auto enthusiasts who attend Hershey, said to be the largest outdoor event of its kind in the U.S., come for the swap meet.  It is difficult to adequately describe the scale of this event.

This year over 9,000 vendors (that’s not a typo) set up shop for the four-day event on the acres and acres of asphalt-covered ground that normally serves as parking for visitors to the nearby Hershey Park and the Giant Center. 

The reason the Hershey Fall Meet is held over four days is so that enough time is available for enthusiasts to visit all the vendor sites.  It’s not unusual for a car buff to take a week off, drive to Hershey in a camper and spend all four days looking for a missing headlight or a replacement for a broken taillight.

Some of the folks who walk the site are creative in how they advertise the part they are seeking.  I got a kick out of seeing one gent who was wearing a crudely made sandwich board made of cardboard.  The words on both the front and back simply stated, “rumble seat for 37 or 38 Ford.  Enough said.

Kyle and I both wanted to spend time traversing the swap meet site.  Kyle was looking for a higher trim bumper cover for his 1999 GMC Jimmy SUV and I hoped to find a die-cast model or two. 

We had lots of time so I thought this would be the year that I walked the entire site, something I had never tried before.  Ha, that was a pipe dream.  I’d guess we covered maybe 20 percent of the vendors before fatigue set in.  To visit 9,000 vendors all in one place really does take four days to accomplish!

It was our time in the swap meet area that I accumulated most of the footsteps on my phone’s pedometer. I met my day’s exercise goal – about four times over.

We next headed for the nearby Car Corral.  This is the horseshoe shaped venue that plays host to hundreds of vehicles, all with a price tag in their window.  Each year I always a few cars that get my pulse going on this stretch of asphalt that must be a mile long. 

There were dozens of cars that drew me for a closer look.  Not surprisingly, for a guy that likes the rare and unusual body styles, I found little interest in the always-present display of muscle cars, Mustangs and Tri-Five Chevys.

The vehicles that said hello to me were models like a svelte 1961 Buick Special wagon, a glamorous 1960 Chrysler New Yorker 4-door HARDTOP wagon and a really luxurious 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special.

Probably Dar’s favorite car at the Hershey Meet was this 1961 Buick Special “senior compact” station wagon.  The Special was Buick’s entry in the fast emerging small car market at the time.  Dar talked his dad into purchasing a ’61 Special sedan Deluxe and he recalls it with great fondness.  This wagon was in the Car Corral and had a sold sign in the windshield before Dar arrived.

After a nice dinner in nearby Hershey, grandson Kyle and I headed to the elegant Hershey Lodge and spent a portion of the evening attending the RM Sotheby’s auction.

Robert Myers founded the high-end RM auction in 1991 in Blenheim, Ontario, Canada.  Today RM (now affiliated with the famous Sotheby’s organization) holds ten auctions annually in overseas places as Paris, Monaco, London and at Amelia Island, Monterey and Plymouth (MI) in the States.

The company holds the record for the highest ever total for a single collector car auction when in August 2015 the company’s auctioneers gaveled “sold” vehicles that totaled $172.9 million.

Two hundred and sixty six items were consigned for auction at Hershey with many being offered at no reserve.  The affair is held over two nights and attracts a wonderful variety of automobiles and auto memorabilia. 

As at past RM Sotheby’s auctions, I was entertained watching both the persuasiveness of the auctioneer to squeeze every last dollar out of the eager bidders and seeing the many stunning vehicles on the brightly lit stage.

A large number of bidders were from foreign countries as well as from many of the states in the U.S.  The best seller was a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Dual-Cowl Phaeton with body by Murphy.  The high bid was a lofty and impressive $2,090,000.

Dar has noted that each year at the Hershey Meet Saturday car show there is an “IT” car.  You can spot the “IT” car by just looking for a larger than average crowd gathered around a particular vehicle – all day long.   A few years ago it was the mid-30s Railton owned by the Hostetler Hudson Museum in Indiana.  Dar invited that car to the Lake Bluff Concours the next year.  Last year’s “IT” car was a one-of-a-kind limousine built for Mrs. Walter P. Chrysler.  This year the “IT” car was a luxurious 1938 Packard 160 Convertible with an unusual removable roof.  Seeing the car’s hood ornament was worth the drive to Pennsylvania.

Saturday was the big AACA car show held in a huge grassy field adjacent to the swap meet and car corral area.  It was my assumption that the raindrops put a dent on the number of vehicles that showed up for the judged show. 

For attendees like me who like to take a lot of photos, the unfortunate weather made it hard to keep the camera lense dry.  Also disappointing was the owner’s use of a plastic covering that protect some of the vehicles on display.

Despite the moisture, there were still over a thousand cars to enjoy and the variety of vehicles easily please visitors regardless of their automotive preferences.  Space doesn’t allow me to comment on all the cars that caught my eye.  Readers who have never attended this AACA event must understand that the large assortment of vehicles on display will surely include styles and eras that will be appealing.

Hershey never disappoints.  This year was extra special because I got to enjoy my visit with my wonderful grandson Kyle.  If you have never enjoyed a Hershey visit, put it on your calendar for next year.  Go to www.aaca.org for information.






The RM Sotheby’s auction at the Hershey Lodge was the place to be on both Thursday and Friday evening.  The best seller was a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Dual-Cowl Phaeton with body by Murphy.  The high bid was a lofty and impressive $2,090,000.  Someone had the privilege of driving (more likely trailering) this remarkable automobile home.  Also receiving top dollars were a number of Packard models and an Auburn Eight Supercharged Speedster. 


Some of the folks who walk the site are creative in how they advertise the part they are seeking.  Dar got a kick out of seeing one gent who was wearing a crudely made sandwich board made of cardboard.  The words on both the front and back simply stated, “rumble seat for 37 or 38 Ford.




Other favorite vehicles at the Hershey show.
1959 Buick Wagon









                 1960 Plymouth Sport Fury convertible

1957 Buick Century 4-dr hardtop

              1928 Hupmobile Model A roadster
1962 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special 4-dr hardtop

Blowing new life into old things

All of Warren Stewart's collector cars have been "rescued."  None are perfect but all have been lovingly made operational and almost all eventually sold. He has owned over 150 vehicles in his lifetime (over 70 were Chevy Corvairs) and not a one of them were new.  Vehicles presently being looked after by Warren at his Stevensville home include a rare 1954 Willys Aero Lark sedan, a tired but much-loved 1954 Plymouth Savoy sedan, a 1963 Corvair Monza coupe and a 1966 Corvair Corsa convertible.

When you walk through Warren Stewart’s front door, there's little doubt you've entered the home of a real estate man. Community improvement awards and magazine articles honoring his three decades of work as a realtor, developer, and preservationist cover his walls, as do before and after photographs of historic homes that appear to have risen from the dead. 

But before you think I've changed hats from being an automotive writer to a real estate writer, let me tell you about Mr. Stewart's driveway.

I was first greeted by the prominent "W" of a 1954 Willy's Aero Lark grille. Completely rust-free and painted Notre Dame classic green, with a roof as gold as the famous dome itself, this car would be an unusual sight in any driveway. 

Beyond that were two Chevy Corvairs – a '63 coupe and a '66 convertible – that looked like they've seen a Michigan winter or two.  Then last but not least a well weathered but strikingly solid 1954 Plymouth Savoy boasting every option from overdrive to factory tinted glass.  A perfect example of the car made famous by Johnny Cash whose claim that a ’54 Savoy was the best car he ever owned prompted a national search to find him another one.



Although Warren's collection of cars isn't striking in terms of monetary value, I would come to discover they all have an interesting story and represent just a small slice of 150 interesting vehicles he's owned in his lifetime. 

Perhaps most interesting of all is the fact not one of the cars Warren Stewart has ever owned was purchased new.

I spent only two hours with Warren, but it wasn’t enough. In fact I don’t recall in my 17-year career as an auto columnist meeting someone with a more interesting history as an auto enthusiast. In some ways I consider the Lincoln Township resident to be a true Renaissance man.

Like me, Warren has a deep appreciation of automobile design, but our similarities end there. He is one of those jack-of-all-trade individuals who possess a wide variety of mechanical skills and a profound desire to put things into running order.

Starting his automotive journey in 1973, Warren bought a radical-for-its-time Corvair, the controversial rear-engine compact Chevrolet introduced in 1960. Captivated by its uniqueness and performance, he devoted himself to learning everything he could about the car.

Apparently his enthusiasm became infectious because he ended up influencing several friends to also buy Corvairs, and within a year it was nothing for him to remove an engine or replace a clutch.

Now 59 years old, Warren has blown life into more than 70 Corvairs as well as dozens of other classic cars he’s owned. His pattern is to buy cars in non-operational condition, repair them mechanically, then sell them in good running order to people who will elevate them to the next level. He says his buyers have come from all over the country, occasionally even flying here, and driving them home.

Asked if he considers himself a dealer, he replied, "I only buy cars I'd be willing to own forever, so making money on them isn't a big consideration.  In fact if I earned minimum wage for the hours I've spent reviving cars, I would easily be a millionaire. I also title all of the cars in my name and report the sales to the IRS, so there are many expenses." 

Warren believes he fills a critical gap between those who neglect cars and allow them to deteriorate, and those who buy them to restore and enjoy. After all, he says, "it's very difficult for someone who plans on investing thousands of dollars into paint, body work, and upholstery to risk buying a car that has unknown issues with gearboxes, differentials, and engines. By the time a car leaves my driveway, that risk has been eliminated."

All those cars Warren was willing to own forever have ranged from station wagons to turbo charged convertibles among the Corvairs, but Warren has also owned a large array of other interesting cars. Among them a rare 1953 Willys Aero Eagle, many Ramblers, Renaults, Pontiac and Chevy muscle cars, and even a Mini Cooper, several V-12 Jaguars, BWM’s, Fieros and a Maserati.

It would be impossible to explore all of them in detail, so instead I tried to focus on what motivates this remarkable gentleman to do what he does.

Warren grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, the famous birthplace of Ernest Hemmingway and one-time home of Bob Newhart, Betty White, McDonald's founder Ray Kroc, and the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Known mostly for its beautiful architecture and celebrity residents, the troubled atmosphere of the 60's threatened Oak Park's future and required the town to take bold steps to preserve its way of life and protect the investment of its residents. This effort saved the town from certain decline, and taught Warren at a very young age that it's important to step up and protect things of great value.

Unfortunately Warren's dad wasn't optimistic Oak Park's efforts would be successful, so he moved the family to a new cornfield subdivision 40 miles away.  Warren tells me it was a safe and happy place with good schools, but living there “was like eating food that had no flavor.”

Too young at the time to realize that no longer being surrounded by a lively community and beautiful buildings was causing a “form of malnutrition” to set in, Warren started gravitating towards exuberant old cars of the 40's and 50's to satisfy a craving for stimulation.  He liked their fancy chrome grilles and big fat round appearance, so when he turned 16 he was ready to pounce on an old Packard or Hudson.

Unfortunately, his dad wouldn't allow such a jalopy into the driveway, so they sought the advice of a neighbor who worked as a bank president during the week, but restored a Model A Ford on the weekends.  This gentlemen offered other possibilities, pointing out there were many newer classic cars worth owning.  None of the cars he named appealed to Warren until he finished his list with the words "Chevrolet Corvair".  Warren describes that moment as a religious experience, where he knew exactly what he was supposed to do next.  It made him realize that it wasn’t necessarily an old car that he longed for, but one with a truly unique personality.

Now 43 years later, Warren’s entire life seems to have followed that same thread. Stirred by very early episodes of PBS’ “This Old House” he returned to Oak Park as a young adult to restore landmark buildings and help save his hometown.  He’s also never stopped breathing life into special old cars, many that haven’t run in decades, and often nearly destroyed by neglect.  “All I want to see is a good foundation”, Warren says, “just like a good building”.

My visit with Warren concluded by him mentioning a sign he saw on a used car lot while living in Florida, that read, “Everyone Drives a Used Car”.  He added, “Everyone should learn there is no such thing as new, and there is no such thing as perfect. It's a fact of life that everything in this world other than wine is deteriorating with age. So instead of masking the aging process by buying cheaper forms of newer things, we should be investing in the highest quality we can.”

He continued, “if I can blow life into something built from quality materials that required skill and craftsmanship to create, then I have prolonged the impact those standards will have on the world. It's my way of speaking with past generations of artisans who took pride in what they created, and learning from them. Things that possess higher quality require greater amounts of time and skill to create, but the alternative is the junk that cheapens the world around us. I don't hate those who can't recognize the difference, but I have nothing to learn from them”.

Chevy’s all-new 2nd gen Volt is a winner

This past summer not long before the August Concours car show I was asked by car friend Brent Caperton of Baroda if I’d like to meet a friend of his who had just purchased a new second generation Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid hatchback.

I said yes to the invite and shortly Brent and his friend from Navy days, Brock Hoagland of Pringle, South Dakota, showed up in a beautiful 2017 Kinetic Blue Metallic Volt.

South Dakota resident Brock Hoagland and his brand new 2017 Chevy Volt paid a visit to old Navy friend Brent Caperton of Baroda this past summer.  Dar accepted Brent's offer to stop by his house with the Volt for a look-see at the second-generation plug-in hybrid. A quick spin revealed that the super economical sedan - based on the same platform as Dar's Buick Verano - shares nearly the same driving dynamics as a typical gas engine vehicle.  According to Brock, his Volt gets 187 mpg equivalent and uses $3.19 worth of electricity per 100 miles.

It was a pleasant visit and I got to meet a new car friend and drive the newest Volt.  I also learned quickly that Brock has a technical background.  Like his friend Brent, he was an operator of power plants here in the U.S. until his retirement.

As readers know I’m a low-tech guy and prefer a car as simple to operate as possible.  For these reasons, the remarkably advanced Volt hybrid (and Chevy’s upcoming all-electric Bolt EV hatch) would not be high on my list of potential vehicles to purchase to replace my Buick Verano.

My cluelessness about things mechanical doesn’t stop me from being curious about how the Volt works and I learned a lot about the Volt from Brock during his St. Joseph visit and from subsequent emails that he thoughtfully sent me after his visit.

First a little Volt history.  Readers may recall back in 2011 when the Volt was first on the market that I wrote a column about the all-new and highly anticipated car.  Tom Burch, my son-in-law who works for GM and was loaned a Volt for the weekend, paid a visit and I had a chance to examine the car up close and take it for a spin. 

The Volt is a technological superstar.  Unlike pure electric cars (EV) the Volt was created to eliminate “range anxiety” and give owners peace of mind.  If the batteries in a Volt run out of juice, a gas-powered engine starts up and begins charging the batteries.  With this clever set-up, owners just needed to keep gas in the tank.

For a new piece of machinery with so many new and unproven technologies, the Volt has been remarkably trouble free.  Since its introduction in 2011, I found online only three recall notices.  Two involving 14 cars regarding steering and Electronic Stability Control and 50,236 involving an engine and engine cooling problem.  Global sales of Volt total 117,000 as of June 2016 with over 100,000 sold in the States.

Hoping to boost sales Chevy began selling the all-new second gen 2016 Volt in October 2015 with a lower price.  The new Volt is also quicker, quieter, more fuel-efficient and goes farther on all-electric power.

Base price of $33,995 is $1,115 below the 2015 Volt.  This price does not include the federal tax credit of up to $7,500 nor the state rebates of up to $1,500 available in some states.  The base price includes such desirable standard equipment as rear-vision camera, LED low-beam headlights, 8-inch touch-screen display, keyless access, push-button start, 10 air bags and 17-inch wheels.

Also making the new Volt more desirable, and perhaps explains why sales this year have nearly doubled, is it is recommended by Consumers Report magazine and the car has earned five out of five stars for occupant protection in U.S. government frontal and side crash tests.

So what does new owner Brock think of his Volt that he purchased for the price of $36,005 (before the tax credit)?  He thinks quite highly of it, thank you, and he has been kind enough to apprise me of how economical his hybrid has been performing in the ensuing months since his visit.

Brock considered the Volt because he was impressed with the new model’s improved battery range of over 53 miles (40 percent greater than before) and because he has a GM credit card that afforded some financial incentives.

Wanting a lighter interior but settling for black, Brock also opted for the premium sound package. 

I asked what he liked best about the newest Volt and he first mentioned that he “is a bit of a hyper-miler” and does everything possible to improve mileage so he’s especially keen on the regenerative braking feature with a paddle located on the left side of the Volt’s steering wheel.  I’m not familiar with how this works but Brock indicated that he does almost his entire stopping using the paddle, not the brake pedal.  By using the paddle to brake, some of the energy of the car’s motion is converted to electricity for the battery pack.

The Volt is designed to go two years between oil changes.  The batteries in the Volt are guaranteed to last 8 years.  Brock projects that based on a number of full battery charges on his Volt since ownership that his batteries may last as much as 16 years.

For those of you who may wonder, the Volt cannot be charged at the Tesla SuperCharger station located behind Panera Bread on Hollywood Road.  Instead, Volt batteries can be charged by plugging into either a standard 120-volt home outlet or a 240-volt fast-charger.  All Chevy dealers are required to have a fast charger free for use, as well as there being other charging stations.  There is a free app listing the locations of all Volt fast chargers nationwide.

In several emails that Brock has sent me since his Michigan summer visit; he reports that his Volt actually out-performs the rated 53-mile EV range.  On short and long trips his car is enjoying between a 56 to 63-mile EV range.  He credits the higher figure to his conservative driving style and using regenerative (paddle) braking as much as possible.

Brock also sent me his estimates on what it costs to operate his Volt.  Brock wrote, “Since the last OnStar report (for his Volt) for September, I drove 551 miles electric and 185 gas for a total of 736 miles.  Fuel economy was 187 mpg equivalent and electricity consumption was 29 KwH per 100 miles.  At electricity rates here that would be $3.19 per 100 miles.  If a car gets 40 mpg and gas is $2.25 the cost for 100 miles would be $5.62. 

Brock notes that it takes 17 KwH to fully charge the battery when exhausted.  He goes on to say, “For me that means a cost of around $1.85 and I can go about 60 miles for that.  I’m finding that I only need to buy gas for it every 6-8 weeks.”  However, he expects his EV range to decrease approximately 30 percent in winter due to the need to heat the car cabin and decreased battery efficiency at lower temperatures.

How many readers can go two months without filling their vehicle’s tank?  Low gas prices have put a deep crunch on sales of EV and hybrid vehicles this past year.  I salute Brock Hoagland for opting to buy the super economical Volt.  Not only will he be in a great place if gas prices spike in the future, he is presently realizing significant savings with his electric/gas plug-in hybrid.