The last cruise-in of the summer of 2012

A very nice 1973 BMW 2002.  The car had numerous decals indicating track time at Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen.

The above three photos are from a 1973 Cougar XR-7 Eliminator. Nice car, but by 1973 the vehicle was getting heavy an overdone.

The above two photos are of a 1963 Volvo P1800. This is a very nice car. The owner showed me around it, and has discovered that actually it was made of three 1800s. So there is a Pressed Steel tag up front along with a Gotburg tag.  Similar kinds of evidence exist in the rear of the car. It has Weber carbs and is nicely set up.

An early MGB -- how early I do not know. It had an original Nisonger radio, the first I have seen in some time.

A nice early 1950s lightly customized ford -- note the Frenched headlights!

A good night weather-wise for the last cruise-in at Beavercreek, Ohio.  I had an adventure as well, as I noted that the Porsche was not starting briskly when I left the house for the event. That became a crisis of sorts when I attempted to leave the cruise-in, as the car would not turn over.  I got a jump, but as I was going home I noticed electricals were  fading -- dash lights, radio light, etc.  Turned off my headlights near home to conserve the battery,which I was running off of, and made it home. Today I discovered a loose wire going from the alternator to the voltage reagulator, which explained why the battery drained down and there was at the same time no red light coming on!  Should be repaired as of this afternoon -- I'll see in an hour or two when the battery is recharged and I take the car out for a spin

Before the Garmin or Tom-Tom -- the 1939 "Arrow-Auto-Touring Chart"

Hi folks - a very neat pre-WWII travel calculator. This one is at the Library of Congress Maps division.  Note routes to and from New York World's Fair and the Golden Gate Exposition held in San Francisco in 1939. Certainly you need a good navigator, but no need to worry  about folding the map back. Anyone have one for sale?

An Old English White 1964 MGB

A photo taken by Ed Garten at the recent Dayton Concours.  It was only a year or two after the B got into the market that the folks at MG switched to a "white" white.  Old English white is what we today would think of more like a cream color. This is an example of an early B, in my opinion the best one to have. You get the advantages of roll up windows and a light, free of emissions-controlled B engine. With clean, small bumpers, this car is to die for!

1916 Bathing Beauties with a Paige-Detroit automobile

Hi folks -- it has always been about cars and girls....

Paige-Detroit automobile with 'Bathing Beauties' / photo by Harry M. Rhoads.


1916.

Women in bathing suits pose on a Paige-Detroit automobile in Denver, Colorado. One woman holds a banner that reads: "Paige".

Title and "dressed in 1916 bathing attire. Automobile manufactured from 1908 to 1927" hand-written on back of print.

Your Car -- an interesting primary cultural source for auto history, mid-1920s

Hi folks -- this source is digitized at the Library of Congress and available online via American Memory. Some very interesting articles, including one on auto theft that I will use..

President Calvin Coolidge , The AAA, the Highway Gang, and his Lincoln

Hi folks -- from the Library of Congress, a few images from the mid-1920s depicting President Calvin Coolidge

 [President Coolidge in automobile at D.A.R. Hall, where he attended a meeting of the American Red Cross].

 [Charles A. Frazer presents President Coolidge with an American Automobile Association emblem before a small gathering of AAA members on the White House lawn].

 Chauffeur seated in new automobile of President Coolidge.

President Coolidge standing with members of the Highway Education Board on the White House lawn]