The town of Hillsborough NJ held its annual Memorial Day parade on Saturday May 27, 2017. The day dawned sunny and warm, in spite of a forecast which predicted showers, and the turnout from the NJ Region of the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) was extensive and eclectic. The club has supported this parade for years, but this was the first time that your scribe was able to join in the festivities.
We were asked to convene by 9:30 a.m., with a planned kick-off at 10:30 a.m. Over 20 member-driven cars and trucks were in attendance, including a LaSalle, a Stevens-Dureya, numerous Corvettes, several ‘60s-era Pontiacs, the ubiquitous 1957 Chevy, two Model T Fords, two Mustangs, and a first-gen Monte Carlo. Among non-American makes were two Alfas and a rarely-seen Sunbeam Alpine GT hardtop.
In a unique approach, we were asked to arrange ourselves by vehicles’ decade (not exactly year order), so perhaps the multitudes lining the route could get a sense of automotive history parading by. We moved along at something less than 5 mph, tough on the clutch, but the throngs were appreciative of all the gleaming sheetmetal and chrome.
We probably drove 1.5 miles, and it was over. The cars dispersed, having fulfilled our civic duty for the weekend. It was a thrill to see happy smiling faces waving at you, even as one young man yelled out to me, “hey, is that a Jaguar?” I suppose I should have been complimented.
All photographs copyright © 2017 Richard A. Reina. Photos may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.
richardscarblog 
How many of those Sunbeam mini-‘Cudas in running condition do you think still exist?
Your car was the belle of this ball for sure. “Jaguar” indeed! I hope you took it up through the gears a few times after slogging along in the parade.
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Hi Bob, sorry for my delayed response, but thanks as always for your insightful observations. Indeed, it’s probably been 30 years since I’ve seen one of those hatchback Sunbeams. And yes, the Alfa needed its throats cleared after crawling at 5mph for half an hour! Good thing I’m now willing to bring it above 5,000 rpm.
Richard
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Richard,
Would you possibly know the owner of the Sunbeam? I am looking to purchase one to replace one that was stolen in the mid 80″s..
Thank you for your time,
Paul D Smith
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Hi Paul,
The Sunbeam is owned by one of the AACA club members. I will pass along your email address to him. It would of course be inappropriate of me to simply hand out his contact info. I’ll ask him if he would like to contact you.
Thank you, Richard
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Hi Richard,
That would be great if you could. It is understandable about giving out personal information especially in today’s electronic world. I owned 2 Alpine GT’s in the early 80’s and am trying to replace an Alpine GT that was stolen from me many years ago that my father sold when new. Even if they aren’t ready to sell it they can keep my contact info. I also have recently purchased a 69 GT that was going to the crusher. It has a bunch of really good spare parts if they might need any.
Thank you for your time,
Paul D Smith
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[…] This was my third consecutive year in the parade, as it’s local to me. (You can read about the 2017 and 2018 events at the underlined […]
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[…] time driving a collector car in the Hillsborough NJ Memorial Day parade. I reported on my drives in 2017, 2018, and 2019; in 2020 and 2021, either the parades were cancelled (Covid or weather) or I was […]
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