Das Awkscht Fescht, better known as (and more easily pronounced as) “Macungie”, was held this year on August 2, 3, and 4, 2024. This was the show’s 61^st year, and since I have blogged about this show in the past (click here for stories about the 2010, 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2022 editions), I will refrain from repetition.

However, this was the first time since trailering the Isetta here in 2010 that I entered a show vehicle. Early Saturday morning, I fired up the Alfa Romeo and made the one-hour drive to Macungie Memorial Park, located in beautiful downtown Macungie, PA. While the town and the park are indeed beautiful, the summer weather continued to be slightly less so. It was a hot ride out, and even though the grass and trees provided a much more verdant setting compared to asphalt, it only got hotter as the morning continued.

I registered for Saturday’s show because that day was AACA day. After parking with the other vehicles in Class 7 (“sports cars”), I grabbed the camera and covered as much of the field as I could. As usual, the variety and quality of cars on display were impressive. It was no surprise that American iron ruled the day, but there were plenty of imports to keep my interest as well. The featured model for the weekend was the Ford Mustang, celebrating its 60th anniversary, and there were dozens on hand, from the 64.5 introductory model right up to the newest ponies.

I met up with several friends who made the trip, and after walking the show with them for a bit, we decided to grab an early lunch to beat the crowds. By this time, I could no longer remain in the sun, as I felt it was wearing me out. Doing my best to stay hydrated, I made the somewhat intelligent decision to hit the road by 1:30 p.m. The skies were darkening as well, and although Google weather indicated that the rain would not arrive in Macungie until 4 p.m., it felt prudent to get a jump start. The car (57 years old) started right up, but my Android phone (1 year old) did not – for the first time ever, I saw this message: “PHONE IS OVERHEATED, ALLOW COOL DOWN”. We (me, the car, and the phone) made it home just fine, enduring a 5-minute heavy shower which felt like it may have dropped the outside temp by 10 degrees. Entering my house, I downed two iced teas, and enjoyed a cold brew with my takeout Chinese. Overall, it was a good day, but I will need to accept that July/August car shows are going to be steamy.

AMERICAN CARS

IMPORT CARS

MUSTANGS

THE 1955 NASH

DESIGN STUDY: HEADLIGHTS AND GRILLES THROUGH THE AGES

 

ADDENDA

One of the oddest (and most oddly named) of the British imports is the Humber Super Snipe. I believe that I first learned of this model name in a 1960s Car & Driver magazine, and it’s likely that they used it in a sarcastically humorous way. I recently rediscovered this film photo, taken in 1990 while on a weekend jaunt on Long Island. I mean, what are the chances of spotting ONE Humber Super Snipe, much less TWO? According to Wikipedia, the quad headlights identify these as 1960-or-newer models. One looks like it might run, while the other appears to have already begun to shed its parts to keep the better one alive and running. This was 34 years ago; I wonder where these cars are today?

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