The Neshanic Station, NJ, Car Show, June 21, 2025

June 23, 2025 RichardReina Car shows, Events Neshanic Station Car Show, Neshanic Station Flea Market

The town I live in, Neshanic Station, NJ, has had a long history with weekend flea markets. For years, perhaps decades, there was a weekly flea market across from the post office that was known throughout central Jersey. But after the plot of land on which it sat was turned into a portion of a county park, the flea market died. Several years ago, though, the local Methodist Church, which has access to an empty lot across from the old flea market, resurrected the idea and combined it with a car show. Rather than weekly, the events have been monthly, and occasionally semi-monthly.

I’ve attended several times in the past (click on the links for the March 2021, April 2021, June 2021, July 2021, and July 2022 posts). As I compose this, I have no concrete recollections why I did not attend any of the shows in 2023 and 2024, which brings us to 2025. The schedule was released earlier this year, announcing April 12, May 10, and June 14 as the first three dates. However, our wet spring caused the first two to be postponed to a rain date, and the rain date got rained out. So the first show of the year was June 21, and I got there in my Alfa around 8:30 a.m.

A bit to my surprise, I was the first car there, aside from the Chrysler LeBaron owned by the man who runs these events, but within the next thirty minutes, a few more cars showed up. The day dawned hot, and it was getting warmer by the minute. By 9:30, another eight cars arrived, and all in, there were ten cars on the field, a light showing compared to previous events. I can’t say that there was huge variety among the vehicles either. The only other import besides my Alfa was a Lamborghini which came late and stuck around for perhaps thirty minutes. Minus the LeBaron, the Lambo, and the Alfa, every other car was a GM product, and excepting the Firebird, every GM car was a Chevrolet. By 10:30, the heat had gotten to me, and with no expectation that the show field would grow, I drove the three miles home. I’m glad I went, because so many of my events this year have been postponed or cancelled due to the weather. I do hope that next month (July 12) the Neshanic Station car show gets a more significant turnout.

The flea market vendors were present, but shoppers were light on the ground.

The field can certainly accommodate more vehicles

NJ Region AACA Spring Meet, May 2025

May 5, 2025 RichardReina Car shows, Events Annual Spring Meet, NJ Region AACA

Which cliché do you prefer? “Wait ‘til next year.” “We can’t control the weather.” “The show must go on.” “It is what it is.” “This is how we’ve always done it.” Frankly, I am out of explanations why the NJ Region of the AACA continues to remain locked onto the first Sunday in May as the day for our biggest and only official car show of the year, and does not consider a rain date. A little background: for as long as anyone can remember, this show, formally called the Spring Meet, had been held in the vast parking lot of the Automatic Switch Company in Florham Park. There was an understanding that the lot was there for the club’s use every year. In fact, I knew of the show (colloquially called “Automatic Switch”) years before I joined AACA. But 2015 was our last year there, as the company shuttered operations in the U.S. and moved offshore.

The scramble was on for a new location, and the Mennen Arena in nearby Morristown, an indoor sports venue, was selected. One issue was that we would be sharing the lot with people attending events at the Arena. The lot also was completely covered with solar panels, seen as an advantage should it be hot and sunny, as the panels would provide shade. This brings up the next issue: We were at the Mennen Arena for four years, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, and it rained every year. The panels became a source of water dripping on our cars and ourselves.

COVID meant no shows for 2020 and 2021, but for 2022, we had a new location: a school parking lot in Denville. It was sunny that year and we had a decent turnout, but the lot was not visible from any highway, and I think the club wanted the possibility of “drop-in” attendees and spectators from those who were driving by. In 2023, for the first time, we used a car dealer’s lot. Nielsen Dodge on Route 10 in East Hanover agreed to host, which meant that dealer personnel spent all of Saturday evening moving cars from their front lot to provide room for us. The weather that year was sunny, and we had a such a good show that all parties agreed to return for 2024, which may have been the wettest Spring Meet I’ve ever attended. For 2025, the Nielsen franchise wanted to share the wealth, so they offered us the lot at their Ford dealer in Morristown (which is not located on a major thoroughfare). That show was yesterday, May 4, 2025, and it rained again.

I heard an unofficial count of 33 show cars on the ground (including my Alfa, which I drove in the wet last year as well). In its heyday at Automatic Switch, I was told that the Region could regularly attract over 200 cars. The lower turnout can also be partially attributed to competition from an increased number of local car shows, and I will cite a lack of venue consistency (The Ford dealer is the fourth different locale in the last ten years) which may keep non-members and spectators away. Still, there cannot be anyone involved with the NJ Region who sees this as a successful trend. My personal suggestion would be to find a lot that does not involve moving automotive inventory, and schedule the show for a Saturday, with the following day as a rain date. There will be a postmortem at our June meeting. It should be an interesting discussion.

By mid-morning, some rows were filling in

Let me bring up some happy news about this year’s show. Regional members who volunteered to work the event were there in droves. I want to especially call out Chairperson Pete, Registration Chair Vince, Chief Judge Craig, Sarah at Registration, Trophy Chair Jerry, all 16 (!) volunteer judges, and the Admin Team who tallied the results. There were many other helping hands. The conditions on the ground did nothing to dampen the effort and enthusiasm they brought to the day.

Oh, and there were cars! I dodged raindrops to photograph as many as I could. Scroll down below to see the vehicles driven to the event by the brave souls who refused to let a little moisture dissuade them from participating.

PRE-WAR

MUSTANGS

EUROPEAN

CADILLACS

FIFTIES

MODIFIED MUSCLE

THE REMAINDER

THE WORKING CREW

The 2025 New York Auto Show

April 21, 2025 RichardReina Car shows, Events Jacob Javits Center, New York Car Show, NYIAS

In the late 1990’s, it was my job as Product Training Specialist for Volvo Cars of North America to work the Volvo display at the New York Auto Show in the Jacob Javits Center. At that time, Volvo was relegated to the basement, along with Isuzu, Subaru, and the trucks, as trucks had not become a big deal yet. When I asked my superiors why Volvo was not on the main floor, I was told that there was no room, occupied as it was by the domestic Big Three (GM, Ford, and Chrysler), the Germain Big Three (VW/Audi/Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz), and the Japanese Big Three (Honda, Toyota, and Nissan).

My, how things have changed.

At this year’s NYIAS, celebrating its 125^th anniversary by the way, there was enough room on the main level for Hyundai to set up their own EV test track (in addition to a larger EV test track taking up most of the lower level). Now let’s name many of the vehicle manufacturers who were not in attendance: BMW; Mercedes-Benz; Jaguar; Land Rover; Mazda; Mini; Mitsubishi; Volvo; and Polestar. Interestingly, GM brought Chevrolet, but kept Buick, Cadillac, and GMC home. FoMoCo brought Ford but not Lincoln. Toyota and Nissan were both there, but without their Lexus and Infiniti counterparts. The VW group showed the People’s Cars but not Audi or Porsche. Stellantis, surprisingly, displayed their full lineup of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati. And Honda and Acura were side-by-side.

With all that floor space available, Subaru, Hyundai, and Kia took the most advantage of it, setting up lavish and expansive displays. Subaru in particular went all out, building an on-site jungle and playing up the rugged outdoor appeal of their products. The Chevrolet and Ford displays also consumed significant real estate, leaving a lot of room between products.

EVs were on display, but I can’t say that there was any aggressive marketing alongside them. Of course, the public is likely confused about whether to buy an EV and whether there are still any governmental incentives to do so. I didn’t sense any overriding theme to the show. Trucks, especially crossover-type SUVs, continued to dominate. Sedans continued to dwindle. Powertrain choices continued to proliferate. And while not directly addressed during my Press Day visit, looming tariffs may delay purchase decisions. It should be an interesting year for automobile manufacturers navigating the American landscape in 2025.

FORD

CHEVROLET

The Monroney for the Trax. Note country of origin and final assembly information

ALFA ROMEO

FIAT

DODGE

The production Charger, a true two-door, is a stunning retro version of the ’68-’70 model

LUCID

Lucid brought their new SUV, named “Gravity”, which will accompany the “Air” sedan. An upcoming convertible model is rumored to be named “Weightless.”

SUBARU

Solterra gets “improved design of the year” award for painting its plastic fender trim body color

VW

VW brought a Microbus to display alongside its spiritual successor

HISTORIC

1924 Chrysler, first year for the make

An immaculate Toyota Corolla from the 1980s

The National Alfa Romeo Club Magazine Publishes My Bologna, Italy Article

February 24, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events AROC, Auto e Moto d'Epoca

The Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) has been in existence since the 1950s and has a storied history in the U.S. You can read more about the club’s history and mission at this link, where the passion for the marque is obvious. It has been said, without the slightest exaggeration, that it was AROC that kept the Alfa Romeo spirit alive during that long gap of time (1994 – 2016) when new Alfas were not offered for sale in this market.

The club’s monthly magazine, Alfa Owner, is a highlight of club membership. It is a full color publication, printed on high quality glossy paper, and carries stories about recent and upcoming events throughout the country. After my trip to the Auto e Moto d’Epoca in Bologna, Italy last October, I submitted an article to the club. I am proud to let you know that it was accepted for publication, and was selected to be the cover story as well. Twelve of my photos were included, and I was honored by the editors’ decision. I have included scanned pages from the magazine in this post. (Please excuse the fact that several photos were positioned across two pages and appear disjointed in my scans.)

Auto e Moto d’Epoca Summary Part 4

November 6, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events Auto e Moto d'Epoca, BolognaFiere

This 4th and final installment includes the cars which didn’t fit into any of my previous categories.

This 1966 Autobianchi Bianchina convertible was for sale for €26,900.

FERRARI

There were not many Ferraris here, certainly not compared to other Italian makes.

This 400i Automatic was for sale for €58,700.

A Dino 246GT in yellow for €355,000

According to the sign, this 330 GT was Enzo’s personal car.

A stunning 275GTB in yellow.

Another yellow Ferrari, this time a 308GTB.

And yet another yellow Dino.

My all-time personal favorite, the 330GTC. Vendor was asking €650,000.

A Daytona.

Parked outside, and looking like it belonged to an attendee, the world’s first 4-door Ferrari, the Purosangue.

ISETTAS

This BMW Isetta in blue/green had an asking price of €33,900.

A painted Isetta body shell.

No, this is NOT a BMW Isetta. This is a car I’ve never seen before: an Iso Isetta, from 1954. Iso was the company which originally designed and manufactured the Isetta. It was Iso which sold the licensing rights to BMW so that they could produce their own version. When I belonged to the Isetta Club in the U.S., there was only one known Iso Isetta in the entire country. The detail differences between the ISO and BMW are significant.

Bosch was there to sell spare parts. Note how the emblem on the front of this VW Bus has been changed to the Bosch emblem.

This Abarth Simca was for sale for €310,000!

VIGNALE

Although based on Fiat mechanicals, I’ve listed the Vignale-bodied cars separately because of their uniqueness.

This is a Vignale 600 convertible.

Another Vignale convertible, asking €28,900.

A Vignale coupe in grey, asking €14,550.

A 1958 Vignale based on a Fiat 1100TV.

This Autobianchi Bianchina Transformabile convertible could be yours for €30,000.

This Fiat 128-based Moretti looked like a downsized Fiat Dino Coupe, and was only €17,000.

The beer truck lady flashed me the Victory sign. She was doing a brisk business all weekend. “Long Island” made it onto the menu.

RM Sotheby’s Auction company had its own display which included these two Abarths. I’m sorry that I did not record details about either of these cars.

This Abarth 1300 Scorpione had an asking price of €58,500.

A pair of OSCAs, made by the Maserati brothers.

A Stanguelli, with racing history going back to 1948.

A Moretti-Fiat 1500.

A tiny Abarth (is that redundant?).

A 1950 Siata, asking €145,000.

A 1966 Cisitalia 850 Spider, asking €108,000.

The Bianchina Club had these two adorable examples on display.

This blue and white Abarth was ready to rip.

Auto e Moto d’Epoca Summary Part 3

November 5, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events Auto e Moto d'Epoca, BolognaFiere

Days 3 and 4 in the BolognaFiere were spent making sure that I walked at least once through every one of the 13 halls. The show category called “The World of Classics” did not contain vehicles for sale; instead, it consisted of display cars which were brought in by manufacturers, car clubs, and organizations. Non-Italian brands were well represented. Clubs for Alpine, BMW, Volvo, MG, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Mustang, Porsche, Triumph, Toyota, and Volkswagen had vehicles there. ASI, which stands for “Automotoclub Storico Italiano” (Historic Italian Automobile Club) had a huge presence, taking up most of one hall.

By Sunday afternoon, the final day of the show, I made one last walk through the cars for sale sections, this time paying more attention to the asking prices. After being on my feet for 6 hours a day for 4 days, it was time to quit.

While I like all cars, I especially like Italian cars. And while I like all Italian cars, it’s my ownership of an Alfa Romeo which puts that brand at the top of the mucchio (heap). The below photos reflect just a sample of the many Alfas at this show.

This 1963 Giulia Spider was for sale for €78,000, presumably including the hardtop.

This 1961 Giulietta Sprint could be yours for €55,000. It would make a nice bookend with the Giulia Spider above.

I was smitten with this ’67 GT 1300 Junior because it was an almost exact duplicate of my car. The owner was asking €46,000.

This 1991 SZ had an ask of €90,000.

This 1970 Spider looked to be cosmetically near perfect, and it stood out for me compared to almost every other Spider at the show. The vendor was asking €63,000.

A 1973 GT 1300 Junior in white. Note the 2^nd series front end styling.

An Alfetta GT coupe in black. This was one of only a few at the show.

This blue GTA “tributo” was only €39,000.

A 1957 1900 Super sedan.

I thought this GTV looked sharp in silver with the silver wheels.

One of the better priced Alfas here was this 1976 Spider 2000 for €26,500. The sign on it seemed to claim that it had only 9,000 original kilometers on it.

A beautiful blue 2600 Sprint.

A beautiful silver Giulietta Sprint.

If you’re looking for a starting point, this restored shell was for sale.

This yellow RZ Spider was for sale for €125,000.

There weren’t too many 4Cs there either; this one had a sale price of €85,000.

SZ in the front; 8C Spider in the rear.

A 1982 Alfetta GTV with a 2.0L in it, for €25,000.

A white 1968 Super for €27,800.

Another Super, looking sharp in grey.

I loved this Disco Volante, even though (or maybe because) it’s a replica.

A rare (only 1,000 made?) GTC. Asking price of €120,000 makes me wonder what else I could get for that amount of money.

An unrestored Romeo truck.

The Alfa parts vendors were out in full force. Cicognani is a well-known supplier for rubber, upholstery, and other soft goods parts.

Who said Italians don’t talk with their hands? I think he was saying “your offer is an insult!”

Looking for those hard-to-find Lodge plugs? Here they are.

Label on the starter on the right: Alfa Romeo Giulia, 8 teeth, pre-’68. Hey, that’s my car!

Carburetors? We have carburetors.

Wheels in many sizes, designs, and colors.

Sheetmetal too.

Project cars are still out there.

One of the few Montreals at the show.

This red ’62 Giulietta Veloce had an asking price of €65,900.

Or, this silver Giulia Sprint Speciale for €129,000.

Club Alfa Romeo Dolomiti had a nice display.

AutoGiro d’Italia was here to advertise a rally to be held in September of 2025.

1948 Alfa Romeo 6C Sport.

A personal favorite was this 1961 Giulietta Sprint Zagato.

Another Romeo truck, this one done up as a tour bus.

This ’73 Berlina looked very clean for €20,500.

A vendor who specializes in Alfas brought this impressive lineup.

Older and newer Alfas side by side, in red of course.

By Day 3, the asking price on this ’66 2600 Sprint was reduced from €49,000 to €46,000.

A trio of Alfa Type 916 2-doors.

This SS was nicely staged outside in front of a filling station display.

The next and final post from this show: the rest of the cars.

Auto e Moto d’Epoca Summary Part 2

November 3, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events Auto e Moto d'Epoca, BolognaFiere

My Day 2 stroll through the BolognaFiere began by tackling the huge hall filled with vendors who were selling parts, accessories, books, and clothing. My personal goal was to find sales or marketing literature specifically for my ’67 GT 1300 Junior, and while I did find a maintenance manual (I passed at the asking price of €125), and while there were sale brochures for newer Alfas, I struck out on my search. So I turned my attention to the numerous parts suppliers, most of whom I had not heard of. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they sold repair parts of interest to me, and I collected their contact info for future reference.

Although I have close to zero interest in motorcycles, I did wander through the single motorcycle hall just to be able to say that I saw it. I concluded the day’s tour by taking in the sixth of the six buildings with cars for sale. Like Thursday, Friday was 6 hours on my feet, so I headed back to the hotel for the day.

Among the many surprises waiting for me at the Auto e Moto d’Epoca were the large number of Lancia automobiles. Compared to Fiat and Alfa Romeo, Lancia never gained a strong sales following in the United States. Lancia’s reputation in Europe was due in great part to its huge rallying success. Perhaps the most popular Lancia models for us were the FWD Beta coupes and sedans which were launched in the mid-1970s. Like other European makes, though, lack of a strong dealer network was the most likely cause of the brand’s failure in America, in spite of attempts by others to blame the quality of the automobiles. Today, my photos will feature Lancias. Note the asking prices here, as many of them seemed relatively affordable.

This Lancia Fulvia Zagato was the very first car I saw upon entering the show on Thursday.

This ’67 Fulvia Coupe in white had a For Sale sign which read: “Published book value €22,000, price negotiable”.

Another Fulvia Zagato, this time in red.

A handsome Flaminia convertible in silver.

A white Flaminia, this time a coupe.

A Lancia Flavia Sport. Get a load of that quarter window treatment!

This white Fulvia coupe had an asking price of €21,000.

A Lancia Appia Zagato for sale, at €115,000.

The ultimate rally car? A Lancia Stratos, a car that I’ve read about for decades and have seen maybe once in my life. “Confidential negotiation” said the price sign, but these sell in the States for around a half million.

The Lancia Beta Montecarlo was sold in the U.S. as the Scorpion, to avoid conflict with Chevy’s Monte Carlo. These are mid-engined cars with terrific handling.

A Fulvia HF “Fanalone” (large lights), asking €93,500.

There were two versions of the Lancia Aurelia B24 convertible. The 1^st version, the “America”, had a split front bumper, wraparound windshield, side curtains, and lacked outside door handles. Only 240 were manufactured, and they command a premium price. The 2^nd version had a one-piece front bumper, vent windows, external door handles, and wind-up windows.

This Lancia B24 Spider is the “America” model, with an asking price of €895,000.

This yellow B24S is the second series convertible, so its asking price is only €270,000.

This second-series Aurelia Spider had an asking price of €298,000.

A grey Flavia 2-door for sale for €29,000.

Here is a Montecarlo in red. Note the transverse engine placement. The vendor was asking €25,500.

A rare body style: the Beta HPE hatchback.

A Lancia Beta Zagato in silver, with a removable targa top and fold-down rear window, for only €15,900.

An Aurelia B20 coupe which competed in the 1954 Mille Miglia, with an ask of €585,000.

I loved the color combo on this Fulvia coupe. At €25,000, I thought about bringing it home.

Another Flaminia coupe, this one in grey. Note the off-white wheels, seen on many Lancias.

Possibly the oldest Lancia at the show, this 1947 Aprilla Berlinetta Pinin Farina looked resplendent in green over tan. Note the RHD.

Strong club support brought out this impressive row of Lancia Delta models.

Likewise, the Lancia club showed up with more Fulvias than I could count.

Another day, another Lancia Stratos, this one in rally livery.

This one got my attention: I’ve never heard of nor seen a Lancia Kappa, also simply called “K”. It’s a 1999, FWD with a 5-cylinder turbo engine putting out 220 HP. Styling was a bit bland but inoffensive. The ask? €10,000, not negotiable.

And yet another one new to me: a 1997 Delta 2-door, 2.0L turbo making 193 HP, 51,000 kilometers (about 32,000 miles). The vendor was asking €19,000.

Was this the least expensive Fulvia coupe at the show? This 1973 with 60,000 original km (37,000 miles) had an asking price of €17,500.

Auto e Moto d’Epoca Summary Part 1

November 2, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events Auto e Moto d'Epoca, Bologna, Fiat, Italy

The “Auto e Moto d’Epoca” (Autos and Motorbikes of the Period, referring to vintage and classic items) is an annual motor vehicle show held in Italy. The 2024 event was its 41^st edition, and substantial growth forced it to move from Padova to a larger venue in Bologna. I first became aware of this show in 2023 and had hoped to attend but was unable to. However, I made the journey in October 2024 and attended all four days. I’ve experienced all types of car shows over the decades, but this was easily one of the best shows of my life (it helps that I love not only Alfa Romeos, but all Italian motor vehicles).

The 2024 show dates were from Thursday Oct. 24 through Sunday Oct. 27. I arrived in Bologna on Tuesday the 22^nd so I could adjust to the 6-hour time difference. Once I got off the plane in Bologna, a 15-minute taxi ride got me to my Marriott hotel. The show was held at the BolognaFiere, a huge exhibition complex which was an easy 15-minute walk from the hotel. The Auto e Moto d’Epoca occupied 13 of its buildings, or halls, with the halls organized into 4 categories: vehicles for sale; vehicles displayed by car clubs, manufacturers, and other organizations; motorcycles; and spare parts & automobilia.

Thursday was billed as preview day, and I had pre-purchased a combo ticket for all 4 days. I arrived shortly after the doors opened at 9 a.m., and as I walked into the hall and got my first glance of the cars on the floor, I knew that my expectations were about to be greatly exceeded. As it happened, the first of the 13 buildings I entered featured cars for sale by private individuals. Italian cars included various Fiat models such has 124 Sport Coupes, 130 Coupes, Dino Coupes and Spiders, and 500 sedans. Lancias were plentiful and included various Fulvias and Flaminias. Of course, there were many Alfa Romeos, mostly GT Coupes and Spiders, but a fair number of sedans too. Non-Italian cars included various Jaguars, Mercedes-Benzes, Volkswagens, and even some American cars. And this was just the first building!

On Thursday, I only visited the halls which contained cars for sale. Aside from cars offered by private individuals, many of the remaining vehicles for sale had been brought in by specialty auto dealers, of which there seem to be a great number in Italy. Asking prices were listed in Euros, and with the dollar almost at 1:1 parity (actually the Euro is worth a little more), there were no complicated calculations to make regarding pricing. I spent about 6 hours on Day 1 wandering through 5 of the 6 buildings with cars for sale.

I’ve decided that the most organized way to share my photos is to break up the blog posts into segments based on vehicle marques, starting with Fiat.

This 1962 Fiat 600D had an asking price of €8200

Fiat Dino Coupes and Spiders

Fiat, in collaboration with Ferrari, agreed to build a certain number of “Dino” Coupes and Spiders with the Ferrari V6 engine for homologation purposes. Never officially imported into the U.S., they were built in limited numbers during the late ‘60s-early ‘70s. They have always been a favorite of mine, and I’m lucky if I see one a year in the States. Here, I saw EIGHT.

1968 Dino Spider in red

1968 Dino Coupe in red, paint was bad, asking €23,000

Yellow Dino Coupe

Blue Dino Spider, asking €97,000

1967 Dino Spider in red, asking €115,000

Yellow Dino Coupe, asking €57,000

Silver Dino Coupe

Dark red Dino Spider with a brown interior

Fiat 124 Sport Coupes

Long a favorite, as I had one in college, which ignited this Italian love affair. They have all but disappeared from the roads here, but there were 3 at the show, and two were for sale at seemingly fair prices.

This 2^nd-generation 1971 Coupe had an asking price of €16,999. It looked sharp in yellow over black with its alloy wheels, but with the hood up, the yellow in the engine compartment didn’t match the exterior paint. The car was still for sale when I walked past it on Sunday.

This 1968 Coupe (1^st gen car, note the single headlamp per side compared to the yellow one) had what looked like a restored interior, with headrests on the front seats. The owner was asking €13,900, a bit less than the yellow car.

This 2^nd-gen silver car was displayed outside, and I presume that it was there as part of a Fiat club.

Fiat 130 Coupes

Looking somewhat like the 124 Coupe’s big brother, these V6-powered cruisers pop up once in a while on Bring a Trailer. There were two at the show.

This 1969 Fiat 2300 Coupe had an asking price of €34,000

I call this 1955 Fiat 1100 “Transformabile” the ‘Eleanor Roosevelt car’, because there is a photo of her in the driver’s seat of one. The vendor was asking €57,500 for this one.

Fiat 124 Spiders were thin on the ground at this show, and understandably so, since out of a total production of 197,913 vehicles (1966-1985), 170,720 were imported into the U.S.! Still, a few interesting examples were there.

This blue Spider looked impeccably restored, and featured the dual carbs under the so-called ‘turtleback’ air cleaner.

This presumably authentic Abarth 124 Rally car had an asking price of €105,000.

This ’69 Spider was claimed to be one of only 4 prepped by the factory for competition.

A ’68 Spider in yellow. Note the original style grille with horizontal bars.

I’ve read about Fiat 8Vs, but had never seen one in the metal before this show. Interestingly, Fiat gave it that name under the mistaken impression that “V8” had been trademarked by the Ford Motor Company.

This early 20^th century Fiat racer was on display in the Center Hall.

This Fiat 128 2-door sedan looked racy with its blacked-out panels. It sold in 2 days.

The Fiat Multipla is considered by some to be the first “minivan”.

This Fiat pickup looked like a conversion job, although I’m not sure.

And you thought that Fiat only made small vehicles? This bus was plenty big. It had a 6-cylinder diesel engine.

This Fiat 850 Spider was likely the nicest one I’ve ever seen. It was an early model as noted by its flush headlights.

A Fiat Ritmo Abarth. The Ritmo was Fiat’s answer to the successful VW Golf (Rabbit in the U.S.).

The hit of the show among the Fiats were the diminutive 500 models. They were out in great numbers, in stock and modified versions. In fact, there were plenty of vendors at the show selling all kinds of performance upgrades for these air-cooled 2-cylinder pocket rockets.

Next up will the Lancia (say “Lon-sha”, NOT “Lan-see-ya”)

Hershey 2024 Part 3: The Car Show

October 15, 2024October 20, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events AACA Hershey, Hershey car show

How does one explain how 1,200 classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles, beginning at 7 o’clock in the morning, are paraded through the streets of Hershey and are then driven onto a grassy field and are then arranged in a pre-determined exact order, so that thousands of spectators can then descend upon these wondrously restored vehicles to gaze at them and admire them while their justifiably proud owners look on?

That’s the logistics of Hershey. It’s the exhilaration which overcomes you when you realize that cars worth anywhere from $5,000 to over a million dollars which have been restored to better-than-new condition are here for you to enjoy. This year, with bright blue skies, abundant sunshine, and slightly cool but still comfortable temperatures, it was one of my better Hershey car show experiences.

Oh, dear reader, but wait! I almost forgot: It’s NOT about the cars at all. The car is an inanimate, replaceable hunk of steel, glass, rubber, and plastic. Anyone with the means can restore a car or buy one already restored. And in some cases, the folks who do that are only interested in the ROI, or maybe aiming for bragging rights among their peers, or perhaps seeing how many trophies can be collected, requiring that more shelf space be erected to hold said trophies.

Now I’ll tell you what REALLY makes Hershey so special: It’s the stories behind the cars, the stories that most owners are only all too happy to bend your ear about, stories about a life-long quest for a particular automobile, or about a 20-year-long restoration, or about a car bought by their grandfather 60 years ago, or about a project which was given up on multiple times before a final reawakening motivated the owner to see it to its completion.

I’m here to share just a few of those stories with you.

HOWARD AND HIS VOLVO 265

I didn’t see Howard this year; according to his wife, he was too busy attending to one of the 3 (or was it 4, or 5, or 6?) other cars he brought to Hershey this year. Howard is completely devoted to the hobby, which is quite a statement given that he’s still working as a full-time physician. I only know Howard through Pete Wyman. Of course, regular readers know that it’s Pete who sold me my Alfa. And Pete sold his 1979 265 which he had purchased new to Howard. It’s not Howard’s only Volvo, although he also has BMWs and Jaguars. I spotted the light blue wagon from about 30 paces away. It’s easy when you know there isn’t another Volvo wagon like it anywhere in the show. I’m glad to see that Howard continues to maintain the car to Pete’s standards. Pete, whom we lost last year, would be very proud.

ALEX AND HIS 1944 VW KdF-Wagen

Alex is a member of the NJ Region of the AACA, as am I, so we are acquainted. I’ve been hearing about this uber-rare VW for years, and some of what I gleaned from Alex was that it has been an uphill 20-year-long restoration. When Alex told me a short while back that he thought the car would be ready for Hershey this year, I kept my fingers crossed. Sure enough, here it was! Given that World War 2 was still raging in 1944, it is amazing that this car got built, and that it somehow survived. Take the time to read the placard which summarizes this story of one man’s dedication. I think this KdF-Wagen may have been the highlight of the entire show.

A GREEK BOY’S DREAM BECOMES A REALITY

I was drawn to this Volvo 1800S due to its similarity, in age and color, to the 1800 owned by the late Irv Gordon (a car which now resides in the Volvo museum in Gothenburg Sweden). I approached the owner and my first words were, “it looks like Irv’s!” But I did go on to compliment him on the car, which appeared nicely restored. He proceeded to tell me that as a boy growing up in Greece, he came across a sales brochure for the Volvo 1800 and was immediately smitten. After moving to the States, he began searching for one, and about two years ago, he found this car and had some restoration work done on it. I congratulated him and wished him luck today. I expect that he will have done well with the judging.

ANDY AND HIS ALFA SPIDER

I opened my dialogue with the owner by asking: “Is this the only Alfa on the show field today?” We both laughed and agreed that this was likely the case. Since his car was a ’78, that made it a Series 2 Spider, but those cars did not come equipped with a rear spoiler. He responded that his car was, to the best of his knowledge, a Niki Lauda Special, on which the rear spoiler was standard, but so were some stripes and badges, all of which have been removed from his car. (I’ve only ever seen one other Niki Lauda Special, which was at last year’s Greenwich Concours. A photo of that car is below under ADDENDA.) His Alfa also appeared to have non-original upholstery, and he admitted to me that the judges already told him that his car had “too many modifications”. That’s too bad, and I sincerely hope that does not discourage Andy, because perhaps with some documentation and some stripe and badge replacements, he can verify for the judges that his car is correctly represented.

DAVE AND HIS 1955 T-BIRD

I first encountered this car and owner at the 2021 AACA Nationals in Saratoga Springs, and wrote up a brief story on my blog, finding it to be of particular interest. Months later, “Dave” emailed me in excitement, telling me that he had no idea that I had featured him and his Baby Bird on my blog. Hey, I wasn’t trying to make Dave famous, I was just trying to share an interesting story. We continued to exchange emails, and saw each other again at Hershey in 2023 when he showed his pre-war Dodge, and again in June of this year at the soggy Nationals in Saratoga Springs. So here we are again, and thanks to my blog, I have a new friend in the hobby. Dave’s enthusiasm is infectious, and his ’55 looked better than ever. Be sure to read his summary below, which is what drew me to write him up in the first place.

I HAD DAVE’S PERMISSION TO PLACE MY HAND ON THAT PRISTINE WHITE TOP

ADDENDA

Here’s my photo of that ’78 Alfa Spider Niki Lauda Special Edition which I took last year.

Hershey 2024 Part 2: The Car Corral

October 14, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events AACA Hershey, Hershey Car Corral

The Hershey Car Corral is where entire vehicles are bought and sold (as opposed to the parts sold throughout the Flea Market). It has become one of my favorite parts of Hershey week, because cars in the Corral must adhere to AACA rules, meaning 25 years old or older, and basically in stock condition. This means no hot rod projects and no late model Escalades 😉 .

When I first started attending Hershey decades ago, almost all the cars in the Corral were privately owned. But the hobby has changed, and independent “collector car dealers” have sprung up from coast to coast. They see Hershey as a ripe opportunity to show their goods and appeal to a built-in hobbyist audience. However, dealers generally tend to ask more for their cars (and to be fair, dealers may have conducted some reconditioning of their vehicles). But I continue to maintain that the best deals reside with the individuals who seem to price their cars more fairly, and may be more willing to negotiate a final number that makes everyone happy.

My friends and I have observed a thinning of the ranks in the Car Corral in recent years, and 2024 was no exception. Yet there were plenty of cars for sale, and a nice variety at that. Below, I have highlighted some of cars which attracted me the most. That’s not to say that I thought they were great deals, only that I found them to be among the more interesting offerings. The cars are arranged in asking price order from low to high.

1963 Buick Wildcat 4-door hardtop, beige paint, off-white interior, Buick nailhead V8, automatic, front bucket seats with center console and floor shifter. Odometer shows 35,354 miles, likely has rolled over.

ASKING: $6,900

Here’s a rare bird: a full-size American 4-door pillarless hardtop sedan with front bucket seats and center console. But that’s what you got if you bought a Buick Wildcat, like this ’63. And with a price well under 10 grand, this could be a great first hobby car.

1997 Mercedes-Benz 320SL convertible, detachable hardtop, red over tan, 6-digit odometer shows 78,000 miles, automatic transmission.

ASKING: $8,900

This is the 6-cylinder version of Benz’s evergreen SL. The car looked neat and tidy, and could be a fun first collector car for under $10k.

1995 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe, white over black, automatic, sign claimed 70,000 miles

ASKING: $11,500

C4 (4^th generation) Corvettes continue to be performance bargains as exemplified by this example.

1962 Studebaker Hawk GT, tan paint, turquoise cloth upholstery, automatic on column

ASKING: $12,500

This body style has always appealed to me, but the odd color combo was off-putting. I didn’t spend but a few moments on it, but was unable to determine which finish might have been replaced. It’s hard to believe that this car came from the factory this way.

1968 Dodge Monaco 2-door hardtop, blue, white vinyl roof, white interior, 383/automatic, sign claims 75k, “very original”.

ASKING: $20,000

The 1967 Plymouth and Dodge full-size cars, introduced when I was 13 years old, were thought of by me as some of the best-looking full-size American cars of the decade. The styling hardly changed for 1968. Stumbling upon this rarely-seen ’68 Monaco brought back a rush of memories. I think that the overall design, especially in a 2-door like this, has aged well.

1976 Triumph TR6, white over tan, sign claimed all-original condition at 43,000 miles

ASKING: $27,000

I normally would not highlight a TR6 as there are always dozens for sale, but the overall condition made this one attractive. To my eye, the car looked almost new.

1948 Fiat 500B Topolino Giardiniera, red, beige sunroof, wood side paneling, 569cc flat-four.

ASKING: $35,000

These Topolino (“Little Mouse”) models are rare enough; I’ve never seen a woody version. The sign claims that it’s 1 of 15 survivors. I’d bet it’s the only one of its kind in the States.

1968 Jaguar E-Type, Series 1.5, 2+2 coupe (on longer wheelbase than 2-seat coupe), red over beige, 4.2L inline 6/automatic, sign claims functioning A/C.

ASKING: $44,900

Clearly a “Series 1.5” with its exposed headlights and above-bumper tail lights, most collectors would issue two demerits to this clean E-Type for its 2+2 body style and its automatic gearbox. On the positive side of the ledger, its asking price makes it one of the most affordable ways to add an E-Type to your collection.

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, blue paint, stainless steel roof, blue cloth interior. Sign claims it’s #13 or 400 built.

ASKING: $79,995

Would you check out those suicide doors and interior upholstery! This was a GM highlight from the 1950s, and with low production numbers, a rare car to boot.

1956 Jaguar XK140 FHC, black over red, 3.4L six, manual gearbox

ASKING $89,900

The black and red looked stunning (and I’ve always fallen for that color combo). Ironically, Dennis Nash’s XK (see my coverage of it in Part 1) was born in these colors before a restorer changed the car to white over beige. Given that Dennis’s car is an XK120 and sold for $65k, I’d say that this XK140 is a little overpriced (but everything is negotiable, right?)