Mecum Auctions, Harrisburg, PA, July 2025

July 27, 2025 RichardReina Auctions, Events Mecum Harrisburg

Mecum Auctions returned to Harrisburg, PA, this year, scheduling their four-day auction to run from Wednesday, July 23 through Saturday, July 26, 2025. Mecum’s first Harrisburg outing was in 2014, and the event has only grown in size and stature since then. As is typical at most multi-day auctions, Day One is considered “bargain day,” while the final day (in this case, Saturday) is reserved for the vehicles predicted to bring the big bucks.

I’ve been in attendance most years since that inaugural event. The location is ideal for me: Harrisburg is halfway between Hershey and Carlisle, and is only a two-hour car ride. The location is ideal for Mecum as well, as this part of PA is chock full of classic car enthusiasts. I was in attendance both Wednesday and Thursday and sat through much of the live auction. One big improvement: there are now padded chairs and tables provided for registered bidders, and they’ve added this 21^st century perk: the tables have a QR code which you can scan, allowing you to place a food and drink order to be delivered to your seat. I didn’t take advantage of the delivery service, but it was nice to know that it was there.

During my two day visit, I watched 171 cars cross the block, and observed 106 of them declared “sold”, for a two-say sell-through rate of 62%, respectable, but not great. Breaking it down further, Wednesday’s performance was weak: 44 of 81 observed lots were declared sold, for a sell-through of 54%. Thursday’s number was better at 69% sold, and closer to what I typically see at Mecum. The relatively large number of no-reserve lots helped these results, but it is obvious that many sellers still set unrealistic reserves for their cars. As has been the trend, groups of no-reserve cars were announced to be “from so-and-so’s estate,” indicating that the ol’ collector has either departed or has decided to relinquish his horde, whereupon the family ships it off to be sold at auction for whatever they can get.

Whether the sell-through rate is 50% or 95%, someone needs to tackle the job of setting up, and it’s a huge job. As I entered the Farm Show Complex early on Wednesday, I was struck by how much effort and manpower it must take to run this show. The podiums, stage, TV screens, lights, cameras, and signs must all be carried in and precisely arranged. Hundreds of chairs and tables are placed in rows for bidders. A tent large enough to provide shade for hundreds of cars at a time is set up outside behind the main hall. A crew of drivers, pushers, detailers, and the like is on hand for the entire time that the event is open to the public. I’ve heard griping through the years about the amount of money Mecum rakes in with its 10% buyer’s commission, and of course this is a profitable undertaking. At the same time, their overhead costs must be considerable.

The “Bid Goes On” desk. As the sign says, “place bids here for unsold cars.”

The bread and butter at a Mecum auction consists of the most popular and collectible American-made cars and trucks of the last seventy years or so. Muscle cars, restomods, pickups, and everyone’s favorite models from the Big Three are in plentiful supply. However, my interests lean toward the orphans, oddballs, imports, and other rarely-seen automobiles. To my happy surprise, there was enough of that to keep me entertained, and I’ve reported on many of those lots below, whether they sold or not. I mentioned above that Day One is bargain day, and if you wanted to buy a car at auction and spend less than $5,000, you could do so here. To cite three examples: a 1995 Buick Roadmaster wagon with 175k on the clock hammered for $2,500; a 1999 Chevy Tahoe with 185k miles went for $3,500; and a 2007 Pontiac Solstice convertible (with an automatic) with 167k on it sold for $4,500. I did not personally inspect any of these, and make no promises that they were without issues. However, someone bought them and presumably, someone will find a way to make them useful.

Saturday’s cars, aka the cream of the crop, are kept inside

Two huge screens, large enough to be seen from the back of the room, flank the auctioneer’s podium

Auction lots below are broken out into SOLD units first, then NOTABLE NO SALES. As always on Richard’s Car Blog, lots are listed in SOLD PRICE order, the better for you to gauge what your dollars will get you. All numbers below are the hammer prices, and do NOT include the 10% buyer’s premium owed to Mecum.

SOLD LOTS

Lot T81, 1949 Packard Eight Club Sedan, two-door fastback, metallic blue paint, brown and grey interior, 327 straight-eight engine, three-speed manual transmission, large sunvisor on exterior above windshield. Paint looked just ok (not sure how correct the metallic was) but much of the chrome was pitted. A rarely-seen two-door bathtub Packard.

SOLD at no reserve for $6,500. In this condition, what do you do with it? It would need thousands to become any kind of show car. You could maintain it as is and drive it to cruise nights, where it might be the only Packard there. A car for the hardcore Packard enthusiast.

Lot T5, 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce, red paint, tan top and tan leather interior, 2.0L four-cylinder, five-speed manual, factory A/C, power steering, factory “phone dial” wheels. Paint looked ok, but strangely, much of the exterior chrome, such as the door handles, was very pitted. Underhood was not detailed. Spare tire well looked rusty from an undercar inspection.

SOLD at no reserve for $8,000. This Series 4 Alfa Spider was the model’s final iteration. To me, by this time, the car had gone soft. Items like the A/C and PS added weight and complexity, and detracted from performance. Of the four different series of Spiders, the styling on these is my least favorite. There were a few red flags on this one, but the price was fair if someone just wants a fair weather driver to use for a few thousand miles a year.

Lot W115, 1969 Oldsmobile Toronado, 455 V-8, automatic transmission, FWD (natch), silver paint, black vinyl roof, black interior. Odometer reads 11,000 miles, very likely on its second go-round. Front bumper dented, most of engine compartment has been sprayed flat black. A weekend detail would have done wonders for its presentation.

SOLD for $10,500. The ’69 Toro still used the original body shell from ’66, but with a massive front bumper replacing the initial design. Full-size American luxury for not a lot of money, and fingers crossed that the mechanicals are ok.

Lot T198, 1965 Ford Thunderbird two-door hardtop, rose beige paint, white vinyl upholstery with burgundy carpeting, 390 V-8, automatic transmission, factory A/C, power windows, power driver’s seat, wire wheels. Odometer reads 45,074. Aftermarket rub strips detract slightly from exterior styling. Body plugs imply that car received rustproofing at some point in its past.

SOLD for $13,000. A Polaroid found on the passenger sheet showed that the car received a complete repaint in 2004. According to my source books, “rose beige” was a T-Bird-only color for ’65, and was striking in person. The driver’s power seat would only move the seat about halfway back, and was very uncomfortable to sit in. Peering underneath, I saw the seat foam had turned to powder and would need replacement. This may have also been causing the restricted movement. Still, this was a very attractive car in person, and I don’t think my photos do complete justice to its appearance. At this price, I had some regrets about not bidding.

Lot T174, 1974 AMC Matador two-door fastback, copper paint, white stripe, tan interior (with seating areas covered by clear vinyl covers), 232 inline-six, automatic transmission. Windshield sign claims 68 miles, implying that is original, but … sign also states “mostly original copper paint.” Front bench seat is twisted and bent backwards on driver’s side, and driver’s door window rubber very deteriorated. Air cleaner looks to be repainted, and several radiator hose clamps are aftermarket.

SOLD at no reserve for $14,000. I clearly remember when these were new, Car and Driver magazine put one on the cover and declared, “the best-looking new car of the year.” I was twenty years old and thought they were nuts. In fact, the magazine later tried to take back the praise. I would need to see more documentation about the mileage to believe it. If this was truly a 68-mile car, it may have been poorly stored. I thought this was pricey with the six; the hammer price might have made more sense with a V-8.

W257, 1999 Ford Mustang 35^th Anniversary two-door coupe, 4.6L V-8, 5-speed manual, silver paint, silver and black interior, windshield sign claims 12,000 miles (unverified).

SOLD for $14,000. If the low miles are legit, this was a decent purchase that might retain some value as long as the owner isn’t adding another 10k a year.

W73, 1957 Hudson Hornet two-door hardtop, 327 V-8, automatic transmission, two-tone orange and white paint, black and white interior (clear covers on front seats), full wheel covers, whitewall tires, factory air conditioning, power steering and brakes. Windshield sign claims 57,000 miles (unverified).

SOLD for $18,000. I go to a lot of car shows and auctions, and I’ve seen 1957 Hudsons before, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ’57 Hudson two-door hardtop. My source books agree that only 266 “Super” two-door hardtops were built (as were 483 “Custom” models with slightly higher trim). Factory price was $2,911, with the following options available: automatic transmission for $232; power steering for $100; power brakes for $40; and air conditioning for $415. Together, that totals $3,698. The auction car was a good “ten-footer.” There was a lot of orange peel in the paint, the tires looked ancient, and one could only guess at the operating condition of the A/C. In its favor, the chrome looked decent, the engine compartment appeared to have been given some recent attention, and the interior was in very good shape. Definitely not a car for everyone, and I have no idea what Hudson values are, but for under 20 large, someone got one of the most interesting cars at this auction.

Lot W173, 1979 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds W30 two-door coupe, 350 V-8, automatic transmission, white/gold paint, tan cloth interior, five-digit odometer reads 16,000 miles which looks believable, T-tops, factory A/C, bucket seats with center console. Stainless band on C-pillar I’m told is not factory.

SOLD for $21,000. I was attracted to this car because of its overall size: it’s one of the smaller domestic cars from this era, yet doesn’t feel small to sit in, and in fact feels very comfortable from the driver’s seat (dare I say like an imported car?). I watched it cross the block where it was bid to $25,000 and declared a No Sale. Most of the time, Mecum will not announce the reserve, but in this case, the auctioneer said, “it will take $30,000.” That was on Wednesday. On Friday, while composing this blog post, I saw on Mecum’s website that the car was listed as “sold” for $23,100. Backing out the 10% buyer’s premium leaves us with a hammer price of $21,000. What’s up with this? I’m very suspicious, because I personally recorded a high bid of $25k. Was that a chandelier bid, since the house knew they were still $5k below the seller’s reserve? And I didn’t know that one could approach the Bid Goes On desk and bid an amount BELOW the previous high bid (but now I do). Caveat emptor indeed.

Lot T55, 1982 Datsun 280ZX two-door coupe, brown metallic, tan cloth interior, 2.8L inline-six engine, five-speed manual transmission, six-digit odometer shows 59,874 miles, T-tops, analog gauges, factory A/C, raised white-letter tires, factory sound system. Underhood shows “normal” accumulation of dirt; it’s the only area of the car, including underside, that does not present extremely well. A very attractive car overall, as long as one is ok with brown (which I am).

SOLD at no reserve for $22,000. Many prospective bidders were lingering around this car, including me. I happened to gain access to its Carfax report. The first entry is from 1982. Almost every entry cites either a registration renewal or a state inspection. There is almost no mention of any service or repair work. The car changed hands in 2006 at 57k miles (the owner from ’90 to ’06 added 36k miles in 16 years). This new owner sold it in 2024 with 59,600 miles on the clock, for a total of 2,374 miles over 19 years of ownership, working out to be 125 miles a year. As you know, that’s both good and bad; however, looking at the car, it was obvious that cosmetically, it was well-preserved. The hammer price was more than fair for condition, even if it might need come reconditioning of soft rubber parts.

Lot F112, 1970 Ford Ranchero Squire, metallic green, green vinyl roof, green interior, faux wood trim on exterior, 351 V-8, automatic on column, reported 62,000 miles (unverified). There were a lot of El Caminos at this auction but this was the only Ranchero I saw, and while the Country Squire look wouldn’t be my first choice, it fit the overall presentation very well. Vehicle was in strong #2 condition.

SOLD at no reserve for $23,000. This car sold on Friday and I got the hammer price from Mecum’s website. Perhaps slightly pricey for a Ranchero, but I found the period-correct look very appealing. This Ranchero was ready to hit the show circuit, it was that nice.

Lot T168, 1972 AMC Gremlin X, two-door hatchback, green paint, black interior, 4.2L inline-six, automatic transmission, claimed to be 13,000 original miles and looks it. Gold exterior trim, roof-mounted luggage rack, factory alloy wheels, raised white-letter tires. Offered at No Reserve.

SOLD at no reserve for $37,000. And who said Gremlins weren’t valuable or collectible?? The windshield sign said that this car was previously owned by Jeff Dunham, and I never heard of him, so that would not have influenced my bid any…. However, the car was featured on Jay Leno’s garage, which could account for a hammer price approximately three times what I would have guessed.

Door pocket held on with quarter-turn clips

Pocket easily removed from car for carrying purposes

Lot T291, 1968 Olds 442 two-door hardtop, triple white, 400 V-8, automatic, windshield sign claims 10,000 miles (unverified), factory A/C, AM radio with 8-track player, sign states, “concours restoration,” yet hood hinges were so stiff that I was unable to lower the hood without fear of inflicting sheet metal damage.

SOLD for $43,000. All 1968 Cutlass models are special to me because of my Aunt Rita, who bought a new ’68 Cutlass S two-door hardtop, a car I loved. I don’t see too many ‘68s (but check my Spring Carlisle report from earlier this year where there were two). This one at Mecum was nice but not quite “concours”. The 442 model brought out the bidders.

NOTABLE NO-SALES

Lot W54, 1994 Jaguar XJS convertible, green paint, tan top and interior, 4.0L inline six cylinder, automatic. Six-digit odometer read 30,000 miles. Driver’s seat leather shows minor wear. An attractive car, especially with the six (as opposed to the V-12).

NOT SOLD at high bid of $8,000. I inquired at the “Bid Goes On” desk about the car, stating that I was unable to find it. The Mecum employee told me, “the guy checked out and took it home. I understand he’s not coming back.” I asked what his reserve was and was told, “$12,000.” Interesting marketing approach: Pay to enter the auction, and when the bidding doesn’t reach your reserve, take your ball and go home.

Lot W92, 1927 Cadillac 314 Imperial seven-passenger sedan, repainted black, yellow wood wheels with whitewall tires, interior is brown and allegedly original, 314 V-8, three-speed manual transmission. Three rows of seats: front bench seat, second row foldable jump seats, and third row bench with seat back against rear window. A stately-looking old thing with tons of presence.

NOT SOLD at high bid of $12,000. It’s very unusual to find any pre-war cars at a Mecum auction, and what a car this is! I did not get a chance to see or hear it run, so I can’t comment at all about that. From the outside, aside from two spare wheels without tires mounted at the rear, it appeared to be all there. The interior is a conundrum: it’s original enough that you might want to try to preserve it, but it’s deteriorated enough that it might deserve to be redone. The present owner left a notebook on the front seat, taking TWO pages to describe the procedure to start the engine and then drive the car. The auctioneer announced that at $12k, “it won’t take much more,” but I didn’t inquire. As of this writing, it’s still for sale on Mecum’s website.

No word on whether the Craftsman locking pliers are included with the sale

Lot T73, 1953 MG-TD Inskip Tourer Roadster, black paint, red interior, black top with side curtains, red wheels with small hub caps, whitewall tires, 1250cc inline-four, four-speed manual, odometer reads 31,535 (not verified). Supposedly one of twelve produced by J.S. Inskip, the NYC-based MG importer. They took an MG-TD, lengthened the chassis by ten inches, and added a rear seat. I never heard of this particular variant before, although I have heard of J.S. Inskip.

NOT SOLD at high bid of $22,000. I approached this car from the rear and had no idea what it was. Even from the front, which was not changed from the original TD, it looked quite different. To my eye, the extended wheelbase improved the car’s looks. With only twelve produced, there’s no easy way to assign a market value, but I can’t imagine that we weren’t far off at $22k.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Yes, kids, if you wanted a phone in your car in 1967, it still had a rotary dial

Difficult to believe now how much car styling used to change each year. Just three years separate the 1956 Chevrolet on the right from the 1959 Chevrolet on the left.

Chicken George himself, looking for bids

NJ Alfa Romeo Club Monthly Breakfast Meet, July 20, 2025

July 21, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events, Uncategorized All Seasons Diner Eatontown NJ, NJ-AROC

The New Jersey Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (NJ-AROC) has consistently been scheduling monthly breakfast meets for the last several years. One factor in our success in doing so has been selecting a variety of eateries across the Garden State. On Sunday, July 20, we tried a new place: the All Seasons Diner in Eatontown, NJ. I left my house at 7:45 a.m. for the one-hour ride, and had a delightful early morning drive with relatively little traffic (at least by Jersey standards). Once there, I was joined by nine fellow Alfisti, and after a brief parking lot chat, we made our way inside.

Thanks to our V.P. Vic, who arranged the reservation, the diner personnel were ready for us. Coffee was poured, breakfast foods were served, and we chatted about our favorite subject: our cars. We lingered for as long as possible, and our waitress, who ably kept our coffee cups full, was in no rush to chase us out, despite the growing crowd in the lobby. She expertly took the obligatory table shot, and out we went, continuing the verbal back-and-forth near our cars. By 11 a.m., the group departed into the warm and humid July day. We had several Chapter members joining us at breakfast for the first time, which was delightful, and I hope that we are able to continue that trend.

The Readington Brewery Hops and Rods Car Show, July 19, 2025

July 20, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events, Uncategorized Hops and Rods, Readington Brewery

The Readington Brewery and Hop Farm opened in 2019, and is located on Route 202 South in Readington Township, NJ. As the crow flies, it’s about a mile and a half from my house, and I’ve driven past it dozens of times, but until this past Saturday, I had never set foot on its property. They grow their own hops on their twenty-five-acre farm, and brew 100% of the beer they sell. One reason I’ve not stopped by is that they do not serve food. I was told that it is easier to obtain a liquor license in this area if you operate a brewery and not a restaurant. However, they do allow you to bring in your own food or use a service, such as Uber Eats, to have food delivered. There is picnic-table sitting available both inside and outside.

The occasion for my visit on Saturday, July 19, was an event called “Hops and Rods.” Originally scheduled for June, this was the rain date after bad weather forced a postponement. I registered online and the website informed me that they would collect my $10 entrance fee upon my arrival, further requesting that show cars arrive between 10:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. It took me five minutes to drive there, and I was the eleventh car to show up. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I said to myself, “this is not the crowd for me.” Every other car in the lot was either an American muscle car or a bona fide street rod. I parked my Alfa across from a 1967 Chevelle, and was greatly relieved to note that as cars continued to arrive, the vehicle types were more varied.

I grabbed my camera and walked among the cars and trucks, taking pictures, and began to chat with several of the owners. Everyone I met was very down-to-earth, and as I pointed to my Alfa, they expressed positive comments about it. One man was proud to show me his all-original 1976 Corvette with 23,000 miles. He had a binder with every piece of documentation going back to the original purchase order. He found the story about my all-original car equally delightful. A man with a highly customized four-door Lincoln Continental had a small crowd around his car as he explained many of the mods he built into it. (Turns out that he works in a body shop and performs all his own body and paint work.) Another gentlemen, obviously British as determined by his accent, brought two cars, a Jaguar XJS convertible and a 1977 MG Midget. He and I delighted in swapping stories about our present cars and “the ones that got away.”

The brewery website promised “food trucks,” but it wasn’t until about 12:30 when one (and only one) arrived. A line quickly formed, but the truck operator slid open the serving window glass to announce, “it will be twenty to thirty minutes before things are heated up so that I can serve food!” Oh well, back to my car to wait. I finally got a sandwich closer to 1:30.

While not every parking spot set aside for show cars was taken, there were a respectable number of vehicles. The public turned out in large numbers, though, and a live band played classic rock all afternoon. At 3 p.m., there was an awards ceremony, and a highly modified 1929 Ford Tudor took Best of Show. (It was unclear to me how that was determined, but I saw brewery employees walking around with clipboards.) The trophy, a monstrous thing, would not have fit in the Alfa, so I’m glad I didn’t win. At this point, with showers threatening, I made my way home.

A friend who was there told me that the Readington Brewery puts on other car shows during the year, including an all-import show. I’ll be checking their calendar and will make a point to try to get to that one.

1969 Lincoln Continental, final year for this body style. Note the factory parking position of the wipers!

The Somerville, NJ, Cruise Night, July 11, 2025

July 14, 2025 RichardReina Cruise nights, Events Somerville NJ Cruise Night

When I first spotted the signs taped to every parking meter which read, “SOMERVILLE CRUISE NIGHT, 35 YEARS,” I was shocked. Was it really thirty-five years ago when the town of Somerville, NJ began hosting Friday night cruise nights? That brings us back to 1990, eleven years before I moved back into the area and first became aware of the event. As I’ve posted about before, at first, the local businesses were aghast at the idea of their quiet little town overrun by hot-rodders. However, when they saw revenue jump, and further realized that these undesirables in fact consisted of well-mannered individuals and families, they embraced the concept, with many restaurants and stores extending their open-for-business hours in order to accommodate the thickening crowds.

Aside from visits with my local Alfa Romeo club, it had been a while since I brought the Alfa to this cruise night. This past Friday, July 11, turned out to be a beautiful evening: warm, not too humid, sunny, and with no threat of rain. Although the official hours are from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., I knew from experience that car owners arrive much earlier. Indeed, I hit Main St. just a few minutes before 4 p.m. and it appeared that over half of the available parking spots were already occupied by show cars. Nevertheless, I managed to quickly find a spot without doubling back, and once parked, I was free to grab my camera and stroll.

It would almost fit in the back of that Suburban

Compared to an AACA event, where 100% of the vehicles are showroom stock, and compared to an Alfa event, where all the cars are from a single marque, the Somerville cruise night offered true variety. Let’s start with the modified cars. Are the typical modded cars of the ‘30s, ’40s, and ‘50s gone? Not the case here. It was fun to see these old-school rods, reminiscent of what I saw as a boy, still out and about. The next surprise was the number of pre-war vehicles. There are many who think that these cars are no longer collectible and have disappeared, yet, owners brought them to Somerville. And finally, there were the imports. A small number of interesting European and Asian collectibles were in attendance. Overall, to call this cruise night “eclectic” would be quite accurate.

My friends Larry and Art drove down from Bergen County to meet me. We grabbed a bite at a new brewery on Main St., then took in the show. They both observed that it was nice to see a different selection of cars than what they would normally come across at a cruise night in their area, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as did I. They split around 7:30 p.m. and I hung out by my car for another hour, chatting it up with a few passers-by who stopped to admire the only Alfa Romeo on display on this particular evening. All in all, it was a great night, and given Somerville’s proximity (six miles from my house), I need to make the effort to attend a little more frequently.

PRE-WAR

CLASSIC HOT RODS

MUSTANGS

IMPORTS

Datsun 280Z. From this angle, its resemblance to a Jag E-Type is strong

This Triumph TR-4 was sharp inside and out

I was completely smitten with this Fiat 500 “Abarth” (probably a recreation). It was parked in front of an Italian restaurant that also offered curbside gelato.

AND THE REST

’70 Plymouth Road Runner. I spoke with the owner, who has owned the car since the late ’80s. He did the entire restoration himself.

’57 Thunderbird. I liked the look with the wide whites, steelies, and no caps, giving it a “hey, it’s just a driver” appearance

And another C1 Corvette. The late sun really warmed up the white paint

1970 Chevy wagon (aka “long roof”), appropriately parked in front of a travel agency

Another ’57 Thunderbird, stunning in the unusual gray

The Metuchen, NJ, Cruise Night, July 2025

July 4, 2025 RichardReina Cruise nights, Events Metuchen Cruise Night

The town of Metuchen, NJ, has been sponsoring a midweek cruise night for at least the past twenty years. How can I be so sure, you ask? Because in August of 2006, I trailered my BMW Isetta there, and it was a lot of fun. But I haven’t been back since, and when my friend and fellow Alfa owner Tony suggested that we check it out, I took him up on his offer. It’s a once-a-month arrangement for Metuchen, and always on a Wednesday, so Tony and I were there this most recent Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

We both decided to drive modern cars for this run, and after meeting Tony at his house, I hopped into his brand-new Ford F-150 Lightning, which is 100% EV. It was quiet and comfortable, and frankly, if you didn’t know better, you’d easily mistake it for a gasoline-powered truck. Perhaps the biggest giveaway while riding in it is the complete lack of noise within the cabin. We got to Main St. in Metuchen about thirty minutes before the official 5:30 p.m. start, so we headed into an Irish pub for a quick meal. By the time we alighted, most of the parking spots along two blocks of Main St. were taken with classic cars.

Compared to the Somerville Cruise Night, I would give Metuchen higher marks for its slightly classier Main St., and also for covering the parking meters with “cruise night car parking only” signs. On the flip side, Metuchen’s set-up is much smaller, as they devote only two blocks to cruise night cars. At least on the evening we attended, there were a few empty parking spots. In Somerville, you practically need to arrive two hours early to get street parking for your classic. There was a nice variety of domestic fare, several of which I’ve not seen in many years. There were also almost no import cars, but Tony and I may hatch a plan to get our local Alfa club to caravan to Metuchen for a future cruise night. All in all, it was a pleasant evening of car gazing, and my attendance brought back great memories of my 2006 visit.

Sign on this Mustang claimed that it had 194,000 miles on it

I spoke with this owner, who has had the car all of three weeks. It’s a 1966 Buick SPECIAL, not a Skylark. Not sure I’ve ever seen a Special convertible from this year.

A very nice chrome-bumper C3 Corvette, before they got ugly.

I spoke with the Riviera owner, who has owned this car for 35 years, since he was 19. It’s a ’63, first year for the model, and he’s done some mechanical work, including an engine refresh and some brake (Wilwood) and suspension mods. The red leather interior is original to the car. Paint may have been as well.

My favorite car at the cruise night, if only because I don’t know when I last saw one. It’s a 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix, the final model year on the full-size platform, before the complete (and highly successful) redesign for 1969. My photos do not do justice to the visual impact of this automobile.

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 Alfa Club Sunday Breakfast Picnic, June 8, 2025

June 8, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events Colonial Park Somerset NJ, NJ-AROC

Please don’t let me hear anyone from the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (NJ-AROC) complain that “the club doesn’t do a lot”; and yes, I still occasionally see such a comment crop up on some social media sites. For the second week in a row, after seeing each other at the Somerville, NJ, cruise night, our club conducted another highly successful gathering of Alfisti, this time in the form of an al fresco breakfast in Colonial Park in Somerset, NJ, billed as “Breakfast and Bocce.”

The turnout was great, and I was especially pleased to see many spouses join us. My wife accompanied me, and made some new friends among the ladies. Similar to last year, breakfast goodies included bagels, croissants, donuts, fresh fruit, and hot and cold beverages, courtesy of the club’s bank account. By my count, eleven Alfas were on hand, along with a delightful Lancia Fulvia Zagato (and a Porsche Cayman driven by a dedicated Alfista, so I’ll count it). Probably half the cars were Spiders, all with their tops down, as we caught a bit of a break with this crazy Jersey weekend weather.

Four Spiders sandwiched between a Lancia and a GT 1300 Junior

As we also did last year, we set up near the park’s bocce courts, but my wife and I departed just as the games were beginning. A huge thanks to Bill D., our Event Coordinator, who pulled all the details together to make our 2025 “Breakfast & Bocce” another ringing success.

Our club members enjoying the breakfast and each other’s company:

The Lancia Fulvia Zagato:

Lorenzo, the car’s owner, gave several of us a detailed walk-around which included some history of this car. As a Series I, it features an all-aluminum body, which we were told were manufactured in very limited numbers. The car was originally a medium blue, and someone prior to his ownership changed the color to yellow. Lorenzo delighted in pointing out numerous features which were lost on the Series II cars, including a separate door below the rear bumper for spare tire storage. He has started to strip some of the yellow paint, leaving the blue exposed and undamaged, as he would like to eventually return it to its original shade.

NJ Alfa Club at the Somerville Cruise Night, May 30, 2025

June 4, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Cruise nights, Events Alfonso's Somerville NJ, NJ-AROC, Somerville NJ Cruise Night

The month of May was cruel to us in the collector car hobby, as cool, wet weather caused postponements and cancellations of various events. In some cases, events proceeded regardless, with disappointing results. A few months back, the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (NJ-AROC) reached out to the folks who put on the Somerville, NJ Friday night cruise nights. The organizers will reserve parking in one section for car clubs, and our Alfa club did this last year. Because the date is chosen in advance, it becomes a “rain or shine” event, and the weather forecast for May 30, our assigned date, was iffy. I actually didn’t make the decision to attend until several hours prior to the 5 p.m. start time.

Several club members were already there when I arrived a few minutes past five, and we immediately noticed that there were no “Reserved for Alfa Club” signs in place, as there were last year. As parking spots opened up, we placed a folding chair to hold the spot for the next Alfa to arrive. That was working well until a Somerville cop stopped and told us “you can’t hold parking spots!” I was about to exchange a few friendly words with the officer when a Cruise Night representative approached the black-and-white Ford Explorer and explained that he was late in posting the Reserved Parking signs, which seemed to smooth things over for the patrol officer.

Despite the threatening weather (which held off for the entire evening), we had a nice turnout of about a dozen Alfas, dominated by Spiders, and also cars from the modern Giulia, Stelvio, and Tonale lineup. The camaraderie in our group is strong, and we enjoyed the evening chatting among ourselves as well as the passers-by who took note of our Italian macchine. (One woman walked up to my Junior and asked me, “is that a Volvo?”) Bill ordered pizza from Alfonso’s, generously paid for by the Chapter, and by 7:30 p.m., with darkening skies overhead, several of us (including me) headed home. It was wonderful to hang with fellow Alfisti, and we already have a date in August to return to Somerville.

Our club enjoyed the pizza (with Girl Scout cookies for dessert)

The 2025 Hillsborough, NJ Memorial Day Parade

May 27, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events Hillsborough NJ Memorial Day Parade

The town of Hillsborough, NJ, holds a Memorial Day parade every year, and the NJ Region of the AACA has actively participated in recent years. This year’s parade was held on Saturday, May 24, 2025, and for once we had the weather on our side. The car count was close to twenty (including some late-model Mustangs), and the parade concluded as it does every year at the town’s Municipal Building. Most vehicle owners elected to stay for the informal car show behind the Municipal Building, which gave us an excuse to hang out and chat.

Vehicles were as old as a 1930 Chrysler (Craig’s 1929 LaSalle made an appearance but had to bail due to a fuel leak), with a strong showing of 1950s-era automobiles. My Alfa Romeo was the only non-domestic vehicle in the parade, but drew favorable comments from some of the residents who lined the streets. (I’ve always strongly felt that “the American way” includes the freedom of choice to own and drive the car of your choice, no matter the country of origin.)

Hillsborough is a large town with a significant Indian and Asian population. I’ve made this observation in the past and I’ll make it again: there is something incredibly moving about seeing so many people who obviously immigrated here (or were born to immigrant parents) waving American flags and coming out to celebrate such an important American holiday. This is why I elect to take so many photos of the parade observers. They are the fabric of our nation.

DRIVERS (and puppies) GET THEIR INSTRUCTIONS

BOB EXPLAINS WHY “SEDAN” SOMETIMES MEANS “WAGON”

THE VIEW FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT

1962 CADILLAC ELDORADO CONVERTIBLE

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE MUSTANGS

1930 CHRYSLER

WAYNE’S 1952 HUDSON

EVEN THE BATMOBILE (WITH BATGIRL) SHOWED UP

AMERICANS:

NJ-AROC Monthly Breakfast, Bordentown, NJ, May 18, 2025

May 18, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events Jimmy's American Grill, NJ-AROC

Beautiful Sunday morning weather on May 18, 2025, brought out fifteen Alfisti driving nine different Alfa Romeos to our monthly breakfast at Jimmy’s American Grill in Bordentown, NJ. Four classic Spiders, a Giulia coupe, and a Giulia sedan covered the pre-1994 segment, while a Giulia Quadrifoglio, a Stelvio, and a 4C represented the modern Alfas. I must hand it to the members of the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (NJ-AROC): we own (and drive) a nice variety of Italian cars!

Jimmy’s doesn’t open until 9 a.m., so we hung out in the parking lot until about fifteen after the hour before entering. Once inside, we had plenty of choices from their brunch menu. The service was great, and as usual, we coerced our server into taking a few group shots of the table. After the bill was paid and we spilled back into the parking lot, conversations continued, as they tend to when car guys and gals are involved.

These monthly breakfasts are a great tradition that has been ongoing for well over a year, and personally, I would love to see greater participation from the club members. We purposely vary the diner location each month (we are presently rotating among four diners throughout the state) so no matter where a member might live, the opportunity to join us is there. It was also great to drive my ’67 GT 1300 Junior in nice weather. The car ran well, and I have at least three more events for this month alone, so I’m looking forward to more miles in that driver’s seat.