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 (4th 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.
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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?)
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