I love hitting this car show. After a one year hiatus, the Willistead Classic returned yesterday at Willistead Park. Most of these old cars, with their hood ornaments, and logos, are like mini works of art. Like everything, they don’t build ’em like they used to applies here too. It’s doubtful that someone will be taking a detail shot on a Grand Caravan in 30 years, but who knows 
In no particular order, just a few logos, emblems & ornaments….
hey a bonus post!! my weekend at work is a little less boring now!
these are fantastic shots andrew, thanks for grabbin them. i sure wish they still made hood orniments like that. i would love to be crusin down the road with a giant goose with outstretched wings leading the way!
there’s only a couple things that were a needed change. like the non collapsing, sternum crushing steering columns. and the (pardon me) baby decapitating glove box doors that would fly open in an accident.
what’s the deal with the star of david in the dodge brothers logo?? i’ve never seen that before.
again, thanks for the post andrew!
The use of the Star of David in the Dodge Brothers logo goes back to 1914 and the first Dodge Brothers car built. It was last used on the 1938 Dodge.
The Dodge Brothers logo has been extensively discussed in the Dodge Brothers Club newsletter, which notes that in 1938, an export version with a single black triangle was used, and shortly afterwards, the Star-of-David logo disappeared completely. David Zimmerman wrote that he suspected that the Dodge Brothers may have believed that certain export markets would not buy a car with the link to the Jewish symbol.
This information was copied from ALLPAR.COM
Here is the link if anyone wants to read up on Chrysler Hood Ornaments:
Guess the link didn’t show up in my last post. Here it is again.
http://www.allpar.com/history/logos.html
Staying on that Dodge theme, the Dodge Brothers once operated a machine and bicycle shop in Windsor prior to moving back to Detroit to supply parts for some new upstart company called Ford! The shop was not far from the present day Chrysler Building in the former Norwich block.
Having gone to the show yesterday at Willistead as well (and it was exceptional), I ran into a former co-worker who sits on the classic car committee and we both admired the creativity and engineering of the designers and engineers of yesteryear. Cars as such were developed by very talented and independent thinking people. They did not evolve from committes of yes men. When I hear all the time we are rapidly moving to a service based economy and becoming Tim Horton’s Nation more than a hat tip is needed to workers from the past who designed and manufactured things we admire. Glad to see the Willistead Car Classic is back and better than ever.
I hope it was well attended. I was out of town so I couldn’t go but if it comes back next year I will certainly be there.
My fav shot above is the LaSalle hubcap. Great shots Andrew.
Love the photos. I love going to these shows and admiring the cars, especially the ones from the 30s and 40s. I couldn’t make it but my inlaws went so I got to see all their pictures last night…nothing this detailed though so thanks for posting them. I love the hubcap shots the most!
The thing I liked the most was the Art Deco designs on the instruments on the dashboards of the 30’s and early 40’s cars.
The coolest owners were a couple who had a big white Hudson. I was poking my camera in the open window trying to get a shot of the dash, when the owner told me to open the door to get a better shot. He said that he owns the car so others can enjoy it. He was a refreshing change from some of the other owners who are less than generous with their cars.
I’ll post a few more, less specific shots tomorrow from the show.
I appreciated the Hudson owners as well, but have to also extend a note that unlike most car exhibits, at the very least we were able to walk right up to all the vehicles. I’m sure you’ve all been to enough classic car exhibits and familiar with the ropes that usually go around the cars keeping everyone at least an arm’s length away. But yeah, the Hudson owners were most gracious – and they had one of the rarer and more desirable marques too. The interior of most of these classics is worth as much attention as the exterior and engine compartments and it was nice getting that much closer to the Hudson’s.
I like the use of the fasces in the second photo with a big “H” (Hudson probably?). This was a symbol that was adopted by Fascist political groups pre-WW2. It also appeared on American dimes or nickels during and after WW2.
I love the amount of detail that went into the style of these old cars.
Many thanks to the Maggio’s who brought the “Classic” back.
Six hours was not enough time to relish all of the beautiful craftspersonship on dispaly.
Hope it is back next year.
On another note, the last standing structure of the Ford Windsor Casting Plant was levelled this morning.
The folks who rope of their vehicles are smart to do so. Many of those vehicles that do get roped off are worth hundred of thousands of dollars. I wouldn’t want just anyone rubbing their hands on my vehicle.
For some of these vehicles there is a systematic approach to detailing them that costs over $2,000 to do.
@ Rich B………….thanks for the info man!!!
If someone had a vehicle worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, why would they even enter it into the Willistead Car Show? The door prizes for the best cars can’t be anymore than Heritage Village, which is a few hundred bucks. If someone’s spending $2,000 to detail a car worth several hundred thousand dollars, why would they enter it here? If I had that kind of money to spend on cars, I wouldn’t even be entering it into the Wilistead Car Show–I would probably just store it away in a private showroom garage with an expensive alarm system like a rare work of art.
It’s a labour of love, David. And I do believe there is a certain level of prestige associated with having your car shown at this invitational event that goes beyond cash prizes.
Thanks Andrew. Fantastic shots! I become very nostalgic when I see some of the cars I used to own. Very true that they don’t make ’em like they used to.
Fantastic shots, Andrew.
Wouldn’t be so sure about the Grand Caravan not being collectable someday. Consider there’s a Pinto Car Club of America, and during a local car show last spring, some (young!!) dude and his dudette were showing their beautifully restored 1963 Corvair Greenbrier Van. Don’t know what the value was (couldn’t be that much, could it?), but there it was in gleeming Green and White…….
David, why do you always have to crap in everybody’s cornflakes? these are beautiful machines that were made to be seen, loved, cared for, shared. hours and hours and hours of hard work, sweat and tears go into these things. what’s it really worth if noone can see it??? most of these cars fit the same era as willistead manor and it’s a perfect setting. these guys and girls would be doing this even if you didn’t win anything.
personally……….if i had one of these beauties, i’d bury it underground then put a 3 foot thick slab of concrete over it. you know, because i’d have spent 2 grand detailing it and want to preserve the finish from those pesky “general public car enthusiests” learing eyes
lol…….geeez louise
Well, Aaron, burying a car like that would not be the greatest idea. I direct your attention to the recently (I can’t believe it was last year!) unearthed time capsule in Oklahoma that contained a car. (On a side note, am I the only one who gets a mental picture of John Lovitz screaming Oooklahooooomaaaaa!!!!! while suspended in mid-air by his underwear?)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19249855/
That baby didn’t age very well. The time capsule may have been made like a bomb shelter, but it could not keep out water. I loved listening to that story on NPR.
Well, 57 Plymouths were prone to rust……
HA! i guess i’ll have to wrap it in celophane then
Well, bring out yer bowl of cornflakes Aaron because I’d like to crap in it. Hahaha.
I’m not saying they should not be seen. I’m just saying that I doubt those cars are worth several hundred thousand bucks a piece and that they spent $2,000 detailing it prior to the show. If I’m the President of Chrysler or some other large corporation where I’m making millions a year where I could afford such a car and spend so much on detailing, would you really expect to see me at this kind of car show? Hence, I don’t think it’s a smart idea to rope cars, as ME’s premises state, because they didn’t spend that kind of money. Don’t get me wrong. I like classic cars. But, roping around them seems kinda ridiculous at a show like this.
LOL!!! just make it milk soluable, i don’t want any floaters! remember though, alot of, if not all of those cars have no clearcoat on the paint and people are filthy creatures. the oils from our skin could do some serious damage to the paint. i don’t think i would rope a car either, but i certainly wouldn’t want everyone and their kids touching it, getting close with a set of keys hangin off their belts and whatnot. sit in it? sure…..put hands all over a car i spent 2 hours waxing? not a chance.
soluable david…..make sure it mixes lol
Well they weren’t roped off at this show, which made looking at them and photographing them much easier. But the owners were in close proximity and able to supervise their vehicles personally. For places like Heritage Village where many of the cars are on loan and not watched individually I can see where it would make good sense to keep them behind some kind of barrier for the reasons ‘ME’ stated.
Thanks for sharing the photos!! I have to agree that Hudson owners are tops!!! Owning a Packard I, I always felt the members of the Packard Club were a little “clickie” so I quit going. I have a freind who isa member of the Hudson Club and he took me to a couple of thier outings. What a blast! Everyone was so welcoming a friendlier bunch you could not find.