Austin Classic Car Show

In late September, I noticed an advertisement in our local newspaper about a classic car show presented by the Texas Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America. It was to be held at the Northwest Recreational Centre in north central Austin. As the rec centre was just six blocks from my parents' old house (their home from 1959 through 1995), I knew exactly where the show was to be and couldn't think of a reasonable excuse to miss it.

As it turned out, the car show was as gorgeous as the beautiful, sunny afternoon. Although there were only about fifty automobiles, they were impressive examples and represented the differences between eras as well as manufacturers. (There was even a sixty-something gentleman riding around on a Victorian "penny-farthing" bicycle!) The cars ran the gamut from a 1914 air-cooled Franklin touring car to a top-of-the-line, 1968 Ford Galaxie 500 XL convertible. Not a lot of quantity, but a lot of real quality. In my opinion, the real standout was a 1939 Packard V-12 club sedan but more on that later.

Sorting out the cars from oldest to newest, the oldest vehicle was an immaculate 1914 Franklin touring car, dark green with a black, tufted-leather interior. It had an unique grille, sloped-back like an early Renault, behind which sat an air-cooled six-cylinder gasoline engine. Black fenders and a set of natural-finished wood-spoked wheels contrasted nicely with the green body.

Nearby, one of Henry Ford's "Tin Lizzies" stood proudly on its skinny, black-painted wood-spoked wheels. It was a triple black (black body, interior, & top) 1925 Model T runabout. The epitome of its era.

Quite irresistible was a mid-twenties Ford Model T "fruit wagon". It was sparkling with its dark green fenders and hood, highlighted with a natural-finished wagon body and wood-spoked wheels. Its owner had added woven-wood baskets containing fruits and vegetables, a 50-lb. sack of Idaho potatoes, signs, and a scale (ounces & pounds, no metrics please) to emphasise the fruit peddler look.

There was a wide range of mostly 1930 Ford Model A's. Two truly outstanding 1930 cabriolets vied each other with rumble seats and fold-down luggage racks (supporting posh leather trunks). One had its top down and rumble seat open whilst the other was in its up and closed positions. A black/dark blue Model A standard phaeton looked great until I saw the stunning Model A town sedan next to it. The opulent grey-and-black paint contrasted nicely with its shiny chrome radiator shell, stoneguard, and trim. If ever a Model A could look like a luxury car, this is the one that could.

Next was an awesome 1931 Auburn 4-door phaeton. Unfortunately, the cream or pale yellow bodywork with heavy carmine red accents and red wire-spoked wheels didn't enhance its looks. A classy car with a decidedly non-classy colour combination.

A humble 1937 Plymouth 2-door sedan looked quite rich with its dark green paint, delicate red pinstripes, and tasteful chrome accents. The fine, vertical chrome trim of the grille and the matching, horizontal chrome strips alongside the hood went very nicely with the chrome hub caps/trim rings and wide whitewall tires.