Editor’s note: This is our first Junior Journalist Report, the first in a series of stories about classic cars written for ClassicCars.com by a group of young reporters. This first one is by Christopher DeMarey, 13, who, along with his father, attends several car shows each summer in the Northeast. This is Christopher’s report on the recent Misselwood Concours d’Elegance held near Boston.
By Christopher DeMarey
Once we arrived at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, for the Misselwood Concours d’Elegance, we watched car after car roll on to the field and get setup for the day. I have to say the weather did not look promising, but blue skies shone down upon the hidden nooks and crannies in which the cars were strategically placed.
As I was strolling through archways and stone paths leading to the different ocean-side show fields, I stumbled on a beautiful 1930 W.O. Bentley. The paint glistened in the sun, complemented by the amazing finish of the wooden trim. On top of that, the dash was restored perfectly. This Bentley was a Speed Six (six and a half liter) with a generator in the front. I overheard two men discussing what the generator was. I believe they settled upon calling it a starting motor
Another cool car I noticed was the Ford GT40. Its very distinctive blue color drew lots of attention, but once the beast started up, it drew ALL of the attention. If it were any louder someone probably would have screamed “EARTHQUAKE!”
Another gorgeous car was the 1909 Locomobile. This car really grabbed my eye due to its pristine condition. From the fine detail of the gauges to the thousands of square tubes in the radiator, this car was absolutely stunning. I would love to meet the person restored this car.
I also enjoyed the red 1957 Chevy 3100 pickup with a beautiful wooden bed and with a wooden boat attached. The boat had a period-correct 18-hp Johnson which would make it a perfect little fishing boat!.It almost seemed as if the boat was made to match the pickup (or vice versa).
One of my favorites was the Mercedes 190SL with a teardrop camper in tow. The camper alone weighed around 2,500 pounds, which is dangerously close to the 3,000-pound tow limit this Mercedes offered. The camper was made by a company in Seattle and then customized to look like Mercedes made it. It had a sink, a cooler that acted as a fridge, a radio and a couple other items in the rear of the trailer. The front, however, was just a bed, leaving just enough room for a good night’s rest on the road.
Did you know that some classics have automatic plastic sheet deployment systems? I didn’t until Sunday when a couple of rain drops fell and plastic sheets and covers instantly blanketed most cars.
Because of the weather, the awards were given in the VIP tent. The 1909 Locomobile won the highest award, best in show. As I mentioned earlier, this car is gorgeous.
Editor’s note: Do you know or are you a potential ClassicCars.com Junior Journalist? We’re looking for people aged 13 to 18 who attend classic car events with a parent, grandparent or guardian and can write about their experiences and provide a few photographs. For more information, please contact [email protected]
