The car was previously owned by former RAF pilot Charles Blackman who took part in the raid to bomb Hitler’s mountain-top retreat in the Bavarian Alps in April 1945. It sold on March 20th at the Duxford Imperial War Museum with H&H Classics for £454,250 ($596,868).

Mr. Blackham served in the RAF 550 Squadron and took part in the raid to bomb Hitler’s famous mountain-top retreat in the Bavarian Alps in April 1945. Later that month he made emergency food drops on the German/Dutch border where people were facing famine.

Charles Blackham drove the classic convertible for 36 years before his age forced him to take it off road. The car then spent the last 30 years locked up at his home in Stockport, Greater Manchester, but was unearthed after his death in January. One of just six ever made by Bentley, the 4.5-litre classic was sold off as part of his estate.

The car is one of just six W.O. Bentley 4.5 litre cars assembled by the Service Department from new old stock parts (NOS) in 1936, five years after Bentley was taken over by Rolls Royce. It has matching numbers and original Vanden Plas Tourer coachwork. The car has had just two owners from new, its current owner since 1952.

In 1936 Nobby Clarke and Hubert Pike came up with the idea of using the stockpile of new old stock and reconditioned parts that they had inherited from Rolls-Royce’s 1931 takeover of Bentley to produce new W.O. Bentleys. This kept staff busy in down time and also used up spare parts, a win win result. Ten cars were built in this way, six 4.5 litre cars and four 3.5 litre cars using the most desirable Bentley components.

Damian Jones, Head of Sales at H&H Classics says: “This is the ultimate Bentley ‘barn find’ in the marque’s centenary year. It is a really wonderful discovery for all fans of the marque made even more special in the make’s 100th birthday year. It sold last time for just £260 so this time we believed it would do a thousand times better and it did not disappoint.”

Damian Jones adds: “This Bentley is so unusual because it was assembled in the mid 1930s using a chassis and mechanical parts which dated from no later than 1931.”

“Only the body was freshly made when the car was assembled and sold as a new car in 1936. The WO Bentleys made from 1919 to 1931 are far more valuable than the Derby Bentleys which followed from 1933 to 1940. The car was accepted as a WO Bentley because its chassis and mechanicals were all made during the WO era.”

About H&H Classics 

H&H was founded by Simon Hope in 1993 as a specialist auction house dedicated solely to the sale of collectors’ motorcars and motorcycles. The company is staffed by hands-on enthusiasts with over 600 years’ combined experience, and its specialist valuers are among the most knowledgeable in the industry.

H&H has had the pleasure of handling everything from 1890s London to Brighton runners through to 1990s Formula 1 cars, not to mention a variety of iconic motorcycles and holds a considerable number of World Record auction prices.

With the head office near Warrington, Cheshire and its Private Sales Garage near Hindhead in Surrey and specialists based throughout Europe, H&H holds regular physical sales at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire, National Motorcycle Museum in the West Midlands and Pavilion Gardens, Buxton. There are also Automobilia Online Sales and Live Auctions Online throughout the year.

www.handh.co.uk

The post ‘Barn Find’ 1936 Bentley with ties to war hero that bombed Hitler sold after 30 years hidden away appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Q.I have owned a 1942 Dodge Deluxe four-door sedan since 1965. While it is a World War II vehicle, it is not a “blackout” model. Production of the 1942 cars started in September 1941. Over the years, I have owned other MoPar blackout cars. I still also own several spare blackout trim NOS replacement items.

If a 1942 blackout car was painted a dark color, the grilles, moldings, trim, etc. were painted a light color. The opposite was true if the car was painted a light color, dark colored trim, etc. was used. The U.S. government passed a law requiring this starting in Nov. 1941, before the Pearl Harbor attack in December. This was because chrome, nickel and stainless steel were needed for national security production reasons. After Pearl Harbor, this added to the mandate.

As Laurence Thomas mentioned in the Jan. 10 Q&A, the car manufacturers started to make un-chromed and steel/die-cast items to replace bright trim, etc. Yes, they still had some chromed and stainless steel items in stock that were painted and used with the other painted non-bright metal items. I have samples of these. Interestingly, MoPar interior bright items were painted with silver/bronze-colored paint and some plastics were used as replacements for handles, dash trim, door sill trim, etc. I also have samples of these.

Generally, though, front and rear car bumpers were chromed. By December 1941 and January 1942, Hollywood stars started removing new car bumpers from their cars, replacing them with home-made wood bumpers, to support the metal scrap drives.As a result, people throughout the USA started doing the same. By the last week of January or first week of February 1942, all car production stopped. So, 1942 cars were only built from Sept. 1941 to Feb. 1942, with blackout cars only built in Dec. 1941 and Jan. 1942 (only a few in Feb.). After that, you had to get special written government permission to buy any car or truck. No cars were built in most of 1942 and all of 1943, 1944 or 1945. Also, car production figures for 1946 were low.

Over the years, I have heard sellers say that 1942 parts are rare and should sell for higher prices. However, an abundance of parts — made from Sept. thru Dec. 1941 — exists for the smaller number of 1942 cars produced. Yet, some chrome grille replacement parts became impossible to get and machine wood parts were made to be painted. I had heard about this for years, but never saw any of the wood grille parts.

That was until one day at Hershey when I bought a 1941 Chrysler central grille wood machined part that was an exact replacement part. It was in its original MoPar parts box, shipped from Chrysler Corp. in Los Angeles to LaSalle Auto Body Company in LaSalle, Ill. For some reason, it was not used and I still have it.

Another odd part I have is a chromed steel molding that was originally made of stainless steel. I suspect it was a steel painted molding that someone chrome plated after WWII to match stainless steel moldings on a car.
— Harold Mermel, Morganville, N.J.

A. Thanks for sharing your experience with blackout cars and parts. This topic continues to draw interest and comment. According to the well-researched article from Automotive History Review that I cited earlier, the regulations on automobile content and trim followed not a specific law, but were issued from the Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply (OPA). The OPA was one of the agencies created after President Roosevelt declared a state of national emergency back in May 1941. He summoned GM President William S. Knudsen to Washington to chair the National Defense Commission.

As you say, most 1942 cars were built no later than January that year; Pontiac and Ford were the last to halt their assembly lines, on Feb. 10. Rationing of new cars had already begun on Jan. 1. There were 14 occupational categories eligible to buy them, from physicians and visiting nurses (highest priority), to newspaper carriers (lowest).

Production of 1946 model cars began in mid-1945. Ford had started manufacturing civilian trucks in April 1944, and was the first automaker to re-start passenger car production, on July 3, 1945. By December, all but Studebaker, Willys and Crosley had lines running. All told, there were slightly more than 2 million built, industry wide, for the model year, which extended to November for some makes, but ended much earlier from some.

I know what you mean about availability and price of 1942 parts. Years ago I stumbled across a 1942 Buick shop manual in a book shop. I thought I had a rare find that might yield a good profit. It took me 15 years of carting it around to swap meets to unload it, for little more than I had paid. There were probably more shop manuals printed than 1942 Buicks to use them on. The same goes for Tucker radios, by the way.

To submit questions to this column: E-mail oldcars@krause.com or mail to: Q&A, Old Cars Weekly,5225 Joerns Drive, Suite 2, Stevens Point, WI 54481.

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“We are acutely aware of the responsibility attached to presenting such an impactful piece of history for public sale”, said Rod Egan, Principal & Auctioneer. “However, this motorcar did not choose its original owner nor its use. No car does for that matter. If its original provenance can be set aside, surviving examples of the Mercedes-Benz 770 “Grosser,” or “Super Mercedes” remain quite likely the world’s greatest achievement in terms of automotive design, engineering, and construction. In short, this vehicle is one of the most outstanding and historically important cars ever built. It is however so much more than a car – it is an artifact that continues to stand and serve as a singular piece of irreplaceable living history and as a reminder that the evil which is a part of its history must never be permitted to recur. Our hope is that it will be used in a setting such as a public museum or collection where it can be shown and used to continually educate generations to come.”

The 770K was famous worldwide from introduction as the “Super Mercedes,” an expression of Germany’s pride in the country’s celebrated engineering prowess. Powered by a mammoth 7.7-liter inline eight-cylinder engine, extremely expensive, obsessively engineered, robustly constructed and hand-crafted, it was purpose-built to carry the most opulent and impressive custom-coachbuilt bodies ever devised and obviously intended for captains of industry and heads of state. Performance was massive, with the supercharged Type W150 cars easily capable of exceeding 100 mph, a significant benchmark of the pre- and post-WW II years. In total, 88 W150 Grosser Mercedes 770s were built until 1943. All bodies were produced by the renowned craftsmen at Mercedes-Benz’s Sindelfingen Werks to impeccable standards.

The example offered here is one of the last of the eight “pre-series” examples of the W150-generation 770K models, one of five surviving Offener Tourenwagens and one of three in private hands. Supported by incredible documentation, it is the product of the exacting requirements of the Führer and SS officer Erich Kempka, who served as his primary chauffeur from 1934. According to a letter on file dated September 2, 1938, this 770K was ordered at the request of Kempka for the Führer, and designed to provide maximum protection for his notorious patron and chosen passengers, including bullet-resistant laminated glass and armor plating. Assigned Serial Number 189744, it was intended from the outset as a guest car when heads of friendly states visited. On October 6, 1939, it made its public debut as part of a predictably large motorcade, with several other high profile appearances between then and May 4, 1941, its last known documented parade. On July 15, 1943, 189744 was sent back to Sindelfingen for maintenance at the factory, after which its wartime service remains unknown. Documentation confirms that post war, the car was captured by American forces and placed under the control and use of the U.S. Army Military Police stationed in Le Havre, France. Eventually it made its way to the United States, via a third owner understood to have acquired the 770K in 1946, who later donated the vehicle to his local branch of the Veterans of Foreign Wars which used the car in parades, carrying dignitaries and Gold Star Mothers who had lost sons on active duty.

Remaining with the VFW, the Mercedes eventually fell into disuse and was placed into local garage storage until 1976, when it was rediscovered. Having established that this was indeed one of the four original “Führer-cars” as described by the factory, the new owners undertook a cosmetic restoration and engaged a public relations firm to vault the ex-Hitler 770K into the media spotlight, ensuring nationwide interest in the vehicle. It was shown at several destinations around the country and eventually displayed at the Chicago Historical Antique Automobile Museum Inc. in Highland Park, Illinois. In 1983, the 770K was sold to the owner of the Imperial Palace Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, home to his famed Imperial Palace Auto Collection, then following his passing to a new European owner in 2004 as part of a 21-car package of significant Mercedes-Benz automobiles. At the time of the sale of this and the other motorcars in that collection, this transaction marked the single most valuable private transaction in the classic-car world – a remarkable valuation that continues to stand today and is a testament to the historical importance of this 770K.

** It should be noted that 10% of the sale price of the car will be donated and used to educate how and why the Holocaust happened and how to effectively prevent such similar atrocities in the future.

Full details are available online at worldwideauctioneers.com. Viewing of the 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser Offener Tourenwagen is by appointment only. The Scottsdale Auction is scheduled forthe evening of Wednesday, January 17th, 2018 at 5pm. Full details on bidder registration, admission and schedules are available online at worldwideauctioneers.com or by calling 1.260.925.6789.

Along withthe Scottsdale Auction, the company’s annual schedule comprises The Texas Classic Auction in Arlington in April, The Pacific Grove Auction, presented outon the Monterey Peninsula during Monterey Car Week in August and The Auburn Auction, held annually over Labor Day Weekend in Indiana, as well as stand-alone auctions of significant private collections.

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There will be a few special military vehicles on display in honor of Veteran’s Day. A 1942 Ford Jeep GPW (general purpose design Willys). The demand for jeeps in World War II was so great, Ford and Willys were contracted to mass produce these Jeeps for military use. Production for these vehicles ended in 1945 at the end of the war. Also see a 1951 Nash Ambassador military parade vehicle.

Among the museum’s other current exhibits:

– The red, white, and blue rides featured in the National Corvette Restorers Society exhibit

– The 1933 Graham Blue Streak 8 Sedan currently featured in the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) vehicle display. 

– “The Dynamic Duo” – AACA “Most Awarded” & “Most Traveled” vehicles

– A Prototype DeLorean

– “Getting the Job Done – Vehicles that Earned Their Keep” exhibit preview (full exhibit begins November 18)

For information, call 717-566-7100 or visit www.AACAMuseum.org. 

AACA Museum, Inc. | 161 Museum Drive | 717-566-7100

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Story and photos by John Gunnell

Chris Goes of Lake Geneva, Wis., owns a unique, unrestored Full Classic car that is the only 1941 Packard Darrin Sport Sedan ever made.

The car has been in his family since it was only a year or so old.

Production of 1941 Packard models started in the fall of 1940. The builder’s plate on this car indicates it was manufactured in October 1940. It was delivered to the Packard factory on Nov. 29, 1940. The car was originally owned by the factory. The build plate indicates “FACT DEL” for factory delivery.

Max Gillman, the president of Packard Motor Co. in 1941, drove this car for about a year. The car was then put on a railroad car and readied for direct shipment to California. Most Darrins were sold on the West Coast, so shipping the car west seemed like a good idea. Then, fate stepped into the picture. Goes’ grandparents wound up buying the car, in Chicago, on December 11, 1941.

Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor caused the U.S. government to halt all unnecessary rail shipments to the West. The boxcar containing the Darrin reached Chicago and was shunted aside and the Packard was removed from it. The factory still owned the vehicle and wanted to sell it fast.

Chris Goes’ grandfather had a long-standing arrangement with the local Packard dealer, located at 23rd and Michigan Ave., in Chicago, Ill., to buy what amounted to their “executive-driven” cars. He would drive these cars awhile, to show them off, and then resell them. He often traveled as a salesman in his business and conducted this sideline business with his customers. He would then ride trains back to Chicago after he sold a car.

A Packard representative called to see if Chris’ grandfather wanted the Darrin, but he was away on a trip. The salesman explained to his wife that a very nice Darrin was available and that it had air conditioning! “Grandma didn’t hesitate,” as Chris recalls from a story she told to him many times. “She knew that grandfather would love the car.” Ultimately, the family traded two other Packards for the Darrin. The sales receipt, which Chris still has, says the car was sold for $4,300 cash and the two other Packards. That added up to a total price of $6,300.

The Darrin was built on Packard’s 180 chassis. Custom coachbuilder Howard “Dutch” Darrin lengthened the car’s hood by adding extra metal to the hood and around the firewall. Darrin lowered the car and its roofline and installed his famous chrome windshield.

Darrin was best known for a beautiful convertible victoria model that he also built on the Packard chassis. It had smooth styling with cut-down doors. This model was well received, so consequently, Sport Sedan fabrication was slow. Darrin was backed up with orders for open cars. Packard management ultimately sent Sport Sedan orders to the House of LeBaron, another coachbuilding firm.

As a result, Goes’ car was never shipped to a Packard dealership. The 180 wound up in South Shore and, later, Beverly Hills, which are both fashionable districts of Chicago.

A 356-cid, 160-hp inline eight powers the car. It is linked to an electro-magnetic clutch. The car is equipped with some advanced features for its era, such as power-operated windows, factory air conditioning and a fluid windshield washer system.

The car was retired and stored in garages from about 1957 to 1973, when it was rarely used. In 1973, Chris and his dad got the car running. His grandfather was moving to Wisconsin, from Beverly Hills. Chris and his dad drove it to a tollbooth, where it quit running. They pushed it through the tollbooth with a 1971 Cadillac and took it back to Beverly Hills. It took another week of cleaning fuel lines and the gas tank before it was road worthy.

They test drove the car to work in Chicago, where the Goes family runs a lithographic business. After a few weeks, they got it running very well and drove it up to a family farm in the Lake Geneva, Wis., area.

“My granddad put the car in a storage shed on the property,” Chris recalled. “He was very protective. No one could drive it locally and it sat again for years. A few years later, a snowstorm caused the roof of the shed to fall on the car.”

After that, the damaged Packard sat until 1978, when Chris’ grandmother said that something should be done with the car. Grandfather agreed and Chris and his father took it out of the garage and got it working again. They took it to a body shop in Walworth, Wis., where the damage to the sheet metal was repaired.

The Packard air conditioning system used in the Darrin was innovative. The condenser took up a big portion of the luggage compartment. Chilled air came out of vents in the rear deck and was pulled up towards the front of the car. The system was not without issues. Since there was no regulating clutch, the compressor ran all the time. In winter, the owner had to remove the drive belt. In summer, it had to be reinstalled.

The car has optional running boards, which Max Gillman preferred in snowy Detroit, where Packard was based. Most Darrins were driven in California and had no running boards.

Darrin experts say these cars were built for style and usually held up for only five to10 years before the bodies sagged. Darrin eventually used cast aluminum parts to reduce body flexing. Chris’ car is very solid because of its long storage and solid steel reworked roof.

According to Chris, the buttons that operate the electric/hydraulic rear windows were placed high up on the dashboard, while the buttons for the front windows are on the sides of the front doors. The car originally came with only one back-up lamp, but a second one was added as an option, as was a chrome-plated muffler cover.

Chris told Old Cars Weekly that the car was too nice of an original vehicle to restore, but in 1999 in anticipation of exhibiting at the Packard Centennial National Meet, in Warren, Ohio, he had well-known restorer Fran Roxas, of Vintage Auto Group in Broadview, Ill., give it some much needed service so it could safely be driven over the road at high speeds.

The post Ask the man who owns one of one appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Oklahomans are a determined, tough bunch, and John Lewis was no exception. Growing up during the 1930s John saw first-hand how it took determination and shear will to survive. His Momma worked hard and saved what she could while raising John and his siblings. Money was tight and hard work was valued. John learned these valuable lessons, which helped him become successful in his future life. Having only a 4th grade education, John was determined to make something of himself. He joined the Navy in 1943 as a teenager and took pride that he was one of the youngest submariners in the submarine U.S.S. Pintado. He took pride in his years in the Navy and was proud of their missions during WWII, sinking many Japanese ships. After John’s service in the Navy he worked as a fireman and an electrician. It was as an electrician that he learned his trade and started Industrial Electric, a thriving business in Lawton, Oklahoma.

With his business thriving, it allowed him to buy the vintage cars and trucks that he saw and loved as a kid. The Brass Era, pre-war cars and trucks were his favorite, especially fire trucks. Being a fireman, he had a fondness for old fire trucks because they represented saving lives and helping people.

John married Jane after an introduction from their daughter. John Kept his wife Jane’s calendar book full of traveling all over the U.S. for rare trucks and cars. They would bring home their treasures, and John and his mechanic, Raymond Jet, would bring them back to life. It brought John great joy to see something that time had forgotten brought back to life instead of gathering dust or discarded.

John was good at getting people, especially his family, to do things. He would call up the kids and grandkids after a trip on the road gathering trucks and cars and put them to work washing and helping him fix his new finds. Everybody was involved in his love of cars and trucks. He also raised cattle and owned several farms. John was full of life and he made sure everyone had fun, especially while working with his collection. Soon the collection out grew the garage at his home and he built a museum where they are currently housed. Over 100 at a time, he would have them arranged and set up with his other collections of saddles, Indian artifacts, fossils and various collectibles. John would have barbecues for his customers and host special functions at the museum. The museum was never officially open to the public, but John would show people by appointment.

Being a fireman, John loved the old firetrucks and there are many in his collection. The collection has everything from an early horse drawn fire cart, 1915 White fire truck, to a 1946 American LaFrance ladder truck. Most all are restored back to original condition. John’s collection is unique and eclectic; it even has an eerie collection of hearses. The hearse collection ranges from an ornate 1888 Sayers & Scoville horse drawn hearse to a rare 1928 Henney hearse with fake bodies included. John was always up for a joke and made people laugh. John wanted to make sure everyone always had a good time.

The collection is mostly comprised of pre-war Brass and Nickel era cars and trucks. A 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom II Landaulet coach as well as other limos are waiting to go back into service. A 1914 Ford Model T Speedster is beautifully restored and looks like it’s ready for the Great Race. There is an assortment of White, Mack, Dodge Brothers, Packard, REO Speedwagon, and International C-Cab trucks and deliveries plus a rare 1925 Mack truck with airplane engine testing equipment installed. For parades, John has an assortment of coupes, sedans, and touring cars, including a 1914 Studebaker among others.

John was always hunting for rare trucks and cars and one of his favorites and biggest challenge was procuring a 1925 White Bus. The 1925 White Bus is decked out in yellow with yellowstone lettering.

One of the other rarities in the collection is a 1910 Knox truck. The truck appears original, aside from the replacement 1950’s HEMI engine and theater seats added to the bed. That must have been a wild ride.

John’s collection grew until he became sick and realized he wasn’t going to have a lot of time. He didn’t want to burden his family with the enormous collection he built and sold the collection, in its entirety, to a couple of men in Lawton, Oklahoma. John’s wife Jane said, “It was hard to let go, but it was also a blessing not to have to figure out what to do with all those rare trucks and cars, and other collections.”

Now it’s your chance to get one of these rare pieces of American history. This is just one of several auctions that will liquidate this enormous collection.

VanDerBrink Auctions, LLC will sell the John Lewis Collection on October 21st, 2017 at 9:30 at the museum at 816 SE 1st, ST. – Lawton, Oklahoma. The entire collection will be sold NO RESERVE, to the highest bidder. This will be your chance to get one of these rare pre-war trucks and cars. A preview will be held Friday October 20th with a social and barbeque that evening for bidders. If you can’t come to the auction, on-line bidding will be available. In addition to the trucks and cars there will be memorabilia, collectibles, parts and other items. There is even a water mine and bear trap along with approx. 80 rare, vintage trucks, fire trucks, buses and cars. Make your plans to attend the John Lewis Collection Auction. For more info, online bidding, catalog, and other great auctions Call VanDerBrink Auctions 605-201-7005 or www.vanderbrinkauctions.com . See you at this Amazing Auction!

The post The John Lewis Collection Auction appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

I love history and feel that it’s important in our lives that we learn from its examples. It’s amazing to me that the President and Congress ordered all the big automotive makers to stop making cars post Pearl Harbor, and work together for the war effort. They delegated jobs for efficiency. Continental Engines Ford, Chevrolet, and even Harley Davidson and Indian came together for the war effort. It’s amazing, the only way that you could get a car from Mid-1942 to part of 1946 was to have a “Need” ration coupon for a car, tractor, and many other things. If you did get a car, you may have had a wood bumper or an iron trimmed “Black Out” model. If you needed gas for a trip, you had to determine if the trip was absolutely necessary. If you had a tractor and needed to get new tires… forget about it! Farmers went back to steel wheels. Even then, came cut offs when rubber became available again.

Would any of us today be able to manage without our Starbucks coffee, gas, sugar, tires, cell phone, Facebook, and more? These basic staples and luxuries that we take for granted today were rationed as the nation came together for the war effort. For instance, think how difficult it would be to be without a phone. My Gramma Johnson told me about when Pearl Harbor was bombed and how they thought it was the end of the world. She really thought the end of the world was here. All the information she got was from newspapers and the radio. No TV, No 24 hour news! The country also knew the value of a secret and how crucial information was to success.

Everyone came together to support the cause. My Grandma talked about making cakes without some ingredients, mending stockings, and bringing in iron for the war effort scrap drive. I once held an auction by Chicago, IL. A salvage yard owner named Mr. Broston did an interview with me. He talked about men driving in Packards, Rolls-Royces, and other hi-end cars and SCRAPPING them for the war effort. He especially remembers cutting up all those Packards, one of his favorites. They drove them in and scrapped them! But when the war was over the country came together and created one of the biggest booms the economy has ever seen.

I listen to talk radio and keep up on the news while I’m driving around this great nation. It really is alarming to hear what is going on lately. It wasn’t that long ago, when I graduated from high school that Chevelles were a dime a dozen and your neighbor called your dad when you were caught horsing around. Nobody called the cops; they called your dad. The wrath of Art Nordstrom, to me, was worse than any local cop could dish out. Not being able to drive was a loss of freedom I didn’t like. There are so many things that have changed for the worse. If there was another national crisis I would like to think that the country could come together like that again, but with some automakers or parts for automakers not based in the US, would they be able to delegate or regulate them? Would the generation of “now” that are so used to everything being handed out a drive-thru window and getting everything they want be able to do without for the better good? I don’t know. But I sure hope so. So many opinions about the state of our nation are tossed out every day. Those opinions tend to divide us. Can we come together once again as a nation? Could I, as well as everyone else, do without? I would not be able to buy a new vehicle or even be able to buy sugar. Seeing as how I love chocolate that would be a big sacrifice.

But after listening to what the greatest generations went through, I would hope that this generation would learn from example and come together again. So, think about what’s important, and let’s take a page from the past and bookmark it for today. Remember, you need to be a contributing part of your community, country, and take care of people around you.

The post Could it Happen Again? appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

“My father started with Packard-Milwaukee about 1935 when the One-Twenty model was introduced. That really made an impact on me,” recalled Ralph Wehlitz of Merrill, Wis. Indeed, it did. Wehlitz went on to experience countless Packards up through the straight-eight era.

His father, Erwin Wehlitz, bought a 1927 Packard Club Sedan as the family car. Ralph Wehlitz recalls how he was impressed with his father’s car, down to the MotoMeter perched atop the radiator. Then came a 1930 seven-passenger sedan in which Wehlitz learned to drive. A 1933 Super Eight sedan with wire wheels later grabbed his fancy.
Wehlitz went on to work a short time at the agency before being drafted into the U.S. Infantry for the Second World War.

“Packard-Milwaukee was operated by the factory through Packard Motor Car Company of Chicago,” he said. “Mr. Quinlevan was the manager. I graduated high school in 1942 and went to work for Packard. My job was picking up cars. We used a three-wheel motorcycle, and if more than one car was being picked up, I would ride along and drive one back.”

When the war began, new 1942 Packards were stockpiled by distribution outlets, such as Packard-Milwaukee, to be sold according to government sanction. Many of the cars were Clippers, although there were some Darrin cars in the bunch. Several had air conditioning. Nearly 500 new Packards were stashed in cattle and sheep barns at a state fair park nearby. There was hardly enough room for a man to squeeze between the cars.

“We followed 37 governmental procedures to store them,” Wehlitz noted. Cars had to be placed on blocks, then tires were deflated to 12-15 lbs. Batteries were lined up on trickle charge. Sticks were pushed on the clutch pedal. A bag of moth crystals was positioned in each car. Rust preventative was wiped on exterior trim. Windshield wiper blades were placed in glove compartments. “Lard oil was put in the crankcase and on top of cylinders.”

In January 1943, the call came that several cars had been sold with government approval according to a priority list. Wehlitz and another man were given the task of retrieving the cars and bringing them to Packard-Milwaukee, which was located at the corner of 35th and Wisconsin.

“We were told to bring certain cars, by serial number,” he recalled. “Once we found where they were, we had to move all the cars in front of them, then prepare them for removal. This was in January. It was cold. We used a 1935 Buick ‘big eight’ service car to pull them out. Then we hooked up the car that we needed and pulled it around the fair grounds until it started. If the steering was stiff from cold grease, it wouldn’t steer fast enough for the turns. Next, we jacked up the front. It was my job to jump under the car and loosen the oil drain plug. Once all the lard oil had been drained — while the engine was running — I quickly tightened the plug and told him to add fresh motor oil. We then put the other cars back in place and headed to Packard-Milwaukee.”

Wehlitz estimated that Packard-Milwaukee had more than 20 men in the shop, some specializing in particular tasks. One man handled the grease rack, another the washing area. One person worked on carburetors and distributors. Others handled the grinding of valves or worked on generators and starters.

“It was a standard procedure to assign men like this,” Wehlitz said. As many as six people worked the office. There had to have been at least a half-dozen salesmen, he recalled.

As with many other young men, Wehlitz had to leave his job for military service. While in Italy, he lost an arm, and by the end of 1944, was headed back to America. For a while, he was hired by Packard-Milwaukee to be the weekend watchman. All the time, his appreciation for Packard deepened.

“Packard-Milwaukee was in a good location,” he said. “The neighborhood was fine, and there were other dealers nearby — A Dodge-Plymouth agency, Central Cadillac, a Nash dealer, a Chevrolet dealer and several used car lots.” He recalled taking the leather bank pouch from the dealership to the bank downtown. “I’d be called into the office and a bag with $3,000 was handed to me. I took the bus downtown to the bank. I don’t think it happens like that today.”

Wehlitz became a Packard owner when he obtained a used 1937 Super Eight for $400, a “New Orleans Blue, much lighter than Packard Blue,” he quickly explained. Later came a 1941 Packard Six, then his first new car, a 1950 Standard Eight.

“In the early 1950s, Congress passed a bill for the disabled, especially amputees, making them entitled to receive a $1,600 allowance for a car,” Wehlitz said. “I bought a new one, a Packard ‘300’ sedan, my ‘road locomotive.’ It was smooth, comfortable and powerful.”

He never owned another once Packard went out of business. Still, he is impressed. “A very superior company, innovative in building automobiles. Always excellent machines and a joy to own. My 1937 ‘Senior’ was the best looking I ever owned, and that includes recent Mercedes automobiles. The ’37 was the best looking, ever.”
Just ask Ralph Wehlitz. He was the man who owned one…and liked many more.

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