wordsandphotographybyrichardLentineLLoClassic Car
Conference
Three-day symposium
of insightful seminars
on automotive history
and restoration
H
aving celebrated its third such conference in as many
years, the 2019 convention took place this past April
in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Held on the spacious
grounds of The NB Center for American Automotive
Heritage, this year’s event was a special one as it was a joint effort
by the Historic Vehicle Association and Society of Automotive
Historians, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
For three days, the 137 attendees on hand were treated to a
variety of seminars and presentations, and a very interesting tour
of all the buildings that comprise The NB Center’s first-class res-
toration facility. Lead by curator Keith Flickinger, the “Workshop”
seminar took place in the body restoration and paint building,
where the discussion centered on the staff’s step-by-step ap-
proach to rebuilding a car to authentic concours condition.
From details about the metalwork procedures and body prepara-
tion to the use of parts cars and every other facet of automobile
restoration were discussed, including how interiors are recreated.
Besides being highly informative, it was all very inspiring.
In all, there were 22 different seminars and presentations
spread across the three days. Catered lunches and dinners
brought everyone together in the relaxing atmosphere of a rebuilt
Pennsylvania Dutch barn.
With the “Tin Goose” Tucker prototype and Preston Tucker’s
great-grandsons on hand, “Preservation: The Tucker” was a semi-
nar about how the prototype was resurrected; it was given by the
students of the Pennsylvania College of Technology who did the
actual work.
One of the more popular presentations was when Nicola
Bulgari (of Italy’s famed Bulgari jewelry business, and founder
of The NB Center), Ed Welburn (former General Motors V.P. of
Global Design), and Fred Simeone (founder of the SimeoneMuseum in Philadelphia) had a roundtable discussion called
“Design, Engineering & Performance.” This was followed by “A
Civil Rights Story,” given by HVA vice president Diane Parker,
regarding why a 1966 Volkswagen Microbus was recently
awarded National Historic Vehicle Register status, and how it
was rescued from a South Carolina backyard. After an interesting
talk by McKeel Hagerty, a cocktail reception followed.
With an emphasis on preservation and conservation, and
documentation, the seminars had diverse topics, such as: inter-
preting automotive history, service manuals, history of Reuters
Coachworks, futuristic technologies, the historical value of racing
films, the Ford Model T, and preservation practices by the GM
Heritage Center. SAH President Louis Fourie and I gave a seminar
on publishing where we talked about self-publishing and how to
become a freelance writer for car magazines. Oh, there was even
a seminar on the history of automotive video games.
But, without question, everyone’s favorite event was the ride
and drive session. A selection of cars from The NB Center’s impres-
sive collection were made available for the attendees to drive,
including a 1910 Packard 30 Roadster brought by noted restorer
Steve Babinsky. Most of the cars were prewar examples, all of
which were American makes. A special treat was when a Le Sabre
Concept was brought out. It was on loan from the GM Heritage
Center, for all who wanted to experience what this sensational
show car felt like at speed. Talk about a rare chance of a lifetime!
The itinerary for the 2020 Driving History Conference has
yet to be set, but, if you’re serious about automotive history, then
you should consider attending. It may very well be the best car
event you ever take part in. For details on joining either one of
these prominent organizations, visit their websites—SAH at
http://www.autohistory.org and HVA at http://www.historicvehicle.org.Tucker prototype, the “Tin Goose,” was the
subject of a preservation seminar conducted by
the Pennsylvania College of Technology.42 HemmingsClassiCCar october 2019 I Hemmings.com