Gazette - Larz Anderson Auto Museum

Larz Anderson Auto Museum
Gazette
Vol. 1, No. 1 — May 2015
President’s Notes
As President of the Larz Anderson
Auto Museum, it is my pleasure to
welcome you to the Museum’s publication,
the Gazette. We named it that because
it reflects the name of publications at the
dawn of automobiles.
One recurring feature will be “The
Anderson Cars,” which you will find on
page 3, highlighting one of the vehicles
owned by Larz and Isabel Anderson, part
of America’s Oldest Car Collection.
This publication is designed to bring
our automobile community closer together. Come more often. I hope you enjoy the
Gazette.
John Carberry
2015 Lawn Events
Sun., May 17 — Cadillac Day, 10am-3pm
Sun., May 31 — AACA Day, 10am-2pm
Sun., June 14 — Corvette Day, 9am-3pm
Sun., June 21 — German Car Day, 10am-2pm
Sun., June 28 — British Car Day, 10am-2pm
Sun., July 12 — Microcar Classic, TBA
Sun., July 19 — Miata Day, 10am-2pm
Sun., July 26 — Day of Triumph, 10am-2pm
Sun., Aug. 2 — Tutto Italiano, 10am-2pm
Sun., Aug. 9 — BMW CCA Day, 9am-2pm
Sat., Aug. 15 — MG Rover Day, 10am-2pm
Sun., Aug. 16 — American Car & Truck Day,
10am-2pm
Sun., Aug. 23 — Swedish Car Day, 10am-2pm
Sun., Aug. 30 — Ford Lincoln Mercury Day,
10am-2pm
Sat., Sept. 12 — Porsche Day, 9am-3pm
Sun., Sept. 13 — European Motorcycle Day,
10am-2pm
Sun., Sept. 27 — Mercedes Day, 10am-3pm
Sun., Oct. 11 — Transporterfest, 9:30am3:30pm
Sat., Oct. 17 — Tutto Lite, 10am-2pm
Sun., Oct. 18 — Japanese Car Day, 10am2pm
Sat., Oct. 24 — Extinct Car Day, 10am-2pm
Sun., Oct. 25 — Studebaker Day, 10am-3pm
Walter Zwiebble (left) shows off his Morgan at British Car Day 2014.
Larz Anderson . . .
The Ultimate Auto Destination
by Richard A. DeVito, Sr.
Just about every car club or collection of clubs in New England
finds its way to the lawn of the Larz Anderson Auto Museum during
the season. We at the Museum want to be sure every club is able to join
us, not just once but sometimes two or three times per year. For
example, we have German Car Day, followed by every Germanmade car having its own day individually. It’s a wonderful time for
all, car owners and spectators alike.
Make sure you look at the schedule and join us. These Lawn
Events are growing rapidly. Last year, German Car Day covered
almost every blade of grass we had.
In addition, there are events going on inside the Museum. We
have a new theme every year and this year we are featuring an
extensive collection of motorcycles, from 1800’s era bicycles with
bolt-on motors to superbikes. Great exhibit. Don’t miss it.
The Gazette and Museum website will keep you informed.
Our New Exhibit
“Beauty of the Beast: Motorcycles
— Art, Form, Function, Freedom,” a
new exhibit at the Larz Anderson Auto
Museum exploring the motorcycle
from an artistic, historic, mechanical
and cultural perspective, will open to
the public on May 8th. The year-long exhibit will examine
the life history of the motorcycle, from
the pioneering 1800’s era — when an
engine was simply bolted to a bicycle
— through the present-day technological and artistic triumphs achieved by
manufacturers in Asia, Europe and the
United States, leading to a shift in cul-
Larz Anderson Auto Museum
Gazette
Monthly May through October
Bimonthly November through April
Contributors to this issue:
Richard De Vito, Sr.
Jennifer Arone
Stephen Beach
John Christoforo
Joseph Price
Sheldon Steele
Bruce Vild
All photos courtesy of our contributors
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tural perceptions, and a worldwide fan
base of enthusists. The exhibit will feature some of the
rarest, most technically innovative, historically significant, and beautiful motorcycles of all time. They have been
brought together within the context of
the history of the automobile, examining technological and style parallels
and the evolution of the motorcycle
from an inexpensive alternative to the
motorcar to a distinct entity and potent
social and cultural symbol. Abounding with visually compelling examples of the impact of the motorcycle on popular culture, the exhibit
will recall for the visitor such classics as
Easy Rider, The Wild One, The World’s
Fastest Indian, and other iconic cinematic portrayals of the motorcycle as
the ultimate expression of freedom.
“This new exhibit builds upon our
twenty-five-year-long tradition of hosting New England’s largest gathering of
European motorcycles at the Museum’s
annual Larz Anderson Classic European Motorcycle Day,” Sheldon Steele,
executive director and curator of the
exhibit said.
“Instead of being just a day, we
will be celebrating and exploring the
motorcycle all year. The cultural im-
pact of the motorcycle, its kinship to
the automobile, the advanced engineering and styling, all in context of the exhilaration and excitement of the motorcycling movement, will make this the
only exhibit of its kind in New England,
and an exciting attraction for visitors,
members and Lawn Event guests.” Iconic brands such as BMW, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Honda and Indian
will be among the featured marques.
The competitive speed arena will
be well represented at “Beauty of the
Beast.” The 1970 Harley Davidson
Sportster Powered Streamliner from
the Bonneville Motorcycle family, and
both the Pro Mod Suzuki TL 1000 and
Suzuki Hyabusa motorcycles used by
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer
Sam Herwitz, a Newton, Mass. resident
and drag racing legend, are all part of
the racing and competitive riding section of the exhibit.
The very newest, most exotic motorcycles the world factories have to
offer, including the Ducati 1199 Superleggera “superbike,” will be on display, as will a complete representation
of the century’s best in motorcycling. Legends like the Vincent Black Shadow
from England, a rare MV Augusta, and
(Continued on page 4)
The Anderson Cars
It all started with a Winton...
by John Christoforo
The Andersons’ love affair with the automobile began soon after they were married and led to the purchase of this
1899 Winton Phaeton.
Alexander Winton arrived in New
York in the last half of the 19th century,
when he was only nineteen. His
mechanical abilities were displayed in
various areas of marine engineering
until around 1886, when he settled
in Cleveland, where he and Thomas
Henderson opened a bicycle company. A business panic in 1893 caused the
company to flounder and Winton
switched to horseless carriages.
In 1897, he formed the Winton
Motor Carriage Co., and built a car
that could accommodate three people
abreast on both front and rear seats. His
design was equipped with a 2 cylinder,
10 horsepower engine that could move
at 30 miles per hour. In 1898, he sold
his first auto for $1,000.00.
Isabel and Larz Anderson,
enthusiasts of the new horseless
carriages, may have been intrigued by
the Winton Company motto, “It Will
Go.” While traveling in France, they
saw these Winton machines cruising
through the streets and they knew that
they had to have one. In 1899, the
young married couple purchased their
first automobile, a Winton Phaeton.
For the first two years of their marriage, the Andersons traveled the world
extensively and, in the process, put together a collection of 32 horse-drawn
carriages. Fourteen of them are still on
display at the Museum. As mentioned,
in 1899 Larz and Isabel bought their
first horseless carriage, the beginning
of a collection that today is the foundation of the oldest automobile museum
collection in the United States — the
Larz Anderson Auto Museum.
(Continued on page 4)
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The Anderson Cars (Continued from page 3)
The Winton’s tires, in 1899 when new (left) and 116 years later on the unrestored vehicle.
More on the 1899 Winton
At the beginning of the automobile age, we see the
transition from Conestoga horse-drawn wagon to a horseless
vehicle. This new vehicle is somewhat of a blending of a
wagon, a bicycle, a motorized 10 horsepower engine, a
tiller for steering, and a rear axle similar to the ones we use
today.
The tires are tall and skinny, similar to a bicycle. The
rubber was almost pure gum without a tread. Much of our
rubber was partly discovered by Thomas Edison while
looking for materials for his light bulbs. Mainly, he was
looking for the proper bamboo for the bulb filament. He found
it in Fort Myers, Florida, and other places. (See Edison, Fort
Myers, Florida, and his museum.) However, he searched
the world for rubber, and while he didn’t use what he found,
his friends Harvey Firestone and Charles Goodyear did and
built empires on tires.
Tires then didn’t last long on our roadless trails. Rocks,
ruts, and grass trails were hard to navigate, but the transition
had been made. The horses’ days for vehicle motivation were
numbered.
In two years, the development was dramatic, but we had
to start somewhere. We’ll talk about the 1901 Winton in the
next issue. But, this car, the ’99, the oldest in our collection,
is like a tadpole. It was a start. It put the horsepower to the
wheel instead of the animal.
The Anderson family bought this car for their collection,
and here it stands today, unrestored, as they got it 116 years
ago. The tires have turned to hard plastic-like material
because the rubber substance has lost its flexibility. It’s very
much like looking at the Wright Brothers’ first airplane or
the first computer.
However, someone had to rub the bottle to get the
genie out. In this case, the Winton boys made that happen.
Fascinating! —Richard A. DeVito, Sr.
Our New Exhibit (Continued from page 2)
a historically significant 1935 Morgan
Super Sport Three-Wheeler will highlight the evolutionary variations of the
motorcycle. European greats including
the 1923 BMW r32, which was part of
the Art of the Motorcycle at Guggenheim, acclaimed for rocketing BMW’s
motorcycle success with its masterful
design concept that would endure the
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rest of the century, and the 1935 BMW
r17, representing the height of the Art
Deco movement, will punctuate the
mechanical, artistic design and styling
aspects of the Motorcycle.
The “Beauty of the Beast” exhibit
opens May 8th, and runs through the
year, concurrently with the popular
summer “Lawn Events” auto shows
schedule. Admission is: $10 for adults,
$5 children, seniors, and active military.
For more information or to become
involved in the exhibit, please contact
Sheldon Steele at (617) 522-6547 or
[email protected], or visit
www.larzanderson.org. —Jennifer
Arone May-June Lawn Events
Sunday, May 17: CADILLAC DAY
Cadillac Day has historically been the “kick-off show” of
the Lawn Event Season and is sponsored by the New England Cadillac and LaSalle Club.
The show starts at 10am and runs until 3pm. Car registration is $10 per car and includes the driver and one passenger.
Spectator admission is adults, $10; military, seniors,
students and children 6-12, $5; and children under 6 are free. Museum members are always free! The Museum is open for your viewing until 4pm. Lunch
will be available on site for purchase.
Sunday, May 31: AACA DAY
AACA Day was a new addition to the Lawn Event Schedule in 2013. The Bean Pot Region of the Antique Automobile
Club of America sponsors the show. This show is not just for
cars but also for trucks, racecars, hot rods and motorcycles,
all over 25 years old.
The show starts at 10am and runs until 2pm. Car registration is $15 in advance and $20 day of show. Spectator admission is adults, $10; military, seniors, students and children
6-12, $5; and children under 6 are free. Museum members
are always free! The Museum is open for your viewing until
4pm. Lunch will be available on site for purchase. If you would like to pre-register, please visit http://www.
beanpotaaca.com.
Sunday, June 14: CORVETTE DAY
The National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS), New
England Chapter, sponsors Corvette Day. All Corvette owners are invited to attend.
The show starts at 9am and runs until 3pm. Car registration is $20 per car and includes the driver and one passenger.
Spectator admission is adults, $10; military, seniors,
students and children 6-12, $5; and children under 6 are free. Museum Members are always free!
The Museum is open for your viewing until 4pm. Lunch
will be available on site for purchase.
If you are trailering a vehicle to a Lawn Event, please see
the notice on the next page.
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May-June Lawn Events
Sunday, June 21: GERMAN CAR DAY
German Car Day is the first Museum-sponsored show of
the season. It’s on Father’s Day, so bring your dads, because
what dad doesn’t like a little German engineering? All proceeds benefit the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. Any automobile is accepted regardless of make, model or year, as long as
it’s German.
The show starts at 10am and runs until 2pm. Car registration is $20 per car and includes the driver and one passenger. If you pre-register, the fee is reduced to $15 per car. Spectator admission is adults, $10; military, seniors,
students and children 6-12, $5; and children under 6 are free. Museum members are always free! The Museum is open for your viewing until 4pm. Lunch
will be available on site for purchase.
Sunday, June 28: BRITISH CAR DAY
British Car Day is a Museum Show and all proceeds
benefit the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. Any British automobile is invited and encouraged to attend regardless of make,
model or year.
The show starts at 10am and runs until 2pm. Car registration is $20 per car and includes the driver and one passenger. If you pre-register, the fee is reduced to $15 per car. Spectator admission is adults, $10; military, seniors,
students and children 6-12, $5; and children under 6 are free. Museum members are always free! The Museum is open for your viewing until 4pm. Lunch
will be available on site for purchase.
If you are trailering a vehicle to a Lawn Event...
Please be advised there is absolutely NO trailer parking within the grounds of Larz Anderson Park. There is also no overnight parking available. You MUST park your
trailer outside of the park grounds. Parking spots within the park are limited to Park Visitors
and Museum Guests. Unauthorized trailers will be asked to move via Museum PA or DJ and
then towed. For more information or questions about lawn events, please call the
Lawn Event Manager at 617-522-6547 x13 or email
[email protected].
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Meet the members of LAAM
John Darack
John Darack’s earliest car-
related memories harken back to the
late 1940s when he would ride in his
dad’s ’36 Pontiac, the Green Hornet. When John was twelve, his dad
took him to the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation (as it was
known back then), where he became
the youngest member at the time (in
1957!). John then purchased a Ford
Model A, in which he got his driver’s
license.
As a college student, he then
had a series of “cheap used beaters
(MG TF, Austin-Healey 100, Porsche
356A, Porsche Speedster) [that] got
me through those and the ensuing
years. Oh, to have those cars now!” Currently, John has a collection of eight cars, including a Jaguar
XK120 Coupe, an XK150 Roadster,
an Alfa Giulietta Spider, a Morgan
4/4, a barn-find Porsche 912 Targa,
a Volvo 1800ES, a Mercedes-Benz
280SL and a ’59 Ford Pickup. Most interestingly, these cars get
driven! In 1998, John and a friend
took the XK150 on the New England
1000 Rally — 1,000+ miles through
northern New England in just five
days, where they finished third in
class (of three…shush!). In the early
2000s, he also competed in local Jaguar club slalom events, and in 2002
and 2006 was crowned Class B National Champion. —Sheldon Steele
John (below) and his collection.
Clockwise, from bottom left: Morgan
4/4; Mercedes 280SL; Volvo 1800 ES;
Porsche 912 Targa; XK150 Roadster;
Ford Pickup, XK120 Coupe; Alfa
Giulietta Spider.
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Membership matters.
Member Benefits
Payment Information
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