Gazette - Larz Anderson Auto Museum

Larz Anderson Auto Museum
Gazette
Vol. 2, No. 4 — August 2016
“Celebrating” the Andersons
by Dr. Dean Saluti & Marjorie Cahn
Save the dates!
2016 Lawn Events
Sun., Aug. 7 — Tutto Italiano, 10am-2pm
Sun., Aug. 14 — BMW CCA Day, 9am-2pm
Sat., Aug. 20 — MG Rover Day, 10am-2pm
Sun., Aug. 21 — Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Day,
10am-2pm
Sun., Aug. 28 — Swedish Car Day, 10am-2pm
Sat., Sept. 10 — Porsche Day, 9am-3pm
Sun., Sept. 11 — European Motorcycle Day,
10am-2pm
Sun., Sept. 25 — Mercedes Day, 10am-3pm
Sun., Oct. 9 — Transporterfest, 9:30am3:30pm
Sat., Oct. 15 — Tutto Lite, 10am-2pm
Sun., Oct. 16 — Japanese Car Day, 10am-2pm
Sat., Oct. 22 — Extinct Car Day, 10am-2pm
Sun., Oct. 23 — Studebaker Day, 10am-3pm
Speakers Series
Thurs., Oct. 20 — Emily Schulz Parsons, Deputy Dir. and Curator, Society of the Cincinnati,
Anderson House, Wash., DC: The Adventurous
Life of Isabel Anderson
Thurs., Nov. 17 — Katherine Hills Winter,
Costume & Textile Collections and Exhibitions
Consultant to Anderson House, Wash., DC:
The Distinctive Gowns of Isabel Anderson:
Restoration and Preservation
The “Tempietto” (left foreground) and Water Garden at Larz Anderson Park. Above left:
Marjorie, Skip and Dean at the presentation.
Photos courtesy LAAM
On Wednesday evening, July 20th, Stephen “Skip” Moskey gave a presentation at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum on his book, Larz and Isabel Anderson:
Wealth and Celebrity in the Gilded Age. The Museum sponsored the event along
with the Brookline Historical Society and the Brookline Parks Department.
The packed house had many LAAM members in attendance. Since the Society of the Cincinnati headquarters is located in the former home of Larz and
Isabel Anderson in Washington, D.C., the Society was represented by Rennie
Little. Rennie, who lives locally, remembers playing in the Andersons’ Carriage
House, now the Museum, as a child.
Skip Moskey titled his presentation “Celebrate the Gift and History of Larz
Anderson Park.” He described the landscape architecture and exotic plantings that surrounded the estate. Using floor plans, he detailed the magnificent
Brookline mansion itself that the Andersons called home for nearly 50 years. He
also covered the lives of Larz and Isabel, which were fascinating. As we walk
through “our car museum,” we seldom reflect upon the lives of the Andersons,
who have given us the wonderful gift of their Carriage House.
(Continued on page 11)
Cars and Coffee
Cars and Coffee was created for car enthusiasts to meet up early
on a Saturday morning. They’d grab coffee, talk cars and by 11am
they’d be gone.
We’ve started our own tradition here at the Larz Anderson Auto
Museum. The Museum opens early at 8am on designated Saturdays
for your viewing. Grab a coffee and a snack and check out some of the
Boston area’s best cars.
Cars and Coffee is sponsored by Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management – The Keeney Group and Yuppieracing.net. This event is free.
Our next Cars and Coffee is Saturday, August 27, 8-11am.
Pictured above is one of the cars that came to Cars and Coffee last
year. Was it yours?
Photos by John Scullin & AC Photography
Support your Museum
www.larzanderson.org
Larz Anderson Auto Museum
Gazette
Monthly May through October
Bimonthly November through April
Contributors to this issue:
Richard A. DeVito, Sr.
Stephen Beach
Margie Cahn
Jennifer Corriveau
Karen Hasenfus
Peter Iannaco
Dr. Dean Saluti
Sheldon Steele
Bruce Vild
All photos courtesy of our contributors
unless otherwise credited
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The Larz Anderson Auto Museum:
Get to know us
President: John Carberry
Executive Committee Members: Joseph Freeman, Richard A. DeVito,
Sr., John Darack, Susana Weber, Denis Bustin, William Keeney, Northrup
“Norty” Knox, Thomas Frisardi
Museum Staff: Museum phone number - (617) 522-6547
Executive Director - Sheldon Steele, [email protected], Ext. 19
Member Services Manager/Operations Manager - Karen Hasenfus, events
@larzanderson.org, Ext. 18
Marketing & Lawn Event Manager - Jennifer Corriveau, lawnevents@
larzanderson.org, Ext. 13
Education Manager - Joseph Price, [email protected], Ext. 21 
July Lawn Events
Micro cars, macro fun
by Bruce Vild
Above: Ralph Hough and his Messerschmitt KR175. Left, from top: Kenn and
Donna Poore, Vespa 400; Luke Vancraeynest, Trabant 601S; Monique Gould,
Nissan Figaro; Tiana Gould, Metropolitan.
Every year, usually the weekend after July 4th, Charles and Nancy
Gould and their daughters Monique and Tiana open up their home to microcar and minicar enthusiasts from around the country, Canada, and even
overseas. After a day of drives and some last-minute wrenching, the activities culminate in a show at Larz Anderson, the Microcar Classic. This
show is unique among all the Lawn Events because spectators have the
chance to ride as passengers in these odd little vehicles on a short route
around the Museum grounds. Spectators have a blast, and drivers have fun
doing this. That’s why they keep coming back year after year.
Take Ralph and Wendy Hough, who live in Coldwater, Ontario. Yes,
that’s Canada. They have been coming to this event for as long as this
writer can remember, and over the years they have brought truly dazzling
cars, including a Messerschmitt Tiger and a BMW Isetta. This time it was
a 1955 Messerschmitt KR175. It was found about 20 years ago, literally a
basket case owned by a university student who shipped it home to Canada
with every intention of restoring it — which, of course, never happened.
His father contacted Ralph, who is well known as a Schmitt enthusiast, and
told him, “I’m sick of moving all these parts!” Ralph bought it, and built
it up in two years from six wrecks Ralph had also acquired.
(Continued on page 4)
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Microcar Classic (Continued from page 3)
This was the Schmitt’s second appearance at the Microcar Classic, and the former basket case came away with a firstplace trophy in the show’s Microcar class.
Also coming down from Canada were Kenn and Donna
Poore, who were delighted to give rides in their 1958 Vespa
400. The Poores, from Sarnia, Ontario, know the Houghs well
and have attended microcar events the Houghs have hosted up
north. This was their first time at the Microcar Classic, however. They have had their Vespa for about two and a half years,
having acquired it from an executive from the Double Bubble
Company who restored it 12 years ago. Donna says it’s driven
“all the time, occasionally to school!” Her students must love
it.
The Poores, while new to this event, have quite a microcar
history. Their first car was a 1932 Austin Bantam, and over
the years they’ve enjoyed a 1958 Isetta, 1969 Subaru 360, and
1986 Pulse Litestar. We hope to see them again next year. An
incentive might well be that they finished second in the Microcar class and brought home their own trophy!
Another veteran of the Microcar Classic owns a car a bit
larger than a Schmitt or a Vespa, but still with a small-displacement engine of the sort adored by the Goulds and their friends.
She’s Linda Abrams, an art restorer specializing in gilded objects, who lives in Waltham, Mass. Linda has owned a 1988
Citroën 2CV Six Special for seven years.
One could say she came by the car through a MINI dealership. A salesman at MINI of Peabody urged her after her purchase of a MINI Cooper to join the local Mini club and attend
one of their favorite events, the Microcar Classic at Larz Anderson. She did, fell in love with the whole scene, and began
seeking advice about buying a microcar of her own. On the
basis of reliability, her desire for a convertible, and the fact that
she had seen the car in France and found it charming, Linda got
herself a 2CV.
Linda’s 2CV is very much a daily driver and she often takes
it to work, wherever her projects might be. She remembers that
on her first day of ownership she took her friend Nancy to dinner. Over the course of the evening, she suddenly found she
Linda Abrams and her friend Bill Turville with the Citroën and the
trophy.
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couldn’t release the emergency brake. She managed to do it,
but, as she tells it, “It took a while — on my back, in a dress!”
A truly wonderful thing about the Microcar Classic is the
number of young people involved, who also return year after
year. For example, there’s Luke Vancraeynest from Stamford,
Conn., who’s turned 18 and is about to enter the University of
Connecticut in mechanical engineering. His car of choice is a
1981 Trabant 601S. What’s truly remarkable is that he personally imported the car from Europe when he was only a lad, age
14! Luke told me he always liked small European cars, but not
always their price tags. He found the Trabant affordable, very
easy to work on, and the parts all readily available.
Luke bought his Trabi from a BMW dealership and suspects it was used at some point for advertising. He can make
out a phone number and e-mail address through the car’s respray. He also takes umbrage at people referring to the Trabant
as “a crap Commie car.” It’s actually quite advanced, reliable
and rugged, with front wheel drive, a two-cylinder, two-stroke
600cc engine, and body panels made out of Duraplast (resin
from recycled materials) stretched over a steel frame. Luke’s
Trabi was in the Boston Cup concours last year as a daily driver, which is what it’s become under his ownership.
Two young women who have been involved in the Microcar Classic literally from the day they were born are, naturally,
Monique and Tiana Gould. Monique is a junior at Drexel University in fashion design, and this weekend was the steward of a
1991 Nissan Figaro. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, don’t feel
bad — it was intended only for the Japanese market, and you
had to enter a lottery if you wanted one. The Figaro looks like
a Japanese car from the very early 1960s until you look closer
and see all the retro controls activate modern conveniences,
such as the CD player or air conditioning.
Monique told me the Figaro was available in a color for
each season of the year: green for spring, blue for summer,
taupe for fall and purple for winter. It was offered with a manual transmission or automatic. The Goulds found this car in
Canada, via the Internet. “Mom always wanted one,” she said.
Tiana, meanwhile, drove to the Microcar Classic in a car
that should be much more familiar to American audiences, a
1961 Metropolitan. British car enthusiasts recognize immediately that the engine was sourced from Austin, and the car in
general reminds you of one of the Nash models from the mid1950s that has been shrunk to less than three-quarters size.
Tiana is going to Northeastern University in the fall and,
like Luke, will be studying mechanical engineering. She told
me she has been driving since she was tall enough to reach
brake and clutch pedals. Having Charles and Nancy as parents
does have its advantages.
There were so many other stories: the Morris Traveller of
David Schwartz, tops in the Mini class, available to anyone
who wanted to sit in it; the Velorex Oskars of Mike Braun and
former Prague resident Petr Kloub; the Corbin Sparrow of Stephen Watson, a 21st century microcar... but sadly, we’re out of
room. You’ll have to see them for yourself next year. July Lawn Events
Marvelous Miata Day by Peter Iannaco
Chris Tower has an all-original Mariner Blue 1990
Miata. His first-generation NA is from the first year the
car was available for sale in the States, and he’s the original owner. The car has remained in impeccable shape
over the last 26 years while only accruing 22,775 miles
over all those years.
The car has been thoroughly enjoyed in that time, being driven only on the best days. Over those 22,000-or-so
miles, he has treated his Mazda to many modifications that
only enhanced the driving experience. In 2015, he was
contacted by Moss Motors to have his car photographed
for the cover of their 2015 catalog, which was circulated
around the country! As of 2016, Chris and his NA marked
14 years of attendance at Miata Day at the Larz Anderson
Auto Museum, only missing one event due to rain — but
with a car as clean as his, we can hardly blame him.
Lloyd Bain was caught posing next to his one-of-1500
-produced 1993 LE, #327 to be exact. The 1993 LE was
a single-year-only, special-production car that was only
available in black, and featured a lovely red leather interior and special BBS wheels. Lloyd is the second owner
of the car but picked it up very early on with such low
mileage he might as well have been the original owner.
In addition to this car being rare and unique, Lloyd
continued to personalize it over the years with various options and modifications that he’s performed himself. Over
the years, the car has had 6-7 different iterations as he has
dialed in the look and performance of the car, customizing
it with hand-laid pinstriping and lots and lots of chrome.
At heart he is a lifelong hot rod guy who has been hooked
since he was very young — so young, in fact, that his
father told him it would be but a “passing phase,” but all
these years later, that passion is still running strong!
Showing off his new 1st place trophy for “Best in
Class Mazdaspeed,” David Brigham was more than happy
to tell us about his 2004 Velocity Red Mica Mazdaspeed.
With only 44,500 miles on its clock, this exceptional example was in excellent condition. No wonder he took
home the trophy.
This was the first Mazda Miata that he purchased, for
two reasons — one being that he wanted a car that was
fun, fast, nimble and something that he could autocross or
take to the track. The other was out of respect of his late
father, who worked tirelessly but always wanted to treat
(Continued on page 6)
Proud owners have their Day. From top: Chris Tower, 1990
NA; Lloyd Bain, 1993 LE; David Brigham, 2004 NB.
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Miata Day (Continued from page 5)
himself to a fun toy. David realized that there is no time like the
present and that you can’t take it with you, so now he’s enjoying
the beautiful weather with the top down. He’s improved the Mazdaspeed with an upgraded intake, intercooler, exhaust, short shift kit
and brakes, all of which he’s installed on his own. He wanted a car
that he could be hands-on with, and for that there’s no car better than
the Mazda Miata.
David Waung, all the way from Ottawa, Canada,
stood with his 2009 Mazda MX-5, surrounded by the other
nine cars that made the trip down with him to Miata Day.
Bought brand new in 2009, his car has only 60,000 km on
it even though he is the President of the Underground Miata Network, a “rebel group” of Miata owners who did their
own events and strayed from the national chapters because
they wanted to have their own unique set of rules.
The nine drivers and passengers all ventured down
through the mountains and B-roads to make it down to
Boston. They skipped the highways in favor of a more
scenic route along the back roads of New England so that
they could really enjoy the sharp handling of the Mazda
and, with their tops down, take in the sights. After today they will start their two-day trip back home, driving
back through the mountains and back roads since it was so
much fun the first time.
The youngest owner I met was Mickie Mi from New
York with his 2012 PRHT MX-5. Mickie’s car stands out
from the crowd not because it’s attention-grabbing, but
quite the opposite. The subtle modification he’s done really makes the car look just right. Lowered on a set of coilers with bronze Work XT-7 wheels, the car sits perfectly.
The Liquid Silver metallic paint contrasts nicely with the
custom red leather interior that really makes this car pop.
During a trip to Japan, Mickie first laid eyes upon the
PHRT MX-5 and fell in love with the shape of the car, with
its strong, flared fenders and sleek body. Mickie saw there
was more potential to be realized. Shortly after returning
home, he not only picked up what was not only his first
MX-5 but also his first manual-transmission car. After
finding out just how perfect the Miata is to autocross, it
only made sense to learn how to drive a stick shift.
Last but not least, there was Mark Foster and his brand
new 2016 MX-5 in stunning Ceramic Metallic, a color that
you just have to see in person. This is the one to have, too
— the Club Package with the BBS option that gives you
the upgraded wheels, brakes, suspension and body. This
car is designed to be taken to the track. Yet Mark says that
this one will be his daily driver and that he won’t be modding it, even though he has already changed a few things.
Let’s see how long he holds out before giving in.
Mark’s been with the Mazda family since 2001, when
he picked up a stock Protege5 that he eventually built out
completely for the track with a rebuilt turbo motor. In
2010 he finally saw the RWD light and bought a 2004
Mazdaspeed. Slowly that car went from comfortable daily
driver convertible to race car as well. Clearly it’s impossible to leave these cars stock! We’re sure that by Miata
Day 2017 his new MX-5 will have its share of improvements as well.
From top: David Waung, 2009 NC; Mickie Mi, 2012 NC; Mark
Foster, 2016 ND.
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July Lawn Events
Born in the USA by Stephen Beach
Above: The late-1970s version of the Chrysler 300, brought to
American Car and Truck Day by John Latinik. Right: Joel and
Robbie Coran in their 1960 Corvette.
It was July and maybe not the 4th, but pride in the USA
was running high. It was Larz Anderson’s American Car and
Truck Day. It was there, under the shade of an old maple tree,
that I found Bob Richards, of Wellesley, Mass., with his 1915
“Brass Era” Ford Model T.
When I asked him about the vehicle, Bob said his fatherin-law purchased the car in Detroit in 1950, where it was a barn
find that had sat for 25 years. Bob recalled his wife’s memory
of playing in it when she was a little girl. Now both of Bob’s
sons can answer questions about the car, maintaining fresh interest to this day. “Lots of people have never seen something
like this,” he told me. “The ‘Brass Era’ cars ended in 1915.”
Adjacent to Richards’ Model T was a very representative
example of a clean C1 Corvette from 1960, finished in Ermine
White with a red interior. Joel Coran, of Arlington, Mass., has
had this car for seven years, and he recalls, growing up, that he
thought it was one of the prettiest cars on the road.
Joel’s car was sourced through Pro Team, of Napoleon,
Ohio, and Joel is the third owner. The original 283 small
block, the base engine from model year 1957 through 1961,
and three-speed transmission are still in the car, along with the
optional second Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. Before Pro
Team brokered the vehicle it had a frame-on restoration, and
the car has aged beautifully as a high-quality driver, as Joel and
his son Robbie would agree.
John Latinik, from Beverly, Mass., brought an interesting example of automotive history: a 1979 Chrysler 300. In
the midst of financial troubles and a nationwide fuel crisis,
Chrysler executives and marketing managers decided in the
late 1970s to come out with a special Cordoba-based model,
built around the heritage of the 300 series from the 1950s. It
would have a limited run of 5,500 units. The company sold and
delivered 3,811 units on a per-order basis through the dealer
network. The package included the 360 small block, borrowed
from Dodge’s Li’l Red Truck along with its 727 transmission.
It also featured “Police Package” suspension components.
John really isn’t sure how many of these vehicles are still
in circulation in the USA. His car, with 85,000 miles on the
clock, was sourced from the Cape via Craigslist from a Mopar
collector. It has been in Massachusetts its whole life.
John’s 300 was originally a radio station giveaway raffle
car, delivered by Bancroft Motors. Their flagship store still
stands today as a tribute to their success, a no-expense-spared,
art deco-inspired commercial building in the heart of downtown Worcester at the base of Shrewsbury Street.
The 300 model was not cheap. With a delivered MSRP of
(Continued on page 8)
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American Car and Truck Day (Continued from page 7)
Sam Appleton with his 1966 Riviera and (right) Grandmother’s
mascot, Escargot.
$10,233.05, it was intended to be an aspirational car. Chrysler
also set aside five “Brass Hat” executive cars, painted in
Chrysler Red, and there was a Canadian variant, built as a Cordoba model with an appearance package.
Motor Trend was critical of the 300’s size and weight in a
feature story in their June 1979 issue. “But it has 195 horsepower,” retorts Latinik, “five more than Corvette!” Maybe the
writing staff at Motor Trend was being overly critical.
Speaking of performance, Bob Nizzari, of Wellesley,
Mass., brought his Auburn Bronze 1966 Oldsmobile Holiday
Coupe with the 442 package. The car came from Tempe, Ariz.,
where things only “dry rot,” not crumble to dust thanks to road
Ted Yerardi and his Galaxie 500.
8
salt as in New England.
The Olds’ second owner lived in Westboro, Mass., bringing
the car from Tempe in 1989. It went straight into a barn, where
it sat for 26 years. Word got around about the car’s idle status,
and Bob heard about it through a buddy.
The car was indeed straight, but needed work. Nizzari
turned to a fellow club member, one Richard Knight, to prepare
the car for a repaint. However, a careful five-step sanding process brought the Auburn Bronze enamel back to an outstanding
level of finish. Knight, an accomplished engine builder, also
helped fit a factory Tri-Power carburetor and an RPO W-30
cam.
“The car did some drag racing, as evidenced by twisted
rear axles,” said Knight. The car now has a “posi” rear end with
Auburn 355 gears, Mosher racing axles and a Muncie M-21
four-speed with a Hurst shifter. Let’s hope this Holiday Coupe
doesn’t spend any more time at the drags after all that work!
Sam Appleton, of Cambridge, Mass., showed off his 1966
Buick Riviera. In its second generation this model year, the car
was sold and delivered to Sam’s grandfather by Karl Buick of
New Canaan, Conn. The car lived in New York City and Stamford, Conn. Grandfather drove his shiny new “Riv” for nearly
12 years before retiring the vehicle to the garage.
“I first drove the car when I was 14,” recalled Appleton.
Fast forward to 2008, when Grandfather’s estate sale was in full
swing. Sam’s family acquired the car for a dollar.
As the VIN indicates post-May 1966 production, the car
was built with the desirable Wildcat 465 big block and not
the 421 Buick Nailhead, which was the base powerplant. The
Wildcat engines were also put into the GS Series cars.
This Riviera not only features 340 hp, but 340 ft. lbs. of
torque. Just as importantly, it also features Grandmother’s
chrome-plated snail on the hood of the car. “She used to call it
Escargot,” said Appleton with a wry smile.
Next I spotted a familiar car, Ted Yerardi’s 1972 Ford Galaxie 500. This one is straight out of Mayberry, sans Barney
(Continued on page 9)
Upcoming Lawn Events
Sunday, August 7: TUTTO ITALIANO
Bring your Italian car or motorcycle or simply your love
for Italian design — the Museum invites you to join us as we
celebrate the passion, design, performance and art of Italian
style. There will be music, food and various vendors on site,
with lunch available for purchase.
Tutto Italiano is sponsored by McLaren Boston, Ferrari of
New England and Maserati of New England. Gates open at
9am, with the show from 10am to 2pm.
This is a judged event. Day-of registration is $40 for cars
and $15 for motorcycles. There is a registration discount of
$5 if you pre-register on-line. If you would like to register by
phone, call the Museum at (617) 522-6547.
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.
Photo by Cityscape & B. Davis Photography
American Car and Truck Day (Continued from page 8)
Fife. This project was the brainchild of Ted’s father, Vic Yerardi, of Vic’s Weston Automotive in Weston, Mass. The story
goes that Vic was up in Vermont on some auto-related business
and stumbled across a non-running Galaxie 500. The owner
had passed away, with the sedan parked in the barn. The widow was probably delighted to see it go. It was finished in FoMoCo Metallic Green with a matching vinyl interior. And if
that were not enough to excite any buyer, the vehicle had only
22,000 miles on it. Vic hauled it back to Weston.
Ted and Vic began chasing all the goodies, which included
the “gumdrop” light on the roof, period-correct radio bolted
onto the tunnel in the center of the dashboard, and other bits
and pieces of law enforcement accessories. The piece de resistance was the creation of handmade door badges with an
image of the Weston Town Hall at the center of the artwork.
The car is so cleverly put together that in 2003 it appeared in
the movie Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood.
Heralding where the American automobile industry is
heading, rather than where it’s been, was the Tesla Motor Company booth on the show field. On hand were Helen Harding
and Nick Schubert of the Mashpee Commons store and Josh
Varghese of the Natick Mall store, along with a Tesla Model X,
their new SUV, and the popular Model S, featuring the longwheelbase sedan body.
“Tesla wants to go out of its way to make the transition
to electric as easy as possible,” said Schubert. “Performance,
design, green, and safe. It is the sixth fastest car zero to 60,
and NHIS rated the car 5.5 out of 5.0. One vehicle can stand
20,000 lbs. of force!”
When I asked about the new prototype sedan, the Model 3,
Schubert replied that it “is at the ‘penciled-down stage,’ ready
to go into production with a high-volume, affordable, downmarket strategy.” Right now the Feds are putting $7,500 “onthe-hood” to subsidize its $35,000 price tag. This incentive
applies to the first 200,000 delivered units, then will drop off
and cease altogether going into 2019. Twice that many orders
have been placed already!
Detail of door of the Yerardi “police” car.
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Upcoming Lawn Events
Sunday, August 14: BMW CCA DAY
Come witness the history and evolution of one of Germany’s most celebrated marques: BMW. Any vehicle from the
Bavarian carmaker’s long and storied past is welcome.
BMW CCA Day is sponsored by Turner Motorsport. The
show starts at 9am and runs until 2pm. Judged Car registration is $30 per car. Display Only (not judged) is $20 and
includes the driver and one passenger.
To pre-register, contact John Sullivan at [email protected]. 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.
Saturday, August 20: MG ROVER DAY
The cars from Morris Garage have been instrumental in
making English sports cars popular in the USA. What better way to honor this marque than a car show devoted to all
things MG? And Rover, too, a corporate partner of MG from
the 1960s to the mid-2000s!
The show starts at 10am and runs until 2pm. Car registration the day of the event is $20 and includes the driver and
one passenger. (There is no pre-registration.)
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, August 21: FORD-LINCOLN-MERCURY DAY
The Ford Motor Company has been an indispensable
facet of the automotive world almost since the beginning. Any
car from this most famous of carmakers, from Model T to Mustang or from Continental to Cougar, is welcome at this year’s
Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Day.
The show starts at 10am and runs until 2pm. On-line registration is $20 per car. Day-of registration at the tent is $25.
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.
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Upcoming Lawn Events
Sunday, August 28: SWEDISH CAR DAY
Swedish cars have rightfully earned a stellar reputation
for ruggedness, quality and dependability. That means there
are plenty of classic Swedish cars still out there, and many of
them will fill up the Great Lawn on Swedish Car Day.
Sponsored by Volvo Village of Danvers, the show is from
10am to 2pm. Car registration is $20 per car the day of the
event (no pre-registraton) and includes the driver and one
passenger. The show starts at 10am and runs until 2pm.
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.
Skip Moskey (Continued from page 1)
Skip explained that his book began as an article, but
expanded into an entire book, which gives us an insight into
life in the Gilded Age.
His presentation first covered the lives of the Andersons, a high-profile, powerful couple. Isabel wrote books,
plays and poetry, with the aim of using her travel experiences to educate other people about the world. One of her
books, Zigzagging, described her experiences as a volunteer
nurse in Belgium and France during World War I.
Moskey’s presentation then covered Larz’s diplomatic
career. Larz’s first assignment, in Europe in 1891, was
brought about through his relationship with Robert Todd
Lincoln, son of President Lincoln. He was transferred to
Rome where, in 1896, he met Isabel, who was in Italy for
her educational “Finishing Tour.” Larz later served as a diplomat in Japan. At this time, Larz was friendly with Henry
James, Oscar Wilde and John Singer Sargent.
Larz and Isabel were married in 1897 at the Arlington
Street Church in Boston. Their wedding caused a media
frenzy because of the marriage of their two fortunes. They
had an exciting social life, which included friendship with
the flamboyant Isabella Stewart Gardner. Larz did some real
estate development in Brookline as a hobby. He loved to sit
out in the gardens of his estate, chatting with his friends,
serving drinks, and smoking cigars. When the Andersons
spent time at their Washington, D.C., home, they had a staff
of 25 and constantly had guests for lunch and dinner, often
as many as a thousand in a month! Their time in Brookline
was more relaxed.
The Andersons were famous for their philanthropy.
They donated the Anderson Memorial Bridge that spans
the Charles River, connecting Boston and Cambridge. The
Boston College Eagle on the BC campus was brought from
Japan from Larz’s ambassadorship. They also conducted
charity fundraisers in their “theater in the round” on the
Brookline estate. The Andersons’ famous bonsai tree collection is now at the Arnold Arboretum. After Larz’s death,
Isabel donated several buildings to Boston University. It
should be noted that Isabel’s example as an independent
woman set the stage to “redefine women’s place in society.”
Skip spoke at length on the 74-acre property’s gardens.
There was a man-made lake with English gardens. There
was also a world-famous Italian garden, with illumination
and caged birds singing. Larz became an expert in garden
design. He saved newspaper articles about his gardens and
kept them in red leather-bound journals. These journals are
in our Museum today.
The presentation was lively, informative, and professionally done. Of course, Karen Hasenfus, from the Museum, coordinated a fantastic buffet, which we took in before
and after the speaker. Beer and wine were offered for sale,
rounding out a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Save the date!
Sunday,
September 18, 2016
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Membership matters.
As a Member of the Larz Anderson Auto Museum you receive many
benefits, such as:
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Free admission to the Museum during normal business hours,
including ALL Lawn Events.
Regular updates from the Museum, including previews of
upcoming lectures, concerts and other events.
Exclusive invitations to special events such as our Annual Members’ Party, Exhibit Openings, Mototours, book signings and more.
Ten percent discount on most items in the Museum Gift Shop.
With a Membership purchase of $100 or more, you will receive
guest passes valid for one year (up to a $100 value).
An online subscription to The Gazette, the Museum’s newsletter.
Payment Information
Win a Willys!
Willys-Overland produced over 350,000 Willys MBs, better known as “Jeeps,” for the U.S. war
effort during World War II. As the war drew to a close, the company started thinking about a way to
develop a civilian version to market to the public. In 1945, with some modifications, Willys began to
mass-produce the CJ-2A, one of the first civilian vehicles to be equipped with four-wheel drive.
Classic car collector and Museum trustee Tom Larsen owns one of these rugged vehicles, a
1948 CJ-2A. He had originally purchased it because he thought it would be perfect to use at his
Cape house. Over the course of ownership, he put a lot of work into it, including regular maintenance as well as repairs to the clutch, steering rack and exhaust. He then sold it to a gentleman in
Nantucket, and the Jeep eventually came to reside in Atlanta, Ga. Tom then repurchased the Jeep
and has now decided to donate it to the LAAM with the intention of having it raffled off to support the
Museum. He knew that it would be an exciting vehicle for people to see at the Museum and to have
a chance to own as our 2016 raffle car.
Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100, and are on sale now until the date of the drawing, July 23,
2017, at next year’s American Car and Truck Day. All proceeds will benefit the LAAM. Please visit
larzanderson.org/events/winawillys/ to buy your tickets now!
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