June 18, 2011

Klingberg Vintage Motorcar Festival

We are proud to announce Wayne Carini of Discovery HD Theater’s “Chasing Classic Cars” and his dad, Bob Carini, as the Grand Marshals of the 2011 Klingberg Vintage Motorcar Festival. It is fitting that Wayne and his dad share this honor, as we celebrate the importance of families at the Festival this Father’s Day Weekend.

Wayne’s passion for cars started when he was a child working alongside his dad on such classics as Duesenbergs, Lincolns, Packards and Ford Model A’s. Then, at just 9 years of age, he experienced a life altering event: he went for a ride in his first Ferrari. This set him on a career journey dealing with all types of vintage automobile collectors throughout the world.

Chasing Classic Cars , now in its fourth season, gives the viewer a look into Wayne’s circle of clients as he searches out and uncovers the world’s most rare and exotic cars. Chasing Classic Cars shows the viewer the world of car restorers and collectors as Wayne buys, restores and sells vintage automobiles.

With a lifetime of experience in automobile restoration under his belt, master car restorer Wayne Carini has a resume’ that includes body and paint work on rare car collections owned by the likes of David Letterman, tennis great Ivan Lendl and the DuPont family. He’s been featured in the New York Times as well as numerous automobile magazines, and starred in two one-hour television specials, for Discovery’s HD Theater Channel:Monterey Week and The World’s Most Expensive Cars.

Wayne and his wife have been married for 25 years and he is a dedicated father of two daughters. The family resides in rural Connecticut, in a log home that Wayne built 34 years ago. An avid supporter of autism research organizations, he helps organize and sponsor car events for the benefit of children and adults with autism. His incentive to find a cure or treatment is his youngest daughter, who was diagnosed with autism at an early age. It is this experience that gives Wayne an understanding of the work with children and families that goes on each and every day at Klingberg Family Centers.

Wayne is also involved in and regularly attends many different car clubs and events to get young people involved in the car collector hobby. He believes that without young people’s involvement, the car collector tradition will disappear. His latest passion is convincing families with special needs children to consider placing collector cars into a special needs trust with the hope that the cars will benefit the children in the future. Wayne supports the Automobile Restoration Program at Klingberg’s Raymond Hill School.

Come and meet Bob and Wayne Carini at the Klingberg Vintage Motorcar Festival, June 18^th.

The history of Connecticut automobile manufacturing is virtually hidden to most of it’s citizens. It has only been through researching many obscure sources, that I have found how prolific the automobile industry really was in our state. Quite a bit of information has been found on the major companies like Pope-Hartford, Locomobile and Corbin where there are still representative automobiles in existence various collections around the world. I found many photographs and advertising brochures which show their beauty and describe their great workmanship. Numerous vintage photographs show these cars in the early 2oth Century Vanderbilt Cup Races, competing against the major European manufactures all to prove the durability of the automobile. In fact, several of the races were won by the CT cars, the most famous  Locomobile,  Number 16.

This 1907 Columbia was made in Hartford, CT. Owned by John Lothrop from New Hampshire, it was on display at the 2010 Festival

So, how many other automobiles were manufactured in Connecticut?  My list kept growing as  my research progressed but it was not until I talked with  Tom Tkacz Sr. about the subject that he gave me the most complete list. Amazingly, his list contains 184 Connecticut auto manufactures and including the automobile name, the town and year in which it was built. All made before 1920, most of them before 1910.

Most of the CT automobiles are known only by name  but nine makes still have automobiles in existence. They include the Corbin from New Britain; Pope-Hartford, Columbia and Kelsey-Motorette from Hartford; Locomobile and Trumbull from Bridgeport;  Frisbe and Compound from Middletown and the Cameron from New London and Stamford. We had 14 Ct-made automobiles at the 2010 Vintage Motorcar Festival and we expect others to be on display at the 2011 Festival. If anyone has information about these cars please contact me, Mark Johnson, at markj@klingberg.org or 860 832-5526

“Hartford does not claim to have made the first automobile but does claim to have started the automotive industry,”  This statement was made by auto designer and engineer,  Henry Cave,  who worked with Daimler Motor Company, Locomobile and with George B. Seldon to design, develop and demonstrate the first Seldon patent car. (that is another story coming soon)

The very first  Hartford company to work in the automobile industry was the National Machine Company in 1891. Located at Capital Ave and Woodbine Street, they made motors for Steinway-Daimler, the engine that established the auto industry in Europe. But five years later in 1895,  the Pope Manufacturing Company established the Motor Carriage Department and experimented with gas powered automobiles. Their conclusion was that these cars were very noisy, vibrating,  greasy and complicated to operate. They also believed that  the wealthiest citizens, the only ones who could afford such a vehicle, would not be interested in such a car.

The Pope Manufacturing Company concentrated their efforts into designing and developing electric engines and in 1897 formally offered to the public the Electric Phaeton for a price of $3,000. Henry Cave reports, “Under the direction of the production experts, these handsome vehicles were the first to be made in this country on anything like a substantial basis.’ The Hartford Times wrote,” Its cost of maintenance and operation should be much less than that of a pair of horses…never found anyone so stupid that they could not run the carriage but there are many who can’t handle a horse…6 or 8 inches of snow “no obvious obstacle”".

The Hartford Courant wrote under the title, ” HORSELESS ERA COMES”, the electric vehicle was managed and turned about with as much comfort and success as you would have in driving the gentlest horse…The idea of sitting in a rolling carriage, nothing in front of  the dashboard but space…is something exhilarating and fascinating.”

The first vehicles made were made under the Columbia name. Pictured here is a Columbia Mark III Standhope, an advertising post card produced by the Pope Manufacturing Company. The vehicle was quite simple with four bicycle wheels and seating for two. It had a gong (forerunner to the horn) and four electric lights to illuminate the way at night. One of the first well known owners was Andrew Carnegie.

The Klingberg Vintage Motorcar Festival, June 19th, 2010, featured 14 automobiles made in Connecticut and will feature more in the 2011 show as more have been located.

Several times each year, one of Klingberg’s most famous residents leaves the hill and dutifully travels to exhibitions and festivals around the state to spread the word about the agency’s work.  Wherever he goes, he fascinates young and old alike, draws a lot of questions, and promises to tell a good story or two.  Such a faithful ambassador . . . it’s the 1914 Ford Model T Depot Hack.  Since Klingberg acquired the Model T in 2006 and lovingly restored it to its present condition, it has been used as a tool for publicity and raising community support.

Last weekend Mark Johnson and Peter Burk from Klingberg’s Development Office brought the Model T down to the 14th Annual Antique Vehicle Show at Mystic Seaport.  Despite the threat of rain, the vehicle fit right in at this especially picturesque show-by-the-sea.  A finishing touch came from Gwen and Parker Ackley, pictured below riding in the Model T’s back seat.  The Ackleys are antique car enthusiasts who often wear turn-of-the-century costumes to match the surrounding vehicles.  And, their willingness to get into character has brought a special nostalgic flair to Klingberg’s own Vintage Motorcar Festival more than once.

Whether it’s at the Governor’s Mansion or a small town car show, the Connecticut Business Expo or the ribbon cutting of a bank, the Model T offers an entry point into conversation about Klingberg and a means of building connections with those who make contributions to to the agency. In the five years this car has been “working” for Klingberg, he has definitely earned his keep.

NEW BRITAIN — Somewhere between the Caspian blue metallic 1964-and-a-half Mustang and the candy apple red and white “Starsky and Hutch” 1975 Torino, it occurs to guests and drivers at the Klingberg Vintage Motorcar Festival that it’s not just about shiny chrome and a slick paint job.

“It’s about the past and our childhood,” said Christine Kelly as she stood next to her red 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible on display along with hundreds of other vintage, classic and antique during Klingberg’s annual show Saturday. “My brother had one when I was growing up and I always wanted one too.”

The annual event offers auto aficionados and those seeking to remember the past the chance

to view hundreds of glistening cars from the turn of the 20th century on up while helping to raise funds for the nearly two dozen programs Klingberg Family Centers provides for youth in trauma and their families throughout the area.

This year’s show was held for the first time in the spring on Father’s Day weekend and appeared to already be drawing a larger crowd by noon than the 5,000 visitors that were anticipated, said Mark Johnson, Klingberg’s vice president of development who along with his staff organizes the show.

“I’m thrilled, it’s tremendous,” Johnson said as he watched thousands of visitors stroll among hundreds of glistening cars, live entertainment and booths by local sponsors. “There are a lot of people, it sure seems like suddenly the cars were buried with people. I’m getting a lot of positive feedback.”

This elegant 1937 Delahaye from France attracted a lot of attention on the Concours d'Elegance field

Meanwhile New Britain Mayor Timothy Stewart was viewing the cars to make his annual selection for the Mayor’s Choice award. He admitted that he’s partial to the 1960s and 1970s American muscle cars but the entire event represented the best the city has to offer.

“The majority of folks that are here are from out of town,” Stewart said. “It’s a great event that brings people in from all over and showcases all the good things in the community.”

Kelly’s Bel Air was parked in the new “Concours d’Elegance” exhibit showcasing pristine vintage cars including several “Corbins” made in New Britain circa 1901 — 1910, at least five Pope Hartford’s also built in Connecticut and 1929 Rolls Royce driven up from Stonington that morning.

Kelly was dressed to match her blazing red automobile in a poodle skirt and saddle shoes. The car donned a “take out try” like those in 1950s drive up restaurants and a speaker from a drive-in movie. “I call her (the Bel Air) the picture and I’m the frame,” she said. “It’s a total look.”

The Concours also included a show-stopping Caspian blue metallic 1964-and-a-half Mustang convertible — one of the first off the production line — lovingly restored by Bob Urban of Waterbury. “I had a 1965 coupe and a 1966 convertible in high school as a teen,” Urban said. “It took a year and a half to restore. I have it out almost every day.”

Many of the cars come with a history, Johnson said, which adds to the ambiance and the attraction of the show. “We have a Trumbull, also built in the state in Bridgeport,” Johnson said. “Issac Trumbull took many of his cars on the Lusitania to bring them to be sold when it was hit by a torpedo. He died and that was the end of the company. There are just a few Trumbull’s left.”

This rare 1947 Davis owned by Wayne Carini and was featured in one of his episodes of Discovery HD Theater's "Chasing Classic Cars"

Other exhibits featured a solar powered car created by New Britain High School students and several Ford Cobras — all replicas made by the New Britain-based company ERA. “The cars are made in New Britain and sold all over the world,” said Johnson, who regularly scours car shows in other states to find Connecticut car owners who would be willing to bring their pristine vintage autos to Klingberg’s annual show. “We asked them, as a Connecticut company, to be a part of the show.”

But for the Shurack’s of Wethersfield, one of the best attractions was a link to their past and a recent movie shared with the entire family.

“I’m going to go see if the keys are in it,” said 13-year-old Jarod Shurack as he surveyed the 1975 candy apple red and white Torino painted the same colors as the famed Ford used in the Starsky and Hutch television show and recent movie with Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller. “It has the siren on the windshield,” Jarod’s 15-year-old brother Nate said. “It looks just like the one in the movie. The paint looks really nice too.”

“I drove a 1974 Torino,” their father Mike said as he explained the family had attended the show a few years ago. “It seemed like a fun thing to do today. This is an awesome show.”