On the Road 8 x 30; 24 x 7

07-02-2005 Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory Corners, MI

By noon we were in Decatur gassing up the truck. I got a Kalamazoo paper at the gas station. The lady asked where we were from. I said Texas and we wonder how far north we have to go to get out of the heat. She said "Upper Peninsula!" I told her we're heading that way. It sure feels good to have slacks on and still be slightly chilly. We took I-94 to 131 in Kalamazoo to 43 and followed that north east past Gull Lake where we saw the many red barns of Gilmore Car Museum. Nestled on 90 landscaped acres in restored historic barns we found nearly 200 extraordinary vehicles spanning more than 100 years of automotive heritage. The Museum started in 1963 as the hobby of Donald S. Gilmore when his wife gave him an antique auto for his birthday -- a 1920 Pierce-Arrow "project car" for him to work on. Within three years his collection had grown to nearly 40 automobiles. Gilmore then purchased 90 acres of farm property and had several historic barns dismantled piece by piece and moved to the site. In July of 1966, he and his wife Genevieve established a non-profit foundation and opened the collection to the public. Donald Gilmore passed away in 1979, but the legacy that began with a single "project car" continues to grow today. The Gilmore Car Museum is now the home of the Classic Car Club of America Museum, The Pierce-Arrow Museum and the Tucker Historical Collection and Library.

We paid our $8.00 per person admission fee in the Gift Shop which was an authentic reproduction of a small town train depot. The lady who sold us our tickets asked us to put a pin in the map on the wall designating where we were from in Texas. I stuck a navy blue pin in Elgin. I noticed Austin and San Antonio pins nearby. We began our walking tour in "G" Barn. As we walked in the door we saw the Disney Movie set for The Gnome Mobile. A 1930 Rolls Royce Sedanca-de-Ville was driven by Walter Brennen in the movie and purchased by the Gilmore Car Museum. The giant back seat replica of the Rolls used in the movie was on display as well.

In this first barn I was fascinated by the Owen Morton Automobile Nameplate Collection. This impressive collection of nearly 400 automotive nameplates and radiator badges is the result of one man's accidental hobby. The late Owen Morton, a Kalamazoo area mechanic and garage owner began to save the discarded badges from the cars he had worked on. Within a few years his cigar box was full of nameplates and badges. His collection was loaned for exhibit and later donated to the Museum by his grandson of Houston, TX.

But what really blew me away was the Hood Ornament collection (or Motoring Mascots) on display in this first barn. I can't even begin to describe these unique works of art in the shape of all manner of figurines, symbols, characters and animals. There were even very rare crystal hood ornaments designed by world-renowned glass artist Rene' Lalique of Paris. Automotive mascots or hood ornaments are considered works of art in their own right. The addition of custom or after-market hood ornaments was one way that an owner could uniquely personalize his car. About 1912 someone thought it might be nice for a driver to know the status of the water temperature in the radiator, thus was born the motometer, or calorimeter. The flood of "approved" mascots by manufacturers didn't come until the twenties. In most cases their design was chosen to convey the feeling of speed or endurance. Thus birds, especially the eagle, and mythological characters and beasts were particular favorites. Soon most automakers offered an approved mascot as standard equipment or a deluxe accessory. Very often motorcar owners preferred one of their own designs which more specifically reflected their taste, lifestyle or their station. Mascot quality ranged from fine works of art wrought in bronze, silver and glass to the cheap and nasty. While very popular between 1920 and 1950, they are rarely seen on the cars of today. Streamline automobile design spelled the death of the mascot and by 1942 the mascot was virtually gone. Rolls Royce, Mercedes, and Jaguar are among the only manufacturers that continue to use mascots. My favorite mascot on the cars in the Museum was the Pierce-Arrow, an archer with his bow drawn. But the ones in the collection that caught my eye were the golf mascots! How I would love to have one of those. We never saw anything that indicated the value of these charming treasures from the past.

Our next stop was a restored Shell Gas Station that appeared to be from the 1930's. The detail was incredible. From there we entered the Carriage House; an exhibit of American Luxury Cars was on display in this temporary exhibit gallery. Lincoln, Cadillac, Dusenberg, Rolls Royce, Packard, and Pierce-Arrow were all represented here. Each car was the top of the line and beautifully restored. Later, as we left the "C" Barn we saw someone driving a bright 'John Deere' green Packard back in to an empty slot in this building. We wondered if they had it at a show.

After the displays in the Carriage House we emerged in front of George & Sally's Blue Moon Diner and stopped in for a snack. The Museum's newest addition is a piece of Historic Roadside American, a 1941 Silk City Diner formerly known as the "Blue Moon Diner." For nearly 60 years and countless cups of coffee, this eatery was a roadside landmark in Meriden, CT, serving locals and weary travelers alike. This remarkably well-preserved diner traveled nearly 800 miles from its original location in Meriden, stopping first in Cleveland, OH, where it underwent a partial restoration, and then continuing on to the Gilmore Car Museum. It arrived on June 3, 2004.

Built in 1941 by the Paterson Vehicle Company of Paterson, NJ, the diner seats thirty-five and features an exterior of porcelain enamel panels with an interior featuring blue tiles, stainless steel "star burst" and vintage telephone booth. The diner originally opened in 1941 as "Joe's Diner" on Center Street in Meriden. After years of operation Joe turned the diner over to his daughter and it became known as "Gina's Diner. It was The Blue Moon Diner when it closed for the last time around 1997. Lots of people were eating, both inside and out on the patio. Bob and I got a brownie and a cookie with Coke and coffee and enjoyed them outside under huge shade trees. The weather is picture perfect, cool and sunny, but more barns full of cars beckon.

Next we tackled the "S" Barn which was really a series of three barns that housed four displays; "A Question of Power (Electric vs. Steam vs. Gas), "Autos of the Brass and Nickel Era", "Kalamazoo-The Other Motor City", and "The Fabulous Hudsons." Bob really enjoyed the comparisons of the various modes of powering the early vehicles, some were even chain-driven and looked exactly like over-sized bicycle chains and gears. I was fascinated by the fact that Checker Cabs were manufactured in Kalamazoo, Michigan, beginning in 1923 for 59 years until July 1982. Checker is the longest lived independent automobile manufacturer in America. The company could not survive gas-consumption regulations, the five-mile-an-hour bumper standards and the automobile crash testing mandated the federal government in the 1970s.

Through the gracious loan of over half of their collection, Eldon and Esta Hostetler of Middlebury, IN have provided the Museum with the most complete collection of Hudson automobiles exhibited anywhere in the world. Mr. Hostetler's first car was a 1938 Hudson. The Hudson automobile has a rich history--from the initial 1909 investment by J. L. Hudson, founder of Hudson Department Stores, to its strong racing legacy, and finally, to the merger with Nash that created AMC. I knew very little about Hudsons but this collection was impressive and nostalgic. Many of these cars are seen in the old movies of the 1930's. He restored many in bright colors, noting that the restorations are correct. The yellow convertible always draws bees and other insects at the car shows. We got a kick out of the wig-wag taillights on it.

Our tour proceeded to the "C" Barn where we saw "Cars of the 1940's" and a replica of Preston Tucker's Office. On the upper level were "Cars of the 1930's." Here we were delighted to see a 1937 "Covered Wagon" travel trailer with an industry first--electric trailer brakes as standard equipment. The factory price was $395.00 and they produced 15,000 of the Conestoga model that you see in the picture being towed by a 1939 Packard V-12 Rumble Seat Coupe. An 'unpleasant' camping experience in 1929 found Arthur Sherman, of Detroit, MI, determined to find a better way, and he soon built a prototype camping trailer. His children dubbed it "the covered wagon" and within a year he established the Covered Wagon Company with sales of 117 trailers. By 1936, the company moved to Mount Clemens, MI, and had become the town's leading employer and the nation's largest manufacturer of travel trailer. Bob and I laughed at how little the insides of 'RVs' have changed over three quarters of a century.

The "C" Barn also housed a 1948 Tucker Sedan that could travel 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds with a top speed clocked at over 120 mph. The rear mounted engine was a helicopter engine converted to water-cooling. In 1948 the projected retail price was $2,450.00. Today a restored Tucker is valued between $300,000-$500,000 since they only produced a total of 51 cars--one 1947 prototype and 50 pilot production models in 1948. All 51 Tuckers have been accounted for with a total of 47 still remaining today.

Our next stop was the Pierce-Arrow Barn which houses the Pierce-Arrow Museum. The company had roots in birdcages and bicycles and began production of automobiles in buffalo, NY in 1901. Pierce built only the finest vehicle; quality was never compromised no matter the final cost. Production continued until their demise in 1938. Bob and I both really like the styling of these cars. If you’re a Hercule Poirot fan and watch the PBS Mystery shows you will recognize the era of these colossal cars. I liked the 1925 Series 80 Roadster. It featured a rumble seat, a compartment for golf clubs rather than a trunk, and optional wire-wheels. With a 6-Cylinder engine, 70 hp and a price tag of $2,895.00 I would have loved to own one of the 5,000 models they made that year. Maybe I like them because in 1928, Studebaker purchased controlling interest in Pierce-Arrow.

The last barn on our tour was the Barrett Barn. This is the home of Classic Car Club of America Museum. When we walked in I was blown away by another huge display case full of hood ornaments! If you include the ones on display in the other barn we estimated there are almost 1,000 of these miniature works of art on display here at Gilmore. In the next room Bob found the car of his dreams; a 1934 Auburn V-12 Salon speedster. Built during the final years of the Auburn Motor Car Company of Indiana, this is one of only 16 Salon Speedsters produced for 1934. It features a Lycoming V-12 engine, a two-speed rear end, a Bijur automatic chassis lubricating system, and a driver-adjustable brake booster. In the fall of 1932 a similarly equipped speedster set several speed records at Muroc Dry Lake, California (now Edwards Air Force Base), many of which would stand until after World War II. The factory price was $1,845.00 for this 160 hp vehicle. This was part of a matched pair of "His & Hers" Auburns on display.

On our way out of the grounds we stopped at the remote "U" Barn to see the 1950s and 1960s cars, the Corvettes and the Children's Pedal Cars. Of course I had to see the 1982 DeLorean DMC-12. There were some great Chevy's, Ford's and Plymouth's of this era which were all very nostalgic for me. And I got a kick out of fifty or so toy pedal cars in the collection. They had a red fire truck complete with ladders that our neighbor, Dennis the Menace we called him, down on Second Street in St. Charles had when we were kids.

We finally left the Car Museum around 5:45 just before they closed at 6:00. We stopped at several cute cafes we had seen on M-43 as we drove up but they were closed. So we kept going almost back to 131 before we found Finley's American Grill. They are famous for their fall-off-the-bone Baby Back Ribs but we both opted for baked Lake Superior Whitefish. Mine came with Caribbean Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps. The food here was well prepared and the portions were generous. We were home by 7:30 and barely had room to slip into our parking space. The campground is teaming with campers and visitors. We only counted four empty campsites and I guess they could still show up tomorrow. One loud firecracker went off and sent us a few feet out of our chairs but other than that all was quiet. We watched NCIS and Red Green. Now I'm working on my journal before everything we learned at the Car Museum goes out of my brain.