New Hope Arts has related event
The 53rd annual New Hope Automobile Show (NHAS), one of the oldest automobile shows in the country, takes place on Aug. 14 and 15 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on the grounds of New Hope-Solebury High School.
The show will include a selection of more than 400 classic and antique cars and motorcycles from throughout the eastern United States with an entirely different roster of cars each day. Saturday will feature domestic cars from the 1920-1970s, antique trucks, Corvettes, fire engines, Model As and Model Ts, Studebakers, Shelbys, race cars, and Mustangs. BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Porsche, and Triumph are just some of the featured cars on Sunday, along with antique motorcycles up to 1965.
The poster car is the 1964 Pontiac GTO, considered by many to be first true-muscle car. At a time when a GM corporate edict prohibited any intermediate size car from having an engine greater than 327 cid, Pontiac engineers, lead by John Z. DeLorean, had a different idea and boldly made their 389 cid engine an option on the midsize Tempest and called the option package GTO, copying Ferrari’s GTO (Gran Turismo Omologato) label. The GTO package included the 389 V8 rated at 325 bhp, a single four-barrel carburetor, dual exhaust, a floor-shifted three speed manual transmission with Hurst shifter, premium wheels and tires and GTO badges for a price just under $300. Skeptical Pontiac management forecasted 1964 sales of 5000 cars only to be proven wrong when sales reached 32,450.
Show visitors will have an opportunity to listen to in-depth discussions about some of the most popular cars of the past 100 years. Experts will be on hand to discuss several vintage cars. Awards will also be bestowed by car division and one special vehicle will be recognized each day with the “People’s Choice Award.”
Additional entertainment at the show will come from the RB Express, a New Jersey-based doo-wop group with hits from the 1940s-1970s. Numerous vendors will provide food and snacks and there will be booths with shopping opportunities. Following the show, a short walk to the riverside towns of New Hope and Lambertville will provide visitors with dining, and sightseeing opportunities.
Admission to the show is $5 per person, $3 for senior citizens 62 and over. Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are free. The show also is extending an invitation to service members and their families to enjoy the show free of charge. Convenient, on-site parking is available for $5.
Created in 1957 to benefit the New Hope-Solebury High School, the auto show has continued to support the school through student scholarships.
For more information and to purchase advanced tickets, visit www.newhopeautoshow.com or call 215-862-5665.
This year in conjunction with the New Hope Auto Show, New Hope Arts Center is presenting its exhibition, Automania: Second Gear, through Aug. 15 at its Bridge Street and Stockton Avenue location.
New Hope Arts will have as the centerpiece of the exhibition the 1909 “Slide,” a handmade single-cylinder automobile built in 1909 in New Hope. This automobile, not seen by the public in 50 years, was recently rediscovered in Lambertville. The loan of this century-old automobile is made possible by the generosity of the Snyder family of Lambertville, in memory of Jay Paul Snyder. The automobile is presented in “barn-fresh” condition and the vehicle still runs today. This vehicle is surrounded by vintage photography, models, artwork, and a pair of the vintage gas pumps that solidify the automobile’s place in the 20th century design.
Featured works on display include:
John Slavin, car restorer, drag racer and former news photographer “Route 66” a collection of vintage photographs taken on and associated with that historic highway, many of which will be available for purchase.
Scott Matern oil paintings depicting the automobile in natural surroundings, vintage “field finds” awaiting the love of the collector before these hulks are returned to the earth.
Paul Beckwith, lifelong collector and auto expert, loans from his private collection “dealer promotional models” from the 1940s-1980s, and vintage auto prints designed and signed by the artist Raymond Dietrich. Mr. Beckwith will also display over 100 scale models depicting the range of automobile design from around the world.
Local retailer, After the Ride, will present vintage automobilia and historical motorcycle exhibits. Recently relocated on Stockton Avenue.
A closing reception will take place at The Center on Aug. 14 immediately following the first day of the New Hope Auto Show, from 5-8 p.m. Patrons from the Auto Show are encouraged to walk the one block to New Hope to view this art exhibit (and appetizers and wine). Tickets are $10 adult, $5 student/seniors, and children under 10, free.

