by John Tredrea, Packet Media Group
NEW HOPE — Who is the central figure in the American history — and, in fact, the world history — of the automobile?
It could be Henry Ford, the man whose mastery of the mass production of automobiles, made it possible for millions of people to afford a car.
This year’s New Hope Automobile Show — which will celebrate its 56th anniversary this year — also will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henry Ford, who was born July 30, 1863, in Wayne County, Michigan.
The collectible auto show poster features a 1958 Ford Skyliner with the unique fold-down top as photographed by Michael Furman.
”We’re excited to have this wonderful example of the Ford ‘hard-top convertible’ Skyliner, owned by Richard and Leslee Tabas,” said Steve Williams, the show’s marketing coordinator. “In 1958, a Ford Fairlane could have this retractable top option added for an additional $350, making it a Skyliner. Seatbelts also were an option for $9. It’s a memorable treat to have this beautiful car on view each day of the show.”
The show, sponsored by the New Hope-Solebury Community Association, “is one of the oldest and most celebrated auto shows in the country . . . It features many of the finest antique and classic automobiles and motorcycles from across the eastern United States.”
The two-day event (with different cars on exhibit each day) will be held Aug. 10 and 11 on the grounds of New Hope-Solebury High School, 182 W. Bridge St., New Hope, Pennsylvania. The school grounds will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets will be sold at the gate: $5 for the general public; $3 for seniors and free for military and children under 12. Service members and their immediate families attend free.
Onsite parking will be available for $5 a day.
For more information or to register a vehicle, visit www.NewHopeAutoShow.com or call 215-862-5665.
NOT ONLY does the show feature “the finest in classic and antique vehicles, but it also gives out awards for first, second and third place in more than 50 categories,” a spokesman said.
All vehicles entered must be judge-ready. At the end of each day, a parade of champions takes place with all of the winners of each category.
New for the 56th annual show are four new competition divisions:
— The French Connection includes Citroen, Peugeot, Renault and Facel Vega — all years up to 1985.
— Also added is Volkswagen, all years up to 1985 for Karmann Ghia, Beetles, Bus and, of course, The Thing.
— The third division is Lotus, again all years up to 1985.
— Finally, the show will add Datsun/Nissan for Z cars only, 1971 to 1985.
From its inception, the show has provided educational scholarships for students at the New Hope-Solebury High School. It also provides aid to several civic groups in the region, including local sports clubs (baseball, soccer, football), emergency squads and firehouses.
For 2012, the show donated several thousand dollars in scholarships as part of the New Hope-Solebury Community Association. The 2012 winners will be announced shortly.
According to a website, the 1957 Fords “were all-new, offering a vast array of V-8s from a 190-bhp 272 up to a 245-bhp 312. The 223-cid six was standard for all but one model. There were now two wheelbases and no fewer than five series — 116 inches for station wagon and Custom/Custom 300 sedans (replacing Mainline/Customline), 118 inches for Fairlane and the new line-topping Fairlane 500.”
The year, 1957 “was a great Ford year. In fact, the division scored a substantial win in model-year output with close to 1.7 million cars to Chevy’s 1.5 million. Some statisticians also had Ford ahead in calendar-year volume for the first time since 1935 though the final score showed Chevy ahead by a mere 130 cars.
”The Skyliner name returned in mid-1957, but on a very different Ford: The world’s first mass-produced retractable hardtop. An addition to the Fairlane 500 series, it stemmed from engineering work done a few years before at Continental Division, which had considered, but didn’t produce, the 1956 Mark II as a ‘retrac.’
”Ford sold 20,766 Skyliners for 1957, but demand fast tapered to 14,713 for 1958, then to 12,915. The model was duly axed after 1959, a victim of new division chief Bob McNamara’s no-nonsense approach to products and profits. Skyliner ‘retracs’ became prime collectibles, and the retractable-hardtop concept made a comeback in the new millennium.”
