2008 Salisbury Automobile Classic II

The 2008 Salisbury Automobile Classic was spectacular! An unusual treat this year was the 1933 Nash in the Salisbury House Courtyard; it is part of the film Public Enemies, with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale scheduled for release in July, 2009. Check out the movie trailer on YouTube and you will catch a glimpse of the Nash.

This 9th Annual Classic included everything from a Model T to a Ferrari, but the featured cars of Billy Durant were the highlight: a Little, a Durant Star Huckster Truck, a Flint Jr., and a series of (Durant) Locomobiles and Chevrolets.

It was a great afternoon to visit with the owners, listen to the music, eat lunch, meet friends and make new ones.

What a great community!

photos by Sandra Renshaw and Jim Lindberg

2008 Salisbury Automobile Classic

If you love authentic restorations and car history, the annual Salisbury Automobile Classic is the best of Des Moines, and the event will be held Sunday, September 7 from 12 pm until 5 on the Salisbury House grounds. Ninety vintage cars and hundreds of visitors are expected.

The special interest this year is William Crapo Durant whose life history reads like an out of control comet: son of Michigan’s governor; high school drop out; manager then buyer of Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac (then called Oakland) and Cadillac; came close to buying Ford; founded General Motors; lost them all; co-founded Chevrolet Motors then bought out his partner; rejoined GM and led a huge expansion of the business including the purchase of Fisher Body and formation of GMAC; lost enormous wealth in the 1920s; fired at GM; founded another auto company only to go bankrupt during the Great Depression; managed a bowling alley in Flint; collected a pension from GM. He was a genius who at several wrong times, ran his businesses and his life a little too close to the edge of insolvency.

You can read his story in

• Flint Journal
• the Flint library website
• encyclopedia.com
• GM next

I have gone the last three years. To me the Salisbury Automobile Classic was well worth the time.

photos by Jim Lindberg

Rollin’ Relics Car Club at Union Park

If you like old cars, head to the Heritage Carousel at Union Park on Sunday, August 24 for some family fun. As of Wednesday morning event organizers are expecting near 150 cars. The forecast predicts good weather. Judging from the pictures taken in several of the previous years, some beautiful old cars will appear. It can be fun for the whole family with

• great cars
• free rides on the Carousel from 11 - 4
• food and beverages.

Registration begins at 9 am with the awards scheduled for around 3 pm. Questions? Got a car? Check with Pat (515) 979-6060 or Tom (515) 224-9147.