Here’s one of MCG’s favorite collector car events: the annual Ypsilanti Orphan Car Show at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
In car world terms, what is an orphan, anyway? As the organizers of the Ypsi show see it, the label is comfortably elastic. First, it applies to defunct makes, naturally: Hudson, Studebaker, Kaiser, Tucker—the effectively infinite list of lapsed automobile manufacturers.
However, an orphan can also be a discontinued brand or division from what used to be known as the Big Three: DeSoto, Edsel, Continental; more recently Plymouth and Oldsmobile. The Ypsi folks also throw their arms around the former Canadian brands (Monarch, Fargo, etc.) of the Detroit OEs, as well as foreign brands that are no longer imported to the USA—like, say, Fiat (on and off) and Renault.
Corvairs are thrown in just for good measure, and because they were manufactured just down the road in the big plant at Willow Run.
You can see where this is going: If it’s rare or strange and they don’t make ’em anymore, there’s a good chance it’s in the show. The Ypsi Orphan meet is like the island of misfit toys, but for automobiles. This is the category for vehicles that otherwise don’t fit any categories. Sound intriguing? It is. Check out the gallery below.
You can find part two of the Ypsi Orphan show coverage here.
2012 Ypsilanti Orphan Car Show Class Winners
Class A (Nash): 1948 Nash Ambassador woody, Ken Havekost, Monroe, MI
Class B (Packard): 1955 Packard “The Four Hundred”, Larry Evans, Ypsilanti
Class C (Studebaker): 1963 GT-Hawk, John Begian (no address listed)
Class D (Pre-war Independent): 1930 Franklin 145, Phil and Pam Weisenberger, Blufton, OH
Class E (Kaiser and Frazer): 1954 Kaiser Manhattan, Keith and Linda Henderson, Sparta MI
Class F (Orphans of Big Three): 1956 Continental convertible, Barry and Glynette Wolk, Farmington Hills, MI
Class F1 (Desotos) 1932 Desoto SC6, Buddy Tyler, St. Joseph, MI
Class F2 (Plymouths) 1956 Plymouth Belvedere, Fred and Carol Hoffman, Chelsea, MI
Class G (brass era) 1910 Maxwell Q-2, Vern and Doris Campbell, Milan, MI
Class H (Willys-Overland-Knight) 1928 Willys-Knight 66A Sedan, Ernie Schultz, Morenci, MI
Class J (small/mini feature) 1948 Fiat Topolino, Ken and Ruth Becker, Fraser, MI
Class K (foreign) 1954 Comete Monte Carlo Coupe, Buck Mook, W. Bloomfield, MI
Class L (postwar independent) 1948 Davis Divan coupe, Tom Wilson Ypsilanti, MI
Class M (AMC) 1965 Rambler Marlin, Thomas Upton, Ann Arbor, MI
Class N (Corvairs) 1969 Monza convertible, Rober Maciejewski, Chesterfield, MI
Class O (Hudson) 1952 Hudson Wasp Hollywood, Carl Laska, Rudolph, Wis.
Preservation award to Ed Souers of Woodburn, Indiana, for 1954 Hudson Jet convertible prototype and two other rare Hudsons
Class P (trucks) 1947 Brockway 260-W tractor, Brian Brown, Ottawa Lake, MI
My second favorite car show in the world!
Our favorite is still the Glenmoor Gathering, but this one’s a runner-up. The OCS is like walking through an outdoor car museum of cars I never knew existed, because there were so around here. I’ve also had a recollection that we really didn’t see all that many Independents or foreign cars on the roads around Detroit. The Big 3 seemed to have sales locked up. The first time I saw a Lotus Europa I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
Where else can we see such incredibly rare automobiles? What a fabulous and unique show. Thanks to you folks as well for supporting the event by bringing your cars. Thanks for all you do.