An incoming rainstorm hastened the proceedings a bit, but it couldn’t spoil the fun at the 2014 Ypsilanti Orphan Car Show. Here’s our report with a giant photo gallery.
Orphan Show organizers had to perform some quick adjustments when black skies in the distance and ominous radar images made it clear that rain was on its way to Riverside Park. Thanks to their speedy actions, the pass-in-review was completed mere minutes before the first raindrops began to fall. Here are a few of the great cars we saw at this year’s event:
+ Rusty and Jennifer Blackwell’s 1979 Triumph Dolomite Sprint illustrated why we enjoy the Orphan Show so much. In our part of the world, we just don’t get to see rare cars like these anywhere else.
+ David Nightingale’s nicely detailed 1950 Willys Jeepster makes an excellent showcase for one of Brooks Stevens’ more original and compelling design exercises.
+ Plymouth’s first four-door hardtop, the 1956 Belvedere Sport Sedan, was a rare sight even when new, so it was a special treat to encounter the beautiful example shown by Fred and Carol Hoffman of nearby Chelsea, Michigan.
+ For MCG, the 1953 Hudson Hornet four-door sedan displayed by Tim Burns represents the acme of bathtub-era design. As Orphan Show commentator Jeff Godshall has pointed out, the brand’s unique step-down chassis gave Hudson a clear styling edge over comparable bathtub designs from Packard, Nash, and others.
You’ll find all these truly noteworthy cars and more in the gallery below.
Great pics from a great show!!
That 1956 Hudson Rambler Cross Country sure is something to see. I’d love to have the 1953 Hornet but remain undecided on that Rambler.
Even with the afternoon’s rain, I truly enjoyed this year’s edition of the Ypsi OCS. Nice people and interesting cars as usual and the revitalized Hudson Museum was great to see.
pic 33/39 is a Studebaker Lark (Daytona) s/w – not a Hawk. Beautiful car….
Thanks for the catch, much appreciated. Amazing how these typos weasel their way in.
You have inspired me to try to start an orphan car show in my neck of the woods, Manitoba. I tried to convince my chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club to sponsor it but they balked. So I formed the Glory Days Car Club. We will be holding the Happy Rock Orphan Car Show in Gladstone, MB in conjunction with the Gladstone Agricultural Society Fair in August 2016 (exact date TBA).