Unbridled horsepower to burn in Saratoga: cars

April 20, 2008 04:00 am

— The weather may be variable these days, but signs generally look like we're finally headed for spring and summer.
Summer. You know, days on the water, flowers blooming in the garden, convertibles riding the highways.
Convertibles. Those cars usable only for two or three months each year in the North Country. But with enough panache to make them worthwhile.
Until June 1, the Saratoga Automobile Museum in Saratoga Spa State Park hosts a terrific display called "Romance of the Roadster," a tribute to those venerable two-seater convertibles with sports car flair. Or, as the exhibit introduction proclaims, "two people, two seats, unbridled horsepower to burn, and a winding road ahead."
STANLEY STEAMER
I'm not really an auto aficionado, but these cars are wonderful. Especially the older ones. Like a 1916 Stanley Steamer Model 726, whose engine had a mere 13 moving parts but could top 127 miles per hour at Daytona. Another man visiting the museum noted, "This came into being the same year I did."
Or a 1917 Model T Runabout, purchase price $345. That same man pointed out the choke wire coming out through the front grille.
The 1932 metallic green Ford on display is the very one Ricky and David Nelson drove on the "Ozzie and Harriet Show." Ricky wanted to buy it after the filming, but Ozzie refused -- "No 1932 Ford is worth $3,000." Usually Ozzie was proved right. The actual sale price in 2003? $192,000. Score one for Ricky.
Race cars influenced the evolution of the roadster, but actually, the direct line of descent came from the two-seat horse carriage. Believe me, no horse ever expected to pull something like a 1938 Jaguar SS 100, with its aerodynamic curves, folding windshield, wire wheels and fenders reminding me of Nike swooshes. It's called "the quintessential 1930s-era British sports model." Who am I to argue?
However, it's hard to beat the red and yellow 1932 Auburn 12-160A Speedster, with its back-slanting windshield, side-mounted spare tires and pointed hood.
There wasn't much to dislike among the eight newer varieties on display, either. What is negative to say about a 1966 Corvette 427 Sting Ray, 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL or a 1960 Porsche 356B Super 90 Roadster?
LOZIER, OF COURSE
My wife Marty's favorites would include the 1956 Austin Healey 100M (similar to the model she had to sell when we got married) and the 1956 Jaguar XK. As for me, I think I'd choose the sleek Italian-made 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spyder. Jet black, with red leather seats, it would turn plenty of heads along Lake Champlain or in the Adirondacks.
The second floor of the museum features permanent exhibits, most notably "East of Detroit," an installation on automobile manufacturing in New York state. At one time or another, more than 100 companies built cars in the Empire State.
One, of course, was Lozier, who made luxury vehicles at its Plattsburgh plant from 1905 through 1910. (If you've never seen the fabulous specimen that anchors the Lake Champlain Transportation Museum on the growing museum campus on the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base, you need to go.)
Elsewhere in the Adirondack Foothills, Ogdensburg was home to the Dunn (1916-18), and a Watertown factory turned out the Babcock (1909-12). Such catchily named but short-lived cars as the Klink, Dart, O-We-Go and Adria also came from New York.
A few made more of a reputation for themselves. Franklin successfully produced models with air-cooled engines for years in Syracuse. Collectors still meet regularly to show off their restored specimens. For more than three decades, until 1937, a Buffalo company put out the famed Pierce Arrow, one of America's legendary autos.
LEATHER BUMPERS
Materials have certainly evolved. Several early examples sport bodies made of wood, for instance the 1903 Weebermobile. Resembling a buckboard with a motor, this early specimen also boasted horsehair-stuffed leather seats and brass lanterns as headlights.
The 1915 Brewster utilized thick black leather for its bumpers (and had a slot by the driver's feet for an umbrella). Brewster, a carriage company, became such a noted producer of luxury auto bodies that Rolls Royce bought it out in 1926.
A selection of artistic ads for Pierce Arrow and Franklin testify to the importance of good marketing.
Lozier relied on its success in racing, including 24-hour endurance competitions. However, Maxwell (represented here by a 1910 model) may have come up with the best gimmick. To underscore the car's reliability, the firm hired four women to drive one from New York to San Francisco!
For luxury made in New York, I'd have to select the 1931 Pierce Arrow Phaeton. Looking at this spectacular deep blue specimen with its flared headlights and built-in bar, it's hard to believe Pierce Arrow manufactured bicycles, refrigerators and bird cages before settling into its niche as an auto maker. The distinctive bronze and chrome "archer" hood ornament doubles as a radiator cap.
Among Buffalo's other car companies was one producing the Playboy, represented here by a 1947 model with a folding steel top. The idea of pushing the idea of a small second car for families may have been premature; 94 were built before the owners declared bankruptcy.
HALL OF FAME
NASCAR and stock-car fans will be attracted to "Racing in New York State." Little did I know that auto racing has been a staple of the State Fair since its introduction there in 1909. Or that the Vanderbilt Cup races on Long Island ranked as one of the country's premier events. To my surprise, Alexandria Bay hosted major races during the 1930s. The name Watkins Glen still commands respect among fans.
There's a fair sampling of vehicles adapted for the various kinds of track, including a red and black 1935 Maserati, and a bright red 1956 Ferrari. One oddity is a low-slung white 1966 Ferrari prototype with three seats, the center one reserved for the driver. Perhaps at its top speed of 186 miles per hour, it would have been reassuring to have companions on either side.
Along with cars, photos, news clippings and other memorabilia, there's a corner devoted to the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame. Art Barry, one of the five most recent inductees, includes Airborne Park among the venues where cars of his design have raced.
The museum's exhibits offer all the technical information a true devotee would want, but not at the expense of making the visit enjoyable for just about anyone.
Interesting events dot the summer schedule, plus there are all the other opportunities of Saratoga Spa State Park available. Why, you can even get a mineral bath and a massage after a strenuous day of imagining yourself driving all those classic roadsters.
rbforiole@aol.com

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