The Debutante Ball for the Northwest's Most Elegant Vehicles

by Sam Barer

One of the best annual events thrown by the Northwest Region of the Classic Car Club of America is their “Coming Out Party.” Held at the Seattle Design Center Atrium, the event showcases fine automobiles either recently acquired or restored to a high standard. Think of it as a debutant ball for old cars.

The Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) has a fundamentalist definition of “classic.” Their vehicle membership comprises of only vehicles manufactured during Classic Era of 1925 through 1948 that were noted when new for a combination of breathtaking styling, strong performance, and engineering magnificence. So while the eligible vehicle list doesn’t include a single Ford, Chevy or Plymouth, (although many members also collect these non-classics,) you will find Packard, Cadillac, Duesenberg, Mercedes and Bugatti and other exclusive brands are well represented.

The 220 club members and guests attending this year’s Coming Out Party witnessed the unveiling of eleven classics. In what has become tradition, cars are kept under covers until each owner is invited to the podium to tell the story of their vehicle, including its history, acquisition story and restoration summary.

The night started with the cover being lifted from a recently restored 1947 Bentley Mark VI Coupe with bodywork by James Young. One of only 26 cars made with similar coachwork, the vehicle had been shipped from England to Oregon in the 1960s, where it remained until recently. Another Bentley was also on-hand, a unique 1926 Vanden Plas Boattail Speed model. Owned at one time by famous automaker, sportsman and collector Briggs Cunningham, the vehicle changed hands several times until it was rediscovered and obtained just weeks before the party by local Bentley specialist Peter Hageman. This example’s white panels showed perfect contrast to brown fenders and gorgeous wood finishing on the classic tapered rear boattail.

When discussing boattail speedsters, the Auburn brand comes to mind. Though the lone Auburn of the evening was not a Speedster model, it was a very desirable 1932 V12-powered 160-A Roadster. Capable of reaching near 120MPH with its two-speed Columbia rear end, and offering nimble handling from adjustable shock absorbers, the Auburn 160-A was a successful racer in its heyday. The owner had purchased the car from his brother and was showing it to the region in its non-restored state.

In great contrast, many of the cars coming-out exhibited perfect restorations, including a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III V12 with coachwork by Vanden Plas. On its way to the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in August, the owner noted the car had come a long way since it was purchased in 1986 with a blown engine.

The past of a 1932 Stutz DB32 was also evident when it was unveiled with a picture of the vehicle when new. Just one of five custom coachwork cars, this Rollston-built Hollywood Sports Saloon was repainted white with black running boards, yet maintained the same vermilion-colored brake drums as seen in its original photo.

While all the Bentleys and the Rolls Royce were introduced by their American owners, it was a recently relocated British owner who presented his American-made Packard 160 convertible sedan. And where there is a Packard, a Cadillac is never far, and in this case, the cover was pulled from a flawlessly restored 1941 Cadillac Series 62 convertible. Showing that even mid-range American manufacturers were capable of producing luxury classics, a very rare 1934 Nash Ambassador was spotlighted. The subject of a thorough restoration, the Nash featured many interesting technical advancements, including twin ignition and windshield wipers connected via cable to the camshaft.

Collector and vintage racer Tom Armstrong introduced his newly purchased 1948 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet Convertible by explaining that just a week prior to the event, he had flown to Oakland, CA to purchase and drive it back. Despite the miles, rainstorms, a failing generator and inoperable wipers, the 292ci 120 horsepower V12 powered car made it back and by show time, and even the dark blue paint and large chromed grill shined beautifully.

While no CCCA Classics are common, the unveilings of two extremely rare, desirable and astronomically valuable 1937 Mercedes 540K examples took center-stage. The first 5.4 liter, supercharged (the “K” stands for Kompressor) work of art was a sedan restored primarily by one man in his two-car garage. The second, was a to-die-for roadster, which despite already winning a second in class at Pebble Beach in the past, was just recently treated to a professional refreshing by its new Northwest owner.

Sam Barer writes for Apex, an Olympia, WA based freelance writing company. To submit a car for a future “Sound Classics” story, email soundclassics@apexstrategy.com

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