<VV> Head's Up: Our ride is about to be bashed again

[Mike Clark]

This is an unfortunate name for this display.  I can't believe the Petersen 
came up with this.  A more appropriate name might be, "Thank Heaven they 
were -really- thinking."

Besides the obvious, the Corvair doesn't fit in this list because they made 
pert-near 2 million of them.  That's no misfit.  Most of the cars on the 
list are excellent automobiles, or were in their time.

I personally helped to prepare the 1906 Adams-Farwell and the 1925 Julian 
for display.  The Julian is an aluminum over wood body by Fleetwood, with 
mohair and silk interior, a beautiful and well built car.  The Adams-Farwell 
has a geared tiller, so as to be able to run over rocks, bricks, and 
dogs(says so in the owners manual) and not have the tiller yanked out of 
your hand.  It also has a forward compartment in which you can remove the 
tiller and pedals from the rear and install them in the front and drive from 
the front.  An excellent automobile.

And I can also tell you the Amphicar wasn't just a bizzare idea thrown 
together.  The inventor, Hans Trippell, developed this car as well as many 
military vehicles for years, putting together many prototypes and limited 
runs of vehicles.  The Amphicar was actually built for 8 years.

This is my knowledge of the cars on the list, perhaps I will call the 
Petersen and suggest they change the name of the exhibit.  It will be a good 
display, though.  I'm surprised they don't have their Tucker in the lineup.


Mike Clark
Stockbridge, Georgia





> The Petersen Automobile Museum in L.A. is mounting an exhibition entitled
> "What Were They Thinking? The Misfits of Motordom" starting February 28th 
> and
> running through September 20th.
>
> _http://www.petersen.org/default.cfm?docid=1070_
> (http://www.petersen.org/default.cfm?docid=1070)
>
> Fearing the worst, I wrote asking for a list of the cars to be  featured.
> Here's their response followed by my inquiry:
>
> <Hello,
> Here are the vehicles we are planning to  install in the WWTT exhibit 
> (all
> exhibits and programs are subject to  change)
> Vehicle
> 1906  Adams  Farwell
> 1908  Scripps-Booth
> 1923 Chevrolet  Copper Cooled
> 1925  Julian
> 1932 Helicron
> 1934 Chrysler  Airflow
> 1947  Gregory
> 1957  Studebaker-Packard Astral
> 1957  Liberty Mutual Survival  Car
> 1958  Edsel
> 1958  Toyota  Toyopet
> 1960 Chevrolet  Corvair
> 1964  Amphicar
> 1974  Fascination
> 1976 AMC  Pacer
> Clayton D. Drescher
>
> Education Manager
> Petersen Automotive  Museum
> 6060 Wilshire Blvd. (at  Fairfax)
> Los Angeles, CA 90036
> Phone: (323)964-6347
> Fax: (323)964-6422


>
> Could you please  provide a list of the automobiles that will be
> featured/discussed in your  upcoming "What were they thinking?" exhibit? 
> Thank  you!>
> Don't  shoot the messenger (me)!