The Museum Homecoming was a success with a great line up of Zephyrs and Continentals arriving after their exploration of the Elkhart, Indiana area earlier in the week. Thanks to the LZOC for hosting this year’s event. Plan for next year when the Homecoming will be hosted by the Road Race Lincoln Registry, who will be inviting all marques produced by FoMoCo to participate and share in the fun. It should be a new and different event and provide the opportunity to see other Ford and Mercury vehicles. Do you have your reservations for the Western National Meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico October 17-21? A fun time is in store for everybody.
Summer appears to be waning in New England, almost like the switch was turned off. The summer was hot and sunny which is a test of both automobiles and passengers as one traverses the roads to exercise and enjoy our Lincolns. As this is written it is in the 60s, but a few short days ago the weather was hot and steamy, at least for the Boston area. This is the time to use the more reasonable temperatures to enjoy your Lincoln and provide another benefit. We collect automobiles for the love of the vehicle and what it represented when it was manufactured. They reflect society at the time, and Lincoln provided the benchmark for automotive design and engineering. The early Lincolns provided quiet, stylish and reliable transportation in the day of the later Model Ts. The art deco period of the ‘30s saw the introduction of light weight unibody construction surrounded by wonderfully shaped metal. The ‘50s continued with advances to improve drivability, with ball joint suspension, power steering and brakes to make driving these larger automobiles more enjoyable for everyone. The large late’ 50s land yachts reflected the exuberance of the day. The ‘60s brought about a “smaller” design that was very sleek and soon to be copied by other manufacturers. The ‘70s were a challenging time with an increase in fuel prices that changed the landscape forever, leaving Lincoln the last holdout of the large vehicles. The ‘80s saw a universal downsizing where the goal was to improve fuel economy while retaining the comfort associated with the larger cars of the ‘70s. The changes in the ‘90s and beyond were subtler, with more refined engineering and hi-tech electronics aimed at producing cars that were comfortable, reliable and economical to operate.
Why the history lesson of Lincolns through the decades? It has to do with the need to show off all your hard work to the public. Jeanne and I attend a few local car shows each year to both allow people to see our Lincolns and to enjoy the drive to the event. The people who attend car shows come to see the impressive workmanship and styling of all the automobiles that are proudly displayed. They come with the specific intention of viewing automobiles. What about all the people you pass on the way to and from the event? This is where you provide the public an unexpected glimpse of your Lincoln “in action” as it was intended by the designers. Think about all the smiles, thumbs-up and horn toots received while driving. What about the person who stops working on their lawn to take a look as you motor by and calls out to the children to stop and look? How about the person who remembers these cars when they were driving the roads on a regular basis and has an unexpected encounter to reminisce about the Lincoln that a favorite uncle owned? You are providing not only the visual impact but the sounds, or lack of noise that radiates when starting from a stop, shifting gears or just cruising along the road. A toot of your horn will further elicit a wave or a longer pause to savor the moment.
Let’s get out and show off our Lincolns to brighten someone’s day and rekindle a memory of days gone by.
Until next time
John