Cars We Love & Who We Are
More than the polished parts and hard to find pieces, the special interest vehicles people collect embody the character of each owner. “Cars We Love & Who We Are” profiles individual special interest vehicles and the proud owner committed to its preservation.
Conversations with People We Value
Talking with skilled professionals who support our passion for collectible automobiles.
Roads We Remember
Some roads discovered far from home reward us with a once in a lifetime driving experience. Others are old friends revisited to elevate our spirits and celebrate the joy of life behind the wheel.
In Search of the 7th Royale Series – All the Episodes Here
Conversations With People We Value #60
Herb Benkel loves cars. Herb loves driving. Herb loves Susan whom he married on November 9, 1968. All would be impacted one week after the wedding when he was diagnosed with cancer. Though ultimately losing his right leg to osteonecrosis Herb never wavered in his commitment to leading a full life that would include a highly successful career as an endodontist, mentoring for the Amputee Coalition and an undiminished enthusiasm for driving.
Meet Herb Benkel
A Car Guy Offers Life Lessons in Taking Misfortune in Stride
His handsome and immaculate triple black BMW 440i pulls into the parking lot. The driver’s door swings open filling the added space available in the handicap parking spot. Slowly and deliberately Herb Benkel swings his left leg out of the car. With his left leg firmly planted on the ground, he spins his body to the left and manually guides his prosthetic right leg from the car. A marvel of medical technology, it features the world’s first motor-powered microprocessor knee and cobalt chrome construction. It boasts a level of technical advancement on a par with the BMW he drives.
Using two canes for stability as he stands, Herb greets me with a broad smile and laughing eyes. He authentically projects the visage of a man who never has a bad day. In this case the day offers a festival of autumn glory.
Herb’s prosthesis leaves Long John Silver far in the dust with a mobility solution sporting a heavy dose of Schwarzenegger’s Terminator cyborg. He says, “You can hear the device when I am approaching. If you watch the original Terminator movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, you hear the Terminator machinery going Zip, Zip, Zip, Er, Er, Er. Now that’s me. You can hear the motor when I walk. At first, it was really annoying but then I got used to it.”
The leg’s microprocessor delivers a powered motion to actively replicate lost muscle function. State-of-the-art sensors detect his movement thus equipping the knee to anticipate his needs. A powerful motor delivers active extension when standing and controlled resistance when rising. Herb says, “The sophistication of the Ossur Prosthetic is a blessing.” With the Ossur unit, a motor responds to provide active bending and straightening of the leg when walking. Thus the unit automatically returns the lower leg to the natural stance position to promote a more natural gait. […]
Conversations With People We Value #59
You never know what you will discover at the Fall Carlisle Swap Meet. In the case of this year’s event, Elaine and I stumbled across a real find. While seated for breakfast at the historic Carlisle House B&B we found ourselves across the table from Jim Freda and his wife Kim. In a matter of moments Jim and I were confirming a lengthy list of common acquaintances populating the list of respected members of the tri-state classic car community.
Over breakfast in sharing images of custom vehicles he created in his off hours, I recognized both a possible friend and a visionary artist worthy of a Drivin’ News story.
Meet Jim Freda.
Intuitive Genius Wielding a Hammer and Chisel
Jim’s 1962 Cadillac 4-dr. Sedan deVille
I found it inconceivable that of all the completed and striking one-off fabrications arrayed about the courtyard none had come to life with the benefit of so much as a sketch on a napkin. Yet, Jim Freda, in his 60s, retired and a full time artist with old cars as his medium, would have it no other way.
His most recent creation started as a 1962 Cadillac Sedan deVille. His initial vision centered on slicing off the roof and creating a full 180 degree Plexiglas bubble top concept. However, early on, with the roof freshly removed and hanging on straps above the Cadillac’s open cockpit, Jim lowered the roof onto the car to facilitate moving it to another part of his shop. The visual effect stunned him. The impact of the cut roof’s sinister slit-eyed glare sitting low upon the Cadillac’s lengthy swept fin body electrified Jim. With fluid ease, he pivoted to a completely new visual concept that would showcase the chopped Cadillac’s serendipitously discovered alluring menace. More about the 62 Cadillac will come later. This impromptu re-imagining reflects an intuitive genius that Jim employs as a matter of form in all of his creations. Unencumbered by any commitment to a predetermined outcome, Jim simply follows his muse to achieve a final design that pleased him.
As in Jim’s case, intuitive genius describes an innate ability to capture a desired solution in a manner that seemingly supersedes conscious reasoning. For Jim his application of this creative gift comes with the benefit of a personal build philosophy that demands that as Jim says, “If you make a mistake, you […]
Cars We Love & Who We Are #70
Likely the only car event of its kind in the nation, the second annual Collectible Car Fair for Kids and Teens kicked off on Sunday September 21st in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Once again students 18 and under could get up close and personal with automotive history from behind the wheel of landmark vintage cars spanning the 20th century.
One-of-a-Kind Car Show for Kids
Guaranteed, the likes of this handsome white time machine had not traveled this suburban street in close to 100 years. Chugging proudly down the tree lined lane it serenaded the surrounding neighborhood with a deep throated rumbling mechanical chorus common in an earlier century. This 1908 Brass Era Pope/Hartford automobile made a striking entry onto the show field to take its place next to a 1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile. Much like the Dawn Parade at the Amelia Island Concours, the crisp early morning light showcased an eclectic array of milestone vintage cars as they arrived.
To spark interest in a younger generation in advance of the show, local school systems 
were lobbied. The effort succeeded in generating the opportunity to deliver a presentation to middle school students on the significance and excitement of vintage automobiles. The effort’s intent resided in motivating children to take advantage of the coming event to experience historic vehicles first hand. In so doing they could better appreciate the character, beauty, and excitement of the iconic vehicles that revolutionized individual lives and forever changed global culture in the 20th century. The effort proved successful.
In addition to the Oldsmobile and Pope/Hartford, the curated field of 30 milestone cars included a 1915 Ford Model T, 1929 Ford Model A, 1934 Packard, 1943 Willys Jeep, 1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille, 1957 MGA, 1963 Porsche 356, 1965 Ford Mustang, 1967 VW Beetle, 1970 Pontiac GTO, 1982 Ferrari 308GTSi, 1983 DeLorean, 1988 BMW E30M, and 1996 Dodge Viper.
Offering far more than a passive viewing experience, the event provided children who registered in advance the opportunity to learn the basics of judging classic cars. The class, conducted on-site the morning of the show, was taught by experienced concours judge and past Director of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, Bob Austin. Students, benefiting from Austin’s decades as an automotive industry icon, worked with techniques for assessing automobiles revered as […]
Here’s this week’s question:
In the 1960s what company produced and conducted the only consumer test of gas turbine powered cars?
Answer to last week’s question:
In what state is Pikes Peak? – Colorado
About the blogger
Burton Hall has written for an automotive client list that includes Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Peugeot and Volvo. He has also written for The Washington Post, AutoWeek, Corvette Monthly, Jaguar Magazine, BMW Magazine, Hemmings.com, Hagerty Magazine and numerous auto restoration buff books.
He is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians and the Historic Vehicle Association.
As a classic car hobbyist, He owns a 1961 Corvette that he bought in 1967, a 1953 Jaguar XK120MC Drophead Coupe that he restored after finding it in a barn in 1980, an original 1953 Golden Anniversary Ford F100 pickup that he purchased from the original owner and a 1951 MG TD that presently serves as a planter and centerpiece in his garden. All are great drivers, except the MG which has a few bugs.
RECENT POSTS
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12/04/24 – Jaguars Trans-formation into the New Coke of Automobile Re-branding
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11/09/23 – An Old Car Guy Goes Face-to-Face With Facebook Marketplace
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05/26/22 – Hagerty automotive heritage dream conference. Gone for good?
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09/02/21 – The man they trust to rebuild history
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06/17/21 – Raymond Loewy’s 1970s Soviet world car adventure
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05/20/21 – An inspired venture to preserve American craftsmanship and vintage Airstream trailers
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04/08/21 – The odd couple in Vinny Plotino’s garage
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10/01/20 – American Pickers meets Hunger Games on a country road
09/24/20 – Crash course for an underage driver
09/17/20 – Playboy Bunnies in the rearview mirror
09/10/20 – The journey is the reward
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08/27/20 – Old School Larry
08/20/20 – In celebration of a life off the leash
08/13/20 – Asleep at the wheel – Rest Stop Recovery
08/06/20 – Rt. 17A – A sweet ride to Sugarloaf
07/30/20 – What’s a”Vineyard truck?”
07/16/20 – The woman picks up where the girl left off
07/09/20 – When time and other things stand still
07/02/20 – Drive-In movies, Back to the future
06/25/20 – Mystery of the vanishing Indian Motorcycle sign
06/18/20 – Dagavar’s Jaguar, the truth at last
06/11/20 – TAKE-OUT, Lifeline to the future
06/04/20 – Henry Hudson Drive
05/28/20 – CARnucopia Food Drive Results
05/21/20 – CARnucopia
05/14/20 – Collectible Car Culture in a Pandemic
05/07/20 – Austin Healey? Nope, It’s Austin’s Crosley!
04/30/20 – Storm King Highway
04/23/20 – Children We Love
04/16/20 – Mustang Madness Revisited
