Classic Cars: The Art of Paint, Polish and Pistons
New York is a city ruled by pedestrians and rife with public transit options. You don’t need a car to get around New York, and driving in the city is considered a skill all its own, requiring agility often coupled with aggression. But once in a blue moon you will see a driver who truly enjoys their ride, even on the streets of New York City – the vintage car motorist.
New York City has its share of automobile enthusiasts, and this video made two years ago by Petrolicious Productions gives a quick look into what it’s like to own and drive a vintage car on city streets in the 21st century. This episode of New York: A Portrait in Sound gives us a glimpse into this same world in the early 1960s. Skilled mechanic Ernest Gleisner talks about the willingness to get your hands dirty to maintain a classic car. Bronx-born enthusiasts Scott Bailey, founder of the magazine Automotive Quarterly, and Ralph Stein, author of several books about classic cars, can be heard as well.
While this episode is dominated by male voices, women have also made their mark in the American automotive world. Beverly Rae Kimes began her career as an automotive historian working as an editorial assistant at Bailey’s magazine, where she was later promoted to editor in the 1970s – the first female editor in automotive publishing. “Behind every great car is a great story,” Kimes said, and during her career she wrote 15 books about cars and was a member of Classic Car Club of America as well as editor of the Club’s magazine until she passed away in 2008.
New York City once hosted its own antique car run up Fifth Avenue, where antique car owners could take pride and pleasure in taking their automobiles out for a spin in the heart of Manhattan. The garage where Gleisner worked at 553 West 51st Street is now the home of the Irish Repertory Theatre, and the Fifth Avenue antique car run is no longer an annual event, but you can still glimpse the occasional classic on these city streets and enthusiasts still participate in runs and meets in New York. The Antique Automobile Association of Brooklyn hosts an annual car show at Floyd Bennett Field in June. Also, Citroen co-sponsors a Bastille Day rendez-vous of the classic french car, an event in its 16th year this July, with an official route running from Washington Heights, down Broadway and up Third Avenue.
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