Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit News

The Goddess of Speed hood ornament was used as part of Packard's golden anniversary celebration, which included the production of this 1949 Standard 8 woodie station wagon, currently owned b y Eugene G. Tareshawty of Austintown, Ohio.

Ohio country club attracts significant classics

By Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit News

September 26, 2009

CANTON, Ohio -- Fifteen years ago, members of the Glenmoor Country Club who didn't play golf but were very much into classic cars somehow convinced their golf-playing friends to give over the course's 18th fairway one day a year for a gathering of what they hoped would be some "significant automobiles."

At first, this Glenmoor Gathering was pretty much a local event. But in recent years it has grown into national prominence, to the point that the annual Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Automobiles is a multi-day event that attracts some of the most significant classic vehicles in North America.

Though some 160 vehicles gather for display only on Sunday behind the country club's huge and imposing "clubhouse," the Gathering is a three-day affair that begins on Friday with -- naturally enough -- a golf outing for those so inclined, or this year those who don't play could visit the Crawford Auto and Aviation Museum in Cleveland.

Saturday morning, there was another choice -- several of the classic cars went on a driving tour around the Canton area while other participants visited the Museum of Fashion and Decorative Arts at Kent State University.

There was a gala dinner Saturday night, and -- of course -- the concours d'elegance on Sunday. Featured at the concours were the cars of Edsel Ford, those he owned or those he and Eugene T. "Bob" Gregorie designed.

This one-off, four-cylinder Chevrolet AB-powered 1932 Simplex Piston Ring Special was built for beach and dirt-track racing by Joseph Bert "Dutch" Moyers. Moyers' son, Davey, acquired the car in the 1940s and his widow sold it to its current owners, Bill Warner and Randy Kimberly of Jacksonville, Fla.

The Edsel/Gregorie cars filled four classes, and there was a fifth class comprising 1934 Ford hot rods.

Ford's current American design director Moray Callum was grand marshal for the event.

Also honored was the 100th anniversary of Alice Ramsey's drive across the country. She was the first woman to do such a drive. However, all women who have taken the wheel were honored as Alexandra Nicholas of the Massillon Museum showed art and film featuring "Women Behind the Wheel."

Next year's 16th annual Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Cars is scheduled for September 17-19, 2010, and will feature cars built in Cleveland and Bizzarini sports cars.

The paint was removed from this 1951 Franklin Series 8 roadster some 50 years ago in anticipation of a restoration that was not done. The car had been owned by the same family until it was sold in 2007. Its current owner is the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland.