Imperial Home Page -> Events -> Anniston Alabama Spring Gathering 2002
links for some neat MPEG movies from the meet.
Another great time was had by ALL at this year's Anniston Spring Gathering hosted by
the Alabama Packard Club at the historic Victoria Inn in Anniston,
Alabama. This event was again hosted by Donald Taccone and Debbie Brown
from Birmingham, Alabama. For those who don't even know where Alabama is, well, Anniston is
the nearest town to the Talladega Super Speedway of NASCAR fame. If you
don't know what NASCAR is . . . well, we've got some oceanfront property in
Tennessee to show you.
Cars started arriving Friday afternoon about 3:00 p.m., with Deiter being the first to arrive all the way from Pennsylvania in his 55 Imperial. By 6:00 p.m., a nice crowd was present and we adjourned to Debbie and Donald's room for food and fellowship, with a periodic dash outside for a ride.
Although Saturday began with dreary, drizzly weather, everyone had LOTS of fun driving and riding in everyone's cars in spite of a little moisture.
Imperials and Packards in the mist! Saturday was cloudy and drizzle fell
from time to time, but never enough to run anyone inside.
By early Saturday afternoon, the clouds had gone away, and everyone was out enjoying the cars and beautiful spring weather.
We were lucky this year to have several "runs" of various years of Imperials. Seen here are '54, '56, and '55 Imperials. You won't see many events with these three years parked in a row! We also had a complete run including '63, '64, '65, '66, and '67 Imperials.
Holger Ziegler (Duke) flew in from Miami and spent the weekend. We all enjoyed having the chance to visit with him. He's currently "Imperial-less," so hopefully this meet will help him make up his mind about which Imperial he needs. Then again, he may decide he needs one of each!
Donald Taccone's '56 Imperial is a strong runner and great driving car -- as one
would expect since Donald is a mechanic by trade. This car has a personal history to it for Donald, which makes it all the more interesting. The '56 styling is certainly elegant.
Here are some great shots of Kerry Pinkerton's 54 Imperial. That big thing under the hood that looks like a
Honda engine is the A/C Compressor. Notice that it has no clutch.
A short media file will allow you to experience the quiet sounds of riding in the '54 Imperial. Also view Kerry's explanation of the A/C "noise" in the rear of the car. And here's a nice walk around view of the '54 Imperial.
FOR 1959!
Jeff Carrothers drove over from Jackson, Mississippi, in his '59 Imperial Crown, complete with
swivel seats. Ever wondered what a '59 Imperial sounds like? This short lets you turn the key! '59 was the first year for the 413 in the Imperial line, and Jeff's car demonstrates the quiet, smooth sound of Imperial power.
These photos show two fine representatives of the Elwood Engle era. The black '65 Crown belongs to Mark Harris from New
Orleans. He has a BRAND NEW Leather interior that is just stunning, as you can see.
The blue '64 is a 29K mile ORIGINAL car belonging to Andrew McGilvray, from Washington, DC. This car
is AMAZING!! We've never driven a tighter, nicer riding '60s car.
Andrew located the car in Florida through an ad in Classic Car Trader. He brought it by Anniston
on his way home to the DC area. His father Jim rode along with him and
seemed to have a great time.
Robert Soule brought his '66 Chrysler 300. This 300 has an incredibly nice original interior, and is just a joy
to drive. Since it's about 1,000 pounds lighter than the Imperial of the same year, it's a
BIT peppier -- exactly
what one would expect from a 300!
This gorgeous '78 New Yorker Brougham is a new acquisition of John Muller. John found the car in Kentucky, and
purchased it to pull his Airstream. As you can see, the '78 New Yorker Brougham is fully equipped to provide comfortable, luxurious, and powerful transportation. John's canine companion can attest to the comfort of the New Yorker Brougham's "Floating Cushion" velour seating. The car must make quite a sight with the silver Airstream in tow!
Chris Hawkins drove over from Atlanta in this 1966 Imperial convertible. It's an amazing car -- notice all the happy faces! There's really nothing like an Imperial convertible, and the weather on Saturday afternoon was just right for a cruise with the top down -- a luxury that many of us indulged in. Here are a couple of brief movies that will let you experience a ride in the '66 Crown Convertible, along with an explanation of how to use the telescopic steering column.
Bob Copeflake's 63 Imperial came over from Atlanta. The light blue color looked just right on this car. Several folks enjoyed a nice cruise around the block in this comfortable, well mannered Imperial.
Deiter Ketelhut got the long distance award by driving down by himself from
Pennsylvania. This is one nice 55 Newport! Deiter has done a good bit of engine stuff, as you can see, and it
WILL run! The battery is a 12V/6V setup. It starts on 12V then
switches to 6V. The interior is incredibly comfortable. Several of us enjoyed the thrill of driving this car around the streets of Anniston, much to the enjoyment of many other drivers. This car really draws smiles, waves, and many thumbs-up!
Tom Nichols' Rolls gets better every year. Those mouton carpets really cushion you in luxury!
This is Don Grossman's 56 with less than 30K original miles. Still has two original tires on the ground. It's one of the most stunning original cars I've ever seen.
Donald Taccone's 56 Packard is a stunning car! The rear design is sporty but tasteful.
Gregg Waggoner drove over from Atlanta on Saturday in his 1970 Chrysler 300. Gregg has done a LOT of work to save this car.
This BEAUTIFUL 1953 Packard Patrician belongs to Dudley Morrison from Apex, NC. Dudley drove the car over for this meet, and it was certainly an eye-catcher.
This '53 Packard Clipper fit in quite nicely. The early '50s Packards have a style and grace all their own.
The yellow convertible belongs to the Bart Tarpley from Alabaster, AL. It is a 1951 Packard Convertible -- no model name for the car, just Convertible.
These
two Imperials dropped in Saturday. They are both '67 LeBarons and are both for sale. Unfortunately, we've lost our notes with the owners names!
The "car widows" also managed to have a good time in Anniston! Our "hats are off" to them for their patience and long-suffering good natures with us car geeks!
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