Shown above is the famous 1929 Willys Knight 66 B, Great Six,
PLAID SIDE ROADSTER, one of the most attractive cars of its time.
The side-mounted spare, wire wheels, and the curved door with the
plaid striping gave this beauty a real distinction. The national
Willys Knight Registry is holding a national meet in Hamilton,
Ohio, on July 22 in conjunction with the National Auto Festival.
Many Overland Willys and Willy Knight cars will be exhibited
Hamilton, Ohio: Auto Festival ’67 would be an appropriate
title for the 13th annual antique Auto Festival and Tour to be held
in this city on Saturday, July 22. Thousands of spectators, old and
young, will be thrilled at the exciting spectacle of almost the
whole history of the American Motor Car. ‘Hey, Get a
Horse!’, ‘How Fast Will It Go?’, and ‘Blow Your
Horn’ will be the cry of the youngsters. The teenagers just
won’t believe it, but grandpa will know, he was there in the
beginning.
The Annual Auto Festival, now highly respected throughout the
country will this year formally become an international attraction
as registrations arrive from Canada as well as California, Texas,
Florida, New York, Iowa, Wisconsin, Utah, Colorado and all over the
U. S.
On July 21, 22 and 23 the national Kaiser Frazer Club will hold
their national convention in Hamilton and will participate in the
Festival tour on Saturday, July 22. The K. F. cars are expected to
present the most complete exhibition of the first new post WW II
cars since production days. Kaiser Frazer introduced new design
concepts such as the beautifully sculptured Kaiser Darrin, said to
be America’s first sports car, and a variety of award winning
closed models. With ample supply of new factory parts many of the
K. F. cars will appear in like new condition and it will be a 5,000
mile trip to Hamilton and return for some California cars.
Another 1967 attraction for spectators and antique car
enthusiasts will be the display of the famous old Willys Knight
automobiles. The National Registry (Club) of Willys Knight
automobiles (with members in several countries) has sent word
through their director in Winston-Salem that they will hold their
first national meet in Hamilton in conjunction with the 13th
festival. It is anticipated that an impressive gathering’ of
Knight powered cars will line up for the tour. Older spectators
will also recall the Stearns Knight, the Falcon Knight and Willys
and other famous Knight (sleeve valve) powered automobiles.
1967 is also expected to be the year of the Rolls Royce, several
have been purchased in the Cint.-Dayton area and two in Butler
County. Almost everyone loves a Rolls. The story goes that the only
sound a Rolls made was the click of the ignition key; so they made
that a silent operation. Several of the finest Rolls in the country
are expected to take part in the Hamilton Festival.
A new category of awards will be introduced in 1967 when proud
owners display their restored stationary gasoline engines. These
are the ‘friendly’ little one cylinder engines that brought
mechanical muscle to homes and farms around the turn of the
century. The sturdy little engines chugged their way into many
hearts as they took over the job of powering washing machines,
pumping water, grinding grain and dozens of daily chores. Rather
small, all had to be hand cranked (and cranked). Oldsters will
remember their cheery ‘put, put-bang’! Several are expected
to be on display along with antique farm tractors and threshing
machines.
For the past two years tens of thousands of Festival spectators
have been thrilled by the old time aerobatics of noted stunt pilot
Bill Hogan and his restored 1929 Waco flying machine. It was
learned that most young people had never seen an airplane in
old-fashioned loops, rolls, and spins. The old airplane will make
two fly-over appearances–first at the assembly area at 11:00 a.m.
and again at the Fairfield stopover at 1:30 p.m. Sounds of the old
airplane (and the antique autos) will be heard on a special Antique
Car Festival radio network program, ‘Yesterday Lives
Again’, broadcast over several Ohio and Indiana stations, 11:00
a.m. – 12 noon. City officials, visiting club officers, national
club representatives and others will take part in the program.
Each car owner will receive a brass commemorative car plaque;
over 60 awards will be given in various categories including cars
from the greatest distance.
Everyone is invited to Hamilton for the annual Auto Festival and
Homecoming on July 22. Those with antique or classic cars, 1894
through 1942 and Kaiser Frazer and Hudson-Essex-Terraplane made
club cars are invited to participate in the picturesque 12 mile
tour through Hamilton and Fairfield. Car owner’s name and
address and make and year of car (tractors or engines) should be
sent to Festival Headquarters, 6 Court St., Hamilton Ohio, at the
earliest date. Registration forms will be sent upon request.
Topping off the gala day two dinners will be held
simultaneously. Car owners and friends are invited to make
reservations for the annual Club Dinner to be held at 7 p.m. at the
Hamilton Inn. The Kaiser – Frazer Club will hold their convention
dinner at the First Methodist Church at the same time. Nearly five
hundred cars are expected to register for the 13th Auto Festival on
July 22. The colorful event is sponsored annually by the Antique
and Classic Car Club of Butler County and the Hamilton Association
of Trade and Industry.
