The Silver Anniversary {;jlidden Tour by Henry Austin Clark, Jr. Twenty-five years ago the Clarks headed off Long Island towards Albany for the start of the Fl RST Glidden Tour Revival in a thirty-four old Renault berline, wondering what it would be like, and how much trouble we would encounter. This October we again started off, this time to Mobile, Alabama in a forty-one year old Lincoln sport phaeton. The re­ spective years of the cars were 1912 and 1929, in­ cidentally, reflecting a significant change in the cars going on the Tours since the beginning. Oddly enough the 1912 Renault ran like a watch with no brakes, while the 1929 Lincoln gave lots of trouble on the way south, until helping friends made it right. In between the years 1946 and 1970 we have been to lots of places from Maine to the Rockies, and from Canada to Florida on the Tours. We have met many fine people, and have made many good Nelson Deedle of Belleville, Ill. had a French car to go with the' French name of his hometown, a 1927 Bugatti Right, 1931 Cadillac friends, a surprising number of whom we see again cylinder Linvoln. Our route took us under the and again. Every Tour has had its outstanding harbor in a tunnel and right into town to the Admiral scenery and its memorable experiences, including Semmes Hotel and Motor Inn, two related establish· finding a new old car on almost every tour from ments across the street from one another. The older 1946 on. To tell half of them would take a book. Hotel was Tour Headquarters, but there was an One thing is for sure - there is no such thing as a immediate rush to exchange rooms in the former for bad Glidden, just good and better. newer and larger ones in the latter. The Clarks and Therefore when the plans for the 1970 Tour Hannafords remained in the Hotel, while the Donzes came out. there was never a question about whether moved, thereby splitting our party which had been we would go. New Orleans being one of our favorite together (unlike 1964 in Colorado Springs when the cities (I even have a gold key to it!), we looked for· Broadmoor people broke up our group as if we were ward with pleasure to our visit there. What we did anarchists.) not realize was that the most fascinating parts would We had arrived on Thursday, one day early, to be around Mobile and the Gulf Coast. leave time to get settled and work on the cars, which Having effected a rendezvous with our Cleveland was a good thing in our case at least. Many other friends, the Donzes and Hannafords, at Birmingham, Tourists had the same idea, it seemed. The Tour we limped into Mobile in what acted like a four Committee was there to greet us and give us our 29 1922 Marmon '34' Speedster, Egbert J. Beney Tour Packets. These included a spiral-bound Tour Saturday was the first day of touring and we had a Book, patterned after the 1969 Book of the Great delightful run in sunny weather west and south to Smokies Tour - one of the best ever. All of the Dauphin Island and Fort Gaines, which is both a information anyone could want plus maps and modern and antique military establishment. The open­ route instructions was included. ing ceremony involve\! the firing of an early cannon by Safety inspection was conducted on the block­ our Committee. A chicken and fish buffet luncheon square reserved and guarded parking lot two blocks was served to the Tourists by the old Fort. This was a from the Hotel on both Thursday and Friday. We put fine spot for photos and many were taken. in time working on the Lincoln and watching for On the way back many of the Tourists made a stop requested ignition parts to arrive by air mail. By at the Bellingrath Gardens, a few miles out of Mobile. Saturday morning they had come, were installed, The cars parked under trees hanging with Spanish and with adjustments completed, the Lincoln was moss, and made a handsome tableau. once more its powerful eight cylinder self, ready Saturday night was reserved for the Mardi Gras for any challenge. This miracle was mainly due to Ball at the Municipal Auditorium a huge new the efforts of Bob Hannaford, Andy Hotton, and structure in Mobile. The Committee had made Oakley Sumpter. Needless to say, we breathed much costumes available for the adventurous extroverts in easier from then on. We had limped from New Jersey the crowd, and the costumed group participated in to Mobile, which was 90% of the way down. the Tableau, which also featured a number of beauti­ Friday night was the opening banquet where our ful Mobile Belles. The less enterprising Tourists wore hosts were introduced officially. They included the formal dresses or tuxedos, making this the second Tour Chairman and Vice·Director of the Region, official black tie VMCCA function in history, the first Rudy Hearn; The Director of the Deep South Region, being the founding dinner in Boston many years ago. Bill Owen; Pierre Fontana, who was to herd us in the (Of course the Rolls-Royce Club does it all the time, Duesenberg; Ed and Marion Rothenburg, in charge of but no matter.) In any event, the Mardi Gras Ball was Judging and Trophies respectively; Buddy Walton, in a fine spectacle and was enjoyed by all. charge of the New Orleans segment; Ann Eady, editor Sunday was dark and rainy, which worked out well of the "Daily News" which was to appear each day of because it was the day for the bus tour of Old Mobile the Tour; and a number of others whom we came and vicinity. We first visited a grand Ante-Bellum (and to know well during the next week. they don't mean World War II) mansion in the trip tor those in closed vehicles. We had no trouble seeing where we were going except for blown wet sand in our eyes and teeth. To begin with, it should be explained that experi· ence is no help on a Glidden, as far as finding your way is concerned. I can state with complete accuracy that the 1929 Lincoln was lost every day of the Tour at least once. Monday was no exception. Our excuse (and usually we had one) was that a route turn sign had been removed for construction. In any case, when we reached the shoreline we went the wrong way out a dead-end to the west instead of east. Marty Forer in the Universal Tire truck followed us to tell us we were lost. After stopping, we decided to have a "pit stop", involvil"lg maintenance of both the equipment and the personnel. Standing in the rain with glass in hand we agreed to turn back and seek the correct route. Marty had rescued the Lowenthals, whose 1908 Brush had self-destructed in one magnificent leap, leaving pieces of engine all over the road. Shelly had hopped available transportation back to Mobile for his trailer, leaving his sodden bride to ride with the 1912 Ford Roadster, Anhur A. Bergstrom load of new Universal tires and Marty. She was saved from P-newmonia by an infusion - just in time. Eventually our group made it into Pensacola, where Martine's Restaurant had just about given up waiting, but nevertheless produced a fine luncheon. DeTonti St:Juare section of town. It had belonged to a Bill Donze and I decided to ride together in his 1927 Confederate Colonel, and miraculously escaped sack· Whippet at this point, being followed by the Lincoln. ing at the end of the unpleasantness, To some of us Within a mile we were separated, and never saw each the most striking features were the four Southern other again until Mobile. The little Whippet toured Belles in full costume on the front veranda. the Naval Air Station all alone, as not another old The next stop on the tour was at the new Art car was left there. The weather was still horrible Gallery where they had a fine new collection of paint· and stayed that way all day. ings and free champagne for us. The Director of the Tuesday dawned nice and sunny for our run to Gallery is from Boston, oddly enough. The final halt New Orleans. The Lincoln got off to a good start was at "Oakleigh", another pre-Civil War mansion by getting off course in the first two blocks. When operated by the Historic Mobile Preservation Society. we could not find the Whippet (its puppy, which Here it was noted that two portraits were hanging had pulled out of the lot two minutes ahead) we side by side, of William Kissam Vanderbilt and his became worried. Stopping to help diagnose a busted bride, a Mobile girl. The ladies seemed unaware that overdrive on the Stephens, we were advised that the the son of this gentleman, Willie K., Jr., had left an pup was by the side of the road some ten miles back. indelible mark on the hi story of automobile competi· So back we went only to pass the Whippet on the tion in America and the world. divided highway. They hollered and blew the horn There was also paintings of the famous Con­ while we pretended not to notice them. After a federate raider Alabama, newspapers decrying Yankee quick reversal at the next exit we were together again atrocities during the Civil War, and many more for the ride past the wreckage of Hurricane Camille, interesting mementos of bygone days.