The LINCOLN LINK LINKINGThe TOGETHER LINCOLN ALL ELEMENTS OF THE LINCOLN MOTORLINK CAR HERITAGE June 1, 2013: Groundbreaking Launches Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum WATCH MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION ONLINE! SEE PAGE 5 VOLUME IX, NUMBER 1 AUGUST 2013 SPECIAL GROUNDBREAKING ISSUE the lincoln link struction of the LMCF’s raison CALVIN S. BEAUREGARD THE LINCOLN LINK? d’être, the long-awaited Lincoln 1926-2013 Motor Car Heritage Museum on n “Cal Beauregard,” wrote n CERTAINLY YOU remem- the campus of the Gilmore Car chairman Jack Eby in the very ber The Lincoln Link, published Museum near Hickory Corners, first issue of The Lincoln Link, by the Lincoln Motor Car Michigan, got started on June 1 “took the initial steps to cre- Heritage Museum and Research with a ceremonial groundbreak- ate and incorporate the Lincoln Foundation—LMCF for short. ing, and it is expected to be fin- Motor Car Heritage Museum It’s a periodical, “linking togeth- ished late this year! As editor of and Research Foundation.” Cal, er all elements of the Lincoln the Lincoln-Zephyr Owners Club a retired Ford Motor Company Motor Car Heritage,” as its magazine, The Way of the Zephyr, public affairs executive and a subtitle describes it. As a serious I compiled a story about this member of three of the four adherent of the LMCF’s vision historic event, with input from a Lincoln car clubs, “suggested to identify, collect, preserve and couple of our members who were that many of the opportuni- display the cars, parts, artifacts, able to visit the site, and pub- ties to preserve and share the literature and all else relating to lished it as the #1 feature article Lincoln motor car heritage these automobiles, you joined in the current issue. could be realized if a non-profit the foundation and became foundation were created.” Cal entitled to receive The Lincoln quickly brought the idea of the Link, which set out to be “pub- Foundation to the attention to lished semi-yearly,” as it said on his friend, Bill Ford, Sr., and the cover. together they decided that Bill But alas, it hasn’t quite kept would allow his name to be asso- that schedule. The initial issue, ciated with the founding of the Volume I, Number 1, was dated Then it occurred to me that, organization. It was difficult to 2002—eleven years ago now— with the publication of The resist the combination of a good but no Links at all were issued in Lincoln Link on hiatus since idea and Cal’s charm. ’03. Beginning in ’04, LMCF’s Chad’s death, the foundation Jerry Capizzi put Cal in touch with Richard Sills, president of volunteer newsletter editor, Chad members would get no official the Cadillac-La Salle Club, who Coombs of Nokesville, Virginia, notification about this momen- had just created a foundation for kept the Link’s publication most- tous event without an issue of the Cadillac and La Salle collectors. ly on track until 2009, but the Link to give them the news. With Following Sills’ advice, Cal set in most recent issue, Volume VIII, the main story about it already in motion the LMCF as a 501(c)(3) Number 2, dated Fall, 2010, is hand, I volunteered to embellish nonprofit organization. the last one Chad was able to it a bit, add some other pertinent Doug Mattix, then presi- produce before his death on June material of interest to a general dent of the LCOC, was also a 18, 2011. Since then you have audience of Lincoln enthusiasts, key mover in the formation of received no Links until this one. and forge another Link in the the Foundation. It was he who But as you can see on the chain. LMCF Chairman Jack Eby mothered the idea through the cover of this issue, the founda- welcomed the idea of a guest edi- LCOC and marshaled the LOC tion now has wonderful news tor handling the task, so here is and LZOC to the cause. to impart to its members: con- the result. Sadly, Cal Beauregard is no longer with us to enjoy this momentous milestone in the n THE LINCOLN LINK is the official newsletter of The Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum and Research Foundation, Inc., 7419 East Arlington Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85250. Opinions expressed herein do Foundation’s history. He passed not necessarily represent or reflect Foundation policy. Newsletter contributions should be sent to the away on April 14 this year at the address above. age of 86, and a full obituary n Earlier issues of The LINCOLN LINK are available as back issues. Price is $5 each, postpaid. notice appears in the May-June MEMBERSHIP IN THE LINCOLN MOTOR CAR FOUNDATION issue of The Way of the Zephyr. Membership categories: $25 Annual; $100 Annual Sustaining; $1000 Annual Corporate; $1000 Lifetime (or four payments of $250); Memorial ($500 minimum, please provide name of honoree). Send your name and a check to: Cornerstone Registration Ltd., P.O. Box 1715, Maple Grove, Minnesota 55311-6715, or call 866 427 7583 and pay by credit card. Contact them by e-mail at LCOC@ — DAVID L. COLE cornerstonereg.com. Guest Editor 2 VOLUME IX, NUMBER 1 Groundbreaking Launches Museum Construction n Lincoln Museum groundbreakers, each wielding his ceremonial shovel included, left to right, Gordon Groves, president of Cornerstone, the contrac- tor for the Lincoln Museum; Steve Bosch, our architect; Jerry Capizzi, donor of the lead gift that got the project underway and a member of the LMCF board; Dan Szwarc, member of LCOC’s Michigan Region and an LMCF board member; Michael Spezia, executive director of the Gilmore Car Museum; Jack Eby, chair of the LMCF board of trustees; Earle Brown, executive vice-president of LMCF; Vaughn Koshkarian, chair of the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum Committee and a vice-president of LMCF; and finally, Bill Parfet, president of the Gilmore Foundation. Behind the diggers, you can see the new Model A Ford Museum that just opened to visitors on May 18th. The Lincoln Museum will fill the grassy area between the groundbreakers and the Model A Museum, with construction expected to be done by Thanksgiving this year. The $l.3 million on hand is sufficient to build the museum; now we have to raise more funds to fill and maintain it. HE LONG-AWAITED morning, so we decided to brave prototype. There was also a groundbreaking for it in our Zephyr V-12’s and drive model of the Lincoln Futura, a the construction of the them on our trip to Hickory concept car whose design dates Lincoln Motor Car Corners. We chose old-time from 1953, and refreshments for Heritage Museum on roads, as my ’40 has only the the guests, including sandwiches, Tthe Gilmore Car Museum standard 4.44:1 rear axle—no ice cream bars and water. campus near Hickory Corners, overdrive—so it does not keep up Before the festivities began, Michigan, took place on Saturday with interstate highway speeds. the “Up the Creek” Jazz afternoon, June 1, 2013. Vintage It turned out to be a splendid Band from Kalamazoo played Lincoln owners who braved the drive through the countryside Dixieland music for our delight. possibility of stormy weather and in the sunshine, and we passed As Jack Eby, the master of drove their cars to participate numerous Amish buggies along ceremonies, prepared to speak, in the event included Jim the way. Apparently they don’t the band played “When the Blanchard, with his 1940 Lincoln have overdrive either. Saints Go Marching In,” said to Continental Cabriolet, and Jeff The groundbreaking ceremony be the favorite song of Henry Booth, with his ’40 Lincoln- began at 3:30 that afternoon. Ford II. It was a simple and Zephyr Convertible. Both live Mike Spezia, executive director dignified event as Jack spoke near Toledo, Ohio, so they had of the Gilmore Museum, had us about the museum and its a drive of about 130 miles to line up our Zephyrs right next future for Lincoln heritage. A attend the event. Jim submitted to the tent that Foundation great deal of effort has gone this report of their adventure: board member Jack Juratovic had into respecting the history of erected to protect us from the the old Lincoln dealership in n Jeff and I started out from rain (which didn’t come) and to Detroit upon which the design Toledo after a night of heavy showcase some of his Lincoln for the museum was based. rains, despite a threat of more artwork, and a large photo of Steve Bosch, the architect, spoke storms to come, but it had movie star Randolph Scott with about this effort. Finally, Bill partially cleared by Saturday the #1 1940 Lincoln Continental Parfet, president of the Gilmore 3 the lincoln link n When is is completed later this year, the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum, in a building designed by Steven R. Bosch, will take its place among several new marque-oriented museum and research facilities in the architectural image and likeness of historic auto dealership buildings on the cam- pus of the Gilmore Car Museum north of Kalamazoo, Michigan—a mecca for Lincoln lovers from all eras. Architectural rendering by Randy Mytar. Foundation, paid respect to the of the Lincoln Motor Car trustee of the CCCA Museum, bright future of the Lincoln Foundation and other VIP’s and a member of the Lincoln Museum on the Gilmore campus stood in a row and prepared Owners Club; Del and Margaret and the prospects of its making to spade the earth with special Beyer, major contributors and this an important destination for chrome shovels branded with Lincoln collectors from Hartford, many generations to come.