Volume 16 Issue 7 July 1, 2016 My Pride And Joy Hank Dikkeboom’s beautifully restored 1937 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe By Rick Miller, originally appearing in the November 4, 2010 issue of the Milton Courier. This may be the computer information age (or is it the portable digital device age?), but drawing a line across a clean page is still the first step in creating new design, be it digitally or on paper. A designer may bend a line one way or another based upon an object's purpose, de- Welcome to the sign trends or more artistic influences. It's that purely creative process that has given us Northstar News, the many classic automobiles, including the Lincoln Zephyr, produced by Ford from 1936 monthly publication of to 1942. the Northstar Region An outstanding, restored 1937 Lincoln Zephyr coupe resides just north of Milton, Wisconsin in Hank Dikkeboom's shop. Zephyr sedans were built in greater numbers, of the Lincoln and but the curves of the early coupes epitomize the design concept best. Surviving coupes Continental Owners like Dikkeboom's are a rolling tribute to an entire, pre-war design movement. Club. We value your The 1920s saw the birth of a popular design style now known as Art Deco. The opinions and appreciate worldwide Art Deco style was so popular that it affected all areas of design in the 1920s your input concerning and 1930s, including painting, graphic arts (advertising), architecture and industrial de• this newsletter and the sign. New York City's Chrysler and Empire State buildings are arguably the best-known operation of the club. examples of Art Deco architecture. This is your club. A parallel design movement was Streamline Modern, or simply streamline, where (Continued on page 2) This Issue Contains Feature Story 1 Directors Message 4 Club Information Page 2 North Star Board Meeting Minutes 5 Editors Message 3 Northstar Region Events 17 Trivia 3 NORTHSTAR NEWS Board Of Directors - 2016 Title Name Phone Numbers email Term Ends Regional Director Bob Johnson H(651)257-1715 [email protected] 2017 H(952)473-3038 Secretary Roger Wothe [email protected] 2017 O(952)583-5339 Treasurer Matt Foley C(612)280-4930 [email protected] 2018 Activities Director Jay White H(952)432-5939 [email protected] 2017 Director Bob Roth H(763)475-1429 2017 Publications/ Dave Gustafson H(952)435-1919 [email protected] 2018 Membership Director Tom Brace H(651)644-1716 [email protected] 2018 Director Eric Chinquist H(612)781-7622 [email protected] 2018 Director Richard Eilers H(218)393-5747 [email protected] 2017 Members and guests are welcome to attend the Board Meetings. Our meeting location will be printed elsewhere in the newsletter, as it often will be held in conjunction with other club events. Articles and other information for the newsletter should be sent to David Gustafson, Editor, at 308 Brandywine Drive, Burnsville, MN 55337. Pride and Joy Continued... (Continued from page 1) shapes were influenced by aerodynamic principles, at least as they were understood at the time. Some of the 20th century's greatest de- signers were products of this era, including Raymond Loewy, Virgil Exner and Milwaukee's Brooks Stevens (Loewy and Stevens were two of the original 1944 founders of the Industrial Designers Soci- ety of America). The merger of the Art Deco and streamline styles began pushing designers' pencil lines in dramatic new directions in the pre-war years. Objects of everyday life suddenly sprouted aerodynamic shapes even if that object, such as a toaster, wasn't supposed to move. And the arcing, aerodynamic lines of pre-war planes, trains and automobiles like the mass-produced Zephyr or custom built French Delahayes continue to inspire. Just this month, for example, Mercedes Benz is giving media previews of its restyled-for-2012 CLS se- dans, which go on sale next spring. Inspiration for the car's "new" styling direction with bulging rear fenders and fastback styling is Mercedes' own prewar streamliner: the 1937 Autobahn Cruiser. The 2012 CLS was designed in the U.S. by Hubert Lee, director of Mercedes' Glendale, California design studio. Commenting on his latest design, Lee told Autoweek magazine, "It's like art; if you do what's expected, it's not special." The 1934 Chrysler Airflow was an unexpected and dramatic attention-getter as the first American production car to use form-follows-function, streamlining techniques as a basis for design. Chrysler had built a wind tunnel in Highland Park, Michigan, and the Airflow's basic shape came about after engineer Carl Breer, with cooperation (Continued on page 6) 2 NORTHSTAR NEWS Trivia from the Editors Message July 2016 Internet June is in the rear view mirror. We be hosting a Lincoln car show on Sat- now have the two hot months, July and urday, July 23 and our North Star August to look forward to. Be sure members will be attending in-force. that you take some time out to enjoy Other interesting activities are also the evenings as they can be some of the planned for this four-day tour, includ- best parts of a summer’s day. If you ing stops for food, which is almost as are fortunate enough to have a con- good as looking at old cars. For more vertible, the time behind the wheel information and to sign up for this tour, Checker Taxi Cabs with the top down in the early evening contact Bob Johnson at 651.257.1715. 1917 - 1982 can be the most pleasurable part of In August, some of us will be mak- owning such a car. Stock up on the ing the journey over to Hickory Cor- Checker Taxi was experiences of the nice days now, so ners, Michigan and the site of the Lin- an American taxi you can remember them coln Heritage Motor company. It used the some six months from Car Museum and to Checker Marathon now, when you are in- celebrate their second produced by Checker side freezing your back- annual homecoming. of Kalamazoo, Michi- side. The joys of living The host will be the gan. in Minnesota. At least Road Race Lincoln The "Checker", par- we don’t have to suffer Register, one of the ticularly the 1958–82 through 100+ degree four founding organi- Checker A series se- days and nearby forest zations of the Lincoln dans remain the most fires like many of our Museum. All four famous taxi cab vehi- friends that live in the clubs, Lincoln Owners cles in the United southwest part of the Sweet Olga enjoying a nice Club, Lincoln Zephyr States. The vehicle is United States. summer day checking out all Owners Club, Road comparable to the Lon- In July we will be the pretty flowers. All girls Race Lincoln Register don Taxi in its nation- touring Iowa and Mis- love flowers and Olga is no and Lincoln and Conti- ally renowned styling, souri, first visiting exception. nental Owners Club which went largely Boone, Iowa and the have been invited and unchanged throughout home of the iconic Mark II convertible. many members, along with their fine its use, and also for its This Mark II was created especially for Lincolns will be in attendance. It will iconic status. Mrs. Eleanor Clay Ford from a car be a good chance to see some very Motorized taxi shipped to Derham Body Company in unique Lincolns and take in a bit more cabs began to appear Pennsylvania, and is the only factory of the Hickory Corners complex. on the streets of major authorized convertible for which docu- Also in August, there will be a cities beginning in the mentation exists. This interesting “Gathering of the Faithful”, a meet early 1900s. Particu- Mark graced our show fields when we sponsored by the Lincoln Zephyr Own- larly in Chicago, sponsored the LCOC Mid America at ers Club from August 18 – 20 in Red where numerous rail- Bloomington in 1992. We will eventu- Wing, Minnesota. We urge our mem- roads had terminals, ally make our way to the great me- bers to get a meet packet, register for there was considerable tropolis of Moscow Mills, Missouri, some of the events, go and support our need for on-demand, home to the infamous collection of friends in the Zephyr Club. Some point-to-point chauf- very unique automobiles owned by our great cars and even greater people will feur-driven transpor- longtime member and good friend, be there. You surely will have a good tation. Hotels, depart- Dick Koop. As we are fond of saying, time. ment stores, and office every car has a story, and Dick has Till next month…. buildings embraced some great stories to tell about those David, Marion and Sweet Olga, the (Continued on page 4) who reside in his collection. He will Samoyed. 3 NORTHSTAR NEWS (Continued from page 3) the amenity, but often Directors Message by Bob Johnson July 2016 limited access to their Can you believe that July is almost here! The facilities to a single cab annual car show at Morries, Back to the 50’s at the company. Kickbacks fairgrounds and the Mid America National Meet in were common, and the Dayton, Ohio are already history for this year. It is system favored larger time to get ready for our July car shows, we have operators, who had the two in July for your enjoyment, one local in Maple financial resources to Grove and one in Moscow Mills, Missouri, hosted "play the game". by Dick Koop. Please get your Lincoln out and see By 1920, there were if you can find a route that is road construction free two dominant taxi-cab and enjoy the summer cruising our highways.