Honoring Indiana Autos at Old Car Festival 2023
Ford Model A cars were easy to find at Old Car Festival, but our spotlight this year fell on Indiana-based automakers. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Auto enthusiasts, bicyclists and folks just looking for a little fun descended on Greenfield Village over the September 9-10 weekend as we celebrated our 2023 Old Car Festival. More than 600 vintage automobiles and some 250 bicycles — none dating more recently than 1932 — participated in this beloved late-summer tradition.
Each year at the show, we spotlight a special theme. Generally, it’s a particular make or model or a specific style of automobile. (Last year, for example, we featured early American luxury cars.) For 2023, we went in a different direction, instead focusing our spotlight on a state. Our “Indiana Autos” theme allowed us to honor the many marques of the Hoosier State. More than 400 distinct automobile brands called Indiana home at one time or another, and the state’s automotive industry was second only to Michigan’s in its size and significance. From premium luxury vehicles to the greatest spectacle in racing, our Indiana neighbors had it all.
The Henry Ford’s 1923 Stutz Bearcat, built in Indianapolis, turned heads with its sporty yellow paint. / Photo by Matt Anderson
In the spirit of the occasion, we shared a treasure from The Henry Ford’s own collection: our Indianapolis-built 1923 Stutz Bearcat. Championed by founder Harry Stutz and individually tested on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Bearcat is generally considered America’s first true sports car, predating Chevrolet’s Corvette by more than 40 years. Our version is a bit more refined than the first Bearcats, which had next to nothing in the way of bodywork, but it still churns out 109 horsepower and is capable of 100 miles per hour. Joining the Stutz in Detroit Central Market were two other favorites from our collection: replicas of Henry Ford’s 1896 Quadricycle and his 1901 “Sweepstakes” racer.
The Wheelmen posed for a group photo in front of the Detroit, Toledo & Milwaukee Roundhouse. / Photo by Matt Anderson
This year, our own vehicles were joined in the market building by The Wheelmen. This national organization is dedicated to the heritage of American cycling, and members encourage the restoration and riding of cycles built in and before 1932. The Wheelmen hosted their national meet in conjunction with Old Car Festival this year. Our local chapter, the Michigan Wheelmen, has participated in Old Car Festival for more than 50 years. In recognition of the meet, we displayed a couple of unusual bicycles from The Henry Ford’s collection: a three-wheeled 1898 Rex Tandem and a four-seat circa 1900 McKay’s Special Tandem. When they weren’t answering questions about bicycle history, members of The Wheelmen could be found pedaling around Greenfield Village aboard their penny-farthings and early safety bicycles.
Passengers scrambled during a “fire drill” competition on the Walnut Grove activity field. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Old Car Festival is much more than static displays. We encourage participants to drive their early steam, electric and gasoline-powered cars through Greenfield Village, and many of them do just that. There’s a marked driving route with long runs on Maple Lane and Christie Street, but for those with a competitive bent, there are also car games throughout the weekend in Walnut Grove. Spectators won’t see anything quite as wild as auto polo, but “fire drill” races and spirited demonstrations of driving skill are dependably entertaining.
Historian Bob Casey discussed some of Indiana’s lesser-known automobile manufacturers. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Special programs in Martha-Mary Chapel provided enrichment opportunities throughout the weekend. Andrew Beckman, archivist at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, discussed early automobile production by what was Indiana’s longest-lived and best-known marque. Bob Casey, former curator of transportation at The Henry Ford, provided something of a counterpoint with a talk on the Hoosier State’s lesser-known manufacturers like American Underslung and Tincher. Daniel Hershberger returned with his popular talk on early automobile camping, and Greg Ingold, editor of the Hagerty Price Guide, discussed some of the latest trends in car collecting.
Listeners enjoyed ragtime piano music on Washington Boulevard. / Photo by Matt Anderson
For those who like a little Joplin with their Jordans, Old Car Festival offered a suite of music programs on both Saturday and Sunday. Ragtime piano players were at work at the foot of Washington Boulevard, and ragtime-era dance lessons were offered nearby. Saturday saw Greenfield Village open until 9:00 p.m., with the evening highlighted by a concert from the River Raisin Ragtime Revue. Favorites like the Village Trio, the Greenfield Village Quartet and the Tartarsauce Traditional Jazz Band offered additional auditory pleasures throughout the weekend.
This unrestored 1928 Pontiac took home a Curator’s Choice Award this year. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Along with the fun, Old Car Festival always includes a selection of cars that are judged according to a stringent 400-point system. Experts determine vehicle class award winners based on authenticity, quality of restoration work and care with which each car is maintained. First-, second- and third-place prizes are awarded in multiple classes, and one overall grand champion is selected on each day of the festival. Our 2023 Henry Austin Clark Jr. Grand Champion Awards went to a 1924 Ford Model T Roadster and a factory-built 1914 Overland Speedster. We also presented two Curator’s Choice Awards to the best-preserved unrestored vehicles. Winners for 2023 included a 1910 Knox Model R and a 1928 Pontiac 6-28. The complete list of our 2023 award winners is available here.
One of Old Car Festival’s simple pleasures is strolling down Maple Lane to watch the Fords go by. Photo by Matt Anderson
If they preferred, guests at Old Car Festival could let the cars come to them. Pass-in-Review programs on Saturday and Sunday had expert narrators talking about bicycles, cars and commercial vehicles as they paraded in front of a grandstand. Saturday evening brought the popular gaslight tour, where vehicle owners fired up their oil, acetylene or early electric lights and drove through Greenfield Village in the gloaming. But anytime during the weekend, all one had to do was find a bench or a shady spot on the sidewalk to be treated to a rolling review of automotive history.
Thank you to all the participants, presenters and guests who made this year’s Old Car Festival so special. We look forward to seeing you again next September.
Matt Anderson is curator of transportation at The Henry Ford.
