Classic Velocity

Hershey, Pennsylvania is well known for a few reasons. It is the chocolate capital of America. Although chocolate production has moved to Mexico, and the sweet aroma no longer fills the air on some days. It is also known for the Milton Hershey School, which provides a place for the education of orphans and abused kids. For lovers of Vintage Iron, it is the home of the nation’s Antique Automobile Club of America Museum which we have visited and commented on here before. It is also the home of some of the largest and best vintage swap meets in the country if not the world. The Porsche meet has been well covered here (see Hounds of the Basketweave, Hooked on Hershey), but the AACA Fall swap meet has been less so.

The event is a giant swap meet with 9000 (yes, 9000 !)spaces consuming the Giant Center and surrounding area. It now spans a week and has multiple events including a vintage race car demonstration run, museum activities, a huge for sale corral, and an RM auction. Be prepared to walk or bicycle a lot. The meet is very well known for its pre-war cars and parts, so if you own a Model A or a 1930s Dodge pickup, this is your meet. Postwar americana is also very well represented. increasingly though, other interesting vintage parts and cars are showing up. There were plenty of Mercedes stalls, and they were the among the most prevalent marques in the for sale area, which almost completely rings half of the event. I was surprised to see a good number of Porsche cars for sale, and a very cool stall with vintage NSU and TWN motorcycles !

The weather was not the best this year, but that was probably good for the RM auction which sold a V-16 Cadillac Fleetwood for $1.1 Million, and a 1905 Fiat for more than $825,000.

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