Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb
Written by Keith Fudge

Last Fall, Dennis Gage and the crew had a chance to stay close to home and see one of the truly entertaining car events in the Midwest:  the Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb!  Held in the quaint hamlet of Newport, Indiana, these people have a big-time event with some special small-town hospitality.  After he arrived, Dennis met with Larry Bemis, Meet Referee and Public Relations Director, who let him in on the history of this celebrated event.  Larry said that the hill climb probably began as an informal race between friends who had bet to see whose car could or couldn’t make it up the 1,800-foot hill!  Then in 1909 the town of Newport latched onto the race and saw it as a way to generate revenue in the form of a festival.  The event went along until World War II and then gave away to a lack of interest until 1968 when the Lion’s Club revived the race.  It has been going strong ever since!  Larry went on to say that in addition to the hill climb, there is also a classic car show that this year features 350-400 cars, a flea market, street dance, cruise in, and even a pretty baby contest!  Of course there was plenty of good food and even a fireworks show!  When Dennis heard that there were plenty of cars, and some pretty unique ones at that, he was ready to get out and mingle among the crowd.

First, Dennis found Jim Walker and his 1925 Model T Speedster.  Featuring a hand-built aluminum body, this car was ready to take the big hill and anything else that got in its way!  Powered by a 1926/27 Model T engine bored .030 over, Jim said that he had reached a top speed of 72 miles per hour.  As Dennis said, “In this car, that must be exciting!”  Jim has owned the speedster for two months and has been coming to the hill climb for the past 10 years.  Next, Dennis discovered Brian Nees and his 1948 Crosley Station Wagon.  Made by a company better known for radios than cars, this vehicle is local of sorts as it was built in Marion, Indiana.  Brian said that he had owned the car for two years and that this model was one of five in the Crosley line including a sedan, a convertible, a pickup truck, and a panel wagon.  The interior of the car is functional with few bells and whistles, and the same can be said for the practical 44 cubic-inch engine that produced 26½ horsepower.  Brian said that he and his wife took a ride up the big hill yesterday in the Crosley and hit the finish line at five miles per hour!  John Cooper’s roadster was the next car to catch Dennis’s attention.  Painted in a new GM shade of Copper, this cool roadster is quite a combination of the past.  It features a 1929 Ford body fitted to a hand-built double tube chassis and is powered by a 1956 Oldsmobile V-8.  This car is quite a mixture of eras and styles.  Other attributes are a 1958 Ford grille featuring a cool array of dresser-drawer knobs for ornamentation, a 1956 Olds dash, a 1957 Ford rear end, and a 1948 Lincoln front end.  The last thing that you see as this bad boy leaves you in the dust are the taillights from a 1960 Dodge.  Truly, this was one of the coolest cars that we have ever seen!  Finally, Dennis spoke with Dustin Cooper, the owner of a sweet 1955 Desoto.  Only 18 years of age, Dustin has a remarkable appreciation for autos of the past and knows a lot about automotive design.  He told Dennis that he bought this car when he was 15 using the money he made from pinstriping and detailing cars.  After purchasing the red and white coupe, he added chrome wheels, dropped the car three inches, and did a metal flake paint job on the dash.  He even pinstriped the back seat!  The 291 cubic-inch Desoto Fire Dome V-8 powers the car.  Dustin said the car is his daily driver, and we are quite sure that it was the only Desoto in his high-school parking lot!

Dennis and the crew had a super time in Newport, showing that small towns can host truly big events.  If you would like information on this year’s hill climb, you can visit them on the web at www.newporthillclimb.com.  That’s it from Newport, Indiana.  So until our next visit, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”