Brighton USA Days

[oldcarfudd]

One of the low-key pleasures of the late summer is the Brighton USA Days tour, that usually happens in New Jersey. For many years, when Margaret’s health permitted, Bob Benz and Margaret Stephens were the hosts at their farm. Recently, Andy and Tricia Wallace have run the tour from Newton, NJ.

This year, there was a short 22-mile tour on Friday afternoon, followed by pizza at Casa Wallace. Three cars participated: Joyce and Jerry Chase’s Buick F, Andy and Tricia’s Buick F, and my one-lung Cadillac.

The main event was Saturday – 65 miles with a catered lunch at the Wallaces’. This part of New Jersey has excellent and very scenic back roads along streams and lakes, and over hills and into valleys, with essentially zero traffic. I pulled over ONCE to let a couple of moderns go by. There were 12 cars on the tour; my Cadillac, a REO, a Yale, a Renault, a potful of Buicks, and - oh yeah – a single cylinder Isetta from the ‘50s. (I SAID it was low-key!) While this area is blessed with great roads, it doesn’t have a lot of destinations. But lunch at the Wallaces more than makes up for that. Andy has several large garages with a wide variety of drool-worthy toys from a curved dash Olds, to classic British sports cars, to a Cord, to – well, something for pretty nearly everybody. There was also a swimming pool we were invited to use. Since the weather was perfect, what was there not to like?

Watch for this little tour next year. Rules are the same as for a 1&2: pre-’16 one-and two-cylinder cars, steam to 10 horsepower, electrics (though I doubt any electric less potent than a Tesla could have done Saturday’s run), small pre-’04 four-cylinder cars – and Isettas! If it’s in Newton again, there’s a good motel, ample trailer parking, and back roads almost to the door. Y’all come!

Gil Fitzhugh the Elder

PS – Did anyone take pictures to post?

[FullerMetz]

Thank you GFtE for the tour report! I know I, and I would think others, enjoy your reports.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2

[jeepers]

We attended with our 1910 Buick Model 14, had a great day.

[FullerMetz]

jeepers,
The pictures are great! Thank you.
The only Yale I had seen before was smaller than that one. That is an incredible car! But then so is the REO next to it.
The Renault and Maxwell look nice also. Is the blue runabout your Buick? The car looks beautiful.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2

[jeepers]

Yes, the little blue car is our Buick, in between the Renault and the Maxwell, thanks.

[MochetVelo]

Will this tour listed on the HCCA website/magazine Calendar?

Phil

[oldcarfudd]

It will be if somebody posts it!

[oldcarfudd]

There almost wasn't a Brighton USA tour this year, but at the last minute Bob Stelle and Terri Ledva stepped up to the plate. Today we had a delightful 50-mile run in Hunterdon County (western NJ), with a lunch stop in Frenchtown. The weather was 10% better than perfect - temperature in the low 80s, crystal clear, no wind, some leaves just starting to turn. Shorts and a T-shirt with no windshield at the end of September? I'll take it! We had a Brush, a Yale, a Buick, a couple of Maxwells, a couple of REOs, and a couple of Cadillacs - all one-or two-cylinder except the Memmelaars' big Cadillac, that was carrying three generations. I'd have taken some pictures for you, but got preoccupied when my usually dependable Cadillac had a Failure To Proceed. After several attempts at a diagnosis and cure, I bummed a ride in the rear tonneau of Jeff and Debbie Jones' Yale (impressive car!) and retrieved my errant steed with my trailer. It's had a 700-mile season, so I guess it's allowed to be a bit tired. I hope someone took some pics and will post them.

Gil Fitzhugh the Elder