See rare Plaidside Willys-Knights Great Six cars
Al Gidding Collection on special display Oct. 4-7 at AACA Museum
HERSHEY, Pa. — If you’re a car lover there’s only one place to be in early October and that’s the AACA Fall Meet in Hershey, Pa. One of many special happenings over Meet Week in Hershey is an exhibit of Willys-Knights Great Six Plaidside Cars from the Al Giddings Collection. Both from 1930, these rare cars will be on display for a limited time at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum (AACA) in Hershey.
During the past three decades, Al Giddings has earned a reputation as one of the most creative and talented director-producer-cinematographers in the entertainment industry. Never settling for off-the-shelf technology, Mr. Giddings is constantly designing innovate cameras, lighting and optical systems in all film and video formats from IMAX to high definition.
Mr. Giddings may best be known for his undersea camera work in these classic films: "The Deep", "For Your Eyes Only”, “Never Say Never Again”, “The Abyss” and “Titanic” the second highest grossing film in movie history. These are just a few of Mr. Giddings’ accomplishments.
On display will be a Willys-Knight Great Six 1930 Plaidside Phaeton — Knight Sleeve Valve Engine powered by a 6 Cylinder - 87 HP — the only one in the world! Although expensive tooling and drawings were completed in 1930, only three of these beautiful 66-B Phaetons were produced. The 1929 stock market crash had devastated the auto industry... however, president John Willys, a consummate showman, demanded his company have a strong presence at the 1930 New York, Chicago and Los Angeles auto shows and ordered three Phaetons built. This is the New York show car and only survivor!
Also on display will be a Willys-Knight Great Six 1930 Plaidside Roadster — Knight Sleeve Valve Engine powered by a 6 cylinder -— 87 hp and one of approximately nine know to exist. Designed by Amos Northup in 1929, the Willys-Knight 66-B Plaidside Roadster is a registered Classic Car Club of America Classic. The novel paint scheme reflects the 1930 factory delivered car. The Willys Overland Company built more than two million cars from 1903 through 1927 — Willys-Knights, Stearns-Knights, Whippets and Overlands made up the bulk of the passenger car lines.
In 1917 the company's production was slightly behind the Ford Company, then the world's largest automobile manufacturer.
For more information, visit www.aacamuseum.org.
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