Rare Edwardian-era cars on display at OSV Sept. 17

Date: 8/29/2011

STURBRIDGE — Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) will host its first- Edwardian-Era Motor Gathering on Sept. 17. More than 25 pre-1920 automobiles will be displayed on the Village Common from 9:30 a.m. through 1:30 p.m. and then the owners will drive their vintage cars around the village grounds during a Grand Procession. For complete details of the day’s events, call 1-800-SEE-1830 or visit www.osv.org The antique cars on display will include a 1905 single cylinder Cadillac; a 1907 Knox built in Springfield; a 1909 Pierce-Arrow Model 6-36 five passenger touring; a 1910 Cadillac; a 1911 Simplex; a 1912 Buick Model 28 Roadster; a 1912 Oakland Roadster; a 1913 Ford Runabout; a 1914 Locomobile; a 1916 Pierce-Arrow seven passenger touring; a 1917 Pierce Arrow; and a 1918 Pierce-Arrow Model 6-48 Touring. For a complete list of participating vehicles, see www.osv.org These vintage automobiles will be on display around the Old Sturbridge Village common from 9:30 a.m until they make a procession around the Village and over the Covered Bridge at 1:30, before departing the museum.

Longtime Old Sturbridge Village member, Robert Evans of Holden, owner of a 1909 Pierce-Arrow that will be on display for this event, has helped to organize the show, along with his son, Steve Evans. Evans noted that a gathering of these early vehicles for the public to see is an extremely rare event and that most people do not realize that many automobiles of this vintage were made right here in New England.

These rare antique cars were produced in the early days of automobiles, before cars like Henry Ford’s Model T was affordable enough for the masses. Pierce-Arrow, for example, concentrated on making large, luxurious cars for the upscale market. The first official cars of the White House included two Pierce-Arrows ordered by William Howard Taft in 1909. While also focusing on the luxury market, Locomobile specifically catered to those looking for speed. The company entered several of cars in auto races. In 1908, a Locomobile became the first American-made car to win an international competition.

OSV celebrates life in early New England from 1790 to 1840. Located just off the Massachusetts Turnpike and Routes I-84 and 20 in Sturbridge, OSV is open year-round, but hours vary seasonally. Currently, the Village is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is: $20 for adults; $18 for seniors; $7 for children ages 3 to 17; children under 3 are admitted free. Each admission includes free parking and a free second-day visit within 10 days. Woo Card subscribers get 25% of adult daytime admission; college Woo cardholders receive 50% off adult daytime admission. For details, visit www.osv.org.