Gregg D. Merksamer
PCS Life Member / PCS Publicity Chairman / PCS Ele
Though I’m well-known in the PCS as an Avowed Lincoln Partisan, I still believe our relationship with the Cadillac & LaSalle Club is the most important one our group maintains with a larger, marque-focused car club, for the elemental reason that more funeral vehicles and ambulances have been built on Cadillac chassis than any other brand. It was, accordingly, most satisfying to see professional cars enjoy such a high profile at the 2014 C&LC Grand National that took place in Lake George, New York the weekend before last. This was evident the instant attendees arrived at the Fort William Henry Resort and Conference Center where the C&LC’s New York Capital District Region hosted the event from July 8th-12th, as the entrance sign was flanked most-visibly by PCS VP Daniel K. Herrick’s 1970 Superior Rescuer 51-inch headroom high-top ambulance and Joseph K. Kelley’s 1958 Superior Model 604 Combination from Schenectady, N.Y.
Given that the Lake George “GN” ultimately attracted 278 display cars in total, it was even more significant that both the pre-and post-World War II Best-in-Show Awards would wind up going to Series Seventy-Five Cadillacs, with the former earned by Jeffrey S. Hansen’s 1942 vintage, partition-equipped 7533 Imperial Sedan from Newark, Delaware - it’s always a thrill, in my opinion, to see ANY car from that war-abridged model year! - while the latter accolade went to H. Fred Caldwell of Cramerton, North Carolina for a 1968 Cadillac 69723 Nine-Passenger Sedan I profiled two years ago as an OLD CARS WEEKLY mini-feature after admiring it at the 2012 C&LC Grand National that took place in St. Augustine, Florida the weekend preceding the PCS International Meet in Daytona Beach.
Professional Car Society member vehicles shown at the Lake George Grand National also included …
- An unusual, limousine-style 1969 Miller-Meteor Classic 3-way loading hearse brought from Hampton, Connecticut by 1990-92 PCS President Paul Cichon
- A 2006 Eureka Cadillac Landau Hearse fielded by 1999-2000 PCS President Tom Hoczyk of Ft. Wayne, Indiana
- Clifton, N.J. funeral director Roy Garretson’s 1942 Cadillac Series Seventy-Five 7533L four-window Imperial Sedan, which appeared on-screen in the 2004 Martin Scorsese film THE AVIATOR as Howard Hughes actually owned the very next 1942 model 7533L completed
- Joseph A. Puleo’s 1959 Series Seventy-Five 6733 Limousine from Watchung, N.J.
- A 1992 Eureka 6-door Limousine fielded by John E. Foust of Justin, Texas
A 1967 DeVille Convertible shown by 1995-7 PCS President Mike Barruzza of Bensalem, Pennsylvania also earned a Preservation Award and top-tier Senior Crown status in Judging Class 5, while James Anderson of Margate, Florida and Earle Whitcher of Chester, New Hampshire also attended the Lake George GN without the 1970 Series Seventy-Five Limousine and 1978 McClain Coupe DeVille Flower Car Conversion they respectively displayed to justifiable acclaim at PCS Daytona 2012.
Notable professional and livery Cadillacs shown in Lake George by non-PCS members included Jerry Steinard’s 1976 Fleetwood Seventy-Five 6DF33 Limousine from Southfield, Michigan; Louis J. Filardo, Jr.’s 1978 Fleetwood 6DF23 Limousine from Fairfield, N.J. (still bearing an original trunk badge from Brogan Cadillac of Ridgewood); a 1994 Krystal Fleetwood 6-door fielded by Frank Cottone of Fort Ann, N.Y.; a 1999 Superior Fleetwood Limited “stretch sedan” owned by Tom Pirog of Towaco, N.J.; and a 1991 Superior Crown Sovereign Landau Hearse owned by Adam Szeluga of Rochester, NY, which would need to ditch its driver’s compartment skeleton and “Angel of Death” hood mascot before it’s ready for exhibit at a PCS event.
My biggest personal thrill at Lake George, despite all the prominently-displayed pro-cars and the Sheriff-escorted, post-show parade through the streets of Lake George Village, was being asked by Walt McCall to accept on his behalf the truly-prestigious Maurice Hendry Award, which was established by the author of CADILLAC, THE COMPLETE HISTORY to honor any C & LC member “who excels in journalistic contributions in furtherance of the purposes of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club.” Shortly after I accepted Walt’s plaque from outgoing C&LC President Lars Kneller, a Plymouth, Michigan banquet attendee named Sue Pashukewich approached me and volunteered to bring the award the rest of the way to Walt, who will deservedly claim it at a Great Lakes Fire Truck Club event that’s taking place in Frankenmuth, Michigan this Saturday, July 26th. Incredibly, the wonderful weather the Grand National attendees enjoyed all week came to an abrupt end with a cloudburst that clobbered Lake George not ten minutes after the awards banquet concluded - now THAT’S luck!
Given that the Lake George “GN” ultimately attracted 278 display cars in total, it was even more significant that both the pre-and post-World War II Best-in-Show Awards would wind up going to Series Seventy-Five Cadillacs, with the former earned by Jeffrey S. Hansen’s 1942 vintage, partition-equipped 7533 Imperial Sedan from Newark, Delaware - it’s always a thrill, in my opinion, to see ANY car from that war-abridged model year! - while the latter accolade went to H. Fred Caldwell of Cramerton, North Carolina for a 1968 Cadillac 69723 Nine-Passenger Sedan I profiled two years ago as an OLD CARS WEEKLY mini-feature after admiring it at the 2012 C&LC Grand National that took place in St. Augustine, Florida the weekend preceding the PCS International Meet in Daytona Beach.
Professional Car Society member vehicles shown at the Lake George Grand National also included …
- An unusual, limousine-style 1969 Miller-Meteor Classic 3-way loading hearse brought from Hampton, Connecticut by 1990-92 PCS President Paul Cichon
- A 2006 Eureka Cadillac Landau Hearse fielded by 1999-2000 PCS President Tom Hoczyk of Ft. Wayne, Indiana
- Clifton, N.J. funeral director Roy Garretson’s 1942 Cadillac Series Seventy-Five 7533L four-window Imperial Sedan, which appeared on-screen in the 2004 Martin Scorsese film THE AVIATOR as Howard Hughes actually owned the very next 1942 model 7533L completed
- Joseph A. Puleo’s 1959 Series Seventy-Five 6733 Limousine from Watchung, N.J.
- A 1992 Eureka 6-door Limousine fielded by John E. Foust of Justin, Texas
A 1967 DeVille Convertible shown by 1995-7 PCS President Mike Barruzza of Bensalem, Pennsylvania also earned a Preservation Award and top-tier Senior Crown status in Judging Class 5, while James Anderson of Margate, Florida and Earle Whitcher of Chester, New Hampshire also attended the Lake George GN without the 1970 Series Seventy-Five Limousine and 1978 McClain Coupe DeVille Flower Car Conversion they respectively displayed to justifiable acclaim at PCS Daytona 2012.
Notable professional and livery Cadillacs shown in Lake George by non-PCS members included Jerry Steinard’s 1976 Fleetwood Seventy-Five 6DF33 Limousine from Southfield, Michigan; Louis J. Filardo, Jr.’s 1978 Fleetwood 6DF23 Limousine from Fairfield, N.J. (still bearing an original trunk badge from Brogan Cadillac of Ridgewood); a 1994 Krystal Fleetwood 6-door fielded by Frank Cottone of Fort Ann, N.Y.; a 1999 Superior Fleetwood Limited “stretch sedan” owned by Tom Pirog of Towaco, N.J.; and a 1991 Superior Crown Sovereign Landau Hearse owned by Adam Szeluga of Rochester, NY, which would need to ditch its driver’s compartment skeleton and “Angel of Death” hood mascot before it’s ready for exhibit at a PCS event.
My biggest personal thrill at Lake George, despite all the prominently-displayed pro-cars and the Sheriff-escorted, post-show parade through the streets of Lake George Village, was being asked by Walt McCall to accept on his behalf the truly-prestigious Maurice Hendry Award, which was established by the author of CADILLAC, THE COMPLETE HISTORY to honor any C & LC member “who excels in journalistic contributions in furtherance of the purposes of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club.” Shortly after I accepted Walt’s plaque from outgoing C&LC President Lars Kneller, a Plymouth, Michigan banquet attendee named Sue Pashukewich approached me and volunteered to bring the award the rest of the way to Walt, who will deservedly claim it at a Great Lakes Fire Truck Club event that’s taking place in Frankenmuth, Michigan this Saturday, July 26th. Incredibly, the wonderful weather the Grand National attendees enjoyed all week came to an abrupt end with a cloudburst that clobbered Lake George not ten minutes after the awards banquet concluded - now THAT’S luck!
Attachments
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Cad.42 Hansen 7533 w. Garretson 7533F THUMB.jpg69.3 KB · Views: 645
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Cad.68 69723 Fred Caldwell Fqtr THUMB.jpg66 KB · Views: 802
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Superior 1970 Rescuer Dan Herrick 2014 THUMB.jpg62.4 KB · Views: 654
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Superior 58 Joe Kelley w. John Foust 92 Eureka THUMB.jpg49.5 KB · Views: 612
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Miller-Meteor 69 Classic 3-way Paul Cichon THUMB.jpg60 KB · Views: 689
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Cad.76 6DF33 owner Jerry Steinard THUMB.jpg77 KB · Views: 668
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Cad.78 6DF23 Louis J. Filardo Jr. 2014 THUMB.jpg70.3 KB · Views: 642
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Merks accepts Hendry Award for McCall from Lars Kneller THUMB.JPG43.6 KB · Views: 610