Old cars were once the newest things on the block

1951 Hudson Hornet Hollywood hardtop looked like the future.

There was a suggestion on the website that motorcycles would be included in last Saturday's Antique Car Show at historic Sample-McDougald House in Pompano Beach, Fla.

I found not a single old-fashioned motorcycle there except the one I rode in on — my 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet. I parked discreetly so as not to show up all the mere antique automobiles on show.

But these were, in fact, delightful. I am personally enough of an antique to remember when many of these cars were new or, at least, not old. At the time they seemed wonderful to me. But, over time, I had forgotten how truly incredible they were.

Delightfully simple coiled springs helped lift the Hudson's hood.

"Hudson kind of spoiled the future for you," commented the gentleman showing a 1951 Hudson Hornet Hollywood hardtop. He meant that if you bought a Hudson at the time you didn't have to wait for the future. Hudson was there already.

It had a low slung, step-down frame, pillarless hardtop and push-button radio.

Not least of its features was the radio antenna that could be rotated into a folded down position from the driver's seat.

Hudson featured a rear armrest both passengers could use.

My favorite feature of this car was the massive folding armrest in the rear seat that instantly gave the big car "plus-2" seating. Very sporting.

Glance through a few of my photos.

1948 MG TC looks even older than it is!
But notice the green radiator slats. They match the upholstery.

1948 Chevrolet looked like a barrel. But what a clean chrome nameplate.

1959 Ford convertible looked snazzy. Owner didn't hide
the lowly six-cylinder motor and standard shift.

Nothing sexier. 1958 Chevrolet Corvette.
Exhaust really does come out that gorgeous bumper.

Tasteful original fins on 1953 Cadillac Fleetwood.
If only they had stayed so small.

1953 Cadillac Fleetwood also featured tasteful side scoops.
To ventilate what, I wonder?

1951 Ford Country Squire woody wagon looked regal indeed.

But to feel truly royal, choose the 1954 Chrysler Crown Imperial.

1964 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 was just a car.
But in name and looks, it promised tomorrow.

The elegant straight-eight motor still impresses

1933 Packard Super 8 front end signaled "get out of the way."

The Fort Lauderdale Region of the Antique Automobile Association of America favored the community Saturday with a car show at the historic Sample-McDougald house in Pompano Beach, Fla.

Some of my favorite cars were there: the straight-eights. Here are some photos of the ones I spotted.

1933 Packard Super 8, long enough to be admired by a crowd.

As a child, I would read aloud from the used car ads in the morning newspaper as we neighborhood kids walked to elementary school.

"Pontiac. Nineteen-fifty-two. Straight eight. Runs."

"Buick. Nineteen-fifty-one." Straight eight. Good condition."

1948 Pontiac convertible with a straight eight motor.

The other kids would have been far more interested in the baseball scores, but I never read those.

I only read from the automobile classifieds and the only ads I read aloud were for cars with straight-eight-cylinder motors.

Pontiac "Silver 8 Streak" left no doubt what was under the hood.

I was fascinated that in my lifetime it was still possible to purchase an auto powered by that classic layout — and, at that time, for very little money.

Of course these would have been rusty relics with long obsolete motors that never had been the equal of a Duesenberg eight or even a Packard eight.

1940 Buick 8 Dynaflash touted its overhead valves.

The Pontiac motor was even a flathead, considered a lazy lump of cast iron compared to the overhead valve V8s that ruled the roads of my youth.

Didn't matter. I loved the notion of a straight eight. My Dad briefly considered letting my brother and I — still too young to drive — buy a very cherry '48 Buick. Didn't happen.

1940 Buick convertible was impressive.

But I am still thrilled to see a straight eight. And it's my early love of the newspaper classifieds that led to my listing Royal Enfield motorcycles for sale in the United States on this blog.

Other fine cars: 1954 Studebaker Champion was a wow.

Representing Britain: 1937 Alvis Speed 25.

Toy tommygun on seat of 1932 Chevrolet Confederate coupe
recalls Prohibition era and Chevy's strangest "C" model name.

Photos from 2014 Boca Raton British Car Show

Her Majesty's flag proudly appears, adorning vintage cars in Boca Raton, Fla.

Again this year we depart from our normal attention to Royal Enfield motorcycles to take in the annual British Car Show in Boca Raton, Fla.

By now you would think I would have admired every British Racing Green MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey in the state. But, no, I always find something old and exciting to enjoy.

Here are my photos, with comments. Come along for the ride:

MG T-Types line up in rainbow colors.

First of all, did MG really offer its T-Types in every Life-Saver color? The cheerful line-up of hues made the little cars on display at Boca look even more toy like than usual.

Jaguar C-Type. Every detail is awesome.

A 1951 Jaguar C-Type was clearly among the most admired vehicles at the show. Everyone wanted to know if it was "real." You'd have to ask Dorothy Philipson of Boynton Beach, Fla.

1936 Railton Tourer looked indomitable.

Dominating its corner of the show was a 1936 Railton Tourer shown by Marcel Hoinville of Miramar, Fla. My friend, author Douglas Kalajian, proudly observed that this proud representative of the British Empire has a chassis and straight-eight motor by that colonial firm, Hudson.

Morris Minor with hamster-charger.

At the other end of the scale was a proud Morris Minor with a busy hamster spinning its cage in the engine compartment. (It was a mechanical toy hamster, not a real rodent.)

Undaunted by adversity. Note clothespin "clamp."

Another Morris Minor featured a clothespin clamping one of its dashboard controls. Press on Regardless!

Triumph Roadster with its strange jump seats in the boot.

Always a delight was the peculiar post-war Triumph Roadster on show, with its rumble seat (with dedicated windscreen). Such a delightful idea, so awful in reality.

Tiny turn signals on a mighty Bentley.

It's always the details that delight on British cars. Secondary lights are either occasions for glory or absolutely tacked on. The enormous Bentley celebrates its turn signals with lenses no larger than the pilot lights on my Royal Enfield Bullet.

There is no explaining a Lotus 11 in any aspect.

A Lotus 11 tucks its streamlined signal lights inside the headlight fairings. It looks splendid.

Austin-Healey makes its tail reflector a celebrity.

A battered Austin-Healey in the parking area of the show illustrated what the British could do with a cheap reflector.

Rolls-Royce tables neither shaken nor stirred.

Nothing delights more than a tray table in the back of a Rolls, although I suppose you can't use them when the vehicle is in motion. The Rolls too large for your driveway? How about a Vanden Plas Princess 1300?

Tray tables in Vanden Plas Princess.

They are no more practical than those in the Rolls, but the car itself probably was. This 1971 Princess was shown by Croan McCormack of Brookline, Mass.

Vanden Plas Princess with its grille, second to no other.

All-in-all, Good Show!

Great cars on display, if you can afford to look

Mercedes 280SE 3.5 convertible at the Concours (but not in it).

If there was a Royal Enfield motorcycle among those on display at the Concours d'Elegance at the Boca Raton Resort & Club Sunday in Boca Raton, Fla., I can't prove it. I didn't get in. The price of admission was twice what I'd expected. I should have known that any event with a French word in the title would be beyond reach.

The lovely Mercedes convertible above looked like it belonged in the show but, no, it was just one of the cars driven to the event by people who could afford to get in.

I turned my Bullet for home only to discover, just a few blocks south, a car show at Duffy's Sports Grill. A bit less fancy, for sure, but admission here was free. The vehicles on display were mostly American iron.

Red cars, open hoods; it's an American car show alright.

You can tell the difference between a "concours" and a "car show" instantly: almost all the hoods at the car show were wide open.

Super Commando engine in an uncluttered engine compartment.

This makes sense when the engine on display is something special, like the Super Commando (great name) in this 1968 Plymouth GTX.

TR6 trunk is surprisingly small.

The only British car at the show, a Triumph TR6, didn't seem to have anything special in the engine compartment but here, too, the hood was up — as was the trunk lid, which revealed how amazingly little luggage fits in a TR6.

Corvair engine compartment is full.

The cute 1966 Chevrolet Corvair had its engine compartment open, showing off how General Motors managed to fit four carburetors, the battery and the spare tire in there. This was a notoriously bad idea, but impressive nonetheless.

Model car inside real car.

One last open hood picture: This 1956 Chevrolet in lemon-and-black used the air cleaner to show off a model car in the identical colors.

1958 Mercury Monterey features fuzzy dice.

The 1958 Mercury Monterey on display wasn't in concours condition, perhaps, but it didn't need to be to display its show-stopping, over-the-top styling. Excessive, yes. But look at the dash. It is fantastical, but still relatively clean and functional. The fuzzy dice look like they belong here.

1962 Dodge Polera: almost hard to believe.