Each autumn I make my pilgrimage east, and each year New England seems to hold some new treasure in reserve. This year proved more eventful than most.
The Car Barn of Walpole
My first errand was to see firsthand the brand new Car Barn of Walpole, Massachusetts. This state-of-the-art facility houses many rare and exotic automobiles, and to walk its floor was a genuine pleasure for any lover of the motorcar.
The highlight of that visit, and perhaps of the whole journey, was standing before a certified 1967 Corvette 435 Coupe, optioned with headrests and side pipes. We had only just completed a total refresh on this car for George and Conrad, the owners of the Car Barn, and to see it home again in so handsome a setting was deeply rewarding. The 1967 big block with 435 horsepower is about as fine as a midyear Corvette can be, and it reminded me why I first fell in love with these cars so many years ago.
Ferrari of New England and Copley Motorcars
A stone’s throw away stands the remarkable Ferrari of New England, where the brand new Ferrari 849 Testarossa was on display. Around her gathered a company just as distinguished: an 812 GTS, a 12Cilindri, and several 296s. To see the 849 Testarossa in person was something special indeed. Jesse served as our official tour guide, he took his time and did an admirable job describing each of the latest Ferrari models.
We also called upon Copley Motorcars, where Stu, that all-knowing gentleman of exotica, was delighted to show us about. Was that a 1985 288, GTO resting out front? It certainly appeared so, and one does not come upon such a car every day.
Autumn in the City
Between these errands I gave myself over to Boston in her autumn dress. In the Public Garden, the weeping willows bent low over the still lagoon, and fallen leaves lay scattered like gold coins upon the green. Beyond the old wrought iron fences, the elms and maples were turning to amber and flame, while the glass towers of the city rose behind them against a cloudless sky. Along the brick sidewalks, the stately buildings with their copper cornices caught the late sun and glowed as warmly as a hearth.
At day break, from a terrace high above the Common, I watched the sunrise spread its rose and gold across the skyline. The dome of the State House gleamed, the white steeple of Park Street Church rose among the trees, and the whole city seemed to pause and admire herself before our day began.
An Evening Among Amici
On the eve of our North Shore departure, I attended my very first dinner with the Associazione Amici in Medford. I came as a stranger from far away and left as a friend. The room was filled with fellow Italians, gathered at tables dressed in red and green beneath the glow of chandeliers. Angelo Federico, the president of Amici, and his fellow members welcomed this long-distance traveler as warmly as family. Before the evening was through, I had become a new associate member, sponsored by Angelo himself and Giampiero Gaglio. On the wall hung the portraits of the founding fathers and charter members who opened the club’s doors in April 2015. It was an honor to add my name, however humbly, to so proud a fellowship. Photographed is Angelo, Steve, myself and Giampiero.
Along the North Shore
The New England sojourn then continued upon the North Shore of Boston, and the fall day could not have been more picturesque. The autumn leaves, in their russet and amber finery, shimmered beneath a golden sun. The air, a brisk fifty-nine degrees, called for a warm pullover. It was, by every measure, the perfect day to tour the coastal North Shore. Our tour guide was none other than Paulie S. (pictured with Steve and Dick among his cars). We set out from the city in the early light, when the old brick buildings stood quiet and long shadows still lay across the empty lanes.
Leaving the towers behind, we followed the road northward, where stone walls and white steeples gave way to wooded hills ablaze with color.
Our first stop was a private collection of uncommon charm. Our host, Dick, had a garage that seemed less a building than a cherished memory. Its walls were hung with the porcelain and neon signs of another age: Mobil and Sunoco, Texaco and Esso, Getty and Phillips 66, with the flying red Pegasus keeping watch over all. Beneath them rested a gathering of automobiles to warm the heart of any traveler.
A copper 1961 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, its office the color of a harvest pumpkin, held court beside a stately 1949 Cadillac convertible. A Pennant Blue 1954 Corvette sat alongside her Polo White sister. Around them stood a two-tone 1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria, a 1969 Mustang Mach 1, a 1965 Pontiac GTO, a cream Mercedes-Benz 280SL, and a Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk dressed in crimson upholstery. One might have lingered there until the lamps were lit.
Farther along the shore we came upon a second collection, as modern in spirit as the first was nostalgic. Through tall windows framed in autumn gold, the sunlight fell upon a Ferrari SF90 in brilliant yellow and red and a deep blue 2023 Ferrari F8 Spider. Upon a turntable, as though displayed in some grand exhibition hall, stood a silver Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Nearby rested a true rarity, a 2018 Corvette Z06 Convertible Carbon 65 Edition in Ceramic Matrix Gray. Chevrolet built only 650 Carbon 65 Editions to mark the Corvette’s 65th anniversary, and just 72 of them were Z06 Convertibles. To find one so far from the factory, in such fine company, was a quiet delight.
Polished motorcycles, a vintage soda fountain, and a lifetime of memorabilia filled every corner with the spirit of a true enthusiast. As the afternoon light grew long and the chill returned to the air, we turned homeward with full hearts.
Until Next Autumn
Such are the treasures of New England, from the showrooms of Walpole to the gardens of Boston, from a table of new friends in Medford to the hidden collections of the North Shore. Each is kept with care by those who love it and shared most generously with friends. This week has been very exciting, and I am already counting the days until next year’s visit.
The post Mike’s 2026 New England Tour appeared first on Corvette Mike.
Powered by WPeMatico