Enthusiasts and Owners of Orphaned Cars Invited to Winter Florida AutoFest

Dec. 14, 2015 - PRLog -- The great part about Florida is that for car lovers, there is something for them at every turn.  Whether it’s an evening cruise in, day long affair or something bigger, the Sunshine State certainly has an abundance of classic cars and owners looking to show them off as well as enthusiasts looking to catch a glimpse of the rare and unique pieces of history.  With that in mind, Carlisle Events and Winter Florida AutoFest are pleased to not only announce the return of its two day classic car show, but to announce that the theme of the show will be orphaned cars, with the display hosted by a local Kaiser-Frazer club.

What exactly is an orphaned car?  It can best be described as any marque of motor vehicle built by a manufacturer that has discontinued business entirely.  This is not to be confused with a discounted brand of car from a still existing manufacturer.  Orphan cars carry a certain wow factor in today’s world of collector cars as their owners and those who enjoy them have a bond that keeps the brand-less brands going strong. Since the car became a mainstream mode of transportation in the early 1900s, independent manufacturers fought to become big players in the market, which lead to over 1,800 automotive producers in the United States alone! Many of these unique and noble brands went away within a few years or combined with others to survive. Today, only a small percentage of the world’s car manufactures have endured this competitive market.

Examples of orphan cars include the DeLorean, Packard, AMC branded cars like the Eagle and Javelin, Studebaker (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker), Kaiser-Frazer, Willys, Henry J, Tucker and Baker just to name a few.  Orphans are both foreign and domestic, with the British Austin Healey, German Horch and the Spanish Hispano-Suiza coming to mind.  In all, there are many orphans out there and that’s why this event is welcoming one and all to showcase these gems!

“My first venture into the car hobby was a 1953 Studebaker two door hardtop,” said Carlisle Events co-owner Bill Miller.  “Unbeknownst to me it would soon become an orphan car.  This was 1961 and by 1966 Studebaker no longer made cars,” continued Miller.   “The Studebaker brand first adorned wagons in the 1800's and eventually made some of the finest automobiles.  While all my buddies owned Chevy’s and Ford’s, I was kind of the odd guy out with my Studebaker.  This was something special to me and as I progressed within the hobby, the uncommon brands were foremost in my search for old cars,” added Miller.   “Many people don't realize that there were hundreds of brands of cars in the early days of the automobile, some of those companies only built a few cars but many more built hundreds and even thousands of cars before going out of business.  While many car companies survived to this day and we recognize those current brands, collecting and showcasing an orphan car has an unexplainable excitement to it.  Finding that long forgotten brand hidden away and bringing it back to life is what this display should be all about.”

By being part of the Winter AutoFest car show not only can you see or showcase an orphaned car, but you can also experience all types of classics spanning automotive history.  Hundreds of cars will gather at the SUN ‘n FUN complex and it doesn’t matter if you’re spending $35 to show or $10 to look, the weekend is a great bang for the buck.  Complete information on the show as well as being able to register in advance is available at www.CarlisleEvents.com.