D&D brought this rebodied 1911 Stafford Speedster to Hershey still in the raw. No filler paint hid the quality of the aluminum body's workmanship.

Set up in the Chocolate Field, D&D Classic's exhibit included a rare 1911 Stafford speedster for which D&D coach built an aluminum custom body and Arthur Freeman's 1950 Ford Coupe, a successful 2007 Peking to Paris entrant, which was painstakingly prepared for the grueling 12,000 mile race by D&D. Also on display were a couple of pedal cars including the copper-skinned "Aerodynamique" a tear drop-shaped custom-built one-off hammered out by D&D personnel and destined for an auction on Friday evening by Canada's RM Auctions to benefit the AACA. The unusual pedal car was one of 12 pedal cars in the auction for the benefit of the AACA. The second pedal car was "The Duesy" an adult-size pedal car D&D's Mark Kennison built several years ago. "The Duesy", a polished, aluminum beauty has been shown many times over the years, but was new to many Hershey attendees. "It continues to turn heads" says Steve James and Rodney Roeder, a couple of D&D's metalshapers, who attended the fall classic. "You should have seen the crowd when the "boss" (Mark Kennison), wedged into the seat and pedaled "The Duesy" all over the Chocolate Field," Roeder was heard to say. D&D's spaces, in typical Hershey fashion, invited car fans strolling the aisles to stop in and check things out or chit-chat with staffers manning the booth. "We received lots of positive feedback" according to Roger James, one of D&D's owners. "It was the first time we had set up at Hershey" he said, referring to the 2008 outing. However, it wasn't James‚ first trip to Hershey. In fact, he and others from D & D have wandered Hershey's grounds many, many times in search of parts or to assist owners who have entered show cars restored by D&D. "It was my 18th time at Hershey and I look forward to setting up again next year," he said.

James was especially proud of the 1950 Ford Coupe which Arthur Freeman and he co-drove in the Peking to Paris race - a 36-day journey that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the race which ran from the Great Wall of China to Paris as it crossed the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, Russia and several other countries. Readers interested in seeing more details on the Peking to Paris race are encouraged to CLICK HERE.

The 1911 Stafford, a car built in Kansas City, came to D&D with a tired and heavy Fleetwood body that experts say likely rode a Cadillac chassis when new and was transferred to a Stafford chassis sometime in the past. With it's questionable credentials and an owner whose surname is Stafford and a desire for a sporty speedster, the metal shop crew at D&D removed the borrowed body, then coach built a racy body of aluminum, complete with Dayton wire wheels, custom built storage compartments and an updated electric starter set up meeting the owner's wishes. Historically, it is believed the electric starter was introduced on the 1914 Cadillac. The Stafford wears custom bright work fashioned from solid brass.

As this piece of being written, the Stafford is being prepared for a coat of black paint. As we all know, it takes a lot of fortitude to use black as any/all deviations in the sheet metal tend to be magnified. "We stand behind our metal planishing" boasted staff member, Adam Bushmich. "It'll be slick and smooth."

Thanks to the many of you who stopped by our spaces to comment on our displays. We really appreciate your feedback and encouraging comments.

See you next year.