Admin, Author at Orinda Car Show

AdminFebruary 1, 2023February 18, 2023Car Stories

Family Owned ’57 Studebaker Golden Hawk

As Told by Kirk Dobson

Here is a picture of my car. The Golden Hawks were made from 1956 to 1958. The 1957-58 models came with supercharged V8 engines that were considered high performance at the time.
Studebaker made 4356 Golden Hawks in 1957.

I got the car when I was a Junior at Miramonte. My grandfather was a Studebaker dealer in Oakland. He took delivery in 1956, My dad got it in 1959.

I became fascinated with the car at a young age and asked him to keep it for me. Dad gave me the keys on my 16th birthday in 1970.

AdminJanuary 31, 2023February 18, 2023Car Stories

A Station Wagon Named Biquette

A Station Wagon Named Biquette to Join Ranks at Classic Car Show

By Kathryn G. McCarty - The orinda news - July 28, 201

Craig Lazzareschi and Edouard Lagache inherited their fathers’ passion for classics. Both men plan to participate in the 15th Orinda Classic Car Show weekend. Lazzareschi is showing his 2019 Porsche GT3 while Legache shares his 1965 Buick Deluxe Special Station Wagon.

Lazzareschi and Lagache say they are excited to share their classic cars. Like many car owners at the show, Lazzareschi enjoys “letting those passionate about cars enjoy the gifts that I’ve been given — sharing them with others helps me put cars in their proper perspective.”

Lazzareschi says his “love affair with cars” began in his early teens. He acquired his first Porsche in 1967 but sold it to attend law school while raising his family. Once his children were out of college, he says his passion was reignited. He has owned (and restored) some 25 Porsches since 1996.

Lagache’s family purchased the station wagon in 1968. “It was very much the center of family life and was treated as such,” he says

“Edouard Lagache posed in front of his dad’s 1965 Buick Deluxe Special Station Wagon when he was 7 years old at his family’s home on Ivy Drive. He has kept the car (and the home, now a rental) all these years, restoring the Buick and adding a more high-powered engine. He recently posed again at his former home with his much-loved automobile.

AdminJanuary 31, 2023February 18, 2023Car Stories

A Thunderbird Love Affair

As Told by Ed and Donna Benson

After selling my 1955 Bird in 1978 due to insurmountable rust issues I got the Bird bug again and purchased “Gunny.” in 1993. When purchased, I was told he had a three-year-old frame off restoration that cost $50,000.

Gunny is a numbers-matching, two top D Bird with the usual 312 four-barrel engine and all power accessories except windows and seats. There were two shades of gunmetal metallic paint in 1957; Gunny has the earlier and darker one. About 600 or so were painted his color, so it is relatively rare.

You can see in the pictures he is pretty striking. Since his purchase, little has been done to him except he had a great repaint ten years ago by Lafayette Auto Body and front seat replacement by Armand’s Upholstery. My main job has been keeping him clean and farming out mechanical upkeep to my Adam Auto Classics buddy, Dave Adams.

He has never been entered in a concours (con-cour) as we put around 1500 miles a year on him, mainly through Bay Area Thunderbird Owners Club events. He sparkles in show and shines, and there is always a crowd around him. If there are awards, he usually wins something, but an even greater reward is my being able to talk to other car lovers. If I could get a quarter for every picture that has been taken of him, I would be a rich man.

We just love him to death,

Ed and Donna Benson
Walnut Creek

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