Owls Head Transportation Museum to exhibit 1908 Stanley Model K “Semi-Racer” at Misselwood Concours d’Elegance

Owls Head, Maine - On Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28 the Owls Head Transportation Museum will be represented at the renowned Misselwood Concours d’Elegance at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. Following an invitation from Concours organizers, Museum Trustee and steam car aficionado Norm Shanklin and Ground Vehicle Conservator Warren Kincaid will journey to Beverly to show the Museum’s stunning, fully restored 1908 Stanley Model K “Semi-Racer.” In addition to participating in the Concours, Shanklin and Kincaid will take to the road for the 40 mile Tour d’Elegance, where the Stanley will be demonstrated in its full operating glory to legions of spectators and automobile enthusiasts.

This invitation represents the Owls Head Transportation Museum’s first showing of a vehicle at a Concours d’Elegance and is evidence of the effort to expand the horizons of the Museum through the ambassadorship opportunities available throughout the region.

The 1908 Stanley Model K, or “Semi-Racer,” was one of the very first automobiles resident in the world-class collection of ground vehicles and aircraft at the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Owls Head, Maine. The Model K was a gift from one of the Museum’s three founding trustees, Thomas Watson Jr., and has been a pinnacle part of the collection since the 1970s. It recently underwent an extensive restoration in New England by a specialized steam car restoration facility. The stunning automobile now graces the permanent exhibit at the Owls Head Transportation Museum, and through the careful work of Shanklin and Kincaid the Model K has been run and demonstrated for legions of inspired guests during the 2013 summer event season.

Stanley’s Semi-Racer was reported to be the world’s fastest production car in 1908. This Model K was a
speedy production model designed for two with a “Mother-in-Law” seat. Stanley set the land speed record in 1906 at Ormond Beach, Florida, achieving a documented speed of 127 miles per hour. The introduction of the 30-horsepower steam engine in 1908 opened the opportunity for the production of Stanley Motor Company’s iconic Mountain Wagon used to shuttle vacationers from the rail stations and ports to the country’s grand hotels at the turn of the century.

Misselwood Concours d’Elegance was founded in 2009 and inaugurated in 2010. The show is billed as a celebration of “style, excellence and elegance on Boston’s historic North Shore.” The Misselwood Concours d’Elegance brings together high-end automobiles to raise funds for scholarship programs at Endicott College and provides an opportunity for the New England automobile community to congregate and showcase their exceptional vehicles.

The Owls Head Transportation Museum is home to a world-class operating collection of rare antique automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, bicycles, engines and more. It is located in picturesque Midcoast Maine near the small, culturally rich city of Rockland and neighboring Knox County Regional Airport. The Museum hosts over a dozen special events annually, when ground vehicles and aircraft from the collection are highlighted and demonstrated. The special event calendar for 2013 includes the highly anticipated Aerobatic Airshow, Vintage Motorcycle Meet and the 36th Annual New England Auto Auction on August 17. Year-round Museum programs and activities include educational presentations, workshops and seminars with a focus on the multifaceted history of transportation.

The 1908 Stanley Model K, as well as more than 150 rare, antique motorcycles, cars, aircraft, engines and more can be viewed on display seven days a week at the Owls Head Transportation Museum. Our permanent collection includes a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom once owned by the actress Clara Bow, the last remaining 1930 Pitcairn PA-7S, a 1907 Renault Vanderbilt Racer, early Indian and Harley Davidson motorcycles, horse-drawn carriages and much more. Our ever-changing array of special exhibits presently features MGs and Microcars: Small, Practical & Elegant and A Century Ago, an exhibit highlighting Mainers’ use of transportation at the dawn of the aviation age. A visit to the Museum is sure to delight transportation and history enthusiasts of all ages.

For further information please contact Owls Head Transportation Museum Public Relations Director Jenna Lookner at 207-594-4418.

Photos Caption:
The Owls Head Transportation Museum’s  rare 1908 Stanley Model K “Semi-Racer” will be exhibited at the Misselwood Concours d’Elegance in Beverly, Mass.