The cars of Clatskanie
LAUREY WHITE Chief Guest ArticleClatskanie is known primarily for its namesake river which empties into the great Columbia. But it is also known for something else… vintage cars.
Yes, the vintage car collectors are among us and their collections are magnificent.
Denny Welters came by his love of cars early. His father owned a Studebaker dealership where the Clatskanie Chevron stands today.
“I was in grade school,” Denny said. “And it was so fun to be able to walk to Francis Welter Studebaker after school.”
Turns out Clatskanie was quite a car town back in the day. At one time, in the 1950s, there were four major car dealerships. Denny remembers the cars coming in double decker on a train.
Denny worked at many of the dealerships, washing cars and pocketing his hardearned money for a longdesired purchase.
“A bunch of us went in together and bought an old Model A,” he said. “It was twenty-five dollars, a 1930 model.”
Problem was, he was only 14 and not allowed by law, or by his father, to purchase a vehicle.
“We had to hide it,” Denny laughed. “We had such good times, until we wrecked it!”
Denny’s favorite car is his Studebaker, a 1951 model. It has a bullet nose, patterned after the World War II B-47 and complete with a hood ornament replicating a gun.
It was purchased in Paradise, California after the great fire they had in 2018. Called the Camp Fire, it proved to be the costliest disaster in the world in terms of insured losses. There wasn’t much left standing, save for a few houses and buildings. But a garage which stored the Studebaker was left intact, and Dennis soon acquired the car.
Don Crenshaw
Don Crenshaw and his wife, DeAnn, recently made their forever home in Clatskanie after living near Everett, Washington where Don worked as an engineer for Boeing.
His first love was a 1969 Pontiac Firebird that originally belonged to this mother. Like all the cars seen, it is pristine and still shines with its gorgeous root beer color.
One of Don’s most beautiful acquisitions is a 1955 Pontiac Chieftain, which has 30,000 original miles! It also has the driver’s manual and all other pertinent informa-
tion relating to the car.
Don’s favorite car is his 67 Firebird. It is also very fun for him to drive.
“Sometimes it’s just nice to drive a car with a lot of power,” Don said.
Michael Tillson
Michael Tillson is another Clatskanie car collector whose fleet of cars, and motorcycles, is awe-inspiring.
Michael is very careful not to call his cars classic, rather they are vintage, he said.
According to Oregon. gov, classic cars are defined “as those that are 25 or older and sanctioned as special interest: i.e. a street rod or a multipurpose wheeled vehicle. Special interest car registration is permanent and only one plate is issued.”
Michael has been collecting cars for decades, but his favorite is a 1934 Hudson convertible.
“Yes, she is queen of the fleet,” Michael said. “She also has a rumble seat.”
The story of how Michael acquired this beauty is an interesting one. He first spied the Hudson at an auction in Las Vegas he was attending. Years later he saw it at the prestigious Barrett Jackson Auctions in Scottsdale Arizona, which, according to their website “has the world’s greatest car collection auction.”
That day’s auction had just ended, but Michael stuck one of his business cards in the Hudson’s ashtray. Serendipity occurred because shortly thereafter he got a call saying the Hudson did not sell. He made an offer, and the car was his.
All these men have collections they are very proud of, and rightly so.
Bob Behm
A different example of the cars of Clatskanie is Bob Behm’s “Crown Princess.”
Along the line of the famous Johnny Cash song, “I Built It One Piece At A Time,” this stylish lady is a real head-turner.
To say it’s a modified 1951 Mercury would be an understatement. Yes, much of the car resembles a Mercury, but the car features elements from a variety of unique sources and has been featured in the West Coast Customs display at the Portland Roadster Show for many years.
The Princess started her life in Nashville, Tennessee in the late 1980s or early 90s and Bob acquired her after one of the builders put it up for sale in Canada. After a month-long effort to bring her into the US, she now graces our locality on a frequent basis.
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After placing the Mercury on an Oldsmobile Toronado frame, the builders started to work on the modifications. The top of the car was removed and replaced with a ’56 Crown Victoria roof (power skylight added) and chopped down at front and back, resulting in a glamorous shortened windshield and side glass windows, all custom made.
Then for the makeover at the front, a stylish Buick front grill and headlights were added. Not to be overlooked are the rear bumper and tail lights from a 1977 Cadillac that extended the car two feet longer. The interior is from a 1985 Buick Riviera, and other parts are from GM and Ford.
Maintaining this hybrid of automotive ingenuity is not without its challenges.
“The fun part is when you have to repair it,” Bob said.
Keeping the Princess looking good and driving beautifully is Bob’s pleasure. He will be showing her off at this year’s Portland Roadster Show in March.
