Classy Working Girls Timeless classics with real star power dominate the scene at any Concours d’Elegance across the country. These are the Clara Bows, Jean Harlows and Marilyn Monroes of the automobile world. But, for the first time this year, the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance at Carillon Point in Kirkland, Washington turned a spotlight on the Rosie the Riveters—those hard-working, lightduty commercial vehicles produced between 1925 and 1950. These were the work force of the automobile world
By Allen Cox
that kept the wheels of commerce turning by delivering mail, bread, pop, telephones and more. Some pristine models of these “Working Girls” competed in their own class in Kirkland, providing a colorful contrast to the elegance and style of other classes. Proud “working girl” owners each have his or her own motivation for acquiring and restoring a vehicle of service. Sometimes, it’s rooted in a lifelong career in the same industry or even the company in which the vehicle served, such as AT&T retiree Barbara
1931 Twin Coach Helms Bakery Van Helms Bakery of Los Angeles bought this Twin Coach delivery vehicle when she was new in 1931, and today she still has her original 4-cylinder Hercules engine. Delivery drivers who operated the vehicle had to drive standing up and no faster than 30mph. This working girl didn’t retire until 1967 and somehow was spared a sad fate in a salvage yard, unlike many of her co-workers. When present owner Sandy Olson bought her in 2000, his newly acquired Twin Coach was worn out and broken down. Olson admittedly has a soft spot for oddities, so restoration of this unusual vehicle of service became a priority. Today, she’s back to her original 30mph glory. 34
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Birt and her 1931 Ford Telephone Truck or Postal Service retiree Glorrian Nau and the 1929 Ford Postal Truck she owns with her husband Leroy. In some cases, collectors are inspired by an attraction to a more eccentric collectible, such Sandy Olson and his carefully restored 1931 Twin Coach Helms Bakery delivery van. Whatever their collectors’ motivations, these working girls bring back memories for many and offer a nostalgic glimpse into a very industrious history.