“My 1957 Chrysler 300-C convertible is an old survivor car that I am getting road-worthy,” explains Josh Mishler. “After my family and I enjoy the car for a few years, I plan to blow it apart and do a nut and bolt restoration on it.” He counts on the forum at Forwardlook.net to resolve issues, where likeminded enthusiasts can be found who specialize in these cars. “Pretty much all brands and models have a forum—I can almost promise that there is one to fit every automotive interest if you look.”
Josh puts more emphasis on overall style and design than he does performance. “I love coach built French cars of the 1930s, as well as all 1950s concept cars, but those are fantasies.” Having a strong interest in Mopar products from the “Forward Look” era, his wish list includes basically any Mopar designed by Virgil Exner from 1957-1961. He’d also like to see a 392ci Chrysler Hemi built with a Latham Supercharger. “That combination would be an impressive sight!”
Stylists are whom Mishler would consider his automotive heroes, for the most part. He names Harley Earl, Giuseppe Figoni, and André Citroën in addition to Exner. In particular, French industrialist Citroën is mentioned for “the way he ran his company and treated his employees. He hired women well before others and understood that happy employees produced great results in business. Not to mention he was a marketing genius.”
“It is difficult to take on issues of legislation alone, but together, we can all contribute a small part that leads to a big result,” Josh says. Earlier this year, he wrote Tennessee state lawmakers in support of bills allowing increased use of antique vehicles. “Even though I am not always able to jump in and get behind every piece of legislation, it has been an incredibly rewarding experience the times I have voiced concerns for issues within my state. Telling representatives how important these issues are to me creates a great sense of satisfaction: knowing I have been part of the democratic process and helped the industry I love at the same time.”
Additional background:
Where should every “gearhead” visit? Although tough to answer, the AACA Eastern Fall Meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is an absolute must. I look most forward to this event every year. Let’s not forget the “must visit” automotive museums, which include The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California.
What website stands out? The American Hot Rod Foundation at AHRF.com. What they have done is truly a gift to the hot rodding community. You can look at hot rod photos from a number of decades, watch video interviews with some of hot rodding’s pioneers as well as a number of videos they have produced. They are doing everything they can to preserve the past and interview as many legends and pioneers as possible, before it is too late.
Favorite automotive memory? In December 2003, I was visiting car photographer Scott Killeen in Los Angeles. He was scheduled to shoot Vic Edelbrock’s 1932 Ford roadster at El Mirage dry lake—it had been recently restored by Roy Brizio. While we were out on the shoot, Vic was looking at old photos we had printed of the car running the dry lakes in the 1940s. While Vic was looking them over, he held one up and looked around. He did this a couple of more times. Finally, he showed us that the car was in almost exactly the same spot as it was in the old photo. It was such a cool moment—one I will never forget for as long as I live!
Josh puts more emphasis on overall style and design than he does performance. “I love coach built French cars of the 1930s, as well as all 1950s concept cars, but those are fantasies.” Having a strong interest in Mopar products from the “Forward Look” era, his wish list includes basically any Mopar designed by Virgil Exner from 1957-1961. He’d also like to see a 392ci Chrysler Hemi built with a Latham Supercharger. “That combination would be an impressive sight!”
Stylists are whom Mishler would consider his automotive heroes, for the most part. He names Harley Earl, Giuseppe Figoni, and André Citroën in addition to Exner. In particular, French industrialist Citroën is mentioned for “the way he ran his company and treated his employees. He hired women well before others and understood that happy employees produced great results in business. Not to mention he was a marketing genius.”
“It is difficult to take on issues of legislation alone, but together, we can all contribute a small part that leads to a big result,” Josh says. Earlier this year, he wrote Tennessee state lawmakers in support of bills allowing increased use of antique vehicles. “Even though I am not always able to jump in and get behind every piece of legislation, it has been an incredibly rewarding experience the times I have voiced concerns for issues within my state. Telling representatives how important these issues are to me creates a great sense of satisfaction: knowing I have been part of the democratic process and helped the industry I love at the same time.”
Additional background:
Where should every “gearhead” visit? Although tough to answer, the AACA Eastern Fall Meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is an absolute must. I look most forward to this event every year. Let’s not forget the “must visit” automotive museums, which include The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California.
What website stands out? The American Hot Rod Foundation at AHRF.com. What they have done is truly a gift to the hot rodding community. You can look at hot rod photos from a number of decades, watch video interviews with some of hot rodding’s pioneers as well as a number of videos they have produced. They are doing everything they can to preserve the past and interview as many legends and pioneers as possible, before it is too late.
Favorite automotive memory? In December 2003, I was visiting car photographer Scott Killeen in Los Angeles. He was scheduled to shoot Vic Edelbrock’s 1932 Ford roadster at El Mirage dry lake—it had been recently restored by Roy Brizio. While we were out on the shoot, Vic was looking at old photos we had printed of the car running the dry lakes in the 1940s. While Vic was looking them over, he held one up and looked around. He did this a couple of more times. Finally, he showed us that the car was in almost exactly the same spot as it was in the old photo. It was such a cool moment—one I will never forget for as long as I live!