ColoRODans take a trip to the Rambler Ranch and Hammond Candy Factory
There isn’t much better than candy and cars. At the latest monthly ColoRODans event, hosted on August 13 by Bill Stone and Erik Chestek, members found both. With a reported attendance of about 26 to 28 people in 11 or 12 cars, many people were able to enjoy the field trip to the Hammond Candy Factory in Denver and the Rambler Ranch in Elizabeth.
The folks at the Hammond Candy Factory, online at www.hammondscandies.com, gave members a taste of Denver’s premier candy manufacturer’s methods. The factory, founded by Carl T. Hammond Sr. in 1920, specializes in rich candy such as toffee, chocolate and caramel, as well as brittles, lollipops and candy canes. For the ColoRODans, the candy factory made special chocolates shaped like cars. Chandon Stone, one of the biggest fans of the tour (i.e., the candy), even found a way to save some of his chocolate for later.
After having a great time at the factory tour, the members cruised to Elizabeth, where they visited a private car collection at the Rambler Ranch. One of the most unique aspects of the Ranch is that it is available only to “car people,” so getting the full tour is exclusive to car clubs.
Erik Chestek, who discovered the collection online at www.pnwnash.org/museum/, said “the second he [Terry Gale, owner of the museum] opened the door, everyone’s jaw dropped.“ Inside, rows of Nash, Rambler and AMC cars were sorted throughout a 7,500 square foot garage and another 5,000 square foot building, together holding over 500 cars. An 18,000 square-foot building is being planned for future expansion including a work shop.
Gale started the collection 12 years ago when he restored his Dad’s ’54 Ambassador. He hasn’t slowed down over the years, either. In the week following the ColoRODans visit to the museum, he bought four more cars.
Chestek said everyone had a good time at the museum tour, and even enjoyed refreshments there. The atmosphere of the garage was truly unique, he said, “I didn’t want to leave I wanted to live there. It looks like you just stepped back into the 50s and 60s.”
Gale, who has given tours for the last nine years, said it is his mission to save these cars that others might just part out. He looks to cars like the Rambler as a life-long underdog, and is compelled to present them as an important piece of history, not just for their companies, but for the history of the American automobile. “I’m trying to save the history of a company that’s been long forgotten,” he said.
One of the gems of Gale’s collection is a Pinin Farina Special, a prototype that was almost used as the ’56 Ambasssador. The car, built in ’55 in Italy, is the only one of its type and sits at the entrance of the museum, providing some initial awe as people begin their tour.
The garage also contains a plethora of automobelia, including gas station signs, pumps, neon lights, manicans dressed in 50s and 60s clothing and much more. Gale said his goal is to have a car to represent every year of their production, from 1901 to 1988. He already has ’47 to ’88 covered. With about 20 to 25 cars to complete his collection, he hopes it will eventually become an official museum for people to enjoy.
“When I open the door and see their faces, that’s why I do this. It excites me that people want to see the Ramblers.” A lot of these cars have a bad reputation of not being quality cars. But people weren’t ready for them, they are really good cars.
Gale said the ColoRODans visit was much appreciated. “They were an exceptionally nice group,” he said. Many members commented to Gale that it was one of the best car museums they had seen.
Click Here to see photos from the return trip in 2006.
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