102-Year-Old Margaret Dunning Helps Keep Plymouth History Alive

Car buff and museum benefactor Margaret Dunning celebrated 102nd birthday last June.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 29, 2012. This is just one example of the many people making a difference in the Plymouth-Canton area. Read more about those people here, and leave a comment below to tell us about other people are making a difference every day. Classic car enthusiast and philanthropist Margaret Dunning says there's no secret behind her ability to remain younger at heart than her years might reflect. Dunning, a longtime Plymouth resident who often draws attention while cruising in her favorite automobile — a 1930 Packard 740 roadster — turned 102 on Tuesday. "No secret at all," Dunning said, "It's just a nice world to live in." Dunning celebrated her 102nd birthday Thursday with friends at the …

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Paul Schulz

11:22 pm on Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Ms. Dunning is such a treasure to this town. Imagine all that she has seen throughout the evolution of the Plymouth community. Hope you had a wonderful Birthday Ms. Dunning.   more ›

Concours d'Elegance Offers Inaugural VIP Collection Tour in Troy

Limited exhibit offers unique look at historically significant cars spanning several generations.

The Concours d’ Elegance of America is offering its inaugural Annual VIP Collection Tour, a personal, up-close look at two of the most interesting private automobile collections in the country: Ted Stahl’s Automotive Foundation and  the debut of Terry Adderley’s private collection, according to a news release. The exhibit, open to a limited number of people, will take place at 9 a.m. on March 23 at Classic & Exotic Service, Inc., 2032 Heide in Troy. Attendees will begin the day at Classic & Exotic Service, Inc., one of the premier restoration shops in Michigan. Proprietor Brian Joseph, who also chairs the Concours Car Selection Committee, will welcome guests with a brief talk and some morning refreshments. A luxury motor coach will depart …

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Even At 102, Plymouth Icon Margaret Dunning Still Cruises in 1930 Packard

Plymouth philanthropist and car aficionado still drives, changes oil on award-winning vehicle.

Classic car enthusiast and philanthropist Margaret Dunning has said there's no secret behind her ability to remain younger at heart than her years might reflect. Dunning, a longtime Plymouth resident who often draws attention while cruising in her favorite automobile—a 1930 Packard 740 roadster—is 102, 20 years older than her beloved classic car.  "No secret at all," Dunning said last year at her 102nd birthday party at the Plymouth Historical Museum, "It's just a nice world to live in." Dunning took a liking to automobiles while growing up on her father's potato farm in nearby Redford in the 1910s and early 1920s and began driving when she was 8 years old. Now sporting a classic car collection of her own, she treasures her prized 1930 …

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Margaret Dunning, Queen for a Weekend at Pebble Beach

102-year-old Plymouth philanthropist shows off Packard at Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach.

Photos: Immaculate Cars on Display at Concours d'Elegance

Vintage cars line grounds of the Inn at St. John's in Plymouth.

The Inn at St. John's in Plymouth was alive with fashion and automotive flair Sunday as the 34th annual Concours d'Elegance of America got under way. The Concours d'Elegance, an annual top-of-the-line automotive exhibit, marked its second year in Plymouth, moving last year from its previous venue, Meadowbrook in Rochester. The event drew crowds both locally and around the globe, eager to see one-of-a-kind vehicles up close and personal. Sunday's exhibit capped a weekend of auto-themed events in Plymouth and Northville leading up to the main event.  On Saturday, Al Capone's bulletproof 1928 Cadillac V-8 was sold at auction at St. John's for $341,000, part of an elite class of rare automobiles that also included a $957,000 1930 Duesenberg …

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Concours Car Profile: 1932 Oldsmobile F-32 Convertible

Oldsmobile convertible, owned by Doug Width of Bloomfield Hills, was an eye-catcher Sunday at the Concours d'Elegance in Plymouth.

Decked out in bright green with dark green accents, a 1932 Oldsmobile F-32 Convertible owned by Doug Width of Bloomfield Hills demanded plenty of attention Sunday at Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's in Plymouth. While not best in class, the car earned a red ribbon Sunday. The F-32 introduced many firsts for Oldsmobile, which itself was the first auto company to use the assembly line, according to literature accompanying the vehicle on the field. The car featured an automatic choke and throttle advance, which moved the throttle to a start position with the starter medal was depressed. It also was the only year Oldsmobile used a decarbonizer, which would release a chemical when prompted by the driver while leaving the car …

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