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Dr. Howard Moon

Precarious Bridgeheads Part 3

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“Mac” Halley’s Alfa 2.9 chassis 412014, when owned by Frank Cantanzariti in the early 1950s. Alfas and Bugattis comprised a good part of the foreign cars in the U.S. before the war. Jerry Lehrer photo.

By Dr. Howard Moon

This is Part 3 of an unpublished manuscript by Dr. Howard Moon. Links to previous articles appear at the end.

Americans were unaware of the full variety of European cars. There were no enthusiast’s magazines – this was a post war phenomenon – and the few interested in foreign cars subscribed to the British weeklies Autocar or Motor. Aside from the two hot spots, New York City and Los Angeles, cars from Europe were never seen on the road, in dealerships or garages.

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Precarious Bridgeheads Part 2

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The below article was part of an unfinished manuscript about the foreign car invasion, written by the late Howard Moon. This is part two of a series. Editor

Too Big: The Big Three

By the late 1930s, the American love affair with the auto developed frictions. Dissenters arose in public opinion against Detroit’s mainstream trend towards mass, bulk, weight and complexity. Consumer Reports and the New Yorker criticized unnecessary size and weight. Surveys of drivers registered complaints against heavy steering and lack of vision to front and rear resulting from bulky bodies and long, high hoods.

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Dr. Moon’s Precarious Bridgeheads: Only the Rich Need Apply

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Stunning Mercedes Benz SS Tourer at MOMA in the fall of 1951, one of eight cars featured in the exhibition. Photo by Jerry Lehrer

The below article was part of an unfinished manuscript about the foreign car invasion, written by the late Howard Moon. This is part one of a series. Our apologies for the photos, which are of pre war cars taken in an early post war environment. Editor


By Dr. Howard Moon

Imported cars in the 1930s saw the last years of the carriage trade yielding to the beginnings of the sports car movement and the revival of road racing in America. That world largely was for a privileged minority, unapologetically Eurocentric and elitist. Cosmopolitan magnates from Detroit like Edsel Ford would make an annual pilgrimage to New York to catch the latest developments in luxury coachwork design. The last coachwork Salon at the Commodore Hotel occurred in November 1931 with 50 cars, half the complement of the 1930 show.

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Howard Moon: Saving Grace

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By Pete Vack
Photos by Mary Decker Vack

The below article first appeared in the April 1991 issue of Car Collector and Car Classic magazine. We republish it as a tribute to the late Howard Moon. A postscript follows.

There have been, at various times, Jaguars, Citroens, Alfas and BMWs parked at Howard Moon’s halfway house in Falls Church, Virginia—most of his boarders are halfway between the local scrap yard and total restoration. Moon’s unspoken mission is to save them from the former whenever possible. But despite the attempts to maintain diversity, Moon is best known for his 25-year dedication to saving pre 1975 Lancias. In his words, post-1975 Lancias are “gross parodies of a once-proud house tradition, originally typified by quality, innovation, and an almost sculptural approach to parts manufacturing,” and as such, simply not worth saving. [Read more…] about Howard Moon: Saving Grace

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