Message from your Board, May - June, 2026

The 2026 WPC National meet and show is history. It was born out of last-minute planning and under the circumstances, it all worked out fairly well. It was a rather small gathering of members, which was expected. But it was fun and there were no major malfunctions, so I guess it was a success. The first day of activities was Wednesday. Around 20 cars caravanned to see Randy Guyer’s collection of beautifully restored 50’s and 60’s Chryslers, DeSotos, Imperials, Dodges and Plymouths. This is probably the finest collection of these cars that exists. It was very special for us to get to see these cars and see all the memorabilia besides. Randy said he started collecting in 2001, and that is not a long time to be able to find and restore so many cars to the level they are at. Many thanks to Randy for showing us around. After leaving there, we motored about three miles to the Minnetonka Drive-Inn, a throwback to the days of car hops and curb service. The food was great and nobody left there hungry.

Thursday, we boarded a charter bus and traveled about 70 miles to Taylor’s Falls, Minnesota, to the Scenic River Boat Cruise. We boarded an old paddlewheel and made our way down the St. Croix River, which separates Minnesota from Wisconsin. It was a nice, leisurely ride, far away from the traffic and hustle. Lunch was served on the boat as well. From there, we hopped back on the bus and went to my museum in Isanti, The Old Chrysler Garage. There are 15 old Chryslers in house, and one Dodge, a 1934 pickup. I really enjoyed showing the place to the club and everyone seemed to enjoy being there.

Friday was the annual car show, with 30 cars on the field. We were hoping for more, but there were a few no shows, and it was still a great show. The quality of cars displayed was outstanding. The best of show, winning the Chrysler Cup, was a 1956 Imperial Convertible owned by Tom Dirnberger. The best unrestored car, winning the President’s Cup, was a 1958 Imperial owned by Bob Roth. All the cars on the field were special, and they are all winners. I especially want to thank Tim Rouse for bringing his dad’s 55 Dodge. That car has been to more WPC national meets than any car in the history of the club. Tim’s folks drove that car to many meets all over the country for many years. The banquet was Friday night in the host hotel ballroom. The food was great and the socializing was even better. We auctioned off two quilts done for our club by Sally Dearden Lane. I hope this is the start of a new tradition that the ladies of the club can contribute to. Thanks to Sally for this wonderful effort.

Saturday, we drove on our own to the giant Mopars In the Park show, about ten miles from our hotel. It is one of the largest all Mopar shows in the country. I headed home early on Saturday, exhausted from the week’s activities. Thank you to everyone who attended. I met a lot of new people this year and that makes it very fun. Also good to see long time friends in the club that we only meet once a year. I already look forward to next year. Stay tuned for time and place. Winners from the car show on Friday – We are looking at possible locations for next year’s National meet 2027 and beyond, if anybody or a local region has some idea’s please feel free to contact any of the board members. Let’s make this a great event!!



Message from the Editor, WPC News

Greetings, fellow Moparians,
This has been a very busy time since our last issue of the WPC NEWS. I had a mishap at home which resulted in a broken hand and rib. Those are largely healed now. As you read this, I will be recovering from a total hip replacement. Life marches on…

As you know the WPC Club national meet was recently held in Lakeville MN., It was a small turnout of members and their cars. But there was some really outstanding vehicles that were displayed. Old friendships were renewed. New friendships began. That is what our National meets are all about. Our next issue will be devoted to the meet and all the activities around it.

In this issue, once again, we welcome new members to our fold. We have many new members from Sweden who are part of our Mopar family. Valkommen! Chris Vitale has contributed another article from his series on his life with Chrysler in his childhood household and his later career inside the company . He talks about CIMS envelopes. Brings back memories for me. If you were an employee there, back in the day, that is how things were communicated internally. I still have a CIMS envelope in my collection of Chrysler memorabilia.


Rich Truesdell has an article on the 1961 Chrysler Imperial , with the behind the scenes that unfolded in its development.


Of note: I recently came across a 1991 Dodge Shadow convertible, a one owner car with 30K miles on it. 2.5L with a 5 speed manual tranny. This is a fairly rare combination. Lots of new parts, lovingly cared for all these years, it was up for sale. I could not resist the idea of open top , shifting through the gears, fun this summer. My wife recently mentioned how she missed our ragtops from the past. Ding, Ding… It is now in our garage. Haven’t owned a manual trans car in 40 years. Like riding a bike, I dusted off a forgotten skill.

Well, Happy Mopar Motoring:
Fire them up and them out on the highways and by ways.
Frank Pascoe, Editor WPC NEWS 04