LOOK WHAT THE MEDIA HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE BAY STATE MOTOR FESTIVAL

MADE IN MASSACHUSETTS WCVB Channel 5 Boston with Doug Meehan

Click above for an extensive interview with Bay State Motor Festival Executive Director, Ken Lemoine, talking about his painstaking restoration of his 1924 Bay State sedan, manufactured in Framingham. See the automobile up close.

METROWEST DAILY NEWS

FRAMINGHAM — Ken Lemoine is a car guy.

Lemoine, executive director of the Bay State Motor Festival, has spent the past eight years restoring a 1924 Bay State sedan, which will be featured at the festival on Sunday, June 8. Bay State cars were built at what's now the Bancroft Lofts on Fountain Street in Framingham, at a time when Massachusetts was a hub for car manufacturing.

"This car was derelict when we got it — it was just a pile of parts, it was not really a full car," Lemoine said, showing off the vehicle at his home on Old Connecticut Path.

It's the last Bay State sedan known to exist.

The car, which was not drivable when Lemoine acquired it, now has New Zealand broadcloth wool, mohair headliner and Russian walnut for the trim. The vehicle was restored from scratch, using the pictures and old dimensions of rusted pieces.

"But basically, all of this has been created from scratch — including the roof. We made the wood for the roof and all of the trim, etc., it's all from scratch," Lemoine said. "It's a machinist's dream."

The car cost $2,500 when it was built new in 1924 (the equivalent of more than $46,000 today) by the R.H. Long Motor Company.

"Richard Long, who built this car, employed 20% of the population of MetroWest at the time," Lemoine said. "He was the largest employer in MetroWest, but he expanded a little bit too fast."

"He subsequently started a dealership, and he was the first GM dealership in the country, and they are still in business in Southborough as Long Cadillac," Lemoine said. Long Automotive Group also operates Long Subaru in Webster.

The car will be on display at the inaugural Bay State Motor Festival, to be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, at Framingham's Cushing Memorial Park.

The Motor Festival is part of a series of celebrations for Framingham's 325th celebration.

"The purpose of this event is to honor Massachusetts history as the genesis of the automobile in America," Lemoine said. He explained that of 7 million cars made in Massachusetts, 4.7 million of them were produced in Framingham, most from the Framingham Assembly plant, which was in operation from the late 1940s to late '80s.

The motor festival will feature a Made in Massachusetts display featuring vehicles built in Framingham, as well as others made in Amesbury, Boston, Brockton, Merrimack, Newton, Springfield, Waltham and Watertown. Vehicles will include Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Indian motorcycles, Stanley Steamers and more. 

Bill Sell, event manager for the festival, said there would be food trucks and vendors. Sell, also a member of the Framingham 325th Committee, said the event will feature a special exhibit by the Framingham History Center on the city's long history of automobile manufacturing.

For those attending Sunday's Motor Festival, both admission and parking are free.

For more information or to inquire about becoming a sponsor or vehicle participant: visit www.baystatemotorfestival.com  

or email baystatemotorfestival@gmail.com 

About Bay State Motor Festival, LLC: Mission: Massachusetts, known as the Bay State, is the birthplace of the automotive industry in the United States. The Bay State Motor Festival will promote this rich history, and preserve the stories and examples of “Made in Massachusetts” automobiles for generations to come. 

About City of Framingham:  

A city of 72,000 people today, Framingham was incorporated in 1700. It is located in the region known as “MetroWest,” conveniently located less than 20 miles from Boston. It has a rich history of industry from grist mills, textiles, bonnet-making, shoes and automobiles. Today, it is home to world headquarters for leading companies in technology, biomedical and retail, such as Bose, Sanofi, TJX, and others. It is also home to the internationally recognized Framingham Heart Study. 

About Framingham History Center: The Framingham History Center is committed to crafting community and belonging through engagement with Framingham’s past, present, and future. For nearly 150 years, the Framingham History Center has provided opportunities to explore this region’s history, and today features onsite exhibitions, public programs, a 10,000-piece artifact collection, and preservation of three historic buildings.

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