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Oasis proves perfect venue for a couple of classics

By Bob Reisinger

Dennis Gage of My Classic Car, aired on cable TV’s Speed Channel, gave fans an up-close look with a photo shoot of classic cars at the lake in the Oasis subdivision near McClintock and Elliot roads.

The cars, a Buick Caballero and a Mercury Voyager, both station wagons, will be highlighted in a future show. 

Both of these vehicles were manufactured in 1957, as are all of the 70 cars in the collection, which is housed in Tempe. The cars are owned by Classic Heaven, the private collection of Glenn Patch, founder of Patch Communications.

The entire collection will be moved to Branson, Mo., in March 2006 for public display.

The cars were meticulously restored by Bob Schmidt, who says he is particularly proud of the Voyager, said to have been originally owned by late Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater.

The Voyager is also noteworthy because it is an extremely rare model for a station wagon, having no centerpost, similar to the hardtop convertibles that were prominent during that era. 

It was evident that Gage, known for his handlebar mustache and enthusiasm for nicely restored classics, enjoys himself behind the wheel of these vehicles.

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