Grand lady of classic cars was well known on circuit
Margaret Dunning, 104, a fiercely independent enthusiast, drove her 1930 Cadillac until the very end
Almost every automotive enthusiast knew of Margaret Dunning through the many news stories and videos detailing her amazing life with classic cars.
The news that the Grand Lady of classic car events had died just shy of her 105th birthday was saddening.
I had the privilege of meeting Dunning at last fall’s Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance where she was an honorary judge. She attended up to 14 similar events a year including driving Detroit’s famous Woodward Avenue Cruise.
She told me about growing up on a 63-hectare potato and dairy farm in rural Michigan and being taught mechanics beginning at the age of eight by her father.
Her father died when Margaret was 12 and her mother arranged for her to get a special licence so she could take over driving the family Model T Ford.
She developed her love of cars and her fierce independence at that early age.
During my interview with her at Cobble Beach alongside one of her classics — a 1930 Cadillac coupe convertible — she bristled when I showed surprise that she was still driving at 104.
“Of course I still drive,” she shot back in response.
She drove her Cadillac through rows of spectators for the concourse finale. Margaret had owned her Cadillac since the 1950s when a family friend told her about this wonderful old car that had been stored for years by its owner.
Her other classic that she restored and maintained is a 1930 Packard convertible. She also owned a 1966 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.
Margaret, who never married, was often seen driving her cars through Plymouth, Mich., where she had been a successful department store retailer and major patron of the Plymouth Historical Museum donating more than $1 million.