| The Carpenters Connection |
|
|
| Many celebrities have owned 300 letter
series automobiles, but none have brought as much recognition to the
marque as Richard and Karen Carpenter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut,
USA, Richard on October 15, 1946, and Karen on March 2, 1950, the
Carpenter siblings moved with their parents to California in 1963 and
settled in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey. The Carpenters achieved
their breakthrough in 1970 with the release of Close to You,
which rose to #1 and stayed atop the charts for four weeks. Though
Richard and Karen were not the first artists to cut the song, the
Carpenters' version was by far the most popular, and the song has become
synonymous with the duo. A follow-up recording, We've Only Just Begun
reached #2 to become the duo's second major hit in the fall of 1970, and
helped catapult the album featuring both hits (titled Close to You)
to bestseller status.
Richard began collecting 300s in the mid 1970's, at the height of the singing duo's popularity. Utilizing the talents of upholsterer Gary Goers, Richard has restored and owned many 300s over the years, including the 300D convertible featured in the movie Quiz Show. His zeal for the marque led to Goers' production of a line of 300 interiors and related items that were previously unavailable. Without Richard's interest in 300s, it is doubtful that the beautiful Goers interiors would have become a reality when they did. Richard continues to collect fine automobiles, and currently has three 300 letter series automobiles in his collection, including an air conditioned 300B, a 300E convertible, and a 300F convertible with a white special order interior. He has owned all three since the 1970's. To view the entire collection, visit Richard's web site at http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/Auto-00_Index.htm |