Maybe you didn’t grow up in or around Philadelphia, but you still ought to know that Dick Vermeil is something on the order of a deity in that neighborhood. If you’re wondering who we’re talking about, let us inform you that Dick Vermeil is an icon of professional football, especially in Philly. He began his NFL coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles, took them to the playoffs within two years, and in another two, took them to Super Bowl XV where they lost to the Oakland Raiders. Vermeil worked in broadcasting for 15 years before he returned to coaching, and led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title in 2000, before going on to coach the Kansas City Chiefs. He has been named Coach of the Year at every level of football in which he participated. Vermeil’s always been an esteemed presence in Philadelphia, where he maintains a country home in Chester County. Most people don’t know it, but Vermeil is also a noteworthy car guy. His father, Louis, is enshrined in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame for his work as co-founder of the Northern Auto Racing Club, while running a garage near historic Calistoga Speedway in California. The elder Vermeil also fielded Sprint cars, including this one, a 1926 Ford-powered Miller-Schofield, which Dick Vermeil restored.
Vermeil remains highly active in charitable work in and around Philadelphia, especially as it involves the well-being of children. He is an active board member at Cool Cars for Kids Inc., which has presented the Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance since 2017 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum just off Interstate 95 in South Philadelphia, and is affiliated with a globally famed institution of healing, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. This year would have marked the concours’ fourth edition, but the viral pandemic put the kibosh on that. Regardless, Vermeil is the star of a new video promoting the concours, and the cause, which can be viewed on the CCfK website, as above. It’s a prime example of a great guy doing great things for a great cause. If you’ve never been to the Simeone Museum in South Philly to check out its stunning collection of unrestored racing cars, do make plans to get there. The neighborhood dining options are wonderful. And if you want to keep abreast of doing regarding the Philadelphia concours, click here.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 