In the uninspired world of fuel stops, a Vermont institution burns bright.
You feel like every gas station is basically the same: a sheltered parking lot with a bunker attached. At best, the complexes look kind of like houses, or colorful plastic boxes. They add pep to the experience with bright logos and little screens that blast commercials at you. They’re useful, yes, and even life-saving. But as buildings, they look barren, clinical, something you’re supposed to use and forget. You felt this way long before gasoline hit $4.50 per gallon.
But Hemmings is different. You realize this the second you park. The front of a retro-style car hangs from the ceiling. A sign reads “Car Lovers’ Oasis.” You arrive on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and the store is closed, but these down-home touches makes you smile.
Little do you know that Hemmings is far more than a humble service station in downtown Bennington, Vermont. The company is famous among car collectors; Hemmings Motor News is a periodical that has circulated nationally since 1954. Hemmings maintains a vast database of vintage vehicles, and the company can service, inspect, valuate, and ship just about any make or model in existence. Later, you will learn that Hemmings used to showcase old cars in an on-site museum. Incredibly, this little spot on Main Street is the company’s only physical location. Of all the gas stations you could have visited—and there are several in town—this place truly feels like, well, an oasis.
You drive away, into the simmering storm. You’ll visit dozens of gas stations this year, inserting nozzles, inhaling fumes, and watching a ticker suck your money into oblivion. You will do all of this thoughtlessly; these pitstops will mean nothing to you. But Hemmings, you’ll remember. Years from now, you’ll think of that car replica hovering over your head, the full-color magazine in its stand, and you’ll actually be glad you were here.
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