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The Touring Club


Event Schedule
Pierce

2012

 

 

May 13-17, Muscle Car Tour, Branson, MO  

 

Jun. 17-22, One & Two Cylinder Tour, Jugville, MI 

 

Jun. 21-25, Chrome Glidden Tour, Billings, MT  

 

Jul. 15-20, Heritage Tour, Homestead, IA    

  

July 15-19, Great Lakes Regional Tour, New Castle, Indiana. 

 

 

Underlined items are direct links to registration information. 

 

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Newsletter of The Veteran Motor Car Club of America

February, 2011

The Touring Chronicle

 

Big Bucks in Scottsdale  
 January is auction time in Scottsdale, AZ. Barrett-Jackson, Russo and Steele, RM, Silver Auctions, Gooding - they are all going full tilt in the middle of January. It would certainly seem that the economy was not a drag on results this year as reports are indicating big increases over last year and a good number of million dollar plus cars changing hands.

Barrett-Jackson always draws the most media attention, thanks to their link up to the Speed channel. Here are a few of their highlights.
1948 Tucker, $2,650,000 
1948 Bentley, Franay coachwork, $2,500,000 
1932 Pierce Arrow, Silver Arrow, $2,000,000 
Other notables included a 1954 Mercedes Gullwing coupe at $2,000,000 (an alloy bodied Gullwing sold at Gooding for $4,200,000). Or how about a 1930 Isotta-Fraschini, body by Castagne for $1,000,000.

That is just a taste. Many great cars were selling for extraordinary amounts and, refreshingly, they weren't all muscle cars.


Next year the VMCCA 75th Annual Meeting will be in Phoenix, AZ during Auction Week in 2013. Mark your calendars, enjoy the auctions, take part in the meetings & celebrate our 75th.
 
Peel P50 

A few issues ago I linked to a video of Jeremy Clarkson, host of Top Gear, driving a Peel P50. The Peel P50 was a micro-car, produced from 1962 to 1965 on the Isle of Man by Peel Engineering. It was billed as seating one person and a shopping bag. Jeremy drove it right into the BBC office building, into the elevator, and right to his office. You could lift the rear off the ground by it's bumper and push it around like a grocery cart. You often had to because it had no reverse gear. 

 

Want one? Well, big news-they are back! A new company in England with a similar name, but no relation to the original company, has put them back into production. Although they look the same, a different engine and transmission is being used and you can cruise at a death defying 28 miles an hour!
VMCCA 74th Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Banquet, Feb. 9-11, 2012, Punta Gorda, FL

Just a few days now until the meeting in Punta Gorda FL., But I'll bet, if you ask nice, you could still get in.

Florida sunshine, 2008 meeting 

See what Don and the Florida bunch have planned for your entertainment and see how your club manages it's affairs. Last call!

Nice Chevy collection seen in 2008 
A Tribute to John Addams and Addams Alley 

We lost another important member of the old car hobby with the recent passing of John Addams. Addams was a resident of Mayfield Village, Ohio and had been President, director, or officer of many local car clubs and museums.  

 

Members of local chapters were treated to numerous tours and meetings in Addams Alley his old car garage behind his home. Friend Roger Hicks says that John would be pleased that many are seeing his collection of cars and automobilia.

1947 Cadillac 62 convertible shown at Glenmoor Gathering in 2009 
A corner of a great automobilia collection 
    
The Awkward Period

For a publication like The Touring Chronicle this is an awkward time of year. Our primary mission is to promote the up-and-coming tours and events and review those just past. But in the winter we have already covered last years events and it is a too early to start talking about those to come in warmer months.

So, I really need material from you, particularly this time of year. Do you have good pictures from your chapters activities?

How about a tech tip? Whenever any car publication asks what their readers would like to see, tech tips always appears near the top of the list. The problem is that editors are rarely equipped to come up with them. We need submissions from you seasoned restorers. So how about it? Go ahead - send me something.
  

Whatsit?

Do you know what it is? See answer below. 

 

Car Crazy Visits the Louwan Museum

We were lucky enough to live in Europe for most of the nineties. I was able to see many of the best old car museums in Europe. But this one is new since we left and it is spectacular. Have a look.        

Louwman Museum (Holland) 
Louwman Museum (Holland)

      

Bonus Video - World's Tiniest V-12
The world's tiniest V12 engine. [VIDEO].flv 
The world's tiniest V12 engine. [VIDEO].flv

   

 

     

Photo Site - See Link in Quick Links

The Photo Site is one I created primarily for my local chapter, although many VMCCA members from other areas now visit it. It covers all the local, regional, and national events that I attend. Obviously, I cannot attend everything but I would like this to become a site for photos from all our regions and chapters.

 

So, who has photos from any of this years tours? I would love to share them with everyone. Send them to me!  

Bill Sanford's 1934 Ford 
Join the VMCCA page on Facebook!

Facebook has become an extremely popular social networking site, reportedly having more than 500,000,000 users. That is something like one in fifteen people on the planet! There is no doubt that it is a great tool for keeping in touch with people and organizations in a way that was undreamed of and impossible just a few short years ago.

 

facebook vmcca

 We try to keep up with the times so we have created a VMCCA page within Facebook. Join! Contribute! Make it a forum for all things VMCCA. Click on the "Find us on Facebook" box below. Then click Like!

Contact your editor with content ideas, feedback, or suggestions at [email protected].

Dennis Holland

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4200 Wellington Dr.

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Glidden, Holland MI

   

Whatsit answer: 1940 Lincoln Continental