February 2011 - Volume 29
In This Issue
Member Contribution
Library & Research
Trivia
Museum News
Calendar Spotlight
Contact Us
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
Welcome to SPEEDSTER! 

 

Thank you to all who attended the 2011 Annual Meeting. What a terrific meeting it was with an outstanding turnout! Many thanks goes out to everyone that helped make the annual meeting a success!                
  

 The list of National Award Winners can be found here!

 

2010 Newsletter award winners

2010 Regional website award winners 

 

Congratulations to all the Winners! 

 

 


AACA News

 

AACA receives a Bookmobile!

For nearly as long as the AACA Library has existed, many people associated with the library have always wanted a bookmobile to help spread the word about library services and the antique automobile hobby in general.  We are happy to say that the dream will now become a reality! 

 

Tom Gibson, of Crossroads Restorations in Anderson, SC, is donating his 1955 Chevrolet 3600 Bookmobile to the library!  This vehicle brought library materials to residents of Anderson County, South Carolina from 1956 until its retirement in 1991.  The book box was made by the Rock Hill Body Company of Rock Hill, SC.  RHBC started as the Rock Hill Buggy Company when they began building Model T truck bodies, and also made the Anderson car from 1916-1925. 

 

The library will be taking ownership of the vehicle in early April and with any luck, you will see it at a meet or tour near you in the not-too-distant future!  Already volunteers are lining up to help restore and accessorize the bookmobile; it will be a real conversation piece for quite some time.

 

The library is thankful for Mr. Gibson's generosity and we look forward to bringing the bookmobile back to life doing just what it was built to do! 

 

Announcements

Introducing the AACA Credit Card!

Members can now apply to receive an AACA Visa Card!

 

- No annual fee.

- $50 donation by the bank when you first use your card.

- Ongoing contributions made when you continue using the card.

- Low introductory APR on purchases and no balance transfer fees for 6 months.

- Enhance Visa Platinum benefits, including 24/7 Emergency Customer Service.

- Earn point at hundreds of participating online retailers.

- Choice one of the four created cards or upload your own vehicle.

- Show off your very own car on the front of card.

 

Visit the website to apply and learn more about the AACA Credit Card.

 

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RARE Opportunity for AACA Members to Tour the Rick Hendrick Private Museum!

 

Going to the Charlotte AutoFair?  Going to the Southeastern Spring Meet in Charlotte?  If you are, you do not want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.  A private evening at Hendrick Motorsports has been arranged for the benefit of the AACA Library & Research Center and the AACA Museum.  Limited to 200 guests (must be AACA members), every one will get up to � hour in each of the major buildings including the race shop, chassis shop, engine shop and the all new 60,000 sq. ft. private museum built by Mr. Hendrick.  The museum is amazing and is not open to the public.  Food and drink will be served. Find out more details HERE.

 

Don't miss your chance! To reserve your spot please call Adriana Bruno at 717-534-1910 

 

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Spam it is Not!

 

AACA has always been careful of your membership data.  We do not sell membership lists nor do we give out membership information unless we are sure of its intended use.  Over the next couple of months you may receive a little more information from us than usual.  First, we remind you that Speedster is a monthly publication and we hope you find it of value.  Along with Speedster we may need to send you reminders about dues renewal, special offers and other important notices.

 

One hugely important new venture might upset a few people.  It is not our intention to have this happen. We understand that some members may not wish to get phone calls, letters or emails about club projects.  However, the only way our new membership roster can be a success is by marketing it through all available resources possible.  We have contracted a company, Harris Connect, who have vast experience in producing quality membership rosters with everyone form the US Air Force, major colleges and several well known car clubs.  They will be contacting you to ensure you have an opportunity to tell your personal story of your own car and your involvement in the hobby.  The beginning of the roster will have pictorials and stories from our members.  This is sure to be a unique hardbound book that many members will want as a special keepsake and a way to find members throughout the world.

 

Please take a few seconds to listen to this program if you are called.  It is an official AACA project.  Thank you for your understanding. 

 

Member Contribution
The Beginning the Love of the Automobile

By Member Robert W. Shaffert

    

I was born in Philadelphia in 1937 by the age of 7 I was fascinated by the automobile. I started cutting pages out of the National Geographic Magazine of the car ads, which I still have. When the Post War cars started appearing I quickly learned the models. I could distinguish a 46 Ford from a 47 by the location of the parking lights. As more and more new models appeared over the coming years, I could name every Manufacturer model and year. My Dad had a 1937 Graham Paige Hump Back, what a car built like a tank. The Graham for some reason broke rear axles. Dad sold the Graham and bought a 1937 Plymouth slant back. There was no comparison to the Graham but the Plymouth was very reliable. Dad eventually purchased a 1946 Desota Club Cpe fluid drive. The Plymouth was then parked in the front of our house. I was then in Junior High School, when I came home from school I would polish the old Plymouth and start it up. I carefully taught myself how to shift gears on the Plymouth. I would move it forward and back carefully. Then one of our neighbors told my mother, the keys were taken away and hidden from me. One day when I was washing the Plymouth a man walking down the street stopped to talk to me. He said he saw the car there all the time and wondered if it was for sale. I went in the house and brought my father out. My Dad told him $100.00 he reached in his pocket and paid Dad on the spot. The next day he picked up the car and that was the last I ever saw of it. After 2 years Dad then traded the DeSota for a 1950 Pontiac 2dr sedan. The year was now 1953 and my 16th birthday was coming that November. I bugged Dad to let me learn how to shift a column shift. In North Philadelphia there was a huge Bakery (Ward Bakery) with a big parking lot that was always empty on weekends. My Dad took me there and let me learn to column shift and move the car around the parking lot. On my 16th birthday I got my drivers license, I took the Drivers Education Course at school driving a 1953 Plymouth. On the day of my drivers test the instructor decided to take the other driver training car a 1953 Oldsmobile 88. I was scared since I had never driven it before. I was used to Dad's '50 Pontiac and the '53 Plymouth. One lap around the course with the State Trooper I passed my driving test! Now I wanted my own car, a family friend in Center Square, Pa had a 1934 Ford 2 door sedan. He told me I could have the car for $100.00, the car had mechanical brakes. I was told 1934 was the last year for mechanical brakes, my parents said NO! My Dad said wait son and save your money for a newer car.

 

Continue reading Shaffert's story here...

Library & Research

Sales Literature as Pieces of Art

 

Walking into your local dealership today, all those flyers and literature they throw at you may seem like trash. Why would you keep a mass produced bit of flimsy cardboard? But if someone handed you sales literature from sixty years ago, you wouldn't feel that way.

 

Looking at our vast collection of antique automobile literature including brochures, manuals, and advertisements, these pieces could easily be mistaken for art - hand-drawn artwork that looks as three-dimensional as any computer graphic.

 

A combination of rich colors, period dress, and the curvature and design of the automobiles of the past captures the imagination. Harkening back to a time car companies relied on the art department, with its lack of television ads and Super Bowl commercials, to tell a story and bring people in.

   

Please visit us in person at the AACA Library to peruse our collection. You can also search our literature catalog here.

 
Trivia

 

1. Name the first automotive trade journals in the US.

 

2. This automotive executive spearheaded the development and production of the original Mustang, a great marketing success for Ford.

 

3. Which automobile was the infamous John Dillinger's favourite car to steal?

 

 

4. What year were gasoline engines first located under the hood in the U.S.?

 

 
AACA Museum

Featured Exhibits...

Rare 1922 Dixie Flyer Firefly Speedster

 

When the automobile was in its infancy nearly every city and large town in America boasted at least one enterprise engaged in the manufacture of cars. Most of these companies and their vehicles are lost to history. The AACA Museum is pleased to present a survivor from this era that has travelled half way around the world to return to its home. On temporary exhibition is a 1922 Dixie Flyer Firefly Speedster, which was manufactured in Louisville, Kentucky, exported to Australia, saved from the junkyard, restored and finally purchased by Kentucky Trailer, the company that originally built the car! The Speedster will be on display at the museum until the spring of 2011.  

 

Shelby Retrospective

February 11 - April 24 2011

 

From his first project that combined the British built two-seat AC Bristol with a Ford V8 to create the "Cobra," to his current partnership with Ford, Shelby has always had his sights set on building the ultimate American sports car. Along the way he has created a long line of popular and extremely successful street and race vehicles bearing the names Cobra, Daytona Coupe, GT40, GT350 and GT500 Mustangs and the Chrysler Omni GLHS.

 

Beginning on February 11th this compelling story will be told at the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum through the special exhibition, Shelby: A Retrospective. The exhibition will feature approximately 18 cars representing the manufacturers and body styles that chronicle Shelby's history as a sports car manufacturer and performance tuner. The exhibition will include cars from all phases of Shelby's career.

 

 To see the full listing of current and upcoming exhibits and events visit the Museum website.

 

www.aacamuseum.org

 

 

Trivia Answers

1. Name the first automotive trade journals in the US.

The Horseless Age, by E.P. Ingersoll and The Motorcycle by E.E. Goff appeared in 1895.

 

2. This automotive executive spearheaded the development and production of the original Mustang, a great marketing success for Ford.

Lee Iacocca, who would become Ford's CEO in the 1970s. In 1978, he was fired by Henry Ford II, but was picked up by Chrysler within three month to become its CEO, on e of the biggest power shifts in modern automotive history.

  

3. Which automobile was the infamous John Dillinger's favourite car to steal?

Ford

 

 

4. What year were gasoline engines first located under the hood in the U.S.?

1900

 

Speedy's Notes 
prowler hd cash
 









2011 Raffle!
Enter here to WIN! All proceeds benefit the AACA Family!


AACA Merchandise and Gifts
New items are on the way! We have lots of unique Merchandise and gift ideas available on our online catalog. Plenty of to choose from for the whole family and friends. Visit the merchandise website and start shopping! 

 
AACA Facebook
Visit the Official Antique Automobile Club of America page on Facebook!  Become a fan and stay connected to the AACA family!  Visit our AACA Library and Museum facebook pages too.
 
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AACA Forum
Join in the discussions and check out our topics on the AACA Forum  

 
SPEEDSTER Archives

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Read and print newsletters. Visit the links provided in each section for more information. Use the articles in your region publications and updates. Join our mailing list and please share issues with family, friends and future AACA members!  SPEEDSTER Archives Here.
 
Calendar Spotlight! 

75 AACA Logo

March

4-5 - AACA Winter Meet in Homestead, Florida. For more information email: [email protected] - Winter Meet Brochure here.

10-12 - AACA Special Spring Meet in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For more information contact: Pedro J. Soldevila, [email protected].  Meet brochure available here online or call national headquarters 717-534-1910

April

7-10 - AACA Southeastern Spring Meet in Charlotte, North Carolina. Email [email protected] for more information. Southeaster Spring Meet Brochure.

17-22 - Founders Tour (1932-1986 vehicles) in Lake Mary, Florida, sponsored by AACA Florida Region. Call 407-327-0740 for more information. 

Visit the Calendar on our website for a complete listing of AACA national events and much more! 
Member Contribution
We want to hear from you!
We want to get to know our regions, members and their cars better! So please send us a short story (200-500 words) about your vehicle, region or event for consideration to be published in SPEEDSTER. Be sure to include photos!


Please email us at [email protected]
 
The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the country's premier resource for the collectible vehicle community. Since its formation in 1935, the Club, through its national office, publications, and membership, aids individuals, museums, libraries, historians and collectors dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of automotive history.
  
Contact Information for Speedster Newsletter:
AACA Headquarters
501 W. Governor Road
Hershey, PA 17033

Phone: 717-534-1910
Website: www.aaca.org