Speak your mind and let your voice be heard!  Turn to page 16 of the September/October edition of Antique Automobile Magazine to view information on the 10 members nominated to serve on the AACA Board of Directions.  All candidates were selected because of their passion for the hobby and dedication to the club.  Please complete the ballot card that was enclosed with the September/October magazine to cast your vote for the future of the AACA!  Reminder - for your vote to be valid, you must select 7 individuals. 

You have the right to choose who leads YOUR AACA.  Please remember to mail in your election ballots no later then November 15.   

Did you know that you can log into your membership and view the current edition of Antique Automobile online?  This beautiful page-turn publication comes to life with a search box and links that take you directly to the articles or websites that you click on.  The interactive online magazine even allows you to make "sticky" notes on your favorite pages!

Log into your membership today to view the online edition of the September/October edition of Antique Automobile Magazine!

Restoration of a 1970 Continental Mark III

Submitted by:  Bob Shaffert 

After selling my Mark VI unexpectedly at the Eastern AACA National, I decided I needed another car to fill the void. Thinking back how much I loved the Mark III when it first came out, I decided now was the time to find one. One evening I am surfing the LCOC (Lincoln & ContinentalOwners Club) website and there it was, a 1970 Mark III one owner since NEW! I contacted the person who placed the ad; this person was the senior son of the owner who passed away at the age of 96 approximately two years ago. The Car was sold New to his father in West Virginia May of 1970. I was not too excited about the car due to its high mileage of 139,000 miles. I received numerous pictures of the car and my interest perked up. The car was mostly all original, the front seat looked like it was never sat on. There was not a scratch or any wear on the front seat. Sheepskin seat covers were installed upon delivery. I contacted LCOC Member Bob Jordan in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Bob lived 20 minutes' drive from where the car was located and agreed to look at the car for me. Bob called me with a detailed evaluation of the car; he knew the car well since it was near identical to one which he owned. Based on his report I moved forward and negotiated a fair purchase price. When the car arrived it was as he described to me!

I received the car at my home January 14 by enclosed carrier. I sent the car out for mechanical restoration, brake system, starter fuel pump and steering system. Upon completion of mechanical repairs I removed the grille shroud and 4 piece front bumper and sent them out for re plating. (Long wait 9 weeks!) While waiting for the Chrome, under the hood I removed every body bolt and polished and clear coated each. After removing the radiator and all hoses/wires. I then removed the valve covers. Upon the removal of the valve covers I was astonished; there was NO varnish build up or sludge on the valve bodies. I was told that oil had been changed every 2,000-2,500 miles!

I sent the radiator out for cleaning and pressure checking. I completely repainted the inner fenders and engine in correct original colors. I purchased period correct Autolite radiator hoses with the double wire clamps. I replaced all the heater hoses and bypass hose using Period Correct clamps. I acquired all new Autolite ignition wires and spark plugs and new Autolite engine decals. The car came with a newer battery; I found an Autolite Battery Topper on EBay and made the purchase! The engine compartment is now 100% original! I had the car compounded and waxed, and a few dings touched up. The grille shroud and bumper were finished May 13.  On May 15 a very good friend Howard came over and helped me reassemble the grille and bumper. The car is totally finished and drives smooth without a squeak or rattle! The gentleman who purchased my Mark VI for his Museum has stayed in touch with me. He was interested in acquiring my Mark III for his Museum also. Unfortunately we could not agree on price. I advertised the car locally and it was sold in a few days! I really would like another Mark VI!

 The Mighty Hath Fallen

 By: Matthew Hocker

Member Craig Correll recently reached out to us with regard to a 1912 Michigan "40" Model K touring car, which he is currently in the process of restoring (Click here to visit his website documenting the process).  This particular car, originally manufactured by the Michigan Motor Car Company of Kalamazoo, MI, is unique in that it has been in his wife's family for over a century!  While conducting research we discovered that the history behind the company proved just as fascinating.  While Michigan cars had a promising start, the enterprise would eventually end in financial ruin and scandal.

Like many auto manufacturers in the early 20th Century, the Michigan Motor Car Company began life building horse-drawn vehicles.  Under the moniker of Michigan Buggy Company, their first foray into the world of cars was a modified version of one of their carriages built in 1904.  Priced at $450.00, it was powered by a one cylinder 3.5 HP engine and witnessed limited production over the next few years.

In 1909, the company introduced the Model B, which would be their first serious car, running on a 36 to 40 horsepower engine built by the Hazard Company of Rochester, NY.  It was one of the first cars to introduce electric lighting though.  In 1911, the company switched to acetylene gas and oil.  Approximately fifty cars were manufactured in 1909, with production doubling the following year.  After the Hazard Company folded in 1911, production of the Model B eventually ceased.

The successors of the Model B were the 1912 Michigan "33" and Mighty Michigan "40" series cars, the numbers indicating the horsepower of their engines.   Both series employed the use of four cylinder engines.  However, they featured different motors: a Sandusky for the "33" and a Buda for the "40."  For buyers interested in a self-starter, Michigan offered air and acetylene gas powered options.

In terms of style, Michigan cars were designed to compete with the cream of the crop, a point they aggressively advertised.  Seating featured leather upholstery "...over high grade curled hair on high grade coiled springs."  The company was so confident in the craftsmanship of its cars that they offered a lifetime guarantee against failure.  Although the cars were high quality, they were moderately priced, with 1912 models costing anywhere from $1,150 to $1,500.  Taking a jab at the likes of Pierce-Arrow, whose 1912 lineup ranged in price from $4,000 to $7,450, one brochure claimed, "no car, even at $4,000 or $5,000 exceeds [Michigan cars] in beauty and style." 

For 1913, Michigan offered the 33 horsepower Model L and 40 horsepower Models R and S.  Charged with designing this year's Mighty Michigan "40" was W. H. Cameron, who had been hired on as the company's designer-in-chief.  Before joining Michigan, Cameron had designed cars for Willys-Overland and Flanders.  Advertisements hailed the car as his best work yet and claimed more than seventy improvements had been made over the previous model year.  Among these were a switch to left-hand steering, detachable and demountable rims, a reportedly quieter engine, and new four speed transmission.

For a while, it appeared as though the Michigan Motor Car Company was poised for continued success.  In 1912, rising production warranted an addition to the factory and, by 1913, sales had expanded to foreign markets, including England, France, Germany and China.  Around 4,000 cars were finished in 1913.  This was a significant jump from the year before, in which approximately 1,700 units were built.

Although advertisements claimed otherwise, production figures were far from reliable indicators of the company's financial health.  Michigan's first blow came from Sandusky engines failing in a number of their 1912 and 1913 33 HP cars.  Later, company officials claimed more than $100,000 had been spent in an effort to fix the issue.  Their lifetime guarantee came back to haunt them.

Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come, with the company closing its doors and filing for bankruptcy in 1913, with liabilities totaling $2,951,010.52.  This turn of events was a far cry from an ad printed a year earlier in which Michigan touted their business as the "...most economically operated vehicle factory in the world."  Instead, investigations and court hearing revealed a complex web of deception and financial mismanagement. 

More than $325,000 had been budgeted on advertising, but this was just the icing on the cake.  According to the testimony of Michigan's bookkeeper, the company's treasurer, Victor Palmer wasn't concerned with keeping track of actual production costs.  The bookkeeper, performing his own analysis estimated at least $200 was lost on every Michigan car sold from 1909 onward.  He also felt that, had the carriage business not continued to remain successful, the company would have folded sooner.

Further investigation revealed additional dirt on Palmer and other company officials.  In an effort to assure creditors their investment was sound Palmer exaggerated annual reports, all while selling off all but one of his shares in the company.  It was also revealed a "velvet payroll" was in place, which executives used to skim additional money out of company assets.   In some cases, investors' money was also frivolously spent on gift-giving, with cars given to company officers and Kalamazoo city officials, including the police. 

When all was said and done, there were no true winners.  The Mighty Michigan fell from grace, along with its executives.  Victor Palmer served time in prison for his role in the scandal, and stress from standing trial caused his health to deteriorate.  However, the most unfortunate victims in the wake of the closure were Michigan's investors and 2,000 former workers left unemployed.  At the very least, they may have found some solace in knowing justice had been served. 

Discover More: To learn more about the rise and fall of the Michigan Motor Car Company, feel free to visit the library or contact us for more information.  The activities of the company are well-documented in our collection of trade journals, and we even have Michigan sales literature and advertisements.

Interested in Doing Research with the AACA Library?

More info available on our website. Visit AACA Library or contact our head librarian, Chris Ritter, critter@aaca.org or 717-534-2082.

        

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 The AACA Library's eBay Store!

Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite motor head this holiday season?  The Library's eBay store offers a wide variety to choose from, with everything from automobilia and photographs to books and sales literature. 

We are also currently holding our monthly eBay auction, with over fifty lots of 1940s sales literature and owner's manuals from the 1920s through the 1950s.  The auction ends Sunday, November 3, 2013 at 8:30 p.m. EST, so don't miss out!

To view our available selection, be sure to click the links below!

Items Available for Auction:

      Owner's Manuals:

          - 1925 Buick

          - 1938 Packard Eight 

          - 1937 Dodge 

          - 1930 REO 

          - And more!

          - And more!

Items Available for General Sale:

Check back often, as we will continue to add new items throughout the year!

For more information, contact our Library Assistant,

Matthew Hocker, mhocker@aacalibrary.org or 717-534-2082.