I was visiting my brother last August. He has a house in Weston Connecticut in the middle of the woods. We were going to the store and we passed a guy in his driveway that had the hood up on this beautiful 1956 Chevy Bel Air Convertible. I yelled out "nice car can we have a look," and he waved us in. He had been trying to get the car started and with our help we got it running. It ran like crap! The way the engine shifted when you revved it up you would think it was about to fall out. A little smoke was coming out the exhaust which wasn't good. All in all it needed a lot of work to get it to the point of a good running car. He had purchased the car back in 2000 at an auction and had only driven it 1,200 miles since. You could see from the expression on his face that he had it with the car. In the trunk I found a photo album of the car going through a body off restoration. I looked on the back of the last picture and it said, "Premier 8-6-89." The paint, top and general condition are excellent. It looked like it had been restored just a few years ago. The Tru-spoke wire wheels that were on the car really added to the It's beauty.

I asked if he would consider selling and he immediately said yes but I won't take less then a figure that sounded too good to be true to me. I said that I was very interested and told him I would call and let him know. When I got back to my brother's house I went on line and tried to find a 56 like this car and I realized that the price was fantastic even if it wasn't running. I went back to make a deal and the car was delivered to my home in Florida two weeks later. I had just sold my Packard and I had the money to invest in the car. It has a 1969 327 small block and a TH-350 Transmission. I thought it had a Powerglide but found that it was a 350 that didn't have a second gear. With the expert help of Bob Dunn from Custom Auto in Pompano Beach, we did the following: We put in a new gas tank, fuel pump, carburetor, air filter, motor mounts, starter motor, and electronic ignition. I changed the rear springs, rebuilt the front end, put on new gas shocks, totally rebuilt the brakes and had the transmission rebuilt. A new exhaust system was installed as well as a new radio and many little jobs to get everything in working order. Last but not least I installed a new interior from Ciadella Interiors. I didn't like the original vinyl so we rolled and pleated the seats to match the door panels and to give the car a real "Old School Hot Rod look," the way I would have done the car in high school if I had the money.  I've been driving the car and just from being used it stopped smoking as things got lubricated. It drives like a dream, and you could drive this car anywhere if you can stand the constant attention no matter where you go. A 56 Bel Air Convertible was not on my bucket list but now that I have one, it turns out to be one of the best classics I've ever owned.

The Sugarloaf Mountain Region of the AACA (SMR) was approached by the national organization in an attempt to get the numerous AACA members in the Washington, DC area who were affiliated with a region involved in local activities.  The idea was to try and capture these members into the region and involve them in our local activities.  The members of SMR, after careful deliberation realized that because of the area's traffic congestion and travel time, it was best to create a new region or chapter in the southern area of Montgomery County, Maryland.

Concluding that a new region would have to establish all the programs and events SMR already had in place, the members voted to create a new chapter.  This would allow the new chapter/region members to have their own meetings while availing themselves of SMR's five annual one day tours, an overnight tour, newsletters, parts meet, car show, picnic and several dinners that were already in place and well organized.  Another advantage is a new chapter would also increase the region's membership participation.

The necessary application to form a chapter was submitted to and approved by the AACA Board of Directors at their meeting in February of this year.  After searching for an appropriate place in lower Montgomery County, and finding one just off the Beltway, the task was to put the word out to as many people as possible.  When the first meeting was held on June 5, 2014, twenty-six people were in attendance.  It was a combination of the current SMR members, who live in that area, but because of traffic issues don't attend the region's monthly meetings in Damascus, Maryland, and AACA members from the area interested in joining the new chapter.  After going around the room and introducing all present, a business meeting was held where the purpose of establishing the chapter was discussed. 

The members were informed of the June 29^th Summer Tour and encouraged to participate in that as well as the annual Tour d'Picnic and Picnic the last weekend in August.  The members determined that the chapter will hold bi-monthly chapter meetings on the second Thursday of even months.  That evening six new members joined the Chapter and another person signed up as members of the AACA and the Chapter.  Since the meeting two more new members have joined the Chapter.  After the business meeting was completed, a program on the 1903 transcontinental crossing by Dr. H. Nelson Jackson was presented and refreshments were served.  New members volunteered to provide a program and cake for the August meeting. 

Anyone interested in joining the Bethesda Chapter may contact Charlie Carroccio at (301) 279-0087 or cbbgcarr@aol.com for additional information.

Antique Automobile Magazine is the country's foremost automotive historical magazine exclusively mailed to AACA Members.  This bimonthly publication is amply illustrated and contains a wide range of fine antique car feature stories, historical articles, tour accounts, technical articles on restoration and other material.  Antique Automobile is received by members bi-monthly and is also available online.  You can log into your membership  and view the current edition of the magazine.  The online version is a beautiful page-turn publication that comes to life with the click of your mouse.  Additionally in this online version you can search, click on links, and even make "sticky" notes on your favorite pages.  Log into your membership today to view the online edition of the July/August edition of Antique Automobile Magazine!

Here Kitty, Kitty

By: Matthew Hocker

Born and bred in Britain, Jaguar automobiles gradually built a strong following in the United States in the years after World War II.  Sports car enthusiasts in particular were thrilled with the XK series cars which first debuted for the 1949 model year.  Quite a few catalogs, brochures and advertisements featured beautiful full color artwork of the cars' exterior and interior features. 

While enjoyable to look at, these pieces of sales literature lacked a certain edge present in American advertising, especially in the 1950s.  All of this would change by the 1958 model year when Jaguar's North American distributor, Jaguar Cars, Inc. of New York City, created literature and advertisements featuring real jaguars.

During the 1958 model year over 4,000 Jaguars had been exported to the U.S., the crown jewels of which were the new XK 150 and XK 150S sports cars.  The XK 150 was available in three different body styles, including a roadster, coupe and convertible.  While a 190 bhp engine was standard, the 210 bhp "special equipment" option proved far more popular.

Jaguar cars were (and still are) considered the epitome of luxury.  In 1958, the cheapest Jaguar XK 150 on the market was the roadster at $4,520.  For less than half that amount, a buyer could purchase one of Ford or Chevrolet's standard models.  Even the Corvette could be had for nearly $1,000 less. 

If owning a Jaguar was a testament to one's wealth, so too was one's pet.  At the time, the exotic pet trade was coming into prominence, and a favorite among the elite were big cats such as lions and tigers.  Artist Salvador Dali famously owned a pet ocelot named Babou, whom accompanied him everywhere.

The appeal of these animals lay in their ability to distinguish their owners from the crowd, and this was a hallmark of the Jaguar advertisements featuring real jaguars.  An advertising sheet for the XK 150 Roadster stated, "Only 7,500 Americans can get a new Jaguar this year...You just can't mass produce a superb car like the new Jaguar XK150 Roadster."  The ad featured a fashionably dressed woman, right down to her white gloves.  Alongside her was a spotted jaguar, complete with leash and collar.

Variations of this image would appear through 1959.  In comparing these, it appears as though the big cat in question was little more than the work of a taxidermist.  No matter where it appeared in the photographs, its posture remained same.  Imagine trying to keep a wild animal completely still throughout an entire photo shoot!

In other pieces of advertising, it is less obvious whether the jaguar was live or stuffed.  One 1958 booklet featured the big cat in every factory photograph, from the 3.4 Sports Sedan to the Mark VIII Sedan.   It was also present on the front and rear covers, seated in the passenger seat of an XK 150 Roadster.  While the woman driving the car appeared to be singing, it was her furry friend which undoubtedly stole the show.   

By 1960, the big cats were phased out of the literature and the emphasis in later brochures and catalogs was on the cars themselves.  From time to time real big cats have been used in Jaguar's advertising since then, though not as extensively as they were during those few years.  Due to changes in societal values, they certainly aren't portrayed as pets anymore either!

Discover More: Interested in learning more about your favorite Jaguar?  The AACA Library & Research Center has more than 600 pieces of sales literature and advertisements and clippings for Jaguar cars from the 1930s through the 2000s.  To find out more, feel free to contact the library or pay us a visit.  We would love to hear from you!

New Items in the AACA Library's eBay Store!

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

We will also be holding our monthly eBay auction, with over seventy unique listings!  The auction began on Sunday, June 22^nd at 7:00 PM EST and will end on Sunday, June 29^th at 7:00 PM.

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

Items Available for Auction (6/22/2014 - 6/29/2014):   

* Books & Periodicals:

- Chilton manuals from the 1930s and '40s

- Bound set of Road & Track Road Test Annuals 1956 - 1966

* Sales Literature:

- 1960s Toyota

- 1950s & '60s Triumph

- 1950s Nash

- 1950s Chrysler

- 1950s Studebaker

- 1950s & '60s Volvo

- And more!

* Manuals & Guides:

- Owner's manuals

- Binder of 1959 McCormick tractor service bulletins

Items Available for General Sale:

*Reproduction Factory Photos:

- More than 2,000 different vehicles!

*Books:

- Pre-War

- Racing

- Biographies & In-Depth Histories

- Car & Truck Reference Books

- Manuals & Guides

- And much more!

*Sales Literature

*Shop Manuals

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.