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By: Stacy Zimmerman
After what feels like the longest, snowiest, coldest winter we've had in a long time, we are so excited to see some hints of Spring here at AACA Headquarters. With Meet season officially underway, you can definitely see a little more pep in everyone's step and that twinkle of excited anticipation of what is to come.
The first National Meet this year was, of course, the Winter Meet in Puerto Rico. Sunshine, fabulous cars and suburb hospitality made for an extraordinary experience. Congratulations to all of the Winter Meet award winners!
The Dual in the Desert II, hosted by the Tucson Region, just wrapped up a little over a week ago and, from what we hear, was another great AACA show. Congratulations to both the Grand National winners and the Western Spring Meet winners!
With Charlotte and Virginia Beach coming up next month, the first few months of 2015 are keeping all of us busy, but we wouldn't have it any other way!
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Last Chance to Take the Annual Meeting Survey!
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If you attended the Annual Meeting this year, we need your feedback, opinions and comments about the event.This is your last chance to take the Annual Meeting survey.
The survey will close on April 5th.
Please click here to take a quick 10 minute survey online.
If you would prefer to print a copy of the survey and mail it back to us, click here to download a PDF.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this survey. Your valuable feedback will help us continue to improve your experience at future AACA Annual Meetings.
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We're Looking for a Few Good Speakers & Ideas
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The AACA Annual Meeting Committee is looking to revamp and refresh the Annual Meeting as we head into our 80th year of the event. We will be looking to "shake things up" by adding new activities. Some of our planning might even jump "out of the box" altogether. You should definitely be prepared to see a new and exciting version of the Annual Meeting!
Have you ever thought about speaking or putting on a seminar at the Annual Meeting? Well, now's your chance! We are looking for unique, new, different seminars to add to the schedule for 2016. If you would like to be a possible speaker, please fill out this form and send it in as soon as possible.
Have an idea for a hands-on workshop? What topics would you like to hear a panel of experts discuss? This is your Annual Meeting and we want to know what you want to learn about. Please email Stacy with your seminar ideas (membership, leadership, chapters/regions, marketing, cars, technical, fun, historical, ladies-focused, etc.).
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March Edition of The Judge Now Available
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The newest edition of The Judge newsletter has just been published. It can currently be viewed online here and should show up in all AACA judges' mailboxes shortly.
Judge registration forms for the Special Meet in Auburn, the Central Spring Meet in Independence and the Southeastern Fall Meet in Louisville are included in this edition. Judges can also register for meets by logging into the members' area of the AACA website.
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Who Wants a New 2015 Corvette or $35,000?
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ONLY 2,000 TOTAL TICKETS WILL BE SOLD!!
 For only $50, you can purchase a raffle ticket to win this dream car or the cash equivalent. The drawing will be held October 10th at the AACA Eastern Division Fall Meet in Hershey, PA. (Winner need not be present.) Proceeds from the raffle benefit the AACA, AACA Library & Research Center and AACA Museum.
HURRY!! These tickets will not last long!
Click here for a ticket order form.
Thank you for supporting the AACA Family and GOOD LUCK!!
Not legal in Alabama, Hawaii, Kansas, South Carolina and Utah.
May not be legal in additional states, including Michigan.
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Special Spring Issue of Wheels Goes 3D!
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Wheels is a quarterly magazine for our Junior Membership Program, which is open to all children up to age 12. For the latest issue, we wanted to do something special and printed Wheels in 3D! It even comes with the iconic red & blue 3D glasses.
If you know a child who loves cars, this is an issue not to be missed. You can get it by signing them up for the AACA Junior Membership Program. Children enrolled in the program receive a year-long subscription to Wheels, a special membership card and badge. To learn more about this program, click here.
We are also interested in publishing content from our Junior Members and encourage them to send their own stories, poems, fan art, etc. We also welcome content from adults in the hobby, as well. If you think you have a fun or interesting story to share, we would love to hear your idea. For further information, please contact Matthew Hocker at mhocker@aaca.org or 717-534-2082.
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2015 AACA National Meets & Tours Activity Request Card
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A 2015 Activity Request Card was included with your March/April issue of Antique Automobile magazine. If you are interested in attending or would like more information about any of the meets and tours listed on the card, please fill it out and send it to: AACA Activity Request, PO Box 417, Hershey, PA 17033. Make sure to include your name, address and membership number on the card.
Online registration is currently open for the following: Eastern Spring Meet (Virginia), Special Meet (Indiana), Central Spring Meet (Missouri) and Southeastern Fall Meet (Kentucky). To register online, click here and log in with your member number and pin.
Please remember that your 2015 membership dues MUST BE PAID in order to receive information for 2015 events.
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An Antique Car Meet at a Military Aviation Museum is an Exciting Thought
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By: Jim Villers, Tidewater Region President
 Eastern Spring Meet
April 30 - May 2, 2015
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Registration deadline extended: April 17, 2015
Click here for brochure
As President of the Tidewater Region, it is my pleasure to welcome AACA members to a world class museum while enjoying the 2015 Eastern Division Spring meet. The Military Aviation Museum is like no other: two large art deco hangars facing a grass runway evoke images of the 1941 British countryside. The three rustic World War I hangars could easily be mistaken for France in 1914. The German hangar housed Luftwaffe fighters during 1944 and was relocated to the museum. An orange checkerboard water tower completes the historical image. The aircraft collection matches the quality of the facilities with over 60 flyable planes from a British Spitfire, a plywood deHaviland DH-98 Mosquito bomber, a Junkers Ju-52 trimotor bomber to a V-1 buzz bomb.
I know that I also should be discussing the tours we have of an active Naval Air Station flight line, the tour of vintage race cars and the vintage clothing fashion show, but the museum just excites me as it should excite you.
So let's have fun! May 2nd will be an old car kind of day and a wonderful day to visit Virginia Beach.
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Auctions America Welcomes Back the AACA for its 3rd Annual Special Meet
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This year's Auburn Spring Collector Car Weekend and the Third Annual AACA Special Spring Meet will take place May 7-9, 2015, at the historic Auburn Auction Park. Achieving record results and attendance in 2014, the event has quickly become a must-attend weekend on the national collector car calendar.
Auctions America is pleased to announce a limited time offer for AACA members wishing to purchase vendor space for the 2015 Special Spring Meet. Simply mention your AACA membership at time of booking to receive the discounted prices. Discount special ends April 24, 2015!
Swap Meet Spaces $30 ▪ Car Corral $75 ▪ Asphalt Vendors $100
Contact Connie Miller at 260-927-9797 or cmiller@auctionsamerica.com to book your vendor, swap meet or car corral space today.
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Commemorative Plates to be Given Away at Auburn Special Meet
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Special Meet
May 7-9, 2015
Auburn, Indiana
Registration deadline: April 24, 2015
Click here for brochure
The Crossroads of America Region and the
national club once again join together to host the most unique event in the Midwest! The list of free amenities goes on and on and includes free motorhome parking, free trailer parking, free admission and bidders' passes to the Auctions America Spring Auction. Special this year is a free commemorative plate with a unique number. Plates are only guaranteed to the first 300 entrants, so register NOW!
Auburn is a unique venue as everything is self-contained at the site including the final banquet. World-class BBQ will be served once again! Many unique sights to see along with discounts at all the great car museums in Auburn. Let's show AACA that the Midwest is alive and well and have a huge turnout this year.
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Check Out These Upcoming AACA National Meets & Tours
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Click on each image to learn more about the event.
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From Barn Find to Chairman's Award Winner
at the 2014 Lake Mirror Concours D'Elegance
By: Joanne & Brando Pistorius, Tampa, FL, www.OldWheel.com
Any car person who loves the roaring '20s era knows what you mean when you refer to the "3 P's." It is an acronym for the most popular of the high end cars of the late '20s - Packard, Pierce-Arrow and Peerless. But would you be surprised to know that Peerless is the most rare of the 3? Having been in production for only 30 years, today there are less than 350 Peerless automobiles known to exist. Would you also be surprised to hear that Peerless even outsold Packard in 1920? Yes, it is a fact. But interestingly, Peerless is the only company of the "3 P's" that did not go out of business. The Board of Directors of Peerless made the business decision in 1931 to cease manufacturing automobiles and change their manufacturing plant into a brewery for Carling Black Label Beer. They made one car as their swan song, a 1932 V16 aluminum bodied Peerless currently housed in the Crawford Museum in Ohio. With the end of Prohibition, and the advent of the Great Depression, sadly this was a smart business decision after all. Fine automobiles struggled to survive the challenges of the Depression and WWII.
 This 1929 Peerless Sedan was a virtual "barn find" when Brando and Joanne Pistorius found it in Valparaiso, Indiana. This car was bought in a collection of five by the owner who had parked them in his barn for the past 25 years. Prior to that, they had been well kept in Pound, Virginia, as part of the Dexter Dotson Collection for over 30 years. After Mr. Dotson passed away in 1991, his widow put the collection up for sale. It was only after the buyers closed their deal for these five Peerless' did they come to realize that they were actually cousins to the Dotson's!
 This 1929 Peerless Sedan is a Model Six-81, one of eight known to exist, and the only one with unique steel "artillery" wheels. While Mr. Dotson gave it a complete restoration over 30 years ago, current owner Brando Pistorius recently completed a partial restoration that came out just beautiful. The mohair interior was intact and in good condition, but the paint and chrome needed to be completely redone. Brando also made certain that the mechanical and electrical condition of the car would be in excellent running condition. The Pistorius are known for their touring and do not shirk from driving  their beauties. They once drove their 1930 Packard from Tampa, Florida, to Montreal, Canada (over 4,000 miles in 23 days).
This 1929 Peerless is a 4-door Sedan with a Continental 6-cylinder engine, 66hp, 248.3 cubic inches, 116" wheel base. A roomy 5-passenger car with footrest in the back, handrail that holds a Peerless embroidered blanket, 3 new pull down shades for privacy and a mounted bud vase. The rear mounted spare wheel and 5 new whitewall tires complete the look of real distinction and class for this historic vehicle.
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When was the first auto insurance policy
taken out and what were the rates?
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From the AACA Library & Research Center
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The "Do's and Don'ts" of the AACA Library
By: Matthew Hocker
If you are thinking of stopping by the library or have visited us before, you might have wondered what types of rules and procedures are in place. With our latest video, "The 'Do's and Don'ts' of the AACA Library," we answer these questions and more!
Since the big Fall Meet last October, we've been itching to get the camera out again. Having already done tour videos, the question remained, "what's next?" Special libraries and archives have special procedures in place to ensure the longevity of their collections, so the "do's and don'ts" theme seemed like a logical next step.
To keep things light-hearted, we opted to make a comical video inspired by the Jam Handy training films of the 1950s. The characters of Yugo Wrong and Duesy Right were inspired by the "Goofus and Gallant" comic strips from the long-running magazine, Highlights for Children. These comics always illustrated the wrong and right way of handling a given situation. Goofus was always up to no good, while Gallant always did the right thing.
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For our characters' names, we wanted to go with an automotive theme and had written down several ideas, such as Greaser and Chrome. Our Catalog Librarian, Mike Reilly, came up with the names Yugo Wrong and Duesy Right, inspired by the prestigious Duesenberg and often maligned Yugo cars. We loved this idea so much that these were the names we wound up using for the video.
We finally had a chance to film this month and editing was handled by Mike, who managed to finish everything up the day before his vacation. We hope that you will enjoy our latest video and would love to hear your thoughts, and remember - Always be a Duesy!
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News From the AACA Museum
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Don't Miss the Castaway Critters Exotic Car Show on April 25th
You're Invited: Opening Night Reception for our Summer Exhibits Friday, May 22nd from 6-9 PM Be one of the first to view our two new summer exhibits - A Family Affair: Station Wagons and Automotive Jewelry photography exhibit by Michael Furman - along with our recently-opened spring exhibit, Motorbikes for the Masses! Enjoy the company of friends and other enthusiasts, light snacks, beverages and the ability to talk with some of the vehicle owners. Admission is $15 per person and advance reservations are required. Just call 717-566-7100 ext. 100 or reserve via our online ticketing. Register Now for the 20th Annual AACA Museum CARnival Car Show! Saturday, June 20th  Registration open: 8 AM - 12 Noon
Event runs: 9 AM - 3 PM The featured exhibit this year is the Station Wagon so get ready for a day of car show fun, food, valve cover racing, tailgating & more!
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The Weird, Wacky and Just Plain Tacky to Invade Hershey
During The Elegance at Hershey Weekend
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 The Elegance at Hershey has announced a fun new event incorporated into their automotive weekend of festivities. Dubbed, "Concorso Bizarro," the tongue-in-cheek car show brings together those mechanical misfits, those automotive abhorrences and the just plain tacky.
The Elegance at Hershey Executive Director and Concorso Bizarro Chairman "Dyno" Don Stabilito stated, "We've all seen them. They are the forgotten and forlorn - never the centerpiece of a dedicated gathering at an automotive event, but each has a story to tell. This is a perfect opportunity to celebrate this part of our hobby. No trailer queens, no over-the-top restorations. They're the pride and joy of their respective owners and the Concorso Bizarro allows us the chance to have a little fun with both the vehicles and their owners. For one shiny day in June, they will be the stars of the show!"
"I fully appreciate and revere the great machines such as the Duesenbergs and Ferraris that grace the showfield on Sunday," noted Elegance Board Member Mark Lizewskie, "but for some reason I've always gravitated towards these weird and wacky cars. People may not say 'Wow!' when they view a Yugo, a Gremlin or someone's artcar creation, but they certainly smile and chuckle."
The new event takes place on Saturday, June 13th from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the parking field adjacent to Route 39 and Boathouse Road in Hershey. It adds another layer of automotive experiences to The Elegance at Hershey, which already includes The Grand Ascent Vintage Race Car Hill Climb, the 5K Challenge foot race and, of course, the grand feature of the weekend, Sunday's Concours d'Elegance at The Hotel Hershey.
Think you have a car that would fit in at the Concorso Bizarro?
Click here to learn more and for a registration form.
For additional information, visit www.theeleganceathershey.com.
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In 1897, mechanic Gilbert Loomis took out the
first automobile insurance policy. The premium
was $7.50 for $1,000 of insurance coverage.
Source: Automotive Milestones: Trivia of a Most Unique Machine
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Did YOU Forget to Renew Your AACA Membership for 2015?
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You don't want to miss out on all of the AACA fun in store for this year, including 15 great Meets and Tours, 6 awesome issues of Antique Automobile magazine and tons of fun celebrating the hobby!
Renewing your membership only takes 5 minutes and can be done one of three ways...
- Renew online - fill out the secure online form and pay with your credit card
- Renew by mail - fill out the form that came with your January/February issue of Antique Automobile magazine, provide payment in the form of a check made out to AACA or your credit card information and then mail it to AACA, 501 W. Governor Rd., Hershey, PA 17033
- Renew by phone - call AACA Headquarters (717-534-1910) and any of the staff here would be happy to take your renewal over the phone with credit card payment (office hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time)
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The Entire AACA Family is on Facebook!
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The entire AACA Family is on Facebook. Make sure to like all of our pages to stay up-to-date on everything going on with the Club, Library and Museum. Did you know that AACA also has a Facebook Group you can join to discuss cars and hobby hot topics? Request to join the group by clicking here.
Click the logos below to go to our Facebook pages.
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AACA Calendar Spotlight
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Southeastern Spring Meet - Charlotte, NC
April 30 - May 2, 2015
Eastern Spring Meet - Virginia Beach, VA
May 4-6, 2015
Southeastern Divisional Tour - Pigeon Forge, TN
May 7-9, 2015
Special Meet - Auburn, IN
Click here for brochure
June 4-6, 2015
Central Spring Meet - Independence, MO
Click here for brochure
July 15-18, 2015
Southeastern Fall Meet - Louisville, KY
Click here for brochure
July 27-31, 2015
Vintage Tour - Lancaster, PA
Visit website
August 25-27, 2015
Western Divisional Tour - Northern California
Click here for brochure
August 30 - September 4, 2015
Revival AAA Glidden Tour - Oklahoma City, OK
Visit website
September 14-18, 2015
Founders Tour - Northeast Ohio
Information coming soon
October 7-10, 2015
Eastern Fall Meet - Hershey, PA
Visit website
November 5-7, 2015
Central Fall Meet - Houma, LA
Click here to watch a special promotional video!
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Who Do You Contact at AACA Headquarters for What?
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Have you ever wondered who to contact for what when you call or email AACA Headquarters? Here is a list of the current staff and their responsibilities. By clicking on someone's name below, you can email them directly.
Naturally, many of the staff have the capability of answering questions in each other's area as we try to cross train as much as possible. Please don't hesitate to contact us anytime for assistance.
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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.
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