December 2015 - Volume 85
In This Issue...
2016 AACA Annual Meeting Seminars & Registration
80th Anniversary Member Album Update
AACA Membership Renewals Due NOW!
Cellphone Car Photos Good Enough to Publish
Gone, But Not Forgotten
AACA Library Now Registered with eBay for Charity
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
Happy New Year from AACA Headquarters! 
By Stacy Zimmerman, Speedster editor
 
2016 is right around the corner! Please be safe and make sure to take the time to enjoy these special holiday moments with family and friends. We are looking forward to what 2016 will bring for the AACA family. We wish you a happy and prosperous New Year!


Tune in TONIGHT to Chasing Classic Cars

Wayne Carini & Mark Lizewskie, AACA Museum Executive Director

We're excited to announce that the episode of Chasing Classic Cars featuring the AACA Hershey Fall Meet will be premiering TONIGHT, Tuesday, December 29th at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. Central) on Discovery's Velocity channel. 

 
The episode name and description are as follows:
 
EP 809:  RAMBLIN' MAN
Wayne can't wait to see his name in lights when he goes shopping at the Hershey AACA Fall Meet Flea Market for automobilia to decorate his new facility, until he falls in love with a Nash Wagon and makes the owner an offer that he can't refuse. At auction, Wayne sells a 1937 Packard Six Convertible Coupe straight from California.

You Still Have Time to Catch The Appraisers on TV!
By Steve Moskowitz, AACA Executive Director, [email protected]

This weekly show follows three unique and likeable car nuts (all AACA members of course!) who travel around to several car events and collections across the country to visit with collectors of every breed. There are hobbyists with one car and those with collections many of us can only dream about. What makes these stories come alive is the human interest and the skills of the stars in interviewing a great cast of "characters." You will get to see everything from a Mohs Safarikar to a Lamborghini... that really is spanning a lot of design territory! A great many of these stories took place at AACA events and with our very own members! While the stories do have an element of "what is my car worth?," the stories behind each car and the history of the manufacturer are sure to delight and be a refreshing change.
 
AACA has lent our support to this show. The cast, which includes high-end Las Vegas car dealer Ben Nef, AACA Past President Tom Cox and AACA Library & Research Center Head Librarian Chris Ritter, coalesce well, entertain without being lude or rude, and bring a believable insight into the world of car collecting. Adding to this mix is the chance to tell the stories of great cars through the passion of their owners, something the club feels is very important.


VELOCITY CHANNEL'S REMAINING BROADCAST SCHEDULE OF THE APPRAISERS:
(Make sure to check your local listing for any schedule variations.)
Click here for episode descriptions and guest information.

01/02/16 - 8:00/11:00 PM                Ep. 5 Show and Tell
01/02/16 - 8:30/11:30 PM                Ep. 3 Sweet Rides
01/09/16 - 8:00/11:00 PM                Ep. 6 The Amazing Chase
01/09/16 - 8:30/11:30 PM                Ep. 4 Healthy Competition
01/16/16 - 8:00/11:00 PM                Ep. 7 Great Expectations
01/16/16 - 8:30/11:30 PM                Ep. 5 Show and Tell
01/23/16 - 8:00/11:00 PM                Ep. 8 Ride On!
01/23/16 - 8:30/11:30 PM                Ep. 6 The Amazing Chase

Here is where you come in and where YOU can make a difference. Let every AACA member, friend, family member, acquaintance or stranger know about the show and ask them to tune in. We need viewership of the show to help promote AACA. You will see logos, our AACA trailer and you will recognize the fact that AACA has an involvement in the show. Our goal is to see this show picked up for another season and promote the club even more. This will ONLY happen if YOU watch! Post it on your Facebook page, tweet away on Twitter and make sure you bring this up in your region and chapter meetings. Let's mobilize! To learn more, visit The Appraisers website at www.appraiserstv.com and LIKE them on Facebook!
 
So if you love the world of collectible cars, love AACA and want a chance to sit back and enjoy people just like yourself, tune in on Saturday nights. Better yet, have your friends over for an Appraisers party. Popcorn and a refreshing drink of choice will be in order!

Are YOU Going to the 2016 AACA Annual Meeting?

The 80th AACA Annual Meeting will take place February 11-13, 2016, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. If you have never been to an AACA Annual Meeting in the City of Brotherly Love you are missing a great time. The trade show, car exhibit, great seminars and museum auction are just a few of the highlights you'll experience during the meeting. We look forward to seeing each of you in Philly!  
 
Click here for the UPDATED seminar schedule. (If you prefer a schedule that will print on letter-sized paper, 

Click here to download your registration form. And don't forget to book your hotel room!!

Attention Vendors: There are only 5 trade show booths left! If you want one, fill out this form and send in your $200 fee immediately!

80th Anniversary Member Album Update


We have just received copies of the 80th Anniversary Member Album book and CD here at AACA Headquarters. For those of you who ordered either of these items, they have been shipped this week, so you should receive them very soon. Enjoy, and thank you to everyone who took part in this very special project!
 
We do have a VERY limited number of the 80th Anniversary Member Albums here at Headquarters if anyone would be interested in purchasing one. They are $95 each, plus shipping. To order, call 717-534-1910.  

The Clock is Ticking on Your AACA Membership 
All Renewals Due By December 31!

Your AACA membership runs on a calendar year from January 1 through December 31. That means you only have a few days left to renew for 2016! 

If you have already renewed your membership for 2016, thank you!! If you have not renewed your membership yet, please take a few minutes to do it now. 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 November/December issue of Antique Automobile magazine, provide payment in the form of a check made out to AACA or your credit card information (VISA, MasterCard & Discover) 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) 
What a Great Reason to Go to Florida in March!
 
Winter Meet
March 16-19, 2016
Naples, FL

This year the Naples Marco Island Region will be hosting the Southeast Winter Meet in Naples, Florida. The event will be held at the Lorenzo Walker Technical College. 

The Paradise Coast of Florida offers 16 miles of pristine beaches, fishing and boating, world class golf courses and tennis. Nature lovers will enjoy the Naples Zoo, the Conservancy of SW Florida and the Botanical Gardens.

Winter Meet Highlights:

1. Enjoy an elegant dinner cruise aboard the Naples Princess, SW Florida's best yacht. 

 

2. Docent guided tour of the Collier Collection of over 100 significant automobiles built between 1896 and 1995. 

 

3. Tour the sights of Naples from historical landmarks to world class shopping areas, local attractions, beautiful beaches and waterways and much more.


Click here to visit their website for more information. 

Check Out These Upcoming AACA National Meets & Tours



Trivia Question
 
Early international automobile competition concentrated more on endurance than speed. What was the name of the American Cup race in 1904 which would shift the emphasis to speed?

 
or scroll all the way to the end of the
Speedster to find the answer.

Cellphone Car Photos Good Enough to Publish
By Paul Stenquist, Reprinted from Hagerty.com

You polished your car, and it glows in late afternoon light. The sun, filtered by a tree, is behind the car, so it casts dappled shadows. You pull out your phone to capture the dramatic image.
 
Later, you have a look. What's this? The photo is dull, the shadows are black, and the background is burned out. The car is awkwardly positioned and tilted. You've fallen victim to both the limits of cellphones and poor photography decisions.
 
The cameras built into today's cellphones can produce publication-quality images, but technique is vital. Let's start by talking about light.
 
Backlight, with the sun behind the car, can be beautiful, as can dappled shade, but cameras don't record in the same way as the human eye sees, so their ability to capture highlights and shadows is limited. Pro photographers, using auxiliary lighting and reflectors, along with lenses that are protected against contrast-killing flare, can shoot backlit cars. Your cellphone can't. So think: sun over your shoulder and behind you. Full sun works, but hazy-bright light filtered by clouds is better. Since the side of a car can't be well lit with the sun overhead, shoot in morning or evening, when the sun is low in the sky.
 
Composition is critical. A car centered in frame looks detached. Photographers subscribe to "the rule of thirds" which suggests the composition be organized within a frame divided into thirds. With car photography, the vehicle is usually positioned in the bottom two-thirds of the frame.
 
Choose a location where the car can be positioned parallel to the horizon and the frame's top and bottom. In other words, keep it straight. Shoot front � views, rear � views and profiles from a few feet off the ground. Front 7/8 views and head-on photos can be dynamic, but won't define your car.
 
To make your car the star, choose a site where the foreground is clean and elements like hills or trees are distant. This is critical with cellphones, which have considerable depth of field, meaning everything near camera is in focus. A wall 10 or more feet behind the car can serve as a background if it's simple and its tone complements the vehicle, but busy backgrounds are distracting.
 
You can shoot your car's interior with your cellphone, but do it in deep shade as dusk approaches, in morning before the sun is fully up, or on a cloudy day. The idea is to limit outside light and use your phone's flash to illuminate the interior. That will give you uniform lighting. Shoot through an open door and frame your shot to minimize window areas.
 
Finally, don't settle for your photos as shot: edit. Current phone software allows quite a bit of tweaking. With the IOS 9.1 photo-editing software on my iPhone 6 Plus, I can crop, rotate, straighten the horizon, adjust brightness and color saturation, or convert to black and white. Special effects are available as well. But I prefer to use Photoshop Fix, an Adobe app that includes many Photoshop tools, including the healing brush, burn and dodge, smooth and sharpen, paint brush, highlight and shadow controls, and more.

Start the New Year Off Right With the Official 2016 AACA Calendar

The AACA Calendar is always a hot item this time of year, so make sure to order yours before they are gone! This 13-month calendar runs from January 2016 to January 2017 and highlights National Meets and Tours in addition to moon phases, all Federal Holidays and many other observances. The best part of the annual calendar is getting to see the fabulous member cars showcased each time you flip the month. At a cost of $12 postpaid, these calendars also make great, inexpensive gifts for all of the car lovers in your life!
 

To order, just use the form that was included with your last issue of Antique Automobile magazine or call AACA Headquarters at 717-534-1910.

Member Submitted Story

Gone, But Not Forgotten: Our O-R-I-G-I-N-A-L 1972 Skylark
By RC and Marilyn Hunkins, Shelbyville, TN

Thanks to RC's brother Ed and nephew Steve, Marilyn and I became the owners of one of those super-low mileage "original" cars in 1988. You know - the one a little old lady just drove to the grocery store and church on Sundays. 
 
RC got involved with Buicks a long time ago, probably 1982, when Ed and Maryethel purchased a 1927 model 27 to re-do. I was helping and learning. We joined the Buick Club in October '86 at the Annual Halloween Party at The West home (they are now deceased). We were driving a Ford then, but from that time on we started looking for a Buick. We decided that we would try to find a 1970-72 Skylark convertible, if possible, because we both like that body style.
 
Ed called one night early in March 1988, stating that one of his ex-students had just driven a 1972 Buick Skylark 350 to their wrecker service storage yard. The car belonged to a distant relative of his and had to be sold to settle her estate. He felt Ed should look at this car since Ed and Steve were involved in Buicks. Ed went to look at the car and could not believe it only had 9,582 actual miles. The car had been in a heated garage for its entire life. Ed called me and told me about the condition it was in, the price, etc., and suggested we look at it, even though we were looking for a convertible. "It deserved a look," he said. The following night, Friday, March 2, 1988, we looked at it, started it, and bought it, all within 10 minutes. We picked it up the next day and took it to the shop, where Steve gave it the "O.K." Steve kept it at the shop for a week and changed the oil, checked the brakes, etc. He even found some of the original factory stickers on the frame placed there during assembly.
 
All we have done to the car is wash, wax, clean and perform regular maintenance on it. It still runs like a top, in fact, better that the '84 Century Marilyn drove to work daily. We drove it to Flint, Michigan, for the '88 Buick National. Our all original Buick is still original with 49,000 miles on it.
 
We joined AACA in 1992 and have made up for lost time since then. RC has been president of the Central Ohio and Canton Ohio AACA Chapters; Marilyn has been the newsletter editor for both chapters, as well as the Ohio Region quarterly publication in 1995. She has also served as secretary for both clubs, as well as the Buick Club. In 2003, she was asked to run for the AACA National Board of Directors for the Library and Research Center. She continued to serve on this board after it merged with the National AACA organization until February 2010. She served as Secretary for the L&RC Board and was responsible for articles for the L&RC pages in Antique Automobile magazine. While she refused to become a judge when asked, she did agree to become a part of the Judges Administration Team whenever we attend National meets. We attended the 2007 Special Meet in Puerto Rico. We have hosted Ohio Region weekend events and served on the Arthritis Foundation's Car Show Advisory Committee for ten years. While residing in Mount Vernon, OH, we organized and were chairpersons for two fundraising car shows, bringing the Dan Emmett Festival show from 28 vehicles the first year to 414 by the third year. We formed the Developmental Center's car show helping to raise funds for their residents.
 
On May 28, 2010, we arrived at our new small town and state (505 miles away) of Shelbyville, TN. We had to choose which vehicle would come with us. The Buick (of course!) arrived April 11, 2012, after Shirley Young stored the car until we could find local storage. We could not believe that the Skylark would not fit in our single car condo garage by a mere eight inches. We had not allowed for the 3 � ft. that was taken off the garage length when the former condo owner had put in a standup shower. When the new owners took possession of the car on December 23, 2013, the mileage was 50,278.
 
We have so many good memories and were able to take part in so many National events and several Founder's Tours. We will never regret the memories that membership in AACA on the National level brought. We miss, but still retain membership in the Canton Chapter and Ohio Region, and truly miss the touring and activities that our Northern friends enjoy. We do not miss the SNOW and health issues for both of us that made keeping the car impossible. Since owning an antique vehicle isn't a requirement, we retain our memberships in Stones River Region AACA (Murfreesboro, TN) and Celebration City Region AACA (Shelbyville, TN). We thank Jerry, Phyllis and Chase Clanton for helping to find our new home town, when our home sold so quickly. We are also pleased that we have been able to renew our friendship with Bruce and Carylon Hickerson (Stones River). Both clubs have a different style of meetings and activities. Stones River is fortunate to have their club house and replica antique garage housed in the old time Cannonsburgh Village in Murfreesboro. They have a very well-attended swap meet held Super Bowl weekend. Shelbyville has a yearly car show and monthly meetings. Both clubs contribute to many charities in their communities from the money that is made by these activities.
 
To us, AACA is all about the experiences you have, the friends you make, the volunteer opportunities you take advantage of, the community service and, of course, the cars (especially the Buicks!!).
From the AACA Library & Research Center

AACA Library Now Registered with eBay for Charity
By Matthew Hocker

The AACA Library & Research Center has been selling duplicate items on eBay for over 4 years. Today, we are happy to announce that the library is now an officially registered nonprofit through the "eBay for Charity" program. As a member of eBay for Charity, we are now able to sell items with major eBay fees waived. In other words, a greater percentage of sales will go directly to us when you shop in our eBay store.
 
If you use eBay, eBay for Charity also allows you to help the AACA Library in other ways. For example, you can click the "Donate now" button to make a monetary donation. You can also favorite us by clicking the "My favorite charity" button (right next to the heart-shaped icon). Both of these buttons can be found here.
 
If you sell items on eBay, you can now even choose to donate a percentage of the proceeds (from 10% to 100%) to the AACA Library! The quickest way to do this is to: 1. Click here; 2. Select a donation amount (by sliding the yellow tab to the right or left); 3. Click the "List your item" button. This applies to anything you sell on eBay, be it automotive related or not. This means you can even help us out by auctioning off clothing.  
 
To date, eBay for Charity has raised more than $500 million for over 30,000 different nonprofit organizations. We are proud to be one of them. To learn more about how you can help the AACA Library through eBay for Charity, please contact Assistant Librarian, Matthew Hocker, [email protected] or 717-534-2082.
 
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 Interested in doing research with the AACA Library?
More information is available on our website. Visit AACA Library or contact
our head librarian, Chris Ritter, at 
[email protected] or 717-534-2082.
  
News From the AACA Museum

Explore Cuba in 2016
April 24 - May 2, 2016
The AACA Museum has organized 2 prior trips to Cuba that have SOLD OUT, so we're excited to announce that we're going again! Click here for details about the trip. 

Accommodations fill quickly, so don't delay! Cuba is sure to change as it becomes more accessible, so now is the time to visit.


QUALITY Donations for the Annual Auction Needed
AACA National Meeting, February 11-13, 2016
We need your help with QUALITY donations for the annual auction at the 2016 AACA National Meeting! Please connect with us if you can help by donating any unique automobilia items (717-566-7100 ext. 101 or [email protected]). We greatly appreciate your support for this annual fundraiser!   


November 21 - April 22, 2016
This exhibit continues through April 22, 2016! Remember your regular admission to the AACA Museum is FREE with your current AACA membership card.

 
January 17, 2016 - Advance tickets required.
Join us for a fun movie night with the classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on the big screen here at the AACA Museum, where you'll be surrounded by lots of vintage cars. It's also your last chance to see the National Touring Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car live here at the AACA Museum. Pajamas, pillows, blankets and stuffed animals are encouraged! Admission to this event includes some fun foods (i.e. hot dogs, popcorn, cookies, hot chocolate, pizza). Enjoy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - a classic movie released in 1968 - right here inside the AACA Museum. Movie will begin @ 6:00 p.m. and runs 144 minutes.


The AACA Museum is excited to receive a wonderful parts donation that will assist us in restoring the 1962 Stageway Chevrolet Station Wagon Coach that was donated by 3 Milton Hershey School Alumni earlier this year. The donation includes an engine, transmission and steering column, along with a few other parts. The donations come to us from Arvin "Bo" Weddle and his wife Lynette from Winchester, VA, members of the Shenandoah Valley Winchester Region of AACA.
 
The wagon donated was originally used at the Milton Hershey School student home "Lincoln" and played a highly visible and important role in the lives of the students who attended and graduated from Milton Hershey School. The wagon will be restored by the students at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA. We continue to raise funds for the restoration. Volunteer Bill Sangrey was very helpful in securing the donation and is in the photo with Arvin "Bo" Weddle.
 
 
Visit the Museum's website at www.AACAMuseum.org for all the details! 

Keep up to Speed with information on additional exhibits and 
events specifically at the AACA Museum - register today!    

REMINDER: The AACA Museum is open late, the first Thursday of each month until 9:00 p.m.
 

The Entire AACA Family is on Facebook!

 

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.

 


 


AACA Calendar Spotlight
Desk Calendar

February 11-13, 2016
AACA Annual Meeting - Philadelphia, PA
 
March 16-19, 2016
Winter Meet - Naples, FL
 
April 7-10, 2016
Southeastern Spring Meet - Charlotte, NC
 
May 5-7, 2016
AACA Special Meet - Auburn, IN
 
May 19-21, 2016
Eastern Spring Meet - Vineland, NJ
 
June 3-4, 2016
Annual Grand National - Williamsport, PA
 
June 12-17, 2016
Sentimental Tour - Salisbury, NC
 
July 14-16, 2016
Central Spring Meet - North Mankato, MN
 
July 17-21, 2016
Founders Tour - Huntingdon, PA
 
July 31 - August 3, 2016
Eastern Divisional Tour - Richmond, VA
 
August 11-13, 2016
Southeastern Fall Meet - New Bern, NC
 
September 1-3, 2016
Western Fall Meet - Cheyenne, WY
 
September 11-16, 2016
Revival AAA Glidden Tour� (VMCCA) - North Conway, NH
 
October 5-8, 2016
Eastern Fall Meet - Hershey, PA
 
October 20-22, 2016
Central Fall Meet - Galveston, TX
 
November 5-11, 2016
Reliability Tour - Savannah, GA

  
Visit the calendar on our website for a complete listing of AACA national events and much more!
 

Who Do You Contact at AACA Headquarters for What?


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.

 

Executive Director

Steve Moskowitz

 

Membership & Merchandise

Karen White

 

Regions & Judging

Lynn Gawel

 

Accounting, IT & Website

Pat Buckley

 

Advertising & Public Relations

Speedster Editor

Stacy Zimmerman


Office Administration

Ann Kulp

Kathy Skiles

Rick Gawel

 

Antique Automobile Magazine Editor

West Peterson

 

Library, Research & Cataloging

Chris Ritter

Matthew Hocker

Michael Reilly


 

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.

 

    
The Vanderbilt Cup. The publicity of the race stimulated engineering advances in auto technology from higher performing motors to more stable body chassis. The winner got hundreds of thousands of dollars of free advertising. The third annual event in 1907 was attended by 300,000 people, the largest crowd ever for a sporting event at the time.


Source: 
Automotive Milestones: Trivia of a Most Unique Machine
 
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.