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Steve Moskowitz |
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| Hi everyone, I am
happy to get this chance to “speak” with our Regions and Chapters! Those
of you that were in Philadelphia may have had the chance to hear me speak
about Regions and Chapters being the backbone of AACA. If I use our Duryea
as an example, I am not sure whether you are the wheels or the engine. I
am sure, though, that the car goes nowhere without either! Without you,
AACA would have a huge challenge for survival.
I hope that our office can be a real support for you in the future. I recognize that at times we can frustrate your efforts and can tell you that it is not intentional. Our staff is fighting thru problems with our computer systems and a host of other “stuff” that needs to be resolved. We will get it fixed but it will be an ongoing challenge. The great thing is that we all want to make life easier for you and are committed to that end. We need to hear from you! We need to know how we can support you better and what you would like to see us fix. We are a new team and as far as I am concerned, there are no “sacred cows”. We need to look at everything and determine if it is the right thing to do. If your suggestions make sense, we will incorporate them! AACA must grow. AACA must capture younger members and it will probably happen for the most part, at our Region and Chapter level. In the short time I have been here, I continue to be somewhat amazed by the giving nature of our members. You give your time and money on behalf of this great club without asking for much in return. It gives me great confidence that together with our Board of Directors, we can be successful in whatever we wish to accomplish. I hope that none of us lose sight of our responsibilities to future generations of car lovers. Okay, enough of preaching! I just wanted to introduce myself again to you. I also want to make you aware that we have 100’s of windshield placards in heavy cardboard that are available to you free of charge. Just pay the shipping and they are all yours. These all do say National Meets and run the gamut from the white cards to “Do Not Judge”. Please call Peggy at headquarters and she can arrange their shipment. There is no need to be bashful, as we have a large supply! I look forward to taking off the shackles at this desk and getting out to meet more of you. In the meantime, the phone is 717-534-1910 or E-mail is aaca1@aaca.org . Happy motoring!
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aaca has one of the best judging programs!!!!!
By Harold E. Henry |
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| Sometimes we hear
that AACA judges do not judge fairly. I disagree with that statement and
here are some reasons why I feel AACA Judging is one of the best.
We have an incentive program where we reward our judges for each time they judge. You may ask why is that important? When you reward someone for a job well done, they will continue to strive for the next reward and become better educated in the judging program. This helps us to retain seasoned judges. Seasoned judges should be more knowledgeable and judge more fairly. When your vehicle is being judged there are five judges looking at your vehicle. The leader is the Team Captain who has judged many times. Each of the other four judges on the team will take one section of your vehicle. If a judge is assigned to the exterior, he or she will judge that part of each vehicle in your class. This is good because that part of each vehicle is judged with the same eyes; therefore the same consideration is given to each vehicle. The same for chassis, engine and interior. You will notice that judges will keep all conversation within the team while judging. The only one that will talk with the owner is the Team Captain. If a team member has a question, he or she will go to the Team Captain who may talk with the owner. They may ask for documentation in some area where there is a question. Documentation is information the owner may have such as factory literature or a letter from the factory explaining some rare or unusual item the factory may have placed on that vehicle by special order. Remember if it is from the factory, we accept it. It is very important to remember that it is the owner’s responsibility to do the research. You may do this yourself or through a restorer. As long as it is correct, that is as it came from the factory, we will accept it. We have Continued Judges Education (CJE) classes prior to judging each National Meet. We expect each judge to take one or more classes per year. During these classes we take the opportunity to reeducate our judges. With these classes judges are able to broaden their knowledge in judging and how to be fair in the judging process. We want you, the members, to know we are continuing to do all we can to better the judging system so that you will know your vehicle is judged fairly.
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your 2004 AACA national activities
By Sharon M. Lee |
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| Have you ever thought going to a National
activity would be a lot of fun, but they always seemed too far away? Well,
there is a way to enjoy one right in your own back yard! Start thinking about
hosting a National Meet or Tour. There is nothing to it. Your first step is
simply to contact your Division National Activities Chairman:
Central Division: Kip Lankenau 2127 Crown Road Dallas, Texas 75229 (972) 418-0243 kip@kipmotor.com Eastern Division: Dick McIninch 215 Stoney Creek West Nellysford, Virginia 22958 (434) 361-2568 olcarfn@aol.com Southeastern Division: Art Griffin 2556 Sellars Lane Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321) 254-7087 artgriffin@yahoo.com Western Division: Dave Chiotti 305 Calistoga Road Santa Rosa, California 95409-3705 (707) 539-6073 DECHIOTTI@aol.com OR Joe Gagliano, Assist. VP NA PO Box 634 Zoar, Ohio 44697 (303) 874-0811 gagliaj@aol.com OR contact me, Sharon Lee Vice President National Activities 340 Old Plantation Trail Travelers Rest, SC 29690 (864) 834-8683 sllee@mindspring.com Yes, the AACA National Activities Committee is here to help you; not just for the member to receive your bimonthly magazine, not just for you, the member, to say you belong to the largest club of antique automobile enthusiasts, or just to attend the Meets and Tours or show your beloved antique automobile but for your enjoyment in becoming an active club member. We would like to help your Region/Chapter join in the fun of hosting a National Meet or Tour and showcase your area of our beautiful country. Sure, it’s a lot of work. But afterwards, you and your local club members can feel proud of your accomplishments. On a personal note, as a member of the SC Region of AACA, I have helped our Region plan and sponsor three National Meets and one Grand National Meet, all of which were held in Greenville, SC. I was a “worker bee” at the 1991 National Meet and the 1994 Grand National Meet, Meet Chairman of the 1997 National Meet and Chief Judge at the 2004 National Meet. I can say that our club worked hard to sponsor each of these events, but in doing so we all can be proud of a job well done. Our club has grown and our friendships made stronger through our efforts. Now become an active member of AACA and work with your local Region/Chapter to sponsor an upcoming Meet or Tour. All of us on the National Activities Committee would be honored to help you. We have a list of the open events for 2005, 2006, and beyond. We will gladly send you an application to host a National Meet, National Tour or Divisional Tour. Then, your Region or Chapter can experience the special joy that only being the host to those many other members of AACA can bring. You’ll be glad that you did.
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Now they are all FLAT. I mean flat as the “Twiggy” fashion models parading the runways. Hoods, that is. The ornaments are GONE! I scanned a huge parking lot and there was simply a flat sea of sheet metal shimmering in the sun. It wasn’t always that way. Hood ornaments of yesteryear were classy works of art that made an elegant statement about the car. If you were tacky enough to mount your own-maybe a monkey or a risqué lady -it simply made a statement about YOU – not the car. Early engines did not pressurize the radiator. The Model T simply siphoned the water instead of using a pump. To get the best combustion and preserve the coolant, the motor had to operate between 170-180 degrees F. This became difficult in higher elevations as the boiling point drops a degree for every 500 feet elevation. The Boyce Moto-Meter, patented in 1912, was a thermometer that read the temperature of the radiator’s vapor. These were standard features throughout the first three decades of motoring. But auto makers wanted their name riding on the hood, so the Moto-Meters installed at the factory were incorporated into an ornament. Shortly after WW I, George Stant designed a two-piece radiator cap that kept the ornament properly aligned as well as incorporating a Moto-Meter thermometer. Quickly the company began supplying classic designs to such marques as Ford, Lincoln, Packard, Pierce Arrow and Cadillac. When the internal thermostat became common, the Moto-Meters faded away. But Stant is still around. Look at your present radiator cap - chances are it is made by them. As a sidebar, his son Kyle invented the locking gas cap. One of their relatively recent innovations (1962) includes the Lev-R-Vent ® safety cap. I was surprised to learn that Plymouth didn’t use the Mayflower sailing ship as an ornament until 1934. Previously it had appeared only as a medallion and bore the words, “Chrysler Plymouth.” In the mid-fifties the ship took on a modern motif and closely resembled a jet plane. Cadillac’s first hood piece was a little guy decked out in a regal tunic bearing the Cadillac crest and blowing a horn to announce a magnificent new car. The official name was the Cadillac Herald but today is jokingly referred to as “the tooter!” In the early Thirties, a Heron graced the cars. Later a mermaid-like Goddess rode the hoods in various forms until the mid-Fifties. The early renditions even had glass wings. When you look at the sleek Goddess and the endowed, bosomy bumpers of the 1955, there is no doubt where the designer’s minds were! Some folks just want to be original. Austin Moore MD of Columbia, SC, an ingenious Orthopaedic surgeon in the 1940s, devised an artificial hip ball to replace fractured and arthritic joints. It is said he bolted one to the hood of his car!
Some ornaments have unique stories. Gottleib Daimler was a technical director of the Deutz engine factory and wrote his wife that someday a star would shine over his factory. When his sons were looking for an emblem, they remembered their father’s fascination with stars. In 1909 they registered trademarks for both a three and four point star. From 1910 to the present the three-point star has been their mark. It is said to symbolize Daimler’s universal theme of mobility, on land, on water and in the air. The Mercedes Star has been a frequent target of thieves. After having three stolen, one owner quipped his next move would be to place several in a pail beside the car and attach a sign reading, “Please take one from here!”
And the rest of the story…Eleanor Thornton would never know of her fame and place in Rolls-Royce history. When the SS Persia sunk at sea in 1915 she was lost. See you next month! Bob
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hood
ornaments
Staid and stuffy Rolls-Royce became incensed their owners were adding
personalized decorations to their cars. They commissioned London artist
Charles Sykes to design a graceful piece for their motor cars. Sykes was a
step ahead. He had already presented to the father of the present Baron a
flowing sculpture called The Whisperer. According to the Rolls-Royce
website’s account, this had been in the likeness of Eleanor Thornton, the
secretary to his Lordship, and only to be whispered… his mistress as well.
This relationship was concealed for many years. Sykes made a few
modifications and presented Rolls with a similar rendition named The
Spirit of Ecstasy. Since 1911 she has been the Flying Lady that crowns
Rolls Royce hoods. Interestingly, no two of the early Rolls-Royce Flying
Ladies were exactly alike. They were cast by a ‘lost wax” method and this
destroyed the mold each time.