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The Generator The Generator Mid-America AACA Region February 2021 Vol. 4 No. 02 In this Issue Activity and Meeting page 2 President’s Message page 3 Trivia Challenge Radfords/Edwards Enjoying Warm Weather pages 4-5 Flashback 2004 ` pages 6-8 Alice Huyler Ramsey Makes History page 9 What was the first car to place 1948 Tatra T-87 pages 10-11 Membership Information page 12 1. a horn button in the center of the KC Auto Museum News page 13 This & That pages 14-16 steering, and KC Auto Museum—The UNDERGROUND page 17 Chef’s Corner page 18 2. first to have electric door latches? Activities —Mid-America page 19 AACA 2021 National Meets and Tours page 20 Mid-America Mission and Officers page 21 No February Activities and Member Meetings are on hold. Your Board is evaluating possibilities for gatherings as we move toward Spring. Cer- tainly, we have all felt the frustration that the pandemic has brought into our lives. Please know that our love of cars and club friendship will carry us through until we can safely gather once again. Missing you all, Martie A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SENT IN STORIES FOR THIS MONTH’S GENERATOR. PLEASE SEND ANYTHING, EVERYTHING, ALL THINGS, FOR THE MARCH ‘GENERATOR” ...to [email protected]. Appreciate receiving info by February 25th for the March Generator. Thank you ...Martie www.midamerica.aaca.com Mid-America AACA “The Fun Club” 2 President’s Message Well, it is definitely NOT car show season, 18 degrees this morning with drizzle forecast for the next few days. In spite of this your MA-AACA Board continues to meet via Zoom to discuss issues that need to be addressed in spite of winter weather and the pandemic. We all want to start membership meetings and ac- tivities as soon as it is safe, however we are convinced it will be late spring or early summer before we think it is prudent to get together. That said, we are still lining up events and monitoring events by other organizations we might join in. Even national AACA continues to hop on one foot while postponing the annual meeting, car meets and tours. For 2021 national AACA has moved up the deadline for submitting our official membership list to January 31st, which has obviously passed as you read this. We quickly began a phone call committee when we became aware of this deadline change. If you have not paid your Mid-America region or national dues, please do so immediately as we will be submitting our paperwork in a few days. Unfortunately, Gary Crispin, our Board Member-At-Large fell and broke his leg so keep him in your thoughts for a speedy recovery as he is a very valuable, hardworking asset of your club Board. Your MA-AACA bylaws require an independent audit of the books whenever we gain a new treasurer. This audit is currently under way and the Board will report results to membership when it is complete. Continued thanks to Martie for keeping us informed and engaged during this crazy time. The Generator remains our connection to each other as a club. We also extend our thanks to Toni Hall (treasurer) and Sharon Cygan (secretary) for their contribution to the Board as their terms have expired. They both provided valuable expertise and we will miss their many contributions. ...Jack www.midamerica.aaca.com Mid-America AACA “The Fun Club” 3 Radfords & Edwards Enjoying Warm Weather We are staying in Jupiter, Florida at the Jupiter Cove Condominium, which is just South of Hobe Sound, Florida. When I first went to work for Pratt & Whitney, we lived in Hobe Sound. The town is less than half a mile from the ocean as the crow flies. The weather is terrible upper 50s to 60s at night to 70s to 80s dur- ing the day. (editor note: Awe, that’s too bad, guys.) Much to our surprise we found a car show. The Pine school has an annual car show called 100 years of cars. This year’s show was January. 16th All proceeds benefit the Patriot scholarship. The scholarship is full tuition and is awarded to high school students, whose parents are active or retired military personnel. In the last 14 years they have raised over $400,000 to support the program. Enjoy the car photos: www.midamerica.aaca.com Mid-America AACA “The Fun Club” 4 For further information and photos, google Pine School Florida and go to 100 years of cars and scroll down. After the car show we drove to Harry and the Natives and had Conch Chowder and Conch Fritters. It is a local restaurant and watering hole since 1952. It has the largest Tiki hut that I have been in and has some of the best food. Story and photos: Dennis Rader www.midamerica.aaca.com Mid-America AACA “The Fun Club” 5 Flashback 2004 On June 23, 2004 the “GREAT RACE” made an overnight stop in Overland Park, Kansas. They lined the cars up right on Santa Fe after they came in under the ceremonial finish line. There were lots of interesting cars and friendly car people willing to share stories and answer questions. The black Ford with Jack Roush’s name on the door was actually being driven by Jack Roush, hat and all. www.midamerica.aaca.com Mid-America AACA “The Fun Club” 6 www.midamerica.aaca.com Mid-America AACA “The Fun Club” 7 . A friend of the Boyles from New Mexico, the late Gab Joiner (in the blue shirt) was a regular in the race having placed very high numerous times and winning at least once. He is standing next to his entry, a 1917 Marmon. Gab and his wife Evonna were fixtures on the event for more than 20 years. Gab was a founding member of Rally Partners in 2002 that kept the Great Race alive after Tom McRae retired. They won the 1995 race, which ran from Ottawa, Canada to Mexico City, Mexico and were given a new Buick Riviera. Gab once told Jack he would never drive any car, let alone an old car in Mexico again! Until Gab’s passing in 2015 all his race cars and 70 other vehicles, mostly trucks were on display in their Rio Rancho, New Mexico museum. Gab Joiner The 2020 Great Race was postponed and is re-scheduled for June 19 – 27. The route goes from the Caroli- nas to San Antonio through Rolla, Missouri and overnights in Joplin. Exact date TBD. Story and photos: Jack Boyle www.midamerica.aaca.com Mid-America AACA “The Fun Club” 8 Alice Huyler Ramsey Made History In 1909 Alice Huyler Ramsey was the first woman to drive across the United States from coast to coast. On June 9, 1909, the 22-year-old housewife and mother from Hackensack, New Jersey began a 3,800-mile journey from Hell's Gate in Manhattan, New York to San Francisco, California in a green Maxwell 30. On her 59-day trek she was accompanied by two older sisters-in-law and another female friend, none of whom Jack and his buddy polishing the new mags in 1968 could drive a car. They arrived amid great fanfare on August 10. The drive was originally meant as a publicity stunt for Maxwell-Briscoe, the carmaker. At that time, wom- en were not encouraged to drive cars. The group of women used maps from the American Automobile As- sociation to make the journey. Only 152 of the 3,600 miles the group traveled were paved. Over the course of the drive, Ramsey changed 11 tires, cleaned the spark plugs, repaired a broken brake pedal and had to sleep in the car when it was stuck in mud. Along the way, they crossed the trail of a manhunt for a killer in Nebraska, a case of bedbugs Ramsey re- ceived from a Wyoming hotel, and in Nevada they were surrounded by a Native American hunting party with bows and arrows drawn. In San Francisco, crowds awaited them at the St. James Hotel. Ramsey was named the "Woman Motorist of the Century" by AAA in 1960. Story and photo posted on Facebook www.midamerica.aaca.com Mid-America AACA “The Fun Club” 9 1948 Tatra T87 I had never seen this car before, so, of course, it piqued my curiosity. I was surprised through research to discover the first Tatra, a T-11, was created in the 1920’s. Its purpose was to be a budget friendly car and was quite technically sound with an air-cooled engine, independent suspension and transmission located in the rear of the car. The design evolution of the Tatra are accredited to Dr. Hans Ledwinka, an Austrian engi- Jack and his buddy polishing the new mags in 1968 neer and Erich Ubelacker. The T87 made its debut in 1936 and with the German annexation of Czechoslovakia was not produced during 1943 and 1944. Following is an overview of the 1948 Tatra T87: Production: 1936-1950 3,056 produced Assembly: Koprivnice, Moravia, Czechoslovakia Class: Luxury car, 5 seater Body Style: limousine (Finned Fastback) Engine: 3.0 liter V-8 rear-mounted all magnesium air-cooled engine, produced 85 horsepower Transmission: 4-speed manual (3 and 4 synchronized) Length: 186.6” Width: 65.7” Height: 591” Curb weight: 3.020 lbs Mileage: 18.8 mpg Top speed: 100 mph 1940’s price: 25,000 Swiss Francs or $125,000 Price today: $300,000 (if you can find one) Fun facts: • The Tatra entire rear could be opened, making it easy to work on the engine.
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