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A periodical of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club Hampton Roads Region www.hamptonroadsvaclc.org NEXT MEETING: Saturday July 14th, 2018 11:30 am Meeting at Sage Kitchen, VA Beach, VA Then tour the Military Aviation Museum QUA NOS VADO NEMO ESURITI .... As we travel, no one hungers. JULY 2018 DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE …… John Hook So, here we are mid-way thru the year and ready for America’s Birthday. July 4th is that special day in 1776 when we adopted the Declaration of Independence declaring the thirteen American Colonies were to be regarded as a new nation, and no longer part of the British Empire, and voted to declare such two days prior on July 2nd. So, why marching bands and fireworks? It might be because of the letter John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail: The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more. Some historians say the Declaration was not signed until August 2, 1776.But Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams all later wrote they had signed it on July 4th. Coincidentally, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, signers of the Declaration of Independence, later served as Presidents and both died the same day…July 4th, 1826. President James Monroe was not a signer, but was a Founding Father and died on July 4th, 1831. July 4th, 1872 saw the birth of the only US President born on Independence Day, the 30th President Calvin Coolidge. But, as a Cadillac-La Salle club, we should also cover some automotive history from July. How about July 29, 1909? This is the date the newly formed General Motors Corporation acquired the country’s leading luxury automaker, Cadillac Automobile Company, for $4.5 million. Today’s value is now approximately $119 mil. 1 Cadillac was founded out of the ruins of automotive pioneer Henry Ford’s second failed company (his third effort, the Ford Motor Company, finally succeeded). When the shareholders of the defunct Henry Ford Company called in Detroit machinist Henry Leland to assess the company’s assets for their planned sale, Leland convinced them to stay in business. His idea was to combine Ford’s latest chassis (frame) with a single-cylinder engine developed by Oldsmobile, another early automaker. To that end, the Cadillac Car Company (named for the French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe Cadillac, who founded the city of Detroit in 1701) was founded in August 1902. Leland introduced the first Cadillac–priced at $850–at the New York Auto Show the following year. In its first year of production, Cadillac put out nearly 2500 cars, a huge number at the time. Leland, who was reportedly motivated by an intense competition with Henry Ford, assumed full leadership of Cadillac in 1904, and with his son Wilfred by his side he firmly established the brand’s reputation for quality. Among the excellent luxury cars being produced in America at the time–including Packard, Lozier, McFarland and Pierce-Arrow–Cadillac led the field, making the top 10 in overall U.S. auto sales every year from 1904 to 1915. By 1909, William C. Durant had assembled Buick and Oldsmobile as cornerstones of his new General Motors Corporation, founded the year before. By the end of July, he had persuaded Wilfred Leland to sell Cadillac for $4.5 million in GM stock. Durant kept the Leland’s on in their management position, however, giving them full responsibility for automotive production. Three years later, Cadillac introduced the world’s first successful electric self-starter, developed by Charles F. Kettering; its pioneering V-8 engine was installed in all Cadillac models in 1915. Over the years, Cadillac maintained its reputation for luxury and innovation: In 1954, for example, it was the first automaker to provide power steering and automatic windshield washers as standard equipment on all its vehicles. Though the brand was knocked out of its top-of-the-market position in the 1980s by the German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz, it sought to reestablish itself during the following decades, and remains a leader in the luxury car market. History never fails to fascinate and teach us something about why the world is at it is today. Let’s make some personal history together this July and meet at Sage Kitchen (1925 Fisher Arch, Virginia Beach, VA 23456) for lunch at 11:30 on the July 14th. Look forward to seeing everyone. SUMMARY OF THE JUNE MEETING ..... Anna McPhetridge 7 members attended the meeting. John Hook mentioned that the Botanical Gardens ribbon cutting ceremony needed certain years of antique autos to showcase if anyone had 1959, 1960, or 1961 vehicles. We discussed the upcoming meeting on Sat. July 14th, which will be at Sage Kitchen, 11:30, and then we will go over to the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo. 2 TREASURER’S REPORT ….. James Gregg Balance on 5/1/2018 …… $2,975.82 ……Deposits …. $255.00 (from sale of 3 book sets, 9 name tags, and one membership)….. Expenses ….$122.00 (for books plus shipping), $144.40 (for name badge order) Bal. 5/31/2018 ….. $2,964.42. MEMBERSHIP REPORT ..... James Gregg Our region's membership year begins January 1st and ends December 31st. Please use the membership form that is on our website. Note: Region members must be current national C&LC members. (According to the C&LC club rules.) Be sure to let all your friends and Cadillac and LaSalle owners you meet know about our region. We use your valid C&LC # for your C&LCHRR membership. C&LCHRR has a great website....go to www.hamptonroadsvaclc.org......we want your input...... This is thanks to the generous efforts of Art Midgette, our webmaster. Please let Art know how you like it, he is asking for feedback and articles etc at [email protected]. He also wants pictures of your Cadillacs and LaSalles. Please send them in JPEG format to the same e-mail, if possible. Also check out the "Fun Links" on our website. You will enjoy them. JULY MEETING AND TOURS REPORT ….. Mitch McPhetridge Yes! We are going to the Sage Kitchen on the 14th of July! A Saturday at 11:30 am! They are located in Beautiful Pungo at 1925 Fisher Arch, VA Beach, VA 23456! Choose from home-baked breads and homemade soups, omelets, sandwiches, and salads; all made with the very best ingredients. And have you heard about their chicken salad? Well if you haven’t tried it, it’s time you did. It’s their signature dish, with a regional reputation for being perhaps the best there is, and it was inspired by the late and renowned Chef Bobby Hunter’s own recipe! After we sup on delectables at the lovely Sage Kitchen and our meeting is adjourned, we will be going to the Military Aviation Museum, located at 1341 Princess Anne Road, VA Beach, VA 23457. We will gander at their large collection of WWI and WWII aircraft. This Military Aviation Museum is home to one of the largest private collections of World War I and World War II era aircraft in the world! Each of the planes has been beautifully restored to its prior military condition, using original parts whenever possible. Most of the planes are airworthy and are flown at the museum during flight demonstrations and at air shows through the year. Some are the last flight-ready aircraft of their time, and all are one of a kind. Mark it on your calendar and PLEASE RSVP to me, Mitch McPhetridge, 757- 424- 1185, [email protected]. 3 CADILLAC AT 100 ……Legacy of Leadership …. 2 Volume Set …… You can have the last set, we have in stock, for only $50.00 at the July 14th meeting! This set retails for $100 and is crammed with info and pictures covering Cadillac and LaSalle from 1902 thru 2006. It is a “must have” for anyone who wants to be knowledgeable about our hobby! I will bring the last set to the July meeting. It is sealed, “factory fresh”, waiting for you. See you there, James Gregg. TECH TIPS from a retired restorer ……. If you have had your current Cadillac inspected lately and the inspector removed the old sticker from the center of the windshield and put the new inspection sticker on the far left side, did he clean the old adhesive from the spot in the center? You want to know why they are putting the stickers on the far left now? It’s so they won’t interfere with the sensors that track your speed when following another vehicle, it’s on the newest vehicles. But I digress, an easy way to get the old adhesive off is to use WD-40! Just spray some on the adhesive and scrape with a razor blade and then wipe it with a clean cloth. Presto! All done! And it won’t hurt the dash pad since it is a vegetable oil based product. Plus you can google WD-40 for hundreds of other good uses for it. HUMOR CORNER ……… NEW CROSS BREEDS …….. Collie with Lhasa Apso …. “Collapso” a dog that folds up for easy transport.