Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE BY VINCE TALIANO
I would like to thank Thom Lombardi and Monica Moore, Mid- 2008 OFFICERS: Atlantic Picture Cars, for obtaining access for me to attend filming REGIONAL DIRECTOR NEWSLETTER EDITOR of the movie My One and Only. The movie, starring Renée WEBSITE MANAGER Zellweger, Kevin Bacon and other A-list stars, is set in the 1950s. VINCE TALIANO
ASSISTANT REGIONAL DIRECTOR Filming was taking place in the Baltimore area and features two DAN RUBY identical 1953 Eldorados: one owned by Potomac Region member
NATIONAL DIRECTOR Marc Tuwiner and the other by CLC member Ross Morgan from BILL SESSLER Australia. Ross recently purchased his car from Annapolis Classic SECRETARY ASSOCIATE NEWSLETTER EDITOR Cars. The car is appearing in the movie before being shipped to VALLEY FORGE REGION LIAISON SANDY KEMPER Perth in Western Australia, where Ross lives.
CAR SHOW COORDINATORS On the day that I attended the shooting, street scenes were being CENTRAL PA REGION LIAISONS DIANE & HENRY RUBY filmed in front of the Mitchell Courthouse building on Calvert
TREASURER Street in downtown Baltimore. When I arrived on the set, Marc HARRY SCOTT and Ross were being interviewed while dressed in period attire, MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN NEWSLETTER COLUMNIST including stylist hats. Marc, Ross and Ross’ two teenage RICHARD SISSON daughters were appearing in the film as extras. What a great ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR way to spend your summer vacation, visiting the States and CENTRAL VA REGION LIAISON NEWSLETTER COLUMNIST appearing in a movie!
STEVEN SISSON
OTHER KEY POSITIONS: The Potomac Region is proud to announce that we have a
AUTOMOBILIA AUCTIONEER signed contract with the Washington Dulles Airport HAMPTON ROADS REGION LIAISON GEORGE BOXLEY Marriott to be our host hotel of the 2009 CLC National
NEWSLETTER COLUMNIST Driving Tour. We were successful in negotiating a $99 per RITA BIAL-BOXLEY room night rate. Congratulations to everyone who participated SHOW WEEKEND COORDINATOR in the review and negotiation of the contract, especially Shelley SHELLEY CHADICK
NEWSLETTER COLUMNIST Chadick, Sandy Kemper, Jack McClow, Tom McQueen, Richard CHRIS CUMMINGS Sills and Steven Sisson. In this issue, you will start to read about
CAR SHOW DISPLAYING/PARKING what is being planned and how assistance from Potomac Region DERRICK FISHER members across the board will be needed to produce “one of the CAR SHOW DISPLAYING/PARKING NEWSLETTER COLUMNIST most memorable CLC driving tours ever.”
JIM GOVONI
CAR SHOW SPONSOR AND HOST Best wishes to Charlie Lightbown, Art Matthews and Jack DANIEL JOBE & CAPITOL CADILLAC McClow’s mother for speedy and full recoveries from their NEWSLETTER COLUMNIST TOM MCQUEEN respective illnesses, and condolences to Derrick Fisher on the
HONORARY MEMBER recent passing of his brother.
NEWSLETTER COLUMNIST VERN PARKER If you plan to be in Cherry Hill for the Grand National, please stop
HONORARY MEMBER by and say hello to Henry Ruby and Harry Scott who will be NEWSLETTER COLUMNIST BOB RUCKMAN stationed in the vendors’ area selling Legacy of LaSalle items
CAR SHOW MASTER OF CEREMONIES such as t-shirts, dash plaques and DVDs, in addition to parts and NATIONAL CLC ADVISOR automobilia. NEWSLETTER COLUMNIST RICHARD SILLS Vince Taliano Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
2008 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION CONTACT INFORMATION Aug 1 – 2008 Maryland Wine Visit 10 out of 19 www.marylandwine.com or Sep 3 Festival® 25th Anniversary participating Maryland www.carrollcountyfarmmuseum.org Trivia Road Rally wineries Aug 3 1:00 pm – 4th Annual Picnic with Lincoln J. Roger Bentley’s Home Steven Sisson at 703-724-7652 Sun 4:00 pm Mercury friends Brinklow MD or [email protected] Aug 5-9 32nd Professional Car Society Wyndam Hotel Dan McCann at 732-433-2024 or Tue-Sat Annual International Meet Mt Laurel NJ [email protected] Aug 9 10:00 am – 34th Annual Metro Chapter Montgomery College Cory Correll at 240-686-0229 or Sat 3:00 pm Buick Club All-GM Show: Rockville MD [email protected] Celebrating 100 Years of GM Aug 12-16 CLC Grand National Meet Cherry Hill NJ www.vfrclc.org/GN08.htm Tue-Sat Hosted by Valley Forge Region Aug 17 8:00 am – 23rd Annual Francis Scott Key Rose Hill Manor Joe Bart at 301-898-1041 Sun 3:00 pm Antique Car Show Frederick MD Ken Wilson at 301-695-6581 Aug 18 7:30 pm – Potomac Region Washington Dulles Vince Taliano at 301-258-8321 or Mon 9:30 pm Monthly Meeting Airport Marriott [email protected] Dulles VA Aug 30 11:00 am – 2008 Baltimore Pennsylvania Ave George Gilliam at 410-669-5397, Jim Hamlin at Sat 3:00 pm Cadillac Parade Baltimore MD [email protected] or [email protected] Aug 31 10:00 am – 20th Annual Out of the Past Spring Hill www.washingtontimes.com Sun 3:00 pm Revue, sponsored by The Recreation Center (Auto Notes section) Washington Times McLean VA Sep 5 4:30 pm – “An Evening in Howard County Lisa Macek at 410-309-1200 or Fri 10:00 pm Black and White” General Hospital [email protected] Columbia MD Sep 7 8:00 am – AACA Sugarloaf Mt Airy Bill Brown at 301-662-6778 Sun 3:00 pm Mountain Region's Fireman's Park 39th Annual Car Show Mt Airy MD Sep 13 9:00 am – 12th Annual CLC Hampton Suttle Motors Tom Bottoni at 757- 538-1518 Sat 3:00 pm Roads Region Car Show Newport News VA or [email protected] Sep 19-20 GM Heritage Tour Weekend Greater Detroit MI area Stuart Popp at [email protected] or Fri-Sat 734-453-8920 or
Sep 20 8:00 am – 33rd Annual Edgar Rohr Manassas Museum Bill Sessler at 703-361-5491 or Sat 3:00 pm Memorial Antique Car Meet Manassas VA [email protected] Sep 21 10:00 am – 16th Annual MVA Earl Chesley at 240-446-6657 Sun 4:00 pm Car and Truck Show Frederick MD Sep 27 8:00 am – Annual Corvettes and Forrest Career and Bill Gilligan at 301-994-3926 Sat 4:00 pm Classics Car Show Technology Center Leonardtown MD Oct 1-5 Gates open Fall Carlisle Carlisle PA 717-243-7855 or Wed-Sun daily www.carsatcarlisle.com at 7:00 am Oct 8-11 Opens at AACA National Giant Center http://local.aaca.org/hershey Wed-Sat 7am Eastern Fall Meet Hershey PA Oct 18 8:00 am – City of Rockville Rockville Civic Center 240-314-5022 or Sat 4:00 pm Antique and Classic Car Show Rockville MD www.rockvillemd.gov/events/carshow.htm
The Royal Theater Music Festival & Baltimore Cadillac Parade Continuing the legacy, the heritage, the history, the music and the legend on historic Pennsylvania Avenue August 30, 2008 Visit us on the web! 2 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT THE 2008 GRAND NATIONAL
#1 - There will be no cancellations and /or refunds accepted after midnight - Thursday, July 31st.
#2 – No car registrations will be accepted after Wednesday, July 30...for judging or display. The show field is filled to capacity.
#3- Registrations of people for events are still being accepted. Some events are close to being filled up but spaces are still available.
#4- Due to the problems incurred by the recent fire at the planned lunch at Sweetwater Casino, the Driving Tour is now closed, including passengers.
#5- The Maritime Tour will be closed for registrations after August 2nd.
Questions?
Please contact the Grand National Registrars Cathy and Tom Myers at [email protected] or Grand National Chairman Jack Hotz at [email protected].
Visit us on the web! 3 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
MOTOR CITY REGION - CADILLAC & LASALLE CLUB
together with General Motors presents its 100th Anniversary
GM Heritage Tour Weekend
Friday, September 19 - Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008:
10 AM – 4 PM - GM 100th Anniversary Car Show at GM Tech Center Limited to the first 50 registered cars (and their passengers) – no more than one car per member please
5 PM – 9 PM - Tour the General Motors Heritage Center An ever-changing display of GM vehicles, engines and memorabilia from the early part of the 20th century to current. Depending on the day, you will see one-of-a-kind concept cars, milestones of production, technological experiments, or other vehicles that are constantly being added to fill gaps in the collection.
Saturday, September 20, 2008:
10 AM – 12 noon - Guided Tour of the GM Renaissance Center including the GM Next Showroom (secure, guarded parking provided) - www.gmrencen.com The Ren Cen is located on the Detroit Riverfront overlooking the Windsor skyline. It rises 73 stories on the Detroit skyline and is 5.5 million square feet in size. In addition to it being the location of GM Global Headquarters, it also contains many restaurants and retailers in its seven towers.
12:30 PM – 2 PM - Lunch at Packard Grill Photos by Bill Sessler (next to the Proving Grounds) - www.packardgrill.com
2 PM – 4 PM - Walking Tour of historic Packard Proving Grounds - www.packardmotorfdn.org
The historic Packard Proving Grounds includes Albert Kahn designed Lodge buildings, Garages, Timing stand, Lindbergh hangar, elevated water storage tank, a portion of the original test track and Grand Entrance gates.
4:30 PM – 6 PM - Museum Bronze - www.museum-bronze.com
Museum Bronze is a collection of more than 1000 hand-made working models that demonstrate both the precision building of machinery for mass production and historical impact of the Industrial Revolution.
6:30 PM – 9 PM - Dinner at Bistro Bourdeau - www.bistrobourdeau.com
Visit us on the web! 4 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
MOTOR CITY REGION - CADILLAC & LASALLE CLUB
together with General Motors presents its 100th Anniversary
GM Heritage Tour Weekend
Friday, September 19 - Saturday, September 20, 2008
No registration fee!! Participants are responsible for own expenses, lodging, and meals
Accommodations: Courtyard by Marriott (across from GM Tech Center) 30190 Van Dyke Ave. Warren MI 48093 Reservations: 800-321-2211 Rate: $69.00 available Thursday through Saturday nights - mention Cadillac-LaSalle Club
Photo by Bill Sessler
To register for tours and/or the GM Tech Center Car Show, please email or call: Stuart Popp at [email protected] or 734-453-8920
Include your name, phone number, and number of guests that would be attending. Also please indicate which events you wish to attend: ______GM Heritage Center Tour ______GM Renaissance Center Tour ______Lunch at the Packard Grill ______Packard Proving Grounds ______Museum Bronze ______Dinner at Bistro Bourdeau
______GM Tech Center Car Show
If you wish to show a car, please indicate:
Year ______Cadillac or LaSalle Model ______
To see more pictures of the GM Heritage Center, visit http://www.gm.com/corporate/about/heritage/home/index.jsp
Visit us on the web! 5 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
JULY 21, 2008 MEETING MINUTES BY SANDY KEMPER
PLACE: Silver Diner, Merrifield, Virginia TIME: 7:30 PM PRESIDING: Secretary Sandy Kemper ATTENDANCE: Shelley Chadick, Pat & Glen Cole, Chris Cummings, Randy Denchfield, Alex Figueroa & guest, Brenda & Jim George, Jeff Gurski, Jack McClow, Tom McQueen, Scot Minesinger, Dana & Lou Monette, Dan Ruby, Diane & Henry Ruby, Harry Scott, Richard Sills, Richard Sisson and Margo & Steven Sisson
DIRECTOR’S REMARKS: Sandy explained that work commitments precluded Director Vince’s attendance and he thanked everyone for attending. He asked Lou Monette to provide an update on the condition of Past PR Director, Charlie Lightbown, who was injured in a fall recently. Also, Sandy mentioned that Derrick Fisher’s brother had passed away recently. Henry Ruby proposed with unanimous agreement that the PR provide a card or memorial contribution in condolence.
RECOGNITION: Sandy thanked Lou for conducting a raffle before the start of the meeting for an attractive book, “Cadillac XLR.” (Harry Scott was the winner.) The book was provided by Charles McAdams of Lindsay Cadillac to Lou, who in turn, thought it would be fun to raffle the book at the meeting.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: The Minutes from the June meeting were not read since they had been published and distributed to all members in the July, 2008 newsletter.
TREASURER’S REPORT: The Treasurer’s Report covered the time period from the June meeting to date. Harry Scott reported that the Region’s income was $165.31. The total expenses for the same time period were $1,523.84. The checking account balance as of the meeting was $2,142.71 and the Certificate of Deposit principal was $5,631.96
MEMBERSHIP REPORT: Richard Sisson reported that the 2008 membership has reached 224, a new all-time high. The newest members are Scott Milestone, Rockville MD, Mary Anne Beauchamp, Adelphi, MD and Gregory Raymond, Brunswick, MD. Mary Anne owns a 1998 Eldorado and a 2003 DeVille. Gregory and his wife Patricia own a 1939 LaSalle.
ACTIVITIES REPORT: 1. Recently held events: • 2nd Annual Car Show, AACA Museum Grounds, Hershey, PA, Sat, Jul 12th - Richard Sills, Tom McQueen and Henry Ruby provided details of this show, attended by members from seven (7) different CLC Regions. [Special thanks to Shelley and Richard for distributing flyers for the 2009 NDT at the show.] 2. Upcoming PR events: The upcoming PR-related activities were reviewed: • 4th Annual Picnic w/ Lincoln-Mercury Friends, Roger Bentley’s, Sun, Aug 3rd - Steven reminded everyone that this year’s picnic will be a pot-luck event. The club will provide soft drink beverages, water, ice, serving tables, plates, cutlery, etc. Henry Ruby conveyed Lee Peterson’s offer to bring his karaoke equipment. This offer was accepted. Visit us on the web! 6 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
• Fall Car Show, Sun, Oct 26th - Henry mentioned that we don’t have any specific details about this year’s theme since Daniel Jobe is out of the country currently.
3. Other upcoming events: Steven covered a list of forthcoming auto events, including: • 45th Annual Das Awkscht Fescht (Car Show), Macungie, PA, Aug 1-3 - This year’s featured marque is DeSoto. • 34th Annual Metro Chapter Buick Club All-GM Show, Rockville, MD, Sat, Aug 9 • 33rd Annual Edgar Rohr Memorial Show, Manassas, VA, Sat, Sep 20 • City of Rockville Antique & Classic Car Show, Sat, Oct 18 - Sandy added that this year, the “feature will be a celebration of the GM centennial.” Rockville has requested nominations for cars that “may illustrate an interesting aspect of the GM heritage.” • “Church” - Sandy announced that this weekly Sunday morning cruise-in in Burtonsville, MD will be moving its site from a shopping center to a nearby commuter parking lot soon.
OLD BUSINESS: • 2009 National Driving Tour: Sandy reported that we held a Steering Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 24th and discussed hotel contract issues, insurance, incorporation, along with tour tasks and the club members who may be able to complete them. Also, we have a signed contract with the host hotel, Washington Dulles Airport Marriott. Congratulations to everyone who participated in the review and negotiation of the contract especially Shelley Chadick, Jack McClow, Tom McQueen, Richard Sills and Steven Sisson. • 2008 Grand National (GN): To date, over 300 cars have been registered for the GN. Sandy reported that the VFR received disappointing news that they would not be receiving a large cash contribution to the GN that they were expecting. This means that VFR will have to use ad book revenue and other resources to cover this loss to their GN budget. As a result Sandy suggested that the PR place an ad in the GN ad book. This suggestion was moved, seconded and approved. Also, Sandy strongly encouraged that PR members attending the GN should volunteer some time to help the VFR with the many tasks needed to hold this event. Lastly, in response to inquiries, Sandy described the CLC policy that the GN is a members-only event and is only open to those who have registered for the event.
NEW BUSINESS: • The next Region meeting will be held at the host hotel for the 2009 CLC National Driving Tour: Washington Dulles Airport Marriott. The hotel is located on the airport property and it can be reached by using the Dulles Airport Access Road. We will meet in a private room, but we will order from the menu of the hotel restaurant. • Jack McClow asked, in his newly elected capacity, if any members had topics or concerns that he should take before the National BOD at its annual GN meeting.
GENERAL DISCUSSION: Lou Monette shared his good experiences with two Fairfax area businesses, NAPA Auto Parts (employee named Pierre) and Doug Pollette, whose business is auto upholstery and other antique car work.
NEXT MEETING: Monday, August 18, 2008, 7:30 PM at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott, Dulles, Virginia. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM. Visit us on the web! 7 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
RECORD SETTING AUTOMOTIVE AUCTION ACHIEVES MILESTONE PRICES AT ASTOR MUSEUM, ANAHEIM, CA BY TOM MUSSON
Southern California broadcasting veteran Art Astor bid farewell to over 200 classic cars and hundreds of personal treasures as his esteemed collection of vintage automobiles and memorabilia crossed the RM auction block in Anaheim, CA. The tears he shed during a live interview on ABC TV were probably of the “crocodile” variety as he walked away with the lion’s share of $15.4 million.
London auctioneer Peter Bainbridge, a dead ringer for Robin Leach of the “Rich and Famous” fame, brought down the gavel on some record setting prices (some London auctioneer Peter Bainbridge Photo by Tom Musson claim far too high) as he was able time after time to rekindle what appeared to be ending bids into the stratosphere as on-line bidders tried to outbid people in the audience. “Come on now people, are we really all through?” he would ask. “You sir, in the green shirt, (pointing to me), are you going to let a nameless faceless person on the Internet take that prize Cadillac away from you. After all, sir, he isn’t even here to see it in person.”
RM Auction Company of Ontario, Canada really knows how to do a The band is indicative of the classy event that was held! first class marketing and sales job. Photo by Tom Musson Comprising their “schtick” included a hard bound full color catalogue of cars and memorabilia items, a lavish opening night gala with live music, scores of lightly clad cocktail waitresses, videos on the spot to rekindle interest in lost enthusiasm for one car or another, and a grand master of an auctioneer combined to create “Buzz” with a capital “B” which carried the weekend into record high prices. Visit us on the web! 8 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
The top seller of the three day event was a stunning 1938 Cadillac V-16 convertible, purportedly owned by Gary Cooper. When the bidding reached $420,000 (already a high number for a car with small hub caps and black tires), Peter took a break while a black and white video went up on the big screens depicting Gary Cooper and Myrna Loy in a scene from a pre-war movie, followed by a newly done color video of the car being driven, and later its features being pointed out by a comely young lady. The bidding then 1938 Cadillac V-16 convertible resumed, topping out at Photo reprinted with permission from RM Auctions $616,000, a record price. A beautiful 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Sport Phaeton by LeBaron was listed in the auction book for a top estimated price of $300,000, but sold for $462,000.
An all-time record price was established with the sale of a 1948 Ford “Woodie” convertible for $236,500. And believe it or not, the car needed work to bring it to perfection. As its flaws were pointed out, the bidding just kept going higher.
A 1941 Lincoln Continental Coupe sold for $209,000, probably because Rita Hayworth’s photo was 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Sport Phaeton by LeBaron pasted to the windshield. A 1949 Photo reprinted with permission from RM Auctions Mercury “Woodie” wagon brought $198,000.
Obviously, the state of the economy or even the falling stock market had no effect on the audience or the folks lying in ambush over the Internet.
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1940 Cadillac Series 75 Formal Sedan Photo reprinted with permission from RM Auctions On a personal note, I was declared the winning bidder for a ‘56 Studebaker Power Hawk, but was later informed that three seconds prior to the gavel coming down a higher bid was received over the Internet. Result – I lost the car to someone who wasn’t even there and probably wouldn’t appreciate the car as I would have. But I got my revenge. Later that same day, I was bidding for CLC member Ed Cholakian, who lives in Las Vegas, for the Howard Hughes 1940 Limousine (with double side mounts). The Internet bidding lines went temporarily down enabling me to win the car with a bid that was one of the only bargains of the day. The car was valued in the auction catalogue at an estimated $300,000, but the price paid was “south” of that number - - thanks in this case to technology glitches.
Other Cadillacs brought very high prices. A 1955 Coupe de Ville was purchased for $66,000, by former CLC member Borje Forslund of Yorba Linda, CA, and while being driven out of the Museum, one of the losing bidders still tried to buy it from Borje. A deal was stuck the next day for $76,000. A profit on top of an already outrageous price! A ‘49 60 Special was acquired by the Astor Museum in 2006 from CLC member Ed Suddarth for $25,000 and sold at the auction for $88,000. Another Suddarth sale to the museum was Admiral Nimitz’s 1941 Cadillac sedan convertible – black with tan interior and tan top but no fender skirts. A $65,000 sale in 2005 turned into a winning bid of $145,000 at the auction.
I always thought that “no reserve” auctions were very chancy, but now I have once again learned a valuable lesson, an age old truism in fact. When I was a kid, I worked at a Carvel shop, an ice cream take out store in Danbury, CT, and used to work at warp speed to get all the people served in a hurry. The owner of the store later chastised me, saying “when the line is long, take your time – hold the tip. The more people that are out there, the more will come. People are like that – they’re vertical sheep at heart”. Great advice!
Tom Musson lives in Yorba Linda, CA and is the past President of the CLC Southern California Region and was the Chairman of the Grand National 2006.
Visit us on the web! 10 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
VERN PARKER: 20 YEARS OUT OF THE PAST BY VINCE TALIANO
Like everywhere else, Friday represents the beginning of the weekend in the Washington, DC area. But for classic car aficionados, Friday in the DC area also represents Vern Parker’s latest Out of the Past column in The Washington Times Auto Weekend section. This year marks his 20th anniversary featuring one classic car per week, which is at least 25-years old. That is more than 1,000 cars since 1988! Being featured by Vern is initiation into a classic car fraternity, where its members are invited to the annual Out of the Past Revue Car Show held each Labor Day weekend in McLean, Virginia.
One could say that Vern was born with affection for automobiles in his blood. His grandfather, who was born six weeks after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, became enamored with the automobile in his later years and was known to buy a new car, keep it for awhile, then sell it and buy another new car. There was a time when people joked that the majority of the used cars in the rural Kansas area had been once owned by his grandfather.
Vern Parker Vern grew up in Wichita during World War II and soon Out of the Past columnist became accustomed to seeing cars that were 10-20 years The Washington Times old. With automotive production halted due to the war, it 1988 – Present was not uncommon to see 1920s and 1930s cars throughout Photo courtesy of Vern Parker the area. His dad was a Kansas State Highway Patrolman who owned a 1932 Chevy and 1937 Hudson Terraplane. Right after World War II, his family went on a road trip in their Hudson to see the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. About an hour outside of Marysville, Kansas, where the family lived within sight of Rt. 36 – a main road between Missouri and Colorado, his dad felt a terrible pain in his side. His mom took over the driving and rushed his dad to a hospital in the nick of time as his dad’s appendix burst upon arrival. While his dad was recuperating at home, Vern would sit with him and watch the cars and trucks driving past the house on Rt. 36. Soon, young Vern, under his father's tutelage, was able to identify the cars and trucks by sight and sound, a skill that would serve him well in life. About this time, he also began to develop his passion for newspapers. He recalls sitting on the ground with his legs dangling in the basement window well of the building where the Marysville Advocate newspaper was published, fascinated by the linotype operators and presses.
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As a freshman in high school, Vern bought his first car, a 1949 Ford for $155. He got his license at the age of 14 but was not able to drive the car until he could afford the insurance. Confident that the insurance would be a reasonable amount, he contacted a local insurance man, who notified him that the insurance for his $155 car would be $300 per year. It took him some time to raise the money but eventually he saved enough to pay the insurance and drive his ‘49 Ford. Between his freshman and senior years, he also owned a 1946 Chevy, a 1948 Pontiac and a 1950 Ford. During high school, he worked on the school newspaper and began to learn all aspects of the craft. In addition to working on the school paper, he got a job his senior year working for the Salina Journal. He drove over 100 miles per day delivering bundles of newspapers to carriers in surrounding towns. His pay was based on 30 cent gasoline. He recalls buying gas at 17 cents a gallon in a town where competing stations were having a gas war. This added savings resulted in an extra couple of dollars a week for Vern.
After high school, Vern served in the US Army before attending Kansas State University where he majored in journalism. He worked on the school paper, which was the fifth largest paper in the state, honing his skills. With college completed, Vern was off to Decatur, Illinois, to work on the Decatur Herald and Review. In the year he was there he served as copy editor and layout editor. He lobbied for a monthly feature on an old car and his future career covering old cars soon began. From Decatur, he moved onto the Providence Journal Bulletin in Rhode Island. The paper did a semi-annual issue on new cars that included a local old car story written by Vern.
In Providence, Vern’s knowledge of old cars served him well. One night, he and his wife Karen heard what sounded like a car driving across their driveway and front yard. By the time they could look out the front window, the car was gone but in its place was a doughnut on their front lawn. Anticipating that the culprits would come back to check out their handiwork, he waited in the shadow of a tree in the front yard. Approximately 10 minutes later, he heard a car coming down their street slowly with its headlights turned off. When the car approached the damaged lawn, it stopped. As the teenagers were looking at the front yard, Vern stepped out from behind the tree to write down the car’s license plate number. It was dark, but he got the first four numbers when the kids saw him and sped off. At the end of his street, they braked before turning, which revealed to Vern taillights of an early 1960s Chevy Impala. The next day he contacted the police with the partial license plate number and year / make / model identification. Soon after, the culprit was identified and brought to Vern’s house by his mother, who assured him that her son would repair his lawn. The boy worked diligently over the next few weeks to restore the lawn while never fully realizing his bad luck for picking the wrong target!
In 1984, Vern moved to The Washington Times and began lobbying for a regular old car feature. Four years later, the paper agreed and started the Auto Weekend section in May 1988. The first issue featured a story on Corvettes and a history of hood ornaments. In the second issue was a story about a 1935 Chevy owned by Don Beach of Falls Church, Virginia. Vern learned of Don from one of his associates at the paper. Years later, when Don was suffering from cancer and was too weak to walk, he attended the annual Out of the Past Revue Car Show in a wheelchair. He wanted to see all the cars at least one last time, and passed away just a few weeks later. Visit us on the web! 12 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
Don Beach’s 1935 Chevy The first car featured in Vern’s Out of the Past column in The Washington Times May 1988 Photo by Walter Oates Although word of mouth spread quickly in the classic car community on this new type of column, the winter of 1988-89, which was snowier than normal, presented challenges in finding antique cars to feature each week. The paper’s fear of what would happen when Vern ran out of cars was real, but he did find the cars that first winter and has continued to find them ever since. The column has run each week without missing a beat since that first week in 1988. Soon after the column began, Vern began to receive calls from readers inquiring about previously featured cars. The interest in those cars led to the idea of doing an annual Out of the Past Revue Car Show. In July 1989, the first show was held at Ted Britt Ford in Chantilly, Virginia. Out of the 60 cars that had been featured up until that time, 30 of them were at the show. In 1990, the show was held at Springhill Recreation Center in McLean, Virginia and in 1991 it was held at the Prince George's County Equestrian Center. In 1992, the show returned to the Springhill Recreation Center where it has been held ever since, averaging approximately 150 cars per year. The show has been blessed with nice weather the majority of time, but rain in 2002 resulted in a turnout of just 15 cars. Those hardy souls, including Don Beach, became known as the Fearless Fifteen! This year’s show, the 20th annual, is scheduled for Sunday August 31st.
Visit us on the web! 13 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
Vern in action at the 2004 Capitol Cadillac / CLC Potomac Region Fall Car Show Photo by Vince Taliano Over the years, Vern’s column has become more and more popular. It is currently distributed coast to coast in syndication by Motor Matters, a select forum of national automotive writers. As a result, it is not uncommon for him to receive letters and emails from Louisiana, New York, Texas, California or other parts of the country. His name is recognizable in most circles of the classic car hobby.
Every January, the first column of the year showcases a car that just turned 25 years-old. In 2018, Vern and Karen’s 1993 Miata with just 9K miles, which they own along with a 1939 LaSalle and a 1968 Mercury Colony Park station wagon, will be old enough to be eligible for the Out of the Past column. What a wonderful car to drive off into the sunset of this incredible career. On behalf of your many faithful readers, Vern, Happy 20th Anniversary!!
Visit us on the web! 14 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
2ND ANNUAL CLC INTER-REGIONAL MEET AT THE AACA MUSEUM STORY BY RICHARD SILLS PHOTOS BY R. SCOT MINESINGER
AACA Museum again proves great attraction for event sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania & Upper Susquehanna Regions On Saturday, July 12, forty-five beautiful cars graced the lawns of the AACA Museum in Hershey to attend the Second Annual CLC Inter-Regional Meet, co-sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania and Upper Susquehanna Regions of CLC. Cadillacs from the '20s to the '90s participated in the show, as well as an interesting assortment of other makes.
Cadillac classes were divided by decades, with other makes falling within a single class. Woody Rohrbach's 1931 V-12 roadster won the coveted Best in Show award for Cadillacs and LaSalles, and Walter Kreig's 1936 Oldsmobile won the Best of Other Makes award.
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Here are all the winners:
Class Place Car Owner 1920-1929 First 1922 Model 61 Victoria Don Barlup
1930-1939 First 1931 V-12 Roadster Woody Rohrbach
1940-1949 First 1947 Series 62 convertible Jack Noll Second 1949 Series 62 sedan Art Archambeault 1950-1959 First 1957 Series 62 coupe Nelson Stauffer Second 1959 Series 62 convertible Peter Poneros Second 1959 Series 62 coupe Tom McMurtrie Third 1953 Series 62 convertible Jerry Parnes 1960-1969 First 1962 Sedan deVille Brian Staffone Second 1960 Coupe deVille Chris Lapp Second 1964 DeVille convertible Dave Forry Third 1962 Sedan deVille Stanley Sipko 1970-1979 First 1970 DeVille convertible Dick Ridgeway Second 1976 Eldorado convertible Richard Sills Second 1976 Coupe deVille Paul & Sharon Kuntz Third 1976 Eldorado Biarritz Winslow Brown 1980-1989 First 1984 Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance Coupe Paul Fertich Second 1984 Seville Joe Oestreich Third 1985 Eldorado Biarritz convertible John Sweigart 1990-1999 First 1991 Fleetwood Brougham Walter Youshock Second 1993 Seville George Maslow Third 1991 Fleetwood Brougham Joe Manna Other Makes First 1936 Oldsmobile sedan Walter Kreig Second 1934 Mercedes-Benz 500K replica Jay Haviland Third 1967 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 convertible Robert Board
During the show, attendees enjoyed the treat of visiting the AACA Museum, which now features a special "FINS" exhibit. This display chronicles the rise and fall of the "tail fin" as an expression of automotive art, from the late '40s to the early '60s. It includes two great Cadillacs: a black 1948 Sixty Special on loan from the GM Heritage Collection and a red 1959 Series 62 convertible on loan from CLC members George and Toni Huse of Danbury, CT. Other interesting examples of tailfin design include a one-of-a-kind Dual Ghia prototype (which was driven from N.J. to Hershey for the exhibit), an Allstate (variation of the Henry J that was sold through Sears Roebuck stores), a '61 Chrysler Newport station wagon, a '58 Packard Hawk (limited production example of Packard's final production year), and more great cars too numerous to describe here. The exhibit will remain at the Museum through the fall Hershey meet week. If you like cars from the era when Ike was President and Elvis was King, you will love this exhibit!
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Other attractions in the Museum were two cars owned by our own CLC Museum & Research Center -- a 1937 LaSalle convertible sedan and a 1931 Cadillac sedan, both magnificently and authentically restored. These cars will be transported to Cherry Hill for display at the CLC Grand National Meet.
After the Museum show, Activities Director Art Archambeault and his wife Jan invited show participants to retreat to their home for snacks, cold drinks, and conversation Rock star parking! by the pool. Later that evening, 31 CLC members and friends adjourned to a nearby restaurant, Sasha's Hideaway, for a gourmet-quality dinner in an atmosphere that looks like the South Sea Islands.
The event attracted CLC members from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, including two Regional Vice Presidents of the CLC and their wives, Lee and Judy Herbermann from Pittsburgh, and Andy and Allene Zizolfo from New York. Savannah 2007 – Hershey 2008 Look for this show to become an annual Next stop: Cherry Hill event, especially since the exhibits at the Rock star parking! AACA Museum are constantly changing, offering fresh new attractions in every season.
Register for the free AACA Museum electronic newsletter at www.aacamuseum.org to Keep Up To Speed will all the great events and exhibits!
“I wonder if those giant Hershey Kisses will fit in my trunk!”
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CLC NATIONAL DRIVING TOUR, AUGUST, 2009 “CAPITOL CRUISING” WE NEED YOU! PART I BY SANDY KEMPER
As I left the Closing Banquet of this year’s CLC National Driving Tour, Rob Leonard of the CLC- Southern California Region approached me and, with a voice that reminded me of the closing moments of that sci-fi movie classic “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” he said, “You’re next!!” And, indeed, we are next!
Next summer, beginning on Tuesday, August 11 and running through Sunday, August 16, our Potomac Region will be hosting the CLC’s National Driving Tour. Here are the basics: • Our theme is Capitol Cruising. • The host hotel is the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott, located on the Dulles Airport grounds, and it is accessible from the Airport Road, not the toll road. This hotel is an excellent and well-run facility with a lot of parking available for the tour cars. And we have negotiated a $99 per room night rate. • We expect to run daily driving tours to various sites in the Greater Washington Area and to provide motor coaches to those places less accessible to tour cars.
This will be a fun-filled event, but it will require a lot of work and a lot of help from our members. What is the work that we, as Potomac Region members, need to do to make this Driving Tour successful?
First and foremost, we will need a commitment of your time. The event will start with the early arrivals on Tuesday. The daily tours will begin on Wednesday and run each day through Saturday. Then on Sunday, after we wish our guests farewell, we will have clean-up and pack- up chores to do. So as you arrange your family calendar for next year or schedule your vacation time at your job, please set aside the second week of August, 2009 to participate in, and assist with, our Capitol Cruising event. However, your assistance is needed right now, too! In the paragraphs that follow, we will describe some of the work involved in hosting a driving tour. We will ask you questions (in bold) to illustrate how the people you know, family members, friends, and business acquaintances, may help us out.
Let’s start with our overall goal. We expect to produce “one of the most memorable CLC driving tours ever”, and we expect to do this by paying attention to details. Why are the details so important? Because the Greater Washington Area provides such vast array of places of interest, the area almost sells itself. And by providing daily tours to a variety of sites, the odds are that we will visit enough places to satisfy almost every tour goer’s interests. So our challenge will be to provide all the extras; that is, the details that will help make the experience even more memorable for our guests. At this stage of our planning, almost any idea is worth considering, so start your thinking.
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When CLC members register for Capitol Cruising they will indicate what car they expect to drive. However, some of our guests may be traveling from great distances and may choose not to drive their car. We would like to provide them with several options, one of which will be to direct them to a rental car company that features Cadillacs. Do you have any business relationships with a rental car company that rents Cadillacs? Alternatively, we expect to establish a “ride/share” and “loaner car” network. Will you be willing to take passengers with you on the daily driving tours? How many passengers can you take? Do you have an extra Cadillac in your collection that you would be willing to loan to a fellow CLC member?
We will be preparing tour books, name badges and other printed matter, as well as purchasing certain office supply items. Do you know or have a relationship with a printer that may be able to give us a good discount on the cost of printed items? Or The Washington perhaps a printer who would be willing to trade services for a full Monument page ad in our tour book? Can you get office supply items, such as Photo courtesy of the binders, index tabs, name badges and holders at better than retail US National Park Service cost for us? Do you know of a source for those signs on wickets or “yard signs” that realtors and politicians use?
When our guests arrive at the hotel, we plan to provide them with a “goodie bag.” This could be a carry bag, duffel bag or backpack that has maps, brochures and trinkets inside. These goodies can be car-related bits and pieces, travel accessories, Cadillac themed items and so forth. Do you have a relationship with a car care manufacturer, distributor or retail store that has small packets of car wash, wax or polish, small bottles of windshield cleaner or a tire gauge, etc. that they would willing to donate? How about a snack food distributor or vending machine supplier? We could always include a few snacks in the goodie bags. How about disposable rain ponchos? Or office supply items such pens, note pads, small calculators? Do you know a company that might donate the bags themselves?
We will have a Hospitality Suite, and the hotel has graciously allowed us to stock it with our own snacks and beverages. We expect to provide soft drinks, beer, wine and bottled water in addition to peanuts, popcorn and the like. Do you know a food wholesaler, beverage distributor, or someone with a popcorn maker? Or best of all, a business that would be willing to provide us with a cash contribution or sponsorship in Washington Dulles Airport Marriott return for placard or banner bearing its Photo courtesy of the Dulles Marriott name displayed in the hospitality suite? Visit us on the web! 19 www.clcpotomacregion.org Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region Caddie Chronicle August 2008
At the hotel, we will have a portion of the parking lot set aside for tour cars, and the hotel has agreed to set up a car wash area with hoses, plus the hotel has security personnel we will be able to utilize. However, in addition to these services the hotel will provide, we may need traffic cones for the lot, and washing buckets and sponges for the car wash area. We may also need an additional security person or two or three to watch the cars at night. Do you know a source for these items or security services?
On each day of our Capitol Cruising event we will be conducting driving tours. Certainly we are counting on Potomac Region members to participate in these tours and to help us with each one. We will describe a typical tour day in a future article, but for now, think about and tell us about any AACA, CCCA or other car club tours in which you’ve participated. What did you like about these tours? What did the tour organizers do that impressed you the most? If the tours were A couple of the planned stops local, did you go someplace that you thought was Top to bottom: Manassas National Battlefield particularly fun or unique or scenic? Park and Mt Vernon Historical Site Photos courtesy of US National Park Service We plan to hold our Saturday evening farewell banquet at the hotel. This is an additional opportunity for a national or local business to sponsor a portion of the cocktail hour or provide some of the gifts and awards that may be presented. Perhaps you may know where we can obtain a number of Cadillac toys to be used with decorations at the dinner tables.
These are just a few of the examples. It should be apparent that there are many details for which you or the people you know can help us. Every item or service that we can provide, at little or no cost, will allow us to produce an even better experience for our CLC guests.
With your help, Capitol Cruising will be the most memorable CLC driving tour ever!
For more info, contact:
Sandy Kemper, Co-Chairman, 301-585-0897 [email protected] Photo courtesy of the Dulles Marriott Steven Sisson, Co-Chairman, 703-724-7652 [email protected]
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CADDIE CLASSIFIEDS
Cars For Sale 1949 Coupe Sedanet – Complete car except for interior and drive train – New glass still in boxes, new gas tank, some new chrome and all stainless in good shape – One complete extra trunk and trunk lid – Will sell as parts but prefer to sell all as a package – Best offer – For more information, contact Tom Musson at 714-777-5959 – Car is located in California 1960 Series 62 Convertible – 60,500 miles – White on white with red interior – Beautiful car (paint a 10, interior great, motor showroom clean, etc) – Owned since 1988 and restored in 1990 – Top showing some age but no rips or splits just a little fading and wrinkles from always being down in the spring and summer – Chrome is great, all redone except grille (some spots and a little fade) – Motor and transmission run great – Good glass all around car with no cracks or chips – Wire rims and Coker Radials just installed in the last year (original rims and sombrero wheel covers available), vintage AM/FM radio with cassette (original radio available) – All original other than tires and radio – Shop manuals all go with car – You could have fun with this car – www.clcpotomacregion.org/60forsale.htm for pictures – Asking $49,500 negotiable – For more information, contact Joe Pagliaro at 301-343-8925 or [email protected] – Car is located in Maryland 1968 Fleetwood Brougham – 60,200 original miles – Good paint and excellent vinyl roof – Unmolested! – Leather like new! – Was a family car – Runs great – Current tag and inspection sticker – No rust – Garage kept – Needs TLC and owner needs garage space – Asking $5,000 – For more info, contact Mark at 540-364-3034 or [email protected] – Car is located in Virginia 1976 Eldorado Convertible – Beautiful white numbers matching Eldo Convertible ready for spring tours and show season – Just out of the restoration shop with less than 100 miles since completion – Newly rebuilt and balanced 500 c.i.d. engine with a three year warranty and guarantee that is completely transferable to new owner with all guarantees intact – Additional $17k spent on recent mechanical updates (receipts and guarantees are documented) including new leather interior, new top, new correct tires, detailed engine and rust-proofed chassis – Will be a trouble free show or go car for decades to come – www.clcpotomacregion.org/76forsale.htm for pictures – Asking $17,500 or best offer – For more information, contact George Boxley at 301-261-5634 or [email protected] – Car is located in Maryland 1979 Seville – 34k original miles – Light Cedar Firemist paint & vinyl top w/ dark cedar leather – Beautiful, totally original condition & hard to tell from new – Needs absolutely nothing and everything works as it should – Very well equipped including sun roof, wire hubcaps (also includes a beautiful set of optional Elegance wire wheels), spare trim and mechanical parts, all sales literature, dealer sales books, shop and parts manuals and original owner’s sales receipts – www.clcpotomacregion.org/792forsale.htm for pictures – Asking $18,000 obo – For more info, contact Bill Pittman at 202-413-6305 – A Southern California car now located in Maryland Information Wanted 1993 Sedan Deville Fiberglass Fenders – Information wanted on why front and right fenders on a 1993 Sedan Deville are fiberglass – Are there others like that? – For more info, contact J. Francis Werneth at 410-668-3749 Other AACA Raffle Tickets Available; Grand Prize is 2008 Saturn Sky Red Line – One of the most exciting new cars on the scene today is the Saturn Sky Red Line, the turbocharged version of the Saturn roadster – A bright red Saturn Sky Red Line is the prize in a raffle held to benefit the AACA, the AACA Library & Research Center, and the AACA Museum, three wonderful organizations that contribute greatly to our hobby. A maximum of 2,000 tickets will be sold, so your odds are pretty good! – Tickets are $50 each, available from Richard Sills, P.O. Box 6446, Lancaster, PA 17607 – If you pay by check, make the check payable to "AACA" – Drawing will be held on October 11 at the AACA Fall Meet in Hershey (winner may select $20,000 cash instead of the car, in case he or she can't bear to drive anything but a Cadillac!)
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2008 OFFICERS
NAME POSITION(S) PHONE NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS Vince Taliano Regional Director 301-258-8321 [email protected] Newsletter Editor Website Manager
Dan Ruby Assistant Regional 301-894-8026 [email protected] Director
Bill Sessler National Director 703-368-2367 [email protected]
Sandy Kemper Secretary 301-585-0897 [email protected] Associate Newsletter Editor Valley Forge Region Liaison Diane & Henry Ruby Car Show Coordinators 301-297-4459 [email protected] Central PA Region Liaisons
Harry Scott Treasurer 703-791-3278 [email protected]
Richard Sisson Membership Chairman 301-279-8962 [email protected] Newsletter Columnist
Steven Sisson Activities Director 703-724-7652 [email protected] Central VA Region Liaison Newsletter Columnist
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