Journal The Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Issue 255 Electronic March - April 2012 Diamonds Aren’t Forever, Page 12. Inside Date Reminders President’s Message 3 Retromobile 6 June 11, 2012 Scharburg Award Nominations Due SAH Chapter News 3 Pilgrimage to Alsace 8 July 31, 2012 SAH News 4 Book & Media Reviews 10 Valentine Award Nominations Due. Letters 4 Inside the Fisher Body Craftsmen’s Guild August 1, 2012 Bradley Award Nominations Due. The Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild recap SAH in Paris 5 October 11, 2012 Fall Board Meeting. Cover Vehicle: 1901 Sunbeam-Mabley at the October 12, 2012 www.autohistory.org Louwman Museum. Photo: Lincoln Sarmanian Annual MeetingMarch and- April Awards 2012 Banquet. Journal The Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Issue 255 March - April 2012 Offi cers SAH Annual Awards J. Douglas Leighton President Benz Award, Chair: Don Keefe, [email protected] John Heitmann Vice President The Carl Benz Award is presented each year for the best article published in the previous calendar year. SAH Robert R. Ebert Secretary Awards of Distinction are awarded for exemplary articles not receiving the Benz Award. Patrick D. Bisson Treasurer 2011 Terry V. Boyce, “1951 Buick XP-300: Mr. Chayne Builds His Dream Car,”in Collectible Automobile 2010 John L. Baeke, M.D, “The Lebarons: Heir Apparent to the Throne,” in The Reunion Board of Directors 2009 Jim Chase, “Packard and Winton: The Transcontinental Rivalry,” in The Packard Cormorant Through October 2012 Thomas S. Jakups, Leslie Kendall, Bradley Award, Chair: Judith Endelman, [email protected] Steve Wilson The James J. Bradley Distinguished Service Award is presented to deserving archives and libraries for exemplary efforts in preserving motor vehicle resource materials. Through October 2013 2011 Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, Coventry, UK Judith E. Endelman, Paul N. Lashbrook, 2010 Automotive Research Library of the Horseless Carriage Foundation, La Mesa, California, USA Stanton A. Lyman, 2009 Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory Corners, Michigan, USA Susan S. Davis, ex-offi cio Brigham Award, Chair: Jack Juratovic, 712 Novak Lane, Big Rapids MI 49307 Through October 2014 The Brigham Award is presented for magazines published in the previous calendar year. John A. Marino, Mark Patrick, 2011 The Packard Cormorant, published by Packard Automobile Classics, Stuart Blond, Editor. James K. Wagner 2010 Antique Automobile, published by Antique Automobile Club of America. Editor-in-chief/design director SAH Journal West Peterson Allan G. Y. Meyer, Editor, Adv. Mgr. 2009 Collectible Automobile, published by Publications International, Ltd. John Biel, editor-in-chief P.O. Box 1948 Vashon, WA 98070-1948 USA Cugnot Award, English, Chair: Doug Leighton, [email protected] [email protected] The Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot Award is presented each year for the best book published in the previous [email protected] calendar year. SAH Awards of Distinction are awarded for exemplary books not receiving the Cugnot Award. 2011 Joel E. Finn, Caribbean Capers: The Cuban Grand Prix Road Races of 1957, 1958, and 1960 Associate Editor 2010 Charles K. Hyde, Storied Independent Automakers: Nash, Hudson and American Motors Rubén L. Verdés 2009 Karl Ludvigsen, Ferdinand Porsche, Genesis of Genius: Road, Racing and Aviation Innovation, 1900-1933 Publications Committee Thomas S. Jakups, Chair Cugnot Award, Non-English, Chair: Bill Kreiner, [email protected] Christopher G. Foster The Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot Award, Non-English, is presented each year for the best book published in a Rubén L. Verdés, Donald J. Keefe, language other than English the previous calendar year. SAH Awards of Distinction are awarded for exemplary Steve Wilson, Pat Chappell, books not receiving the Cugnot Award. Mark Patrick, Allan Meyer 2011 Claude Rouxel and Laurent Friry, Gotha de l’Automobile Française 2010 Sébastien Faurès Fustel de Coulanges, Fiat en Grand Prix, 1920-1930 SAH Journal (ISSN 1057–1973) Hans-Jürgen Schneider and Halwart Schrader, Legende: BMW 02 is published six times a year by the 2009 Manuel Lage, 1,000,000: Un Millón de Camiones y Buses Españoles Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Friend of Automotive History, Chair: Darwyn Lumley, [email protected] Subscription is by membership Recognition to an individual who has made a particular personal contribution to automotive history. in the Society. 2011 Kit Foster Membership dues are $40 per year. 2010 Miles C. Collier 2009 G. Marshall Naul Send dues, membership inquiries and changes of address to: Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Ingersoll Award, Chair: Thomas Jakups, [email protected] Cornerstone Registration Ltd. The E. P. Ingersoll Award is given for the best presentation of automotive history in other than print media. P.O. Box 1715 2011 Racemaker Press, O’Keefe Winners Database, published online. 2010 Mark Theobald, Coachbuilt.com Maple Grove, MN 55311-6715 USA 2009 Michael Hamm, producer, director/writer; Kerrie Long, producer “The Greatest Auto Race on Earth” ©2012 The Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Scharchburg Award, Chair: John Heitmann, [email protected] Presented to an undergraduate or graduate level student for the best research paper in the fi eld of automotive Find the Society of Automotive Historians history. on the web at www.autohistory.org. 2011 Andrew Jennings Mabon, “The Automobile, the Interstate, and Suburbanites” 2009 Ted R. Mitchell, “Sit-Down Women: Gender and the 1936-7 General Motors Strike in Flint, Michigan” 2008 Peter S. Cajka, “Consumers, Cadillacs, and Civil Rights: The Social and Cultural Impact of the Automobile Copy Deadline for Journal 256 in Ebony, 1945-1965” June 20, 2012 A complete history of award winners may be found at: www.autohistory.org/awards.html 2 SAH Journal No. 255 Electronic Edition Our membership is truly interna- President’s Message tional and refl ects a variety of inter- SAH Chapter News ests within the SAH. How can we By the time this issue of the Journal is The Southern California chapter of communicate more effectively with printed and sent out to SAH members, the Society of Automotive Historians each other? Recent revisions to our our April meeting in Philadelphia will is going to revive the James Valentine website should help. A promising have taken place. As I am writing this Award. Long-time members will recall initiative is the creation of a racing column, it is still two weeks away. The that the award honors chapter found- and motorsports section, currently efforts of Arthur Jones and his commit- er James Valentine by recognizing being shepherded by Pat Yongue. tee will require strong support from the published work of an author who Should we encourage the develop- the rest of us to ensure success as has published a book or article which ment of such special interest groups? we embark on our fi rst “stand alone” dealt with the history of the automo- How do we do that while maintain- conference. Our semi-annual gather- bile in California. Past winners have ing the unity and sense of purpose ings in the spring and in the autumn included Kevin Nelson for Wheels of so essential to the SAH? at Hershey are times to celebrate our Change in 2010, Ken Albert for For accomplishments and to plan for the the Love of Old Cars in 2009, and Joe The future of the SAH lies with all SAH’s future. Scalzo for City of Speed in 2008. of us. We need to share our au- tomobile enthusiasms with others Let me share some thoughts with you At this time we are looking for nomi- at a personal level to attract new and invite your response. Demographi- nations for the 2012 Valentine Award. members. We have to be willing cally, we are an aging bunch! This is The two basic criteria to remember to shoulder some of the Society’s true of the “old car hobby” in general, are that the work must have been administrative tasks so that it can but it poses a challenge for us: how published in the previous calendar function effi ciently and smoothly can we attract new and younger mem- year, in this case 2011, and that the and continue to grow. bers into the SAH so that following work should deal, in large part, with generations will be able to nurture and the automobile in California. It could There are great days ahead for the develop it? Our approaches to students be about persons or events, or the SAH. Please share your thoughts via special membership rates and essay work of a company. We have one and insights about the journey we contests are important. How can we nominee at this time: Mustang GT/CS have embarked on together. build upon these initiatives to ensure by Paul Newitt with a 2011 copyright. —Douglas Leighton the future of our Society? It is planned to honor the recipient of Our membership numbers have varied the Valentine Award for 2012 at a lun- from the 750-800 range to the 900+ SAH members are invited to join cheon and general membership meet- range. Thanks to the efforts of our the Classic Car Club of America ing of the chapter in the last quarter treasurer Pat Bisson and others, joining (CCCA) of the year. Therefore, if you have the SAH and maintaining a member- founded in 1952 to promote the any works to nominate for the award ship are now less cumbersome tasks preservation and restoration of you should inform me by email, letter than in the past, through the use of our distinctive motorcars built between or phone call before August 1 of this website and its electronic advantages, 1925 and 1948. year, so that our judges can review and the working out of some initial The club publishes its Bulletin eight the nominated books and pick a win- “glitches.” What strategies might we times a year and the quarterly Classic ner by October.