2009 Speedster

December 2009

Volume 15

Welcome to SPEEDSTER!

'Tis the Season! Have you finished all your shopping! I sure haven't! Don't forget to check out our merchandise site as you begin your holiday shopping. We have a wonderful selection of items that would make the perfect gift for any car enthusiast!

Happy Holidays and be sure to drive safe on all your travels!

Attention Members!

We want to hear from you!

We want your short stories and articles on fun, interesting or educational events for SPEEDSTER !

Email us at speedster@aaca.org

Old Cars Weekly Bookstore Holiday Sale!

AACA members take advantage of this holiday promotion and get FREE shipping on all your orders at Old Cars Weekly Bookstore! Old Cars Weekly has a great selection of automotive publications with the lowest prices on the web! As you check out your order type in promo code AACA109 to receive the free shipping.
Hurry promotion ends December 31, 2009!

Member Contribution

Richfield Bus Company

By Member Stan Holter

Richfield Bus Company celebrated 50 years in business this year honoring the founders George and Marilyn Holter of Richfield Minnesota. They were surprised with a newly restored 1952 Mack C50 they had originally purchased for their business in 1964. The Holters are still active in the business, however their sons Dan and Stan now operate the company's main operations. The sons have keen interest in preserving antique cars and buses, so they decided to surprise their folks with completely restoring the Mack as a tribute to their folks 50 years of service. Since 1973, the Mack had simply been stored out back and through the years became used as a storage shed escaping a fatal trip to the scrapper as many of the old buses had been forced by the city in the late 90's.

As the project began, the sons searched high and low for parts buses as their Mack had badly deteriorated over the years, but little did they know their Mack happens to be the last known C50 left in existence out of 576 ever built. Son Stan volunteers as Superintendent for the Minnesota Transportation Museum's "Classic Bus Division" and started searching other museums and collectors around the country in hopes something would pop up. A trip to the Mack museum in Allentown Pennsylvania proved interesting as the museum still had the original build sheet and other records including photos prior to delivery for the original owner (Twin City lines) in 1952, but no knowledge of any other C50's existing regardless of condition was known even by the Mack Museum. The sons moved on anyway and had the Mack stripped to the frame inside and out and with a little fabrication and scrounging through their old stock of parts, they managed to complete the project maintaining its authenticity.

More photos and stories of the restoration are available on their web site

www.richfieldbus.com

Library & Research By Chris Ritter

It is that time of year again! The AACA Library and Research Center is presently selling items on Ebay. Now is your chance to bid on some great items ranging from planes, to trains, and automobiles. The library will continue to post items on Ebay into February!

Items being auctioned were originally donated to the library with the intention of them being sold. All money raised will be put into the Library & Research Center's Endowment Fund.
To view and place your Ebay bid for items that are currently available, visit the following link ~ AACALIBRARIAN ~ Good luck and thank you for your support!

Items on Ebay 12/13/09 - 12/23/09:

-1963 Porsche Konstructionen Portfolio w/Original Shipping Box - Ebay Item #130351033123

- Caxton Company Automobile & Machinery Illustrations - Ebay Item #130351025522

- Rolls-Royce & Auto Club Badges -- Ebay Item #130351027715

- Victor W. Page: Automotive & Aviation Pioneer by Frank C. Derato - Ebay Item #130351030646

- Antique Automobile Jack - Jiffy Jax -- Ebay Item #130351034205

- Gilbert & Tyco Model Train Catalog Lot - Ebay Item #130351036212

- Lionel Model Train Catalog Lot -- Ebay Item #130351036697
- 30 HP Benz Data Plate No. 7397 Circa 1910 - Ebay Item #130351105740

Remember the AACA Library & Research Center Chris Ritter, Head Librarian, and his staff will do everything they can to track down that manual, advertisement, or anything else you need!

Region Recognition

Check out these pictures from the Tri-Regional Grand Ole Tour which toured Alpine, Marfa and Fort Davis, Texas. Everyone who participated surely had a grand ole time!

Email us at speedster@aaca.org if you would like to tell us a story about your Region!

Member Spotlight

Hillsborough Region AACA Member Breaks World Record

On November 21, 2009, at the Annual Cigar Heritage Festival in Tampa, FL, Hillsborough Region AACA Members Wallace and Margarita Reyes rolled the world's longest cigar with the assistance of 58 people that included 16 members of Hillsborough Region. Jose Castelar of Cuba held the previous record at 148 ft 11 inches. The new record is now 196.3 ft. and weighs 113.2 pounds. It took a total of 113 hours to make and 12 hours for the final assembly. Guinness Book of World Records, Adjudicator, Mr. Stewart Claxton certified the record length, and is now in the record book. Hillsborough Region AACA members are proud of members Wallace and Margarita for their dedication to their craft and our club. Along with helping roll the world's longest cigar, members displayed eight antique cars for the thousands of spectators and cigar aficionados.

AACA Museum

Museum Happenings!

The AACA Museum is currently featuring a diverse array of vehicles. Amongst the displays the Museum is pleased to be featuring Pennsylvania's very own philanthropist John "Jack" Rich collection!

From his collection, the Museum will be showcasing six spectacular and diverse vehicles from this collection in the main exhibit gallery that span from the early 1900's - late 1940's. Specific vehicles include: 1910 American Underslung Traveler, 1926 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster, 1932 Delage D8-SS Cabriolet by Chapron, 1939 Horch 853a Cabriolet, 1939/47 Rolls-Royce Phantom III 'Vutotal' Cabriolet by Labourdette, and a 1948 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet by Figoni et Falaschi.

Photograph Courtesy of Michael Furman

The JWR Collection will be on display at the Museum through January 31, 2010. Stop on in!

How much do you know!?!

Automotive Trivia

1. Can you guess when the following speed barriers were broken?
a) 60 mph

b) 200 mph
c) 300 mph
d) 400 mph

2. Doghouse ID

Scroll down for the answers!

Speedy's Notes

Vintage Motorsport AACA Member Discount Offer
Another new membership benefit is this very special offer to enjoy Vintage Motorsport magazine with this one time only special for a full year subscription to Vintage Motorsport for only $19.95!

Take them up on this offer and call the Vintage Motorsport office at 800-626-9937 and tell them the "AACA" discount code so you get the discount or, easier yet, just click this link to their subscription page and fill in the discount code box with AACA to get your discount.

*Note: The special offer doesn't apply to the two-year subscription

If you're not familiar with this wonderfully put together bi-monthly magazine, visit their website, www.vintagemotorsport.com

Car Czar TV Series
The first three episodes of this ground breaking TV series will be starting on Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 8:00 PM on The National Geographic Channel! Visit the Car Czar link here to read more about the episodes. Depending on the viewer response it could possibly turn in to a full season. Tune in January!

Classic Car Ad Video
I came across this neat video of a montage of Classic car ads... Enjoy!

75th Anniversary Celebration!
Have you booked your room yet for the anniversary celebration June 30-July 4 in Louisville, Kentucky?! Call The Crown Plaza Hotel in Louisville, KY at 1-800-626-2708 and request the 'Antique Automobile Club Room Block'. Hurry! Rooms are going fast!

For more info visit www.aaca75.org

Spread the word!

Help us spread the word by sponsoring a new member!

Click here for AACA MEMBERSHIP benefits and details including a MEMBERSHIP Application or call us at 717-534-1910.

Join in the Discussion

Check out our topics on the AACA Forum

SPEEDSTER Archives

Read and print newsletters. Visit the links provided in each section for more information. Use the articles in your region publications and updates. Join our mailing list and please share issues with family, friends and future AACA members! SPEEDSTER Archives Here

Calendar Spotlight!

February 11-13 2010 - AACA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.

More details available here.

February 12-14 2010 - Puerto Rico Auto Show and Auction, San Juan, PR. Music, native food, 2000 cars in exhibition and much more! For information contact Jose Scalley at canalsgroup@gmail.com

March 4-6 - Winter Meet, South Florida. For more information visit the Region website.

March 21-26 2010 - The AACA Sentimental Tour takes you on A Springtime Adventure in the Texas Hill Country

This five-day tour showcases the picturesque hill country a few miles west of Austin and San Antonio where the wild flowers should be in bloom. See breathtaking scenic views and drink in the flavor of cowboy lifestyle.