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Welcome to SPEEDSTER!
Spring AACA excitement is in
full bloom ... as a rainbow of nearly 1400 magnificent
antique vehicles motored into Eastern, Central and Special
Spring Meets across the country ~ Pennsylvania, Minnesota and
Tennessee. Graciously hosted by each region, enthusiastic
hobbyists of ALL ages were entertained and educated as they
participated in a wide variety of engaging activities. Cheers
to the
Gettysburg Region,
Minnesota Region
and the
Middle Tennessee Region
for all your hard work and months of planning that resulted in
these successful events!


Displaying true AACA passion and spirit in the face of
some weather challenges, members arrived in full force
to enjoy the events and share their beautiful antique
vehicles with fellow hobbyists. Over 1100 proud
folks received awards at the Gettysburg, Prior Lake and
Lebanon meets! To view a full listing of results from
each meet, please click below.
Share the AACA excitement today...
AACA has a place for
everyone!
Attend an AACA event
with family and friends! Visit the
Calendar Spotlight section below for information
on upcoming events, Click
here or Call
Headquarters 717-534-1910 for details.
Thank you for helping
AACA to thrive as the premier destination and
resource for the collectible vehicle community!

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Test
your Automotive Trivia Knowledge! Try your hand at the Questions
below...
1. Fred Marriott souped up this
car to be the first human to travel in excess of 120 mph. Name
the car and the year.
2. What car had the most amount of trim in history?

3. The first superhighway in America opened up in 1940. Where
was it?
4. What are the names of 18 automobiles that have borne the
names of U.S. Presidents (although not necessarily named after
them)?
Curious? Scroll down
for the Answers!
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AACA Welcomes you to the MEET ...

Your antique treasure is ready to
go and you are anxious to join the fun, its SHOWTIME!
You just mailed your completed "Activity Request
Card" provided on the carrier sheet with your Antique
Automobile magazine. This will be the FIRST TIME you are
showing your vehicle at an AACA National meet!
Your family is excited and the calendar has been
marked. As the anticipation builds, you begin to wonder what
to expect.
Not to worry ... detailed communication and friendly
assistance will be provided before, during and after the
meet! Headquarters will forward the requested event
brochure, registration card(s), and other pertinent details
along with an
AACA Exhibitors Brochure. The
Exhibitors Brochure
offers a wealth of information to help ensure you have
a seamless and enjoyable meet experience ~ please take time
to read it over! You will feel at ease as your questions
are answered.
 And,
be sure to attend the
owners briefing
meeting the morning of the show! It isn't mandatory,
but you will find the information discussed very helpful and
 there
will be ample opportunities to ask
questions. AACA representatives will carefully review each
item on the owners briefing checklist. This informal meeting
typically lasts about 30 minutes.
Remember we are
here to assist YOU, our members!
If you have any
questions, please call us at
Headquarters, 717-534-1910.
See YOU at the MEET!
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Headquarters Starting
Grid... Meet Mary
and Nelson Neff!
If you are fortunate,
you find a passion that enriches your life as well as someone to
share it with ... and, that is just what Nelson and Mary have
done since their meeting while working at AMP! Married 35 years,
these two devoted AACA members have been and continue to be very
active at the National and Region level.
Both retired from AMP on
the same day in 1998. With some extra time on their hands,
Nelson and Mary decided to take part-time positions at
Headquarters ~ Nelson has been with us now for 10 years and Mary
8 years.
Nelson,
affectionately referred to as the "Lawn Ranger", keeps
Headquarters beautifully groomed and ready for visitors. We also
benefit by his mechanical talents as he works on much needed
repair and maintenance projects around headquarters and the
library. Nelson also assists with AACA merchandise photography.
Mary devotes her time to the library, primarily working on
filing for the library's vast and growing collection. They
both pitch in whenever necessary, lending assistance on special
projects such as the library literature auction preparation. It
is certainly no small task to properly sort and prepare
the large amount of items for the sale!
As mentioned
before, Nelson and Mary are avid and giving AACA members. Life
members of AACA, life members of the Hershey Region and founding
members of the Pennsylvania Dutch Region, they have served as
officers, as board members and on countless committees. Nelson
was President of the Hershey Region as well as the 1989 and 2002
Fall Meet Chairman. He has also been a dedicated member of the
Library and Museum Boards. In addition, Mary and Nelson have
chaired Divisional and Founders Tour events.
"Although
we enjoy our involvement in all facets and levels of AACA,
we find touring particularly pleasurable," Nelson and Mary
noted. "And, we have been on many, including Glidden and
Founders Tours, as we appreciate the opportunity to visit
interesting places, drive our antique cars, and meet fellow
hobbyists."
Nelson and
Mary are proud to own a garage full of wonderful antique
automobiles including a 1935 Chevrolet Master Deluxe 4 door,
1942 Chevrolet 1/2 ton Pickup, 1955 Ford Thunderbird, 1955
Pontiac Starchief, 1975 Chevrolet Corvette and 1979 El
Camino.
When not involved in AACA activities you will find these two
Central Pennsylvania natives working in the yard,
woodworking and caring for their Cocker Spaniel pup, Nelly.
All and all, they make
a great team!
When in
Hershey, be sure to visit your
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Contest ....Might be Shocking!
Hope we got your attention with
the title! We need your help! The AACA Museum has become a
world class institution that has received numerous awards and
recognition. The addition of the Museum of Bus Transportation
and the Antique Motorcycle Club of America's collection has
further added to the incredible richness of the museum
experience.
As you know, as members, YOU get in free which is all the more
reason that the museum board and staff must find creative ways
to attract area residents as well as tourists. Hersheypark
hosts 2.5 million visitors a year and our museum needs a
larger share of those paying customers. The museum needs to be
self sustaining and the opportunity does exist for much more
business.
However, marketing of the AACA Museum is a problem. Tourists
do not know what an "AACA" is and driving by the museum it is
hard to tell there is a car museum up there either! AACA is
dear to all of us and we instantly know what awaits us but the
public does not. After an extreme amount of debate and
research spanning several years the museum has decided they
need to modify their name for signage and marketing purposes
only. The AACA Museum will still be their heritage and the
Antique Automobile Club of America prominent on the sign. A
name change will help market the museum to tourists much more
effectively and efficiently.
Here is where YOU come in! Help
us with the name change? The name should be exciting ...
remember there are antique cars, motorcycles and buses at the
museum. The name could have a subtitle. Use
your imagination and passion for our museum and AACA. Give us
a winner!
What do you win? Don't know yet, but we can promise you
this, you will be more than pleased with the shower of
gifts if the museum picks YOUR suggestion! Think of the
immortality of it too! You can make a difference!
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AACA, Cool to be "Old School"
Youth, the future of AACA! There are
tons of great ways for kids to have fun and get involved in our
wonderful antique automobile hobby.
AACA Junior membership
is open to any child up to 12 years old (whether or not
parents are members of AACA). Dues are $10.00 per Junior
member, per year, and each will receive one Membership Card,
Badge, Pin and WHEELS.
AACA publishes WHEELS, a youth newsletter, four times a year
for distribution in February, May, August and November.
Creatively and colorfully illustrated, each WHEELS issue
offers engaging articles and interesting activities all
designed to spotlight the past, present and future of the
collectible vehicle hobby encouraging youth involvement,
inspiring educational curiosity and instilling an appreciation
for history. For example, the summer 2009 WHEELS issue carried
an article entitled "The Story of Walter P. Chrysler" as well
as a brief history of "The Chrysler Six." Additionally,
previous WHEELS issues have included articles on starting your
own car [miniature] collection, model car building is fun, and
a look back at school buses from days gone by.
Youth of all ages contribute to WHEELS by submitting articles,
providing book reports and reviews, designing interactive
puzzles and games (i.e., word search, crossword puzzles,
identification challenges) and submitting photos.
Furthermore, each WHEELS issue spotlights a young member
allowing them to be the author and tell their story by writing
a short article and selecting pictures. WHEELS objective is to
provide an entertaining interactive medium to make learning
fun, to spur activity and to demonstrate the rewards of
participating in a lifelong hobby.
So don't delay,
send in something today! We look forward to receiving
short articles, poems, photos, crossword puzzles and word
searches from our JUNIOR MEMBERS ... please send to
Chris Ritter,
AACA Library & Research Center.
By sea or by land
...
AACA encourages
special youth activities at National (local local) Meets and
events. Educational programs offered acquaint juniors with
AACA history, its structure and mission, and a general
overview of vehicles and their workings, plus a basic
understanding of the vehicle judging system, all at a level
each find interesting and entertaining. Coloring books, pins,
stickers are examples of items often
provided
at these events.
Recently, as part of the youth program at the Gettysburg
Eastern Spring Meet, kids (and some "older kids") were treated
to a ride in an Amphicar! There was a pond adjacent to the
show field and everyone enjoyed this unique treat. Special
thanks to Ron Green from the Gettysburg Region for being so
very generous with his time and vehicle!
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AACA Library & Research Center NEWS

Preparation for the
Literature Auction Begins!
The Library & Research Center
will hold its 15th literature auction on Monday, October 5, 2009
at 10:00 A.M. While that date is still a few months away,
volunteers have already begun sorting and preparing the
materials for sale. Mary and Nelson Neff (profiled in this
issue of Speedster), and Peter Heizmann begin the long
process by sorting material by marque and then by year. A full
listing of auction materials will be available by September
1st.
Check out our website
for the status of the list in late August.
The sale will be held at the AACA Hershey Region Headquarters,
131 Museum Drive, Hershey PA (approx. 1 ¼ miles north of the
intersection of Route 39 and Hersheypark Drive, on the left).
There will be a preview beginning at 8:30 A.M. on the sale day.
Material to be sold includes sales literature, manuals,
periodicals, ads and books.
You Never Know What You Will Find...
 The
library has many holdings on vehicles that were not
mass-produced. For some of these vehicles we only have a
newspaper clipping or two, but for others we have a large
collection of resources.
While recently looking for a Chrysler sales brochure, we came
across a photograph that made us stop in our tracks. The
photograph featured a 1956 Chrysler Plainsman - "A bold new
experiment in station wagon styling" and Chrysler's "Idea
Station Wagon" for 1956.
Among other highlights, the vehicle featured a rearward-facing
rear seat for two adults, simulated turbine intakes, and an
interior of natural calf hide. The library has more than one
picture of the vehicle; we have an official Plainsman Press Kit,
and copies of articles written about the Plainsman.
If you are in the Hershey area, stop in and view the press kit
or order copies via email, postal mail, or the telephone.
You never know what you will find in the
AACA Library & Research Center,
but when you do stumble across something unique and interesting
be sure you have set aside enough time to enjoy it!
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How did you do? Trivia
Answers!
1. Fred Marriott souped up this
car to be the first human to travel in excess of 120 mph. Name
the car and the year.
Answer
-- Marriott hit 127.6 mph in his Stanley Streamer Rocket in
1906.
2. What car had the most amount of trim in history?

Answer -- The
1958 Oldsmobile Super 88. It had 44 pounds of chrome trim and
was sometimes referred to as a "rolling juke box."
3. The first superhighway in America opened up in 1940.
Where was it?
Answer -- In
Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, a toll road, was
160.8 miles. The first modern expressway was begun the same
year in Southern California - the Pasadena Freeway.
4. What are the names of 18 automobiles that have borne
the names of U.S. Presidents (although not necessarily
named after them)?
Answer -- Adams, Carter, Cleveland, Ford,
Harding, Harrison, Jackson, Lincoln, Monroe, Pierce,
Roosevelt, Taft, Washington, Madison, Johnson, Wilson,
Kennedy and Hoover.
Thanks for
playing!
Source: Automotive
Milestones, Trivia of a Most Unique Machine, Edited by
Clark Cassell and Charles Merritt, Braddock
Publications.
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Calendar Spotlight!
64th
Revival AAA® Glidden Tour
Golden, Colorado ~ August 23-28, 2009
Hosted by the Rocky Mountain Region AACA, this tour is
for 1942 vehicles and earlier.
Come join us for a week of adventurous touring the Gold
country where the authentic mining equipment still
adorns the hillsides. Visit the small mining towns that
were busy metropolis during the Gold Rush days. You will
travel the canyons and valleys alongside the streams and
rivers just as the miners did. Climb the mountains to
the high country where the gold mines were, then descend
into the small mining towns with unique and unusual
antique collections which have replaced the dance halls
and saloons. Ladies will have plenty of leisure time for
shopping, dining and kicking back while relaxing to the
rippling of the water making its way down stream. Men,
we haven't left you out since we will be visiting some
unique auto and equipment collections in Colorado. A
tour of a private collection of antique washing machines
and farm equipment is also in store for you to enjoy.
For tour registration contact: Lynn at National
Headquarters 717-534-1910. Tour information: Mel Bacon
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melbacon@msn.com.
Click
Here to VISIT the Antique
Automobile Club of America's (AACA) online calendar.
Attend and Participate in these Upcoming 2009 National
Events:
August 23-28 - Revival
AAA® Glidden Tour, Golden, Colorado
November 5-7 -
Western Fall Meet, LaQuinta, California
(Palm Springs area)
If your AACA Region
or Chapter would like to sponsor a future
National Event, please contact Hulon C.
McCraw, Vice President of National Meets &
Tours at 828-606-2918.
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Speedy's
News and Notes
● Show
your AACA Pride ...
AACA offers a wide selection
of quality gear and merchandise for everyone in the family,
including your prized antique! Call us
today at 717-534-1910, if you need ideas or help with a
purchase.
● Join the
AACA Family for a memorable
Night at the Museum
during "Hershey", Wednesday, October 7, 2009 from 6-10 pm.
Tickets are on sale Now!
Consider Sponsoring this exciting automotive event or even
Donating an auction item ~ Click
Here for additional information or
contact Myra Toomey, 717-566-7100.
● View SPEEDSTER
issues ... Click
Here to access the SPEEDSTER
Archives! Read and
print newsletters, visit the links provided in each
section for more information, join our mailing list,
edit your profile, and share issues with family, friends
and future AACA members.
● Your Hobby is
always under attack so make sure you are keeping up with
local, state and national laws that could affect you and
your hobby. An excellent source of information
is
www.semasan.org.
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Contact
Information
Phone: 717-534-1910 Email:
speedster@aaca.org
About The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA)
The Antique Automobile Club of America, a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit corporation, is the country's premier resource for
the collectible vehicle community. Since its formation in
1935, the Club, through its national office, publications, and
membership, aids individuals, museums, libraries, historians
and collectors dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of
automotive history.
For additional information on the AACA family, please visit
www.aaca.org,
www.aacalibrary.org,
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