Grand Classic - Chesapeake Bay Region Photos

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All beautiful.

Wow, great turn out with some high-quality hardware. Nice!

I've admired this car since I saw it at the Hershey auction a few years ago. I threw my hands up a few times on it, never expecting to win it, but every time I see it I wish I had stayed in the fight a little longer...

I'm not a sedan guy,  but boy I could get to like this, just like it is. 

Looks like a nice spot with lots of shade. 

All the cars with white walls look great.

auburnseekerJul 13, 2019

I'm not a sedan guy,  but boy I could get to like this, just like it is. 

Looks like a nice spot with lots of shade. 

I chased it for two months before getting beat out for a lot more money. The car was still in the original family’s garage till about 2012. It went to Pebble in the preservation class. Now owned by a famous collector in NJ.

You didn't chase it hard enough.  

auburnseekerJul 13, 2019

You didn't chase it hard enough.  

Ed is not mentioning that if he was chasing it with a fist full of money he would have caught it.   For some reason they didn't like his 10,000 dollar offer.

Matt HarwoodJul 13, 2019

Wow, great turn out with some high-quality hardware. Nice!

I've admired this car since I saw it at the Hershey auction a few years ago. I threw my hands up a few times on it, never expecting to win it, but every time I see it I wish I had stayed in the fight a little longer...

I agree,  that Packard had presence.    There were more cars that I didn't get a chance to photograph.   The cars were spaced nicely apart and by 10:00 there were no spaces left that way.    It was a pretty good turn out.  

We had some interlopers come in and I was trying to push them towards membership.   It makes me think we should open to the public,  maybe with a "new member" discount right at the gate to recruit more remembers.

And nobody jump down my throat.  I'm joking with the world "interloper".

Thank you for the photos , great to see. If I am correct that Packard touring car would be a 7 passenger? what makes me think so are the oval "coach type" door handles that I believe were unique to the open 7 passenger cars only, not to any 5 passenger cars. Looks like a great setting as well.  Al your idea about snagging a few of the 'interlopers' ( well chosen word ) into CCCA membership with perhaps a discount right at the gate is a great one. I gave a few ideas as to how to get new members as well at no cost to CCCA some time ago for Hershey, never got a response.

alsancleJul 13, 2019

Spiffy ride there mister - did not know you had one in the garage.

Rule # one - chrome valve stem covers   - I usually have an extra set in every glove box. 

I spent some time with one that was in a Estate/bankruptcy out of Chicago - I want to say it was body # 5 - At time it was a light maroon with tan interior and top.  

alsancleJul 14, 2019

Ed is not mentioning that if he was chasing it with a fist full of money he would have caught it.   For some reason they didn't like his 10,000 dollar offer.

I beg to differ......I was the high offer for a while, but they wanted more than I thought it was worth. I believe I was correct, as the car was put up for auction an it didn’t make a bid that was half of what they had in it. I have no idea what it finally sold for, but it probably as close to my number. 

PS- I do know a few people who take my advice on cars when it comes to buying and selling.

John_MerenessJul 16, 2019

I spent some time with one that was in a Estate/bankruptcy out of Chicago - I want to say it was body # 5 - At time it was a light maroon with tan interior and top.  

This one has been in the family for longer than I've been alive.   Dave Kane owned a maroon 35 that was body #4,  it might be that one you saw.    There are an equal number of the 36, plus a few phaetons that have had the cowl added.

AJ, thanks for the great photos!   I've been to the Turf Valley CCCA Grand Classics twice.  They've been terrific, but the cars this time look particularly interesting (I see a lot of cars here I haven't seen at past shows.) Great stuff.  Sorry I ended up on the wrong coast this time

alsancleJul 14, 2019

We had some interlopers come in and I was trying to push them towards membership.   It makes me think we should open to the public,  maybe with a "new member" discount right at the gate to recruit more remembers.

And nobody jump down my throat.  I'm joking with the world "interloper".

I like that idea.  For a lot of people, the regular CCCA dues are probably enough to deter joining.  At $70 for the national, plus $20 to $50 for the region -- and that likely on top of marque club memberships, maybe AACA, magazine subscriptions, etc -- it's not a small amount to join.   Worth it, but you don't know that until you join.  A year of discounted membership would probably help.

The one thing that all club members receive for their dues is the publications. You don't need to own a car , or if you have one participate in tours and shows that may cost $ beyond your means. Or you may have a dozen cars in your garage you would like to see on the road but aren't.  SO the publications are your connection to the club and the way you feel you are apart of it and "belong": The cost for the publications is the biggest expense a club can encounter - printing, mailing etc. SO most of your dues go to that. The more members you have the the better it is because once a magazine is composed and ready to print, be it 3,000 or 5,000 copies after a certain point the cost is in the amount of paper used, not in the set up to get something printed, that has already been done. It is one reason for 32 of the 46 years when I belonged to CCCA I contributed to the publications - but many members with magnificent collections of period material are just that, collectors - they do not feel comfortable or have the ability to put a story together and then the words to make it a "good read". There is something to be said about "numbers" especially when it comes to members, but also about contributions , especially to the publications to keep it all going strong. Dues need to be raised if membership numbers fall to keep it solvent, but then members drop out because it is to costly to join the club...................dire situations can be made worse. I wish CCCA well, along with any other car clubs that are perhaps in need of an infusion of new members, ideas, and enthusiasm to keep them all going.

Hi!  My name is Greg and I live in Alexandria Virginia!  Although I do not have a CCCA vehicle (yet!), I'm trying to do as much research and view as many cars as possible before I become the vehicle's next caretaker.  It would be great if there was a classic vehicle in my family that has been passed down thru the generations; however, there is not...  I drove just over an hour in my modern car (a 2015 Holden SS) to go to this show, my first CCCA meet.  At 53, I was definitely among the younger of the owners and interlopers.  It would have been great if there was some type of "ambassador" there is show me around or introduce me to a few folks...  I did ask one guy that looked official how many cars were there and he said 47.  I also asked a few people if they knew Al Becker who I spoke to on the phone, but never met, since he had a beautiful dark green phaeton there, but no luck...  He may have been judging.  Anyway, I watched a few times as the teams of judges actually did the operations tests and judged the cars.  I took many of the same photos you see above.  I stopped at the information table/canopy on the way out and they were offering a pretty thick classic car book as a gift if one joined the club that day.  The two black unrestored cars definitely appealed to me.  The sedan definitely needed new glass, but that would take away from its originality.  I'm very glad I went!  A big THANK YOU to the hosts!     

Greg, I am 54 and there are a couple of us under age of 60 in CCCA.  I had been attending events since a kid.  I personally joined in 1989, just before starting law school - love the club publications.  When I joined there were 50 members under the age 30, then 50 members under age 40, then 50 members under the age 50, and now probably near the same 50 under the age 60.   Obviously, there are more young potential members who just not sent in their CCCA club application and a check - please do.   Ed in Mass was just speaking to me the other night about a 40 year old owner who just became the proud owner of a more significant than not Duesenberg.

You are free to connect via Linkedin or Facebook and you are free to contact me for any questions.   I have owned more CCCA cars than can count and also am involved with www.significantcars.com.  I tend to encourage Auburn Cord Duesenberg, and related products - they run nice and always have a fan club (plus I am far from the youngest or oldest member at any ACD Club meet - I feel very much at home age wise and really enjoy the people in the club), though that said dad and I have also had Cadillacs (and a Franklin), and I have had Packards, RR's, and ..., plus worked on a ton of stuff for friends  - always happy to give a fair assessment. 

P.S.  The Stutz sedan is pretty significant - very attractive too in body style.  And, it saw the lawn at Pebble Beach Concours.  The issue of the "yellowed" glass is a failure of the lamination layer in the safety plate feature.  And, the problem is that when they upholstered sedans they had a tendency to open holes in the cloth with a pin and then drive in a nail and then close the weave back over (plus they had a few other methods), but the problem is whatever the method when you just add age you really cannot fix without causing as much other damage as you are trying to solve.  

The Chrysler is pretty significant too - besides being an extraordinarily stylish car (and rare as all get out) they are excellent performers on the road.   Some things just need to be left alone and this is one of them (obviously good to do little maintenance issues and keep it drive-able). 

I agree with John's sentiments and we have a pretty similar history curve.   Auburn is a good car to start with because it is fairly simple, has a good support system and you can get most parts.   Most of them are fairly stylish.   Not sure who the 40 year old guy is with the Model J  (unless we are maybe talking the X from Guyton?) but a Dusenberg of any ilk requires fairly deep pockets,  before,  during and after ownership.

The X from the  Guyton collection went to a guy in his very early 50’s from my guess. I had a drink with him, and he has a few interesting cars. In the Pierce Arrow Society we have a bunch of younger members, including several ladies who have their own Pierce. The Franklin Club has some younger people also. Exposure to a classic Car will often make new converts to the type.......but for years prices were an issue for younger people. Today you can buy a nice sedan for the same money as a 69 Chevy ragtop, so I think over the next few years I think we will see more younger people. 

The Pierce Arrow Society as well as Franklin Club always have really nice decent sized meets and a lot of the younger members come via their parents and/or fact that they can get a really well built stylish car in a a PA at a pretty reasonable price and in a Franklin get really interesting engineering at a reasonable price too.  ACD club is sort of the same via a many of the people do the club meet labor day weekend for most of their life  matched to the cars being particularly sought after and great drivers ( I bet the 35 Phaeton and a couple more cars that seem to just catch peoples eye matched to owners who are happy to share where there are others and ...) have put 15 or so younger people behind the wheel.  

63RedBrierJul 19, 2019

Hi!  My name is Greg and I live in Alexandria Virginia!  Although I do not have a CCCA vehicle (yet!), I'm trying to do as much research and view as many cars as possible before I become the vehicle's next caretaker.  It would be great if there was a classic vehicle in my family that has been passed down thru the generations; however, there is not...  I drove just over an hour in my modern car (a 2015 Holden SS) to go to this show, my first CCCA meet.  At 53, I was definitely among the younger of the owners and interlopers.  It would have been great if there was some type of "ambassador" there is show me around or introduce me to a few folks...  I did ask one guy that looked official how many cars were there and he said 47.  I also asked a few people if they knew Al Becker who I spoke to on the phone, but never met, since he had a beautiful dark green phaeton there, but no luck...  He may have been judging.  Anyway, I watched a few times as the teams of judges actually did the operations tests and judged the cars.  I took many of the same photos you see above.  I stopped at the information table/canopy on the way out and they were offering a pretty thick classic car book as a gift if one joined the club that day.  The two black unrestored cars definitely appealed to me.  The sedan definitely needed new glass, but that would take away from its originality.  I'm very glad I went!  A big THANK YOU to the hosts!     

Greg, there are a handful of CCCA-member Packards right there in Alexandria, VA,  including one or two that were at the show, and I'd be happy to introduce you to their owners by e-mail.  There's an active Packard Club in northern virginia, Packards Virginia, that often has events in Alexandria.   It's a welcoming local crowd, and I'm sure they'd be interested in meeting you. Just PM me if you're interested in that. 

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I've actually been into CORVAIRS since high school, so air-cooled Franklins are actually appealing!  This coming Monday I'm driving my 1963 Greenbrier (Corvair) Camper out to St. Charles, IL for the International Corvair Convention.

There are lots of nice Franklins that are pretty cool that you can get for 25k or less.

63RedBrierJul 19, 2019

Meet a best friend - Mike Ranochak https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeranochak  - loves Corvairs.

This was our Franklin which dad and I bought in 1979, and sold in perhaps 2007  (all be it not a 25K car and has several times set records for higher bracket Franklin sales prices) - 1930 Franklin 147 Dietrich bodied Speedster Convertible Sedan 

I would suggest Franklin Automobile Enthusiast site on Facebook.

Also my pick of the year as to available Franklins (recently posted on facebook) - there was a 1931 153 Coupe (the large car of which maybe 5 survive) that came up on the Enthusiasts site - super rare car and work appears well enough done up (perhaps a cross between professional and amateur) to a certain point though restoration not finished and personally not really fond of interior choice or such as dash woodgraining qualiy (ie Price needs negotiated). 

AIR COOLED! 1931 Franklin 153 Rumble Seat Coupe. Freshly-rebuilt air-cooled 6 cylinder engine. Runs beautifully. Body rebuilt with new wood and freshly painted. New chrome. Interior, upholstery and top need finishing. Leather and wool included. Owner died prior to completion. 98% complete. All of the difficult (and expensive) work is done. A great opportunity to acquire a rare Full Classic. Details at:CharvetClassicCars.com

http://charvetclassiccars.com/currently-available.html

Unfinished top does not help cause, 

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=1931 franklin coupe

1935PackardJul 17, 2019

I like that idea.  For a lot of people, the regular CCCA dues are probably enough to deter joining.  At $70 for the national, plus $20 to $50 for the region -- and that likely on top of marque club memberships, maybe AACA, magazine subscriptions, etc -- it's not a small amount to join.   Worth it, but you don't know that until you join.  A year of discounted membership would probably help.

-I really would be surprised if any younger folks are seriously sweating the $70 fee. My brother and I are in our 30's and we both signed up last year only because people at the CCCA Tent in Hershey struck up conversation with us and were really cool. Jay Quail is pretty sharp, he came right up to us and offered to place us in some cars so we could catch a ride on some upcoming tours and get a feel for how things work. The CCCA activities are great and it is a goal for us to hopefully participate some day with the Classic that we are squaring away now. We also turned a few friends our age on to the club over the past year and they agree with us that what the club does is pretty unique so hopefully there's more folks our age out there that will embrace this ideology. That being said, I personally am very excited to see them making some big improvements to the website! -

Agreed. I have long said that if you complain about the cost of being a member of a club that caters directly to your interests, yet have a garage full of toy cars, then you're a skinflint at best and a fool at worst. I'm sure the whinging reaches epic levels every time a car club raises their dues, but seriously? You'll spend $3500 on a carburetor but $75 to be a member of the club that helps you install it is just too much to ask? Pffft.

I agree that it is not the fee, yet there is a number of people that should belong and would love it, yet they do not belong. 

I have people all the time locally ask me to borrow my CCCA and ACD publications (and/ have CCCA cars too, go to ACD fest, and ....) and I will loan out and suggest they join yet they never join - baffling !

And, we have sold CCCA cars to people who have bluntly said that their broker told them to buy it and they have no intention of ever joining a club, showing car, or doing anything other than owning it - again baffling. 

Reminds me of a story I told via text yesterday - Fed -Ex lost a set of 6 - 19" whitewall tires and I put up a fuss and insisted they find them - they did find them and the dispatcher's response was they did not think that was what they were looking for (aka they were staring right at them and did not realize what they were) - my thought is sometimes all this just does not "click" and if you do not really know what you are looking for/missing then ...

Regarding willingness to pay club membership dues, I think there's a big difference between how we think people *should be* and how people *are*.   Most people see joining a car club as being about getting a magazine, not about joining a community, and there's a limit as to how many magazines they can get.  The more expensive the magazine, the less likely people are to subscribe.

A magazine is something you read waiting at the dentist or the airport! I understand the need for a monthly bulletin right now and its very lovely but I certainly wouldn't mind if they paired it down to a quarterly issue. I just want to log into the ever-improving member section of the site and sneak a read when Its slow at work or the wife is watching something silly on Netflix. Leveraging technology and social media is a cost effective way to maintain a sense of community within any club or organization. Naturally I'm sure the CCCA are well are of this and that I not saying anything that they don't fully realize. The college I attended doesn't print a costly monthly alumni periodical but I still attend their functions and identify as an active member of their community- why should the CCCA be any different? 

The problem is that 50% of the membership does not know how to log on to a computer.