Glidden Tour

There isn't any talk on here about the Ohio glidden , is that because the VMMCA is doing it. This should be a good one . They have been doing a tour every year for the last 20 years . Chris & myself have been on a number of them, most of them where well done. Good flat roads ,great for the older cars. Hope to see some old friends out there . Kings32

Unfortunately this seems to be the pattern on this site every year that VMCCA runs it. I guess I understand to a point- AACA would rather promote their own events and club but the Glidden is the grand daddy of all the old car tours, the longest running and has a great history with members of many clubs participating. Out of respect for the heritage of the Glidden and the good of the entire hobby I always hope AACA would be behind it more every year, not just the alternate years they put it on.

It is a marvelous event that we have done nine times, are going on this year and hope to do more of. We have friends we only see on the Glidden but it is an immediate reunion when we all get together! Linda's parents and a number of other GVAC's members did thirty or more Gliddens and were extremely proud of that fact, loved the tour and made many lifelong friends in the Gliddenite clan. I think the Glidden's luster has faded a little with so many tours by so many clubs being offered but it is a touring experience everyone should try at least once.

IMHO-

AACA completely supports the Glidden in years that we do not host it. VMCCA does the same in our years. We provide an ad in our magazine and list it on our calendar. Our leaders attend the event and we have a board member who is our liaison to the VMCCA. This is a forum and we rely on members for the most part to post here. Occasionally I will post if something on a tour or meet if it is brought to my attention but again this is an open forum and VMCCA/their members are more than welcome to post here. The Glidden is an extremely important tour and we absolutely urge people to attend if they can. Unfortunately we have a conflict in our schedule with a meet in Big Sky, MT which was unavoidable.

I think there is lacking in both clubs ,as far as working together. I belong to both clubs and was very active in both up to about 2 years ago . I now am more behind the AACA. I think it is a more people club . But with said I think some of our leaders should start paying more what the member alarge are saying.

If you do not have the chance to make your comments at any of our events please contact either our President or a director who is in charge of any area you have a concern about...they will welcome your feedback. It sometimes is hard to know what the general membership feels as most people are fairly reticent about speaking up but if you have things on your mind please contact those individuals. Names are in the front of the magazine. You are right that the clubs could do better in working with each other...looks like the tour next year in Oklahoma plans on doing just that..

Who all going on the Glidden tour? We are taking the 39 Ford conv. We wanted to take the 39 Studebaker but I broke the trunk handle and that had me upset. Just about had the Studebaker Commander 2 door sedan ready. I worked all year fixing the wipers, lights, horn, brakes and new tires. Maybe next year. I have been on several Glidden and enjoyed all of them.

Steve- I was not saying AACA does not support the Glidden but you have to admit it gets more air time in AACA when it is put on by an AACA region. This is natural and understandable to me, I get it! I just feel it is a grand old event that should be equally promoted as well as supported by both clubs. I am AACA since '79 and VMCCA since '97, love the touring part of the hobby (it's all we do- no shows anymore) and have a special place for the Glidden in my heart. We don't go every year for various reasons, this #10 since 1995, but I remember mailing out our app in RUSH mail and waiting to see if we got in, kinda like winning the lottery! Now it is a struggle to get 200 cars filled and that is sad.

All I said was that AACA tends to turn a more blind eye to promotion of this great event in the years it is not an AACA hosted tour. Hardly a whimper of it here on the forums, a little advertising in AA, no buildup or write up like I have seen in the AACA years. AND as I said it is understandable from a parochial view- AACA needs to push its own club and activities for survival just like all the clubs. I have no hard feelings towards AACA for this, just wistful thinking for what I consider the premier tour event in our hobby in this country. It was truly amazing in the 1990's when there were 400-450 cars on tour and everyone just had to be there!

And even in your answer to Kings32 you focused on the AACA version next year, not this year's tour which kind of speaks to my point about only when there is AACA vested interest....

I am not saying any thing bad , but I think that the clubs should work more toward the general membership in both clubs . The bigger part of our membership are middle class and cannot afford tours or shows as much as we did in the past. It seems the cost is going up faster than the cost of living. When I joined AACA 40 plus years ago we could do more than we can now . And I make more now then I did then .KINGS32

Well guys, we're talking about the Glidden Tour right now. We have also been participants in 10+ Glidden Tours, plus a few Nickel Tours, Sentimental Tours and many AACA Regional Tours. To us it's a way to "See the USA in our chariots". We choose the tours to participate in, not by the host club, but the area the tour will see. "We've been everywhere man, we traveled, we done are share man." Seeing the USA at 45 MPH or less on local or secondary roads is seeing it like our cars saw it when they were new 80 years ago. The other tourists we meet and the local host clubs are the greatest part of the hobby. After 11 Great American Races, these tours were an activity we could do as a family and really take time to see and get to know the country we were driving through. I've now driven antique cars in 48 states!

I think the reason you don't see it discussed often on this Forum is that we're a real tiny percentage of the 60,000 AACA members and the other

59,800 members are not into this part of the hobby. Maybe if we who are interested, talk it up here, others will join us.

Here's a challenge: Is your restoration to good show condition or to good usable condition? Every tour we take, we put our restorations to the test. To us, if we can't drive them, we would find another hobby.

I agree with that ,if don't drive them why have them? Show the people what us crazy ones do afther we spent all that time restoring them . We use them. kings32