Can I confirm a 1960s AACA award winner?

[JB-ed]

I recently purchased a 1911 Maxwell runabout AB. On the radiator is a plaque stating that the car won AACA "First Prize" in, I believe, 1964 (although the last digit is badly blurred). The car serial number is 12240. Is there any way I can identify the owner's name back then and perhaps some details of the judging process and so forth? There is no mention of "Junior" and "Senior," as we now have in the awards spectrum.

Thanks for your help.

John

[Steve Moskowitz]

We had a 1911 Maxwell winner in 1961 and 1963.  At that time there were only First Junior Winners.

[DLynskey]

I looked in my copies of the 1957 and 1961 Register of Antique Automobiles from AACA and HCCA and found lot of 1911 Maxwell AB Runabouts, but none with that serial number.

 

Don

[Dynaflash8]

I loved that book.  It listed all winners back to 1954.  Being listed in that book, when it was available, was a badge of honor.....the accomplishment was there forever.  Without the book, winning a National Award has the memory length of winning at a local cruise-in.....my opinion.  The badge on the car can be moved from one car to another, lost, or otherwise destroyed.  But, when you were listed in that book it was an accomplishment forever.  Somebody told me once, "nothing is forever."

[JB-ed]

I just verified. This car won in 1963, so it must be the one confirmed by Steve Moskowitz.  I'd love to know the name of the exhibitor, but I suppose this is proprietary information.

Edited September 16, 2018 by JB-ed (see edit history)

[Dynaflash8]

I just looked at my book, which I've always considered a "bible".  As far as I can tell the only 1911 Maxwell that was a winner in any of those years belonged to M. Young and it won at Waterloo, Iowa in 1962.  I'm assuming it was shown in Class 13B. defined as Gas vehicles, 4 cyl 1910-1912.

In all these years though, the class could have been changed.  In 1968 Russell S. Kennerson won with a 1911 Maxwell at Hershey. And, in 1970 Robert Nydam won at Hershey.  The next one was in 1994 at Indian Wells (CA, ?) and belonged to Verne Malueg.

Those are the only 1911 Maxwells four cylinder cars to ever win in AACA Nationals after 1952.  There were a number of 1910 models and also 1912 models that were also winners over the years.  This book is the Honor Roll of AACA cars and I treasure mine.  They came free many years ago, and then AACA charged $4 each for them and I am not sure you can even buy them now.  You may own the oldest winning 1911 Maxwell as the Mr. Young car that won in 1962 was the first Maxwell 4 ever to win in National competition.  Sorry to say, according to the "bible" there was no Maxwell winner in 1963.

 

[John_Mereness]

The "club magazine" "Antique Automobile" may have posted winners at events back in this period of time.

[Steve Moskowitz]

I missed these latest posts but JB it did win in 1963 in Corning in Class 9B.  Owner was Harry Gladding.  If this is Harry Gladding, Jr. he has not been a member since 2010.  Was located in VA.  This was a two-cylinder car which through some of you guys off.  Once the poster confirmed 1963 it was simple to get the info.

 

Earl, there is still a book but kept by us at HQ and not sold.  Records actually started back in 1952 .  There was no demand for it and as such we are not publishing it any more.  Records are in the computer and on my master file. 

[Dynaflash8]

On 2/25/2019 at 5:05 PM, Dave Fields said:

There might be a picture of your car in The Antique Automobile reporting on the meet. As there were much fewer cars back then in the AACA, there is a strong likely hood of there being a picture of your car. Check with the AACA library. 

I have the magazines, just no time  right now to look..............very ill wife recovering from surgery

 

[Dynaflash8]

On 3/4/2019 at 5:46 PM, Steve Moskowitz said:

I missed these latest posts but JB it did win in 1963 in Corning in Class 9B.  Owner was Harry Gladding.  If this is Harry Gladding, Jr. he has not been a member since 2010.  Was located in VA.  This was a two-cylinder car which through some of you guys off.  Once the poster confirmed 1963 it was simple to get the info.

 

Earl, there is still a book but kept by us at HQ and not sold.  Records actually started back in 1952 .  There was no demand for it and as such we are not publishing it any more.  Records are in the computer and on my master file. 

Steve and others: I have the latest book one could buy.  I did not see Harry Gladding listed.  I knew Harry Gladding who ran a large Chevrolet dealership in Glen Burnie, MD (Gladding Chevrolet).  I'm not sure I every actually met him in person.  A mechanic at the dealership signed my application for membership in 1962.  He had a large collection of antique automobiles and hired a man to service them and keep them up.  About 1964 he purchased a Duesenberg in Baltimore and had to buy all of the cars in the garage to get it.  One of the cars was a 1942 Chrysler barrell-back Town & Country.  It had but 13,000 original mile on it.  They put that on the used car lot for $900.  It was tan in color.  I drooled over it, but I could hardly have raised $100 at the time, much less $900.  The last time I saw it, we followed it to PA and the Manheim Auto Auction where it was sold.  I vaguely remember there was a Maxwell in his garage.  From about 1965 and for many more years Charles Calvert was in charge of maintaining the collection, and Charley was a member of AACA and Chesapeake Region, as was Mr. Gladding himself.  Charley would sometimes take a car to his home to work on it.  I remember one time when visiting Charley and his wife, he let me drive one of the cars a short distance.  I remember it had a cone clutch, and was about a 1916 touring car, but I can't remember the brand.  I sort of remember it was a Gray or a Dort, but I don't think it was a Gray-Dort.  Heck, Man, I'm 80 years old!!!  But, I just remembered, I did meet a different Harry Gladding in VA and asked him if he had any association with the Chevy dealer in Glen Burnie and he said not that he knew of.  Also, Chesapeake Region has a history collection and they produced a booklet on their history going back to founding in 1955.  I was President in 1965 and 1974 before moving to VA in 1992.

 

Edited March 8, 2019 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)