When was the golden age of the old car hobby ?

[John_Mereness]

Sidenote as to Concours:  Volunteer running the second oldest Concours d'elegance in the United States, I will tell you no easy task (we are a Not-for-Profit Corporation with employees, staggering bills, a Village of Sponsors, a City of Volunteers, and the list goes on and on). 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

John took this thread in a great direction.  I had my A out today for the first time in over a year, and enjoyed it as much as ever!

[1937hd45]

Greenwich Concourse is next weekend, June 1st & 2nd. Bob 

[8E45E]

On ‎5‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 12:36 PM, John_S_in_Penna said:

I think any decade can be a part of a Golden Age.

Every period has its advantages and disadvantages.

 

In an interview, one of our region's charter members

told about collecting in the 1950's.  The desirable cars

were the brass-era cars, but they were hard to find.

Hemmings Motor News was just a few mimeographed sheets.

There were few good cars for sale, so a potential buyer

had to keep his eyes and ears open;  and the cars weren't

bargains, either, in terms of the purchasing power of the time.

The 1930's Classics were very affordable, but they were

just coming into collectibility.

 

I'm perfectly happy with the present.  I can always find

cars I like that are overlooked and reasonably priced.

Several years ago, I got to see a 40-minute b&w film of an antique car meet which mainly showed cars from 1900 through mid-1920's.  The film was produced by Firestone in 1955.  The last few minutes of the film was pure advertising PR for Firestone showing the factory reproducing the old, skinny tires which were used on the cars, stating how popular old cars were becoming and it was growing each year.  The film then stated how Firestone was going to meet the demand by dusting off their old tire molds, and making vintage tires for early 1900's cars readily available.

 

Craig

Edited May 24, 2019 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[padgett]

Personally have always been more interested in driving, autocrosses, and rallys than collecting. Cars I have are just incidental. But where I grew up was near the Melton collection now about three miles away is opening a new one where a gentleman bought a defunct mall and is housing about 1500 interesting or at least sorta cars. See here. 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

15 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

Nicola Bulgari, Jay Leno, and others--  

Good point, actually we have some forum members caretaking some incredible stuff as well.  Some folks just tend to be a little more modest or private.  We are getting a new concours here on the East coast in Newport, RI just before Hershey.  The annual Klingberg fathers day show is thriving and focuses on "the good stuff".  I also agree with the comments on cars being passed to interested younger people.  I see more club activities and touring vs. Shows for the prewar stuff.  So different, but not dying.

 

That said, hobbyist restorations, large swap meets with great stuff, and some of the other things i love about this hobby are changing.  Change always has ups and downs.

Edited May 25, 2019 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

Quote

 

Thanks for the reminder about the Klingberg meet, this may be the year I finally get there. Bob

[60FlatTop]

Overcast and so dark I should turn the light on and I am next to a window. Forecast of severe thunderstorms. I have four licensed and drivable cars in my newly LED lamped garage. I am heading out there for a day of old CD movie soundtracks and lazy polishing. A break for lunch with my Wife and we might take an old car if there is a break in the rain.

 

I will tell you about the Golden Age tomorrow.

 

Thundering now.

[1937hd45]

23 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

The golden age tends to stop at whatever point it became impossible to participate in the main stream of the hobby and were consigned to the fringes. Thus a tendency to look back in time at what was for us our own golden age.

 

 

Greg

It was a great time, should have taken more photographs to show you how great it really was. Bob 

Edited May 25, 2019 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[AVS619]

Well, just to put my two-cents in on the topic the Golden Age for me was about 1966 to 1980. I joined AACA and HCCA at age 15 in late 1966 and would attend the Lake Forest and Momence car shows every year, among many others. The show fields were full of brass-era cars, my favorite, as well as twenties and thirties cars including classic cars. It felt like it took all day just to walk through the show cars let alone looking for parts at the vendors and yes, most vendors were in the hobby, not professionals. Back then, to a young me, the car shows were like Christmas, my birthday and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. I do miss that time. The shows have really changed over the years and I rarely go now. But, my wife and I have gotten into touring with our brass-era cars (indeed, we are hosting a four day tour here in Wisconsin next week if the weather will permit) so I guess if I were to focus only on touring this would be our Golden Age. Still, I would like to acquire some more brass-era cars but now that I am retired, the prices they bring will not allow that to happen.

[JV Puleo]

7 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Good point, actually we have some forum members caretaking some incredible stuff as well.  Some folks just tend to be a little more modest or private.  We are getting a new concours here on the East coast in Newport, RI just before Hershey.  The annual Klingberg fathers day show is thriving and focuses on "the good stuff".  I also agree with the comments on cars being passed to interested younger people.  I see more club activities and touring vs. Shows for the prewar stuff.  So different, but not dying.

 

That said, hobbyist restorations, large swap meets with great stuff, and some of the other things i love about this hobby are changing.  Change always has ups and downs.

 

Well put. I acquired my first old car, a 27 Cadillac, in 1971. I was 19. The local shows I went to usually had an assortment of brass and 20s to 30s cars by no means all of which had been restored. I really don't remember if there were many post-war cars because to me, they would have just been background noise. None of my collecting friends were interested in competition restoration and these included several who were well able to afford such things. They were genuinely enthusiastic about old cars and, for the most part, tolerant of a teenager with little knowledge but who shared that enthusiasm. Things have changed quite a bit since then, and I would not say for the better. This isn't just a matter of aging. The nice cars I remember haven't been scrapped but their owners no longer feel welcome in an atmosphere of extremely loud pop music and a field that looks like a Florida supermarket parking lot. If the pre-war emphasis is now on touring and Concours events, some of us will be left out altogether, lacking the time or money to attend either. I doubt I'll ever be invited to participate in a Concours and, even if I was, I doubt could afford to go.

 

I'd like to go to the Klingberg show but, unfortunately, it's held on the one day a year I go to a local show entirely to see some old friends. That may be changing as we've all come to the conclusion that the show itself is a waste of time.

[1937hd45]

I put off attending Concourse type shows as a spectator for years thinking I would feel out of place, don't make that mistake. If you are a car guy GO, they are a really good time and nobody is checking your net worth at the gate. Bob