What people were connected or owned our cars?

[CatBird]

I found about a connection with our 1934 Brewster Town Car, I knew that it was owned by Lily Pons, a world-class main soprano with the Metropolitan Opera for over 20 years. She was twice on the cover of Time magazine, postcards and magazines.

Further study, I found that Lily Pons was the daughter of Auguste Pons who the driver and captain in one of the six cars, the French Sizaire-Naudin, in the Great Race of 1908. She was ten years old at that time.
 

A short video about our 1934 Brewster, there are a few inaccuracies, so, you contrarians get ready! Hope that you all will enjoy!

Episode 2 - 1934 Brewster Limousine - YouTube

Picture below shows Lily Pons father in his Great Race of 1908

Edited November 9, 2020 by CatBird (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

Nice car with an interesting story, wonder if that cane work was one of John Kurtzman's projects. Bob 

[CatBird]

3 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Nice car with an interesting story, wonder if that cane work was one of John Kurtzman's projects. Bob 

 

Not sure the entire car was restored by Fran Roxa Restoration previous to being entered in 1998 Pebble Beach, where it toured and won second place.

Edited November 9, 2020 by CatBird (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

Owned by a farmer in NW Pennsylvania. Then me. 
 

[padgett]

Many of the celebs I knew didn't even know what kind of car they had that day. Rat pack was different but few owned the cars they had.

[41 Su8]

Once owned by Henry Ford.

[28 Chrysler]

I have a CJ7 that was owned by a doctor that went to the southern brothels to check the girls to get their working cards.

[Brass is Best]

A very good chance that Teddy Roosevelt once took a ride in this one:

[Brill_C-37M_Bus]

The pictured bus isn’t the exact one I’m restoring, but one of her 601 sisters.  But if he rode one ACF-Brill military coach during his time in the Army, the King of Rock n’ Roll might very well have been on my bus, too!

 

 

I’d like to know more of the stories of all the soldiers and their families that rode my bus, but so far I haven’t found much specific.  Someday, I hope!

 

 

-Steven

 

 

[Brass is Best]

The Dark Cherry 1955 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe deVille was owned by an Engineer for Gulf Oil who traveled the world fixing problems. Then he sold it to his neighbor who gave it to his son, who kept it all his life.

 

The Blue 1955 Cadillac Coupe deVille was owned by the family that ran American Standard.

 

The green 1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille was purchased new by a lady in Dearborn Michigan. She would only allow the Clark Ave. Cadillac factory service department to care for her baby.

 

The Black 1941 Series 62 Convertible Coupe was purchased by a United States Army Air Corps Major on December 5th 1941.

[CatBird]

Our 1933 Packard Victoria Dietrich belonged to one of Frank Lloyd Wright, associates. The interior is Taliesin red which was FLW favorite colors.

[DrData]

I am always hoping to find some connection between my 1950 MG and Steve McQueen...maybe he looked at one time, or passed it in his Ferrari...anything.  The McQueen aura seems to be worth at least and extra $10K!

[supercub]

I have a bunch of Lily Pons 78's throughout her career. She is my favorite soprano. Thanks for sharing the pics and her car history.

[Marty Roth]

Our 1937 Buick Roadmaster Phaeton 80C was bought by New York City as the Parade Car for 1934-1947 Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, and later spent years in the private collection of the late VMCCA National President Dr. Mike Werckle and his late friend Cedric Blazer.

 

Our 1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Cabriolet was delivered to the Biltmore in Asheville,NC to Commodore Vanderbilt's granddaughter Miss Cornelia, as a divorce gift to her husband John. Prior to purchase, it was personally inspected for me by my dear and respected friend, the late AACA National President Howard Scotland and his wife Judy. 

 

Our 1930 Packard 733 Touring was delivered in Monaco, purportedly to the royal family, and later spent years in the collection of Formula 1 driver Abba Kogan, and has AACA Senior status. It was brought back to the USA around 2002 by the Dragone brothers.

 

The 1915 Hudson SIX-40 was owned by owned, shown, and toured extensively by the late Fred Long, and has AACA Senior status.

 

The 1954 Cadillac Series 62 came to us from long-time Hudson club president Linden Welle in Fort Morgan, Colorado, having been restored by his late father many years earlier.

 

The 1988 Corvette convertible was bought new by my cousin, has stayed in the family since new, has never spent a night out of doors except when on tour, and the drive to Jay Leno's Burbank Big Dog Garage, is an unrestored 150,xxx mile original, and has advanced to AACA Senior and Repeat Preservation status.

 

All of the above were purchased as partial replacements to our collection for other vehicles damaged as a result of 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

All of these, as well as others in our collection have been both shown and driven on AACA meets and tours, CCCA Grand Classic and Tour, and VMCCA Tours.

Edited November 13, 2020 by Marty Roth (see edit history)

[8E45E]

My latest acquisition was ordered new by M&P Transport in Edmonton.

 

My winter homework now consists of visiting the Public Library for older issues of Alberta Business Journal and other business-related publications from the early '60's to see if one ever profiled M&P Transport and took photos of their fleet in 1962.

 

Craig

[3macboys]

2 hours ago, 8E45E said:

My latest acquisition was ordered new by M&P Transport in Edmonton.

 

My winter homework now consists of visiting the Public Library for older issues of Alberta Business Journal and other business-related publications from the early '60's to see if one ever profiled M&P Transport and took photos of their fleet in 1962.

 

Craig

Might be worth checking the newspaper as well for ads around different holidays or the like for the company with pictures of the fleet.

[3macboys]

This is more of a story of the joys of living in a smaller community - Woodstock is about 45 000 and the whole county is about 110 000 and regardless the old car community where ever you go always seems very interconnected.  A few days ago a fellow stopped by the shop because the overhead door was open, he knows about us though I had never met him before.  As soon as he introduced himself I immediately knew that the 55 Metropolitan was his father's car (his dad had passed away when he was young and we had bought the car from his mother who held onto a Model A street rod that the son is currently working on, so he still has one of his father's cars)  We had a good chat and needless to say he's welcome to stop by any time that he wants.  Skip ahead to yesterday and the fellow that pinstriped the wheels for the 30 Dodge brought them out along with his son to give him a tour of the place and we got talking about the Metropolitan and the life that it's had - the pinstriper knew the son of the previous owner.  Now I only know the pinstriper because my youngest went to elementary school with his son.  I told him the rest of the story of how we had sent the car to a friend of mine from high school to do the body on it 20 odd years ago.  The body man took the car out to the family farm and then life happened and things got put on the back burner - but maybe a little too close to the flame.  We hadn't heard anything for awhile about the car, and then there was a barn fire and still no word about the car and we sort of took it for granted that the car was lost in the fire.  Skip ahead another 10 to 15 years and my oldest son is off to high school and becomes friends with the body man's son, the two of them get talking and low and behold the car has survived and was in a different barn the whole time just pushed off to the side because life happens.  Now as the conversation continues it turns out that the pinstripers wife is a relative of the body man.  Oh and did I mention that I went to school with the body man's wife starting in kindergarten and my wife went to school with him starting at the same time and the four of us all met in high school - so this one little car that's about 12 feet long has more connections to more old friends and newly discovered friends than I can count and it's still in primer with the engine out of it and no wiring so just imagine the connections by the time it's finished! 

[Jubilee]

  What a well spec’d light  gas tractor ( I assume) for 1960. West coast mirrors, shutters, plated frame, 5th over/2 speed with right ratios. That was a stump puller with all day highway speed capability. 

   Whoever spec’d that outfit knew how to do it. I’m impressed.

[8E45E]

11 hours ago, Jubilee said:

  What a well spec’d light  gas tractor ( I assume) for 1960. West coast mirrors, shutters, plated frame, 5th over/2 speed with right ratios. That was a stump puller with all day highway speed capability. 

   Whoever spec’d that outfit knew how to do it. I’m impressed.

It is a 1962 195"wb, dual-wheel, single rear axle, Detroit Diesel 4-53 powered cab & chassis which originally had a flatdeck installed on it.    I had heard about this truck for a few years from a local ATHS, and thanks to another Forum member here ("Fargoguy"), happened to give me the heads-up of it being listed on Saskatoon Kijiji almost two months ago.  I waited until I received the Production Order from the Studebaker National Museum until I made the decision to purchase it, as I wanted to see if it was indeed sold new where I was born and for the most part, raised.  

 

It will be a nice compliment to my '63.

 

Craig 

 

Edited November 13, 2020 by 8E45E
Added photo (see edit history)

[scotchyoke]

My vehicle's previous caretaker, will bring you back to the AACA home page. For those who have visited the site, you may have found a link on the bottom left titled "site map" and "about". For those who have not read this history, you may want to take some time to read how our great club got it's start.  There you can read a list of the 14 founding members. My car is the 1903 Autocar (really is a 1904) previously owned by Anton Schuck, from Stockton, New Jersey, where I went to pick up the car at his home.  I bought the car from his son Richard Schuck. The area, history and experience will never be erased from my memory. Fortunately, I was able to track down some of it's history from the #13 placard found in the back compartment of the car.  The second photo is a newspaper article, from the "Evening Bulletin of Philadelphia" showing the number 13. The caption tells how Anton Schuck drove the Autocar (must have been a challenge with the modifications) from Stockton, New Jersey to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a 50 mile trip in 2 hours and 7 minutes, in the dead of winter. Photo 3 is the car as found. The "derby" then was much like the reliability tours of today. Cash prizes, trophies and quarts of oil were given to the winners in various categories. Anton became a founding member on November 4, 1935 with a dues payment of one dollar. This has been a very long term project, but still moving along, as seen in the remaining photos. Sorry the photos are not great, the garage isn't big enough, is it ever ? Hope the membership enjoys the story. Best of health to all, Diane

[1935Packard]

In 1942, my grandfather bought the 1935 Packard Twelve I now own from Charles U. Bay.  Mr. Bay was a major Wall Street financier and also owned an oil company, so I assume he was the first owner.   Bay was well known for racing yachts and horses, and he later became U.S. Ambassador to Norway.

Edited November 13, 2020 by 1935Packard (see edit history)