Celebration of the Authentic Car II - May 20, Duluth, GA

[gwells]

The link kgreen gave above contains content generated by someone else and I am not even able to add a post below it.

From the CotAC flyer, here are the criteria:

 

"All authentic cars, through 1948, restored or not, are invited to enter the CotAC show. The idea is that cars in the CotAC show appear visually as they did when new and also maintain their original style drivetrain. For example, small block Chevy engines or mag wheels on a pre-war car are not authentic features. A ‘34 Ford with a ‘41 engine or a Model A Ford with later Ford V8 wheels will be fine. No one should feel slighted that their car doesn’t meet the show’s narrow criteria. The point is that the CotAC automobiles should represent and illustrate the accurate history of their day and time."

The factory finishes issue is not a big deal, as authentic cars in the period could (and were) often painted in non-factory colors.

[8E45E]

On 5/14/2022 at 6:16 PM, Matt Harwood said:

Also be prepared for them to get REALLY angry if you turn them away at the gate. We don't really do that just to avoid making a scene, but we do point out that this isn't the show for their car and to please respect the rules in the future. That also makes them angry, but I like to ask them whether they'd be angry if they took their Mustang to a Corvette show and the Corvette guys told them it was inappropriate--that sometimes chills them out.

 

Bottom line? You're going to get a lot of guys who will lie their way onto the show field and then get angry when you call them on it. Be ready for that.

Bottom line is they can start their own show for customs, hot rods, and modifieds only; a poor man's SEMA that's open for all to attend.

 

Craig

[61polara]

It's unfortunate that this show conflicts with the AACA Grand National in Virginia Beach.  I know quite a few who would like to attend but they will be at the Grand National.  I know I would be there.  Good luck on the show and please post follow up results and pictures.

Edited May 18, 2022 by 61polara (see edit history)

[gwells]

We really need to figure out how to have more than 52 weekends per year! LOL!

 

The May 21 date was the only Saturday in May the museum didn't have another event already scheduled.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Here's a little (from Google) about the Kentucky legislator, J Proctor Knott, that complained regarding funding a length of railroad to reach Duluth (the one in Minnesota). After learning of this man's vociferous complaints about how remote and unheard of Duluth, Minnesota was, the city fathers invited the gentleman there and even named a nearby town after him. As a lifelong Minnesotan, I've always squirmed a little when someone mentions "Minnesota Nice", but wow, didn't they pour it on him:

 

"Knott's most notable action as a legislator occurred near the end of his first stint in Congress. On January 27, 1871, he delivered a satirical speech ridiculing a bill that would have provided fifty-seven land grants and financial concessions to railroads to further their westward expansion.^[6] In the speech, Knott singled out the Bayfield and St. Croix Railroad's proposed line from the St. Croix River to Duluth, Minnesota to make his point.^[6] He derided the remoteness of the town and the need for a railroad to it by repeatedly referring to a map and asking where Duluth was located.^[6] Following the speech, the railroad bill was killed and Congress adjourned for the day.^[6]

Knott's speech, known as Duluth! or The Untold Delights of Duluth, brought him national acclaim and copies of the speech were reprinted and sold.^[6] Residents of Duluth apparently were not offended by the speech, extending an offer for Knott to visit the city; Knott accepted the offer in 1891.^[6] In 1894, a city near Duluth was incorporated as "Proctorknott"; in 1904, it adopted its present name of Proctor, Minnesota.^[7]

[Buffalowed Bill]

On 5/16/2022 at 10:37 AM, West Peterson said:

I'm not sure, or maybe I'm not fully understanding what you're trying to say in regard to Greg's show, but I think you're confusing "authentic" with "original." The show that Greg is holding does not disqualify a car for being restored. Greg is trying to promote a show for cars that are unmodified. Cars that have never been restored, AND properly and authentically restored cars are both welcome.

Sorry about the confusion, my mistake. In my zeal to embrace the vetting of the "preserved" car I focused on that narrow segment of the original cars. Upon second blush it becomes obvious that the original car has to be the focus of any event. It was never my intent to ignore the restored or refurbished original. I just hope that any car show for original cars can make some concession to the preserved car. These cars are often overlooked at car assemblages. Their stories need to be told!  

[1937hd45]

Why try and reinvent the wheel? You are trying to host a PRE 1949 Car Show for UNModified cars.

[gwells]

The Celebration of the Authentic Car show will make no distinction between restored and unrestored cars. As the flyer states, "The idea is that cars in the CotAC show appear visually as they did when new and also maintain their original style drivetrain." Condition is not an issue, although I hope no one brings a badly-rusted, non-running, dirty car they just dragged away from a junkyard! We'd probably still let the car in, keeping in mind that 1925 Bugatti Brescia retrieved from the depths of a European lake after 75 years that now resides at the Mullin Museum.

An interesting aspect of the CotAC concept is that the original idea was to attract vehicles from the greater Atlanta area, perhaps within a 50-mile radius. Based on the many communications I have received, the concept has much longer legs than that. Had a car coming from Savannah until the missus tested positive for COVID a couple of days ago, should have a car driving down from Franklin, NC, and an AACA member from Charlotte indicates he and several others would definitely attend if not for a competing AACA Grand National in VA this weekend. Honestly, I didn't expect this.

At this point, we fully expect that CotAC will be an annual event and will promptly publicize the date of the 2023 show.

 

 

[gwells]

1 minute ago, 1937hd45 said:

Why try and reinvent the wheel? You are trying to host a PRE 1949 Car Show for UNModified cars.

Correct.

 

The only real questions were: would owners of such cars support an event with that narrow criteria, and would they be willing to battle the traffic issues we suffer from in the Atlanta area in order to participate?

It looks like the answers to both question are yes. We'll know for sure in three days...

[1937hd45]

Personally I find the semantics BS annoying and would not attend if it was across town. Good luck.

 

Bob 

[Matt Harwood]

14 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Personally I find the semantics BS annoying and would not attend if it was across town. 

What semantics? Is your car modified? If so, this isn't the show for you. What's so difficult about that?

[1937hd45]

Stone-stock 1912 Ford that has been in the hobby since 1950.

 

The people trying to run the event are the clueless ones in my opinion. 

[gwells]

1937hd45, I assume your barb is directed at me, since this show is completely my idea and is also being self-funded by me. So I'd be interested in why you would term me a 'clueless one,' if you're willing to say.

Perhaps you should know I ran this concept by probably forty or fifty of the key players in the antique, classic, and collector car hobby (if you want names, I will share them privately with you) for better than two years before pulling the trigger on it. There was virtually no one who was negative about it.

 

I've been in the antique car hobby since I was 12 years old, and am now approaching 68.

[1937hd45]

OK, I'll try to ask a simple question.

 

Are you and the powers that be trying to have an antique car show like one we would have gone to in, let's us say, 1960? Back in 1960, they were called antique car shows.

 

Why come up with some rebranding that nobody ever read before and confuse the situation? Want to have an antique car show with a cutoff of 1949? Fine, advertise it as an antique car show with a 1949 cutoff, stock, no modifieds allowed.

 

We had one from 1961 to 1995 with a 1943 cutoff. Best pre-war car show on the east coast. 

[A Woolf]

“The loudest voices come from the cheapest seats.”  I don’t understand why you are sniping at Greg. Greg has been around old cars for a long time so he is not clueless. He is taking a risk to do something that has been lacking in Atlanta for a long time. As he said, he is committing his time and personal finances to create this show. Due to the congestion and so many other competing activities, Atlanta is an incredibly difficult place to host car events. What he calls it doesn’t really matter. He has communicated what he hopes to accomplish and he should be commended for his efforts.

 

Have you ever planned a car tour or organized a car show? I have and it takes a lot of personal commitment of time and in some cases personal resources to make it happen. The good news about old car people is they tend to be very independent. The bad news about old car people is they tend to be very independent. Trying to organize a car event that pleases the majority of people is usually akin to herding cats. People who stand up and try to provide leadership have not chosen the easy path but their interest in old cars is what compels them to act.

 

Unfortunately, I will be not be able to go to the show due to current medical issues but I hope it goes very well for Greg and the participants.

 

Alan

[gwells]

Real sad you won't be able to come to the show, Alan.

[Buffalowed Bill]

On 5/18/2022 at 9:32 PM, 1937hd45 said:

Why come up with some rebranding that nobody ever read before and confuse the situation? Want to have an antique car show with a cutoff of 1949? Fine, advertise it as an antique car show with a 1949 cutoff, stock, no modifieds allowed.

 

We had one from 1961 to 1995 with a 1943 cutoff. Best pre-war car show on the east coast. 

The problem is that these events have just withered on the vine. In my area of the country shows committed to original cars no longer exist. Thankfully we still have large car shows, in which more then 50% of the participating cars are original. I do appreciate what he is trying to counter though, I've seen it in the desert SW.

 

Whatever Greg wants to call his get-together is inconsequential. There is an obvious void. He is only trying to find out if there is any support for an event like his. God bless him for his efforts. 

[kgreen]

Naysayers be damned, Greg has put his heart into this and I hope it is a tremendous success. Come one, come all. The weather initially threatened rain, but that appears to be a remote chance:

TOMORROWSAT 05/21HIGH 90  | 69 °F

15% Precip. / 0.00 in
Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

[Paul Dobbin]

Greg,

 

As I told you, I would like to come in my '34 For; it's only 125 miles.

 

My two replacement knees won't allow me and this week the docs told me the knees have to be replaced again.   

 

This also cost me the 2022 Glidden Tour.  I hope you get a good turnout and post some pictures.

 

Paul Dobbin

 

 

[Mark Wetherbee]

I really hope this event goes well for you, Greg! If it were local to me, I’d definitely attend it.
 

It’s something when you get to a show where hundreds of Corvette and Mustang cars show up along with less than a handful of pre-war cars. Although it is funny when “car people” walk by and have never heard of an Auburn or a Pierce…

[gwells]

1 hour ago, Paul Dobbin said:

As I told you, I would like to come in my '34 Ford; it's only 125 miles.

 

My two replacement knees won't allow me and this week the docs told me the knees have to be replaced again.   

 

This also cost me the 2022 Glidden Tour.  I hope you get a good turnout and post some pictures.

Hate to hear that, Paul. And hate that you have to go through a second knee replacement. That really stinks.

Was looking forward to meeting you.

Get well soon!

[wayne sheldon]

On 5/20/2022 at 8:08 PM, Paul Dobbin said:

My two replacement knees won't allow me and this week the docs told me the knees have to be replaced again

 

Ouch. That happened to a friend in the Nickel Age Touring Club about twenty years ago. Had both knees replaced. But something didn't work out well. He suffered miserably for months. Could barely walk ten feet. He could hardly get in his 1925 Chevrolet, let alone drive it. Then there was a recall on is new knees, not the sort of thing one usually hears! So a second double knee surgery followed by more months of rehabilitation!

 

Two years later, he told me that in spite of the year of miserable pain, inability to do anything but suffer. Two rounds of major surgery, two rounds of recovery, two rounds of physical therapy? ALL o both knees at once! Getting his knees replaced was one of the best things he ever did for himself!

 

Here is hoping the second round works out as well for you!

 

Take good care of you, and get well quick!

[chattin]

1913 Pope at the show today.

 

[gwells]

What a show! One of the best groups of maybe two dozen cars one could ever hope for. Much thanks and love to the wonderful old car folks who supported my crazy idea.

I was so beat I came home at about 5 PM and promptly fell asleep on the couch for about three hours...

 

Will post more about CotAC in a bit. We've aleady decided there will be another one in 2023 and we'll announce the date no later than this July!

[gwells]

Before I crash for the second time today, I'm going to try to list the cars and terrific owners who supported the inaugural CotAC event. I know I am missing a few folks (I was kinda busy during the day...). Please post and add your car and name to the list if you are not on this roster. 

1927 Packard 426 sedan - James Reeve (if you are a Corvair enthusiast, you know who he is!)

1932 Essex sedan - Brandon White

1934 Packard 1104 dual-cowl phaeton - Millard Choate

1948 Mercury - Tom Morton

1911 Thomas Flyer - Jeff Chattin

1934 Terraplane sedan - Tom Citro

1941 Cadillac - Robert Johns

1928 Essex Super Six sedan - Nanci & Garry David

1930 Ford Model A coupe - Steve Mayer. This is a one-family car purchased new! Diehard Auburn fans so painted in the school's colors.

1935 Roll-Royce Phantom II bodied by Barker - John Bailey

Two Ford Model As and a 1941 Cadillac - John Landstrom, a local who drove home and swapped cars twice during the show! John is a nationally-known European motorcycle expert and owner of the famous Blue Moon Cycles in Norcross, GA.

1942 Ford GPW WWII jeep - Robert Brough

1929 Model A Ford - Rob Lawrence

1913 Pope-Harford - Chris Padgett. If Chris doesn't bring his holy-grail 1908 Stanley Model K Roadster (now undergoing engine repair) next year, I'm going to unfriend him... LOL!

1929 Ford Model A taxi - Lisa & Hal Dye. A much rarer special Model A than most realize. Hal's dad, Harold, now 97, was one of my mentors in the old car hobby when I was in HS in Nashville.

1930 Ford Model A - Jim Mitchell

1949 Cadillac (manufactured in 1948!) - Jay Friedman

 

Not sure it would be possible to assemble a more impressive group of cars of this size. 

Anyone who attended the show in a car that didn't meet the admittedly-narrow CotAC criteria was directed a close-by parking lot as the secondary 'non-CotAC' car show, to receive some car-folks love of their own.

 

I have some crazy ideas for the 2023 show that we are now committed to holding next year. Stay tuned!

[gwells]

A huge atta-boy to Rob Kaufman, who provided the gigantic B52 PA sound system used for the CotAC show and who also located the great '20-30s music we played during the event.

Rob creates internal videos for a major cellphone company and he will be doing a video about today's CotAC show soon. I'll post a link here when it is available.

He has several videos on his "Cool Things with Rob" YouTube channel I am sure you will enjoy. One is car-related and one is related to the Southeastern Railway Museum. Here's a couple of links.

1934 Brewster-Ford

1957 Birmingham zoo train

I also need to give an atta-boy and an atta-girl to SRM volunteers and my fellow co-workers Ora Ball and Leslie Storey, without whom this show could not have happened.

 

And to old friend Rick Kamen, a huge orphan car enthusiast and veteran promoter of numerous car shows, who provided much advice and who also fulfilled the role of show field parking maestro. He's almost more excited about the CoaAC concept that I am.

[nickelroadster]

I am sorry I missed this and if you do another next year, I will try hard to get there. Pre-war cars are not seen that, much let alone anything from the teens.

[gwells]

12 minutes ago, nickelroadster said:

I am sorry I missed this and if you do another next year, I will try hard to get there.

Lord-willing, and if the creek don't rise, we will do this event next year. Watch for the date annoucement in July.

 

Quote

Pre-war cars are not seen that, much let alone anything from the teens.

Which is exactly why the CotAC show was created.

[pkhammer]

As many clubs/organizations have "loosened the rules" to include later models, their shows have become "watered down" by all of the Mustangs, Corvettes, etc., as someone mentioned above. I appreciate the effort put into planning this show and wish I could have attended. Hopefully someone will post more photos!

[kgreen]

I'd like to post several photos from yesterday, but they all want to post rotated 90⁰ clockwise. 

 

Here's Mr. Wells, the hero of this past weekend's show. Thanks for fixing the rotated photo. How did you do it?

 

 

[Fixed- GDW]

[gwells]

I was too too busy to take any pics, but my esteemed museum co-worker Ora Ball did take a few and I snagged them from his Facebook page to post here. Like I said earlier, one heck of a group of cars!

 

 

1911 Thomas Flyer. Owner Jeff Chattin drove this car from Georgia to Vermont and back recently!

 

 

1913 Pope-Harford.

 

1927 Packard 426.

 

 

1928 Essex Super Six (corrected)

 

1930 Ford Model A.

 

 

1931 Ford Model A slant-windshield sedan.

 

 

1932 Essex.

 

 

1934 Packard 1104 dual-cowl phaeton.

 

 

1934 Terraplane. Can't remember when I last saw one of these.

 

 

1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom 2 with body by Barker. BTW, any serious Corvair enthusiast should recognize the guy in the T-shirt and white cap.

 

 

1942 Ford GPW jeep.

 

 

1948 Mercury.

 

 

1941 Cadillac

 

 

1930 Model A coupe and 1941 Cadillac.

FWIW, only four or five of these cars were trailered to the show. The rest drove in...

[alsancle]

John Bailey's PII was in Butch Murphy's shop when I was there in October last year. Very cool car and perfectly sorted for touring by Butch.

[alsancle]

I should’ve added that I met John and he was a very nice guy.

[gwells]

Alsancle,

 

Every single owner who brought a car to the CotAC event was a very nice guy!

[gwells]

The show's ''parking lot manager' Rick Kamen posted some additional views of a few of the CotAC cars on a Facebook page that I want to share because of their different angles..

 

 

1911 Thomas Flyer

 

 

1913 Pope-Hartford

 

 

1934 Packard 1104 Super Eight

 

 

1948 Mercury

 

 

1934 Terraplane

[gwells]

Here's another car in the CotAC show at the railway museum that somehow escaped being shown in the photos supplied to me, Jay Friedman's 1949 Cadillac Club Coupe. Wouldn't want to exclude it, as the car got several votes in the Peoples Choice voting. I drove a similar car extensively in the past and it would be one I would love to have in my garage. First pic supplied by Jay at my request.

 

 

 

 

[kgreen]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gwells]

The People's Choice votes for 'Best of Show' and 'Car I WIsh Was Mine' at the Celebration of the Authentic Car event have been tabulated.

 

The winner in both categories is the same car, Millard Choate's gorgeous 1934 Packard 1104 Super Eight dual-cowl phaeton.

 

 

In 'Best of Show,' Millard's beauty was the runaway favorite of the voters, with a total more than twice that of the second place car.

 

In the 'Car I Wish Was Mine' category, his Packard garned one more vote than the second place car, Tom Morton's 1948 Mercury.

Congratulations to Millard, whom I will be contacting about where to send a personalized plaque commemorating his CotAC honors.

[gwells]

On 5/18/2022 at 7:09 PM, 1937hd45 said:

Personally I find the semantics BS annoying and would not attend if it was across town.

Just wondering, after seeing the really diverse group of great cars brought to such an annoying-titled show, if you still wouldn't have attended?

[kfle]

Great first show, Greg! The more shows for authentic pre-war cars, the better. 

 

I will see what next year brings, but maybe I could bring one of the Coles down from Michigan.