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What’s Going On

West GeorGia reGion’s monthly neWsletter January 2015

2015 Calendar of events

June 13 - West GeorGia reGion aaCa annual Car

shoW (tentative Date)

On New Year's Eve, Don't drive

in fear!

Stay off the roads

because we need you at American Pie

JanUary 8 at 6:30 PM

So we'll see You there!

Happy New Year 2015!

We trust everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season. As I take over the leadership of our club this month, I want to sincerely thank our former president, Rick Horne, who worked hard over the past three years to ensure our success and keep us moving forward as our mem-bership list changed over a bit. We had some very good tours and car shows, and lots of fun and fellowship along the way. Thanks, Rick!

I want to echo Rick’s request from last January that we all try to make and keep a New Year’s resolution to drive our old cars more. All machines like and need to be used. I know it’s often easier said than done. We can start by driving them to LaGrange, GA on January 10 to attend the initial planning meeting of our sister AACA club as they block out dates for key 2015 events. I’m sure they will carry our 2015 car show on their calendar as we shall with theirs. Let’s try to support each other again this year, and maybe join in on some local tours together.

Mark your calendars now for our annual January "Slide Show Social" at the Novak’s house on Saturday, January 17th from 2-4. We will eat lunch at the newly-reopened La Trattoria, located at 120 Alabama Street in Carrollton, at 12 o'clock noon. Our slide show this year will be the AACA 75th Anniversary Show in Louisville in July 2010. Coffee and hot tea will be served.

Anyone who has not paid their $15 local dues send them along to Gary at 203 Scenic View Lane, Carrollton 30116.

Please remember to bring your calendars to our club meeting on January 8th at American Pie at 6:30 pm so we can work together to try to save some dates for future events, and to pick a date for our annual car show. Some ideas for upcoming events for 2015 include Senoia Mopar, Cartersville museum, and Alabama and South Carolina tours.

Enjoy the Ride!

Glenn

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By Glenn Novak

Every year in October a wonderful car show weekend happens in Lakeland, Florida, known as the Lake Mirror Classic. I had read something about it in Hemmings a while back, and the photos made it look pretty enticing. The description on the event website, explaining what was going on for three straight days and the free admission for the public, made it almost irresistible. So off we went this past fall to attend our first one, and the event’s 15th. Of course one can drive their modern car down there, or trailer their show car, like so many participants did this year. Debbie and I decided to simply fly down into Tampa and rent a car, then drive east to the city of Lakeland, about half way to Orlando, and spend the weekend at the car show. This gave us the chance to visit friends in Sarasota the following week before re-turning home. The Lake Mirror Classic was founded by and still run today by Ford Heacock, whose antique car insur-

Lake Mirror CLassiC auto show Lakeland, Florida • Oct 17-18, 2014

ance business competes with companies like Grundy, Hagerty, and others. The event is really two car shows in one, and it is virtually impossible to see and do it all on that one Saturday, this past year being October 18th. But it is fun to try. The warm-up event on Friday evening is the hot rod cruise-in right there along the lakefront, with food vendors and a live oldies band playing in the outdoor amphitheatre. Engines rev up during the band intermis-sion. The main Saturday car show is the original event and is a judged Concours d’Elegance. It is basically an invitation-only event but car owners can self-nominate and apply through a formal process and be screened. About 120 cars are in this event and are parked on the lawns surrounding Lake Mirror and adjacent to a beau-tiful park. It is a lovely setting, not unlike Amelia Is-land but on a smaller scale, with great photo ops. And absolutely no admission charge for the public, many benches on which to rest, and cafes right there next

1929 Peerless Model Six-81

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to the judging field. The judging teams look like they were imported from Amelia or Pebble Beach, and so did the owners. Except both groups seemed friendlier, and less stressed-out. Going on simultaneously with all of this is a huge non-judged car show/cruise-in of about 400 or more cars right on the historic downtown streets of Lakeland, about a five minute hike from the Concours. Plenty of cafes and restrooms over there too. This part of the car show festival came on board later, as many local car clubs pleaded with Ford Heacock to create a more inclusive atmosphere and let them show up as well to display their less-esoteric iron. Most of these cars were certainly of show quality but were just parked there (and pre-registered), usually by class or marque, and some were more like drivers. It was a good mixture with lots of variety, representing the kinds of old cars that most of us mere mortals own, restore, maintain, and enjoy. Saturday also included a live auction, a car corral, and a classic mahogany speedboat demo right there in Lake Mirror. So there was a lot to see and do. Back at the concours, at noon the wait staff of the Terrace Hotel, clad in formal attire, process out the

front door, led by a bagpiper, and bring catered lunches outside to the participants and head table dignitaries. A string trio played baroque and classical music through-out the day. Awards were presented around 3 pm in the usual concours fashion, with winning cars driving up to and across a red carpet, and crystal vases and onyx swans being presented in front of photographers and a large, admiring crowd. Best of Show cars were a 1938 Bu-gatti Coupe and a 1956 Mercedes 300SC. About two dozen class awards were given. Among the more interesting entries were some very old bicycles and motorcycles, the restored speed-boats, a number of three-wheeled Morgans, a special

display of Golden Anniversary models (1964 Jag, Riv-iera, Corvair, Grand Prix, T-Bird, etc.), 1952 Bentley Mark VI, 1932 Duesenberg Model J, 1938 Wolseley Grand Prix, 1929 Willys-Knight 70-B, 1925 Lincoln Model L Berline, 1936 Packard Twelve, and 1929 Peer-less Model Six-81. The 1953 Cadillac Elegante Con-cept was on prominent display and got lots of attention. It stood in sharp contrast to a 1924 Ford Model T tele-scoping apartment, though perhaps less practical. We spent most of the day at the concours but were able to make a hasty walk-through of the larger in-town car show. Entire streets were taken up by Mustangs, Cobras, Thunderbirds, and Corvettes. Car clubs had turned out in large numbers and parked together, creat-ing a tailgate-like experience. Owners and spectators had a great time over there as well. Sunday was a special event for invited cars only and involved a morning tour of the Florida back roads, and that started at the lake again and ended up at a spe-

cial mystery destination for a lunch stop and final fare-wells. The LMC is simply a great event with lots of things automotive going on. Weather was great there in October, crowds were big but not unwieldy or claus-trophobic, and the spectator costs were miniscule com-pared to the more famous concours events. Debbie and I highly recommend it, and we will plan on going back. Maybe we could get a group of AACA club members to join us. No one will be disappointed. The event web-site is www.lakemirrorclassic.com

Let's make some plans

for Lakeland in 2015!

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1952 Bentley Mark VI 1932 Duesenberg Model J

1938 Wolseley Grand Prix Vintage 4-man racer

Saturday there was a classic mahogany speedboat demo right on Lake Mirror.

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1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SC

1953 Cadillac Elegante concept car

Vintage Racer including this 3-wheel Morgan 1936 Packard Twelve

A row of Cobras lined up for the crowds

1938 Bugatti Coupe was a Best of Show winner

Lake Mirror CLassiC

Best Of Show Winners

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By Glenn Novak

We had 10 great vehicles at the Annual Carroll-ton Christmas parade on December 4, 2014 and the time went by faster than many of us thought as we ar-rived so very early to the staging area—3:45 pm for a 5:30 pm start time. Nevertheless, all went well and we got to drive together as a group, and at the front of the parade where we, and our cars, are most comfortable. Weather was very mild and the crowds were large and appreciative. After reconvening into a small caravan out at the K-Mart parking lot, several of us followed Geoff Fleck in his Jaguar XK out to Fairfield Plantation for our annual holiday party hosted by Geoff and his wife Shawn, who was very busy in her well-appointed kitchen getting great food ready for us all as Geoff got us safely into his driveway. The 18 of us this year consisted of the Hornes, the Moyses, the Duncans, the Smiths, the Nichols, El-len Ferris, the Novaks, the Hummels, Bill Hearnburg,

and, of course, the Flecks. It was a big group, but their large home and deck had room to spare. We all enjoyed some tasty appetizers and drinks and got to look around the lovely home right on the lake. Shawn cooked us up a delicious buffet dinner. We enjoyed the pasta, salad, and dessert she prepared for us. The time flew by as many folks helped them-selves to seconds, and later to dessert. None of it seemed to bother dog Bosco at all. Before we knew it, it was time for our annual Grab Bag gift exchange known as “Dirty Santa.” It was another successful event for most (depending on what gift you may have ended up with after perhaps being victimized by others coveting your gift!). In any case, we all enjoyed ourselves and got many laughs out of it all. Thanks again to Shawn and Geoff Fleck for host-ing our annual event, helping to get us out there okay, and preparing such a wonderful and tasty dinner for so many hungry car folk friends. We all appreciate your hospitality very much.

shawn and Geoff fLeCk host feLLow MeMbers after CarroLLton ChristMas Parade

Rick Horne and our Hostess Shawn Fleck enjoying a chat before a delicious dinner

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Members visit before the parade began at 5:00. The route went through Carrollton's Square

Liz and Rick Horne's 1930 American Austin made it's debut at the Christmas Parade

Bill Hearnburg, Glenn Novak and Nelda Hummel were all smiles after a fun time at the parade and a great ride in the Carrollton Christmas Parade!

Hostess and chef Shawn Fleck opens her "Dirty Santa" gift. There was barely a morsel left of Shawn's delicious Lasagne dinner!

L-R: Ellen Ferris, Jim Nichol and our host Geoff Fleck enjoying a perfect evening on the Fleck's lakeside deck under a gorgeous full moon.

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west GeorGia reGion aaCa Donates Annual Car Show Proceeds

To Help Three Local Charities

Tanner Hospice$500.00

"angels among us"

animal rescue$500.00

calvary cHildren's

Home$500.00

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west GeorGia reGion aaCa Donates Annual Car Show Proceeds

To Help Three Local Charities

antique auto Club of ameriCa West GeorGia reGiontreasurer’s report & minutes from 11/06/14

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by Vice President Glenn Novak in the absence of President Rick Horne. Present were Bill and Sharon Hearnburg, Frank and Nelda Hummel, Shawn and Geoff Fleck, Jim Nichols, Walt Smith, and Debbie and Glenn Novak.

The minutes of the club meeting of October 12, 2014 were approved as amended to show proper spelling of one charity as Angels Among Us Pet Rescue. The club treasurer report was approved as posted in the newsletter.

Old Business:The Tri-Club picnic was a big success and we received many compliments about it from our guests.

We have three checks to give out personally to three different charities as shown in the Octo-ber 12 minutes. We need to select which club member or members will actually present these checks to the reps from each charity, and whether we will take our own photos for the local pa-per, or try to schedule their photographer. It is important that we do have photos and captions published to help increase the visibility of our club.

The Christmas parade details included a line-up time of no later than 5 pm near Dairy Queen on 27 in Carrollton on December 4th. We will re-convene after parade at Carrollton K-Mart on Bankhead to form up a caravan to drive to the home of Shawn and Geoff Fleck for our annual Holiday Party to start around 6:30 pm. Shawn printed up flyers with directions, address, and phone numbers. Everyone should bring only their choice of beverage, and a present for our gift exchange.

Bill suggested we get two more signs for our cars for the parade and Glenn will look into it after first checking with the Hornes to see if they have some contacts or vendor preferences. The club approved this idea to purchase signs from our treasury and bring them to the parade.

New Business:

We will not meet on January 1st but rather at January 8th at American Pie for our regular meet-ing.

We should be thinking about a good date for our AACA car show and Glenn suggested June 13, 2015. We should finalize a date in January.

Meeting adjourned at 8:10 pm and was followed by the showing of the conclusion of the Burma-Shave signs video.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Glenn Novak in the absence of Secretary/Treasurer Gary Moyses.

bank balance at 12/01/14 $2315.67

no other credits or debits for month $0.00

Current treasury balance 12/01/14 $2315.67