Car club revs up in Valley

A new car club is organizing in Carson Valley. It is called the Carson-Tahoe Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America.

The name was selected to represent the geographic area they hope to draw their membership from, including the Washoe Valley, Bridgeport, Carson Valley and the Lake Tahoe basin.

The AACA is the largest and oldest automotive historical society in the United States. It was started in 1935 in Pennsylvania where it recently opened a new automotive museum at Hershey. It is comprised of approximately 400 chartered regions and chapters throughout the country.

The club is dedicated to the preservation, restoration and maintenance of automobiles and automotive history. Through its regions and divisions the AACA sponsors several meets and shows, both judged and non-judged, as well as several tours for older cars throughout the year. While ownership of an old car is not a prerequisite to membership in either the local or national club, participation in the sanctioned shows is limited to cars 25 years or older.

The local chapter was organized early last year as a chapter of the Northern Nevada Region located in Fallon. By the end of the year they had grown large enough to establish a region of their own which was chartered in late 2005. Currently represented in the club is a wide range of cars, from Model T Fords to muscle cars of the late sixties, some of which are running and some not. Cars under restoration are always welcome in the club. The club has established, as one of their activities, a monthly club project day to help members get their cars on the road.

The goal of the local club is to provide the opportunity for our members to show and drive their cars and the resources to assist them in maintaining and restoring them to operation, all in a social atmosphere that encourages participation by the whole family.

The club meets the second Wednesday of the month. In odd numbered months (January, March, May, July, September and November) the meetings are breakfast meetings that take place 9 a.m. at Hamdogs Restaurant in Gardnerville. In the even months the meetings are 7 p.m. Wednesday evenings currently in rotating locations, sometimes in members homes or shops and other times at local restaurants or other locations.

The club has impromptu "Drive n' Dines" about every six weeks, weather permitting. The club takes trips to places like the Heyday Inn in Wellington, Thunder Canyon Golf Club in Washoe Valley and Sorensen's in Hope Valley. In May a cruise is being planned for Virginia City.

Anyone interested in old cars is invited to join, whether your car is operable or not, or even if you don't own one. Call one of the officers for the date and location of the next meeting.

The club officers are:

n President Mike Lovell, e-mail michael.lovell@zurichna.com or 781-0424.

n Vice president Bill Goldman, e-mail billg89410@charter.net or 782-0550

n Secretary Bill Meglen, e-mail tirediron@charter.net or 265-1683

n Treasurer Gary Butrick, e-mail oncetrea@verizon.net or 267-0119.