by Brian White
For over 55 years I have spent this week at the AACA show in Hershey. My first year was 1963, I was eight years old. Dad took me out of school and we went on our way to Hershey by Gettysburg on an “educational sabbatical” he told me if I kept my grades up he would let me go with him each year to Hershey. The first nine weeks of school my grades were…. pretty good and I got to go most years thereafter. Dad, my best friend, partner, mentor passed away November 28, 2000 and I knew life had changed forever. Life must go on and dad would have it no other way so every year I dedicate my Hershey trip to Dad. I have thirteen spaces and my friend Dick has twelve spaces so with them combined we can put a thirty by thirty tent up for North Carolina HCCA to enjoy Hershey with us.
Charlie, my brother Dick, Trish and I rent motor homes and stay on site and some evenings we will have 30 people eating dinner with us. This group of friends have a vast knowledge for antique cars and parts. I have always said if you can’t find it at Hershey your probably not going to find it, that includes the knowledge. Every evening we will show off our treasure’s and brag about how little we had to pay for these treasures.
Back in the early years dad would show me parts to hunt for and I would be his bloodhound and parts hauler. Over the years we got more organized and we would start about a month before Hershey reviewing the cars, writing down part numbers and taking pictures of odd stuff we thought we might need.
One year I spotted two 1911 White NOS carbonators laying on a tarp on the ground. They were two guys from a well-known Reno collector standing almost on top of them with their walkie talkies. I looked at everything around waiting for my chance to make my move. Finally they move away and I asked the vender for a price he told me fifty dollars so I bought both, he then asked what they were for and I told him a 1911. White, he said if I knew that I would have doubled the price!
Hershey was always about the parts to me. In 2010 I decided after I restored my 1909 Cadillac I would show it for its senior at Hershey. It was one cool rainy morning when I drove the Cadillac from Chocolate field to the show field. As I came out of Chocolate I made a U-turn to get to the show field and a no nonsense police officer motioned me to pull over by the pedestrian bridge and gave me and six other cars a ticket. I asked him when he said he was giving me a ticket if he could make it a speeding ticket instead of an illegal U Turn. He didn’t think it was funny and said no as he steamed off. The people on the bridge were booing and that made him even madder.
I returned in 2011 with my 1911 Cadillac, I did not make a U-Turn and won its senior also. I have since showed ‘23 Stutz Speedway 4, ‘14 Bearcat and ‘15 Pierce Arrow. I have met some great people because of cars including every one of you reading this. Please take care in these crazy time and lets plan meeting in Hershey next year.
