AutoFair Charlotte: Some Scenes From the AACA National
Held each spring, Charlotte AutoFair combines an AACA National event, a massive swap meet, a car corral and a myriad of smaller shows operated by make and model-specific car clubs. Organized by the AACA’s Hornets Nest Region and held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, AutoFair draws tens of thousands of showgoers every spring.
The National AACA Southeastern Spring Meet Car Show, as it is formally known, took place on April 5 place on the paved lot opposite the Smith Tower office building that makes up part of the speedway structure. The National drew cars from all along the East Coast and beyond.
Below are some of the many restored and preserved cars that lined the show field.
1909 Maxwell Model A runabout, front quarter, parked on pavement.
1909 Maxwell Model A runabout
Power for this 1909 Maxwell Model A runabout comes from a horizontally opposed two-cylinder engine rated at 10 horsepower. Andrew Straw of nearby Hickory, North Carolina entered the vehicle for display only.
1907 Cadillac Model K runabout, front quarter, top up
1907 Cadillac Model K Runabout
With its single-cylinder engine mounted under the seat, a longitudinal flywheel and chain final drive, this 1907 Cadillac Model K runabout shows how the earliest Cadillacs looked quite a bit different from the models that followed. The Model K was the car that famously scored Cadillac the Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club in the U.K. Three cars were fully disassembled and their parts mixed. Three cars were reassembled from the mixed parts and then driven 500 miles each, proving not only the worthiness of standardized parts but also the high quality of Cadillac. Following this achievement, Cadillac coined the term “the standard of the world.”
1962 Volkswagen Beetle, front quarter, parked on pavement
1962 Volkswagen Beetle
Jeffrey Linson, of Indian Trail, North Carolina, brought his 1962 Volkswagen Type 1 Deluxe Sedan, a.k.a. Beetle, for display only rather than having it judged. With its aftermarket roof rack and a lower profile than normal, the mildly customized VW gave off the sort of good vibes that Beetle fans have embraced for decades.
1960 Volkswagen Type 1 Sedan Beetle, front quarter, parked on pavement.
1960 Volkswagen Beetle
Hailing all the way from Section, Alabama, Marion McDonald took her 1960 Volkswagen Type 1 Deluxe Sedan to Charlotte to be judged for its Senior badge. Like so many cars on the AACA show field, the little Beetle looked to have been restored to a very high and authentic standard.
1947 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon woodie, front quarter, parked on pavement
1947 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon
Charlotte local Jeff King submitted his 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon, a.k.a. “woodie,” for its First Junior award. The paint, wood framing, and wood panels all appeared to be in excellent condition.
1965 Plymouth Barracuda front quarter, parked on pavement
1965 Plymouth Barracuda
Frank Petru came all the way from Canton, Georgia to show this V8-powered 1965 Plymouth Barracuda, which was up for a Senior award.
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, black and gold, parked on pavement, front quarter view
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Black-and-gold Trans Ams never go out of style. Jeff Loebler’s 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, entered for a Senior award, appeared to be impeccably restored and in what looked like better than showroom condition.
1999 Pontiac Trans Am 30th Anniversary Edition, front quarter, parked on pavement.
1999 Pontiac Trans Am 30th Anniversary Edition
Debbie Nolen, of Richmond, Virginia was one of several owners displaying fourth-gen F-bodies. Her 1999 Pontiac Trans Am 30th Anniversary Edition was being judged for its First Junior award with the AACA.
1946 MG TC , front view, hoods up, parked on pavement
1946 MG TC
Robert Griffey’s 1946 MG TC arrived at the show with a host of medallions already attached to the badge bar. He may need to make space for the car’s First Junior award.
1969 Iso Grifo, red, parked on pavement, front quarter
1969 Iso Grifo
Powered by a front-mounted Chevrolet 327-cu.in. V8 lifted from the Corvette and featuring a chassis from Giotto Bizzarini, the Iso Grifo got its lines from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiaro. Charlotte resident Darren Frank has owned this red 1969 Iso Grifo since the 1980s. Darren and the car were the subject of an independent documentary short film that was released in 2016.
1923 Stutz Bearcat, front quarter, top up, parked on pavement
1923 Stutz Bearcat
Hemmings readers make recognize the names Brian and Trish White, whose 1915 Pierce-Arrow Model 38-C Landaulet was recently profiled in depth. For the AACA show this spring, they brought their 1923 Stutz Bearcat from their home in Apex, North Carolina.
2000 Dodge Neon ES, hood open, front quarter view
2000 Dodge Neon ES
Yes, this second-generation 2000 Dodge Neon ES is officially an antique in the eyes of the AACA. Owner Mike Peterson of Raleigh, North Carolina, displayed a placard with some details of the car that he ordered new for his mother in July of 1999. They received the well optioned Neon not quite a couple of months later from a dealership in Mishawaka, Indiana.
1999 Ford Mustang GT convertible, top up, front quarter view
1999 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
Just a few months older than the Neon was this 1999 Ford Mustang GT convertible, owned by Christopher Martin of Statesville, North Carolina.
1985 BMW 535i, front quarter view
1985 BMW 535i
In the mid-1980s, nobody made sports sedans quite like BMW did. Hendersonville, North Carolina’s Steve Nordt’s 1985 BMW 535i has not only a robust 3.4-liter SOHC inline-six but also a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. All of those features added to its sports sedan bona fides.
1981 Fiat Spider, front quarter, top up
1981 Fiat Spider
Fiat’s long-lived Spider model was always considered an enjoyable and engaging driver’s car. Charlotte’s David Bowman entered his 1981 Fiat Spider appropriately enough to be judged in the Repeat Driver Participation Class.
1975 Kawasaki H-1 500, front/side view; brown tank with yellow highlights
1975 Kawasaki H-1 500
Kawasaki’s two-stroke triples were among the fastest machines on wheels—two or four—that you could buy directly off a showroom floor in the 1970s. Hickory, North Carolina’s Joseph Tackas rolled out his exceptionally clean metallic brown and yellow 1975 Kawasaki H-1 500 for its First Junior award judging.
1968 Yamaha Trailmaster 80, side view, red with chrome tank
1968 Yamaha Trailmaster 80
Yamaha’s small Trailmaster 80 scrambler produced 6.6 horsepower from its two-stroke 73-cc single. But it did plenty with that half-dozen horsepower, able to propel the bike to as much as 55 mph. It also had an astounding 125 mpg rating from Yamaha. This 1968 Yamaha Trailmaster 80 hailed from Hamilton, Ohio. Its owner, C. Robert Piper, had submitted it for its Senior award at Charlotte.
1999 Suzuki SV650, side view, silver frame and blue tank and fenders
1999 Suzuki SV650
Like the 2000 Neon and ’99 Mustang, we had to check the calendar to come to grips with this 1999 Suzuki SV650 making the field at an “antique” show. The SV650 made a name for itself when it was new as a sporty, accessible motorcycle that made sense for people who just liked to ride. You know? The sort of folks who didn’t see the need for the performance of a supersport, the laid-back nature of a feet-forward cruiser or the full equipment of a touring or adventure bike.
1966 Ducati Cadet 100 , front quarter view, red and silver tank and bodywork
1966 Ducati Cadet 100
Most air-cooled motorcycles achieve engine cooling via air passing along finned cylinders and/or cylinder heads while moving along. But a handful feature a fan to aid the cooling process, like this 1966 Ducati Cadet 100 owned by Michael Engard of Perkasie, Pennsylvania.
1933 LaSalle Convertible Coupe, front quarter, top up
1933 LaSalle Convertible Coupe
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that LaSalle was anything less than its Cadillac counterpart. This 1933 LaSalle Convertible Coupe exuded a commanding presence even sitting still at the Charlotte Motor Speedway parking lot. Owner James Elliot hauled the elegant convertible all the way from Yorktown, Virginia to submit it for a Senior award.
1941 Packard Super Eight 180 five-passenger touring sedan, front quarter
1941 Packard Super Eight 180
This 1941 Packard Super Eight 180 five-passenger touring sedan rides on a massive 138-inch wheelbase and is powered by a 356-cu.in. straight-eight. Up for its First Junior award at the AACA National, the big two-tone sedan is owned by Bill and Cindy Gillespie of Orange Park, Florida.
1987 Buick Grand National, front quarter, hood up
1987 Buick Grand National
We’ve seen plenty of the Buick Grand Nationals at our own Musclepalooza events, but the quarter-mile star of the late Eighties has only recently become eligible for AACA shows. Winston-Salem’s David Lineback’s 1987 Buick Grand National was entered in the AACA Original Class.
1911 Oldsmobile Limited Tourabout , front quarter, top up
1911 Oldsmobile Limited Tourabout
We last saw David Peeler’s impressive 1911 Oldsmobile Limited Tourabout last fall at the Hilton Head Island Concours where it received the Best of Show Concours d’Elegance trophy. The imposingly large automobile looked as impressive as ever. Powered by a massive 707-cu.in. inline-six, the Limited rides on 42-inch wheels. It’s so tall that there are two levels to the running boards to make ingress and egress easier.
1974 BMW R90/6, side view, white tank and body
1974 BMW R90/6
BMW’s “slash” 6 bikes are noted for their durability and longevity. Among the most beloved are the big-displacement R90 models, which were rated at 60 horsepower and good for a top speed of approximately 115 mph. This 1974 BMW R90/6 hailed from Warwick, Massachusetts. Owner Todd Weed entered it for its First Junior award.
1930 Ford Model A Phaeton, front quarter view, top up
1930 Ford Model A Phaeton
Is any AACA show complete without a Model A? Jeffrey Gladden or Rustburg, Virginia (really, that’s the name of his hometown despite how clean this car was) displayed this 1930 Ford Model A Phaeton, which was up for a Repeat Preservation award.
1950 Brockhouse Papoose, side view with Indian badging, blue tank and body
1950 Brockhouse Papoose
Yes, that “Indian” script on the side of this micro-motorcycle is real. Brockhouse Engineering owned both the Indian Motorcycle Company and Corgi, the English manufacturer of these tiny two-stroke motorcycles at the time. Originally developed as a foldable motorcycle deployable by paratroopers in World War II, the Corgi was sold in the U.K. as well as in the U.S., the latter frequently in mail-order catalogs before being rebranded for Indian. This 1950 Brockhouse Papoose is owned by William Alford of Canton, Ohio.
1940 Indian Sport Scout, side view, saddle leather seat and tan bodywork
1940 Indian Sport Scout
Art Delor’s 1940 Indian Sport Scout, in town for its First Junior award, looked to be about several times the scale of the Brockhouse Papoose, which also wore the storied Indian name on its gas tank.
1961 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe, front quarter view
1961 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe
There is no mistaking the simple and elegant lines of this 1961 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe. This example looked particularly striking with blue spear complementing the blue cloth and vinyl interior.
1970 Honda Trail 70 CT70, candy gold, side view
1970 Honda Trail 70
For many American, Honda’s little Trail 70 was their introduction to motorcycling in the 1970s. Economical, accessible and available with an automatic transmission, the 72-cc four-stroke machine was also street legal in some places. This Candy Gold 1970 Honda Trail 70, submitted for its First Junior award, was brought to the show by David Penney of Greer, South Carolina.
1959 Jeep Forward Control FC-150, front quarter view
1959 Jeep Forward Control FC-150
Unmistakably a Jeep with its seven-slot/six-bar grille, the Forward Control FC-150 models combined the CJ-5 chassis with an enclosed cab-over truck design. The truly unique pickup offered standard go-anywhere four-wheel drive, a tight turning radius and plenty of hauling capacity. Owned by David Chynoweth of Bonita Springs, Florida, this 1959 Jeep Forward Control FC-150 had a 30-year-old restoration that appeared to be holding up quite well.
1963 Dodge 330 two-door sedan framed by the lifted hood of a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner A12 440 6-bbl; six pack
1963 Dodge 330 engine: 426-cu.in. Ramcharger/Max Wedge V8
1963 Dodge 330
Framed by a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner with the A12 440-6-BBL option, this 1963 Dodge 330 two-door sedan packs one of the most potent engines ever offered by Chrysler Corporation: the “Max Wedge” 426-cu.in. V8. Designed for Super Stock drag racing, the Ramcharger 426 featured a pair of four-barrel carburetors. With that cross-ram intake manifold and the race-only high-compression heads, it could produce 425 horsepower in factory form. Jeff Vitello of Springfield, Pennsylvania owns this example.
1957 Ford Thunderbird, top up, front quarter view; Coral Sand color with a white top
1957 Ford Thunderbird
Complementing the rich color of the 1955 T-bird shown at the top of this page was this 1957 Ford Thunderbird that was parked adjacent. Finished in Coral Sand, it gleamed in the bright sunlight outside the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The impeccably restored Thunderbird is owned by Armeda Manieri of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
1937 Ford V8 pickup , front quarter, green with black fenders
1937 Ford V8 Pickup
Proving that newer is definitely not always better, at least in the looks department, this 1937 Ford V8 pickup probably never looked as good as it did on the parking lot show field in Charlotte. The restored beauty is owned by Ray Chisholm of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina.
1935 Chevrolet Master half-ton pickup, front quarter view
1935 Chevrolet Master Half-ton Pickup
Proving that Ford did not have a lock on handsome trucks in the 1930s, this 1935 Chevrolet Master half-ton pickup also attracted plenty of attention. Powered comes from the Chevrolet 207-cu.in. OHV straight-six. Owner David Warmer came from nearby Ford Mill, South Carolina to submit his truck for its First Junior award.
1929 Ford Model A closed-cab pickup, front quarter, both sections of the hood up
1929 Ford Model A Closed-cab Pickup
Previously disassembled “in boxes for 20 years,” George Glavis of Front Royal, Virginia shared that he had only very recently completed the restoration of this 1929 Ford Model A closed-cab pickup. The paint still smelled fresh as this truck went under the scrutiny of the AACA judges for its First Junior award.
1914 Simplex 50 HP Tourer, front end view, top up
1914 Simplex 50 HP Tourer
Like his 1911 Oldsmobile Limited, David Peeler’s 1914 Simplex 50 HP Tourer seems to have been hewn from a larger scale universe, presenting nearly as imposing a presence as the big Olds. Powered by a 590-cu.in. T-head inline-six, the Simplex was the wealthy sporting man’s car of the era.
1963 Harley-Davidson Topper, side view, red and white
1963 Harley-Davidson Topper
Harley-Davidson has all but entirely avoided the small-bore scooter market. But for the first half of the 1960s, they produced the Topper, which was powered by a 164-cc, reed-valve, two-stroke single mated to a continuously variable transmission with chain final drive. Harley-Davidson assembled the Topper in Milwaukee rather than at its Italian subsidiary at the time, Aermacchi. This 1963 Harley-Davidson Topper is owned by Randy Pratt of Greer, South Carolina.
1966 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible, front quarter, top up
1966 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible
Up for its Senior award was this sharp 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible. Owner Linda Muller hauled it all the way from Saint George, Kansas to take part in the show.
1962 IH Scout pickup, front quarter
1962 International Harvester Scout Pickup
International Harvester’s Scout was one of the very few competitors to Jeep with a relatively compact, four-wheel-drive vehicle available in the early 1960s. This 1962 IH Scout pickup appeared to have been thoroughly and authentically restored.
