A Brief History of the Housatonic Valley Region Antique Auto Club
The Housatonic Valley Region Antique Auto Club has been active in the greater Danbury area for more than 35 years. The Club is family oriented, and not for profit. We are affiliated with the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), the oldest antique car club in the United States. Membership numbers more than 100 families from 17 area towns with cars ranging from the brass era of the 1900's to muscle cars and collectibles of the 1970's.
The purpose of the Club is to perpetuate the old car hobby with tours, talks, seminars, and social activities. We participate in area parades and other functions at the request of various local organizations. Along with Blackhorse Automotive Services of Bridgeport, we host an annual Vintage Auto& Airplane show at Candlelight Airport in New Milford that has become a premiere event for Western Connecticut. The show draws about 500 cars, 2,000 spectators, many vintage aircraft, and lots of flea market vendors in a beautiful country setting. Any profits generated from the show are donated to local charities and/or educational institutions.
The roots of the Club can be traced to a meeting in late 1973 of about ten fellows interested in old cars at Dick Hipp's house on the "The Boulevard" in Newtown. Originally, the Club was founded on the premise of helping others work on and restore their antique cars. Facts about cars and restoration were to be the focus of the Club - not financial or social issues that have plagued many contemporary clubs.
The small group met for about a year (during the height of one of our most cherished gas crunches) in the Newtown Library. After that, it met at the Methodist Church for a couple of years. There were no officers in the Club but rather a three-man executive committee to steer the meetings. Fifty cents per month was collected from each member to cover mailing costs of a newsletter and to develop a treasury. After becoming affiliated with the AACA, the Club moved to its present meeting location at the Hawleyville Fire House.
Some of the early activities of the Club was a tour of member's garages where all could see the progress of the "restoration in progress." The Club hosted technical sessions on paint, stainless trim, brakes, wood graining, etc. These seminars were led by both members and guest speakers.
In the early to mid 1970's, the club had an association with the Redding Jaycee's. Don Kingsbury, then a member of the Redding Jaycee's, contacted John DeBruin, a member of the "early roots" Housatonic Valley Club, to join forces for the Jaycee's second annual car show to be held at Joel Barlow High School. Don asked John and his father Ed DeBruin if the car club would be interested in judging cars. They said yes and thus began the clubs first commitment to a car show! That year, 1975, the HVR judged the Redding show and received 10% ($400) of the show profits. The show drew more than 350 cars!
The Club continued to judge the Redding show through 1982 when the Jaycees folded due to lack of membership. Many of the Club's current judging categories are the same ones used back then. Interestingly, the second year the Club judged, Club cars garnered most of the trophies! There were lots of protests and after that club cars were put in a special "do not judge" class.
Starting in 1976, in addition to the Redding Jaycee's association, the club held an annual show – always around the third week in June – in Danbury with the Danbury Jaycee's. This successful show was held at the Osborne St. parking lot adjacent to the Western Connecticut State University athletic field (no longer existing). In 1981 the club parted ways with the Jaycees and set off on their own to a new location – the Danbury airport. The show ran at this location until 1991 when, because of parking space and airport development, we formed an alliance with the Bridgewater Fire Department and moved to the Bridgewater Fairgrounds.
The Club has come a long way since those early beginnings, but the underlying format remains. We are committed to the enjoyment and propagation of the hobby on an informal basis. That is one of the primary reasons our Club has enjoyed such success. There is no doubt about the bright future ahead and the years of enjoyment we will share. We'll have lots more interesting technical seminars, more delicious theme dinners, more tour and parades, more great picnics, more successful shows, and many more good times together!
If you think this is a club you would like to join, why not give us a try. There is no obligation. We meet the second Wednesday of every month in the Hawleyville Fire House near I-84 Exit 9. You don't need to own an old car to join. For more information, call our Member-ship Chairman, Dave Coe, at (203) 743-2642 or email him at dcoe@snet.net.