http://www.oldcarsweekly.com August29, 2019 ❘ 21
T
he 2019 Antique Automobile
Club of America’s annual Grand
Nationals assembled some of
the club’s best cars at the Au-
burn Auction Park in Auburn,
Ind., from May 30 to June 1.
Cars that compete in the Grand Nation-
als had won a Senior Award during a
previous year and were competing for
a First Grand National, a Senior Grand
National or a Repeat Senior Grand Na-
tional award; as previous winners, all
cars participating received a preserva-
tion award.
Hosting the Grand Nationals at the
Auburn Auction Park during RM Auc-
tions’ Auburn Spring sale resulted in
strong turn out at the event. According
to Steve Moskowitz, CEO of the AACA,
the 2019 Grand Nationals event was the
biggest thus far in the heartland.
“We had 410 cars — the best so far
at a Grand Nationals meet in the Mid-
west,” said Steve Moskowitz.
Like the club itself, the fi eld was
very diverse with everything from the
brass era to the malaise era represented.
Among those present was a 1932 Chev-
rolet roadster by longtime club member
Pinky Randall, aka “Mr. Chevrolet.”
“I bought this car 45 years ago in
California,” Randall said of his 1932
Chevrolet. “There’s lot of NOS (parts)
on it. I bought the tire covers 50 years
ago in New York and just took them out
of the box. It even has correct G12 spark
plugs — those are rare. Three of the four
fenders are NOS.”
Randall was excited that the uphol-
stery shop in Toledo that originally up-
holstered the car was still in business
and reupholstered his car.
John Tress was displaying an even
earlier Chevrolet, a rare 1916 Chevrolet
H-2 Royal Mail Special Roadster, one of
four such cars known.
Tress bought the car in 1970 while
he was in college, but didn’t begin the
restoration until his own kids were in
college decades later. He didn’t know
much about the car’s history when he
bought it. Eventually, he discovered in
the door panel a postcard and gas receipt
from when the car was new. Fortunately,
Top: Cris Detwiler
bought this 1983 Pon-
tiac Grand Prix new.
Left: This 1960 Impala
packs tri-power and
a four-speed manual
transmission.
