Our Mission
The purpose of our club is to retore, promote and preserve Model “A” Fords and to serve as a medium of exchange of ideas, information, parts and to further attract prestige and respect within the community with family oriented activities and civic and community involvement.
Some History
Art Isham of Williamsburg, Virginia started the Colonial Virginia Chapter with letters sent to prospective members. The first organizational meeting was held at the American Road Museum on Rt 60 in Williamsburg on 17 November 1972 with 19 families in attendance and 14 joined. Dues were $5.00. Art Isham requested organizational assistance from The Model A Ford Club of America in California on 14 September 1972 who received a “starter kit” reply on 2 Oct 1972. It was voted on at this first meeting to assess a 25 cent fine for failing to wear a name badge or not dealing on a first name basis. The Model A Ford Club of America Colonial Virginia Chapter is dated 23 February 1973 and the Model “A” Restorers Club Regional Charter is dated 29 November 1982. Brunswick stew and corn bread always appeared to be the food of choice at the meetings stirred with a forked apple stick.
In 1984, Mazie Williams became our first lady President. A European tour was done in the fall of 1985.
The Cape Henry Model A Ford Club joined us in hosting the Model A Restorers Club National Meet held in Virginia Beach in June of 1987 with 360 Model A’s participating. Bob Williams and Howard Andelton Representing our club in general and Model A’s in particular raced, drove and survived “The Great American Race” of 1988 from California to Boston.
Numerous awards and letters of commendation and appreciation have been received from Virginia Beach, Newport News, Hampton, Gloucester, Smithfield and Williamsburg for our commitment to their communities.
The first newsletter was called “No Name” Chapter Newsletter. Subsequent names were “Chapter Chatter”, Colonial Virginia Chapter”, Ford”, “Colonial A’s” and Colonial “A” News.
In 1992-93 Bill Lee drove his 1930 Cabriolet in Northeast Old Car Races on the east coast and in 1994 on “The Championship Run” from South Bend, IN to Wilkes Barre, PA. In 1995 Bill Lee and friend Pac McLaurin maneuvered Bill’s 1930 Cabriolet in “The Great North American Race” through Canada, across the United States and on to Mexico City, Mexico.
In July 1997, we celebrated our 25th anniversary year with a big picnic held at the home of Linda and Barry Wise and officiated by our President Bill Moore who also did the cooking.
During the week of June 5-9, 2000, we were joined by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to host the National Meet of the Model “A” Restorers Club, which was attend by 702 registrations with 1,575 people from 34 states, and Canada. Busch Gardens Williamsburg hosted our club on June 7, 2000 with a “Model A Day at Busch” and provided after hour entertainment with buffet for over 900 people. Colonial Williamsburg provided Nicholson Street in the restored area for our Thursday line up area which was attended by 514 Model “A” Fords on a full 58 mile tour of the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg and ending with a picnic held at Carter’s Grove Plantation on the James River. The sight of seeing over five hundred Model A Fords on the parkway at one time was breathtaking!!. Our National Meet Banquet was held at the Williamsburg Lodge on Friday, June 9, 2000. Comments received from other regions attending were “the finest MARC National Meet ever held!”
WAIT – there is more! The 2007 MARC Meet was held in Williamsburg, Virginia June 18-22, 2007 and we hosted 32 states + Canada. We raised the bar again!
Leaks
