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CLUB SPOTLIGHT
The Journey Is The Destination
Veteran Motor Car Club of America Counts Miles, Not Trophies
 VMCCA member June Prade sits proudly behind the wheel of her restored Ford Model T. |
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According to the mission of the Veteran Motor Car Club of America (VMCCA), the club’s purpose is “to encourage preservation, restoration, and use of antique and historically significant automobiles.” This is not a military Veteran’s organization, rather the “veterans” name refers to the nature of the cars, not the people. The Club’s specialty is touring events, where the members’ cars are driven to interesting places like auto shops, museums, national parks, historic theatres and retirement communities. Much like the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour participants, the club’s members have fun meeting new people and visiting old friends while onlookers get to see, hear and enjoy vintage cars driving on the highways.
VMCCA was founded in December, 1938, when twelve men met at the Hotel Statler in Boston, Massachusetts, and formulated plans for the Club. From those humble beginnings in New England, the group has grown to include 3,000 members in 20 Regions around the United States. The Club provides its members with event starter kits that include tour applications & owner/driver commitment/release forms to help organize and ensure safe excursions.
VMCCA also organized the revival of the Glidden Tour® and has helped support the event annually since 1946. The AAA Glidden Tours originated early in the Twentieth Century and were intended to demonstrate to the public the reliability of the automobile. By the early teens, the point had been made and the tours faded away. For many years, participation was restricted to the earliest automobiles. In 1982, after recognizing an increasing interest in cars of later eras, the club instituted the Chrome Glidden Tour® specifically for cars of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. Several other annual National Meets and Tours have also been added over the years. Antique vehicle and motorcycle eligibility for these events is based on the year of manufacture cutoff guidelines for each.
The SAN applauds the VMCCA and its long history of supporting the old car hobby. Like the club, the SAN also “likes old cars and loves to see them driven!”