Club plaques made in the 1970's

[Gordie]

Do any of you old timers remember who made the aluminum club plaques in the 1970's?  They are scarce now and you do not see them often and there were two variations.  I recently bought the brass master that was used for manufacturing these plaques.  It came from an estate in Louisville KY.  Would there be any interest in reproducing these plaques?  They were approximately license plate size and I have an original on my '48 Manhattan and have an example of both variations.

[BigDave LM6174]

Gordie,
I have one of the plaques.  It has 4 studs coming out of it, I believe so it can be mounted in a package tray.  Is that where they were usually placed?

[Gordie]

Hi Dave,  The plaque that I am referring to is about  license plate size, made of aluminum and usually mounted like a license plate on the front of the car in states which used no front plate.   I did also get a smaller brass 3 1/4" by 3 3/4" plaque that has a  KF with intertwined letters in a shield and it has two studs but I have never seen one and do not know where it mounts.  It may have been someones idea that was never put into production.  Both brass plaques are well made and nicely detailed.  The larger one is 5 1/4" X 9 1/2" and is just like the aluminum plaques that were sold thru the club in the 1970's, about forty years ago and  it has four studs.  With the aluminum plaques those studs are threaded with nuts for mounting.  I believe that there was also a smaller plaque that was offered thru the club but I have never seen one. 

[BigDave LM6174]

Goldie,  I got mine from Tom Hoffman at one of the Hoffman Hurrahs.  Got the impression thatmhe was part of the process of getting the plaques made.

I am going to try and attach photos front and back.  I also have a picture of one I saw on a car at the Portland National.

[BigDave LM6174]

Front

[BigDave LM6174]

Back

[Gordie]

Hi Dave,  Your Plaque is the later style with the KF in a circle instead of being in a shield.  Mine is just the same except for being made of brass and unpainted and it is very heavy.  Thanks for sending the great pictures.  These are very nice plaques and I wondered if there would be any interest in making them available to members again.  Does any one remember who originally sold them?  I've been looking thru my early Quarterlies and Bulletins but have not run across an ad for them yet.  Thanks,  Gordie

[BigDave LM6174]

Let me see if Leona Hoffman in SoCal Region  remembers them.  I just sent her a email.  Think she checks email once a week.  May be a few days to see if she remembers Tom being involved with that project.  I believe Tom said he was involved with it.

David

[Gordie]

Thanks Dave,  The Hoffmans' and the Hoffman's Hurrah were some of the hilites of the So Ca. region for many years and we will always remember them.  So many members turned out that it was quite a car show.  I still have some photos of my '51 coupe sitting under one of the Hoffmans' many trees and I am lucky enough to own one of the great redwood burl Kaiser-Frazer clocks that Tom made as door prizes for many years.  I've been a  member for over thirty five years and don't remember the plaques being offered for sale during my time so they must have been made a long time ago.    Gordie

[Corsairdeluxe]

Gordie , I am glad you enjoyed the Hoffman’s Hurrahs. I will share with you my last experience at a Hurrah. I had a gorgeous 53 ALLSTATE and drove it to the Hurrah, arriving about 9 am or so .A lot of people were all over it all day. About noon or so Rudy arrived in a 51 Kaiser convertible. After lunch, about 1 or 2.the games started and the awards were passed out .Tom called me up and presented me with the peoples choice award. My ALLSTATE received the most awards by far. Before I could even reach my seat ,Tom announced that obviously if Rudy had been earlier, he would have won and he gave Rudy an identical peoples choice award. I got up walked up to Tom, returned my award, drove off and never went to a SoCal event again.

[Corsairdeluxe]

Interesting you should mention Leona. This clipping is from a SoCal newsletter.The finances of SoCal were controled by guess who. No one else was allowed to even run for treasurer.

C:\Users\brown\Pictures\leona.JPG

[BigDave LM6174]

Gordie, I have one of the beautiful clocks as well.  Very nice piece over our fireplace.

[Gordie]

Well, guess what?  Leona is still the treasurer even though we only meet about twice a year and the chapter has dwindled down to about thirty members, a far cry from all the activity of twenty years ago.  I guess that we are all getting older and it is not as much fun driving our cars 100 miles to and back from a meet in the Los Angeles traffic.  It is hard to get members out any more and the gasoline turns to jelly in our cars if we let them sit too long.  I've got cars that I have not driven in years and it never was a problem in the old days. 

[BigDave LM6174]

I served as Manager and then Spark Plug Editor, then manager, then editor again for several years.  Once we had 3 kids, I had no time to keep the club going.  I miss the old region and how active it was.  It all changed when  Aeroman moved away to Georgia and the club has never been the same.  Bill Rheinhardt, Bill Metzel, Allen Hogle, John Parker and the Hoffmans were the heart of the club.  Think we will just blame Aeroman for the demise.  He's only one on chat room we can blame. 

[Gordie]

Yes!  I bought my first plaque from Chuck Schentlige.  Hey Rick, when are you coming back?