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Vic LaBantschnig 98th Birthday
August 2008
Vic and Son Denny
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2008 St. Louis Auto Show Display
OLD FUN & FORMAL, GAS AND ELECTRIC CARS WERE FEATURED IN ST. LOUIS
Tens
of thousands of visitors to the recent St. Louis Auto Show not only checked out new designs and advancements in motoring but
also come face to face with marvelous machines from the golden past. A six-vehicle display by the Horseless Carriage
Club of Missouri, Inc., spanned 40 years of development under the theme, "Fun & Formal."
The event, held from January
23 to 27 at America's Center and Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis, Mo., included an unusual 1920 Detroit Electric,
a rare 1920 Briggs & Stratton Flyer Buckboard, a petite 1923 Auto Red Bug Electric Buckboard, a stately 1938 Cadillac
"75" Series Fleetwood 7 Passenger Sedan, a quaint 1927 Model T Ford tudor, and an astonishingly long 1959 Cadillac "75"Series
Fleetwood Formal Limousine.
The annual show was conducted by the St. Louis Auto Dealers Association, headed
by John Londoff, Jr., with Chris Adelmann serving as executive vice president.
"The Detroit Electric was the
type of car used by men wearing top hats for formal occasions and by women with large, impressive hats of French designs,"
says longtime OCW contributor Gerald Perschbacher, who is HCCM president and was exhibit coordinator. "The 1938 and
1959 Cadillacs are huge masterpieces oozing stately extravagance. On the fun side, we had two 'buckboard' models from
the 1920s and a black-and-green Ford, reminding visitors that a Model T became the first set of wheels for many families,
thus opening an exciting era of fun."
Public announcements emphasized several sub-themes. Cadillacs reminded
visitors of the 100th anniversary of General Motors, while the last year of the Model T Ford (1927) alerted onlookers that
the venerable model had been introduced a century ago. There was also the interplay of gas-powered vehicles versus electric.
"Visitors
saw a variety of differences in form and function," Perschbacher adds. Scores of club members volunteered at the display,
handing out brochures and answer questions. "We love old cars. We love to bring them to the attention of others,
including older generations that recall those glory days, and younger generations that have never seen such cars. It's
a great learning experience," concludes Perschbacher.
Ralph Atkinson coordinated club volunteers. Lou and Jackie
Allen offered daily support. Key participants included Floyd Dunlap, Don and Joan Hoelscher, Pat and Pam Howk,
plus Laren and Joyce Langguth
PHOTOS BY GERALD PERSCHBACHER, JACKIE ALLEN & DON HOELSCHER; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
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Participating in the Annual Downtown St Patrick's Day Parade has become a real
tradition for our Club. This year we had a 1916 Rauch & Lang (Electric), 1928 Whippet, 1928 Ford Model A, 1931 Ford Model
A, 1931 Cadillac and a 1949 Nash Tow Truck pulling an Irish Float.
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