HET and Car shows

[Deleted User]

I think everyone agrees that it is in the best interest of HET to get our cars out in multi-make meets. Perhaps HET can help promote this idea in the WTN and writing about this issue (again). Perhaps HET can reach out to some other major clubs (ie: Oldsmobile) and coordinate participation. I still don't see why everyone thinks judging or not judging is a big deal. Who cares. It is irrelevant to whether I attend a show or not. I know both So Cal chapter understand the concept of combined participation.



Members of this forum often speak about taking their cars to different shows and venues with great success and satisfaction. The more HET members being involved, the better.



In the same concept, any HET regional meet or National meet should always held where we have the most public exposure. This is just common sense. I know some of the meets have it to where they caravan over to the local cruise spot, etc. Just thinking out loud, again...

Jon B

This is probably a topic for our "discussion" board but for the time being I'll leave it here on the "main" Hudson board, unless it starts to get "passionate".



I'd suggest that encouraging Hudson turnout at local car shows is probably best dealt with "locally" -- i.e. by chapters. Of course, the national can encourage this sort of thing, but when it comes down to the rubber meeting the road, chapters are best equipped for encouraging a bunch of their members to show up at car shows within their territory.



Our chapter (the Chesapeake Bay) has for a number of years designated certain car shows to be "official chapter meets" and urged members to show up there. We've even gotten local car shows to create "Hudson" classes in the show, so we can park our Hudsons together. These are "non-judged" classes, and if Hudsonites want to compete for trophies, they must enter their cars in the show's official trophy classes. But the "Hudson" class allows Hudsons of all eras to park together on the show field, thus giving us a much greater "presence". (Because various trophy classes are for specific year periods -- 1930-1940 for example -- Hudsons normally would have to park with Brand X's of their same time period, rather than with Hudsons from all time periods. That's why we like the "Hudson" class -- a 1910 can park next to a 1957.)



When we DO have an all-Hudson show (like "Doc's Meet" which we sponsor nowadays), we send out all sorts of publicity to local newspapers and to websites, calling attention to the public, in hopes that we may attract some potential members.



Of course, inidividual Hudsonites can call their fellow owners and arrange for a bunch of them to attend a show together. It needn't fall only to the chapters to do this.



You'd be amazed how many people come over and marvel at my car when I show up at the local cruise night or put my (mostly-stock) Terraplane in the local streetrod show! One guy even came over (at the streetrod show) and told me his dad had been a Hudson salesman, which led to my writing a small article about the father in our local newsletter.

Unknown

I think I would take my hudson to more car shows, if it were in better shape, meaning, the chrome was all done, the paint was done, the interior was done, etc... but since it is not, it just kinda sits in limbo. Perhaps, when I get it all done, it will be a different story. This year, we should be able to get a little closer. Another thing, is I have always feared the reliability issue of mine, and probably any other old car. I would hate to be stranded far from home, period. I would love to show up at Doc's meet in mine, or even have hudsondad drive down the wasp, how fun would that be?



Oh well.... maybe someday. For now, I guess driving it around when I get the chance will suffice...



Jon, as far as the street rod shows, watch out, those guys are slick, they're eyeing that terraplane up for a small block, and a mustang II front end!

[Deleted User]

Hudson Kid... take it out even it to local meets where if a breakdown occurs you are close to home. Over the years, I have suffered from the if it was this or that thoughts too... but the best event in all of my Hudson experience was stopping on I75 to help a fella who had broken down in his 52 Hornet sedan. He and we had been at the Nashville HET Nationals. He headed home to a New England state and I to NY to visit. This fella was all smiles albeit the breakdown was a major mechanical failure. His comment to me as we waited for a tiltback to rescue him and Hudson... ALL PART OF THE FUN. So even though I have not advanced to that level, this event has always movtivated me to drive my car when possible.

Good luck and hope you get you car out and about this summer.

SamJ

Multi-marque shows! 2009 is the 100th Anniversary of the Hudson Motor Car Company and the 50th Anniversary of the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club. We are encouraging everybody to make an extra effort to get their car out where the public can see it in the next 18 months. There will be anniversary decals, etc. available at the 2008 National Meet and after. Watch the WTN for details! This is a once-in-our-lifetime opportunity!

dave s

I would love to see good turnout of HET cars at AACA 2008 Eastern Division National Spring Meet in Cumberland, MD May 15-17. The dash plaque for the show features Eric Kirk's 1952 Hornet. This is weekend after Doc's Meet, so everyone should have their car ready. Registration deadline is April 19. www.aaca.org



Western Reserve Chapter will be there. For sure, Ken Schulte will show his Grand National Senior, 1951 Hornet Cv. , Paul Schuster will show his First place Senior 1950 Pacemaker Cv, we will have Mitzi's First Place Grand National 1952 Hornet Cv., Jim Barnes with his First Place Junior 1952 Hornet sedan and Nick's 1948 C8 Cv will be making it's debut into the AACA world after sitting in a barn for 50 years.

Aaron D. IL

Would be nice if 2009 National was very public... TV and everything...only happen once a century, and we want the public to be educated the next 50 years

Unknown

take it out! i find folks apreciate one that shows its age !

SamJ

Aaron D. IL wrote:

Would be nice if 2009 National was very public... TV and everything...only happen once a century, and we want the public to be educated the next 50 years

Aaron, I am coordinating a massive publicity push on behalf of the Club. I've already sent complete publicity packages to all the major automotive hobby publications offering access to our Club resources. Broadcast and Museums are next. We should get a lot of coverage...:cool:

Unknown

Is the location of the 2009 National still Pontiac, Michigan? Is anyone from that area or know much about it?

SamJ

Dave53-7C wrote:

Is the location of the 2009 National still Pontiac, Michigan? Is anyone from that area or know much about it?

All the info has been in the WTN Calendar section in the last couple of issues. :cool:

[Deleted User]

nhp1127 wrote:

I think everyone agrees that it is in the best interest of HET to get our cars out in multi-make meets. Perhaps HET can help promote this idea in the WTN and writing about this issue (again). Perhaps HET can reach out to some other major clubs (ie: Oldsmobile) and coordinate participation. I still don't see why everyone thinks judging or not judging is a big deal. Who cares. It is irrelevant to whether I attend a show or not. I know both So Cal chapter understand the concept of combined participation.



Members of this forum often speak about taking their cars to different shows and venues with great success and satisfaction. The more HET members being involved, the better.



In the same concept, any HET regional meet or National meet should always held where we have the most public exposure. This is just common sense. I know some of the meets have it to where they caravan over to the local cruise spot, etc. Just thinking out loud, again...

Hudson folks; do as Margaret and Walt Mordenti; drive your car across this country and show the world we can still travel in our Hudsons. Our 53 has traveled every highway and byway in these USA states along with Canada using the Queen's highway east to west. Just going to local car shows will not do it. In rest areas we lose an hours time answering questions and a million pictures. Can't believe we are driving across America in a 55 year old car that is still original. I tell them we have air, cruise control and power steering. A lot stop in the rest area and say you passed me like I was stopped, do you have a Chevy in it and my answer is, sorry if you Chevy lovers don't like it, THAT SH-T BOX ENGINE. MY HORNET ENGINE HAS A TOTAL OF 200,500 MILES. 87,000 when I bought the car from Bill albright in 1993 and in 10 years driven 113,500 after a 5 year rebuild. This is how to show our cars.

Geoff

Right on Walt! I still drive my Essex, but nowhere nea as much as I used to when I was working. Clocked up half a million miles now.

Geoff.

[Deleted User]

I'm taking the Hash to a cruise night next Friday, warts and all, it needs some paint touch up and a polish and wax job which it won't get before then. I'll charge the battery so I know it will start when I want to leave and I'll worry some but dog gone it I've been waiting to do this for a year now and I'm going.



Harry

[Deleted User]

hudsonkid wrote:

I think I would take my hudson to more car shows, if it were in better shape, meaning, the chrome was all done, the paint was done, the interior was done, etc... but since it is not, it just kinda sits in limbo. Perhaps, when I get it all done, it will be a different story. This year, we should be able to get a little closer. Another thing, is I have always feared the reliability issue of mine, and probably any other old car. I would hate to be stranded far from home, period. I would love to show up at Doc's meet in mine...

HK, it's a shame that the classic car community has programmed us to think that way.

A former HET director once asked me how to get more of us younger members to join. The answer is in HK's comment above. Encourage folks with #3, 4 & 5 condition cars to participate in the shows.(That's all us 'youngsters' can afford right now.) East coast HET members should be twisting HK's arm to drive his '50C6 to Doc's Meet this year. This club is not all about #1 condition trophy winners, I know the early leaders of HET weren't trimming edges off their fenders so that all the body panel gaps were perfect LOL.

A big thank you to the Hudson folks here in the southwest for accepting my Jet the way it is, paint chips, bondo and all.

[Deleted User]

My biggest problem is just time, our local cruise night is the first friday of the month, the sheriffs unit I'm captain of has a dinner meeting the first friday of every month, except in April and Sept so I get to attend this one. I sure don't have a number 1 car, maybe a five but at the cruise nights I attended last year without my car there were no Hudsons, and half the cars were just guys cars, nothing special except to them. I think I will enjoy hanging with those guys a couple of nights a year. I'll never have a concours car but if I can show off the Hudson a little I'll still be proud of my car.



Harry

[Deleted User]

Hello all, from a newbie. I just bought a gorgeous '53 Hornet coupe that I intend to take to shows often. I have attended many, many shows over the past 10 years here in the NJ area and have only ever seen one Hudson! I have to wonder where they are all hiding. The best "show" for me was the 1995 Nationals in Princeton where I spent the day drooling over all your wonderful cars.

I also have a '55 Studebaker that gets a lot of attention at these shows, mostly because it is unique, just as my Hudson will be. Can't wait!



Bill

Unknown

SamJ wrote:

All the info has been in the WTN Calendar section in the last couple of issues. :cool:

Not ALL the information has been in the WTN calender section. So, what about Pontiac? Is anyone from there or been there? I've never been there and don't know much about it, hence the question. :cool:

SamJ

Dave53-7C wrote:

Not ALL the information has been in the WTN calender section. So, what about Pontiac? Is anyone from there or been there? I've never been there and don't know much about it, hence the question. :cool:

Sorry, Dave, I missed your point. I believe the host hotel is located just to the north west of suburban Detroit. Much of the action, including tours to the former Hudson facilites still standing and to major Museums takes place in Detroit, I believe. Planning started about a year ago. The information flow will go into high gear at and after the 2008 National in Mass. :cool:

Aaron D. IL

SamJ wrote:

Aaron, I am coordinating a massive publicity push on behalf of the Club. I've already sent complete publicity packages to all the major automotive hobby publications offering access to our Club resources. Broadcast and Museums are next. We should get a lot of coverage...:cool:

Sam I'm so glad to hear that. Every auto publication and news outlet that cars should at least know about our 100 year party. Heck if we're lucky and we have one day of the National designated especially to the general public perhaps we could boost membership at the National by a large margin!.... surviving Hudson's get restored, more demand for parts means they keep getting reproduced and stocked by suppliers. according to my roster data there's roughly 3000 Hudson's out there that the club knows about that need to be restored and another 400 parts cars. haha



I had suggested to leadership that perhaps one idea to boost membership would be to invited the public and have them pay "admission" but in reality the admission would be a membership so they'd get the WTN for one year and out of that I think a high percentage would renew after they started getting the WTN themselves. This is a practice the EAA follows at the Oshkosh airshow every year and they have close to a million members. since that's about how many people visit the air show every year.... Leadership only seemed luke warm to the idea though. .......at any rate that National in particular needs coverage if for no other reason that to continue our preservation efforts to keep Hudson's on the road.

Hudson Grandpa

www.lonestarroundup.com



1 54 Hudson cpe will be there

Unknown

When I used to live in PA., I would take my car to maybe 6 shows a year locally. The only time in 20 years back there that I saw a Hudson or Hudson product at a show was in Littlestown, Pa where I lived was the Kerchners and their cars. There lots and lots of Hudson products in southern Pa. and northern Md., but none came to the local shows. Now that I am backi in Iowa I have taken my car to about 10 shows in the last 2 years, but still have not seen a single Hudson at these shows. I remember years ago out east when you would see Fred Long and his 15, Leroy Anderson and his 20. Roy Beall and his 31 Phaeton. everywhere.

Unknown

SamJ wrote:

Sorry, Dave, I missed your point. I believe the host hotel is located just to the north west of suburban Detroit. Much of the action, including tours to the former Hudson facilites still standing and to major Museums takes place in Detroit, I believe. Planning started about a year ago. The information flow will go into high gear at and after the 2008 National in Mass. :cool:

Thanks, Sam. With all the negative press given to the Detroit area over the years, I was wondering what the town was like. After all, we know the media isn't exactly accurate in its depiction of anything. That's why inquiring here made the most sense to me. I'm sure it will be another fine event. :cool:

SamJ

Dave53-7C wrote:

Thanks, Sam. With all the negative press given to the Detroit area over the years, I was wondering what the town was like. After all, we know the media isn't exactly accurate in its depiction of anything. That's why inquiring here made the most sense to me. I'm sure it will be another fine event. :cool:

I haven't seen the specific hotel, Dave, but my understanding is that it is in a beautiful setting in a very safe area. We should have foe toes from the organizers soon. Everybody expects that this will be the largest gathering of Hudson products ever.



Here's the URL for the hotel:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dtwpo-detroit-marriott-pontiac-at-centerpoint/

[Deleted User]

Aaron D. IL wrote:

I had suggested to leadership that perhaps one idea to boost membership would be to invited the public and have them pay "admission" but in reality the admission would be a membership so they'd get the WTN for one year and out of that I think a high percentage would renew after they started getting the WTN themselves. .... Leadership only seemed luke warm to the idea though. .......

Aaron, you are a Super Freakin' Genius!!!!!!

Since the HET, Inc. isn't interested in this, the individual chapters could run with this idea. Instead of admission, have an "associate membership" for a donation of $7 or so. For their $7, send them a quarterly one page trifold 'bulletin'. Include car show dates and Hudson history or trivia, stuff to keep those people interested in our cars. Maybe a few will join the chapter for 'real' and save up enough cash to buy a stepdown from a widow...

Aaron D. IL

royer wrote:

Aaron, you are a Super Freakin' Genius!!!!!!



Since the HET, Inc. isn't interested in this, the individual chapters could run with this idea. Instead of admission, have an "associate membership" for a donation of $7 or so. For their $7, send them a quarterly one page trifold 'bulletin'. Include car show dates and Hudson history or trivia, stuff to keep those people interested in our cars. Maybe a few will join the chapter for 'real' and save up enough cash to buy a stepdown from a widow...

Well thanks Royer, not really my idea though, like I said it's a practice the EAA follows (Experimental Aircraft Association) An organization that started in a guy's basement and grew to a million strong membership. HET or its' chapters does not have to reinvent the wheel it can borrow such ideas.... and restoring airplanes is much more expensive than Hudson's! .... But yeah chapter should do that at their meets too... invite the public and have "associate memberships" I dunno tell them it's to pay for meet expenses food and such....even though it's actually a membership.... they give you their $7 and their address..... you send them a newsletter or like you say a bulletin with a regualr membership application on back.... if they renew..and I think many would... such practices in the long run pay for themselves and gain new members. Esp those that renew every year. We need to think outside the box like that tough if we want Hudsoning to be around the next 100 years....keeping cars on the road that are a minimun of 50 years old!



Also Our biggest National was 500 cars. I hope the '09 National will be 1000 Hudson's! ...and for at least one day thousands of spectators. One can hope.

[Deleted User]

SamJ wrote:

I haven't seen the specific hotel, Dave, but my understanding is that it is in a beautiful setting in a very safe area. We should have foe toes from the organizers soon. Everybody expects that this will be the largest gathering of Hudson products ever.



Here's the URL for the hotel:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dtwpo-detroit-marriott-pontiac-at-centerpoint/

Sam,



The Petersen museum in Los Angeles starts a new exhibit today that runs thru November. It celebrates the the movie "Cars" and automotive art. I would recommend including them, Pixar and Disney. Disney is building a major "Cars" attraction in Disneyland....

Unknown

SamJ wrote:

I haven't seen the specific hotel, Dave, but my understanding is that it is in a beautiful setting in a very safe area. We should have foe toes from the organizers soon. Everybody expects that this will be the largest gathering of Hudson products ever.



Here's the URL for the hotel:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dtwpo-detroit-marriott-pontiac-at-centerpoint/

Thanks again, Sam. The hotel looks super and any setting with one or several hundred Hudson vehicles present is a thing of beauty.

Unknown

nhp1127 wrote:

Sam,



The Petersen museum in Los Angeles starts a new exhibit today that runs thru November. It celebrates the the movie "Cars" and automotive art. I would recommend including them, Pixar and Disney. Disney is building a major "Cars" attraction in Disneyland....

Um, LA is quite far from Pontiac, Michigan.