I headed out of the speedway and into the large parking lot in front of the complex where the AACA show was being held. The T-Bucket street rod seen in the photo above was pulling into the show entrance as I was walking by. I'm not sure if this car was part of the show, only because AACA doesn't venture into the "modified" or "Street Rod" end of the hobby.

A couple of hours definitely made a difference. But even so, the show wasn't really crowded. I started walking the rows checking out the beautiful machinery.

Class 4: Small Vehicles.

The AACA defines a "Small Vehicle" as one with a short wheelbase (91" or less), a short overall length (161" or less), and a small engine (4 cylinders max, 91 CID max, and 50 hp max).

1939 Crosley.

Powell Crosley, Jr. wore a number of hats in his professional life. At various times during the Pre-WWII era, he was a radio manufacturer, refrigerator manufacturer, and owner of the Cincinnati Reds MLB team. Crosley added the car business to his repertoire in 1939 when he started building small cars. His first offerings were a 2-passenger coupe and 4-passenger sedan, both of which came with a soft-top as seen in the photo above. Want to buy one ? All you had to do was head into one of Crosley's appliance stores where car sales and service were handled.

1950 Crosley Hotshot roadster.

In the plus column, these cars were tiny, barely 10 feet long and weighing a mere 950 pounds. As expected, they were also dirt cheap, as in starting-at-$299 cheap. And using a 39 CID 2-cylinder engine and its 13.5 hp to move that 950 pounds resulted in 50 mpg.

But there is a reason why Crosley went under in 1952. Tiny didn't work in a "bigger is better" era. Nobody cared about saving fuel when it only cost $0.10 per gallon. And though the already awesome 13.5 hp was later upgraded to the-big-hammer 44 CID inline 4-cylinder engine that made 26.5 hp,, (seen in the photo above), this was still a bit lacking even by 1950s standards, (zero to 60 mph in around 20 seconds has been reported).

And then there was the D'oh! engineering. "Cable-operated mechanical brakes" sounds fine for my bicycle, but not so much for a passenger car. Driveshaft u-joints were deemed "unnecessary" because Crosley's engineers believed the "flexible rubber engine mounts" would be able to take care of any vibrations that may be present. Marketing loved the idea because eliminating the u-joints lowered the price of the car.

The mechanical issues were rectified after a few years. But the damage was done. After a peak of just over 28,000 cars sold in 1948, sales took a tumble. Crosley was out of the car business by 1952.

1939 Fiat 500 "Topolino."

Fiat produced this small city car from 1936 - 1955 with very few changes through the model run. This car features some very unusual engineering in that the 569 CC inline 4-cylinder engine is mounted over top of the front axle, and the radiator is mounted behind the engine (toward the firewall). This arrangement allowed for a lower hood line and better forward visibility.

1951 VW Bug.

This is a "Split Window" Bug, which was produced from the Bug's introduction in 1939 through March 1953 when it was replaced by a larger oval window.

Class 5: Motorcycles.

Class 5 is for motorcycles, motorized bicycles, mopeds and motor scooters.

Class 5: Motorcycles.

1910 Brush Model M, 1 cylinder delivery.

Class 9A: Single cylinder vehicles thru 1912.

Alanson Partridge Brush was a maker of small low priced "Runabouts" in the early 20th century. Power came from a one-cylinder engine seen in the photo above that made 6 hp.

In 1910, Brush and a number of small volume manufacturers came together as the United States Motor Corporation. Sales were strong with Brush selling 10,000 cars. But by 1912, USMC fell into receivership. Industrial machinist Walter Flanders purchased the bankrupt company and reorganized it as Maxwell Motor Company, which was later acquired by Walter P. Chrysler.

So technically, this Brush could be considered a Mopar.

Class 10A - Model T Brass Radiator, 1910 - 12.

1911 Ford Model T.

The car that put America on wheels was powered by a 177 CID Inline 4-cylinder that made 20 hp.

This car was displayed with a number of period correct tools and accessories.

1915 Ford Model T Touring Car.

I remember this original survivor from the last Auto Fair I attended in 2019 where it was displayed in the HPOF (Historic Preservation of Original Features) class. The story centers around Chris Thompson, who purchased the car in Spokane, Washington in 1919. Chris drove the car until 1932 when it was placed in storage in a barn. It would remain in that barn for the next 85 years until his granddaughter inherited the car. The car is basically a time capsule that has been untouched.

Class 11, Ford Model T, 1917 - 27.

Class 11, Ford Model T, 1917 - 27.

1912 Cadillac Model 30 'Torpedo'.

Class 13B: Gas vehicles, 4 cylinder, 1910 - 12.

The big news for 1912 was Cadillac's introduction of an electrical system for starting, ignition, and lighting. This extremely significant advancement won Cadillac a second Dewar Trophy for its efforts. The Dewar Trophy was an annual award given for the most important auto industry advancement of the year. Cadillac won its first Dewar Trophy in 1908 for its use of interchangeable parts.

Cadillac's first production vehicle, the 1903 "Cadillac," was powered by a single-cylinder engine mounted under the front seat. For 1904, Cadillac offered two models, a Model A and Model B, both of which were also single-cylinder powered. In 1905, all of the single-cylinder models, (B, C, E, and F), were joined by the Model D which was powered by an inline 4-cylinder and set the stage for what was to come.

In 1909, Cadillac discontinued the single-cylinder engine and shifted to a single line of vehicles powered by the inline 4-cylinder engine. All of its vehicles would then fall under the "Model 30" designation, where "30" represented the horsepower.

For 1911, Cadillac introduced a sporty 4-passenger "Torpedo" body that featured the first front door on an open Cadillac body. The interior and driver's compartment is a work of art !

The Torpedo body was available from 1911 - 13.

It's also interesting to note that Cadillac's advertising slogan, "The Standard of the World," was first used in the fall of 1912.

This stunning Torpedo is one of 13,995 Cadillacs produced for 1912.

1914 Simplex Model 50.

Class 15: Gas vehicles, 1913 - 19.

Crane-Simplex traces it roots to the Smith & Mabley Manufacturing Company of New York City. Albert Proctor Smith and his brother-in-law Carleton Raymond Mabley established S & M to import European cars to sell in America.

S & M built its first car, called the Simplex, in 1904 from imported European car parts. This was a very expensive car that cost $5,500 in 1904 ! When S & M went bankrupt in 1906, the company's assets were absorbed into the Siimplex Automobile Company in 1907.

The new company continued to focus on building large, powerful, and very expensive cars, and developed a very good reputation for doing so. This 1914 example is powered by a massive 597 CID inline 4-cylinder engine that makes 50 hp and allows the Simplex to reach a speed of 75 mph.

In 1914, Simplex purchased the Crane Motor Car Company. Automotive Engineer and company founder Henry Crane became the president and chief engineer of the new Crane-Simplex Company.

Crane-Simplex ceased production during WWI and never resumed once the war ended.

As near as I can determine, this car is one of 250 cars produced for 1914.

The ring gear seen in the photo above is actually for the speedometer.

One thing noticeably absent from this car, (and a lot of cars from this era), is front brakes.

Braking duties were handled by a pair of rear drums. As expected, brake performance wasn't exactly stellar. I can only imagine trying to stop this car at the aforementioned 75 mph.

But then again, just attaining a speed of 75 mph in this car would be a scary ride, let alone trying to stop it.

1916 Stutz Bearcat.

Another Class 15 car: Gas vehicles, 1913 - 19.

Self-taught engineer and inventory Harry C. Stutz was a busy man at the turn of the 20th century. Being the son of a farmer, Stutz grew up repairing agricultural machinery. After he finished school, he found himself in the field of industrial manufacturing. Stutz then drifted toward the fledgling world of the automobile and opened a machine shop and repair business where he built his first car in 1897. In 1900, he built a second car that featured an engine he designed and built himself. From there, Stutz worked for several companies that built cars and car parts.

In 1907, Stutz became the chief engineer and factory manager at Marion Motor Car Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, and became involved in the company's racing exploits. Stutz realized that winning circle-track racing events and hill climbs in a Marion car that he designed generated good publicity.

In 1909, Stutz left Marion and started the Stutz Auto Parts Company in 1910. It was during this time that Stutz built another car of his own design and entered it in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 race in 1911, where driver Gil Anderson finished in 11th place. Remembering that winning races was good publicity, he the immediately formed the Ideal Motor Car Company to begin manufacturing his Bear Cat in June 1911. Two years later, the company was renamed the Stutz Motor Car Company.

The best way to describe a Stutz is to call it a "Factory Hot Rod." Power for the Bearcat, (the spelling was changed to one word), came from a 390 CID inline 4-cylinder engine that made 60 hp, which was a lot in 1916.

The "Factory Hot Rod" focus was evident in the car's design. Bodywork was minimal and featured small open bucket seats and no doors.