Anniversary and Opportunity for Vintage Car Show

Four years ago, John Maniccia decided to purchase his dream car, a 1955 Ford Fairlane.

“I’ve had that car, that color, in my head since I was in high school,” Maniccia said. “That’s when I decided to build it.”

But owning a classic car can be a lot of work and a very steep learning curve. Maniccia owned his Ford for about six months when he decided he needed some help. He reached out to the Centralia-Chehalis Vintage Auto Club and member Gary Steger helped him create the vehicle he’d been planning since his teens.

“If you’ve got a question, they’re more than willing to at least lie to you and tell you they know all about it,” Maniccia joked.

For 53 years, the Centralia-Chehalis Vintage Auto Club has been a place where vintage car enthusiasts can gather to share the passion, struggles and joy of classic car ownership. Along the way, they’ve become a close-knit group. Part of the reason for that is how personal these vehicles can be, said president Carolyn Baker, who with her husband, Mike, a charter member, owns more than 50 classic cars ranging from 1908 to 1972 vintages. The Bakers most often show their 1930 Lincoln, 1942 Buick and 1964 station wagon. The 1942 Buick, which the Bakers purchased in 1962, is the vehicle in which their son was brought home from the hospital. When their son got married, Mike drove the newlyweds from the wedding to the reception in the car. When the younger couple’s first child was born they took photos with the car, though the infant was not able to have her first ride because of the lack of seat belts. The car is part of their family, and so is the car club.

“It’s just fun,” Carolyn Baker said. “It’s like having another family.”

“It’s like a family,” Mike Baker added.

The Centralia-Chehalis Vintage Auto Club, which will hold its annual Harvest Swap Meet Sept. 19-20 at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds. This year marks the 50th anniversary for the group, and to mark the occasion a display of member cars will be part of the event Saturday. Members said the hope is to draw some of the general public, even potential new members.

“After 50 years of success you have to do something to keep it alive, to shake things up,” said Maniccia.

The display will include several extremely rare cars ranging from the early 1900s to the 1970s. One example is charter member Gene Stay’s 1923 Chandler, which he purchased in 1945 at the age of 19. Chandlers were only made from 1915 to 1929, when the company was purchased by Hupp Motor Co., which was shuttered in 1939. The particular model Stray owns was only produced from 1922 to 1929 and there are only about five known to exist in the country today.

“My dad’s friend told me, ‘Oh that darn car will fall apart as soon as you get it on the road,’” Stray, now 89, recalled. “But then I drove it to Florida and back and I still drive it today.”

Charter member Sandra Mitchell, who owns a 1951 Studebaker Champion, said one of the other reasons they’re hoping to draw more people to the swap meet is for more people to see what it is all about. She said she believes many people have stereotyped the swap meet as an event that is only for men or only for those who own a classic car. But in reality the swap meet includes all sorts of items including glassware, dishes, furniture and clothing.

“When we started this we didn’t want it to just be rusty car parts for guys, we wanted there to be something for the gals, too,” Mitchell said.

To qualify for membership in the Centralia-Chehalis Vintage Auto Club you have to attend six meetings a year. Members also must attend all major functions: two work weekends; a February brunch; the April Spring Coming Out; June Sunday Drivers Tour; September Fall Camp-out; September Swap Meet; and the December children’s and adult Christmas parties.

“But they don’t even have to have a car to be a member,” Mike Baker said. “They just have to be totally crazy.”

But if you do have a car to show, the club is for purists. Any vintage of car is fine but it must be as close to stock as possible. Modern modifications (such as the addition of seat belts) for safety purposes or because parts are unavailable.

“No hot rods,” explained member Floyd Canfield, who shows a 1939 Chevy business coupe and a 1970s Mercedes 4-door with his wife, Mary.