BEHIND THE WHEEL

By David Madeira, AAT CEO

As we begin 2023, America’s Automotive Trust is celebrating two important milestones: last year’s 10th anniversary of LeMay – America’s Car Museum, and the 15th anniversary of America On Wheels Museum, coming in April of this year. Not only have these great automotive museums survived where others have failed, but they are both poised to thrive in a new era of innovation, participation and collaboration. It’s going to be a fun ride.

Anniversaries give us a chance to reflect on our accomplishments, and this is where OpenRoad excels. A quick look through back issues offers a roadmap of our successes and growth from a local institution to a regional player, and now a national force for the preservation and celebration of America’s automotive heritage.

AAT shone in that national spotlight in assisting Ford Motor Company in the rollout of their much-anticipated Generation-7 Mustang at last year’s Detroit Auto Show. The Drive Home to the Mustang Stampede was a nine-day, cross-country trip curated by AAT to represent each generation of the iconic Mustang and designed to generate images, stories and narratives to fuel the passion of Mustang faithful worldwide. Moreover, it showed the Big Three automakers the power of packaging heritage in their marketing efforts, and the resources and expertise of AAT to deliver it.

We welcome more expertise with the addition of new team members Gary Yamamoto, Gabriel Mosse, Pandora Paúl and Timothy Willard. Filling vacant positions with these dynamic leaders makes AAT even stronger than we were pre-pandemic, and I look forward to working with this new staff. The bios within this issue are merely introductions to learning more about these interesting folks.

For anyone who thinks the appeal of classic cars is limited to middle-aged men, read student Kinzie Wilson’s entertaining tale of competing with the all-female RPM Foundation team in last year’s Great Race. The passion of these young ladies to learn and overcome adversity showcases both the ideals and mission of the RPM Foundation and the Great Race. As of press time, we learned that one of Kinzie’s RPM co-drivers, Sabré Cook, has been selected to race in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America, which is quite a step up from rallying a 1966 Mustang.

There’s also breaking news in the effort to introduce an ACM specialty license plate for the state of Washington. The potential revenue generated by the registration fees of this distinctive plate could be a significant and vital source of annual funding for the Museum. The bill was hurriedly scheduled to appear in front of both houses of the state legislature on February 20th, which prompted a last-minute trip to Olympia by AAT envoys Drew Weyerhaeuser, Alan Granberg, Paul Miller, Gary Yamamoto and Steve Boone, where they saw the bill advance to the next stage. This whole effort was initiated by AAT Board and Steering Committee members and provides a perfect example of the power of an active and engaged Board in a non-profit organization. I cannot thank them enough for their dedication and perseverance in this process. We have a lot of people to acknowledge in this effort, which we hope to do – alongside good news of the bill passing – in a future issue of OpenRoad. Check in for updates at our website, www.americascarmuseum.org

Lastly, please make an effort to join us at AOW in Allentown, PA, as they host the AAT Board Meeting June 9-10. This special weekend will include a Club Auto Drive, Cars and Cigars, tours of AOW and other opportunities to learn about the exciting new developments at AOW, the RB Collection and the Automotive Corner of America.

America’s Automotive Trust OFFICERS

CHAIRMAN: Michael D. Towers, Ambassador Wines of Washington – Seattle, WA

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN: B. Corry McFarland, Cedar Management Company – Fife, WA

VICE CHAIR: Gary Gartner, NB Center for American Automotive Heritage – Briarcliff Manor, NY

VICE CHAIR: David L. Madeira, Emeritus, America’s Automotive Trust – Tacoma, WA

VICE CHAIR: William T. Weyerhaeuser, Director/ Chairman – Tacoma, WA

SECRETARY: Sam E. Baker, Jr., Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker, LLP – Seattle, WA

TREASURER: Trevor Cobb, Avantia, A Multi-Family Office –Seattle, WA

Board Members

Rod Alberts, North American International Auto Show –Detroit, MI

John D. Barline, Emeritus, Harlowe & Falk LLP – Tacoma, WA

Dale Bloomquist, DDS, MS –Seattle, WA

Stephen Boone, Retired Ford and Harley-Davidson Dealer –Olympia, WA

Nicola Bulgari, Emeritus, BVLGARI S.p.A – New York, NY

Frank Chang, Flying Fish Partners –Seattle, WA

Doug Clark, Hagerty – Traverse City, MI

Ike Eisenhart, Ike’s Service Center – Coopersburg, PA

Dawn Fisher, MFD Classic Motors, Inc. – Traverse City, MI

Keith Flickinger, The NB Center for American Automotive Heritage – Allentown, PA

Alan Granberg, Auto Enthusiast –Lakewood, WA

Dr. Gerald Greenfield, Retired Dentist – Lake Tapps, WA

Alan F. Gross, America On Wheels – Bethlehem, PA

McKeel Hagerty, Hagerty –Traverse City, Michigan

Michael Holmes, Holmes Electric – Kent, WA

George Ingle, The Ingle Company – Spanaway, WA

Marwan Kashkoush, Retired, Parker Hannifin Corporation –Seattle, WA

Doug LeMay, Emeritus, LeMay Investments, LLC. – Tacoma, WA

Nancy LeMay, Emeritus, LeMay Investments, LLC. – Tacoma, WA

James Gary May, Hopewell Land Partners – Windemere, FL

T.G. Mittler, Auto Enthusiast –Santa Fe, NM

Tom Nault, Middlerock Partners, LLC. – Kirkland, WA

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