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Birth of a Car Club |
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| The Chrysler 300 Club International Incorporated |
| In July of 1970, a
bunch of 300 enthusiasts got together in Holly, Michigan and held the
first Chrysler 300 Club meet in the east. Gil Cunningham, Terry McTaggart,
and Bob Dupin and his dad were elected as officers. It's been 36 years
since that first meet, and much has been done to further the survival of
the 300 letter cars. The club has focused world wide attention on the 300,
elevating it to true collector car status.
Cars that would have otherwise been scrapped have been saved.....today, rusted hulks that 30 years ago wouldn't have made parts car status are now dragged from barns and junkyards and treated to "no expense spared" restorations. Interiors, emblems, repair panels, and many other items long deleted from Chrysler's active parts list are now reproduced by the club and its members. This effort has made it possible to save 300's that otherwise would have to be consumed for parts and be lost forever as complete automobiles. The technology is available, and the desire and will is there. Each year, more 300s emerge from hiding to be reborn in body shops, engine shops, and upholstery shops. The expense is high, as anyone who has ever done this kind of work knows, but in the end, it isn't about money. Just this week in January 2006, I saw two C300s taken from 30 year storage and made available to the buying public. There are only a limited number of "our cars" available, and every one counts for something. After all, like land, "they ain't making any more." |