Fifty years ago, folks were counting on some of the first hand-held calculators to first hit the market, Magnavox introduced Odyssey, the original home video game console, and American Bobby Fischer was prepping to face off against Russian Boris Spassky in the World Chess Championships. The year 1973 also marked when a group of local classic car lovers decided to formalize their association by organizing the Newtown Restorers Car Club.

A half-century later, a few of those local pals — Bob Henry, Ken Kolwivz, and George Gereg — are gearing up for the Antique Automobile Club of America Housatonic Valley Region Chapter’s 46th Annual Car Show. Having since affiliated with that national collectors collective, they were excited to chat about this upcoming car and motorcycle showcase coming to the grounds of the Connecticut Antique Machinery Assoc off Route 7 in Kent on June 25.

“Newtown Restorers Car Club joined the national chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America in 1976,” Gereg said during a recent visit and photo session with The Newtown Bee at Henry’s home. “The local club meetings are held at the Hawleyville firehouse every second Wednesday of the month, starting at 7:30 pm.”

The local club is a regional affiliate of the AACA and is open to anyone interested in the old car hobby. Car ownership is not required and members enjoy all makes, models, and years with monthly meetings, seminars, tours, and outings related to the antique car hobby.

According to the recollections of Gereg, the ten original club members first began meeting at the home of Richard Hipp before shifting to larger spaces as membership began growing. Dues were 50 cents per month, which helped offset the cost of mailing the club’s monthly newsletter.

Gereg noted that member Ron Jones led the effort to affiliate the club nationally in 1976. Once affiliation with the AACA was sealed, Hipp continued on serving as president, with Bob Henry as vice president, and planning for the club’s first annual show commenced.

The first couple of years found the club members converging on Danbury Airport before relocating to The Bridgewater Fair Grounds. In those first formative years, other local members included Rich Murdy, Jack Hanna, Dick Maselli, and Bill Andres according to Gereg.

Gereg’s Woody

One of the perennial stars of the local club’s shows was, and will likely continue to be, Gereg’s 1938 Pontiac “woody,” which is reportedly only one of four left across the nation still drivable and in pristine condition. He came across it in 1978 after arranging to do some plumbing work for a Brookfield farmer.

After striking up a conversation, the farmer led Gereg to a corner of his barn where the Pontiac woody sat, still sporting a Connecticut license plate last registered in 1967. A few weeks later, following an offer to buy the Pontiac, the farmer agreed and turned the classic vehicle over for $550.

Sadly, the farmer didn’t live to see the woody when Gereg finished his restoration work in 1981. But as a result of his relationship with the farmer, Gereg was in an eventual position to acquire the remaining contents of his barn in a bank sale for $2,500 and an agreement to have the building completely cleared within two months.

While Gereg’s woody was certainly a prized possession, the barn also contained a 1950 Chevy one-ton pickup with a hydraulic lift — and just 37,000 miles on the odometer. Once it was towed out of the barn and Gereg found its key under the dashboard, the Chevy started right up, and Gereg’s dad, who had originally introduced his son to the farmer, drove the Chevy home.

Five years and a number of dump runs later, the fully restored vehicle was revealed in 1987.

“All I can say is I was in the right place at the right time,” Gereg wrote in a memoir article presented to The Newtown Bee for background. “This was a once in a lifetime experience I’ll never forget.”

Besides planning to show off that woody, Gereg and his fellow organizers believe the 2023 car club show in Kent will attract many other amazing bikes, cars, trucks and custom vehicles from all over the region.

Gates for the show open at 9 am and trophies will be distributed around 2:30 pm for various classes of vehicles grouped by their year of origin. Other awards will recognize Corvettes, Pony Cars, Hot Rods, and restorations, along with stock and modified motorcycles and trucks.

It’s $20 to register a vehicle, and spectator admission is $5 for adults, $2 for seniors, veterans and kids under 12 are free.