Vintage cars converge on Manassas

Saturday's fine weather was nonetheless threatening to the president of the Bull Run Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America.

"My biggest nightmare is what to do with the extra cars," said Franklin Gage, blaming the sunny skies for the unexpectedly large turnout at the 33rd Annual Edgar Rohr Car Meet, held on the grounds of Manassas Mu-seum. "But that's a pretty good nightmare for the president of a large nonprofit to have."

More than 90 pre-registered for this year's showing of antiques that also coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Ford Model T. But good weather brought plenty of last-minute participants, and the lawn was covered with scores of old-timey, more than 25-year-old Chevrolets, Dodges, Pontiacs and Fords, among others.

"This was America's first compact car," said Manassas resident John Van Sickle of his 1951 Crosley two-door sedan."It was made in Cincinnati, Ohio, designed and built by Powel Crosley. It gets 70 miles to the gallon, goes 60 miles per hour and it went for $550 in 1951."

Sickle bought it for $200 from a metal scrap shop in New York, spent eight years restoring it -- aside from the up-holstery, he did all the work himself -- and could now sell it for around $25,000 if he chose.

That's not likely, however. The designer, Crosley, is a personal hero.

"Crosley was famous for refrigerators," Sickle said. "He made our first table radio and our first clock radio … yes, he really was a Renaissance man."

Sickle owns a second Crosley; it's the "last one built … a convertible, and I'm restoring it now."

The restoration process was a labor of love to Gainesville's Chuck Johnson, too -- but not one that he's anxious to undertake on a start-to-finish basis again.

"I did everything but the paint," Johnson said of the restoration work to his 1931 Model A Ford Deluxe Roadster. "Right now, I'm looking for a [1930 or 1931] Ford pickup truck" but more to own, than restore.

"It's a lot of work," he said, showing pictures of the Ford's original condition, as well as the progression of its complete garage overall.

Johnson is the third owner; the first "put 75,252 miles on it," the second didn't drive it, and now the odometer reading stands at 76,082, he said.

"I don't drive it to work, but I drive it to shows," Johnson said. "The best thing about it is it puts a smile of people's faces. When I drive down the road, they smile, they wave, I toot the horn … I really enjoy that."

The Edgar Rohr show, named after a former Manassas mayor, has been growing in participation over the years, Gage said. Anybody can join the AACA -- even those who don't own antiques, he added.

"We often have older members, widows … who don't even own cars," he said. "And this show is open to members and nonmembers alike."

For membership applications call Gage at 703-869-8434, or visit the club Web site, www.aaca.org/bullrun.

Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.