54 years ago for me

rockfla

rockfla

Well-known member
I ran across this post card the other day of the Old Ormond Garage in Ormond Beach FL. It was the center piece of the Annual Thanksgiving week AACA show for many many years going back into the late 50's, I believe?? For sure early early 60's. It was "The Birth Place of Speed" and many know it is where they started doing speed test as well as races on the beach there in the infancy of the motor car. It was unfortunately burned down in January of 1976 before the Henry Ford Museum could get it dis-assembled and moved to The Henry Ford/Greenfield Village complex. My Dad starting attending the show in either 1967 or 1968 and my brother, 5, and me 3, were his sidekick's, especially when we took our 37 Woody down to show. It was an annual must attend for Us, also easy as it was only about an hour south of Us here in North Florida. I doubt there are very many, IF any here on the Barn that have the memories OR the length of attendance like I did (1968 to about 1986 at least) but it wasn't anything near the size of Hershey or Carlisle BUT for down this far south, it was a big show and big flea market and being Thanksgiving week many of the attendees of both made their way south to Ormond to escape the impending winter SO the quality of Ormond was ALWAYS great!!!! Also attached is a picture of our 37 Woody which is parked next to the Old Ormond Garage (You can see the eave of it in the upper right of the photo) either 1971 (Note the Hershey bumper sticker, the only time my Dad attended Hershey) or at most 1972....about a month or so shy of some 53/54 years ago!!! Great times
 

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rockfla said:
I ran across this post card the other day of the Old Ormond Garage in Ormond Beach FL. It was the center piece of the Annual Thanksgiving week AACA show for many many years going back into the late 50's, I believe?? For sure early early 60's. It was "The Birth Place of Speed" and many know it is where they started doing speed test as well as races on the beach there in the infancy of the motor car. It was unfortunately burned down in January of 1976 before the Henry Ford Museum could get it dis-assembled and moved to The Henry Ford/Greenfield Village complex. My Dad starting attending the show in either 1967 or 1968 and my brother, 5, and me 3, were his sidekick's, especially when we took our 37 Woody down to show. It was an annual must attend for Us, also easy as it was only about an hour south of Us here in North Florida. I doubt there are very many, IF any here on the Barn that have the memories OR the length of attendance like I did (1968 to about 1986 at least) but it wasn't anything near the size of Hershey or Carlisle BUT for down this far south, it was a big show and big flea market and being Thanksgiving week many of the attendees of both made their way south to Ormond to escape the impending winter SO the quality of Ormond was ALWAYS great!!!! Also attached is a picture of our 37 Woody which is parked next to the Old Ormond Garage either 1971 (Note the Hershey bumper sticker, the only time my Dad attended Hershey) or at most 1972....about a month or so shy of some 53/54 years ago!!! Great times
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575761


575762
 
Wow: Beautiful woody and garage. Those were indeed "the good old days."
It's great to have the post card and woody. Great memories.
 
Great photos, great memories and yes, a very beautiful woodie wagon. I graduated HS in '71 and saw my first copy of Hemmings that year. In early '72 was daily driving a '28 AA stakebed. World's best hobby bar none.
 
For an update, so to speak. This is what the city of Ormond Beach as erected now. A small garage with two replica early racers in it.
 

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And there is a Ormand Garage down the street --- but it is a micro brewery and grille.
 

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Bruce


Common "belief" back in the day was, the Golf course just to the north of where the old garage "WAS" had it burnt down!!! They wanted the property and things weren't moving fast enough for them (again the theory) They didn't like having the car show there and it wasn't too long after it burnt down that it "moved" further west to the outskirts of Ormond Beach. They tried for two years "after:" it burned having it at the Ormond Hotel (built by Henry Flagler back in the 18oo's) a couple of block west of the Old garage on the Inter-coastal water way BUT it didn't last there because the county determined the Old Ormond Hotel a fire hazard and thus IT was torn down (Now multi level Condo's). SO the City/County all but ran the show out of town. ALSO the Rod Runners wanted to show at the AACA show and they were having NONE of that SO over that period of time they started the Turkey Rod Run (see what that's become now) and started having their shindig at DMS. The rest is history as they say!!!!
 
Just the same there are great car places to visit in an around the Ormond Beach area. If anyone is planning a winter vacation.

Motorsports Hall of Fame - Daytona (at the Speedway)
Brumos Collection - Jacksonville
Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing - Ocala
Tampa Bay Auto Museum - Pinellas Park
Orlando Auto Museum - Orlando (Dezerland Park)
Classic Car Museum - St Augustine
Sarasota Classic Car Museum - Sarasota
Hanksters Auto Consignment - Daytona (all vintages of vehicles for sale)
Racing's North Turn restaurant - Ponce Inlet (not a museum, but enough history on the walls to make it a museum - and the food isn't bad either)

I have been to most of them. Ironically, I have an old postcard from the Sarasota Classic Car Museum from back in 1964.

And then there is the Zephyrhills Swap Meet -- not what it used to be, but fun to visit just the same. Last time I was there a vendor had 8 school buses for sale.
 
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