Back to the Bricks® February 2024 Newsletter
Is it Spring YET????
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Latest from the Chairman of the Board | |
Hello Back to the Bricks® Friends,
I hope this newsletter finds you looking forward to an early spring. Because that’s what Punxsutawney Phil (our beloved groundhog) said anyway, and you know he is always accurate with his predictions. I think most of us would agree that the weather this winter has been mild with only a little snow and ice so far. March is always so unpredictable, so don’t put away those snow shovels just yet.
Talking about mild weather, weren’t we so lucky with some beautiful days last weekend for the 9th Annual Chrome & Ice™ Winter Indoor Car Show? We even hit 60 degrees in February! Our theme was SHAKE, RATTLE, & ROLL, a tribute to the 1950’s! It was a great show for everyone involved. From the Rosie’s Diner display, thanks to Tom Brown with Attentive Industries, to the vintage Neon Signs, Jukebox, and Gas Pumps in the lobby from Bob Myers with Eastern Asphalt, and John Abee of Montrose, to those sweet GTOs on the ice, it was “cool” from start to finish. A great big THANK YOU to our Presenting Sponsor General Motors for their continued support, and hats off to our Brought To You By Sponsor, Dort Financial Credit Union for not only providing the much-needed support and assistance to make this event great but also having volunteers there to assist during our VIP Experience and Bag Drop, just a great organization to partner with overall. Always grateful to our 2024 Back to the Bricks Sponsors who help to make these events possible for all, well done. See the special recognition below. All these sponsors have committed to being involved in 2024, to ensure we can put on some amazing events. And finally, I have to mention and say THANK YOU to the hard-working VOLUNTEERS, they just never stop. We have the best team of volunteers I have ever worked with, and I’m so grateful to know them and call them friends.
Back to the mild weather, I don't know about you, but I have no issues taking an early spring to get started on all the projects my wife wants done, and getting my Buicks ready for what's to come! Our 4th Annual Dust ‘em Off Car Show, Sunday, May 19th will open soon for registration and we KNOW with the outdoor Swap Meet, Food Trucks, and Giveaways it will be yet again, another fantastic event. This year’s Promo Tour is June 7th - 12th. We have 4 great cities picked out for you, so if you haven’t registered yet, get it done today. We have some nice surprises planned, that you will enjoy. The 2024 “Backroads” Promo Tour will take you back to Jackson, Cadillac, Clare, and Port Huron. Cities that have welcomed us on previous tours, cities that are great HOSTS, and that are so excited to have us back. The committee has worked diligently to make this year the best.
Main Event planning is underway and the meetings will begin in March. Kevin Murphy our Main Event Chairman will be reviewing the committee to ensure we have the right people in place. The all-new Volunteer Program, sponsored by the Ally Challenge is taking off. Ralph Messer, Vice Chairman of the Board has personally developed this program, and it’s a game-changer for our organization. I always encourage everyone to get active and volunteer. See more information on our website. https://backtothebricks.org/volunteerprogram/
Well we are just just over 30 days away from March 20th, the official first day of spring! Are you getting excited? I know I am. Enjoy the seasons, and enjoy your downtime, because before long we will have you running the roads, and attending multiple events. Let’s make this 20th year of Back to the Bricks, car shows, and events, the best yet!
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Thank you,
Al Jones
Chairman of the Board
Back to the Bricks®
810-625-2713
aljones@backtothebricks.org
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Chrome & Ice™ Wrap-up From The Chairman | |
Well, ladies and gentlemen, the 9th annual Chrome & Ice™ is in the books. What an amazing job all of our volunteers, committee members, and High School helpers did. We truly couldn’t have done it without each of you. Special thanks to the Car Participants who are the backdrop and feature of this show, we are fine-tuning this thing and it is starting to purr like a finely tuned engine. Thank you for making me look good for my first year as the chairman.
We are already working on next year's show. We want to make the 10th Anniversary Chrome & Ice™ show the best one yet. With this team, I don’t know how that won’t happen.
Thank you again for your amazing dedication.
Adam Jones
Chrome & Ice™ Chairman
Back to the Bricks®
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Chrome & Ice™ Judged Awards | |
BEST IN SHOW
Art Noey from Saginaw Michigan with his 1965 Chevy Biscayne.
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ONE FINE RIDE
"Judges Choice"
Dave Kattner from Kiel Wisconsin with his 1937 Chevy Pickup
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BEST IN EXTERIOR
Dennis Hatmaker from Highland Michigan with his 1972 Olds Cutlass
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BEST INTERIOR
Zach VanAlst from Swartz Creek Michigan, with his 1948 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 series Limo
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BEST ENGINE
Robert Spicer from Perry Michigan with his 1963 Chevy Belair
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BEST TRUCK
Robert Spicer from Perry Michigan with his 1963 Chevy Belair
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BEST MOTORCYCLE
Robert Spicer from Perry Michigan with his 1963 Chevy Belair
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Best Vendor Display Award | |
Chrome & Ice™ Top 10 Spectator Awards | |
Congratulations to them ALL!!!! | |
Special Thank You to our Volunteer Photographer, Mike Smith. | |
By: Gary Fisher
President - Genesee County Historical Society
Walter Chrysler is another in the long line of iconic automobile leaders and innovators brought into the business either directly or indirectly by Billy Durant. Originally recruited by Charles Nash when he was President of General Motors in 1911 (who himself was an original employee of Durant), to head Buick in Flint.
Chrysler had been working for the American Locomotive Company, the nation’s primary builder of railway locomotives. Although quite successful in that venture, Chrysler wanted to venture into automobiles. He was eager and willing to talk to Nash about the new opportunity in Flint.
He was a shining example of the American Dream coming to life, and he wanted to take that zeal with him into the new industry of automobiles, and the epicenter for that action was in Flint, Michigan. Born in Ellis, Kansas in 1875 he had toured the nation while hitching rides on trains, paying his way by cleaning bathrooms, sweeping up, and doing menial kitchen work.
He finally landed a ‘real’ job as a janitor for the Union Pacific Railroad making 10 cents an hour and working 10 hours a day. He soon decided to become a machinist and distinguished himself for both his skill with people and his organizational abilities.
His passion for cars started when he bought his first one in 1908. He tore it down and built it back up again and again, learning the design and mechanical intricacies required to make it all work. He found that he loved the work, the grit and grind, and the entire process of creating something from scratch. As Chrysler put it: “There is in manufacturing a creative joy that only poets are supposed to know. Some day I’d like to show a poet how it feels to design and build a railroad locomotive.”
Chrysler ultimately met with Charles Nash, and although Nash offered a significant pay cut, Chrysler took the job and moved his family to Flint to take on the role of Buick Works Manager at the Hamilton Avenue Plant.
Once there is revolutionized the production of automobiles by leveraging his extensive knowledge of steel. Auto’s at that time were being built with wood bodies, and Chrysler knew that steel would change the game forever, and he was right. He not only changed the materials used to build the cars, he changed how they were built, and the environment they were built in. Chrysler quickly distinguished himself as one of the most crucial employees of General Motors. By 1919 he was the highest paid automobile executive in the industry.
Although Durant and Chrysler clashed over various topics, in the end, Durant was able to secure his services and ensure the continued growth of the Buick plant and GM. However, eventually, the two alpha males would find that although they held a deep personal bond, they needed to fly apart.
Chrysler resigned from GM in 1919 when he was in charge of all of GM’s manufacturing. Chrysler went on to take over the old Maxwell–Briscoe company and renamed it after himself.
It not only became one of the world's leading auto companies and a major competitor to GM, but it remains today an iconic brand having survived countless financial setbacks and global challenges. Chrysler is without question one of the towering giants and legends in automotive history, and he learned his craft in Flint at The Buick.
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Al’s Garage
Coming in March...
Car Fans,
Al is still making amazing progress, and recovering from recent surgery that removed a cancerous spot. Many of you had the chance to see him at Chrome & Ice™, where he was in good spirits. We will continue to wish him well and look forward to his wit and engagement in our future newsletters. He has said, March will be a good one, so stay tuned!
In the words of Al Hatch... Keep on Rollin'
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Back to the Bricks® Scholarship Program | |
Back to the Bricks® awards a total of $10,000 in post-secondary scholarships each year. The Scholarship Program provides assistance to high school seniors in Flint and Genesee County who are pursuing post-secondary study/training at a college or technical school in auto-body repair/painting, automotive design, auto mechanics, electrical/manufacturing/mechanical engineering, robotics, sales and marketing, software development for automotive applications, welding, or a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) related program.
The application deadline is Friday, April 12th, 2024
See our WEBSITE for full details
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Back to the Bricks® Merchandise | |
Get your Back to the Bricks Official Merchandise!!!
If you missed our trailer at Chrome & Ice, don't worry. You can get what you want before the next event. See our Merchandise Store online, order, and have shipped to you or pick it up at Kidd Company in Clio.
GET IT HERE
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