05clintoncad

100 CARS AND 100 DEGREES - by Bernie Cooney

It was hot. We didn’t quite set a record for a high temperature, but we came close. But this wasn’t about heat. It was humid. Completely camouflaged by cloud cover, the sun rose over the horizon. It felt as if one could wring water out of the air, like wringing water out of a mop. But this wasn’t about humidity. With the official beginning of summer still eleven days away, the humidity in the air had to make room for something else: enthusiasm.

You see, the Raritan River Region is not content to merely have a car show. For the RRR to be content the show doesn’t have to be the biggest. Nor does it have to be the oldest. As a matter of fact, the enthusiasm of the RRR breeds only one superlative: best. Hot, humid, cloudy – none of this mattered. The RRR was putting its best foot forward, and the personification of that act was to be the second dealer show at Clinton Cadillac-Chevrolet.

Furthermore, not content to just bring the largest collection of the finest Cadillacs this side of the Delaware River, the RRR had invited their friends in the hobby. An assemblage of first class Chevrolets (both big and small) and a smattering of Buicks, Oldmobiles and Pontiacs perfectly complimented the luxury marque. After all, Byron T. Brisby Jr. expected nothing less than the best. And that’s exactly what he got.

The pictures you see here give an idea of the quality of automobile on display. It is unusual, in a local show, to see three vehicles from the first decade of production. V-16s are very rare: it is even rarer that one is driven to a show. There can be no argument that the RRR showfield produced the cream of the crop. But what the pictures don’t show is the dedication. The tireless efforts. The team-work of a winning team. There can be no argument that the cars were the stars, but the people that made the show happen – the energetic members of the RRR who don’t know how to say “no” – deserve a very large thank you.

So here goes: the list is a little lengthy, and probably not complete. So, with the caveat that this is presented by the power of memory and subject to inadvertent omission, a special thanks go to the following RRR members:

Registration: Pat Caruso, Helen Newman, Jeff Hookway, Mary Hookway, Jay Raskin, Sharon Monahan, Andrew Monahan Jr.

Greeters: Jack Harrison, Ted Mandalakis, Ray Koziol

Parking: Ralph Messina, Bob Rankin, Tom Borge, Bill Bilgor, Tony Latino, Ross Lemmon

Traffic Control: Aaron Newman, Joe Puleo, Bob Crimmins

Highway Demarcation: Darren Muso, Chris Pozarycki

Preparation/Clean-up: Bob Gluck, Grace Gluck

Club Liaison: Andrew Monahan, Bob Losco

A very special thanks, of course, goes to the entire staff of Clinton Cadillac. Well prepared, they made sure we had tents for shade, table and chairs for comfort, food and drink for nourishment and plenty of entertainment.

And a great big thank you goes to Byron T. Brisby Jr. Byron gave up selling cars on the most productive day of his work week to host the Raritan River Region, and friends. Thanks, Byron!

1	number of foreign cars (Nissan)
1	number of non-GM domestic cars
2	number of tents for shade
2	number of discontinued GM cars
2	number of tubs containing ice and drinks
2	Junior CLC members “helping out”
3	number of vehicles from 1^st decade of manufacture
3	number of Buicks
7	number of unique and beautiful Corvairs
11	number of pre-war cars
13	number of full grown Chevrolets
25	number of Region workers directing show traffic
70	temperature before sun-up
88	high temperature for the day
90	percentage humidity
95	heat index
100	cars on the showfield
1909	Oldest car – Cadillac
2001	Newest car, Corvette