We all have a car story. As the newly elected president of the Society of Automotive Historians, I was asked to share mine. Here’s what I wrote:
Over the past 50+ years, newly elected SAH presidents have used the opportunity of the SAH Journal ‘President’s Perspective’ to introduce themselves to the SAH membership. As I looked over past Journal issues in preparation for this task, I was, frankly, very much overwhelmed by the wealth of automotive knowledge and experience shared by past presidents over the years. I am honored and somewhat intimidated to follow such a respected and accomplished group of automotive historians.
As for my own automotive history, I was born in Detroit. My maternal grandfather was one of thousands of Polish immigrants who came to this country in the early twentieth century for employment in the auto factories; he spent the most of his life working on the line at the Dodge Main Plant in Hamtramck. My mother, as was the practice of immigrant families at the time, never learned to drive. Consequently, when my father died unexpectedly when I was nine, we were without a car until my brother turned 16 four years later. We went through a series of sibling-shared automobiles; I learned to drive on a used 1960 Corvair [three-on-the-floor] followed by a 1964 Tempest [three-on-the-tree]. My instructors were my oldest brother, a Detroit police officer, who patiently accompanied me as I ground gears driving around a local high school parking lot, and my brother-in-law, who let me practice shifting on his Falcon family station wagon. On my twenty-first birthday I purchased my first car, a brand new 1970 Volkswagen Beetle, the vehicle of choice for financially strapped Wayne State University commuters like me. That red Bug began a lifelong love affair with German automobiles, which have included two Beetles, two Audis, a Scirocco, a Rabbit, a GTI, and two Golf Rs.
Thus, unlike my predecessors, I came to the SAH by a rather unconventional route. I did not grow up with an interest in cars; I do not have an encyclopedic knowledge of automobiles; I do not have a background in the history of anything, much less automotive history. My interest in the automobile, in fact, came simply by chance. When I entered graduate school after a career in advertising, while enrolled in a class titled ‘Gender, Technology, and Pop Culture,’ I discovered that the subject of women and cars had not received much attention in scholarship. As I was looking for my academic ‘niche,’ I decided that my Motor City upbringing, coupled with my experience writing car commercials, could serve as the foundation for this new direction. I started writing and publishing journal articles and attending academic conferences to receive feedback on my work. It was at one of these conferences, put on by the Popular Culture Association, that I met Carla Lesh, who suggested I join the Society of Automotive Historians. The rest, as they say, is [automotive] history.
As I met more people in the SAH, at conferences and through my local Leland Chapter, I decided I wanted to become more involved in the organization. Once again, Carla served as an impetus, convincing me to run for the board. Although it took me two tries to succeed, once elected I quickly took on whatever was asked of me. Painfully shy, I preferred to work behind the scenes, chairing the Awards Committee, Brick and Mortar Working Group, and serving on the Brigham Awards Panel. After conducting research at the IMRRC and presenting at Watkins Glen, I also became involved in Argetsinger Symposium planning. When asked to run for Vice President, I initially refused, believing I did not have the temperament nor automotive provenance to serve. However, after persistence from a few longtime members [you know who you are], I decided to give it a shot, which eventually led to my election as SAH president. So here I am.
Now that I am in office, I am fortunate to have fellow officers and a board of directors eager to take on the formidable task of moving the SAH forward – perhaps kicking and screaming – into the twenty-first century. As a team we endeavor to make the SAH more accessible, to provide timely communications, and to encourage member participation. In addition, our hope is to expand the SAH’s reach, to welcome those – much like me – outside the traditional confines of ‘automotive historian.’
Since taking office in October, a monthly newsletter has been instituted, and an Executive Committee has been formed to address pressing SAH issues. Future objectives for the organization include restructuring the publications committee to accommodate new media as well as to develop a timely and attainable publication schedule, establishing a finance committee to oversee the organization’s financial health, planning, and accountability, and to begin the transition of SAH publications to digital. In addition to the Awards Banquet and Hershey in the fall, there are also plans in the works to co-sponsor a seminar in conjunction with the Studebaker National Museum 2026 Concours d’Elegance at Copshaholm weekend this summer.
As I begin my term, I want to express my appreciation to the membership for entrusting me with the leadership of this organization. And lest I forget, thank you especially to Carla Lesh, as well as all the others who have supported and encouraged me to become a part of the Society of Automotive Historians.
