One more thing on ladies in the hobby. I probably have not been involved in the hobby as long as some. But my father worked for various AMC dealerships for 18 years going back into the 60s, so was very familiar with the lots, and the people who worked there. If a women came into a dealership, she was often (not always) considered easy prey. There was a word for this, and I can't remember what my dad used to call them. He was NOT a salesmen, it was just the word that was used when a woman was alone. I always thought this double standard was strange too, as women were not only openly advertised to (AMC was a women friendly car company, believe me, I have tons of neat in house literature to support their courting the ladies into management, sales, retail, factories, stock, and of course selling them cars) but when it was a group of guys in leasure suits, chomping a cigar, pants maybe one size too small, standing around and a lady drove up, the puns would fly among themselves. How do I know? Hell, I was there after school every day for years and heard it all. Of course they were perfect gentelmen once they were face to face, oh well, I wonder how much of that has changed at dealerships since the 1940s. So off my website..........circa 1947-48.......... http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/nashdrumbeat.jpg All the major Nash dealers were crowded into a room, given drums, and told to beat them on cue according to the widow of the owner of the dealership I would later buy out in the 90s, P. K. Williams on Congress street in Austin, Texas. She indicated that she never knew why they rounded up the dealers like this once a year, but spouses were invited, they just could not attend the meetings, not that they would want to be in there with all those drums and Cuban cigars. Not sure if that is a pitcher of ice water on the middle of the table or a pitcher of Stoli. P. K. Williams was one of the highest volume Nash dealers in Texas. He would morph into Rambler then AMC before closing. He is pictured directly below the "H" in the "Sell Nash" banner on the back wall. Ironically, AMC President William V. Luneberg would later say in 1971: "We want to be recognized as a company that marches to the beat of it's own drums;" when he was describing AMCs 'philosophy of difference. To the 50s: http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/51_ramb_conv.jpg Lois Lane from the Superman series in the early 1950s. Showroom facing Commerce Street. P. K. Williams dealership, Austin, TX, circa September 1949. Striking not only in the showroom scene but also on Commerce street downtown Austin behind and outside the huge glass panes with lots of old cars, the Travis Hotel, pubs and such showing life in Austin over 1/2 a century ago! To the 60s: http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/ramblercarlotPR.jpg This is how they appeared in the mid 1960s. Note the "Rambler Select Used Cars" sign in the background, flags blowing in the wind, streetlamp is a old style type. The salesman leaning on the vehicle talking to the pretty red headed lady sitting in the Rambler Classic two door wants to make a sale! In the background left to right is a red 67 Rebel, a year unknown light blue Marlin, just over the rear glass of the red Classic the lady is sitting in is a gold Rambler, possibly a rogue or American, and immediately behind that is a light yellow early 60s Rambler, about 8 cars in the photo at this Rambler Dealership! The photo is 7X10, not 8X10. What is unusual is it is COLOR, so all the neat cars, shadows, salesmans hat, roof across the street, everything jumps out at you. For you AMC and Rambler fans who were familiar with AMC car lots, this photo takes you back into another time. I grew up at AMC & Rambler dealerships as my father, Homer T. Stakes Sr. worked for AMC in Corpus Christi, for many years. Onto the 70s, note the lady with scratchy, probably metal bottomed purse, sitting on brand new paint..... http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/70gremlinnyautoshow.jpg April 1970. AMC was in financial trouble in 1970, suffering a 2nd 1/4 loss of $10 million or 41 cents per share. This, along with the strike affected first 1/4, where they incurred a loss of $15.6 million, resulted in a net loss in the first 1/2 of the fiscal year of a whopping $25 million. (And people ask why the 70 AMX didn't sell, the 70 Javelin saw only 1/2 of the production of 69 and the Rebel, including the Machine, was a flop.) The losses stated above had no benefit of tax credit. The strike mentioned above, closed the plants for five weeks in the fall, and cost AMC a whopping $23 million loss and 36,000 vehicles plus interruption of momentum in the market at a really critical time. AMC also had just bought Jeep for $40 million, so you can see how this all affected AMC. In other words, WE ALMOST LOST AMC IN 1970. Enter the Gremlin to save the day! That, along with Hornet, would be AMC's Bread and Butter cars for years, selling really well. The Gremlin was A MAJOR ATTRACTION at this huge show. Gremlin sales EXCEEDED SUPPLY and production had to be increased 30% due to consumer demand! Again, photo is grainy, but looks really great framed, and is 5 1/2 inches high and 10 inches across. And onto AMC's last decade, the 1980s........ http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/amcjeep_dealership.jpg Walker Brothers AMC & Jeep dealership in Los Angeles, CA. This dealership spanned BOTH sides of the highway, and while this photo shows the Jeep side with brand spanking new CJs, across the street is clearly visible a whole slew of Spirits, Concords, Pacers, Kammbacks, Wagoneers and more Jeep and also some brand x models like Maverick, Volare! So AMC realized the buying power and influence of women. But it is still kind of funny, as for years I was president, vice president, treasurer, editor and whatnot of the local AMC chapter. To see a woman come to the monthly meetings was like seeing Sasquatch and it was extremely rare. Not because we didn't have women members, and 90% of the guys had spouses, it was just sort of like a dudes club, or guys not out. Maybe none of us guys would want to go play bridge or do quilts, or soccer and various other things some of the spouses would do. Never figured it out. Just always wanted to try to get more women involved somehow. And when we did the 2001 AMC national meet here in Houston, we had a lot OF women volunteers, from judging, to running sheets, to helping people park, to hell, without them, the meet would not have been as smooth as it went and people STILL talk about how smooth everything went for a National event, so their silent help was sincerely appreciated. But I'm not really sure what, or how, to get more women involved in the old car hobby. This ain't a AMC thing, it is a women thing I guess. Go to many mixed make swap meets and car shows and the guys outnumber the women easily and always have. Throw in China the former WWF wrestler in a thong, or Playboy Playmates (geez, these women don't look nothing like the photos, thank god for airbrushing photos) or other stuff at many meets like Houston AutoRama, and the guys numbers swell. In ther past few years however some of these meets have been bringing in the hunks for the ladies like popupar soap stars and this has been a great success too. Not that us guys want to see a tanned, shirless fellow signing autographs and ladies swooning. Well, swooning is ok, you can look at the meun all you want but you damned better come home for the cookin. So I guess these organizations recognize what I just said and are willing to try all sorts of stuff to bring in the female contingent into what has traditionally been a male only gig, I say it is welcome and overdue, as you ain't seen anything until you see the Astrodome ISCA show with thousands of beautiful Texas women walking around. Now if we could just get them to come to some meetings, even though their favorite soap star won't be there, only a few of us guys with beer guts, wearing AMC's RULE! shirts we shuold have stopped wearing in the 80s! Overall, it I guess is just a reflection of society, and different tastes and different strokes for different folks. Paige went with me to about a dozen monthly meetings in 11 years but has been to all the nationals and regionals, and helped out more than legally allowed by law. There is one photo on my website showing how much of a AMC Trooper she is even. The photo shown here was at the 2001 AMC Nats in Houston, that is one ton of AMC parts I am unloading. Ok, loaded it Wed, unloaded it Thurs, reloaded it Thurs eve, unloaded it Fri AM, reloaded it Fri PM, unloaded it Sat AM, reloaded it Sat PM, unloaded it Sun AM and took the trailer back. Paige was about 19 days from giving birth to Noah, who was born August 24th, 2001. And the temp when this photo was taken was 95, it would later climb to 100, with 80%+ humidity, making it 'feel like' (you people in the south know about this heat index) like 107-112 degrees. The temp later in the afternoon on the ground was 140 degrees for those judges willing to lay on it and look under cars to judge, we had mats but it was brutal, not this weak crap dry heat in AZ, this is HEAT, and if your exposed skin touches the ground, might as well bring out the pico de gallo, tortillas, guacamole, as you have instant fajitas. She called me on the two ways we had and told me to quickly come out as she felt faint, but we got her into the hotel room and AC quickly, but that was the only emergency and I still don't know how she did it, as if you have ever worked a national, it is like 96 hours straight of hard work. So hats off to the ladies, your first drink is on me, thanks for all of you (happy BD Lu) who make the hobby more enjoyable for everyone, even if sometimes, no, most of the time, you never get the recognition you may receive. It is appreciated. And hopefully your ranks (and youngsters) will continue to grow as time goes on. Doc, you get bonus points for the 1 of 3 there too. I'm not going to try to change the way you brought up your kids, but that oldest one with a catering business needs a Pacer Wagon. Easy to find, paint his catering business info on the side, the car is INSTANT BILLBOARD and I guarantee you people who see it will remember it, and it will be like my little Pacer wagon I have wrote about, can't tell yuo how many people called or emailed me saying they saw it in traffic! Eddie Stakes www.planethoustonamx.com *Note volume of email is extremely heavy, expect 5-12 day responses