By Fran Hunt
Special to Greene Publishing, Inc.
The Florida Region of the Horseless Carriage Club of America will be gathering in Madison, for their Spring Tour March 3-6. These fine cars are all pre-1916.
This year’s gathering will have thirty cars, with four steam cars among them. The club will enjoy daily drives through the beautiful back roads and countryside. Look for them in and around Madison and Monticello that weekend.
Their base will be the Best Western PLUS Madison Inn on Highway 53.
The goal of the organization is to preserve these cars, both original and restored to original condition; to use them for driving and completing tours; and to promote the preservation of their historical value.
Many collector car clubs throughout the U.S and the rest of the world recognize specialty marques or a broad spectrum of makes and years of manufacture. Very few remaining collectible automobiles represent the dawning of the age of the automobile industry.
This unique period of automotive history covers the turn of the century to the end of carriage coachwork, gas lights, hand cranking and profuse use of brass. For the most part, only the wealthy owned automobiles during this pre 1916 era, and ownership required a pioneering spirit, inventiveness and superior mechanical ability to keep these early automobiles functioning.
These early automobiles were called horseless carriages as they were capable of transporting people and freight faster and longer distance without the need of a horse to pull them. Unlike a horse, the automobile did not require feeding or veterinarians to maintain health when not in service, but like a horse they often got a colorful language/lecture by the owner when they would not perform.
In essence, all automobiles are Horseless Carriages, but HCCA has defined the Horseless Carriage as any pioneer gas, steam and electric motor vehicle built or manufactured prior to January 1, 1916.
Membership in this organization is open to anyone interested in this unique era and does not require the member to own a pre-1916 automobile. HCCA Regional Groups and HCCA Registers of specific types or makes are located throughout the world. Many of the HCCA Regional Groups also welcome post 1915 vintage automobiles on their tours.
It is the goal of the Horseless Carriage Club to preserve originality or restore these automobiles to their original condition, use them for their original purpose of driving and completing tours, and promote the preservation of their historical value. Children and adults are fascinated even today, as they were in the early days, at the uniqueness, charm and character exemplified by these historic vehicles.
