Category: news

Howard Freedman was relatively new to the hobby, in Classic years. He had been a member of the Oregon Region since 1995. In 2005, he became a member of the CCCA Board, serving as Board Secretary, Vice President for Publications, head of the Finance Committee, and Treasurer.

It was during his tenure on the Board that he met Katie Robbins. Katie believed that if you wanted something done, you should give it to a busy person, so she convinced Howard to become involved with the Museum. Howard’s attitude was to do whatever needed to be done, no matter how big or small the job.

In 2012, he was elected president. He committed himself to bringing new ideas to the Board and bringing the Museum into the 21st century. Among the initiatives completed during his leadership were:

• Creating a website and making videos on all of our Classics.
• Digitizing the Custom Body Builders files, Classic Car magazine, and the CCCA Bulletin, with searchable functions.
• Modernizing the Museum’s heating, cooling, and full-time humidity control systems to facilitate the maintenance and preservation of our collection.
• Establishing a maintenance program to bring many of our Classics up to driving and cosmetic standards.

Over his tenure, Howard led many capital campaigns to raise money for much-needed storage, new cabinets with lighting for our mascot collection, and an elevator for easier access to the second floor. In 2019, he supported the addition of a 10,000-square-foot expansion, which not only displays our collection but also tells the story of the Classic Era for generations to come.

When Howard became president in 2012, many Classics had been part of the collection for 20 years. Two were especially historically significant: the 1938 Delahaye 135 cabriolet and the 1932 Stutz DV-32 Monte Carlo. Howard encouraged the Board to approve their restorations. Today, both serve as ambassadors for the Museum, participating in concours events and other marketing activities.

As the Museum grew, Howard took special care to lighten the load on both Katie Robbins and Dale Wells. Both were founders and had done the heavy lifting for decades. Howard brought on an Executive Director to ensure day-to-day leadership over the collection and marketing activities. Howard truly did bring the Museum into the 21st century.

When asked to serve as president of the Museum in 2012, Howard’s hope was to come close to filling the immense shoes of the people who preceded him and meeting the expectations of those who asked him to serve. Howard, you did that and more.The Board asked Howard to serve as president of the Museum for 10 years, a tribute to his hard work and dedication.

Howard passed away on August 3, 2025. The Classic Car Club of America Museum is deeply appreciative of all Howard did to improve the CCCA Museum and help secure its future.

Hickory Corners, Michigan — 4/16/2026 — The Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Museum is proud to announce the recent donation of one of the most historically significant Lincoln Continentals in existence—the famed 1941 Lincoln Continental cabriolet known as the “Grey Ghost.”

The vehicle was generously donated by Faythe Oberg, who owned the car since 1983 with her late husband Harvey. Widely recognized throughout the collector car community, the Grey Ghost is celebrated not only for its elegant design, but also for its deep ties to the Classic Car Club of America.

Originally delivered to New York financier Albert M. Barnes, the car was specially ordered in a unique “Jersey Grey” paint color—one of only a handful of 1941 Continentals finished in a custom hue, and the only known example in this distinctive shade. The car’s striking appearance earned it the nickname “Grey Ghost,” a moniker well known in Lincoln circles.

Beyond its rarity, this Lincoln holds a remarkable place in CCCA history. The car wears CCCA Senior Badge Number 3, awarded in 1953 at the very first CCCA Grand Classic—making it one of the earliest recognized Full Classics in the Club’s history and a direct link to the organization’s founding era.

Following its acquisition by Harvey Oberg in 1983, the Continental underwent a meticulous restoration and went on to become one of the most actively driven Classics in the country. Known for being driven to events rather than trailered, the car accumulated tens of thousands of miles while continuing to earn top concours honors—an uncommon distinction among collector automobiles.

“The Grey Ghost represents everything the CCCA Museum stands for—authenticity, preservation, and the enjoyment of these automobiles as they were intended,” said CCCA Museum President Candace Haag. “Its history within the Club and its legacy as a driven, award-winning Classic make it an especially meaningful addition to our collection.”

The CCCA Museum, located on the campus of the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of “Full Classic” automobiles— limited production, luxury vehicles produced between 1915 and 1948.

For more information, visit the CCCA Museum website, cccamuseum.org or call 269-671-5333.

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Hickory Corners, Michigan — April 12, 2026 — The Classic Car Club of America Museum (CCCAM) announces the opening of its newest exhibition, Hidden Treasures: Classics Preserved in the Shadows of War, on view April 11 through November 1, 2026.

The exhibit tells the remarkable true stories of three rare Full Classics®—limited-production luxury automobiles built between 1915 and 1948—that survived World War II by being hidden from invading forces under extraordinary and often perilous circumstances.

At the center of the exhibition are three exceptional automobiles:

1931 Duesenberg J-423 (Derham Tourster) — Hidden beneath a haystack in rural Italy, concealed to avoid wartime seizure.

1938 Packard Twelve Club Sedan — Owned by Nobel Prize-winning writer Maurice Maeterlinck and protected on his estate in southern France, just miles from the Allied invasion of Operation Dragoon.

1939 Buick Redfern Saloon — Secreted in the basement of a Danish furniture factory, shielded from the destruction sweeping across Northern Europe.

Through immersive, historically inspired environments, visitors experience the very conditions in which these automobiles were hidden—from farm structures to private estates and industrial spaces—revealing the ingenuity and quiet courage that preserved them.

“This exhibit is about more than automobiles—it’s about preservation as an act of resistance,” said John Hansen, Executive Director of the CCCA Museum.

“These cars survived because someone chose to protect them in the face of war and chaos across Europe.”

Hidden Treasures opens April 11 and runs through November 1 at the CCCA Museum, located on the campus of the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan.

For more information, visit cccamuseum.org or call 269-671-5333.

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December 1, 2025

Every car in the Classic Car Club of America Museum has a history, but few have a story quite as chilling as this one.

November 20, 2025

Walk through our museum galleries with Executive Director John Hansen to learn about everything going on during the 2025 season at the Classic Car Club of America Museum!

April 17, 2025

The CCCA Museum is excited to announce that our new exhibit will open in April and will be tied to the theme of the 2025 Experience, featuring the Jazz Age! Our exhibit will tell the story of the Krazy Kat Klub, a speakeasy located in a back alleyway near Thomas Circle, less than a mile from the White House. The Krazy Kat opened shortly after prohibition was enacted, and closed in 1926.

When we think of speakeasies today, we imagine establishments such as The Cotton Club in New York or scenes from Robert Redford’s portrayal of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. We think of high-society members of aristocracy, dressed to the nines enjoying martinis and old fashioneds in swanky, beautifully decorated clubs. The Krazy Kat, located at #3 Green Court, was in many ways quite the opposite of what we envision when we think of the conventional prohibition-era speakeasy.

By design, the Kat catered to a very diverse and wide ranging clientele. While powerful Washington DC insiders including several US Congressmen would come to enjoy illicit beverages and raucous live jazz performances, so too would many of Washington DC’s artists, writers, bohemians, and of course, flappers.

The club’s interior nightclub space occupied the second floor of an old livestock stable, accessed through the back alley entrance by walking through a dimly lit hallway and climbing a narrow winding staircase. Much of the lighting inside the club was by candle light. In addition to this space, the club also featured an outdoor courtyard surrounded by buildings and complete with its own rustic treehouse for guests to enjoy.

April 13, 2025

The CCCA Museum is pleased to welcome a beautiful 1939 Packard Twelve engine and transmission that has been recently donated to the museum! This donation is courtesy of CCCA member Mark Skidmore of Tennessee. This display will help visitors to visualize the size and mechanical ingenuity of the last of the magnificent Twelves that powered the finest pre-war Packard’s, including the four Packard Twelves owned by the museum. Be sure and check out our new engine and all the Twelves on display next time you visit the museum!

1939 was the last year of the Packard Twelve. Legendary for their smoothness and near silent operation and displacing 473 cubic-inches, horsepower was rated at 175, with maximum torque of 366 lb.-ft. available at 1,400 RPM.

September 3, 2024

To be invited to show a car at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is an honor very few attain and the Classic Car Club of America Museum was overjoyed to be asked for their 1930 Packard  734 Sport Sedan to be on display as part of the 125 Years of Packard celebration.

Thursday morning dawned early but without the fog or mist that normally accompanies the 70-mile round trip tour day.  Cars started lining up at 6am to get a good position for the 9:30am departure.  With the CCCA Museum Art in Motion license plate on the back of the car, this was a wonderful opportunity to talk with people about this first donation to the CCCA Museum back in 1985 by Lewis Steinberg.  The car had been restored in 1982 and more recently was refreshed for a trip to this event.    All exhibitors and spectators receive a list of cars registered for the tour and we were proud to see the CCCA Museum referenced in the list!  Due to some mechanical challenges, we elected not to complete the entire tour but really enjoyed having the car out in the parade of people waving and cheering us on!

January 15, 2024

The Classic Car Club of America Museum (CCCAM) has appointed John Hansen as its new Executive Director, effective January 15, 2024. In this role, Mr. Hansen will direct the day-to-day operations of the museum and research library, the organization’s marketing and promotional efforts, as well as planning for “The Experience”, the museum’s signature annual event held the first weekend in June.

“John’s background and passion for the hobby, his involvement with clubs, events and Gilmore enhances our initiatives to preserve Full Classics®, preserve their story and educate others on the importance of the Classic Era to automotive history. We are excited to have him part of our leadership team.” says Candace Robbins Haag, President CCCAM Board.

Involved in the collector car hobby for over 30 years, Mr. Hansen is the owner of Michigan Automotive Inspection Services (MAIS), a collector car consulting and appraisal firm serving clients around the world. Additionally, Hansen is an active volunteer in several local car clubs and served on the Education Committee of the Gilmore Car Museum.