Our History

A history of our club – Fredericksburg Vintage Car Club – when did the club begin and what has the club done. Here’s the story…

The Fredericksburg Vintage Car Club began on March 21, 1972 when an organizational meeting was held at Pape’s Barber Shop, Fredericksburg, TX. Those attending were Erwin Anderegg, Robert Pape, Elgin Tatsch, Clinton Kramer, Tony Sauer, Bob Borchers, Red Weinheimer, Randy McBride, Paul Frisch, Del Benedict, Forrest Rees, and Wayne Zimmerman. An Election of Officers was held with Bob Borchers elected President, Erwin Anderegg as Vice President, and Tony Sauer as Secretary/Treasurer. Annual membership dues would be $12.00 per year, payable in April of each year. The time frame was later changed to pay dues on the calendar year. The monthly meeting would be held the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Two months later members voted to name the club “Fredericksburg Vintage Car Club” and the club applied for a charter with the Veteran Motor Car Club of America, which in 2017 became Vintage Motor Car Club of America. On October 21, 1972, the National VMCCA Charter Banquet was held at Birck’s Bar-B-Que. Mr. Heitz from the National Organization was present. And the club was off and running.

By-Laws were written shortly after the club was organized but the minutes do not reflect an approval date. The first reference of approved by-laws is April 1, 1986. Several amendments have been approved – January 8, 1991, February 8, 1995, February 7, 2012, April 1, 2014, and May 2, 2017.

The FVCC voted to begin the incorporation process in September 1986 and received the incorporation papers on October 1, 1991.

Dues remained at $12.00 per family unit, except in 1981 when they were lowered to $6.00 per family unit due to the big increase in the VMCCA National dues. The following year dues returned to $12.00 per family unit and remained thus until 2018, when dues were increased to $25.00 per family unit per year. The club voted in 1982 to have each member be responsible for paying their VMCCA National Dues.

Club meetings were held at the Rumple Kammer building in Fredericksburg for a cost of $10.00 per month for several years. Then dinner meetings were held for many years by rotating from town to town. Meetings were held every other month from 1998 to September 2001 when meetings were again held every month. In 2004, members voted to hold the meetings at one location, the Golden Hub Senior Center, Fredericksburg. A new meeting format was also instituted with a short membership meeting, informative presentation, and then social time with refreshments. The format was changed a few years later to an informative presentation first, then the short membership meeting, followed by the social time with refreshments. The refreshments would be furnished by those celebrating a birthday and/or anniversary during that month.

The club secretary was responsible for mailing a newsletter to members during the early years of the club. In 1984, an editor was established and an official name, Rumbleseat Chatter, was selected. Editors have been Vivian Keeling, Jody Tomforde, Marilyn Talbot, Paulette Sontag and currently Joel Keefer. In 2006, members began to receive the newsletter by email.

Those who have served as FVCC Presidents are:

The office of Secretary/Treasurer was split into two offices during the 1974-75 years due to hosting the Western National Tour, and then again when the Hill Country Swap Meet began. The Tour Coordinator duties were combined with the Vice President duties in 2011.

On June 4, 1973, a proposal was submitted to VMCCA to host the 1975 Western National Tour in Fredericksburg, Texas. The hosting of this tour June 22-27, 1975 was followed by many others, such as:

• Western National Tour – June 22-25, 1981, Fredericksburg

• Chrome Glidden Tour – June 19-23, 1988, Schreiner College, Kerrville

• Glidden Tour – September 18-23, 1994, YO Hilton Hotel, Kerrville

• Western Nickle Tour - September 1998, Fredericksburg

• Chrome Glidden Tour – June 20-25, 2004, Amarillo, TX

• Western Nickle Tour – May7 2007, in Kerrville, FVCC assisted the Bexar Touring Club

• Chrome Glidden National Tour - April 16-20, 2023

The club also hosted the VMCCA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet in 1979 in San Antonio and assisted the Bexar Touring Club with hosting the meeting in 1992, also in San Antonio. The club hosted the VMCCA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet in San Marcos, TX, February 22-24, 2018.

When the FVCC was first chartered, the club was a chapter of the Mountain and Plains Region. In September 1976 the regions were realigned, and the Southwest Region of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona was formed. Then in September 1996, another realignment was approved by the VMCCA Board of Governors and the Texoma Region of Texas and Oklahoma was formed. Today the Texoma Region includes Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Region dues of $5.00 per couple are still in effect and in 1998 FVCC voted to pay each family’s Texoma Region dues from club funds.

How did the club make money? By hosting the Hill Country Swap Meet. The club began earnest discussions to host a swap meet in September 1977. The first Hill Country Swap Meet was held July 28-30, 1978 at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds. The swap meet was held there until 1984 when the meet was moved to the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park where it remained until it was sold at the end of the swap meet in 2015. The swap meet chairperson served a one- or two-year term until 2001 when Craig Lindig was chairperson until the swap meet sold. The San Antonio Mustang Club provided the concessions at the swap meet and received 40% of the swap meet profit from 1983 through 1995. The Fredericksburg Band Boosters provided the concessions on commission in 1996 and after that a commercial concessioner was used. Per the club minutes, the swap meet registrar position was filled by various club members, most familiar names are Marian Peterson, Larry Knox, Mike McNeil, and Bill Rogers. As the swap meet grew, so did the work efforts of club members with a work day prior to, work during and after the swap meet. A “Future of the Swap Meet” committee was appointed in January 2015 with Randy Pullen as chairperson. Membership voted by secret ballot at the May 5, 2015 meeting to discontinue hosting the Hill Country Swap Meet. The swap meet was sold to Earhardt Productions who currently continue with the swap meet each year.

What did we do with the money made from the swap meet?

• Usually half of the profit was given as scholarships or gifts to organizations.

• At the beginning, we gave scholarships to local high school students from Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Comfort, Boerne, Johnson City, and Ingram on a rotating basis. The amount of the scholarships began around $500 and were increased to $1000.

• After several years of giving only to high school students, members voted to include the McPherson College Auto Restoration Program. Also included in later years was the Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch Auto Restoration Program.

• The last several years of the swap meet, half of the profits were given to organizations that were nominated by club members.

• With the other half of the profits beginning in 1986, club funds were used to pay for one-night lodging and one meal during the fall tour. Throughout the years, funds were approved to pay for up to two-nights lodging and two meals for either the fall and/or spring tours. The fall and spring tours were traditionally at least two nights/three days long and at locations further away from home base.

The club has had monthly day tours, along with the longer weekend tours traditionally in the spring and fall. Club members have also participated in regional tours and national tours. We are a touring club and have fun while seeing the sights along the routes.

Interesting notes that were found in the meeting minutes:

• June 1990, no smoking at the meetings.

• May 7, 1991, minutes noted: “Everyone in the club must belong to National VMCCA for insurance reasons while on tours. Be sure you belong.”

• 2006, a Pictorial Directory was published, and the new, current club logo was approved.

On June 6, 2006, a Mission Statement was approved. The current Mission Statement states:

“The Fredericksburg Vintage Car Club is comprised of over 100 families who enjoy driving antique vehicles in the Texas Hill Country, and beyond. Our focus is on touring rather than judging. We are a chapter of the Vintage Motor Car Club of America (VMCCA), which stages about a half dozen national car tours each year. In addition to our monthly meetings, which are held in Fredericksburg or Kerrville, Texas, our club conducts several day trips and overnight drives each year. Ownership of an antique automobile is not required to belong to our club. If you have a love for old cars and enjoy good friends, we invite you to join us.”