Three cheers for the volunteers!

Hip hip hip hooray!

Before I begin with my regular article I would like to mention that it takes quite a group of dedicated people to organize The Granby International – and year after year we see familiar faces as well as new blood involved in the year-long planning of the three-day event.

Hats off to each and everyone one of you; and hope Mother Nature cooperates as well – as I’m writing this article, the weatherman is calling for rain all weekend long… Let’s hope ‘she’ can prove the meteorologist wrong and bring some sunshine through the clouds.

A little stroll down memory lane…

I’m not old enough to recall any of these events; honestly; however historians with automobile interest are quick to mention that in the early days of the development of the automobile, there were three sources of automobile power – steam engines, electric motors, and gasoline engines.

The first self-propelled vehicles were made during the late 1700’s in Europe using steam-powered engines.

Then in 1891, Mr. William Morrison built the first successful electric-powered automobile in the USA. Electric-powered automobiles were said to be an improvement over steam-powered automobiles because they were quieter, the costs were less, and they did not produce any fumes.

In 1860, it is reported that Mr. Jean Lenoir of France patented an internal-combustion engine that is similar to the type of engines used in today’s automobiles. Shortly after, more modern automobiles were produced in both Germany and France in the 1890’s.

By 1901, gasoline was not expensive in the USA; Texans had struck oil and the Model T sold for $825; over 17,000 were sold in the first year. In 1913, Ford introduced the moving assembly line, which allowed his company to build automobiles faster and at a lower cost.

The first known automobiles built for sale to the public in the United States were the works of art of Charles and J. Frank Duryea in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1893. Then in 1895, the brothers formed Duryea Motor Wagon Company, and it was the first company in the United States to produce gasoline-powered automobiles.

Today, we take the automobile for granted, without really thinking of the history behind it – it’s great to be able to walk thru the pages of history in a day at the Granby International and challenge the one beside you as to the make, year and originality of the car. This weekend brings back memories; we spy out cars our parents and grandparents once owned and wonder why did they get rid of such a piece of history…

And in wrapping up the flea market is a great place to run into someone and strike up a conversation, and ask if he or she has seen a certain part that they are looking for. It’s more than a great weekend of activities it’s 26 years of history in the making – and some day, someone else will be taking over the reigns and they will look back at everything this great organization has accomplished in gathering such a great group of proud automobile owners and vendors who cater to the hobbyist working on his project in order to display it the following year - all of this takes place in one location – The Granby International.

Karen Eryou

Published 2007 - LeTacot