The IRS Grants 501(C)3 Status to the Automotive Heritage Foundation
Our Automotive Heritage Foundation is now officially a charitable non-profit under IRS 501(c)3 requirements. The Foundation’s mission, as most of you know, is to promote the appreciation and promulgation of automotive history and culture, classic and collector vehicles, the aesthetics of automobiles and related interests, and is the fiduciary for the Automotive Heritage Awards. The AHF is developing new projects within the auto heritage space with intent to partner with like-minded individuals and organizations to pursue these projects and goals.
Wrap Up the Old – Launch the New
Thanks to all our supporters we presented the second Automotive Heritage Awards on a bright Sunday, July 28, 2019, at the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s, Plymouth, MI. www.concoursusa.org. Though the day was hot and sunny a record number of enthusiasts came out for our event and for the Concours.
Trophies and medals for winners unable to attend the event at the Concours d’Elegance of America, including famous author Karl Ludvigsen in Britain, have all been delivered. The accounting is done showing a gratifying proximity to black ink, and our newest sponsor, Kiekert, took on a large role in sponsoring the journalism competition.
Most important, last week we dedicated our Automotive Heritage Lifetime Achievement 
permanent trophy at the LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington during their annual fundraising Gala. I was honored to make a short speech crediting the International Automotive Media Competition who founded the award and our continuation of it. Thanks to David Madeira and America’s Automotive Trust and their Detroit representative, our friend Diane Flis-Schneider, for inviting us to partner with the LeMay and for supporting the Automotive Heritage Awards.
On to the new: the team met a few weeks ago making a few adjustments to the project and clarification to some rules, but we agree that we have a great formula for these important awards and no major changes are anticipated. Look for the schedule and structure to emulate this past year’s project.
The bigger news is that our Automotive Heritage Foundation is designing a half-dozen more projects, some focused on next summer’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Foundation will be partnering on an international automotive fine art competition, a classic and collector car display for the NAIAS, a series of seminars for audiences outside our usual one and even some rally routes to promote the aesthetic elements of driving.
In Other News
The Society of Automotive Historians, a key supporter of our Automotive Heritage Awards, will hold their annual dinner at Hersey, PA in a few weeks. I will be working with the SAH and the Leland Chapter under the leadership of Brian Baker on projects like those listed above and will be helping the SAH nationally with membership recruitment and promotion.
Many of you on this circulation list visit the Fall Antique Automobile Club of America Meet in Hersey and some are already members of the SAH. I hope to see many of you there where our award winner, Karl Ludvigsen will give the keynote address at the gala banquet. For information about the event and to get tickets visit the Website:
One of the peripheral projects we’re working on with the SAH is to support the National Automotive History Collection as it continues to recover from a few years of debilitating headwinds. Our hope is to re-establish the NAHC as a central resource within the auto heritage community. Let us know if you’d like to help with that project.
The Automotive Heritage Awards are produced by the Automotive Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the promotion, appreciation and promulgation of automotive history and culture, classic and collector vehicles, the aesthetics of automobiles and related interests.
