Horseless Carriage Club of America
Board of Directors
President: Gil Klecan
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I was born on a farm in Kansas, which was homesteaded by my grandfather in 1876. Ulysses S. Grant signed the deed and the Oregon Trail passed through our land. Our family moved to San Diego, California,in 1942.
At fourteen, I won the International Soap Box Derby in 1946 at Akron, Ohio, which was sponsored by Chevrolet Motor Division. It was a big thing for the day. I was nicknamed the "Graphite Kid" and was featured in Life Magazine and given a part in a Hollywood movie. As a result of working with a engineer on that Soap Box Derby car, I decided to enter aeronautical engineering program at California Polytechnic. Being a private pilot, I flew my 1946 B C12D Taylorcraft to school, but ended up in Business Administration at Fresno State.
I started a real estate career in 1954 and I still practice. I married Blanquita (Blan) Green in 1955. We have two children, Tom and Amy, plus four wonderful grandchildren. Tom is a real estate broker in Cave Creek, Arizona, and Amy is in real estate her in San Diego with me.
Tom and I raced the Baja 1000, an off road race from Ensenada to La Paz, Mexico, in 1979-1981. We won the unmodified Volkswagen class in 1980.
Around this time, Tom and I were at a swap meet sponsored by the San Diego Region of HCCA. There I saw a 1912 Model T Ford, red, like new- I had to have it! Later, I found out that the car was not original and I set out to find one that was.
My wife and I were at an antique show in Del Mar, California, and we saw a picture of a 1902 Curved Dash Oldsmobile. The dealer was helping the 93 year old owner sell it. I just love that little car!
Our garage now contains other pre-1916 automobiles plus sports cars.
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