ANNUAL MEETS
Austin & Bantam meets are memorable affairs
In 2005, 80 American Austin & Bantam vehicles, including a Bantam semi- truck, returned to Butler, PA.
The owner of this 1939 Bantam roadster checks
his 5-gallon tank at a vintage Phillips 66 station
near Carthage, Missouri.
This American Austin Bantam Club member
found a restorable Bantam coupe at the
meet and drove it "as is" on the car tour.
The American Austin Bantam Club holds its annual meet in a
different location every year. By allowing a variety of members
to host the events, members have an opportunity to virtually
tour the United States (and Canada) in their American Austin
and American Bantam cars and trucks. Each year, attendees
sightsee while reacquainting themselves with old friends and
some very memorable characters.
One of the most admired club characters was "Fearless Frank"
Cheaney, known for his legendary escapades. In 1935,
Cheaney drove a 1930 Austin panel truck from Columbia, South
Carolina, north into Canada, west to the Canadian Rockies, and
then south--way south--to Mexico City. He and his
13-horsepower Austin traveled an unbelievable 20,000 miles in
just three months!
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Cheaney was an Austin enthusiast long before the club was
formed. And he was one of its earliest members. No matter
where the American Austin Bantam Club meet was held, Frank
was sure to be there. In 1966, the aging Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
farmer drove his "Silver Flivver"--a road weary 1934 Austin
coupe painted silver--to the meet in Anderson, Indiana. The
following year, Frank and his Austin trekked north to Canada to
attend Expo '67in Montreal. Within 60 days, he had been
spotted in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Isle and
New Brunswick--a respectable 10,000 miles!
Frank was in better shape than the Flivver for the 1969 meet in
Morris, New York. His tired engine required an overnight tear
down for a crankshaft replacement before driving home.
Fearless Frank attended the next few meets, but his Austin
stayed home.
In 1975, Frank decided to drive his Silver Flivver to Canada one
more time. On his way to an antique automobile convention,
his wheels slipped off the side of the road and the Austin
flipped over. Unharmed, the elderly gentleman crawled out,
righted his car and made a few makeshift repairs with wire and
duct tape. Wisely, Frank turned tail and headed back home.
Frank and his legendary silver Austin were notably absent from
the meet in 1977. Mysteriously, neither were ever seen again.
Frank Cheaney was not the only "big wheel" to show up at an
American Austin Bantam Club meet. Former American
Bantam Car Company president Roy S. Evans joined us in
Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in 1970. At the 1975 meet in Kankakee,
Illinois, a rare 1941 BRC fire truck was delivered to Evans. He
slipped behind the wheel of a BRC for the first time in 30 years.
No doubt, the rugged little truck brought Evans back to some
of the most exciting years of his life.
Why not make your own exciting memories? Make plans now
to attend the next American Austin Bantam Club meet.
Members are encouraged to bring their cars, regardless of
condition. If your car needs work, this is the place to find the
mechanics. Don't forget to bring your camera, for you'll see
some of the finest American Austin and Bantam cars in the
country.
National meets have been held in 20 states and Canada.
American Austin Bantam Club members have gathered in
Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri,
New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The annual meet has been
held seven times in Butler, Pennsylvania, six times in Indiana,
and twice in Ontario, Canada.
Fearless Frank Cheaney and his Silver Flivver, a 1934 Austin coupe.