YesterYears Memories

January 2003

This months memories are of Dick Gold, one of the original founding members of the NorthStar Region. The following eulogy was printed in the October 1998 issue of The Herald Newsletter. Dick Gold passed away on September 14, 1998. The eulogy was written by Dave Kotz, also one of the founding members of the NorthStar Region and a good friend of Dick Gold.

Dick Gold told me that when he was in the Navy in World War 11, many of his shipmates talked about getting home after the war, and the first thing they were going to buy was a new Chevy or a new Ford. But all Dick thought about buying, on his return, was a “big Cadillac or Packard”, a large handsome luxury car from the 1930s. And indeed, the first car he bought upon his return to Minneapolis in 1945, was a 1935 Cadillac V8 convertible coupe. He painted the bumpers silver, “who knew about rechroming?” It was first of well over 100 Cadillacs he would own over the next 53 years. Many of those cars were treated to 100 point restorations.

In 1948 Dick saw a 1931 Pierce-Arrow dual cowl phaeton, a car he could not immediately identify because of its bracket headlights, instead of the Pierce-Arrow traditional headlights in the fenders. He knew he had to own this car, and he told me he literally took some money out of the cash register till at his restaurant, Richards Café, to scrape together the $500 to buy it. In 1948, this was such a monumental sum of money to pay for a 1931 automobile (albeit with only 22,000 actual miles), that his new in-laws thought their daughter, Joyce, had married a crazy man! Dick still owned the Pierce at the time of his death on September 14, 1998.

In addition to restoring many antique, classic and milestone cars through the years, Dick was passionate about driving and enjoying them on the road. He joined on several Horseless Carriage Club Transcontinental, coast to coast, tours, at least 20 Classic Car Club Caravans, two London to Brighton runs, and through the years, literally hundreds of local and regional meets and tours. He was enthralled with the idea of driving the old cars that he wrote a book titled “The Joy of Touring”, advising fellow enthusiasts how to prepare their cars for trouble-free distance driving.

One of Dick’s proudest accomplishment was the creation of the Classic Car Club Museum, in conjunction with the Gilmore Museum, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This was a project of many years and involved coordinating the efforts of hundreds of Classic Car lovers. He believed that the museum would help future generations understand just what a true Classic Car is.

In 1978, Dick, myself, and eight other Cadillac/La Salle buffs founded the Northstar Region of the Cadillac/La Salle Club. Dick and Joyce opened their home to the club on many occasions for meetings and parties, and Dick served on the regional board for many years.

Richard was a long-time Cadillac/La Salle Club member, a charter and life member of the Classic Car Club, and a dozen or so single make clubs, as well as the Antique Automobile Club of America.

After a courageous, ten-month battle with renal cancer, his passing leaves a void in our hobby that will be impossible to fill. For myself, the sadness at the loss of a dear friend will be with me always. Happy motoring, old buddy!