Our History

About M.A.R.C.

The Model “A” Restorers Club (M.A.R.C.), founded in 1952, holds as its aims the encouragement of members to acquire, restore, preserve and exhibit the Model “A” Ford. And most importantly, to enjoy the fellowship of other Model “A” Ford owners around the world. The Model “A” Restorers Club is comprised of local regions including the Oakleaf Region.

The Beginning

The Oakleaf Region began with an ad placed in the Royal Oak Tribune by John Forster looking for others who were interested in his hobby - the Model A. The first meeting of this group was in June 1958 at the Royal Oak Library. There were ten people in attendance. Besides John, there were Don Dennis, David Collier, Phil Deckebach, Clyde Hale, Clifford Fairchild, Ron Dorst, Roy Rojack, Bill Marthaler and Eric McDonald. George DeAngelis, as a representative of the Model A Restorers Club, talked about the new national organization. He signed up these charter members into the Oakleaf Chapter of the Michigan Region of MARC. The Oakland County location and the large number of oak trees in the area were the reasons for the Oakleaf name. At this first meeting, John Forster was elected president.

In the beginning, meetings were held in members' homes. Later they were at Floyd Floren Ford in Royal Oak, Bill Marthaler's home and the Bell Telephone Building. Later, in the 70's they were held at the Southfield Lathrup High School, with summer meetings conducted in various members' garages. Member Vic Lind, a teacher in Southfield, made arrangements for the use of the school. In exchange for the use of the room for meetings, when asked by one of the various schools in the district, the club will bring their cars for the students to see and ask questions about. The original meetings were held on the fourth Monday of the month. However, Eric McDonald, one of the charter members, was a milkman and needed to do his billings and paperwork on that day. So the club changed the date to the last Monday of the month, and it has been that way ever since.

Popular Events

The club's first Economy Run was held in 1959. The Economy Run, along with the Color Tour, the Michigan Round-Up, the National Meet, the Basket Tour to Amish country, the Blueberry Run, the Mystery Trip, Chinese Auction, Christmas Party and Summer Picnic have all become popular annual events. Numerous other trips and outings are planned each year.

Once a month, on the third Wednesday, we have a breakfast meeting. In February, an off-site meeting is held in central Florida, for all of our members spending time in the sunny south.

Several swap meets have been held over the years and a highlight of them has been a raffle for a 1/2-scale of Henry Ford's original quadracycle, built by members of the club. It had tiller steering and a lawnmower engine. In the late '80s, the National Club built a station wagon chassis. Member Don Smith organized the assembly of the vehicle using donations and a crew of Oakleaf, Eastside A's and Motor Cities members. When the running chassis was complete it was mated with a new wooden station wagon body which was supplied by The Henry Ford (Greenfield Village). The completed project was given to The Henry Ford during a ceremony at a National MARC Meet.

The Oakleaf hosted the Michigan Round-Up in 1995 in Auburn Hills including a tour of the Meadowbrook Mansion, a tour of Chrysler's Auburn Hills World Headquarters and a closing banquet at the Main Event restaurant at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Oakleaf Region also hosted the 2010 Michigan Round-Up in Troy.