ATHS Music City Chapter kicks off the new year

user-gravatar Headshot
Updated Jan 18, 2012

Rhonda ReaganThanks to Rhonda Reagan (pictured) for the invite to the American Truck Historical Society Music City Chapter’s year-beginning meeting and auction this past Saturday, Jan. 14. Held at an elementary school in Lebanon, Tenn., the event drew a crowd near 100 strong, made up of members and their families as well as representatives from other regional ATHS chapters like the Smoky Mountains chapter in Knoxville, among others. All told, says Reagan, the organization nearly doubled the proceeds from last year’s auction, raising $3,000 to fund the chapter’s show activities for the year.

Among such shows is a collaborative effort between several regional ATHS chapters, to be held in Knoxville April 13-14. Ted Bowers (pictured in the gallery below), owner-operator of a 2005 Peterbilt 379 who serves as head of the chapter (and who also owns a retired 1998 International 9800 cabover), says this year is the first such year for the collaboration, and he’s hoping for 200 trucks entering. He’s got high hopes for it in future as well: “Mid-America had to start somewhere,” he says.

Auction ActionFollowing that, the Music City Chapter will be a part of a show in Crossville, Tenn., in June, as well as the Music City Chapter’s primary annual show in Cookeville September 28-29. (You can keep an eye out for all ATHS show action, with chapters across the United States, via this calendar.)

At the Saturday auction, I ran into some familiar faces. One belonged to Bobby Whittenburg, owner of the Chevy Titan cabover I made note of after last October’s Chrome & Class event at Rush Truck Centers in Nashville. Since the Ripen Readyshow, he’s located two other Titan 90s with V12 engines like his own, he says –one in Charlotte, N.C., and the other at none other than the relatively new Schroyer Truck Museum in Celina, Ohio.

Another familiar face at the auction was that of Ronnie King, an owner-operator I’d never gotten the opportunity to meet in person. King’s custom 1994 Peterbilt 379 (pictured), “Ripe N’ Ready,” I wrote about for Custom Rigs’ site here.

Partner Insights
Information to advance your business from industry suppliers

Davidand Melissa HolbrookAnd then there was David Holbrook of Holbrook Farms just east and south of Nashville, who won big at the Chrome & Class show last October with a 1986 Peterbilt 359. Holbrook and his wife, Melissa (both pictured), you’ll be interested to note, in addition to working the farm in part with the 359, are primary organizers behind what David calls the “first indoor tractor pull” in the South in the Southern Invitational, taking place Feb. 3-4 at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum. Check out the coliseum schedule for details.

And for more from the auction, with Truck Parts, memorabilia and other items donated by numerous organizations (including among others Fitzgerald Truck Parts of Crossville, Chrome Country and Rush Peterbilt in Nashville, and Whitington Trucks in Memphis) enjoy the photo gallery below.