American Pontiac Association and Autorama . Check Out The Autorama Page. History, The history between the American Pontiac Association car club and AUTORAMA began in 1979 as the South Texas Pontiac Club. If youve ever been to AUTORAMA youve noticed the abundance of car club displays , that is 6 to 8 cars from the same car club together with a theme . Well in 1979 the American Pontiac Association started the tradition and competition between the car clubs and their displays. In 1980 the first award was given for a car club display and the APA was awarded the first , first place . The following three years the club held the prestigious first place and the primo spot the middle of the Astrohall . The club continued to place first for a couple more years , then the competition got plenty and wise . Since the early 1990`s weve been involved with production of the AUTORAMA in a small way , we help with the marking off of the Astrohall later known as the Reliant Center , now with the George R.Brown convention Center , we have sold show calendars and two of our members including our president Sal Escamilla and Manuel Oliva are ISCA certified judges . When you go to AUTORAMA in Houston be sure and look for our display. Youll know it by the neon 1953 Pontiac dealer sign in the middle . The sign was spotted in an add in Hemmings Motor News in 1981. Someone found in the back of an old Pontiac dealership in Del Rio , Texas . The original purchase price was 1200.00 , the sign has recently appariased at 12000.00 . Regardless of its value in dollars , it is a standing monument to automobile history , thats where its value really is … In the early years David Waters a long time member stored the club display when times were lean he tells stories of loading that big dealer sign into a truck by himself , if any of you know David hes a big man , but the sign is very big , But with the help of angled driveway and some plywood he was able to put the sign into the back of the truck . A story the end with and a lesson . When your going to look at all the cars at Autorama be sure to look where you are going , a lesson learned by one electrician at the 1980 Autorama . He was looking at cars while riding a motorized 4 wheeler and drove off a dock at the end of the Astrohall . He sustained a broken collarbone but was at the show the next day . I hope we have enlightened you and entertained you . See You at the AUTORAMA Check out the AutoRama website