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John Muller drives a United Parcel Service truck for a living and collects cars for fun. He rhapsodizes about his baby: a black 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. Only 200 were built, by hand, in Italy. He would love to add another to his 15-car collection.
Muller, 44, who lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, does much of his rhapsodizing at meetings of his car club, of which he is president. There is nothing unusual in any of this, except that Muller's club is for automobile enthusiasts who are gay.
Lambda Car Club International is the largest organization by and for gay and lesbian automobile collectors, with 2,000 members in two dozen chapters across the United States and one in Toronto. And it is growing at a rate of 4 or 5 percent annually.
In a world where various kinds of car clubs are proliferating, Lambda holds a special place, culturally and aesthetically.
Lambda has a different dynamic than more traditional car clubs
David Kycia, 42, a Lambda member in Southport, Conn., said that with mainstream car shows, "if I were to go with my partner, we'd be looked at in a negative way." He added, "The friendships I've made keep me in the Lambda car club."
Beyond the social differences, there are differences in what is considered beautiful or worthy in a car.
"The straight men tend more to like the muscle cars, and when they start the engine at a show, they'll all run over to it," said William Hicks, 59, a resident of West Chester, Pa., who was Lambda's president for 10 years. "We'll race over to a car that's a beautiful pink or amethyst, and we'll all say, 'Look at that brocade.'"
Muller said Lambda members tend to collect luxury cars and so-called orphan cars -- automobiles that are no longer made, like Ramblers and Packards.
Lambda collectors are especially enthusiastic about luxury cars, particularly those that are loaded with options, like early models with automatic windows. The club even has a nickname for a luxury car that is heavily accessorized: PPA, short for Power-Princess Approved.
Often, luxury cars are nicknamed -- one member's 1964 Lincoln was called Jackie O -- and many are adorned for a show with accessories like mink stoles.
One of Muller's cars may be emblematic of the emphasis of the club: a 1954 Chrysler Imperial, which is not only PPA but is painted robin's-egg blue.
Muller does not want to speculate about exactly why luxury cars are more popular in Lambda -- it is just the way it is.
Awards are handed out at Lambda shows as they are at mainstream shows, but there is a notable difference in the judging. At mainstream shows, judges tend to inspect a car meticulously, noting its assets and flaws on a clipboard, with points added or deducted. Lambda shows do not use points judging. Everyone has one vote. The car with the most votes wins.
Although auto enthusiasts do not have to be gay (or even own a car) to join Lambda, a few Lambda members have dressed in drag to camp up the elegance of their classic cars.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosconsumer/0509/07/F01-305654.htm
Muller, 44, who lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, does much of his rhapsodizing at meetings of his car club, of which he is president. There is nothing unusual in any of this, except that Muller's club is for automobile enthusiasts who are gay.
Lambda Car Club International is the largest organization by and for gay and lesbian automobile collectors, with 2,000 members in two dozen chapters across the United States and one in Toronto. And it is growing at a rate of 4 or 5 percent annually.
In a world where various kinds of car clubs are proliferating, Lambda holds a special place, culturally and aesthetically.
Lambda has a different dynamic than more traditional car clubs
David Kycia, 42, a Lambda member in Southport, Conn., said that with mainstream car shows, "if I were to go with my partner, we'd be looked at in a negative way." He added, "The friendships I've made keep me in the Lambda car club."
Beyond the social differences, there are differences in what is considered beautiful or worthy in a car.
"The straight men tend more to like the muscle cars, and when they start the engine at a show, they'll all run over to it," said William Hicks, 59, a resident of West Chester, Pa., who was Lambda's president for 10 years. "We'll race over to a car that's a beautiful pink or amethyst, and we'll all say, 'Look at that brocade.'"
Muller said Lambda members tend to collect luxury cars and so-called orphan cars -- automobiles that are no longer made, like Ramblers and Packards.
Lambda collectors are especially enthusiastic about luxury cars, particularly those that are loaded with options, like early models with automatic windows. The club even has a nickname for a luxury car that is heavily accessorized: PPA, short for Power-Princess Approved.
Often, luxury cars are nicknamed -- one member's 1964 Lincoln was called Jackie O -- and many are adorned for a show with accessories like mink stoles.
One of Muller's cars may be emblematic of the emphasis of the club: a 1954 Chrysler Imperial, which is not only PPA but is painted robin's-egg blue.
Muller does not want to speculate about exactly why luxury cars are more popular in Lambda -- it is just the way it is.
Awards are handed out at Lambda shows as they are at mainstream shows, but there is a notable difference in the judging. At mainstream shows, judges tend to inspect a car meticulously, noting its assets and flaws on a clipboard, with points added or deducted. Lambda shows do not use points judging. Everyone has one vote. The car with the most votes wins.
Although auto enthusiasts do not have to be gay (or even own a car) to join Lambda, a few Lambda members have dressed in drag to camp up the elegance of their classic cars.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosconsumer/0509/07/F01-305654.htm
