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Black Hawk Auto Club Brings Meeting to Berletts Autoworks

by Dan Gillett, La Harpe

Berlett Autoworks in La Harpe was the destination chosen for the Black Hawk Auto Club of Burlington, Iowa to hold their monthly meeting.

The 7 p.m. meeting Thursday, July 21st, brought several members of the club out on a warm summer evening to learn how a modern auto body repair and paint booth are used to repair and rebuild not only late model, but also antique and classic cars.

Seth Berlett and his daughter Alexa were the host and hostess for the evening. They showed some of the vehicles on display which were the first car Seth drove as a teenager and a small version of a dragster.

Seth had rebuilt his car to look like new, but of course, with more horsepower.

The dragster was built especially for Alexa to run at the drag strip where she has turned in some very impressive times. Alexa was more than happy to climb into the driver’s seat while her father started the engine, to give us all the sound of a real drag strip racer.

At the end of the evening, we all snacked on brownies and banana muffins made by Martha Gillett of La Harpe. Cold drinks were provided for all.

All those present appreciated having the meeting in the very spacious, modern shop of the Berletts.

The Black Hawk Auto Club of Burlington, IA is always welcome to new members with an interest in old cars.

Senior members in a 1952 Chevrolet driven and owned by Mark Smith of Carman (at right) with Alan Larson (left) of Burlington, IA, who rode along as a passenger to the meeting in La Harpe. -photo by Dan Gillett