Hi, my name is John Hansford.  I joined GIRCCCA in early 2022, shortly after I purchased my first classic car, a 1929 Cadillac dual cowl phaeton.  Prior to that, I spent 46 years in the high-tech industry working for such companies as IBM, Amdahl, Unisys, Computer Sciences Corporation, Comdisco and a short tenure with CNA Insurance early in my career.  After leaving corporate America I decided to run a small consulting company offering strategic data center services for six years.

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I was lucky enough to grow up in a family where my dad was active in several antique car clubs from national level to local west suburban clubs.  With a 5-car garage at home, there was always a plethora of antique or classic cars on hand, while the family car never found its way into our garage.  I recall one of his most intriguing cars, when I was about 8 years old, was a 1931 Cadillac V16 limousine, that he purchased from the CEO of Copley Newspapers in Aurora, IL for the sum of $200, I still have the bill of sale.  I remember all the effort it took to turn it around in the driveway.   It was this association with his cars that made me appreciate the preservation of older and rare automobiles.  I knew someday, once other priorities lessened, that I would dive into buying, driving and preserving these beautiful cars myself.   In addition, to acquiring the ’29 Cadillac, I recently purchased a 1931 Cadillac Fleetwood V8 convertible coupe, with 54,000 original miles.  I’m looking forward to completing a cosmetic and mechanical update, so it will be of  show quality and most reliable on the road.  I thoroughly enjoy reaching out to others in the club both nationally and locally that have similar cars from this era, this is where my learning takes place plus spending ample time reading the original operating manuals.  

My wife Cindy and I look forward to seeing you at events and throughout 2026 and beyond!​