- History of the club
- TEAE Purpose
- Is this an east coast club?
- Lord Rootes Trophy
- Newsletter: Rootes Review
- Bylaws (opens in new window)
- Organization Leadership
Until the spring of ’76, there were enthusiastic Sunbeam owners all over the East Coast of the U.S. enjoying their cars but with no organized activities or clubs.
Owners were anxious to get together but there was no forum in which to do so. With nearly half of the Sunbeams in the U.S. located in the East, it was only a matter of time before we bumped into each other. And that’s what happened.
Word was spread by a few renegades that there would be a party in Philadelphia, PA for anyone with a Sunbeam. Owners from as far as two days away showed up. We got serious, decided to organize, and have been a family ever since. And our family has kept growing and expanding ever since.
Click here to read more about TEAE history
What is TEAE’s purpose?
Our charter states,
“The purpose of Tigers East/Alpines East is to promote interest in the Sunbeam Marque, in general, and the Tiger/Alpine segment in particular; to aid in the restoration, preservation, and enjoyment of these vehicles; to promote cooperation among other similar Sunbeam organizations; and to increase communication and fellowship among those persons so inclined.”
This statement embodies the “Rootes” of our existence. We continue to emphasize the pleasure (and agony) of Sunbeam ownership as part of a family experience. Our meets are few during the year because our members are dispersed over such a large geographical area, but when we do get together, it is intense.
Are we really an East Coast club?
No. Unlike other clubs, TEAE does not have a nucleus of owners and officers in any specific area.
Our officers and board members are scattered throughout the eastern half of the U.S., making it necessary for us to communicate in ways other than face-to-face.
And although we originally started as an East Coast club, our nearly 800 members are located as far North as Canada, as far South as Florida, as far East as Australia, and as far West as California. Our original club logo, which showed the Mississippi River as a line separating the East from the rest of the U.S., was originally designed because there were no organizations actively supporting this area. Times have changed, making this boundary purely symbolic; it is neither mentioned in the charter, nor enforced for membership.
Regional Representatives cover the US and Canada to facilitate activities in their regions.
New logos were designed and approved.
TEAE is open to anyone, anywhere who has an interest in Sunbeams.
Is This Club Only for Alpines and Tigers?
Definitely not! Although we started out as “Tigers East”, we rapidly incorporated the Alpine community, then owners of other Rootes vehicles joined and added their cars to the mix.
Many members own more than one example of the range of Rootes vehicles and every United has a concours category for the “Rare Rootes”: Talbots, Hillmans, Humbers, Commers, and Singers. We even have a couple of Venezias in the club. We’re looking forward to the day when we can have concours classes for each Rootes model.
In 2024, in order to solidify Tigers East/Alpines East as not primarily an east coast club, it was rebranded as just TEAE. Additionally, “Rootes Family” and “International” were added.
The Lord Rootes Trophy
Our first United was held in Williamsburg, VA during the fall of ’77. We were honored to have Ian Garrad help us initiate our first official annual meet. He donated a large ceramic Tiger head made by his wife Laura to be used as the club’s perpetual “Lord Rootes” trophy. Each year the trophy is awarded to another recipient. The first three years it was awarded to owners with the highest concours points. Realizing that this did not completely concur with our charter, the award has since been presented to a member who has made significant contributions to TE/AE and the Marque during the previous year. This award is considered to be the club’s highest honor since it is bestowed by peers and is recognition of commitment and service to others.
Each year the trophy is awarded to another recipient. The first three years it was awarded to owners with the highest concours points. Realizing that this did not completely concur with our charter, the award has since been presented to a member who has made significant contributions to TE/AE and the Marque during the previous year. This award is considered to be the club’s highest honor since it is bestowed by peers and is recognition of commitment and service to others.
Our first United was held in Williamsburg, VA during the fall of ’77. We were honored to have Ian Garrad help us initiate our first official annual meet. He donated a large ceramic Tiger head made by his wife Laura to be used as the club’s perpetual “Lord Rootes” trophy. Each year the trophy is awarded to another recipient. The first three years it was awarded to owners with the highest concours points. Realizing that this did not completely concur with our charter, the award has since been presented to a member who has made significant contributions to TE/AE and the Marque during the previous year. This award is considered to be the club’s highest honor since it is bestowed by peers and is recognition of commitment and service to others.
Rootes Review: Our Newsletter
Published monthly, The Rootes Review, in print or electronic format, is a top quality publication packed with information of value and interest to our members; tech tips, events, letters, essays, parts ads, Rootes and Sunbeam history, vintage racing, cartoons, Lucas (Prince of Darkness) comedy, and photos. In short, there is truly something for everyone.
Click here to see a sample copy of the Rootes Review
Click here to see a collection of articles from past issues
TEAE Leadership
Elected officers serve for one year and may serve no more than four (4) consecutive terms. Appointed officers serve until resignation. Refer to the bylaws for details.
Officers serving in 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Vice President | Treasurer | Secretary |
| president @teae.org | vicepresident @teae.org | treasurer @teae.org | secretary @teae.org |
| James Lindner 1832 Duffield Lane Alexandria, VA 22307 First year in office 2020 | Bob Harter 7529 16thSt. NW Washington, DC 20012 First year in office 2023 | Steve Murphy 4005 Harris Place Alexandria, VA 22304 First year in office 2023 | Gary Corbett 104 rue de Chapleau Gatineau, QC J8T 7V6 First year in office 2023 |
| Membership | Publicity | Regalia | Newsletter |
| membership @teae.org | publicity @teae.org | regalia @teae.org | editor @teae.org |
| Joe McConlogue 820 Fishing Creek Valley Rd Harrisburg, PA 17112 | Eric Gibeaut PO Box 10040 Columbia, SC 29207 | Kerch McConlogue 820 Fishing Creek Valley Rd. Harrisburg, PA 17112 |
|
Board members serve for a three year term. Term expiration are shown below. Refer to the bylaws for details.
| Tom Calvert 1821 Bayside Beach Road Pasadena, MD 21122 (410) 255-8964 | Eric Gibeaut PO Box 10040 Columbia, SC 29207 (803) 408-0206 | Tom Ehrhart 1924 Black's Bridge Road Annville, PA 17003 (717) 832-1116 |
| Term expires Dec 2024 | Term expires Dec 2024 | Term expires Dec 2024 |
| Barb Geschke 1616 63rd Drive Union Grove, WI 53182-9638 (770) 329-5263 | David Reina 79 Guernsey Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 (718) 599-1237 | Joe McConlogue 820 Fishing Creek Valley Rd. Harrisburg, PA 17112 (717) 809-1008 |
| Term expires Dec 2025 | Term expires Dec 2025 | Term expires Dec 2026 |
| Joe Parlanti 16048 Copen Meadow Dr. North Potomac, MD 20878 (410) 599-5475 | ||
| Term expires Dec 2025 |