Phil Alderman, creator of GADM, Dust & Glory, Quartermile, and One43

After visiting Steve Williams @stewil and spending time with his collection in Colorado, I've stayed in touch with him in the new year. A few of the models I’d seen that day lingered in my mind well after I got home, and before long I found myself reaching back out, first with questions, then to purchase a few more pieces. As we talked through the history behind the cars, the conversation naturally drifted to the man who had commissioned many of his favorites. That’s when Steve began sharing his memories of Phil Alderman, offering stories and details that went well beyond the models themselves and helped fill in the background of a quietly influential figure in our hobby.

(Steve Williams and Phil Alderman)

Steve's memories of Phil help put a more human frame around a figure many collectors know only through his models. Their connection grew the old-fashioned way—by talking. Steve didn’t just order cars; he picked up the phone, asked questions, and spent hours swapping stories with Phil about automotive history. One memorable visit took Steve to Trenton (Mercer County), New Jersey, a steel-wire town tied to the Mercer automobile. For Steve, those days wandering and talking with Phil stand out as some of the most enjoyable parts of collecting.

Phil’s taste in cars was anything but ordinary. Steve recalls that Phil wasn’t chasing famous names for the sake of recognition. He was drawn to cars that marked turning points in design or engineering. The Mercer Raceabout was a favorite. He was equally fascinated by Voisin automobiles and other lesser-known but historically important machines. Steve notes that Phil rarely explained why he chose one car over another; he simply followed his curiosity, which gave his model lines a distinct personality.

Over time, Steve and Phil’s conversations shifted away from models and toward Phil’s work as an educator. Phil went back to school, earned a master’s degree in child psychology, and eventually made it into the New York school system, no small feat. Once that happened, cars took a back seat (pardon the pun). Steve remembers Phil talking about how exhausting the work could be, and how spending even ten minutes building a model airplane after a long day helped him unwind. Those quiet projects became a way to reset, not a business priority.

That personal side fits neatly alongside what’s already known about Phil’s professional legacy. As already shared on hobbydb, Phil had been in the model business since 1975, following more than a decade as a hobbyist. Working out of Brooklyn, he launched influential lines like Great American Dream Machine, Dust & Glory, QuarterMile, and One43 (including the notable Swan car).

What Steve’s stories really add is warmth. Phil wasn’t just a name on a box; he was someone who preferred phone calls over emails, conversations over transactions, and depth over volume. He loved sharing knowledge and connecting with people who thought about cars the way he did. In recent years, though, health issues have made that connection harder. Steve made efforts to stay in touch, but it’s been a couple of years since he last heard from Phil. Still, through the models he created and the memories he left with those who knew him, Phil’s presence in the hobby remains very much alive, grounded not just in what he made, but in how and why he made it.