My faithful companion and I made it to the British Invasion Car Show. We
were late, because of trying to find the owner of a lost cat. The skies
threatened, but rain held off until after dark (here the rain must never
fall 'till after sunset--yeah, right). Despite lowering skies, it was
quite a show; I estimate about 400 cars--a friend who registered at 8:30
was #340. Standouts (in my mind, anyway) included a lineup of 3, count-em
3, spectacular AC/Bristols. Also a 34 AC drophead, a former competitor at
Pebble Beach. I heard the owner courteously but firmly ask a viewer to
take his hand off the top of the 34. I wonder if he wouldn't really have
more *fun* with an MG-B? Well, I expect he can afford one if he wants it.
There were a Reliant Scimitar, an MG Y saloon, a lovingly restored Ford
Prefect (is that right, the 4 door?) that I took quite a shine to, and
uncountable Minis (including 3 Mini vans and a convertible), MGs, etc. If
I saw one TC, I would stop and examine it in great detail. But 10 of
them? It is sensory overload. Wow, Shirley, look at all them TCs. In
the car corral, one dear soul has been trying for two years now to sell a
clean, but not concours late 40s Hillman Drophead for $25000. I think it
is $25K Canadian, but still. I expect to see him again next year. There
were two bugeyes for sale, both pretty expensive IMO. I'm beginning to
figure this car corral thing out--it's frequently a case of "park it there
with a big price, and see if anyone is nuts enough to buy it."
Trying to vote intelligently for my choice in some categories was a real
trial--sometimes they all were beautiful but some of the glossiest ones
were not very original. I did get tickled by a fellow bugeye owner who
confided that all the XK140s and XK120s were replicas. I said they
couldn't be; every XK replica I have ever seen looks queerly distorted and
several of these cars were spectacular. He swore they were; he said every
one had a placque on the dash declaring that it was a replica.
I was a bit shocked at one chap who is crafting bugeyes with tube frames
and twin rotor Mazda rotaries. They were nicely done, but unfortunately
each of these road rockets uses up a bugeye shell and bonnet. He is
using real metal bonnets and shells, it seems. I didn't talk to him to
make sure--I have some principles. Ah well, the rumor was he wants over
$30K for them, so I doubt he will sell a whole bunch.
Kermit took 3rd in class (people's choice), which wasn't bad considering
that: a) he isn't red, and b) we got there late in the voting. (Never
mind, Kermit, I will get there early next year, I promise.) Shirley and I
had dinner in Stowe, at a table by the window. So we got to hear and see
LBCs purring up and down the mountain road. TR8's may be wonderful,
but they don't sound british. Ah, but those XK's and E types; they sound
magnificent.
Kermit carried us home over a mountain and along assorted back roads, in
the rain and dark. But I do have to practice double clutching into low
for hairpin turns, and I do have to adjust his headlights.
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910
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