nobbc
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [Nobbc] British car dealerships in the area

To: "North Bay British Car Club" <nobbc@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Nobbc] British car dealerships in the area
From: craigw@sonic.net
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:21:11 -0700
Yeah, I played at a jam on Labor day in Larkfield. He was there.
 Craig
 On Mon 23/03/09  9:09 AM , Bill Crowe haiku99@gmail.com sent:
 FWIW David LaFlame (violin payer of IABD) still lives in the area
and plays
 local clubs, sometimes with Paul Gruen doing Django Reinhart style
Gypsy
 Jazz, great stuff....
 On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 7:55 AM, Paige, Dean  wrote:
 > I have it on vinyl! Too ,too old.
 >
 > Deano
 >
 > -----Original Message-----
 > From: nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net [nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net
[2]
 > ]wc1632wc
 > On Behalf Of Steve Plath
 > Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 8:56 PM
 > To: North Bay British Car Club
 > Subject: Re: [Nobbc] British car dealerships in the area
 >
 > Not to worry.  I have the whole album on my ipod.
 >
 > Steve
 > ----- Original Message -----
 > From: "don"
 > To: "North Bay British Car Club"
 > Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 8:24 PM
 > Subject: Re: [Nobbc] British car dealerships in the area
 >
 >
 > >A bit off the subject, but you can Youtube It's a Beautiful Day
and
 > White
 > >Bird and listen to their big hit song.  They lived on Mt. St.
Helena
 > >outside of Calistoga back in the early '70s.
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > > At 04:54 PM 03/21/2009, you wrote:
 > >
 > >>Back in 1970 I took my 67 MGB GT into BMC Motors in San
Francisco.
 > While
 > >>waiting I started talking to another "long hair" who was waiting
for
 > his
 > >>E-Type to be serviced.  I asked him what he did and he said he
was a
 > >>musician.  Turns out he was David Laflamme leader of the 60's
acid
 > rock
 > >>band "It's a Beautiful Day".  It made my day that's for sure.
Back
 > then
 > >>you never knew who you would run into at BMC Motors.
 > >>
 > >>And then there's the famous Grace Slick Aston Martin story from
the
 > same
 > >>BMC Motors.
 > >>
 > >>Ah memories.
 > >>
 > >>On another note the Daimler is finally finished and maybe I will
join
 > you
 > >>on a run once the rain stops.  Better yet we should plan a run
in
 > Marin my
 > >>home territory.
 > >>
 > >>Steve Plath
 > >>
 > >>----- Original Message ----- From: "don"
 > >>To: "North Bay British Car Club"
 > >>Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 3:10 PM
 > >>Subject: [Nobbc] British car dealerships in the area
 > >>
 > >>
 > >>>Back in the late '50s through early '70s, British car
dealerships
 > could
 > >>>be found in most US cities of any size, especially in
California.
 > Even
 > >>>before I got my first British car in 1965, I loved visiting the
 > showrooms
 > >>>to admire the MGs, Triumphs and other British cars.  Of course,
I
 > would
 > >>>always pilfer as many sales brochures as I could hoping to not
upset
 > the
 > >>>salespeople too much.
 > >>>
 > >>>I remember the BMC/Jaguar  dealer in Napa on Soscol Avenue,
which was
 > to
 > >>>become Napa Valley Datsun when they dropped the British car
line
 > around
 > >>>1967.  There was a BMC dealer that tried again in Napa shortly
after
 > but
 > >>>didn't last long.  I remember taking my MGA there for repairs
in
 > 1968,
 > >>>but I don't remember the name of the place.  I do remember that
it
 > was
 > >>>very expensive to pay someone to repair my car, and after that,
did
 > most
 > >>>of my repairs myself.  The name of it might have been Washborn
 > Imports.
 > >>>
 > >>>In Santa Rosa, there was Ralph Vesper Motors on Santa Rosa
Avenue
 > which
 > >>>sold Triumphs and British Fords.  I remember that dealership,
 > because, as
 > >>>I bought parts for my old Anglia and Zodiac (c. 1966, '67), I
was
 > >>>distracted by the siren's call of the sleek TR4s and Spitfires
on
 > display
 > >>>in the showroom.  I still have a few pieces of the Triumph
literature
 > I
 > >>>took on visits to Vesper.  Car dealers usually left their
 > identification
 > >>>by irubber stamping their names and addresses onto the front or
back
 > of
 > >>>the sales literature.  Vesper's name and address sill adorn my
old
 > >>>Triumph brochures.
 > >>>
 > >>>The most interesting dealership to visit was always British
Motors on
 > Van
 > >>>Ness Avenue in San Francisco.  They had Jaguar, Rolls Royce and
the
 > whole
 > >>>BMC line, and the cars they had on display were always of a
high
 > calibre.
 > >>>This was such a classy place that I always felt underdressed
because
 > I
 > >>>wasn't wearing a suit and tie.  As an extreme British car nut,
I was
 > >>>thrilled just to purchase parts there. I do have several
license
 > plate
 > >>>frames from there, which I think are a cool period accessory.
 > >>>
 > >>>Other dealerships that come to mind are Union Jack (BMC) in
Hayward
 > and
 > >>>British Motors in San Jose.
 > >>>
 > >>>Anyone else have any recollections of the British car dealer
world in
 > the
 > >>>area?
 > >>>
 > >>>Don Scott
 > >>>Calistoga
 > >>>1962 MGA Mk II
 > >>>1991 Miata BRG
 > >>>1973 MGB GT
 > >>>1962 TR4 (seeking)
 > >>>
 > >>>--
 > >>>Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database:
270.11.22/2015 -
 > >>>Release Date: 03/20/2009 7:01 PM
 > >>>_______________________________________________
 > >>>Nobbc mailing list
 > >>>Nobbc@autox.team.net [7]
 > >>>http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
 > >>_______________________________________________
 > >>Nobbc mailing list
 > >>Nobbc@autox.team.net [9]
 > >>http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
 > >>
 > >>
 > >>
 > >>
 > >>--
 > >>No virus found in this incoming message.
 > >>Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database:
270.11.22/2015 -
 > >>Release Date: 03/20/2009 7:01 PM
 > >
 > >
 > > --
 > > Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database:
270.11.22/2015 -
 > > Release Date: 03/20/2009 7:01 PM
 >  > _______________________________________________
 > > Nobbc mailing list
 > > Nobbc@autox.team.net [11]
 > > http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
 > _______________________________________________
 > Nobbc mailing list
 > Nobbc@autox.team.net [13]
 > http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
 > _______________________________________________
 > Nobbc mailing list
 > Nobbc@autox.team.net [15]
 > http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
 _______________________________________________
 Nobbc mailing list
 Nobbc@autox.team.net [17]
 http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc


Links:
------
[1] mailto:DPaige@srcity.org
[2] mailto:nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net
[3] mailto:don@napanet.net
[4] mailto:nobbc@autox.team.net
[5] mailto:don@napanet.net
[6] mailto:nobbc@autox.team.net
[7] mailto:Nobbc@autox.team.net
[8] http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
[9] mailto:Nobbc@autox.team.net
[10] http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
[11] mailto:Nobbc@autox.team.net
[12] http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
[13] mailto:Nobbc@autox.team.net
[14] http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
[15] mailto:Nobbc@autox.team.net
[16] http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
[17] mailto:Nobbc@autox.team.net
[18] http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc
_______________________________________________
Nobbc mailing list
Nobbc@autox.team.net
http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/nobbc

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>