The year was full of travel and car events for this car nut, with lots of local shows, visits to car museums in Italy and to the Monterey Peninsula.
Things got off to a soggy start, though. The first outdoor show of the year, the DW Poppy High School show, was rained out for only the second time in my memory. And rain dampened the always stellar KMS Tools pre-Father’s Day show, but it still was a great event with lots of great cars.
In 2014, I created artwork for a few car show posters and T-shirts.
Our Italian family vacation saw my son Alex and I visit Maranello for the Ferrari factory, racetrack and museum tour, then move on to Modena for the Enzo Ferrari Museum, which was featuring 100 years of Maserati. On the way we got sidetracked, following little brown signs to the Museo Automobili Stanguellini. Stanguellini has made cars for more than 104 years and one of the Stanguellinis competes very well at Seattle raceway. I even saw one race atWestwood years ago.
Back home, I went out to the Langley Loafers Old-Time Drags and saw the first catastrophic blow-up on the new track surface when Paul Flett’s transmission came to pieces in a spectacular way.
Then it was down to Carmel, Calif., for Monterey Car Week in my Xterra. I camped out at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and slept in the back of the Xterra on an air mattress, a perfect way to go when you get up at 6 a.m. for days filled with racing, shows and auctions.
I got to see so many amazing cars with such incredible history. The Austin Healey Sprite factory coupe that had been raced by Stirling Moss was a real treat. Also sitting in the paddocks was another John Wyer Porsche 917 I had never seen before, as well as one of the Group 44 Triumphs from the late ’70s that I used to read about in Road & Track magazine.
I also attended the auction at Quail Lodge but missed the $38-million Ferrari GTO sell due to traffic.
Back home, I was delighted that the weather held out for the rest of the cool events, including the Crescent Beach Concours.
To end off the year, I went to the Pioneers of Motorsports Induction ceremony. Sun Collector Classics columnist Alyn Edwards was the MC and did a fantastic job. I was delighted to see that almost all of the inductees this year were buddies of mine. The grouping of cars in the parking lot was a veritable who’s who of the local auto hobby.
Indeed, 2014 was a great year to be a car nut, and it just reinforced my belief that joining a car club is paramount to furthering the enjoyment of fellow car nuts and fostering the auto hobby in the younger set.
I remember reading how when the auto was replacing horses over a century ago, someone suggested horses would never disappear, only be used for more recreational purposes. I wonder if that fate will also happen for our beloved internal-combustion automobiles? I suspect the new trend in custom cars will incorporate the new, smaller high-powered fuel-efficient engines and maybe more than a few electric-powered hot rods.
So whether you fill ’em or charge ’em, the future of the hobby is in your hands — and the hands of the kids!
SHOWS
SATURDAY, SEPT. 27
WHAT: Canlan Ice Sports 8 Rinks & PJ’s Premier Seafood Show ‘n’ Shine
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ADMISSION: Free
REGISTRATION: 9 a.m., $20 and open to all makes and models
WHERE: 6501 Sprott St., Burnaby
INFO: 604-336-3400 or
paulfata@shaw.ca
SUNDAY, SEPT. 28
WHAT: Westcoasters Firehall No. 5 Show ‘n’ Shine for Alzheimer’s
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ADMISSION: By donation
REGISTRATION: By donation and open to all makes and models
WHERE: Firehall No. 5, 20355 32nd Ave., Langley
INFO: 604-539-1202 or
therodgod@shaw.ca
WEBSITE: therodgod.com
WHAT: British Autojumble/Swap Meet
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
ADMISSION: $2
WHERE: Sullivan Hall, 64th and 152nd St., Surrey
INFO: lambmc@telus.net
WEBSITE: lambscarclub.com
WHAT: George’s 19th Pumpkin Run
WHEN: Gather at 8 a.m. at Valley View A&W restaurant. Depart 9 a.m. sharp to Grindrod Park. Car show from noon to 4 p.m.
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Kamloops Valley View A&W ends at Grindrod Park in downtown Grindrod. a 10-minute drive north of Enderby on Highway 97A
INFO: 250-372-5339 or
geotunes@telus.net
COMING UP
SATURDAY, OCT. 4
WHAT: Golden Ears VCCC Fall Swap Meet in Maple Ridge
WEBSITE: vccc.com/goldenears
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, OCT. 3-5
WHAT: The Pacific Forest Rally in Merritt
WEBSITE: pacificforestrally.com
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