Cars and Coffee, April 2014

A cool, cloudy early morning didn't deter the few thousand Cars and Coffee fans who came out to see interesting cars.  My friend Neil and I met there around 7:30 and were pleased with the offerings this month.

The first car I stumbled across as I entered was this Austin Healey 3000. 

It's a good thing K doesn't let me take my checkbook to C&C, never mind that my mad money account wouldn't buy even one of the wire wheels on this beauty.  (I could have a helluva nice head start before the check bounced, though.)

The Brits were well represented today by some other fine examples, too, like this MGB GT V8....

....and it's topless cousin, this MGB roadster.

But I've saved the best from Morris Garages 'till last, this 1961 MGA.

Listen up Joe H:  Rob the grandkid's piggy bank, mortgage the house, sell a kidney, whatever you have to do....the original (and still current) owner, a retired TWA pilot, is downsizing his lifestyle and is willing to part with this prized toy.

For a more-than-fair price of $26K you can relive your yout and once again own a MGA.  Wow, was this car nice!

On to something(s) German:  I still like this Z3M Coupe.  It was shunned by buyers originally, but I think its odd shape is interestingly quirky. 

Eat your heart out Winnebago.  THIS is Bohemian RV-ing at its finest!

 It also sported my co-favorite sign of the day.  :)

A couple of other, slightly hotter VW's caught my eye today too, like this R model (V6, AWD)....

....and this GTI.  (The Gen-7 model will be here in the States soon.)

How 'bout some new American muscle?  This is the new Dodge Viper, which sported the finest rear end I saw today.  (Or at least the finest that I'll admit to ;)  I wonder if Italian coachbuilder Zagato knows Dodge has pinched their famous "double bubble" roof design?

And in fairness, some old American muscle, too:  This really nice Plymouth Barracuda.  (Remember the Barracuda?  Remember Plymouth?)

Lots of Jeeps there today, too.  None, though, were any nicer than this classic Willys Jeep pickup.

It was wearing my other co-favorite sign of the day.  Beautiful rifle in the gun rack, too.  (Hey, this IS Texas :)

 Screw Mustangs!

THIS is the Ford I want!

 Here's some trivia for you:  This is a '50's vintage Goggomobil.

 It was built in Bavaria after WWII, I'm guessing to satisfy an urgent need by circus clowns to have a tiny car to climb out of.

 

In a more serious vein, this is a very rare Nash Healey, and a spectacular example it is, too!  It's the first one I've ever seen in the flesh.

 

This was an odd duck of a car, a collaboration between the American Nash-Kelvinator Co. and England's Donald Healey Motors (who later built my fave, the Austin Healey).

It was a Nash Healey that was driven by Clark Kent in several episodes of TV's The Adventures of Superman (when he wasn't wearing his leotards and leaping over tall buildings in a single bound).

I'll close out this month's C&C review with this cute little '50's vintage BMW Isetta 300 that the owner has nicknamed "Snail".

As it drove off you could almost hear everyone say in unison,

 "Look at that S-CAR-GO!"  :)

Hope you enjoyed Cars and Coffee, April 2014.

S