Cars and Coffee, June, 2013

If this month's Cars and Coffee lineup was a sports team, I'd say their starting lineup showed lots of talent, but their bench was weak.  It's no secret I like old sports cars, and those seemed to me to be in short supply.  

Of course my friend Robert was there with his immaculate Jaguar E-Type V-12.  (Truth in journalism....this photo was from a few months ago.)

This superb Austin Healey 3000 had me drooling.

The Italians were well represented:  This Alfa Romeo Spyder was nice, but fell short of what I would call pristine.  Maybe it's a project in the works?

This Alfa Romeo Alfasud was a gem!

So was this award-winning Alfa Romeo Montreal, another Cars and Coffee regular attendee.

I took this one for Doug, who I know is a Porsche 928 fan.

While not at all exotic, I'd take this MGB in a heartbeat.  Much maligned by some, I was always rather fond of them.

And another British Leyland product, a Triumph Stag.

Now for some newer aluminum:  There were several new Jaguar F-Types there.  This is the first time I'd seen one "in the flesh".  IMO the front end looks nice....

....but the rear end looks spectacular!  ;)

The newest Ferrari Supercar was presented to me here today, too.....the LaFerrari.  While I like it, it looks like it would probably be a royal hassle to get the groceries into and out of the back seat.  I'd better pass.

Not to be upstaged was the McLaren MP4-12C Spider.

BAM!!  Fiat 500.  Didn't see it coming, did you?  ;)

OK, there's "oddly eccentric" and then there's "bizarre".  This would fall into the latter category.  It's a Lamborghini Murcielago painted up by the owner as a rolling billboard for his "violin for hire" business.  (Oh....California plates.  'Nuff said.)

A Mercedes 220 inviting us to join in a picnic.

Hmmm....I wonder where he got the idea?

Lots of Detroit iron present, the most interesting being this '57 T-Bird.

And now back to that "oddly eccentric" thing I mentioned...how about this '91 (UK market only) Datsun ____.  (Can't remember the name.  Somebody help me out?)

For his mother-in law?  (Bad news, dude.  She fell out.)

And if not one of the best restored cars on display yesterday...

....it certainly had one of the most interesting owners.  This is Rob, an Englishman by birth, now retired and living north of Dallas where he buys and restores these fun micro-cars.  The one pictured is a '50's vintage Isetta "limousine" (because it was "stretched" for a back seat) built under license by BMW.  He also showed me a photo of the body of a car which is his next project and asked any of us standing nearby if we could identify it.  I did....it was a Citroen 2CV....and we struck up a lengthy conversation afterwards.

Turns out he's also a pilot....see his DC-3 belt buckle?  He became an aircraft mechanic after WWII, then worked for an air freight company this side of the pond, then learned to fly and started his own air freight business hauling mostly auto parts.

And here's where it gets almost freaky....we've worked together at airshows!  He flew his DC-3 as a jump plane (for the opening act parachute/flag ceremony) at the Dallas Air Show where I was the Ramp Boss.  We laughed about how his pre-jump streamer-drop (to gauge the wind for the parachutists) landed about 3 blocks east of Lemon Avenue.  Ha!  What fun reminiscing with this fine gentleman.

That's enough for this time.  If they have a Cars and Coffee event where you live, go see it.  And if they don't, come see me and I'll take you to ours.  I promise lots of fun.  :)

S

Cars & Coffee, May, 2013....best one EVER!

First Saturday of the month, 45 degrees and rising, clear sky, calm winds....all the necessary ingredients for a great Cars and Coffee.  With a thousand cars +/- on display, this was petrolhead heaven.

The Plano (TX) PD was there doing some very effective PR work:

 I thought this was pretty clever.

There must have been a Porsche 928 Owners Club meeting there today.  I saw at least a dozen.  Porsche thought this would be the successor to the venerable 911.  They missed by a mile.

A rare $500K Porsche Carerra GT.  Impressive, but I think I could find better car(s) to drop a half-mil on.

Can you imagine shoe-horning a V-8 into a MGB GT?  British Leyland somehow managed it.  The weight distribution must have been awful.  (Hate the wheels.  Blech!)

Hard as I try, I just can't get excited about the new-generation Lamborghini's.  I just don't get that "Transformers" look.  I much prefer this cleaner, older-style Murcielago.

While this Maserati GT body style has been out for about 5 years now, I still never tire looking at it.  *sigh*

'Course, the Aston Martin Vanquish gets my juices flowing, too.  British Racing Green for me, please.

A Ferrari 458 Italia Spyder.  While I have excellent credit, I'm not sure USAA would up my credit limit to $291,000.  *curses*

A McLaren MP4-12C.  Can a car be TOO perfect?  (Hint:  yes.)

Until today I'd never seen a BMW Z8 with a removable (?) hardtop.  Umm....no.  Convertibles should be ragtops.  Period.  (Unless you're gifting me one.  ;)

A BMW Z3/4 Coupe menage a trois?

You knew you wouldn't get through one of my C&C posts without seeing a Fiat 500, right?  ;)

A very interesting Jaguar Mk ?  Doesn't it just scream BRITISH?  (No...wait...the British don't "scream".  It's much too undignified.)

OK, OK.  I'm a Europhile.  I admit it.  To be fair I took some photos of Detroit iron, too:

If you must have a 'Vette, THIS is the one you want.  A split-window '63.

Remember when GM stood for General Motors, before it became Government Motors?  Remember the Buick Riviera?  And the Pontiac Grand Prix?  If you answered 'yes', you're an old coot like me.  

Or a Studebaker Champion?  These were even before my time.  (OK, this was made in South Bend, IN, not Detroit.  Sue me.  ;)

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I'VE BEEN SANDBAGGING THE BEST FOR LAST

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Over the past year of posting C&C photos one car in particular has popped up more than any other....

....this absolutely pristine Jaguar E-Type V-12.  

Before today I think I've shown this car four times, I like it that much.  It was none other than the legendary Enzo Ferrari who once called the E-Type Jaguar the most beautiful car ever made, and I certainly wouldn't argue that.  Can you believe this design is fifty years old?  It's still stunningly spectacular today!

Several months ago on one of my Cars and Coffee debriefs I received a comment from a reader, "Robert", who said this was his car!  Whoa....needle in a haystack, right?  We made plans to personally meet today at 08:00, and we managed to connect.

What a treat it was to meet him.  Not just because he owns this magnificent automobile, but because he is a thoroughly pleasant gentleman.  He shared with me the history of his car, how he came to own it, the maintenance it requires (not much), and more.  I can't tell you what an interesting visit we had.

Then he made my day.  As we were both about to call it a day and go home, Robert asked me if I would like to go for a spin in his car.  I only had to be asked once! 

Oh my, you should hear this magnificent V-12 engine purr!  Once we cleared the crowd and pulled out of the lot he asked if I'd like to drive it?

Gulp!

I couldn't do it.  I've had manual transmission cars before....that wasn't the problem.  I just couldn't imagine how I could live with myself if I did something dumb and hurt his pride and joy.  I would have to impale myself on a long knife Hara-kiri-style.  (And boy, would K be pissed!  "Knock, knock....Hi.  Are you the widow Park?")

Until today I'd forgotten how excited I was as a kid to run into the den and look under the tree on Christmas morning.  Just sitting in this magnificent automobile, listening to it, smelling it, looking at every toggle, brought back that thrill.

Thanks, Robert, for the ride and most of all just for the "car-guy" camaraderie.  I'm looking forward to us being able to visit again.  

Until June 1, 2013, that's all for Cars and Coffee.  :)

S

*QUESTION:  I've been playing with my layout width in order to post x-large photos.  Is it too wide now to be seen on your screen without scrolling over?  If so let me know and I'll convert it back the way it was.