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From Brooklyn, a Better Way to Build Affordable Homes

As an exponent of Vertical Mobility, nothing pleases me more than to see a new complex that follows this philosophy and does so in an interesting, creative manner. The project in the photo above was developed by a coalition of churches on a 45-acre former landfill in East Brooklyn. It is reminiscent of earlier New York Brownstones, though the design is contemporary. And best of all, from a would-be owner's standpoint, 1600-square-foot units were offered for as little as $158,000. At that price I would gladly move to Brooklyn, if US Immigration would let me. Hey guys... you gave me a green card once; could I please have another one?

What also caught my eye in this New York Times article was mention that the development utilised prefabricated construction. I'm a big fan of factory made buildings, believing that mass production is the key to affordable housing. Living as I do in a part of North America where trees are plentiful and therefore dominate all new low rise construction, it sometimes disturbs me to watch the slow, traditional method of assembling homes. I'm convinced that the future of Vertical Mobility can be enhanced by adapting new methods, designed to cut costs as well as reduce construction times.

Perhaps developers worry that prefabricated buildings will lead to uninspired designs and lack diversity. I disagree, for there are numerous examples that prove otherwise. The designer of the Nehemiah Spring Creek project, architect Alexander Gorlen, has demonstrated how an entire street of townhomes (or row houses, if you prefer) can be made interesting through subtle differences in colour and shapes. It is not shockingly different, just enough to attract the eye and make the street seem like a desirable place to live. The New York Times article, by architectural historian and critic Jayne Merkel, contains several other examples of dramatic new energy efficient buildings. I love her concluding sentence: "Perhaps as people learn to live with less, they will value innovative design even more." Amen.

Social Network Meets the Volkswagen Microbus

The nice thing about being an Internet writer is that you discover new friends who could be located anywhere in the wide, wide world. For example, a gentleman of my age group named Harley Ferguson has become a virtual (literally) pen pal ever since we met via the Web; I was About.com's car guy at the time. With an ocean separating us (he lives in Tokyo and I live on Canada's west coast) it's unlikely we'll ever meet in person but we enjoy keeping in touch.

And then there's Srinivas Krishnan, a long-time automobile journalist with India's Business Standard Motoring. Once again About.com was the media connection when we began corresponding and I've since used helpful photos and background information from his classic car stories. Shortly after we first made contact I conceived a would-be article that might have put me in India for at least three weeks, researching that country's automotive industry. The idea was that I'd visit and photograph each company, then write a feature for publication in North America. I thought this would be an eye-opener for Americans, who know little or nothing about the scale and products of Indian car manufacturing. It would be particularly illuminating in light of India's push to become the world's second largest, after China. Needless to say, Srinivas was eager to participate as guide to both country and industry.

It never happened. My creative exuberance has often exceeded the funds necessary to turn ideas into reality and this, though it made sense from a journalistic viewpoint, was doomed to fail. Such a trip would inevitably have been expensive. I couldn't afford to pay the costs on spec and the chances of persuading a major US publication to foot the bill were between nil and zero. If by chance they were interested in such a story they would probably have used staff members, particularly if the publication had correspondents based in India. Ah well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Today I was glancing through Business Standard Motoring when I spotted an article by Srinivas Krishnan. Thanks to him I now know more about the birth of the VW Microbus than I did before. The vehicle's history was not entirely new to me but the details were and I found them quite fascinating. What little I did know had been related by Ben Pon Jr., whose father first conceived the idea. (Ben Jr. was a trainee at Volkswagen Canada during the period that I worked there as assistant p.r. manager; we were also racing teammates.) According to the younger Pon, his Dad, a VW distributor in Holland, sketched the concept on a napkin and handed it over to Wolfsburg management, which almost immediately began development. In fact, it wasn't quite that simple.

As Srinivas puts it, "Some years later, the German head of VW, the legendary Heinz Nordhoff, came to know about this idea for a commercial vehicle based on Beetle mechanicals, and ensured it got into production. That’s because Nordhoff perceived the need for a vehicle that could boast the Beetle’s reliability and durability with a higher payload." In Srinivas' article the origins of the Microbus are only by way of introduction, for he had the good fortune to be offered a classic 1967 model to test drive in Mumbai. His review makes fun reading for those who've never driven one and a nostalgia trip for those, like me, who have. I heartily recommend clicking here in order to view the article in its entirety.

Best Place to Be This Weekend? In Front of the TV

It's going to be a fun weekend for those of us whose idea of a good time is staying home watching television. I'll admit to being just such a person and make no apologies for this supposedly mindless habit. For one thing, my budget doesn't allow for paid entertainment. For another, living in a small town means entertainment is limited to a live theater and one cinema. But aside from those considerations I enjoy television even though, like everyone else, I sometimes bitch about the dearth of good programs.

The trouble is that we've had television sets for so long we take them for granted. Sit back and think about it, friends. A device that brings sports, movies, plays, news, discussions, documentaries and education into our homes, free and in flat-screen colour, is bloody marvellous. A miracle, almost. So this weekend I'll be observing F1 qualifying and racing from Singapore. It's a night race (with the possibility of rain) and the fight for the title is anyone's call. And thanks to a more recent technological miracle, the PVR, I won't have to rise at 5:00 AM.

Friday evening's a treat, thanks to that not-so-humble Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. The art deco settings and classic cars alone make it a delight to watch. After Poirot comes a contemporary British detective show, Pascoe and Dalzeil. Great acting, great cast, none chosen for their good looks, unlike American TV. Saturday morning is F1 qualifying, Saturday night offers more BBC treasures, starting with Heartbeat, about an English village cop shop in the 1960s. I'll wake up Sunday morning to watch F1 up close and tremendously exciting on that 42" screen. The fabulous in-car shots put you right there, in the cockpit. Sunday nights are now hugely enjoyable thanks to AMC's back-to-back shows, Mad Men and Rubicon. Mad Men is like living my life over again, for the central character is creative director of an ad agency in the 60s. Just as I was, and on into the 80s. True confession: I was sometimes as mad, and bad, as Don Draper.

But for you, if you don't care for any of the above, Speed Channel is providing 21.5 hours of live coverage of Barrett-Jackson's Las Vegas auction. As usual, the list of vehicles is long and remarkably eclectic. I'm already in love with that 1962 VW Beetle, up top, from the estate of the original owner, an American fighter pilot stationed in Germany. $11,000 should take it home. On the other hand I do like my luxury, so a 1958 Bentley S1 sedan that spent most of its life in the Hollywood Hills would be tempting for a mere $16,500. Who says interesting collector cars have to be expensive?

Of course, as always at a Barrett-Jackson auction there are a number of cars that will go for millionaire's prices. Looking down the list I spotted a 1970 American Motors Rebel, a 1998 Panoz Roadster, a 1967 Pontiac GTO, a lovely 1937 LaSalle, a very rare and restored 1939 Graham Sharknose Coupe (below) and, well, the temptations go on and on.

So regardless of what you may feel about life wasted watching television, it promises to be time well spent, at least for this writer. I'll be looking at the Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas auction (occasionally), enjoying F1 and the other great programs mentioned here, and on Sunday afternoon I'll take a few hours to go see the annual model railway show in Victoria, BC. A pleasant enough weekend for one who enjoys classic cars, motor racing, and quality on-screen entertainment.

Capri Designer Revealed, Understeering Remembered

To be perfectly honest I've never wondered who designed the Ford Capri, in spite of having been associated with the marque professionally. But some people have been eager to give credit to the unknown stylist, for Hemmings has revealed his name and background in its newsletter. I'm sorry to relate that Phil Clark died of kidney failure when he was just 32 years old, especially sad for he was a talented stylist. It was he who designed the Mustang galloping horse logo.

Note: Some confusion exists over who should be credited for designing the Capri. See the end of this blog for an update.

Mention of the Capri stirs my own memory bank, both as an ad writer and as a driver. When I arrived in London from New York, posted there as creative director of the J. Walter Thompson ad agency's Ford of Europe account, one of my group's first assignments was to produce an ad for the Capri. I was unhappy because the agency's account executives (also from New York and with no appreciation of European cars whatsoever) insisted on using the tag line Ford Leads the Way. It was adapted from the US Mercury ads which were tagged with Mercury Leads the Way. I felt that "leads the way" was an insipid, meaningless phrase no matter what car name preceded it. I was also annoyed at having to use someone else's words. Great tag lines are not invented. They come from great ad copy.

My art director was equally upset, for he was a very creative young Englishman who'd recently been hired and hoped to put his own stamp on the graphics. Instead, we were ordered to develop ads around a concept developed by an American photographer. Today it would have been done by a computer but his method, known as the "projection system," involved first taking photos of a car and two or three appropriately garbed models, then eliminating the backgrounds with a cardboard cutout placed in front of a slide projector, one for each photo. In a darkened room the three projectors were carefully lined up to create a single on-screen image. He would then take the master shot.

The result would be a lifestyle ad that said everything about the people who were intended as Capri buyers, but nothing about the car itself. David Barker and I came from a creative philosophy built around selling the uniqueness of the vehicle; the original and award-winning Beetle ads, for example. We disliked lifestyle advertising and eventually moved Ford away from it but in retrospect I think we might have been better off giving in, for our entire careers at JWT consisted of fighting with the account reps and the client. My family might still be living in England if I'd played Mr. Nice Guy instead of a creative rebel. But that was then...

It was the following spring before I actually got to drive a Capri. Ford had taken some of us to its Lommel, Belgium, proving grounds for a new model introduction. This meant I was free to drive on the track and so, with a Ford engineer as observor, I grabbed the nearest Capri. For an ex-race driver this would not be a scenic tour. Coming hard into a long, fast curve it suddenly became obvious that the Capri was a serious understeerer, whereas I'd expected it to be reasonably neutral. We weren't going to make the turn. Fortunately the area on the outside was a flat, grassy surface. I merely widened our line and continued until we were back on the pavement. The engineer was not smiling.

An almost identical incident happened a few years later, on a winding road leading to a ski area in West Vancouver. We were shooting a commercial for Imperial Oil (Exxon) with a Capri as subject car. The cinematographer was eager to shoot the car moving quickly around an uphill turn but first wanted to see how it might look from above. By way of demonstration I took the curve at a fair rate of knots and sure enough, got caught out by the Capri's understeer. This time there was no runoff, only a ditch. It took every bit of my rusty race skills to keep us on the road.

In spite of my qualms about the Capri's handling I ordered a new one with a V-6 (which would have made the understeering worse), and believe it or not, a vinyl-covered roof and whitewalls. Hey, those were different times! With a cream-coloured body and tan roof it was quite pretty, which was the objective as I was hoping to impress a new Montreal girlfriend. I arrived at the Ford dealer's in late afternoon, intending to immediately drive to Montreal. With a long face the dealership owner took me to a basement storage room where the Capri sat with a badly dented front fender. The car, and several others, had been damaged in a severe storm that caused the freighter to toss its contents around like billiard balls. I was given the option of having the Capri repaired or cancelling the order. I chose the latter.

As I said in the beginning of this blog, I'd little interest in knowing who designed the Capri. But looking back, I have a better understanding of how and why it was a winner in the European market and moderately successful in America. I'd even be glad to own one as a collector car if it was in good shape. Meanwhile I suggest you click on this Hemmings link and learn more about the young man who made it such an attractive automobile. He died young but he deserves our attention.

Update: Since writing this article I received an e-mail from Peter Aylett, who owns Car Art. Peter has referred me to an online interview with Robert McGuffey Thomas, a long-time Ford designer, in which he gives credit for the Capri to English designer John Fallis. According to Thomas, it all began with a model for a proposed two-seat sports car. That model was rejected but "Fallis took the two-seater and made it into a Mustang-type package that became a Capri." So why the confusion? Well, Hemmings is usually accurate in its reporting so I can only assume that Phil Clark may have had a hand in the Capri design while Fallis was responsible for the initial styling. It's a system not uncommon in automaker design studios.

On Your Desk: a Bugatti Designed to Break Records in the Air

You know, of course, that Ettore Bugatti built some of the world's most exquisite road and race cars. You may also be aware that he was involved in the development of high-speed railcars. But here's something remarkable that you may not have known about Bugatti. He and the esteemed aeronautical engineer Louis D. de Monge once teamed to build a record-breaking aircraft, the 1937 Bugatti 100. That plane is now being restored, a full-size flying replica is nearing completion, and you can have your own 1:43-size diecast model from Wilkinson's Automobilia through its online store eautomobilia.com.

Bugatti, a highly patriotic Frenchman, was eager to beat the Germans in the 1938 Deutsche de La Muerthe Cup, a race for aircraft with engines of 485 cu. in. or less. To design the plane he engaged Louis D. de Monge, an engineer whose genius in the air was equal to Bugatti's on land. Power would come from a 287 cu. in. straight-eight Bugatti 50B racing engine delivering 450 hp at 4500 rpm, featuring a lightweight magnesium block. de Monge's ultra-streamlined shape placed the engine behind the pilot, canted to one side so the driveshaft could curve around the right side of the cockpit to the reduction gearbox in the nose. The airframe would be built largely of balsa and tulipwood.

Before construction began, however, the 100 was redesigned with two Bugatti 50B engines for an assault on the world airplane speed record. With France having fallen behind in aircraft design Bugatti then received a contract for a light pursuit version which would be equipped with guns, oxygen and self-sealing fuel tanks. The contract included a bonus if the 100P could break the world's speed record of 440 mph (raised to 469.22 mph in 1939 by a Messerschmitt Me 209). Bugatti and de Monge believed their aircraft would exceed 500 mph but the war prevented any such attempts. The plane was lowered out of the furniture factory where it was being built, taken by truck to a barn in the country, and hidden. It remained there for 30 years.

More than just a racer, the 100P was a fighter prototype featuring advanced technology. Some of its features eventually appeared in the de Havilland Mosquito, P-51 Mustang, Bell P-39, Beech Bonanza, and even the F-16. It should be thrilling to watch the replica in the air when work is finished by a renowned international crew at Checkered Flag Aero in Oklahoma. Meanwhile you can enjoy this beautiful model, complete with sleek cone-shaped nose, retractable gear, and contra-rotating propellers, for just $142.95 Canadian. Fuselage length is seven inches, wingspan eight inches.

Celebrating Jaguar's 75th in Art

I would no more say that an individual car is the most beautiful in the world than I would suggest that the Mona Lisa is the most beautiful painting. There are too many masterpieces in oils and metal to make such a claim. I will, however, go out on a limb and propose that one car company has given us more beautiful production models than any other, aside from those aimed only at the wealthy. That company is Jaguar.

No, Jaguars were never inexpensive, for the firm catered to the upper middle-class segment. But most of us can find an affordable example on the used car market whereas, unless we're exceptionally well-off, we'll never get to own a Ferrari or other exotic. If you question my sanity (as I'm sure many have) consider these: The pre-war SS100. The post-war MkV. The XK120, XK140, and XK150 sports cars. The magnificent E-Type. The Mk2 and XJ sedans. The D-Type sports-racer. The short-lived (because of a factory fire) XK-SS. And in contemporary times, the all-new Jaguar XJ.

As an ex-ad agency copwriter I can easily wax poetic about Jaguars but nothing I might create in print or TV would equal the lasting effect of an original artwork or high quality reproduction. And that's why I was drawn to CarArt's special presentation of Jaguar artworks in honour of the marque's 75th anniversary. Choose your favorite Jaguar and chances are one of CarArt's stable of automobile fine artists has captured the marque in a unique and elegant setting.

A small sampler is included here. Our title art is by Roy Putt entitled Circus Cat, described on the CarArt site as "a Jaguar XK120 drives past the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus, London, on a summer evening in the 1950s."

This emotive moment, recalled for us by Alan Fearnley, would likely have happened in the immediate post-war years, for the car was launched at the 1948 London Motor Show. Car Art suggests: "Step back in time to a wet and windy night somewhere in England. Sharing an umbrella, the driver of a Jaguar Mk 5 lights a cigarette for his beautiful companion, who has just arrived by train."

The Jaguar D-Type is one of the most admired cars in motorsport history. Wu-Huang CHIN has succeeded in capturing both its beauty and potential for speed in his "D-Type # OKV 2," the car in which Sir Stirling Moss led the 1954 Le Mans race.

Many would argue that of all the beautiful Jaguars, the E-Type is the loveliest. Who am I to disagree, especially when an E-Type coupe is depicted in a Manhattan winter scene by Ken Eberts? Hmmm... would an E-Type owner drive his car in the snow today?

All the Jaguar works depicted on marque1.com are for sale, some as originals, some as prints. And there are many more on the CarArt site, so if you don't see your favorite Jag here, go to the site and feast your eyes. My dream would be to have one of each and a room to hang them in.

Desireable Celebrity Cars at Bonhams Goodwood Auction

You may not recognise the similarity at first glance but the saucy little coupe seen above is a close cousin to the Cobra. It's an AC Aceca, the hardtop version of the original AC Ace which, with modifications, became the Shelby Cobra. This one is unique for two reasons. It was owned by James Bond creator Ian Fleming and is one of only six surviving Ford-powered Acecas in the world.

The car, to be auctioned by Bonhams at the Goodwood Revival, left the factory on 14 August 1962 for delivery to Fleming; coincidentally the same year that he completed The Spy Who Loved Me. Fleming kept the Aceca for a year before selling it in 1963. Since then it has changed hands several times and is said to be in excellent condition, having recently been refurbished. As you can see, it features a dark blue exterior; the interior is red. Bonhams estimates a sale price of £100,000–130,000.

I've always liked the Aceca and even got to test drive one when they were new. It was owned by my Canada Track & Traffic magazine colleague Diana Carter. Diana was interested in selling it, I was interested in buying. I recall that it wasn't as quick as I'd expected, having the old AC six-cylinder engine instead of the faster Bristol or even faster Ford six. I also remember coming to my senses when I reluctantly had to admit it didn't fit my family lifestyle. Kids beat cars every time.

Other celebrity cars will be on stage at the Bonhams Goodwood sale, which takes place on Friday, September 17th, 2010. For example, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, was once the owner of a lovely1988 Jaguar XJ-S V12 Convertible that's coming up for auction. It was totally restored in 2007. I'd buy that one if she'd promise to be an occasional passenger. Bonhams estimates that my imaginary dates with a Duchess will cost £20,000–24,000. A bit much for an XJ-S but not if you like owning a car that was graced by a lady of distinction.

The highlight of the sale is a 1953 Jaguar C-Type, the same model that won the Le Mans 24-Hours race twice, back in 1951-53. Following a crash in '53, the sport-racing two-seater was extensively restored and is today described by Bonhams as "outstandingly usable and potentially extremely competitive." The pre-sale estimate is £800,000 - £1,000,000. So if you're seeking an excuse to visit the Goodwood Revival on practise day, instead of waiting for the following two race days, you've just found it. Be prepared for temptations.

Mecum's Bob McDorman Auction a Bonanza for Chevy Lovers

You'd really have to be a Chevrolet enthusiast to equal the 150-car collection of Bob McDorman, which includes one Corvette of every model year from 1953 to 2010 and 12 serial #1 Corvettes. But then, McDorman was a long-time Chevrolet dealer who obviously had access to some quite remarkable cars from every era. His collection includes the vehicle above, a 2004 Nomad conversion of a Corvette coupe.

This 1920 Chevrolet SOHIO Horse Gas Wagon is perhaps the strangest-looking Chevy I've ever seen. It was built for the Sohio oil company, apparently at a time when the firm was still converting from horse power to horsepower. You must admit it has charm. And it's environmentally friendly. Until the horse starts leaving a few reminders.

Here's a Chevrolet that none of us had seen unless we lived in France. It's a 1938 cabriolet prototype designed by General Motors of France. As you'll note, the styling has definite European influences, especially the downward curve starting just behind the A-pillar. Only two were made and only one survives. Very pretty, wouldn't you say?

Just in case you thought that lifestyle pickups began with the Ford Ranchero or Chevrolet El Camino, dwell on this for a moment. The Australians were way ahead of the USA with the 1948 Chevrolet UTE pickup. Handsome and functional, makes you wish they still made cars like this.

 

You can view all the Bob McDorman cars in the Mecum Auction, which takes place November 5th and 6th at Canal Winchester, Ohio, by clicking here. Far too many for this blog so I've ended with a Corvair coupe, not because its the most spectacular but because Corvairs are among my all-time favorites. This one could be quite rare as it's a 1969 model, the last year of production. Virtually all the 69s were hand assembled, using leftover parts.

New Book Review: Behind the Wheel

Just when you think the history of the automobile has been told in every possible way, someone discovers a different angle and writes a book about it. Which is what French author Robert Puyal has accomplished with Behind the Wheel, a rich and elegantly presented coffee table publication subtitled The Great Automobile Aficionados. The subtitle is the key to the contents, for it is not about the cars, nor the companies that made them. Instead the focus is on people who loved to design, drive, and race cars.

Puyal puts things in an historical context by dividing the book into five eras, beginning with The Turn of the Century and ending with From the Eighties. I'm assuming he's not interested in what happened after that period, or maybe he decided that in contemporary times technology is doing the driving. Ironically, or perhaps intentionally, he begins with an electric car pioneer and concludes with the creator of a new electric sports car.

You will probably know the names of many of the featured individuals but not all. I recognised forty-one out of the fifty-four, yet found the stories of the unfamiliar to be just as fascinating. Puyal's cast of characters includes gangsters, engineers, artists, filmmakers, poets, tycoons, aristocrats, entrepreneurs, actors, authors, dreamers, numerous race drivers and, I'm happy to report, more than a few fast, beautiful and dynamic women. Where else would you find Henry Ford, Alfred Neubauer, Preston Tucker, Juan Manuel Fangio, Paul Newman, Michelle Mouton and Quentin Tarantino in the same book?

What these and the forty-seven other remarkable personalities shared is a love of the automobile. They loved the look, the sounds, the sheer pleasure of driving. Some devoted their lives to the automobile while others, sadly, lost their lives in an automobile. One, Henry Ford, is credited with putting America on wheels. Another, Harley J. Earl, first and then chief designer at General Motors was "the man who imposed his tastes, his intuitions, and his whims on drivers all over the world." Steve McQueen, as the author rightly states, was "The King Of Cool." And a damn fine race driver as well.

This is a large book–9-3/4" by 12-1/2"–which makes it a delight to view the many historical photographs, particularly the old black-and-whites that, when reproduced in small sizes, as they often are, become distant and hard to relate to. But in the large, often full-page reproductions seen here, printed on quality paper, the reader gets drawn in, the subjects come alive. Color photos are in the minority and I think that was a deliberate choice, having nothing to do with economics and everything to do with bringing history to life.

If there's anything to complain about in Behind the Wheel, it's the emphasis on French personalities, although one must remember that the author is a Frenchman. And certainly France played a dominant role in the early days of the automobile, particularly as a promoter of the world's first auto races. Still it does seem strange not to devote chapters to, say, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Ferdinand Porsche, Sir William Lyons or some of the other legends of the automobile who also loved to drive. Regardless, there's some great reading in these pages and quite a few revelations as well.

Distributed by Rizzoli New York, October 2010. © Behind the Wheel by Robert Puyal, Flammarion, 2010.

The World's Best Car Show? One You Can Walk To

As a car enthusiast few things please me more than attending an automobile event without using my car. That's why I'm really looking forward to the Torque Masters Car Club's car show and swap meet on Sunday, Sept. 19th. The location, at the Sidney BC Mary Winspear Centre, is so close that I can walk there in five minutes. I can even come home for lunch. What could be better than that?

I've been attending auto races, including tracks like Monaco, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Lime Rock, Sebring, Mosport, Watkins Glen and Indianapolis, for decades. I've been to dozens of new car shows, such as the New York and Detroit Auto Shows, the Geneva International Auto Show, the British International Auto Show (when there was one), and of course Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. I've attended some of the famous Concours d'Elegance like Pebble Beach, Palm Springs and Kirkland. Yes, we had fun when we got there but every one of those events involved long drives and even longer lineups. I was worn out by the time I reached the gate.

While I obviously have happy memories of such events (especially races where I was competing) the one I remember with the most fondness was a day of vintage car racing at the now defunct Crystal Palace circuit in England. At the time, my family and I were living in London, having been transferred there from New York by the great and benevolent ad agency J. Walter Thompson. (You've watched Mad Men? I was Don Draper. But that's a story for another time.) The point of this tale is that we lived around the corner from Victoria Station and the race circuit was a short walk from the Crystal Palace station. My son and I strolled over to Victoria, boarded a train, had a pleasant half-hour journey to our destination. Somewhat weary after a day's spectating, we were then delighted to be able to relax all the way home.

I've also gone to the Monaco Grand Prix by rail and believe me, there's only one better way to reach that track: by boat.

The Torque Masters show is a local event and won't be as glamorous as those I've mentioned. Still, the club expects up to 400 cars from BC and nearby Washington State. It's not an invitational; entrants can arrive and sign up on the spot. Although most club members are hot rod and custom enthusiasts, the show is open to all kinds of vintage automobiles. So if you're reading this and you own a sports car, classic, or just an interesting vintage automobile or truck, shine it up and c'mon over to Sidney. I'll be the guy ambling along with a smile on his face.

[Photo: Philip Powell]