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BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
The Brisbane meet, though greeted by thunder and lightening the night before, was quite a success, despite gloomy skies. The British Car gods were looking out for the Sons (and Daughters) of Lucas with clear skies and mild temperatures during the events on both days. We were awakened by thunder early Saturday morn, followed by a light but continuous English-style rain. As the cars started to arrive for the Saturday tour, we watched as participants assembled their hoods and fitted side curtains, that is, the people who had brought them. It never rains in California in September! The Show came off without a hitch. And having the cars by the water was a most welcome bonus. The Wonderful Brisbane Marina people welcomed all to their facilities and treated us fantastically. There was even a full bar and great dark beer available to top off the hot lunch. Others were getting out or borrowing warm clothing for the soggy trip to the sea. We all laughed at the weather, kicked tyres and had a sort of pre-meet, meet until the skies opened up and we retreated to our respective cars. Then at exactly 9:00AM, the rain went away as quickly as it came and stayed away until an hour after the meet was over on Sunday. The cars left in groups of eight or so on two possible routes. There was a large group of Jags, mostly E-Types, and a fair number of Healeys, both Big and little. We had a few Minis and Minors as well as John Quilter's Austin America. Other Britiron of interest was a Ginetta roadster, some Morgans and Lotus (Loti?). Biggest car on the tour was Bob Nicholson's two-tone blue 1953 Bentley that performed flawlessly. Bob, always the Southern gentleman, offered to let two women riding in a four-place Morgan (you know, the kind with 'theater seating' where the rear seat passenger's faces stand proud of the windscreen), but they declined saying that their husbands would consider them 'weens.' Euro machinery was represented by an older Audi Quatro, Bugeye owner Nancy McCrosky's Dad in a Lancia and a fellow who made the run in a late model Maserati roadster. Some elected to make the shorter and more direct route directly to Cameron's Pub, but others braved the weather and back roads and took the longer sightseeing route with stops in the hills. Nancy McCrosky was the only causality on the tour, losing her clutch hydraulics in the mountains and having to wait for the flatbed to pick up her Sprite and haul it to the shop down below. Lucky she had her dad along for the ride home. About 50 cars did the tour and took up much of the car park at Cameron's into the afternoon. The Sunday show was a blast. Even though we planned on random parking, one of each marque seemed to arrive early, so we spread them out and the cars and clubs 'clumped' in a way that seemed to work out like we intended it that way. Brunch was available from the Sierra Point Yacht Club all morning and a swell BBQ was organized by the Brisbane Loins for the afternoon. The Herb Gibson band, regularly featured at Brannon's, up in Calistoga, played 'till 2:00PM. There was a large contingency of Jags, a bunch of Morgans, lots of Loti, Triumphs for days, Healeys galore, and the MG Clubs came in force. There were more Morris Minors than last year and the Arcane Car guys brought some wonderful examples of odd, including a pair of really rare Austins owned by their fearless leader, Byron Brill. The A70 Hereford woody, imported and restored by Randy Williams in LA, was left outside for years by a subsequent owner and needs to be restored again, despite its low mileage. I once drove this beastie from LA to San Diego and back for the British Meet down there - a smooth runner that just hummed at 65 mph - it has a single carb version of the Austin Healey 100/4 engine. Other cars of note were the Rover 3 liter Coupe' (actually a 4-door saloon with a lower 'chopped' top like one of those new Mercedes with the low top), and the mid-1950s Vauxhall PA Cresta saloon, a car that brought 'fresh American styling' to the UK at the time - Hmmmmmmm. We would like to thank Ted Warburton, Harbourmaster of the Brisbane Marina, The Sierra Point Yacht Club, and the Brisbane Lions Club for covering the fees and helping to make this a winning FREE event for the car owners this year, AND our sponsors who covered the postcard mailing and the band. Tell them THANKS, next time you call.........
SPONSORS:
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Stop on tour
Camerons Car Park
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Allard_Tony Martinez
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Rover 3-Liter Coupe
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Morgan
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Rain at tour start
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Jaguar XKE Series III Roadster
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Lotus Club
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Daimler Dart
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Ginetta at Camerons on Tour
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Jaguar XK120 Coupe
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Classic Minis
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Allard
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Big Ford engine in Allard
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Allard
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Allard
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Aston Martin
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Austin A70 Hereford Woody 1953
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Vauxhal 1959
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Austin A40 1950
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