BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
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:
The Brisbane Marina
Collins Classic (MG)
On The Road Again
Victoria British Ltd.
XKs Unlimited
Rick Feibusch, 2009
Stop on tour
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Suzy Davies, Photo 2009
Camerons Car Park
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Allard_Tony Martinez
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Rover 3-Liter Coupe
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Morgan
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Rain at tour start
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Jaguar XKE Series III Roadster
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Lotus Club
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Daimler Dart
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Ted Warburton
, Photo 2009
Ginetta at Camerons on Tour
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Jaguar XK120 Coupe
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Classic Minis
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Allard
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Big Ford engine in Allard
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Allard
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Allard
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Aston Martin
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Ted Warburton
, Photo 2009
Austin A70 Hereford Woody 1953
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Vauxhal 1959
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
Austin A40 1950
BRITISH BY THE BAY
BRISBANE MARINA BRITISH CAR MEET 2009
Brisbane Marina at Sierra Point
Brisbane, California
Rick Feibusch, Photo 2009
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