Hi Stu,
I met you at MOG 28 in Emmitsburg last July. You were detailing your blue
4-seater prior to the concourse. My wife and I attended the gathering (sans
Morgan) along with a good friend who owns an XK-120. We enjoyed the event
immensely!
I remember watching Jay Signore and Mark Donohue "dicing" at the Vineland
Speedway. They were as smooth as ballet dancers and never failed to get the
crowd on its feet. I too fell in love with Elvas at that time. I think I
still have some old 8mm movies showing them racing at the Vineland track.
It's nice to know that Jay Signore is still involved in the racing scene.
It sounds like some of your college time was also spent "tire kicking" at
various imported car dealerships. My fascination cost me a few low grades!
As a final note, my first Elva was the 1964 Turin Auto Show car and was a
Mark IV T-Series (with IRS) and was silver with a chartreuse interior (!),
chrome wire wheels, and a Nardi steering wheel. It was gorgeous and do I
wish I still owned it! The fellow I sold it to drove it to State College, PA
and entered it in local hillclimbs.
My second Elva was a 1965 Mk. IV T-Series, BRG with a black interior and
painted wire wheels. I got married while owning this car and drove it to
Montreal (with the top down all the way which put an early strain on the
marriage)! From there we drove to Quebec and then down to Maine and then
home.
Incidentally, I met my wife by selling her a new Elva Courier in 1964. She
sold the car to her brother and bought the London Auto Show car - a 1965 Mk.
IV T-Series, BRG/blk, with painted wire wheels and a 1600cc Ford Cortina
engine coupled to an all-synchro gearbox - a first for Elva. Our
distributor, Fred Opert, who I'm sure Jay Signore knows, as part of the
deal, enticed us into letting him display the car at the New York
International Automobile Show that year. We drove it to the Colliseum and
"worked the show" along with Fred. It was quite an experience!
As an aside, the dealer I worked for also sold an Elva Courier Coupe - the
only one I have ever seen. A Navy dentist bought it and took it down south
when he left the service. Talk about rare cars!
This has been a rather long-winded evening on my part! Keep in touch!
Fred Schuchard
63 Plus 4 DHC #5202
fschuch@jaguarsystems.com
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