Hello everyone,
For those of you who are familiar, this is the last time you will receive a
message from this e-mail address. Not that I'm going anywhere, but if unless
someone extremely important has other plans for me, I'll be pestering you about
this for many, many years to come! For now on if you have any messages to send
to me regarding British Car Week, you can reply to the new e-mail address
BritCarWeek@arczip.com In fact, the British Car Week web site has a new
address as well. The new address is listed at the bottom of this message. For
those of you who have the old web page address listed within their links, that
address will continue to work until shortly after this year's British Car Week.
I'd like to thank you in advance for changing your links to coincide with the
new address. So on to my annual reminder....
This years British Car Week will take place from May 25 through June 2, so be
sure to mark your calendars. Also, please notify your British car club(s) so
they can be aware of this special event. If your club leaders aren't aware of
this annual event, or maybe they don't understand what it's all about, then let
please them know that British Car Week is a British car "awareness" week. It's
an opportunity for all British car owners to get their cars out on the roads in
their part of the world at the same time, and show them off to the people who
are not aware of them. It's also a great opportunity to get together with
other British car owners in your community, regardless of marque, and display
your cars to the general public. I guarantee you'll meet some great people.
There's no mistaking, British cars of the past are becoming more and more
special with each passing year. Partly because they represent a very
interesting and exciting time in automotive history. A time when a body design
could be scribbled on a piece of paper straight from the human brain, then
brought to life by the bare hands of a skilled panel beater without the use of
modern robotics or computers. It would truly be a shame for anyone to miss out
on the chance to learn more about these very interesting machines and how they
came into this world. To many people, these cars are a genuine work of art.
They are as much fun to drive as they are to step back and take a few moments
to appreciate their beauty. In fact, several years ago the Jaguar XKE was
entered into the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and is on permanent
display. The Jaguar was the third automobile of the history of the museum to
have this honor, and the very first to be permanently displayed there. This
would be a sign of appreciation for all British automotive designs of the past.
Very recently I had the opportunity to visit the Chicago Auto Show,
representing most of the new models for this next year. The enthusiastic crowd
hovering around the new Mini was a sure sign that old designs are very much
appreciated today. People of all ages were crawling all over the car, yearning
for the chance to sit in the drivers seat. You might say there's no
replacement for the original, but there's no mistaking that Sir Alec Issigonis'
original design is what makes the new car so enticing. Other than a few
standouts, there are no modern car designs that capture my emotions like the
British cars of the past.
The old British motoring days are still fresh in the minds of many I guess, and
maybe they're slightly taken for granted by those who have been around for a
while. But for those who have never had the chance to experience the joys of
vintage British automobile motoring, it is an opportunity that will not easily
be forgotten. The thrill of seating ones self onto a bargain sized bucket seat
and holding onto a truck sized steering wheel in the cockpit of a sporty little
car that could be purchased on Wednesday, raced at the track on Sunday, and
then driven to work on Monday is a thrill to behold. The sound of the rumbling
engine that lets you know that it is a significant part of what you are about
to do. The smell of the hot engine reminds you that something important is
taking place under the bonnet. The gages on the facia are doing things that
might disturb the casual observer, but they are all a part of a great symphony
to the seasoned British car owner. There is nothing timid about these cars,
and no one can forget they are present.
But if you're looking for a cushy ride, then you've come to the wrong place.
There is no GPS in case you get yourself lost, no electric windows in case
you're of the faint hearted, and no intermittent windscreen wipers.unless of
course you have an electrical problem. The heater always works best during the
hottest of days of the summer, and the electrics may drive you goofey if you're
not careful. Your clothes will most likely smell like exhaust, and in many
cases you may have to pull off to the side of the road, and turn off the engine
in order to listen to the radio.
But be there no mistaking that these treasured automobiles are an extremely
exciting pleasure to own and drive, and as time goes on they are becoming less
known to the common public. If it weren't for the great efforts of those who
get them out on the roads regularly every year, they would become long
forgotten by many more. Cheers to those people who keep them on the roads!
So grab your goggles and driving gloves, and be sure to top off your dashpots!
It's time to have some fun!
See you on the road....
Scott Helms
http://users.arczip.com/zntech/britishcarweek.html
Reply to: BritCarWeek@arczip.com
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