British Car Festival 2014: An Unqualified Success

Fun Ahead

The 24th annual South Alabama British Car Club's British Car Festival is in the books, and it was the club's most successful to date: 131 cars registered; 126 cars on the field, easily besting last year's record-setting car count. And the day was one that dawned cool, bright and clear - perfect for a car show.

At the conclusion of last year's British Car Festival, the show committee leaders were informed that the South Lawn site at Faulkner State Community College in Fairhope would be unavailable to the club for the event due to the planned construction of a new pavilion and walkway system. While the college regretted the disruption, it simply could not be avoided. Once again, the show was in search of a home. 

The committee heard the participants of previous shows state that they enjoyed the show site closer to the fine shopping and dining district in downtown Fairhope, Alabama. The former site of the show along the shore of Mobile Bay was pleasant, but it was remote from the downtown area. The show committee faced a formidable challenge: find a site large enough to contain the expected entrants while remaining near the desired downtown area. 

Featured Sunbeam Tigers

Several committee members were associated with the leadership of Fairhope United Methodist Church and mentioned our plight to them. After a few conversations, the club had an invitation to conduct the show on the lovely campus of the church. And as a bonus, it is located just one block south of the Faulkner campus site- still close to the downtown area that the show participants enjoy so much. Once the site was confirmed, committee volunteers were solicited and planning began in earnest.   

Big Healeys a Crowd Favorite

The show committee was made up of volunteers who had served in positions on previous shows along with some newcomers wanting to help out. The experienced show committee chairs set to work with their groups to prepare for the day.

Late MGBs

First and foremost, the field layout required some professional help and we got it in the form of club member and civil engineer, Fletcher Thompson. Fletcher measured the site's various parking areas and drew up detailed drawings showing the committee how many cars could be parked in a given area. His professional opinion said we had room for 141 cars.

Now we needed to get the word out to public at large and SABCC'er Myra Evans worked with local media to make sure that our event was on the calendars of the many newspapers and magazines that serve the Mobile and Baldwin County area of south Alabama.

Registration is the most crucial part of the event and the committee ably lead by charter member Jack Ross kept the records correct for those pre-registered for the event and for those who chose to register on site. Registration is a daunting responsibility, and this year's field was set with little delay. 

TR6s in Attendance

Of course, it's always fun to win a drawing for something and door prizes have become a tradition of the show. Robb Ogletree worked with the club's membership to obtain a number of interesting gifts that were drawn for during the show. 

Another tradition is the souvenir photo taken at the field entrance. David Turnipseed once again volunteered to shoot photos of the cars as they arrived. Since photos don't print themselves, Ron

The High Rent District

Wolverton played runner to the print shop and then organized their distribution to the participants.

Becky Kramer stepped up to manage the sale of the event souvenir T-shirts along with a committee of able volunteers. 

Every event needs a "fixer"and SABCC's is in the form of Dick Bishop. Dick became the club's representative to city officials and the neighbors that surround the normally-quiet church campus. Of course,

Title Sponsor MINI of Pensacola's Display

Dick was supported by a number of volunteers that assisted him in his tasks. 

If it's a car club event we will be eating and Frank Stabler raised his hand to take on the role organizing the day's cookout menu. Burgers, ribs and sides were available for purchase by the hungry show attendees. About a half dozen SABCC'ers worked all day cooking, serving,cleaning or making supply runs. Those who purchased lunch at the show were highly complimentary of the food.

Good Food Here

The show committee was stunned by both the number and quality of the cars on the show field this year. Several pre-war vehicles were on display which, for this show, is unusual.  It was a real delight to welcome no fewer than six Sunbeam Tigers- this year's  honored car in observance of its 50th  anniversary. Reflecting their popularity with American drivers, Triumphs and MGs were out in force, making up almost 50% of the total cars registered.

Lovely MGAs

Jaguar, too, was well represented with a couple new classes dedicated to the luxury performance marque. For the first time in several years, modern MINIs were numerous on the show field. The show included representatives of nearly all MINI models sold today.

If unusual is more to your liking, we had a Caterham 7, Morgan Aero 8 and a Bentley Continental to name but a few. 

Modern MINIs on the Field

There was a constant stream of visitors walking through the show area and the car owners were there to answer questions and perhaps listen to a couple of  "I had one like that..." stories. Most gratifying was the large number of young people who toured the site. Some of them found the cars on display fascinating. One young teen was overheard asking, "What's a Sunbeam car, dad? I've never heard of it." Speaking of young people, SABCC's highly creative Don Pritchett devised a Kid's Choice prize that was determined by the number of votes cast by kids visiting the show. The award went to the Caterham 7.

Pre-War MG M-Type

The afternoon sun was still high when the awards for the popular choice balloting were presented. Delighted owners were given a trophy in the form of a heavy glass double photo frame where a place placard and the souvenir photo can be displayed. These unique trophies have been an SABCC signature item for a number of years.

After the awards ceremony, goodbyes and promises of getting together again soon were passed around by the participants. This was the signal for the tired but happy SABCC team to start cleaning up the area and packing away the show equipment until it is needed next year. 

It cannot be said strongly enough that without the unselfish volunteers that step up to own a task this event could not be possible. I ask you to think of it this way: While others all around are relaxing and enjoying the events of the day, these generous people willingly miss out just to make sure that the show participants are able to have a great time. From the guys in yellow vests directing cars to their spot to those who made sure that there was a pot of coffee on, we as club members and show entrants owe them a debt of gratitude.

Thank you for making our day so successful!     

Check back for links to the winners list and more photo albums. 

British Car Festival Preparations Going Strong

"Goodies" Laid Out for the Bag Stuffing

In any organization, the strength of the group lies within those who unselfishly offer their time and efforts in achieving the goals set. South Alabama British Car Club's British Car Festival is one of those events that runs solely on support of its members who volunteer.

A Stool on the Assembly Line?

At the event this coming Saturday, October 25, you'll see many people doing tasks that they raised their hand to assume, but keep in mind that for every hour that the show runs, many more hours were spent in planning and performing tasks in preparation for the day. Dozens of SABCC'ers rounded up door prizes, solicited class sponsors, arranged printing or worked to obtain publicity. Tonight was one event that supports THE event.

The club has always put together a hospitality bag of items of interest to visitors in our area and classic car enthusiasts in particular. Members contact business that they patronize to seek donations of small gift items or brochures that show participants would find interesting. And then the time comes to actually get the items in the bags. What better way than to call it a party and invite members to help?

Not Up to Henry Ford's Standards

This evening, about 20 members of the club got together in the spacious garage at the home of Richard and Donna Cunningham in Daphne, Alabama to assemble the guest bags. Folding tables were arranged in a line and the items to be stuffed were laid out. After a couple of announcements (and several stops at the snack table), the line workers stepped up to their stations and the empty bags started their trip up one side of the row of tables, then across to the other side and back down to the end where they were boxed up. 

During the proceedings, conversation about the upcoming show, British cars and inquiries about family took place while the "goodies" were loaded in the bags. Eventually, good natured ribbing about a co-worker's work ethic or filling technique broke out to much laughter all around. With friends and fellow enthusiasts, a task like this is never "work". 

British Car Festival 2014 is on track to absolutely smash all previous participation records. The club is truly excited and looks forward to a fine event.  

British Car Festival 24 is Upon Us

Yes, indeed it is October and the South Alabama British Car Club's biggest event is just a few short weeks away. This year's show committee has worked harder then ever to make sure that the show participants have a great time. 

Third-gen MINI Cooper S

As you may have read earlier in this humble blog, BCF 2014 is moving to a new venue due to planned (but ultimately delayed) construction at our usual  Faulkner State Community College campus in downtown Fairhope, Alabama. Instead, we will be just one block south at the campus of Fairhope United Methodist Church. Last year's show attendees who made it to the Friday night welcome party will remember it as the venue for that evening event. SABCC is indeed grateful for Fairhope UMC's invitation to conduct this year's show on their lovely, tree shaded campus.

Jim O'Brien's Sunbeam Tiger at BCF 2013

Again, our friends at MINI of Pensacola will be displaying the new third-generation MINI hatch and other examples of the growing product line. The MINI folks will also have some cool swag on sale at their featured display area on the field. 

Do You Remember These Guys?

The show will feature the Sunbeam Tiger in observance of the 50th anniversary of this Anglo-American hybrid (designed before hybrid meant electricity is involved somewhere) that was developed by Carroll Shelby. In fact ALL Rootes Group marques will be honored and their owners will receive some special treats on the day of the show.

Where were YOU when the Beatles made their American debut? We'll also be remembering the start of the "British Invasion" in American pop music. We'll have some background music during the day that will certainly get you singing along with the best of Britain. 

Here is a calendar of events and details associated with the 24th annual British Car Festival:.

Friday Evening Welcome Party 7:00PM at the Abundant Life Center building at Fairhope United Methodist Church 155 South Section Street in Fairhope. Meet fellow British car enthusiasts and enjoy some great homemade goodies courtesy of SABCC member families.  

British Car Festival 2014 9:00AM at the campus of  Fairhope United Methodist Church in downtown Fairhope, Alabama. Day of show registration closes at noon and popular choice ballots will handed out shortly thereafter. Balloting will close at 2:00PM and awards will be begin at 3:30PM

To allow you to park your car quickly and with the least delay, we urge you to pre-register. You can print a form here and mail it in.

We look forward to seeing you at the 24th Annual British Car Festival. Stay tuned for news about next year's show, too - our 25th anniversary year event!

BCF 2014 Show Artwork and Theme

It is my pleasure to unveil the official artwork for the South Alabama British Car Club's 24th Annual British Car Festival Supported by MINI of Pensacola.

As you can see, the club is celebrating the half-century anniversary of the Sunbeam Tiger, that Ford V8 powered sports car from the pre-Chrysler Rootes Group. Last year's Festival drew an impressive six Tigers and we hope to top that number this year with a few tasty incentives for ALL Rootes Group cars on display.

2014 also marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the British Invasion with the arrival of The Beatles on American soil. 

The show committee is working hard to make this our best show ever.

Hemmings Motor News Reports on BCF 2013

The May 2014 issue of Hemmings Motor News carried an article featuring the 2013 British Car Festival. The two-page spread included a write up by Executive Editor Richard Lentinello and numerous photos from the event.

Details in the article about the community of Fairhope, past cars shown at the event and dates for the 2014 event were included as well. I recommend that you purchase a copy from your favorite bookstore or newsstand, but if you can't wait, the nice folks from Hemmings have an excerpt from the feature that you can browse here.

British Car Festival 2014 Venue Change

After three successful years on the South Lawn of Faulkner State Community College in downtown Fairhope, 2014's British Car Festival is on the move. 

Last year Dr. John L. Borum, the college's chancellor shared the plans for development of the South Lawn. He told show officials that the school was to build a pavilion, restrooms and an attractive wall around the perimeter of the field. He stressed that he was doing his best to schedule the construction so that the festival would not be affected. It turns out that circumstances will not allow the site to be finished in time for the show. 

Site committee members reacted quickly and approached Fairhope United Methodist Church - the site of last year's Friday evening welcome party - about moving the show to their lovely church campus. The church leadership graciously agreed and British Car Festival has a site directly across the street from the college venue. 


View Larger Map

The church site is shaded by old-growth oak trees and the show site is a mixture of well-maintained asphalt and fine gravel. There is a gourmet class barbeque pit near the site as well as restrooms and a dining hall open to the event. It is one block further south from downtown Fairhope so access to the shops and galleries will be just as convenient. 

SABCC is looking forward to another fine British Car Festival on October 25th as we celebrate the musical "British Invasion" of 1964 and the fiftieth anniversary of the introduction of Sunbeam's V8 powered Tiger.

 

A partial view of the show site- Click for a larger image

BCF 2013 in Classic & Sports Car Magazine

C&SC February 2014

The February 2014 edition of the U.K.'s Classic & Sports Car magazine has devoted about half a page to SABCC's 2013 British Car Festival. The article includes three photos of select cars at the festival and several paragraphs describing the record-setting event. Some of you may recall a C&SC blog post from last November highlighting the show as well.

The February 2014 issue of Classic & Sports Car is just now hitting newstands here in the U.S.   

British Car Festival 2013: One for the History Books

The twenty-third edition of the South Alabama British Car Club's British Car Festival was the most successful show in the history of the event. One hundred nineteen British cars, motorcycles and commercial conveyances hit the show field under skies that chambers of commerce the world over would almost kill for. Coming from as far away as Arlington, Texas, the participants brought an unequaled variety of classic and modern British-built vehicles. 

Triumph TRs

Kicking off the event, the traditional Friday evening welcome party brought both local and out of town participants together for a delicious barbeque meal with door prizes, announcements and a running slide show of past Festivals on the big screen.

 
Last year, the Friday welcome party officially outgrew its traditional venue of an old one-room schoolhouse that sits on the Faulkner State Community College campus in downtown Fairhope, Alabama - the site of the show field. This year the welcome party was moved to an adjacent building on the nearby Fairhope United Methodist Church campus. The spacious Christian Life Center gave us plenty of room to spread out and converse with our guests.

A Portion of the Field

The Friday Welcome committee volunteers went above and beyond the call with a beautifully decorated room and drop dead delicious food. Plates of smoked Boston butt along with traditional side dishes were served to the hungry crowd. And to top it off, the club's signature homemade desserts covered a table of their own. 

An Armstrong-Siddlely Star Sapphire

It was only reluctantly that the gathered British car enthusiasts dispersed to get a restful night's sleep (or continue the party) before the show the next day.

Your humble blogger left his faithful Mini in the Fairhope Municipal Parking Garage after the welcome party so a Saturday morning multi-car shuffle was unneeded. Arriving in downtown Fairhope Saturday morning in my trusty MGB along with my brother Alan in his MGB, we were greeted with an astounding array of British cars parked all over the small town. Some were checking out of hotels while others found convenient parking for a Southern breakfast at one of the restaurants in town. We were thrilled to see a light blue MGA roadster parked next to a papaya Mclaren MC4-12C next to a Damask red MGB on the village streets. We knew that the day was going to be special, indeed.

A Few of the Many TRs Present

Arriving at the South Lawn of the Faulkner State campus, we saw the SABCC parking committee decked out in high visibility vests with the club's logo stenciled on them. The registration committee thought well ahead and had two lines for the entrants- one for preregistered cars and one for those who wished to register that morning. We were issued with hospitality bags that contained an assortment of sponsor-related goodies such as pens, fliers, keychains and a package of peanut butter crackers to stave off hunger until the day's grilled lunch was ready for purchase.

The entrants were directed to a spot where a souvenir photo was made with several young ladies decked out in antebellum costumes as a background. The photos made would later serve as the basis of the personalized trophy provided to class winners. The entrants were then directed to their assigned row on the show field and parked in precisely the spot laid out by the parking committee.

A Triumph Roadster

The number of cars on the field continued to grow until the noon cutoff time was reached. A total of 119 cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles dotted the South Lawn site.

Fairhope merchants designated the day "Trick or Treat in Downtown Fairhope" so a large number of youngsters in Halloween costumes were seen roaming the site with parents in tow. It was a pleasure to chat with more than a few teenagers who asked questions  about the cars on the field. Some were surprisingly knowledgeable while others may have seen a Triumph for the first time.

Three of the Six Tigers Present

Mclaren MP4-12C

Speaking of Triumph, the show's theme was "Celebrating 60 Years of Triumph TR". The day was meant to showcase all things TR and the TRs came out in force. While there were no TR2s on the field, the event welcomed no fewer than three Triumph TR 250s - the rare, North America only model that was sold in the rest of the world as the TR 5. The TRs were rounded out by TR3s, TR4s, a bevy of TR6s and a TR7 and TR8. Triumph owners were provided with a special discount coupon that they could use to purchase a grilled dinner from the barbeque set up on the field. 

The food committee volunteers took care of everything from obtaining the trailer mounted grill to selling the meals and drinks to go with them. The tables set up for lunch were in use almost constantly. Announcements of the available lunch were unneeded as the aroma of the grill wafted over the area making mouths water. 

One of the many artists that call Fairhope home is Ron Thomson. Ron is a respected artist and art teacher and his work can be found in several galleries in the area. Ron set up his easel on the show field and completed a study of a TR3 during the day. Several show participants discussed commissions with Ron.  

MG Midget 1500

Shortly after 12 noon, the popular choice ballots were distributed and the voting began. Show entrants could be seen walking the lines of cars, ballot books in hand, voting for their favorites. 

A Few of the MGBs Registered

Once the balloting portion was closed, the ballots were counted while the show entrants moved their lawn chairs close to the headquarters tent for the best spot to view the awards ceremony. Announcements regarding future Gulf Coast British car shows were made prior to the awards presentation. 

The class winners were presented with a photo frame that will receive a placard with the winner's details and photo of the winning car by mail. Special awards such as the Chancellor's Choice, People's Choice and Ladies Choice were engraved plaques with the club's logo and award title. Special awards like Hard Luck and Long Distance were created in whimsical 3D trophies for the day.

As the sun began its descent in the western sky, the field began to clear with participants going home or spending another night in the arts village on Mobile Bay.

Events like this do not happen without much planning and hard work by many people. The South Alabama British Car Club is indeed fortunate to have so many enthusiastic volunteers that work so hard to bring an event like this into being. Nothing, absolutely nothing, came about without the efforts of those who unselfishly stepped forward and raised their hands. On behalf of those of us who enjoyed the day so very much - thank you for such a fine event. 

And to those who entered their fabulous British vehicles- thank you for participating. SABCC hopes to see you again soon.

All photos by Mason Blosser. More photos by Mason can be seen here.  Photos of the day by Robb Ogletree can be seen here. A complete list of class winners can be found here.

It's Ice Cream and British Cars. And Ice Cream

Ice cream. With friends. Lots of friends.

And that is the secret recipe for the annual South Alabama British Car Club ice cream social that has become such a high point on the club’s activity calendar.  Once again, SABCC, the Panhandle British Car Association and the Mardi Gras MGs gathered at the home of Richard and Donna Cunningham on Saturday, October 5^th.

Donna worked for several months to make around 8 gallons of homemade ice cream in various flavors knowing that the “aging” process in a freezer adds much to the flavor of the finished product.  While most people enjoy ice cream of any kind, the true aficionados know that homemade is the only way to go.

 

Since the Daphne, Alabama Civic Center was already booked, we met in the second largest space in Baldwin County – the famed Garagemahal on the Cunningham’s property. Actually, the spacious, climate controlled garage building has been the site of numerous SABCC events, including tech sessions, movie nights and committee meetings. Richard and Donna did a top to bottom cleaning prior to setting up the tables and chairs for the event. Other than a few classic British cars in various states of assembly, one would hardly know it was a working garage.

At the appointed hour, rumbles of 4, 6, 8 and 12 cylinder British cars were heard on the driveway. With special parking privileges, the Brits gathered under old pecan trees just steps away from the frozen goodness.

After the gathered folks had time to visit and catch up on each other’s news, various announcements were made and the lids came off the ice cream. The lined moved quickly with the guests spoiled for choice among the many ice cream flavors and various toppings brought to the event by SABCC’ers.

 

After second and possibly third helpings were dispatched, the conversations began anew with a few gathering to watch an Indycar race or to try their hand on the Gran Turismo driving simulator set up in a corner of the garage.

As with all good times, this one too came to an end with attendees reluctantly leaving  but with promises made to meet again at the upcoming British Car Festival in Fairhope, Alabama on October 26^th.

As always the club is grateful for the hospitality shown by the Cunninghams. 

All photos by Donna Cunningham - Click for larger images

Mugs & Motors - Spodie-Odie Edition

SABCC's own NEWSLETTER editor, Robb Ogletree arranged the monthly club activity for September in the form of a tour and wine tasting at Pedido Vineyards, Alabama's oldest winery. 

As we are known to do, we included a Mugs & Motors gathering at a purveyor of coffee and breakfast treats convenient to the destination. We chose the Panera Bread location in Spanish Fort as an ideal meeting point since they (A) had coffee and (B) had breakfast goodies along with lots of table tops for us to gather around. 

The weather was a bit unpredictable with calls for the rain chance to be around 30% for the day. An overcast sky also added to the mix meant that the number of British cars making the event was a bit low, but we had quality over quantity for sure.

Robb found out at the last minute that he was going to be scheduled to work and had to bow out, but his better half, Elisabeth, graciously stepped in to be the organizer for the day. Oh, by the way, she was also piloting Robb's lovely MGA, so the duty had its rewards, too.

We welcomed around 20 SABCC'ers to the Mugs & Motors portion of the day, with a few particpants begging off the trip to Perdido Vineyards do to other errands and commitments for the day. I think a few were a bit concerned that they may not be home in time to watch a certain college football team play their second game of the season. 

As always, we enjoyed the company of our fellow British car enthusiasts while we had breakfast. There is never a quiet moment when we get the gang together and we had no shortage of story sharing. 

A few of the wines available

Promptly at 9:00AM (as advertised), Elisabeth rounded up the crew going on the 30-or-so mile drive to Perdido, Alabama and got them out the door an into their cars. We bid adieu to our compatriots who chose the pass on the trip. Although she came equipped with a map, Elisabeth agreed that I could lead the pack since I knew most of the roads. We set out and within twenty minutes, we were experiencing the 30% chance of rain that had been predicted. Jack and Linda Ross in an E-Type roadster, Sam and Sandy Walter in their TR4 and Elisabeth and her guest in the MGA both got a bit damp, but there was not enough rain to summon the required Boy Scout troop to raise the folding tops.

Some of those at the tasting

We pressed on northwards to and through the Baldwin County seat of Bay Minette and on up US Highway 31 where we peeled off for Perdido. A short ride through some back roads brought us to our destination.

Since most of us had not been to Perdido Vineyards, we didn't know what to expect.

Their logo would lead one to believe that there would be an arched building with a couple wings on either side. One would be wrong to believe that, however. The facility was quite basic with a couple of concrete block buildings serving as the winery operation.

Jim Eddins

As we parked, were greeted by two very friendly staff members who showed around the site and set up chairs for the wine tasting that would take place. Once we were comfortably seated, we were introduced to Jim Eddins, owner, winemaker, raconteur - basically a force of nature. Jim launched into the story of his struggle against those in government that worked to to prevent him from obtaining his dream of making wine from Alabama's native grape, the muscadine, in the early 1970s. He relished in relating how he outmaneuvered the state's Alcohol Control Board to obtain Alabama Winery License number 1. 

As Jim spoke to our group, the staff members quietly poured samples of the of the wines set our for us. We sampled very sweet muscadine wines, wines from blends of fruits grown in the area and one wine named Bodega Mauvilla - a thirty-year-old muscadine wine that reminded more than one of the samplers of Jagermeister.

Lined up for wine

We sampled white and red muscadine grape juice and their selection of award-winning (yes, apparently there are awards) vinegars. The vinegars, sold under the name of Casa Perdido, include products derived from cucumber wine, blueberry wine, apple wine and white muscadine wine. 

A number of SABCC'ers took the opportunity to buy supplies of both the wines and vinegars in the shop attached to the winery. 

We sincerely thank the kind people of Perdido Vineyards for their hospitality and Robb Ogletree for planning the day.      

Click the photos for larger images