With the return to its normal spring time frame, this year’s Queen’s English car show heralded a return to normality. I arrived a few minutes after eight am to find myself at the end of a long line of cars waiting to enter the show area at Woodly Park. After checking in and receiving my goody bag I headed for the Austin Healey paddock.
With large shade trees at either end of our area we had the perfect spot for enjoying the show.
In terms of showing the marque there was a very good turnout: 11 “Big” Healeys, seven Bugeyes, and three square-body Sprites. Three Jensen- Healeys were relegated to another paddock.
Two of the cars were driven by members Peter Hutchings and Chuck Lakowski. Back in the main parking area we had Jeff Boysen, Flavio Montoro, Phil Caliva and navigator Dex Kaytis, David Thorne, Russ Thompson, Ron Fine, Greg Cosh, and me in big Healeys. Russ’ friend, Joyce Maeda, drove her Florida Green 100-6 and two non-members also had 3000’s. Members driving Sprites were Jerry and Chris Lockwood, Emil Joseph, Greg Aden, Paul Van Wig, Tim Weston, and Matt Hunter. Three bugeyes and one Spridget were driven by non-members.
Club members who drove other classics were George Merino in his Lotus, Chuck and Barbi Meng in their Triumph, and Dave Beugen in his 1953 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith estate car.
Overall, the show covered most of the same area as in past years. But, the Jaguars were down and the MG Club turnout was huge; they were spilling into other car paddocks.
There were a lot of Minis, a few Morris’, and, a fair number of Triumphs. On the other side of the entrance trail were the Rolls Royce’s, The Rovers, the Sunbeams, and the Morgans. They also had a red London double-decker, which was a big hit with the kids.
In the specialty car paddock were some one-of-a kind cars. A Singer open cockpit sporter, an HRG roadster, a Daimler two- seater sports car, and a 1952 Alvis.
After Jay Leno put in an appearance and with the temperature starting to rise in the early afternoon the cars and their drivers started their exodus. A nice gathering of friends, among beautiful British cars, under clear skies. It could be heaven!