September 2011
5 posts
Bling
This year Lillibeth earned 3 awards.
1. Best in class at VanDusen in Vancouver. Stunning me as this is one of the most prestigious shows on the west coast. It was raining like stink so I don’t think they noticed the rust in the doors.
2. Best in show at the Spectre 341. Proud of this as well because the trophy is bigger than the car, it’s gaudy and huge and 6ft tall dwarfing the car and will be the subject of jokes for years to come. The Mini stood out of the crowd of local Mustangs et al, but in the end she was again the giant killer being selected above Aston Martin and Corvette. I’ve nothing against these other cars and would probably have picked the Corvette myself so I was surprised both at the win, and the size of the trophy. As they say it’s not the size of the trophy, but the motion of the lower control arms that matters.
3. Kids choice Port Gamble. loads of fun, beautiful day lots and lots of other cars and fantastic light for photos. You can see them here http://canine.smugmug.com/Cars/Port-Gamble-Irons-11/18895171_s5cxVg
I don’t attend shows for awards, it’s fun to get them and have others share in the fun of the Mini. The experience kids get when they get in and their feet touch the pedals, or when someone passes by a Ferrari and gawks at the Mini is priceless. I’ve never made the argument that the Mini is the best car ever made, just that it was ground breaking and somehow was much more than the sum of it’s parts. It was one of those precious accidents that artists sometimes ping, and somehow makes humanity better.
Thank you Alec Issigonis for making so many people smile.
Cheers.
Off to Fort Rod hill with the Old English Car Club of Victoria for my favorite show of the year.
I’ll be blowing off the Kirkland Concourse De Elegance so I can pal around with the tweeds and crumpets. Photos to come.
