Rolls-Royce Owners` Club • Texas Region Newsletter • September

Transcription

Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club • Texas Region Newsletter • September–October 2011
Newly elected RROC President Sneed Adams cleans up
the Continental Flying Spur in preparation for judging at
this year’s RROC National Meet at Lake Tahoe.
SERVICE AS GENUINE
AS THE PARTS WE USE.
Bentley Dallas is proud to use only Crewe Genuine Parts.
5300 Lemmon Avenue . Dallas, TX 75209 . Main: 214.849.5300 . Toll-Free: 800.336.7073
www.parkplacetexas.com
©2007 Bentley Dallas
So, if you would like to host a holiday
party in your area of the state for the
Texas Region, just contact a club officer
and let’s get it arranged.
Mark your calendars. Coming up in
Spring 2012, we have our own Lone
Star Lady Editor, Steve Krazer, along
with Texas Region member Bruce Bixby
hosting the Texas Region Spring Meet
in Abilene TX, April 12-15. Steve and
Bruce have got lots planned to make sure
we have a grand adventure in Abilene.
Texas Region
Officers Directors
&
Chairman: Phillip Reese
P.O. Box 1705 • Austin, TX 78767-1705
512-291-1428 • e-mail: [email protected]
Secretary: Sharon Galvan
8302 Forest Gate Dr. • Sugar Land, TX 77479
Treasurer: Vernon Frost
P.O. Box 1848 • Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Activities Chairman: Elaine Krazer
11273 Beeville Drive • Frisco, TX 75035
Membership: Sneed Adams
22906 Silent Spring Creek Ct. • Katy, TX 77450
Chief Judge: Tim Myrick
3411 Homer Street • Dallas 75206
Technical Chairman: Dale Clark
23855 Northcrest Trail • New Caney 77357
Directors:
Exp. 12/31/11: Al Briseno
10205 Oasis Dr., Suite 320 • San Antonio, TX 78216
Exp. 12/31/12: Cathie Mouton
1860 I-10 South • Beaumont, TX 77707
Exp. 12/31/13: John Lovick
160 Bent Trail Dr. • Southlake, TX 76092
Editor: Steve Krazer
3026 Ricsan Road • Abilene 79605 • 325-677-7755
Fax: 325-670-0566 • e-mail: [email protected]
In Memory of our Chairman Emeritus:
Everett C. Pauls, 1916-1999
RROC National: 191 Hempt Road,
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 • 800-TRY-RROC
The Lone Star Lady is published bimonthly by the Texas Region of the RollsRoyce Owners’ Club. The Texas Region is under the control of the Rolls-Royce
Owners’ Club.
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The Lone Star Lady endeavors to publish accurate information. The region,
its editors and officers assume no responsibility in the event of loss or damage
arising from any information contained therein. Statements attributed to
individuals do not reflect the official policy and position of the Rolls-Royce
Owners’ Club or the Texas Region.
Please direct any address changes to:
RROC National
191 Hempt Road • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
I am ready for Fall, how
about you? Here in Austin
we have finally had a few
days that it did not make
it to 100 and the morning
temperatures have been
pleasant with lows in the 70s.
It is time to get our Rolls-Royces and
Bentleys out and to drive them on, at
least, a weekly basis if not more often.
The annual Fall Tech Seminar is right
around the corner and a perfect reason
to get your Rolls-Royce or Bentley on
the road to Austin, where you can get
it checked over to be sure everything
is working properly. This year, the
mechanics will also have a classroom
session on a subject most, if not all,
members will find interesting. Further
information about the Fall Tech Seminar,
along with a registration form, is
included in this Lone Star Lady. Please
register early and don’t forget to make
your hotel reservations.
Further down the road, but not too far,
Texas Region member Al Briseno, is
hosting the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club
National Annual Meet in San Antonio in
April 2013. Al is going to need each and
every Texas Region member’s help to be
able to accomplish this task.
We need to step up and show the
rest of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club
membership from around the world what
we mean by Texas Hospitality!
I hope to see you soon.
Get your Rolls-Royce and/or Bentley out
and drive it.
Take care and enjoy,
Phillip Reese
Texas Region Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club
Chairman
Those of you who were able to make the
trip to Colorado to attend Texas Region
members John and Marcy Lovick’s
National Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club Fall
Tour got an early taste of Fall. I am sure
that the tour was very well organized and
that at each and every stop Marcy and
John pulled out all the stops in terms of
hospitality! Thank you John and Marcy
for all you do for the Texas Region as well
as the National club. You are appreciated!
Also contained in this Lone Star Lady is
the 2012 ballot for your board. Please
follow the instructions on the ballot to
complete it and then return it by, if not
before, the deadline so that your vote can
be counted.
Please don’t forget about hosting a Texas
Region event. As you well know, the
holiday season is right around the corner.
September – October 2011 • The Lone Star Lady
3
southwest of Austin. The first stop will be
for wine tasting at one of the renowned
local wineries.
Then, the ladies will have lunch at
Trattoria Lisina, the restaurant created
and owned by Chef Mandola who started
the Carrabba’s restaurants. After lunch,
they will stop and tour another winery
before being driven back to the host
hotel.
Register NOW to join fellow
RROC club members in Austin
for the annual Texas Region
Fall Tech Seminar.
After making the journey to Austin
through Friday traffic, everyone
attending the Fall Tech Seminar weekend
will enjoy not leaving the comfort of the
host hotel (Homewood Suites) for dinner
Friday evening. We are going to continue
the tradition of having a catered meal in
the hotel lobby again this year. We are
breaking with tradition by not having
barbecue this time. This meal is included
in your per-person registration price.
Rolls-Royce and/or Bentley diagnosed/
inspected. Repairs will be made only
if the fix is simple and the tools/parts
are available. This will be a unique
opportunity for all of us to learn from
each other, the mechanics and from the
experience.
Classroom Session
Our two expert mechanics are also
working on a classroom session that will
take place at the host garage. The subject
will cover a topic that most of us can
relate to in terms of our Rolls-Royces and
Bentleys.
We are going back to having two
Rolls-Royce and Bentley mechanics
on hand this year:
• Simon Curzon, owner and chief
mechanic of Zenith Motor Co. in
Independence, MO, will be here to go
over our Rolls-Royces and Bentleys.
Simon is the son of National RROC
technical specialist Ralph Curzon.
• Matt Garrett (previously with Bentley
Dallas and who now has his own shop
called Precision Autoworks) will be here
from Dallas.
Door Prizes
Thanks to a member in the Houston
area, the Texas Region was given several
out-of-print Rolls-Royce and Bentley
books and other publications relating to
our cars. These materials will be prizes
given away in drawings held throughout
the Fall Tech Seminar weekend. Don’t
forget to register.
Even if you are not mechanically
inclined, there are plenty of
opportunities to socialize with club
members. We start out Friday evening
having dinner together. There are
always members to visit with during
the Fall Tech Seminar, whether at the
garage, hotel or during meals. We also
go to dinner as a group on Saturday
evening, and then we finish up with
lunch on Sunday together.
Given this amount of expertise in one
place, we should have all our RollsRoyces and Bentleys covered, from prewar, early post-war, the Cloud/S series,
Shadow/T, Phantom/GT/Flying Spur to
the Ghost/Mulsanne.
The host garage for the Fall Tech Seminar
will be John Eagle European’s Bentley
Austin/Rolls-Royce of Austin, the same as
last year. We will have access to two lifts.
We will have lunch brought in to the
garage on Saturday.
Club Technical Chairman Dale Clark
will coordinate with those of you
registered to attend so that you will
know what tools you should bring to the
seminar. Dale will also see about getting
some of the major tools for us to use for
the seminar.
Ladies’ Event
Club Director Cathie Mouton has been
busy working on ideas for what the ladies
will be involved in during the Fall Tech
Seminar while the rest of us are at the
garage.
The main focus of the Fall Tech Seminar
will be for members to have their
This year, the ladies will depart the host
hotel in a chauffeur driven limousine for
a scenic drive to the Texas Hill Country
4 The Lone Star Lady • September – October 2011
Homewood Suites continues to be our
host hotel. Each room is a suite and the
rate includes an expanded breakfast.
Homewood Suites also cordones off part
of the parking lot for our cars only. They
also put out hoses and towels for anyone
wanting to clean their car. The club will
provide an off-duty Austin police officer
to watch over our cars the two nights we
are there.
Please consider attending the Fall Tech
Seminar this year, whether it is your
first time or your 10th, or if it has been
a while since you’ve been. We’ve come a
long, long way from earlier times at the
Stagecoach Inn in Salado TX, when we
had to get down on the cement to get
under the cars!
The registration form and hotel
reservation information are contained in
this Lone Star Lady.
by Jim Powell
Aoutsahascouplebeendaysmy prior
pattern the last few years, I usually carve
to the Fall Tech meet and stop by
the Rocking ‘W’ Ranch next to Ft. Hood on my way to
Austin. Each year I look forward to spending two days
visiting Nockey and Flo Willett and helping out with the
latest project on their 1934 Hooper bodied 20/25 HP
(Hilda). Anyone who owns or has owned a pre-war car
knows there is always a project or two but of course this is
all part of the fun in having one. Nockey has a spacious
shop with excellent lighting and ample tooling to not only
handle the maintenance needs of running a ranch but also
the occasional challenge of a car hobby. While most of
us have what appears to be a rather large car stuffed into
an almost adequate garage leaving a minimum amount of
space for tools, Hilda appears to be the size of a Morgan in
this shop because of the enormous work areas on all sides.
had heard woodworking was one of Ralph’s talents
and because he is not 6’ or more taller, he could easily
stand and move around inside the Hooper limousine. I
volunteered quickly to be the apprentice. We removed
the weak pieces and he would take his measurements and
then make a beeline for the big band saw in the corner.
“Measure twice, cut once!” Watching someone with years
of experience was amazing. Several pieces were tricky to
anchor but with one holding and the other drilling first
and then putting the screws in, the work went smoothly.
Under the careful eye of Nockey, I tackled the last remaining wiring issues running new wires for the interior lights.
The ends were twisted tightly and then tinned before
wrapping around screw terminals and tightened. We built
a brace to hold the coil of wire for the intercom. After
supper it was time for relaxing and visiting. As you can
imagine between Ralph and Nockey there was no shortage
of life stories and all of them were interesting. We talked
cars, shops, woodworking and job experiences until late
that evening when it was time to turn in. The next morning Flo had a hearty breakfast ready and then it was back
to the shop. Since we made great progress the day before,
this day was very relaxed and we looked after organizing a
few things around the shop and collected bits and pieces
of things for the paint and interior work. We installed
the small coil of wire for the intercom and Ralph checked
some of the prior wood repairs for fit and soundness. This
allowed plenty of time for more stories and visiting. Another day passed and it was again bedtime before we knew
it. Friday morning we put floorboards back in Hilda,
tied off some of the dangling wires and straightened up
the shop a bit before lunch. Hilda was now ready for the
paint shop and then it was time to head to Austin.
Everytime I visit with Nockey and Flo I feel like I learn so
much. This trip was even more fun and educational with
Ralph. Not only did he really enjoy the work but also the
opportunity to share and help another member. Each one
learned from the other and I learned I had a lot more to
learn to ever catch up with them rascals! They showed me
again this club is not just about the cars but there are some
amazing people drawn together by a common interest in
some uncommon motorcars.
In preparing for the 2010 Tech Meet I learned of an
interesting opportunity. Steve Krazer planned to attend
and his dad, Ralph Krazer, was visiting in the Dallas area.
David, his brother, was not attending due to conflicts
with his work schedule. Steve was on a business trip in
the Fredericksburg area and wasn’t really looking forward
to driving to Dallas to pick up Ralph and then back to
Austin. I offered to bring Ralph to the meet if he didn’t
mind stopping by Nockey’s enroute with the warning
he might get his hands dirty. Ralph liked the idea and
final plans were made. On departure day David brought
Ralph to a weekly breakfast I attend with friends and after
a sufficient quantity of pancakes and coffee we left for the
Rocking ‘W’.
Ralph is quite interesting having accumulated over 90
years of practical experience. Lively discussions bounced
from mining equipment and blasting to military life to
automotive history and other topics turning a three hour
drive into a few minutes. Our hosts were ready for our arrival and after a quick lunch the shop was waiting and we
were anxious to get busy. Hilda was in the final stages of
preparation for a complete paint job. Nockey and others
had been getting wiring ready and replacing weakened or
rotting wood pieces but there were a few left to tackle. I
5
As told to Steve Krazer by the
resident Tahoe Native American
“Black Bear de le Tahoe” - aka
The Bear who tiptoes on PMCs.
Squaw Creek Resort at Lake Tahoe
was the venue for the 60th Annual
Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club National
Meet. It was a spectacular success.
We were blessed with unbelievably
fantastic weather with morning temperatures in the mid 30s and easing
up to mid 70s by 2PM. There were
686 Members and guests registered.
Texas was well represented with 21
Members.
Our appreciation and thanks go to
Barbara Kilburn and Helen Heath
of the Northern California Region
for organizing a terrific Meet. The
breakfast runs during the cool mornings around the exceptionally photogenic lake were outstanding and refreshing.
Other than a few bear tracks on the hoods
of a couple of cars and a low altitude bomb
ing run by the Canadian Geese I believe the
cars enjoyed the meet as much as we did.
The Bear Story - in abbreviated form
of course. The parking lot at the Squaw
the parking lot were likewise having a
snooze, the bears visited to collect any delectable scraps of goodies discarded by the
car owners during the day. The best vantage points for overlooking the area were
the bonnets of the nice cars parked neatly
in the yard. A few minor scratches and
lots of muddy bear paw prints remained to
entertain the owners the following morning. There were a few cases of some frantic
polishing and washing a couple of mornings.
The two Texas cars entered for judging
scored 1st in class. Morris Franklin’s 1924
Silver Ghost and the Adams’ 2006
Continental Flying Spur. The judging field with the mountain vistas in
the background beheld a stupendous
display of 130 outstanding cars.
Gil Fuqua has completed his tenure
as President. The Club owes a great
deal of appreciation to Gil for his
leadership over the past two years.
The new Officers and Board assumed their roles during the Meet.
Creek Resort was surrounded by woodlands which are home to a wide variety
of nature’s best. Each night long after the
guests were sound asleep and the guards in
New Officers are:
President - Sneed Adams (TX)
Vice President and Chair of Activities Committee - Dick Tilden (OR)
Secretary & Chair of Bylaws,
Policy & Procedure Committee Cortes Pauls (VA)
Treasurer and Chair of the Budget and
Finance Committee - John Matsen (NJ )
(Left): Morris Franklin’s 1924 Silver Ghost; (Center): the Adams’ 2006 Continental Flying Spur; (Right): John Sweney welcomes cool temperatures with open arms; (Below): Anne and Sneed Adams demonstrate the use of the original horsepower.
The following committee members
were appointed:
Sue Brooks (VA) Chair of the Membership
Committee
Bob Leonard (PA) - Chair of the Regions
and Societies Committee
Bill Vatter (GA) - Chair of the Technical
Support Committee
Richard Vaughn (MI) – Chair of the Communications Committee
John Rich (IN) - Chair of the Judging Committee
Marty Leavitt (MI) – Chair of the Legal
Committee
Past President Gil Fuqua (TN) – Chair of
the Nominating Committee.
Al and Lettie Briseno were present and taking copious notes preparing to best Tahoe’s
show with ours in San Antonio in 2013.
The Texas Region will put on a great event.
There is no question that we will energize
the volunteer spirit and create a Texas-sized
event. ¡Viva San Antonio!
I wish to express my appreciation to the
Members of the Texas Region for their
fantastic support over the past years. I am
proud to be the 2nd Texan to be President
of the RROC. This could not have been
achieved without your kind endorsement.
I thank you. Sneed Adams
7
Photos (left to right): Bright purple Rolls-Royce Phantom Drop Head showing the Lalique Spirit of Ecstasy. The engine bay contained the
signatures of everyone who helped create the car; Aston Martin DB S that was used in the James Bond movie “Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” Home
Base while attending Quail; Hot Rod made to look like a Derby 4 1/4 litre Bentley. Below: Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost and a RollsRoyce Phantom I Boat tail.
back to my rental car and headed to Monterey to
check into my hotel.
Part 1– By Phillip Reese
IPebble
have been to the Monterey area in California where
Beach is located, but have never attended the
Concours.
I thought that if I was going to attend the Pebble
Beach Concours (PBC), it would be great to know
someone showing a car.
Thursday, Aug. 18
The next day, I drove to Carmel-by-the-Sea in time
to see the PBC cars that chose to drive in the Pebble
Beach Tour d’Elegance arrive and park on Ocean
Ave in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea (it is not a
requirement for the PBC cars to drive the tour). What
a sight to see all of these elegant automobiles driving
Texas Region members Dan and Cathie
Mouton were invited to show their 1931 RollsRoyce Phantom II Brewster Croydon drophead
coupe at the Pebble Beach Concours this year.
So, I asked Dan and Cathie if they would mind
if I attended the event with them. They said no,
that it would great. So, the planning began.
Hotel Room
I prebooked my hotel room far in advance,
having been advised that PBC has ALL the
rooms in the area under its control. You have to
go through them to see what is available, prepay
when booking, and there are no refunds.
Event Ticket
There are two options for PBC tickets. The first is
the car show only ticket. This includes parking that is
farther away, entry onto the show field and nothing
else. Then, there is the D’Elegance ticket, which
entitles you to closer in parking along with an event
poster, breakfast and lunch. The prices are high for
either ticket, but of course, more expensive for the
D’Elegance ticket.
Monterey Auto Week
I flew into San Jose, CA on Wed., Aug. 17 and spent
the first night in Santa Cruz. The weather was the first
major change from the Texas heat wave, with highs in
the 80s and lows in the 60s in this area of California.
8 The Lone Star Lady
• September – October 2011
Because the hotel was only a few blocks from the
historic Monterey historical district, I took off
walking. I soon came to a street that had been
barricaded to traffic. Upon walking down the
sidewalk, I happily encountered an impromptu car
show that went on for two city blocks. There was live
music and food.
About half a block from there was the Portola Hotel
where RM Auctions was set up. They had cars
displayed outside the hotel, inside the hotel and then
in a separate area that you had to pay to enter. Most
of the cars for sale were exotic vehicles you just do not
see at a typical auction, such as a late 1800s Columbia
Electric vehicle that looked more like a carriage
that you would see horses attached to instead of
something that was self-propelled.
Another half a block from the Portola Hotel was
the Monterey Marriott, which was host to the
Russo & Steele Auction. The street was blocked in
front of the hotel because it was lined up three cars
across with cars ready to go on the auction block.
The highlight of the Russo & Steele auction for
me was seeing one man’s collection (15 cars) of
late 50s Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto and
Imperial convertibles. It is pretty unusual to see
that many Chrysler corporation convertibles in one
location. Most of this man’s collection had been
given a cheap paint job with the interiors looking
worn and original. The collection was being sold with
no reserve.
down city streets. The cars park on Ocean Ave while
the owners/drivers enjoy lunch nearby. And, of course,
while the owners/drivers are at lunch, the public is
invited to look over the cars. Quite crowded with
people but worth it for the experience, but not good
for getting photos of the cars only. After lunch, Cathie
and Dan met me back at their car so they could show
it to me since this was the first time I had seen it since
it left for the restoration shop. What a spectacular car!
While at the car, Brad and Michele Zemcik, who are
members of the National RROC and professional
automotive photographers, came to take photos.
Then, Texas Region members Al Kroemer and Lisa
Daniels showed up. We had a mini Texas Region meet
right there on the streets of Carmel-by-the-Sea!
Friday, Aug. 19
The Quail. A Motorsports Gathering
After breakfast at the hotel I headed out to Carmel
Valley to attend the Motorsports Gathering at the
Quail Lodge Golf Club. Before I left Austin I didn’t
even know this event existed. The president of the
Austin Aston Martin club, John, told me about the
event and said he and his wife were attending, which
is rare because most tickets are reserved for returning
attendees and it is unusual that there are tickets
available. John happened to have an extra ticket, and I
was able to buy it from him.
After the Tour d’Elegance cars left Ocean Ave, I hiked
The Quail event is one not to be missed. It started at
Photos (left to right): An actual Derby 4 1/4 litre Bentley Drophead; ‘30s era racing Bentley; A few of the dozen Bugatti Verons on hand.
10 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m. The event combines the
best of vintage vehicles with new high-end vehicles.
This year one of the featured marques was the Jaguar
E-Type as it is the 50th anniversary. The event also
featured race cars.
There were vintage Aston Martins, Bentleys, Alfa
Romeos, Ferraris, Lamborginis, Talbot Lagos, RollsRoyces, Packards, Jaguars, Mercedes Benz, Porsches,
etc.
New-high end vehicles included: Aston Martin,
Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Lamborgini, Mercedes
Benz, Lincoln and over a dozen Bugatti Verons, the
most I have seen in one place!
The event featured World War II era planes flying
over in formation. And, at one point, a Blackhawk
helicopter flew over the event. There was also another
Blackhawk parked on the show field for us to look at.
The food and drink are done very well at the Quail.
There are five food areas (Mediterranean, Italian,
Spanish, Carmel Valley Farmers Market and France),
with tables set up in each. They are spaced out so that
there is plenty of room, with multiple food stations
for each, so the wait was not long. Another nice thing
was that the food was constantly being replenished.
They simply did not run out of food! Besides these
food areas, they also had a station set up serving a wide
variety of caviar.
Beverages are also included in the price of admission,
including alcohol such as wine, champagne, Patron
tequila and other high-end alcoholic beverages. They
also had high-end coffees and teas.
While the show was going on, Bonhams and
Butterfields conducted an automobilia and automobile
auction in a tent adjacent to the show field with many
interesting finds.
While I was walking around taking photos of all the
amazing cars, none other than Jay Leno and his wife,
along with an entourage, walked by. He asked one of
his people to take some close up photos of one of the
cars on the field and then moved on.
John from the Austin Aston Martin club had one of
his friends who was showing a beautiful Aston Martin
DB S (that was used in the James Bond movie “On
9
Photos (left to right): A few of the 100 cars at the show, a Mercedes Benz Gullwing and a MG A Fixed Head Coupe ; Rolls-Royce Silver
Cloud II; Russian made Tatra.
Her Majesty’s Secret Service”) at Quail, so, we got to
make the area behind his car our home base while at
the Quail. It came in handy to store packages and not
have to carry them all with us.
There was a unique Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead
at Quail. It was a bright purple color with custom
wheels. The car also had a Lalique Spirit of Ecstasy.
When I went by the car for a second glance, the owner
opened the bonnet to reveal the engine bay with
several signatures all in white (hopefully heat resistant)
all over the engine bay. Then, the owner handed
the white pen to a man and he signed his name as
members of the media took photos. I later learned that
the owner has had all the people who were involved
in the making of the engine and the car sign it under
the bonnet. I also learned that the owner has two other
Phantom Dropheads, one in bright red and the other
in bright yellow. The owner drove the bright yellow
one to the Pebble Beach Concours.
Pacific Grove Car Show
After leaving the Quail and being in traffic for at least
an hour, I made my way to the Victorian community
of Pacific Grove, also located on the Monterey
Peninsula. I was able to park along the street within a
block of the car show. It was nice being able to park
close, for once.
Pacific Grove had its main street, called Lighthouse
Ave, closed to traffic for several blocks for the car
show. The cars were lined up on one side of the street,
and then in two rows of cars in the middle of the
street. The cars did not repeat between shows! Almost
immediately after arriving, I saw a boat tail RollsRoyce Phantom I next to a Springfield Silver Ghost.
There were a wide variety of cars. Some of the cars that
I remember being there, besides the two Rolls-Royces,
are Mercedes Benz, Oldsmobiles, MGs, Sunbeam, old
pickup trucks, etc.
At 6 p.m. sharp, the static car display turned into
a tour with all the cars going on a driving tour of
Pacific Grove and ending up at a location for a charity
barbecue dinner.
Saturday, Aug. 20
Concours d’LeMons
The first event of this day is the complete and total
opposite of the Pebble Beach Concours.
This event is held in a city park in the Monterey
10 The Lone Star Lady
• September – October 2011
Peninsula community of Seaside. It celebrates cars that
are ordinary, odd, unusual and unique. There was an
AMC Pacer, a Russian Tatra, Ford Pinto, Chevrolet
Vega and Corvair, Citroen, Fiat, to name but a few.
There were also some art cars in attendance. All in all a
fun, well attended event.
Next, Cathie and I wondered through another
temporary tent filled with a variety of Pebble Beach
Concours merchandise before continuing down the
path on the golf course toward the lodge.
From Seaside I made my way down the Pacific Coast
Highway to Big Sur. What a beautiful drive over
mountainous terrain with spectacular ocean views, and
traveling over historic trestle bridges that were built in
the 1930s by the CCC. At one point along the drive,
there is a huge rock formation right at the edge of the
water. This formation has several historic buildings
and two lighthouses. It was built in 1889 and is called
the Point Sur lighthouse. What a beautiful place!
We passed displays for Infiniti, Cadillac and Saab
before arriving at the lodge.
After making my way back to Carmel-by-the-Sea,
Cathie called and invited me over to the home they
rented. The home is on the famed 17-mile drive on
the Monterey Peninsula and is now a toll road. When
I first visited this area over 10 years ago, the 17-mile
drive was free.
Cathie and Dan’s home for the week was right across
the street from the Pebble Beach Lodge where the
Concours is held. The home had a separate three car
garage. The restorer of their Rolls-Royce had also
restored a 1920s era Stutz, and because they had a
three car garage, Cathie and Dan allowed the restorer
to keep the Stutz there as well.
Later in the afternoon, Cathie wanted to take me to
the Lodge to take a look. Since it was near, we decided
to walk. The first stop was at the Gooding auction
tent on the grounds of the lodge. There were quite a
few stunning automobiles to be auctioned. The first
one you saw when walking in was a Murphy bodied
Duesenberg coupe in black, with an abundance of
chrome and what appeared to be a stainless steel top
complete with chromed pieces that made it appear
from the inside and outside that the fixed top came
off. This car was auctioned on Sunday evening and
now has the distinction of being the most ever paid for
an American made vehicle at $8.2 million!
Cathie and Dan had been through the auction tent
before and Cathie had found a Bentley that she fell
in love with. It was a pre-war Derby with a one-off
body. I do not recall the coachbuilder, but it was very
progressive for the time as the Bentley had no running
boards and no bumpers. It was beautiful.
There were all sorts of vendors along the path,
including one where you could get into a personal
jet to see what you might like to have in your own
personal jet.
After looking round the lodge, we walked onto the
golf course where the cars would be parked the next
day for the Concours. We were surprised to see that
some cars were already being parked on the course,
cleaned and then covered so that they would be ready
for the next morning.
We found the area where Cathie and Dan’s car was
going to be parked. The entire area where they park
cars is right on the ocean with beautiful views all
around. There are also fantastic private homes right on
the golf course at that point as well.
Upon leaving the golf course, we passed the Mercedes
Benz tent where they were allowing people to test
drive various models, including the Maybach.
The entrance/exit we went out exited onto 17-mile
drive. The 17-mile drive is very narrow and does not
have sidewalks! Even though it was the day before the
Concours, traffic was bumper-to-bumper. Talk about
an interesting and sometimes scary walk back trying to
dodge cars and trucks, and especially outside mirrors!
When we arrived back at the house, the RROC
members and professional photographers, Brad and
Michele Zemcik, were there to photograph Cathie and
Dan’s car.
Several cars had to be moved so that the car could be
photographed properly. After the photographs were
taken, we enjoyed a relaxing evening visiting and
making it an early night as the Concours day gets
started early. Cathie asked me to be at the house by
6:30 a.m., because we were going to follow the RollsRoyce with a golf cart to bring lawn chairs and other
things needed for a day on the field.
To be continued in next issue... “The Concours”
Region
Website
Upgrade
“Completed”
We have just completed a major upgrade
and facelift of the Texas Region’s website. Our
website can be found at: http://rroc.timberlakepublishing.com/AF_MemberCommittee.asp?committeeid=66
or just go to the RROC National website and
click “Texas” under “Regions”.
For a website to be effective it should
constantly be updated with new, up-to-date
information. That’s where you come in. If you
have an idea for additional information that
should be included on our site, let us know.
Also, be sure and include the Texas Region
in correspondence about car related events
that are going to be held in your area that
you think our members would be interested
in. Typically events will be divided into four
categories… Dallas area or
North Texas, Hill Country,
Houston area or South Texas
and Statewide.
Please use the following
format when submitting
events for inclusion on the
Texas Region website:
Event date; Event Name;
Event City Location/
Address (if appropriate); A brief one or two
sentence description
of the event; and a
contact person/method
of communication
regarding the event.
If the event has a
dedicated website,
include the web
address as well.
Submitted events will also be
published in the Lone Star Lady.
If you would like to have your car displayed
in the “Cars” section, send us a high quality digital photo of your car. We’ll get it up
there. Please note that for security and privacy
reasons, we have chosen not to identify member cars by chassis number or owner’s name.
Over time we
hope that this new website will be
the preferred “go-to information source” for
all Texas Region RROC members statewide.
This will always be a work in progress. Help
us! Send your information for publication to:
[email protected].
11
by Elaine Krazer
Texas Region Activities Director
Dallas Area Activities:
Dallas Monthly Breakfast– Dallas area breakfast meetings
are held the second Saturday at 8:30AM at the Egg and I
located at 15203 Knoll Trail Dr. in Dallas. This is just north
of Arapaho one block east of the Tollway. Knoll Trail is the
same road as Monfort south of Arapaho.
Houston Area Activities:
April 12-15, 2012– Texas Region Spring Meet in
Abilene, TX. For more information email Steve Krazer at
[email protected]
To add car related events in your area to the Texas Region
calendar... just e-mail details to: [email protected]
Houston Monthly Breakfast– Every 2nd Saturday - 9:00AM
Location: Skeeters at 5529 Weslayan, Houston, TX
Hill Country Activities:
Hill Country Monthly Breakfast– 3rd Saturday of the
month, 9:00AM, Schobels Restaurant, New Braunfels, TX.
Interstate 35 Northbound frontage road at Exit 187 off of
Interstate 35 (north or south), 830/626-2200.
Statewide & National Activities:
November 4-6, 2011– Texas Region Technical Seminar,
Austin, TX- Mark your calendar now. Details tand registration form in this issue!
1987 Rolls-Royce Corniche II (ZDH 20490), Mulliner
ParkWard drophead coupe (1 of only 312). GORGEOUS,
Award Winning-LOW Mileage, White exterior with Tan
leather interior (still smells NEW). Runs and drives perfectly.
Coldest A/C I’ve ever known. Drive anywhere with
confidence. Cocktail compartments with Crystal, owner’s
manuals, boot cover, tools and more. This garage kept original
California Rolls-Royce has been loved and well cared for since
new. Call my cell 602-679-1270 or email jmichaelhall@cox.
net for more info. More photos available upon request.
$61,995. No disappointments with this one.

Rolls-Royce Owners` Club • Texas Region Newsletter • September

Transcription

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