‘The Thrill is in the Driving’

Men and their Toys: Triumph on the Potomac

In Great Britain, men say the car is their most treasured possession. That love affair with all things of polished steel, antique spokes and supple backseat leather wafted across the Atlantic Sunday, and onto the grounds of the Collingwood Library and Museum near Mount Vernon.

There, hundreds of vintage car buffs and nostalgia enthusiasts roamed the historic estate, taking in the spectacular vista of more than 200 romantic driving machines from the Gadsby era, and beyond.

A record number of cars registered for the 9th Annual “Britain on the Green Car Show,” sponsored by the Capital Triumph Register. Then there were a few dozen more cars which just showed up. Organizers had to turn them away, regardless of their looks and sex appeal.

The Union Jack flew boldly over the grounds along the Potomac River, tartan blankets and scarves dotted the crowds, sailboats floated languidly in the backdrop of the river as the fields of Collingwood swarmed with British car enthusiasts.

“I don’t have a girlfriend or a wife, so she gets all my love,” said one entrant to a group of onlookers, as he leaned over the gleaming motor of his white TR3.

“The goal of our event is for everyone who attends is to have a good time in a relaxed environment,” said Tom Burke, one of the event’s organizers. “Our number one responsibility is to our 140 active members who take the time to rebuild and restore these cars. We want to reward them for their dedication and give them a chance to learn from the other members.”

Then, he added with a twinkle in his eye, “We want an event that’s well-organized, casual, but not too many rules.”

This year’s event did not disappoint.

The lower field of the Collingwood grounds hosted more than 100 MG and Triumph entrants, spit-polished to perfection, their fancy grills gleaming into the warm spring sun. The upper field had a few dozen Jaguars, vintage Rolls Royces and Bentleys – British luxury separated like two rival gangs. On the back field sat even more luxury defined: Austin Healys, Sprites, MG Midgets and Minis. The side field saw another 34 Lotus’s and other special interest cars.

Organizers had tucked three Land Rovers back into “the woods” — as if they were being grounded for going mass-market.

Sexy cars and Scottish cream
Sunday’s event, held under a liquid-blue sky and summer-like weather, was topped off with guitar licks by Fran Scuderi, visits to the Collingwood Museum, a silent auction and helping plates of barbeque prepared by a guy named Bubba. He had to compete with one other vendor, Scotsman Victor Barlow of Scottish Highland Creamery, who, dressed in a kilt despite the heat, prepared and packed his trademark ice cream himself.

“I’ve sold gallons and gallons of ice cream today,” said Barlow proudly. “The Mini enthusiasts are big fans of the Bailey’s Liquor flavor, while the Rolls Royce owners all went for the lemon sorbet.”

Barlow, originally from Edinburgh, added his own flavor to the day by standing at attention by the ice cream cart dressed in a full Highland regalia with a Menzies Tartan kilt. Not many could resist the allure of his distinctive Brogue or refreshing pure-cream ice cream.

For many, however, the highlight was the mid-afternoon awards presentation. Having a sexy vintage car is one thing. Winning awards for that sexy car is, well, icing on the cake.

There were 24 car classes with awards, said Paul G. Edelstein, the president of Capital Triumph Register.  “We determined the car classes based on the number of pre- registrations received,” he said. “Voting was by the ‘participant’s choice’ method (as opposed to judging). That is, each registrant voted for his or her favorite car in each class.”

“The Best of Show” award was determined by consensus among the club’s members, with the registrations representing a cross section of British cars in the U.S. from the 1930’s to present.

The call of the roadster
The United States has sold and holds more British cars than any other country in the world, yet the typical British car enthusiast is difficult to categorize. Sunday’s event drew enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and dealers.

“We are a diverse, but very compatible group. Many of the Capital Triumph Register members are folks who became interested during their youth in the 1960’s, which was really considered the ‘hay day’ of sports cars. Many stray away, and drive the family mini van for a while, but the call of a roadster inevitably pulls them back,” Burke said.

This was certainly the case for second place winner John Marino of Occoquan, for his white 1967 TR4. He owned his first white 1963 TR4 while in graduate school at Purdue.. When he served in the Army Corps of Engineers in 1965, he sold the car. “It was heartbreaking to sell that car, and, as I handed over the keys to the new owner, I vowed to myself that someday I would own a car like that again.”

In 2004, he purchased a white 1967 TR4 from a man in California “When I sat behind the wheel I felt like I was 22 again and had reclaimed my youth, even though the steering wheel is a little closer to my belly. It has no power steering, no power windows, no power brakes and no radio but it is a piece of history. The real joy is in driving this car. It is not a museum piece.” Marino said.

The second place winner, for his 1933 white Rolls Royce 20/35 Limo, was John Bays, the President and “Chief Window Washer” of Regal Limousine Service, Inc. He is a British car enthusiast who has managed to mix business with pleasure with his pristine, prize winning 1933 Rolls, along with the rest of his fleet which includes a 1949 Rolls Royce and 1952, 1957 and 1960 Bentleys.

“I started Regal Limousine Service in 1995 when I realized that no other company had classic cars like the ones that I loved, which are perfect for a wedding day, anniversary or Great Gatsby Party. That first year we drove 80 brides and grooms on their wedding days. Now we average 500 a year.” His company was voted “best transportation company” by Washingtonian Magazine and has been featured on area television programs, in magazines, newspapers, movies and books.

His cars are considered “must haves” for the most discerning brides.

Morgans
Another showstopper was the impressive display of Morgans, the world’s oldest privately-held car company. “I would say 75 percent of the attendees were familiar with the Morgans, and only 15 percent knew they were still being made,” said Paul Warren, the service manager at Capitol Motor Cars in Purcellville, who has sold many of these gems in the DC area and claims more than 100 Morgan club members here.

“Most of our clients can remember a college roommate or a friend who had a Morgan in their youth, and now they can afford to have a car that they could not have when they were younger. With the introduction of our Aero 8, we are seeing a new breed of Morgan owners…Young, successful entrepreneurs looking for something fast and fun to raise the hair on their neck.”

Warren added that the event was a chance to remember “where the true sports cars were born, an era that spawned a sports car craze around the globe. And it’s events like these that let us get a glimpse into the past and see what are now considered classic sports cars.”

In the shadow of teenagerhood
The First Place winner was Paul Malandrino of Fairfax for his 1962 TR3B, which is number 486 of only 2,804 that were made. He proudly wore his Olympic-sized medal following the awards presentation.

“I drive this car every weekend with the top down from Fairfax to Clifton for breakfast. Even in the winter, I wear flannel jeans, a bomber jacket, a leather hat, and rabbit fur gloves. The thrill is in the driving.”

Malandrino spent the afternoon discussing his car with the throngs of admirers who flocked to him.

In his recitation of his car’s history and technical details, one can see the shadow of a young teenager thrilled to finally own the car of his dreams.