Whether parked or racing, roadsters or limos, British and German vehicles attracted crowds in the Charleston area, and, with local owners, elsewhere.
The Post and Courier
It may not be James Bond's car, but a 1966 Aston Martin DB6 displayed by Michael Turner drew looks.
Over there
Like a first love, auto enthusiasts always remember their first car. “It was a 1964 MGB,” said Chuck Reeves, of Columbus, N.C. “I was in college.” He was looking for a Spitfire but didn’t have a lot of money. Spurned on the Triumph, he got the attention of a sympathetic MG owner, who sold him the sports car for $500.
Reeves continued his interest in British classics and 21 years ago, acquired a 1967 Austin Healey 3000 MKIII for what he thought was a reasonable price.
Reasonable, indeed.
The Post and Courier
Gordon Gallagher's 1976 MGB heads a line of roadsters at British Car Day last Saturday in Mount Pleasant.
“When I bought it, it was black” — good-looking but nothing out of the ordinary. Then he had the car checked more closely. The original hue was a gold-like beige, one of just 552 manufactured in the brand last year. “I had two Christmases that year,” he quipped.
Reeves showed off the 42-year-old Austin-Healey, in its original color, at the 25th annual British Car Day last Saturday at Patriot’s Point in Mount Pleasant.
His was one of about 130 vehicles on display in a big turnout for the yearly show. About 90 percent of the cars were pre-registered rather than people showing up at the last minute as in past years.
British cars from Charleston also visited the Euro festival in the Upstate the week before. They included this classic Morgan.
“We had people in May in Detroit calling,” said Robert Hartley, president of The British Car Club of Charleston which hosted the event.
Overall, “we had more (vehicles) than normal,” Hartley said. The show had “some real interesting cars,” including Aston Martins for the first time. “The weather was great.”
Funds from the show go to Garrett High School’s auto shop. This year, the school also got to keep proceeds from the car show’s food tent, Hartley said.
Outsmarting the Dragon
Sam and Nan Welsh of Awendaw were among the first smart car owners in the Charleston area.
In late September, they took part in another event that’s one of the first for the two-seater, challenging the famed “Tail of the Dragon” roadway bordering Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The couple joined a group of 90 smart fortwos, the small car made by a Mercedes-Benz subsidiary.
Provided
Nan and Sam Welsh of Awendaw tackled the Tail of the Dragon, a mountain road with dozens of hairpin turns, in their smart fortwo recently.
The “Tail” is an 11-mile stretch of road in North Carolina and Tennessee packed with 318 curves, Sam Welsh said.
“It’s two lanes with a 30 mph speed limit with “S” curves that require a 10 mph speed to navigate successfully. Overdo it and you can become airborne into the woods or worse,” Welsh said. “Everybody did it safely.” Proof is a photo of the group afterward at Chilhowee Lake in Tennessee.
Plans are being made now for an “outSMARTING the Dragon” in 2010. Around January next year begin to visit www.smartcarofamerica.com for more information, Welsh said.
Keen honor
Leh Keen of Charleston started the year with his pedal to the medal and hardly let up.
Provided
Leh Keen (left) of Charleston and racing partner Dirk Werner won the Grand-Am Road Racing series this year. The awards banquet was earlier this month in Florida.
It earned Keen and driving partner Dirk Werner the championship of the Grand-Am Road Racing series, a division of NASCAR.
Racing in the Acxiom GT class, Keen and Werner split time behind the wheel of the No. 87 Porsche GT3 sponsored by Georgia-based venture Farnbacher Loles.
They clinched the title with a third place finish in the last race Oct. 10 in Homestead, Fla., near Miami.
Top performers of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Series season were honored Oct. 12 at the Rolex Series Awards Banquet at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com
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