16th Annual British Motorcar Gathering

Sunday, June 14, 2009 | Reservoir Park, Hellertown, Pa.
All-British car show hosted by the Keystone Region MG Club

➤Winners List ➤Show Photos

By Mike Jones
Keystone Region MG Club Show Chairman

Another British Motorcar Gathering has entered the historic records of the Keystone Region MG Club. Our club can be proud of the car shows for which we have been responsible these last 16 years. I talk to participants at other British car shows in the tri-state area and ask if they would like to come to Hellertown on the second Sunday in June. Many British car owners know our show well and would not miss it.

Our show continues to grow in popularity as well. I received an email from a couple who live some distance from Hellertown and attended our show for the first time on Sunday. The note expresses the sentiment of so many of our participants. This is the note in its entirety:

"Just wanted to let you know how much my wife and I enjoyed the Gathering this past Sunday! It was our first time attending but will not be the last. Perfect venue and the weather finally cooperated. Great turnout, good music, wonderful cars . . . who could ask for more. Your club members did a really good job in the parking areas and were more than helpful when asked questions. Well done!"

How can you get a note like that and not be proud of what we are doing and wish to continue for years to come?

When I think back to past shows, it seems that each one has one factor that makes it different from all the others. Last year it was the record heat. This year will be remembered as the year with soft turf -- call it mud if you wish, I'll remember it as "soft turf."

Most of the show cars survived very well with only light tan colored edges on their tires. We will not soon forget, however, that Triple C had to vend from the center of the MG field where their truck and trailer became stuck fast six inches deep. This was a major concern and very frustrating, but the car show went on and we had a good day to boot.

We had 195 registered British cars of all makes and models. It seemed that there were fewer MGs this year, but we had many more Sprites, Sunbeams, Minis, and other British than usual.

Things have a habit of balancing out. Perhaps it was a good thing that we did not have an over abundance of MGs, since we had a large truck and trailer stuck in the middle of the field.

There are always several no-shows in the pool of pre-registered cars. You may not know this, but it has been our custom to send a dash plaque to those who pre-registered but could not attend on the day of show. Not many car clubs do this, however, we believe it helps to know that you will get your dash plaque if you pre-register and cannot attend for some reason.

Financially, I don't know how we made out, until we hear from our treasurer, Bill Page. I know that costs seem to go up slightly, year after year. I am pleased that we have been able to maintain our registration fees for many years. True bargains are hard to come by, but our British Motorcar Gathering remains a great deal.

We should think about an extra gift to Hellertown Borough Authority for the special attention they will need to give to the MG field to repair the ruts caused by the stuck truck and trailer. Although the ruts in the field were not our fault, we want to remain good stewards of the Reservoir Park and the Borough. The location of the British Motorcar Gathering is important to us.

The club could not begin to produce a British auto show of this caliber without the hard work, dedication and support of its members. This year over 39 club members were involved in the show. The honor roll for this year includes:
  • Terry Allen - Co-chairman
  • Ken and Cindy Beck
  • Marty and Marybeth Chamberlain
  • Kim and Charles de Bourbon
  • Joseph Ditalia
  • Art and Margie Edinger
  • Ed and Angie Haas
  • Richard Horn
  • Myra Jones
  • Arch Kunkle
  • Gerry Kunkle
  • Joe and Fran MacDonald
  • Bill and Virginia Miers
  • Leon and Phyllis Morgan
  • Dennis and Ann Marie Nash
  • Bill Page
  • Bob and Penny Pilat
  • Stephen Redash
  • Victor and Lani Rodriguez
  • Ken and Barbara Saltern
  • John Shoemaker
  • Dennis Silance
  • Jack Siplac
  • Sunny Sonnenrein
  • Bob VanSyckle
  • Bill Webb