STOWE, Vt. — The weather was almost perfect for another British Invasion in Stowe in mid-September — sunny and in the 70s during the day and in the 50s in the evening.

There were fewer NEMO members in attendance compared to five or six years past, perhaps showing the aging membership. Barbara and I trailered up our ’92 British Open Classic Mini, which we used to drive the five hours in, but it was so much more comfortable in the Chevy Colorado tow vehicle. Age, I guess.

We had a very nice Saturday dinner with fellow NEMO members Bruce Vild and Faith Lamprey at a place on the Mountain Road called Piecasso. I highly recommend it.

We saw John and Lisa Mastandrea walking the show field. Faith and Bruce had their vending tent for British Marque. (Next year they can show a car and walk the field as the Marque is going away mid-year 2025.) Another NEMO member, Ken Lemoine, was there I hear but missed seeing him.

NEMO members did take home a few trophies:

Mini Variants 1959-2000 — 1st, Dave and Jean Icaza, 1969 Mini Countryman Woody.

Austin/Morris (Except Mini) — 2nd, John Gallagher, 1940 Morris 10 Series M Saloon.

Mini 1970-2000 — 3rd, Barbara Newman, 1992 British Open Classic Mini.

If I missed someone from NEMO, my apologies.

WESTON, Mass., Sept. 28 — The Weston car show took three years off due to COVID, returning in 2023. This was the 27th annual show and show car attendance was among the largest I recall. Cars parked around the Weston Town Hall and along the town green. There was plenty of shade, but we had to watch out for falling acorns and chestnuts.

The show is sponsored by the Weston & Wayland Rotary Club. Judging is by the show car owners, who tend to be quite knowledgeable. There was a food truck this year that sold chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage with onions and peppers, and French fries.

Weston is a large multi-marque show which always attracts some rare or unusual vehicles. I brought my 1950 Morris Minor Tourer. The fall weather was perfect, if a bit chilly for my early morning top-down drive from Framingham. (I drop the top in April, and because it’s so difficult to put back up, I don’t raise it until I put the car to bed for the season in November.)

There are always plenty of British cars in attendance and NEMO was represented by the usual suspects. Wendy Birchmire brought her 1973 British flag Mini 1000, Ken Lemoine drove his 1965 Morris Mini Traveller, and Iain, Nuala, and Muffin Barker brought their 1967 Morris Cooper S. Cars continued to arrive until around 12 noon. A white Austin Mini Countryman arrived late, and I didn’t see it until it was leaving the show. It was not a car I recognized from other events.

Other British cars included a 1965 Austin-Healey 3000, a 1954 Jaguar XK120 Coupe, two Jaguar E-types, a Lotus Elan, two MGBs, a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger, and a 1961 Triumph TR3A. The Tiger has had the same owner for 51 years. The 1969 E-type has matching numbers and is owned by the original owner.

Wendy’s Mini won 1st place in the Best British class, beating the Austin-Healey, which took 2nd place. There was a separate class for Jaguar, with 1st place awarded to the XK120, and 2nd going to the original-owner E-type.

Swedish cars were well represented with two Volvos and three Saabs. A 1995 Volvo 850 T-5R wagon had a crash helmet sitting on the roof, and despite the lack of roll bars, the owner told me he raced it! There was a notebook on the engine describing the racing history of the T-5R, which can top 150mph and was considered among the fastest family cars of its day. The car is a daily driver, and the owner has raced it at 125mph at Watkins Glen (staying under 150mph eliminates the rollbar requirement).

The other Volvo was a 2008 C30 “hot” hatchback. The car had been hand-painted with a brush, including fake woodgrain sides, a race car number, and sponsor names. The owner set up a large-scale slot car layout on the roof, windshield and hood, and an HO-scale slot car layout under the hatchback. The layouts were decorated with stands, towers, car manufacturer booths, and lots of tiny people. Both layouts operated all day, and derailments were rare. It came as no surprise that the C30 won 1st place in the Most Unusual category.

It is rare to encounter even a single Saab Sonett at a mixed-marque car show, but Weston had two, both belonging to the same owner. The 1969 Sonett II had protruding British roadster-style round headlights, a large bulge in the hood, and a narrow front bumper. The 1973 Sonett III was more angular, with pop-up headlights, and bears some similarity to a Fiat X1/9. According to the owner, prospective buyers criticized the design of the Sonett II and Saab responded with the Sonett III. Both cars have low-production fiberglass bodies and German Ford V4 engines. The 1969 Sonett II won 2nd place in the Best Foreign category.

Other noteworthy foreign cars included Roger Fuller’s pristine 1989 Trabant 601S Deluxe wagon, which featured many period accessories a mid-1950s Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe, and a 1989 Honda Acty Kei Truck. Roger drives his Trabant to countless car shows in New England and trailers it to the annual Parade of Trabants in Washington, D.C. The Trabant won 1st place in the Best Foreign category, and 3rd place in the Most Unusual category.

The Honda is a micro pickup truck and had a large dog bed in the back so the owner’s dog could nap during the show. The Honda won 2nd place in the Most Unusual category. The Mercedes was not registered, or it certainly would have won at least one prize.

Of course there were a large number of American cars, especially muscle cars from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. I tend to focus on prewar models, or rare and unusual cars, and can’t pick just one favorite since there were so many great American cars.

A 1934 Packard 1101 Coupe won Best of Show 1st place. It had a large swan with raised wings for a hood ornament. The body was painted tan, with brown fenders and brown highlights.

A pristine 1937 LaSalle V8 rumble-seat convertible had dual side mount spare tires. The LaSalle did not display a registration placard or it would have won an award.

I love an owner with a good sense of humor and was amused to see an antique candlestick telephone mounted in a wooden box on the driveshaft tunnel of a 1941 Pontiac Torpedo. The Pontiac has had the same owner for over 40 years and won 2nd place in Best of the 1940s category. First place went to a 1941 Ford woody wagon with perfect woodwork, inside and out.

A 1954 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible with only 23,000 miles won 2nd place in the Best of Show category and 1st place in the Best Cadillac category. The car was white with massive chrome bumpers. The gas filler was hidden under the left taillight. An equally nice 1957 Cadillac Eldorado was blue with a white top, enormous tail fins, and huge front bumpers with black rubber tips.

There were three early Corvette convertibles present, two 1956 models and a 1959 F1. The 1959 was white with a grey top, had fuel injection, and was purchased from the original owner.

Other noteworthy American cars included a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria painted white and blue with a spare tire mounted on the trunk, a 1960 Dodge Polara D500 (which I have written about previously), a 1956 Pontiac Chieftain 870 painted white over pink, and a rare 1960 Chrysler 300F two-door convertible. The 300F was painted red, had a pushbutton transmission, large tailfins that started just past the front vent windows, and a faux spare tire pressed into the trunk lid.

I don’t usually pay attention to modern supercars or race cars, but the movie Ford v. Ferrari gave me an appreciation for the 2005 Ford GT and several Ferraris present at the show. The GT had its rear hood up, giving an impressive view of the engine and suspension. The car won 2nd place in the Best Race Car category, with 1st going to a 2022 Ferrari 812 GTS, and 3rd awarded to 2023 Maserati MC20.

Weston was the best multi-marque car show I attended this year. It was well organized, the Rotary Club members were very friendly and helpful, and the Weston Town Hall was open for access to real restrooms. The cars I described were a small sample, and as noted, many were award winners.

Keep an eye out in a spring NEMO newsletter for the date of the 2025 Weston show. This link has a list of all the 2024 award winners: https://www.westoncarshow.com/category/carshownews/.

MARLBORO, Mass., June 2 — I have wanted to attend the Marlboro Main Street Car Show for several years, but the date always conflicts with British by the Sea. This year was no exception, but the 10-minute drive from my house finally won out over driving two hours to Waterford, Conn., in my Mini.

Registration officially opened at 8 a.m. and there was already a long line of cars at 7:45 when we arrived at the Prospect Street staging area. I drove my 1968 Mini Traveller and pulled into line behind an early 1940s Ford Woody Wagon.

Main Street was already full of cars, and we followed the Ford to a spot under some trees on the right side of the street. Minutes later we were joined by a pristine late 1940s Chrysler Town & Country Woody two-door convertible. A 1950 Packard Woody Wagon had arrived earlier and was parked several blocks down from us. Cars trickled in all morning, filling the side streets and parking lots along Main Street.

This was an eclectic multi-marque car show with a bit of everything. Sure, there were plenty of muscle cars, hot rods and vintage trucks, but also three Ford Model As, a Model T, a Brazilian Market 1971 VW Squareback, a 1965 VW Dune Buggy, a 1973 Volvo 1800ES wagon, a 1954 Buick Roadmaster Convertible, a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, a Plymouth Roadrunner (with a huge Roadrunner stuffed animal propping up the hood), several Studebakers, a 1966 Ford GT40 race car, a 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS, and even a 1977 Fairmont M19 railroad track maintenance vehicle. Spectators smiled as a little girl drove a kid-sized, pink, battery-powered VW Microbus down Main Street.

Yes, this list includes many of my favorites, and particularly unusual vehicles.

Shortly after Betty and I arrived, Bob Brownell stopped by to say hello. Bob’s Mini was parked in a lot on the left side of Main Street. (Waterford is a very long drive on local roads from Shrewsbury in a Mini 850!)

Ken Lemoine was also present with his 1971 MGB V6 hot rod. The only other British car in attendance was a 1975 Austin-Healey Sprite.

The day was hot and sunny, and we were very lucky to be parked in a rare shady spot. We spent a long time admiring the cars and chatting with owners. Food options were plentiful as restaurants on Main Street were open, and there was a parking lot of full of food trucks.

This is a great MetroWest alternative for eastern Massachusetts residents with vintage cars. The 2025 event is scheduled for Sunday, June 1st.

See more photos of the event in the Gallery.

BROOKLINE, Mass., June 23 — Intermittent rain was forecast for British Car Day at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum (LAAM). At 7 a.m. I looked outside and it was raining in Framingham. I decided not to attend since my classic British cars are far from watertight.

According to the LAAM website, though, the event was still on, and later in the morning Iain Barker posted on Facebook that it was dry in Brookline. Ultimately I decided to drive there in a modern car to show my support for those who braved the rain. I parked next to a 1964 MGB sporting the bumper sticker, “Please be patient/Student Driver.” Not something one expects to see on a classic roadster!

I arrived around 10:30 a.m. There was plenty of space on the upper lawn and the lower lawn was empty. Later in the morning the sun came out, and it became very hot and humid.

NEMO members Iain Barker, Adam Blake and Ken Lemoine drove their classic Minis. There were two modern MINIs present, though I did not recognize the owners’ names on the window tags. Adam’s wife Annica drove their Lotus Elise, and all three Blake children were present. Ken told me it was raining on his drive in from Framingham, which made me glad my classics were home in the garage.

My favorite car of the day was a 1954 Land Rover 86 with a crank sticking out through the front bumper. When kids stopped by and asked about the crank, the owner, Al Richer, obliged them with a demo. The 2.25-liter inline four-cylinder engine started with a single turn of the crank, and kids (of all ages) were impressed.

Al gave demos all morning. His Land Rover is a small, right-hand-drive pickup with plenty of patina and a spare tire affixed to the bonnet. Al explained that the crank start was an important safety feature in case you were out in the bush with a dead battery.

I am a Museum member so I didn’t need to pay admission. Unfortunately, LAAM sponsored events have gotten very expensive. British Car Day registration was $40 for a car and driver, plus $10 for each passenger. There was no discount for members’ cars.

The NEMO Holiday Party will once again be held at the Black Dog Bar & Grille in Putnam, Conn. The date is Saturday, December 7th, at 12 noon.

For you folks with a GPS, the address is 146 Park Rd., Putnam, CT 06260. Their phone is (860) 928-0501, and their website https://www.blackdogbarandgrille.com.

Take Exit 45 (Kennedy Drive) off I-395 and go left. Kennedy Drive becomes Park Road. Black Dog is about a mile from the exit.

We have gone to Black Dog a number of times in past years for our Holiday Party. We have reserved the downstairs private room, as we did two years ago. Thanks to Dave Black for arranging all this for us!

We need a head count, so RSVP by e-mailing me at faithlamprey@gmail.com or calling me at (401) 766-6519. Let me know how many are attending (and ages of any kids). We will be ordering off the menu.

We will be holding the usual Yankee Swap, so plan to bring a wrapped gift (try to keep the cost below $35). A Yankee Swap means that someone else may “take” your gift when it is their turn to pick. (Warn your kids so they don’t get upset if this happens!) You get to pick a gift for every gift you bring (please, no more than one per person or the party will never end).

Our Holiday Party is one of our more popular events every year and this central location in Connecticut is convenient for the majority of our members. Hope to see you there!