<VV> Rich Thompson Update on Meadow Brook

[Jones, Sarah]

Hey all,

I got an update from Rich on the Meadow Brook deal.  He thought you all
would think it was interesting:


I got a letter back form Don Sommer, Chairman and Founder
of Meadow Brook Concours on my Spyder. He did confirm to me that it is
indeed the first Corvair of any type to be invited to their event by the
Meadow Brook Car Selection Committee, so this is quite a first for our
marquee and membership. Additionally, I found out that the class my car will
be put in the following: Class G-American Luxury and Convertibles:
1946-1969. Sometimes they spilt the class between converts and hardtops and
sometimes by year breaks.

My first reaction looking back at past entrants/winners was that the car
did not belong there. This is a big car class: Packards, Lincolns,
Cadillac, full size Chevrolet, etc. and Mr. Sommer confirmed that to me.
Indeed, my car will included with the following: "Buicks, Cadillacs,
Chevrolet, DeSoto, Ford, Frazier, Lincoln, Mercedes, Packards, Pontiacs,
and your Corvair" as he said. But he feels that the car is well placed in
it and that "I will be in some great company and my car should generate
a lot of interest". The cars are place in a circle in each class and the
judges evaluate the vehicles primarily on "style and beauty". It is not a
"seek and find the molecule of dust" event as they call it there. By
contrast,  the emphasis is returning to the past; it is like the French
Concours of the 1920's that evaluate body design, fabrication, engineering
concepts, and innovation and they look for cars that especially reflect
perfection in design and elegance. Fresh restorations mean little there as
they are squared off against other later restoration cars as well. They are
really evaluated "as an art form" as they put it. This will be a different
format for me. It is very subjective through the yes of the judges: beauty
is in the eye of the beholder.

There is a team of 60 judges: a lot of luminaries in the car business: Wayne
Cherry (GM VP of Design), Dennis Adler from Car Collector magazine, Ed
Herrmann from acting fame (he is a big collector), Craig Jackson of
Barrett-Jackson, etc.

The closer I get to August, the more butterflies I get in my stomach. This
will really be a step into an area in the hobby of which I only have read
about.

Considering all the coverage this event gets around the world, this might
be one of those times where Corvair gets some positive press that can carry
for a while (and I am sure, some surprise to others not familiar with the
Corvair itself-just on what they have heard) through the fact that one is
just on the lawn of Meadow Brook.


Sarah Jones