Keystone Region MG Club Hellertown show

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, and Bill Webb.

The list of winners and photos from this year's show are posted below.

16th Annual British Motorcar Gathering List of Winners

CLASS A - MIDGETS
1 • Alex Grant, Allentown • 1969 Midget, Primrose yellow
2 • Gordon Todd, Lansdale • 1973 Midget, silver
3 • Chuck Wernett, Hellertown • 1973 Midget, Lime Flower

CLASS B - TC & EARLIER MGs
1 • Bruce Allen, Perkasie • 1939 MG TB, green
2 • Richard Marzuoli • 1947 MG TC, green
3 • Dan Bauer, Stockertown • 1948 MG TC, red

CLASS C - MG TD and TF
1 • Ralf Grant, Macungie •1953 MG TD, red
2 • *Hans Hassinger, Albrightsville • 1952 MG TD, burgundy
3 • *William McCarthy, Coopersburg •1955 MG TF-1500, silver gray

CLASS D - MGA and MAGNETTE
1 • Jim & Karen Schulte, Harleysville • 1958 MG ZB Magnette, steel blue
2 •*Thomas Brobst, Allentown • 1958 MGA, British Racing Green
3 • Jonathan Stein, Reading • 1959 MGA Twin Cam coupe, black

CLASS E - MGB & MGC 1962-67
(Early chrome bumper)
1 • Jeff & Bert Shank, Elizabethtown • 1967 MGB, Tartan red
2 • Lee Miller, Mechanicsburg • 1967 MGB, Tartan Red
3 • *Joe Ditalia, Walnutport • 1967 MGB, Red

CLASS F - MGB & MGC 1968-74
(Late chrome bumper)
1 • *Art & Margie Edinger, Slatington • 1974 MGB, red
2 • George Filippides, Staten Island, NY • 1969 MGC, red
3 • Edmond Zajdowicz, Reading • 1969 MGB, green

CLASS G - MGB 1974½-80
(Rubber bumpers)
1 • Fritz Warnen • 1979 MGB LE, black
2 • Carolyn Baranowski, Warren, NJ • 1975 MGB, green
3 • Mike & Betsy Lang, New Freedom • 1976 MGB, Tahiti Blue

CLASS H - MGB-GT and MGC-GT
1 • Forrest Collier, Willow Street • 1967 MGB-GT, British Racing Greenr
2 • David Krebs, Annapolis, MD • 1967 MGB-GT, Tartan Red
3 • Steve Harding, East Norriton • 1974 1/2 MGB-GT, Citron

CLASS I - AUSTIN-HEALEY SPRITE
1 • Phil Nase, Quakertown • 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite, red
2 • Michael & Loree Adams, Hopatcong, NJ • 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite, red
3 • Pete Cosmides • 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite, green

CLASS J - AUSTIN-HEALEY 100 and 3000
1 • Jerry Hallman, Nazareth • 1967 Austin-Healey 3000
2 • Liz Bowker, Milford, NJ • 1956 Austin-Healey 100-M, Pacific Blue
3 • Walt Lubun, Newark, Del. • 1967 Austin-Healey 3000, Healey Blue

CLASS K - TVR
1 • Candace Kennedy, Kintnersville • 19695 TVR, yellow
2 • Anthony Hess, Kintnersville • 1971 TVR, silver

3 • Ken Gerchufsky, Slatington • 1972 TVR 2500, green

CLASS L - TRIUMPH TR2 and TR3
1 • Jerry & Sue Traxler, Easton • 1957 Triumph TR3, Winchester Blue
2 • Robert Gannon, Hockessin, Del. • 1960 Triumph TR3A, blue
3 • Don & Linda Weinberger, East Greenville • 1961 Triumph TR3A, white

CLASS M - TRIUMPH TR250 and TR4
1 • Harold Voglesong, Doylestown • 1964 Triumph TR4, red
2 • Ron Hoinowski, Phoenixville • 1962 Triumph TR4, British Racing Green
3 • Mark Bulwicz, Doylestown • 1966 Triumph TR4A, white

CLASS N - TRIUMPH TR6
1 • Craig Dorion, Germantown, NY • 1973 Triumph TR6, yellow
2 • Jim Paul, Lower Gwynedd • 1976 Triumph TR6, Carmine red
3 • Bob Bruch, Bethlehem • 1973 Triumph TR6, yellow

CLASS O - OTHER TRIUMPH
(Spitfires, GT6 and Stag)
1 • Steve Bodenweiser, Hamburg • 1969 Triumph GT6, red
2 • Peg & Ron Hoinowski, Phoenixville • 1980 Triumph TR7, Carmine red
3 • George & Judy Bloeser • 1959 Triumph Spitfire 1500, Brooklands Green

CLASS P - CLASSIC MINI (1959-2000)
1 • Richard Dise, Pottstown • 1970 Mini, blue/white
2 • Chuck Miller, Bensalem • 1979 Austin Mini, red
3 • Andres DeFrancisco, Allentown • 1980 Austin Mini, white

CLASS Q - MODERN MINI (2000 on)
1 • Jeff Sheelar, Walnutport • 2004 MINI S, yellow
2 • Larry Macy, Morrisville • 2009 MINI Cooper S Clubman, Sparkling Silver
3 • Brian Freed, Bethlehem • 2005 MINI Cooper, blue

CLASS R - EARLY JAGUARS (through 1960)
1 • Ken Cooney, Moscow • 1954 Jaguar XK120, British Racing Green
2 • Maury DeAngeli, Pennsburg • 1952 Jaguar XK120 DHC, British Racing Green
3 • Ralph Steinberg • 1954 Jaguar XK120m OTS, orange

CLASS S - JAGUARS 1961 to 1974
1 • Ron Brostrom, Chester Springs • 1964 Jaguar XKE, black
2 • Tom & Judy Himmelsbach, Quakertown • 1969 XKE 2+2 Coupe, British Racing Green<
3 • *Joe Crawley, Clarks Green • 1969 XKE, light blue

CLASS T - JAGUARS 1975-2006
1 • Brian Durgan, Saylorsburg • 1979 Jaguar XJ12, white
2 • Ray Becker, Bethlehem • 1991 XJS, green
3 • Bob DeLucia, Colmar • 1991 Jaguar XJ6, Champagne

CLASS U - OTHER BRITISH Saloons/Sedans
1 • George Davis, Villanova • 1962 Morris Minor 1000, blue
2 • Don & Sue Henderson, Harrington, Del. • 1953 Lanchester, black
3 • Marc Meccia & Marchelle Laur, Howell, NJ • 1960 Morris tourer, black

CLASS V - OTHER BRITISH Sport/Roadsters
1 • Brad Rosengarten, Havertown • 1962 Daimler SP-250, red
2 • John Heley, Bedminster • 1966 Lotus 7, British Racing Green
3 • Joe & Pat Marchione, Abselon, NJ • 1959 Lotus Elite, dark blue

CLASS W - SUNBEAMS
1 • Richard Fritz, Nazareth • 1953 Sunbeam Alpine, blue
2 • Fred Baum, Nazareth • 1965 Sunbeam Tiger, Blue/Black
3 • Richard Fritz, Nazareth • 1963 Sunbeam Alpine, red

BEST OF SHOW
Ken Cooney, Moscow • 1954 Jaguar XK120, British Racing Green

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
Jim Krous, Hackettstown, NJ • Austin-Healey 100-4

* Keystone Region MG Club member