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| MidFlorida Auto Show & Lake Mirror Concours Photo |
The 20th Anniversary of the MidFlorida Auto Show & Lake Mirror Concours d'Elegance was held in Lakeland Florida, October 18 -20, 2019. Months earlier, we had sent the required application, complete with photos, submitting The Little Blue Coupe for consideration. The letter from Ford Heacock, founder of the event and of Heacock Classic car insurance, announcing acceptance into the event was exciting. More so because our MG was accepted into the Councors class rather than the Auto Show. The event exceeded our highest expectations. It was of the highest quality, shared with great poeple, and many new friends were made. The Show and Concours began with an elaborate cocktail party, had reserved parking on the show field with a professional sign describing each car, and included a nice lunch. Even the fact that Tropical Storm Nestor decided to visit at the least opportune time, it was still a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, the deluge of rain moved the show indoors, in nearby parking garages. The above photo from the event's website is from 2018.
The parking garage did not have any of the ambiance of the park around Lake Mirror, but it was dry. And, later in the morning, when the rains ended and the sun returned, the light better illuminated the cars.
The Concours d'Elegance is a judged event. Cars are evaluated by a team of judges to determine Best of Show and Best of Class in each class. The Best of Class awards were swans sculpted in Alabaster. The swan is the symbol of the City of Lakeland, whose lakes are home to many of these birds.
Classic cars are works of art and examples of innovative engineering. This Bugatti was obviously deemed to be a special automobile by the organizers as its parking place in the garage was right in front of the awards table on a red carpet. It truly exhibits the highest of art and engineering and is presented in an immaculate restoration.
From any angle, the majesty of this automobile is apparent. The styling, quality components, and detailed construction all add to the aura that surrounds this car.
The brake system would rival any artist from any medium. The aluminum brake drum is an integral part of the wheel. The structure is made of angled spokes serving as a fan to direct air over the drum for cooling. Some would believe that alloy wheels are a relatively new invention on the automotive scene. Not so.
Another early classic in the show was a 1929 Sterns Knight, a car that represented the height of luxury. Its weight of 6600 pounds indicates the heavy, strong construction of this automobile. Knight refers to the engine, a patented sleeve-valve engine often called the Silent Knight for its quiet running.
Knight licensed the engine to multiple automobile manufacturers in the United States and Europe. Cars with the Knight engine could carry the intricate Knight ornament, which is proudly displayed atop the radiator cap on this car.
With this green and yellow combination, the car pictured here is unmistakenly a Lotus, of Colin Chapman's design. This example is a 1962 Lotus 23R, designed for road racing, based on the design of the Lotus Formula 1 car. While not actually built in 1962, this car was constructed in 2015 from the spare
parts collection produced to service the original car. Race cars do break parts.
This Lotus is so exact in relation to the 1962 car that sanctioning bodies in Europe and North America have approved it for vintage racing. This one will be headed to the race track running in the vintage classes of SCCA.
Yes, the car is tiny, but it is blazingly fast. Colin Chapman's main design strategy to create a fast car was to make it as light as possible. The Lotus 23 R weighs 975 pounds and is powered by a twin-cam 1600cc Ford engine producing 186 horsepower. Compare that power/weight ratio to a 400 horsepower Mustang weighing 3000 pounds. Easy to see which car will be faster on the race track.
This 1964 Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite is another British racing car. Built by Austin Healey for the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring, aerodynamics was the major focus to reduce lap times. In the 60's, Sebring had a very long straight down a WWII airport runway, giving cars with high top speeds an advantage
The slicker the car appears to the air, the higher a top speed that can be reached. The Austin Healey factory designed this body based on the aerodynamic physics as they were understood at the time. Interesting, another similarly designed race car also first appeared in 1964, the Daytona Cobra Coupe.
At the time this car raced, the racing rules for sports car racing required that the cars carry a spare tire and have space for a specified-size piece of luggage. The requirement was intended to ensure that cars racing in Grand Touring classes had the capabilities of serving as a road-going touring car.
This Sebring is a one-off car. Only one was built for the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring. Sadly, it only made nine laps in the race, retiring due to a broken axle. It never raced again and currently has only 800 miles - a perfectly preserved piece of racing history.
H.F.S. Morgan built his first car in 1909. It was a three-wheeled car (two in front and one drive wheel in the rear) and proved to be popular. He began manufacturing his cars and is known for three-wheelers. The Morgan company built its first four-wheeled car in 1936, which they called the Morgan 4-4, since it had 4 wheels and a 4 cylinder engine.
In 1950, Morgan updated their car by installing a larger engine, called the +4, because the engine was a plus size. This car is a Plus Four, built in 1967. The owner of this car purchased it 36 years ago, a long-time caretaker. He just finished a total, frame-off restoration of the car earlier in the year. It shows. Every aspect of the car is immaculate.
In 1967, the plus-sized engine was a Triumph engine use by that company in the Triumph TR4A. Originally, it was equipped with 2 SU carburetors. This engine has been uprated a bit as can be seen in the twin, dual-throat Weber carbs.
Morgans are still being produced today, 850 cars per year. Each is hand built. No production line for this company honoring its past in the present day.
One of the car groups was most appropriate for a day driving through a tropical storm - Amphicars, cars designed to travel on land and on water.
Now, back to British cars. The Lake Mirror Concours has a focus group each year, recognizing a type of car. For the 20th anniversary year, the focus group was British cars, which made up the largest class in the event. We were delighted when we got the news that Jill's Little Blue Coupe was accepted for the Concours. It is an honor and a joy to be invited and be able to be a part of such a great event.
Early in the morning, a guy came by and presented the Coupe with a red ribbon. When quizzed how awards were being presented when the judges have not viewed the cars yet, he answered: "This is not the Concours award. The mayor gives awards from the City of Lakeland and your car was chosen for second place." Unexpected. We were just enjoying all the cars and car people. Nice touch though.
Later the Concous Judges came to evaluate the cars. The judge for the British Focus Group was Bob Tullius, the mastermind behind Group 44, the racing team that fielded British race cars in the US for decades. Truely, someone who knows British cars. This photo captures Bob with Jill and the Little Blue Coupe at the airport where the Road Rallye, run on Sunday morning, ended.
So, which of the British cars was Bob Tullius' favorite? Among the Jaguars and Triumphs that Group 44 raced for many years, his affections were stolen by that Little Blue Coupe - Best in Class, All British. Jill was thrilled when Ford Heacock presented the award.
The sun came out before the show ended, providing an opportunity for a photo session at the park surrounding Lake Mirror. Robbed of the opportunity to show in the park by Tropical Storm Nestor, the chance for a couple photos recording the winning car with Lake Mirror in the background was welcomed.
The MidFlorida Auto Show & Lake Mirror Concours is an outstanding event with more cars and activities happening than can be visited during the one-day show. Whether a spectator or participant, there is much to enjoy. It will be on our calendar as an every-year event. Next year's dates are October 16 -18, 2020.
