Last Saturday afternoon members of the CWE's Racquet Club held a classic car show on the Club's parking lot on McPherson just east of Kingshighway. This is something I would have told you about in advance, as it was open to the public, but it was an "on again-off again" event due to the prospect of inclement weather. About 11 a.m. my brother-in-law called to say that the show was on, as rain had been taken out of the forecast. What a difference ten hours makes, see * below.
My father loved to tinker with cars. When I was close to driving age, he would point out what gizmo was what under the hood of the family car as my eyes would instantly glaze over. Years later, I married a man who loves classic cars. When we were first married we lived in an apartment at 4618 McPherson. It turned out that it was an even better location than we realized, as Jim's finicky –it didn't like cold weather–1955 Jaguar XK 140 Drophead Coupe required frequent attention from the expert mechanics at Gruet Motor Car Works, a Rolls Royce and Jaguar dealership that was just down the block where Shearburn Gallery and Halbert Rug Gallery are now located…..close enough for us to push the car to their front door. It's amazing how heavy those old cars were.
Because Saturday's car show was a last minute affair, there weren't as many people "kicking the tires" (heaven forbid!) as there would normally be at one of these events. So, Racquet Club members are planning a Fall car show, and I'll definitely let you know about it in advance.
*Ten hours or so later all hell broke loose when 6 inches of rain fell in the neighborhood. Water reportedly reached the top of the tires on cars parked at Euclid and Maryland when the storm water collection system couldn't handle the volume. Basements were flooded in restaurants and businesses along the Maryland/Euclid corridor, and in the case of Bar Italia, staff stuffed towels under the entry doors to keep the water out. And I guess you heard that the Schnucks on Lindell was flooded when water filled the parking lot to a level that topped the cars parked there. As the saying goes, "never underestimate the power of Mother Nature."
Despite the rain, and the event being a last-minute thing, the cars look nice. They all look high-quality vehicles and the owners deserve all the praise and admiration they can get. They look so… ready, with the hoods up and all. From the looks of things, the show in fall must have been excellent.
It’s a shame that the bad weather ruined what seemed to be a decent show. All those cars look brand new – a testament to the care and effort that the owners put into those automobiles.
The weather spoiled all the fun! Oh well, since the show came along there were nice cars to see all over the place.
How sweet of you to spur me on. You must surmise that I have had to take a break and not post as often. I am running low on blog energy. Thanks Charlotte!
I love this post and the ones just before – some like postcards from the CWE, others like important updates about people and places.
Your neighborhood is SO very lucky to have your eye on the details and your beautiful blog to enjoy.