British Car Festival
a British Car Union event
September 9, 2012

The British Car Festival features one of the finest displays of British cars and motorcycles in the USA. All the marques were there. Where else could you experience Aston Martin, Austin, Austin-Healey, Bentley, Triumph, MG, Lotus, Morris, Morgan, Jaguar, Jensen Healey, Mini Cooper, Sunbeam, English Ford, Delorean, Metropolitan, Land Rover, Riley, Rolls Royce and TVR vehicles so close and personal? There were about-600 cars entered in the show and about 2000 spectators -- so this was a really big show, and a fabulous get-together of the British driving community all across Chicagoland. Awards were given for the Peoples Choice Award, as well as classes for all the popular marques. British and American food was available on site.

This year Dino Perez brought his MG limo so people can see it. It still runs after all there’s years. The weather cooperated and attendance was good. The CMGC assisted with marshaling in the cars to the show field – the best way to see all the neat cars as they enter. This year the Vintage MG Car Club of Chicago shared the CMGC tent - a mixture of folks and MG cars. Hopefully everyone had a good time.

Keep the Fest in mind for next year. At this point, it is looking very likely that we will have the British Car Fest at Harper again next year as well. This is your chance to talk with the owners, make new friends and maybe shop around for that British vehicle you've always dreamed of owning!

~~John Kearns

To commemorate the 114th birthday of Donald Healey, the Austin-Healey Club of America, Midwest Region, sponsored this event on Saturday, September 8, open to all British Cars and British Car Clubs, in advance of the British Car Festival.

The starting point of the rally was in the parking lot of the Tinsel Town USA Theater in North Aurora. The event ran as much as much as possible on non-congested back roads, and wrapped up at the newly re-opened Blackberry Inn , Elburn, IL. Barney Gaylord along with nine other drivers attended this rally.