Is it just me or did we burn through 2022 faster than an unattended advent candle? I hope you all managed to stick to some of your resolutions, or achieve a fraction of the goals you set. For me and the Bearded Mug biz, I can safely say yes to both of them. Although it’s not without saying that a lot of things didn’t get the attention they deserved.
My show attendance was strong, yet particular. I started the year down in Amelia for Hagerty’s first crack at the top-rate concours. I had a whole blog post planned and mostly penned, yet I let it wither on the vine and never turned it into the fine glass of merlot it could have been. Oh well, such is timeliness, or in this case, the lack of it. For this year, it seems a last minute change in my wife’s work commitment will allow me to drive down Friday into Saturday and stay until post-show Sunday. Hopefully they’ve ironed out the wrinkles for their encore.
After Amelia, I was able to charge my batteries until mid-May, when it was time for the fifth installment of Festival Italiano. An incredible cavalcade of Italian cars convened at the Englewood Field Club, including a trio of F40s and a bright green Ferrari Monza SP2.
The next show on the schedule was in the beginning of June, when I headed up to Greenwich for their concours. For their second act at the helm, Hagerty continued with traditions they created in October 2021, including the rearranged show field and sending the auction tent packing. Without the absolute pleasant weather that was autumn of 2021, the corporate homogenization was much more pronounced. The quality of the show cars was very high and I still enjoyed seeing people I cared about, but if I closed my eyes I could have been at any of Hagerty’s newly acquired events.
The month of June ended in usual fashion - at the only VW show I cover all year. Cult Classic has been going for 16+ years and has only gotten better as time rolls on. I’ve had the privilege of writing the accompanying words to my images and Performance VW magazine finds them fit to print in their fine publication. Which leads me to my next accomplishment.
While all may have been quiet on the blog front, I can assure you that my fingers haven’t stopped tapping away nearly every other month telling individual stories of cars built and memories made. Being a contributor to Performance VW has been a goal ever since I squandered the opportunity I had back in 2007. When I got a second bite at the apple a few years ago, I made sure that my maturity level could hold onto it. I’m proud to say I have, with over a dozen bylines to show for it.
What else?
September is a nonstop grind with almost every weekend being occupied by some sort of shutter pressing event. First, Lime Rock’s Historic Festival. One of my favorite weekends of the year at one of my favorite places - LRP. This year, the Sam Posey Straight was celebrating the Corvette and I truly never thought I would be as enamored with GM’s halo car as I was during the Sunday in the Park Concours. It was one incredible concept after another, mostly being driven under their own power, idling down the front straight and into position. Prior to that, Thursday was the parade that ended at the Falls Village street fair. Saturday for me meant being out on track from the time it went hot at 9 a.m. through the last race around 6 p.m. I still haven’t remembered to bring a scooter or some motorized implement, so my step count hovered around 12 miles.
The following weekend was spent in Malvern, Pennsylvania for the Radnor Hunt Concours. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate as one would have liked it, but the majority of show cars and motorcycles still arrived in the early hours as planned - wet weather gear staged and ready for action. The rain meant that the carriages and the hounds stayed indoors, two elements that really separate Radnor from other concours, but I have no doubt they’ll be back out and amazing the crowd in 2023.
September closed with the third Caffeine & Carburetors for the year. In fact, I was finally able to fulfill my role as an official photographer for them. The first two events, in April and May, were similar to September’s as in they took over downtown New Canaan, CT. A few thousand cars spanning the spectrum of automotive enthusiasts filled both Pine and Elm Streets, as well as any adjoining parking lots. It’s an incredible event and always recommended if you’ve never been. October’s event was in Waveny Park, providing a literal scenery change, but keeping the same quality and quantity of cars. Plus, the volunteers of C&C do a great job of controlling the chaos, too.
The final show for the year was a last minute replacement, organized in just a few weeks - if that. Tony Boniello’s proverbial Rolodex was tapped to fill the entries of the inaugural Lake Valhalla Invitational and despite more uncooperative weather, the area behind the LV Club was a proper concours scene, minus the judging and awards. Among many beautiful cars, there was a real deal Ruf BTR, a Ford RS200, an Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS and an out-of-this-world Italdesign Aztec! With an earlier date next year to take full advantage of the fall foliage, I’m looking forward to covering this one for years to come.
Not only was I working for many of those aforementioned shows as a hired shooter, but I also freelanced my work with Hemmings, a goal of mine ever since I covered their Sports & Exotic Show up in Saratoga, NY back in 2015. I received a lot of compliments for my work back then and kept in touch over the years with a number of staff there. A working relationship finally budded over the last two years that I’m excited to see grow.
It’s worth mentioning that I headed into NYC late April for the New York International Auto Show. There I was wowed by almost nothing, but I was able to meet a fellow journalist, newly minted Canadian and all-around great guy, Graham Heeps. That made the price of the journey across the Hudson palatable.
In addition to many weekends spent upping my step count on various show fields across the east coast, I also got back into photographing inventory for my friends at Gaswerks Garage/Lamborghini Paramus. I had the privilege out not only feeling Ferraris are too commonplace, but to sit behind the wheel of some incredible classics, including a continuation Cobra, a replica C-Type Jag and a Lamborghini Islero.
Beyond the inventory pictures, the C&Cs and the fancier concours, I was also able to capture the incredible work the Piston Foundation is doing grooming younger apprentices in the field of automotive restoration. I took a trip to Steel Wings in Pennsylvania where they work on an incredible amount of Aston Martins. There I met Kira Mundhenk, an apprentice with a bright future. It was a lot of fun being able to memorialize the partnership she shared with her mentor, Jon Clerk. In September I ventured up to Connecticut where I met with the talented individuals at The Paddock, a restoration shop you’d think was there for decades. Among Michael and his team were a father/son duo working their metal magic on a Ferrari 250 GTE restoration.
A quick aside, I also give a bit of my time to a diecast blog called The Lamley Group. It’s a great place to showcase some of my extensive diecast collection that is otherwise stored away in bins in my basement. If anyone is interested, you can find out more HERE.
So as you can see, it’s been a busy year. And I’m sure I forgot a handful of things I’ve done. That doesn’t even factor in finding time for my growing family or my actual “day” job. But hey, I make it work. That’s also the reason why I might not have found a moment to update the blog or the galleries, but it’s on the agenda for 2023.
Alright bringing it home! I know we’re not even a week into the new year, but I really want to push some changes to the site and how I communicate with my audience. I appreciate each and every comment, click and conversation. Getting to know you all, whether at length or in a quick pleasantry, really makes it fun.