Echoing Mr. Stone’s excellent post concerning the racing, self-aggrandizement belittles and demeans the efforts of those people behind the scenes that make things happen in our community. So I thought I would share with you what was missed in the big picture. In September of last year Bill Martin and I started working on the first ever “Sunbeam Tiger Class” at a US Major Concours. Doug Freedman “Chair of the Carmel by the Sea Concours” agreed to let us build a class of Tigers in Celebration of the 50th anniversary. Bill Martin personally invited each car, based on the quality of the Tiger and the owners continued commitment to the Marque. Each owner had to shell out $ 250.00 to enter the show and most made generous donations to the Carmel Foundation. This Foundation supports seniors in the Carmel community. The Concours has always supported this foundation. I am a member of this foundation and my wife Irene volunteers at this foundation. Each Tiger entered had to be vetted on the phone by Bill Martin, meaning the acceptance committee needed to understand why we change so much on our cars as compared to a true Concours car. Stock or LAT options don’t cut it in a Major Concours so Bill Martin educated the acceptance committee about the 82 LAT options. The Carmel Concours graciously allowed an adjustment to their judging criteria to include the options as stock on a Sunbeam Tiger. There probably aren’t twelve Concours stock Tigers in the country let alone California, so Bill Martin, Terry Curry and Patrick King came up with a list of twelve Sunbeam Tigers to invite. These were Tigers that they felt best represented what we do with our cars. Five of the cars in the show could be considered stock at a TU or SUNI, only two were Major Concours Stock. The rest were Personalized and Modified Tigers yet outstanding examples of such. The Hollywood Tiger was for Display only yet was still eligible for Major awards, and won one. Terry Curry and Patrick King were nominated by and vetted by Bill Martin to be the judges and they did an amazing job, they could not have been more thorough or professional. The touting of “Who did what/Who won what” demeans and disrespects everyone that entered the event. All of the participants were winners along with all of the Tiger owners who showed up to support the event. The point was that the Sunbeam Tiger was honored with its own class at a Major Concours. The owners were honored to have been accepted and were thrilled with the public response. While some are patting themselves on the back, the community should be hoisting a pitcher to the ones who made it happen. The self-absorbed aloofness stuff is what drives good people out of our community. We can ill afford that. Do you think the people who put all this work into something that was fantastic for the Marque will be willing to do it again? To those who put so much effort into get their cars ready for the show, thank you for your efforts and the great show and I am sorry.
Moondoggie
aka Bill Doolitte
