We were scheduled to display the cars today at the Alfred P. Sloan Museum in Flint. This museum has been around for decades and is dedicated principally to the Buick marque. They have a summer festival each year and, this year, the Motorama is to be the centerpiece.
Here's a picture of Gael helping me clean up the car in the Holiday Inn parking lot. The last time such a photograph was taken it was on Friday night, before the parade, at the cathedral on the hilltop in Le Mans, France, 2000, just before the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Who says she isn't into cars?
Well, the rag doesn't look all that comfortable in her hand. Notice that Leslie Stepanik has no such implement:
'Course we weren't the only ones shining up the fiberglass:
We all got the cars looking spiffy (in spite of the light rain last night) and took off for the Sloan Museum. It's only about ten miles away. Gael followed me in her rental.
The volunteers at the Sloan couldn't have been nicer. We parked in this nice grassy plaza between the buildings. Lovely spot:
All went swimmingly until the word came down: "Please arrange the cars in model-year order." Sooooooo, we all got back into the cars and with the help of a couple of Motorama volunteers, moved just about every single car. We put the 2003 Anniversary Edition Roadster next to Al Hill's lovely 1953 and we went up and down from there. Took a surprisingly short time to get it all arranged.
My opinion? The 2003 Anniversary Edition is the best looking car -- ever:
We returned to the Holiday Inn to freshen up for our reception at Paragon Corvette Reproductions (a leader in Corvette after-market parts). Small problem, though. There was a wedding about to start at the Holiday Inn and the wedding party was queued up in the hall that ran past our room. The arrow shows our room:
Some signifcant player was late and everyone was waiting in a hot hallway. Since I just happened to be there with the camera, here's the bride:
We were eventually permitted into our room to get ready and we left for Paragon at about 5:45p. They had invited the entire Motorama and, it seems another score or more of local Corvettes.
Here, at least, we made no attempt to park by model year:
Our hosts catered in a terrific spread for us:
It got kinda hot in the big tent with the walls up. So Rob Crum organized a group to roll up the side curtains. Here's a picture (the only one known to exist) of Rob Crum doing actual work:
Here are table-mates Dennis & Leslie Stepanik. I took another one when Dennis wasn't talking (a rarity, all by itself) but Leslie looks lovely in this one, so it made the cut:
I was flattered when Larry Hayes called me up to the bandstand to receive an award from the NCM for the work on the Motorama web page:
(I'm not sure who the couple making out behind my trophy are
but there's a chance they're one of our hosts and hostesses...
Paragon set up a '58 hood for everyone to sign (sorry the lighting made it tough to read the names):
In addition to providing great food, Paragon also hired a band!:
After dinner, Larry Hayes made a few remarks..
..and introduced two Corvette engineering pioneers: Gib Hufstader and Roy Midgely:
Then Dave Hill, Corvette Chief Engineer, spoke about the Motorama and what it represents; America's Sports Car Icon being used as it was always meant to be used: Driven!
It was a great evening and we really appreciate the kindness and generosity shown to the Motorama by our hosts at Paragon Corvette Reproductions, Steve and Stacy Childs:
..and Dave and Carol Jones (who were sufficiently busy that I failed to get their photo!)
Returning to the hotel, I had to include this photo of Bill Buck, Sr., his daughter and Bill's driver Jerry Joseph -- all three in his very cherry 1955 Corvette:
..a good picture, I think, to end a great day in the life of Corvette!
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