The Gold Coast British Sports Car Club held our Club Picnic on Sunday, May 1st, at Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek, Fla.

Tradewinds Park is one of the largest parks in Broward County and is home to the world-famous Butterfly World, as well as the location for numerous sporting activities. It offers many covered shelters in varying sizes and is ideal for many types of events.

There was plenty of parking outside of our Shelter and plenty of picnic benches to accommodate our crowd. We had about 50 club members, family and friends in attendance. The club provided the barbecue foods, condiments and cold drinks, and club members brought delicious appetizers, salads, side dishes and desserts to share.

The weather during the past few days before our event was either stormy or very hot and humid. Perhaps it was this weather that prevented so many of us from bringing our British cars (we had only 10 members drive their cars). However, on this Sunday, we enjoyed a perfectly sunny, but breezy and comfortable day — and it didn’t matter that all of our British cars weren’t there. We talked about them anyway!

The Picnic was a great setting to get together and talk to each other, more casual and relaxed than sitting in a restaurant. The barbecue was great, thanks to our chefs, Ed Morat and Scott Armstrong, and thanks to our many volunteers who helped set up and clean up. Also, thanks to John Morris, who always takes wonderful photos.

We could not put on such a successful event without everyone’s help! We look forward to spending time together at the next club event.

Show time

During the month of April, many of our club members participated in car shows throughout the area.

On Saturday, April 16th, the much-anticipated Wheels Across the Pond show was held. This is an annual car show, but like many other events, it was interrupted by COVID-19, the previous show being held in 2019. This year, Wheels Across the Pond was back in full force, with close to 500 pre-registered entrants. Everyone was anxious to get out and show their cars!

Wheels Across the Pond features exclusively British and European makes and models, cars and motorcycles. It is held in beautiful Carlin Park, Jupiter, directly on A1A, offering many amenities including a large beach, playgrounds and sporting activities.

The recipient of the show’s fundraising is the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, a facility in Palm Beach County that rescues, rehabilitates and releases native species, and show participants have the opportunity to interact with some of the wildlife from the Sanctuary.

The highlight of the afternoon was the awards ceremony. Winners were chosen by popular vote. There were 50 classes of cars and bikes, and three awards in each class: Best in Class, Class Runner-up, and 3rd Place.

The GCBSCC is happy to announce that we won the Best Club Participation Award!

Additionally, the following club members won awards for Best of Class: George Hervert, 1961 Jaguar E-type Christopher Karentz, 1993 Jaguar XJS Dan Lanier, 1933 MG J2 Joseph Lubeck, 1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II David Muenzer, 1976 Triumph TR6 Keith Parker, 1965 Ford Cortina GT Jason Wenig and the Creative Workshop, 1961 Aston Martin Pat Dennis, 1954 Lotus MkVI and Donna Gearhart, 2005 Lotus Elise.

This was the first car show where Donna entered her car! Previously, it had been a one-owner car, and when she and husband Bill acquired it about three years ago it only needed a convertible hardtop. Luckily, Bill found the exact replacement, and Donna has been enjoying her Lotus ever since. She loves it and drives it to work and around town. It is powerful and fun to drive and attracts a lot of attention! Congratulations, Donna, on your first award — the Elise is truly one of the finest handling cars on the road, lightweight, agile and super attractive!

However, that’s not the end of our club winners. In the Runner-up category, our winners were Scott Armstrong, 1950 MG TD Rick Hartwell, 1986 Jaguar XJS-C Bob Horowitz, 1970 Morris Minor Traveller Joseph Lubeck, 1963 TR4 David Massey, 1955 MGA Philip Parisi, 1987 Jaguar Vanden Plas Donny Lang, 1999 BMW Coupe and Tom Wilhite, 1964 Porsche 356C Coupe.

Then, several club members won 3rd Place: Dick Flah, 1974 TR6 Christopher Karentz, 1970 GT6 Gerard Pantin, 1972 MGB GT David Friswell, 1960 MGA and David Reeve, 1958 MotoGuzzi Falcone.

Congratulations to all of our winners and participants. Your cars (and bikes) are beautiful! And thanks again to John Morris for his photos.

Just one week later, some of our members attended the 10th Annual Cool Wheels Car Show in Quiet Waters Park, Deerfield Beach, Fla.

This year there were more than 1,000 entrants. In addition to the many cool cars that we enjoyed, the day was packed with music from DJ Eugene, Scott the Musicman and DJ Lance, and a live performance by the Southern Blood Band (“A Salute to American Southern Rock”). We could also watch SWAT presentations by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

This car show is held to benefit the Youth Automotive Training Center. Founded in 1984 by Jim Moran, the Center educates disadvantaged youth in basic automotive repair, academics, job readiness and life management skills. Students have the opportunity to learn a trade and plan for the future. To help support these programs, there was a silent auction and many raffle prizes.

Every year, member John Cookish reserves an area for our British cars. This year, we had 10 cars in attendance, everyone was very enthusiastic, and we had the support from many members who attended as spectators.

As with all car shows, one of the highlights is the awards presentation. Participants were judged and some monetary awards were presented. Trophies went to the 100 “Best Cars.” We’re happy to report that club member Scott Armstrong was the recipient of one of these trophies for his classic 1950 MG TD. Congratulations, Scott!

And thank you, John, for getting us together again for a very enjoyable day!

Kathie Godin

It is with great sadness that the club sends condolences to Bob Godin and his family on the passing of Kathie Godin. Kathie was a true car enthusiast. She and Bob enjoyed their Jaguars as well as their Dodge Chargers, and she was very knowledgeable about all marques. Before car shows and events, she always helped Bob detail and clean their cars. She was especially meticulous. Then, at the car events, you could always find her taking many photos and talking with car owners, making many new friends.

Kathie was born in Norwich, England, which is near the Lotus factory in Hethel, and she spent a lot of time in that area. She came to the United States in 1982, met Bob six days later in Sarasota, and they were married shortly thereafter. They were the loves of each other’s lives.

In addition to her love of cars, she was a professional seamstress and a very charitable person. She was a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, and a wonderful friend. She will be greatly missed.

Keeping up with the club

Please visit our website, www.goldcoastbritcar.com, for news and upcoming events and information about the club. You can also visit our Facebook page. Inquiries can be directed to our email, goldcoastbscc@gmail.com. We hope to see you soon.

Happy motoring!

The Gold Coast British Sports Car Club was invited to a very special event on Saturday, March 26th, to view Larry Kopp’s private collection of very beautiful, classic and rare automobiles, the Valuable Vehicles Vault.

The Vault has an on-site classic and exotic car mechanic, security monitoring and clubhouse services. It is a meticulous facility to store prized automobiles. About thirty-six GCBSCC members and friends gathered together for a great tour, with Larry and his mechanic on hand to answer questions and impart stories about the cars we were seeing.

One impressive car in the showroom was Larry’s 1936 Lagonda LG45, which was a Top of Show winner at our 27th Annual All-British Car Show just one month earlier. Larry stated that he bought the Lagonda at auction about eight months ago.

For those not familiar with it, the Lagonda is a luxury British car brand that was established in 1906 in Middlesex, England, by American-born Wilbur Gunn. After financial troubles, the Lagonda was bought in 1935 by Alan P. Good. Good had outbid Rolls-Royce and persuaded W. O. Bentley to join Lagonda as one of his designers in the racing department. This signaled the marque’s upward trajectory, and the LG45 was the first production Lagonda touched by Bentley. Between 1936 and 1937, some 278 were produced in a range of body styles. It was an exceptional, elegant and well-engineered British machine — and Larry’s is just that!

Among the other British marques in Larry’s collection are several Rolls-Royces, a beautiful Jaguar XK140 and a 1935 Bentley. The oldest car in the showroom is a 1905 Cadillac, the newest is a 1965 Corvette Big Block, and his newest addition is a Delahaye. There is a wide variety of makes and models, including Packard, Edsel, Buick and Corvette. All are in impeccable condition and all in running condition.

Larry is avid collector he collects vehicles that he likes and he loves all of his cars equally. He welcomes any of our members to give him a call. Thanks, Larry, for a wonderful tour! And thank you to John Morris, for taking great photos!

Although we were reluctant to leave, Michael Cohen, our club’s Special Events Coordinator, planned lunch for those who wanted to join in. In fact, Michael organized a fun car rallye to the restaurant, and congratulations to the winners, Del and Carmen Fruit!

We all eventually met at Tom Sawyer’s Restaurant, a very busy local spot with great food. With a very extensive breakfast and lunch menu, there were plenty of choices. Larry Kopp and his wife Barbara joined us, and we all enjoyed great company, great food and great cars. Thank you, Michael, for a wonderful event!

Cars & Coffee, too

Earlier in the day, the Creative Workshop hosted a “Cars & Coffee” event.

The Creative Workshop, located in Dania Beach, Fla., is a nationally-recognized, full-service restoration and coach-building business. Housed in an historic building that is more than eighty years old, the facility has been fully converted to provide restoration, repair and preservation services for European and American cars. Their projects have won numerous awards for their owners at international, national and local events.

The main attraction of this event was the Creative Workshop’s awesome display of concours alumni — cars that have graced the fields of Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, The Quail and Boca Raton. These included a 1955 Arnott Le Mans, a 1967 Ferrari 330 GT Speciale, a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr and a 1994 JDM Toyota Supra, and, for the British enthusiast, a 1961 Aston Martin DB4, a 1967 Aston Martin DB6 and a 1956 Cooper T39 Bobtail.

Then there were the many projects-in-process at various stages of completion.

About a dozen GCBSCC members attended, and we parked our British cars among the many other beautiful and classic cars that lined the streets outside the Creative Workshop.

As always, events at the Creative Workshop feature rare, one-off and amazing cars. The informative staff is always there to answer our questions and explain their projects. Thank you, owner Jason Wenig, for opening your shop once again and for the opportunity to spend a very enjoyable morning with of all the car enthusiasts and their beautiful cars!

Please visit our website, www.goldcoastbritcar.com, for upcoming events. And visit our Facebook page or our website to find updates on our club events and information about the club. Inquiries can be directed to our e-mail, goldcoastbscc@gmail.com.

We hope to see you soon. Happy motoring!

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — After a very long two-year hiatus, Gold Coast British Sports Car Club members held our 27th Annual All-British Car Show on Sunday, February 20th, at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek.

Our featured marque was Jaguar, celebrating 100 years. We were located in the first large shelter in the Park and very visible from the road, which brought in a lot of spectators who most certainly enjoyed the show cars as much as the participants!

DJ Scott the Musicman provided music and announcements for the entire day, and there were two food trucks on site. Our regalia table, headed by Allan Tavss, was busy all day selling Club logo items.

The GCBSCC this year welcomed some very generous sponsors. Vista MINI, our title sponsor, was on the show field with two cars. Jaguar Motorsport was also on the field, with one car, and Abington Spares came with information. Thank you to all who provided support and ads on our website, www.goldcoastbritcar.com: Vista MINI, Moss Motors, Jaguar Motorsport, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Wire Wheel Classic, Auto Appraisal Network, Abington Spares, Scratch Car, and Hagerty.

Our 50/50 raffle was a great success. Thank you, Donna, for selling all of those tickets — the winner went home with more than $300!

Other raffle prizes included a gift basket from The Collection, the contents of which included many auto-logo items and other merchandise valued at $750. The North American MGB Register donated a gift pack that included a one-year membership, a memory stick with 27 years of tech information, and a sweatshirt that was awarded to one happy MG owner.

And thank you to our member Nannette Hornberger, who donated a great outfitted picnic basket and a car blanket, which were raffled off to two lucky prize winners.

Our show participants included 107 beautiful British cars in 30 classes, with 88% coming from the tri-county area (Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach) and the rest from out of town. We were very happy to see a great turnout of Jaguars, our featured marque, and we thank Rick Hartwell, President of the South Florida Jaguar Club. His support and assistance were very much appreciated before and during the show.

Our day culminated in our awards ceremony, and voting was by people’s choice. To assist in the presentation of awards were Ken Fengler and Neil Saffer, long-time members and supporters of our car show, plus Bill Gearhart, Car Show Chairman, Michael Cohen, Special Events Coordinator, and David Zeitz, Club President.

We presented many awards, and we are happy to announce our winners in each class:

Jaguar E-type — 1st, Del Fruit, 1970. 2nd, George Hervert, 1961. 3rd (tie), John Brisson, 1968, and Joe Dragone, 1973.

Jaguar XJ — 1st, Andre Rodriguez, 2000 XJ8. 2nd, Philip Parisi, 1987 Vanden Plas. 3rd, Barbara Fetner, 1999 XJ8.

Jaguar XJS — 1st, Christopher Karentz, 1993. 2nd, Shahn Gross, 1994. 3rd, (tie), Joseph Massuco, 1995, and Vucette Miraslav, 1995.

Jaguar XJSC — 1st, Michelle Meehan, 1986. 2nd, Rick Hartwell, 1986.

Jaguar XK — 1st, John Chely, 2006 XK8. 2nd, Gary Kincel, 2001 XK8.

Jaguar XKR — 1st, Michael Marcin, 2014. 2nd, Willie Wittkpof, 2007. 3rd, Ken Zimmerman, 2014.

Jaguar Other — 1st, Terry Beamer, 1963 Mark 2. 2nd, David Hardesty, 2016 F-type. 3rd, Tony Gilmore, 2018 F Pace.

Austin-Healey 3000 — 1st, Karl Ebert, 1961. 2nd, Steve Austin, 1966. 3rd, Anthony Petrone, 1967.

Morgan — 1st, Eric Singer, 1966 Plus 4. 2nd, F. Berry Hayley, 1962 4/4. 3rd, Bennett Shuldman, 2003 Plus 8.

Mini Cooper Early — 1st(tie), Greg Lush, 1966, and David Kozam, 1998. 2nd, Joe Machado, 1976.

Mini Cooper Late (MINI) — 1st, Felix Hagley, 2022 Cooper. 2nd, Michael Rose, 2015 Cooper S.

Lotus Pre-1980 — 1st, Thomas Vagasy, 1971 Europa. 2nd, John Layzell, 1969 Spec7 Replica.

Lotus Post-1980 — 1st,, Frank Ennis, 1993 Esprit. 2nd, David Zeitz, 2017 Evora 400.

British Other — 1st, Larry Kopp, 1936 Lagonda LG45. 2nd, Dave Reeve, 1960 Daimler SP250. 3rd, Sean Harvey, 1964 Sunbeam Tiger.

MGA — 1st, David Massey, 1955. 2nd, David Friswell, 1960. 3rd, Constance Mangan, 1959.

MGB Pre-1974 1/2 — 1st, Barry Nathanson, 1970. 2nd, Allan Tavss, 1974. 3rd, Jose Capmany, 1974.

MGB Post-1974 1/2 — 1st, Vic Holderness, 1980. 2nd, Scott McClary, 1976. 3rd, Eric Powell, 1975.

MGB GT — 1st, Tony Flamino, 1967. 2nd, Gerard Pantin, 1970.

MG TC — 1st, Joseph Nofil, 1947. 2nd, Howard Rock, 1948. 3rd, Tony Peterle, 1947.

MG TD — 1st, Scott Armstrong, 1950. 2nd, Alberto Naon, 1952. 3rd, John Korman, 1952.

MG Other — 1st, Dan Lanier, 1933 J2. 2nd, Mark Graham, 1969 MGC. 3rd, Mike Goodwin, 1931 D-type.

MG TF — 1st, Michael Cohen, 1955.

Rolls-Royce Pre-1970 — 1st, Steven Moorman, 1924 Springfield Silver Ghost Pall Mall Touring. 2nd, George Schultz, 1954 Bentley R-type.

Rolls-Royce Post-1970 — 1st, Skip Waldman, 2013 Phantom. 2nd, Raymond Henning, 1999 Bentley Azure. 3rd, Mark Schlesinger, 1986 Silver Spur.

Triumph Spitfire — 1st, Rick Zink, 1973. 2nd, Jeff Seltzer, 1978. 3rd, Pete Jacaty, 1978.

Triumph TR2 to TR4 — 1st, Michael Grace, 1954 TR2. 2nd, Jeff Liroff, 1960 TR3A. 3rd, Tom Wilhite, 1961 TR3A.

Triumph TR6 Pre-1974 — 1st, Jay Shradel, 1971. 2nd, Ed Morat, 1973. 3rd, Ken Fengler, 1972.

Triumph TR6 Post-1974 — 1st, Navarro Mora, 1974. 2nd, David Muenzer, 1976. 3rd, Steve Macke, 1976.

Triumph Other — 1st, Christopher Karentz, 1970 GT6. 2nd, John Edelson, 1963 Vitesse.

TVR — 1st, Ronald Ofshe, 1966 260. 2nd, George Radelet, 1972 2500. 3rd, Tony Blevins, 1988 420SEAC.

In addition, we had three special awards that were also voted on by car show participants. Tied for Top of Show were Larry Kopp and his 1936 Lagonda LG45 and Michael Grace and his 1954 Triumph TR2, both beautiful cars. Best of Show was Steve Moorman’s 1924 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Pall Mall Tourer.

Steve’s Rolls is number 179 of the Pall Mall Tourers built on a Springfield (as in Springfield, Mass.) chassis. Assembled with parts from England, American vendors were added for accessories and electrical systems. These updated features and mechanical refinements were first applied to Derby-built Rolls-Royces and then added to the Springfield cars. They included American-made Bosch magnetos and coil ignition, Bijur generators and starters, and American-made wire wheels.

Steve says that he has been working for two years on its restoration and still has more to do. It is truly a spectacular automobile.

Congratulations to Steve and his wife Bridget for their Best of Show award! And congratulations to all of our winners — your cars are all special!

Thank you to John Morris for taking fantastic photos. And thank you to Bill Gearhart, Car Show Chairman, and his many dedicated volunteers who worked very hard to make our show a success.

Even the weather cooperated! It was a beautiful day, and we were treated with the attendance of beautiful and classic as well as modern British cars and their owners.

Thank you all for attending the GSBSCC’s 27th Annual All-British Car Show! We look forward to seeing you next year!

Please watch for more upcoming events. Visit our Facebook page or our website, www.goldcoastbritcar.com, where you will find updates on our club events and information about the club. Inquiries can be directed to our e-mail, goldcoastbscc@gmail.com.