Owls Head's Foreign Car Festival

This turnout at the Owl’s Head Museum’s annual Foreign Car Festival was one of the best ever. Gloomy weather notwithstanding, on Saturday cars seemed to fill almost the entire apron outside the hangars. We weren’t the sole club represented, of course, but there were many familiar faces. One sight particularly grabbed my attention, and I share it with you below.

These are MMSCC cars united by common purpose and separated by a mere 86 years: Sarah Rheault’s 1935 Riley Imp alongside Gage Whittier’s 2021 Honda Civic Type R. The Imp took five of the top 10 spots (including first) in its class in the 1,000-mile RSAC Scottish rally in 1934; and the Type R holds the lap record for front-wheel-drive cars at the Nurburgring. I am pleased that there is room in the MMSCC tent for two such diverse-but-similar thoroughbreds and their owners.

20th MMSCC Labor Day Car Show

Considering the weather forecast, club members and the public would have been

forgiven for staying home, but at midday, just in time for the start of the show, the

sun came out to burn off the humidity and light up an array of some 39 memorable

cars. At least two sets of members, Bob and Jean McKay and Ian and Claire Marshall,

arrived by boat, so their cars—vintage Italian and British—were absent. However, a gleaming Arctic White 2024 Corvette Stingray and a lovingly tricked-out 2022 Honda Civic Type R underscored the newly democratic nature of the Mid Maine Sports Car Club.

Judges Albert Aniel, John Shepherd and Bob McKay took their duties seriously,

choosing to reward originality, patina, ownership history and road-worthiness, or

how often a car is actually driven. (Their mantra seemed to be “No trailer queens.”)

After due deliberation, first place was awarded to Katharina and Paul Garber for their outstanding 1954 Jaguar XK120. Dexter and Sheila Polistock took second place with their rare Sunbeam Tiger, the first one in memory to appear in the show. John Freeman’s sparkling white 1965 Jaguar Mark 2 came in third, “just,” someone said, “for being such a gorgeous car.” And the Judges’ Special Award went to MMSCC charter member Sarah Rheault for her wonderful 1935 Riley Imp.

As usual, the display area on Chestnut Street in the center of Camden was roped

off for us and a number of the holiday visitors in town appreciated being able to

take in the show. Great thanks to Ed Schultz, head of our Events Committee, for

producing the show and making it look easy; to the judges and all the members

who stepped up to assist; and to Dennis Griggs, our veteran lensman, who with the

aid of his wife Diane took these photographs.

MMSCC Summer Picnic

Saturday, August 3, dawned gray, chilly and rainy—hardly propitious for our annual

summer social. But the weather gods predicted clearing, and so a triple handful of

hardy MMSCC members convened at Sarah and Chrisso Rheault’s seaside home for

the traditional barbecue and picnic. (Only one especially hardy soul, Andy Curtin,

actually arrived in a sports car, his Miata, and kudos to him; the rest of us were in

our various daily-drivers.) True to the forecast, shortly after noon the fog and

clouds began to roll back and the spectacular view unfolded before us. The Rheault

“compound” lies at the end of Crow’s Nest Lane, on a point protruding into Davis

Cove in Cushing. Chrisso had prepared the charcoal grill and we cooked up what

we’d brought, shared our desserts, broke out the beer and wine and enjoyed what

turned out to be a delightful event. As ever, many thanks to Sarah and Chrisso for

their hospitality.