FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — On Sunday morning, June 21st, perfect weather graced Cushing Memorial Park in Framingham. Hundreds of historic cars and bikes from all over New England gathered on the manicured lawn to explore the theme of this year's Bay State Motor Festival, “Made in New England.” A 1905 Cameron from Pawtucket, R.I., a 1911 Corbin from New Britain, Conn., a Stanley Steamer, and a pair of Orients from Waltham, Mass., were among them.

The first drive of the sole remaining Bay State sedan (built in 1924 in Framingham) was quite important to this author after 10+ years of restoration. A barrel train entertained the kids, big and small, the Voices of Metrowest chorus performed the National Anthem, and at high noon, hundreds of cars started their motors at the same time, a truly unique experience. Numerous food trucks, including two selling ice cream and gelato, were present, too.

Enthusiast clubs like NEMO, The Boston Area MG Club (BAMG), British Motorcars of New England (BMCNE), and The Yankee Region of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley Owners’ Club were very supportive.

Five NEMO members attended, with three classic Minis, one modern MINI, and a Morris Minor. There was a large turnout of MGs and other classic British cars brought by members of BAMG and BMCNE. At least seven Rolls-Royces and Bentleys were present, including a 1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost that was built in Springfield, Mass.

There were a variety of pickup trucks, military vehicles, fire engines, and three police cars spanning 70 years. American cars from the 1930s through the 1970s were well represented, as were muscle cars and a few hot rods. There were Porsches, BMWs, VWs, Japanese cars, and a lone Alfa Romeo.

A 1906 Orient Buckboard was shown and demonstrated by River Bernstein from Connecticut. What was significant about his participation is that he is 11 years old and his knowledge of the car was really quite impressive.

River wore a period costume including a bowler hat. He demonstrated starting the Orient with a hand crank. River’s grandfather bought the Orient as a project the two of them could work on together. His car won the award for “Best Preservation.”

The announcement of the 2027 Bay State show theme, “Masters of the King’s Highway,” will feature significant prewar British vehicles as a part of a cultural exchange between Framlingham, England, and Framingham, Mass. The tentative date is June 13th and many prewar British cars have already committed to attend. Save the date and plan to join us!

To view an album with hundreds of photos and 16 videos of the event taken by professional photographer Lynne Damianos, visit damianosphotography.pic-time.com/portfolio.

BROOKLINE, Mass., June 28 — This year’s British Car Day at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum (LAAM) was well attended, as always. We arrived around 8:45 a.m. and the overflow field was already being used by 9:30 a.m.

Classic Minis were arranged next to the Lotus section, and I don’t think that I have ever seen so many late-model Lotus cars in my life. I counted at least three Evora GTs, and just as many Emiras in the group. Directly outside the Larz Anderson Auto Museum were the usual collection of Rolls-Royce and Bentley coach-built cars.

My favorite car of the show was Steven Grundt’s beautiful original condition 1956 MG Magnette. Complete with opulent burgundy leather upholstery and burr-walnut dashboard, this is quite literally a British gentleman’s clubhouse on wheels.

Close second favorite was ‘MWK 120’, a 1953 Jaguar XK120 lightweight race car. I heard it roaring on arrival, but unfortunately, I didn’t get to speak with the owners. Google suggests this car was exhibited at the Greenwich Concours earlier this year, as a tribute to the original ‘LT1’ from the trio of factory cars that were built to compete in the 1951 Le Mans but were not completed in time for the event.

In total I counted four classic Minis and five modern MINIs.

Among the Classics: Wendy Birchmire’s 1973 Mini Mk3 Super Deluxe in British Union Flag motif, known as ‘Jack’, ‘KK’, Iain and Nuala Barker’s 1967 Morris Mini Cooper S in Almond Green and Old English White roof, a mid-1990s RSP badged Mini Cooper in cream with blue wheel arches, bonnet stripes and roof, and ‘CUTE 1’, Susan Verma’s midnight blue 1999 Rover Mini Cooper S.

Among the Moderns: Jason Cooper’s 2010 MINI Clubman R56 S Laurel Sport Edition in Pepper White, a 2006 Mini Cooper S JCW GP1 in Thunder Blue (grey), Erik Swider’s white 2024 MINI Cooper S, a 2006 MINI Cooper S in metallic silver, and a MINI Cooper Gen2 in light grey.

Richard Vizard was in attendance and he introduced himself to me as a nephew of the great A-series engine tuning expert, David Vizard. Despite his famous uncle, Richard said he has never owned a Mini!! - but that did not stop him from admiring both Wendy’s ‘Jack’ and my own ‘KK’ classic Minis.

Voting was all done by noon, and with looming overcast skies many owners elected to leave early. It was a fitting farewell tribute that ‘Best in Class’ went to ‘Jack’, as Wendy has it listed for sale by auction at the time of writing, so this may be its last outing under her ownership.

Postscript: Our journey home to Cambridge was somewhat eventful in itself. Coming onto Soldiers Field Road the Mini started spewing huge clouds of blue-white smoke, and when I stopped at the Alewife lights with the engine at idle the revs were racing above 3000. We managed to limp home, leaving a contrail of vaporized oil in our wake.

I’ve diagnosed the fault as a stuck-open PCV valve, and a replacement rubber diaphragm is on order from Boot2Bonnet — one of the last remaining U.S. Mini parts vendors. A cautionary reminder that modern 10% ethanol-based fuel does not play well with 60-year-old rubber components.

The 5th Annual Moody Street Car Show in Waltham will take place on August 15th from 12 to 4:30 p.m. Moody Street is closed off and all the restaurants and businesses are open, including the ever popular Lizzies Homemade Ice Cream.

This is a multi-marque show with a bit of everything: vintage American cars, muscle cars, military vehicles, etc. Three NEMO members attended the 2025 event and our classic Minis were very popular.

Moody Street remains closed after the show ends at 4:30 p.m. If you want to stick around for dinner, be sure to move your car to one of the many municipal parking lots on the side streets.

You should call or text Charlie at (617) 257-2315 to reserve a space (include the year, make, and model of your car). Arrive after 11 a.m. at Spruce Street. Show cars are $10. The event is free to the public.

For additional information including the show flyer, visit https://members.walthamchamber.com/events/details/5th-annual-moody-street-car-show-989.

WATERFORD, Conn., June 7 — British by the Sea, the Connecticut MG Club’s big yearly gathering of British cars of all makes and models, heralds the beginning of show season in southern New England. This year the event was blessed with blue skies and pleasant breezes coming off Long Island Sound (for it truly is “by the sea”), plus a full field of entries demonstrating once again that enthusiasm for British vehicles is alive and well in this part of the world.

Aston Martin was 2026’s “Marque of the Year” and this reporter counted 23 examples in attendance, most of them DB7s or newer. That is the largest number of Astons I’ve ever seen at an event, so kudos to CTMG for doing the outreach necessary to marshal the turnout.

Minis held their own in two classes, one for the classics and the other for MINIs. My partner Faith and I attended in her 2019 Cooper S Clubman, joining four or five other MINIs that included examples we hadn’t seen before. Notable among them were Lisa D’Alton’s “Seaside” convertible, suitably accessorized with mermaids, sharks, a parrot and even a flamingo.

There also was a gorgeously tricked-out black-on-black Clubman owned by Derek Shepard, one of the earlier versions with three doors. On his windshield card Derek listed his car’s “special features” as “Too Many”! The crowd apparently did not agree, figuring that he had just enough. He placed first among the MINIs.

Most NEMO members brought their classics, specifically Dave Black, riding down to Waterford with Greg Mazza in the familiar brown-and-white Mini Derick and Lorine Karabec, who trailered a recent acquisition 1998 Mini Cooper to the event that was a standout in royal purple and white and Sebastien Gerrens, whose black Mini sported a rallye number and attracted a lot of attention — enough to win the class.

Showing a car but not a Mini or MINI were Dave and Jean Icaza, who brought a Triumph TR3B that looked mighty fine in Old English White with red upholstery. They drove home with a first-in-class, deservedly so.

In the vendor area alongside the field were NEMO members and British by the Sea regulars Jon Gardner and Barbara Salome. They were selling all sorts of automobilia, including patches, key fobs, scale model British cars and an ever-popular assortment of Hot Wheels.

NEMO was not the only club with notable representation at British by the Sea. The regional Lotus club, New England Lotus Lovers Inc. (NELLI), brought a wide variety of cars that stretched from the Europas of the 1960s to modern-day Elises and Exiges. A local Lotus dealer was on hand to show off the very latest models, which included an electric SUV called the Eletre. How such a vehicle could follow Colin Chapman’s directive to “add lightness” is lost on me, but I guess that’s just because I’m not a fan of SUVs.

The 3/4 Morgan Group was out in force also, showing off Three Wheelers, Plus 4s, Plus 8s and others. British by the Sea can always rely on a strong showing from that club.

There was the usual turnout of many Land Rovers of various model runs and vintages, but I didn’t notice any banners providing a club affiliation.

At the end of one of the rows of Rovers was an Ineos Grenadier, a vehicle inspired by, but “improving upon,” the Land Rover Discovery. A very enthusiastic woman was next to it fielding questions and selling raffle tickets to benefit a local library. She revealed to me that the Grenadier is manufactured from the ground up and is not simply a Discovery that is stripped and modified. The owner of Ineos is a knighted Brit named James Ratcliffe, “a chemical engineer turned financier and industrialist” according to his on-line bio, and Grenadiers are made at a factory in France. They retail for somewhere north of $80K, so $100 for a raffle ticket seemed a bargain.

Among other cars worthy of note, it’s not often that an MG Midget gets its due at a car show, but that’s what happened at this year’s British by the Sea. Paul Grunh won Best of Show MG for his 1965. Best of Show Other Marque was captured by a 1958 Berkeley microcar, a truly unique item that made the Triumph Herald parked next to it look huge. Those of you who have attended Charles and Nancy Gould’s Microcar Classic weekends have seen Berkeleys before, but for most of the crowd at British by the Sea, Kerra Wilson’s yellow example had to be a real eye-opener.

Yes, there was a great time to be had at Harkness Memorial State Park that day. There was even a show of kites fluttering in the breeze to complement all the on-field activity, plus a nice assortment of food trucks offering everything from seafood to ice cream. The Connecticut MG Club is to be congratulated for another gathering well planned and excellently done.

Hope to see lots of Minis next year!

BRISTOL, R.I., June 13 – British Motorcars of New England (BMCNE) held their sixth annual car show at Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island. Classic and modern Minis were the featured marque, and the show T-shirt featured a classic Mini on the back. I planned to attend with my 1968 Mini Traveller, and closely monitored the weather forecast for the week leading up to the event. The weather gods cooperated so I actually pre-registered (at the risk of jinxing the show).

My wife Betty and I left Framingham, Mass., at about 7 a.m. in order to beat the heat and traffic. We drove down I-495 South and got off at the Route 1 exit. After a brief stint on Route 152 we followed a scenic route recommended by BMCNE member Ernie Connor. This took us through rural neighborhoods, past numerous farms, and through Rehoboth State Forest. Far better than driving on I-95 in downtown Providence!

Bruce Vild and Faith Lamprey had planned to bring their classic, but the clutch slave cylinder failed on the Friday night British car parade, so they brought Faith’s MINI Cooper S Clubman instead. Other NEMO members in attendance were Wendy Birchmire, Iain and Nuala Barker, and Tony Borges. Most of the show field was in direct sun. I brought my large pop-up tent for shade, and it served as a welcome gathering place for NEMO members and friends.

There were three classic Minis I don’t recall seeing before. One was a green 1981 cabriolet owned by the Borgeses. Tony said there was a company in England that performed the cabriolet conversion. The second was a yellow 1960 Austin Mini owned by Christopher Dunning. This car had been raced, though Christopher converted it back to stock. However, there is still an oil cooler radiator in the center lower section of the grill. The third was a blue 1973 Austin Mini owned by BMCNE member John Biagioni. John’s car has a partial white roof, the center of which was a fabric sun roof.

According to BMCNE, 220 cars registered for the show. These included eight MGAs, two MG Magnettes, a variety of Lotus models (my favorite being a 1973 Europa Special), Land Rovers, four Bugeye Sprites, Austin-Healeys, a variety of Jaguar vintages (XK-120s, an MKII, E-types, modern cars), four MG TFs, other MG T series, several Morgans, classic and modern Bentleys and Rolls-Royces, many MGBs, numerous Triumph models, and even a British Taxi.

There were several rare and unusual cars present. A 1958 AC Aceca Bristol had been shown at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, as was the 1951 Allard K2 parked next to it. A late production 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE (Special Equipment) model featured race and performance enhancements. The Audrain Automobile Museum displayed an extraordinary 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1, claiming it to be the rarest American-built car (Springfield, Mass.) as one of only two built.

My vote for the most unusual MG goes to a 1935 MG PA owned by John Mickela. The car sported a “VOLUMEX” supercharger, nose mounted in front of and below the radiator. An SU carburetor and an air filter were attached to the side of the supercharger.

At the top of the oddball category was a “custom” 1959 Sunbeam Alpine. I always liked the Alpine tail fins but something looked a little off about the car. On closer inspection, it turned out that an Alpine front and rear had been fitted to a 2001 Mazda Miata. The interior was pure Miata, but the exterior was stretched Alpine. The window sign said the car took four months to build during the winter of 2025-2026.

Three NEMO members took home prizes.

Classic Mini winners

David Schwartz – 1st for my 1968 Morris Mini Traveller (woodie wagon).

Steve Aoyama – 2nd for his 1972 Mini Van (Honda VTEC engine conversion).

Wendy Birchmire – 3rd for her 1990 JDM Mini Mayfair.

Modern MINI winners

Lisa D’Alton - 1st for her 2024 “Seaside” (special edition) MINI Cooper S convertible.

Chris Bogart - 2nd for his 2018 MINI Cooper.

Faith and Bruce - 3rd for Faith’s 2019 MINI Cooper S Clubman.

A variety of food trucks were present with lemon ice and gelato being especially popular given the hot, sunny day. The Bristol Town Beach was directly across from the show field, with changing rooms and rest rooms nearby. Betty and I brought bathing suits and towels and enjoyed cooling off in Narragansett Bay prior to our very warm drive home.

PLYMOUTH, Mass., Sept. 20, 2025 — The British Invasion in Stowe, Vermont, has gotten too far for me to drive in a classic car. Many of my car buddies do attend, though some now trailer their classics. I always feel a bit left out and was looking for a car show closer to home when I saw a listing for The Great British Car & Air Fair.

The event was sponsored by the Cape Cod British Car Club (CCBCC) and the Cape Cod Community College Aviation Maintenance Technology program (CCCC-AMT). The show was held at Plymouth Municipal Airport, about 66 miles from my home in Framingham, Mass.

I was a regular attendee of the former CCBCC British Legends Weekend and thought it would be fun to support their event. While 66 miles is a reasonable length to drive in my 1968 Mini Traveller, the fastest route was on the Mass Pike and 495. The poor Mini screams for a nonexistent 5th gear at 60mph, but taking local roads would have doubled the drive time so the highway it was.

The event was held between a hangar and airfield around the far back corner of the airport. The directions were a bit confusing but there were plenty of signs. Numerous airplanes, helicopters, and a gyrocopter were parked between rows of British cars and a hangar was open for exploring additional hardware. Students in the AMT program served as guides and were happy to answer aircraft questions. I tried on a jetpack for size and felt like a cross between Buzz Lightyear and an Astronaut doing EVA training.

There was a good turnout of British cars, though mine was the only Mini. I parked between a pristine red MG TF and a maroon Morris Minor Traveller. There was a second MG TF present and at least three MGAs. Other cars included numerous MGBs, a Morgan, two Jaguar E-Types, several Triumph models, a beautiful 1958 MG Magnette ZB, an Austin Healey 3000 BJ8, and a Lotus Evora GT.

Several cars had performance upgrades. A silver-grey MGA had a Ford DuraTec-R engine. It was a four-cylinder engine of unknown displacement. Unfortunately, I was not able to find the owner and there was no windshield tag. The car was fitted with Dunlop performance wheels and was very sharp-looking.

Another example was a green, chrome-bumper MGB was fitted with a 3.1 liter GM V6 engine, an electric radiator fan, and a mesh grille.

Several airplanes parked on the field were open for tours. Kids especially enjoyed sitting in the pilot’s seat of the Cape Air twin engine propeller plane and a small Cape Air twin engine jet. Another Cape Air plane was in the hangar. AMT students may perform maintenance on these aircraft.

I had a long talk with the owner of a Cavalon AutoGyro. I mistakenly thought it was a helicopter, but it is actually a Gyroplane. A Gyroplane combines features of a fixed wing airplane and a helicopter though it is simpler to fly than either one. The main rotor is not powered and moves due to forward motion from the rear propeller. I didn’t follow all the technical details.

Another unusual aircraft was a Mini-MAX kit plane, built out of plywood and wood trusses, and covered with doped aircraft fabric. Aircraft dope is a lacquer that is applied to fabric-covered aircraft. It tightens and stiffens fabric stretched over airframes, which renders them airtight and weatherproof, increasing their durability and lifespan. Metal struts attached the landing gear to the plane’s body. The model on display had an open cockpit with very simple controls. It was reminiscent of World War I vintage planes.

I hadn’t been to a CCBCC event since 2018 and it was nice to catch up with folks. Sadly, Cape Cod Community College recently decided not to host the event again in 2026, but the CCCBC would love to have NEMO members attend some of their other 2026 events. See their website for the full list at https://bcccc.org/. There is quite a variety, including a windmill tour on July 15th.

NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I., May 26 — Seeing as how we are planning to drive our 1967 Austin Mini to the big British Motorcars of New England Show in Bristol, my partner Faith thought it would be a great idea to dust it off by taking it to a local cruise night. Turned out it was!

This particular cruise night has been going on for five years now, though this was the very first time we decided to participate. Actually, we found out about it only recently. An added benefit was that the event for us was very local, being little more than a five-minute ride from our house to the field.

It is purported to be the largest cruise night in Rhode Island, and sure enough the vehicles attending easily numbered over 100. We got there around 4 p.m. (it officially started an hour earlier) and already the lower two fields were filled, with cars now taking up the third and furthest field. The location was behind The Beef Barn, a local favorite, and the restaurant had its own food truck to accommodate all the entrants. A DJ was set up to play cruise-appropriate music. Entry, by the way, was free.

As expected, hot rods were out in force. There was a handful of late-model Corvettes there, and a very nice 1962 example as well. We parked next to a 1966 Chrysler Newport so spectators could enjoy the size comparison.

There were only a few “foreign” cars there along with our Mini. I searched them out while Faith stayed behind and entertained the curious with stories about our car.

I talked at length with the owner of a 1973 Karmann Ghia, and looked in vain for the owner of a 1976 or ’77 Honda Civic that we saw drive onto the field. Had I found him, I would have told him all about the ’76 I owned — like his, the CVCC 5-speed model — and see if he knew that it was only offered in yellow and Day-glo orange. (Mine was yellow, his orange.) I was particularly impressed that the Honda’s interior sported the original houndstooth upholstery. Mine split early in ownership and had to be replaced in plain black at Rayco in Providence. Remember Rayco?

I noticed a gray Ford Popular 103E pulling up on the far field and knew I had to get a picture. There was something familiar about it, and sure enough, the owner revealed that he had shown the car at Bristol last year. This version of the “Ford Pop” was an early postwar design resembling a Stateside coupe from the late 1930s, complete with headlights sitting atop the fenders, though it was produced till 1959. The 103E was powered by a very modest four-cylinder engine good for about 30hp. Well, the owner of this Ford Pop remedied that by fitting a small turbocharged Chevy engine tidily beneath the bonnet. No one would be any the wiser until he opened the hood.

There were a couple of Saabs, a 900 and a 9-3, and an MGB with pinstriping on the bonnet. An Olds Toronado from its debut year, 1966, got many admiring glances with its sophisticated yet sublime styling, showing just what GM designers could do with a clean sheet of paper more than 60 years ago.

The absolute standout of the whole cruise, however, was a late-1930s Cord. Sadly, the owner wasn’t around to verify this, but as far as I could tell, this was not the mid-1960s replica written about in Motor Trend and other enthusiast magazines back in the day. It was the real thing. The pre-selector to the right of the steering wheel was a dead giveaway, as were the period speedometer and gauges.

Faith and I left at 5:30, but cars were still coming in. The event, we heard, ran till 8, and I wouldn’t be surprised, given the lovely late spring weather, if that outer field was completely filled in by then.

Beef Barn cruises are held every Tuesday (weather permitting) from May 26th through September 1st, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

British Motorcars of New England’s 2026 British Motorcars in Bristol will feature classic and modern Minis as their “Special Marque.” The car voted best Mini/MINI will receive an award with the Mini logo. Minis will park up front next to banners with the Mini logo. The show T-shirt (see photo) will feature a classic Mini.

The show is Saturday, June 13th, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Colt State Park in Bristol, RI. There is a slate of activities taking place the day before including a drive, a visit to the nearby RI Veterans Home, and a block party with live music at Independence Park downtown.

Please spread the word to other Mini owners. This is the first time Mini is being featured at British Motorcars in Bristol and we should strive for a large turnout.

For more information and to pre-register, visit https://britishmotorcarsinbristol.com/.

Calling all car and bike enthusiasts! Here is a great way to spend your time this Father’s Day, on the beautiful 67-acre lawn in Cushing Memorial Park in Framingham, MA.

Did you know that Massachusetts was the origin of the automobile in America (Stevens Duryea), and that there were 162 manufacturers of cars, trucks and motorcycles made in the Bay State before World War II?

Come see the featured display of made-in-New-England vehicles at this year’s Bay State Motor Festival! It takes place Sunday, June 21st, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Cushing Memorial Park.

Museums and collectors will have fascinating exhibitions. The Framingham History Center will show the first VMCCA rally memorabilia. The vehicles displayed will include Stanley Steamer, Springfield Rolls-Royce, Knox, Atlas, Indian motorbikes, Metz, Orient, Grout, Morse, Cameron, Corbin, Locomobile, Pope, and the last existing Bay State sedan.

Add 53 years of GM vehicles built in the Framingham plant, UAW alumni docents, on-site trailer parking, and food trucks and you have a memorable outing!

ALL vehicles are welcome and spectators are FREE! There is group registration for NEMO, BAMG, etc., so clubs can park together. Pre-registration is available on-line. Call (508) 259-6314 for more info, and check out the “Behind the Garage Door” podcasts at https://baystatemotorfestival.com/.

An article about the 2025 Bay State Motor Festival appeared in a previous newsletter and is available on the NEMO website archives tab. Click on NEMO Newsletter Archives and search for Bay State Motor Festival.