Unexpected Oregon Concours win

[2stroketurbo]

Hey all. I`m new here. I`ve been lurking for a while. I thought I`d share. Some background info 1st....



Enjoy.



Microcars are fun!. I get a big kick out of driving them. Lately though, I do know what it is... small is big! Small cars have been attracting a lot of attention. I never thought "owning" a car could make one famous. With gas prices, and, retro styling popularity on the rise.... I guess it`s fitting. Over this past winter I worked really hard to make our newly aquired Messerschmitt a driver. The very first time out to a classic car show in early May, two guys came running up as I was pulling in to position.....saying I should enter it in the Concours. (My thought was to pass the idea off. I`ve never been to a Concours, it sounds stuffy to me, judging cars on how perfect they are, not, how well they run. Seems to defeat the purpose of owning car.) I explained to the two guys my car was not worthy of a Concours show. It is not a perfect car and I drive it. They insisted I should, and, they stated they were both Concours judges!



So, I thought about it.....



I entered the car for the 40 mile vineyard drive with Lisa my wife riding tailgunner. We`re also doing the black tie dinner, and wooden speedboat tours out on Haag lake.



A few weeks ago I got the call. They want to "FEATURE" our car for the Forest Grove Concours. Holy Cow! This is not a perfect car! When I signed up, they did not even have a class for Microcars. I guess it doesn`t matter. Last Saturday morning I spent giving rides to all the show photographers and interviewers. They loved it.



This weekend was the Oregon Concours d`Elegance in Forest Grove.



Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance



I have to be near the Messerschmitt all day Sunday July 20th on the show field at Pacific University campus to answer questions. I`m inviting the microcar community to come keep me company.... and from getty stuffy.



Album pictures of the day....



Forest Grove Concours



I`m proud of our Schmitt! It ran perfectly all weekend through the Oregon wine country. The weather and scenery was superb! We literally drove the wheels off. My wife Lisa rode tail gunner and we completed the 50 mile Concours Vineyard tour on Saturday with 30 other classic cars. Our little Messerschmitt was able to easily keep up with the `BIG` cars, ( on the flats at least ) the 1 cylinder two stoke engine smoked WAY less than the 1938 Chrysler ahead of us.....(teeth oiler, Cough-cough!) We even drove a little extra after dinner from Pumpkin Ridge Golf course to see a beautiful sunset and full moon rising over the wheat fields. The next day on Sunday we took home a 2nd place trophy on the show field. What fun!



And, you know, I didn`t get stuffy. Concours people are normal. We made some great new friends! Here`s some pictures in the Concours album from the event. ( above and below )



Mark Hatten









Forest Grove Concours





Thanks for the detailing tips Autopia!



Mark

[Jscort98]

That`s a sweet little car. Congrats on the concours win.

[imported_shine]

Congrats! Sounds like fun. The last 2 links don`t seem to be working.

[Jscort98]

Congrats! Sounds like fun. The last 2 links don`t seem to be working.

They`re working for me.

[Eliot Ness]

Congratulations! A Messerschmitt is a pretty cool car and yours is a very nice example of one .



Thanks for sharing your story with us!

[tbirdman]

Mark,



You have discovered the joy of owning a different car rather than following the rest of the crowd. You`re car is cute except I don`t think it would be big enough for my body:-) But what fun you must have as you cruise into a show with something totally different.





A lot of the concours crowd as you have found are fine and not uptight. Careful how you use the word "classic" as you may get the CCCA "classic" police after you. Classics as define by them and also the Concours are a limited amount of fine cars made between 1925 and and 1948. There is a list of them on the CCCA website. I won`t bore you with the full definition. There were actually were very few classics at the show vs. the amount of total cars. However I do understand that a lot of people use classic for cars that they consider old which is OK by me.



You need to take your car to the Lake Oswego car show Aug 24. That has a lot of unusual cars that come out of the Lake Oswego garages. A lot of foreign flair so you should fit in.

Oswego Heritage Council - Car Show

[2stroketurbo]

Thanks for the encouragement Tbirdman,



While @ the Concours dinner, Robert , the editor of the local Classic car club newsletter suggested I enter the Messerschmitt in the Lake Oswego show Aug 24., I`ve signed it up online, and I`m going to try and make it. It sounds like a very nice show.



Thanks again, Mark

[tbirdman]

Looking forward to seeing the car again. I think I`ll be bringing my 1912 Cadillac to the show. It`s new to the Portland Oregon scene. Made it`s debute at a couple of shows on Sunday. I went to a small one in Beaverton and then after an hour I went to one in Newberg. I was more interested in driving then sitting around waiting for a trophy. At a top speed of 40 not sure if I could keep up with your car.



You are sure to get an award at the Oswego car show and maybe one of the top three. No classes. It is all sponsor choice. The top three trophies are something else as they are acrylic etched with you car on them (Of course after the awards are given out). You`llsee a lot of the cars from Forest Grove at the Oswego show.



That`s a nice dinner and tour they put on though they need to mix it up where they go. I couldn`t make it this year to the tour or dinner as I arrived Sat night back in town. Two years ago I sat with the head judge of the concours. This year he was judging our class along with the head judge. I mentioned to him that I enjoyed the dinner with we had with him two years ago. He couldn`t remember but after they were done judging, his wife tapped me on the shoulder and said she remembered me and my car. Unfortunately I didn`t remember her.



TBirdman

[2stroketurbo]

TBirdman-



Funny. There`s a fella on the SPI paint forum who`s painting a Packard. He asked me if I knew a guy in Portland that just bought a 1912 Caddy. That must be you!



Which means, you must also own the Packard with the "see around corners" lights ?



I`ve spoke to you a few times @ Beaches car shows on Wed nights while you polish your Packard ( ....fantastic car BTW ). I usually drive my blue Subaru 360 micro van with the floral print interior.





Small world.



Mark

[tbirdman]

I`ll have to keep a look out for the Subaru. You must have been talking to Tom who`s restoring a 31. I restored mine, but smartly started with a good driver. Yes I have the 32 Packard with the Pilot Ray Lights though you won`t catch me polishing it at Beaches. I go there to have fun. The good thing about the color of the Packard is that it hides dirt quite well. I was tempted to go to beaches tonight but decided it was too hot. I have to fight the I5 traffic as I live in Tigard. So I tried out my new Porter Cable DA tonight and did polish and wax the car tonight. As you can see I have two cars that you never see. That`s why you have fun with yours though because it`s quite different.





I`m probably bringing the Cad to the Tualatin Sizzlin Summer show Sunday. It`s for a good cause, Make a Wish. See you around.