Club News From the Chairman

The Club Flourishes
The increasing interest in our club continues, especially by the e-mails and phone calls I receive and the requests for enrolment forms. By the way, be sure to send a photo of your car to Rob Maidment and Bob Thomas with details, so they can be shown in the membership list on the club website and in our bi-monthly magazine.

How Lucky To Own Such Cars
At a quiet time on the M6 Toll road I opened up the throttle on my 2006 STS. It was as if I had been fired from a gun: the car hurtled forward at great knots, and I thought the car following, a BMW, was going in reverse! – 0-60 in 6.2 seconds is pretty fast for such a big car. I know this will please Maurice Hendry, the Auto Historian who lives in New Zealand. He has the earlier RHD STS Seville, and has also ‘played’ with a BMW driver – it really is a pleasure to see their expression as you disappear into the sunset. I now have the latest version of Maurice's book on the complete seventy years of Cadillac history, and a most comprehensive updated compilation of Cadillac history it is too. 

Vegas Not Forgotten
The award from the Cadillac LaSalle Club of America that I received in Las Vegas at the Grand National was a great honour and joy to me. My wife on the other hand said: “All that way for a plaque with a badge on it!” Still, she had to admit that the thought behind it was a good one, and to have had nine of us from our club there (members and wives) was an added bonus. As for that visit to the Hoover Dam, I still find it a bit mind-blowing when you consider they didn’t have the equipment we have today; all done with guys swinging on ropes with a drill and some dynamite – and the machinery all steam driven. They are now building a new road bridge over the gorge, and seeing how they were working on it when we were there, it’s probably finished by now.

Duxford Remembered
The trip to Duxford at the invitation of US Air Force arranged by Paul Moss was a particularly good point during the year. Paul you do pull some goodies out of the hat for us – what beholds us next year?

The 2010 Grand European 
Dirk Van Dorst, our CLC European representative, has suggested I attend the 2010 Cadillac Grand European – that’s if I’m still here. It will be in the Loire Valley in France. I’m all for it, and I think there is little persuading to be done to get me there! I hear that quite a number of our members intend to make the trip - look forward to seeing you all there.