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NY International Auto Show
April 11-12, 2009
LEO at the 2009 New York International Auto Show
| When: | Saturday, April 110-12, 2009 |
| Where: | New York Jacob Javits Convention Center
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| Contact: | Dom Giangrasso at dglotusltd@optonline.net or (914) 482-3942 |
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| Info: |
It’s always a tough sell to get the organizers of the NY International Auto Show to provide space for a group of LotusHeads. But this year Dominic Giangrasso arraigned for TWO days on the 11th Avenue Concourse, plus a “dividend” at a display inside on the fourth floor.
Saturday started out cloudy and soon deteriorated into a hard, cold rain. So as soon as the Opening Ceremonies concluded (muscle-men pulling a bevy of Kia Soul cars), the intrepid LEO members commandeered a covered area under the Entrance Promenade. It wasn’t the most obvious place for a display of Lotus cars, but at least it was dry. Despite our display-in-hiding, the crowds were interested and appreciative as usual. We met more local Lotus owners we didn’t know about (some with nearly abandoned restoration projects) so it was a truly worthwhile day. (One thing that helped was generous donations for refreshments by Sports & Specialist Cars and William Thomas Roadsters.)
Saturday’s car owners were Dom Giangrasso, David and Jason Teitelbaum, Alex Lee, Atwell Haines, Glen Schostak, and Jackie Feakins. Elaine Yam-Bahk, Dominick Munofo, Fran Zupich, Sue Howard, and Mark Giangrasso helped man the booth as well.
Sunday dawned dry but cold and a whole different group of members’ cars took the stage. The group moved outside and got lots of stares from the showgoers. Sunday’s participants were Dom Giangrasso, Jackie Feakins (with a DIFFERENT Lotus!), Anthony Francia, Ed Reagan, George Jacobson, and Jon and Frank Doty.
It wouldn’t be a LEO event without, umm, ADVENTURE. One Elise needed a push-start on Saturday, as did an M100 Elan on Sunday. One car’s headlights decided to succumb to the Prince of Darkness. And one car’s exhaust fell apart right on the Concourse. The crowds LOVED the noise!
When Dom G. asked the organizers of the NYIAS for space for our Lotus display, they countered with a request of their own. They planned to have a tribute to Paul Newman: actor, gentleman racer, salad dressing creator, and humanitarian. So the call went out to any LEO member who owned an Elan similar to the one Paul raced, a mid 60s S1 or S2.
LEO member Dick Bettle came to the fore and promised to allow his blue-and-white Elan (with roll bar!) to take the stage.
Dick’s task was more difficult than the other LEO members displaying their Loti, because his car had to go INSIDE the Javits Coliseum. Not only that, but the Elan would stay inside the building overnight. Miscommunication on the 11th placed Dick and his wife a few blocks from where they needed to be on opening day. Dom Giangrasso took charge and used his contacts with the show’s management to get the car to the proper freight elevator and onto the fourth floor.
Once the car was in position another problem became apparent. Where was Paul? A figurine of Mr. Newman was to have been placed near the car, but there were no life-sized boxes anywhere.
This mystery was soon solved, as a woman from Madame Tassaud’s Wax Museum soon came in WHEELING PAUL ON AN OPEN HAND CART. She had walked the figure over several city blocks, from the Museum to the show!
For the rest of Saturday, Dick stood guard over his car and “Paul” (who was valued at $200,000). That night, the folks from Madame Tassaud’s collected “Paul” and trucked him back uptown for safekeeping.
“One good thing”, said Dick, “Is that Paul never blinked while standing guard over the Lotus!”
Sunday dawned dry but cold and a whole different
group of members’ cars took the stage. The group moved
outside and got lots of stares from the showgoers.
Sunday’s participants were Dom Giangrasso, Jackie Feakins (with a DIFFERENT Lotus!), Anthony
Francia, Ed Reagan, George Jacobson, and Jon and Frank Doty.
It wouldn’t be a LEO event without, umm, ADVENTURE. One Elise needed a push-start on Saturday,
as did an M100 Elan on Sunday. One car’s headlights decided to succumb to the Prince of Darkness.
And one car’s exhaust fell apart right on the Concourse. The crowds LOVED the noise!
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Cars Arriving on Saturday
Cars Arriving on Saturday
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