Rootes Group to be featured at 2023 Mad Dogs and Englishmen Show

[Alpine 1789]

I just received the following via email to my club address. It sounds like a fun event for anyone in driving distance of Kalamazoo area, or anyone interested in a road trip!

My name is Chuck Benner, I'm the club secretary for the Mad Dogs and Englishmen car club based out of Kalamazoo MI. We have a large British car show every July at the Gilmore Car Museum just north of Kalamazoo, and this year we are featuring Rootes Group cars as a special category called "Rare Gem". While we have had Sunbeam several years ago as our Featured Marque, and Singer as a prior Rare Gem marque, our club thought that it would be quite interesting to feature all of the Rootes Group cars at our 2023 show.

I'd very much like to invite the members of your club to our show. Links to both the Gilmore Museum, one of the premier car museums in the USA, and also our Mad Dog club are listed below. Details for the 2023 Mad Dog show can be found on our website.

I'd also like to ask you for a favor. Although there are several USA based Rootes Group car clubs (Sunbeam and Singer in particular) listed in the web, I don't know if any of them are more active than others, or how many of their members might be within driving range to our show. Any information you could provide me about suitable contacts for any active Rootes Group club would be greatly appreciated. Also feel free to forward this Email to anyone who may be interested.

www.gilmorecarmuseum.org
www.maddogsandenglishmen.org

Thanks very much,
Chuck Benner ​

 

[Aladin Sane]

I have been to the Gilmore museum. I used to go to Kalamazoo for business quite often. I would love to have my Alger ready for that show, but I have a long way to go yet.

 

[absunbeam]

Wanted to see the Gilmore museum, might have to add it to the 23 calender! Same weekend as Iola but having Rootes featured makes it a must see.

 

[65sunbeam]

I have been to this event the last few years-minus a Sunbeam though. Last year there was just ONE Rootes car there- a lonely Tiger.
Anyone within a few hundred miles needs to attend. One of the best grouping of museums (there are at least a dozen separate ones) in this country and one of the least known too. There were over 400 British cars at the show last year of all sorts. Some years they have over 600. There is a large swap meet too!

 

[ernestovumbles]

I've been to the event once many years ago and it was really nice.

It's only about 150 miles each way, but I'm a bit intimidated to take my Sunbeam on an overnight trip and lots of highway miles getting thru Chicago/northwest Indiana.

 

[nsbluenose]

I've been to the event once many years ago and it was really nice.

It's only about 150 miles each way, but I'm a bit intimidated to take my Sunbeam on an overnight trip and lots of highway miles getting thru Chicago/northwest Indiana.

Go for it! It won't be half as bad as you think and when you get home you will wonder why you haven't been doing more of this sort of thing. Honestly.

 

[RootesRooter]

A British car show with only 1 Sunbeam in a field of 400?!? Any Hillmans? Just random chance should put more Rootes-mobiles on the field than that.

 

[65sunbeam]

Only 1 Rootes car there last year. Previous year none at all! In my membership records there are 15 supporting members of the SAOCA living in Michigan.
This will be one show to support next year. Anyone in the area want to head up a local Invasion?

 

[Alpine 1789]

Anyone in the area want to head up a local Invasion?

Great idea, Eric!

 

[absunbeam]

Put the word out for Great lakes region to bring out the Rootes products. There is alot going on up here and our summers are filled with many shows and activities. SAAC Indiana Spring Fling in Nashville Indiana mid-May, Sussex Wisc British field day in June Fathers day show, time to make plans as to what events you want to go to July 8-9, 23! Put Gilmore on your list.
(Eric has been trying to get me to go to this event for a couple of years now).

Al