What happend?  “Pizza ’n’ Video Night” is supposed to attract more people than our regular SDVSA General Meetings! Kurt Sievert and the “Editor Emeritus” were at the Auto Museum at 6:30 for the September 14 meeting, and by 7:15 only four more members had put in an appearance. We started the meeting as best we could, without the benefit of the leadership of our president. The mood was far from festive, and we decided notto indulge in the planned pizza ’n’ video evening.

   Just as we wrapped up the abbreviated meeting, Jeff Perry and Richard Pattee joined us, and we received the latest report on the status of our SDVSA web site, and the agenda of the new Auto Museum Car Club Council. Since the Car Club Advisory Council merged with the Car Club Council (CCC) of Greater San Diego, and now represents over 95 car clubs throughout the county, Richard feels they have lost sight of the real purpose for their existence—namely to keep us informed of auto-related legislation from Sacramento. This set off a debate as to whether we should divert our membership dues from the CCC ($45/ year) to the Association of California Car Clubs (ACCC), a lobby group for the car hobbyist based in Sacramento which has actually stopped some outrageous legislation from being implemented.

    Our dedicated editor, Doug Gagliardi, became so engrossed in finishing his article “Dutch Encounters of the Close Kind” that we didn’t even have a newsletter to put together at the meeting! Doug drove down the following Saturday with the completed 1800 NEWS, and joined up with us at our old meeting place, the Boll Weevil, to address, stamp, and mail the copies. Former “Temporary Publisher” Jeff Perry arrived just in time to share lunch with us and afterward led us to a street fair in Mission Village, where former SDVSA President Russ Orrell was blowin’ a mean harmonica on stage with a hard-driving rock group. Doug’s feature article in the last issue, you will agree, was worth waiting for. Member Jim Barnes, who is our SDVSA representative in Arkansas, had his own version of “Close Encounters.” In his own words: “I went to Illinois on Aug 11, to my sister’s for a big birthday bash. . .took I-55 (aka Route 66) north and saw a ‘herd’ of vintage PVs heading south. It was the Dutch club. They were traveling in packs of 5 to 10 cars—I lost count. I wanted to turn around, pull one of them over and ask where they were going to be that night . . . just to party with those people, now that’s a road trip! Since then I visited the VCOA club website and learned their itinerary...I would have had to go about 8 hrs back south, out of my way, to catch up with them.”

    Tidelands Park, our meeting place for the 2005 Coronado Classic Speed Festival, was packed with soccer tournament players, fans, and their cars, but the Volvo clubs manage to find eight parking slots together. Brad Benson, had not purchased any tickets yet, which was a good thing because we had a couple of no-shows. After a proper head count, Brad roared off in his ES to purchase our tickets at the PX for the fantastic price of $12.50 a piece (vs. $30 at the gate)!

     There was some confusion regarding how to meet back up with Brad (who was heard to grumble: “It’s like herding cats.”), and our caravan of seven Volvos saw a little more of Coronado than we cared for, as well as incurring the verbal wrath of the young Navy recruits guarding the entrance to the base. However, we finally got our act together, and were safely parked among the other exotics in the Car Club Corral! There were plenty of caeras among our troops, but unfortunately not enough time to present an illustrated account in this issue of 1800 NEWS. Look for exiting coverage of this event in November’s newsletter.

      The next scheduled SDVSA event is our Annual Swap Meet on Saturday, November 19, at Crown Point in Mission Beach, San Diego. Hopefully, we can get the Ole Volvo Maestro, Sven Olafsbrosson, to work his organizational magic once again and restore this event to its former glory! Of course, the event is nothing without you! Bring your whole family for an outing at the beach, and see what Volvo treasures you can find. See the preliminary flyer on page 2. More details and how to get there will be included in the November issue of 1800 NEWS.

     Another Volvo event well worth attending is SCVCOA’s 3rd Annual Bozzani Volvo Car Show in Covina, on Saturday, November 12. The Westside Volvo Car Show, sponsored by the original So. Cal. VSA, used to be one of the highlights of the Volvo social season here in the California Southland; but alas, no more. Bozzani Volvo has picked up the mantle, and puts on a Volvo Show that’s even better, according to many reports. Some local SDVSA members are planning to caravan up to Bozzani. Please, if you can, join us! We’ll decide on a meeting place, and publish the details in the November issue.