Cars, Coffee and “Tulip” Meet Up in Mission Valley San Diego


by Tom Wright

Recently I hosted a Cars and Coffee meet at the request of the Rolls-Royce Club to which LCOC members also were invied. The excuse I used was introducing Tulip, the greyhound I adopted to replace my well known greyhound, Lily, who attended numerous car meets before passing away last October at age 15+ (106 in greyhound years).

Tom and Tulip

We met at 9 a.m. for a couple of hours near the Corner Bakery in Mission Valley in a parking lot large enough that we could really spread out. Almost all attendees wore masks.

Because the pandemic limits attendance these days, I invited all the clubs I belong to including the LCOC and suggested people invite other clubs. A meet with multiple clubs means people get to see cars different from the “usual suspects” that tend to show up for almost every meet. Variety is the spice of life!

The LCOC distributed my announcement in an email notice distributed to the Western Region membership and posted on this website. Vehicles that attended ranged from a 99 year old Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost to a brand new Indian motorcycle. Most people brought their classics but some came in the daily drivers; people just wanted to get out and see some nice vehicles!

Besides Lincolns, I noticed these marques, many from clubs that were kind enough to distribute my flyer to their members like the LCOC did: Bentley, Aston Martin, Austin, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet & Corvette, Ford, Hudson, Jaguar, Lagonda, Mercedes, Mini, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, VW and motorcycles by Triumph, Harley-Davidson and Indian from the Perros Viejos (Old Dogs) motorcycle club for bikes over 35 years old.

Tulip loves people and enjoyed meeting all the car and motorcycle folk. A couple of people were inspired to bring their greyhounds. And I was approached by some people who expressed interest in possibly adopting a greyhound. So the meet accomplished two things, getting car and motorcycle collectors off their couches and possibly getting a retired racing greyhound onto one. They are called “45 mile per hour couch potatoes” for a reason!

Many attendees told me they really enjoyed the meet, showing that even in these trying times people will attend an outdoor meet that is set up to provide proper distancing and encourage the use of masks. The meet also showed that it isn’t always necessary to have an attraction such as an exotic locale or dramatic tour; our cars themselves and meeting their owners can supply all the excitement we need.

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