Welcome to Sacramento 2003!

This year we were joined in sharing many of the events with the Studebaker Drivers Club which was the primary meet sponsor. The association along with the Antique Studebaker Club joined SDC for our annual meet.

What a week! For the first time in quite a while we had a left coast meet. Sacramento turned out to be a tremendous vacation destination for many of those lucky enough to attend. For those of you who made time to travel and explore we hope you enjoyed our beautiful and diverse state. On Wednesday we had a gorgeous flock of Avantis in full plumage to admire, at a great headquarters hotel in a fantastic location.

Many of you took advantage of the seminars that were educational and helpful in our goal of keeping our cars in the best of condition while adding to our knowledge of the history and background of our cars.

Like in the past we provided a quality alternative to other scheduled events. With the help of the hotel staff including an executive chef stolen from a 4 star restaurant we had an excellent meal followed by a most interesting and educational talk by Paul McKeehan, the last designer to be laid off by Studebaker at the close of automotive production in South Bend.

Do you know what Paul's single contribution to the Avanti design project was? Hint: you probably handle its inspiration every time you brush your teeth. Those of us who heard him on Thursday know the answer.

This year we introduced new judging standards that took a different approach. Authenticity was not considered. Only condition and quality. The awards this year were certificates, that can be mounted and hung with your photos, rather than the usual dust catcher designed to sit on a shelf.

A big advantage to having a joint meet with a club the size of the Studebaker Drivers Club and the Antique Studebaker Club, is the opportunity to shop from a huge field of the specialized merchandise we need for our cars and our lifestyle. With people attending from 3 groups they have more reason than ever to come with a real inventory of hard to find parts. Yes, we know we can phone them at any time and have the part show up the next day but nothing beats being able to touch and look at the items.

We thank all those who came so far to join us. We especially thank those members who drove their Avantis from places as far away as New Jersey and Florida and those who came from as far away as Australia.

Use the link at the left to enjoy photos of the Avantis that were judged or displayed at Sacramento.