The last time my driving club buddy Larry and I organized any kind of get-together for our misfit group of car enthusiasts was October 23, 2022, just under a year ago. In the interim, we had announced to our compadres that the days of arranging drives to breakfast destinations were over. However, during a recent conversation with Larry, he suggested that we could again “host” a Cars & Coffee which would involve no more work than sending an email. So we did, and we did, and the result was good!

We scheduled the shindig for Sunday October 1, and after a week of significant rainfall, we lucked out with a day that was sunny, warm, and clear. I counted 14 individuals who showed up, the vast majority of whom know each other from sharing office space at Volvo corporate. In my case, I’ve known some of these gentlemen for over 30 years. Ten cars which qualified as “special interest” were driven there, while a few souls drove modern iron, which was fine with us, because we were really there for each other’s company.

Cars started arriving at 8:30 am and we successfully occupied most of one row in the lot. The Dunkin’ in Mahwah had bagels, donuts, and coffee, and what more could a bunch of old guys want on a Sunday morning? We stood in the parking lot with our food and drink and gabbed the morning away. Cars started to depart around 10:30 and I made my own getaway a little after 11 am to get home for some personal business. After driving the Alfa as my classic car of choice for most of the year, I brought the Miata to this event so that I could put fresh fuel into it! Aside from a few local trips, I had hardly moved it. The ride to and from added another 120 miles to the odometer, which was good for it.

Larry and I decided that while we will adhere to the “no more drives” decision, hosting a Cars & Coffee once or twice a year might be worth it, so we’ll calendar this for a repeat performance in the spring of 2024. Sounds far away, but it isn’t!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All photographs copyright © 2023 Richard A. Reina. Photos may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.